Lingering hard feelings over the Granite Park Sports Complex between Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer and a nonprofit operator recently bubbled to the surface.

Both Dyer and Terance Frazier told Politics 101 the two got into a heated verbal confrontation on Dec. 13 at Sequoia Brewing Company during a fundraiser for Anna Caballero, who is running for state treasurer.

At one point, they told each other to get out of their face, according to both men.

Frazier, president and CEO of the Central Valley Community Sports Foundation, operates the city-owned sports facility. He has long complained about being treated unfairly by the city. There are several lawsuits involving Frazier and the city.

Dyer said the two have a long history of friendship.

“This thing with Granite Park has really created a strain on that friendship. The city has been taking steps to correct some of the issues at Granite Park, and it has obviously created some friction between Terance and me. That night, there were some words exchanged as a result of that,” Dyer said.

Said Frazier: “Given the public setting and the history surrounding the unresolved issue, the interaction felt intimidating.”

Exchange Over Dyer’s Commitment

After an exchange of pleasantries at the Caballero event, things went south. Either Frazier turned away or gave Dyer “the cross eye,” according to their accounts.

Dyer asked why Frazier did so. Frazier said Dyer hasn’t done anything for the city. The mayor defended his commitment to Fresno.

Frazier recounted a similar conversation. Answering a question posed by his wife, Assemblymember Esmeralda Soria, D-Fresno, about unresolved municipal issues, Dyer told them, “I’m fixing community problems, not individual problems.”

Dyer did not recall Soria’s involvement but said the conversation focused on his work for the community.

“I replied that the issues affecting me are community issues, not personal ones,” Frazier said.

Dyer said those comments “caused me to be a little offended … I shared with them that I’ve poured my heart and soul into making Fresno a better place. If he hadn’t seen that, he’s either drunk or blind.”

The mayor also said Frazier told him he could not wait until he left office and Dyer had done nothing for the city.

Frazier told Politics 101 that he was not drunk.

And he credited a recent message from his church pastor for not escalating the situation.

“When the mayor approached me in a menacing way, that message stayed with me,” Frazier said. “They want me to be the angry Black man. I refuse to give them that. I won’t be intimidated, and I won’t be distracted. I believe in accountability, and I know my time will come in a courtroom, not in the street.”

History of Litigation

Frazier and the city are no strangers in the courtroom.

He has an ongoing federal lawsuit against the city stemming from a 2018 audit of the Granite Park Sports Complex — operated by Frazier’s nonprofit through a lease with the city. Among other allegations, he claims his civil rights were violated. First filed in 2020, the two sides return to court March 12, 2026, for a scheduling conference.

The city has claimed Frazier violated his 2015 lease. It attempted to evict CVCSF but backed out earlier this year.

The two sides are also engaged in a lawsuit involving the operator of Club One Casino over parking at Granite Park. The case returns to court for a summary judgment ruling on March 19, 2026.

Related Story: Will Terance Frazier’s Nonprofit Exit Granite Park? ‘Hell No’ ...

New Management Contract for Downtown Venues

Selland Arena and several other city-owned venues will soon be under new management.

Ames, Iowa-based VenuWorks will take over management of Selland Arena, Saroyan Theatre, Valdez Hall, and the Fresno Convention & Entertainment Center starting Jan. 11.

The city council approved the three-year contract by a 7-0 vote Thursday at an estimated cost of $317,324 per year — a base fee plus a 3% management fee on net revenues. The contract may be renewed twice in one-year increments.

VenuWorks operates several venues in mid-sized cities, including the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana, and Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, New York.

A committee was established to evaluate bids. VenuWorks “best demonstrated its willingness to prioritize Fresno,” according to a staff report.

“They demonstrated creative and innovative business models at the other venues they manage and provided specific, well-researched examples of events they would look to bring to the FCEC,” the report said.

VenuWorks replaces Legends Global, which previously operated under the names SMG and ASM. The goal, city officials told Politics 101, is to increase the number of events at Selland Arena and other downtown venues.

Other Council Notes

The meeting started 42 minutes late at 9:42 a.m. Fresno City Council President Mike Karbassi blamed unspecified technical problems and several last-minute changes to agenda items.

The city council renewed a taxing mechanism to fund the Fresno-Clovis Convention and Visitor’s Bureau by a 7-0 vote. Essentially, all hotels, motels and short-term rentals in the cities of Fresno and Clovis will be taxed starting at 2%, increasing to 3% by the end of the 10-year renewal. Adding short-term rentals is new. The bureau operates on a $3.5 million annual budget.

The city council honored The Hmong Inc., organizers of the annual Hmong New Year celebration at the Fresno Fairgrounds. The event draws about 100,000 attendees each year. Fresno City Councilmember Brandon Vang estimated that roughly 35,000 Hmong residents live in the city. The festivities begin Dec. 26 and run through Dec. 29. The year 2025 marks the 50th anniversary of Hmong immigration to the United States, following their support of American forces during the Vietnam War, also known as the Secret War.

Toulu Thao of The Hmong Inc. said life has not been easy for the Hmong community.

“We are proud to be American,” Thao said. “Fresno didn’t find us. We found Fresno.”

Related Story: After 50 Years of Struggle, Valley’s Hmong Community Charts a New Path