The Kern County Board of Supervisors met today as scheduled for Tuesday’s November 7, 2023, Board Meeting. Supervisor Phillip Peters (District 1), Supervisor Zack Scrivner (District 2), Chairman Jeff Flores (District 3), Supervisor David Couch (District 4), and Supervisor Leticia Perez (District 5) were in attendance. For information on how to address the Board on a specific agenda item or provide general public comment, please click here.    

Meeting Highlights:  

• Item No. 3 AM session: 
• The Board proclaimed November 8 – December 1, 2023, as the 36^th Annual Holiday Cottage Days in Kern County. 
• Item No. 4 AM session: 
• The Board proclaimed November 2023 as Native American Heritage Month and November 24, 2023, as Native American Heritage Day in Kern County. 
• Item No. 5 AM session: 
• The Board proclaimed November 12, 2023, as International Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) Awareness Day in Kern County in honor of the memory of former City of Bakersfield Mayor Harvey Hall. 
• Item No. 6 AM session: 
• The Board proclaimed November 2023 as National Diabetes Awareness Month in Kern County. 
• Item No. 16 AM session: 
• The Board approved Behavioral Health and Recovery Services applying for, accepting, and executing the Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program Grant funding from the Department of Health Care Services for a Youth Crisis Stabilization Unit and Family Resource Center project.  
• Item No. 26 AM session: 
• The Board approved a grant agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice for the 2023 DNA Capacity Enhancement and Backlog Reduction Program through September of 2025, which will improve the District Attorney’s infrastructure and analysis capacity of existing crime laboratories that conduct DNA analyses.  
• Item No. 28 AM session: 
• The Board approved an agreement with La Cooperativa Campesina de California for the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Rapid Response program through June of 2024. 
• Item No. 29 AM session: 
• The Board approved the fire department’s request to extend the local emergency due to the California Severe Winter Storms incident. 
• Item No. 30 AM session: 
• The Board approved the fire department accepting a grant award from the California Office of Traffic and Safety to purchase rescue equipment to assist first responders in safely extricating victims trapped during traffic collisions.  
• Item No. 36 AM session: 
• The Board approved the probation department applying for and accepting a grant award from the U.S. Department of Justice for the 2023 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) and appropriating unanticipated revenue to prevent or reduce crime and improve the effectiveness of departmental operations. 
• Item No. 38 AM session: 
• The Board approved an agreement between Public Health and the fire department for the provision of paramedic first responder services beginning November 7, 2023. 
• Item No. 42 AM session: 
• The Board approved an agreement with the McFarland Recreation and Park District to use park facilities for Public Health’s mobile health clinic on various dates through June of 2024. 
• Item No. 9 PM session: 
• The Board approved an agreement with Women’s Center High Desert, Inc. for a federal grant through the State of California Emergency Solutions Grants for Emergency Shelter to provide emergency shelter for local women. 
• Items No. 10 – 16 PM session: 
• The Board held a series of protest hearings for cost incurred for various nuisance abatement work throughout unincorporated Kern County.      
• This effort supports the enhancement of quality-of-life for Kern County residents.     
• Items No. 20 – 21 PM session: 
• The Board approved contract completions with Granite Construction Company and Nagle Earthworks for road resurfacing on Frazier Mountain Park Road and drainage sump and pedestrian path improvements in Taft. 
• Item No. 27 PM session: 
• The Board approved the recognition of unanticipated revenue from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), 2011 Public Safety Realignment, and Wraparound Savings Trust Fund, in addition to transferring Appropriations for Contingencies and releasing General Fund Designation to establish four mid-year major maintenance projects to repair storm damage at County Parks, eight major maintenance projects for Americans with Disabilities Act compliance and to improve County facilities, as well as increasing appropriations for six major maintenance projects to improve the Jamison Center, Juvenile Hall, Probation Crossroads Facility, Superior Court elevator, County Counsel, and Lake Isabella Linda Kissack Skate Park. 
• Item No. 28 PM session: 
• The Board voted to contribute $600 to the Downtown Business Association to improve the Bakersfield downtown area. 
• Item No. 29 PM session: 
• The Board voted to contribute $1,000 to the Delano Hometown Heroes Parade Committee, $1,000 to the Delano Police Officers Foundation, and $500 to Honor Flight Kern County.  
• Items No. 36 – 37 PM session: 
• The Board heard a presentation from Chief General Services Officer, Geoffrey Hill, on Heritage Park beautification and enhancements at Virginia Avenue Park. 
• The Board voted to approve contracts with S&B Sons, Inc. for Heritage Park and appropriate unanticipated revenue from the California Natural Resources Agency Urban Greening Program Grant for Virginia Avenue Park.  
• Watch the entire presentation here.  
• Item No. 43 PM session: 
• The Board approved a new position classification, titled Per Diem Elections Process Aide, to better staff and serve our local election process. 

The next Regular Board Meetings are scheduled for November 28, 2023, at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.