For decades, Fresno has battled with the proliferation of liquor stores across the city. In response, the City Council last month enacted new development rules aimed at reducing the number retailers that sell beer, wine and spirits in Fresno. But even after developers of a proposed 7-Eleven store in central...
Fresno Supervisors Move to Permit Themselves Guns in County Buildings
The Fresno County Board of Supervisors has started the process that would allow them to carry concealed weapons in county buildings. The supervisors voted Tuesday to change a county ordinance specifying who can possess or discharge a firearm, to any peace officer and "sitting Members of the Board of Supervisors...
Will NIMBYs Stop Former Smuggler’s Inn From Becoming Affordable Housing?
Fresno County, RH Community Builders, and UPholdings want to acquire and rehabilitate the Hotel Fresno (formerly the Smuggler's Inn) on Blackstone and Dakota avenues to provide assistance to homeless people. That's the short-term goal. The long-term goal is to provide affordable housing for decades into the future. The county hosted...
Fresno Employers Now Must Inform Workers About COVID Cases
Employers in the city of Fresno now must notify their employees if there is a positive COVID-19 case in the workplace. That was one part of a change to the city's emergency order approved by the Fresno City Council on Thursday by a 5-1 vote. Proposed last month by Councilman...
Maxwell Distances Himself From Young Dems’ Police Chief Criticism
Fresno City Councilman-elect Tyler Maxwell is also president of the Fresno County Young Democrats. A statement by the group criticizing police chief Andy Hall led Maxwell to walk a fine line between the two constituencies he serves. Last week, the Young Dems issued a statement about police accountability after the...
Councilman Wants Fresno’s Shelter-in-Place Order Extended Through May
Bucking the trend of four of his Fresno City Council colleagues, Nelson Esparza did not make a policy announcement by holding an in-person news conference. Instead, he advocated for extending the city's shelter-in-place order through at least May 31 with a news release and subsequent Zoom interview. Esparza tells GV...
Who Besides the Obvious Are Running for Fresno Mayor?
The Fresno mayor's race is less than 90 days away. And although things have been somewhat quiet among the two frontrunners, the campaigns of Fresno County prosecutor Andrew Janz and former police chief Jerry Dyer are about to rev up. But at least three other candidates will be on the March...
Fresno Police Chief Search Team Will Include 3 Councilmen
Fresno Mayor Lee Brand has blessed a request that the city council have a larger role in the search for Andy Hall's successor as police chief. The compromise forged by the mayor and councilman Nelson Esparza comes amid lingering controversy about Hall's appointment after the retirement of longtime chief Jerry Dyer...
Dear Council, Please Show Up. It's Your Job.
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....
Janz Takes Swings at Brand in 2020 Mayoral Opening Round
The gloves are off in the 2020 Fresno mayoral race, and it’s only the opening bell. Surrounded by 60 or so supporters, Andrew Janz officially announced his entry into the race for the city’s top leadership job. He called himself a fresh breath of air, hoping to defeat the current occupant...