In 2019 and 2020, I authored several key policies that gained unanimous approval from my colleagues on the Fresno City Council. These policies will help us reduce the saturation of liquor stores, repurpose blighted motels into homeless shelters, improve rental housing conditions and build new housing.
Fresno Airport Project Labor Expansion: Approved a $115 million agreement which creates 2,143 jobs and keeps $320 Million of economic benefits local. Generating prevailing wage jobs with healthcare and pension benefits for Fresno veterans, women, local businesses, minority-owned businesses, and those unemployed.
Responsible Neighborhood Market Act: Caps new liquor licenses, reduces alcohol outlets in saturated areas, expands alcohol-free zones near schools and parks, incentivizes full-service grocery stores, and establishes a city inspection program and joint accountability commission.
Motel Accountability Act: Establishes a motel inspection program, repurposes facilities into emergency homeless housing and sets operations standards. Failure to comply may result in closure and receivership of blighted motels violating health and safety standards.
Serial Slumlord Violator Act: Sets new citation levels that range from $1,000 – $10,000 for owners that operate more than 10 properties and fail to maintain their properties to health and safety standards.
Southwest Fresno Economic Expansion Act: Makes nearly $5 million in incentives available to build complete neighborhoods in West Fresno. This encourages the construction of housing, grocery stores, local retail stores and the West Fresno Community College Campus.
Public Property Act: Eliminates the ability of city staff to sell public real estate without a public bid process ensuring full public transparency, best value for taxpayers and good business practices.
Housing Trust Fund: Established and funded the City’s first multimillion-dollar affordable housing fund to help build hundreds of new homes for seniors, families, and children.
Complete Streets Ordinance: Requires the city to build complete streets that include curbs, gutters, sidewalks, and bike lanes when building new or fixing existing roads. In addition, secured $10 Million more annually in gas tax dollars toward fixing the worst roads first.
miguelariasforcouncil.com 