[{"_1":2,"_109":-5,"_110":-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",[32,74,86,98],{"_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",6512890,"mediaKeyId","5083772-b7bb4f066040cb43fec768ad1da380f2","parentId",5083772,"title","Votes at a glance: consent calendar approved; recusal noted; budget adopted","audioSeconds",3248,"startMs",5196000,"endMs",8444000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5083772-b7bb4f066040cb43fec768ad1da380f2&start=5196&end=8444","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5083772-b7bb4f066040cb43fec768ad1da380f2/thumbnail_5196000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6512890/Bakersfield/Kern-County/California/Votes-at-a-glance-consent-calendar-approved-recusal-noted-budget-adopted","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6512890-8b7eec837ed4d503e1aa39e53ba4b2f2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771196460&Signature=lCKDnx~8-DZ1Cu2yQ2E3sDCik7xWgduxfKfoKstGQb8gKt-6317UE7Od-~pR9iBctXSjr7-JkX8wsdejEje~k83YjAtCSwz3H765LMSK~gw79vH7qHjdsW8Fg62Y6pQ8L33zQ86bXTgww7H-7-7iHdrDxayg4EAs3X6fgSQT5W3QGUiLBHKqtiM~owER2U7D19nYIKmdnbUt-jgSIQ-M62CAdRPbmdkqbeEMW25llVdbXACwJZPc3zhcH~gKECEbKJqG7GajtAhsop8nSTjBgR-2HgTrOlmBj4hSR5EiFbbAN54hCyNk5EHPEvL9HqD2R-S2~RO3wwfNVWokLkQWew__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-06-26T17:25:26Z","article","This summary lists formal actions the council took on June 25, as recorded in the meeting transcript.

- Consent calendar: Vice Mayor Coore moved to approve the consent calendar (with Council Member Bob Smith noted as abstaining from an identified consent item). The council’s motion to approve the consent calendar passed; the clerk recorded that Council Member Weir voted no. Council Member Bob Smith announced he would abstain from item 7d8 because part of his family is involved with that project.

- Amendment to delay all CIP projects: Council Member Komen moved to delay all capital improvement projects until midyear. The motion failed; the clerk recorded that the motion failed with Vice Mayor Coore and Council Members Arias, Gonzales, Smith and Bashar Tash voting no.

- Budget and related resolutions: The council adopted the fiscal year 2025–26 operating and capital budgets, established the appropriations limit and adopted the master fee schedule. The motion to adopt passed 6–2; Council Members Weir and Bashar Tash were recorded as voting no.

No other formal ordinances or ordinances numbers were recorded in the transcript for tonight’s votes. Where the transcript recorded item identifiers or recusal statements, they are included below.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council - June 25th, 2025 Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","On June 25 the Bakersfield City Council approved the consent calendar (with one abstention) and later adopted the fiscal year 2025–26 budget. A proposed amendment to delay all capital improvement projects failed. Councilmember Bob Smith recused himself from one consent-item vote.","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},6512895,"Residents press council to expand tree planting and heat‑island measures",1284,1658000,2942000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5083772-b7bb4f066040cb43fec768ad1da380f2&start=1658&end=2942","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5083772-b7bb4f066040cb43fec768ad1da380f2/thumbnail_1658000.jpg","/articles/6512895/Bakersfield/Kern-County/California/Residents-press-council-to-expand-tree-planting-and-heatisland-measures","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6512895-001ea58f54616dcc26e94f0ad8310b8f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771196460&Signature=FXJBVTd4MxLjKpgUpi~Cp6T-QdjqD5z9V51wsE-QgCf937Of-T109~BiMdgISBG6dUnb7BEyyHwmZ9b-XOgDIIOQv7d~rifDZnbZkY1wBz1e1XtMZfaJoD5tQ2FX1UtQxXyQOzWpaGMGqqBVQpVGOmeJaP05P7nJr4qPjCPm-s4-aNemWSa4eamgAol25XjbtaIPeUsjntxReSIsYTHAGQhRWLLD4JWgYLt3UPXZ9HMMK~-6xbU-pXySxoBevlH2LtewSCJx4UXtRV0-5cZNwAOs3gZmZwC3G-d~GJEZLHddPgpdPZwxznDCvBAYm0bsCUPix0wmH-eJEAtqWSmqXQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Residents, academics and local environmental advocates urged the Bakersfield City Council on June 25 to accelerate tree planting, expand tree preservation and adopt stronger measures to reduce the urban heat‑island effect.

Antje Lauer, a biology professor at California State University, Bakersfield, praised the city’s tree advisory group and distributed scientific reviews she said would help secure grant funding. “A green city promotes mental health and also physical health,” Lauer told the council, and she highlighted a recent National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration climate summary showing more extremely hot days.

Several residents described loss of mature street trees and urged more aggressive replacement and maintenance. Sharon Brielle said three liquid‑amber and two valley‑oak trees on Scarlet Oak Boulevard — each about 40 years old — died from inadequate drought protection and estimated, using tree‑appraisal standards, the combined loss at roughly $60,000 to $100,000. “Letting 40‑year‑old trees die is not good stewardship,” she said.

Eddie Lane of the Sierra Club and others said progress has been made — including recent plantings at Truxtun Lakes — but they called for a publicly visible commitment to replace lost canopy, especially in neighborhoods with fewer trees. City staff and Recreation and Parks Director Darren Budak participated in the presentations; Budak and the council noted the parks department has begun a tree inventory.

Vice Mayor Coore thanked speakers and said the city’s tree and heat‑island work will continue; he noted planting a tree can reduce temperature directly beneath it by as much as 15 degrees, citing examples from other cities and a Louisville study referenced by speakers.

Councilmembers signaled support for continuing the tree‑plan work and for community‑level outreach. Staffers were asked to continue inventory work and to consider including the scientific reviews and grant language presented by community members when applying for funding.","Multiple residents, academics and environmental advocates urged the City Council to accelerate tree planting, fund a public-facing plan for reforestation and address Bakersfield’s urban heat‑island effects; speakers cited scientific studies and recent local tree losses.",{"_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},6512899,"Small-business owners urge council to keep entrepreneurship grants and mentorships",1917,687000,2604000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5083772-b7bb4f066040cb43fec768ad1da380f2&start=687&end=2604","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5083772-b7bb4f066040cb43fec768ad1da380f2/thumbnail_687000.jpg","/articles/6512899/Bakersfield/Kern-County/California/Small-business-owners-urge-council-to-keep-entrepreneurship-grants-and-mentorships","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6512899-bb2318783d557946d097d4cf18a414ce/orig.mp4?Expires=1771196460&Signature=MwD5K9INv7UYzxBjqhGJIXxWwDDPJX6bHSTImfRObPowY9vJAq5m0l3zEOGho3ImxbCZ52ELDzFn1g27~9Rcik-yapgT~JxA3Ww115RaxZoppwSqd-T5tLTpGkSH9-tz4L8YaZ65eOlvWnKGXT-d6DJIltJOPYh0DCRreBcwnYIfVCwVJ2cWradqw90gh2RplT-e7FDrrZhIiL4WAHQmmLev7O~IFFUh-quJAnus67GVMHewcUVQw5DDSnER9dRI-KPqKxJ5VuePFDfw-TQp8p7PS4vdc5ag5XFIq9KmjgqzFH5cbhplnVa2c60qV2jy6BMWvPom8yYBHspBj09huw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Local entrepreneurs and representatives of Bakersfield College Launchpad told the City Council on June 25 that city-backed grants, mentorship and technical assistance programs have helped dozens of local businesses start and expand, and urged continued support in the budget.

Larissa Mitchell Reid, founder and CEO of In The Black Business Services, said city funding and mentorship helped her scale from a one‑person operation to a company that now serves entrepreneurs beyond Kern County. “Continued support through grants, mentorship, and education doesn’t just help businesses. It changes lives and communities,” Mitchell Reid said.

Natisha Johnson, executive director of entrepreneurship and workforce development at Bakersfield College Launchpad, provided program figures during public comment: Launchpad has served more than 1,200 small businesses, awarded grants to about 160 businesses, supported over 400 startups under two years old and said the city-supported program had distributed more than $1,300,000 in grants.

Other speakers — including Savannah Powell Frey, Tamika Powell, Amado Verastegui, Derek Aaron, Leticia Davila and Glenda Braun — described direct outcomes such as acquiring manufacturing partners, attending industry expos, purchasing equipment and hiring staff. Several urged that funding be sustained and that the city resist treating the program as a one‑time investment.

Council members acknowledged the testimony while discussing the budget later in the meeting; some speakers asked council to weigh small-business supports when considering operating reductions and capital priorities.

No formal council action on the entrepreneurship program was taken during the meeting; council members instead adopted the overall fiscal year budget later in the evening and asked staff for midyear reports on revenue and contingencies.

Speakers credited Bakersfield College Launchpad staff and city economic development personnel for providing technical assistance and connecting small firms with funding and vendors. Launchpad requested that the council continue to treat entrepreneurship grants and technical-assistance resources as ongoing investments in local economic resilience.","More than a dozen Bakersfield business owners and Launchpad officials told the City Council the city-backed entrepreneurship grant and technical-assistance programs have helped start and expand local firms, and asked the council to maintain funding during the 2025–26 budget process.",{"_33":99,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":100,"_41":101,"_43":102,"_45":46,"_47":103,"_49":104,"_51":105,"_53":106,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":107,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":108,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6512904,"Bakersfield council adopts 2025–26 operating and capital budgets; two members oppose",4579,3865000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5083772-b7bb4f066040cb43fec768ad1da380f2&start=3865&end=8444","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5083772-b7bb4f066040cb43fec768ad1da380f2/thumbnail_3865000.jpg","/articles/6512904/Bakersfield/Kern-County/California/Bakersfield-council-adopts-202526-operating-and-capital-budgets-two-members-oppose","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6512904-59799bc0b190bfe5d9c0d8892fb8d5a8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771196460&Signature=ZGJ0jTpMrWLg6NQRAeUfX27u1-D6f0xcQlLltsG8QH2-VJxUS8U-Wg2rZ6o~CRdKWwJGxoEen9U3l9fYrfux0x8WzEDZnH-J1cO0gAnk1yQwq8jdpGwxzVXu4sdJoZfYZrFtSyRN0QC2gTX6DnL5P21RoP6JYtzmkkzO0jaaaDPc3~ghvLihuocELn-F9ba8R3gQaNkYKQagrX-8w8XBxHItxv7KwljG9RZh5DaGkMZCxwIPiEhNtvGkRrIuXciaTUG8FpQDzJTF0-HCufDE6DrcrI4M9A19Tnn9VPrYy8~gOc6-XG~ZzrW3K2SJo0nc9IUgac6ZCgoSPyIWBl7N-w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Bakersfield City Council on June 25 approved the city’s fiscal year 2025–26 operating and capital budgets, established the city’s appropriations limit and adopted a master fee schedule.

City Manager Christian Clegg told the council the proposal is balanced and aligned with council priorities. “We have a balanced budget,” Clegg said, while noting the plan includes about $6,000,000 in operating reductions, a hiring freeze on roughly 150 vacant positions for the first quarter and contingencies to protect reserves.

The budget package responds to rising costs across departments, Clegg said, citing inflationary drivers such as higher insurance, workers’ compensation, utilities and contract costs. The plan retains the city’s reserve levels and delays some capital projects; staff said a midyear review in January–February will reassess revenues and the capital-improvement program.

Public speakers urged changes in spending priorities ahead of the council vote. Several speakers urged more investment in affordable housing, mental-health services and programs often proposed as alternatives to expanding policing budgets; others supported the budget’s emphasis on public safety and infrastructure.

During debate, Council Member Komen moved to delay all capital improvement projects until midyear; that motion failed. Vice Mayor Coore moved the main budget adoption motion, which included the resolutions adopting the operating and capital budgets, establishing the appropriations limit and approving the master fee schedule. The motion passed, 6–2, with Council Members Weir and Bashar Tash recorded as voting no.

City staff outlined next steps: maintain conservative revenue assumptions, continue the hiring freeze to produce savings, and return at midyear with updated revenue performance and proposed adjustments. Clegg said the midyear window gives staff and council time to evaluate whether contingency-held capital projects should proceed.

Councilmembers and staff also discussed the Affordable Housing Trust Fund and asked staff to return at midyear with options to increase matching dollars from the state to expand housing production.

The council’s adoption allows the city to begin the new fiscal year with appropriations in place. Staff said they will publish budget documents and track performance against the projections presented to the council.

A final vote on the budget and associated resolutions was taken after public testimony and staff presentation; the council adjourned after completing the agenda.","The Bakersfield City Council on June 25 adopted the fiscal year 2025–26 operating and capital budgets, set the appropriations limit and approved a master fee schedule. City manager Christian Clegg described the plan as a balanced budget; the final motion passed 6–2 with Council members Weir and Bashar Tash voting no.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: consent calendar approved; recusal noted; budget adopted

Residents press council to expand tree planting and heat‑island measures

Small-business owners urge council to keep entrepreneurship grants and mentorships

Bakersfield council adopts 2025–26 operating and capital budgets; two members oppose