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City Hall Proposal Would Leave Guns to the Cops
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By David Taub, Senior Reporter
Published 5 years ago on
December 11, 2019

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Update, 12/12/19:  The city council voted 7-0 to table the introduction of this bill until later. The next meeting is Jan. 16. The final vote to approve would be at the second meeting the item appears on. It would then go into effect 31 days later if passed.
Also, City Manager Wilma Quan said the single-entry point system at City Hall goes into place on Jan. 2. Currently, there are many points of entry into the building.
Original story:
Only law enforcement would be allowed to carry weapons at City Hall under a new proposal from the Fresno city manager’s office.
The ordinance will be introduced to the Fresno City Council on Thursday. It would amend the city’s weapons law to prohibit anyone other than law enforcement personnel from possessing a concealed weapon at any city-owned or leased property, including City Hall.


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David Taub
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The proposal also calls the public to be screened through metal detectors upon entry at City Hall. The council approved a contract for the installation and management of the metal detectors last August.
City employees would still be allowed to carry pepper spray, as long as they are properly trained and have approval from their manager.
In 2017, The Fresno Bee reported that Mayor Lee Brand in the past carried a concealed weapon while conducting city business, including at City Hall. At that time, Brand blasted a proposal from Councilman Garry Bredefeld to allow city employees to carry concealed weapons while at work. Bredefeld eventually dropped the idea.
In August, Brand signed a letter from the U.S. Conference of Mayors urging the U.S. Senate to pass gun safety legislation.

Another Cannabis Vote Coming

Also at Thursday’s city council meeting, the board will vote on final approval of cannabis business license regulations. This follows a 4-3 initial vote of approval on Nov. 14. At that meeting, Bredefeld — an opponent of the regulations — called for Brand to veto the ordinance.
Brand’s office said the mayor would wait to decide until the final vote. Under the city’s charter, Brand would have 30 days to make such a decision, or until Jan. 12, 2020 if the votes hold. Five votes are required to override a mayoral veto.

It Costs How Much to Fix City Hall’s Electricity Problem?

City Hall has been operating on an emergency generator since Dec. 1 because an electrical system bus duct failed and burned out. The council will vote to spend up to $400,000 to fix it as part of an emergency purchase.
The city recommends hiring A-C Electric for the repairs. They could take up to three weeks.
Even with that price tag, it is better than the alternative. The city estimates it costs $23,600 a week, or $61,280 a month to use the generator. And even that has failed at least once.
This will be the final council meeting of the year before a five-week break. The meetings will resume on Jan. 16 with Miguel Arias taking over as council president.

Ashjian Adversary Responds

Ken Mackie
The attorney who filed the initial complaint against former Fresno Unified trustee Brooke Ashjian says the $23,500 Ashjian was fined by a state agency is “somewhat vindicating.”
Kenneth Mackie represented a group called Fresno Watchdogs for Ethical Bidding, a since-dissolved group that questioned Ashjian’s ethics. On Monday, the Fair Political Practices Commission and Ashjian agreed on a $23,500 settlement for six violations.
“It’s hard to say ‘justice was served’ when the children of Fresno lost so much,” Mackie told GV Wire. “However, if this serves to stress the importance of elected officials disclosing financial interests and avoiding votes in violation of conflict of interest laws, then some measure of good will come of it.”

Huerta Endorses Soria

Esmeralda Soria has earned the endorsement of labor icon Dolores Huerta.
Soria, who is challenging incumbent and fellow Democrat Jim Costa for the 16th congressional district, announced Huerta’s support at a Tuesday news conference.
In a news release, Huerta put Costa on blast.
“Compared to Jim Costa’s long decades in U.S. Congress, we know what (Soria) has done, it begs us to question what Costa has done?” Huerta said.
The election is March 3.


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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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