2600 Fresno Street
Fresno, CA 93721
www.fresno.gov
City of Fresno
Meeting Minutes
City Council
President - Mike Karbassi
Vice President - Miguel Angel Arias
Councilmembers:
Annalisa Perea, Tyler Maxwell, Brandon Vang,
Nick Richardson, Nelson Esparza
City Manager - Georgeanne A. White
City Attorney - Andrew Janz
City Clerk - Todd Stermer, MMC
9:00 AM Council ChambersThursday, May 15, 2025
Regular Meeting (Mayor's Presentation of the Budget)
The City Council met in regular session in the Council Chamber, City Hall, on the date and time above written.
9:09 A.M. ROLL CALL
Council President Mike Karbassi
Vice President Miguel Angel Arias
Councilmember Annalisa Perea
Councilmember Tyler Maxwell
Councilmember Brandon Vang
Councilmember Nick Richardson
Councilmember Nelson Esparza
Present: 7 -
Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag
Councilmember Richardson led the Pledge of Allegiance.
APPROVE AGENDA
On motion of Councilmember Maxwell, seconded by Vice President Arias, the Agenda was APPROVED. The motion carried by the following vote:
Aye: Karbassi, Arias, Perea, Maxwell, Vang, Richardson and Esparza
7 -
BUDGET PRESENTATION
City of Fresno ***Subject to Mayoral Veto Page 1
May 15, 2025City Council Meeting Minutes
ID 25-652 WORKSHOP - Presentation of Mayor’s Proposed Fiscal Year 2026 Budget
The Proposed Fiscal Year 2026 Budget was presented to Council by Mayor Dyer.
Council discussion included: appreciation for the presentation of a balanced budget; recognition of the inclusion of council priorities; commendations for the effort put forth by the departments; the financial outlook of the City; the need for long-term fiscal planning, and preventative initiatives; iInnovation and austerity to maintain services and jobs; the differences between a hiring freeze and holding vacancies; labor negotiations; community investment and youth services; the effectiveness of the Visitor’s Bureau; the Advanced Peace program; capital and service improvements; criminal justice & accountability, and; parks, trails and environmental access.
Councilmember Maxwell requested (a) a master list of all parcels and properties owned by the City of Fresno, including their assessed values, if available; (b) a list of all properties purchased with Measure P dollars that have not yet been developed (i.e., future parks); (c) a master list of all properties the city currently leases, including: cost per lease, square footage, number of employees working at each location, departments occupying the space; (d) a workshop on the city’s bonding obligations and bonding capacity, including: all current bonding obligations, annual general fund commitments toward these bonds, specific inclusion of the 911 center and dispatch station, total bonding capacity, what assets the city is bonding against, bond maturity timelines, total bond repayment amounts, including interest, and; (e) line item under revenue sources, other revenue and changes.
Vice President Arias requested (a) the vacancy rates for the Police and Fire Departments over the past five years, including the current vacancy rates for both departments; (b) overtime expenditures for the Police and Fire Departments for each of the past five years, as well as the current year-to-date figures; (c) a memo detailing all cannabis business licenses awarded to date, including how many are currently operational, the revenue generated so far, and the projected timeline for the remaining licensees to become operational; (d) a memo outlining the total amount of housing funds City of Fresno ***Subject to Mayoral Veto Page 2
May 15, 2025City Council Meeting Minutes
available, including the amounts that have already been allocated to specific projects and those that remain unallocated, along with the current cash on hand; (e) from the FAX Department, provide data on safety-related incidents over the past five years, the current rate of incidents, and specify the funding source for the proposed addition of four officers (e.g., Measure C, federal funds, etc.); (f) a list of departments where vacancies are intentionally being held open, along with the specific positions affected, and indicate which departments will be subject to this strategy moving forward; (g) a memo on the status of the Advanced Peace program, including the impact of the loss of federal funding and whether there is potential for the City budget to support the program, and; (h) an update to confirm whether funding for the Marjaree Mason Center is included in the proposed budget.
Councilmember Richardson requested (a) confirmation whether there is a line item for the expenditures related to the sergeants and officers moved to the FAX unit, as mentioned in the police budget on page B-171, and clarify why this is not reflected on pages B-93 through B-102, and; (b) provide the terms of the lease for the new helicopter, including the length of the lease and the interest rate.
PRESENTED
GENERAL ADMINISTRATION
ID 25-663 WORKSHOP -Text Amendment Regarding Increased Housing Opportunities
The above item was presented to Council by Planning Manager Pagoulatos.
Council discussion included: infill housing and anti-sprawl policy; the ministerial approval process and expansion of authority; development standards, safeguards and notifications; CEQA and environmental compliance including EIR cost concerns; Council authority, appeal mechanisms and oversight concerns; the current housing crisis; office to residential conversions and market realities; community concerns and traffic impacts; maps, town halls, and input timelines used while developing the policy; accountability and transparency; legal constraints surrounding spot zoning; the differences between ministerial approvals and discretionary approvals; criticisms of legislative barriers to housing production; the City of Fresno ***Subject to Mayoral Veto Page 3
May 15, 2025City Council Meeting Minutes
importance of maintaining a pro-housing designation; certain opposition to the policy based on specific project impacts; certain support for the policy as written by planning experts; housing unit capacity versus development feasibility; legal liability, defensibility and the risk of inaction, and; the potential impacts of a mayoral veto.
PRESENTED
UNSCHEDULED COMMUNICATION
Upon call, the following members of the public addressed the Council with unscheduled communication: Gabriel Ledesma.
ADJOURNMENT
Council adjourned the meeting at 12:02 P.M.
The above minutes were approved by unanimous vote of the City Council during the June 12, 2025, regular meeting.
City of Fresno ***Subject to Mayoral Veto Page 4