Sanger Herald 4-25-19 E-edition

Stations of the Cross
Hoping for a home
page 8A
Golf team seeks to make history
Lifestyles 2B
Sports 1B
WeeklyNewspaper
Sanger Woman's
Club president
tells PG&E to fix
parking problem
Major fundraiser is threatened
Sanger(FresnoCounty)CA93657
50¢ (taxincluded) City's general fund
budget takes a hit
Jeanne Adams
By Dick Sheppard
Sanger Herald
Jeanne Adams, president of the Sanger Woman's Club (SWC), proved during her term as chairperson of the Measure S Citizens Over- sight Committee that she is a force to be reckoned with.
She stood up for what she thought was right during a chaotic time in the oversight committee's tumultuous his- tory, frequently showing up at city council meeting's to confront the council and the city manager over the kinds of issues that brought the Fresno County Grand Jury to town. When the grand jury finished its investiga- tion, its report echoed what Adams had been telling the city staff, council and city manager.
So Adams is not the kind of woman to back down when a little company like PG&E, worth about $8 billion even though it's having a few financial challenges right now, according to the New York Times, gets in the way of a Sanger Woman's Club fundraiser, an annual Spring Tea, coming up on May 4.
The club has not had ac- cess to its parking for more than three months and the problem has threatened
to persist right up to - and maybe beyond - the Spring Tea on May 4.
Here's the text of an email Adams sent this Tuesday:
"I understand you are the PG&E Contractor working di- rectly with the new business complex on West & 7th St. in Sanger.
"I am Jeanne Adams, Pres- ident of the Sanger Woman's Club at 1602 7th St., adjacent to this complex. The SWC
is a non-profit, community service organization with 120 members, many of whom are women of retirement age.
"We lost the use of our parking lot on February 11th due to the demolition of a shared alley that provides entrance to our building. At that time, we were notified that the alley would be paved andreadyforusein2to6 weeks. We now have our big- gest fundraising event of the
See SWC, page 7A
Dick Sheppard/Sanger Herald
By Dick Sheppard
Sanger Herald
The city has been doing it wrong for at least a decade, maybe longer. Since way before the current adminis- tration moved into city hall.
An independent auditor pointed it out and a consul- tant came up with a fix that will cost the city's general fund more than $350,000 a year, starting with the next budget year.
The city's total budget
of about $47 million is composed of several parts. One of those parts is the general fund of about $13 million which covers day
to day expenses and most
of the wages and benefits, which make up almost three- quarters of the general fund budget.
The remaining $34 million needed to cover proposed expenses outside the general fund is from special funds which are not supposed to feed into or take from the general fund.
"Enterprise" funds like water, sewer and disposal are supposed to be self sustain-
ing. That is, revenue from each of those funds is sup- posed to be used to pay for the expenses in each of those funds and is not supposed to be used to help balance the general fund.
However, since employ- ees with wages paid out of the general fund provide accounting and clerical services for special funds it's appropriate to reimburse the general fund for services provided.
But the cost accounting methodology that has been used by the city for at least 10 years - 25 percent to the general fund and 75 percent to the enterprise funds, has been way overcharging the enterprise and other special funds, according to Jeff Wakefield of MGT Consult- ing Group.
The new charge to the special funds will only be 32 percent instead of 75 per- cent.
Administrative Services Director Gary Watahira recommended phasing in the new methodology developed
See BUDGET, page 7A
The entrance to the Sanger
Street is from an alley that is
blocked off until PG&E moves a pole so the project can be completed.
By Dick Sheppard
Sanger Herald
Jerry Valadez, CEO of Sam Academy, appeared be- fore the April 18 city council meeting to repeat a request he made earlier in the week at a Measure S Citizens Over- sight Committee meeting.
He then denounced what he termed bullying on the oversight committee.
"I’m here to ask you to please do not cut the Mea- sure S drug and gang preven- tion budget from $125,000 to $50,000," Valadez said to the council from the podium dur- ing the public forum portion of the council meeting.
Here, verbatim, are the rest of his comments to the council: "The reason for
that is there seemed to be
a lot of confusion [among the oversight committee]. There seemed to be no clear knowledge that in 2016 citi- zens passed Measure S with the language that also covers the gang and drug preven- tion programs, especially with the involvement of the nonprofits.
"There seemed to be clear bias against nonprofits and there also seemed to be no
a clear understanding of Roberts Rules of Order and public representation in the meeting.
"This whole process seems to be more of a political exer- cise rather than an exercise
Jerry Valadez
in fairness and just answers. "I say that because of
what I just explained but also because there was apparent bullying within the COC [Citi- zens Oversight Committee] itself to try to get one opinion over another - and as some- one who has a lot of experi- ence in civil rights issues and in equity leadership training I am keenly sensitive to those kinds of mannerisms toward each other when we're hoping for fairness in the decision making process."
Committee member Melis- sa Griggs resigned after the oversight meeting.
See commentary about the Measure S grant program for nonprofits and Griggs resignation on page 3A.
The reporter can be contacted by email at sang- erherald@gmail.com or by phone at the Herald at (559) 875-2511.
Woman's Club parking lot on 7th under construction and has been
Valadez decries bullying on oversight committee
Meet and Greet added to 2nd annual Sanger High School Athletic Hall of Fame schedule
Hall of Fame photo
Tom Flores at the inaugural Sanger High School Athletic Hall of Fame banquet in 2018.
Dick Sheppard
Sanger Herald
Football great Tom Flores, a Sanger High graduate, who was enshrined in the Sanger High School Athletic Hall of Fame at the inaugural banquet last year will be
a headliner at a meet and greet event this year on May
3 from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. at the Hall of Fame building between the Depot Museum and the library in the park by city hall.
"Tom is bringing his whole family this year," said Hall of Fame committee chairperson Brian Penner.
"Since the banquet on May 4 is sold out we thought it would be great to have a meet and greet event so fans can interact with Tom and many of this year's Hall of Fame inductees," said Penner.
"Tom is planning to visit several elementary schools in the morning and after lunch he'll come to the meet and greet in the park. His foundation has donated thousands of dollars over the years to Sanger elementary schools and Tom and his wife, Barbara, enjoy visiting the schools every time they come to Sanger."
This year's list of Hall of Fame inductees includes: three great coaches - track and field icon Dave Dodson, Sanger's "Mr. Football" Chuck Shidan and Roy Tanimoto who won championships in football and basketball; five players, one of the Apaches' best ever quarterbacks Willie Garcia, Apache and Annapolis high jump super star Cole Herron, football great Ted Torosian, All American water polo player Chris Wallin and the Apaches' softball strike- out queen Cindy Weibert Fires; the 1950 Valley Champi- onship baseball team; and a major contributor to Apache sports programs for many, many years, statistician Ron Blackwood.
"Anyone, without tickets, hoping to be at the banquet can call Erlinda Valdez at (559) 618-6180. She's in charge of our wait list and it's possible a spot or two may open up before the curtain rises on the 'Night of Stars' themed event at the community center," said Penner.
"But the meet and greet will provide a great oppor- tunity to visit with Tom Flores and many of this year's inductees.
We've heard a few members of the 1950 Valley Champion- ship baseball team are going to make a special effort to be there."
The reporter can be contacted by email at sangerher- ald@gmail.com or by phone at the Herald at (559) 875- 2511.
• April 25 - Planning commission meeting, 6 p.m. at city hall, 1700 7th St. Everyone invited.
• April 25 - Vecinos Unidos town hall meeting, 6 p.m. at 1446 7th St., corner of 7th and O streets. Everyone invited.
See details on page 6A
SANGER HERALD: A MID VALLEY PUBLISHING NEWSPAPER • (559) 875-2511 • www.thsangerherald.com
Will the hot weather continue through the weekend?
See the forecast on page 6A
THURSDAY
April 25, 2019
VOL 130 NO. 17
2 sections, 14 pages
CLASSIFIED 5B LEGALS 6,7B BUSINESS DIRECTORY 8B LIFE STYLES 2B OBITUARIES 2A OPINION 3A SPORTS 1B POLICE LOG 2A WEATHER 6A