Thread by @AndyHS

September 24, 2020 Fresno City Council! Among the items:PBID Consultant for Blackstone Ave Corridor; Outdoor dining; SAFER Fire Grant; 1:00 pm Neighborhood Market and alcohol regulations. #Fresno Watch beginning at 9 am on @CMACTV cmac.tv/gov/

Among the Consent Calendar items: 1-B A pprove a Service and Product Agreement with Prime Government Solutions for digital government software suites and services to manage Council Meetings and Agendas in an amount not to exceed $75,000

1-H *Award a construction contract in the amount of $583,767.00 to Siemens Mobility, Inc. of Riverside, California, for the City of Fresno Citywide Street Light LED Retrofit Phase 2 - Bid File No. 3663 (Citywide)

I-I Actions pertaining to Dynamic Downtown Adaptive Signal Control Technology, Fresno Street, Van Ness Avenue and Bus Rapid Transit Corridors

1-N *Reject all bids for Armored Car Transport Services

1-P Actions pertaining to the City of Fresno purchase of license plate recognition and parking pay station hardware and management software for Woodward and Roeding Parks

1-Q Actions pertaining to Text Amendment regarding the proposed regulation and permitting of commercial cannabis activities in the City of Fresno.Amending the Fresno Municipal Code relating to Money Back Guarantee/Business Streamlining Act&exclude Cannabis Conditional Use Permits

1-U Actions related to agreement with the Asian Business Institute & Resource Center (ABIRC) for outreach and assistance to small Southeast Asian businesses: to appropriate $130,700 in CARES Act funds for the agreement with the Asian Business Institute & Resource Center (ABIRC)

for outreach and assistance to small Southeast Asian businesses.

@PaulCaprioglio Councilmember Caprioglio is here in person now. Council members are joking who that good looking person is! @MiguelArias_D3 will be leaving meeting at 9:45 for groundbreaking at Zoo. @Esmeralda_Soria Not here this morning but will arrive for Closed Session portion

4-A moves to 10:30. 1-B is moved to October 15th to allow media to test it out first. Agenda Approved.

@LuisCha70215912 :United Health Services CEO lost his battle to Covid. @SHSregion Sunnyside HIgh School Principal Tim Liles lost his battle with brain cancer. (I went to elementary and high school with Tim. He was friendly smart and already a leader even in 4th grade. Huge loss)

@PaulCaprioglio Would also like to adjourn in memory of former Fresno State women’s basketball coach Bob Spencer. (He was my bowling coach at Fresno State one semester. Funny and gregarious)Council to hear one item in Closed Session now and then back for public comments.

Closed Session was continued. @PaulCaprioglio takes over as presiding officer for rest of meeting. @LisaYFlores1 asks if public comments can go first before timed items? Not necessary says Attorney Doug Sloan.

10:15 AM ***Consideration of Text Amendment A and related Environmental Finding for Environmental Assessment No. P20-02213, to add Chapter 15 of the Fresno Municipal Code creating the Focused Infill (FI) Overlay District in the City of Fresno

Approved with no discussion 6-0

Councilmember Comments: Caprioglio SAFR Senior meal distribution happened today with help from volunteers and Pardini. Good/bad news for Fresno State as President @JosephICastro is moving up to be Chancellor of CSU system. @Esmeralda_Soria adjourn memory of Ruth Bader Ginsberg

Tower District hosts REEL Pride for 30 years and will be virtual this year October 10th. CARES $$ for food distribution and looking for community partners. @kmkarbassi Mike Myers won fast draw champion again as well as Bryson DeChambeau for winning US Open. Thanks @JosephICastro

as well. He mentions Senior food distribution as well. Can sign up as well. A resident wrote her heartfelt love for Senior food as it isn’t safe to go to grocery store for them now.

@D7Esparza Mobile Testing for Covid tomorrow at McLane High School beginning at 8 am. Timothy White is Outgoing CSU Chancellor and Esparza knew him at UC Riverside. @GarryBredefeld mourns the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsberg as a trailblazer. Rally regarding opening businesses.

Schools continue to be closed although transmission rate is low for them. Asks other councilmembers to stop pressing on local businesses. Newsom has released 20000 inmates due to Covid and no bail. Goalposts keep changing says Bredefeld

10:20 AM Actions pertaining to issuance and sale of Series 2020A Bonds for construction of a new animal control facility in a principal amount not to exceed an aggregate $22 million. Finance Director Mike Lima says it will open late 2021 and leased back to city of Fresno.

Bonds Paid off on April 2046. Joint Power Authority (Soria and Mayor Brqnd) move to approve and City Council needs to vote too. @MayorLeeBrand this is state of art and move in correct direction on this mandated role. Council Approves. JPA Committee vote 2-0 to approve.

4-A An Emergency Ordinance amending Section 2-515 of the Fresno Municipal Code relating to Outdoor Dining during the COVID-19 Emergency. Public: Tyler Mackey @Tower_District says we appreciate all the City has done but wants to bring back music and done safely. Other parts of

City has been doing this providing an unfair advantage for those businesses. We have a small window before weather gets colder. @Esmeralda_Soria restaurants have wanted relief in regards to entertainment. Approved 6-0.

@GarryBredefeld and @kmkarbassi registers NO votes on 1-Q and 1-R. I-Q is Cannabis items. Remainder of Consent Calendar approved except for 1-S.

Public Comments: Crystal Reid of property management company. Urges council to look at no entry inspections as it is causing lots of code Enforcement violations. Use social distancing to allow property owners to do maintenance. Gloria Hernandez: independent police auditor failed

his public role and should resign/fired. @kieltls Kiel Lopez Schmidt: Police Auditor concealed police report and should resign. @LisaYFlores1 Shocked by Police Chief Andy Hall’s comment as racist for using “circle the wagon” while police use firearms. Police transparency but we

as public we can’t see it so not transparent. She also asks Bredefeld could have been preaching masks and we would have businesses open. Caprioglio asks her to direct comments to him. @LovesMercy Brandi agrees police audit comments by others earlier. She supports Mayor Brand and

For abiding by CDC guidelines. She knows businesses are suffering. Carrie: Council is failing on police and public. Country is on fire nationwide but none of you mention Breonna Taylor. Policing is invested over other items. Matthew Woodward @mmwpro63 police auditor withheld

report the same week Breonna Taylor wasn’t served justice in Louisville. Can we be certain we will get justice locally?

4-C Authorizing and directing the application for each fiscal year of the staffing for adequate fire and emergency response (SAFER) funding issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security grant program and authorizing completion of all required documents

@kmkarbassi we will apply for grant for Fire drill schools. 6th largest city but staffing for our FFD is already an issue. Approved.

@MiguelArias_D3 is back at Council from zoo ground breaking. @Esmeralda_Soria comments on Police Auditor. Why did process go as it did? Was there more details than was shared in press? City Manager Quan says potential litigation details need to be in Closed Session. City Attorney

Sloan says process can be done in open session though. Quan: I welcome police auditor would come to speak to Council. Police Auditor has full support of City Manager as he was honest about process. She will schedule a Workshop in October for Council perhaps in conjunction with

his next report. No direction from Quan or Police Dept. @MiguelArias_D3 can it be released today rather than wait until October as he sat on the report for 4 months. Sloan: we are limited to what we can do as this is not on agenda. @kmkarbassi extremely serious issue. Clari-

-fication is needed. Soria: a refresher as to what Police Auditor during next months Workshop. @GarryBredefeld offended that some public called police Chief hall is a racist. Bredefeld himself has been called a white supremacist and a racist once he entered public arena.

I think police auditor report should be released soon and not wait until October for transparency. @kmkarbassi era of cancel culture. He needs to learn to listen. I don’t look at color of skin but character of heart. He and Chief Hall are angry due to Breonna Taylor. We have a

more diverse police Force. “We need to get officers out of their cars and with public says Chief Hall. Community policing is model we need” quotes Karbassi. @MiguelArias_D3 Schedule Police auditor Workshop October 15. @GarryBredefeld 38 murders in our community this year.

Increase in stabbings and gunfire and police need resources to deal with it. No Bail policies and releasing prisoners early due to Covid doesn’t help. @LuisCha70215912 looking forward to Workshop. He also spoke to Chief Hall yesterday. Businesses along Kings Canyon Blvd have been

hit hard with burglaries as businesses shut down due to Covid. False promises of Prop 47 as State never provided the rehab part.Arias says we will now go to 1-S

1-S Actions pertaining to the 5-year agreement with Cen Cal Business Finance Group, Inc. regarding the administration of the City of Fresno Revolving Loan Fund: 1. ***RESOLUTION - 27th Amendment to the Annual Appropriation Resolution (AAR

No. 2020-159 appropriating $595,000 for the Economic Development Administration (EDA) CARES Act RLF Program (Requires 5 affirmative votes) Approve an amendment to include administration of the City of Fresno's $913,000 CARES Act Revolving Loan Fund Award

Kellie Trevino says we applied for grant from CARES act dollars and we’re approved.Cen Cal is only entity approved for this and urgent as money needs to be loaned out within 24 months. Five prospects so far. Dry Cleaner, clinic,counselor among those. Will partner with community

partners to get the word out. Those groups will get a referral fee. Loans are for 2%+prime. (Prime is 3% now)Arias: if this is CARES dollars why do we add extra percentages? Would prefer no 2% added and just Prime Rate. Kellie Trevino says we can take that request EDA and ask

Arias : motion to remove 2% if grantor agrees. We shouldn’t be making money off of CARES Act. Approved.

4-B Authorizing and directing the City Manager to conduct a competitive solicitation process for a consultant to explore a property-based improvement District for Central and Southern Blackstone Avenue. @D7Esparza effort on Blackstone using budgeted dollars to get project going

by hiring a consultant. This will cover Blackstone from Dakota down to 180. Approved. 4-D Declaring that all Residents of the City of Fresno Have Been Detrimentally Impacted by the Covid-19 Pandemic. @LovesMercy Brandi : thanks for making resources available for community.

Chavez: most of city residents have been effected by Covid but what about language needed for those who wasn’t effected by covid. $150,000 wage earner can’t evoke they don’t have to pay their rent. Sloan : correct. This doesn’t open them up to every grant and program. Approved

They are going to lunch break until 1 pm Neighborhood Market Act and relating to the use regulations for alcohol sales.@PaulCaprioglio wont be able to attend afternoon session due to Medical Appointments.

City Council is back in Session. 1:00 PM ***Text Amendment Application and related Environmental Finding for Environmental Assessment of the Fresno Municipal Code, to be titled the Responsible Neighborhood Market Act and relating to the use regulations for alcohol sale

This will be consideration only today but back October 15th.

Arias: we want to slowly lower levels of licenses by retiring them AND not close established stores over night.

Six months prior to reaching citywide ratio recommended revisions to RNMA. Businesses will be referred to this committee for education before any fines would be levied.

If not in saturated part of town the 500’ won’t apply. Changes in four backs down to three packs.

Will come back October 15. Public comments: Andy - a business person that says we can’t change what happened in past. We want to change the city and support this. George: Beal of Clovis: enforce the codes and regulations already on the books. ABC will only enforce state law.

Fresno has 450 more liquor license than is permitted. Most of Fresno is saturated. Reduce the licenses in oversaturated census tract first. Perhaps buy a liquor license from that Councilmember’s district rather than focus only on census tracts. Next: Serge H: some places have

Liquor stores on all four corners. You can buy beer cheaper than water. This bill is very fair. Raj: delay it as we have already made our business decisions. Upgrading from type 20 to 21 the city could remove the type 20 at the time in order to reduce. Darius Assemi: no interest

In alcohol business and wants to make Fresno better. This will be hard on local owners in favor of corporate franchises. A 4000 sq ft grocery stores have more fresh food and is more neighborhood friendly but could be prevented from going into strip malls. The intent of this act

has great potential but more details are needed to prevent unintended consequences. Dale Mell: agrees with Beal and Assemi. Citizens can drive to another liquor store but this will hurt neighborhood stores. Enforce what is on the books. Someone who wants alcohol will just drive

further to get it. Sam B. :Represents many corporate partners and works on many Kashian developments. Covid has changed commercial real estate. We don’t know who will survive after. If we put restrictions we may lose neighborhood grocery stores. Dale: When you spread out these

liquor stores it will increase vehicle miles traveled too. @LisaYFlores1 Likes the changes.Further west and further south you go you get more liquor stores. Let’s move forward and if we need to tweek it do it then. When was the last time Assemi built a grocery store in West

Fresno. Jose Espinoza : thanks council. Youth have been working on this. Data has showed over oversaturation and not good owners. Alcohol sales near schools makes it too easy whereas having to drive for it makes it much more difficult and less tempting. Shoulder tapping and ask

An adult to buy liquor for them. Owners often look the other way. Beer is cheaper than water for kids. Youth that have been working on this are currently in remote schooling and can’t be here today. Arias: we want smaller footprint grocery stores in a neighborhoods. We want to

provide that and not unintentionally make it harder. Make adjustments where we can. Legal counsel are comfortable with language and they encourage the neighborhood grocery stores. @D7Esparza We can’t make cognizant that we don’t make substantial changes and trigger having to

start all over. @kmkarbassi This is a good bill. Going back to 10:20 item to be reconsidered as Arias wasn’t here for that. Bredefeld jokes he wasn’t give a reconsideration last meeting on consent item he was late for. Arias jokes he owes Bredefeld one. @MayorLeeBrand Cost for

Original plan near Golden State but $1 for area near Gap Distributions Center. This was $15-17 million and now $22 million due to engineering factors as well as adding spay/ neutering clinic. (Audio problems with Finance Director). @D7Esparza asks if he they can phone in and

leave video on. Director is moving to another office instead. Jim Schaad: increase in costs for vehicles , medical costs and contingency as normal. Bond minimum is $20 million but if it is less we can add that to principle. Finance Director Mike Lima: cost of issuance for bank,

lawyer etc. Year of capitalized debt service while it is being built. That increases the $17 up to $22 million. Arias: we are heading into budget period. We won’t need to fund this from General Fund ? A: No. @LuisCha70215912 dogs and cats of Fresno thank you! Approved.

@MiguelArias_D3 General Fund budget will be provided to public by October 2nd. Hearings will begin October 12 and rest of that week with final vote October 22. Need 5 votes to move an item forward.

OCTOBER 1, 2020 - NO MEETING
OCTOBER 8, 2020 - NO MEETING
OCTOBER 15, 2020 -
9:00 A.M. MEETING
OCTOBER 22, 2020 -
9:00 A.M. MEETING
OCTOBER 29, 2020 - 9:00 A.M. MEETING

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