[{"_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",6552363,"mediaKeyId","5118123-d65c26d3e0fd52b04e6b21ad3bbdd235","parentId",5118123,"title","Wasco Council approves consent calendar, corrects Filburn engineering cost and reaffirms budget; personnel and salary changes also adopted","audioSeconds",4169,"startMs",86000,"endMs",4255000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5118123-d65c26d3e0fd52b04e6b21ad3bbdd235&start=86&end=4255","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5118123-d65c26d3e0fd52b04e6b21ad3bbdd235/thumbnail_86000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6552363/Wasco-City/Kern-County/California/Wasco-Council-approves-consent-calendar-corrects-Filburn-engineering-cost-and-reaffirms-budget-personnel-and-salary-changes-also-adopted","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6552363-3a8097ffda11bd2bd8b3306bc26f4981/orig.mp4?Expires=1775534055&Signature=mTbEb5fKf-b9ObOt52OywbhVrIQRI~MPDdFsgfdoeaHCY3hDzWR1UGtlYf-olgX2gr1UQ9UcJZc4XC0OkDXVWcdXjQ17woAkuEJ-CtwyteMsHYw0l6U7JiUpYf9SMnfQGRa5vy3KQ7u14FLtHDFGIDQaPpUEGfD8-3mnx14U83RmMvGTahnZMGOPZ05A0VIhaub84~GH6g2UVR4ZlJmoxiZcjrv-WZfWIPk3dkm3~YxvWvOM7ILdyJDoWpyqyHlYV8yQRE4qN20k3rxrhCgndV34c-ZrfgsqzEuVzjx6pa47gV19WIiLZQVIYPj0cBDi9kGp3Rxan6R2bNTJIuYwXw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Wasco","date","2025-07-01T00:00:00Z","article","The City of Wasco City Council voted unanimously on July 2 to approve its consent calendar, correct an engineering contract cost for the Filburn project, adopt amendments to several employment agreements, update the fiscal‑year salary schedule and reaffirm the city’s adopted 2025–26 budget and capital improvement program.

On the consent calendar the council approved items 11(a)–11(l) with separate consideration for item 11(j), the engineering phase of the Filburn project. The council approved the consent calendar on a motion by Council member Martinez, seconded by Mayor Medina; the vote was recorded as unanimous.

Item 11(j: Filburn engineering phase). Staff explained that the Filburn engineering-contract bid was split east/west and an incorrect dollar amount was propagated in the staff report for the west phase. The correct figure for both east and west engineering phases is $85,922.50 (not $86,697.50 as erroneously printed). Council approved the corrected agreement for the vendor BHET and the corrected contract amounts on a motion by Mayor Medina, seconded by Council member Reina; the motion passed unanimously.

Personnel and pay schedule actions. The council adopted a resolution amending three director-level employment agreements to align executive leave language (increasing the stated executive leave from 56 to 80 hours to match other contracts). The council also adopted an amended salary schedule for fiscal year 2025–26 to reflect the prior 4% cost-of-living adjustment and to add an internship line that had been omitted from the previously posted schedule. Both personnel items passed on unanimous roll-call votes.

Budget and AB 2561 vacancy reporting. The council also completed a statutory compliance step tied to Assembly Bill 2561 (AB 2561). City staff held a public hearing to present the city’s required vacancy report and then reaffirmed the fiscal-year 2025–26 operating budget and the five‑year capital improvement program to ensure the hearing preceded adoption as required. Council member Martinez moved to receive and file the vacancy report; the same members later voted to reaffirm the budget and CIP by resolution. Both votes were unanimous.

Triannual audits. Council members asked questions about the city’s triennial performance audits. Staff clarified that the audits for prior years had been completed and that the outstanding 2023–24 audit had been the subject of an extension request; staff said the audit work is completed and that claims for reimbursements would be submitted to Kern COG.

Other actions. The council accepted a staff presentation and directed that regular updates be provided in several areas (including vacancy reporting and the homeless outreach update heard earlier in the meeting). No item failed and no votes recorded in the meeting were opposed.

Votes at a glance
- Approval of meeting agenda — Motion: by Council member Martinez; second: Mayor Medina; outcome: unanimous approval.
- Consent calendar (items 11a–11l) — Motion: by Council member Reina; second: Mayor Medina; outcome: unanimous approval; 11j held for correction.
- Item 11j (Filburn engineering contract) — Motion: by Mayor Medina; second: Council member Reina; outcome: unanimous approval with corrected contract amounts ($85,922.50 for each east and west engineering phase; vendor: BHET).
- Resolution amending three director employment agreements (executive leave alignment) — Motion: by Council member Reina; second: Mayor Pro Tem; outcome: unanimous approval.
- Resolution adopting amended salary schedule, FY 2025–26 (adds intern line; reflects 4% COLA) — Motion: by Council member Martinez; second: Mayor Medina; outcome: unanimous approval.
- Public hearing on AB 2561 vacancy report — Motion to receive and file: by Council member Martinez; second: Mayor Medina; outcome: unanimous.
- Resolution reaffirming FY 2025–26 budget and 2025–2030 CIP (to complete AB 2561 sequencing) — Motion: by Council member Reina; second: Mayor Medina; outcome: unanimous approval.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City of Wasco - City Council - Jul 01, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The council approved the consent calendar with separate consideration for a Filburn project engineering contract correction, adopted employment contract amendments, updated the salary schedule and reaffirmed the fiscal-year budget after holding the vacancy‑reporting public hearing required by AB 2561.","taxTitle","Wasco City, Kern County, California","taxId",68639,"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},6552368,"Wasco updates council on new homeless outreach coordinator; program reports encampment cleanups and placements",1404,491000,1895000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5118123-d65c26d3e0fd52b04e6b21ad3bbdd235&start=491&end=1895","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5118123-d65c26d3e0fd52b04e6b21ad3bbdd235/thumbnail_491000.jpg","/articles/6552368/Wasco-City/Kern-County/California/Wasco-updates-council-on-new-homeless-outreach-coordinator-program-reports-encampment-cleanups-and-placements","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6552368-466d9795b0affdada2d80bbb091d9d79/orig.mp4?Expires=1775534055&Signature=WbufrXDAWBxTB2KmiZZnY7n~PD2V9oMqaXtCeAA89119qvXiGxTf1GdyHfPFsw7zocRUqOtFt7UBvT5pCmPfsmeFPrSJmFJ8407~wu7B~IHqqQSYsDeUjHPjuUdiEr70XR2k7QYR9TtmSPmBO~xCVSJ~9Pfk9Ijp38hNBhsJpNDnToFyd8JwIS0sVAC~gjlGfq5w~wMFp7~QA8vMtovXV-IZDM28yAxmUFhe18F2SJ3WW8pJ-o7YiBULW~rNxcQ4w3ECh7TGK4fOd9WzuQO96teUcHksZFbpTrLiF2LAHuc~7plpo5bjnCezDISidz6dZw7nbPnrFRaUYo0HFkHFQw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City of Wasco staff reported progress on a newly created homeless outreach coordinator position during the July 2 council meeting, outlining encampment cleanups, client placements and ongoing challenges connecting residents to treatment and regional services.

City staff member Carrie briefed the council that the outreach effort began after the city’s January 2025 point-in-time count and that the coordinator, Mandy Vega, started in February 2025. Carrie said the city “removed 3 encampments, and cleaned 3 encampments,” and summarized placements and services since February: six people accepted temporary shelter, three entered short-term detox programs, three transitioned to sober living, three were placed in transitional housing, 27 individuals received supportive services such as help getting identification and bus passes, and one person moved into permanent housing.

Carrie cautioned the council that the point-in-time decline the city saw between 2024 and 2025 could not be wholly attributed to the new program. “We can’t the program can't take direct credit for the the big drop in the pit count numbers from 2024 at 35 to 12 in, the 2025 pit count,” she said, noting other factors such as demolition of an old labor camp and prior encampment efforts.

The presentation emphasized partnerships. Carrie said the outreach work is intended to connect people to existing countywide resources rather than create new ones: “It’s our goal to connect to the resources that already exist.” She named collaborators including Wasco Police Department, Code Compliance, Good Samaritan, Open Door Network, Teen Challenge, Be Finally Free, local churches and a countywide coordinating group, the Bakersfield Kern Regional Homeless Collaborative.

Staff described frequent, hands‑on case management. Mandy Vega, the city’s culinary coordinator who also does outreach work, told the council that the figure of 27 supportive-services contacts is a “condensed form of people that have received some form of information from me,” including referrals, bus passes and help obtaining vital documents. Carrie added that outreach also includes prevention work and referrals to the city’s Families PAL program.

Council members pressed on follow-up and program impact. Council member Reina asked whether staff track whether people connected to services remain engaged; Carrie and Mandy said they do active case management and follow up repeatedly: “We’re not sending anybody off with the expectation of…we're getting them out of law school. We wanna make sure that we’re not passing the baton and just dropping the ball,” Mandy said. Council member Martinez asked about people refusing services; staff said those most resistant often face co-occurring substance use and mental health issues and that the outreach team is developing a mobile health approach to address those root causes.

Staff flagged an operational issue tied to rail travel: several unhoused people arriving by Amtrak were being removed when conductors checked tickets after the train moved and then left at the Wasco platform. Carrie said the city has asked Amtrak to call the non‑emergency number so outreach workers can meet those passengers and “try to get them headed in the direction that they're trying to go.” She said three people in June arrived via Amtrak and two were rejected at the conductor check.

Program anecdotes shown to the council included a person found living under a concrete cistern who accepted services and later moved into transitional housing via Open Door Network; another person who entered Teen Challenge; and one formerly in an RV who was housed at the Renaissance at Baker with assistance from a partner agency named Flood.

Staff described weekly coordination meetings with county service providers, participation in resource and job fairs to create local employment connections, and an emphasis on housing, detox and mental health services as central needs. They said the work is iterative and “messy,” and that outreach numbers ebb and flow with weather and other factors.

Council members generally praised the work and asked that staff provide regular updates. Council member Martinez said the program’s approach “far exceeded my expectation,” and Mayor Medina asked staff to return with regular reports. Carrie closed by offering to provide a routine status report going forward.

The council did not take any formal policy action during the update; the presentation was received and discussed during the regular meeting.

","City staff told the Wasco City Council that the new homeless outreach coordinator has led coordinated outreach since February 2025, resulting in encampment cleanups, shelter placements and referrals to detox and transitional housing while staff and partners press Amtrak and county providers for better coordination.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Wasco Council approves consent calendar, corrects Filburn engineering cost and reaffirms budget; personnel and salary changes also adopted

Wasco updates council on new homeless outreach coordinator; program reports encampment cleanups and placements