The Fresno City Council wants to avoid a repeat of an embarrassing situation earlier this year with a violence prevention program it funds.

Last April, GV Wire revealed that Thomas Ray Roland Jr. finished the Urban Peace Institute academy while allegedly committing felony crimes.

Now, the council wants a new vetting process.

At Thursday’s meeting, the city council will consider new standards for academy participants.

Trainees will be required to undergo a Livescan fingerprint background check. Those with sex offenses, certain felony convictions, crimes involving children, and felony domestic violence would be grounds for dismissal.

Also, the program would disallow anyone on parole, with an active warrant, or involved in gang activity.

The city is also cutting its budget for the program, from $300,000 to $195,000.

“UPI was asked to revise the scope of work given the shortened time frame and their availability. The reduction in cost is a result of the revised scope and timeline. UPI reduced the total cost of the services when they submitted the revision” city spokesperson Sontaya Rose said about the budget reduction.

The Fresno County District Attorney’s Office charged Roland with 34 felony gun and receiving stolen property allegations. He returns to court in January.

Fresno Wants to Spend $800k on Rehabbing Homes

The Fresno City Council plans to spend $800,000 from grants to purchase two homes, remodel them, and sell them as affordable housing.

The city would partner with the Central California Land Trust. The budget for the project calls for buying the homes at $280,000 each, and spending $120,000 to rehabilitate.

The exact locations of the homes are unknown, CCLT chair Christine Barker-Dominguez said, and so is the timeline.

“The way property works is a lot faster than how city contracting works,” Barker-Dominguez said.

Homes would be sold to buyers earning an income of less than 80% of the average median income. Fresno County’s median income for a family of four is $87,900; 80% would be $70,320.

CCLT would own the land. The home buyer would pay the assessed price for the structure.

Eligibility to buy would follow federal and state fair housing laws, Barker-Dominguez said. That includes not discriminating against immigration status. Buyers would have to be city of Fresno residents.

The deal would require the homes to remain affordable in perpetuity. And proceeds from a future sale would be shared between the seller and the land trust.

The money comes from a federal ARPA, and State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds grant.

Clovis Starts Redistricting Process

Monday, the Clovis City Council held the first of five hearings to form districts.

A demand letter last August from a voting rights attorney forced the city’s hand to hold elections by district instead of at-large.

Jeff Tilton, a consultant with National Demographics Corporation, told the council other districts have paid millions to settle — including Santa Monica for $7 million and the Tulare Hospital district for $500,000.

Clovis is in for at least $38,000 in attorney fees so far.

Future hearing dates are Dec. 16, Jan. 21 (draft maps will be released by Jan. 14), Feb. 10 and March 3. The last meeting is the expected selection of a map.

The public can submit potential maps. The city will have a map drawing website, but it is not yet active.

The first election under a district format is 2026. All current councilmembers will be allowed to complete their terms.

Fresno County, State Set Schedule in Lawsuit

State law says the next election date for the district attorney and sheriff is 2028. Fresno County, though the will of the voters, says it is in 2026.

The state sued, and the parties have set a tentative schedule to let a judge decide.

Fresno County Superior Court Judicial Commissioner Daniel Brickey set March 26 for a hearing.

The legal question is — what is the election date if a county charter conflicts with state law?

State law changed the date to hold the DA and sheriff elections from when the governor is elected to coincide with the presidential election. That would mean that Fresno County DA Lisa Smittcamp and Sheriff John Zanoni would have a one-time-only six-year term through 2028 — both last won office in 2022.

County voters approved changing the date back to 2026 in the March 2024 election, setting up the legal showdown.