Taft council adopts resolutions to collect refuse and sewer charges, affirms maintenance district assessment; approves Chamber funding

The Taft City Council on July 15, 2025, adopted a series of resolutions enabling the Kern County tax collector to collect refuse, street‑sweeping and sewer charges (including standby charges for vacant commercial buildings), approved the fiscal 2025–26 assessment for Landscape and Lighting Maintenance District No. 1, and approved the meeting consent calendar, including payment of bills and a 25% allocation of transient‑occupancy tax to the Taft Chamber of Commerce for January–March 2025.

The council opened public hearings on the refuse/street‑sweeping and sewer items and received no public testimony before moving to votes. City staff referenced Health and Safety Code section 54 73 et seq. as the authority to place the charges on county tax rolls; the council also found each action was not a project under the California Environmental Quality Act (citing CEQA guidance sections 15060(c)(3) and 15378 as stated in the staff presentation). Motions were made, seconded and carried by roll call votes in each case.

Key details: - Refuse and street‑sweeping charges: Council adopted a resolution authorizing the Kern County tax collector to collect refuse and street‑sweeping charges and standby charges for vacant commercial buildings pursuant to Health and Safety Code section 54 73 et seq.; the council found the action not a CEQA project as stated in staff materials. The motion passed on a 4‑0 roll call vote. - Sewer charges: Council adopted a resolution authorizing the Kern County tax collector to collect sewer charges and standby sewer charges for vacant commercial buildings pursuant to Health and Safety Code section 54 73 et seq.; the council found the action not a CEQA project as stated in staff materials. The motion passed on a 4‑0 roll call vote. - Landscape and Lighting Maintenance District No. 1: The council set the partial assessment level for the district at $86 for fiscal year 2025–26, as presented in the engineer’s report. The resolution was adopted following a public hearing in which no members of the public spoke; the motion passed on a 4‑0 roll call vote. - Consent calendar (Items 11–13): The council approved minutes (item 11); payment of bills (item 12; staff said the total was about $185,000); and item 13, the recommendation to allocate 25% of transient‑occupancy tax to the Taft Chamber of Commerce for January–March 2025. The consent calendar passed on a 4‑0 vote.

Council members who voted in favor in the recorded roll calls were identified in the meeting as Council member Scribe, Mayor Pro Tem Bryant, Council member Waldrop and the presiding mayor; the results were announced as unanimous in each instance (4‑0). Several council members commented briefly after the hearings, noting the measures provide a mechanism to collect charges on tax rolls and urging property owners to address vacant properties and participate in local government processes. There was no substantive public opposition recorded on any of the items.

The resolutions place collection responsibility with the Kern County tax collector and direct the city clerk to file adopted resolutions and the engineer’s report with the Kern County Auditor‑Controller’s Office of Special Assessments where applicable. No effective dates beyond the standard assessment/collection cycles were specified in the meeting record.

Votes at a glance (as recorded in the meeting transcript): - Resolution to collect refuse and street‑sweeping charges (including standby charges for vacant commercial buildings): Passed 4‑0 (yes votes recorded for Council member Scribe; Mayor Pro Tem Bryant; Council member Waldrop; presiding mayor). Motion and second recorded; no mover/second names specified in the transcript. - Resolution to collect sewer charges and standby sewer charges (including standby charges for vacant commercial buildings): Passed 4‑0 (yes votes as above). Motion and second recorded; no mover/second names specified in the transcript. - Resolution setting assessments for Landscape and Lighting Maintenance District No. 1 (FY 2025–26; partial assessment $86): Passed 4‑0. - Consent calendar (items 11–13, including payment of bills ~ $185,000 and 25% TOT allocation to Taft Chamber of Commerce for Jan–Mar 2025): Passed 4‑0.

No closed session occurred; the council adjourned after the items above.