Good morning! It’s Thursday, Aug. 13. This is Rob.
Pizza and a flight: Young people have a chance to take a free flight over Reedley and eat pizza. YourCentralValley
Southwest community meeting: Prospective homeowners are invited to attend a free informational community meeting from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 15 Westside Church of God, 154 W. Church Ave. as part of an educational meeting in connection with the development of 136 new single-family homes in southwest Fresno. More information
Oktoberfest is coming: Oktoberfest is just around the corner so, mark your calendars for Saturday, Sept. 19 for a day of “ice-cold beer, live music, delicious food, and unforgettable Good Times” at Barrel House Brewing at the River Park Shopping Center. Barrel House
For the poetry nerds: A Night of Poe is a “hauntingly immersive evening where Edgar Allan Poe’s most famous tales come alive through immersive theater, live music, theatrical storytelling, and expertly crafted cocktails,” over the course of a 90-minute journey, where actors, musicians, and performers weave together reimagined stories, atmospheric soundscapes, and immersive theatrical moments.” The event is set for Sept. 25 and 26. Tickets are on sale now.
1. A no-show not-very-special meeting
Over the course of just about two weeks, the City of Fresno has launched a general tax proposal to backstop Measure C funding losses, then later pulled the proposal from the November ballot.
Then they changed their minds and added it back to the ballot literally the next day.
That move lasted through a whole weekend before the City Council called a special meeting for Wednesday so they could vote to change their minds again.
Then, on Wednesday, they did nothing at all instead.
Members of the public waited almost two hours to speak out on the issue, but only three of the city’s seven councilmembers showed up. For a meeting to go forward, the council needs a quorum, at least four of the seven members.
Frustrated critics questioned whether the council no-shows were afraid to take yet another controversial vote.
So, just to recap: The City of Fresno’s general tax/potential transportation funding backstop is now expected to appear on the ballot.
As for the countywide transportation tax, it’s still in limbo amid political wrangling and now a lawsuit filed Wednesday by Fresno County against its own elections clerk, the State of California, and the proponents of the Better Roads ballot measure.
Read the full Fresnoland story here.
2. Show me the money (report)?
Today, the council is supposed to take on a workshop exploring financial options for the city to build out the first phase of SEDA, called South SEDA.
But with hours to go, councilmembers and watchdogs are wondering if they’ll get any documents in advance of the meeting.
In The Fresno Bee, Dyer has narrowed his pitch to SEDA’s first phase to what its upfront costs are: $90 million for streets and sewer. As far as it goes, that number is roughly accurate.
But it does not go far.
Dyer’s 2025 infrastructure report pegs the full costs of the first phase of SEDA’s first phase at roughly $672 million. Developer fees are expected to raise $233 million in development impact fee revenue, leaving roughly $440 million in infrastructure costs in limbo.
It is unclear how Dyer plans to plug that gap. The report commissioned from his administration last year cites a proposed SEDA special district and to public-private partnerships.
Fresnoland asked the city twice, over the course of multiple weeks, who will be funding that special district with $440 million. Dyer’s team declined to share any documents identifying known and quantifiable contributions or fees totaling that amount.
As of last week, Councilmember Miguel Arias said, “my office has not been provided one piece of document yet.” What he knew about the first phase, he had secondhand: “I’ve heard the number be 80 [million]” in upfront costs.
Arias said he expected to be briefed last, “because he knows I’m going to share it publicly.”
Perea, three days out, was working through the updated specific plan and the final environmental impact report – well over 1,000 pages between them – without the document the meeting is actually about.
“I’m currently perusing through the updated specific plan,” she said, “but I haven’t seen the financial study yet.”
The reports were apparently completed well before now, Patience Milrod, a local land use attorney, wrote to Fresnoland.
“This behavior is compatible with only one purpose we can think of: the reports won’t bear up to extended and careful scrutiny.”
“Given the inconsistencies in the administration’s messaging to date, and its unwillingness to timely show its work,” she concluded, “we are frankly concerned that there’s some cooking of the books going on.”
—Gregory Weaver, Fresnoland
3. Five things to do in Fresno this weekend!
Join Project Survival’s Cat Haven at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 15 for “Cat Camp: Cat Olympics, a one-day summer program where cat campers and parents can explore the world of wild cats through hands-on, Olympic-inspired activities. Ticket price information here
Get ready for a night of nonstop R&B, hip-hop, and party anthems as Club Encore celebrates the music of Chris Brown and Usher. The dance party gets underway at 10 p.m. at Club Encore, 3075 N. Maroa. Tickets on sale now
Hip-hop group Atmosphere takes the stage Saturday at Tioga Sequoia Brewing Co. The show begins at 6 p.m. Tickets are on sale now
When it’s love: Van Halen tribute band “Fan Halen” is set to play the Tower Theatre for the Performing Arts at 7 p.m. Saturday. Ticket info here
Join Shinzen Friendship Garden for one of Fresno’s most meaningful and beautiful annual traditions — the 41st Annual Toro Nagashi Ceremony. Toro Nagashi, or “floating lanterns,” is a centuries-old Japanese tradition that honors the memories of loved ones who have passed. The event is set for 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 15. Ticket information here
Today’s newsletter was edited by Danielle Bergstrom.
