![\"Drone](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/FRS_warszawski_downtown_02.JPG\" "\\"Drone")
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Drone image looking north on Fulton Street in downtown Fresno taken in August 2019.<\/p>\n
CRAIG KOHLRUSS<\/p>\n
ckohlruss@fresnobee.com<\/p>\n
Fresno City Councilmember Miguel Arias received a parking ticket and he wants to know why.<\/p>\n
During his report Thursday, Arias said he and others received tickets after 5 p.m. Wednesday. Most meters are enforced until 6 p.m., the city says on its website<\/a>. On event days \u2014 like Grizzlies baseball or concerts \u2014 meter enforcement is extended until 10 p.m.<\/p>\n He asked City Manager Georgeanne White what the parking enforcement schedule is for non-event days.<\/p>\n \u201cThere wasn\u2019t a concert or a special event that I\u2019m aware of, which is a whole other thing because I have a parking permit, but nonetheless it\u2019s more about everybody else getting tickets,\u201d Arias said.<\/p>\n Arias told The Bee he attended a World Cup watch party at Los Panchos to see Team Mexico win 3-0 over Czechia. As a councilmember, he pays for a monthly parking pass, which is good at City Hall and any other metered space.<\/p>\n \u201cI got a lot of complaints from downtown folks on why they were being ticketed,\u201d Arias said.<\/p>\n The Cracked Pepper Caf\u00e9 is coming to Fresno City Hall<\/a> later this year, but not before a contentious line of questioning about its lease.<\/p>\n Arias grilled city officials over the costs to prepare City Hall space for the Cracked Pepper Caf\u00e9. The city will provide $615,000 in renovations, no rent for the first three years, and will cover utilities.<\/p>\n General Services Director Brian Barr said several city tenants receive $1 rent, including Greyhound and Amtrak. The city pays the PG&E bill for the restaurant space because City Hall has only one meter. White said the rent break is to give the eatery time to become profitable.<\/p>\n A City Hall employee survey showed a desire for an affordable food venue on site.<\/p>\n \u201cWe look at this as an investment in our employees,\u201d said White, defending the spending.<\/p>\n Arias and White debated the costs to renovate. He also criticized the city for offering a \u201cgenerous\u201d lease proposal to a north Fresno operator, when several downtown restaurants recently closed<\/a>.<\/p>\n Despite his line of questioning, Arias motioned to approve the lease contract<\/a>. It passed, 7-0.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m just excited to be in here and serve the community,\u201d Chef Vatche Moukhtarian told The Bee after the vote. He attended but did not speak during the hearing.<\/p>\n Council approves Granite Park fees<\/p>\n On the verge of taking over the Granite Park Sports Complex, the city set usage fees for reserving fields and admissions.<\/p>\n A recent Fresno County Superior Court judge\u2019s ruling means the city can evict the nonprofit operator Central Valley Community Sports Foundation. The city accused CVCSF of breaching its lease and is in the process of removing it from the park. White said the city will honor all reservations. The city will not provide a refund if the city charges a lower rate than what was already paid.<\/p>\n The city council approved a new set of fees in line with other city parks by a 6-1 vote Thursday. Without something on the books, the city could not legally charge. Arias voted no.<\/p>\n Arias balked at the idea of the city charging a fee to parents to watch kids play youth soccer or baseball\/softball.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat worries me is that Granite Park is looking like a publicly-owned facility, publicly financed and operated facility, catering to the people who are able to pay the most, and charging people to watch their kids play, which is a fine model, if it was privately funded, private, privately operated,\u201d Arias said.<\/p>\n Regarding the eviction, CVCSF filed an appeal with the 5th District. The court has not set any dates or rulings \u2014 including a ruling to stay the eviction procedure.<\/p>\n Budget busters<\/p>\n To balance the city\u2019s $2.6 billion budget, Mayor Jerry Dyer rejected 32 of 99 motions made by the city council. Those motions placed the budget $49 million out of alignment. City law requires a balanced budget.<\/p>\n Of the 32 rejections, District 5 Councilmember Brandon Vang had 13 of his proposals denied, the most of a single councilmember. He acknowledged as much on the dais: \u201cI have some wins and I have some losses. That\u2019s the hard part of this reconciliation.\u201d<\/p>\n The rejected motions include those that Dyer said he will prioritize next year, or are already incorporated into another area of the budget.<\/p>\n Arias was next with seven motions rejected.<\/p>\n City owes county over court fees<\/p>\n A Fresno County Superior Court judge recently ruled the city owes Fresno County $35,490 in a lawsuit over the county\u2019s general plan.<\/p>\n In 2024, the city sued the county, concerned about the allocation of water in its general plan. Last week, Judge Jonathan Skiles required the city to pay the administrative fee for preparing documents as part of the lawsuit, citing state law allowing the practice.<\/p>\n Among the city\u2019s arguments for not paying was the county already prepared the same document in a separate lawsuit.<\/p>\n The case is City of Fresno vs. County of Fresno, No. 24CECG01199.<\/p>\n Related Stories from Fresno Bee<\/p>\n Fresno City Councilmember Miguel Arias holds up a parking ticket during the June 25, 2026, Fresno City Council meeting. Screenshot YouTube\/city of Fresno Cracked Pepper Caf\u00e9 lease approved<\/p>\n