Fresno Mayor Lee Brand joins Councilmembers Miguel Arias, Esmeralda Soria, and Mike Karbassi to announce the City of Fresno’s second phase of joint economic relief action to help small businesses in Fresno affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.  The second phase, approved by City Council on May 14, 2020, appropriates $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.

On March 25, 2020, Fresno City Council passed the “Save Our Small Businesses Act” that established a $750,000 small business relief program that provided $5,000 and $10,000 loans-to-grant to 118 small businesses impacted by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) during the month of April.  Over 2,600 local businesses applied for the program and the money was awarded by a random selection process. For the second round of emergency assistance, the City has set aside two and a half times its original funding amount in order to help almost three times as many businesses than the first round of funding.

“We have already provided a measure of relief to a number of our small businesses that have experienced unprecedented disruption due to COVID-19, but the need is still great and our responsibility to offer assistance is still crucial to their survival,” said Mayor Brand.  “We must all continue to look out for each other during these challenging times and offer encouragement and support whenever we can.  I’m so proud of our great city because we’re still thinking of others in the midst of our own concerns.”

“I am thrilled the Mayor and Council have prioritized finding funds to help small businesses weather this storm. This is another critical step helping our local mom and pop shops as we’re rebuilding Fresno’s economy and securing thousands of important jobs,” said Councilmember Karbassi.

Under the terms of the new ordinance, businesses impacted by COVID-19 with 1 to 5 employees can apply for a $5,000 grant while businesses impacted by COVID-19 with 6 to 25 employees are eligible for a $10,000 grant.  The business must have a valid City of Fresno Business License Tax Certificate, have been in business no later than February 15, 2020, cannot have any outstanding code enforcement or conditional use permit (CUP) violations or have received relief funding at the local, state or federal level.  The City’s Economic Development Department will manage the program.

Councilmember Soria added, “The small businesses which are essential to our local economy are struggling from COVID19-related loss of business.  The grants approved today and funded through federal CARES Act money will assist those business owners with ongoing expenses and in retaining jobs.” 

The application portal for the Save Our Small Business Program will be available on the City of Fresno’s website with links on both the front page and the Economic Development Department’s page, and will be open starting Tuesday, May 26, 2020 at 12:00 p.m. until 11:59 p.m., Friday, June 5, 2020.

If there are more applications than available funding, there will be a random drawing to determine which businesses get the grants.  Potential applicants can call Lupe Perez, Economic Development Director for the City of Fresno, at (559) 621-8350 for more information.

Save Our Small Business Program

City of Fresno offices will be closed in observance of Memorial Day on Monday, May 25, 2020.  The delivery of some City services may be affected.  Normal operations will resume on Tuesday, May 26.  Here is the schedule for City of Fresno operations for the holiday:

Airports:  Administrative offices closed;  Terminal, concessions and airlines normal operations otherwise.

Business License:  Office closed.  The Business Tax Web Renewal will be available for TOT (only) and new business tax online application submittals will be available throughout the Memorial Day holiday.

City Clerk’s Office:  Closed.

City Hall Offices:  Closed.

Code Enforcement:  Closed.

Dog License Division:  Closed.

Finance Offices:  Offices closed.  Business Tax TOT (only) Web Renewal and new business tax online application submittals will be available throughout the Memorial Day holiday.

Fire/Police Departments:  Administrative offices and public counters will be closed.  Normal operations otherwise.

Fresno Area Express:  Administrative offices closed.  Sunday bus routes/schedule in effect.  Call (559) 621-7433 for details.  FAX route maps and schedules are available on the City’s website.

Parking Division:  No enforcement at parking meters and City parking facilities on Memorial Day.  Office closed for citation payments.  Online services available at www.fresno.gov/parking.

Parks and Recreation (PARCS):  Administrative offices and recreation centers are closed.  All parks, including Woodward and Roeding regional parks, will be closed Saturday, May 23 through Monday, May 25.

Personnel:  Closed. Online applications accepted at www.fresno.gov/jobs.

Planning and Development:  Office closed.  Permit applications can be submitted, and progress can be monitored, online through our FAASTER portal at any time during the Memorial Day holiday.

Public Utilities:  Offices closed.

Public Works:  Offices closed.

Purchasing:  Office closed; Bid opportunities and updated information are available on the City’s website, under the “For Businesses” tab, then click on bid opportunities.

Rental Housing:  Closed

Residential Solid Waste:  Administrative offices closed.  Normal residential and commercial collection schedule; for questions regarding residential solid waste collection, please call the Solid Waste Management Division at (559) 621-1452.

Utility Payments/Business Tax:  Payment counters closed (Fresno City Hall and Manchester Center.)  Online and phone transactions available for utility payments.

For urgent matters during the Memorial Day holiday, please call 3-1-1 or use our FresGO mobile app.

Fresno Mayor Lee Brand today announced that Emergency Order 2020-16 has been modified extensively to rename business categories and announce a new phase of businesses to re-open in a safe and responsible manner.  The new emergency order, 2020-17 signed by City Manager Wilma Quan this afternoon, becomes effective at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, May 26, 2020 and supersedes the previous Order.  It officially ends the City’s shelter-in-place order and reverts automatically to the State of California’s current stay-at-home orders, which have no set end date.

In addition, Emergency Order 2020-17 eliminates the categories of “Essential Businesses” and “Non-Essential Businesses,” and establishes all Fresno businesses as either “Authorized” or “Non-Authorized” to describe their status for public operations and access.  The second phase of the re-opening of Authorized Businesses begins May 26 and all businesses that are not specifically prohibited by the State may open their doors if they follow the state guidelines and the City of Fresno’s Appendix A: Social Distancing Protocol.

Restaurant dining rooms may open once the State of California approves Fresno County’s variance, which we have heard is happening today, and Fresno County publicizes the date on which they may open.

“I’ve heard you.  I’ve been working day and night to get businesses open and people back to work, but in the safest and most responsible manner possible.  I believe that our new Order allows the vast majority of businesses in the City of Fresno to open safely and responsibly,” said Mayor Brand.  “Our next job is to now figure out how to get the rest of our businesses open and people back to work and we’re starting that work today.”

All Authorized Businesses will be required to comply with the City’s new social distancing protocol to protect the health of their employees and the health of the vendors and customers who visit and shop there.  The Order also eliminates the guideline of allowing only one customer per 500 square feet and requires each business to determine safe occupancy that provides sufficient space to allow for social distancing, according to the updated Appendix A. 

Residents will only be required to wear cloth face coverings when entering businesses and government buildings, with the exception of children under the age of two (2) and individuals with disabilities and respiratory illnesses.  The City strongly recommends that residents wear cloth face coverings outside in public spaces where you can’t social distance.

The City of Fresno will continue to monitor public health indicators in the community and adjust the Authorized Business program as necessary.  If public health indicators substantially worsen, the City will take appropriate action.  If public health indicators stay flat or improve, the City could accelerate this program.

Emergency Order 2020-17 will be available on the City’s website at www.fresno.gov/coronavirus/.

For the latest information on all City-issued emergency orders and other coronavirus-related decisions, call 3-1-1 or visit the City of Fresno website at www.fresno.gov.

We encourage you to visit www.cdc.gov to learn more about COVID-19 nationally, https://covid19.ca.gov/ for information on coronavirus in California and to follow the Fresno County

The City of Fresno and the California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority), today announced that construction is starting this week on the second phase of the Veterans Boulevard Project, known as the Veterans Boulevard Grade Separation.  The City has awarded a $20 million contract to Granite Construction utilizing funding provided by the Authority’s project.  Through collaboration, the City and the Authority are mitigating the closure of the existing Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) at-grade crossing at Carnegie Avenue by constructing a new overpass for Veterans Boulevard, connecting the neighborhoods east of the railroad corridor to Golden State Boulevard. 

This phase continues the progress of the recently completed first phase, which extended Bullard Avenue to the Veterans Boulevard and Riverside Drive and is a key part of constructing High-Speed Rail in the City of Fresno. 

The construction work will result in two lanes of Veterans Boulevard; a bridge structure over the existing UPRR and future High-Speed Rail tracks, and a roadway connection from Veterans Boulevard to future Golden State Boulevard.  The overhead bridge structure will have two spans at a total length of 294.8 feet and a width of 132.7 feet.  The structure is a cast-in-place pre-stressed concrete box girder, with all supports on six-column bents on large diameter cast-in-drilled-hole piles.  Mechanically stabilized earth walls behind the abutments will support the roadway embankment fills.

The attached site vicinity map highlights this phase in the overall Veterans Boulevard Project footprint.

Mayor Lee Brand released the following statement on the passing of longtime Central Valley reporter George Hostetter:

“George Hostetter was the consummate journalist – tough, dogged, curious and always fair.  His passing is a gigantic loss not just to journalism, but to Fresno as well.  Not much escaped George’s keen eye in his pursuit of the story, and I always knew that in the end, he would not just get to the bottom of whatever he was investigating, but also get it right. 

“George was quirky, be it his never-ending walks around all of Fresno or channeling the famous TV detective Columbo in his questioning.  As the saying goes, ‘they don’t make them like that anymore.’  Reporters are not supposed to be friends with those they cover, but I can honestly say a day won’t go by when I won’t miss George.  I know he is at peace – and almost certainly enjoying a Kit Kat bar.”

Fresno Mayor Lee Brand today announced the first major step in Fresno’s economic recovery, presenting the first phase of the new category of authorized businesses to re-open.  The announcement was made after consultation with the Mayor’s Recovery Committee, City Manager Wilma Quan, her emergency team, Fresno City Council and the County of Fresno. This plan allowing for local control was created by virtue of Emergency Order 2020-16 which modified the City of Fresno’s shelter in place orders.

Effective Monday, May 11, 2020, the following types of businesses may physically open their doors for business:

·        Auto, Truck, Boat, Motorcycle, RV and Mobile Home Sales

·        New Construction

·        Furniture Stores

·        Electronics and Camera Stores

·        Spa and Pool Stores

·        Lawn and Garden Equipment Stores

·        Building and Remodeling Supply Stores

·        Auctions

All other retail business may conduct online sales with contactless curbside pick-up or delivery. There is no application process for these businesses to reopen.

Occupancy for authorized businesses is based on one customer per 500 square feet.  Each authorized business will be required to comply with the City’s Modified Appendix A: Social Distancing Protocol to protect the health of their employees and to protect the health of the vendors and customers who visit and shop there.  Some businesses will have additional requirements that include special sanitation and cleaning protocols. 

“This is a big, bold first step in restoring Fresno’s economy and gives us much-needed local control, with the collaboration of our partners at the County and State level, while still protecting the health and safety of our community to the best of our abilities,” said Mayor Brand.  “This is the right decision for Fresno at this stage of the pandemic, and I’m thankful to have the assistance of many very smart, caring and dedicated people who want the best for everyone in terms of public health and economic security.”

The City of Fresno will continue to monitor public health indicators in the community and adjust the Authorized Business program as necessary.  If there is a spike in the number of infections that could be traced to the re-opening or if our local healthcare system is projected to reach capacity, the City may choose to slow down or even roll back the program.  If public health indicators stay flat or improve, the City could accelerate this program.

Mayor Brand added, “As soon as the State gives us the green light to open restaurant dining rooms, gyms, hair and nail salons and other close-contact businesses, then I will devote the resources of the City to get those very deserving and hard-working people back to work.”

For the latest information on all City-issued emergency orders and other coronavirus-related decisions, call 3-1-1 or visit the City of Fresno website at www.fresno.gov.

We encourage you to visit www.cdc.gov to learn more about COVID-19 nationally, https://covid19.ca.gov/ for information on coronavirus in California and to follow the Fresno County Department of Public Health website for regular updates.

 Mayor Lee Brand today announced that the City of Fresno has clarified its policy on medical and dental services during the COVID-19 pandemic after discussions with the Fresno County Department of Public Health (FCDPH) and local health care officials.

Healthcare providers — doctors, dentists, mental health professionals, nurses, optometrists, hospice, etc. – should follow the guidance of the California Department of Public Health, the Fresno County Department of Public Health and their respective licensing authorities regarding their services.

For the latest information on all City-issued emergency orders and other coronavirus-related decisions, call 3-1-1 or visit the City of Fresno website at www.fresno.gov.

We encourage you to visit www.cdc.gov to learn more about COVID-19 nationally, https://covid19.ca.gov/ for information on coronavirus in California and to follow the Fresno County Department of Public Health website for regular updates.

In accordance with Governor Newsom’s recent announcement, Mayor Lee Brand today updated the City of Fresno’s policy on golf courses which now expands the public’s ability to enjoy outdoor exercise.

It also opens public golf at Airways and Riverside Golf Courses. Disc golf at Woodward Park will re-open as soon as signage with the appropriate health and social distancing protocols are posted.

The new policy allows golf courses to reopen as soon as they identify and meet specific social distancing protocols including:

·        Maintaining social distancing in the clubhouse, pro shop, and tees and greens.

·        No direct physical contact between golf course employees and guests.

·        All golfers must walk the course, unless carts are necessary to meet ADA requirements.

·        All pull carts must be washed and sanitized before each use.

·        Maximum of 4 players per tee time.

·        Tee times should be spaced to regulate the number of players on the course at any time.

·        Food and beverage areas should be open for grab-and-go service or delivery.

For the latest information on all City-issued emergency orders and other coronavirus-related decisions, call 3-1-1 or visit the City of Fresno website at www.fresno.gov.

We encourage you to visit www.cdc.gov to learn more about COVID-19 nationally, https://covid19.ca.gov/ for information on coronavirus in California and to follow the Fresno County Department of Public Health website for regular updates.