Quote of the Week
“We’re going to be dealing with this matter for the next 15 to 20 years. That’s the harsh reality.”
— Fresno Housing Authority CEO Tyrone Roderick Williams on the local housing crisis
This Week in Fresnoland
Fresno budget talks heat up
Jousting over Fresno’s budget kicked off this week, after Mayor Jerry Dyer unveiled the first draft of his administration’s $2.36 billion spending plan for the next fiscal year, which begins July 1.
Fresnoland’s Omar S. Rashad broke down the mayor’s plan to close a roughly $50 million deficit through attrition, a hiring slow-down and additional 5% budget cuts to many city departments.
Dyer’s plan also includes still-unspecified pay raises for city employees as numerous union contracts are set to expire, as well as money for the city’s Eviction Protection Program, residential infill and further expansions of the City Attorney’s Office.
Dyer also laid out goals to secure a $100 million bond to repair Fresno roads over the next two to three years, which the two-term Republican mayor describes as a plan to “pave more now, pay later.”
The Fresno City Attorney’s first wage theft case
The Fresno City Attorney’s Office brought forward its first wage theft case against a hospitality company and a “pseudo-contractor” accused of paying construction workers as little as $50 a day for hotel renovations, Fresnoland’s Julianna Morano reported.
City Attorney Andrew Janz and Councilmember Tyler Maxwell announced the case against Pinnacle Hospitality and Development Inc. at a news conference this week, the first case of its kind after the city launched an in-house wage theft prosecuting team last August thanks to a new state law.
Janz’s office is seeking roughly $58,000 in unpaid wages to employees – plus punitive damages that could add up to “hundreds of thousands of dollars.”
Although it took several months to build up the new wage theft team, Janz’s office has “10 to 12” active cases right now.
Fresno hospital denies wrongdoing — and agrees to $31 million fine
Allegations over “kickback schemes” by Community Health System and an affiliated business – which involved wining and dining health care providers at a northeast Fresno lounge in exchange for patient referrals – were resolved in a $31.5 million settlement, Fresnoland’s Julianna Morano reported.
The operator of the downtown Fresno and Clovis hospitals, alongside its affiliated healthcare technology business, Physician Network Advantage, will pay the bulk of the settlement to the U.S. government. A former PNA employee who filed a claim under whistleblower provisions will receive roughly $5 million as part of the settlement.
CHS didn’t admit to any wrongdoing under the terms of the settlement, nor did the government concede that its claims are unfounded. The health care system’s board chair said in a statement it’s “clear we needed stronger oversight measures.”
Is assembly line housing development the future?
Can Fresno Lego-build its way out of the affordable housing crisis?
Some city leaders are pointing to the technique, known as “modular development,” as a method that could speed up lengthy construction processes and meet the city’s steep demand for more affordable homes, Fresnoland’s Pablo Orihuela reported.
Modular homes are built off-site on an assembly line and then shipped on trucks to the construction site where they’re completed.
With the first development of its kind set to open soon in the city – the Welcome Home project in northeast Fresno, which is introducing about 100 apartments for young people experiencing homelessness – many eyes are on the approach that’s earned a bad rap after unsuccessful experiments with modular under past presidential administrations.
Dark money group in Fresno under investigation — again
California’s nonpartisan political watchdog has opened an investigation into the Fresno-based dark money group behind the ugly attack ad in March’s special election, Fresnoland’s Omar S. Rashad reported.
California’s Fair Political Practices Commission informed the shadowy group — Fresno Future Forward — of the investigation for “potential violations” of campaign disclosure laws.
It’s at least the second such investigation into the dark money PAC since the March election. The Fresno City Attorney’s Office already fined Fresno Future Forward $1,000 for disclosure violations.
Leading up to the March 18 special election, the PAC sent mailers out to the council district’s residents, alleging then-candidate Brandon Vang “engaged in statutory rape” in the 1990s.
Vang and his family denied the allegations and won the four-way District 5 special election in a landslide.
Outside the Lines
The Fresno Housing Authority criticized President Donald Trump’s recent budget proposal, saying it would devastate the local economy and rental market – including “a potential mass displacement event” as the current administration flirts with overwhelming budget cuts to national affordable-housing and rental-assistance programs like Section 8. Fresnoland
Meet Roque Rodriguez, the movie-lover that helped put Fresno filmmaking on Guillermo del Toro’s radar. One of his legacies for Fresno’s movie scene is the beloved Swede Fest. Now, he’s at work on his next project — Cen Cal Cinema — which hosted its latest free, outdoor screening of “The Fast and the Furious” at Calwa Park Friday, May 16. Fresnoland
The Fresno County Civil Grand Jury found that elected board members in Fresno Unified and other local school districts were unaware of required ethics training and the consequences of violating California’s public meeting laws. You can listen to Fresnoland reporter Diego Vargas break down the report on KVPR. Fresnoland
On this week’s episode of Fresnolandia, Keith Bergthold — the CEO of Regenerate California Innovation and of the Better Blackstone CDC — joined Dani and Jordan to discuss the future of the city’s planned 45,000-home megadevelopment on the southeastern outskirts of Fresno, known as SEDA. Fresnoland
Gallo Winery got slapped with a cease and desist over water pollution. Regulators say the Fresno winery location, located near the 180 and Clovis Avenue, is threatening Fresno’s groundwater quality by using wastewater to irrigate local crops. The Fresno Bee
Gov. Newsom’s revised budget proposal, released Wednesday, includes a 15-year extension of the state’s landmark climate law, cap-and-trade, including a $1 billion annual guarantee of funding for the high-speed rail project (but no downtown/Chinatown revitalization funding for Fresno). Politico
Fresno City Councilmember Mike Karbassi will challenge James Kus in 2026 for Fresno County Clerk. Citing a desire for faster election results, Karbassi, who represents northwest Fresno on the council, has officially put his hat in the ring for the race to deliver fair and trustworthy elections, among other responsibilities. Your Central Valley
Misty Her, Fresno Unified’s first woman and Hmong superintendent, began her own journey in the district’s Jefferson Elementary as an English learner. She’s hoping by framing English learners’ multilingual talents as assets, rather than an obstacle to overcome, teachers and staff can provide better support. Fresnoland via CVJC
Block Beat
KINGSBURG: The Kingsburg Swedish Festival is back. Running through Saturday, May 17, there’s a slew of events each day of the weekend-long festival, including a parade Saturday. Kingsburg Chamber of Commerce
DOWNTOWN: Tequila Fest returns to Chukchansi Park Saturday, May 17, for a night filled with “throwbacks, cervezas, tacos and tequila” – with Ludacris and Juvenile headlining the musical acts. Tickets are still available online. Tequila Fest Fresno
TOWER DISTRICT: S-Cool-ASS-tic Book Fair returns to Van Ness Village this Saturday, May 17, from 5 to 9 p.m. in the backyard of Sour Milk and Root Access. Bookish, Hart’s Haven and several other vendors will be slinging books, providing supplies to decorate bookmarks and more. Bookish
MANCHESTER: El Super, owned by Mexican grocery giant Chedraui, plans to open a store at the former Sears location (3636 N. Blackstone Ave.) in Fresno’s Manchester Center this June. They’re hiring 140 associates and hosting virtual and in-person job fairs for recruitment. The Business Journal
MAYFAIR: The Fresno Art Museum (2233 N. First St.) is hosting a FAMily Day this Sunday, May 18 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Families can visit the museum for free and enjoy storytime, an exhibition of third-graders art and a treasure hunt in the galleries. Fresno Art Museum
GRANITE PARK: Fresno’s barbecue scene is about to get even better. Edison High alum Matt Horn announced plans this week to bring his acclaimed Bay Area BBQ restaurant, Horn Barbeque, to Granite Park this summer. ABC30
OLD FIG: The Fig Garden Village shopping center’s new investor owners, based in New York and Costa Mesa, have plans to upgrade the mall, home to some of the region’s most upscale shops. The Business Journal
