In a historic change to the annual tradition of live luncheon presentations, Mayor Lee Brand presented his 2020 State of the City address in a televised event this evening on KSEE-TV. The broadcast, arranged by the Fresno Chamber of Commerce because of COVID-19 concerns, was the final State of the City address for Mayor Brand, whose term officially ends on December 31, 2020.

In another break from tradition, Mayor Brand awarded two Keys to the City to Fresno County Department of Public Health Director David Pomaville and Interim Health Officer Dr. Rais Vohra, in recognition of their tireless work and steadfast leadership during an unprecedented health crisis.  Pao Yang, CEO of the Fresno Center, was honored with the Mayor’s Community Partner Award for his service and leadership through empowerment, education and collaboration.  

In his keynote speech, Mayor Brand noted that the state of the city is “hopeful,” and used the theme of a “Tale of Two Seasons” to describe a pre-pandemic season of prosperity, growth and civic improvement followed by “a kind of emotional winter” after the announcement of a state of emergency as the community was dealing with the physical and financial effects of COVID-19 and civic unrest.  

He highlighted the launch of several projects from Transformative Climate Communities to Veterans Boulevard, the city-wide effort to clean our streets and highways, the impact of the nearly $11 million in state funding to address homelessness, and the extraordinary efforts of community leaders to express their anger over racial injustice in a peaceful and powerful way.

“To our City of Fresno employees: you have filled roles you never expected in order to maintain the essential services our residents and businesses depend on.  Thank you for your service and your sacrifice,” said Mayor Brand.  “Finally, to the citizens of Fresno: we could not have made it through the past 100 days without your support.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

Mayor Brand’s list of City of Fresno accomplishments over the last 12 months include:

• Broke ground on three Transformative Climate Communities projects, including the Southwest Village Urban Farm and Community Garden, solar panels at an affordable housing facility for seniors in Southwest Fresno, and building the Inside Out Community Garden at the Sunset Community.
• Launched Keep Fresno Beautiful and the Highway Litter Abatement Pilot Program that has collected over 2 tons of trash off streets and highways and beautified trails and neighborhoods citywide.
• Completed Phase One of the Veterans Boulevard project, a new $5.5 million section of Bullard Avenue, with Phase Two underway.
• Reached an agreement with GAP Inc. to purchase 4.8 acres of land on Airways Boulevard for $1 with the plan of building a state-of-the-art animal shelter on the site.
• Launched “Opportunity Fresno,” a website that provides a platform for local business owners and developers to showcase new investment opportunities.
• Opened up four low barrier Triage Centers with a total of 127 beds for homeless individuals, with 65% of residents exiting to safe housing and 34% transitioned to permanent housing.

At the 2020 State of the City Address, Mayor Brand also announced that the City will begin a national search for Fresno’s next police chief starting July 1 with Mayor-Elect Jerry Dyer included in this crucial process.

Video of the Mayor’s “State of the City” address will soon be available on the City’s website. A transcript of his remarks is attached.

Mayor Lee Brand today issued the following statement after City Council passed a modified continuing resolution (CR) budget that rolls over amended appropriations for Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 into the first quarter of FY2021 and factors in Council motions to provide a bridge that allows the City of Fresno to continue to provide essential services to the community and the employees that provide those services until the fiscal picture becomes clearer.  Council approved the modified CR unanimously by a 7-0 vote, as well as an amended resolution for an expenditure plan for $92.8 million in coronavirus funding from the Federal government::

“Thank you to our Councilmembers for their support in passing a modified continuing resolution that allows the City to continue fulfilling its responsibilities to our residents while giving us the necessary time to better understand the fiscal impacts of this pandemic and propose sensible steps to address any shortfalls.  

“This is an unprecedented measure for an unprecedented moment in our City’s history.  I look forward to working with Council in the coming months to discuss our financial status with the courage and commitment to weather this storm and come through this crisis as a better, safer and more united community.”

The City of Fresno announced today that on Monday, June 22, 2020, parking at Parks, After School, Recreation, and Community Services (PARCS) facilities, including all City parks, will re-open.  Parking lots at City parks will close at 7:00 p.m. daily.  Staffed hours for SP+ entry gates at Woodward and Roeding Parks are 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

The following PARCS amenities are open:

• Dog Parks (until 7:00 p.m.)
• Fresno Chaffee Zoo
• Restrooms (until 7:00 p.m.)
• Tennis Courts
• Disc Golf (Woodward Park)
• Trails

The following PARCS amenities remain closed:

• Basketball Courts
• BMX Track
• Community Centers
• Picnic Shelters
• Play Structures
• Pools
• Splash pads
• Storyland/Playland
• Shinzen Garden

Staffed payment booths will resume operation at Downtown Fresno parking garages.  Staffed hours for the following Downtown Fresno parking garages are 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

• Congo Alley Garage, 1919 Tulare St
• Convention Center Garage, 707 O St
• Spiral Garage, 801 Van Ness Ave
• Underground Garage, 1077 Van Ness Ave

Visitors exhibiting symptoms of the coronavirus, have been in contact with someone with COVID-19 in the last 14 days, or have serious underlying health conditions are asked not to enter the facilities.

Mayor Lee Brand, Fresno Council President Miguel Arias, and Councilmembers Luis Chavez and Esmeralda Soria today announced the members of the newly established Fresno Commission for Police Reform.

In response to local and national demands for changes in policing to address decades of inequalities, City leaders have been working to identify actions that will prevent tragic events like the death of George Floyd.  In that spirit, the 37-member commission will include residents, community advocates, and experts on public safety and community policing.  The commission will begin meeting immediately and, over the coming weeks, identify reform recommendations to the City Council for consideration.

“This task force is made up of leaders from a diverse collection of stakeholder communities and will put their voices at the center of our in-depth and vital conversations about the future of policing in the City of Fresno,” said Mayor Brand.  ‘’The focus of our discussions will be centered on developing solutions for real and sustained change that make Fresno a better, safer place for all.”

“While this commission’s work will be extremely difficult, our community deserves nothing less than our best collaboration. The Commission is representation of our diversity and the communities most impacted by public safety. We are honored that they have accepted the call to serve as we take action to improve public safety for our whole city,” said Council President Arias.

The members of the newly formed Fresno Commission for Police Reform are:

• Oliver Baines, Chair
• D’Aungillique Jackson – Fresno State NAACP, President
• Sandra Celedon, Fresno Building Healthy Communities, Executive Director
• Greg Garner, Retired Chief of Police, City of Selma
• Mariah Thompson, National Lawyers Guild
• Todd Frazier, Fresno Police Officers Association, President
• Aaron Foster, Faith in the Valley
• Ron Manning, City of Fresno Police Department, Sergeant
• Bob Mitchell, Community Leader
• Ashley Rojas, Fresno Barrios Unidos, Executive Director
• Michael S. Reid JD, MBA, Deputy Chief, City of Fresno Police Department
• Luisa Medina, Community Member
• Scott Baly, Fresno County Public Defender’s Office 
• Angie Isaak, Retired City of Fresno Police Officer
• Dr. Joseph Jones, Fresno Pacific University, President 
• Deep Singh, Jakara Movement
• Efrain Botello, Boys and Men of Color 
• Mark Salazar, City of Fresno Police Department, Captain
• Brian King, Fresno EOC Street Saints
• Annalisa Perea, State Center Community College, Vice President
• Dr. James Pitts, Fresno State Department of Criminology, Professor
• Gloria Hernandez, Community Advocate
• Mai Thao, Civic Engagement Director, Hmong Innovating Politics
• Grisanti Valencia, Youth Organize California
• Pastor DJ Criner, Saint Rest Baptist Church
• Pastor BT Lewis, Rising Star Church 
• Keisha Thomas, Fresno Unified School District, President
  Veva Islas, Fresno Unified School District Trustee
• Marcel Woodruff, Faith in the Valley
• Phil Cooley, Deputy Chief, City of Fresno Police Department
• Adrian Jones, Fresno Housing Authority, Chair
• Brandon Dixon-James, Financial Advisor
• Rev. Simon Biasell, Woven Community, Westminster Presbyterian Church
• Rod Wade Jr., United Fresno
• John Leal, State Center Community College District, President
• Gail Gaston, Community Advocate
• Robert H. Oliver, Retired Judge

The Fresno City Council voted today to approve a grant agreement with UCSF Fresno to significantly expand testing for COVID-19, especially in underserved communities and vulnerable populations that have been particularly hard hit by the highly contagious virus.  The agreement, proposed by Mayor Lee Brand and City Manager Wilma Quan, appropriates $5 million from the City’s Coronavirus Relief Fund to support the project and improve Fresno’s response to the pandemic and help improve health in areas that would benefit mostCOVID-19 is responsible for a global pandemic with devastating impacts throughout the world. 

“The partnership with UCSF Fresno will facilitate economic recovery and disease control,” said Mayor Brand. “Both of these require a better understanding of the disease, especially in communities of color, which are disproportionately affected and whose community members hold many of the essential jobs in the economy. This project will begin to give us some critical insight.”

The agreement between the City and UCSF Fresno builds upon UCSF Fresno’s Mobile Health and Learning or Mobile HeaL.  Emergency medicine physician and assistant dean at UCSF Fresno Kenny Banh, MD, started Mobile HeaL in the fall of 2018.  It provides mobile health services to vulnerable populations.  Health care and remote testing for COVID-19 will be provided in underserved areas of the City through Mobile HeaL.  

The funding will allow Mobile HeaL to expand services with additional personnel, equipment and increase the number of mobile units from one to three.  Community connections will be developed to offer the services and testing in neighborhoods and at schools, churches and other locations throughout central, southwest, southeast Fresno.

In addition to providing remote, accessible health care for vulnerable population, Mobile HeaL offers learning opportunities for medical students and pre-health students under the guidance of experienced medical residents and faculty physicians at UCSF Fresno.

“As a branch campus of the UCSF School of Medicine, UCSF Fresno is focused on education, patient care, research and public service,” said Michael W. Peterson, MD, associate dean at UCSF Fresno. “We are happy to partner with the City and various community based organizations to put our experience and expertise to use for the benefit of the community.”

The partnership will be in effect starting later this month through the end of this year.

After further discussing the City of Fresno’s role in supporting the Black community, the street art event originally planned for Monday, June 15, 2020 has been postponed and revised to support efforts for community art and expression already planned by local radio personality and community leader DJ Kay Rich.

The City of Fresno is committed to supporting its residents and listening to what our community wants to see. This is a small, but meaningful step in that direction.

In lieu of Monday’s event, there will be a declaration of an annual proclamation of “Black Lives Matter Day” at the Fresno City Council meeting on Thursday, June 18, 2020 at 9:00 a.m.  Immediately following the ceremony, there will be an event on P Street in front of City Hall between Tulare and Fresno Streets.  DJ Kay Rich will be leading the community project to paint “Black Lives Matter” on the street, and residents are encouraged to come and express their own unique feelings on systemic racial injustice and support for our Black community and the Black Lives Matter movement in the area around the street painting,  

The City of Fresno will close P Street between Tulare and Fresno Streets on Thursday, June 18,2020 from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.  The event is co-sponsored by DJ Kay Rich, Fresno State NAACP, Mayor Lee Brand and Fresno City Councilmember Mike Karbassi.  Participants can bring their own chalk or use chalk provided by the City’s Parks, After School, Recreation, and Community Services (PARCS) Department.  Personal protective equipment, such as masks, will also be provided if needed, and social distancing protocols among participants should be practiced.

P Street will be blocked off at 7:00 a.m. on Thursday at the crosswalk at Fresno Street, and just past the South entrance to the parking lot for State employees off of Tulare Street. Parking in downtown will be relaxed for those residents wishing to participate.

The City of Fresno today announced that dog parks at Parks, After School, Recreation and Community Services (PARCS) facilities will re-open on Monday, June 15, 2020, with modifications.

Dog park visitors must follow social distancing recommendations:

• Maintain a minimum of six feet apart from others
• No group congregation allowed
• No physical contact with others
• Do not allow dogs to interact with other dogs outside of your household
• Avoid touching your face after handling toys or other equipment
• Provide your own water and dog bowl
• Bring your own dog waste bags and dispose of in provided trash receptacles
• No extracurricular or social activity shall take place within the dog park
• All users should leave the facility immediately after play
• Facial covers are required within the dog park         

City staff may limit the number of users at one time due to space limitations.  Dog park hours have also been modified to 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., daily. 

City of Fresno dog parks are Al Radka Dog Park, Basin AH1 Dog Park, Belcher Dog Park, Figarden Dog Park, Inspiration Dog Park, Jaswant Singh Khalra Dog Park, Koligian Dog Park, Roeding Dog Park*, Stallion Dog Park, Todd Beamer Dog Park, Woodward Dog Park*.

* Dog parks at Roeding and Woodward Parks will be open from 6:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Parking lots at City-owned parks remain closed at this time.

Visitors exhibiting symptoms of the coronavirus, have been in contact with someone with COVID-19 in the last 14 days, or have serious underlying health conditions are asked not to enter the facilities.  All other dog park rules/regulations remain in effect.

The application deadline for the City of Fresno’s “Save Our Small Businesses” Program has been extended by one week, to 11:59 p.m., June 12, 2020.  The City’s Economic Development Office has received several hundred applications; however, many businesses have expressed that they have been pre-occupied with getting prepared to re-open and the deadline extension will give those small businesses additional time to apply for the grant.

“Based on the applications we have received to-date, business are reporting an estimated 23.44% in loss of jobs compared to March 4, 2020.  We are confident that the profile of the applications submitted, the grant funds will serve to assist those small businesses that hold up our local economy and that we are look forward to frequenting once again,” said Economic Development Director Lupe Perez.

The second phase, approved by City Council on May 14, 2020, appropriated $2 million in federal relief funding received from the CARES Act and aims to help local economic recovery with funding for those small business owners who need it most.  Businesses impacted by COVID-19 with 1 to 5 employees are eligible for a $5,000 grant while businesses impacted by COVID-19 with 6 to 25 employees are eligible for a $10,000 grant. 

The application portal for the Save Our Small Business Program is available on the City of Fresno’s website with links on both the front page and the Economic Development Department’s page.  Potential applicants can call Lupe Perez, Economic Development Director for the City of Fresno, at (559) 621-8350 for more information.

Mayor Lee Brand released the following statement following a weekend of protests in Fresno surrounding the tragic death of George Floyd in Minneapolis:

“To the thousands of people who gathered along the streets of Fresno over the past three days to pray and march and speak out against injustice – thank you for showing the world that we can come together as one voice and challenge the status quo in peaceful and powerful way.  I am also proud of the way the organizers of yesterday’s event, the thousands who marched downtown and our police officers responded, showing dignity and respect for each other.  

“Once again, Fresno has been touched by the better angels of our nature and used a tragedy to achieve a triumph.  Together, we can overcome any problem as long as we pledge to continue the conversation in earnest and work together in harmony to bring real change to our community.”