[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-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",[32,75],{"_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":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6351028,"mediaKeyId","2231198-528d3479ae86fb9eed1405453d5df1d1","parentId",2231198,"title","Taft planning director reports on West Kern economic alliance, code enforcement and local events","audioSeconds",414,"startMs",922000,"endMs",1336000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2231198-528d3479ae86fb9eed1405453d5df1d1&start=922&end=1336","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2231198-528d3479ae86fb9eed1405453d5df1d1/thumbnail_922000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6351028/Taft/Kern-County/California/Taft-planning-director-reports-on-West-Kern-economic-alliance-code-enforcement-and-local-events","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6351028-7b30e7a46af07c8ec09e6ac17d9e7904/orig.mp4?Expires=1775401043&Signature=o26IFltKGZflQFgolVPi02Ehz-kuHcQi602AJeLTMfxFMYltFMEfpKLkSzG-L1-wwJOc7i~WJL64JVtT56aJfiU1OSLD1f8DLoYuOvvJyAEJ0HljsjEtrWC59MmO969K7GoYOozSWvEqQWA6w5po1CFVyV3dVgVvUCbx7zhDCxhsUCaICEig8hY7v8GpKRyT60vafsbYNP47XegckmGbcLCW2-e7xoAc~jKt3-qwXr5oa5aVwwlN1LzFivN~3vZvgrPXIIiewkEqWeE6~etamyLhDSFCyiGRygKqM4sZNIjbQJ35NL-RO-b75PDRDqW7t4iO1dPE5ChFSMOGtG0tNQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Taft CA","date","2025-02-05T03:00:14Z","article","At the Feb. 5 meeting the City of Taft Planning Director reported on a recent West Kern Economic Development Alliance meeting and several local updates including code-enforcement work and community events.

The planning director said the West Kern meeting at Taft College drew more than 40 participants from city and county government, Taft College, school district staff, the chamber of commerce and local businesses. The director described the alliance as a networking group for the West Side subregion and said meetings will be held every other month at rotating member cities.

Staff and commissioners discussed housing and development impacts from the alliance. The director said Sandy Creek Estates has paused construction and that the city has not yet found a new builder to continue that tract; downtown multifamily sites await developers as well. The director described the alliance as an opportunity to share jurisdictional updates and to seek regional help with local housing needs.

Commissioners also recognized recent code-enforcement work. One commissioner thanked code enforcement for \"cleaning up 211 Center Street,\" saying crews removed hazardous materials and secured electrical panels. Planning staff reminded the public that the city website includes a \"report of concern\" button that sends reports to the police chief and code-enforcement officer; staff said the online form routes by category and allows anonymous submissions.

Commissioners and staff noted preparation for community events: one commissioner said Older Auto Days is 246 days away and that vendor and participation information is available through local channels. The director also reported a county supervisor toured Taft and county staff and the city have been coordinating on cleanup efforts and other local priorities.

No formal action was taken on these reports; they were informational items the commission received as part of the planning director’s report.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Taft Planning Commission Meeting | February 5, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Planning staff summarized a recent West Kern Economic Development Alliance meeting, noted stalled housing projects and builder shortages, and commissioners praised recent code-enforcement cleanup and promoted the city’s report-a-concern web tool and upcoming Older Auto Days.","taxTitle","Taft, Kern County, California","taxId",58534,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6351033,"Taft Planning Commission votes to recommend council accept 2024 housing-element annual progress report",652,387000,1039000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2231198-528d3479ae86fb9eed1405453d5df1d1&start=387&end=1039","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2231198-528d3479ae86fb9eed1405453d5df1d1/thumbnail_387000.jpg","/articles/6351033/Taft/Kern-County/California/Taft-Planning-Commission-votes-to-recommend-council-accept-2024-housing-element-annual-progress-report","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6351033-32d4101822181e8f6928effcb0b35136/orig.mp4?Expires=1775401043&Signature=ieOuksEVa6ikb61pbZ9JR9dI3tD7JuydRVDbhpt-~MqXSOTG5NIygrvEbnIBhWpxFN6M3cz~EZtjdxxmC0EhJg8BiaFqXbcQRMBrMyE0KS-ASIK9awcypYUTvEFAudAXBj1hHUV2n2JkbyVP-MNSm4rF8l7CpIwxHZtjsFCyH17YbRBO796KcKbZGvDSRGMu8NdpbFLN4tQyh3dR6bMCF9McXD7AbRXLYgPJvL0zJDHx7de-CnSt6XqdOQYdA4m2DO7T0y7QFbO9J3oPhiWfH1sKPgFMk3FVwJIO6wZ0cyH3ALCJgEkWcibU6kbbHay7WxQwG8r2BC1DIHAJ4wCGfQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The City of Taft Planning Commission on Feb. 5 voted to recommend that the City Council accept the city’s 2024 annual progress report on its housing element and transmit the report to state agencies for compliance review.

The recommendation follows a staff presentation on the required annual submittal to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) and the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research. Planning staff told the commission that \"The 2024 calendar year is the first year of the current housing element cycle of 2023 to 2031.\" The report documents housing activity for the 2024 calendar year and the forms and definitions HCD requires.

Planning staff said the city recorded four building permits in 2024. The presentation described one permit that converted an office building on Kern Street back to a single-family dwelling and added an accessory dwelling unit (ADU), a separate ADU on Kern Street, and a single-family home in the southern part of town on Eighth Street. Staff also described a heavily fire-damaged home that required demolition permits; replacement construction for that site, permitted after demolition, is expected to appear on next year’s report. Staff noted that the HCD tables require some entries to appear in multiple rows (for example, one permit counted as both a single-family unit and an ADU on the report’s table format).

The staff report explained the submission process: California Government Code section 65400 requires jurisdictions to prepare an annual progress report on housing-element implementation using HCD forms and definitions, and housing element annual reports are due April 1 to HCD and the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research. The planning director told the commission the item will be brought to the City Council at its first March meeting for formal receipt and transmission to the state.

Commissioners moved to \"recommend the city council accept the annual housing element progress report for the 2024 calendar year\" and to find the project exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) under the general rule (CEQA Guidelines section 15061(b)(3)). The motion passed on a recorded voice vote: Commissioner Daven, Commissioner Johnson, Vice Chair Schertz and Chairman Livingston voted yes; no ayes or noes were recorded and one seat was absent.

Commission members and staff also described work still to do in the city’s housing program: reporting out programs associated with the adopted housing element, ongoing ordinance updates to meet state requirements, and the need to attract builders to stalled projects such as Sandy Creek Estates and planned multifamily sites downtown. Staff said many of the programs in the previous element will expand once the city adopts the new element and that the next year’s report will reflect those additional programs.

Next steps: the commission’s recommendation will be placed on the City Council agenda for action in March and staff will transmit the HCD annual report and associated spreadsheets to state agencies as required.","At its Feb. 5 meeting the City of Taft Planning Commission recommended the City Council accept the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) annual progress report for 2024, reporting four permitted housing units and directing staff to transmit the report to state agencies.","actionData","errors"]

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Taft planning director reports on West Kern economic alliance, code enforcement and local events

Taft Planning Commission votes to recommend council accept 2024 housing-element annual progress report