At the last Measure C steering committee prior to merging with a social justice group, the advisory group discussed paving Fresno County roads and estimating the costs.

The steering committee — a group of 26 that’s about to expand to 38 — heard several options but one concrete message: The longer you wait, the more it will cost.

The committee will recommend to government leaders what a Measure C renewal in 2026 should look like. The half-cent transportation tax expires June 30, 2027. A compromise with social justice group Transportation for All means that the latter will select 12 members to join the committee. Any recommendation needs 70% consensus.

Consultant Margot Yap said roads are rated 0-100, with the higher score going to roads in better condition. Clovis has the best ranking at 71; Fresno is at 55. The worse the road condition, the higher the repair costs. Seals cost $10 to $17 per square yard; reconstruction costs $90 to $133 per square yard. Costs increase as time goes on.

Yap presented several scenarios of what percentage Measure C funds would go toward paving. Figures under consideration for paving will start at $126 million a year.

Without Measure C, other funding sources would be needed to fix $5 billion worth of roads by 2049.

Committee member Brooke Ashjian of Fresno said allocating 60% for roads is “not a starter.”

“We’ve spent three meetings getting slides and the last meeting for the slides meant zero to me because the math was incredibly off. So, I mean, we got to get to a point where we are talking about. 70, 80, 90% going to roads because that’s what people want,” Ashjian said.

Members also heard that state regulations disfavor single-passenger vehicle trips, and “disincentivizing” road widening.

Several members said fixing roads are the top priority.

“Bicyclists hate potholes,” said Nick Paladino of the Fresno Cycling Club.

Meetings are not open to the public, because it is an advisory committee not subject to the state’s open meeting rules, the Brown Act. However, the group does release an agenda and anyone can watch via Zoom.

Transportation for All Joins July 17

Transportation for All joins the steering committee at the next meeting on July 17. That meeting will be about priorities and goals, Measure C consultant Kendall Flint said.

Some members like Ashjian expressed reservations.

“We got grafted in to 12 people next meeting. We’re not going anywhere next meeting,” he said.

Union leader Chuck Riojas of Fresno said the work the steering committee has done so far may be upended with the new Transportation for All members.

“I feel a little bit blindsided by it, a little bit misled from the beginning,” Riojas said. “We’re all busy people. I’m not trying to say that I’m going to remove myself from the committee, but to go down this road — I don’t think the old rules apply anymore.”

Riojas asked “what’s the point of moving forward,” when the composition of the committee is changing?

Flint acknowledged managing a large group will be tough.

“It is messy. And it’s going to get a little messier, I think, because we’re going to have more folks in the room, but it still does not reduce the impact of Measure C on the region,” Flint said. “We need to figure out if we’re all on the same page. Think of the next few weeks as a marriage counseling.”

Flint said the goal is to present a plan by October.

Who Will Join Committee

Transportation for All unveiled the names of committee members. Several are members of the various social justice groups that compose the organization:

• Kay Bertken, co-president of the League of Women Voters of Fresno
• Simon Biasell, pastor at The Big Red Church
• Amber Crowell, Fresno State sociology professor
• Esmeralda Diaz, president of Organización Las Panchas
• Veronica Garibay, co-director of Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability
• Mandip Johal, Jakara Movement
• Job Jones, pastor/Faith in the Valley
• Nayamin Martinez, director, Central California Environmental Justice Network
• Evelyn Morales, Cultiva La Salud
• Sher Moua, Youth Leadership Institute
• David Rivas, Nor Cal Carpenters Union
• Espi Sandoval, Rural Communities Rising/former Kerman city councilmember

A list of the original 26 steering committee members can be found here.

Bredefeld Appointed to Measure C Committee

Garry Bredefeld will be the full-time Fresno County Board of Supervisors representative on the Fresno COG Policy Board, after his colleagues appointed him this week.

The policy board is one of several agencies involved with Measure C. Bredefeld replaces Brian Pacheco on the board, composed of 15 mayors from the county, and a supervisor.

Bredefeld was a vocal critic of Transportation for All when he substituted for the absent Pacheco at the June policy board meeting.

“I believe the people, not special interests, deserve to have the final voice on Fresno County’s transportation. I’ll ensure they’re heard loud and clear,” Bredefeld said in a news release.

Brown Act Update on Hold

A state law that would allow local governments to continue remote participation is on hold in the state Senate.

Assembly Bill AB 259 by Assemblymember Blanca Rubio, D-Baldwin Park, extends the sunset date for city councilmembers or county supervisors for using technology like Zoom to participate in meetings they cannot attend.

It is now set to expire Jan. 1, 2026. The proposed law changes the sunset to Jan. 1, 2030.

The bill, in its current form, allows several reasons to miss meetings in person but to attend by video, including illness or official travel. A recent Fresno City Council meeting exposed a flaw — serving in the military is not a listed exception. Nick Richardson missed two meetings in April and May while serving reserve duty in Africa.

The bill was set to be heard earlier this month but was pulled from the Senate Local Government Committee at the request of committee chair Maria Elena Durazo, D-Los Angeles, Rubio’s office said.

The bill will be merged “into a single Brown Act (the state’s open meeting law) package bill, SB 707. AB 259’s language will merge into SB 707, and the details of the merge are still to be discussed by the two authors,” Rubio aide Madeline Mabry said.

“The issue of a potential military exemption is on Assemblymember Rubio’s agenda for the bill merging discussion,” Mabry said.

Senate Bill 707, authored by Durazo, makes several changes to the Brown Act, including language of how and when teleconferencing is permitted, translating agendas into languages spoken by 20% or more of the community, and expanding disruption enforcement to teleconference meetings.

Vets Games This Weekend

Games of all types will support veterans this weekend in Clovis.

Veterans Game Fest features board games, role-playing games, and even miniature making. The events at the Clovis Veterans Memorial District start Friday at noon and run through Sunday.