City of Fresno offices will be closed in observance of Memorial Day on Monday, May 27, 2019.  The delivery of some City services may be affected.  Normal operations will resume on Tuesday, May 28.  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 Memorial 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 Memorial Day holiday.

City Clerk’s Office:  Closed.

City Hall Offices:  Closed.

Development and Resource Management:  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.  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 Memorial Day.  Office closed for citation payments. 

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

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 available for utility payments.

For urgent matters during the Memorial Day holiday, please call (559) 621-CITY (2489) or use our FresGO mobile app.

Mayor Lee Brand, along with City Manager Wilma Quan, today announced the proposed City of Fresno budget for Fiscal Year 2020 during a press conference at City Hall.  The $1.187 billion budget, which includes $346 million for the General Fund, puts an emphasis on continuing the City’s long-term financial stability, with a focus on economic development and job creation, improving public safety and creating a more business friendly climate while looking for innovative and new revenue streams to fund the City’s core services.

“This budget represents our continued strategy to use a sensible and balanced approach … to make our City a better and safer place to live, work, raise our children and enjoy life,” said Mayor Brand. “That’s why we are focused every day on creating an economy that works for everyone to transform our narrative from poverty to prosperity with the goal of improving the quality of life for everyone in Fresno.”

The proposed FY 2020 budget represents a balanced approach to rebuilding the financial health of the City and maintaining core municipal services.  Among the highlights, the FY 2020 budget:

• Replaces 71 police vehicles, continuing the process of replacing the City’s aging fleet, and upgrading equipment.
• Funds the construction of the urgently needed Fire Station 18 and a new nine-person company in the Metro area, which increases minimum daily staffing to 80.
• Increases the PARCS budget by 4.6% to build a new BMX park, tot lots at Tupman, Dickey and JSK Parks and a new Challenger Course at Romain Park.
• Builds newrestroom facilities and field lights at Hinton Park; and completion of Maxie L. Parks Urban Forest.
• Also includes funding to funding to pave 74 lane miles of road and complete the conversion of 38,000 street lights to energy-saving LED fixtures, which will save Fresno taxpayers an estimated $1.6 million a year.
• Completes $3.1 million in tree-damaged concrete repairs to our sidewalks; $1.1 million for the Olive Avenue Tower District project to address deferred pavement maintenance and provide a more pedestrian-friendly district.
• Funds over $3.6 million for projects west of State Route 99, including funding to start construction of the Midtown Trail and matching funds for our Transformative Climate Communities program.
• Projects the projected General Fund Reserve to be $34 million by the end of the current fiscal year which is the highest reserve in our City’s history and achieves the goal of having a reserve equal to about 10% of our General Fund budget.

City Manager Quan added, “These investments clearly show our continued commitment to the Mayor’s key initiatives of economic prosperity, quality of life, and public safety – while maintaining the fiscal prudence that has earned Fresno the reputation of being one of the best-run cities in America.”

Mayor Brand will present the proposed budget to Fresno City Council at its meeting on Monday, June 3, 2019. The City of Fresno’s budget must be adopted by June 30, per the city charter.

The full FY2020 Budget Proposal can be viewed online at www.fresno.gov/budget.

Mayor Lee Brand today made the following announcement about the 2020 mayoral campaign:

“Last month, I turned 70 years old and the occasion caused me to reflect on my life, my career and my time as your Mayor.  As a result of this self-reflection, I had an open and honest discussion with my family about seeking a second term.  The overwhelming consensus was that it was time I move on.  My wife wants to travel and I want to spend more time with my grandchildren.

“Therefore, I have decided to announce that I will not run for a second term as Mayor of Fresno. 

“I have a little over 19 months left to complete my term and my vision remains constant: create economic prosperity for our City, improve public safety, improve the quality of life for all and unify Fresno.  For my remaining time in office, I will stay focused on moving that vision forward.

“The people of Fresno and their needs are more important than my political plans.  Not running for a second term will allow me to devote my full attention to moving this City forward. Running for a second term as Mayor would consume time and energy that is better used to achieve my vision.

“Not having the burden of re-election gives me the freedom to devote all of my energy to improving our community. I will keep the ‘pedal to the metal’ until my last day in office.

“For the past 18 years, I have served this City, as a planning commissioner, City Councilmember and Mayor and I have no regrets. I love Fresno and its people and I’m forever grateful to have the opportunity to serve as Mayor of this great City.

“I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to my family, the incredible employees of the City of Fresno and all those who have supported my vision and stood beside me as we worked toward a better Fresno.  I ask you to join my quest to finish strong over the next 19 months. Thank you!”

The entry fee for the City of Fresno Regional Parks – Woodward Park, Roeding Park, and the Regional Sports Complex – will be $7 on Sunday, April 21, 2019, due to the Easter Holiday.

The Parks, After School, Recreation and Community Services (PARCS) Department institutes the $7 fee as part of its holiday schedule.  Those holidays are  Easter, Cinco de Mayo (closest weekend), Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, Father’s Day, Independence Day (observed), and Labor Day.  The normal park entrance fee is $5.  The entrance fee for senior citizens, age 65 or older, is $3.

There is no overflow parking available and “No Parking On The Grass” signs will be placed at various locations.  Each regional parks will be closed to vehicles when the park reaches capacity and reopened as parking spaces become available.  There will be events at Storyland & Playland, as well as visitors to the Fresno Chaffee Zoo, thus making occasional closures to Roeding Park likely.

Park goers parking in surrounding neighborhoods are asked not to block residential or commercial driveways.  Residents whose access to their property is impeded by parked vehicles can call 311 to have the parked vehicle cited.

Park entrance fee will be waived for motor vehicles displaying a valid Disabled person Placard/Decal, to active duty U.S. Military members (with proper identification) or driver, or motor vehicles displaying a California State “Gold Star” license plate.

Mayor Lee Brand today announced more details of an extensive process to gather as much input as possible from the community on what qualities, characteristics, priorities, issues and other attributes they would like to see in the next Fresno Police Chief.  The current chief, Jerry Dyer, officially retires on October 16, 2019.

In order to ensure that the community has as much input into the process as possible, the City of Fresno has begun a comprehensive, citizen-led public outreach campaign.  The first step is an online survey to facilitate community engagement as part of the Police Chief recruitment that will be available in English, Spanish, and Hmong.  The survey asks a series of questions that focus on the important issues and challenges that our residents would like the new Police Chief to understand and address, as well as the qualities that are important to look for in the next Police Chief.

Individuals who complete the survey will be able to reply with their comments in a text box following each question. Here are the links to the surveys:
https://www.fresno.gov/PDsurvey/English
https://www.fresno.gov/PDsurvey/Spanish
https://www.fresno.gov/PDsurvey/Hmong

Hard copies of the surveys will also be available for pick up and drop off at the front counter of the  Personnel Department on the first floor of City Hall.

In addition to online surveys of our residents, the City has scheduled five community meetings, one in each Policing District, to receive that same input.  Each of the five community meetings will be hosted by respected community members with experience in moderating the public discussion.

“The selection of the next Police Chief may be the single most important decision we make in my service to the community as the Mayor,” said Mayor Brand. “This decision impacts everyone living in Fresno and that’s why we are reaching out to the community to get as much input and information as we can to help us make the right choice.  We will continue to be completely transparent in this process.”

The City’s public outreach campaign begins today with the launch of the online community survey, which will be available on the front page of the City’s website at https://www.fresno.gov/ through May 31. The community meetings will start on April 23 and continue through May 9.  The information received through the community survey and community meetings will be compiled and collated and used throughout the process of selecting Fresno’s next Police Chief.

In addition to these community meetings, the public will be able to provide input at Council District meetings scheduled between April 22 and May 31.  The City will also be printing the community survey and distributing at City Hall, Council District meetings and other venues.

The City of Fresno has added eComment to its website, a new feature that provides residents with an additional opportunity for participation in local government when they cannot attend a City Council meeting in person.  Using eComment allows any person anywhere to leave a comment on an agenda item via the internet.

To leave a comment users can click on “eComment” on the Fresno City Council’s agenda page, https://fresno.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx, select the current agenda, then select the item they wish to comment on and submit your written comment.

eComment begins at 5:00 p.m. on Friday prior to the Thursday Council meeting and closes at 9 a.m on the Wednesday prior to the Thursday meeting.  Comments are exported into a report and distributed to the Mayor, City Council, City Attorney, City Manager, and Department Directors

eComment is also a valuable tool for staff.  Significant staff time savings can be realized by encouraging constituents to post their comments using eComment as opposed to sending emails or leaving phone messages.  Having a central repository for comments ensures that the City Council and City staff is in compliance with the Brown Act by having a transparent, predictable process for managing public comment.

The City of Fresno begin its two-day watering schedule Monday, April 1, and will remain in effect for the months of April and May. 

The City is implementing its two-day watering schedule to reflect residents need to provide more water for their gardens and lawns as temperatures increase during the spring months.

Residents with addresses ending in an odd number (1,3,5,7,9) are permitted to water on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Residents with addresses ending in an even number (0,2,4,6,8) are permitted to water on Wednesdays and Sundays.  No watering is allowed on Mondays, Thursdays or Fridays, or on any day between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.

The City of Fresno continues to urge its residents to conserve water as much as possible.

Mayor Brand today announced the launch of his Human Trafficking Initiative, a program designed to bring together local agencies and departments that seek to expose and prosecute violators, and care for those who have experienced human rights violations associated with trafficking to keep Fresno on the path to securing community wellbeing for all.

“In the summer of 2018, I called together a group of leaders representing this vibrant and desperately-needed anti-trafficking movement to look at five key areas: enforcement, prevention and education, data and networking, labor trafficking, and resourcing,” said Mayor Brand.  “The work of this group has given me even greater hope that a unique, community-wide, collaborative approach is emerging here in Fresno that is not only gaining momentum in terms of impact, but also deserving of our continued support and investment.”

Each one of the five key areas has a series of goals that addresses the scope and nature of the human trafficking issue in Fresno, including focusing on activities of concern, implementing best practices in this critical area, and identifying action steps and signs of progress.

Mayor Brand also highlighted the significant progress already made along Parkway Drive, where a number of hotels have long been a magnet for illegal activity that includes human trafficking.  The Administration has organized a Motel Owners Association, is enforcing building codes, and has successfully executed targeted enforcement operations that recently resulted in 25 arrests.

The Mayor’s Human Trafficking Initiative features a partnership among law enforcement, schools, faith-based organizations, congregations, and an effective network of non-profit organizations all dedicated to preventing human trafficking and rescuing and restoring victims.

The partners include:

• City of Fresno
• Fresno Police Department
• Fresno County District Attorney’s Office
• Fresno County Department of Social Services and Child Welfare
• Fresno County Department of Behavioral Health
• Fresno EOC Central Valley Against Human Trafficking
• Fresno County Office of Education
• Federal Bureau of Investigation
• Breaking the Chains
• Marjaree Mason Center
• Mollie’s House
• Beauty for Ashes
• Live Again Fresno
• Made For Them
• Central Valley Justice Coalition
• Fresno Pacific University’s Center for Community Transformation
• Catholic Charities
• Centro La Familia
• Consulate of Mexico
• Saint Agnes Medical Center
• Central Valley Community Foundation

Mayor Brand added, “The fact that slavery still exists in this world – and especially here in the Central Valley – is unacceptable. We cannot rest until human trafficking and slavery has been ended.”

The City of Fresno today officially launched Fresno 311, a new, modernized customer service call center that makes it even easier for residents and visitors to access city services, report issues and get information on a City-related subjects through an updated system that’s more accessible, transparent, and user-friendly.

The City also announced that it will begin providing an interactive online portal for its Operation Clean Up schedule that will allow customers to look up the exact day that our Solid Waste trucks will pick up bulky items in front of their home.

311 is a universally recognized 3-digit non-emergency phone number that people can call in many cities around the United States to find local information. Fresno’s 311 system is a natural upgrade from our One Call Center, which was introduced in February 2006 to provide one single phone number (621-CITY or 2489) to report an issue or get information on any department or service within the City of Fresno. 

Fresno 311 is also integrated with the City’s successful mobile app, FresGO, to give customers a full range of services that will better allow 311 operators to access the information needed to assist residents. Operators answer calls from 7:00am to 6:00pm Monday through Friday.

“Improving customer service at City Hall has always been one of my top priorities, and I’m pleased to see our employees as well as our residents are embracing new technology that allows us to interact effectively,” said Fresno Mayor Lee Brand. “Fresno 311 will be easy to remember and easy to use, so we can reduce the number of non-emergency calls that put stress on our 911 operators.”

Residents can call 311 from any phone within Fresno. If you are calling from outside Fresno, continue to use the number 559-621-CITY.  Transitioning to a 311 system is designed to simplify the process for anyone who doesn’t want to navigate multiple phone numbers, web addresses and e-mail accounts.

Routine services residents can request by contacting Fresno 311 include:

• Illegal dumping on public streets and sidewalks
• Potholes/sinkholes/damaged sidewalks
• Graffiti on public space and buildings
• Street light problems
• Park maintenance

While Fresno 311 operators will be receiving and tracking requests no matter how they come in, for urgent issues, residents should always call. Examples of urgent issues include:

• Objects blocking the roadway
• Fallen trees or branches
• Downed road signs such as stop signs
• Flooding
• Traffic signal outages

Mayor Lee Brand and City Manager Wilma Quan today announced that T.J. Miller has been named interim Director of the City’s Parks, After School, Recreation, and Community Services (PARCS) Department, effective immediately.

Miller will continue to serve as Director of Customer Relations and Analytics, where she has been successfully streamlining customer service delivery through the City’s FresGO mobile app and its full-service, non-emergency customer service line. 

“T.J. is one of the most respected members of our Administration, with proven leadership skills and considerable expertise in organization and solving complex problems,” said City Manager Quan.  “We’re fortunate to have someone of her capability to continue the City’s efforts to improve the quality of life for our residents.”   

Before she was appointed Director of Customer Services and Analytics, Miller served as Assistant Director of Personnel Services; a position she held since January, 2013.  In that capacity, she served the City by providing service to City departments with their Human Resources and Risk Management needs.  In 2015 the City Manager assigned her to co-lead the Assistant Director team with a focus on FresGO operations.

Prior to that, T.J. served for more than six years as Human Resources Manager with the City of Fresno.  She was instrumental in forming the Public Sector Collaborative as part of the Regional Jobs Initiative.  She also led the transition to an automated employment application and self-service environment for City employees.

Miller has a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from California State University, Fresno and a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from University of Phoenix.