Mayor Lee Brand and City Manager Wilma Quan-Schecter today announced that T.J. Miller has been named the City’s Director of Customer Relations & Analytics.  In this newly created role, Miller will focus on streamlining customer service delivery through the City’s FresGO mobile app and its full-service, non-emergency customer service line at 621-CITY (2489).  She will also serve as a resource for the Administration and City Council by analyzing and delivering data gathered by FresGO and the call center to help identify high-priority projects and maximize efficiency from our services.

“T.J. has been at the head of the table during every discussion about improving our citizen engagement platforms and when it became apparent that we needed someone to take the lead on taking our customer service to the next level, she was our first choice,” said City Manager Schecter. “She’s ready to hit the ground running and foster a culture of accountability and responsiveness between City Hall and our residents.”

Miller most recently 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 Degrees in Business Administration from California State University, Fresno and a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix.

Mayor Lee Brand and his administration have reached an agreement with The Gap, Inc. (Gap) to relocate their e-commerce fulfillment operation to the City of Fresno.  The relocation allows Gap to place its e-commerce fulfillment center, currently located out-of-state, near its store distribution facilities in the vicinity of Fresno-Yosemite International Airport.

In moving their fulfillment operation to Fresno, Gap has indicated they will employ at least 515 full-time employees ramping up over three years and several hundred part-time and seasonal employees.  Additionally, they will invest at least $80 million in material handling equipment at the facility.  The fulfillment center will be housed in one of the current buildings owned by Gap at their Pacific Distribution Center here in Fresno.

“Fresno continues to build momentum as more major corporations like Gap, Inc. are establishing and expanding their operations in our great city. Companies know we are open for business and will help them grow,” said Fresno Mayor Lee Brand. “The addition of 500 new jobs moves us closer to my goal of 10,000 new, good-paying permanent jobs that will change our city’s narrative and make Fresno a better, safer and more prosperous place to live.”

The agreement is made possible through a 30-year Economic Incentive Agreement between the City and Gap as outlined in the Mayor’s Economic Expansion Act.  The agreement provides performance-based job-creation incentives for the creation of at least 500 net new jobs, and potentially hundreds more part-time and/or seasonal employees during peak business periods.  In addition, it will also ensure continued sustainability of their 351 employees currently employed at their Fresno facility.

“For over 18 years, our Fresno Distribution Campus has played a pivotal role in providing great service to our customers.  It serves as a key strategic location for growth and opportunity.  We consider our Fresno team members to be the very best in the business,” said Shawn Curran, Executive Vice President of Supply Chain & Product Ops for Gap, Inc. “We are thrilled to move on to the next step in our journey as we expand our operations adding 500 new jobs over the next two years. On behalf of the entire management team at Gap Inc., we would like to thank the City of Fresno for their commitment to our vision and their support throughout the planning process.”

The agreement goes before the Fresno City Council on April 5, 2018, for final approval.

The City of Fresno is currently conducting a recruitment for Assistant City Manager.  In this capacity, the City Manager is seeking an individual experienced in public administration with a strong understanding of varied municipal operations and public policy.

Learn more about this opportunity

The City of Fresno, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, dedicated a new public art piece this afternoon at the Mariposa Plaza located on Fulton Street.  The new piece is the first to be installed on Fulton since 1964 and the first to be installed on the newly opened Fulton Street.

Money for the new artwork was made possible by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts Our Town Program to commission new interactive public art, and develop a conceptual redesign of Mariposa Plaza that creates more vibrant and functional public space for festivals, social gatherings, and as amenity for surrounding residents, merchants and workers.

“Great cities have great art, and this is another world-class addition to Fresno’s public art collection, featured on Fulton Street and totally accessible to residents and visitors alike,” said Mayor Lee Brand. “I am proud that we are able to help bring Mariposa Plaza to life and I offer my thanks to the Fresno Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts and our community partners in this effort.”

The City, working together with the landscape architecture firm of Wallace, Roberts, and Todd (WRT), and community partners; The Downtown Fresno Partnership, Creative Fresno, Urban Diversity Design, The Fresno Art Council, The Fresno Art Museum, Univision, Pacific Southwest Building, Central Valley Community Foundation, and Axis Consulting developed an art plan for students to design their vision for Mariposa Plaza, held public meetings, and tours to advance the design of the Plaza, and issued a national call for artists.  Five public art proposals were received, and Gordon Huether was the artist selected to create the world-class work of art in May of 2017.

Huether, from Napa Valley, has created public art installations for universities, hospitals, recreation centers, civic buildings, libraries, museums, airports, transportation centers, parking garages, and private corporations throughout the world.  In total, he has completed more than 250 art commissions over the course of his 30-year career, including the Salt Lake City Airport and the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library.  In addition, his work has been exhibited at museums and galleries and is represented in private collections throughout the United States and Europe.

“Downtown Fresno belongs to everyone, and that’s why I’m proud to have been part of the public conversation we had that eventually brought this beautiful new work to the plaza,” said Fresno City Councilmember Oliver Baines, whose district includes Downtown Fresno. “It’s a terrific complement to the public art already on Fulton Street and builds on the incredible momentum for our vibrant new downtown.”

Mariposa Plaza sits at the center of the former Fulton Mall and is two blocks west of the state’s planned high-speed rail station. The new artwork will be part of a larger plan to redesign and “activate” the plaza, which is not part of the Fulton Street rebuild project. The former Fulton Mall was home to 32 pieces of art including sculptures, mosaic benches, and water features. The City spent over $5 million dollars to restore the artwork to its original condition.

The City of Fresno held a press conference this morning to announce the official launch of the Fresno Area Express (FAX) bus rapid transit system known as “Q,” a state of the art bus system that provides faster, more convenient, and more reliable service than a traditional bus line.  Among the features that “Q” provides are 10–minute frequencies at peak time, bus priority at traffic signals, off-board kiosks, and enhanced stations.

“It’s a project that meets the changing needs of our city,” said Fresno mayor Lee Brand. “Our new ‘Q’ bus service will make the daily transit experience more appealing, attractive and accessible for our customers.”

Q’s initial route spans 15.7 miles on Blackstone Avenue, from North Fresno Street to downtown, then out Ventura Avenue/Kings Canyon Road to Clovis Avenue.  The project includes 51 stations: 24 station pairs (or 48 one–way stations), two terminal stations, and one transit center with a shared platform station.  Q serves major shopping centers, hospitals, and other significant destinations, and in future years, additional Q routes could be added to further improve the FAX system.

The “Q” began operating on February 19, 2018, and riders can take advantage of free rides through Sunday.  Bus rates for “Q” are the same as for fixed bus routes and riders can easily transfer between “Q” and existing FAX routes.  Information about FAX can be found on our website: https://www.fresno.gov/transportation/fax/

Mayor Lee Brand was joined at the press conference by Interim Assistant City Manager Bruce Rudd, Transportation Director Jim Schaad and Councilmember Oliver Baines.

City of Fresno offices will be closed in observance of the Presidents Day holiday on Monday, February 19, 2018.  Normal operations will resume on Tuesday, February 20.  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 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 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 Presidents Day.  Office closed for citation payments.

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 Presidents Day holiday, please call (559) 621-CITY (2489) or use our FresGO mobile app.

The California Strategic Growth Council (SGC) today approved a $70 million package of projects in Southwest Fresno, Downtown Fresno and Chinatown through the Transformative Climate Communities Program (TCC).

The projects were proposed by area residents and business owners through an unprecedented series of community meetings that put the power to decide how to spend the $70 million in the residents’ hands.  All of the proposed projects were distilled into five packages that were presented before a steering committee of the residents and business owners with the final vote taking place in early October.

The steering committee overwhelmingly selected a package that included a West Fresno Satellite Campus for Fresno City College, community gardens, low carbon transportation improvements, affordable housing, urban greening, and local economic development.

“This $70 million 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, it will transform lives.” said Fresno Mayor Lee Brand. “This funding will be the catalyst for further investment that will help Fresno bring new life to our most vulnerable communities.”

The $70 million was approved by the SGC in November 2016 for projects that reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through the development and implementation of neighborhood-level transformative climate community plans that include multiple, coordinated GHG emissions reduction projects that provide local economic, environmental, and health benefits to disadvantaged communities.

“The strength of Fresno’s Transformative Climate Communities proposal is a testament to the vision of local community members when they are empowered to define the path forward for their city. We are thrilled to support this community-led plan to improve health and spur economic development in Fresno.” said Randall Winston, Executive Director of the Strategic Growth Council.

The Transformative Climate Communities Collaborative was created to bring together local leaders to identify investments that will catalyze economic and environmental transformation in Southwest, Chinatown and downtown Fresno. The City of Fresno and the Central Valley Community Foundation (CVCF) partnered together to provide support for the community meetings and to provide the basis to apply for future TCC grants.

The City of Fresno has completed its Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) for the fiscal year which ended June 30, 2017.

Highlights from the City’s CAFR:

• City assets continue to set records, reaching a total of $3.6 billion for the first time in the City’s history.
• The City also received a record $804.3 million of revenue in the fiscal year 2017, surpassing the previous record of $752.8 million set in the fiscal year 2016.
• The City continues to enjoy a Net Pension Asset, which was valued at $147.7 million. Fresno is the only city in California and one of only seven in the nation with a pension surplus.
• Standard and Poor’s Global Ratings and Moody’s Investors Service significantly upgraded the City of Fresno’s investment ratings, with Standard and Poor’s giving the City an unprecedented five-level increase to A+ in April 2017.

The report was prepared by the City’s Finance Department in conformance with current accounting and financial principles established by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB).  The audit was completed by the outside accounting firm of Brown Armstrong, LLP.

“The City’s continued strengthening of its financial position is proof positive that Fresno has firmly established itself as a financially stable agency,” said City Controller Michael Lima. “However, since we still lag behind other cities when it comes to assets available to support our population, it is imperative that we maintain our fiscal prudence and that the plan to build all our assets, especially cash and capital assets, is continued.”

In addition to the results provided in the CAFR, the Finance Department reports that the Unrestricted Fund Balance for the General Fund Emergency Reserve increased from $15.7 million to $20.5 million at the end of FY2017, but is still short of the 10% goal of $30 million in reserves.

“This is just another indication that our strong fiscal strategy, combined with the dramatic improvement in our ratings outlook and our steady increase in job and wage growth, is the right formula for long-term stability,” said Mayor Lee Brand. “We have more work to do, but it’s encouraging to see our efforts continue to meet with success and move us closer to our goal of improving the quality of life for everyone in Fresno.”

The full Comprehensive Annual Financial Report was presented to the City Council today and is available for public review on the City’s website.

The City of Fresno Office of Independent Review’s report for the fourth quarter of 2017 is now available on the City’s website.

The report, compiled by Independent Reviewer John A. Gliatta, covers the period from October 1, 2017 through December 31, 2017.

The report, as well as other information on the Office of Independent Review, is available on the Office’s section of the City’s website at https://www.fresno.gov/oir.