HomeMy WebLinkAbout04.24.2020CC
OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
April 24, 2020
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Christian Clegg, City Manager
SUBJECT: General Information
COVID-19 Updates
There has recently been an increase in talk about lifting the stay-at-home order locally
and reopening the City economy. The City is also interested in returning to more
normal operations as soon as it is appropriate to do so.
The City understands that many businesses – especially smaller, local ones – have
been impacted by the temporary measures in place to keep the public as safe as
possible. We are eagerly awaiting the appropriate time to re-open Bakersfield’s
economy. But we must do it responsibly so we do not lose the progress we’ve made
so far in battling the spread of COVID-19 (novel coronavirus).
We are feeling the impacts as well, as the City
relies on sales tax and hotel tax revenues, as well
as various fees in order to pay for the many
essential services it provides, including the
Bakersfield Police and Fire Departments, sewer
and water services and more. They all continue
to operate at this time (right). The City is currently
working to adjust its budget to reflect a projected
decrease in those revenues due to the pandemic
and related temporary measures put in place to
combat it.
The State and Federal government have issued a framework for how we can re-open
local economies while also limiting the potential health risks. We continue to work with
our partners at the Kern County Department of Public Health, Kern County and the
California Department of Public Health and are following their expert medical
guidance when it comes to lifting any precautionary measures.
General Information
April 24, 2020
Page 2
We continue to encourage residents to follow the stay-at-home order and practice
social distancing, including keeping at least six feet of distance between yourself and
others and frequently washing your hands for at least 20 seconds. The City also
recommends following the CDC's recommendation to wear a face-covering if you
need to go into public and to avoid groups while doing so.
The public can help us make progress as well by wearing face-coverings regularly in
public. Under the state guidelines for easing up on stay home restrictions, some
businesses could possibly be opened if people are wearing face-coverings when they
go into the public.
The sooner employees and visitors in essential businesses wear masks, the sooner the
State can consider allowing other businesses to open with mask wearing, and easing
social distancing and sanitation requirements.
Everyone can help make an impact in
battling COVID-19. Remember: Stay Home.
Save Lives.
We’re in this together. We’ll get through this
TOGETHER.
The MLK Community Center wasn’t able to
host its annual Spring Egg Hunt this year
due to the pandemic, so instead,
Recreation & Parks staff gave away Easter
bags with prizes and eggs filled with
candy as a surprise at the daily
meal site (right). Everyone was
thrilled with the extra giveaways. In
past years, the egg hunt at MLK
Community Center has had more
than 1,000 children participate, so
this was a great alternative since
the event had to be canceled this
year.
In an effort to recognize the work of City
employees during the pandemic, we are running a
“Thank you” series (left) on our social media
accounts. The series highlights employees from
across all departments and the work they’re doing to
keep the City running as normal (as possible) and
providing essential services to the public.
Thank you everyone for you all your hard work!
General Information
April 24, 2020
Page 3 Notable Items
The Bakersfield Police Department has a new Chief! On
Tuesday, April 21, I named Greg Terry the next Chief of Police,
succeeding the recently retired Lyle Martin in the role. The
appointment is effective immediately.
Chief Terry (right) was named
acting Chief in December, following Martin’s retirement. He
has been with the Bakersfield
Police Department for 23 years,
serving in a variety of roles, from Patrol, to the Special Enforcement Unit, Internal Affairs
and others.
I am confident we are in good hands. Chief Terry has an outstanding history in public
service and has already demonstrated considerable leadership in the Bakersfield
Police Department. He is a thoughtful, composed, and principled leader and the right
person to lead the Department forward in our next chapter.
Please join me in congratulating Chief Terry on his new role!
The City learned this week that it has been awarded the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award from the Government Financial Officers Association. The award is
for the City’s Fiscal Year 2019 budget submission and this is the 20th consecutive year
Bakersfield has received this award.
GFOA established the Distinguished Budget Presentation Awards Program in 1984 to
encourage and assist state and local governments to prepare budget documents of
the very highest quality that reflect both the guidelines established by the National
Advisory Council on state and local budgeting and the GFOA's best practices on
budgeting and then to recognize individual governments that succeed in achieving
that goal. Documents submitted to the Budget Awards Program are reviewed by
selected members of the GFOA professional staff and by outside reviewers with
experience in public-sector budgeting.
Congratulations are due to all City staff who assists with the preparation of the annual
budget and specifically Administrative Analyst Brianna Carrier and Assistant City Manager Chris Huot who jointly compile and publish the document.
Recreation & Parks recently installed a shade structure at Lowell Park. It is not open for
picnic reservations at this time due to the current pandemic, but it will be ready once
General Information
April 24, 2020
Page 4
the temporary measures are lifted. Recreation & Parks staff is excited for this amenity
(below) to become available for the public in the future.
Reports
AT&T U-verse programming changes for April through June 2020.
Event Notifications
All nonessential meetings, committees, boards, commissions and events have been
CANCELED 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
Tuesday, April 21, 2020 Public Information Officer (661) 326-3074 JConroy@bakersfieldcity.us
GREG TERRY NAMED BAKERSFIELD CHIEF OF POLICE
Assistant Chief Greg Terry has been selected by City Manager Christian Clegg as the
City of Bakersfield’s Chief of Police. The appointment is effective immediately.
Chief Terry, who has served as acting Chief since Lyle Martin’s retirement from the
position on December 28, 2019, is a 23-year veteran with the Bakersfield Police
Department.
“I am very pleased to appoint Greg Terry as our Chief of Police,” Clegg said. “I am
confident we are in good hands. Greg has an outstanding history in public service
and has already demonstrated considerable leadership in the Bakersfield Police
Department. Greg is a thoughtful, composed, and principled leader. He is the right
person to lead the Department forward in our next chapter.”
“It is an honor and I am deeply humbled to lead the dedicated men and women of
the Bakersfield Police Department,” Chief Terry said. “We will continue work every
day to improve the Police Department’s responsiveness and to decrease crime. We
will aim to develop many diverse partnerships that solve problems and make our
community safe, healthy, and prosperous for everyone.”
Chief Terry began his law enforcement career in his hometown of Lafayette, LA when
he was hired by that city’s police department in 1990. After serving in a variety of
roles with that department, Terry joined the Bakersfield Police Department in 1997.
With experience in several line level and supervisory positions with the BPD – including
Patrol, the Special Enforcement Unit, Investigations, Public Information Office and
Internal Affairs – Terry was promoted to Assistant Chief in 2017, overseeing the
Operations, Investigations, and Support Services Divisions.
Chief Terry has a Master’s Degree in Law Enforcement and Public Safety Leadership,
a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice Administration, and is a graduate of the POST
Command College Class 63, Sherman Block Supervisory Leadership Institute Class
303, and POST Executive Development Course.
He is an active member in the community with the Bakersfield Police Activities
League, Kern County Work Force Youth Committee, and the Kern County Network
for Children Governing Board. Chief Terry is also a member of the Police Executive
Research Forum (PERF), the California Police Chiefs Association, and the California
Peace Officers Association.
As Police Chief, Terry will lead the Department as it continues to grow. Funding from
the Public Safety & Vital Services Measure is paying for the hiring of 100 new officers
in order to improve police response times, reduce crime and increase neighborhood
patrols.
The Department is also expected this spring to complete its rollout of a new body-
worn camera program which will outfit all officers with more than 400 cameras to
help strengthen community trust by improving the quality of evidence collected in
criminal cases, as well as cut down on Department liability.
###