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Council backs St. Vincent de Paul upgrades after public comments citing increased demand
Summary
The council voted to approve a staff recommendation to support St. Vincent de Paul’s request for facility upgrades to restrooms, showers and kitchen equipment after board members and clients described rising daily demand.
St. Vincent de Paul told the Bakersfield City Council on May 28 that its day‑center facilities are showing wear after years of increased demand and asked the council to approve funding and permit items to upgrade restrooms, showers and kitchen capacity.
Daryl Ebel, chairman of St. Vincent de Paul’s board of directors, told the council the center, built in 2003, now serves more people daily than it did before 2013 and that the organization has closed its thrift-store revenue source in recent years. “The bottom line is because of the age of our center … the number of guests we serve every day, our facilities are wearing out,” Ebel said.
Operations manager Oscar Zumaran said current demand includes more than 400 meals per day and roughly 1,200 showers per month. Michael Torres, a former guest who told the council he used St. Vincent services starting in 1999, urged support for the upgrades: “That shower meant a lot to me so I could go out and do what I have to do to make myself a productive member of society.”
Open Door Network CEO Lauren Skidmore, who said her organization partners with St. Vincent de Paul, urged council support for a conditional use permit and funding agreement to improve the day center’s infrastructure and services.
Outcome: Council member Beshear Tash moved to adopt staff’s recommendation; the clerk recorded the motion as unanimously approved.
What it covers and next steps: The staff memorandum accompanying the consent item requested approval of a grant agreement and conditional‑use processing to support upgrades; the budgetary amount for this specific item was not specified in the verbal record and is listed in the staff memorandum. Staff said they will work with St. Vincent de Paul and other service providers on repairs and ensure coordination with other shelter and social‑service efforts in the community.
Why it matters: St. Vincent de Paul provides meals, showers and wraparound services for people experiencing homelessness; the board described increased need and frequent repairs that constrain service delivery. The council approved the staff recommendation to help upgrade the center’s kitchens, bathrooms and showers to meet current usage.
