Here’s what you need to know:
The Scene
According to its website, Parlier is a general law city governed by a five-member city council and operates under the city council-city manager form.
Council members are the leaders and policymakers elected to represent various community segments and concentrate on policy issues responsive to citizens’ needs and wishes. The city council appoints the city manager to carry out policy and ensure service for the entire community.
Parlier City Administrator Sonia Hall handles the city’s day-to-day business with an “open-door policy” to community residents and businesses, where comments, concerns, and suggestions are always welcome.
The Parlier City Council meets on the first and third Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at 1100 E. Parlier Avenue, Parlier, CA 93648 or through Youtube.
Parlier City Council Members present:
Others Present:
Discussions/Actions
Susan Bechara from Comprehensive Behavioral Services presented two proposed events:
After the presentations, the city council unanimously approved the following:
1. The council approved the check reports dated August 2 to August 15, 2022.
2. The council approved the minutes of the regular meeting of July 12 and August 4, 2022.
The regular business consists of:
3. Consideration and necessary action on Resolution 2022-45 authorizing the contract
award of the Parlier 2022 Road Rehab Project to Pavement Coatings Co.
The council (5-0) approved Resolution No. 2022-45, designating and authorizing the city manager to award construction contracts for the applying fiberized black rock micro-surfacing, micro asphalt grinding, and striping signage in various local streets, in the
amount of $577,839.90
The Parlier 2022 Road Rehab Project involves applying fiberized black rock micro-surfacing, asphalt micro grinding, striping, and signage in various local streets.
A total of four bids were received, opened, and read aloud at 2 p.m. on August 9, 2022.
Pavement Coatings Co submitted the lowest responsive bid for $577,839.90.
4. Approved the Fig Tree Park Project, a new 1.76-acre community park on a vacant 2.77-acre lot in central Parlier owned by Silvercrest, Inc., a subsidiary of Fresno Housing. It will be adjacent to an affordable housing apartment complex and the Boys & Girls Club. Plans for the park include restrooms, new trees, a natural bioswale to capture stormwater, jogging and walking pathways around the park’s perimeter.
The council (5-0) adopted Resolution No. 2022-46, adopting the mitigated negative declaration, Resolution No. 2022-47, amending the site’s land use designation, and introduced and waivered the first reading of Ordinance No. 2022-04, changing the zoning of the site.
In 2017, the Housing Authority of Fresno County demolished an existing 50-unit affordable housing community built in 1964 that occupied approximately 7.59 acres of land within the same parcel.
The Housing Authority constructed a new 56-unit affordable housing apartment complex, occupying only approximately 4.82 acres of land in the same parcel.
The city has received funding from the California Natural Resource Agency to fund the design and construction of a park on the part of the remaining area.
The proposed project would construct a new 1.76-acre community park on the vacant 2.77-acre Fresno County Assessor Parcel Number 355-028-071 in central Parlier.
The remaining portion of the parcel, at the southeast corner of E. Parlier Avenue and Avila Street, is occupied by the Boys & Girls Club facility, which would not be affected by the Project.
The project would plant new trees, create a natural bioswale to capture stormwater, and construct jogging and walking pathways around the park’s perimeter.
The project proposes to install solar light fixtures to provide lighting along the walkway during the evenings once the Project has been completed.
The City of Parlier’s official park hours are from 7 AM to 10 PM. The project would include ADA on-site parking.
The project will include restrooms with low-flow toilets and would be designed with environmental sustainability features such as recycled materials, solar lights and environmentally-friendly hardscape.
The property is owned by Silvercrest, Inc., a subsidiary of the Fresno Housing Authority.
Since the city is a public agency, Silvercrest can convey the subject portion of APN 355-280-07 directly to the city via deed without needing a parcel map, lot line adjustment, or another mapping process.
For the project to comply with the City of Parlier’s General Plan, an amendment to the General Plan Land Use designation is necessary.
The Land Use designation for the portion of land developed by this project would need to be changed from Medium Density Residential to Park.
The project site is currently zoned R-2 (Low Density / Multiple Family Residential).
The applicant proposes to rezone the site to O (Open Conservation) to allow compliance with the General Plan following an amendment from Medium Density Residential to Park.
O is a consistent zone district for the Park General Plan land use designation.
This proposal qualifies as a project under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because it is an activity directly carried out by a public agency.
An Initial Study (IS) was prepared to analyze the potential for significant environmental effects that could result from the project.
Based on the results of the IS, a preliminary determination was made that the project would result in less than significant environmental effects. That adoption of a Negative Declaration (ND) would be appropriate.
The combined IS/ND was circulated through the State Clearinghouse for 30 days, from June 15, 2022, to July 14, 2022.
Roberto Gomez urged the council to establish “pocket parks.” Mike Shafer and City Clerk Sonia Hall replied that a large park would be cost-effective.
5. Consider amendments to the Cannabis Control Ordinance regarding the number of
permissible dispensaries in the city.
The council (4-1) considered introducing and waiving the first reading of Ordinance No. 2202-05, increasing the permissible number of dispensaries in the city from one to two. The ordinance excludes approval of a location or any dispensary.
The city council established the City’s Cannabis Control Ordinance (Parlier Municipal Code [PMC] Chapter 18.55) on November 15, 2017, via Ordinance No. 2017-03.
The ordinance was and is intended to regulate commercial cannabis activities and, to a lesser extent, recreational and medical use of cannabis, consistent with the provisions of the
State’s Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (MAUCRSA).
The ordinance has been amended from time to time.
On November 19, 2020, the city council adopted Ordinance No. 2020-5, which made certain amendments to the Cannabis Control Ordinance intended to authorize the council to approve the operation of a maximum of one cannabis dispensary within the Parlier city limits.
Under the revised provisions, such a dispensary could be allowed subject to the approval of a cannabis regulatory permit at the council’s discretion.
A follow-up ordinance revision added dispensaries to the list of uses in the C-4 Central Trading zone.
One such retail facility has been approved and is, at this time, operational.
The most recent amendments to the Cannabis Control Ordinance occurred in May and June 2021 (Ordinance Nos. 2021-02 and 2021-03).
Those amendments were intended to clarify the language added via Ordinance No. 2020-5 and address provisions for outdoor commercial cultivation.
The council has since desired to facilitate additional storefront retail cannabis activities.
Accordingly, the council has directed staff to prepare an ordinance amendment allowing a maximum of two storefront retail facilities (dispensaries), each subject to separate council approval of a regulatory permit.
Council’s further direction was to amend the text of the M-1 (Manufacturing) zone district to allow dispensaries as a permitted use subject to a regulatory permit, as was done previously for the C-4 zone.
On review, staff has determined that the requested amendment to the M-1 zone is unnecessary.
Currently, the M-1 zone includes as a permitted use: “Commercial cannabis activities subject to the provisions of Chapter 18.55.”
Under the umbrella of “commercial cannabis activities, ” dispensaries and all other permissible cannabis activities) are already allowed in the M-1 zone as long as the council approves a regulatory permit.
Accordingly, the proposed ordinance would change only one provision of the Cannabis Control Ordinance: the maximum number of dispensaries that may be authorized city-wide would be increased from one to two.
The first step in complying with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) is to determine whether the activity in question constitutes a “project” as defined by CEQA, Public Resources Code Section 21000, et seq. and the CEQA Guidelines, California Code of Regulations Section 15000, et seq.
The second step is determining whether the project is subject to or exempt from the statute.
This proposal qualifies as a project under CEQA because it involves issuing a person of a “lease, permit, license, certificate, or other entitlement for use” as described in CEQA Guidelines Section 15378.
However, the proposed ordinance amendment does not approve or authorize any specific activity that could result in a physical change to the environment; it is solely an amendment to regulations.
In cases where it can be shown with certainty that the project being considered has no possibility of causing a significant impact on the environment, the project is not subject to CEQA as indicated in Guidelines Section 15061(b)3).
Estimated staff time amounting to less than $1,000 for preparing reports, resolution, and ordinance and meeting attendance, plus approximately $500 for public noticing.
Future approval of additional commercial cannabis activities can potentially increase the city’s General Fund revenue by an unspecified amount.
Council Member Solorio argued against the change in the ordinance.
Mayor Beltran maintained that the state regulates dispensaries, and the problem only lies with local drug dealers.
During the closed session, the city council members mainly discussed the following:
6. Public Employment Under Government Code Section 54957
All Positions.
The meeting ended at 9:45 p.m. The next city council meeting will be on Thursday, Sept. 1, 2022, at 6:30 p.m. at 1100 E. Parlier Avenue, Parlier, CA 93648, or through Zoom.
If you believe anything in these notes is inaccurate, please email us at [email protected] with “Correction Request” in the subject line.
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