Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Will City Jettison PG&E? Decision Will Have to Wait.
David Website Replacement
By David Taub, Senior Reporter
Published 2 years ago on
November 4, 2022

Share

The first step for the city of Fresno kicking Pacific Gas and Electric to the curb will wait another month.

On the agenda was a discussion sponsored by Councilmen Tyler Maxwell and Garry Bredefeld to hire a consultant to perform a study about options to provide power to the city without PG&E.

Following a two hour discussion, four members of the city council voted to wait an extra month before any decision.

The sponsors, joined by Mayor Jerry Dyer and Councilman Luis Chavez, expressed anger and frustration over the the time it takes for PG&E to provide power for new residential and commercial developments.

Because it is taking months to power new developments, home loan borrowers may be at risk of losing lower mortgage rates, home developers said. Residents may in limbo as they await new homes to become ready.

Councilman Miguel Arias had the most doubt, asking a series of questions about what the city providing electricity may look like.

A motion to table the item initially failed by a 3-3 vote, with Councilwoman Esmeralda Soria abstaining. She then proposed another motion to table, with a specific date of Dec. 1 to continue the discussion. That passed 4-3, with Soria, Arias, Nelson Esparza and Mike Karbassi in the affirmative.

PG&E Problems

Repeating many points made at a news conference on Monday, Bredefeld criticized PG&E. He complained about high rates and poor services.

“PG&E (management) is not a good … corporate partner to the city of Fresno or California. And I’m being kind,” Bredefeld said.

Bredefeld also took on opponents on the dais, saying they have plans for housing but not for electrifying those projects.

The hypocrisy and stupidity is unbelievable,” Bredefeld said.

Maxwell said it is about accountability.

“If we’re to hold our own internal city staff department directors to a certain standard, I think it’s only intuitive that we would hold outside partners and agencies to a similar standard when we have perceived issues in our community that need to be addressed in a timely manner.

He said “there are real world consequences” about not powering up institutions like schools and health care facilities.

Maxwell said he did not know what the best option would be “but I do know that I want to be educated before I make a decision,” Maxwell said.

Arias Has His Doubts

Arias called the motion “literally one run-on sentence” and one of the “sloppiest proposals I’ve seen.” He called a potential study “political theater.”

Getting rid of PG&E may be hasty move, Arias said, considering the city has its own problems with project completion.

“We give staff grace and problem solve it. The people who wrote in today about their frustration with PG&E are the same groups that have talked to us about the city’s delay and doing plan checks and doing inspections,” Arias said.

He wanted a proposal with more specifics, especially with billions on the line. He asked about how to pay for the study, the scope of work on what will be studied, the city’s bonding capacity, among other inquires.

At times, his questioning frustrated City Manager Georgeanne White.

“Councilmember Arias, you are talking about Step 50 and in a 50 step (process), we’re on Step One,” White snapped back.

Bredefeld and Maxwell countered that the point of the study was to answer questions Arias was posing.

At one point, Council President Nelson Esparza, an economics lecturer at Fresno City College, brought out a white board to explain the difficulty of the city competing with PG&E.

Fresno City Council President Nelson Esparza brought out a whiteboard to explain competing with PG&E. (Image: Screenshot)

PG&E Employees Concerned

A PG&E employee and union representative were hesitant of any city takeover.

Melissa Munoz said she worked as a dispatcher “down the street” at the PG&E office.

“Our employees were hurt after hearing the language that was used by their elected officials. PG&E frontline co-workers have been subject to harassment and in some cases violence in Fresno before. So it’s not surprising that they are concerned,” Munoz said.

Hunter Stern, union representative for IBEW 1245, also expressed concern for worker safety. He had concerns about any potential employee transition.

“There’s no way that an individual working for PG&E can transfer into a publicly-owned utility and retain their seniority, their pension, their benefit structure. There’s no legal way to do it. So we oppose any change of service providers,” Stern said.

Councilmen Tyler Maxwell and Garry Bredefeld acknowledged PG&E employee concerns, but said their criticism reflects management, not workers.

Said Mayor Jerry Dyer: “I worked in law enforcement for 40 years carrying a gun, but I don’t want to touch electricity. That’s a very dangerous job. Those guys deserve their pay. They deserve their benefits. They work hard. They sacrifice their life.”

PG&E: Timeline Coming

PG&E representative Erica Franco-Cabrera spoke briefly to the council, acknowledging the frustration felt by some on the city council. She said global supply chains have been the problem.

“As crews over the next month are reassigned back to the new business work, we believe that we may be able to mitigate some of those concerns and projects that have been brought to our attention that need to be energized,” Franco-Cabrera said.

A timeline on providing power to new projects could come next week, she said.

Arias Calls Out Supervisors

During his 30 minutes questioning the study proposal, Arias said members of the Fresno County Board of Supervisors violated the state open meeting law when they attended the Monday news conference.

Supervisors Brian Pacheco, Steve Brandau and Buddy Mendes attended the event at City Hall.

Generally, the Brown Act states that a majority of a government body cannot meet outside an official meeting and discuss an item that is or may be on an agenda. There are five members of the Board of Supervisors.

“If it was five of us or seven of us holding a press conference, the district attorney would be dragging us through the jail for a Brown Act violation. But when the Board of Supervisors do it, I guess it really doesn’t matter,” Arias said.

Arias and three other councilmembers were investigated, but cleared earlier this year by the District Attorney’s office for a possible Brown Act violation.

Arias tells GV Wire he intends to file a complaint.

Pacheco, who spoke at Monday’s event, rebutted Arias’ assertion.

“Clearly, Council Member Arias does not know the rules of the Brown Act, which does not prohibit attendance at events such as press conferences, groundbreakings, and other ceremonial events,” Pacheco texted GV Wire.

Brandau turned the tables in response.

“Brown Act violations are more about Closed Session leaks like we see regularly from Fresno City Council than public settings where no County Action is taken,” Brandau texted.

Mendes, in a text message to GV Wire, said Arias is “full of (poop emoji).”

During the PG&E discussion, Dyer expressed a desire for the county to help pay for any study.

Fresno County Supervisors Buddy Mendes, Steve Brandau and Brian Pacheco attended a city news conference about PG&E. (GV Wire/David Taub)

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

Royal Caribbean to Launch First-Ever San Diego Cruises in 2026

DON'T MISS

What Is Field Hockey? Fresno’s Sikh Community Explains

DON'T MISS

Sean Combs Sues NBC Over Documentary That He Says Defamed Him

DON'T MISS

European Detour Destinations Are 2025’s New Travel Trend

DON'T MISS

California’s Aging Population Will Test Whether Its Demography Is Destiny

DON'T MISS

A Former Firefighter in the Legislature Has Ideas. Will Democrats Listen?

DON'T MISS

Mind-to-Text: How AI Is Learning to Decode Brain Signals Into Sentences

DON'T MISS

NAACP Urges Support for Companies Upholding DEI Commitments

DON'T MISS

Rape Lawsuit Against Jay-Z and Diddy Dropped, Legal Battles Continue for Combs

DON'T MISS

Big Homeowner Rate Hike From State Farm Shot Down by California Regulator

UP NEXT

DOJ Seeks to Drop Corruption Case Against NYC Mayor Eric Adams

UP NEXT

Abortions To Resume In Missouri After A Judge Blocks Restrictions

UP NEXT

Legislative Immunity: A Privilege in Most States—Lawmaker’s Speeding Ticket May Change That

UP NEXT

Trump’s EPA Reforms Cast Doubt on Toxic Site Cleanups

UP NEXT

EEOC Seeks to Drop Gender Discrimination Case, Signaling Policy Shift

UP NEXT

IRS Will Lay Off Thousands of Probationary Workers Mid-Tax Season

UP NEXT

Treasury Watchdog Audits Musk DOGE Team’s Access to Payment System

UP NEXT

Tiny but Mighty: Cloe the Yorkie-Chihuahua Mix Seeks Her Perfect Match

UP NEXT

Costa Introduces Bill to Improve Epilepsy Care and Research

UP NEXT

Trump Order Threatens Federal Funds for Schools With COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates

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

European Detour Destinations Are 2025’s New Travel Trend

12 hours ago

California’s Aging Population Will Test Whether Its Demography Is Destiny

12 hours ago

A Former Firefighter in the Legislature Has Ideas. Will Democrats Listen?

13 hours ago

Mind-to-Text: How AI Is Learning to Decode Brain Signals Into Sentences

1 day ago

NAACP Urges Support for Companies Upholding DEI Commitments

1 day ago

Rape Lawsuit Against Jay-Z and Diddy Dropped, Legal Battles Continue for Combs

1 day ago

Big Homeowner Rate Hike From State Farm Shot Down by California Regulator

1 day ago

Draymond Green on the State of the NBA: It’s ‘Boring,’ the Warriors Star Says

1 day ago

DOJ Seeks to Drop Corruption Case Against NYC Mayor Eric Adams

1 day ago

US Deports Immigrants to Venezuela After Judge Blocked Transfer to Guantanamo Bay

1 day ago

Royal Caribbean to Launch First-Ever San Diego Cruises in 2026

Royal Caribbean International is set to make history by basing a cruise ship in San Diego for the first time. Starting October 2026, Serenad...

10 hours ago

10 hours ago

Royal Caribbean to Launch First-Ever San Diego Cruises in 2026

12 hours ago

What Is Field Hockey? Fresno’s Sikh Community Explains

12 hours ago

Sean Combs Sues NBC Over Documentary That He Says Defamed Him

12 hours ago

European Detour Destinations Are 2025’s New Travel Trend

12 hours ago

California’s Aging Population Will Test Whether Its Demography Is Destiny

13 hours ago

A Former Firefighter in the Legislature Has Ideas. Will Democrats Listen?

1 day ago

Mind-to-Text: How AI Is Learning to Decode Brain Signals Into Sentences

1 day ago

NAACP Urges Support for Companies Upholding DEI Commitments

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend