Kern COG finds no unmet transit needs reasonable to meet for FY 2025–26, adopts resolution

The Kern Council of Governments (Kern COG) Transportation Planning Policy Committee on Sept. 18 held a public hearing and approved a resolution finding there are no unmet transit needs in Kern County that are reasonable to meet for fiscal year 2025–26.

Kern COG staff told the committee that public outreach included newspaper ads, a series of 12 public hearings in cities and rural communities, and meetings held by rural transit operators and Golden Empire Transit. Staff said the Social Services Technical Advisory Committee reviewed the countywide analysis on Aug. 16 and also recommended a finding of no unmet transit needs that are reasonable to meet. The action is taken under the Transportation Development Act and California Public Utilities Code §99401.5, which govern how TDA funds may be allocated.

No members of the public offered testimony at the hearing. After staff closed the public comment period, a motion was made and seconded to adopt the staff recommendation and to authorize the chair to sign the related resolution (identified in the meeting as Resolution 25-20). The committee conducted a roll-call vote; members recorded on the transcript as voting yes included Warney, Phil Smith, Bob Smith, Parra, Hawkins, Gorman, Gunn, Espinosa, Calderon and Ione. The motion carried.

The committee’s formal finding means, per the procedures described in the public hearing notice, Kern COG will move forward with allocating Transportation Development Act funds without setting aside those funds to address additional transit service requests deemed not reasonable to meet. Staff and committee members noted the determination follows the agencies’ outreach and the rural operators’ reviews earlier in 2025.

Kern COG staff said they will place the adopted resolution in the administrative record and proceed with the fiscal-year funding allocations consistent with the adopted finding.