Fresno City Hall file photo by Omar Rashad | Fresnoland

Quote of the Week

“This is, in my view, a major Brown Act problem.”

-David Loy, legal director at the First Amendment Coalition commenting on Fresno’s budget subcommittee. A new Fresnoland investigation raises questions about how the city operates one of its key committees.

This Week in Fresnoland

Gray doors lead into Fresno’s council chambers, where city council meetings are held. It’s also where budget hearings are held every June. Omar Rashad / Fresnoland

Is Fresno’s city budget subcommittee operating illegally?

A Fresnoland investigation published this morning questions whether the Fresno City Council’s budget subcommittee has violated California’s Brown Act, the state law governing open meetings. City officials insist the subcommittee is exempt from the law, meaning their meetings can be closed to the public. However, four legal experts disputed the city’s legal analysis and said the subcommittee should not be meeting away from public view.

Fresnoland’s Omar Shaikh Rashad also examined California’s 10 largest cities and found that only Fresno operates a budget committee behind closed doors.

One of the legal scholars who spoke with Fresnoland summed up their concerns this way: “Certainly, I think there’s a question here as to whether the city is kind of calling this committee one thing and doing another thing in practice — using terminology to kind of skirt requirements that otherwise would apply in terms of public disclosure.”

Read the full story from Fresnoland here.

At Fresno City Hall’s council chambers, a new budget for the 2024 fiscal year was passed by the city council on June 20, 2023.

The city council paused a feasibility study to compost and treat human sewage. 

Hear me out, so the city was planning to conduct a study on composting “biosolids” sludge from Fresno’s sewage treatment plant, but it’s been put on hold because of environmental effects on West Fresno, Tim Sheehan reports for the Fresno Bee. The city council postponed authorizing the $400,00 feasibility study at their Thursday meeting after Migeul Arias called for a two-week delay on the vote. Arias district includes West Fresno as well as the sewage treatment facility, which has historically been besieged by pollutants. 

“So it’s treated human s—t,” Arias said. “Residents are asking, ‘Why are you putting a human s—t farm in our neighborhood?” Currently, the sewage plant produces 325 tons of biosolids per day, which are hauled away from Fresno by truck for further processing – including composting. This proposal would compost the human… biosolids locally. 

A May 2023 Fresno County Grand Jury report outlined concerns around citizen oversight of Measure B, which provides a majority of funding for the library system. Credit: Omar Shaikh Rashad / Fresnoland

The Fresno County Board of Supervisors pushed back against a grand jury’s criticisms of the Fresno library system.

The Fresno County Civil Grand Jury’s May report contended that Fresno County Public Library’s 34 branches see less traffic than other library systems, and that the civilian oversight board has little say in financial decisions and needs more guidance, Omar Shaikh Rashad (Fresnoland) reports. The Citizens Review Panel is meant to keep track of the tax revenue that funds the libraries, including Measure B, a sales tax that accounts for the vast majority of funding – revenue that will expire in just six years. The grand jury recommended outlining oversight responsibilities for the civilian board, a suggestion that the board of supervisors rejected. 

Further, the grand jury wrote that the 11-member oversight board has difficulty making a quorum with four vacancies. The board of supervisors said that there are only three vacancies, but that they are trying to fill them. Meanwhile, Fresno County Librarian Raman Bath pledged to begin drafting the facilities plan and completing the services plan before the end of 2023, both of which are required by a 2012 ordinance – another thing the grand jury report outlined.  

A Visalia civil rights lawyer warned the Lindsay City Council Tuesday not to discriminate against Council member Ramona Caudillo, whose request for medical leave was rejected by the council last month.

Attorney warns Lindsay City Council about discrimination

From the Documenters, Councilmember Ramona Caudillo attended a council meeting against her doctor’s recommendations to retain her seat, which she might have lost considering that the council rejected her request for a medical leave last month. She was joined by lawyer Maggie Melo, who told the council that Caudillo’s health issues were both legitimate and documented and asked that her prior absences be excused. “So we encourage you (the council) to make the right decision and not discriminate against those who are temporarily impacted.”

Councilmember Ramiro Serna’s motion to discuss excusing the absences didn’t move forward because Rosenberg’s Rules of Order would require a motion of reconsideration – the only move after the council has already made a decision on a matter. The motion of reconsideration can only be brought forward by councilmembers Yolanda Flores and Rosaena Sanchez, who rejected Caudillo’s request for medical leave last month.

The Fresno County Supervisors left the room for a brief recess after members of the labor union representing Fresno County in-home care workers interrupted Tuesday’s meeting.

In-home care workers rallied for higher wages at the Fresno County Board of Supervisors. 

SEIU, the labor union for In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) workers disrupted the, Aug. 10 meeting Fresno Board of Supervisors meeting (from the Fresno Documenters). The demonstration came about during the public comment period on a $14 million asphalt-concrete award when Byron Lopez, a senior policy analyst for SEIU 2015, took the lectern to say that while the roads were important, caregivers also need money. 

Currently, IHSS workers in Fresno County make just $16.10 an hour while caring for 19,000 elderly, blind and disabled residents in the county.

Outside the Lines

Fresno Area Express announced that they will extend Route 34 southward to include the North Pointe Business Park, Oscar Alexander (Fresnoland) reports. Additionally, Route 45 will extend to add service to Justin Garza High and Glacier Point Middle School, running every 30 minutes (down from 45) seven days a week. You can see illustrations of each route in the story, courtesy of FAX. Lastly, Routes 3 and 20 will also run every 30 minutes instead of 45. 

After the floods, Tulare Lake reemerged – and now officials have found two dead birds floating in the water, both infected with avian botulism. While the bacteria is not a threat to humans, the Department of Fish and Wildlife is monitoring the situation closely to prevent die-offs. 

Block Beat

FRESNO UNIFIED: After a $2.7 billion investment in 2021, schools in California have expanded transitional kindergarten to all students. Fresno Unified thinks that by paying extra attention to the crucial development stage between ages 4 and 5, stronger reading and math skills could be achieved throughout the student body. Fresno Bee

REEDLEY: The FDA has issued a warning against pregnancy tests tied to the illegal Reedley lab. KFSN

CHAFFEE ZOO: Zoo officials say that their female African Elephants are pregnant and their due dates are between September and October of next year. These would be the first elephant calves ever born at Chaffee Zoo. KFSN

DOWNTOWN: A new report credits Fresno artists with helping revitalize the city’s struggling downtown. “In fact, foot traffic in downtown Fresno hasn’t just recovered from the pandemic. It’s surpassed pre-pandemic numbers,” the report says. Marketplace

YOSEMITE MIDDLE SCHOOL: Fresno residents are invited to a community workshop on bicycle and pedestrian safety around Yosemite Middle School from 9 a.m. to noon Aug. 23 at the school, 1292 N. Ninth St. Participants will collaborate, develop action plans, learn effective strategies, and conduct a walking/biking assessment together. Instagram

FRESNO CITY HALL: The City Council approved $1 million for its Small Business Facade Improvement Program. The Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation will administer the grant program in city council district one and four. The program aims to help underserved and minority small business owners improve the facade of their brick-and-mortar businesses. City Council

Department of New Construction

TARPEY VILLAGE:  A development permit has been submitted to install a solar canopy at the Mountain View Church, near North Fowler and East Ashland avenues in Fresno.

FIGARDEN: A tentative parcel map has been issued to create four commercial lots along the northeast corner of West Shaw and North Marks avenues in Fresno.

BULLARD: A development permit has been issued to build six new “cottage” units – three single story and three two-story units – near North Del Mar and West Barstow avenues.

MOUNTAIN VIEW: A conditional use permit application has been filed to develop a 111,783-square-foot storage facility near North Cedar and East Alluvial avenues.

Around Town

Cultiva la Salud, California Walks and UC Berkeley SafeTREC are hosting a Fresno Community Workshop to address walking and biking safety on Aug. 23. Instagram

Raw Fresno is hosting a vegan friendly Game Night on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. Downtown Fresno

Artist Evelyn Barajas will join Arte Americas this Saturday for Bilingual Reading & Art Making, which will feature an art activity facilitated in both English and Spanish. Downtown Fresno

Next Week in Public Meetings

Tuesday, Aug 22, 2023 at 9:30 a.m. | Fresno County Board of Supervisors

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Tommy is the author of Toplines, the Fresnoland newsletter curating the top stories in the Central Valley. He thinks he's very funny.