[{"_1":2,"_110":-5,"_111":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,98],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6749032,"mediaKeyId","2127137-0b29af555921b55c11f69d7097180ed4","parentId",2127137,"title","Council approves parks fee updates after debate over charging for repeat swim lessons","audioSeconds",69,"startMs",21500000,"endMs",21569000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2127137-0b29af555921b55c11f69d7097180ed4&start=21500&end=21569","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2127137-0b29af555921b55c11f69d7097180ed4/thumbnail_21500000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6749032/Fresno-City/Fresno-County/California/Council-approves-parks-fee-updates-after-debate-over-charging-for-repeat-swim-lessons","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6749032-f5ae93370a9c45d482413e73aa953651/orig.mp4?Expires=1776488029&Signature=J7WuZlizG0fDBYBFChktEsFhlxo-DShy~fwx80ys~YRyO6ZyC5~M5odnrcDJ4Csiy2pObRqMyfpx-a5d2Z7bMmAPH4teF270wRVrnqGI2ovs1mC9iSOIQ25rSNiwcYEuEgfHamEh0TGjU1xhVRjCIymRlu8KOXnhcBkrhaI5lNLQj5oOtUnNqwz-kQQqsTWP6edL~SKxBFU-51RVlN8Q80~AVcC7xiudmWfZ28wUIcOhf4vBnVgqINJrgWd0Z6WFrf0FvDtNTX4OXSs67VNvwuTWTSAUGBe5FSqyBTrp79~N6Psg-2CKf7pmfOz~NpDnTONmqXCk-dVvagBaKn83Aw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Fresno, CA","date","2025-01-17T21:17:53.353Z","article","The Fresno City Council approved an update to the Parks master fee schedule on Jan. 9, 2025, after a detailed discussion about swim lessons, youth fee waivers and program access. Councilmembers pressed staff for data on program capacity and the remaining balance in the youth fee-waiver fund and instructed staff to return with those figures and additional detail on an in-line hockey rink tariff.

Parks staff told the council the department runs roughly 3,000 swim-lesson sessions a year and that Fresno Unified students ages 3–17 were eligible for one free session annually under current arrangements. The staff proposal would charge for additional sessions beyond the free first session; a subsequent session was proposed at $100 before waivers. Staff said the youth fee waiver program reduces fees for qualifying households and estimated that in current practice about 80% of youth participants would qualify for that waiver, which would reduce the effective cost of any subsequent session.

Councilmembers raised equity concerns about charging for subsequent lessons because children learn at different paces and additional sessions can be critical for water safety. Several members asked staff to return on Jan. 30 with (a) the remaining balance in the youth fee-waiver program, (b) the eligibility and application process for the waiver, and (c) potential program tweaks such as instructor-to-student ratios and an instructor assessment that could allow an instructor to recommend a free follow-up session for a child who needs it. Councilmember Maxwell proposed, and the council agreed, that swim- and rink-specific line items be revisited at the next regular meeting.

The master fee package passed the council with an amendment to add two explicit zero-cost line items to the master fee schedule for replacement of stolen or damaged residential trash containers, and to return with the additional swim and court details. Councilmembers noted the city has Measure P funds targeted to parks and recreation and asked staff to clarify whether Measure P carryover could cover program needs rather than shifting costs to families.

What’s next: Staff will return with the youth fee-waiver balance and implementation details on the swim program, plus refined pricing for the inline-hockey rink and community court reservations.

Sources: Parks director (staff presentation); Councilmembers Tyler Maxwell, Nick Richardson, Nelson Esparza; Council proceedings (Jan. 9, 2025).","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Fresno City Council 1/9/2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Fresno City Council approved an update to the Parks master fee schedule on Jan. 9 after a debate over whether to charge for repeat swim-lesson sessions for youth.","taxTitle","Fresno City, Fresno County, California","taxId",3699,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6749024,"Votes at a glance: Jan. 9, 2025 Fresno City Council",308,15947000,16255000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2127137-0b29af555921b55c11f69d7097180ed4&start=15947&end=16255","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2127137-0b29af555921b55c11f69d7097180ed4/thumbnail_15947000.jpg","/articles/6749024/Fresno-City/Fresno-County/California/Votes-at-a-glance-Jan-9-2025-Fresno-City-Council","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6749024-09e471aa4b56a206ed6105d11d1564b3/orig.mp4?Expires=1776488029&Signature=N-kM2l-F3vPrJmN5nZcjImJJJiKXJ9sDWin4sHKREn7uJKtX~Bqvh8YCIOnIkd3Ts6IygCGfXrj33Zdy7UFT0S0ppojMu7yqksfHlSifcK-bIF~p7VQjJ6A8wphVCpUsWuvitCt-MwlR6PCaRD-p7SS4pDdbACepJnOewdeoXqUgbAJu9dHbsYdemYJcwcxcn-9Lwt3mo47fSvuHKO~o2wKrKggFMADT5Pu~bGO304Yl3iN7BOqHLioZR54eZRH74Fk4VQYMZLHH2lDps2BMPKBPfa58qrv~ORqwjgQ8ETZqI2vcEOYn0ycEpS634T0SK8bLdla2THDK~htf0VgFfg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Summary of formal council actions taken on Jan. 9, 2025 (motions listed in chronological order of action recorded in the meeting):

- Agenda approval as amended (motion by Councilmember Arias; seconded by Councilmember Richardson): Passed 6–0.

- CFD No. 11 Annexation (Tract 6360): Staff presented proposed improvements (trails, landscaping, lighting); ballots received in favor; public hearing closed and annexation approved (motion and vote recorded; passed 5–0).

- Recognized Obligation Payment Schedule (ROPS) 2025–26: Council portion approved (motion passed 5–0); successor agency approval followed (motion passed 6–0). Staff said the ROPS requests approximately $1.906 million with about $1.3 million a city-agency loan repayment; the city’s share is roughly $1,052,000 and the balance is directed to the low- and moderate-income housing trust.

- Resolution to suspend the labor-management act for 10 days (to expedite MOU ratification): Approved (motion passed; council recorded votes and item passed).

- CFPEA Unit 13 MOU (personnel/labor agreement): Staff provided fiscal disclosures; council ratified the agreement (motion passed 5–0).

- Garage 9 renovation contract (convert interior space to house Housing and Homeless division offices): Approved (motion passed 5–0); staff clarified the majority of funds are for interior office fit-out and asbestos remediation; separate capital work will cover garage structural issues.

- Parks master fee schedule updates: Approved with amendments to add two zero-fee line items for replacement of stolen or damaged residential trash containers and direction to return with swim program and rink fee detail (motion passed 5–0).

- Fire mutual-aid overtime appropriation (reimbursements and overtime generated by wildfire deployments): Approved (motion passed 5–0). Staff reported 18 fighters deployed and described the state reimbursement process for personnel and apparatus.

- Consultant and contract approvals: Multiple consultant service agreements and contract amendments on the consent calendar were approved or continued as noted on the agenda; contested items were pulled, discussed and approved per staff recommendations.

Notes: Where the transcript recorded vote tallies or recorded \"passes\" the outcome in this summary matches the recorded tally announced by the mayor/city clerk in the meeting. Several items were continued or had follow-up directions for staff to return with additional details.

Sources: City Clerk roll calls and on-the-record vote statements (Jan. 9, 2025 meeting transcript).","The Fresno City Council voted on multiple resolutions, contracts and appropriations at its Jan. 9 meeting, approving the CFD annexation, the ROPS for fiscal 2025–26, personnel agreements, and capital and fee schedule items with follow-up directions to staff.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6749028,"Council approves Garage 9 renovation to create office space for housing and homeless services",0,21816000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2127137-0b29af555921b55c11f69d7097180ed4&start=21816&end=21816","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2127137-0b29af555921b55c11f69d7097180ed4/thumbnail_21816000.jpg","/articles/6749028/Fresno-City/Fresno-County/California/Council-approves-Garage-9-renovation-to-create-office-space-for-housing-and-homeless-services","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6749028-70a01878f16d51deb95a4bb889d2a0bd/orig.mp4?Expires=1776488029&Signature=mwA10QPYrpxdQ~F-GC7lfmS23lJNnD8KbiRmkIzNokoWwi-gmZG6JkO5ijR~i30hxscGo3lwxKzUCDLzAUz8y5Yv~o8e1~mGuR4RRdZfg-I2TuFcgGAfT8e6gjAjTbasfL3a7UALxim-7Ft5nvjH~wtsFhD9SZ-Cvfo5~06vcpDG~YZq4tXHbLcMWtllKUktBU2q5iv~nQnZeGUwbWbUkXW8zlibFbsjMiPw9fHUeOASFoU-H~Kw6SHVZvkgGliNejx0rtHYtDaV-t37wZHJJFNgtwzT3it2vaQ6diAOMbxXK4yXePTQj~t8NDSkrXsOYUb04TTLLrI9XSuc9uPQew__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Fresno City Council approved a contract on Jan. 9 to renovate the interior of the structure known as Garage 9 and convert sections of the building into office space for the Housing and Homeless Division. The approved project is largely interior work — mechanical upgrades, asbestos remediation, new offices, conference rooms and ADA path-of-travel improvements — rather than a broad structural rehabilitation of parking areas.

Planning staff and capital-projects managers described the work as a conversion of existing city-owned space to allow the city to stop leasing off-site office space and to provide a permanent in‑house location for homelessness services and associated administrative staff. Assistant planning director Phil Skye and the parking division confirmed the parking structure itself has no immediate structural concerns and that separate scheduled studies and automation work address garage infrastructure needs.

Council questioned whether the ‘‘garage’’ label obscured the scope; staff explained the name came from asset lists and historic documentation. Council approved the appropriation for the interior renovation after confirming that most of the funds would be used for office fit‑out and that only minor exterior/parking adjustments were required to comply with ADA access rules tied to the change of use.

What’s next: Capital projects will proceed with interior renovations, asbestos remediation and systems upgrades; staff said a separate automation and structural program addresses broader parking-structure work on a capital-project schedule.

Sources: Phil Skye, assistant director of planning and development; parking division comments; council proceedings (Jan. 9, 2025).","The council authorized a multi-million dollar renovation of the Garage 9 building to convert interior space into offices for the housing and homeless division. Staff clarified the work focuses on interior office construction and ADA path-of-travel elements tied to the change of use, not large structural parking repairs.",{"_33":99,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":100,"_41":101,"_43":102,"_45":103,"_47":104,"_49":105,"_51":106,"_53":107,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":108,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":109,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6749034,"Dyer sworn in to second term; council elects Carvassi president, Arias vice president",393,3344000,3737000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2127137-0b29af555921b55c11f69d7097180ed4&start=3344&end=3737","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2127137-0b29af555921b55c11f69d7097180ed4/thumbnail_3344000.jpg","/articles/6749034/Fresno-City/Fresno-County/California/Dyer-sworn-in-to-second-term-council-elects-Carvassi-president-Arias-vice-president","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6749034-e1f66175f36724c5d4dbaaca12f21040/orig.mp4?Expires=1776488029&Signature=Bco31QRbPjP8O4FsccKM6Bq5OOyZOGK5tMWLDa~Y1k10hdlY4VwKyp11V8Jl6~ui3hrndKgRJ-xA3v-~aek2cxNkLSxlADGG3F3HFzELzKlpD3JrnCZ8MIFibRjHoSIB8qHmTanFfPTM~J0YVQn8CPq4cvwADpZX-8hBboG9YOUVb012QxVGltJt454XW5d0N-gMgpyFwvuoBArim72Z5UZ~3-VNljKQLjxUuVXQ7uyd3nlP9DRrlwTElkMh~8l6rdr2QjOZ88Aj3qgCiC-NA28fDXgzi10-6IlvcWImeylxeaF1S8nj6mxyeWYo0lFR0kF2~jTD882Fd~bHVxplhQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Mayor Jerry Dyer was sworn in for a second term at the Fresno City Council meeting on Jan. 9, 2025, and used his inaugural remarks to highlight public-safety staffing gains, homelessness placements and downtown infrastructure awards. The council also administered oaths to returning council members and newly elected members and elected Mike Carvassi as council president and Councilmember Arias as vice president for 2025.

Dyer told the council and a packed chamber that his administration had increased police ranks and fire staffing and had focused city resources on housing and neighborhood improvements. He said the city added 88 police officers and 19 dispatchers during his tenure and that, since 2021, the city had sheltered more than 9,200 people, reporting that roughly 53% of those sheltered had been placed into permanent housing and that among those who reached a two-year follow-up, the city reported 95% remained housed. Dyer also credited volunteer-led neighborhood efforts and downtown grants, and reiterated a ‘‘we work for you’’ service ethos.

The meeting included extended ceremonial remarks and recognition of departing Councilmembers Luis Chavez and Gary Bretefeld. Both delivered farewell addresses praising staff, partners and council colleagues and noting accomplishments ranging from public safety to downtown redevelopment. The council presented the departing members with commemorative gifts.

Newly elected or re-elected council members were sworn in during the ceremony. Nick Richardson took the oath for District 6, saying he would ‘‘outwork those around me’’ and urged residents who did not vote for him that he would work to earn their support. After the oaths, council members elected Mike Carvassi to serve as council president and Councilmember Arias as vice president; the nominations passed without objection.

The swearing-in and leadership votes were followed by short proclamations, including a ceremony recognizing Manchester Gate Elementary and the Fresno Unified cross-country program for recent district championships.

What’s next: The mayor and newly seated council outlined an agenda that continues to prioritize public safety hires, homelessness interventions and downtown infrastructure work. Several items on the council’s regular agenda required follow-up from staff, including details on parks-fee waivers and program capacity.

Sources: Mayor Jerry Dyer; Council President Analisa Perea; council proceedings (Jan. 9, 2025).","Mayor Jerry Dyer was sworn in for a second term and outlined public-safety and homelessness priorities. The City Council also administered oaths to returning and newly elected members, presented departing members with parting remarks and gifts, and elected Mike Carvassi council president and Councilmember Arias vice president for 2025.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council approves parks fee updates after debate over charging for repeat swim lessons

Votes at a glance: Jan. 9, 2025 Fresno City Council

Council approves Garage 9 renovation to create office space for housing and homeless services

Dyer sworn in to second term; council elects Carvassi president, Arias vice president