The Fresno City Council gave dozens of school children attending last Thursday’s meeting a perhaps more-honest-than-intended display of local politics at work.

In addition, the focus by Councilmember Nelson Esparza on his political future came on a day in which the council punted on a consequential land-use decision affecting hundreds of residents and businesses.

Five of the group’s seven members returned from lunch that day nearly 45 minutes late, as elementary students from Golden Charter Academy filled the chambers, waiting to hear if plans for their new campus would be approved.

Among the tardy group was District 7’s Esparza, who had a fundraiser at the lunch hour for his California Senate race, according to multiple sources. Esparza is running for Senate District 14, a seat held by Sen. Anna Caballero, D-Merced, who terms out 2026.

Council President Annalisa Perea had directed members to return by 1:30 p.m., breaking a lengthy hearing on the South Central Specific Plan in half. But it wasn’t until well after 2 p.m. that the five late members began coming in. Esparza and Councilmember Tyler Maxwell were among the last to show, coming in at about 2:15 p.m.

Perea and Councilmember Miguel Arias returned on time.

Sources told GV Wire that Esparza’s fundraiser — which included industrialists and business advocates — had been planned for a long time. However, council meeting dates and times are set the previous year. In this case, the fundraiser was the same day of the South Central Specific Plan hearing — the outcome of which would have affected at least some of Esparza’s potential donors.

Ultimately, Esparza ended up recusing himself halfway through the hearing because of a donation unrelated to Thursday’s fundraiser.

‘I Wouldn’t Miss a Critical Vote Like That’: Esparza

The South Central Specific Plan, five years in the making, would have changed land use policies in the area designated for industrial development. With that area long known as the city’s industrial hub, many business owners showed up opposing how the proposed changes would affect their businesses.

Social justice advocates and neighbors showed up, too, and said the plan didn’t provide sufficient health and quality-of-life protections for residents in the area.

The council ended up rejecting the plan on a 6-0 vote, saying it would be best to send the plan — costing at least $1 million — back to the drawing board.

The day before the meeting, GV Wire reached out to Esparza about the fundraiser and whether it would interfere with his vote on the plan.

He said he has had private gatherings “here and there” that have been by invitation only. He declined to confirm if he had scheduled a fundraiser for Thursday.

“Event or no event, I wouldn’t miss a critical vote like that,” Esparza said in a text message to GV Wire. “I’ll be there for the meeting.”

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Calls made to Maxwell, Luis Chavez, and Garry Bredefeld about why they were late returning to the council meeting were not returned. Councilmember Mike Karbassi told GV Wire’s David Taub he was late because he was caught in traffic after helping a client at his business.

Shortly after 2 p.m., as the children were growing restless, councilmembers began filing in. Later, charter school officials and students got good news. On a 7-0 vote, the council denied an appeal that would have blocked Golden Charter Academy from proceeding with construction of its new campus.

Esparza’s Recusal

After the lunch hour, Esparza indicated that he had to recuse himself from voting on the South Central Specific Plan because of a donation made to his campaign on Oct. 25. Prior to the recusal, GV Wire made an inquiry to Fresno City Attorney Andrew Janz about the fundraiser.

The recusal arose because the donor had spoken earlier during the public comment portion about the plan at Thursday’s meeting, Esparza said Janz told him.

“The city attorney recently advised me in the last 20 to 30 minutes or so that at the beginning of the proceeding, I did not have a conflict, but because of an SB 1439 conflict, a contribution I received back on Oct. 25, someone who provided that contribution spoke during public comment and at that point a conflict was created mid-item,” Esparza said during the meeting. “I want to be clear there was no conflict until the public comment occurred.”

SB 1439 prohibits elected officials from voting on matters that affect a donor who gave more than $250 to a campaign in the past year. Labor groups and political action committees are exempted.

A late contribution report filed on the California Secretary of State’s website shows a donation from Bill Betts of the Betts Company for $5,500 on Oct. 25. The company is in south central Fresno.  Mike Betts, who is Bill Betts’ father, spoke during the meeting about the negative impact the South Central Plan would have on Fresno’s economy.

Mike Betts declined to comment to GV Wire about the donation.

Esparza told GV Wire that the recusal was done out of an abundance of caution.

“The conflict disclosure was made simply out of an abundance of caution. Upon further review, we confused one person for another,” Esparza said. “To the best of my knowledge, I have in fact NOT received any contributions this year from anyone who came to advocate on the land use policy today.”

SB 1439 limitations include donations from any representatives of an organization affected by a vote.

Culture of Silence Continues

The council will next decide whether to create an ad hoc committee to finalize the South Central Specific Plan — if the desire to finish it even exists. The prevailing attitude at City Hall appears to be to rely on state law specifying mitigation measures for new industrial impacts.

For certain: Anyone on the ad hoc committee  would have great influence over thousands of acres of land.

Janz, the city attorney, did not respond to a question about whether or not Esparza is eligible to be on the committee.

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While Esparza recused himself from voting on the South Central Specific Plan, he stood by the claim that he does not have any conflict in a statement sent to GV Wire.

Esparza has not responded to further questions from this publication.

Stakeholders Caught Off Guard

Much of the south central plan occurred with little notice for business and property owners.

After five years of work, the plan arose suddenly and was rushed to the finish line. The first hearing at the planning commission occurred in November.

Despite commissioners’ objections to the plan at that meeting, Planning and Development Department Director Jennifer Clark urged commissioners to send it up to city council. Two weeks later, it got a hearing, catching many stakeholders off guard.

The city relied on one round of letters in October to one group of property owners to inform them of potentially drastic changes to their investment. One more round of letters went out to all property owners two weeks before the meeting.

Legal notices were also published in the Fresno Bee.

Greg Obloy, vice president of Crown Enterprises, flew from Michigan after being informed of proposed changes to land the company owns.

Others had no idea about changes. Property owner Heather Muell’s father attended every meeting in 2019 when the city asked about concerns. Not once was rezoning discussed, she said. It wasn’t until they decided to open the letter from the city that they found out about downzoning.

Environmental justice groups were also caught off guard.

Leslie Martinez with Leadership Council for Justice and Accountability said the 2019 resolution that spurred the plan called for the final proposal to go before the community steering committee before advancing to the planning commission.