Quote of the Week
“Threats from the mayor of Fresno did not deter me from my oath to the students, the families that I represent, or the teachers and staff.”
—Fresno Unified Chair Veva Islas, speaking from the dais this week, called out four of her elected colleagues who refused to take any position at all on SEDA, a historic megadevelopment proposal that could further gut the region’s largest school district.
This Week in Fresnoland
An ex-whistleblower is blowing the whistle again
Five years ago, Fresno County’s social services department made national headlines after whistleblowers exposed the poor living conditions foster children experienced under county care.
A retiring Fresno County social worker, who helped blow the whistle on a major child services county scandal five years ago, is raising the alarm once again.
Social worker Lorraine Ramirez says the county’s social services department is mishandling cases, forcing family reunifications over the objections of frontline social workers and creating a “vicious cycle” of reabuse, Fresnoland’s Pablo Orihuela reports.
Ramirez wants the county’s board of supervisors to investigate and conduct an independent audit. She says she’s retiring in protest over the situation.
Fresno County’s social services department would neither confirm nor deny Ramirez’s claims.
Instead of answering detailed questions this week, Fresno County issued a brief, general statement that ignored the questions and simply claimed that Fresno County takes child safety seriously.
Ramirez said too many social workers are afraid to speak out.
“A lot of people are afraid to speak up because of that, because they’re still employed and they need their jobs.”
More than 200 jobs on the line at Fresno Unified schools
Fresh off their new record-high pay raises, Fresno Unified’s elected trustees formally advanced the process expected to result in dozens and potentially hundreds of employee layoffs in the coming year, Diego Vargas reported for Fresnoland this week.
More than 200 jobs are potentially on the line next year as the district scrambles to address a nearly $60 million projected deficit.
District officials said the cuts could save FUSD more than $58 million. The potential layoffs and job losses come after the district, late last year, offered retirement incentive packages expected to save the district another $50 million eventually.
It also comes just weeks after the Fresno Unified trustees doubled their take-home pay.
“When education funding is cut, the impact reaches far beyond classrooms, but in families and futures,” said Edison High School sophomore Brianna Smith, one of several students and community members who spoke out against the job cuts.
“What does that say about how the district values those who educate us?”
Fresno Unified trustees punt on SEDA
Following a tense discussion Wednesday night, a divided Fresno Unified school board refused to take a formal position on the 45,000-home megadevelopment that district staffers have said would gut the state’s third-largest school district and could force nearly a dozen schools to close, reports Fresnoland’s Gregory Weaver.
The board of elected officials voted 4-3 to table a resolution formally opposing the Southeast Area Development plan. Also known as SEDA, it’s Mayor Jerry Dyer’s plan to open 9,000 acres on the city’s southeastern fringe for massive development.
FUSD has estimated the project could force the closure of as many as 11 schools, and drain $200 million from a district already struggling financially.
But most of Fresno Unified’s elected trustees, even the ones pursuing higher office this year, did not want to take a position — for or against — a project that could define the district’s future.
Trustees Susan Wittrup, Elizabeth Jonasson Rosas, Keshia Thomas and Claudia Cázares avoided taking a formal stance on SEDA.
Trustees Veva Islas, Valerie Davis and Andy Levine voted against the motion to punt.
More bad budget news
There’s at least a $23 million hole in Fresno’s projected budget next year and city leaders expect it to get deeper, Julianna Morano reports for Fresnoland.
A year ago when preparing for the current budget year, the city projected a deficit of closer to $20 million, which ultimately ballooned to approximately $50 million.
The $23.3 million or so gap is larger than last year’s midyear shortfall and, for the third year in a row, city leaders are looking to make cuts across the board — to the tune of 5% per city department.
City Manager Georganne White said department heads “don’t have a lot of options left” to trim budgets without hurting services.
“I know the low-hanging fruit is gone.”
Clovis slowly opening up city to affordable housing
The City of Clovis’ mixed-income zoning law crawled along again this week as the city moves in line with state housing policies requiring minimum levels of affordable housing, Fresnoland’s Pablo Orihuela reports.
At a city Planning Commission meeting this week, commissioners unanimously approved the mixed-income zoning ordinance, also known as the MIZO, which city officials said makes Clovis the first city in the central San Joaquin Valley to develop that policy. The MIZO is expected to come before the Clovis City Council for final approval in April.
The city needs to increase affordable housing by eliminating red tape and increasing financing options for local affordable housing developers.
Outside the Lines
The Fresno City Council on Thursday OK’d a string of new investments promoting pedestrian safety around the city’s school campuses. Fresnoland
Fresno Unified adopted new districtwide cellphone restrictions requiring all students to turn their phones off during class time. Fresnoland
At the first meeting of the city’s parks and recreation board since a $1.5 million embezzlement scandal rocked the local arts community, Fresno’s city manager said the city’s Parks Department could make organizations whole. Fresnoland
A new proposal from the High-Speed Rail Authority would keep all of Fresno’s tax-related revenue from the city’s proposed high-speed rail station. If approved, it could represent a major financial setback for already cash-strapped local governments scrambling to pay for public safety infrastructure. The Fresno Bee
A loss of $48 million in USDA funds for small growers by this April is putting longtime small growers at risk of losing farms. ABC30
Immigrant-serving organizations in Fresno are working hard to bring factual updates to the community as people fear the Central Valley will be targeted next. KVPR
Yosemite National Park recently ended its contentious, pandemic-era reservation system, and not everybody thinks it’s a good idea. KVPR
The man who founded a historic LGBTQ+ bar in Fresno has died. YourCentralValley
Find Girl Scout cookie hotspots in Fresno. KMPH
Flights between Fresno and Mexico resumed this week after the slaying of a suspected cartel leader sparked violent clashes. Business Journal
Block Beat
DOWNTOWN: A struggling housing project that hasn’t been able to get off the ground in more than a decade could get yet another extension — and more than $11 million — from City Hall this week. The project, known as The Park At South Stadium Apartments, is a proposed eight-story apartment building just south of Chukchansi Park on a parking lot at Fulton and Inyo streets, Fresnoland.
CHINATOWN: Chinatown Fresno invites you to view the Lion Dancers return this weekend at Central Fish Co. The event begins at 11 a.m. Saturday at the market, 1535 Kern St. Instagram
FRIANT: The Marjaree’s Birthday Soirée, a benefit dinner for the Marjaree Mason Center, is set for Friday, March 20 at Table Mountain Casino Resort. More info
ROOSEVELT: The Fresno City Attorney’s Office is hosting a Waste Tire Amnesty Day at 8 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 28 at the Hanoian Shopping Center, 4218 E. Butler Ave., giving residents the chance to dispose of unwanted waste tires free of charge.
HIGHWAY CITY: The ‘Heard it through the Grapevine’ 5K run is set for 9 a.m. March 21 at Kearney Park. Highway City Community Development
Today’s newsletter was edited by Fresnoland’s Omar S. Rashad
