The city of Fresno offices will be closed in observance of Veterans Day on Monday, November 11.  The delivery of some City services may be affected by the holiday as well.  Normal operations will resume on Tuesday, November 12.  Here is the schedule for City of Fresno operations for the holiday:

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

Building & Permitting:  Office closed.  Permit applications can be submitted, and progress can be monitored, online through our FAASTER portal at any time during the Veterans Day holiday.

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 Veterans 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 Veterans Day holiday.

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

Fresno Area Express:  Administrative offices closed.  Weekend bus routes/schedule in effect.  Call 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 Veterans Day.  Office closed for citation payments. Online services available at www.fresno.gov/parking

Parks and Recreation (PARCS):  Administrative offices closed.  Parks facilities and recreation centers operating with the normal schedule.

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

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:  Payment counters closed (Fresno City Hall and Manchester Center).  Online and phone transactions are available for utility payments.

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

The City of Fresno begins its one-day a week Outdoor Water Use Schedule today, November 1, and will remain in effect through March.  We encourage residents to take time to reprogram their sprinklers to reflect the new schedule.

The one-day a week schedule takes effect in an effort to conserve water during the cooler months of the year.  Outdoor watering is considered water usage for areas such as lawns, gardens, pools, and other items that require irrigation or hoses.

Residents with addresses ending in odd numbers (1,3,5,7,9) can water on Saturdays.  Residents with addresses ending in even numbers (0,2,4,6,8) can water on Sundays.  Outdoor water use is not allowed on weekdays or on any day between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.  Customers can call 3-1-1 if they have questions or need assistance.

On April 11, 2019, the Fresno City Council approved a new, simplified watering schedule.  The City will implement a one-day a week watering schedule for the months of November through March and a three-day a week watering schedule during the months of April through October.  The City of Fresno continues to urge its residents to conserve water as much as possible.

The City of Fresno is partnering with ParkMobile, the leading provider of smart parking and mobility solutions in the United States, to enable drivers to pay for parking from their mobile device.  The ParkMobile app is now available for over 2,000 spaces around the City.

New stickers will provide information to drivers on how to pay for parking using the app.  ParkMobile is available for free for both iPhone and Android devices, or by registering at parkmobile.io.

After setting up their account, users can immediately begin using the system with their mobile device by entering the zone number posted on the meter, choosing the duration of time they’d like to park, and hitting the “Start Parking” button to begin their session.  The ParkMobile app also allows users the ability to view or add time to their parking session right from their mobile device.

ParkMobile has an established audience in California with parking available down the coast from the San Francisco Bay Area to San Luis Obispo and Los Angeles and across the nation in major cities like New York, Washington D.C., Chicago, and Atlanta.

“We’re thrilled to expand our network to Fresno,” says Jon Ziglar, CEO of ParkMobile.  “We want to provide every driver throughout California with a smarter parking experience that allows them to process their transactions using the ParkMobile app.”

“This the first of many exciting improvements for parking in Downtown Fresno,” says Thomas Gaffery, Parking Division Manager with the City of Fresno.  “We still have many more changes in store, including the launch of credit card enabled parking meters.”

ParkMobile is the most widely used mobile parking solution in the country with more than 16 million people using the app over 60 million times per year across over 400 cities.  ParkMobile is excited to make a difference leveraging its large network of users as it expands into Fresno.

About ParkMobile:

ParkMobile, LLC is the leading provider of smart parking and mobility solutions in North America, helping millions of people easily find, reserve, and pay for parking on their mobile devices.  The company’s technology is used in thousands of locations across the country, including seven of the top 10 cities as well as college campuses, airports, and stadiums.  People can use ParkMobile solutions to quickly pay for on-street and off-street parking without having to use a meter or kiosk.  For more information, visit ParkMobile.io or @ParkMobile on Twitter.

The City of Fresno has begun developing a 5-Year Consolidated Plan that will assess the current housing market, discuss characteristics of the city’s population, identify community improvement priorities, and outline a five-year plan to fund and implement them.  The City receives approximately $11 million each year in funds under the federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), Home Investment Partnerships Act (HOME), Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG), and Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS (HOPWA) programs.  The Consolidated Plan is required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to guide how and where these funds are used over the coming five years.

A separate study called an Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice (AI) will also be conducted to identify barriers to equal access to housing and neighborhood opportunities.  The AI will set policy recommendations to help ensure that Fresno’s neighborhoods are inclusive and free from barriers that restrict residents’ access to opportunities like transportation, jobs, and schools.

The opinions and perceptions of local residents are an important part of this study.  All residents are invited to attend a public meeting and participate in a survey. The meeting details are below. Refreshments will be served, and children are welcome.

• Saturday, November 2, 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., Teague Elementary School, 4725 N. Polk Avenue, Fresno, CA 93722
• Monday, November 4, 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., Kirk Elementary School, 2000 E. Belgravia Avenue, Fresno, CA 93706
• Monday, November 4, 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., Pinedale Elementary School, 7171 North Sugarpine, Fresno, CA 93650
• Monday, November 4, 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., Vang Pao Elementary School, 4100 E. Heaton Avenue, Fresno, CA 93702
• Tuesday, November 5, 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., Webster Elementary School, 2600 E. Tyler Avenue, Fresno, CA 93701
• Tuesday, November 5, 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., Centennial Elementary School, 3830 E. Saginaw Way, Fresno, CA 93726

More information about the Consolidated Plan and Analysis of Impediments, including a link to the survey, as another avenue for providing input, is available at www.FresnoConPlanAI.com.  Project updates will be posted to the website, and drafts of the reports will be available in early 2020.

If, as an attendee at a meeting, you need accommodations such as interpreters, signers, assistive listening devices, or the services of a translator, please contact Aldi Dodds at (559) 621-8512 or [email protected].  To ensure availability, you are advised to make the request at least 48 hours prior to the meeting.

The City of Fresno is excited to announce the launch of the first three Transformative Climate Communities (TCC) projects.  All three projects launched in the first weeks of October.

The first project to break ground is the Yosemite Village Permaculture Community Garden and Urban Farm Incubator.  Fresno Metro Ministry partnered with the Fresno Housing Authority to develop a resident-led community garden and urban green space.  The seven-acre site, for general Southwest Fresno community use, will incorporate organic and permaculture techniques including non-mechanical, no-till, no-spray methods that promote carbon sequestration and water conservation.

The second project, by GRID Alternatives, will install solar panels on five Fresno Housing Authority multi-family buildings for low-income families. GRID Alternatives will train 67 TCC area individuals for jobs in solar.  The project aims to improve air quality and provide direct economic benefit for West Fresno families through electrical utility cost savings.

The Inside Out Community Garden at the Sunset Community Center will include volunteer recruitment, and community engagement on garden maintenance, harvesting, and cooking demonstrations. The Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission and partners will survey the community for produce preferences, plant trees, and vegetables with community volunteers, and conduct regular community events teaching proper nutrition and tasting a variety of recipes.

“These three projects are just the start of an exciting time for these neighborhoods as we see the first fruits of the $66.5 million TCC grant invested by the State in our community,” said Mayor Lee Brand.  “This money will lead to triple the investment in economic development and that will mean more jobs and better services for everyone. It will not only transform communities, but it will also transform lives.”

The three projects are the first of a total of 18 projects that include a West Fresno Satellite Campus for Fresno City College, community gardens, low carbon transportation improvements, affordable housing, urban greening, and local economic development.

On September 14, 2016, then-California Governor Jerry Brown signed AB-2722, the Transformative Climate Communities Program, from the rooftop of the Spiral Garage in Downtown Fresno.  The bill required the Strategic Growth Council to award competitive grants to qualifying agencies to implement greenhouse emissions plans while also providing economic, environmental, and health benefits to disadvantaged communities. As a result of the program, the City of Fresno was awarded $66.5 million in cap-and-trade funding to be used in a project area that covers portions of downtown, Chinatown and southwest Fresno.

Through an unprecedented series of community meetings, Mayor Brand put the power to decide how to spend the money from the TCC grant in the residents’ hands.  The final project package was overwhelmingly approved by the community on October 4, 2017.  When combined with matching funds the total amount exceeded $177.6 million.

Mayor Lee Brand and City Manager Wilma Quan today announced that Aldi Dodds has been hired as Deputy City Manager for the City of Fresno.  As Deputy City Manager, she will perform professional administrative and managerial assignments in support of the City Manager and work with executive management staff in coordinating and directing activities involved in the implementation and completion of city-wide projects and the planning and organization of diverse programs and activities.  Dodds will assume the role from current Deputy City Manager Laura Merrill.

“I am thrilled and delighted to have Aldi join our office in this capacity and know she will excel and exceed all of our expectations.  Laura Merrill has done an exceptional job in the Deputy City Manager role.  I will miss her terribly as I know others inside and outside the City will feel the same.  I am very fortunate that Laura has agreed to help with Aldi’s transition,” said City Manager Wilma Quan. 

Dodds joined the City of Fresno in 2016 with the Parking Services Division before transferring to the Administration Division of the Development and Resource Management Department (DARM).  There she served as a Management Analyst II for three Assistant Directors.  For the past year, Aldi has served as the Senior Management Analyst for the Housing and Community Development Division.  In that capacity, she served the City by assisting in the administration of four federal entitlement programs the City receives from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.  She also ensured the completion and implementation of the City’s Annual Action Plans and Consolidated Annual Performance Reports.

Dodds graduated Summa Cum Laude with her Master’s Degree in Business Administration from California State University, Fresno and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from California State University, Fresno as a Smittcamp Scholar.

The City of Fresno Parks, After School, Recreation and Community Services (PARCS) Department today announced that it is extending the hours of operation at its seven splash parks during the Labor Day Holiday weekend.

Splash park hours will be from 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. effective tomorrow, August 30, 2019, through Monday, September 2, at the following locations:

Dickey Playground – 50 N. Calaveras St.

Figarden Loop Park – 4265 W. Figarden Dr.

Inspiration Park – 5770 W. Gettysburg Ave.

Martin Ray Reilly Park – 750 N. Chestnut Ave.

Mosqueda Community Center – 4670 E. Butler Ave.

Todd Beamer Park – 1890 E. Plymouth Way

Vinland Park – 4695 E. Gettysburg Ave.

Mayor Lee Brand and City Manager Wilma Quan today announced that Lupe Perez has been hired as Director of Economic Development for the City of Fresno.

“This is a key position for City Hall and I think we are incredibly fortunate to have someone as competent and well-respected as Lupe to lead our economic development efforts.  Her expertise in development is perfectly suited with the Administration’s mission to attract new businesses to Fresno and helping existing ones grow.” said City Manager Quan.

Perez had previously served as the City of Fresno’s Downtown Revitalization Manager since June 2014.  She was involved in advancing the Mayor’s downtown revitalization efforts, facilitated development, business attraction, and retention, addressed unique downtown design and land use issues, planned events and festivals on the Fulton Street and kept the public engaged in the revitalization process.

“I’ve worked with Lupe since the day I first started serving as a Councilmember and have always found her to be talented and conscientious with excellent people skills and an equally impressive reputation in the local business community. I’m especially pleased that Lupe shares my vision for job creation and is ready to hit the ground running to help us build on our momentum and continue to improve the quality of life for everyone in Fresno.” added Mayor Brand.

Prior to coming to City Hall, Lupe spent 16 years working for the former City of Fresno Redevelopment Agency in various capacities including Project Coordinator and Project Manager.  There she was involved in the Agency’s downtown revitalization efforts through business attraction and retention, facilitating development, land acquisition, relocation, and property disposition.  She also successfully cultivated exceptional relationships within the community to promote and expand economic development opportunities.

“The EDC is pleased to join the City of Fresno in welcoming its new Director of Economic Development Lupe Perez to the team. I have been working closely with Lupe for the past 10 years and I know she will bring her many years of experience and enthusiasm to the position,” said Lee Ann Eager, President, and CEO of the Fresno County Economic Development Corporation.  “I am looking forward to many more years of working together to ensure that Fresno is the perfect place to start and grow a business.”