Hey, hey hey. Heat. Heat. Come on. Heat up. Feel behind. Welcome to the city of Bakersfield planning commission 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. and Sunday at 10:00 a.m. The agenda for this meeting can be downloaded at www.bakersfieldcity. us. Presciding over this evening's meeting, Vice Chair Cassie Biddle. It is my pleasure to call to order the April 16, 2026 planning commission meeting. Madame clerk, would you call roll please? Chair Strickland, >> Vice Chair Bidd, >> here. >> Commissioner Brandt Oliver >> here. >> Commissioner Kedar >> here. >> Commissioner Core >> here. >> Commissioner Martin >> here. >> Madame Clerk, next item, please. Pledge of Allegiance. Please stand for the pledge of allegiance. >> I pledge to the flag again of absolute pledge. >> I pledge algiance 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. In my defense, the page says I pledge. Thank you for attending tonight's planning commission meeting. The commission provides an opportunity for the public participation in the development process throughout the city of Bakersfield. The planning commission considers a wide variety of projects including subdivision maps, zone changes, general plan amendments, and more. When the applications are received, the city planning division analyzes the request. Planning staff will present the facts about the project along with their recommendation to the planning commission who will approve the item or make a recommendation as appropriate. Madame clerk, next item, please. >> Public statements. >> Public statements are now received at different times depending on the item. I will call on Madame Clerk to call for public statements at the appropriate time. So, please listen carefully for the correct time to speak. >> Non-aggenda item 3A, public statements. Does anyone in the audience wish to address the commission regarding items not listed on tonight's agenda? If so, please come forward and state your name. >> Seeing none. >> Agenda item 3B, public statements. >> Does anyone in the audience wish to address the commission regarding items listed on tonight's agenda? Seeing none, Madame Clerk, next item, please. Agenda item four, consent calendar items. All matters listed under the consent items do not require a public hearing and will be enacted by one motion. There will be no separate discussion if said items of said items unless staff or a commissioner request specific items to be discussed andor removed for separate action. >> Does any Okay. May I get a motion approving consent items 4A? I'll make a motion. >> Commissioner Kedar. >> So move. >> Commissioner Martin. Madame. Oh. Commissioners, please cast your votes. Motion passes with Chair Strickland absent. >> Madame Clerk. Next item, please. Agenda item five, consent calendar public hearing items. Now is the time for consent calendar public hearing items. If the item is not removed by a commissioner, staff, or a member of the public, the commission will vote on all items in one motion without further comment. If an item is removed, it will be placed at the end of the non-consent public hearing items. At this time, I will open all of the consent calendar public hearing items. Does any member of the public wish to remove a consent calendar hearing item? Does any commissioner or staff wish to remove a consent calendar public hearing item? >> I'd just like to note that I have a conflict of interest on item 5D and will be abstaining from voting. Thank you. >> Due to source of income. >> Okay. At this time, the consent calendar public hearing items not removed are now closed. May I get a motion to adopt staff's recommendation on the consent public hearing items not removed incorporating all staff memorandum and revised staff recommendations. >> I'll make the motion. >> Can I second that? >> Uh, Commissioner Core and Commissioner Oliver. >> Okay. Commissioners, please cast your votes. Motion passes with Chair Strickland absent and Commissioner Kater abstaining from 5D. >> Madame Clerk, next item, please. Agenda item six, there are no non-consent public hearing items. Madame Clerk, next item, please. Agenda item seven, reports. Does staff have any reports? >> I'd like to introduce >> commissioners. I'd like to introduce Luis Lewis Ramirez, a planner for the department. Thank you. >> Good evening, commissioners. Uh my name is Luis Ramirez. I am an associate planner with the development services department planning division. Uh I'm here to present the city of Bakersville's 2025 housing element uh annual progress report. This presentation will highlight our progress toward meeting our regional housing needs allocation or BINA as they call it and keep implementation milestone and key implementation milestones from our housing programs. Tonight's presentation will cover a quick overview of what the annual progress report or APR entails, the process of we follow for the APR submission, a summary of our arena target, and the 2025 housing production, and to look at how we're moving forward. The APR is a key tool required uh by the state of California that tracks a jurisdiction's progress in implementing its housing element. It includes uh data on housing production by income category program implementation and other policy outcomes. This report helps maintain transparency and keeps Bakersfield eligible for important important funding programs. Um the cities cities are required to submit the APR to both the state housing and community development HCD department known as HCD and the office of land use and climate innovation LCI by April 1st each year. The report is formatting formatted using a standardized Excel tool and includes both quantitative data and narrative components explain explaining how the housing element programs are being implemented. The Reena housing needs allocation is a statemandated housing planning tool. It's not a requirement to build a certain amount of housing, but cities must demonstrate that they have planned and zoned adequately for the housing across income categories. The Bakersfield 6 cycle arena covers a period from the years 2024 to 2032 with an assigned allocation total of 37,461 dwelling units across all income levels. 2025 marked the second year of the sixth cycle. While some progress was made, production and identification of very low low and moderate income housing continues to be a challenge. This highlights the importance of our policy tools and partnership moving forward. In 2025, Bakersville permitted 2,125 dwelling units. Almost 20% and almost a 20% increase from the previous year. Of those 2,125 units, 43 were permitted for extremely lowincome households and 96 for very lowincome households. Overall, we've completed 12.7% of our arena target. And to stay on track, we need to permit about 5,449 units per year to help meet our arena target goals. The housing element includes 109 program actions. Since certification 5 months ago, most program actions are in the early stages of implementation and progress is underway. The city has allocated general fund dollars to the affordable housing trust fund and is leveraging state and federal sources that include ARPA and RE funding. Uh these funds are supporting the development of affordable rental housing for lowincome households. The city has uh transferred 23 abandoned residential lots to the Bakersfield Community Land Trust for affordable h home ownership. 10 homes are currently under construction for firsttime home buyers. The city has also expanded the home access program to serve a greater number of households. And to help with the home improvements, home improvements, the city has implemented a ARPA funded home repair and weatherization program and is developing an ADA accessibility improvement and is developing ADA accessibility improvement programs. Um, I'd like to highlight uh a few affordable housing projects completed in 2025, which was uh the Renaissance at Bakers at Baker with a total of 85 units uh 42 of which are for extremely low income and um the Haley Street Apartments with a total of 40 very lowincome units. uh under construction in 25 2025 uh was the let's ring senior housing pro project which will provide 150 senior units afford affordable for those earning between 30 to 80% of the annual medium income and the Auburn Vista apartments which will provide 60 units 25 of those units will be allocated to the low to for low-income farm workers um but it's funny to say that it was constructed in 2025 but um the ribbon the ribbon been cutting was yesterday morning. So that yeah, it's very it's really good to see that um these projects are getting completed. Um but one um another project that is actually in construction is the City View project which will provide 37 town homes targeting home ownership for uh low and moderate income household. Um, in summary, uh, Bakersfield continues to make progress on its arena goals, but like many jurisdictions face challenges in producing very low and moderate income housing. Uh, we'll continue to focus on affordable housing strategies, implementation of the housing element programs, and remove and by removing barriers for household development. Uh, that concludes my presentation. I'm happy to answer any questions or provide clarification on the material provided. Thank you. Do any commissioners have any questions? >> We allowed. Is that when we do this? So, I believe it's set for a motion to receive and file, but if the commission has questions or discussion, now would be the time. >> Commissioner Kater, >> I was just curious the um emphasis on pursuing um affordable housing strategies. If you could just briefly explain what some of the strategies look like for the upcoming year. So the housing element has 109 action programs. Uh they're all listed in table D of the annual progress report. Uh some of them include which we're um actually implementing the uh changes in the zoning ordinance to help uh with um for example allowing well are going to that's actually going to city council I believe next 22nd in May. So yes, uh so changing the zoning ordinance to help uh remove barriers that would restrict uh housing development. Uh another thing would be like the Bakersville land trust that we have in E that ECD is running uh where we would uh procure uh home um land and then develop it for affordable housing. >> Thank you. Do we need to do anything for receive and file file? >> A motion. >> Okay. Can I get a motion to receive and file the staff report on the housing element annual progress report for the calendar year 2025? >> So move. >> Commissioner Martin, can I get a second? >> I'll second. >> Commissioner Kater. >> Commissioners, cast your votes. Motion passes with Chair Strickland absent. >> Madame Clerk, next item, please. >> Agenda item eight, communications. >> Does staff have any communication items? >> At your next meeting on May 7th, uh, selection of chair and vice chair for the next term will be on the agenda. >> I know, Kater. Madame Madame Clerk, next item, please. >> Agenda item nine, commissioner comments. >> Do any commissioners have any comments? >> Seeing none. Oh, yay. >> I have a question. Is there a search for a replacement for um >> Yes, city council will be considering a replacement for the ward one seat. um I think May 13th. It will be in May. And then uh two other seats shall also be uh considered for um um continuing their seat. Uh Commissioner Kedar and I believe uh Commissioner Strickland have applied. So does that process it has to be flown like through a certain amount of time to replace the word one seat and then so that seat might be absent for a while. Is that >> the recruitment process ended about about two or three weeks ago? Um the city clerk's office handles is responsible for the recruitment and it's usually about a 30-day recruitment period and that has closed. Madame Clerk, next item, please. >> Agenda item 10, adjournment. >> This meeting is adjourned at 5:47 p.m. >> Thank you.