HomeMy WebLinkAbout03/27/2020CC
OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
March 27, 2020 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council FROM: Christian Clegg, City Manager SUBJECT: General Information
COVID-19 Update
The City of Bakersfield continues to monitor the ongoing COVID-19 (novel coronavirus)
health crisis and is working to keep all residents as safe as possible.
We are encouraging compliance with Governor Gavin Newsom’s stay-at-home
order, with the exception of essential services.
Again, police and fire response, as well as water, sewer and trash services are still
being provided by the City. The police and fire departments have made some adjustments to limit public contact except when necessary, including canceling or
postponing nonessential events and programs through at least April 14.
The March 25 City Council meeting was held as promised, albeit with an abbreviated agenda, social distancing in full-effect and some councilmembers teleconferencing
in to limit person-to-person contact as much as possible.
The health and safety of the public and our employees remains our top priority during this time and City Staff continue to be in close communication with the Kern County
Department of Public Health, the California Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control.
The City’s COVID-19 webpage on the City’s website has been updated throughout
the week, and staff continues to communicate to the public about what the City is
doing to limit the possible spread of the virus. The webpage includes resources for
citizens and small businesses for dealing with the effects of the health crisis as well as
an updated Frequently Asked Questions section.
We’re in this together and we’ll get through it together. Stay safe and stay well.
General Information March 27, 2020 Page 2
Notable Items
While the City encourages adhering to the Governor’s stay-at-home order as much as possible, we also want to remind the public to continue to practice Social Distancing if they leave their homes, including if you visit City-run parks and other facilities.
On Friday, March 27, the Recreation & Parks Department closed all basketball, tennis
and pickleball courts across the City in order to limit public gathering in those areas.
The closures will remain in effect until further notice.
Remember: If you go out, limit your time in public and do NOT gather in large (more
than 10) groups. Be sure to maintain a social distance of at least six feet. Please avoid
touching surfaces, including playground equipment, benches and picnic areas, even
at outdoor park areas. Be sure to walk away from gatherings as well.
And please continue to wash your hands for at least 20 seconds at a time, avoid
touching your face, eyes, nose or mouth.
The Mount Vernon Recycling & Composting Facility – also known as the Green Waste
Facility – is adjusting its hours of operation in light of staffing
changes due to measures taken by the City to reduce the
possibility of exposure to the COVID-19 virus.
The March issue of the Public Safety & Vital Services Newsletter was released Thursday, March 26. This edition includes a look at the City’s plan to retrofit more than
1,200 decorative light fixtures Downtown with brighter, more energy-efficient LEDs (right); it also includes an
update to the Bakersfield Police Department’s body-worn cameras rollout, which will be completed earlier than
originally planned.
Due to the COVID-19 crisis and related staffing limitations, the newsletter will go on a temporary hiatus. At this time,
there will be no newsletter released in April. PSVS-funded programs and projects, however, will continue as normal.
For more information about PSVS and related programs, please visit
http://bit.ly/2lPJfw5. Thank you for your understanding.
Traffic Advisories
Daytime closure for Ming Avenue on-ramp
The contractor for the Belle Terrace Operational Improvements project will need to close
the Ming Avenue on-ramp to northbound State Route 99 during daytime hours on Friday,
March 27 between 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. This ramp will also be closed next week,
General Information March 27, 2020 Page 3
Monday, through Friday, between 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.
The closure is needed to allow for work on the new retaining wall currently under construction along the freeway. Motorists will be able to access northbound State Route
99 from the Wible Road on-ramp, located approximately one mile north of Ming Avenue.
Work may be rescheduled without notice due to unforeseen circumstances. Please slow down and watch for construction workers and equipment while driving in the vicinity of
this work. The Thomas Roads Improvement Program apologizes for any inconvenience
this work may cause the traveling public.
Traffic control on Real Road continues; Closure on Ford Avenue
Traffic control will continue on Real Road, between Stockdale Highway and Elcia Drive,
on Monday, March 30 and Tuesday, March 31 while crews work on a drainage system in
this area. Flagging personnel will need to stop traffic for up to five minutes between the
hours of 8:00 a.m. and 3 p.m. each day. Motorists are encouraged to use alternate routes
or allow extra time to reach their destinations if they must travel through this area while
work is underway.
An around-the-clock closure is planned for Ford Avenue, between Dunlap Street and
Morrison Street, from 7 a.m. Thursday, April 2 through 5 p.m. Friday, April 3. The closure is
needed to dismantle and remove the large crane used in the construction of the future
bridge abutments. North McDonald Way and Stine Road will be open and residents can
detour around the closure using Joseph Drive.
Work may be cancelled or rescheduled without notice due to unforeseen
circumstances. Please slow down and pay attention to construction workers and equipment. The Thomas Roads Improvement Program apologizes for any inconvenience
this work may cause the traveling public. Event Notifications
The April low-cost pet vaccination clinic – originally set for Saturday, April 11 at Wilson Park – has been CANCELED in order to help prevent the spread of and
possible exposure to COVID-19 (the coronavirus).
Event Calendar for the Mechanics Bank Arena, Theater & Convention Center. NOTE: Several events included on this calendar have since been postponed or
canceled.
City Manager’s Office
1600 Truxtun Avenue, Bakersfield, CA 93301
661-326-3751 FAX: 661-324-1850
MEDIA ADVISORY FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Joe Conroy
Friday, March 27, 2020 Public Information Officer (661) 326-3074 JConroy@bakersfieldcity.us
CITY RECREATION AND PARKS DEPARTMENT CLOSING TENNIS, PICKLEBALL AND BASKETBALL COURTS DUE TO COVID-19 CONCERNS
The City of Bakersfield’s parks remain open as they are an important amenity for the
public during this current health crisis. But if you choose to visit them, please continue
to practice social distancing as outlined by the Kern County Department of Public Health (KCDPH) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to help reduce the
spread of COVID-19 (novel coronavirus).
In order to limit possible exposure to and spread of COVID-19 in our community, the
City of Bakersfield’s Recreation and Parks Department is closing all basketball, tennis
and pickleball courts to the public.
The closure will be in effect starting today, March 27, and will remain in place until
further notice.
Signage indicating the closure will be posted at the courts and the fences
surrounding them will be locked. The rims at basketball courts without fences will be
removed by Recreation and Parks staff.
The City also reminds park visitors to avoid touching playground and outdoor
exercise equipment, picnic tables and benches.
Recreation and Parks staff will be cleaning facilities periodically and the City
encourages everyone to use hand sanitizers, wash your hands frequently and in
accordance with the guidelines from the KCDPH and CDC. Also, please avoid
gathering in groups of 10 or more.
This decision was made to help limit group gatherings at parks facilities and to
promote continued social distancing.
City community centers and pools, as well as the Mesa Marin Sports Complex, Kaiser
Permanente Sports Village and Aera Park have been closed to the public since
March 12.
All Recreation and Parks Department programs – with the exception of the after-
school meal program at Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center – have been
suspended until further notice.
###
City Manager’s Office
1600 Truxtun Avenue, Bakersfield, CA 93301
661-326-3751 FAX: 661-324-1850
MEDIA ADVISORY FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Joe Conroy
Friday, March 20, 2020 Public Information Officer (661) 326-3074 JConroy@bakersfieldcity.us
CITY OF BAKERSFIELD GREEN WASTE FACILITY SCHEDULE CHANGE
Following the City Manager’s declaration of a local emergency in response to the
COVID-19 health crisis and Governor Gavin Newsom’s Executive Order (N-33-20), the
City of Bakersfield is limiting staffing to those who provide essential services only.
As a result, the Mount Vernon Recycling & Composting Facility at 2601 South Mount
Vernon Avenue will temporarily change its days of operation.
Effective immediately, the facility’s operational times will be:
• Tuesday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The City will continue to provide vital health and safety services to our community.
We appreciate your patience and cooperation during this time.
###
BY THE NUMBERS:
Public Safety and
Vital Services
Measure Update
2,938
Total of downtown
decorative
streetlights to be
converted to energy-
efficient LEDs,
making the area safer
for drivers and
pedestrians.
Number of body-worn
cameras to be rolled
out this fiscal year to
Bakersfield Police De-
partment officers,
completing the imple-
mentation earlier than
originally planned.
A vibrant downtown area is an important as-
pect of any city’s economy, and in Bakersfield,
improvements to lighting have been a request
from the community for some time now.
In response, in 2018 the City of Bakersfield – in
partnership with Pacific Gas and Electric Com-
pany (PG&E) – converted around 12,860 street-
lights to energy-efficient light-emitting diodes
(LED), which provide more direct and natural
light to help improve public safety while also
reducing energy and maintenance costs.
That upgrade nearly two years ago left fewer
than 3,000 decorative streetlight poles down-
town in need of upgrades since those
lights were not covered by the PG&E
financing program.
Revenue brought in by the Public Safety
& Vital Services Measure (PSVS), how-
ever, makes it possible to now upgrade
the remaining 2,938 fixtures.
“LED lights will make our streets safer
and offer significant long-term savings
to the taxpayer,” Bakersfield Public
Works Director Nick Fidler said in April
2018. “The LED lights require less
DOWNTOWN LIGHTING
IMPROVEMENTS
Measure Status Report: On November 6, 2018, Bakersfield
Citizens voted to approve the Public Safety and Vital
Services 1% Tax Measure. This report provides a snapshot of
progress made on the implementation of that measure.
March 2020
Continued on Page 3
215
After a year-long field testing pro-
ject, the Bakersfield Police Depart-
ment entered a multi-year phase-in
of body-worn cameras for all sworn
officers and all uniformed police ci-
vilian personnel in the field.
The goal of the project is to
strengthen community trust thanks
to accountability and transparency
provided by the cameras; reduce
citizen complaints and improve the
accuracy of the citizen complaints
that are made; cut down department liability; and improve the
quality of evidence in criminal cases.
The total roll-out of more than 400 cameras was initially
planned over two years. However, revenue brought in through
the Public Safety & Vital Services Measure (PSVS) has allowed
the City to accelerate this project and complete the roll-out
earlier than expected.
The first phase included the deployment of 210 units over
three months, equipping personnel in the K-9 unit, patrol
shifts, the Impact Unit, school resource officers and the Special
Enforcement Unit, among others.
An $800,000 allocation of PSVS funds will allow the City to complete the full deploy-
ment of the remaining 215 cameras within the current fiscal year, rather than the fol-
lowing fiscal year, getting them on the streets much earlier than originally planned.
Not only does that money cover the
costs of the additional camera
equipment, but also the addition of
two Police Property and Equipment
Specialist positions as well. Those
positions will be responsible for
overseeing day-to-day management
of the cameras and video collected.
POLICE BODY-WORN CAMERA PROGRAM EXPEDITED
Public Safety and Vital Services Measure Update
March 2020 Page 2
Due to limited staffing in light of the ongoing
COVID-19 health crisis, the publication of the
monthly PSVS Newsletter will go into hiatus for
the time being. There will be no PSVS Newsletter
issued for April. Rest assured, PSVS-funded pro-
jects and programs will continue as planned.
For more information on PSVS, visit
http://bit.ly/35jCWTz
PUBLICATION NOTE…
Public Safety and Vital Services Measure Update
March 2020
maintenance than traditional street
lights, which will allow City crews to
address other critical needs through-
out the community.”
The LED fixtures not only light the
sidewalks used by those walking
downtown but also improve lighting
on the streets themselves, creating a
safer environment for everyone in
the City’s right-of-way.
The City is working with contractor
Tanko Streetlighting, Inc. to convert
the remaining decorative streetlight fixtures. The project is estimated to cost no more than
$1.1 million to retrofit the existing lights.
This improvement addresses two of the community’s 13 specific priorities identified for PSVS
funding: Keeping public areas safe and clean; and improving quality of life and attracting visi-
tors. Those 13 priorities were identified through feedback gathered from more than two doz-
en community meetings held prior to the Measure’s passing in 2018.
DOWNTOWN LIGHTING IMPROVEMENTS CONTINUED
Earlier this year, City staff reported to the City Council and the Public Safety & Vital
Services (PSVS) Citizens Oversight Committee that there is a projected additional $9
million in revenue above original estimates. Based on that new projection, Staff recom-
mended several mid-year budget appropriations, including allocating $3 million to the
PSVS Reserve fund.
The reserve fund helps mitigate the possible effects of unanticipated situations such as
natural disasters and other significant unforeseen events. The fund helps buffer the
City temporarily from cuts to staffing levels, programs or services in case of an eco-
nomic downturn and/or the loss of state revenue monies as a result of such an event.
During the Fiscal Year 2019-20 budget adoption process, City Council approved a poli-
cy to enact a multi-year plan to reach a 60-day reserve by FY 2024-25, a plan that
would meet or exceed reserves of other similarly-sized cities. That policy requires allo-
cations in each of the next three years to reach a goal of $65.1 million – a 60-day re-
serve – when the plan is fully implemented.
Page 3
RESERVE FUND ALLOCATIONS
ALL PARK CLINICS ARE HELD FROM 9:00 AM TO NOON
*ALL FEES/DATES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE. PLEASE CHECK OUR WEBSITE BEFORE ATTENDING A CLINIC FOR
POSSIBLE ADJUSTMENTS OR MODIFICATIONS TO THIS SCHEDULE.
https://bakersfieldcity.us/gov/depts/animal_care_center/clinics.htm
City of Bakersfield Animal Control
2020 Vaccination & Licensing Clinics
January
Saturday 1/11/20
The Park at Riverwalk 11200 Stockdale Hwy
February
Saturday 2/8/20
Jefferson Park 801 Bernard St.
March
Saturday 3/14/20
Beale Park 500 Oleander Ave.
April
Saturday 4/11/20 Wilson Park
2400 Wilson Rd.
May
Saturday 5/9/20 Lowell Park
800 4th St.
June
Saturday 6/13/20 Jastro Park
2900 Truxtun Ave
July
Saturday 7/11/20 Silver Creek Park
7011 Harris Rd.
August
Saturday 8/8/20 MLK Community Center
1000 S. Owens St.sav
September
Saturday 9/12/20 Beale Park
500 Oleander Ave
October
Saturday 10/10/20 Central Park at Mill Creek
600 19th St.
November
Saturday 11/14/20 Kroll Park 7500 Kroll Way
December
Saturday 12/12/20 Liberty Park 11225 Brimhall Rd.
Vaccination & Licensing Information
• California Law requires all dogs over the age of three months are vaccinated against
the rabies virus and a license must be purchased within 30 days of vaccination.
• At the low-cost park clinics, your dog can be vaccinated for a reduced fee.
• A license must be purchased along with a rabies vaccine at the clinic.
• If your dog has a current rabies vaccine, you may purchase a license only if you have
a copy of the rabies certificate.
Vaccine Fees:
Rabies Vaccine - $10.00
DAPP Vaccine - $10.00
Bordetella Vaccine (Kennel Cough) - $10.00
License Fees:
Spayed or Neutered:
1 Year License - $15.00 3 year license - $30.00
Natural (NOT spayed or neutered):
1 Year License - $60.00
3 Year License - $120.00
Senior Rates (62 and older): Dog MUST be spayed or neutered for discount!
1 Year License - $5.00
3 Year License - $15.00
Temporary Licenses: Dog MUST be spayed or neutered within 60 days.
1 Year Temporary License - $15.00
1 Year Senior Temporary License - $5.00 Visit us on the web for up to date clinic information:
https://bakersfieldcity.us/gov/depts/animal_care_center/clinics.htm
Free Meal Program
@ The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,
Community Center
1000 S. Owens
Monday-Friday 1:30pm-3:30pm
For ages 2-18 ONLY
For more information call (661)322-9874
This institution is equal opportunity provider
BOX OFFICE HOURS
Mon-Fri 10 AM - 5 PM
(Excluding Event Days)
CHARGE-BY-PHONE
1-888-929-7849
GROUP SALES INFORMATION
661-852-7309
SEASON TICKET INFORMATION
Bakersfield Condors
661-324-PUCK (7825)
www.bakersfieldcondors.com
Bakersfield Symphony
661-323-7928
www.BSOnow.org
Broadway In Bakersfield
661-852-7308
Week of March 9th
UPCOMING EVENTS
April 8 – Condors vs San Jose 6:30 PM
April 10 – Condors vs San Jose 7:00 PM
$38, $28.50, $23, $19, $16, $12 On Sale Now
October 24 – Luke Combs 7:00 PM
$88 to $22 On Sale Now
$38, $28.50, $23, $19, $16, $12 On Sale Now
$38, $28.50, $23, $19, $16, $12 On Sale Now
March 28 – Condors vs Colorado 7:00 PM
$150, $100, $68, $49, $37, $25, $15 On Sale Now
April 4 – PBR Velocity Tour 7:00 PM
March 17 – JoJo Siwa w/The Belles 7:00 PM
$66.50, $46.50, $36.50 On Sale Now
$38, $28.50, $23, $19, $16, $12 On Sale Now
March 21 – Condors vs San Jose 7:00 PM
March 25 – Condors vs Stockton 6:30 PM
April 11 – Condors vs Tucson 7:00 PM
$38, $28.50, $23, $19, $16, $12 On Sale Now
$38, $28.50, $23, $19, $16, $12 On Sale Now
$130 to $35 On Sale Now
$130 to $35 On Sale Now
March 15 – AXEL By Cirque Du Soleil 1:30 PM
June 11 – Chris Stapleton 7:00 PM
$113.75 to $43.75 On Sale Now
March 14 – AXEL By Cirque Du Soleil 4 & 7:30 PM
September 11 – Los Angeles Azules 8:00 PM
$196, $126, $96, $76, $56, $36 On Sale Now
$179.50 to $39.50 On Sale Now
49.50, 44.50, 39.50, 27.50, 20.00 On Sale Now
September 27 – Matchbox Twenty 7:00 PM
June 22 – Hillsong Worship 7:30 PM
March 14 – Dustin Lynch 8:00 PM$54, $34 On Sale Now
March 31 – Dancing With The Stars Live! 8:00 PM$79.50, $59.50, $35.50 On Sale Now
$45, $35, $30, $20 On Sale Now
$150, $69, $39 On Sale NowMay 6 – Celtic Woman 7:00 PM
May 9 – Bak Symphony Orchestra 7:30 PM
$52, $32 On Sale NowApril 26 – Brett Young 8:00 PM
$45, $35, $30, $20 On Sale Now
$55, $45, $35 On Sale NowApril 8 – Baby Shark Live! 6:00 PM
April 4 – Bak Symphony Orchestra 7:30 PM
Buy tickets at www.mechanicsbankarena.com or AXS.com
THEATER
April 25 – Tacos & Tunes Festival 4:00 PMGA $40, VIP $90 (goes up April 1st) On Sale Now