Special Districts Committee Mission Statement The Special Districts Committee of the 2013-2014 Kern County Grand Jury is

Comments 18

• CO1
  The District does not have a Policy and Procedures Manual.
• CO2
  The District does not have a website.
• CO3
  The current agenda and minutes of previous meetings are posted at the credit union and the grocery store located in Boron.
• CO4
  Boron does have one dentist. COMMENTS: The Committee would like to thank the Board for the meeting and providing a tour of both buildings.
• CO5
  Boron does not have a pharmacy.
• CO6
  The Board is not up to date on Ethics, Sexual Harassment and Brown Act Training.
• CO7
  The District’s Mission Statement is “Golden Empire Transit District’s mission is to consistently provide safe, accessible, reliable, and affordable public transportation to diverse customers in the greater Bakersfield area.”
• CO8
  GET is governed by a board of five directors. The Kern County Board of Supervisors and the Bakersfield City Council appoint two members each. The fifth member is appointed by a majority vote of the other four members.
• CO9
  GET is celebrating the Districts 40th anniversary this year.
• CO10
  GET buses are fueled with CNG. CNG is a fossil fuel substitute which is environmentally cleaner than gasoline, diesel and propane. One person switching to public transit can reduce daily carbon emissions by 20 pounds or more than 4,800 pounds in a year.
• CO11
  GET offers three types of fares: • Regular Fares include: Single Ride, Day Pass or 31 Day Pass available. Single Ride is good for one ride. The Day Pass allows the customer to ride all day. The 31 day passes gives the customer unlimited rides for 31 consecutive days. • Reduced Fare: Customers 65 and older and customers with qualifying disabilities. • Children: Children five years and younger ride free when accompanied by a fare paying passenger (maximum of five children per passenger).
• CO12
  GET services 16 routes, seven days a week. In October 2012 GET implemented a new system of routes designed to provide more efficient service.
• CO13
  More than 23,000 customers ride daily and 7.2 million customers a year use the bus as a means of transportation, traveling approximately 4.2 million miles a year.
• CO14
  In an effort to promote literacy among young children in the community, GET launched the Reading Express, an on board library program. The program is geared towards children, aged infant to 3rd grade and will encourage early literacy. Forty one of the GET buses have been stocked with a selection of books for the children to read while riding the bus. • If interested in donating books to The Reading Express, either as a onetime donation, an on-going basis or if your business is interested in a donation box contact GET at (661) 324-9874.
• CO15
  The buses use approximately 60,000 gallons of fuel yearly and get about 2.7 miles for each gallon of fuel. 10.Only service animals are allowed on the bus, unless transported in a cage. 11.Free wireless internet service is available from GET at all terminals and at the main office. 12.GET Quick Facts: • District Population 473,348 • District Size 160 Square Miles • Number of Employees 330 • Operating Budget $25.2 Million (2012-2013) • Capital budget $2.6 Million (2012-2013) 13.GET has three transit stations, Downtown Bakersfield at 22nd and Chester Avenue, South West Transit at Ming Avenue and Wible Road and the newest one located at Bakersfield College on Panorama. • There are Security Officers located at the three transit stations from 6:00 AM to 11:00 PM. Officers are not allowed to carry guns, and are armed only with pepper spray.
• CO16
  R8. The District Staff and Board need Ethics, Brown Act and Sexual Harassment Training every two years. (Finding 11) R9. The District should establish a Policy and Procedures Manual including emergency procedures for all District activities. (Finding 12) R10. The District should provide cell phones for all management. (Finding 13) R11. The District should establish a web site. (Finding 14) NOTES: The Wasco Recreation and Parks District should post a copy of this report where it will be available for public review. Persons wishing to receive an email notification of newly released reports may sign up at: www.co.kern.ca.us/grandjury, and click on: Sign up for early releases. Present and past Kern County Grand Jury Final Reports and Responses can be accessed on the Kern County Grand Jury website: www.co.kern.ca.us/grandjury. RESPONSE REQUIRED WITHIN 90 DAYS PRESIDING JUDGE KERN COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT 1415 TRUXTUN AVENUE, 2ND FLOOR BAKERSFIELD, CA 93301 cc: FOREPERSON KERN COUNTY GRAND JURY 1415 TRUXTUN AVENUE, SUITE 600 BAKERSFIELD, CA 93301 189 190
• CO17
  R11. The District needs to aggressively advertise and recruit the best candidate to fill the vacant position of Manager. (Finding 15) NOTES: The Shafter Recreation and Park District should post a copy of this report where it will be available for public review. Persons wishing to receive an email notification of newly released reports may sign up at: www.co.kern.ca.us/grandjury, and click on: Sign up for early releases. Present and past Kern County Grand Jury Final Reports and Responses can be accessed on the Kern County Grand Jury website: www.co.kern.ca.us/grandjury. RESPONSE REQUIRED WITHIN 90 DAYS TO: PRESIDING JUDGE KERN COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT 1415 TRUXTUN AVENUE, 2ND FLOOR BAKERSFIELD, CA 93301 cc: FOREPERSON KERN COUNTY GRAND JURY 1415 TRUXTUN AVENUE, SUITE 600 BAKERSFIELD, CA 93301
• CO18
  Advertising on the buses is done through Lamar Transportation Advertising in Fresno, CA. The company applies the ads and does the contracting with the businesses. GET receives a percentage of the income generated from the ads. FINDINGS: F1. GET’s most frequent customer complaint is buses running late. By the end of 2013 the public will be able to access current bus location information on a smart phone. The public will be able to find information on Facebook, Twitter and the GET web site: www.getbus.org. F2. GET hopes in the future to have a designated Transit Station located at Cal State Bakersfield. F3. The City of Bakersfield and the County of Kern are responsible for making the bus stops handicap accessible. F4. The most popular and crowded are Routes 21 and 22. F5. There are no plans for the buses to run 24 hours a day because GET must make a 20% required fare recovery to make it financially worthwhile. COMMENTS: The 2013-2014 Kern County Grand Jury appreciates the cooperation of the District staff in the preparation of this report. The Grand Jury commends the District on the pride of ownership taken in the District.