The 330pm meeting of the Bakersfield City Council is now
in session. Good afternoon. It's my pleasure to call it
to order the 330 regular City Council meeting of August
26, 2026. Madam Clerk, please call the role. Marigo. Here.
Vice Mayor Core. Council Member Arias. Here. Council Member Gonzalez.
Here. Council Member Weir here. Council Member Smith. I'm here.
Council Member Coman. Here. Council Member Bush Your Tash. Here.
Thank you. In keeping with Council's Resolution, the Public Statements
portion is divided into two periods. There's a period for
items listed on the meeting agenda and items not on
the meeting agenda. Additionally, pursuant changes in state law. The
City Council will now accept Public Statements via Phone and
in person. Statements for items listed on this afternoon's agenda
are given a two - minute time limit, 10 minutes
for participants by phone and 10 minutes for in -
person participants for 20 minutes total. Statements regarding items not
listed on the Agenda are also given a two -
minute time limit, 10 minutes for participants by phone and
10 minutes for in - person participants. If you have
written comments that are longer than your verbal statement, please
give them to the clerk who will give copies to
the council. If you're here to make a Public statement,
please register using the kiosk at the back of the
chambers where you entered. Stafford available to assist if needed.
We as a select, whether you're here to speak on
an item listed on this afternoon's agenda or no matter
not on the agenda. Speakers who do not identify a
specific agenda item will be presumed speakers for the non
- agenda portion. Those speakers will be called during the
non - agenda portion of the meeting. Everyone in attendance,
in person, or by phone is expected to adhere to
the rules of decorum established by Resolution of the City
Council. Failure to abide by the City's rules of decorum,
including any disruptive behavior that interferes with our ability to
have an orderly and efficient meeting prevents the City Council
from conducting the business of the City. Consider this a
first warning to everyone in attendance and participating. That conduct
that disrupts the meeting may result in expulsion and or
the chambers being cleared. Behavior that disrupts the meeting includes
repetitive statements, shouting, hate speech, interrupting staff or presenters during
the meeting. Speaking out of turn, outbursts from the audience.
Telephonic participants are expected to adhere to the same rules
of Dickhorn as those attending here in person. Medical, do
we have any Public Speaker's regarding items not listed on
the agenda. Marigo, we have two speakers by phone and
four speakers in person for items not listed on today's
agenda. Thank you. Would you call the Speakers by Foam,
please? The first Public Speaker by Phone will be Francis
White. Welcome, please introduce yourself.
Ms. White. Welcome. Please introduce yourself.
Here's that she is not there right now. Let's go
ahead to the next person by phone and then we'll
try to come back to her. Mayor Go. Welcome. Hi.
I'm here. Sorry, I get my microphone's meeting on my
M2. That's what I'm apologizing. I have a proposal for
Bakersfield. I think may help. With Laura Income Families and
Individuals that have a better way of lies and actually
more income. It's a mentor - based cottage of cooperative.
Centered model that connects people who have skills and ideas
with experienced mentors. And sheared resources, business education. Like cooperative
opportunities. Uh, there's people that do live already in Baker's
Phillies and do very skilled, good build. So, you know,
Referee's needs, had ideas, grow, design, teach and throttles with
the services, and we know that. Somehow it's out to
be entrepreneurs, but they may not have the capital or
equipment. Or even the knowledge or workspace or connections tonight
that is necessary as transitions to Megan Hoods with themselves.
I see this as something that's not helped people who
are, whether they're covering the coming from. And of JC,
a problem with homelessness in this area. And I think
certainly these people can be helped with this once they're
allowed to get housing that they would be able to,
that within shelter or another group would help them to
be able to transition both into housing and into an
industry. Uh, which would give them, uh, self - worth
and something to be able to live above the poverty
level. Maybe by fraction, uh, says property would allow people
to have these skills and resources. To be able to
help, whether to every Ms. White, you only have about
15 seconds left. Go ahead and wrap up. Hey. Look,
we're about to say, let's see, it's. English. Yet. And
I'm asking for a pilot program that was a dude
some kind of idea program caused to happen. So I
just faced industry mentor co - op, the attached plate
for our innocence participate and the mentors and people who
have the industries within the families, individuals. Thank you, Ms.
White. Thank you. Next person, please, by phone.
The next person by phone has not connected. I will
go ahead and move on to the in - person
speakers. Thank you. The first person speaker is Don Miller.
Welcome, please introduce yourself. Yeah, my name is Don Miller,
M - I - L - E - R. Good
afternoon. Council and staff. From now until November, on January
15th, July 15th, three city council members, Gonzalez, Arias and
Carelessly supported drafting documents to make Bakersfield a sanctuary city.
Thanks to where he jurisdictions do not provide sanctuary to
anything but potential violence and political theater. Therefore, from now
until November 1st, I will be reminding Bakersfield voters what
was said on July 15th and who said it. What
else might be affected by such recklessness. Department of Justice
grant funding. Fundy needed to do real law enforcement. At
the August 14th, laws and legislation committee, I spoke about
a staff report recommended to be received and filed. Within
it, page 13 of the report titled Municipal Funding Outlook
speak specifically to grants affected by sanctuary policy. On February,
2025, then Attorney General Pan Bondi issued a memorandum titled
Sanctuary City Directives. The Memos seeks to end the provision
for DOJ grant funding to state and local jurisdictions that
unlawfully interfere with federal law enforcement operations until a review
is completed. And to terminate any agreements that are in
violation of the law or R a source of waste
fraud or abuse and initiate clawback a recruitment procedures were
appropriate. Bottom line is sanctuaries jurisdictions risk losing grant funding.
I will not stand by and watch Bakersville be turned
into some political spectacle as ambitious individuals seek favor within
the now extremely far - left Democrat Party. It appears
our city is in need of maintenance. And from now
until November, be prepared to hear a lot more from
a lot more conservative people about the council meeting on
July 15th. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Miller. Madam Clerk,
next speaker, please. Melissant close.
To douce yourself. Hi, I'm, my name is Millicent Clouse
and I'm a freshman at the Central Academy of Arts
in Town Technology located in war too. I'm also a
girl's trout senior in Troop 2815 where I have experienced
the impact of community surface that can make. As I
have completed two major projects with the community, happy toys
for SAT cats with the current county animal shelter and
a common room for students at my school. These projects
allowed me to earn my bronze and silver award for
Girl Scouts. I recently had the honor of Representing Five
Counties of Girl Scouts as a national Girl Scout delegate
in Washington, D. C. where I learned Robert's roles of
order. And what it means to serve. I am learning
how to work on the team and how to be
a leader at the Cadet Technical Sergeant and Civil Arbitrol
Squadron 121. I am also learning how to identify problems
work with people who are different than I am and
make things happen. I am working on my pilot's license
even now and have seen how progress can be made
with just a handful of people. Ultimately, I want to
serve humanity as an astronaut, first though, I want to
learn how to be a, how to better surf breakers
filled, respectfully, I hope the council will consider my nomination
to the BakerShield Ucid Council. Thank you. Thank you, Ms.
Claus, and congratulations on your bronze and silver awards. Madam
Clerk next item, please. Michael Orloff.
Welcome. You might race the mic. Okay, I'm following up
on my 12 noon comments. I'm writing to request that
this council go on the record with a motion to
consider. That we should be adopting rule of law. Policies
for the City of Bakersfield. I also strongly suggest the
city does not designate this a sanctuary city. American citizens
are the victims of foreign nationals, not the immigrants. Sanctuary
City policy is irresponsible. Exacerbates inflation, ruins the American dream.
And foreign nationals reduced job availability and create drain on
our health care feeding education, housing, criminal justice, infrastructure, and
public safety systems. The cost of sustaining foreign nationals is
part of the problem to exacerbate CPI increases. Sanctuary City
Policy. Violates federal law. And interferes with law enforcement. Facilitating
about 10 different federal crimes that people can make. Order
security. Including ICE, serve important functions, including dismantling international criminal
networks. Involved in human trafficking, weapon smuggling, and financial crimes.
I fully support everyone who comes to this country to
escape oppression and improve their lives so long as they
enter America legally. Council should kindly go on record regarding
the attached rule of law resolution. Thank you very much.
Thank you. And for the record, would you just say
your name, please? Michael Orloff. Thank you. Thank you. Madam
Clerk, next speaker, please. Jesse Sanders. I don't see him
here. Nick Speaker, please. Mayor Co, that was our final
speaker for non - agenda Public Statements. Thank you. And
then do we have any four agenda. Marico, we have
not received any Public Speaker requests for agenda items. Thank
you. Next item, please. Closed session. Item 5A, conference with
legal counsel, personnel matter, conference to conduct interviews and to
consider discuss the employment appointment of a chief assistant city
attorney applicant. Item 5B, conference legal counsel, existing litigation regarding
Melrose Gabriel Flores, a minor buy and through her guardian,
Adlitum, Sabrina Rico, the Julian Garcia, City of Bakersfield at
all. Thank you. We're adjourned to close session.
The 330 City Council meeting at 502. Council Member Gonzalez
on 5A, please. Thank you, Mayor Council has concluded its
interview for chief assistant city attorney and has offered the
position to Ashley Zambrano. We further direct the City Attorney
to Draft Anemoyment Contract for the Chief Assistant City Attorney
and bring that contract to the City Council for a
vote on September 16, 2026. Thank you, Council Member Gonzalez.
And now to 5B, Madam City Attorney. Thank you, Mayor.
By unanimous vote. Of 6. 0 with Vise Mear Corps
absent, the City Attorney was given direction. Thank you. Thank
you. And with no other business, the meeting of 330
is adjourned at 503.