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Mayor Says Clovis Should be No. 1 City for Medical Care
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By David Taub, Senior Reporter
Published 6 years ago on
May 9, 2019

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Citing examples such as the dramatic expansion of Clovis Community Medical Center, the city’s mayor said he wants to turn his community into the Valley’s “medical care destination.”

Mayor Drew Bessinger pointed to the expansion of medical facilities in Clovis in his Mayor’s Breakfast remarks on Thursday.

At the annual State of Clovis address Thursday morning at the Clovis Memorial District building, Mayor Drew Bessinger also noted the new home of California Health Sciences University, under construction at the Clovis Research and Technology Park.

Clovis Community hospital is working on a $390 million project that will feature a five-story tower for patient rooms, along with several expanded services.

Rough Seas Ahead

Bessinger used the metaphor of sailing rough seas to describe the city’s housing situation. He noted that Clovis issued 1,500 permits for single-family housing in 2018, and expects the same this year.

Because of state mandates, Clovis will continue to have issues with building enough affordable housing for the growing city.

The mayor recently returned from the One Voice trip in Washington. He was one of many Valley elected leaders who met with federal officials to advocate for transportation projects.

Five Questions

After the speech, Bessinger spoke with Take 5 about:

— The homeless population migrating into Clovis. Watch the video to see Bessinger note an irony about why the homeless are there.

— What to do with the soon-to-be-vacated Costco at Ashlan and Peach avenues. A new store, under construction on Clovis Avenue, south of Shaw, will be 50 percent larger than the current location. Bessinger also discussed the importance of Costco to Clovis’ bottom line.

— The planned move by the Fresno County Department of Social Services into Clovis’ Pelco business park and the opportunity for potential business expansion in the area.

— The city’s growth and the challenges related to state-mandated housing density requirements.

— His belief that making Clovis a medical care destination is a key part of the city’s future.

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David Taub,
Senior Reporter
Curiosity drives David Taub. The award-winning journalist might be shy, but feels mighty with a recorder in his hand. He doesn't see it his job to "hold public officials accountable," but does see it to provide readers (and voters) the information needed to make intelligent choices. Taub has been honored with several writing awards from the California News Publishers Association. He's just happy to have his stories read. Joining GV Wire in 2016, Taub covers politics, government and elections, mainly in the Fresno/Clovis area. He also writes columns about local eateries (Appetite for Fresno), pro wrestling (Off the Bottom Rope), and media (Media Man). Prior to joining the online news source, Taub worked as a radio producer for KMJ and PowerTalk 96.7 in Fresno. He also worked as an assignment editor for KCOY-TV in Santa Maria, California, and KSEE-TV in Fresno. He has also worked behind the scenes for several sports broadcasts, including the NCAA basketball tournament, and the Super Bowl. When not spending time with his family, Taub loves to officially score Fresno Grizzlies games. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Taub is a die-hard Giants and 49ers fan. He graduated from the University of Michigan with dual degrees in communications and political science. Go Blue! You can contact David at 559-492-4037 or at Send an Email

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