[21:51] The 330pm meeting of the Bakersfield City Council is now

[21:55] in session. Good afternoon. It's my pleasure to call it

[22:03] to order the 330 regular City Council meeting of August

[22:06] 26, 2026. Madam Clerk, please call the role. Marigo. Here.

[22:11] Vice Mayor Core. Council Member Arias. Here. Council Member Gonzalez.

[22:16] Here. Council Member Weir here. Council Member Smith. I'm here.

[22:20] Council Member Coman. Here. Council Member Bush Your Tash. Here.

[22:23] Thank you. In keeping with Council's Resolution, the Public Statements

[22:27] portion is divided into two periods. There's a period for

[22:31] items listed on the meeting agenda and items not on

[22:33] the meeting agenda. Additionally, pursuant changes in state law. The

[22:37] City Council will now accept Public Statements via Phone and

[22:42] in person. Statements for items listed on this afternoon's agenda

[22:45] are given a two - minute time limit, 10 minutes

[22:48] for participants by phone and 10 minutes for in -

[22:51] person participants for 20 minutes total. Statements regarding items not

[22:55] listed on the Agenda are also given a two -

[22:58] minute time limit, 10 minutes for participants by phone and

[23:01] 10 minutes for in - person participants. If you have

[23:04] written comments that are longer than your verbal statement, please

[23:06] give them to the clerk who will give copies to

[23:08] the council. If you're here to make a Public statement,

[23:11] please register using the kiosk at the back of the

[23:14] chambers where you entered. Stafford available to assist if needed.

[23:19] We as a select, whether you're here to speak on

[23:21] an item listed on this afternoon's agenda or no matter

[23:24] not on the agenda. Speakers who do not identify a

[23:28] specific agenda item will be presumed speakers for the non

[23:31] - agenda portion. Those speakers will be called during the

[23:33] non - agenda portion of the meeting. Everyone in attendance,

[23:37] in person, or by phone is expected to adhere to

[23:39] the rules of decorum established by Resolution of the City

[23:42] Council. Failure to abide by the City's rules of decorum,

[23:46] including any disruptive behavior that interferes with our ability to

[23:50] have an orderly and efficient meeting prevents the City Council

[23:53] from conducting the business of the City. Consider this a

[23:56] first warning to everyone in attendance and participating. That conduct

[24:00] that disrupts the meeting may result in expulsion and or

[24:04] the chambers being cleared. Behavior that disrupts the meeting includes

[24:08] repetitive statements, shouting, hate speech, interrupting staff or presenters during

[24:15] the meeting. Speaking out of turn, outbursts from the audience.

[24:19] Telephonic participants are expected to adhere to the same rules

[24:22] of Dickhorn as those attending here in person. Medical, do

[24:26] we have any Public Speaker's regarding items not listed on

[24:29] the agenda. Marigo, we have two speakers by phone and

[24:36] four speakers in person for items not listed on today's

[24:40] agenda. Thank you. Would you call the Speakers by Foam,

[24:43] please? The first Public Speaker by Phone will be Francis

[24:47] White. Welcome, please introduce yourself.

[25:00] Ms. White. Welcome. Please introduce yourself.

[25:16] Here's that she is not there right now. Let's go

[25:18] ahead to the next person by phone and then we'll

[25:20] try to come back to her. Mayor Go. Welcome. Hi.

[25:29] I'm here. Sorry, I get my microphone's meeting on my

[25:32] M2. That's what I'm apologizing. I have a proposal for

[25:37] Bakersfield. I think may help. With Laura Income Families and

[25:41] Individuals that have a better way of lies and actually

[25:45] more income. It's a mentor - based cottage of cooperative.

[25:51] Centered model that connects people who have skills and ideas

[25:54] with experienced mentors. And sheared resources, business education. Like cooperative

[26:02] opportunities. Uh, there's people that do live already in Baker's

[26:05] Phillies and do very skilled, good build. So, you know,

[26:09] Referee's needs, had ideas, grow, design, teach and throttles with

[26:14] the services, and we know that. Somehow it's out to

[26:17] be entrepreneurs, but they may not have the capital or

[26:19] equipment. Or even the knowledge or workspace or connections tonight

[26:23] that is necessary as transitions to Megan Hoods with themselves.

[26:27] I see this as something that's not helped people who

[26:32] are, whether they're covering the coming from. And of JC,

[26:37] a problem with homelessness in this area. And I think

[26:40] certainly these people can be helped with this once they're

[26:44] allowed to get housing that they would be able to,

[26:47] that within shelter or another group would help them to

[26:50] be able to transition both into housing and into an

[26:53] industry. Uh, which would give them, uh, self - worth

[26:57] and something to be able to live above the poverty

[27:00] level. Maybe by fraction, uh, says property would allow people

[27:07] to have these skills and resources. To be able to

[27:10] help, whether to every Ms. White, you only have about

[27:13] 15 seconds left. Go ahead and wrap up. Hey. Look,

[27:18] we're about to say, let's see, it's. English. Yet. And

[27:20] I'm asking for a pilot program that was a dude

[27:24] some kind of idea program caused to happen. So I

[27:28] just faced industry mentor co - op, the attached plate

[27:32] for our innocence participate and the mentors and people who

[27:36] have the industries within the families, individuals. Thank you, Ms.

[27:40] White. Thank you. Next person, please, by phone.

[27:50] The next person by phone has not connected. I will

[27:53] go ahead and move on to the in - person

[27:55] speakers. Thank you. The first person speaker is Don Miller.

[28:11] Welcome, please introduce yourself. Yeah, my name is Don Miller,

[28:14] M - I - L - E - R. Good

[28:16] afternoon. Council and staff. From now until November, on January

[28:23] 15th, July 15th, three city council members, Gonzalez, Arias and

[28:27] Carelessly supported drafting documents to make Bakersfield a sanctuary city.

[28:32] Thanks to where he jurisdictions do not provide sanctuary to

[28:35] anything but potential violence and political theater. Therefore, from now

[28:39] until November 1st, I will be reminding Bakersfield voters what

[28:42] was said on July 15th and who said it. What

[28:45] else might be affected by such recklessness. Department of Justice

[28:49] grant funding. Fundy needed to do real law enforcement. At

[28:53] the August 14th, laws and legislation committee, I spoke about

[28:56] a staff report recommended to be received and filed. Within

[29:00] it, page 13 of the report titled Municipal Funding Outlook

[29:04] speak specifically to grants affected by sanctuary policy. On February,

[29:09] 2025, then Attorney General Pan Bondi issued a memorandum titled

[29:13] Sanctuary City Directives. The Memos seeks to end the provision

[29:16] for DOJ grant funding to state and local jurisdictions that

[29:20] unlawfully interfere with federal law enforcement operations until a review

[29:24] is completed. And to terminate any agreements that are in

[29:28] violation of the law or R a source of waste

[29:31] fraud or abuse and initiate clawback a recruitment procedures were

[29:36] appropriate. Bottom line is sanctuaries jurisdictions risk losing grant funding.

[29:41] I will not stand by and watch Bakersville be turned

[29:44] into some political spectacle as ambitious individuals seek favor within

[29:48] the now extremely far - left Democrat Party. It appears

[29:51] our city is in need of maintenance. And from now

[29:54] until November, be prepared to hear a lot more from

[29:57] a lot more conservative people about the council meeting on

[30:00] July 15th. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Miller. Madam Clerk,

[30:04] next speaker, please. Melissant close.

[30:21] To douce yourself. Hi, I'm, my name is Millicent Clouse

[30:25] and I'm a freshman at the Central Academy of Arts

[30:27] in Town Technology located in war too. I'm also a

[30:32] girl's trout senior in Troop 2815 where I have experienced

[30:37] the impact of community surface that can make. As I

[30:41] have completed two major projects with the community, happy toys

[30:45] for SAT cats with the current county animal shelter and

[30:49] a common room for students at my school. These projects

[30:52] allowed me to earn my bronze and silver award for

[30:56] Girl Scouts. I recently had the honor of Representing Five

[31:00] Counties of Girl Scouts as a national Girl Scout delegate

[31:04] in Washington, D. C. where I learned Robert's roles of

[31:07] order. And what it means to serve. I am learning

[31:11] how to work on the team and how to be

[31:13] a leader at the Cadet Technical Sergeant and Civil Arbitrol

[31:17] Squadron 121. I am also learning how to identify problems

[31:22] work with people who are different than I am and

[31:25] make things happen. I am working on my pilot's license

[31:30] even now and have seen how progress can be made

[31:33] with just a handful of people. Ultimately, I want to

[31:36] serve humanity as an astronaut, first though, I want to

[31:40] learn how to be a, how to better surf breakers

[31:43] filled, respectfully, I hope the council will consider my nomination

[31:47] to the BakerShield Ucid Council. Thank you. Thank you, Ms.

[31:52] Claus, and congratulations on your bronze and silver awards. Madam

[31:58] Clerk next item, please. Michael Orloff.

[32:17] Welcome. You might race the mic. Okay, I'm following up

[32:25] on my 12 noon comments. I'm writing to request that

[32:29] this council go on the record with a motion to

[32:32] consider. That we should be adopting rule of law. Policies

[32:37] for the City of Bakersfield. I also strongly suggest the

[32:42] city does not designate this a sanctuary city. American citizens

[32:48] are the victims of foreign nationals, not the immigrants. Sanctuary

[32:54] City policy is irresponsible. Exacerbates inflation, ruins the American dream.

[33:03] And foreign nationals reduced job availability and create drain on

[33:07] our health care feeding education, housing, criminal justice, infrastructure, and

[33:16] public safety systems. The cost of sustaining foreign nationals is

[33:22] part of the problem to exacerbate CPI increases. Sanctuary City

[33:28] Policy. Violates federal law. And interferes with law enforcement. Facilitating

[33:35] about 10 different federal crimes that people can make. Order

[33:40] security. Including ICE, serve important functions, including dismantling international criminal

[33:47] networks. Involved in human trafficking, weapon smuggling, and financial crimes.

[33:54] I fully support everyone who comes to this country to

[33:59] escape oppression and improve their lives so long as they

[34:03] enter America legally. Council should kindly go on record regarding

[34:09] the attached rule of law resolution. Thank you very much.

[34:13] Thank you. And for the record, would you just say

[34:15] your name, please? Michael Orloff. Thank you. Thank you. Madam

[34:20] Clerk, next speaker, please. Jesse Sanders. I don't see him

[34:29] here. Nick Speaker, please. Mayor Co, that was our final

[34:35] speaker for non - agenda Public Statements. Thank you. And

[34:40] then do we have any four agenda. Marico, we have

[34:44] not received any Public Speaker requests for agenda items. Thank

[34:48] you. Next item, please. Closed session. Item 5A, conference with

[34:55] legal counsel, personnel matter, conference to conduct interviews and to

[34:59] consider discuss the employment appointment of a chief assistant city

[35:02] attorney applicant. Item 5B, conference legal counsel, existing litigation regarding

[35:09] Melrose Gabriel Flores, a minor buy and through her guardian,

[35:13] Adlitum, Sabrina Rico, the Julian Garcia, City of Bakersfield at

[35:18] all. Thank you. We're adjourned to close session.

[1:54:01] The 330 City Council meeting at 502. Council Member Gonzalez

[1:54:05] on 5A, please. Thank you, Mayor Council has concluded its

[1:54:09] interview for chief assistant city attorney and has offered the

[1:54:13] position to Ashley Zambrano. We further direct the City Attorney

[1:54:17] to Draft Anemoyment Contract for the Chief Assistant City Attorney

[1:54:21] and bring that contract to the City Council for a

[1:54:24] vote on September 16, 2026. Thank you, Council Member Gonzalez.

[1:54:28] And now to 5B, Madam City Attorney. Thank you, Mayor.

[1:54:32] By unanimous vote. Of 6. 0 with Vise Mear Corps

[1:54:36] absent, the City Attorney was given direction. Thank you. Thank

[1:54:39] you. And with no other business, the meeting of 330

[1:54:45] is adjourned at 503.

City Council Meeting 330

Agenda

Transcript