The Fresno City Council convened Thursday morning for a full agenda that addressed housing, infrastructure, public services and community recognitions. The meeting was held at Fresno City Hall and began shortly after 9 a.m. It was open to the public both in person and through various media channels.
Opening ceremonies and council reports
Following the invocation and Pledge of Allegiance, the council approved the meeting agenda and moved swiftly into ceremonial presentations.
The Fresno Animal Center highlighted its “Pet of the Month,” continuing the city’s effort to support animal welfare and pet adoption.
The city dedicated over $20 million to the Fresno Animal Center, but the animal center is nearing capacity and needs people to adopt those animals, according to Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer at the council meeting.
Council members also issued proclamations honoring individuals and community organizations. Retiring FBI agent John Gliatta was recognized during the session.
Gliatta oversaw FBI offices throughout the Central Valley for over 30 years. Dyer brought him to Fresno as an independent reviewer and independent police officer in August 2017.
His role included reviewing and auditing internal investigations for the police department, along with helping to create a better public view of the police department.
According to the mayor, Gliatta has the respect of the council, police department and the mayor’s office.
“It’s going to be a huge loss for Fresno,” Dyer said.
During his speech, Gliatta thanked his family, especially his wife, for supporting him throughout his 39 years of law enforcement work.
Aug. 28 is now John Gliatta Day in the City of Fresno.
Me’Kala James, a wrestler for Central East High School in Fresno and an All-American athlete, was honored at the meeting.
James was joined by Dyer and Councilmember Annalisa Perea to accept her recognition.
Her accomplishments, according to Perea, include being a three-time Central Section champion, three-time California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) masters champion, three-time CIF high school state placer, two-time Fargo All-American and a Fargo national champion.
“She has really made a name, not only for herself, but [for] what women can do in a male-dominated sports field,” Perea said.
The River Park Farmers Market was also recognized for their respective contributions to Fresno’s community and culture.
Joseph Castro, former Fresno State president and California State University chancellor, was acknowledged for his contributions to the city following his death on Sunday.
“He put Fresno State on the map,” said Councilmember Tyler Maxwell.
Along with the council, the mayor and manager reports were presented, with officials offering updates on district initiatives and ongoing city projects.
Some of these included giving out backpacks and laptops to kids going back to school, working with the Central California Food Bank and working with public works on road infrastructure.
Council Vice President Miguel Arias and council members Nick Richardson, Brandon Vang and Nelson Esparza all mentioned efforts to support schools and students in Fresno.
Esparza said that these backpack and laptop programs are more than just giveaways; they help bridge the “digital divide” among students, allowing for a more equitable learning environment.
“Thank you for your partnership in keeping our students safe,” said Superintendent Mark Marshall of Central Unified School District.
Scheduled hearings focus on development and housing
CEO of Fresno Housing, Tyrone Roderick Williams, discussed ongoing efforts and future plans to address affordable housing in the region.
Williams says that the mayor and city council play a crucial role in policy for affordable housing in Fresno and that their support is critical for Fresno Housing.
During his speech, Williams offered a $216,247 check to the city council and the mayor due to the profits made by those developments in Fresno.
“We’re in a [housing] crisis but not a crisis of support when it comes to this city and this chamber,” Williams said.
The council held a scheduled hearing concerning the annexation and special tax for Tract Map 6246 in District 6. The hearing addressed development plans and funding mechanisms tied to new housing expansions in the district.
This land would be paved for streets, lots and housing. To fund its infrastructure, the area could be subject to higher taxes.
None of the council members opposed or had questions regarding the annexation.
Five minutes later, a separate zoning code hearing took place. This session proposed changes to the city’s drive-thru regulations in areas that have public projects so that the city can support them if they have to relocate during those projects.
A presentation by Phillip Seagrist, a planner in Fresno, talked about this zoning code. He says one issue now is that new drive-thru businesses cannot be built within 100 feet of a project and not within 400 feet of another drive-thru business.
This text amendment would allow an established drive-thru that is required to relocate to move to an area regardless of whether there is another drive-thru within that 400-foot range.
“It would provide some flexibility on the restriction for new businesses,” Seagris said.
This was brought up after a complaint from a business that had to relocate because of a public project near the drive-thru.
Perea said that this policy is very “business-friendly,” but would need to hear from the public before making a decision.
Council President Mike Karbassi said he has a hard time calling it business-friendly when there are already so many restrictions on drive-thrus.
“I want us to get away from the narrative that this is business-friendly,” Karbassi said. “This isn’t about spurring new business, it’s helping just one business.”
Karbassi did say that he would respect the council moving forward with the amendment and that he would be open to hearing out other business in the future regarding this issue.
After his statements, Karbassi opened the discussion up for public comment. No one spoke.
Consent calendar approves dozens of city contracts
The council unanimously approved its extensive consent calendar, which included measures across airport operations, public utilities, housing and community services.
Highlights included approval of lease agreements with Flight Café at the Fresno Chandler Executive Airport and the U.S. Air Force at Fresno Yosemite International Airport. In addition, the council authorized consulting contracts for infrastructure and utilities projects, with funding of up to $2 million per firm.
Richardson brought up concerns about money, asking where the funding will come from if the federal government is going to benefit from this.
“We’re not really making any money off this tenet, like a traditional tenet,” Richardson said. “We have a significant runway improvement going on in addition to some other modifications to our air terminal…the runway will significantly affect the operations of the fix-winged aircraft located there with the National Guard.”
According to Francisco Partida, the interim director of Fresno Yosemite International Airport, the California Air National Guard and the U.S. Air Force gives approximately $280,000 to the Fresno Yosemite International Airport annually in exchange for the ability to use the airport.
“The airport does benefit from this lease,” Partida said.
In transportation and public works, several key items received the green light. This included a $5.7 million construction contract under the Pave More Now project, a design fee increase for the North Fulton Parking Structure and contract amendments for both Garage 9 renovations and the Calwa Water Main Replacement.
Closed session reviews labor and legal issues
Following the public agenda, the council moved into closed session to discuss labor negotiations with multiple city unions and ongoing legal matters. Among the issues reviewed was an existing lawsuit: California Smoke Shops Association v. Fresno.
Two anticipated legal cases were also listed for review, though no public details were disclosed.
Upcoming hearings and employee recognition
The council announced future public hearings scheduled for Sept. 11 and Sept. 25.
Topics on the Sept. 11 agenda include annexation, historic property designation and new development projects. The Sept. 25 meeting will feature performance reports and an 80-acre annexation hearing.
The city also shared dates for upcoming employee events. The employee of the quarter will be recognized on Oct. 15, while service awards are scheduled for Nov. 19.
The next council meeting will be on Sept. 11 at 10 a.m.
Items on the agenda but not mentioned in the session
After the council left for lunch, they went into closed session; they did not return from closed session. The following were on the agenda.
Affordable housing was a prominent topic during the meeting. The council approved the transfer of over $6 million and three city-owned parcels to the Cesar Chavez Foundation to support the Parkview Apartments project. A separate land purchase on F Street for additional affordable housing development was also authorized.
To bolster homelessness outreach, the council approved a $382,000 contract with the nonprofit Poverello House, reinforcing the city’s service and response network.
In addition, Fresno committed to participating in the state’s Prohousing Designation Program, positioning the city for future incentives and funding related to housing production and planning.
Other approvals included $5,700 in funding for the Senior Hot Meals Program and authorization for a new cybersecurity specialist position within city departments. The council also adjusted pay scales for licensed veterinarians in city employment.
To support city maintenance operations, a $181,707 backhoe purchase was approved. Council members also voted in favor of renewing a geographic information system software license agreement at $1.79 million, which supports mapping and data systems across multiple departments.
Litter control and environmental maintenance received a $200,000 funding boost, while a new operating agreement for the San Joaquin River Parkway was confirmed.
