Quote of the Week
“You will hurt families and students living in central and southern Fresno. Despite what Mayor Dyer says, our district is concerned.”
— Fresno Unified Board President Veva Islas, one of nearly 400 people who packed Fresno City Hall this week to oppose the proposed southeast mega-development project known as SEDA
This Week in Fresnoland
‘Nobody wants this’
A mega-development planned for southeast Fresno got a frosty reception Thursday as hundreds packed City Hall to vehemently oppose the massive, 45,000-home sprawl project with a $3 billion shortfall, Fresnoland’s Gregory Weaver reports.
In a 5-2 vote — with Councilmembers Brandon Vang and Miguel Arias dissenting — the Fresno City Council asked the Dyer administration to conduct more studies on SEDA’s financial viability and impacts to schools.
Many expressed frustration with the city’s history of developer-friendly decisions.
At least one person also challenged Council President Mike Karbassi to recuse himself from voting because of Karbassi’s relationship with Granville Homes developer Darius Assemi. Karbassi is frequently identified as a “cohost” on a weekly podcast on Assemi’s GV Wire website.
Councilmember Nelson Esparza acknowledged at least some of those concerns.
Nelson: “Why the hell should you trust the city given the nasty history of subsidizing sprawl?”
Transportation tax plans still truckin’
Most Fresno County mayors voted Thursday evening to officially approve the expenditure plan for the renewal of Measure C, the transportation sales tax, planned for the November 2026 ballot.
Opponents argued the measure wouldn’t allow for enough road expansion. Under the plan, cities and the counties aren’t allowed to spend more than 5% of their Measure C dollars on expanding roads until every road has hit an average of 65 on the pavement condition index, with some safety exceptions.
The plan dedicates about 65% of the sales tax revenues to fix up local roads, with 25% towards public transit.
Fresnoland’s Danielle Bergstrom reports that the approved plan heads to the Fresno County Board of Supervisors, where Supervisors Garry Bredefeld and Buddy Mendes have made it clear that they’ll reject this plan in favor of an alternative that cuts public transit spending to expand more roads.
The new plan represents a major shift in transportation policy for Fresno County.
Proponents of the approved plan could bypass the supervisors by gathering signatures to qualify for the ballot instead.
Guaranteed income in Fresno County
The results are in, and Fresno County’s first-ever guaranteed income program was no different than the scores of other pilots that have taken place across the country in at least one key way: it worked.
Specifically, Fresnoland’s Julianna Morano reports, it led to a “dramatic drop” in debt spending for many of the families selected for the Fresno program, among other benefits.
But Fresno’s program also stood out from others in that it included an even mix of urban and rural residents, the latter hailing from the small Fresno County town of Huron.
Now that the yearlong program that provided 150 eligible families with monthly stipends of $500 has come to an end, program organizers with the Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission say they have their sights set on legislators and funders to make this an expanded, and ideally permanent, program to fight poverty.
Some sitting, lying and sleeping?
The Fresno City Council approved changes to a slew of local laws at a meeting Thursday, including their anti-encampment ordinance, Pablo Orihuela reports for Fresnoland.
The changes will give the City Attorney’s Office more power to go after violators of the ordinance, without needing to go through the courts. The amendments also codify loitering as a violation of the ordinance.
The amendments were passed after three votes concerning the matter at the Thursday meeting, as it seemed for a movement that the proposed changes were going to be shelved until next year.
North Fresno City Councilmember Nick Richardson said he felt the language needed to be altered to better reflect the spirit of the ordinance. He was ultimately overruled in a 6-1 vote.
The amendments to the anti-encampment ordinance come as the city’s law faces a class action lawsuit from local attorney Kevin Little.
Hmong New Year celebration turns 50 in Fresno
Fresno’s Hmong New Year celebrations this year will mark 50 years since many Hmong families arrived in the United States as refugees following the Vietnam War.
Many remember the lives lost as Hmong refugees fled Laos in the 1970s, and many endured dangerous months in camps before resettling in the U.S., arriving as strangers in a country they helped during America’s so-called Secret War, Fresnoland’s Gisselle Medina reports.
In the U.S., Hmong communities have reimagined the New Year celebration, blending traditional dances and hand-embroidered attire with authentic Hmong cuisine and cultural ceremonies.
The largest Hmong New Year celebration in the U.S. happens every year at the Fresno County Fairgrounds. The event has previously attracted more than 100,000 attendees from Minnesota, Utah and across California in a single year. Organized by Hmong Inc., this year’s celebration will take place from Dec. 26 to 29.
Outside the Lines
From anti-holiday ArtHop events to a “Black Friday Alternative” sharing market, Fresno neighbors are challenging the season’s buy-buy-buy culture while fostering community and supporting local creators. Fresnoland
On this week’s Fresnolandia podcast, Jordan and Danielle speak with Martha Guzman, an energy and environmental policy expert, to discuss why it’s so difficult to regulate and reduce utility rates. Fresnoland
Fresno carves out $12 million to renovate a landlord’s building so city police can rent it. Fresnoland
Family and friends are grieving the loss of a couple who died while trying to stay warm in their tent along a Fresno highway. The Fresno Bee
The Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission’s LGBTQ+ Resource Center will close before the end of the year. The Fresno Bee
Even while the central San Joaquin Valley experiences some of the highest levels of air pollution in California, it lags behind the state in its share of drivers with zero-emission vehicles. CJVC
Throughout California, CTE (or “Career Technical Education”) has never been more popular. That’s true in Central Valley districts like Clovis and Sanger Unified as well, where students can learn more about careers in firefighting, public safety and other career pathways. EdSource
Gubernatorial candidate and Bay Area congressman Eric Swalwell made a campaign stop in Fresno this week. CBS47
Ex-U.S. Rep. TJ Cox is headed to federal prison. ABC30
Fresno State President Dr. Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval says the university is investigating at least three cases of antisemitic vandalism on campus in recent weeks. ABC30
Trump’s $12 billion relief bill won’t do much for Fresno growers. Business Journal
The Fresno Council of Governments invites you to participate in the Managed Lanes Study survey, which aims to collect important feedback regarding how you use and experience highways State Route 168, State Route 41, and State Route 180. Survey
The Fresno Animal Center invites the community to help spread joy to its animals through a Christmas Toy Drive. Donate here
The Fresno Yosemite International Airport unveiled its new international terminal, the largest expansion in the airport’s 77-year history. ABC30
Amazon adds 800 new hires in Fresno as holiday season peaks. KMPH
Low water supplies have hit Central California hard, according to the Westlands Water District, the nation’s largest irrigation district that includes parts of Fresno. ABC30
A local company that flies over farmland to spray pesticides in Fresno County has been fined thousands of dollars by a state agency. The Fresno Bee
Block Beat
MILLERTON: Fresno County leaders cut the ribbon on a new fire station by Table Mountain Casino. KSEE24
CHINATOWN: After a structure built in the late 1800s burned down in Fresno’s Chinatown last week, neighborhood advocates called out owners of vacant buildings for not doing more to keep their properties properly secured. The Fresno Bee
CLOVIS: For the first time in 16 years, the City of Clovis is floating a residential water-rate hike that would amount to somewhere north of an 86% jump in monthly water bills over the next three years. CBS47
TOWER DISTRICT: Verizon wireless plans to construct an 80-foot communications tower at Van Ness and Olive avenues in Fresno’s Tower District. The Fresno Bee
SIERRA VISTA MALL: Santa Claus is visiting a third and final location of local tea shop chain, Teazer World Tea Market, this Saturday, Dec. 20 — this time, the Sierra Vista Mall shop in Clovis (1180 Shaw Ave., #103) from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Kids can take photos with Santa, and families are welcome to bring monetary donations for Santa to take back to a local food bank. Teazer World Tea Market
