[Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Money. Hey. Hey. [Music] [Music] Oh man. The 3:30 p.m. meeting of the Bakersfield City Council is now in session. >> Good afternoon. It's my pleasure to call to order the 3:30 regular city council meeting of September 24th, 2025. Madame Clerk, please call the role. >> Mayor Go, >> here. >> Vice Mayor Core. >> Council member AAS. >> Council member Gonzalez >> here. Council member Weir, >> Council Member Smith, >> I'm here. >> Council member Coleman >> here. >> Council member Basher >> here. >> Thank you. In keeping with the council's resolution, public statements are received at different times depending on the item. Call on the city clerk to call for public statements at the appropriate time. 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 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 the 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, 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 have to clear 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. 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. Madam clerk, do we have any public speakers regarding items not listed on the agenda? >> Margo, we have not received any speaker cards regarding items not listed on tonight's agenda. Nor have we received any speaker cards for items on tonight's agenda. >> Thank you. Next item, please. >> Close session item 4A, conference with legal council, existing litigation for the following four matters. Peterson v. Gonzalez and the city of Bakersfield. Two, Dibburn v. City of Bakersfield. Three, Ortega v. City of Bakersfield. Four, Watson v. City of Bakersfield. And five, Sloan v. City of Bakersfield. >> Thank you. We're journed to close session. [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Thank you. [Music] [Music] Well, [Music] well the [Music] [Music] [Music] All right. [Music] [Music] [Music] Heat. [Music] [Music] Heat. N. [Music] Hey, [Music] hey hey. [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. Heat. [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Oh [Music] yeah. [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] be hey. [Music] Hey hey hey. [Music] [Music] [Music] Hey, hey hey. [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] I'd rather try and accomplish something great and fail than trying to accomplish nothing. I'll stack here all night. I'd rather try and accomplish something. [Music] accomplished failure. Try to something. [Music] [Music] Hey [Music] [Music] Hey, hey, hey. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Music] [Music] Hey. [Music] Hey, [Music] hey hey. [Music] Hey. [Music] Hey. [Music] Hey. Heat. Heat. [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Hello. Hello. [Music] [Music] [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Hey, hey hey. [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Everybody, [Music] hey [Music] money. Brea out. Heat. Heat. me. Oh. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Music] Heat. Heat. N. [Music] [Music] Heat. Heat. N. [Music] [Music] [Music] Hey, [Music] hey hey. [Music] [Music] [Music] Hey, hey hey. [Music] [Music] Hey, hey hey. Hey, Hey yummy. [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Down. [Music] Down. [Music] [Music] Heat. Hey, Heat. [Music] Hey, [Music] hey hey. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Hey hey hey. Heat. Heat. [Music] Hey, hey hey. Hey, hey, hey. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Music] Heat. Heat. N. [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Hey, hey, hey. [Music] [Music] Hey. Hey. Hey. Come on. Come on. [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Hey hey hey. [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Hey. [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Music] [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Reconvening the 3:30 city council meeting. Madame city attorney. >> Thank you, mayor. Uh there were several items on close session this evening, so we're just going to take it slow. Uh first of all, the record should reflect that council member Arius entered at 408 and council member um core, our vice mayor, entered at 3:40. Uh, close session item uh, 4A1, Peterson versus Gonzalez by a 60 vote with council member Weir absent. The city attorney was given direction. Item number two, Dibberin versus the city of Bakersfield by a 50 and an abstension from council member Arius who arrived late. Uh, the city attorney was given direction. Number three, Ortega versus the city of Bakersfield by a 50 vote with council members Arius and Weir absent. The city attorney was given direction. Item uh four, Watson versus the city of Bakersfield by a 50 vote with council members Arius and we're absent. The city attorney was given direction. And on item five, Sloan versus the city of Bakersfield, there is no reportable action. Thank you. Thank you, Madam City Attorney. And with that, we stand a journ at 50:08 and we'll start our next meeting shortly. Thank you. [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Baltimore. [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Everything. [Music] [Music] Heat up. [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Heat. Heat. N. [Music] [Music] [Music] I [Music] love [Music] [Music] you. [Music] I want [Music] to do. [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Hey, [Music] hey, hey. [Music] [Music] Hey, [Music] hey, hey. [Music] Hey, hey hey. [Music] Hey, hey, hey. [Music] [Music] Welcome to the Bakersfield City Council meeting. This television broadcast is brought to you by the local cable companies, the county of Kerna, 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 7:00 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 September 24th, 2025. Madame clerk, please call the role. >> Mayor Go, >> here. >> Vice Mayor Core >> here. >> Council member Arias >> here. >> Council member Gonzalez >> here. >> Council member Weir. >> Council member Smith, >> I'm here. >> Council member Kman >> here. >> Council member Basher >> here. >> Thank you. And thank welcome to all of you. Glad to have you participate in the civic process. We have the pleasure tonight of having Baba Balaj Singh who's the priest of the Gdara Sahib Nanakar Tharbar to offer the invocation. Had to practice that a few times. We're so honored to have you here. It's always so wonderful to see the generosity of our sick community in their temples as they feed people and do very good well to all. Uh following the invocation, Samuel Chamblas, who's a senior at H Heartland Charter School, will lead us in the pledge. He's uh council member Bashir Tash's appointed youth commissioner with a 4.5 GPA, plays lacrosse, civic air patrol club, and he's currently taking flight lessons to become a pilot. And I heard Sam that you're pretty close. Uh he interns at Bigger and Harmon Traffic Law and he plans to attend the Air Force Academy. Council member Basher, I watched Sam and the youth commissioners on Saturday at their retreat and you did really well in choosing him. Would you all please stand now as our priest comes to pray for us? Let us pray. [Music] forgiven. [Music] [Music] Foreign speech. Foreign speech. Open the nose. foreign. for [Music] Hebrew. [Music] bless our gathering, our leaders and the people of Bakersfield. Guide our mayor Karno, city council and official bisdom, courage and compassion. May every decision uplift our community and may our nation grow in peace and harmony. We are grateful for your grace and mercy. God bless our city and the United States of America. [Music] Thank you. Baba Singh Sam, >> please face the flag. Place your right hand over your heart and join me in the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag and to 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. And you may be seated. Thank you so much to uh both of you. And you're welcome to stay, but if you need to leave, this would be a time when you can leave. But uh you're certainly welcome to stay. Here are a few guidelines to help our meeting run smoothly. We request that you turn off your phones. Please be courteous in the use of cameras and videos for safety reasons and as 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 the meeting includes repetitive statement, shouting, hate speech, interrupting staff or presenters during the meeting, speaking out of turn, and outbursts from the audience. Madam clerk, next item, please. Presentations. Item 4 A, proclamation to Jennifer Henry, executive director of Links for Life, declaring Paint the Town Pink Month in Bakersfield during October 2025. Of course, you had to stand up with >> part of the team. >> We are so grateful to have all of our friends here who daily are advocates for women with breast cancer. So much support. I just see you all over the community. You are so supportive for women in their most critical time of need and then just ongoing for months, for years, and I'm going to guess for decades. And so it's my honor today to be able to issue this proclamation. The mayor of the city of Bakersville, California, has officially proclaimed October 2025 is Paint the Town Pink Month in our city in recognition of the more than 400 Kern County community members who will be diagnosed with breast cancer annually and the nearly 100 who will bravely lose the fight. In recognition of the unwavering support of family and friends offering sanctuary and encouragement to loved ones in the midst of treatment. In recognition of Links for Life and other organizations committed to increasing awareness and finding a cure for breast cancer. In recognition of the importance of raising public awareness, public consciousness, and securing funding for research. In recognition of the efforts to unite our community through awareness and personal experiences by displaying the color pink during the month of October, we celebrate the more than 4 million breast cancer survivors. Give hope to those in the battle and honor those we have lost. Thank you, Links for Life, so much for your more than 30 years of service to our community. It's my honor to be able to present this proclamation to you, Jennifer. and you may introduce your team. >> Thank you. >> Thank you, mayor. I will introduce Amisha Panu. She's our board president. Sta Bright, one of our founding members, Heather McMahon, our development manager, Liz Werta, our patient advocate, and Charlotte Brandt, survivor along with Sta and a lifetime member. So, thank you for having us. Links for Life. Yes, 33 years we've been around in our community. This past year, we've provided 593 survivors and family members with a support group. Over 1500 people walked into our offices for assistance. We funded 256 mamograms and ultrasounds, 500, excuse me, five needle biopsies, and we diagnosed two women with breast cancer in Kern County who had otherwise gone without. Part of Links for Life mission is to improve breast health outcomes. And this year approximately 448 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. That is below the state average but our mortality rate is above the state average. This past winter we were approached by Seard Cyanide Medical Center to apply for a collaborative breast cancer research program pilot project and we were funded. The funds came in yesterday. So this grant aims to study women who are 5 to 10 years post treatment as they trans transition from being followed by oncology to primary care. Two of the questions we're looking to answer is what challenges do breast cancer survivors encounter when moving from oncology to primary care at the end of treatment and what help what helps breast cancer survivors remain engaged with primary care over the time. These questions that we will study will be part of the lost in transition grant. I'm asking for your assistance too in two areas. One, October 4th, lacing it up out at the park at Riverwalk. We kick off breast cancer awareness month. Come out and walk. Margo has already said she'll be there, so we expect other people to join us. And two, in your little packet, there's that invitation. And on the back is the hot pink celebration, which is on October 24th. It's our gayla event at Luigi's. So come join us. It's a fun time with lots of people. We sold out three weeks before the event last year. We're looking to do the same this year. So and then also in there is we are looking to interview stakeholders, policy makers in regards to the Cedars grant. There's contact information with Cedars. Please reach out to them so that you can be part of this project that we can interview you to have your input in what we find out in Kern County. And third, we are trying to get a mobile mamography unit for Curtain County. It's a lot of money. I just know that the the unit alone is a half a million. That doesn't include the mobility of it. So, we are looking to bring in partners to help us. Um, one of the women we diagnosed, we took the mobile unit out to um Lost Hills. What if we wouldn't have gone? She wouldn't have gotten in. We were able to get her diagnosed and she was able to seek her treatment she wanted. So, we are saving lives. 100% of our funding stays here. We started with 10 women who wanted to give back. So, we want to thank you for your support and we look forward to seeing you in October. >> We got to go take pictures. All of you ladies. It's okay. In keeping with council's resolution, public statements are received at different times. Depending on the item, I will 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 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 specific agenda item will be presumed speakers for the non-aggenda. If you are 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, 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 have to clear the chambers to regain order of the meeting, you will be called in one at a time to provide your public statement when your item is called. Madame Clerk, do we have any public speakers regarding items not listed on the agenda? Margo, we've received one speaker card. The first speaker is Peter Friedrich. Today's news cycle is so intense that trying to keep up with what is happening even locally is like drinking from a fire hose. And so we can easily overlook how the affairs of foreign nations often impact us here at home in America. Last year, a group of sick Americans rallied here in Bakersfield before marching to Sacramento to highlight the transnational repression or TNR that their community faces at the hands of the Indian government. Civil rights group Justice for All explains that TNR is a dangerous trend where foreign states exert pressure on diaspora communities to stifle criticism and control narratives. Two years ago, India joined that trend when its spy agency assassinated one sick activist in Canada before getting caught trying to assassinate another in New York. Since then, the FBI has warned six throughout California that they face threats from India. One person they warned was Assemblywoman Jme Corbaines who co-authored SB509, a bill which she says will ensure that law enforcement is well trained in how to recognize and deal with the threats posed by TNR. SB509 just unanimously passed the state legislature and now sits awaiting Governor Nuome's signature. And yet, since the bill supports limiting the ability of foreign governments to influence state policy or public opinion, it is no surprise that groups like the HinduAmerican Foundation are lobbying against it. HF, according to a recent legal complaint, appears to be acting as an agent of the Indian Embassy in Washington DC and the ruling government of India. The foundation also frequently partners with the HSS, a group that Justice for All explains is the international wing of the RSS, a paramilitary group in India with a wellocumented record of promoting anti-Muslim anti-Christian and cast-based bigotry. Here in California, the HSS repeatedly solicit city governments for resolutions praising them. While HAF recently hosted training sessions for California law enforcement in which they reportedly parited the Indian government's propaganda that sick activists are terrorists and demanded surveillance of the community. Considering this, I urge the city of Bakersfield to encourage Governor Nuomo to sign SB509, issue a policy statement condemning transnational repression, and disavow engagement with HAF, HSS, and any other extremist or supremacist organizations, especially ones who may have ties to foreign governments. >> Thank you, Mr. I have here an information packet on this issue. >> You can leave it right there and the clerk will get it to council members right there in that tray. >> Thank you, Mr. feed. >> Uh, madame clerk, do we have any other speakers in this category? >> Mayor Go, we have not received any additional speaker cards for non-aggenda items. We have also not received any speaker cards for agenda items. >> Thank you. And so now, next item, please. Consent calendar items 7 A1 or 7A A through 7 I for approval. A staff memorandum was provided regarding 7 A1 transmitting corrected minutes. Motion to approve consent calendar. >> You have a motion. Please cast your votes. Motion is approved with council member Weir absent. >> Thank you. Next item, please. >> Consent calendar public hearing items 8A through 8B for approval. >> Thank you. At this time, I'll open consent calendar, public hearing items 8A through B. Is there anyone in the audience who would like to request that a hearing item be removed from the consent calendar? If so, please come forward. This isn't the time to take testimony, only to remove the matter from consent calendar hearings. >> Good evening, Mayor and Council. Uh Dave Demahowski with the Homebuilders Association. Uh item 8B, uh the sewer fee issue. Thank you. >> Thank you. So we will move that to the end of our regular public hearings. Does any council member wish to remove an item from the consent calendar hearings? Seeing none, at this time, consent calendar public hearing item 8A is now closed. Vice Mayor. >> A motion to approve 8 >> 8. You have a motion. Please cast your votes. Motion is approved with council member Weir absent. >> Thank you, madam clerk. Next item, please. >> Hearings. Our next item is public hearings. Each side will be allowed 15 minutes. It's 15 minutes for all speakers per side. So, it's important that you identify yourself and make your statement succinctly so others may speak. Also, please note that we have a court reporter present that will be trans transcribing the hearing item and therefore it's very important that you speak slowly and clearly so that we have an accurate record. We'll hear statements from those opposed to staff's recommendation first and we'll hear from those who'd like to speak in favor of the staff's recommendation. If there's testimony on both sides, each side will be allowed a five-minute rebuttal. There's a clock on the TV screens behind me which indicates 15 minutes. Please step to the microphone. Identify yourself. After 14 minutes, a yellow light will come on. At the end of 15 minutes, a red light will flash indicating your time is up. Quickly end your statement. You may ask questions during your statement, but they won't be addressed until the public hearing is closed. If you have written comments that are longer than your verbal statement, give them to the clerk and shall provide copies to the council. Please be courteous to others who wish to speak. Madame clerk, please read the public hearing item. Public hearing item 9A, public hearing to consider planning commission's approval of the general plan amendment update uh to the sixth cycle housing element and its proposed notice of exemption. A staff memorandum has been provided transmitting correspondence and voluminous attachments that we were not able to duplicate in time for the meeting. Therefore, the materials are available for review at the clerk station tonight and will be made available for public review during business hours at the office of the city clerk. Thank you, madame clerk. Mr. Kle, >> thank you, Mayor, mayor, and council. I just would note for those in the public that uh um hearing 8B will still be heard after this item. Um for this particular item 9A, I'll turn it over to Mr. Phil Burns to introduce the item to council. >> Honorable mayor, council members, it's my pleasure to bring forward the six cycle housing element for your consideration tonight. This has been a very long process with the project contract originally in front of your body back in October of 2021. Um, and this has went through four reviews of HCD. And I I think staff is kind of uh thrilled that we're finally here in front of you guys tonight. I' like to start by thanking a few people. The RingCon team, Cassandra Gail, Dela Costa, Brena Weatherbe, and others. City staff Ro Nino, Jose Fernandez, Jenny Buyers, Jason Kedar, and many others. City staff, past staff, Chris Bole, Paul Johnson, and our good partners in this process, leadership council for just accountability, Sandra Placencia, Emma Delar Rosa, and their team, Homebuilders Association, Dave Delahowski, Kern Housing Authority, Steven Pels, our CBOS that we use through this uh process, and many, many community members that showed up to our events. It's great to finally have this back in front of city council. Cassandra Gail with Rimcon will now provide a presentation and staff is here to answer questions afterwards. >> Thank you. Welcome. >> Thank you, Director Burns. Good evening, Mayor, city council members. It's great to be back here tonight. Uh, as mentioned, my name is Cassandra Gail. I'm with RingCon Consultants, and I'll be presenting the city's 2023 to 2031 housing element update. My presentation will briefly explain what the housing element is as a refresher, highlight the key programs, and of course conclude with staff's recommendations. As a quick refresher, housing element is one of the required chapters of the city's general plan. It must be updated every eight years and certified by the state's community housing and community development department. This update covers the current planning cycle, we call the sixth cycle, from 2023 to 2031 and Bakersfield's share of the regional housing needs are 37,461 units. I will note that the statutory deadline was on January 31st, 2023. So, adoption is very important at this point to gain certification. A quick note and reminder, the housing element does not authorize the construction or development of housing itself. It is a policy roadmap to make sure the city's plans can accommodate the required units. Director Burns mentioned the housing element update process, so I won't go too much into this, but in August we did receive um conditional approval from HCD. Um so adoption tonight is one of the final steps to secure full certification, but I will note that we did do five rounds of public review and four submitts to the state and lots of navigating of comments in between. Uh this effort has been grounded in a robust community outreach and engagement effort. Uh we took multiple approaches to connect with residents across all four quadrants of the city. We worked very closely with the general plan update team to make the best use of our public's time and respect their capacity to participate. And we really focused on reducing barriers to participation. So focused on language access and meeting people where they are. Uh the results and the summaries of the outreach are available as appendices to the housing element and you can also go to bakersfield uh2045.com to see some live tracking of everywhere we have been. >> The pace a little too fast. >> I will try and also be efficient. Um the document itself includes a housing plan which I will go a little bit further into um and several appendices that cover everything from the outreach, the housing needs constraints, available resources. These analysis components are required by state law and both HCD guidance. As I mentioned earlier, the regional housing allocation is 37,461 units across all income levels. To give some perspective, that's roughly a 30% increase over today's housing stock. So, it's a big lift. And this slide gives a bit of a comparison between the last cycle, the fifth cycle, we did see an increase in the allocation and a bit of a comparison on the actual units that have been permitted over the past eight years. To show the state that we can accommodate that growth, the plan identifies more than enough housing capacity. This slide shows the capacity of the elements site inventory and each category does have a buffer built in. Um the site's inventory does have credits for projects that are already in the pipeline, ADU trends, reszone sites and annexation areas as well. And those sites are distributed across the city. So each part of Bakersfield plays a role in providing housing. So I'll go through them. Uh, central Bakersfield has 3571 units planned. That's the downtown surrounding areas. Northeast, we have most have the largest uh vacant properties available. So, that has the largest portion of the inventory at 12,369 units. Northwest 8,435. This is focused more on opportunity and infill sites and some annexation areas. similar allocation and strategy in the southeast with 9,045 units. And finally, southwest Bakersfield with just over 6,000 units. A lot of those focused on a very large annexation area to the south of the city limits. Beyond just showing where the housing can go, the housing plan lays out the city strategy. So, it includes five goals, 28 policies, 20 programs, and over a hundred to-do items or actions. Um, again, the city and property owners are not required to build the housing directly, but the plan sets the framework so that the development industry has the opportunity to deliver those units. And this is where the implementation programs are really the central focus of the document. The programs lay out those action items and are organized by theme. Uh some focus on preserving and improving existing housing like the rehab rehabilitation and safe housing programs. Others support the development of affordable housing. So preserving at risk units, exploring the creation of an inclusionary ordinance and providing incentives for new production. There are programs to make sure the city maintains adequate sites and reduces barriers like streamlining review and supporting ADUs. a lot of that work um a lot of these programs building on the work that the city is already doing. And finally, there are programs aimed at community support. So, addressing special needs housing, homelessness prevention, fair housing services, and even further exploring and supporting ideas like the community land trust and 15minute neighborhoods. Adopting a compliant housing element is a critical we're at a critical path forward. Uh without it, the city Sorry, sad. Sure. >> Yes, no problem. Uh, without it, Bakersfield could lose access to important state funding, uh, face enforcement actions from the attorney general and the housing accountability unit, um, and lose local control through what is known as the builder's remedy. Certification ensures that Bakersfield continues to have access to state resources and maintains local authority. Uh so in closing, staff does recommend the adoption of the 2023 to 2031 housing element and approval of the related general plan amendment and associated notice of exemption per sequ. Thank you for your time and I'm available for any questions. >> At this time, you may go ahead and sit down. Uh at this time, public hearing item 9A is open. Is there anyone who would like to speak in opposition to staff's recommendation? Please come to the microphone, identify yourself, and proceed. And just a reminder, if you can speak slowly for our court reporter. Welcome, Mr. Larosa. >> Hello. I will try my best to not speak fast. Um, good evening everyone. My name is Emma de la Rosa and I'm the Lannis and transportation policy manager with leadership council for justice and accountability. As staff have um has mentioned, as Cassandra has mentioned, um this process has taken oh sorry, thank you has taken a number of years, a lot of revisions and reviewing of long letters um particularly from LCJA. Uh but they all held really important information that um you know to some extent was integrated into the housing element uh draft that is up for review and consideration today. And um for that we appreciate staff's um you know willingness to meet with us continuously and um chat with us about the uh the the housing needs in the city. The information that we shared in the letters were our uh was based on community feedback through uh community meetings that we held and also um we provided feedback from um outreach that we uh conducted in communities. We went out to various apartment buildings throughout the city. uh not just W one or W two um but W five, W six, W four, W seven, all of the areas throughout the city um has some type of housing need. And so for that reason, you know, we made sure to go out and talk to community members and ensure that we incorporated their comments into our letters. Um I I want to um again thank the staffs, thank everyone for meeting with us throughout the last few years. Um while we are very appreciative of the programs that are included in the in the housing element, I want to say what I mentioned um during planning commission meeting. Um a lot of these programs are limited to feasibility studies or exploration of funding. And if there isn't any accountability of the implementation beyond just exploring feasibility, then we might not see the results that we are hoping to see from this plan, right? to improve housing throughout our cities. And um staff has done a great job of including some great data in this um housing element, but it will also require your support moving forward to ensure that the programs are implemented as they are written, but also uh ensure that these um feasibility studies are actually you will actually become policies. um otherwise we're gonna have a document that um you know staff spent two years on and may perhaps it may not result in anything right so anyway I'm just repeating myself um I also want to just raise that uh the planning commission provided some really great feedback as well related to uh affirmatively furthering fair housing and there was a recommendation by commissioner Neil to include an an action that would um monitor and report demographic data for low and very lowincome populations and efforts to assess progress of housing programs and support targeted outreach and engagement and participation in housing programs. And uh today I would love your support. I I'm asking for your support to include that action in the housing element. It would just be an amendment to the housing element since it's not currently included. Um and in addition to that also include an action to annually monitor and report patterns of segregation in racially ethnically concentrated areas of poverty to assess progress of improving access to housing opportunities. That is extremely important. Um the housing element you will see includes a sentence that says segregation for all racial ethnic groups increased between 2000 and 2020 in Bakersfield. Like the county, black, African-American Hispanic Latino residents are the most segregated populations in Bakersfield and Asian Pac Asian-American Pacific Islander residents are the least segregated. And the the areas that were most segregated were W and W. And so, um, in response to, uh, Commissioner Neil's request and in response to your duty to affirmatively further fair housing, we are proposing these two, um, additional actions to be included, which uh, would provide the monitoring ability, right, to collect data and also inform the implementation of the programs. Lastly, I will add that every April 1st, the city is uh required to submit an annual progress report to the housing and community development department and that annual progress report should include a clear description of the implementation progress of the programs. We have seen in previous um plans, not necessarily just in the city of Bakersfield, um but we have seen in other APRs uh APRs that say that says we continue to provide flyers about housing programs or we continue to post on social media about rental assistance. That does not provide an adequate analysis of the implementation of the programs. And so again, I look forward to your support and in and ensuring that the implementation of the programs in that report provides clear detail as to how you know well it's it's being um implemented and also revisit which I know staff did include a program um to monitor implementation of of the um actions in the housing element and of course the uh community engagement shouldn't stop now right it should continue um until well should never stop. But um the implementation of the housing element should also include community participation. So we look forward to continue to work with staff and continue to work with you. Um and thank you again for your time and your consideration. >> Thank you, Miss Delar Roa. Is there anyone else who would like to speak in opposition to staff's recommendation? Please come forward. Seeing none, is there anyone who would like to speak in support of staff's recommendation? >> Welcome. Please introduce yourself. >> Good evening again, Mayor Go, Council Members Dave Demahowski representing the Homebuilders Association of Kern County. Uh we're here to congratulate staff on a landmark achievement here. Uh we think the uh Department of Housing and Community Development held Bakersfield to a much higher standard than any other jurisdiction in the region. Uh multiple reviews, multiple revisions that the city accepted. And so we're pleased to see that this important element which really authorizes our industry to continue in business here in Kern County, uh appears to be acceptable to the state of California. Uh however, we do have one concern and that has to do with a recommendation relating to um inclusionary zoning ordinance. Uh there's a a policy recommendation and action item that calls for the feasibility study. Um uh we we have no problem with the city uh engaging in a feasibility study, but I I will share with you that uh cities that have already adopted an inclusionary zoning ordinance such as uh the city of Irvine, the city of San Francisco have actually pulled back their inclusionary requirements to a certain extent because of the negative impacts on housing production and affordability. Um there's there's some research available from the California Homebuilding Foundation that shows in the Central Valley several communities including Turlock uh witnessed a down fairly significant downturn in residential permit issuance and affordability as a result of their their ordinance. So we'll be watching that feasibility study uh very carefully. I I once heard inclusionary zoning referred to as a lazy man's solution to uh affordable housing. Uh and it seems inequitable to penalize people who are merely guilty of buying new homes, make them responsible financially for solving uh the state's housing crisis, which really a creation of state government and SQU abuse going back uh decades at this point. So again, congratulations and strongly support uh the planning commission recommendation. >> Thank you, Mr. Emma. Is there anyone else who would like to speak in support of staff's recommendation? Seeing none, is there anyone who would like to provide rebuttal statements in opposition to staff's recommendation? Seeing none, anyone who wants to provide rebuttal statements in support of staff's recommendation? Seeing none, I'll close the public hearing and return it to council for comment and action. And madame city attorney, I saw that uh when Miss Del Rosa was making some comments that do you have anything that you need to add before council. All right. Thank you very much, Council Member Gonzalez. Uh first and foremost just congratulations to staff and uh to all those who have been a part of this uh long process. Uh it's been two years now and uh it's hard to believe that we're now at this moment but uh here we are. And so uh let's uh let's take a moment just to celebrate and and congratulations. Thank you for all the work and please uh Mr. Thank your team um and all those who are again part of this um monumental effort. Uh I just had one question um Miss Del Rosa's recommendation uh that she brought forward from the planning commission regarding the monitoring of demographic data. Um I wondered what the opportunity is there for us to add an addendum to the uh to the plan so that we can include that. I think it's an important piece so that we're monitoring that data to see who actually is um participating in some of these programs and action steps. >> Mr. Burns, >> council member Gonzalez, um currently if you if you look through uh program number 17 on FFH, it broadly kind of addresses this this item. >> I would suggest that this is more referred to a report coming back to council. Um there are num numerous I issues with this. First of all, HUD requires RA data. However, a applicant can select a box saying uh denied to submit the data. Then further in the action plan, all race related or ethnicity data has been removed from the HUD programs. So where I I understand where you're wanting to go from this, I think we need really need to get um ECD's programs here uh Miss Buyers and talk through what our um different partners are g are collecting from data. So I I would be hesitant on adding a action um because we want to make sure that that data is even something that's available to us. >> Okay. In that case, I'll make a referral that um staff come back to council with um a recommendation uh in a future meeting. Thank you. >> Is there anyone else who'd like to comment on this item? Seeing none, Vice Mayor, >> I want to thank staff as well coming uh bringing this document together is uh no small feat. So, congratulations uh Phil to you and your team. And um you know, traditionally in planning, we want like housing elements and general plans to be a lot more detailed and ambitious than they can be. And um within the structures of this document that we submit to the state, the hope is that in the years to come, we can achieve a lot of the things that our community has um advocated for. And there's elements of student housing that have been incorporated due to community advocacy um and really um unique elements that are hyper local to us uh and the city of Bakersfield. So, um I'm I'm hopeful and um and really want to just thank the community um and Emma, your efforts and for coming back uh to bring the community voice uh to this document, to this process and um and and having a local plan and creating a local plan that we're proud of and that represents our community and our goals in the future. So, um, with that, I will make a motion to adopt the proposed 2023 to 2031 housing element, uh, and approve the related general plan amendment with associated notice of exemption per the California Environmental Quality Act. You have a motion. Please cast your votes. Motion is approved with council member Weir absent. Thank you. And now, madame clerk, would you read item 8B, please? >> Public hearing to consider resolution adopting sewer connection fees for fiscal year 202526. >> Thank you, Mr. Kle. >> Thank you, uh, Mayor and Council. Uh, >> you might want to wait a minute because this is Mr. Damahoski's >> Yes. >> item. >> Okay. No, that's okay. We're going to have a report on your item. >> Yeah. Very briefly, Mayor and Council, I'll provide some um quick context on this item, and if there's additional questions, Director Budac's available to speak to this item. Uh but in brief um you'll recall a year ago we brought forward a significant um uh package that had done analysis and looked at whether our connection rates for sewer were adequate and that that we had fallen behind and that they were not adequate. I want to, you know, state publicly and clearly this is very distinct from our user sewer rates issue which was brought forward earlier this spring and is coming back to your council this fall. This is just for the connection or availability to sewer for new development. But we did work with our development community a year ago. We brought forward an increase that was um you know more than it had been in in recent years. And one of the requests from the development community was to not wait multiple years and let those fees kind of get behind and pile up, but instead that we would adopt a um rate increase model that would be adjusted each year for the cost of inflation in construction and the cost of doing business. And so that's what this item reflects tonight is essentially a consumer price index, but that's, you know, tailored towards, you know, these construction costs. And it reflects just that annual increase. And we did uh do outreach with um the building community to go over those numbers and share that we had taken on an approach that was consistent with um some of the feedback that we had heard that it's better to incrementally do these increases than to let them um uh sit and pile up. Um Miss Budac, would you offer any additional? >> Okay, we'll be available to answer questions beyond that, but that's the essence of this item. >> Thank you. So, at this time, hearing item 8B is open. Is there anyone who would like to speak in opposition to staff's recommendation? Seeing none, is there anyone who would like to speak in support of staff's recommendation? >> Mayor and council members, Dave Demahowski with the Home Builders Association. And I don't think we've ever spoken in support of a fee increase, but we were so happy it was not doubledigit increase uh that we I just wanted to see what it felt like. But so uh the 4.33 increase, we met with staff very graciously uh provided us a briefing on not only the sewer fee increase, but also a pending water connection fee increase that will be coming up in the future. So, we're in support of the sewer fee, but I do have to comment that uh it looks like the the water connection fee uh will involve a change in the methodology whereby the city establishes the fee based on a per dwelling unit factor rather than a per acre factor. And that could result in a fairly significant, possibly a double-digit increase in the water connection fees. So, we'll be getting back with your staff uh before this the water fee issue comes before you uh and and try and get some additional information as to the basis of it. I don't know whether uh because of the change in methodology that triggers a nexus study under the mitigation fee act. Uh would like to discuss that also with staff before the item comes before you in the future. And thank you for your time. Didn't mean to extend the meeting very well. >> Thank you. No, you're welcome and we're always glad to have your voice here. Thank you. Is there anyone else who would like to speak in support of staff's recommendation? Seeing none, I'll close the public hearing and return it to council for comment and action. Vice Mayor, >> motion to adopt the resolution. You have a motion. Please cast your votes. Motion is approved with council member Weir absent. >> Thank you, madame clerk. Next item, please. >> Council and mayor statements. I don't have anything up yet, but we might give it a minute. Council member Gonzalez. >> Thank you, Mayor. Um, actually my first referral tonight will be uh that we work with Eastcribe to see if how we can actually add another unit that tells us when we actually request to speak so that it's clear on our monitors. It's not very clear at all. And also maybe if we can see the queue of speakers that would be awesome. Um, you know, a few days ago, actually, I was talking to a community member and they were asking me, um, why the city council spent all of the city's reserve fund, and I said, "We did not spend all of the city's reserve fund." uh and I think uh there is uh some confusion out there about some of our um budgetary challenges as we adopted this last uh fiscal year's budget and what we talk about when we talk about uh fund balance uh and our reserve fund and I just wanted to quickly note that in fact uh in uh at the end of uh 20 24 I think finance is still working on the the most accurate numbers for the end of last fiscal year. Uh we have a general fund reserve balance of uh close to $60 million in our reserve. Compare that to in 2018 pre-measure end, we were at a fund balance of $13 million. Uh so this council has been actually very strategic at building up a a reserve fund uh to improve the financial health of our city. In fact, our goal is to have two months worth of cash flow uh in our reserves and um and that's always an elusive goal as budgets increase. We're always having to add more to that fund. U but it's interesting to note that it's it's grown uh significantly uh since pre-measure N. Uh the other fund though, another reserve fund is our facility replacement fund. In 2018, this fund was at $3.3 million and today sits at $5.3 million. Again, another strategic investment that the council has made. But the last piece I want to mention, something that I'm very proud of is our uh Kalpers uh stabilization fund. We know that the cost of Kalpers payments will peak in the next three to four years. And in order for us to make those payments, this council decided a few years ago that we were going to set up a section 115 fund where we put some of our uh net revenue uh into a reserve that will help us make those payments over time. Um and so we established that in uh the fiscal year 2223. Um and uh and today we have almost $6 million in that fund. And so um it's encouraging. What I'd like us to do is oh actually one last comment. All of these funds are sitting, you know, in in our savings accounts and it's actually generating interest. We're earning interest on these on these accounts. And it was interesting to see that we're almost earning close to uh almost $2 million annually uh from all of these reserves. Uh so not only are we saving money, putting it away for the rainy day, but it's actually helping us in future by by making some additional income. So what I'd like us to do is have a workshop for the city council at a 5:15 meeting uh so we can go over our reserves and understand it better. So all of us on the dis and and the community as well can can see where we are um how we're doing with our reserve accounts and then also where how we compare to other cities uh in in in the state of California because uh I think uh the last time I checked uh we were we were very competitive. We actually had a a healthier reserve than most communities and I think that's something that we should all be all be proud of. Of course, there's so much more to do, but um we need to make sure that folks know that our reserve our reserves have not been spent. Thank you, >> Council Member Smith. >> Thank you, Mayor. I just wanted to mention the jailbad task force that we had this afternoon. We had a great turnout uh conversation with the the sheriff and the DA and uh mental health and nonprofits and that is our most pressing issue as far as uh public safety and we brought the community together to to begin that conversation and to try and find solutions. Uh our objectives are find solutions, listen to the community, create community awareness, and create an urgency for this problem. And and there has been no urgency, and it's time to solve this problem. So, I think hopefully we're moving forward and at least we've brought people together to begin the conversation. Thank you. >> Thank you, Council Member Arius. >> Thank you, Mayor. I think this might be the first meeting in the past two months that we've been able to finish before 7 o'clock. So, I'll make sure to take up as much time as I possibly can with my comments. Um, kidding aside, uh, just want to congratulate, uh, looks like he might have stepped out of the room, but, um, Mr. Rick Anthony, uh, was the parks director at the time, uh, who actually took a tour with myself and the Greenfield walking group, um, at Stern Park, uh, several years back. Uh we identified a need that there we needed restrooms at the park. Um it is a well visited park every single day. If you head over there after school is over. Um there are dozens upon dozens of families who utilize that park on a daily basis. So this is a gamecher for that community. I just want to say congratulations. That install I think happened over the last couple weeks. Uh so super grateful for that investment and thank you uh to the voters for Measure N for making that possible. Uh the the second piece that I wanted to add is actually a referral for staff. Um before I make the referral, I just want to say thank you to council member uh Bob Smith earlier today. He let me know that um he is having positive conversations with our friends at Kern Delta um regarding um a potential partnership um for a potential pedestrian and bicycle uh path along 8th Street uh ne next to and adjacent to the canal. Um, so I would like to make a referral to staff uh to have them explore uh what that partnership could look like. Um, and I think there's a couple of ways that we've gone back and forth about how we can get that done, but ultimately uh it's about safety um along that corridor. We know that it's well traveled. Um there's um high congestion rates along that corridor throughout for several miles. Um and I think it's time that we work together. We we have two demonstration projects that we've done and partnered with the Delta folks in the past and we're hopeful that we can make this a third one. So, if I could ask staff to take a look at that um and specifically uh south Ming and headed south all the way uh down to as really as far as we can take it. So, thank you so much. >> Thank you, council member Arius. I don't see any other request to speak and so we stand adjourned at 6:15. [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music]