2600 Fresno Street  
Fresno, CA 93721  
www.fresno.gov  
City of Fresno  
Meeting Minutes  
Women's Commission  
Leonela A. Harari, Chair  
Laura E. Ward, Vice Chair  
Amy Fuentes, Member  
Guadalupe Cazarez, Member  
Stefanie M. Diaz, Member  
Olivia Adams, Member  
Vacant, Member  
12:00 PM  
Wednesday, April 17, 2024  
In Person, City Hall, 2nd  
Floor, Room 2120  
The Women's Commission met in special session on the 2nd Floor, Room 2120, Meeting  
Room C, at Fresno City Hall on the date and time above written.  
1.  
2.  
Call to Order  
Vice Chair Ward called the Women's Commission to order at 12:02 P.M.  
12:02 P.M. Roll Call  
Present 4 -  
Vice Chair Laura E. Ward, Guadalupe Cazarez, Member Amy  
Fuentes, and Member Olivia Adams  
Absent 1 - Chair Leonela Harari  
3.  
Approval of the Agenda  
On motion of Member Adams, seconded by Member Fuentes, the  
above AGENDA was APPROVED. The motion carried by the following  
vote:  
Aye: 5 -  
Vice Chair Ward, Cazarez, Diaz, Member Fuentes and  
Member Adams  
Absent: 1 - Chair Harari  
Approval of Minutes  
4.  
Approval of minutes of April 10, 2024, Regular Meeting  
4-A.  
ID 24-547  
On motion of Member Diaz, seconded by Member Adams, that the  
above Action Item be APPROVED. The motion carried by the following  
vote:  
Aye: 5 -  
Vice Chair Ward, Cazarez, Diaz, Member Fuentes and  
Member Adams  
Absent: 1 - Chair Harari  
Staff Updates:  
5.  
Council Assistant Gallardo reported staff has started with the first round of  
scholarship awardees that were selected during the last meeting; received  
emails from applicants thanking the commission on their scholarship  
recipients; deadline for the scholarship awardees to turn in the W-9 forms by  
the end of this Saturday; scholarship awardees will be contacted at a later  
date for a presentation; staff will contact the second round of scholarship  
awardees and give them a week to turn in their W-9 forms; there will be a  
presentation on May 23, 2024, during the City Council meeting.  
Subcommittee Reports:  
Scholarship Subcommittee Update  
5-A.  
ID 24-548  
Vice Chair Ward reported an additional 36 of scholarship recipients were  
recommended for awards; Five additional recipients were selected by Vice  
Chair Ward and Member Cazarez; discussed the 26 scholarship recipients  
that were selected by Member Fuentes.  
Feminine Hygiene Product Subcommittee Update  
ID 24-549  
5-B.  
Member Adams reported that the Feminine Hygiene Product Subcommittee  
has contacted several organizations that include Evangel Home, Poverello  
House, Homeless Union, Marjorie Mason Center, Saint Agnes, Fresno EOC  
Sanctuary, Naomi's Home, Fresno Mission, and Holy Cross Center; reached  
out to see if the organizations would like to participate in the grant program  
to provide feminine hygiene products to the women that they serve; five  
applications were received for the grant.  
6.  
7.  
Member Update:  
Vice Chair Ward mentioned the commission tried to identify in advance  
which community events that might have registration fees that the  
commission may want to participate; necessary to expend all the available  
funding no later than the end of July.  
Action Items:  
Recommendation of Scholarship Award Recipients and direction to award  
recipient  
7-A.  
ID 24-550  
Council Assistant Gallardo distributed a list of the additional 36 scholarship  
awardees that will be contacted today whom they will move forward with;  
announced staff are doing a final round two days prior to the deadline to get  
in contact with the awardees to remind them to submit their W-9 forms;  
mentioned a few of the younger awardees will have a few days extension;  
reported most awardees have been turning in their W-9 forms on time; only  
eight scholarship recipients who has not turned in their W-9 forms;  
explained there is a good portion of the Master students, PHD students, and  
Undergraduate students that are scholarship recipients.  
Vice Chair Ward recommended selecting graduating high schools students,  
law school students, and medical school students as long as they are a  
Fresno resident.  
Member Fuentes motioned to move forward with the additional 36 awardees  
and directed staff to communicate with the additional recipients as  
presented.  
On motion of Member Fuentes, seconded by Member Cazarez, that  
the above Action Item be APPROVED. The motion carried by the  
following vote:  
Aye: 5 -  
Vice Chair Ward, Cazarez, Diaz, Member Fuentes and  
Member Adams  
Absent: 1 - Chair Harari  
Recommendation of Feminine Hygiene Product Program Recipients and  
direction to award recipients and amounts  
7-B.  
ID 24-551  
Council Assistant Gallardo discussed staff was supposed to have a meeting  
with the Feminine Hygiene Product Subcommittee this past Monday but  
were not able to; recommended staff to meet once more with the Feminine  
Hygiene Product Subcommittee before deciding who the recipients will be  
and continue with the direction of amounts of recommendations; discussed  
staff had done an estimate based of the money they received from the  
reallocation and the funds from the prior budget; determined the top two of  
the applicants would need more funding out of the five applicants; staff  
would like the subcommittee to decide who the funding goes to; there would  
be a carryover after the awardees for a total of around $80; announced May  
15, 2024 is the date for the final decision to inform the awardees.  
Member Adams motioned to proceed with the staff recommendation for the  
five award amounts today to allocate the award recipients based on the  
funds available; the Feminine Hygiene Product Subcommittee will confirm  
which of the five organizations with completed applications will be named  
for the five amounts.  
On motion of Member Adams, seconded by Member Diaz, that the  
above Action Item be APPROVED. The motion carried by the following  
vote:  
Aye: 5 -  
Vice Chair Ward, Cazarez, Diaz, Member Fuentes and  
Member Adams  
Absent: 1 - Chair Harari  
8.  
Public Comment - Members of the public may address the Commission  
regarding items that are not listed on the agenda but within the subject matter  
jurisdiction of the Commission. Each person is limited to a three (3) minute  
presentation. Anyone wishing to be placed on an agenda for a specified topic should  
contact the City Clerk at least seven (7) days prior to the desired date. Commission  
action on unscheduled items, if any, shall be limited to referring the item to a future  
meeting.  
Upon call, there were no public comments.  
9.  
Adjournment  
The Women's Commission Special meeting adjourned at 12:16 p.m.  
The above minutes were approved by unanimous vote of the Women's Commission  
during the November 26, 2024, regular meeting with Member Adams and Member  
Diaz absent.