How to spend $70 million to achieve environmental and economic transformation in Fresno will be the topic of a public meeting Thursday.

The Fresno Transformative Climate Communities Collaborative will host its first public meeting at 6 p.m. at The Californian assisted living facility at 851 Van Ness Ave. The Collaborative — tasked with identifying a series of projects for investment that will benefit residents in downtown, Chinatown and southwest Fresno — will host regular meetings through September.

The goal is to establish a proposal for $70 million earmarked for Fresno through the Transformative Climate Communities Program. Fresno was one of three cities in California selected as part of this pilot program. The funding comes from proceeds from the state’s cap-and-trade program, which was just extended until 2030 by a vote of the state legislature.

For more information, visit the Fresno Transformative Climate Communities Collaborative website.