Documented by Artemes Gidram

At its Thursday meeting, the Sanger City Council took steps toward placing the renewal of Measure S on the November 2024 ballot. Photo credit: Artemes Gidram

Here’s what you need to know

  • The Sanger City Council is moving forward with renewing the 2016 Measure S for the November 2024 ballot.
  • CrisCrom has secured a $1 million grant from Clean California.
  • City Council members are planning to be present for a press conference held by the Board of Supervisors regarding an infectious materials ordinance.

Follow-up questions

  • Will there be an effort to put a future Measure S on the ballot?
  • What efforts will be made to revitalize the Sanger Youth Council?

Notes

The Scene

The Sanger City Council meeting took place on Dec. 7, 2023, at 6:03 pm.

The meeting was held in person at the Sanger Administration building located at 1700 7th St. in Sanger. The agenda can be found online at the city of Sanger website.

Officials present:

Frank Gonzalez, mayor

Daniel Martinez, mayor pro-tem

Hilda Cantu-Montoy, Sanger city attorney

Gregory Garner, acting city manager

Esmeralda Hurtado, council member

Dolores Melendez, council member

Michael Montelongo, council member

  • The call to order was made at 6:03 p,m.
  • Opening the meeting
    • An invocation was said by Pastor Paul Canaday.
    • Gonzalez led a flag salute.
    • All of the council members were found present during roll call.
  • Public hearing
    • Redrawing of City Council District boundaries as a result of annexation
      • Cantu-Montoy
        • Under current state law, a redrawing of council district boundaries needs to begin before 6:15 p.m. This annexation would occur just north of District 1. According to election code, an annexed property must be added to the nearest city district. The nearest city district to this property is District 1. 
        • Four hearings are required to be held before a vote can be called, and the Dec. 7 meeting counted as the first hearing. Everything required will be posted to the city’s website.
      • No vote was held.
  • Presentations
    • CrisCom Company Quarterly Report
      • Renee Missakian, chief operating officer
        • Several grants have been submitted throughout the year.
        • Grants that have been passed on are for water, recycling, drought resilience, reconnecting communities and neighborhoods, pets and people, equity community revitalization, broadband and rubberized pavement.
        • CrisCom submitted a grant to Clean California and was awarded $1 million.
        • CrisCom has been doing advocacy pro bono and meeting with both state and federal legislators.
        • Gonzalez as well as CrisCom have both talked to Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno.
        • Costa’s representatives say that $850,000 has been appropriated for the Fire Department. The funds have yet not been approved, but are expected to be OK’d as part of a package by President Joe Biden in January.
  • Consent calendar
    • A member of the public, Julian Rocha, requested that item G3 be pulled. Item G3 pertained to an out-of-state travel request for the fire chief.
    • Rocha commented that he would like to see a report back from officials going to special events and conferences out of state on what they learned.
    • Vote
      • Motion by Martinez carried unanimously, 5-0.
  • Public hearing
    • Vacation of an unnamed existing alley between Cherry and Edgar avenues, west of Academy Avenue
      • Hurtado recused herself from the room because her employer has an interest in the matter.
      • David Brletic, community development director
        • Sanger received a request from Kristin Ainley on behalf of Self-Help Enterprises.
        • The alley adjacent to Self-Help Enterprises is undeveloped as an easement as of the hearing.
        • If the alley is vacated, the property would be split down the middle and half given to each side of the alley.
      • Vote
        • Motion by Montelongo passed 4-0.
  • Department reports
    • Appointment to the Consolidated Mosquito Abatement District Board of Trustees
      • Melendez wished to know if this was a two-year or four-year appointment; Garner clarified that it would be for four years.
      • Vote
        • Motion by Martinez, second by Montelongo
        • Vote carries unanimously.
    • Final map agreements and covenants for Tract 6427
      • Josh Rogers, city engineer
        • This will be a Serenade subdivision by DR Horton.
        • In 2022 the council approved a similar package for Phase 1.
        • This development will be built directly east of Phase 1.
      • Vote
        • Motion by Montelongo carried 4-0-1 with Hurtado abstaining.
    • Sanger Youth Council
      • Montelongo, Martinez, Hurtado and Melendez all showed strong support for bringing back the Sanger Youth Council.
      • Montelongo said he was disappointed that it has taken so long to move forward with bringing the program back.
      • The Sanger Youth Council was put on hold during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown.
      • Montelongo has been advocating to bring back the council.
      • In September, staff met with the activity directors for both Sanger High and Sanger West schools for student recruitment and haven’t heard back from the directors, according to staff.
      • Hurtado and Montelongo both said the city needs to be more hands-on with recruitment to make sure re-establishment of the Youth Council is being done.
      • Vote
        • The motion by Gonzalez carried unanimously.
    • Measure S renewal
      • Measure S was put on the ballot in 2016 to fund gang prevention measures in the city.
      • The proposal will allow the Lew Edwards Group to help put together a new Measure S to be placed on the ballot in November 2024.
      • The Lew Edwards Group was brought in to help with Measure S in 2016.
      • The Lew Edwards Group will help gauge public opinion and draft language accordingly for the measure.
      • Both Julian Rocha and Osvaldo Vera expressed concern that too much money was given disproportionately to the police and fire departments instead of nonprofits and other services.
      • Cantu-Montoy clarified that $4 million has gone to gang prevention advocacy groups through Measure S.
      • Vote
        • A motion by Martinez was passed unanimously.
    • Fresno County Draft Infectious Disease Ordinance
      • This is in response to an incident at a Reedley lab found to have infectious materials inside.
      • The Board of Supervisors will consider an ordinance on Dec 12, and the county has asked if the council will join them in a news conference.
      • Vote
        • A motion by Hurtado carried unanimously.

Actions/discussion/public comment

  • Public comment
    • Maria, community member
      • She told the council she has evidence that people are throwing trash in an alley.
      • She said she would like police to investigate. 
      • Maria said she talked to the chief of police, and was given his business card, but when she later called he told her to call the station and file a report.
      • Maria said she didn’t need the business card anymore and left it on the speaker lectern.
    • Osvaldo Vera, co-founder of Sanger Boxing
      • Vera thanked the council for opening the boxing gym and for all that they’ve done for the kids in the community.
    • Juilan Rocha, community member
      • Rocha asked the council why they wanted to make decisions when there were only a few weeks left in the year.
      • He stated that he hasn’t seen any of the issues he has publicly commented on be addressed, and asked if anyone looks into problems brought to the council.
      • Rocha said that the new city manager should be appointed before further decisions are made by the council.

Conversation highlight

  • “I don’t want to see it at the end of the year; I want to see this thing happen now. So however it takes them to work with the school district and get back to us the better,” said Michael Montelongo, Sanger city council member, on bringing back the Sanger Youth Council.

If you believe anything in these notes is inaccurate, please email us at fresnodocs@fresnoland.org with “Correction Request” in the subject line.

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