The Fresno Council of Governments (COG) office, responsible for planning the region’s transportation system, is facing an unprecedented crisis. Employees are working in a 13,000 square-foot office above the shuttered Club One casino in downtown Fresno, a building owned by local developer Tom Richards. The office has been plagued by a severe rat infestation since 2026, leading to a toxic work environment that has left staff morale at an all-time low.
The Rat Infestation Crisis
Staff members describe a workplace under siege. Rats are seen running through the ceilings, leaving droppings on desks, and even raiding personal belongings. One employee recounted finding a live mouse in their desk drawer, trapped in a glue trap. The infestation has become so severe that pest control technicians require gas masks to retrieve dead rats. In June alone, four rats were spotted in just 10 days, with one even seen exiting the executive director’s office.
The rats’ brazen behavior indicates a large underlying population, according to Eddy Valencia, a technician with Dustin Pest Control. The infestation is believed to have spilled over from the abandoned Club One casino below and the empty buildings surrounding it. “The rats essentially have the run of the building now,” Valencia stated.
Beyond the Rats: Additional Safety Concerns
The rat problem is just the tip of the iceberg. Employees also report encountering flying cockroaches, unhoused individuals sleeping in the board room and backrooms, and mounds of human feces in the elevators. The office had to be evacuated when a homeless person’s crack pipe set a mattress on fire outside the office. Maggots have even been found on desks, and staff members feel unsafe walking to the restroom alone.
To address these issues, COG has stationed a security guard outside the office to fend off homeless individuals. The agency has also escalated its pest-control contract, with trap crews now visiting three times a month. However, staff members remain skeptical about the effectiveness of these measures.
The Controversial Lease Renewal
Despite the deplorable conditions, the COG board, led by Fresno mayor Jerry Dyer, signed a new five-year lease with Richards’ company in May. The lease is worth approximately $1.3 million in total, with a monthly rent of $20,000. Notably, there is no clause in the contract requiring the landlord to address the rat problem.
Staff members allege that the board stretched the truth about employee satisfaction to secure the lease renewal. Executive Director Robert Phipps claimed that a survey showed 75% of employees wanted to stay. However, staff members dispute that any substantive survey took place, describing the process as awkward and intimidating.
During the board meeting, only Parlier Mayor Alma Beltran raised concerns about the workplace conditions. “I still continuously hear complaints about this building—the rodents, the homeless,” Beltran said. “People who work here every day deal with these conditions.” Despite her objections, the board approved the lease, with Beltran casting the sole “no” vote.
Mayor Dyer, who has received over $10,000 in campaign donations from Tom Richards and related Penstar employees, dismissed Beltran’s concerns, referring to the disputed survey. Dyer did not respond to requests for comment about the employees’ experiences.
The Human Impact
The working conditions have taken a toll on staff morale. Employees describe feeling anxious, intimidated, and unsafe. One staff member expressed concern for Les Beshears, the agency’s finance director in his 70s, who takes cat naps under his desk. With food smells in the air, coworkers fear a hungry rat might bite Beshears while he sleeps.
Beshears, however, remains unfazed. “Rats are like a rattlesnake: If you let ’em be, they’ll leave you alone,” he said. He also questioned why anyone would stay if the conditions were as bad as reported. “Evidently, there’s something else that is going on to risk their life to work in this rat-infested jungle,” he added.
Some staff members speculate that a notable part of COG’s workforce, which includes employees on H-1B visas, may feel compelled to remain silent about the conditions due to their immigration status. “You’re from a culture that’s more obedient, and you have a lot more to lose,” one staff member said.
As the COG office faces another five years in the rat-infested building, the human impact of these deplorable conditions continues to be a pressing concern.
