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Ca. city's fiscal emergency vote speeds bankruptcy
- Details
- Published on 07/19/2012 - 10:47 am
- Written by Associated Press
San Bernardino, with a budget shortfall of $45.8 million, is the third city in California to seek bankruptcy protection since last month(AP) — San Bernardino declared a fiscal emergency Wednesday night, allowing the city to avoid a lengthy mediation process and head straight to federal bankruptcy court.
The declaration comes after the city announced last week that it would seek Chapter 9 protection, making it the third California city in recent weeks to make the rare move.
The City Council voted 5-2 to declare the emergency and file for bankruptcy protection amid a dire cash crunch that has officials worried San Bernardino can't meet payroll in August.
The vote was followed by another authorizing the city attorney to file for bankruptcy, but it was not clear when the planned filing would come.
Councilmen Chas Kelley and John Valdivia dissented on both votes.
Councilman Fred Shorett, who voted against bankruptcy last week, reversed his position Wednesday night and approved both moves.
"The horse is out of the barn — the whole world knows we're insolvent," Shorett said, according to the San Bernardino Sun. "I will be supporting going forward with Chapter 9 and fiscal emergency."
The vote could make the city of 210,000 people the third in California to seek bankruptcy protection since last month, following Stockton and Mammoth Lakes.
The city is facing a $45.8 million budget shortfall this year.
Last week's announcement of the bankruptcy plan has further stressed San Bernardino's finances by prompting a dozen employees to put in for retirement with hopes of cashing out accrued vacation and sick time, and it has spurred vendors to demand cash instead of credit, said Gwendolyn Waters, a spokeswoman for the city manager's office.
The debate over bankruptcy in San Bernardino has also raised questions about the city's financial management. Last week, City Attorney James Penman told the public that 13 of the last 16 budgets presented to the city council had been falsified, masking the city's deficit. The finance director, who is new to the job, said officials had borrowed cash from restricted funds to cover payments, and eventually ran out of money to pay the funds back.
Officials say the housing crisis — which walloped property and sales tax revenues — and the loss of state redevelopment funds took a toll on the city's budget. San Bernardino is located about 60 miles east of Los Angeles.
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Written on 06/19/2013, 4:46 pm by
Central Valley Community Bank took a step closer to finalizing its acquisition of Visalia Community Bank, as the latter bank’s shareholders voted in favor...Written on 06/19/2013, 1:58 pm by
Faced with the task of taking over as Fresno State’s new university president, Joseph I. Castro named a 43-member presidential transition team to assist him in his new position.
The team will consist of religious, business, athletics and community leaders from inside and outside the Central Valley.
“I value input from all constituents as I begin this momentous journey,” Castro said.
California State University trustees Peter Mehas and Hugo Morales will serve as co-chairs for the team.
The 43 members of the team are listed below.
Paul Binion, pastor, Westside Church of God, Fresno.
Dr. Deborah Blue, chancellor, State Center Community College District.
Daniel Boggan of Oakland, retired chief operating officer, National Collegiate Athletic Association.
Sandy Brown, chair, University Advisory Board.
Ed Dunkel, president, Bulldog Foundation.
Dr. Honora Chapman, professor of Classics and Humanities and director of the Smittcamp Family Honors College, Fresno State.
Carol Chandler, owner, Chandler Farms, Selma.
Brad Fischer, Fresno State Alumni Association.
Dr. Katherine Flores, professor and director of Latino Center for Medical Education and Research, UCSF Fresno.
Sandra Flores, senior program officer, Fresno Regional Foundation.
Dr. Alvaro Gonzalez, lead economist, The World Bank, Washington, D.C.
Dr. Luz Gonzalez, dean, College of Social Sciences, Fresno State.
Robert J. Hand, director, Resources for Independence of Central Valley.
Michael E. Hanson, superintendent, Fresno Unified School District.
Dr. Elazar Harel of San Diego, retired chief information officer, University of California, San Francisco.
Tou Herr, coordinator, Parent Services Center, Fresno County Office of Education.
Ryan Jacobsen, executive director, Fresno County Farm Bureau.
Dr. C. Judson King of Berkeley, provost emeritus, University of California, Berkeley and University of California system and director, Center for the Studies in Higher Education, University of California, Berkeley.
Dr. James G. March, Jack Steele Parker Professor of International Management, Emeritus, Stanford University.
K. Phillip Maroot, attorney, Maroot and Hardcastle, Hanford.
Sara Martinez, 2008 Fresno State alumna and Bulldog Pride Scholarship recipient.
Dr. Cecilia Massetti, Madera County Superintendent of Schools.
David Mas Masumoto of Del Rey, owner, Masumoto Family Farm and author.
Moses Menchaca of Patterson, 2013-14 president, Fresno State Associated Students, Inc. (ASI).
Caren Myers, CEO, Fresno Lexus.
Arthur Montejano of Atwater, 2012-13 president, Fresno State ASI.
Hon. Robert Oliver, judge, Fresno Superior Court.
Kim Ruiz Beck, chairwoman, Ruiz Foods, Dinuba.
Dr. David Schecter, professor of Political Science, Fresno State.
Hon. Ashley Swearengin, mayor of Fresno.
William S. Smittcamp, president and owner, Wawona Frozen Foods, Clovis.
George Soares, founding partner, Kahn, Soares and Conway, Hanford.
Shirley Staton, Accounting Services staff member, Fresno State.
Ray Steele of Clovis, retired publisher, Fresno Bee.
Daniel W. Stone, senior vice president, Amentum, Novato.
Gena Strang-Behrens, sales representative, Ideasplus Promotional Products, Fresno, and Fresno Athletic Hall of Fame member.
Dr. Khampha Thephavong, Fresno Veterans Administration Hospital.
Leanne Walker Grant, tribal chairperson, Table Mountain Rancheria, Friant.
Peter Weber, chair, executive committee, California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley.
Dora Westerlund, president and CEO, Fresno Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
Dr. Lynn Williams, chair, Academic Senate at Fresno State.
Written on 06/19/2013, 8:58 am by
The Fresno County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 to move forward a 1.25-megawatt solar facility near Reedley, passing over a local resident's opposition to the project.
The project, proposed by Pristine Sun Solar of San Francisco, is sited on two agricultural parcels totaling 46 acres along S. Englehart Avenue between Central and American avenues about five miles northeast of Reedley.
When complete, 5,760 photovoltaic panels on 125 dual-axis trackers will follow the sun during the day, feeding PG&E's Reedley substation with enough electricity to power 1,250 homes at peak production.
The project also entails a pad-mounted inverter/transformer unit and seven utility poles 36-feet tall, along with two access roads and overhead transmission lines across Wahtoke Creek to the north.
Although the project was approved by the Fresno County planning commission on April 25, nearby property owner Todd Case had something else to say.
In an appeal to the planning commission's decision filed to the board of supervisors on May 9, Case cited concerns of the project disturbing local wildlife, causing flooding, fires and upsetting 1,825 graves located on-site.
Case appeared before the board of supervisors yesterday also grieving the potential loss in property values and not wanting to live next to such a facility.
In the end, four supervisors voted to uphold the planning commission's approval with only Supervisor Judy Case opposing.
The same vote was cast to approve a partial cancellation of agricultural land contracted to receive property tax credits under the Williamson Act.
In all, 44.18 acres of grazing land are being taken out of the Williamson Act to develop the site, while a cancelation fee will bring a total of $37,500 to the county coffers.
The solar facility will be separated by a buffer of 50 feet from the nearest agricultural operations.
Pristine Sun said it will provide an estimated $99,625 to restore the site to its former condition after around 20 years when the facility ceases operation.
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Written on 06/18/2013, 2:44 pm by
Media Solutions, Inc. of Fresno was named the 14th Senate District Small Business of the Year by state Sen. Tom Berryhill (R-Twain Harte).
Established in 2003 by Vincent Melella and Morgan Kirk, MSI is a full-service audio-visual event service and production rental company that specializes in corporate events, weddings and parties.
The business offers lighting, sound systems, stage sets and backdrops and decor for events and serves customers from Fresno, Sacramento and Stockton to Bakersfield, San Jose and the Central Coast.
A member of both the Clovis and Greater Fresno Area chambers of commerce, MSI was awarded by Berryhill for the business' longstanding support of the community, commitment to customer service and honest business practices.
"I am really pleased to be able to recognize MSI as our Small Business of the Year," said Berryhill, in a statement. "It is a wonderful example of what a small business can do for a community. Vinnie and Morgan are always there to lend a hand whether it is supporting things like Children's Hospital or Valley Teen Ranch—they are just a vital part of our community."
Berryhill represents the 14th Senate District, which covers portions of Fresno, Madera, Mariposa, San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Tuolumne counties.
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Written on 06/18/2013, 11:19 am by
(AP) — State fire officials say a wildfire near the main route into Yosemite National Park that has forced more than a thousand residents to evacuate their homes was caused by an unattended campfire.
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokeswoman Karen Guillemin said on Tuesday that a human caused the fire but did not release more details about where it started.
Guillemin said the fire, which began on Sunday, has burned 1,600 acres and led to the evacuation of 800 homes and about 1,500 people.
The blaze 6 miles northeast of Mariposa has burned 2 ½ square miles remains 15 percent contained.
No structures have been damaged or destroyed. One firefighter suffered a minor injury.
Highway 140 into Yosemite National Park remains open.
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Written on 06/18/2013, 11:14 am by
The President's Scholars program of the West Hills Community College District will help more high school students attend college thanks to a $100,000 donation from Educational Employees Credit Union.
The program, offered at West Hills Community Colleges in Coalinga and Lemoore, pays full tuition and provides $250 for book costs each semester to outstanding local area high school graduates.
At a value of $2,000 per year, the scholarships are open to students who have achieved a 3.5 grade point average and have completed a college educational plan.
There is no limit to the number of scholarships available. The program has named more than 500 students as President's Scholars since it began in 1996.
EECU's donation will provide $20,000 a year for the next five years, putting 50 local students through their first two years of college.
West Hills College Lemoore President Don Warkenkin will join EECU officials as he accepts the gift during a ceremony at 11 a.m. on June 19 at EECU's Hanford branch, located at 1460 W. 7th St.
EECU is the 67th largest credit union in the U.S. and the 13th largest in California. With deposits of more than $2 billion, the credit union has 15 branches and more than 200,000 members throughout Fresno, Kings, Madera and Tulare counties.
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Written on 06/17/2013, 4:59 pm by
Fresno State is offering its newest bachelor's degree to students studying Latin American cultures.
The degree program, consisting of 120 units, will be offered for the first time this fall through the Chicano and Latin American Studies Department in the College of Social Sciences.
The department currently offers a bachelor's degree and a minor in Chicano Studies and a minor in Latin American Studies.
Students who enroll in the new program will learn about the experiences of people living in Latin American countries like Mexico and Argentina and about their economic relations with the U.S.
Many will go on to instructors in the field of Latin American studies and related disciplines of social sciences and the humanities. Others will use the knowledge to help them in other careers requiring insight into Latin American society.
Those wishing to enroll are encouraged to spend a semester abroad studying in Latin America, Spain or Portugal.
The program is the only one approved for Fresno State by the CSU chancellor this year.
More about the degree and how to sign up can be found online at fresnostate.edu/socialsciences/clas/degrees/la-major.html.
Fresno State now offers 96 bachelor's degrees as well as 51 master's degrees, seven doctoral degrees and 20 different teaching credentials.
177
Written on 06/17/2013, 2:06 pm by
Fresno’s Central Library will distribute free meals to youth throughout the summer.
A healthy lunch will be provided weekdays from noon to 1 p.m. June 17 to August 9 to anyone between the ages of 1 to 18 regardless of income. Provided by program sponsor Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission, lunches are available on a first come, first served basis.
The library is at 2420 Mariposa St. in Fresno.
The Lunch at the Library program, in partnership with the California Library Association and the California Summer Meal Coalition, brings together the library’s longstanding summer reading tradition with a lunchtime meal, in an effort to combat summer learning loss and summer hunger.
Studies show that malnourishment can diminish a child’s overall learning potential. Of the Fresno County children who are eligible for free lunches during the school year, just 1 in 10 have access to it during the summer.
Add to that the fact that children who don’t read over the summer lose on average one month of academic progress. By middle school, those who haven't read during the summer may have lost as much as two years’ worth of achievement.
“The Lunch at the Library program gives children and teens the physical foundation they need to keep their minds sharp and open to learning, and the summer reading program encourages them use that fueled brainpower,” said Laurel Prysiazny, county librarian. “Together, the programs allow traditionally disadvantaged youth to return to school in the fall at the same or higher level than when summer began. That’s a significant achievement.”
To supplement the lunch program, the library sought out and received two grants that will further support Fresno County youth. Fresno State’s Humanics Department has awarded the library $4,000 and the assistance of a student intern to help with the program. Dollar General has awarded the Library $1,000. In both cases, the money will be used to give books away to lunch recipients.
More information is available by calling program coordinator Kari Johnson at (559) 600-6251.
156
Written on 06/17/2013, 1:55 pm by
Construction in the Central Valley made some definite headway by the second quarter of the year, with building permits up more than 30 percent over the same time last year.
Throughout Fresno, Madera, Kings and Tulare counties, 4,449 construction permits were issued to builders in the first six months of the year, up 30.5 percent from 3,409 during the same period last year, according to a weekly report by Construction Monitor.
Of the permits awarded so far this year, 3,782 were for residential construction compared to 2,765 last year.
Commercial permits rose from 644 during last year's second quarter to 667 so far this year. Among those, retail, warehouses and dining jumped from 18 to 26, while offices, banks and professional buildings went from 22 to 33.
Industrial and manufacturing buildings and warehouses dipped slightly to 22, although the value of those permits doubled to $39.3 million.
The value of all construction permits rose from $403.4 million by June of last year to $547.6 million so far this year.
Residential construction values totaled $355.4 million so far this year over $242 million in 2012, while commercial construction permits went from $161.4 million to $192.2 million.
Lennar Fresno topped the list of home builders working in the San Joaquin Valley with 189 homes built so far this year followed by Wilson Homes with 137, Granville Homes with 85, Benchmark with 57 and Bonadelle Homes with 56.
Immodo Energy was the largest builder of commercial projects in the Valley with eight permits valued at $29.7 million followed by Jo's Handyman and Remodeling with two permits of $13.3 million, Graycor with two permits for $11.9 million, Target Constructors with 10 permits for $9.7 million and Quanta Power with five permits totaling $5.8 million.
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