A blog about Politics and News.
Real Name: Gretchen Wenner Address: 1707 Eye Street Bakersfield, CA 93301 Member Since: November 01, 2007 Last Signed In: October 14, 2009 Profile Views: 1848 Blog Views: 37443 Bike riders: Watch for drilling rig on bike path! Canyons meeting under way... Bldrs Exchange drama... Recycling wackiness State's property values decline for first time since 1933... City seeking applicants for Board of Building Appeals Homebuilders v. city (and county): Latest buzz Council, Weds night: development "freeze?" Suing Bakersfield: Pork hits fan? And they're off! City Council seat beckons... City of Bako: Initial damage estimates from state budget deal November 07 December 07 January 08 February 08 March 08 April 08 May 08 June 08 July 08 August 08 September 08 October 08 November 08 December 08 January 09 February 09 March 09 April 09 May 09 June 09 July 09 August 09 September 09 October 09 November 09 Get e-mail updates from this blog, and download to print on the go with the City Beat Printcast.
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Wheelmen and women: Here's a press release for you about upcoming work along the bike path. Heads up!
From the city's water resources department:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
During the two week period of October 19, 2009 through November 2, 2009, a City contractor in a large truck, mounted with a drilling rig, will be taking soil samples at various locations adjacent to the Bike Path between the east side of Manor Street to Allen Road Bridge. This work is being done...
UPDATE: City Council meeting is now under way...not yet to Canyons
• Tidbit: The alleged embezzlement drama at the Kern County Builders Exchange took on an added twist with the revelation Ken Weir has been supplanted, perhaps fired, as the group's accountant, Christine Bedelll reports, after missing the missing money.
Tonight, The Canyons comes for a vote before the council, finally. I'll be blogging from the meeting.
Any wagers on the outcome?
-...
Monday's committee meeting was about as good as it gets in terms of goofy drama, when a recycling policy discussion played out like a Twilight Zone episode.
The underlying issue remains, however, and wll hopefully get a more serious airing at the city Budget and Fnance Committee's next meeting.
Weir brought up an excellent point: The work he's been appointed to do is fruitless since it conflicts with current city "policy."
If the city has no intention of...
Just got this release from state tax officials, the Board of Equalization, announcing a year-over-year decline in California's assessed property values for the first time SINCE 1933! (yowch).
It's no surprise, but declines were worst in the Central Valley.
The board's report separates county- and state-appraised properties. I'll attach the spreadsheet in Excel format if you enjoy reading such things.
Statewide, the drop was 2.4 percent. In Kern, it was 6.2...
[Editor's update: This isn't a high-workload position; the board last met in 2003!]
If you’re a construction pro and want to do some public service, the city is looking for two people to fill open slots on the Board of Building Appeals.
The board “resolves issues relating to the suitability of alternate materials and methods of construction” and interprets building codes, a city press release says. Meetings are held when an issue arises. Training and experience...
Just got off the phone with city attorney Ginny Gennaro. She tells me the city will issue a press release tomorrow (Friday) regarding the homebuilders' lawsuit.
What does that mean?
Here's my guess, which is conjecture only at this point:
The council will vote at its next meeting to officially hold off on considering large projects while the suit is in play. (What us regular folks would consider a development freeze.)
GEEK ONLY ALERT! NORMAL PEOPLE STOP...
It's almost time to start tonight's meeting.
Whether it becomes outwardly interesting depends on whether anyone says anything publicly...council members or citizens.
The hottest item, the homebuilders' lawsuit, is set for closed session.
If we're lucky someone will showboat a little and we'll get further insight into the standoff between the city and residential builders.
The Canyons is slated for a 3-week postponement along with 2 other projects. The...
As expected, homebuilders are suing the city over traffic impact fees.
(Click on the blue box to download a PDF version of the 23-page complaint.)
Technical aspects of the state Mitigation Fee Act form the heart of allegations the program isn't legally sound.
The revised fee schedule, for example, is based on traffic/growth projections through 2035, but the city and county's existing metro General Plan — which is supposed to be consistent with the...
A race is already forming for Irma Carson's city council seat. (Her term is up in December 2010; she's probably not seeking reelection.)
In addition to the two who've already filed papers (Sean Battle and Wesley Crawford Sr.), a staffer of Dean Florez (Jeremy Wright) says on Facebook he's mulling a run:
For all you inquiring minds who keep asking various versions
of the following question: "Jeremy, will you run for Ward 1 City Council if
Ms. Carson steps down?"...
As expected and feared, state officials are reaching into city and county tills to balance the budget.
Alan Tandy, Bakersfield's city manager, estimates the hit to city coffers this way (the budget isn't yet published, so exact tallies aren't available):
• $6.5 million in property taxes, a loan to be repaid in three years.
• $4.8 million "take" of gas taxes this year and the same next year.
• $2.5 million "take" of redevelopment funds.
Total...
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