Quote of the Week
“You guys have been sued up the ass for Brown Act violations, for racial discrimination — and we see how you regarded folks in the community earlier. Come on, get it together, y’all. This is disgusting, and the people are getting tired.”
— Alicia Rodriguez, co-founder of Labyrinth Art Collective
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This Week in Fresnoland
‘Already harmed by an unfair system’
A proposal to change a HUD rule would prevent U.S. citizens — including children — from living in HUD-assisted housing if anyone in the household is undocumented, Fresnoland’s Gisselle Medina reports.
In Fresno County, the proposal would impact 353 mixed-status households, which is approximately 839 adults and 653 children, according to the Fresno Housing Authority.
HUD defines mixed-status families as households that include both citizens or people with eligible immigration status and people without eligible status.
Current policy already bars undocumented immigrants from receiving HUD assistance. Eligible residents, such as U.S. citizen children, receive prorated aid that reflects only the qualifying members of the household. The new rule would allow the government to deny housing aid to whole families if even one household member was disqualified.
“This rule specifically carries on that kind of discrimination,” said Joseph Haydock, a member of the Fresno Fair Housing Advocates council. “This rule is discriminatory towards people that have already been harmed by an unfair system.”
Fresno’s anti-transparency budget process
Fresno City Attorney Andrew Janz insists that City Hall “won” a recent lawsuit against the ACLU in which a Fresno judge concluded that the Fresno City Council violated California’s Brown Act.
His most recent public statement came during last week’s budget hearings in which he inaccurately claimed that he “beat Fresnoland” in a lawsuit. But that’s not true. Fresnoland wasn’t even involved in the civil case.
And the judge concluded that “the City of Fresno was in violation of the Brown Act.”
And despite insisting that he already won the Brown Act lawsuit, Janz is also seeking a new trial in the case and criticizing Fresno Judge Robert Whalen’s ruling.
We asked Janz why City Hall wants taxpayers to keep paying lawyers to fight a case he claims to have already won. But he refuses to talk about it.
That leaves more than a few questions unanswered, Fresnoland’s Omar S. Rashad reports.
Public safety issues top of mind
Getting into the nuts and bolts of next year’s budget this week, the Fresno City Council pushed for additional funding for programs like Advance Peace and got behind the mayor’s effort to expand the police department’s HART team.
City leaders have also worked to establish a possible pilot program in the city seeking to provide more desperately needed low-cost childcare options for local working families. The city is also getting behind neighborhood-led efforts to bring a public library to The Tower District.
Every year for the last several years, the HART team has consistently been criticized by members of the public who bring up concerns about how it treats unhoused people, throws away their belongings and hasn’t so far led to a reduction in homelessness.
Over the last week, members of the public have criticized Dyer’s administration for seeking to expand the HART team — which costs hundreds of thousands from the city’s discretionary general fund.
Luke Pretz is part of a group of local residents called Fresnans for a People’s Budget and attended some of last week’s budget hearings and shared feedback with city officials.
“I hope they do take us seriously,” Pretz said. “I hope they do take our concerns about transparency seriously.”
Fresno Unified won’t reverse contentious administrative transfers
Fresno Unified teachers and parents protested administrative staffing shifts that forced the transfer of more than two dozen vice principals to new campuses, Fresnoland’s Diego Vargas reported this week.
Trustee Susan Wittrup took the unusual step of publicly demanding from the dais that Superintendent Misty Her reverse the staffing change. Wittrup’s remarks drew applause from the crowd but her demand carries zero authority. Wittrup has been a longtime critic of Her and adamantly opposed Her’s selection as superintendent last year.
Her later told Fresnoland that she respected Wittrup’s position and the positions of frustrated employees, but also confirmed, once again, that the staffing decision is final and once again said the changes would not be undone.
The changes come on the heels of a tough budget cycle that saw the district scramble to close another multi-million dollar deficit through a combination of retirement incentives, spending cuts and attrition that included pressure from unions and the public to cut administrative spending over classroom staffing.
Fresno City Council gets behind ‘Better Roads’
Speaking with reporters following a vote on Thursday, Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer said the Better Road, Safe Streets tax initiative would help fix the county’s aging roads and transportation infrastructure, Fresnoland’s Omar S. Rashad reports.
The remarks came outside City Hall on Thursday right before a unanimous City Council vote supporting the petition.
Fresno will expect at least $75 million annually for transportation infrastructure, city leaders said at the news conference.
Fresno County Clerk/Registrar of Voters James Kus told Fresnoland he does not currently have an estimate for when exactly his office will complete verifying signatures for the tax initiative to end up on the ballot, but said they hope to get it done before the Fresno County Board of Supervisors meeting on July 14.
Outside the Lines
Valley Fever is up 1,000% since 2008, according to data presented to the county board of supervisors this week. Fresnoland
Rate hikes coming to about a dozen Fresno County communities. Fresnoland
Raw Farm, a popular Fresno County dairy that has made national headlines with Robert Kennedy Jr.-endorsed raw milk at the forefront of a growing wellness movement. But the farm has been the subject of recalls and outbreaks in recent years that have increased scrutiny over the safety of their products. ProPublica
From Tice Park to the World Cup stage, Max Arsften is proud to represent Fresno. ABC30
Lee’s Air, Plumbing & Heating is taking its community outreach on the road this summer with a new branded ice cream truck that will deliver free treats at schools, workplaces, neighborhoods and community events throughout the summer. The Business Journal
A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit by a former Yosemite National Park ranger who was fired after flying a giant transgender pride flag in the park. The AP via KVPR
The heir to the Lion Raisins company was arrested in Los Angeles for allegedly making criminal threats against a rabbi neighbor. YourCentralValley
Yosemite National Park is planning to improve safety along legendary trails, and you can submit your own feedback. ABC30
Fresno Unified announces mascot changes at three schools. KMPH
Valley Children’s Healthcare plans a 73,000-square-foot Ambulatory Pavilion designed to centralize specialty care and simplify visits. The Business Journal
Foster Farms faces lawsuit. KVPR
As high school seniors across the Central Valley make college and career decisions ahead of graduation, CalKIDS is encouraging students and families to check whether scholarship funds have already been set aside in their names. CalKids
The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office is planning to distribute nearly 300 life jackets to the community. ABC30
Block Beat
Southwest: If the city approves the contentious rezone, they face a lawsuit from the California Attorney General. If the city denies the rezone, the landowners are going to sue. Fresnoland
Downtown: The Fresno County Board of Supervisors adopted a contentious resolution Tuesday declaring June as ‘Traditional Nuclear Family’ month, which is also Pride Month. Fresnoland
Tower District: Fresno City Councilmember Annalisa Perea recently got behind a neighborhood-based effort to establish a public library in the city’s most walkable neighborhood. Fresnoland
Downtown: Fresno City Councilmember Mike Karbassi led the charge Tuesday to find enough money to fully staff Advance Peace. Do other agencies need to ‘step up’? Fresnoland
Brewery District: Modernist unveils new storytelling-themed cocktails. Fresnoland
Roeding Park: The Fresno County Public Library is inviting residents of all ages to Go Wild for Reading this summer through its annual Summer at Your Library program, presented in partnership with the Fresno Chaffee Zoo. Instagram
Downtown: A popular Mexican restaurant known for its vegetarian jackfruit-based dishes will have its last day of service this weekend. The Fresno Bee
Southeast Fresno: Each year, the Fresno Animal Center is forced to euthanize hundreds, sometimes more than 2,000 stray animals — usually just under or around roughly 25% of the number of animals they take in. YourCentralValley
