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Maricopa to continue partnership with county cooling center program; season, triggers and reimbursements outlined
Summary
Staff provided the county Cooling Center MOU and an April 2025 county email defining the 2025 cooling season (June 1–Sept 22), trigger temperatures (e.g., 105°F in the valley), hours (1–8 PM), and reimbursement guidance for staffing, water and snacks; the packet asks the council to confirm participation or decline.
Kern County’s Aging & Adult Services and the City of Maricopa have an existing Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) under which Gusher Hall serves as a local cooling center when extreme heat triggers activation. County program emails included in the council packet specify the 2025 season will run from June 1 through Sept. 22 and that centers will open on days when National Weather Service forecasts meet threshold temperatures (for the San Joaquin Valley the threshold listed is 105°F). The county email from program director Colleen Philley also notes centers will be open from 1:00–8:00 PM and that participating sites will be reimbursed for attendant staffing, water and snacks if records and invoices are submitted.
The packet includes the 2019 MOU between Kern County and the City of Maricopa describing roles and responsibilities (staffing, accessibility, signage, reporting, reimbursement process and the county’s daily activation notices). The MOU states the county will provide bottled water and light snacks funding permitting and that sites must complete attendance sheets for each day the center is open. The county email asks participating sites to confirm participation by April 25, 2025 or notify the county if a site will operate independently.
Staff recommended council confirm continued participation in the program for the 2025 season; if the council declines, staff said a formal motion is required. The materials emphasize the county’s reimbursement process requires documentation and a post‑season invoice to receive reimbursement for staffing and supplies.
