Fresno City Council, acting at the request by Mayor Lee Brand, declared a homeless shelter crisis at Thursday’s meeting and approved the City of Fresno’s application for Homeless Emergency Aid Program (HEAP) funding, a move that could result in more than $12 million in one-time state funds for the City and its partner agencies.

Senate Bill 850 requires local governments to declare a shelter crisis.  Fresno County also declared a crisis last month.

“Homelessness is the single most significant quality of life issue facing our community, which is why I launched the Street2Home initiative this year, a county-wide collaboration to address homelessness compassionately and intelligently,” said Mayor Brand. “We all know the best way to stop the cycle of homelessness is to put a roof over someone’s head, whether it’s permanent or temporary.  This funding will help us we will continue our successful efforts to connect Fresno’s homeless to the resources that will bring comfort and stability to their lives.”

During the summer of 2018, Mayor Brand joined with other Big 11 mayors in California to lobby the State of California for funding to relieve the burden Fresno and other cities faced in addressing homelessness.  The Mayors’ efforts were successful, resulting in $500 million in State assistance.  Fresno’s pro-rata portion of these funds is $3,105,519, with an additional $9,501,363 going to the Fresno Madera Continuum of Care (FMCoC).  The State requires a community planning process to determine how these funds would be invested in a coordinated way.

The City’s proposal, linked with the FMCoC’s proposal provide opportunities for homeless service providers to apply for funding in the following areas:  Triage Center, Bridge Housing, Diversion, Coordinated Entry, Rapid Rehousing, Outreach, Landlord Engagement, and Services to Homeless Youth.  All planning conforms to the recommendations set forth in the strategic planning document, “Street2Home Fresno County: A Framework for Action,” which outlines four pillar priorities and 13 recommendations for addressing homelessness in the Greater Fresno community.

Funds will be available for homeless services in both the City of Fresno and, through the parallel FMCoC funding in incorporated and unincorporated jurisdictions of Fresno and Madera Counties through June 30, 2021.  There is no matching contribution requirement for these funds.

For more information on the Mayor’s Street2Home Fresno County initiative: https://www.street2homefresno.org/

City of Fresno offices will be closed in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday, November 22, and Friday, November 23, 2018.  Normal operations will resume on Monday, November 26.  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:  Counter will close at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, November 21 and remain closed Thursday and Friday.  Permit applications can be submitted, and progress can be monitored, online through our FAASTER portal at any time during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

Business License:  Office closed.  The Business Tax Web Renewal will be available for TOT (only) throughout the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

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 Thanksgiving holiday, November 22 and 23.

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

Fresno Area Express:  Administrative offices closed.  FAX service is closed on Thanksgiving Day but will resume service on Friday, November 23 with weekend bus routes/schedule in effect.  Administrative offices remain closed; call (559) 621-7433 for details. FAX route maps and schedules.

Parking Division:  No enforcement at parking meters and City parking facilities on Thursday and Friday.  Office closed for citation payments both days.

Parks and Recreation (PARCS):  Administrative offices closed Thursday and Friday.  No senior hot meals Thursday and Friday.  Regional and neighborhood parks open every day.  Neighborhood and community centers will close at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 21, and remain closed on Thursday.  Neighborhood centers with a gymnasium will be open on Friday from 3:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.  Neighborhood centers without a gymnasium will be open on Friday from 3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.  Normal operations on Saturday and Sunday.

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

Public Utilities:  Offices closed.

Public Works:  Offices closed.

Purchasing:  Office closed; Bids Online available for bids and vendor registration.

Residential Solid Waste:  There will be no collection service on Thursday.  On Friday, November 23, the regular schedule for Thursday trash, recyclables, and green waste collection will be followed.  On Saturday, November 24, the regular schedule for Friday trash, recyclables, and green waste collection will be followed.  Regular service will resume on Monday, November 26.  The business office will be closed.  For questions regarding the 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 Thanksgiving holiday, please call (559) 621-CITY (2489) or use our FresGO mobile app.

The City of Fresno, Solid Waste Management Division, will observe the Thanksgiving Holiday on Thursday, November 22, 2018.  There will be no service on this day.

We will resume service the following day and provide trash, recyclables and green waste collection as follows:

Thursday, November 22, 2018 – Thanksgiving Holiday, No service.

Friday, November 23, 2018 – Thursday’s trash, recyclables, and green waste will be collected.

Saturday, November 24, 2018 – Friday’s trash, recyclables, and green waste will be collected.

Our business office will be closed Thursday and Friday, November 22 and 23, 2018.

For questions regarding your residential holiday service schedule, please call the Solid Waste Management Division at (559) 621-1452.

The City of Fresno’s Information Services Department (ISD) was honored at today’s City Council meeting for their recent success at the Municipal Information Systems Association of California (MISAC) annual conference.  The department picked up several awards at the conference held in Rancho Mirage, CA in early October.

Chief Information Officer Bryon Horn received the 2018 President’s Award.  The President’s Award is intended to provide recognition for an individual or organization that has shown an outstanding contribution to MISAC or the Information Technology field.

ISD was honored with the “Excellence in IT Practices” Award.  The award is given to “recognize outstanding practices in information technology that have met or surpassed local government standards” and is intended to foster and recognize outstanding governance and operation practices.

The City of Fresno’s Fulton District and MyFAXBus mobile apps earned Quality Visual Information Awards in recognition of the development of quality visual information which depicts business information and goals.  The apps were the only two to be honored at this year’s conference.

About MISAC – The Municipal Information Systems Association of California (MISAC) was founded in 1980 out of a need for collaboration and data sharing. Members include IT professionals from cities, towns, public safety, special districts, and other local governmental agencies/districts.

MISAC strives to promote leadership, education, and access to resources for local agency technology professionals in order to enhance local government services and effectiveness via its Four Pillars: education, member resources, relationships, and advocacy.

City of Fresno offices will be closed in observance of Veterans Day on Monday, November 12.  The delivery of some City services may be affected by the holiday as well.  Normal operations will resume on Tuesday, November 13.  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 Veterans 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 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 (559) 621-7433 for details.  FAX route maps and schedules.

Parking Division:  No enforcement at parking meters and City parking facilities on Veterans Day.  Office closed for citation payments on Monday, November 12.

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.

Residential Solid Waste:  Administrative offices closed.  Normal residential and commercial collection schedule; for questions regarding the 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 Veterans Day holiday, please call (559) 621-CITY (2489) or use our FresGO mobile app.

Mayor Lee Brand today issued the following statement on the Measure P election results:

“The results for Measure P are bittersweet for me.  I agree that Fresno’s parks need to be improved and expanded, but a 30-year tax with a $2 billion price tag was not the answer.  I respect the hard work and passion of everyone involved with the Yes on P campaign and I believe once we’re able to move past the results, we will come together for the benefit of the people of Fresno.

“Now the real work begins.  Starting today, I will call on my friends on both sides of this issue to join me in developing sensible solutions for Fresno’s biggest problems with the first of many meetings starting in January.  This means parks and public safety but could also include homelessness, blight, job creation, and infrastructure.  We need a broad-based approach to address all of our city’s priorities reasonably and fairly.

“As Mayor, my first and foremost job is the safety and well-being of the people of this great community.  I will continue that focus today and every day that I am your Mayor”

The City of Fresno will begin its one-day a week watering schedule on November 1, 2018.  This schedule applies to the months of November through March.  The new schedule is designed to coincide with the cooler temperatures during this time of year.

Residents with addresses ending in an odd number (1,3,5,7,9) are authorized to water on Saturdays.  Residents with addresses ending in an even number (0,2,4,6,8) are authorized to water on Sundays.  Outdoor watering is not allowed Mondays through Fridays or between the hours of 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. on any day.

Customers may call (559) 621-5480 or email [email protected] for help setting their sprinkler timers.

The City of Fresno today announced the launch of a new Fulton District mobile app that features information of interest about landmarks, artwork, amenities, and history in the Fulton District, which includes the area on and surrounding the recently re-opened Fulton Street between Tuolumne and Inyo.

Users can locate the public art along Fulton Street, discover the names of the artwork, learn about the artists who created the pieces, view pictures, and take a 3D interactive walk around each piece of public art. The artwork can be searched by name or location and provides walking or driving directions to each piece. Similarly, the app allows user to learn about some of the most iconic buildings in downtown.

This new app also provides information about the various amenities available in the Fulton District, including shops, restaurants and attractions that are helping bring Downtown Fresno back to life. The Timeline and Photo Gallery features give users the opportunity to travel through time and learn about the history of Fresno’s pedestrian mall and new Fulton Street.

The Fulton District app was developed as part of the $15.9 million TIGER grant to reconstruct downtown’s main street and is available for Apple and Android devices.

Mayor Lee Brand and Public Utilities Director Michael Carbajal gathered with local, and state leaders today to mark the completion of the Southeast Surface Water Treatment Facility and the major pipeline projects of the City’s Recharge Fresno program, which collectively make up the City’s largest-ever infrastructure program and enable greater water sustainability through increased use of surface water and reduced groundwater pumping.

Welcoming local leaders and representatives of state and federal agencies, Mayor Brand said, “I am proud of our City for successfully delivering our largest-ever infrastructure program on-time and on budget. With the Southeast Surface Water Treatment Facility and major pipeline projects now up and running, our community has a secure, drought-proof water supply.”

The treatment facility is the cornerstone project of the Recharge Fresno, the City’s program to improve the pipelines and water system facilities that will capture, treat and deliver water to Fresno homes and businesses, including surface water from the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The facility currently produces 54 million gallons per day of drinking water for delivery to Fresno homes and businesses, and ultimately will produce 80 million gallons per day, meeting approximately half of the City’s future water demands.

The major projects in the Recharge Fresno Program were collectively under construction for approximately two and a half years and involved more than 180 consulting firms, engineering companies, and contractors.

“You often hear of watershed moments,” said Carbajal. “Quite literally, for Fresno, today marks a milestone for our watershed. But a watershed moment is also defined as a turning point or historic moment. I’m not sure that this moment could be anything but that, given the benefits this program will bring for generations to come.”

Carbajal also recognized the California State Water Resources Control Board and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for their efforts to secure $340 million in low-interest State Revolving Fund loans to help fund the program, saving ratepayers approximately $250 million in financing cost.

“Investing in water infrastructure with our state and local partners is a priority for the EPA,” said Kristin Gullatt, Deputy Water Division Director for EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. “Federal and state funding for this project will help the City of Fresno alleviate groundwater depletion while diversifying municipal water supplies and providing high quality, safe drinking water for the community.”

The Recharge Fresno Program is managed by the City’s Department of Public Utilities. For more information, please visit www.RechargeFresno.com