Overview:
The Fresno County Board of Supervisors discussed what the next waste collecting agreement might look like, before they vote on it next year.
The board also will look into assistance for the Shave Springs community at their next meeting.
Supervisor Garry Bredefeld also expressed interest in the county getting in on SEDA, if the city walks away from the project.
A Fresno County Supervisor pledged $100,000 of his district’s operating budget to provide relief for the Shaver Springs community’s poor quality issues.
It wasn’t immediately clear Tuesday how the money might be used. Tuesday’s motion by Supervisor Nathan Magsig, backed unanimously by the board, directed county staff to study possible solutions for the community’s poor water quality.
Providing water bottles, and paying off debt from unpaid residential water and sewage costs were among the listed ways the money could be used.
Shaver Springs, a small community in the Sierra foothills, has been dealing with poor water quality for years. In recent months, residents have become more vocal about the issue as they face increasing utility costs. The community gets its water from Water Works District 40 — a provider the state’s accountability dashboard says is failing.
The state has stopped short of issuing a “no drinking” order for the water, but cautions have been posted in the area. Some residents have asked for the county or state to declare a state of emergency in the area, but authorities have said the conditions don’t meet the criteria.
“The frustrations of residents are absolutely warranted,” Magsig said at Tuesday’s meeting.
The county is working on a feasibility study that will look into solutions like the construction of a new water well or treatment plan that could increase the quantity and quality of water in the area. The study may not come back until the end of the year. A community meeting will be held once the study has been concluded, county staff said.
The money Magsig is offering may also be used to expedite the study. County staff will return with findings on how to best use the funding at the next Fresno County Board of Supervisors meeting on Oct. 20.
County continues crafting new garbage collection plan with waste haulers
Early next year, the board of supervisors will vote on a new deal that will shape how the county collects its garbage for the next decade.
On Tuesday, the Board directed county staff to continue drafting a plan to increase accountability for waste haulers, enhancing customer services and the integration of new and amended programs.
No changes were made on Tuesday, and discussions between the department of public works & planning and the county’s seven waste haulers are ongoing.
Among the potential changes include the mapping out where and how hauler services are provided, which has not been altered in the last 20 years.
Joseph Kalpakoff, the owner of Mid Valley Disposal, one of the county’s seven waste haulers, said he’s open to map alterations. The county has seen significant growth and change in the last 20 years and, Kalpakoff said, some service area borders now “look like a jigsaw puzzle.”
The county’s proposal implements new plans, like compliance with SB 54 — a state law that aims to reduce plastic waste in landfills, along with the possibility of providing drop-off events for residents who want to dump waste, and hosting of compost giveaway events.
County staff will also look to see where curbside pickups can be conducted in the county, beyond some of its more urban areas. Supervisor Nathan Magsig said he’d like to see, if possible, areas like Tarpey Village and Sunnyside be included in these pickup areas.
Drop-off events for waste may be a big discussion point going forward for the county, which has seen a rise in illegal dumping in recent years.
Supervisor Luis Chavez said the county spends about $2 million annually from its General Fund budget addressing issues related to illegal dumping.
Steve White, director of the county’s department of public works & planning, said the problem is becoming untenable.
“We can’t keep going down this path,” White said. “But if we can find a way to work with the industry that does this for a living, I think that’s the best solution for the county.”
Bredefeld wants Fresno County to get in on SEDA if city walks away
The City of Fresno is expected to decide whether to support Mayor Jerry Dyer’s plan to build out the Southeast Development Area. Better known as SEDA, the policy would see the city build out infrastructure and housing for a plot of land of about 9,000-acres in the city’s south east region.
Dyer has said SEDA would be an economic and housing boon for the city.
However, the mayor’s signature development strategy has faced stiff public opposition. The Fresno City Council has also appeared to be at least skeptical of the plan, with multiple councilmembers ordering further studies of the plan, or voicing opposition to it in its entirety.
Fresno County Supervisor Garry Bredefeld said at Tuesday’s meeting that, if the city forfeits SEDA, he wants the county to take up ownership of the project. The board chair ordered the county’s staff and legal counsel to study how feasible it would be for the county to take on SEDA, should the opportunity arise.
“I’m interested in looking at the county and going into the residential and industrial development business,” Bredefeld said during a portion of the meeting reserved to discuss matters not regularly scheduled on the agenda.
“I believe you need to grow,” he added. “I believe if you don’t grow, you die.”
Bredefeld said he’d like the study to include what impacts the move could have on the county’s general plan, and how the Hall of Records can avoid litigation from City Hall.
Echoing sentiments shared from Dyer and his administration, Bredefeld said he wanted to see SEDA built out, either from the city or county of Fresno, based on what he sees as competitive growth from neighboring areas, like Madera, and desires he’s heard from developers to build that neither of the two regions have been able to deliver on.
It is not immediately clear how the county would fund such an endeavor, including the building out of necessary infrastructure.
The county is currently looking at cost-saving measures at a time when President Donald Trump’s federal budget policy has shifted a larger financial burden to the nation’s counties.
There is no timetable on when the county would report back with its findings.
SEDA would not be the first time the county has looked at growth recently. The Fresno County Planning Commission recommended approval of the construction of a $1.1 billion town for senior citizens near Friant Road. The project, if approved by the county board, would be one of the biggest senior communities in the state. The Fresno County Board of Supervisors will vote on whether to approve the planning commission’s vote at their next meeting on Oct. 20.
