By Richard Stone
Clint Olivier is, at 38, a relative youngster on the Fresno City Council, and he meets me in his office full of youthful enthusiasm. It is clear he loves his job and is committed to doing the homework needed to do it well. However, while quite willing to answer my questions directly, he also shows a trace of suspicion: Will this representative of a progressive journal try to make him look foolish? He is, after all, often labeled as a āLibertarian,ā and on national issues he typically stands on the side of governmental nonintervention.
āBut,ā Olivier states firmly, āa Council seat is nonpartisan. We deal with local affairs. This is the level of government where you have to look your constituents in the eye. And, in these days of fiscal difficulty, we are dealing more often with what we can cut, not where we can spend.ā
Olivier represents District 7, with a diverse population ranging from North Blackstone businesses to inhabitants of Van Ness mansions to tenants in apartments owned by Fresnoās worst slumlords. He is cautiously optimistic about changes in the district. āThere have been some new businesses coming in; Manchester Center has stabilized; thereās less prostitution; and I can say that at least my office provides everyone access to code enforcement. If we get a complaint, weāll follow up.ā
But he admits there has been little proactive effort to upgrade poorer neighborhoods. In fact, he suggests that there has been all too much attention given to ādowntown revitalizationā at the expense of exploring policies to improve all of Fresnoās less-affluent areas. (When I trot out a favorite metaphorāthat City Hall seems intent on building an āurban theme parkā that looks like a model city for Disneyland, instead of working to strengthen real neighborhoodsāOlivier nods assentingly.)
Olivier in fact speaks of himself as a defender of āinfill,ā of a General Plan that emphasizes building up the inner core of the city rather than allowing more development at the edges. Thus, he was opposed to the General Plan option that essentially redefined infill, but he is also unhappy with the other options, preferring a combination of the two.
Olivier also voices frustration with the āStrong Mayorā model of city government now in effect. While acknowledging that it was voted in place because of previous Council ineptitude and malfeasance, he feels it has over-centralized power at the expense of democracy and accountability. He thinks the current Council consists of mature capable members who are not allowed to represent their constituencies as well as they might. āBut,ā he adds, āI do feel that I have stepped forward to strongly present the case for the people of my district, even though we donāt have the power to do what we should.ā
When asked about city/county relations, he audibly sighs. āThere is no hostility, no real reason not to work better together. But something is missingātrust? Leadership? The right issue? I donāt know. We did come close over animal control. Maybe the time just isnāt right.ā
Olivier continues to support the Office of Independent Review (OIR), which oversees police activities, voting to restore it to the budget when it was cut this year. And while rightfully keyed into the effectiveness of current Reviewer Rick Rasmussen, he was not aware of how limited are the powers of the OIR. When I gave the opinion that the Office is prohibited from providing the public with a comprehensible picture of how police abuse cases are dealt with, he seemed unaware of the problems I cited.
Olivier has a mixed record on privatization, but insists he has no ideological position for or against, simply evaluating proposals case by case. Although on the final Council vote, he favored Measure G (for privatizing home garbage pickup), he states strongly, āI fully supported bringing that to a public vote, and I fully support the votersā decision.ā He is, though, happy that there are no privatization issues on the horizon, as they seem to present unresolved conflicts for him.
Asked what surprised him most about his office, Olivier answered, āHow hard it is. It demands reflection and compassion, and full-time commitment. But thatās why I got into it. I want to be of service to my community, and this brings out my best.ā
My sense during the interview was that this is a fair picture of Clint Olivier the man. But I also sense that he is not fully aware of the impact on his record of his Libertarianism, which includes (as all ideologies do) pictures of how people function, what āthe goodā is and how it is best achieved. While he accurately assesses the Councilās priorities and constraints, I could wish for him to have a vision of civic responsibility less focused on dollars-and-cents and more on justice and communal sustainability.
Meanwhile, Olivier seems to have entered wholeheartedly and (Iād adjudge) with a pretty open mind into the job as he sees it. He definitely plans to run for a second term, though he hasnāt thought beyond that. As one who loves above all its other qualities the diversity of Fresno, it is fitting that his advice for a prospective office-seeker is, āRemember all the neighborhoods in your district, remember who you areā¦and who you are to them.ā My impression is that Clint Olivier takes that dictum seriously, and I would expect him to be changed as he continues to do so.
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Richard Stone is on the boards of the Fresno Center for Nonviolence and the Community Alliance and author of the forthcoming book, Hidden in Plain Sight. Contact him at richard2662559@yahoo.com.