Good morning! It’s Wednesday, July 15. This is Omar & Rob!
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Golden Charter Academy will celebrate the grand opening of its new campus with a ribbon-cutting ceremony today. The Business Journal
Libelula announces relocation: But the restaurant is staying in downtown Fresno. Instagram
ArtHop returns Thursday to downtown Fresno. Arts Council
The Kings River Land Trust invites the public to join them for an evening of star-gazing at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 16 at Kinney Ranch, 769 N. Piedra Road, Sanger. Kings River Land Trust
1. Conservative supervisors strike down transportation tax replacement
Calling the Better Roads, Safe Streets overly “prescriptive” with too many restrictions on government spending, three conservative supervisors demanded a 30-day study to further examine a transportation tax extension after nearly a full year of debate.
There’s also a nonzero chance that at least some of the Fresno County government staffers charged with conducting the new analysis could later be laid off as a result of Tuesday’s vote.
County public works estimated about 90 jobs would be lost — from county engineers to road crew workers — when the current local transportation tax, Measure C, expires next summer without a replacement.
Supporters of the renewal plan were quick to note that, at least on paper, maybe the fight isn’t over — but it’s most likely that Fresno voters won’t weigh in on the transportation tax extension until March of 2028.
Read the full story from Frensoland’s Julianna Morano here.
2. JD Homes criticizes city’s code enforcement fines
On top of the lawsuits JD Home Rentals has filed against the City of Fresno, the property owner and landlord is saying it has become a scapegoat for housing failures in Fresno.
Bryce Hovannisian, a member of JD Home Rentals’ ownership family, blasted city officials in a statement to The Fresno Bee, calling $250 fines from the city “baseless enforcement.”
JD’s related businesses have sued the City of Fresno at least eight times, alleging that the city code enforcement have conducted unlawful property inspections. Back in March, the city council approved changes to city code in response to a January superior court ruling in one of the lawsuits.
Read more from The Fresno Bee here.
3. A personal touch in Fresno’s Armenian Town
There’s a cool new thing on the block, and it’s called Moses McQueen’s!
In case you haven’t yet checked out the colorful mansion in Fresno’s historic Armenian Town yet, Fresnoland’s Vince Mancini gives you a look into not only the inspiration behind it, but also it’s fancy menu and what makes stepping inside the establishment a unique experience.
Bar manager Leyva Martinez: “Fresno happens to be one of those places where for some reason once you hit like 35, you just stop going out and you just stay home. I’m fighting against that. I want our age group to be wide. I want everyone to enjoy coming here.”
Read the full story from Fresnoland’s Vince Mancini here.
Today’s newsletter was edited by Danielle Bergstrom.
