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2026-08-05 - City Council

Summary

Built from the official minutes only; no video or transcript on file. The minutes are a scan, so some names and numbers are uncertain and a few pages of the packet are missing.

  • Two sessions, 3:30 p.m. and 5:20 p.m., all eight members present (two seated a few minutes after 3:30). Adjourned 9:56 p.m.; Councilmember Weir left at 9:50 p.m.
  • 3:30 session: public statements (sanctuary city in favor, more trees, downtown construction and financial reporting); Councilmember Koman named voting delegate and Councilmember Arias alternate for the League of California Cities annual conference on the vice mayor's motion, unanimous; sixteen Youth Commission appointments were listed.
  • 5:20 session: about twenty speakers on the sanctuary city topic, twelve more registered but did not speak for lack of time; speakers also addressed items 9.a, 10.a and 11.a (the text of items 10.a and 11.a is not in the available copy of the minutes; several speakers opposed each, and cycling advocates supported 11.a).
  • Consent calendar adopted on the vice mayor's motion with item 6.f.2 (University of Pennsylvania Cohort 5 evaluation agreement, up to $300,000) removed for separate consideration; Councilmember Bashirtash voted no. Approved items include $219,995 and $148,200 construction management agreements, a $676,857 bid for the L-208 TCP Removal Project, a $2,289,050 bid for the Water Well CBK-85 project, a $1,563,920 bid and $850,000 appropriation for the Chester Avenue stormwater lift station, a $100,000 hazardous materials fund appropriation, a $250,000 high-visibility patrol agreement, a $38,460 economic opportunity grant to the Arts Council of Kern, and a lease for mental health office space at the Brundage Lane Navigation Center.
  • Council statements: Koman on the Sister City program (guests from Wakayama, Japan); Gonzales on downtown diagonal parking; Bashirtash asked staff to cease work on any Sanctuary Act or Truth Act meetings; Arias on illegal dumping and recycled base material. No closed session.

Appeal of Vesting Tentative Tract Map 7500

Sanctuary City Debate

  • Speakers on both sides; Bashirtash's request to cease related work. No vote recorded.

Youth Commission Appointments

  • Sixteen appointments listed; annual project report received and filed unanimously.

Illegal Dumping on Planz Road

  • Arias asked for an agenda item on contingency funds to abate dumping.

Downtown Construction Business Access

  • Gonzales asked staff to support businesses affected by the 18th and 19th Street project and to review diagonal parking.

Truxtun Avenue Property Interfund Loan

  • Questions on the Truxtun Towers building referred to staff.

Gun Violence Reduction Strategy

  • Penn evaluation agreement pulled for separate consideration.

Sources