Quote of the Week

“Pride Month is an opportunity to show them we’re not going anywhere. You haven’t dimmed our light. We’re all right here and loud and proud, full of rainbows and glitter all June long.”

— Tracie Cisneros, an organizer with the Fresno Rainbow Pride organization, spoke with KVPR about the theme of this year’s pride festivities: “Queer All Year.”

SAVE THE DATE: Fresnoland is collaborating with CalMatters on a live journalism event, Legalize Everything: Lessons from Fresno on Housing Affordability. Join us on Thursday, June 15th at the Fresno Art Museum for a thorough discussion on how housing has rapidly transformed in our region, the barriers to housing affordability, and the shape of potential solutions. The panel will take place from 6 – 7 pm and a networking session with light appetizers and drinks will immediately follow. You can learn more and RSVP here

This Week in Fresnoland

A proposed city ordinance aims to increase accessibility on Fresno streets by curbing the rights of the unhoused. 

Today, the Fresno City Council will vote on a new ordinance that would restrict where people can sit or lie down because it could potentially obstruct the path of a person with disabilities. On Monday, Melissa Montalvo (Fresno Bee/Fresnoland) reported this story about the ordinance’s first reading.

The Fresno City Council voted in favor of the ordinance 6 to 1 during its first reading last week. Garry Bredefeld, who introduced the legislation along with Miguel Arias, said that the proposal would make the streets safer. Arias said it would protect children. Councilmember Annalisa Perea, the sole dissenting voice, said the ordinance would only push the problem elsewhere, rather than solve it. 

She’s not the only one who’s skeptical. Rain Chamberlain, who leads the disability advocacy nonprofit Navigating Structures, said that the actual things limiting accessibility in Fresno are too few sidewalks and neglected sidewalk maintenance. 

Greg Cramer, a senior legislative advocate with Disability Rights California, called the ordinance troubling. “Obviously encampments pose certain accessibility and mobility issues for users of sidewalks,” he said. “… it’s just a convenient scapegoat for local governments and state governments and other elected officials to move forward with sweeping encampments and displacing folks from where they’re at.” 

Dyer’s budget is in dire straits. 

Or at least that’s the vibe I’m getting from some of the comments from these city officials, as Melissa Montalvo reports for the Fresno Bee/Fresnoland. While the mayor seems jazzed about his proposed Pothole Team, city councilmembers are saying that the budget doesn’t do nearly enough to address Fresno’s infrastructure woes, city leaders have said that our streets run the risk of falling into chronic disrepair after such an intense rainy season. Fresno City Councilmember Miguel Arias called the budget, “dead on arrival.” 

Budget hearings began this week.

I didn’t know there were all these strings attached to housing vouchers. Did you? 

So the good news is that the Fresno Housing Authority will soon reopen its Housing Choice Voucher Program for the first time since 2019, and you can read all about it in this story by Jeremiah O. Rhodes for Fresnoland. The bad news – well, I shouldn’t say bad – the complicated news is that there are a lot of caveats. 

Consider the income requirement, which sets “very low” income at $28,900 for a one-person household, and at $17,350 for an “extremely low” income one-person household. While people with criminal records can apply, there are some felonies that are disqualifying, and decisions regarding criminal records are case-by-case. And is there any more vague a phrase than case-by-case? What criteria would be used to judge people with criminal records who need housing?

If you get a voucher, you have just 60 days to find housing before your voucher defaults to someone else on the waiting list. Housing is hard to find, so you’ll want to utilize HUD’s database of affordable housing options, but keep in mind that in 2022 only 34% of people with vouchers found housing. 

But once you’ve found housing, it also depends on the landlord processing the paperwork within those 60 days. We absolutely hate to see it.

Bitwise employees are banding together for a class action lawsuit, even as the walls close in. 

Roger Bonakdar, a lawyer and candidate for the District 6 seat currently held by Garry Bredefeld, is representing the recently furloughed workers, Melissa Montalvo reports for the Fresno Bee. Bonakdar’s case rests on the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act which requires companies to provide a 60 day notice of furloughs and layoffs. Employees allege that paychecks from Bitwise bounced and that the company stopped matching contributions to their 401(k)’s in March – Bonakdar will seek damages for these issues as well. 

Still, this isn’t Law & Order or even How to Get Away with Murder. Litigation is a protracted, Byzantine process, and Bonakdar said it could take years to see this case through. “Sometimes there are hard fights that have to be fought when they’re worth fighting,” he said, “and these 300 Fresno families and Valley families are worth fighting for.” 

This might be a cold comfort to these 300 families. A lawsuit sounds promising, but in the meantime it’s unclear if Bitwise employees still have access to their employer provided healthcare. Some are having difficult conversations with their mortgage lenders. Others have turned to crowdfunding, to the city, or to entrepreneurship. Regardless, their futures with Bitwise are uncertain.

Anyway, Happy Pride. 

Fresno’s Rainbow Pride Parade in the Tower District was attended by thousands this year, Kassandra Gutierrez with ABC 30 reports. One attendee, Ramona Navarro, has a quote that stuck with me: “We’re here because all I want is peace and quiet and love. Let us be ourselves,” Navarro said. “Because we’re not going over there trying to make anybody become what they don’t wanna become.” 

KVPR has an audio story leading up to Pride as well. The theme of this year’s pride celebrations is “Queer All Year.” Tracie Cisneros, an organizer with the Fresno Rainbow Pride organization, said, “Let this be the spark to create this momentum throughout the year … Pride Month is an opportunity to show them we’re not going anywhere.”

Block Beat

KEATS PARK: The beloved Planet Vegan food truck returns following the dramatic explosion that left its co-owner with second-degree burns on a third of his body. Fresno Bee

DOWNTOWN FRESNO: Still confused about Bitwise? Wondering how we got here? Or what they even do over there? Here’s an explainer. ABC30

SOUTHEAST FRESNO: The Fresno Planning Commission voted unanimously to move forward with a plan to develop affordable housing, commercial products and other community-building amenities in the area spanning across the Kings Canyon corridor. Documenters

Department of New Construction

FANCHER CREEK: A conditional use permit was filed to allow the off-site sale of beer and wine at a full service grocery store in a tract that is currently over concentrated. Six licenses are allowed and this license would bring the total to eight. 

FRESNO STATE: A development permit was filed for the construction of a four story multi-family residential building on East Bulldog Lane, west of North Millbrook Ave. 

SUNNYSIDE: The Fresno Planning Commission allowed Fresno Unified’s plan to acquire 17.75 acres for the proposed Sunnyside High School Agricultural Education center to move forward at its May 17 meeting. The site will be located on the southwest corner of East Kings Canyon Rd and South Minnewawa Ave. Documenters

Around Town

Do you want to be the very best? Like no one ever was? The Pokemon Fresno Regional Championship kicks off this week starting Thursday, June 8. Downtown Fresno

Parading was not enough, I need to pub crawl for the queer community. Join the Fresno Rainbow Pride and Tower District Marketing Committee with their celebratory pub crawl through Tower District this Saturday, June 10. Eventbrite

The Royal Jelly Collective and Dulce Upfront Labs are presenting their Womxn 2 Womxn Pride Edition showcase on Saturday, June 10. Instagram

Next Week in Public Meetings

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Tommy is the author of Toplines, the Fresnoland newsletter curating the top stories in the Central Valley. He thinks he's very funny.