[music and bell] [music] Welcome to the Bakersfield City Council meeting. This television broadcast is brought to you by the local cable companies, the county of Kern and the city of Bakersfield. You can watch the rebroadcast of this meeting Saturday at 700 p.m., Sunday at 10:00 a.m., and the following Wednesday at 7 p.m. You can download the agenda for this meeting at www.bakersfield city. us. Preciding over this evening's meeting, the honorable Mayor Karen K. Go. >> Good evening. It's my pleasure to call to order the 5:15 regular city council meeting of December 17th, 2025. Madame Clerk, please call the role. >> Mayor Go, >> here. Council member Core >> here. >> Council member Aas. Council member Gonzalez. Council member Weir >> here. >> Council member Smith. >> I'm here. >> Council member Kman >> here. Council member Bashirsh >> here. >> Thank you. Tonight we have the pleasure of having Pastor Wendell Vincent of Canyon Hills Assembly to offer our invocation. He's been the pastor for more than 40 years there and the founder of City Serve in 2017 that's impacted a lot of our community and our nation and the world. Uh he also with uh city serve is responsible for the elevate apartments for our homeless brothers and sisters and foster youth that's uh in the old Montgomery Wards area and then uh so many other wonderful wonderful issues. And so before he prays tonight I'm going to ask him just to give us a little uh briefing on city serve and the impact. Following the invocation, Juan Sanchez, who's a fellow in the city manager's office, will lead us in the pledge. As a CMO fellow, he works with the help team. He gets all kinds of questions about homelessness, waste, what do I do with this? And he is able to answer those. He's a recent graduate of UC Davis where he majored in community regional development and in public health. And for future plans, he wants to come back here and work in this city. So, pastor, if you would just uh brief us a bit on city serve and then we'll have everybody stand for the invocation. >> Thank you, Mayor Go. Wonderful. Uh council members and staff, uh appreciate you so much as we come toward Christmas. We just want you to know how much we how grateful we are for your work and for your sacrifice. We know that what you do is a labor of love for our community and we are blessed by the leaders in our community and by the city of Bakersfield. City serve its mission is to resource and strengthen local churches across the nation to serve their neighbors, their most vulnerable neighbors to serve their community. There are 350,000 churches across America. It's an amazing infrastructure. It's a real multiplier in terms of people that are willing and ready to make a difference in their community. So, we resource those churches best we can uh through a national supply chain that helps uh churches have the resources they need, furniture, supplies, home goods, food, clothing uh to serve their neighbors that are the most vulnerable uh through capacity building. Secondly, helping uh churches by training them and resourcing them with a specific template on how they might serve those in their community that are hurting, widows, orphan, people that are struggling with addiction, people that are coming out of the prison system and and uh trying to get a second start at life. Uh just working with people that are in a vulnerable place, really building capacity in churches to do that. also helping churches and faith-based communities get the resources they need to do that work. We really do see the local church and faith community as being as having the potential to be a premier deliverer of social services in our community. Uh that's was a big part of how our country was founded. It's part of what made America great and uh we believe that there are some wonderful days ahead as the church is more engaged and multiplied. And then thirdly, uh, city serve serves to help churches collaborate better. The number one question we're asked by government leaders across the nation is why doesn't the local church, why don't they work more closely together, more cohesively together? Why are faith communities not talking to each other? And that is a fair question. And we work really hard to help churches find out how they can find common ground with other faith communities around them and work together for the good of their city so that their city can thrive. And uh city serve is helping to lead part of the America 250 uh national celebration uh by uh stewarding what's called America gives back. So on May 16th of 2026 will be good neighbor day across America where uh 5 to 10 million people will be mobilized from faith communities to serve their city in meaningful ways. On D-Day 66 26 uh city serve will uh sponsor a national day of uh honoring our veterans. It's called Day of Gratitude, just thanking them for their service and what they've done in our community and in our nation to protect our citizens. And so, we're excited about 2026. It's the 250th uh birthday of our nation. Um we have a lot to celebrate and we have a lot of work to do, but we thank you as a city council and staff for all that you do every day. We just hope that the the local church in our community, the faith community here, that you'll view them as partners and uh stakeholders in our community and not just critics. We don't want to be critics. We want to jump in and help roll up our sleeves, do the hard work that it takes to have a thriving, flourishing community. >> And then pastor, city sir's been involved in a lot of disaster relief efforts also in our nation and internationally also. Yeah. So, we really thank you for that. that was all born out of Bakersfield. So, we're just grateful for the impact of Bakersfield around our world. Would you all please stand for the invocation? >> Amen. We're proud to be from Bakersfield. It's a wonderful community. We're all blessed to live here. Let's pray. Lord, as we gather this evening in service to our community, we pray that you will give these leaders wisdom, humility, and courage, guide the council members, staff, and all present to seek justice, promote the common good, and steward our city's resources with integrity. Help them to listen with patience, speak with honesty, and act with compassion for the least and most vulnerable among us. Bless the decisions made here so that they may foster peace, opportunity, and the flourishing of our neighbors. We ask for your presence in their deliberations and your strength for the work ahead. We pray these things in the name of Jesus Christ, our savior and lord. Amen. >> Amen. One >> salute. Salute. Pledge. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. Thank you, pastor. Thank you, Juan. Uh, if you need to leave, this would be an appropriate time to leave. Here are a few guidelines to help our meeting run smoothly. And just uh clerk for the record, council member Arius entered at 5:21. We request that you turn off your phones. Please be courteous in the use of cameras and videos for safety reasons and as a courtesy to others. No signs are allowed in the council chamber or in the lobby. Applause is allowed during the presentations portion of the meeting, but not during other portions of the meeting. Everyone in attendance is expected to adhere to the rules of decorum established by resolution of the city council. Failure to abide by the city's rules of decorum, including any disruptive behavior that interferes with our ability to have an orderly and efficient meeting prevents the city council from conducting the business of the city. Consider this a first warning to everyone in attendance that conduct that disrupts this meeting may result in expulsion and/or the chambers being cleared. Behavior that disrupts a meeting includes repetitive statements, shouting, hate speech, interrupting staff or presenters during the meeting, speaking out of turn, and outbursts from the audience. In keeping with the council's resolution, public statements are received at different times depending on the item. I'll call on the city clerk to call for public statements. If you wish to make a public statement, please fill out a public speaker card and place it in the tray next to the speaker's podium. We ask that you mark whether you're here to speak on an item listed on today's agenda or in a matter not on the agenda. Speakers who do not identify a specific agenda item will be presumed speakers for non-aggenda public statements. If you're here to speak on an item not listed on the meeting agenda, you'll be called first to speak. Statements are given a two-minute time limit per speaker's 20 minutes total for all non-aggenda item public statements. If you're here to speak on an item listed on the agenda, I'll call for you at the appropriate time. If public statements become disruptive and I've declared the chambers to regain order of the meeting, you'll be called in one at a time to provide your public statement when your item is called. Madam clerk, do we have any public speakers regarding items not listed on the agenda? >> Margo, we've received nine uh speaker cards for items not listed on tonight's agenda. The first public speaker is Derek Urena. >> Good evening. Good evening. >> Welcome. Please introduce yourself. >> Hi, my name is Derek Urena. Uh, I'm a youth organizer with Community Inventions, a nonprofit located on Baker Street. >> And I am Brianna, who is also a youth organizer of Community Interventions. Ready. Good evening everyone. We are youth organizers with community ventions, a nonprofit located in Oldtown Kern focused on empowering system impacted people in our community. Next slide. Mission and vision statement. >> Our mission is confronting social justice issues of mass incarceration, health, um, racial e, economic, education, and housing inequities through uplifting the voices of impacted communities. >> And our vision is to create, nurture, and sustain equity for the marginalized and most vulnerable in the Central Valley. who we are and what we do. My name is Derek. I am a 17-year-old youth organizer at Community Interventions. I went from simply showing up to our bi-weekly meetings to helping lead and shape our work. Being a part of Community Interventions has taught me how much we can achieve when we support one another. And >> then my name is Brianna Gin. I am also a youth organizer with Community Inventions. I too started off as a regular program attendee at 16. I am now 22 years old. I help organize and uplift young people to create real change in our community. Um, we empower youth ages 14 to 24 impacted by the war on drugs to become leaders in organizing and advocacy using healing center practices to break cycles of harm and build self-determination. Um, our core programs, >> some some opportunities our community interventions offers for youth in Bakersfield are >> uh we have bi-weekly meetings where we hold safe spaces for our youth to discuss [snorts] between systematic injustice to personal growth. advocacy work, where youth work with elected officials to learn policy change, advocate on issues that are impacting their community. >> And then uh youth empowerment, where youth take on leadership roles by organizing and hosting local events that bring the people of Bakersville together. Um the importance of youthled movement, >> adultism, the dismissal of young people's ideas, experience, and leadership often excuse them from decisions that affect their lives. >> The impact of our programs as well. Sorry. Um, with the increased support, we expand mentorship and create safe spaces that empower youth leadership and self- advocacy. And thank you. Thank you for sharing, madam clerk. Next speaker, please. Uh, just a reminder, we don't uh have applause during this portion of the meeting, but thank you very much. And I know that you're celebrating them. Next speaker please. Teresa Perez. Welcome. Please introduce yourself. >> Okay. Um, I'm here today um, >> Miss Perez, would you lower the microphone please? >> Okay. I'm here today to to point out that our system that we have, I'm asking for changes in the political field. Um I don't feel it's right that somebody runs for something and a lot of the taxpayers money they just take it like takers. Uh other things as far as we got Trump as far as from what I could see he wanted to become a dictator and Biden bringing a lot of the illegals that just lived off of our taxes and monies and our system. I don't feel that that's fair because people have been here longer. And I'm here to talk about also, you know, we have cars like a family member has an AKA. The Cadillac converter is to re to buy another one. It's like $1,500 to $2,000. That's ridiculous. That's almost as much as buying another car. You go to the the food chain markets and it's $38 for a piece of steak or a piece of of um t-bone steak or whatever you want to buy. I mean, that's too much money just for a piece of meat. I think the prices need to go lower. I passed by Home Depot. A tree is $190 and it's already cut and it's not like it has any roots to continue to grow. Um, other things I would like to bring up in the year 96 I was pulled over. I never got a ticket. Never received a ticket. I was handcuffed. I was fondled and I was beaten up. And when I tried to bring it to the attention of other officers and stuff, they would not assist me. They just laughed and smirked. And at that time I have this medical record. >> Merez, your time is up. Would you just bring your comments to a close, please? >> Can I do one more sentence? Uhhuh. One more sentence. >> Okay. Um, at the time I was beating up, I had around that time had my gallstones taken out. I didn't want stitches. My tubes were coming out. She was jumping on my body. She beat me with her fist, her elbows, her kneecaps, into my spine. >> They allowed her to to work for DA. >> Your time is up. If you have additional comments, you're welcome to submit those in writing. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Next speaker, please. >> Chris James. >> Welcome. Please introduce yourself. Well, good evening. My name is Chris James. I'm the CEO of Golden Empire Transit, and I'm here with some uh exciting news tonight. Um I'm pleased to announce the board of directors for the Golden Empire Transit Board. Uh on November 18th approved the new service for the downtown and Oldtown Kern areas. Um we named the new service Tucan Trolley after the Thompson Petland Toucan Building. And I believe that building at one time was also a U Greyhound building. So we felt that was pretty appropriate. Uh the trolley represents progress and a commitment to public transit options that supports the local businesses downtown while reducing traffic congestion and making it easier for downtown residents, employees, and visitors to explore everything our downtown has to offer. The trolley will offer um 15 minute service Wednesday through Saturday. It'll operate between 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and it costs $1.65 a ride. The service travels down um 18th Street between Q and H and circles back on Truxton and eventually goes over to the Oldtown Kern area, circling circling around the iconic Oldtown Kern restaurants. The new service will start on January 7th and we are holding a ribbon cutting at the chamber building on 18th Street at 10:00 a.m. You all will receive uh invitations to that. We'd like to see you there for the river ribbon uh cutting and that event. Anyway, would like your support. Um think this is a great addition for the city and the downtown area. And with that, I will uh wish you all happy holidays. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. James. Madam click, next speaker, please. Michael, turnup seed. Be nice if you give it to them. Anyway, I'm Michael Turnips. I represent the Kern County Taxpayers Association. Madame Mayor, members of the council, uh there are seven several there are many challenges that the city is facing right now. And we've uh are started and we are going to present seven different solutions to the different problems. I think we start out with the Bakersville sewer dilemma. And since I only have two minutes, I can't go into details, but basically 10 years of operation plan, a billion dollars, which keeps 40% in ongoing fees with only 10 to 12% annual increases, 60% bonding with a $30 million a year cap. We did a SWAT analysis of city finances and figuring out how to evaluate it, we decided to choose the Eisenhower matrix which is used in decisionm and prioritization framework. It's based on President Eisenhower's comment, what is important is seldom urgent and what is urgent is seldom important. And so after we did presented that, we did the analysis for the city's financial problems. And we actually provided a three-year decision calendar for the city to examine and look at to uh with several objectives to occur. And we've also come up with a scenario for planning the future. Uh because it's really not about choosing between growth and austerity. It's about choosing when and how costs are paid. And finally, we did an analysis of council goals and identified some shortfalls and issues that weren't addressed like financial stability, financial uh, you know, practices. You talk about efficiency, but that's the closest thing you get to money management, and I think there needs to be a much higher priority in this city on how you manage your money. Thank you very much. >> Thank you, Mr. Turnips. Madam Clerk, next speaker, please. >> Heather Silver. >> Welcome. Please introduce yourself. >> Members of the council, my name is Heather Sylvvis, and I am here as a local educator, a Bakersfield resident, and a protector of children. The city has a duty, a sacred duty to protect and serve its citizens. That duty was abandoned the day we protested at Dignity Health Arena in Centennial Plaza during the Megan Kelly event last month. One of the protesters standing with us was the granddaughter of former council member Terry Maxwell. She is here with us today. According to the police report she filed, she alleged that her grandfather Terry Maxwell had touched her inappropriately from the age of 12 to 18. These are her words, her allegations, and her truth. Not proven facts, but the reality she bravely reported. We were peaceful. We had tickets. We were exercising our First Amendment right to freedom of speech. And yet, security guards employed by AEG on city-owned property harassed us, threatened us, and tried to push us out. All before Terry Maxwell even arrived. We were threatened repeatedly just for being there. Terry Maxwell, a conservative right-wing Christian radio host on KZNR, walked onto the plaza, and when she spoke her truth publicly, the threats escalated. We made noise for about 2 minutes. Security told us to be quiet. Security threatened to revoke our tickets, and we were ultimately ejected without cause or refund. Myself and another educator had paid for tickets, and we were escorted out by security and told we were not welcome and told we would get a refund. No refunds were issued. Let me be clear. City-owned property is public space and citizens should never be intimidated, questioned, harassed, or threatened for exercising their constitutional rights. We were standing for survivors. We were standing for children. We were standing for the right to speak truth to power. And the city failed in its most basic duty to protect and serve. I am here to demand accountability. I am here to demand respect. And I am here to remind this council that the city's duty to protect and serve and to defend the First Amendment rights of every resident is non-negotiable and we will not stop calling for it. I will not apologize for standing up against pedophiles and there will be no peace for pedophiles in Bakersfield as long as I have air left in my lungs. No peace for pedophiles. Thank you. >> Thank you, Madam Clerk. Next speaker, please. Johnny Aligz, >> welcome. Please introduce yourself. >> Hello, my name is Johnny Olz. Um, so somebody sent me a link. I guess you guys are doing 18th between O and L, I believe. Um, so I have to wonder, that's a relatively new street that was just redone. I they did the parking wrong, redid it. Um, one of the things I can't help but wonder is who owns the businesses on those streets? Who owns the properties? We all know Mr. Bob Smith or family. So, the nepotism in this town is just beyond I mean, it's out of control. Um, Michael Turnup Seed said that maybe we could, you know, manage the budget, do something else with money, right? So, you're going to spend $7.5 million because your kids' businesses are not profitable because they can't get traffic. So, now the city's stepping in redoing the streets to bring in traffic. That's just not right. If I had if I was up there and I was one of you guys, I would not allow that type of nepotism to happen because that's your job is you're a civil servant. Next year, four of you guys are going up for reelection. You know who you are. Last year I made a lot of noise and I look forward to this next year. So I really hope that you guys think about this. By the way, hi Zach, you're my representative. Um I really hope that you re-evaluate where the money's going because I will be watching. When you look at the nonprofits in town that are run by some of the city council members, what you will find is there's an overlap between families and I have done my research. People send me stuff on a daily basis and I will be publishing that because it it is just not okay that we as taxpayers me you I mean you know my story with you guys when you guys pull that contract from me. So yes, I do have a chip on my shoulder and I'm not going to back down. Thank you. >> Thank you. Next speaker, please. >> Keith Wesley. >> Okay. Uh I played football. >> My name is Keith Wesley Hamilton the third Dr. Divinity. Uh >> uh we I played football as a water boy. I walk the streets of Bakersfield and uh uh whenever I have water I surrender it. And uh I see people I have deep emotions about this city. I've been here since I was 12 years old. My dad helped me but he's gone. It's eight years almost. And uh so what else? I I went to I went in prison um um Crime and Punishment um Dstroski. I read him. I read the whole book and about a murder in Don Krueger, one of my friends, Junior. Uh he sold a a crime right my neighborhood. Uh and uh Steve Yaver was a punter. Uh he was a friend of mine. I think he was a the captain. And there was Brian Lynn. Uh he was my class. He was captain and he was criticized for praying before uh the election and I think uh Sparks took it. My dad knew all I know all. Yeah. Well, so what else could I talk about? I'm scatter brain shotgun. Oh, constitutional writings. It starts out with the introduction. Uh, Mayflower Compact, uh, United States Bill of Rights, the Constitution, uh, uh, Joseph, Chief Jose of the Net Surrenders, amendment to the con 16 amendments, Scott, Ronald Reagan's remarks, I want to go to Berlin someday. And, uh, Lynon Burke Johnson's me I I've only read four chapters. I I started in the fourth chapter, went to the They started Clinton has ruled for 22 years. He's out. And uh also um Camal Harris is actually the president. You only get down to it. Um that's uh Trump me. I signed up se selected service and it's also um >> Mr. Wesley. Your time is up. >> Yeah, I was in prison and a captain and uh I lost my >> Thank you, Madam Clerk. Next speaker, please. John Hart. Thank you, mayor. >> Please introduce yourself. >> Yes, I will. Thank you very much. My name is John Hart. I'm a former Bakersfield, California photographer, journalism instructor at Bakersfield College and Cal State Bakersfield. I'm now fully retired from all three and I'm spending my retirement in proud and patriotic service to my country and defense of our democracy as a never Trump anti-MAGA anti-GOP pro- civil and pro-human rights activist. My comments today are probably going to run a little longer than two minutes. So when my time is up, all I ask is that I be able to leave my statement with you and also the pictures of what I'm here to speak about. And uh those will pretty much illustrate what I'm what I'm here about. Uh I'm before you tonight to advise you of an incident of harassment, threats, and intimidation that occurred by Dignity Health Arena Security, which I assume contracts with the city during a peaceful protest that seven protesters and I participated in on the night of the Megan Kelly speaking event at the arena. Um at that um at that event um we were we were harassed, we were intimidated, we were threatened by two security officers who seemed to be assigned just to watch us. I'm talking private security, not not the BPD. Um, so what I want to do, I I apologize for this half picture. I didn't realize we had a size limit and I brought a big picture and we had to cut it in half. But you can see from this picture our proximity. This these are our protesters. These are the people waiting to get into the arena. These are the um the doors to the arena. We were in Centennial Plaza, which is listed by the city of Bakersfield as a public park. And I see that I'm uh running out of time. So, if I can just have you guys look at the photos, look at the uh link to the video, which I've put on this picture, and that will pretty much explain the harassment that that we endured at that event. >> Thank you, Mr. Hart. You can put all of those right there in the box. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Do we have any other speakers? >> Mayor Go, that was our final speaker for non-aggenda items, and we have not received any speaker cards for agenda items. >> And does that include the appointments and uh the consent calendar? >> Correct, mayor. >> Okay, thank you. Next item, please. Appointments item 6A, one appointment at large to the fire civil services commission due to term expiration on December 31st, 2025 of Thomas Edmmonds. >> Thank you. So, I'd like to clarify the voting process for you. This is an atlarge appointment. Therefore, council will vote electronically and the clerk that somehow is uh and the clerk will announce the results. Mayor Go, I did want to announce applications for appointment were received from Thomas Edmonds, Jenny Annette Kurie, Tony Pledo, and Ronald Wolf. Mayor Go Thomas Edmonds received a majority of the votes at six votes. Thank you, city clerk. And now, Vice Mayor, if you'd make the motion, please. >> Yes. Motion to appoint Thomas Edmonds to the Fire Civil Services Commission. You have a motion. Please cast your votes. Motion is approved with council member Gonzalez absent. >> Thank you. And Mr. Edmonds, thank you so much for your service to this state and we appreciate your willingness to continue to serve. Uh, next item will be for the keep so beautiful. Would you like to announce that, Madam Clerk? Mayor Go. Item 6B um, two appointments at large to the miscellaneous civil service commission due to term expirations on December 31st um, of Patrick Bowers and James Haye. Uh, we received a staff memorandum requesting that item be pulled from tonight's agenda. >> Yes. >> Appointments item 6C, two appointments to the Keep Bakersfield beautiful committee, Ward One regular member and Ward 7 alternate member due to the resignations of Paul Yiannes, Ward 7 alternate member, and Noi Garcia, Ward One regular member. A uh staff memorandum was also provided regarding this item uh transmitting an additional application that was inadvertently um left out of the agenda packet. >> All right, Council Member Arius. >> Thank you, Mayor. If I could actually ask a question for clarification. It's my understanding that uh Manuel Ramirez um also vacated his position as the alternate member representing Ward One. And so that would make two vacancies perward one representing the alternate as well as the regular member. Is that correct? >> Uh per the MADI act, we have to keep the vacancy uh vacant for we cannot appoint with less than 10 days between when we receive the resignation and uh when we can appoint. >> Got it. Thank you for that clarification. So we will take care of that at a future meeting. Uh with that, I would like to um recommend uh Mr. Manuel Ramirez as the regular uh member for KBB representing Ward 1. >> Thank you. And then vice mayor for W 7, I will be forwarding my appointment to the next city council meeting. Thank you. Right. So we have a uh nomination from council member Arius and that's a motion. You have a motion. Please cast your votes. Motion is approved with council member Gonzalez absent. Thank you. Next item, please. Appointments item 6D, one appointment at large to the current mosquito and vector control district uh due to a term expiration on December 31st, 2025 of Floren Core. Applications for appointment have been received from Flor Floren Core and Jenny Annette Kurie. >> Thank you. Council will vote electronically and the city clerk will announce the results and based on these results, the council will then make the appropriate motion. If a motion, please cast your votes. Not a motion, sorry. Please cast your votes. >> Mayor Go, Floren Core received a majority of the votes at six votes. Thank you, Vice Mayor. >> Motion to um appoint Floren Core to the Kern Mosquito and Vector Control District. Thank you. You have a motion. Please cast your votes. Motion was approved with council member Gonzalez absent. Thank you. And now the next item, please. >> Appointments item 6E, one appointment uh to the north of the RI river recreation and parks district due to term expiration on December 31st, 2025 of Charles M. Howard. Applications were received from Hovic Bedurian, Jeffrey C. Chuddy, Dennis P. Gallagher, Charles M. Howard, Jenny Annette Kurtie, Daniel C. Nolan, and Michael Sprrickler. Thank you. So, council, if you would cast your votes. And just for clarification, that's Jeff Chudy. >> Mayor, I apologize. We will need to use ballots on this particular vote. Oh, >> okay. Mayor Go, the apparent winner is uh Jeffrey C. Chuddy with five votes. Thank you. And now, Vice Mayor, >> motion to appoint Jeff Chudy to the board of directors of the North of the River Recreation and Park District. If a motion, please cast your votes. >> Motion is approved with council member Gonzalez absent. >> Thank you. And now, next item, please. >> Consent calendar items 7A through 7 I for approval. Staff memorandums were provided for items 7E20 and 7E 24 transmitting corrected agreements. Thank you. I haven't received any requests for recusal or for removal of items. So, Vice Mayor, >> motion to approve consent calendar items 7A through 7 I. >> You have a motion. Please cast your votes. Motion is approved with council member Gonzalez absent. >> Thank you. And now next item, please. >> New business item 12A, approval of council committee calendar for January through December 2026. Uh, please note that if you're here to speak on this new business item, the city clerk will call for public statements after staff's presentation. Each speaker will be limited to two minutes and there will be a 20inut time limit. City manager Kle. >> Thank you, Mayor and Council. Just a few brief comments. this calendar patterns the the sequence that we created for 2025 and that we have months that alternate the committees that worked out very well for efficient uh staff time and the ability to prepare materials in between committee meetings. And so we we paid close attention to when we have uh different League of Cities events and holidays to try and avoid any of those conflicts. But otherwise, we have each of the committees uh alternating every other month at the regular times that we had for 2025 repeated into next year. Thank you. Motion please. Or oh, sorry, Madam Clerk, any speakers? May go, we've not received any speaker cards for this item. Thank you. a motion uh motion to approve 12A, the approval of the council committee's calendar for January through December. >> Thank you. You have a motion. Please cast your votes. >> Motion is approved with council member Gonzalez absent. >> Thank you. And now next item, please. >> Council and Mayor statements. >> Council member Smith. >> Thank you, Mayor. [clears throat] I'd just like to say we went out to Taft to visit the jail facility this morning with staff and council member Basher Tash and they uh seem to be very accommodating and and looks like a space that will work and and so staff is moving forward on that. I don't know if council needs to make any if we need to come to council for anything, but uh I just want [clears throat] to maybe direct staff that you know this this obviously will be something that will be continuing in our budget and and we have to look at it for next year. And I think we should also speak with the county since it really is their obligation uh via the sheriff and the county that whatever contribution we can get from them to uh contribute to what their obligation is would be great and to start that conversation now would be great. But it looks like uh we're making great progress with Taft and we really appreciate their accommodation. Thank you. >> Thank you, Council Member Smith. Council member Coleman. >> Thank you, Mayor. First, I wanted to thank Council Member Smith and Council Member Basher for the uh extra effort they're making on behalf of the people of the city of Bakersfield. uh to uh find us some more jail bed space so we can uh uh so we can enforce some of our laws here in the city. So, thank you for that. I just want to say on a lighter note, this is the end of my first year on the council and it's been very educational for me. Uh I I I want to thank the city staff for your patience and I want to thank the members of the council for uh your leadership and uh uh your mentoring uh here over the last year. So, thank you very much. Uh, and I just wanted to wish everybody a merry Christmas. So, >> thank you, Council Member Coleman. Council member Basher. >> Yeah, I wanted to say thank you for a wonderful first year on city council. It's been excellent. Um, in regards to the the jailb I know if there's, you know, for the sake of the public that's here and also those that could be watching, reviewing, um, it's it's imperative that we hold individuals that are terrorizing our our community accountable. And that's what our focus is. the business community has forked over millions of dollars in damages and and and I I've heard a lot of people say, "Well, they're not everybody needs to be in jail, but some of these individuals, the whole point is to slow them down to get get a moment of sobriety so that there can be connections into these different resources." And that's best done in a jailbed setting when they're they're destroying our community over and over and over again. This being done is going to uh boost up response times. It's going to help our our call center when people are calling in to get help. Um it's going to help the business community. It's going to help families that are just trying to move about our community and not be terrorized by individuals that aren't being held accountable. And so this is going to be felt um in a very positive light. And and I'm really excited that we have this opportunity to um to to make a difference for our community. And uh Bob, thanks for um you know setting it up and pushing it forward. So merry Christmas. Thank you for the first year. I look forward to the next 19. No, I'm just kidding. >> Thank you, Coun. Thank you, Council Member Basher Tosh. Vice Mayor, >> thank you, Mayor. And I just wanted to congratulate Council Member Kman and Council Member Busher on completing your first term as the as first year, sorry, first year. [laughter] >> First, sorry, it goes fast, though, let me tell you. as someone coming up on her first term. Um, no, it's it's been an honor to serve with you both so far. And um, you know, I was reflecting this morning with our BPD officers. Uh, every year they have a tradition of revisiting families that have been affected um by crime and and delivering presents and and foods before food before the holidays. and um Council Member Basher Tosh and Council Member Kleman were heading out to Taft with some of the leadership at uh our with our BPD and um there's optimism to be had and uh we appreciate the extra effort that you all are putting in and advocating on behalf of the council and the city and and the residents and so forth. And um just wanted to wish everyone happy holidays with your families and thinking of those who um may not have the opportunity to spend it with their families or uh the circumstances that uh prevent folks from uh being able to enjoy this time of year. Uh we're thinking of you and we're with you and um all of the support services at the city. Want to congratulate the city staff as well. Um and thank you all for your support throughout the year as we end out 2025 here. um and as well as our council colleagues. Wishing you all health and prosperity. Thank you, Vice Mayor. Any other requests? During this wonderful time of the year when we're celebrating with friends, celebrating Christmas, celebrating Hanukkah, we know that there are some who have been deeply impacted by the incident in Australia. Coming right here to our home with Rabbi Schmully Schlanganger. It was his brother who was the rabbi uh who was killed among others in Australia also. And I know that many in our Jewish community have uh experience a lot of grief during this time. I'm grateful to our Bakersville Police Department for the support that they've provided in making sure that the commemorations that the celebrations of Hanukkah have been safe. So, I want to uh thank the police department also offer on behalf of the city of Bakersville our condolences to the families. And I'm going to ask all of us just to have a moment of silence in memory of the Schlanger family. Thank you. And on a happier note, we are so blessed to be in a community where there's so much generosity. I've just seen many of you at community events and the amount of generosity just being poured out on those who have very, very little has been incredible. Just an outpouring of love, an outpouring of kindness, an outpouring of thoughtfulness. And that is the community of Bakersfield. I'm just so proud that we're able to do this. To all of you, happy holidays. Merry Christmas and enjoy the time with your families and friends. And so we stand adjourn at 6:06. [music] Heat. Heat. >> [music] [music] [music]