Fresno County’s regional planning agency restored former Fresno Unified trustee, and local paver, Brooke Ashjian to the citizen panel developing a renewal of Fresno County’s multi-billion-dollar transportation tax on Tuesday.
Ashjian, an appointee of Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer, was removed suddenly last week after a number of media appearances criticizing a decision to award nearly one-third of seats on the panel to social justice activists.
The backstory: Ashjian was removed from the steering committee last week on orders of Parlier Mayor Alma Beltran, who chairs the FresnoCOG Policy Board.
- Phipps notified Ashjian, who represents the City of Fresno, of his removal in a letter, saying it was because he broke the ground rules for participation in the committee. Phipps said those rules “included behaving in a civil manner regarding disagreements and not publicly denigrating or airing grievances against the process.”
- Ashjian has previously spoken out against the Policy Board giving social justice group Transportation For All 12 seats on the steering committee. He wrote an op-ed for Sun View two weeks ago and also spoke to KMJ on the Broeske & Musson show about the process.
Flashback: Phipps and Measure C Project Manager Kendall Flint addressed the Fresno City Council last Thursday, the same day Ashjian was told he was kicked off the committee.
- The council urged Phipps and Flint to place Ashjian back on the committee, and City Manager Georgeanne White said it was unacceptable for Beltran to remove Ashjian and that Dyer was disappointed.
Ashjian responds: Ashjian told Phipps in an email Tuesday that he would accept the call for his return to the Measure C steering committee, which next meets on July 30.
- “It was pretty clear that this was a considerable mistake by COG and after much consideration I feel that we can pave a new road with all of us understanding our new roles. I will continue to fight for Fresno and not let down my mayor!” Ashjian wrote. “Now let’s go Kick some Asphalt!”
