Thread by @AndyHS

January 28,2021 Fresno City Council meeting! On this wet and rainy day are there any dark clouds on the docket?? Among the items are a Redistricting Workshop;Appeal of a 7-11 of alcohol license request; Parc West development at Ashlan/Grantland; Resolution to urging NFL to get

local boy Tom Flores into the Hall of Fame! #Fresno Watch on cmac.tv/gov/ On the Consent Calendar include:1-I Approve a six (6) month extension contract for custodial services at Fresno City Hall in the amount of $179,163 to Lincoln Training Center (LTC) of Fresno

1-J Authorizing the Public Works Director or Designee to Submit a Grant Application in an Amount not to Exceed $325,000 to the 2021-2022 (Caltrans) Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant (STPG) Program to fund the City of Fresno Active Transportation Plan (ATP

1- MActions pertaining to the Maple Avenue Cycle Track Improvements Project - Bid File No. 3740 (Council Districts 4)

1-S Actions pertaining to Commercial Cannabis Activity RESOLUTION - Creating The Equity Assistance Program Fund @JePahl_White

1-W Appoint Christine Barker, Laura Splotch, Andrew Feil, Samantha Gonzales to the District 1 Project Review Committee @andrewsfeil @cmichellebark AND Appoint Janay Conley and Anthony Armour to the Tower District Design Review Committee

1-X Resolution (AAR) transferring one million dollars from the City Attorney’s Office budget to Council District budgets and to a fund for COVID expenses (requires 5 affirmative votes) (subject to veto) Sponsored by City Attorneys Office

Meeting begins.All Councilmembers present via Zoom except for Soria.Deputy Mayor gives Invocation quoting Isaiah and Proverbs and asks for a "One Fresno"

The 1:45 PM on 7-11 item has been removed from Agenda by applicant. Many Consent Calendar itms have been pulled. Clerk asks for 10:05 item to be heard on time due to interpreters are available then (Soria is now on Zoom)

*Proclamation for "John DeLucia”
Sponsors:Councilmember Bredefeld and Councilmember Soria. Chavez calls him a City Employee Rockstar. Bredefeld says John was always willing to help. He went above and beyond in his career. @Esmeralda_Soria He has been ill and left far too soon

He always turned so round our projects so quickly and he always has a smile. He is the reason City’s Print Shop should never be Privatized. Chavez: epitome of City Employees. He knew how to make things work. Professional with a strong work ethic. First City Charter was found and

printed by John on behalf of then Councilmember Quintero. @kmkarbassi Everything that had been said thus far is true. He was a special person. @JerryDyerFresno sacrifice by John’s family as he put in long hours. Deeply missed, hard to replace and never forgotten.

Proclamation of Fresno Irrigation District’s 100th Anniversary Centennial Commemoration.Sponsored by Chavez. Ryan Jacobsen is on board. Hoping the rain outside will be good for farmers. Predecessors before FID existed. Capturing the water is more important than transferring the

water now. Water allows this economy to blossom. FID General Manager Bill Stretch says centennial is special. We are also on Social Media now too. Current City Manager Tommy Esqueda worked with us on conveyance as well as trail agreement along with Scott Mozier, Mike Carbajal

Jennifer Clark and Georgine White over the years.@Fresnofid (Video shown now) 1870 was first Fresno Canal built. Forebearers were able to get Kings River to come into Fresno area. “If there is one tax I enjoy paying it is FID” due to what we get back.

FID helps in unseen ways such as keeping cities like Clovis from being flooded. Canals built mainly in 1880’s and most are forty years old. Jacobsen: Wheat was main crop until 19-teens and permanent crops became more prevalent. Farmer: land is easy to sell because of soil and FID

We are starting to have longtime FID employees retiring thus we need to train next generation. (End video) Commemorative Water Drop Plaque given to Council for their shared constituents and long partnership.

Proclamation for “Corin Hoggard Day “Sponsor Tyler Maxwell: I have decided to be selective when giving out proclamations and give only to those who really deserved it. His reporting the past 15 years was good but especially in 2020 Covid coverage. I would go to Corin’s Twitter

when I needed info on Covid and not to County’s site first says Maxwell. @corinhoggard (doorbell rings at Corin’s home as his dogs go barking) At the door is his Commemorative Plaque and Bouquet of Flowers too!!

Corin: I love my job at Channel 30 and I love Fresno (gets emotional ). @JerryDyerFresno Corin is the preemptive investigative reporter unless you on the other end of that report as Dyer says he has! @MiguelArias_D3 Corin stepped up when other longtime reporters have retired

and Corin and Channel 30 has stepped up to the task. We need people like him keeping us accountable. @D7Esparza accuracy of his reporting is commendable. First time Esparza was interviewed by Corin Corin was wearing a boot on one foot but was still dedicated to his job and out

there reporting. @Esmeralda_Soria congratulations to Corin. He gets down to the details and not just stay on the surface. @GarryBredefeld We clash on things but Corin is respectable. Politicians can and should be more transparent. His work is superior. Always asks direct and

intelligent questions. Glad Corin is back at work after health issues. @kmkarbassi Thanks Tyler Maxwell for the proclamation by showing the public the media is not our enemy. Corin’a investigative work gets us the public the truth. @LuisCha70215912 thanks Corin for getting the

truth out there. Next: Board Reports: @Esmeralda_Soria Continuing with food distribution and next at Eaton Elementary. Also Bike Lane meeting coming up. @kmkarbassi Small Business group is working hard to get grants for these businesses. Vaccines are quickest way to get herd

immunity. Welcomes are newest Councilmember Maxwell. More car/ motorcycle accidents especially with rain. @MiguelArias_D3 he is a 49er fan and it is only factual his support of Tom Flores as he doesn’t want to lose any family who are Niner fans. Also warming centers are needed

and leaves it to Mayor Dyer. Tower Theater generated many emails, phone calls etc. on the topic. Recruiting of police officers especially from Seattle area. Want background checks on these officers after what happened at Capitol building in DC. @Maxwell4Fresno Thanks the many

employees who have helped him get up to speed. Cary Park in District 4 is popular but in disrepair. Public Works has repaired some exposed wires left by a now defunct contractor. Under umbrella “Conserve Fresno” to get people quickly vaccinated will be rolled out next few months

@D7Esparza working with Maxwell and SEIU on a Blood Drive. Webster Elementary will have a food distribution Thursday 4th at 5 pm. A drop in Covid cases nationwide but Fresno is in a precarious position. Continue to wash hands, social distancing , doubling up on masks. We need to

defeat this virus before we get our economy going. @Esmeralda_Soria Many phone calls/ emails regarding Tower Theater sale. It is a sensitive issue and next steps will come to Council. Letter to current owner and potential new owner will be sent. Continue to contact us. 700 sig-

natures from business owners and religious leaders. @JerryDyerFresno : Those who go to Tower Theater or live in Tower District. He has spoken to property owner as well as Adventure Church. I have asked Church to consider Memorial Auditorium instead. I think that is a fair offer

The tower sale has created a lot of division. Also Beautify Fresno as well as Project Off Ramp has begun. Some of the homeless have taken up the offer of shelter. Poverello has provided tacos etc before homeless moved to their motel room. We will not move homeless out of one area

just to move them to another area. This doesn’t work. City Manager Esqueda: tax sharing agreement last meeting is moving forward with County. Spoke with Grizzlies on operation agreement on 60 days Grizzlies are not working playing.

Chavez thanks Dyer and Esqueda for getting up and running. Chavez says public have made comments thanking the City for sign language interpreters. Will keep this for future zoom meeting e Next: Public Unscheduled Comments @MindfulMackey Thanks Dyer for quick response to his email

We need City to help us out when it comes to economy of Tower Theater. Next: Beck Martinez: Adventure Church will be moved out of their community to Memorial Auditorium. Is this in disrepair? Do they need to be torn down every week due to a show? @LisaYFlores1 If zoning is change

in Tower this will hurt district’s economy. Dead zone by this church will be created. The Pastor said on his Facebook they failed on a food distribution. How can they run a theater? Also some of the members have harassed gay community. Also homeless camp that was uprooted during

a rainstorm. Potentially Forcing some to hospital during a Pandemic. Next: Brandi @LovesMercy witness to encampment uprooting. People were told to move or be arrested which is common with Homeless Taskforce. People on G St and elsewhere are willing to keep place clean if allowed

Hotels will only hold a fraction of the 3000 homeless. Anti maskers at Sprouts. Primary owner of Tower Theater should be for entertainment. Next: Lisa Walzen: Tower Theater rezone would hurt property values surrounding it. Next: Chelsea Beeson zoning is what gives character to

the District. Thanks Mayor Dyer for trying to find another location. Next: Michael Birdsong: I helped develop Tower’s Specific Plan in 1980’s. Strip malls were replacing historic buildings back then. A vibrant neighborhood both cultural and economica was created with zoning

Next Dez Martinez:homeless sweep yesterday after explosion that created an emergency situation. People were told to leave or be arrested. We can’t put all types in one place Next: Jason Winfree Immaculate Fixture was turned down in past council meeting. These would go into fire

department to help disinfect from Covid. Fresno paying up to $5000 for each of these fixtures. Not bidding allowed. I have reached out to @kmkarbassi twice but no response. We can find cheaper versions for this. Next: Architect Chris Johnson and used Tower Districts Specific

Plan daily. Tower Theater is used constantly whereas Downtown Wilson Theater was sitting unused by a church. Specific Plan works as does the Theater. Next: Aaron Gossett: Tower Theater was vital area pre-Covid and putting a church would be bad. Long term would be detrimental to

the area. It will effect all those who work in Tower area over time. Next: Chris Williams: church has never proposed to change use if theater but only to use it on Sundays. ABC said rezone would allow ABC to still approve liquor licenses. Next: Terry Story of FAB Nightclub in

Tower Theater. When we opened we knew we couldn’t build near a church. We did everything by guidelines and codes when we built. We think others should do the same. We don’t think church is following guidelines. Next: Haley White:businesses have put their life’s work into Tower

Businesses. Church has been reactive to community’s response. Will they harass those at Pride Events. Church says they have been around ten years but they show they don’t know the area. Church has already started to make Tower parking lot harder to use. Marcus Cardenas a local

Actor at Roger Rocka’s How come church can still host services despite pandemic but others cannot. Church’s website doesn’t show they want to be partners with community. Chavez thanks all that emailed council. Please use eComment portal for future. Approve remainder of Consent

Calendar is motion made. Karbassi asks that 1-T is removed. Chavez recuses from 1-U. Approved 7-0 remainder of consent

10:05 *HEARING to obtain public comments regarding community needs for consideration in the development of the 2021-2022 Annual Action Plan for federal funding through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Community Planning and Development

fresno.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&…

Public: Brandi @LovesMercy Greater outreach is needed to community especially those who are not usually here. Inaccurate profiles of homelessness need to be changed. Housing vouchers are given but hard to find places that will accept vouchers or pets or belongings. Four housing

developments are being created on Motel Drive but City needs to develop the surrounding area and neighborhood as well. Next: Estella Ortega (in Spanish)Next: Carla Martinez of Leadership counsel. Need to invest in community. Funding in 2021-2022 should reflect community’s desire.

such as safe lighting and signage for school kids. Next: Tina Robertson: tech jobs are desirable and Bitwise requests $500,000 invested into Digital Divide. Next:Yonis Paolo: we need affordable housing. Thanks for voting for new Blackstone affordable housing. Next: Susan Coulter

speaking on behalf of deaf community. Deafness is a challenge when the only housing available is in high crime area. Strobe light Smoke alarms, flashing doorbells, shaking beds during a fire. Next: @Maxwell4Fresno Letters to him say roads are terrible especially in rain.

Moving onto remaining Consent Calendar.

1-G Actions pertaining to the summary vacation of a portion of East Thomas Avenue, east of North Blackstone Avenue and north of State Route 180 (Council District 7) Esparza: where is this in the pipeline? Staff Mike Sanchez says 7-11 won't sell alcohol and building will begin

CUP is needed if they wish to sell liquor. Gas pumps are being added and in queue to be developed. Esparza: Why don't we sell this rather than give it away to developer? City Attorney: may be a legal issue but when city stops using property it reverts to owner. Approved 5-1 with

Arias voting NO and Soria absent.
1- M**Actions pertaining to the Maple Avenue Cycle Track Improvements Project - Bid File No. 3740 Arias wants clear picture on this. Scott Mozier: we would be happy to do so. Approved 6-0 with Soria Absent

1-O Actions pertaining to Final Map of Tract No. 6198
1. RESOLUTION - Approving the Final Map of Tract No. 6198, of Vesting Tentative Tract Map No. 6198, and accepting dedicated public uses offered therein except for dedications offered subject to City acceptance of developer

installed required improvements - northwest corner of Shaw. Karbassi: resident reached out saying they want more growth and opportunities but worried about traffic increasing.Mozier:mitigation fees to lessen traffic issues such as traffic signals. Approved

1-P Award a 5-year agreement for Enterprise Resource Planning System and Implementation Services to Tyler Technologies, in the amount of $11,045,960 for implementation and hosting (Software as a Service) of Financials, Human Capital Management (ERP) and Utility Billing software.

Arias: software is not good enough to track police financial data. Will this fix that? Staff Brian Horn: This will allow more transparency.Possibly allow it to be put on website.Arias thanks for IT improvements made Approved 7-0

Actions pertaining to the 2020 Law Enforcement Mental Health & Wellness (LEMHWA) grant program
1. Authorize the Chief of Police to accept $98,624 in grant funding for the 2020 Law Enforcement Mental Health & Wellness (LEMHWA) grant awarded to the Fresno Police Department from the

U.S. Department of Justice, through the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS). Staff: crate new role in order to accept grant. When grant runs out will revert to a current staff Approved 7-0

1-S **Actions pertaining to Commercial Cannabis Activity RESOLUTION - Creating The Equity Assistance Program Bredefeld: Fund How will this be funded? Staff: Standard Equity Fund. We are setting up accounts now and formula will come back to Council when that is done. Bredefeld:use

of funds. How exactly will it be used? Staff: think of it as a Small Business Loan that helps a small business get up and running. Equity defined: in Municipal Code and there are 6 ways to qualify. low income with past cannabis conviction or in an EnviroScreen area. Bredefeld:

Wont support at this time as it hurts those who don’t have a cannabis conviction. I have a feeling rest of Council won’t agree though. Karbassi: does it help if applicant has business plan or background? Staff: not a requirement. @Maxwell4Fresno Equity programs like this are good

for rectifying past wrongs. Esparza: these folks were hurt and put at a disadvantage in the past. Karbassi: I appreciate Maxwell and Esparza’s comments. I just don’t want to create more issues by trying to fix past ills. Arias: equity applicants are given third party technical

support to increase chance of being successful. Approved 5-2 with Bredefeld and Maxwell voting NO. 1-U Approve Second Amendment to contract for COVID-19 testing, tracing, and quarantine support with Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission, extending time for performance Chavez:

Wanted to be sure we had capacity to give vaccines. We didn’t get the amount of vaccines we had hoped. This extension is a place holder and no extra cost. Some CBOs only do tracing but this one does deploy vaccines. @gregorybarfield : this will allow us to match county and hope

to get up and running in Fresno. Many CBOs under the EOC banner. Extending this contract will extend those CBOs too. Karbassi: thanks Reading and Beyond as they helped his father get a vaccine. Jokes” Golden Lining is Arias actually working with County” approved 7-0

1-XResolution (AAR) transferring one million dollars from the City Attorney’s Office budget to Council District budgets and to a fund for COVID expenses (requires 5 affirmative votes) (subject to veto) Bredefeld: always happy to take more money for my council but why? Chavez: it

will council more flexibility as well as all the Covid help for small businesses with PPE. Esqueda: some of the costs absorbed by councilmembers on Covid such as signs to guide traffic to testing etc. Bredefeld: just wanted to be sure over site of CBOs were being done when it

was not done in past administration. Financials have been seen and is being blocked by Michael Lima. Esqueda: report is being put together. @JerryDyerFresno I support this to pay for Covid costs but also beautifying council districts. Karbassi: we all have needs. Concerned about

$650,000 : is this a loan? Esqueda: no. We have holes in budget we need to fill. Chavez: administration will come forward with that. This item is a placeholder while waiting. Approved 6-1 with Karbassi voting NO. Chavez steps out to recuse himself from 1-U. Esparza jokes he wants

take advantage of that to rename Kings Canyon Blvd. Soria jokes we can take Chavez’s $50,000 while he is gone too. Next: 10:20 Appearance by Tim Bakman to discuss the Cannabis Sensitivity Zone. (Speaker resides in District 6) asks amending cannabis ordinance to add private

Sport centers. Schools, daycares etc are exempted now. Would like Bakman Field be one of those so I can lease space to a cannabis coming. $75,000 to the field. Sunnyside Little League is not a membership in any form. Private grounds put aside for baseball should be allowed to

have opportunity to be part of process. Council breaking for lunch until 1:30.

10:15 AM **HEARING to consider Plan Amendment and Rezone Application No. P19-00417, Vesting Tentative Tract Map Nos. 6212/UGM and 6276/UGM, and Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) State Clearinghouse (SCH) No. 2020039061 for the proposed "Parc West" development on the west

West Gettysburg and West Ashlan Avenue alignments. (Council District 1) - Planning and Development Department 1. REVIEW AND CONSIDER Final EIR SCH No. 2020039061 for an overall proposed 844-lot single-family residential development, apply the Council's independent judgment and

analysis to the review, and then adopt the resolution certifying the FEIR, as having been completed in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) based on the Planning Commission's recommendations on the proposed Final EIR and comments thereon;
Soria: lots of

hodgepodge development in the past. She has met with Darius Asemmi team and is glad he is on this zoom call. She wants to require more curb/sidewalks along Grantland so kids can safely get across to new Central High School. She would like to get more Green space and not just bare

minimum. Inspiration Park is only quality one in the area. Re-zoning a commercial area is coming to Council and she is against it as this area has very little commercial and not a complete neighborhood otherwise. Residents should not have to drive elsewhere just to get goods.

Arias: would like a short presentation for public’s benefit. Soria: this was more upscaled West Lake but this does not have lake added. Staff Chris Lang:shares PowerPoint. Included

Some of old West Lake project is used but enough changes requires new zoning. Arias: are we at risk of being charged with piecemeal since an EIR for West Lake? Staff as well as attorney say new EIR was done and thus no piecemeal.

Assemi representative Jeff Roberts says this is part of 2019 West Area Specific Plan. Crosswalk is part of this and we concur. Chavez: asks Roberts and his team to meet with Councilmembers earlier in future on these type of projects. @LisaYFlores1 I don’t think these sidewalks

are adequate future. Hard to take land from future homeowners to get more sidewalk rather than doing it now. Next: Eliza Bilos of Forgotten Fresno says lot of vehicle break ins. A Bulldog gang member was chased by neighbors until Police captured him. The lack of good roads makes

it hard for PD to get there on time. New Veterans Blvd won’t help enough. Next: Victor Gonzales : a real estate agent who is in support of this type of development especially west of 99.Next: Rebecca Wharton: loves west side of Fresno and plans to buy on this

development. Bestsy Garcia: changes in the area have brought more improved roads and safety. She is in favor. Brandon Cline:kids will attend new high school. He has lived in three Granville homes and recommends their developments.walkability is important and has been lacking West

of Fresno. Ashlee Periffitte: loves her Granville home and the company. Has friends who want to buy a Granville home near this new High School @kmkarbassi Asks Scott Mozier about If Safe Routes to School will be part of this. A:Yes.Granville will be building Grantland Trail and

good pedestrian and biking availability. Karbassi: incorporate cost of public safety into neighborhood by MelloRoos. Jeff Roberts: we will be happy to discuss public safety in a CFD. Soria:closest police station is five miles away as well across freeway and train tracks. Arias:

What is the traffic improvements ? Chris Lang: grant land and Indianapolis, grant land ans Ashland and Grantland and Gettysburg as well as Grantland/Shields will have traffic signals. Darius Assemi: as soon as this is approved we think first home will go up in Fall. Multiple home

builders will be involved but up to Granville’s standards. Soria: (technical trouble so hard to hear) Assemi: install traffic signal as soon as possible. @JerryDyerFresno we support this and we have a shortage in Fresno. If they don’t build here they will build in Madera instead

and we prefer it is built in Fresno. Approved 7-0. 3-A ****WORKSHOP - 2021 Council Redistricting Process, Timeline, and Legal Issues

Timing of this is trickier due to Covid and data processing of Census Bureau says staff Chris Edrnell (sp). California also requires data to reassign inmates incarcerated in State facilities back to their last known place of residence. Maybe adds 3-4 weeks to delay. City Mana-

ger is required to provide District report 30 days after Census Data but this will be harder this year. Hard to meet Dec 15 deadline. Four public hearings required with at least one before maps are drawn and one meeting at a time workers could meet. Meetings have to be hard time

as to what was posted. Media and good government groups need to be outreaches to as well as live translation. Every hearing and every public comment has to be recorded and online within two weeks. This timeline attached did not take into account delay of Census Bureau data.

Federal, Statutory and Traditional criteria. Biden Administration has repealed Trump’s taking undocumented persons from census data so it is now more normal with only difference being inmate changes. Traditionally try to keep incumbents in their current districts. @D7Esparza

asks:we can hold first hearing before data or maps are generated? A: even two hearings before. Dec 15 is hardline and if not met a person could go into court and ask Judge to decide. Arias: helped us rectify Fresno Unified that was decades in error until Chris Skinell arrived.

This allowed candidates including Chavez to use the more fair system. Covid has effected everything As well as new Presidential administration in this process. Fall will show new maps to public and it will be transparent as well as a tough deadline. Karbassi: is there other

money available to create this? City Manager: we will get together with Skinell and make this part of our budget. Soria: we need to do more than the bare minimum. Chavez: thanks Skinell for helping with this tough complicated process. FUSD at 70 recognized languages. It was

helpful to have more than just english , Spanish and ALS. End of Workshop.

4-A A Resolution Of The City Council Of The City Of Fresno Urging That NFL Legend Tom Flores Be Inducted Into The 2021 Pro Football Hall Of Fame
Councilmember Soria and Councilmember Arias Chavez asks public to ignore one of the sponsors showing off his Niner gear (Arias). Soria

says Flores went to City College in 1955 and was first Latino NFL QB. He has won Super Bowl as player, assistant coach and head coach. One of only two men to have done that. Arias: walking his district he knows there are a lot of members of Raider Nation there. Chavez: a big

Raider fan and a highlight to meet Tom Flores. Chavez once had Raider’s Derek Carr come speak to the school kids but asked kids to keep it quiet. However a kid texted Carr was there and within 30 minutes parking lot was swamped with Raider Nation to see Carr! Shows how large and

passionate the Raider Nation is in Fresno. Council is now moving to Closed Session. Next Meetings FEBRUARY 4, 2021 - 9:00 A.M. MEETING FEBRUARY 11, 2021 - NO MEETING FEBRUARY 18, 2021 - 9:00 A.M. MEETING FEBRUARY 25, 2021 - NO MEETING

@threadreaderapp unroll