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.

Mayor Lee Brand, along with local civic leaders and partner agencies, today announced the signing of the Master Grant Agreement (MGA) with the Strategic Growth Council for the Transformative Climate Communities Collaborative program.  Mayor Brand will ask that the City Council approve the MGA for development and implementation of greenhouse gas emissions reduction projects in the amount of $66,500,000 at the council meeting on Thursday.

The City of Fresno has been awarded grant funds from the State of California through the Strategic Growth Council (SGC) to fund the development and implementation of neighborhood-level coordinated greenhouse gas emissions reduction projects that provide local economic, environmental and health benefits to disadvantaged communities.

The submittal for the grant funds, named the Transform Fresno Plan, includes coordination with several partners to deliver a variety of California Climate Investment projects such as urban greening, active transportation, housing, low income weatherization, and food waste prevention and rescue in the Downtown, Chinatown, and Southwest Fresno communities.

“We can improve our environment and take a giant step to reduce chronic poverty with this program. This grant will lead to triple the investment in economic development and that will mean more jobs and better services for everyone,” said Mayor Brand. “It will not only transform communities, it will transform lives.”

The City was awarded the funding in January of 2018 and has since then been working with SGC to finalize the details of the Master Grant Agreement that dictates the regulations for project implementation and the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which lays out the plan for continued community engagement in all facets of implementation as required by TCC Grant Program guidelines.

Fresno was selected to receive 50% or $70 million (minus a mandatory 5% reduction for a State administrative fee) of the total available state funding for several factors. Fresno has long faced challenges of environmental and socioeconomic disparity.

A total of $111 million of leveraged funds are included in the agreement in order to satisfy the TCC Grant Program’s 50% match  requirement. Some key projects included in the leveraged funds are $70 million from State Center Community College Bond Measure C Initiative for the Fresno City College West Fresno Satellite Campus; $15 million from CMAQ, Measure C, SB1 and Rule 20A for transportation infrastructure and utility undergrounding funds for the perimeter street improvements at Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard, Jensen, Church and Walnut; and $3.5 million Federal and State transit funds for FAX service improvements.

City of Fresno offices will be closed in observance of the Presidents Day holiday on Monday, February 18, 2019.  Normal operations will resume on Tuesday, February 19.  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 Presidents 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 Presidents 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 Presidents 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 Presidents 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 Presidents Day holiday, please call (559) 621-CITY (2489) or use our FresGO mobile app.

Mayor Lee Brand and Fresno City Manager Wilma Quan today announced that Gregory Barfield has been named the City of Fresno’s new Director of Transportation, effective Monday.  Mr. Barfield was the interim director since August of 2018 and served as Assistant Director of Transportation for over two years, where he was in charge of Operations, Planning, and Support Services.

“Making the change in Greg’s title from interim to official was one of my easiest decisions as City Manager,” said Ms. Quan. “His experience in public administration and his talent for managing complex issues have made Greg an invaluable member of our team. I look forward to more great things from him in the future.”

A native of Fresno, Barfield was responsible for managing a department with over 500 persons that served just under 10 million riders last year with 16 fixed routes and 104 buses covering over 5 million road miles, and was instrumental in the continued success of the new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and FAX15 services which helped Fresno’s public transportation system increase its ridership by almost 10 percent in 2018.  Prior to his role as Assistant Director of Transportation, he served for 10 years as Chief of Staff to Councilmembers Oliver Baines & Cynthia Sterling.

He has worked in all levels of government, been active in many local, state and federal political campaigns in the last 30 plus years with time spent working at community based non-profits, institutions of higher learning and private business along the way.  Barfield is a graduate of California State University, Fresno with a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work and is a graduate of Fresno Pacific University’s School of Business with a Masters in Leadership and Organizational Studies.  He is married to Angie and together in their blended family, they have seven children, four grandchildren and one great grandchild.