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: January 27, 2010 Profile Views: 1973 Blog Views: 41203 Tow meeting postscript: Weir speaks City Council meeting: tow drivers galore! Tow trucks and the city: Drama headed to council Kern Health board: Who's minding store? Bakersfield council prayers: Too Christian? Wednesday night meeting 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... 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 December 09 January 10 February 10 Get e-mail updates from this blog, and download to print on the go with the City Beat Printcast.
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Councilmember Ken Weir -- who cast tonight's only "no" vote when Harold Hanson moved to send the contentious tow issue to committee -- gave an impassioned statement at the end of the meeting, during general council comments (there was no council discussion after the item was sent to committee, so we didn't get much sense of where the electeds stand on this one).
Weir, who is not generally considered the most warm and fuzzy of politicians, nevertheless has a charismatic side. I've...
The meeting just started, but the BIG issue tonight -- the city's tow truck policy -- won't be up until the end. (Our prior coverage here, and also here)
Nevertheless, chambers are filled to the max. A good portion of that is tow truck drivers. At least for color-coordinated groups are here...red shirts, blue, yellow, white, bolack...oh that's five...I took a cell phone shot, but it's filled up even more since then.
Mayor Hall opened with the sternest intro I've heard him...
A surprisingly feisty dispute among Bakersfield towing companies is headed to the City Council Wednesday evening.
In brief, the city manager's office wants to expand the list -- currently, six companies are on it -- to all qualified firms. That's how the CHP and Sheriff's office operate in the metro area.
Today I received a statement from the group of six firms (the Bakersfield Towing Coalition) outlining their position. You can download the Coalition's statement...
Sunday's Kern Health Systems piece focused on board oversight, and included a sidebar with e-mails from board members rallying around the CEO of the public, taxpayer-funded agency after The Californian published a story on her raise, amidst a recession, last month.
Publicly, at least, some long-time board members now admit they haven't been paying as much attention as they should have. News they didn't know $7.6 million was spent in one year — that's more than $20,000 a...
The city of Bakersfield's practice of opening meetings with a prayer has brought scrutiny from the Freedom From Religion Foundation, a Wisconsin group that has challenged public meeting prayers in Tehachapi, Lodi, Tracy and Turlock.
The foundation, established in 1978, hasn't yet sued any cities over the prayer issue. (One 1980s case in Wisconsin was delayed, then essentially dropped, pending a Supreme Court outcome.)
Tehachapi, after a brief pause in September,...
There's a sea of blue here tonight...not sure why. Lots of presentations to various employees, including police.
But maybe they're here to talk about the lack of a contract? We'll see.
Stay tuned. Generally a light agenda but you never know.
- Gretchen Wenner, staff writer
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...
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