Taft council approves consent items and $570,000 bill payment, then moves to closed session on litigation

The Taft City Council on May 19 approved routine consent agenda items and separately authorized payment of bills amounting to about $570,000. After the mayor noted item 10 (payment of bills) had been pulled for separate consideration, the council approved items 9 and 11–17 by roll call. The clerk announced the motion passed 4–0.

Item 10 — payment of bills — was considered after Councilmember Waldrop left the room due to a stated conflict. City Manager Craig Jones presented the item; the council moved, seconded and approved the payment by roll call on a 4–0 vote.

Why it matters: the consent calendar included several administrative and fiscal items that affect city operations: minutes approval; treasurer’s report; a Title VI update for Taft Area Transit; professional services agreements for cost‑allocation and tax/occupancy auditing; an amendment to a property‑tax consulting agreement; authorization to sell a vacant lot (APN 013‑160‑03‑00‑02) to Ernesto Hernandez; and a resolution establishing the 2026–27 appropriations limit. The clerk read the staff recommendations and the council acted on them as routine items.

Following the public session the council announced it would convene closed session on two legal items: (a) conference with legal negotiators regarding anticipated litigation (Gov. Code §54956.9) and (b) conference with legal counsel on existing litigation — Taft Union High School v. City of Taft, Kern County Superior Court case SD‑1500‑CV‑283804.

Next steps: The meeting moved to closed session; no further public action was recorded in the transcript.