Universal Meditech in 2018 relocated its manufacturing and research and development operations to a 20,000 square-foot space at Fresno's North Pointe Industrial Business Park. Photo via City of Fresno

Two Fresno City Council members held a news conference Wednesday afternoon to address a leaked Fresno County email regarding a proposed ordinance for labs in the city.

Councilmembers Miguel Arias and Garry Bredefeld held a second media event Wednesday afternoon in as many days about their proposed infectious disease labs ordinance, which will be brought to city council on Thursday.

The latest briefing was in response to an email from a Fresno County deputy counsel to someone at United Health Centers (UHC) trying to determine if the ordinance would affect UHC clinics.

The email reads, “The way how this is written, it appears that it would have an effect on every UHC laboratory within the city limits. I’d like to discuss this if you are available.”

All names, emails and numbers in the leaked email presented by Bredefeld and Arias were redacted.

The proposed “Infectious Disease Lab and Accountability and Transparency” ordinance, brought forward by Bredefeld, Arias, and council president Nelson Esparza, will require infectious disease labs to have all appropriate permits and licensing, and for the public to be fully informed to be allowed to operate.

Arias said they held the Wednesday news conference because they want to reassure the public that their proposed ordinance would not affect existing health care labs, but only new labs operating with infectious diseases.

“No member of the public should be concerned that their neighborhood medical facility, their doctor, their hospital, their Quest lab, will see any impact on any individuals ability to attain health care services, irrespective of the county’s interpretation of the [proposed] ordinance,” Arias said.

Arias said that either deliberately, or as a result of incompetency, the county engaged in spreading misinformation regarding the proposal in attempt to frighten local health care providers and build public opposition to the ordinance.