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Residents raise complaints about warrant execution and homeless count accuracy during public comment
Summary
During public presentation, a resident said an inspection/abatement warrant led to his arrest and harm to animals; a community advocate said an encampment sweep before the point‑in‑time count likely depressed PIT numbers and could jeopardize funding. Board offered to provide written responses and review coordination with partners.
During the public‑presentation portion of the March 10 Kern County Board meeting, multiple residents raised concerns about enforcement practices and the accuracy of the point‑in‑time (PIT) homeless count.
A Mojave resident identified in the record as Mr. Gillen read from an inspection and abatement warrant and said he was arrested during its execution; he further said animal control did not appear and animals on the property were harmed. He asked the county to clarify how the warrant instructions were interpreted during abatement. Supervisor Parlier asked staff to provide a written response to Mr. Gillen.
Community advocate Caitlin Payne said an encampment sweep in the Kern River Valley the night before the PIT count displaced people and likely reduced the count’s accuracy, warning that undercounts can cost rural areas hundreds of thousands of dollars in HUD and state funding tied to the data.
Other public presenters included a representative for a youth‑sports nonprofit clarifying a proposal about tournament programming, and several neighbors who later appeared in the Mount Mesa duplex item and asked for more neighborhood notice. Board members acknowledged the concerns and, where appropriate, directed staff to follow up or provide written responses.
