One of our city’s most vibrant and inclusive corridors is undergoing a revision of its zoning plans and the community at-large is invited to participate!

The Office of Community Affairs (OCA) is teaming up with the Long-Range Planning division to outreach to our diverse Fresno communities encouraging their involvement in the Tower District Specific Plan Update. The update will revise the original plan established 30 years ago and will serve as a guide to this iconic neighborhood’s future.

Community vision for the Tower District welcome
“We are encouraging Tower District residents, visitors, business owners and enthusiasts to join us by sharing your vision for this neighborhood’s next 30 years. Having broad participation from community members who live, work, and play in the Tower will enrich the plan for decades to come,” shared Casey Lauderdale, Long Range Planning Division supervising planner and Tower Tomorrow project leader.

The OCA was invited to partner with the Tower Tomorrow project to encourage participation from all community members including our city’s Asian Pacific Islander, BIPOC, Indian, Immigrant and Latino communities. As part of the project, the OCA recorded messages in English, Spanish, Hmong and Punjabi welcoming resident engagement. These video-recorded messages featured on the Tower Tomorrow project website share different ways residents can participate in the vision for the district’s future.

“The Tower District has always been a welcoming place for all visitors. As the OCA, we are excited to invite all city residents to join in and share what they envision for the Tower District today and for years to come,” shared Harjinder Saini, OCA’s Indian Community liaison.

Engage with Tower Tomorrow
Tower District residents, business owners, visitors and fans can engage in the Tower Tomorrow project by visiting the official Tower District Specific Plan Update website and following the City of Fresno social media pages including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for information on project events and activities.

The Fresno Mayor’s Civic Academy inaugural cohort graduates recognized at the Fresno City Council meeting on February 23, 2023. (Pictured: OCA Civic Academy graduates with Mayor Jerry Dyer, Deputy Mayor Matthew Grundy and OCA liaisons.)

Twenty-five resident participants joined the Office of Community Affairs Civic Academy’s inaugural class. Academy graduates received certificates and recognition at the Feb. 23, 2023 City Council meeting.

Fresno City Mayor, Jerry Dyer commended graduates’ achievement, “I am very proud of this first group of Civic Academy graduates. They are taking the first step to learn and be engaged in what happens in our city. Their participation coincides with our One Fresno vision, where people are at the center of our city government.”

Civic Academy teaches city government basics
Academy resident participants joined the civic engagement learning sessions in September 2023 for four monthly two-hour sessions where they learned about Fresno’s strong mayor form of government, reading city council agendas and the basics of municipal boards and commissions. The Civic Academy also hosted representatives from several municipal departments who led presentations on basic city functions and services provided to the public. Presenting city departments included:

• Fresno Police and Fresno Fire
• Code Enforcement
• Economic Development
• PARCS
• Planning and Development
• Public Works and Public Utilities
   

The city’s Planning and Development department was among the municipal divisions that offered presentations during the Civic Academy sessions. Sophia Pagoulatos, Fresno Planning and Development Department Planning Manager led her department’s in-person information session. “Community perspective on the different activities carried out by our city is so important. They bring their own unique lens and expertise on their neighborhoods and spaces. Information like that provided by the Civic Academy widens their view on our city,” said Pagoulatos.

Civic Academy as key engagement tool Civic Academy graduates were surprised to learn about the many municipal functions that city departments carry out each day. “It was so interesting to learn about the many things that must happen each day to make our city work. Learning about it in the Civic Academy, it was evident that many hands lighten heavy loads and now our hands will also be available to help,” said Kina McFadden, Fresno city resident and Civic Academy graduate.

The Civic Academy was designed and organized by the Mayor’s Office of Community Affairs, under Deputy Mayor Matthew Grundy’s leadership. “We see the academy as a key civic engagement tool that makes city hall accessible to all residents. This was just the first class of two annual cohorts our Office of Community Affairs will be hosting. We look forward to welcoming new resident participants,” said Deputy Mayor Grundy. As a result of OCA outreach efforts, between 2021 and 2022, our city has experienced a 2 percent increase in civic engagement.  

Future participation opportunities
The Spring 2023 Civic Academy has recruited nearly 100 resident participants for its March to June sessions. Residents interested in registering for the Fall 2023 OCA Civic Academy, please contact: [email protected]
information on the mural, contact the Office of Community Affairs at (559) 621-7923

A new $8.5 million, 50-acre park is coming to southeast Fresno and the community is encouraged to participate in the design process. The future park, one of the city’s most significant projects in Southeast Fresno, will take input from the community on amenities they would like included in their park such as playgrounds, soccer, basketball, futsal courts, picnic areas, a community center, an event lawn with an amphitheater, among others. The Mayor’s Office of Community Affairs (OCA) partnered with Fresno PARCS’s Department to encourage members of our city’s diverse communities to share their point of view.

Outreach partnership welcomes 200 meeting participants
The OCA invited residents to attend the in-person community meeting at Juan Felipe Herrera Elementary School in early February. More than 200 residents attended the PARCS-hosted event to provide park design input. Many members from southeast Fresno’s diverse communities were represented and interpretation was provided in Spanish and Punjabi.

“It’s vital that community members take ownership of this project by sharing what they would like to see. We encourage parents, youths and elders to participate in our in-person events or send us their written comments,” said Aaron Aguirre, Fresno PARCS director.

Community-led park design
Acknowledging the important role that parks and green spaces play in our diverse communities, the OCA committed to reaching out to our cities’ diverse communities via social media channels online as well as in-person outreach events.

Sandra Lee, who serves as OCA liaison to the Asian Pacific Islander community, knows the power that resident participation can have when it comes to community ownership. “Having our families come put their vision for this park’s future to paper is very important. As OCA team members, we’re committed to ensure that our diverse communities’ point of view will guide the outcome of what will ultimately become their own recreational space.”

More opportunities for community input
Fresno residents can submit comments for the South Peach Avenue Park project through April 7, 2023. The park design will continue through Summer 2024. Construction is anticipated to start in Winter 2024 and the park is expected to open to the public in early 2026. For more information on the South Peach Avenue Park visit: www.southpeachpark.fresno.gov