Mayor Lee Brand released the following statement on the retirement today of longtime Fresno Bee editor Jim Boren:

“Jim Boren is a rare breed: a career journalist who started work at his hometown newspaper as a cub reporter — and never left.  Instead of hopping newspapers in an attempt to reach a major metropolitan daily, Jim stayed local and became an expert in all things Fresno, knowing his city like few do.   

“This deep knowledge benefitted readers, not only because the vast web of sources that Jim developed allowed him to write more thorough and authoritative stories, but also because as a hometown boy, his reporting was always done with a sense of place, a love of city, and desire to see it be made better. If Jim took a politician to task, it wasn’t for a portfolio clip, it was to make Fresno better.

“As such, Jim’s departure is a huge loss for Fresno. The good news is that Jim isn’t going too far. The Bee’s loss is Fresno State’s gain, as he will use his retirement to mold the next generation of journalists. It is often said of veterans like Jim that ‘they don’t make them like that anymore.’ But I think Jim will use his deep well of journalistic knowledge to do just that — help create a new generation of journalists that know how to be tough but fair, and be dedicated not only to craft but also to the communities they work in.

“On a personal note, I appreciate Jim’s willingness to take my calls and discuss local issues, regardless of their importance, with intelligence and grace.”

Mayor Lee Brand released the following statement on the passing of longtime Clovis Councilman Harry Armstrong:

“Our community has lost a legend. Harry Armstrong was a local government icon and a mentor for many politicians and policymakers.   I first met Harry when I was elected to Fresno City Council in 2008, and I was immediately impressed with his sincerity and his integrity. He was the embodiment of collaboration and always a professional. 

Harry’s legacy will live on throughout our region. During his half-century of service, Clovis grew, the Central Valley grew. Politicians came and went. Fashions changed. But one thing remained constant – Harry Armstrong. He was truly one of a kind and he will be missed.”

Mayor Lee Brand held a press conference earlier today at City Hall to announce details of his Business Friendly Fresno 2.0! initiative.  Mayor Brand was joined by City of Fresno Councilmembers Steve Brandau, Luis Chavez and Clint Olivier, Fresno Chamber of Commerce President Nathan Ahle, and several local business leaders.

The plan will include forming a committee of knowledgeable members of the business community who will complete a comprehensive review and evaluation of the City’s business permit and planning process.

“In my 9 years at City Hall, I have consistently demonstrated my ability to tackle complex problems through extensive research and collaboration that produced viable solutions, starting with the Better Business Act in 2009, Debt Mgt. Policies, Reserve Policies and altogether over 22 legislative acts,” said Brand “I’m confident that the team I have assembled today will follow the parameters I have set to take on the daunting issue of making Fresno business friendly.”

The committee will take a comprehensive and thorough investigation into the organizational structure, technology, training, staffing levels, protocols and other factors that ultimately determine the time it takes to get a project from start to finish.

Business Friendly Fresno 2.0! will also complete the implementation of Accela software that began rolling out under the original Business Friendly Fresno initiative.  Accela will allow people to electronically submit permit applications and architectural drawings as well as, track the plan check process online.  The software will help identify shortcomings in the processes and allow staff to develop appropriate solutions, set up more detailed and realistic performance metrics and goals for every type of permit.

The new initiative will also look at other options such as a Customer Service Representative position to help answer any questions and help business owners through the application process; a mid-year review and evaluation of staffing and funding, and evaluate best practices from other cities.

Business Friendly Fresno 2.0! Committee members:

Tim Orman (Chairman) – Mayor’s office
Anne Kloose – PG&E
Jeff Roberts – Granville Homes
Jeff Harris – Wilson Development
Dennis Gaab – Century Builders
Steve Spencer – Spencer Enterprises Inc.
Rick Ginder – Ginder Development Corporation
Lelan Parnigian – Fowler Packing
Mike Pickett – Don Pickett & Associates, Inc.
Larry Fortune – Fortune Associates
Sal Gonzales – Lance-Kashian & Company
Dirk Poeschel – Dirk Poeschel Land Development Services, Inc.
Ed Dunkel – Precision Civil Engineering, Inc.
Ruth Evans – The Evans HR Group
Nick Yovino – Former DARM Director
Nathan Ahle – CEO, Fresno Chamber of Commerce
Clint Olivier – Councilman, District 7
Luis Chavez – Councilman, District 5
Steve Brandau – Councilman, District 2

Mayor Lee Brand released the following statement on the news that the City of Fresno did not make the list of 20 finalists for Amazon’s second headquarters:

“We always knew it was a long shot, but the nation took notice of Fresno’s unique HQ2 bid and we’re already seeing new interest from a number of major companies.  Between our 10-year economic development plan and our new Business Friendly Fresno 2.0! Initiative, Fresno’s future looks bright as it ever has.” 

Mayor Lee Brand released the following statement on the news that the Fresno Unified School District (FUSD) and the Fresno Teachers Association (FTA) have reached a tentative contract agreement and have avoided a possible strike:

“I am extremely happy that Fresno Unified officials and the Fresno Teachers Association have resolved their differences without a strike. This tentative contract is a sensible compromise that honors the district’s fiscal responsibility while also respecting the hard work and dedication of Fresno’s teachers. This is good news for our kids, good news for our families, and good news for our community.”

City of Fresno offices will be closed in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday on Monday, January 15, 2018.  Normal operations will resume on Tuesday, January 16.  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) throughout the Martin Luther King Jr. 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 Martin Luther King Jr. 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 Martin Luther King Jr. 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/Business Tax:  Payment counters closed (Fresno City Hall and Manchester Center.)  Online and phone transactions available for utility payments.

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

Mayor Lee Brand announced the launch of the City of Fresno’s Rental Housing Registry at a press conference this morning at City Hall. The registry is the first step of the Rental Housing Improvement Act, which gives property owners and managers the ability to register their rental properties online.

The purpose of the registry is to create an easy-to-use site that property owners can use to register the over 90,000 rental units in the City of Fresno. The goal is to work with property owners to achieve compliance with health and safety code violations and improve the quality of Fresno’s rental housing stock.

“This is a significant step forward in the effort to improve Fresno’s housing stock through the Rental Housing Improvement Act,” said Mayor Brand. “By proactively identifying substandard housing violations and ensuring rental housing meets minimum health and safety standards, we will collectively safeguard, and improve the housing stock of decent, safe and sanitary residential rental units within our community.”

All residential rental properties are required to be registered and the registration updated whenever there is a change of ownership or contact information. Registration is due no later than 30 days from receiving initial notice. There are no fees to register a rental property; however, failure to register will result in penalties which will be mailed in the near future.

The Rental Registry can be found online at www.fresno.gov/rentalhousing.

City of Fresno offices will be closed in observance of the New Year’s Day holiday on Monday, January 1, 2018.  Normal operations will resume on Tuesday, January 2.  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) throughout the New Year’s 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 New Year’s Day holiday.

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

Fresno Area Express:  Administrative offices closed.  FAX service will operate on a weekend bus routes schedule.  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 New Year’s Day.  Office closed for citation payments.

Parks and Recreation (PARCS):  Administrative offices closed.  No senior hot meals.  Regional and neighborhood parks open every day.  Neighborhood and community centers are closed.

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

For urgent matters during the New Year’s Day holiday, please call 621-CITY (2489) or use our FresGO mobile app.

City of Fresno offices will be closed in observance of the Christmas holiday on Monday, December 25, 2017.  Normal operations will resume on Tuesday, December 26.  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) throughout the Christmas 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 Christmas holiday.

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 Christmas Day.  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 Christmas Day.  Office closed for citation payments.

Parks and Recreation (PARCS):  Administrative offices closed Monday, December 25.  No senior hot meals.  Regional and neighborhood parks open every day.  Neighborhood and community centers are closed.  The Weekend Recreation and Fitness Program will be closed on Sunday, December 24 at all 16 school sites.

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

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

Friant-Kern Canal Pipeline Conveys Water to Northeast Surface Water Treatment Facility

A milestone in the City of Fresno’s water infrastructure improvement program has been achieved with completion and activation of the Friant-Kern Canal Pipeline, the water pipeline that now captures surface water from the San Joaquin River and transports it to the city’s Northeast Surface Water Treatment Facility before delivery to Fresno homes and businesses.

“This marks an important step in Fresno’s efforts to ensure a safe and sustainable water supply for the City’s future,” said Thomas Esqueda, Director of the City of Fresno Department of Public Utilities.  “This is one of the major projects to be completed under the City’s Recharge Fresno program to improve the City’s water infrastructure, reduce dependence on groundwater, and maximize access to water from the Sierra Nevada Mountains.”

Prior to completion of the 4.5-mile long, 60-inch diameter Friant-Kern Canal Pipeline, the City’s Central Valley Project surface water traveled nearly 55 miles in open canals from Friant Dam to the Northeast Surface Treatment Facility.  The new pipeline now reroutes the water directly to the treatment facility, eliminating nearly 47 miles from the conveyance distance.  While this marks a significant improvement in operations, customers will receive the same high quality water already produced by the treatment facility.

The $15.6 million Friant-Kern Canal Pipeline will now serve as the primary and protected source of water to the treatment facility, enabling improved source water quality, increased reliability and greater flexibility in operating the facility.  The pipeline will require no pumping to reach the treatment facility, resulting in reduced operating costs.  The pipeline is also sized to allow for the future expansion of the treatment facility to its ultimate capacity of 60 million gallons per day.  The facility currently produces between 12 million to 30 million gallons of water per day depending on customer demands.

Construction firm Mountain Cascade, Inc., of Livermore, Calif., was awarded the Friant-Kern Canal Pipeline construction project in April 2016.  The project was funded through a combination of low-interest loans from the State of California Drinking Water Revolving Fund and water rates.  Despite last winter’s weather and associated delays, the project was completed safely and under budget.

The Friant-Kern Canal Pipeline is one of several projects that are part of the Recharge Fresno program.  Other projects include the 80 million gallon per day Southeast Surface Water Treatment Facility; the 13-mile, 72-inch diameter Kings River Pipeline; and 13 miles of regional transmission mains, all scheduled for completion in the coming year.  Together, the projects will capture water from the San Joaquin and Kings rivers, and treat and deliver that water to residents throughout the City, significantly reducing the amount of water currently being pumped from the ground, and ultimately enabling replenishment of that groundwater aquifer.