Documented by Rachel Youdelman
Summary: What you need to know
- The board unanimously approved steps required to meet state standards and a plan of operation for a Transitional Shelter Care Facility (TrSCF) for foster youth while they await permanent placement by the Department of Social Services.
- The board unanimously approved the Sheriff Office’s request to purchase more drones to “locate and identify suspects and for scenes documentation” at a cost of $126,303.
- The board received an update from its federal legislative lobbyists and approved changes to the Fresno County federal legislative platform, including adding language to its 2024 platform regarding opposition to federal regulations prohibiting the expansion of Highway 99.
- The board informally discussed ideas for penalties for illegal dumping, including higher fines and vehicle impoundment.
Board
Brian Pacheco, 1st District
Steve Brandau, 2nd District
Sal Quintero, 3rd District
Buddy Mendes, 4th District, vice chair
Nathan Magsig, 5th District, chair
Staff
Daniel Cederborg, county counsel
Bernice Seidel, clerk of the Board of Supervisors
Paul Nerland, County Administrative Officer (CAO)
The Scene
The Fresno County Board of Supervisors held its first meeting of the month at 9:30 a.m. on Feb. 6.
Magsig opened the meeting promptly and ran it at a brisk pace. The public portion of the meeting was about 1 hour and 20 minutes long. A closed session followed. The meeting was sparsely attended.
The invocation, as usual, was given by an evangelical Christian; this time it was Nathan Freeland, CSO of the Fresno Mission. Magsig introduced Freeland, who said they had known each other for decades, and that Magsig as a child had temporarily lived with Freeland’s family. Freeland’s prayer was brief and was followed by the flag salute.
Meetings are open to the public and are held at the Fresno County Hall of Records, 2281 Tulare St., Room 301. Public comments on matters on or off the agenda are welcomed. If you plan to make a comment in person on an item not on the agenda, note that this portion of the meeting is always last on the agenda. Each agenda item is otherwise accorded time for live public comment as they are introduced. Meetings are live streamed; agendas, live stream and meeting video may be accessed here. The next regular meeting is scheduled for Feb. 20 at 9:30 a.m.
Each supervisor represents one of five districts. Who is your county supervisor? Find out here.
To contact your supervisor about any issues or agenda items for a particular meeting, call or email with your opinion or question:
Pacheco District 1 District1@fresnocountyca.gov (559) 600-1000
Brandau District 2 District2@fresnocountyca.gov (559) 600-2000
Quintero District 3 District3@fresnocountyca.gov (559) 600-3000
Mendes District 4 District4@fresnocountyca.gov (559) 600-4000
Magsig District 5 District5@fresnocountyca.gov, (559) 600-5000
Agenda item 1 The board approved the day’s agenda 5-0.
Agenda item 2 The consent agenda, at this meeting items 17-29, includes items considered routine or administrative, grouped together and decided with a single vote; however, supervisors or members of the public may pull an item for discussion. Brandau pulled item 28; the remainder passed 5-0.
Agenda item 3 The board proclaimed February “Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month.” Marjaree Mason Center Executive Director Nicole Linder was present to tell the board that Fresno has the highest rate in California of domestic violence 911 calls. In the last 18 months, three teenagers in Fresno County were murdered in domestic or dating violence incidents, she said. Also present to speak briefly were representatives of other county agencies, such as the Sheriff’s Office, the Probation Department, and the like. Everyone posed for a group photo.
Agenda item 28 This item from the consent agenda was pulled by Brandau, who said he wanted to recuse himself from the vote. The matter concerned the sale of Granite Solid Waste Inc.’s assets to Mid Valley Disposal, LLC, as well as a transition of services between the two haulers, and included assurance that Granite’s customers will be given written notice of the change in ownership. Why did Brandau want to recuse himself? His reasons were not crystal clear. He said only that “this is one of the new rules that’s getting worked out across the state of California” and that he preferred to hold off on voting on such matters “until these rules have been made more clear.” Passed 4-0, 1 recusal.
Agenda item 4 The board unanimously approved the Sheriff’s Office request to purchase additional drones to “locate and identify suspects and for scenes documentation” at a cost of $126,303.
Agenda item 5 The board received a report via Zoom from federal legislative lobbyists David Wetmore and Laura Morgan-Kessler of Carpi and Clay about their advocacy on behalf of county legislative interests and unanimously adopted some changes to the county’s federal legislative platform.
Wetmore and Morgan-Kessler reviewed “community project” (formerly called “earmarks”) funding successes (such as $4 million for Calwa street paving) as well as for projects whose funding is pending bill passage (such as $2 million for sidewalk repair in Cantua Creek). They summarized key legislative dates for 2024 and outlined “federal opportunities” such as community-project requests and availability of competitive grants.
Brandau asked that language be added to the 2024 platform regarding opposition to federal regulations prohibiting the expansion of Highway 99. Nobody objected.
Agenda item 6 The board unanimously approved an application for a liquor license at a soon-to-be-built store in Prather.
Agenda item 7 The board unanimously approved the reappointment of Mendes as a board member to Urban Counties of California (UCC), with Magsig as alternate.
Agenda item 8 The board unanimously approved steps required to meet state standards and a plan of operation for a Transitional Shelter Care Facility (TrSCF) for foster youth while they await permanent placement by the Department of Social Services. Foster youth may not be placed in unlicensed facilities. Director of the Department of Social Services Sanja Bugay explained the details.
Bugay said that the state is trying to have counties assume the management of group homes. Brandau complained that “we’re doing the work the state should have done.” Mendes said, “This is just the state in its infinite non-wisdom.”
Agenda item 9 The board approved the addition of 20 positions to the Department of Social Services. Bugay made the presentation, noting that the positions will increase staffing for child welfare services and make adjustments to the In-Home Services Program (IHSS), and that funding for the positions will be provided by state and federal grants.
Mendes seemed to question some aspects of the funding arrangements, and again attempted to make a joke: “I call this the ‘Wimpy’ plan; you don’t know what ‘Tuesday’ you’ll be paid,” referring to a Popeye cartoon character. Quintero remarked that he understood the “Wimpy” reference.
Agenda item 10 Supervisor reports
Brandau said that an offer was made to someone to lead the San Joaquin Conservancy Board. Then he mentioned a “media story” about 19 Venezuelan refugees who were in Fresno, having been bussed here from Denver. Brandau wanted a meeting to determine “what we can do or not do to help these people.”
Mendes talked about illegal trash dumping, and said penalties should be “stiffer.”
Individual supervisor reports stopped at this point, and discussion ensued about the pervasive problem of illegal dumping. Higher fines as a remedy were suggested. Pacheco, quiet throughout the meeting, said that he could have “restocked his kitchen” on his morning drive, the road being filled with discarded appliances. Magsig said that he was “working on an ordinance” with the sheriff that would allow the impounding of vehicles used to haul and illegally dump trash.
Magsig, responding to Brandau’s remarks on the refugee issue, said, “I want what’s best” but that social services were being taxed, and “we’ve got to get a handle on the border.” What cities were sanctuary cities? Was Fresno a sanctuary city? Brandau thought Fresno was a sanctuary city, but Fresno Mayor Dyer said it wasn’t. “Irregardless [sic], we have a role to play,” Brandau added.
Magsig complained about the impact on the budget caused by taking care of refugees, and grumbled that though the county must balance its budget, the federal government doesn’t have to.
Agenda item 11 Board appointments. Everyone but Pacheco made a few appointments to various boards and committees.
Agenda item 12 This portion of the meeting is reserved for public comment regarding issues not on the agenda and within the scope of the board’s authority. There was no one present to comment.
Agenda items 13-16 Closed session. There were four items concerning litigation and one about labor negotiation. Counsel Cederborg said there would be no report following the closed session, so the public portion of the meeting ended at 10:45 a.m.
If you believe anything in these notes is inaccurate, please email us at fresnodocs@fresnoland.org with “Correction Request” in the subject line.
