City Council Wylin'
The council increased the police budget by $10 million, resolved to transform some dilapidated hotels into homeless housing and even had some friendship breakups
☀️Good morning, Fresno! It’s Sunday, Nov. 1, 2020.
Hey, girls. It’s me again. Canyoubelieve?! For Halloween this year, I decided to dress up as Ram, and by that I mean I’m writing this goddamn newsletter during the spookiest day of the year because 1) my friend and co-host is on a well deserved vacation and 2) the coronavirus is still running rampant just outside my door. Did you know the U.S. broke a global record for the most single infections in a single day? Yikes.
But just like every week before, this installment of the newsletter is about the Central Valley. The city council has been acting up. On one hand, we’re funding parks and park maintenance to combat gangs, and on the other hand we’re giving the police $10 million extra dollars no strings attached. But hey, at least we’ve made 73 recommendations for how they can change for the better.
This is last week in Fresno.
—Love, Tommy 💙
Fresno by Five
👮The Police Reform Commission Adopts 73 Recommendations, and the City Council Gives Cops Even More Money
The commission to reform the police officially adopted its final report, boasting 73 recommendations, with a 31-1 vote. Meanwhile, the city council approved a $10 million dollar increase to the police budget, totaling $210 million in what some are calling the Bruh Moment of the Century. Oof, bitch. Oof.
“So many times in Fresno, we don’t think we deserve stuff. We deserve the best policing department in the country right here in Fresno,” Oliver Baines, commission chairperson, said.
The report isn’t binding, but the city council will consider each of the recommendations as soon as Thursday, which cover deadly force, response to nonviolent calls for service, hiring and recruiting, contracting with school districts, etc. The council has earmarked $1 million for efforts related to the recommendations.
The president of the Fresno Police Officers Association, Todd Frazier, was the sole “no” vote.
“We’re not public guardians. We’re law enforcement,” Frazier said. Oof, bitch. Oof.
“This process has shown me that this community does not want to abolish the police. But they want to abolish the policing tactics that hurt them rather than serve them,” D’Aungillique Jackson, a commission member and president of the Fresno State NAACP chapter, said.
💰City Councilmen Might Breakup Over this Money Back Guarantee Stuff
Councilman Mike Karbassi questioned his friendship with Councilman Bredefield (our favorite) following yet another heated back and forth, this time over an ill fated Money Back Guarantee program that was originally designed to make the planning department more efficient, and make Fresno more business friendly. The council cut it this Thursday.
While these proceedings were open and allowed for debate, Bredefeld referred to a prior motion to defund MBG as “deceptive and not transparent.” Karbassi called his comments incendiary language.
“That’s a corrupt process. You may be fine with that. I’m not. And I don’t think the public is fine with that. So this is not opinion, Mr. Karbassi, these are facts,” Bredefeld said.
“I would never accuse you of selling your vote, ever, because you are a person of integrity, Garry. You served our country and I respect you. But when you do that, it questions our friendship and it questions the integrity of this council. That’s not OK. And that really upsets me,” Karbassi said.
¡Escandalo! The drama.
The conversation devolved further, and the eventual vote defunded MBG in a 6-1 vote. I’m sure you can guess who the lone “no” was.
🏚️Fresno Will Purchase Dilapidated Hotels and Turn Them into Homeless Housing
“The purchase and renovation and validation of multiple hotels in that corridor is going to change lives for generations to come,” Council President Miguel Arias said.
The city will partner with the Fresno Housing Authority on the project. Mayor Lee brand said that this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to address homelessness, as well as COVID-19.
Newsome’s Homekey program chipped in $16.5 million in additional funding.
🏥 Coronavirus Update
As of Oct. 30, the most recent data available at the time of writing, there have been a total of 31,409 (+88) total confirmed cases and 443 (+14) deaths in Fresno County. Currently, there are 94 (+7) hospitalized. A total of 20,692 people have recovered.
We remain in the Red tier which allows restaurants and movie theaters to continue indoor operations at 25% capacity.
We had a positivity rate of 6.7 per 100,000 residents this past week, which is in the Red tier. To remain in this tier, Fresno County has to meet the following state requirements:
An adjusted average daily rate of seven new coronavirus cases for every 100,000 residents
Have no more than 8% of residents who are tested for COVID-19 show positive results for the infection on a weekly basis
Testing is available around Fresno. Visit lhi.care to set up an appointment. It’s free even without insurance. If you have insurance, you can also try these other testing sites here.
☕Somebody Wrote ‘White Lives Matter’ in a Starbucks Bathroom and the Baristas said ‘Fuck That.’
A racist, rancid individual used a white-out pen to write “White Lives Matter” in the bathroom of a Starbucks on Herndon and Fowler. They also drew a swastika, because racists love the old hits. Also, Trump 2020 because of course.
While the act wouldn’t result in criminal charges, Clovis police are said to be investigating, according to police spokesman Ty Wood. One thing is certain: the perpetrator is probably definitely mayhaps ugly and balding because nothing snatches good looks and follicles faster than racism.
Shayna Boyles, a barista at a different Starbucks, took to the streets to protest. “I see some serious racism in Clovis,” she said. Boyles said she wants her fellow Starbucks partners (employees) to feel safe and included at work, free from racist attacks.
“It’s more so about getting the community to understand that we will not tolerate hate,” Morgan Hunt, a coworker of Boyles, said.
🗳️Record Breaking Ballot Returns
Registered voters in Fresno County have returned 166,478 ballots, already surpassing the absentee ballot totals in 2016.
55% of ballots were received by mail rather than the drop boxes.
33.5% of all 468,482 registered voters in Fresno County have returned their ballots. The latest tally of registered voters is 15,000 more than the month before.
Here’s the data in a nice, colorful chart.
🥜Post Lawsuit Clarity
The Assemi Brothers, one of the region's...largest nut growers, scored big in the courts in their lawsuit against Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds. I’m sure they feel like, really relaxed now, and very focused.
There’s a lot of fun stuff in this story, but one thing I particularly enjoy is how everything having to do with Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds legal defense is written as “Wonderful’s lawyers” or “Wonderful’s contract.” I don’t know what it is, I just find it so funny.
Also the phrase “high-stakes and ultra-competitive world of growing, selling and processing nuts” is written with zero irony, so that’s amazing.
🔗Quick Links
Open Enrollment for 2021 Starts Today, Girlies. Covered California is opening its online doors again this year. Readers, you too can sign up for subsidized healthcare, until Jan. 31.
CalMatters has a great article about Proposition 16 and how—contrary to what our non-Asian readers might think, Asian Americans are not a monolith and they do not universally reject Affirmative Action.
“Although I am Asian, I carry the term Southeast Asia,” Chali Lee, a Hmong Clovis Community College student, said. “You have to disaggregate the data and look at the dangers of using umbrella terms—in the Hmong community specifically, not many pursue higher education.”
Only 24% of Hmong adults had a bachelor’s degree in 2019, compared to 74% of Asian Indians, and 54% of Asians broadly in California.
The city council will invest $10 million to support youth in a bid to thwart gang recruitment, including parks and park maintenance. Councilmember Luis Chavez is also floating a youth employment program.
This week in Fresnoland, Monica Vaughan reports that the average cost to rent an apartment in Fresno has gone up since March, even as residents continue to struggle with the economic fallout of the pandemic.
Rents in Fresno are up by 5.9% since March, the median increasing to $942 for a 1-bedroom and $1,173 for a 2-bedroom in October. Vacancy rates have fallen to 2% from 4.5%.
🎧 On the Pod This Week
Welcome to the first annual Fiveby Halloween Special! Ram took to Twitter and asked Central Valley folks to share their paranormal experiences on pod. These are 4 spooky stories of Central Valley folks. Thank you to Claudio, Max, John and Naomi for sharing. Enjoy and Happy Halloween.
Listen to the episode on these other podcasting platforms:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Anchor | Google Podcasts
Also pls give us 5 Stars on Apple Podcasts
This newsletter was written by Tommy Tribble (@tomiiwrites) and edited by Ram Reyes (@vibesradiator) | Follow Five By Five Nine on Instagram & Twitter | Remember, you are loved