Overview:
The Fresno County Board Of Supervisors passed a resolution formalizing the process in which it will enforce its anti-encampment ordinance, which went into effect last month.
The Board also repealed its ban on speed humps, initiated the process of adding two new county libraries and held a presentation for a new transportation plan.
The Fresno County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a resolution codifying the enforcement process of its anti-encampment ordinance following its passing last month.
Board of Supervisors Chair Nathan Magsig said addressing the needs of the county’s homeless community and its housed residents has been a difficult balancing act to maintain.
“It would be great if we had more resources,” Magsig said, “but it’s a balance as we deal with homelessness — and the challenges that the homeless population is facing — with also those who don’t find themselves being homeless who might want to enjoy a park and other public areas.”
The county’s procedure will prioritize which encampments to clear first through a point system, which will rank the “risk” each campsite poses to its neighboring community. Risk is calculated through factors such as an encampment site’s proximity to a school or if a site has five or more tents erected.
After an encampment site has been identified, the county will deploy an outreach team to first offer residents any available county supportive services. The county’s environmental health department will also assess any health risks that may need to be addressed before clearing can begin.
Notices will be posted on encampment sites a minimum of 72 hours before clearing, but no more than seven days in advance. The County Administrative Office, which will be the lead coordinator for enforcement, maintains discretion to post notices earlier than 72 hours.
Fresno County’s anti-encampment ordinance was passed quickly and without much public comment, a stark contrast to many of the past hearings and meetings related to Fresno’s encampment ordinances. There was only one public commenter for the day’s item.
Supervisor Steve Brandau — who authored the county’s anti-encampment ordinance as well as the 2017 anti-encampment law that the city used to model their own 2024 version – said he believes the day’s meeting went by without much protest due to the county’s “compassion.”
“Not all no-camping ordinances are created equal,“ Brandau said. “There are different versions of this being rolled out across the country and across the state of California. I do appreciate the compassion that’s built with the team we have here…and I think that is one of the reasons why the room is not filled with anger today. A lot of people in the activist space, they recognize the effort Fresno County is trying to make to sometimes administer tough love, but to do it as compassionately as humanly possible.”
Changes to the anti-encampment ordinance are effective immediately.
Fresno County bringing back street speed humps
The Fresno County Board of Supervisors unanimously agreed to repeal the county ban on speed humps, as well as introduce a two-year pilot program to allow residents to partner with the city to introduce them in their communities.
In 2021, resolution 21-247 was unanimously passed by the Fresno County Board Of Supervisors – made up of the same members currently in office. The resolution banned the installation of new speed humps in Fresno County-maintained roads while introducing procedures for the removal of existing speed humps.
Supervisors Steve Brandau and Brian Pacheco, citing safety concerns and comments from their constituents, introduced the new resolution on Thursday repealing the 2021 laws.
“In recent years, my district has been getting more demand for speed humps. It’s really odd because nobody really likes them,” Brandau said.
“But in our society, we’re seeing a lot more people starting to speed through neighborhoods, and this puts children in danger and it puts the public in danger…so we wanted to look at it in a fresh, new way, and create a pilot program that would allow speed humps on certain types of streets to be applicable to Fresno County.”
The new pilot program will allow for speed humps to be reintroduced to streets where residents want them. The residents would fund 50% of the $7,500 installation fees for these new humps, with the remaining costs being funded through Measure C funds. The neighborhood would need 80% community backing to initiate the process. The humps the county will be using will also be manufactured instead of asphalt, allowing for them to be removed if the community has buyer’s remorse.
“There are roads in our communities where our constituents are asking for this,” said Pacheco, “and I feel as a representative, we should deliver what the people want in their neighborhoods. I believe the people should have the greatest control over their neighborhoods, and if they’re asking for this, we should provide a mechanism for that.”
Supervisor Sal Quintero raised concerns over how the introduction of speed humps could negatively affect emergency services. Director Mike White said the county would be working with county firefighters to make sure that doesn’t happen.
“We don’t want to put anything out there that slows down by seconds the response times of emergency services at any time,” White said.
The county’s public works and planning department is currently working on another “larger” traffic calming policy that will include speed humps.
Plans for new Clovis and Reedley libraries set in motion
The Fresno County Board of Supervisors also unanimously approved to initiate the process of building new libraries in Clovis and Reedley on Thursday. The vote was 3-0, with Brandau and Quintero recusing themselves from the vote.
The Clovis Regional Library’s proposed site would be a new 26,270-square-foot, single-story building on 755 3rd St. The Reedley Library’s proposed site would be a new 14,000-square-foot, single-story building on 1813 11th St.
Through the county’s vetting process, they identified Harris Construction Company as the “best value” contractor for the new developments. The County recommends budgeting $37 million for the projects, with $24 million budgeted for the Clovis location and $13 million budgeted for the Reedley location. Harris’ proposal would cost about $33.9 million.
The Board’s approval Thursday means the county can commence final negotiations with Harris Construction. County staff hopes to present the Board with a finalized plan for approval as early as November.
Magsig also said he hopes the libraries are finished “weeks, if not days” from each other.
“Reedley is not less important or more important than Clovis,” Magsig said.
Mike Spencer, Richard Spencer and Matt Davies of Harris Construction Company were present at the meeting and said that two architects will be working on the project, allowing for the libraries to be developed parallel to each other.
County presents Regional Active Transportation Plan
The Fresno County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved to commit to the 2024 Regional Active Transportation Plan.
The plan hopes to identify ways to improve walking and biking conditions in the region. It prioritized improvements like the introduction of more accessible sidewalks, bike lanes and improved street crossings.
The plan will be used by the Department of Public Works and Planning as a guide for future plans and as a tool to use when applying for future grant funding.
The plan only specifically includes unincorporated communities in Biola, Cantua Creek, Caruthers, Del Rey, Easton, Friant, Laton, Raisin City, Riverdale and Tranquility. Other areas like Calwa and Shaver Lake are expected to be added in future plans.
Comments are closed.