Good morning! It’s Tuesday, Oct. 20. This is Rob.
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Happening today: The Fresno County Board of Supervisors is set to take a possible vote on approvals to build a new city the size of Fowler — despite questions about whether the city would actually have enough water for would-be residents. Fresnoland
ICE’d out: In the wake of recent ICE raids, the Fresno Chaffee Zoo says it has canceled its planned Día de los Muertos event. Zoo officials say they’ll still have ofrendas on hand along with decorations and an art display. They also plan to donate to nonprofit advocates Faith in the Valley. Facebook
Misdemeanors: Three people in Fresno County face misdemeanor charges in federal court on suspicion of voter fraud. The arrests were part of a massive recent federal government crackdown in California that authorities say targets bad actors but critics say is miniscule problem that hasn’t changed the outcome of any race and say recent raids are nothing more than a thinly veiled effort to intimidate voters who don’t support the current administration. KMPH
Police complaint: Kerman mayor accused of following a hairdresser she thought was an ICE agent around west Fresno. The Fresno Bee
1. City Hall considers $1 million immigrant defense fund
The Fresno City Council will vote Thursday whether to set aside $1 million for its Immigration Legal Defense Fund.
The proposal comes amid a midterm-election surge in immigration enforcement across California that hasn’t spared families in Fresno or the Central Valley.
Councilmember Miguel Arias is sponsoring a resolution at this Thursday’s Fresno City Council meeting.
Advocates underscored the urgency of the funding for legal aid on Monday, including Jesus Martinez, executive director of the Central Valley Immigrant Integration Collaborative.
The Central Valley also has fewer attorneys compared to places like Southern California or the Bay Area, while local nonprofits struggle, Martinez added.
Martinez: “We expect and we want the local governments here in the Central Valley to also be conscious of the fact that immigrants are important members of our communities, our societies. We are Fresno. We are California. This is also our home.”
👉 Read the full Fresnoland story here.
2. Fresno County Library privatization proposal hits (another) roadblock
Fresno County officials won’t be privatizing library operations with an outside company for now – as the sole provider asked to submit a proposal has withdrawn their name from consideration, according to a memo released Monday.
The latest move comes after residents and library staff mounted fierce public opposition since Supervisor Garry Bredefeld’s request to study the privatization was reported by Fresnoland in June. Fresnoland reported that the efforts stalled in late September after it became clear that there weren’t four supervisors in support of the move.
The memo, authored by County Administrative Officer Paul Nerland, lays out some of the key questions needed for further study if future supervisors are interested in the effort, from what happens to county librarians’ pensions (would have to be worked out in contract negotiations) to who handles circulation management and complaint processes.
It doesn’t provide an updated cost-savings figure since the 2023 study produced by Library Systems and Services – the Maryland-based private equity-backed company that has done the vast majority of operations management for public libraries, referencing the nearly $88 million estimated savings over 10 years, which county officials said they could not independently verify.
SEIU 521, the union representing library workers, along with the Friends of the Fresno County Library and other residents, said they plan to pack the Hall of Records Tuesday morning to make their opposition to any future privatization efforts known.
From the memo: “The failure to submit a proposal under public scrutiny has raised questions about the dependability of the organization [LSS] and the merit of any proposal.”
—Danielle Bergstrom, editor-in-chief
3. Latest Tower District shooting triggers big changes
A 16-year-old suspected gang member landed juvenile detention behind bars early Monday in connection with this weekend’s shooting in the Tower District that left two people injured.
Police on Monday did not comment on a motive or say whether they located the gun used in Sunday’s violence, but did say they were looking into the suspected shooter’s alleged gang ties.
The names and ages of the two men who suffered gunshot wounds have not been released, but police say neither victim sustained life-threatening injuries.
Sunday’s violence marked at least the fourth shooting in the city’s popular nightlife district in the last six months and businesses and residents say they are fed up.
On Monday, police Chief Mindy Casto announced slew of new measures and tactics she said police would use to quell the violence and reassure businesses in the neighborhood.
In addition to beefing up police patrols even further, Casto said the city was also adding additional surveillance cameras and lighting to the neighborhood.
She also said Tower District street food vendors would be forced to move to a single location — a parking lot at Van Ness and Fulton.
City leaders announced a community meeting set for 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Tower Theatre to discuss the changes. A separate community meeting is also planned for Wednesday at the MIA club. The meeting was announced last week, several days before Sunday’s violence.
👉 Read the full Fresnoland story here.
Today’s newsletter was edited by Danielle Bergstrom.
