Fresno Mayor And City Council Disagree On Global Warming Agreement

The City Council of Fresno, California, endorsed the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement on July 18th to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but the city's Mayor has stated he won't sign off on the proposal.

2 minute read

August 20, 2006, 5:00 AM PDT

By Irvin Dawid


"The Fresno City Council last month endorsed the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, making Fresno the first central San Joaquin Valley city to embrace the brief document that already has the support of 275 (sic) American mayors.

There's one problem: Fresno Mayor Alan Autry has not signed on. And that leaves city officials struggling to figure out what the council's action means."

The nonbinding agreement challenges mayors to get their cities to voluntarily meet pollution-fighting goals based on the Kyoto Protocol. The Clinton administration signed the protocol, but the U.S. Senate has not ratified it, and President Bush opposes the treaty.

Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels is spearheading support for the agreement."

"Autry, a Republican, says he is not bound by the council's action because it's not city policy. He says he neither signed nor vetoed the resolution because the agreement was born out of political opposition to President Bush at a U.S. Mayors Conference last year. Nickels is a Democrat."

"As a form of protest, I'm not going to sign off on [the council resolution], but I'm not going to veto it because there's a lot of good stuff in there," Autry says.

"City Attorney James Sanchez says it's too early to predict the agreement's legal significance, saying the answer will have to be "fleshed out on a case by case basis.

But Council President Jerry Duncan, who voted no in the council's 5-1 decision July 18, says he fears environmental groups will use the resolution to launch "frivolous lawsuits" against the city. Council Member Henry T. Perea was out of town the day of the vote."

Thanks to Susan Frank via Central Valley Air Quality Coalition Forum

Monday, August 14, 2006 in The Fresno Bee

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

Red and white "Wildfire Evacuation Route" sign on signpost.

Cal Fire Chatbot Fails to Answer Basic Questions

An AI chatbot designed to provide information about wildfires can’t answer questions about evacuation orders, among other problems.

5 hours ago - The Markup

Protester at Echo Park Lake, Los Angeles holding sign that says "Housing is a human right"

What Happens if Trump Kills Section 8?

The Trump admin aims to slash federal rental aid by nearly half and shift distribution to states. Experts warn this could spike homelessness and destabilize communities nationwide.

6 hours ago - Shelterforce Magazine

Aerial of rainbow painted crosswalks at large intersection in Castro District, Sna Francisco, California.

Sean Duffy Targets Rainbow Crosswalks in Road Safety Efforts

Despite evidence that colorful crosswalks actually improve intersection safety — and the lack of almost any crosswalks at all on the nation’s most dangerous arterial roads — U.S. Transportation Secretary Duffy is calling on states to remove them.

7 hours ago - Streetsblog USA

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Home and Land Services Coordinator

Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners

Associate/Senior Planner

Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development

Senior Planner

Heyer Gruel & Associates PA