Clovis Mayor Jose Flores discussed Clovis’ developing landscape during a one-on-one forum on Facebook Live Thursday, June 18.
Public Affairs and Information Manager Chad McCullom, who was conducting the interview, said that Clovis is the 50th largest city in California as well as the second fastest-growing city in the state.
Clovis’ rapid growth has led to some concerns about its growth and development.
Flores stated the growth in Clovis and the Central Valley is partially due to the Los Angeles area and Bay Area becoming more impacted by high living costs and insufficient housing, making cities like Clovis more enticing.
“People look around, and they see what a great community we are,” Flores said. “All of a sudden, Clovis becomes a destination. They know we’re a safe community. They know we’re a clean community.”
Despite this growth, Flores said he wants Clovis to continue what he refers to as smart growth. He also guarantees that any new growth will be smart and pay for itself.
Flores said that he wants the city to retain its authenticity and hometown feel. Which he feels can be achieved with the newly built Loma Vista and Heritage Grove Community Villages.
Another goal for Flores is to provide affordable housing. This is an area, in which the City of Clovis has been lacking in recent years.
Flores points to the newly established Butterfly Gardens, the first permanent, supportive housing development in the city. The development is located at the corner of Willow and Holland Avenues.
According to the City website, Butterfly Gardens plans to house up to 75 residents, including residents with disabilities or at risk of becoming homeless.
Flores also addressed the Landmark Square project, located in Old Town Clovis. The estimated completion date is the first half of 2022.
Landmark Square will be the home of several services. Included are a new senior center, transit center and library.
Flores said despite delays in construction due to COVID-19, like increased material and labor costs, Landmark Square is pushing through and will soon come to fruition.
With the state’s reopening on June 15 and Clovis reporting some of the lowest COVID numbers since the start of the pandemic, Flores said the City can now focus on moving forward beyond the pandemic.
Flores said that Clovis suffered economic consequences, along with other cities across California, because of the emergency implications made by Gov. Gavin Newsom and Sacramento legislators, implications Flores said Clovis disagreed with.
“We didn’t agree with much of those [implications]. And it caused great economic stress on not only the state, but on the county and then the city,” Flores said. “We resisted a lot of them [implications] here in Clovis, but we still suffered some of the economic consequences of those decisions made by Sacramento, the governor and even the federal government.”
Moving forward, Flores said his goal in the next couple of years is to get Clovis back to pre-pandemic status. He said to achieve that goal is to improve local businesses, re-establish schools and review decisions that impact family homes.
“My goal is to help everybody come out of this pandemic and get a little bit more [back to] normal,” Flores said. “So, I think that’s going to be a heavy load.”
Flores believes the timeframe to achieve his goal will take Clovis as long as two years to get back on the right track.