Page 6 - Mid Valley Times 10-10-19 E-edition

Thursday, October 10, 2019 | A6 | Mid Valley TiMes COUNCIL Continued from page A1 “I find myself frus- trated by the processes of Sanger,” Lucido told the council. “I think that the city of Sanger probably has the greatest growth potential of any city in the San Joaquin Valley, and in Fresno County es- pecially.” But in regards to the development Lucido worked on, he said of the city’s response, “I’ve nev- er seen anything so unen- thusiastic in my life.” He argued that the process was drawn out and felt like he was over- charged on city engineer consulting fees. “It took months,” Lu- cido added. “The whole thing moved in slow-mo- tion.” But, according to Mayor Frank Gonzalez, so did Lucido’s presenta- tion. As his three-minute time limit was up, a cus- tomary time set at most public hearings as part of the Brown Act, Gon- zalez interrupted Luci- do’s comments to ask if he can get to the heart of the matter. Frustrated, Lucido closed his comments with an abbreviated explana- tion before the council opened up the matter to the general public. Before hearing from the public, Mayor Gonzalez told Lu- cido, “You do have some valid points.” Some audience mem- bers also shared Lucido’s frustrations, as one said Rick Curiel / Mid Valley Times Sanger Mayor Frank Gonzalez honored Ken Sieve of State Farm Insurance at the Oct. 3 city council meeting as Sieve celebrated 45 years of business in Sanger. Gonzalez thanked Sieve for his dedication to the community and gave a proclamation in his honor. a ten-year contract with the company ahead of its contract expiration. The city of Sanger has used Mid Valley Dis- posal exclusively for the past five years and, as explained in the compa- ny’s presentation to the council, the company has been able to dramatically increase the city’s diver- sion when it comes to re- cycling. But the contract ex- tension may have to do more with the company’s need to meet stricter California laws down the road, as the company is currently expanding its facilities to accommodate for food waste compost- ing. According to Joseph Kalpakoff, owner of Mid Valley Disposal, in order to secure funding, lending institutions need to see long-term commitments. The city of Dinuba recently extended a 10-year contract with its disposal company, Pena’s Disposal, under the same circumstances as Califor- nia laws continue to put greater burdens on such industries. The Sanger City Coun- cil also voted to allow city staff to initiate a process to review and possibly amend a zoning ordi- nance regarding carports. Through discussions at the meeting, any new carports would require a 20-foot setback from the property line and would likely be allowed only on houses that currently do not have a garage. PARADES Continued from page A2 vision lineup,” said Ben- nett. “The stage for Vet- erans Parade announc- ers and the opening cer- emony at 10:30 a.m. will be on O Street, south of 7th Street, facing north. The parade will step off promptly at 11:11 a.m.,” said Bennett. Vendor booths will be set up from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the United Health Center’s back parking lot off O Street. “Please be patient on the day of the parade and honor the barri- cades that will be set up from 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.,” said Bennett. “The route for the parade will be 10th Street to Acad- emy Avenue, Academy Avenue to 7th Street, 7th Street to “P” Streets and back to 10th Street. Anticipate congestion and plan your day to have fun and enjoy the parade,” said Bennett. METH Continued from page A2 Sanger. Both suspects were later booked into the Fresno County Jail on the illegal weapon possession and the pas- senger was charged for possession with in- tent to sell the drugs. “The team dis- played a great exam- ple of good proactive policing and excellent teamwork in putting this case together,” said Sanger Police Chief Sil- ver Rodriguez. he should be given longer than three minutes to ex- plain his point. “The city of Sanger is holding him (Lucido) hos- tage,” said one member of the audience. Sanger’s Genie Davis encouraged the council to make decisions that will encourage business growth, and not deter it. “It would be ideal to have a city that is busi- ness friendly,” Davis told the council. The council itself seemed divided on the issue of paying the addi- tional 10 percent, which amounted to just under $3,500. Councilman Eli Onti- veros felt the city should pay the additional amount and questioned why the reimbursement agree- ment was brought to the council unsigned. Sanger City Manager Tim Chapa later explained to the council that the staff does not bring signed agree- ments to the council. “We bring them to you for approval,” said Chapa. “Once they are approved, they are then signed by both parties involved.” Councilman Humber- to Garza said, “$3,400 isn’t a lot of money. But paying the 10 percent sets a bad precedent.” Councilwoman Ma- ribel Hurtado said she wanted to hear more be- fore making a decision, to which the council deliber- ated as to allowing Lucido to finish his presentation. The council then agreed to stray from the norm and allow Lucido more than his allotted three minutes. In 2018, The Second District Court of Appeal, upheld the right to allow entities to establish and keep time limits for pub- lic comments, so long as the time limits were reasonable and did not violate state or federal laws. Nevertheless, after Lucido’s second approach to the podium, the coun- cil moved to agree to the originally agreed upon re- imbursement and tabled the matter of paying the additional 10 percent un- til staff and council can further investigate it. Other council news After hearing a quar- terly report from Mid Valley Disposal, the com- pany that handles the city of Sanger’s disposal needs, the council unani- mously voted to extend She is amazing. She has accomplished so much and, still, she continues to give more. At Adventist Health in the Central Valley, we put her well-being first. From primary to specialty care, our women’s health experts provide comprehensive services for her unique needs at every stage of life. The Breast Care Center, medical imaging services, the birth centers and countless other services are there to provide her – and all the amazing women in our community – with care that’s as amazing as they are. 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