Kern COG honors county transportation, safety and community programs at 2024 Regional Awards of Merit ceremony

The Kern Council of Governments honored a range of public‑works projects, public‑safety programs and community leaders at its 2024 Regional Awards of Merit ceremony, where officials and program representatives described recent infrastructure investments and community initiatives meant to improve safety, mobility and quality of life across Kern County.

Bob Smith, Kern Council of Governments chairman of the board, opened the ceremony, saying the event recognizes “distinguished individuals and organizations whose exemplary leadership, compassion, and unwavering dedication have significantly contributed to enhancing the quality of life in their local communities and throughout Kern County region.”

The awards highlighted completed and ongoing transportation and public‑works projects. Kern County Public Works’ Capital Projects Division accepted a transportation award after the county used state and local recovery funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to design nearly 13 miles of sidewalks, 5 miles of sewer improvements and 7 miles of road resurfacing in unincorporated areas, the presenters said. The county’s capital projects team reported completing about $50,000,000 in construction contracts by a December deadline and finishing roughly $220,000 under budget; the presenter noted that delivering sidewalks in older neighborhoods required securing easements and removing obstructions such as utilities, fences and trees.

Jeff Davis, Senior Engineer Manager for Kern County Public Works, accepted the award on behalf of the division and thanked design and construction staff for meeting the deadlines.

Caltrans District 6 received several recognitions. The State Route 46 widening through Lost Hills — a project speakers said began in February 2018 and expanded a seven‑mile stretch from two lanes to four, added sidewalks, upgraded lighting, improved drainage and installed 10‑foot shoulders — was cited for improving traffic flow and safety. Hysim Solomon, Caltrans District 6 project manager, accepted that award.

Caltrans also received an award for emergency repairs on State Route 155 after the storms of early 2022 and 2023. Gerard O’Rourke, senior maintenance engineer and project manager, described 13 damaged locations across a roughly 15‑mile stretch where culverts were replaced, failed pavement was removed and slope protection installed. Caltrans said the initial estimate of about $13.6 million was minimized to roughly $7 million through expedited emergency design and coordination.

Caltrans’ Clean California portfolio in Kern County was singled out for innovation. Program representatives said the Clean California partnership with Caltrans and local jurisdictions has removed nearly 25,000 cubic yards of litter countywide and funded dozens of beautification projects. Two different figures were cited during presentations: one speaker described a Clean California portfolio of about $36.2 million with $10.2 million in Bakersfield projects; a later Caltrans speaker said Clean California invested about $40.5 million in Kern County and reported removing nearly a million square feet of litter and graffiti. Program representatives credited extensive interagency collaboration and local artist partnerships for project outcomes.

Public‑safety and community programs also received recognition. The City of Bakersfield’s Violence Intervention Program was presented with the Chairman’s Award; city officials credited a state CalVIP (California Violence Intervention and Prevention) grant and partnerships with community organizations for reductions in shootings and homicides. City officials reported a 60% reduction in homicides and a 57% reduction in shootings over a recent three‑year period compared to earlier trends, and thanked community‑based organizations and law‑enforcement partners for outreach to people at highest risk.

The Tehachapi Police Department received an award for a special‑needs program that included a voluntary, visible sticker households can display to let police know an occupant may need additional communication support; Chief Richard Standridge said more than 100 stickers have been distributed and the department maintains a confidential form families can use to give officers information to better support individuals during calls for service.

Kern County Public Works Road Maintenance and emergency crews were recognized for post‑storm repairs countywide; presenters described emergency work following the 2022–23 storms to reconnect communities and restore access to schools, grocery stores and transit.

The ceremony also honored individual and district volunteerism and local institution preservation. Recipients included North of the River Recreation and Park District for its people‑powered, nonmotorized Christmas parade; West Side Recreation and Park District for reviving Taft’s historic Fox Theater and using it for concerts, youth programming and workforce partnerships; and Jesus Rodriguez of the Shirley Lane neighborhood for coordinating town‑halls, translation and community cleanups during a water‑well outage. Les Clark III accepted an award for the West Side Recreation and Park District; Jasmine Lobasso accepted for North of the River Recreation and Park District; and Leticia Perez, Kern County supervisor for District 5, assisted in recognizing Jesus Rodriguez.

Lifetime achievement recognitions included Diana Gomez, retired Caltrans District 6 director, and Dennis “Mike” Elliott, a longtime agricultural educator and community volunteer in McFarland. Both speakers framed their awards in terms of partnerships and long‑term community service; Diana Gomez referenced regional capital projects and Clean California work, and Mike Elliott reflected on decades of volunteerism in local schools and civic organizations.

The awards ceremony concluded with remarks from officials and a final round of recognition for awardees. Organizers noted the program was recorded for replay on Kern Government Television (KGOV).

While the event was ceremonial rather than a policymaking meeting, the presentations documented several recent federal and state funding sources (ARPA, Clean California grants and CalVIP) and described project scopes and outcomes officials said are already delivering changes to transportation safety, flood response and community services across Kern County.