[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74,86],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},"mediaId",6529115,"mediaKeyId","3814611-6ae0a359bc3349fb7181fadcaf785e3d","parentId",3814611,"title","Residents press council on bike lanes, dumping, small-business grants and homelessness at public comment","audioSeconds",239,"startMs",1061000,"endMs",1300000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3814611-6ae0a359bc3349fb7181fadcaf785e3d&start=1061&end=1300","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3814611-6ae0a359bc3349fb7181fadcaf785e3d/thumbnail_1061000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6529115/Bakersfield/Kern-County/California/Residents-press-council-on-bike-lanes-dumping-small-business-grants-and-homelessness-at-public-comment","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6529115-00da81821e38affd37e6e2ff59f01695/orig.mp4?Expires=1771174449&Signature=ok7GVIYsoZAGmMS9clZQ55l6GN5WQ9pieQSPYk14113V~gGFP9hqYaQ2OPm0mi1aP9hkjX9efYcXJOsFzUlcf4XVNoZCxiVDdC25zC8Pe~UzZKhXENsSd~fuCX0UP4ImZWf~1NxyIsFDpxPXgXVA0B9RfI~drBIIK3V45I~lin-XIIndireOoEzp~UljxYaey~lxYCUM7n3LRuloDsShNn6PcY9xNeTZSqSz~70z-Lf65ALTZLfE4VOJwIPLb3MdZHWEeBoz~c99hdtjCFEqgQekm2PW6EHMMY0dm63qp2IAXgZF~9~2GhouREdg0U3V2i~k8yYO0MIrtnATftVrmQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-06-14T01:03:30.987Z","article","At the June 11 Bakersfield City Council meeting, public comment raised several community issues outside the formal hearings: cycling safety and grand-jury commentary on bike lanes, illegal dumping on property next to Westside Parkway, a request to continue downtown small-business grant programs, and multiple speakers pressing the council for greater housing and homelessness resources.

Jackson Amburn, a local commuter who identified himself as a recreation therapist, defended the city’s bike lanes and said they slow traffic and improve safety for his clinic patients. \"They keep me safe,\" Amburn said, and urged expansion of bike lanes on wider streets where vehicles travel fast.

Resident Jeremy Rowell asked the council to investigate a nearby parcel adjacent to the Westside Parkway that he believes the city or Caltrans owns and that has become a dumping ground for construction debris. Rowell said he had contacted police and code enforcement without success; the mayor said staff would investigate ownership and follow up.

Business owner Daniel Betts, who operates the Well Comedy Club and recently relocated downtown, urged continued funding for the city’s small‑business grant program (EOA program), said he planned sprinkler upgrades and building improvements and asked that the city consider grant support for safety measures.

Several speakers focused on homelessness and housing: Open Door Network (speaker recorded as Miss Skidmore) requested city support for a new family homeless campus; residents and advocates asked the council to increase Affordable Housing Trust Fund allocations, expand eviction-prevention and rental-assistance programs, and prioritize mental-health and youth services over additional police spending.

Ending: The mayor and council acknowledged the concerns, said staff would follow up on the dumping complaint and grant programs, and encouraged continued engagement through council processes and upcoming hearings.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council - June 11th, 2025 Meetings","oneSentenceSummary","Public comment covered bike-lane safety, illegal dumping on a city/Caltrans parcel, requests for downtown small-business grants, and multiple calls for larger housing and homelessness investments and services.","taxTitle","Bakersfield, Kern County, California","taxId",4687,"location","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6529119,"Council approves 5-year increases to domestic water rates for city service area",328,1748000,2076000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3814611-6ae0a359bc3349fb7181fadcaf785e3d&start=1748&end=2076","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3814611-6ae0a359bc3349fb7181fadcaf785e3d/thumbnail_1748000.jpg","/articles/6529119/Bakersfield/Kern-County/California/Council-approves-5-year-increases-to-domestic-water-rates-for-city-service-area","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6529119-1ffb6e5afccbb1eac6a140d0ba633100/orig.mp4?Expires=1771174449&Signature=YkG~of70s2D9wj6gglerFOAG0Mw5OWlFMvSKIi1WGB8EFF17cxnsy30MITP-dBh~4qT09xo-eJTrjV63zmQ8UvjrRdkclUh5txNuoW1A474a3ldhkP0IfDwWcReXWbYqQE755Ompp7a4cUdy0GqacJLNi7k0uADPdGNYxSLhtTZp-~LE4f14ykAYQfKtT-ThiiBg8ABgvUsQvFjPzx~TVtFPMCNxfszjB55ckVTOY9Rt1u0LCuhdmFxed7QvVlZXQ0-sfqRVox6FckpPDLeEVWJBXFoQGcjxjr66q2paXFGF0SeF1CQk8smnOkqoXcnul6B~WlULAT2MV00x0qqohw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Bakersfield City Council on June 11 adopted a resolution to increase domestic water rates for customers inside the city’s domestic water service area over a five-year schedule to fund water‑quality treatment and conservation programs.

Water Director Chris Budak told the council the proposal under consideration would raise rates by a series of increases over five years: \"The 5 year rate increase that is proposed and and being, considered this evening is a 34%, 6 percent, 6%, and 2 and a half, 2 and a half over the 5 years,\" Budak said, and explained that about 70% of the city’s water supply comes from groundwater, which requires expanded treatment — most recently to address PFAS — and that the city anticipates adding treatment to nine wells by 2029.

The public hearing drew one opponent, resident Katie Bassi, who said the increase would be an \"unbearable cost\" for many households and stated, \"I vote nay, as far as the increase is concerned.\" No speakers voiced support for the rate change during the hearing portion.

Councilmember Coleman moved approval; the motion passed with Councilmember Weir absent. The council did not provide a detailed roll-call vote on the record; staff said affected customers east of the city limits are served by other suppliers such as Cal Water, Vaughan Water or East Niles and that notices had been mailed (some notices were sent via Cal Water billing before the city's own mailings went out).

Why it matters: The adopted increases are intended to finance required treatment upgrades, incentivize conservation through rebate programs and help meet state conservation targets, including a long-term reduction goal staff said would amount to about a 40% reduction by 2040.

Ending: Staff said they will implement the rate schedule and support rebate and conservation programs. Council documentation and the formal resolution will be posted with the city’s agenda materials for the ordinance/resolution implementing the rate schedule.","Council voted to adopt staff-recommended increases to water rates for the city’s domestic water service area for a five-year period to fund treatment upgrades and conservation programs, with the motion passing and Councilmember Weir absent.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6529124,"Bakersfield council hears budget, HR report on 155 vacancies as residents urge more housing and services",365,2355000,2720000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3814611-6ae0a359bc3349fb7181fadcaf785e3d&start=2355&end=2720","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3814611-6ae0a359bc3349fb7181fadcaf785e3d/thumbnail_2355000.jpg","/articles/6529124/Bakersfield/Kern-County/California/Bakersfield-council-hears-budget-HR-report-on-155-vacancies-as-residents-urge-more-housing-and-services","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6529124-db09634493b9131e28527fbacbcbdf45/orig.mp4?Expires=1771174449&Signature=Um5S7M~fFQ8QKcVnW-zFrHQFd93JHVpxdtLrZ1sZzgjBg584Mzr9W1daCQb~6OZZf9wT7oEZWoh2tdztWthA1DWOyg-JyLETaAxA9jABted~iBdk~b1CHLRQey62RMaQITBM6IbXLiMlJsBrsfiA7M3s~iLoE2GOKgZYO3r0eV~K7jemnqNSJCEuCU68g7Fe8gfaHPOQbd3zgOWnCb0QPxxEVxZ2U-fkxNlXJdEotTYja7osPKKVy36B2y31otWxa6MiQ8wMrFd7Gc6zjhGYO0dAac7IducPiJY~-Vd-HqZolpXMNZGEvd54rozNN8Iupeh--kdonypEGw0rCVl7kw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Bakersfield City Council on June 11 heard public testimony and staff presentations on the proposed fiscal year 2025–26 budget, including a statutorily required vacancy report under Assembly Bill 2561 and a wide-ranging public comment period calling for greater investment in housing, mental-health services and community programs.

City Human Resources Director Christy Tenter told the council the city’s point-in-time vacancy rate is 7.64%, representing 155 open positions. \"We are at 7.64% citywide vacancy rate, and that's a 155 vacancies,\" Tenter said during her presentation, adding that the figure reflected a May 5 data snapshot and that vacancies are concentrated in police and public works. She described the public-sector hiring process and said average time-to-fill varied by classification but that the city had completed 220 recruitments to date with an average 81.4 days to fill a position.

Tenter outlined recruitment and retention actions the city has pursued — job fairs, expanded outreach, compensation adjustments, digital hiring tools and wellness programs — and said none of the city’s bargaining units exceeded the 20% vacancy threshold that would trigger additional AB 2561 reporting.

Why it matters: The vacancy report and budget proposal frame staffing levels for public safety, infrastructure and service programs across Bakersfield. Residents and advocates said the proposed spending priorities do not match public needs, particularly on homelessness and housing.

Public testimony focused on housing and policing. Emma De La Rosa of Leadership Council for Justice and Accountability and other speakers called the presentation \"extremely inadequate\" and criticized the proposed $500,000 allocation to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund as insufficient. De La Rosa noted that the proposed total operating and capital budgets exceed $852 million and contrasted that with the smaller local housing allocation.

Multiple speakers urged the council to redirect funds from policing to housing and social services. Ash Huang, a fellow at the ACLU of Southern California, said Bakersfield’s unhoused population has more than tripled since 2018 and urged stronger investment in permanent housing and eviction prevention. Several speakers noted that the Bakersfield Police Department (BPD) will receive a larger share of general-fund discretionary dollars under the proposed budget and urged the council to preserve or expand funding for housing, mental-health crisis response, youth programs and parks.

Open Door Network (speaker identified in the record as \"Miss Skidmore\") asked council to support a new family homeless campus scheduled to break ground this summer and planned to open in 2027. The speaker said the campus would expand shelter capacity for families and provide on-site childcare, mental-health and job-training services.

Council response and next steps: Councilmembers acknowledged gaps in outreach and hearing timing and said they would provide more detailed follow-up materials. Councilmember Gonzales asked staff for clarification about police staffing and mental-health co-responder coverage; Police Department leadership said Kern Behavioral Health clinicians work with the city and that three full‑time mental‑health clinicians are stationed in the 911 communications center with roughly 18 hours-per-day coverage on most days, resulting in 70–80% of appropriate crisis calls being resolved without a police response when the clinicians are available. The chief described other co‑response efforts (MET team, field co‑response with Kern Behavioral Health) but also noted limited MET availability at times.

The hearing closed; the council will consider final budget adoption and any amendments at its June 25 meeting. Several council members said they would pursue referrals to explore increasing the Affordable Housing Trust Fund and moving more budget hearings to evening hours to improve public access.

Ending: Staff and council members said they will return with additional detail before the final vote on the budget and that the midyear review offers another opportunity to adjust allocations if revenues permit.","City staff presented the proposed fiscal 2025–26 budget and an Assembly Bill 2561 vacancy report showing a 7.64% citywide vacancy rate (155 vacancies). During the public hearing, residents urged larger investments in affordable housing, eviction prevention, mental-health responses and community programs instead of larger increases for the police.","actionData","errors"]

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Residents press council on bike lanes, dumping, small-business grants and homelessness at public comment

Council approves 5-year increases to domestic water rates for city service area

Bakersfield council hears budget, HR report on 155 vacancies as residents urge more housing and services