A southeast Fresno Sikh temple will be able to fly its flag on a 75-foot flagpole after all.

The Fresno Planning Commission on Wednesday unanimously approved a variance allowing Gurdwara Nanaksar Sahib to fly the Nishan Sahib, a triangular flag representing the Sikh faith, overturning an earlier rejection by the city’s planning department.

City code limits flagpoles to 25 feet, but the commission voted 7-0 in favor of the temple’s appeal, permitting a 75-foot flagpole.

“For us, it is not a flag. It is a living symbol of our faith,” a temple member said during the meeting. “It’s part of our heritage. It’s part of our religion.”

Commissioner Gurdeep Singh Shergill supported the variance, noting that the flagpole would serve as a beacon for the homeless or anyone in need of the gurdwara’s services, which include providing food to those in need.

Commissioner DJ Criner, a pastor at St. Rest Baptist Church, grappled with balancing faith-based considerations while ensuring religious facilities are not treated differently under city codes.

The commission determined the 75-foot flagpole met the criteria for an “exceptional or extraordinary circumstance” due to the building’s elevation and found no detriment to the surrounding area.

Parra Plans to Challenge Mendes for Supervisor

Danielle Parra, a public affairs consultant and elected member of the State Center Community College District board, has filed paperwork to challenge incumbent Buddy Mendes for Fresno County Supervisor.

Parra submitted her candidacy documents last month. Mendes, who was first elected in 2014, is up for re-election in 2026.

As of Dec. 31, 2024, Mendes reported $116,720 in campaign funds. Parra, of Fowler, recently transferred more than $20,000 from her SCCCD account to support her bid.

The county’s fourth supervisorial district spans the southern region, covering Coalinga, Sanger, and Orange Cove.

Parra recently led efforts within SCCCD to enter negotiations for a project labor agreement.

Related Story: State Center Starts Down the Road of Requiring Union Labor for Projects

Fuentes Running for Fresno City Council

Parra isn’t the only SCCCD trustee with sights on another office. Rob Fuentes filed last month to run for Fresno City Council District 1 in 2026, a seat currently held by Annalisa Perea.

Fuentes, an attorney, was elected to the SCCCD board in 2022.

As of Dec. 31, 2024, Perea reported more than $174,000 in her campaign account amid speculation that she may run for state Assembly District 31.

That seat is currently held by Joaquin Arambula, D-Fresno, who has already announced his bid for Fresno City Council District 3 in 2026.

Fuentes reported $259 remaining in his SCCCD campaign account as of Dec. 31, 2024.

Clovis Council Picks Election Map

A new district map for Clovis voters could prompt an early retirement for a city councilmember.

The Clovis City Council approved the map at its Tuesday meeting, ending more than a century of at-large elections. The new districts will take effect in 2026.

The change places Matt Basgall and Diane Pearce in District 4. Both can serve out their terms through 2026 and have announced plans to run again next year.

“I am committed to serving the citizens of Clovis and appreciate their overwhelming support as I have spoken out on important issues,” Pearce told Politics 101. “I remain focused on being their voice as I still have two years on my current term.”

Neither Basgall nor Pearce intends to move.

“In 2022, I got more votes than (Basgall did). I have no need to move,” Pearce said.

Drew Bessinger will now reside in District 5 and is also up for re-election in 2026. Vong Mouanoutoua and Lynne Ashbeck, who were re-elected in 2024, live in Districts 3 and 2, respectively, and will be up again in 2028.

District 1, in southwest Clovis, is the only district without a sitting councilmember. It will be part of the 2026 election and will have the city’s highest percentage of Hispanic voters at 40%.

The change follows a letter from the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project last August, alleging the at-large system violated the California Voting Rights Act of 2001.

The council selected Map 502 from six options in a 4-1 vote, with Pearce dissenting in favor of a different map.

Despite the shift to district-based elections, the council will continue selecting the mayor from among its members rather than moving to an at-large election.

Soria Removed from Housing Committee

Among the Assembly committee shuffle last week, Speaker Robert Rivas, D-Hollister, removed Esmeralda Soria, D-Fresno, from the Housing and Community Development committee.

Politics 101 learned that the move was not any type of punishment, but rather a possible conflict of interest because of Soria’s husband, developer Terance Frazier.

Soria did not respond to GV Wire’s request for comment.

Nonprofit Offers Names for New Sports Park

A southeast Fresno nonprofit is objecting to Fresno’s plans to name a new park.

Last month, Mayor Jerry Dyer announced plans to name the new regional sports complex on Peach Avenue for something agriculturally oriented. At next Thursday’s city council meeting, the city council will vote on “Peach Park” as the name.

The Southeast Fresno Community Economic Development Association said that is a bad idea.

The nonprofit is nominating names of six community members that should receive the honor:

• John Garabedian — prominent farmer, philanthropist and political activist who died in 1992.
• Tim Liles — the late principal of nearby Sunnyside High School.
• Tom Metry — a well-known youth soccer coach, who died in 2023.
• Cecilio Orosco — an “iconic” educator, who taught Chicano Studies at Fresno State, and died in 2012.
• Jose Leon Barraza — the current CEO of SEFCEDA, and longtime area activist.
• Julie Quintero — described by SEFCEDA as southeast Fresno coach, soccer mom, and referee.

“This letter is to express our strong opposition to the City’s internal decision to limit the naming of this park to a produce, fruit, or natural mineral. The restriction placed on community input regarding the name of this park sets a concerning precedent and does not align with the shared values of justice, equity, and community empowerment that Fresno aspires to under the vision of ONE Fresno,” the group wrote the city.

The group is scheduled to speak at the council meeting Thursday.