Joseph Oldham, founder and CEO of New Vision Aviation and a Central Valley native, will pilot an electric plane to set a world record for longest flight powered by renewable energy. File photo

The Fresno City Council approved two items at its meeting on Thursday that will bring jobs to a certain district and provide opportunities for youth to train to become pilots.

A job pilot program is set to launch in one of Fresno’s most popular entertainment areas.

The Fresno City Council voted 6-0 to adopt a pilot program to incentivize job creation in portions of the Tower District and the area west of Highway 99 between Clinton Avenue and Shaw Avenue.

Councilmember Luis Chavez was not present for the vote.

The city’s goal with the Tower District Pilot program is to provide incentive to new commercial and mixed-use development in the area the earliest possible opportunity to spur job creation.

The passing of this resolution authorizes the city manager to reduce and/or eliminate dues for all type of citywide Impact Fees except water connection charges and sewer connection charges if businesses meet certain criteria.

Criteria includes the business having to be a local business headquartered in city limits, the development is a commercial or mixed-use development on vacant property in the area, necessary public infrastructure is already in place, and that the development will create and sustain five new full-time equivalent jobs.

The resolution also directs the city manager to fully rebate city sales and property taxes paid by or on behalf of a business that meets all criteria.

The total value of incentives cannot exceed $15,000 per full time equivalent employee and cannot exceed $375,000 total.

Businesses or developers intending to operate as a retail tobacco store or a cannabis retail business in the Tower District will not be eligible for incentives established by the resolution.

The resolution will now go into effect after the city council’s final approval and will expire 18-months from its effective date.

City council also voted 7-0 to approve a lease agreement between the City of Fresno and New Aviation Vision, Inc., to continue operating out of Fresno Chandler Executive Airport.

New Aviation Vision is a non-profit trains residents and youth from disadvantaged communities for careers in aviation, using the Fresno Chandler Executive Airport as its training center.

The city and the non-profit entered into a 6-month temporary use lease agreement in December 2022, with it set to expire in June 2023.

The new 3-year lease will commence in June and expire in June 2026.
The leased premises covers a total of 22,243 square feet and can only be used for directly aviation-related activity.