Are city council members more effective advocating for the city attending out-of-town conventions or actually voting on issues? The absence of Fresno councilwoman Esmeralda Soria last Thursday spotlights the issue of council members missing votes. Soria started Thursday on the dais. She left about 90 minutes later, not to return....
How AOC Became Part of Fresno Council Debate on Fire Fees
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has nothing to do with Fresno fire impact fees. The New York congresswoman certainly doesn't know anything about them. That didn’t prevent her name being evoked in a city council debate about it. The Fresno Fire Department says an increase in impact fees on new homes is needed to...
One Fresno Splash Park Fixed. Two to Go.
Update, 6/05/19, 5:10 p.m.: The city reports that the splash pad at Todd Beamer Park is up and running. Says city spokesman Mark Standriff: "Todd Beamer splash pad is now running, thanks to an industrious staff member who salvaged parts from another pump to repair the broken one. We’ll replace it...
Councilmembers Go to D.C., Mend Fences with AOC over Grizzlies Video
Two Fresno councilmembers met with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday to cool down any residual angst from a politically volatile video displayed at a Fresno Grizzlies home game. Councilmembers Miguel Arias and Esmeralda Soria visited with the New York congresswoman at the U.S. Capitol. Images from the...
Clovis Mayor Answers Housing Commissioner: We Welcome All
Clovis leaders are pushing back against comments made by a Fresno Housing Authority board member who questioned the agency's first-ever project in their city. Terra Brusseau serves on the 14-member Fresno Housing Authority board. Brusseau's remarks, made during a March 26 discussion about a 60-unit housing authority project at Willow...
Immigrant Committee Coming to Fresno. Legal Defense Fund Next?
In the first major social policy proposal of the year, the Fresno council will vote on creating an “Immigrant Affairs Committee” at Thursday’s (Feb. 14) meeting. The idea comes from council members Luis Chavez (District 5) and Esmeralda Soria (District 1). All signs point to its passage. Chavez said he...
City Audit Uncovers Problems With Granite Park Bookkeeping
A public-private partnership that helped turn a city eyesore into its fulfilled vision of beautiful sports fields may have hit a snag. A city audit says the non-profit company hired to run embattled Granite Park had a number of accounting irregularities. The audit stopped short of stating it found anything...
How to Honor David McDonald? Clovis Wants to Rename a Park.
Children and pets could soon be playing at David McDonald Park. McDonald, the businessman, and philanthropist, died last month at age 69. His family said he passed away from natural causes. The former CEO of security camera-maker Pelco operated one of the city’s largest companies. At its peak, Pelco employed...
Money Back Guarantee Gets 7-0 Vote, But Fine-Tuning Ahead
A proposal to guarantee that Fresno delivers planning department services on time received a 7-0 vote from the city council Thursday. But council members also made it clear that important issues must be ironed out before the "money back guarantee" plan is adopted. The bill, introduced by Garry Bredefled (District...
Jewel of a Feat: High School to Kingsburg City Council in 18 Months
In 2016, Kingsburg High School students voted Jewel Hurtado homecoming queen. Two years later, the Kingsburg community voted the 20-year-old Fresno City College student in as the newest member on the Kingsburg City Council. "It was very unexpected," said Hurtado, who also recently became a mother. In the Kingsburg race,...