Sanger City Council (9/7/23)

Documented by Artemes Gidram 

Here’s what you need to know

• The Sanger Boxing Gym is set to reopen on September 13, 2023.
• The public comment period was filled with people who were still upset at the closing.
• The previous head coach, Mario Garcia, is being replaced by another coach.
• The City Council voted to increase Sanger’s transient occupancy tax to 12% on the March 2024 primary ballot.

Follow-up questions

• Who is the new boxing coach? 
• Will the increase in the transient occupancy tax bring in major hotels as promised by the council?

Notes

The Scene

The Sanger City Council meeting took place on Sep. 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 closed session  ended at 6 p.m.
  • No reportable actions were reported from the  closed session.
• The regular Sanger City Council was called to order at 6:03 p.m.
• Opening ceremonies.
  • Pastor Paul led the invocation.
  • Mayor Frank Gonzalez led the flag salute.
  • Role call.
    • All members of the council were present.
• Presentations.
  • Billie Miller, Mid Valley Disposal bi-annual report.
    • Cleanup events.
      • Held in April.
      • Serviced over 630 vehicles.
      • Compost giveaway of 1,500 pounds.
      • Next cleanup event Oct. 28.
    • Sanger alley cleanup.
      • Held Feb. 2.
      • 5.91 tons of trash cleaned up.
      • Addressed illegal dumping problems.
      • Currently planning with the city for another alley cleanup to further address illegal dumping problems.
    • Jensen Avenue cleanup.
      • Held on April 9.
      • 260 pounds of trash removed.
      • Next event will be Sept. 30.
    • Community events.
      • Blossom Trail Run held March 11.
        • Sponsored and participated in Blossom Trail.
      • National Night Out held Aug. 11.
      • 2023 Recycler of the Year.
        • Awarded to Academy Hardware at the Sanger Chamber of Commerce Dinner on March 31.
    • Sanger High School Apache scholarship.
      • Six  applicants received.
      • Three recipients selected.
      • Scholarship night was May 30.
    • SB 1383 progress.
      • Electronic annual report for 2022 was submitted to CalRecyle on time.
      • The city is out of compliance with SB 1383 with no compliant franchise agreement in place.
      • Sanger will need to roll out all remaining businesses before the end of 2023.
• Consent items.
  • Consent items, with the exception of 3, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, were unanimously voted through.
  • Council member Esmeralda Hurtado requested that items 5, 6, 7 and 8 be discussed separately. An unnamed resident wearing a hat and mask requested that items 3 and 9 be discussed separately.
  • Item 3, Executive Assistant Position
    • Resident with hat and mask:
      • There’s a lot of confusion as to who the city manager is.
      • The man asked what the job that’s being offered is and who it is going to be. He also wanted know if  the position is going to replace anyone.
        • City Attorney Hilda Cantu-Montoy clarified that this is a new position and that nobody is going to be replaced.
    • Resident Moises Hernandez:
      • Hernandez wanted to know if this position was worth the money, and suggested the city should just have a full-time city manager.
        • Gonzalez clarified that they are looking for a full-time city manager, and hope to have one by the end of the year.
        • Cantu-Montoy clarified that this position had been in the works for months prior to having an acting city manager.
  • Items 5, 6 and 7, annexation of property.
    • Hurtado:
      • Hurtado had the same question for all three items, and as such, combined them into one discussion.
      • She asked what is the impact of the annexation on the residents living in that district and on the Surf and Turf Car Wash. What is it going to cost?
        • A representative named David stated that the staff report has a list of costa under ‘P’ standing for ‘Parcel.’
        • Costs are tied to the property. Whoever owns the property pays the fees.
  • Item 8, Upgrade chamber audio-visual equipment.
    • Hurtado:
      • Hurtado wanted to know about microphones and if they’re in the staff report.
        • David stated that the proposal includes two hand-held microphones and upgrades to a podium already owned by the city.
        • The microphones are to help the city be more ADA compliant so that individuals don’t need to get up for public comment.
  • Item G-1, confirmation of intent to pursue an increase to the transient occupancy tax.
    • Acting City Manager Gregory Garner:
      • The tax will be increased to 12%; the current tax is 4%.
      • This increase would require a ballot measure on the March 2024 ballot.
      • This tax is not to be paid by citizens of Sanger but by those staying in hotels.
    • Mayor Pro-tem Daniel Martinez:
      • The current 4% is the lowest of all surrounding areas. Most other cities in the area charge around 12%-14%.
    • Hurtado:
      • Hurtado asked how the staff came up with 12%.
        • The staff report includes a market analysis.
        • A study was updated in 2022 by talking to hotel operators to get a clear idea of the post-COVIDmarket.
      • Hurtado pointed out that surrounding cities such as Selma, Fresno and Kingsburg all fall along the 99 Freeway. She said she thought 12% is too high for a city that is not connected to a high-traffic freeway.
    • Council member Michael Montelongo:
      • Sanger has its own traffic, including being the last major stop before the national parks.
    • Roman, a resident:
      • People who are staying at the hotels are people addicted to drugs, poor people and people who can’t afford to stay in the city.
      • If the tax is raised to 12%, then the city will be directly taxing the homeless people.
    • Moises Hernandez:
      • He said bringing a hotel to Sanger has been a project of council members, and they are probably salivating at this opportunity.
      • Hernandez is having second thoughts about this as he feels they’re really neglecting the core of Sanger.
      • We are neglecting the kids.
      • This tax is for vain members of the council that want it for their personal projects.
    • Gonzalez:
      • This will not raise the taxes immediately.
      • This will go to the ballot and it will be up to the residents of Sanger to decide if the tax increase is approved..
    • Hurtado:
      • Hurtado wants to know if there will be any additional fees due to the tax increase being on the March ballot instead of the November ballot.
        • David clarified that the cost will be $20,000-$25,000 regardless of the election.
        • There’s a slight difference in cost, but it is negligible.
      • Hurtado proposes moving the tax up to 8%:
    • Montelongo:
      • 10%-12% doesn’t bother him, but the council will know it’s too high if voters vote it down.
      • If the voters vote against the tax increase, they can go forward with a lower tax proposal in the next election.

Actions/Discussions/Public comment

• Public comments.
  • Mario Garcia, former head boxing coach.
    • Garcia said what the council did by closing the boxing gym was unnecessary.
    • He compared his 60-day suspension by USA Boxing to getting a parking ticket. He asked if a parking ticket should prohibit someone from going to work.
    • “I don’t know why you guys closed that gym based off of my suspension. And, by the way, how did you guys find out about my suspension? That’s another one. Who told you guys? Am I the city employee here? ‘Cause technically I work for you guys and you guys didn’t even bother telling me that there was somebody else out there that told on me,” said Mario Garcia, former head boxing coach.
    • Garcia claimed he was bullied by Acting City Manager Greg Garner and he didn’t let Garcia talk when he wanted to plead his case.
    • Garcia stated he had never been written up before.
  • Gonzalez:
    • The gym will be open on Wednesday.
    • According to Garner, the staffing issues have been worked out and he will be doing a walk-through on the following day of this meeting to clean up the gym.
    • A schedule will be posted on the city’s social media accounts.
    • The schedule will be broken down by age, as the facility is too small to accommodate everyone at once.
  • Ruben Hernandez:
    • “You can announce that the gym is going to be open on Wednesday, which is great. The kids need it. That’s a good thing. But, you did make some wrong decisions along the way,” Hernandez said.
    • He said he wants the council to admit that they made the wrong decision in closing the doors to the gym and that they hurt the children in doing so.
  • One of the mothers came up without announcing her name.
    • She said she believes that the council has not been sincere.
    • The council said they got the gym a new $20,000 boxing ring but the gym never saw any receipt.
    • It’s not fair that the parents can’t fundraise on their own.
    • She believes that the parents are being harassed and retaliated against by the Police Department. She said police officers have been parked outside of parents’ houses.
  • Ricardo Pinto, boxer.
    • Pinto has been at the gym for four to five years.
    • Pinto said he has seen the coach Mario Garcia’s growth. He said the coach helps every kid and has no judgment.
  • Alex Soto, boxer.
    • Soto brought  a championship belt with him to show the council.
    • Soto fought for three days to get his belt and was very glad his coaches were there for him.
    • He said it breaks his heart that he can’t call the gym his home anymore and that he has to go to Del Rey or use someone’s backyard to train.
  • Hernandez.
    • Being at the gym has been a journey for him, he said,
    • The coaches there help Hernandez with his homework.
    • He doesn’t like bullying.
  • Jessica, parent.
    • She said her son wanted to be at the council meeting but was scared.
    • Jessica’s son has become depressed.
    • She said parents have gotten their money back from fundraising so that it doesn’t go to the members of the City Council.
  • Mario Garcia Jr, coach Garcia’s son.
    • Garcia is really proud of his dad and the big difference he’s making.
    • Garcia just wanted the council to fix their mistakes and promises that they will come back harder and represent Sanger.
  • Roman:
    • Roman appeared to express his disappointment, particularly in reference to Garner.
    • Roman said the council should take the $5,000 being offered to the gym and, ”Shove it where the sun don’t shine.”
    • The only crime Garcia committed was caring too much for the children, he said.
    • Roman thinks the mayor is speaking like a politician and does nothing but sit behind a desk.
    • When elections come, Roman wants the community of Sanger to remember this moment.
  • Hernandez:
    • Hernandez said he finds it disgraceful that one of the council members has been whitewashing the situation and pretending like things are being taken care of.
    • “You’re treating them like they’re dumb. Like they’re simple people. Like you guys don’t even have to press the issue, we got it covered. No. Like, these people demand an answer, demand clarity, demand transparency,” said Hernandez.
    • Hernandez has met the new boxing coach, and noted that he already has a boxing program connected to the acting city manager.
    • He asked what are the boundaries between Garner’s responsibilities as acting city manager and as the Sanger police chief?
    • Hernandez said he believes this meeting is a perfect reason why the council should have their meetings available via Zoom, YouTube or other means of streaming.
    • He charged that  the reason the city is not streaming meetings is so developers won’t see that people disagree with the council. The city should have access to witness council meetings.
• Votes
  • Item 3, Executive Assistant Position.
    • Motion by Martinez.
    • The item passes unanimously.
  • Items 5, 6 and 7, annexation of property.
    • Motion by Martinez.
    • Passed 3-2 with Hurtado and Melendez voting no.
  • Item 8, upgrade chamber audio-visual equipment.
    • Motion by Martinez.
    • Item passed with unanimous vote.
  • Item G-1, confirmation of intent to pursue an increase to the transient occupancy tax.
    • Motion by Martinez.
    • Item G-1 passes 3-2, with Hurtado and Melendez voting no.

Conversation highlight

• “You’re treating them like they’re dumb. Like they’re simple people. Like you guys don’t even have to press the issue, we got it covered. No. Like, these people demand an answer, demand clarity, demand transparency,” said Hernandez, citizen.

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

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