Cities and Joint Powers Committee Mission Statement The Cities and Joint Powers Committee of the 2014-2015 Grand Jury

Comments 16

• CO1
  A park of 20 acres that belongs to the Kern County Parks and Recreation Department (KCPRD) is located in the City. The KCPRD is not keeping the park up to par with the City owned park. The City is currently exploring the possibility of acquiring the County owned park.
• CO2
  The City has hired a grant writer.
• CO3
  The City Council has allotted between $50,000 and $60,000 from sales tax revenue to start repairing the streets as there are many potholes throughout the City.
• CO4
  In 2013, the City received a $500,000 grant from the Department of Homeland Security for: • Acomputer room,which has been completed • Helping the Police Department to conduct DUI check points throughout the City • Helping the Police Department to establish a better organized evidence room COMMENTS: The Committee would like to thank the City Manager and the Acting Chief of Police for their time, input and consideration. Their cooperation was helpful and greatly appreciated. Bothemployees have been in the office a short time and are working towardthe betterment of the City. 60
• CO5
  R3. Given the population of the City, they should consider closing one of the golf courses. (Finding 5) R4. The City’s wastewater facility should be modified, allowing expansion of the prison population. (Finding 6) NOTES: • The City of California City 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.kern.ca.us/grandjury. • 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, SUITE 212 BAKERSFIELD, CA 93301 71 CC: FOREPERSON KERN COUNTY GRAND JURY 1415 TRUXTUN AVENUE, SUITE 600 BAKERSFIELD, CA 93301
• CO6
  Placing a block wall on the east side of the road will minimize traffic noise to residents who live near Hwy.43.
• CO7
  Removing all grass and replacing it with synthetic turf allows the City to save nearly 1,000,000 gallons of water per year, which is in line with the Governor’s request to reduce water use by 20%. The City has one of the first synthetic turf projects in the State that was approved by Caltrans and is used as a demonstration site for numerous entities (cities, schools, private enterprises, etc.). FACTS: A. A new Walmart Supercenter broke ground on February 23, 2015, with a scheduled completion date of October 23, 2015, including a penalty for every day past that date that construction is not completed. The City anticipates that the Walmart Supercenter and other supporting stores will generate 150-300 jobs. B. Major employers of the Wasco community include Sunny Gem, Wasco Union ElementarySchool District, and the Certis USA Chemical Plant. C. The City had a total population of 25,545 as of the 2010 US Census, up from 21,263 at the 2000 US Census. Included in the total population is the inmate population at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Wasco State Prison-Reception Center (Prison). As of February 4, 2015, that number is 4,874. D. The Prison was designed to hold 2,984 inmates. This represents a 163.3% occupancy rate. The Prison is a reception center, one of seven such centers out of a total of 38 facilities in the State Prison system. E. The City Council voted against placing the Charter City measure on the ballot in November 2014. The vote was taken during a Council meeting where many citizens voiced their displeasure about the proposed ballot measure. 86 F. Funds from a Pacific Gas and Electric grant were used to replace 252 street lights with energy saving lights. G. The Caltrans project was completed in Phase I & II with a construction cost of $499,994. The synthetic turf portion of the project is estimated to pay for itself in less than six years. The average life of synthetic turf is 12 to 15 years. H. The water tower is considered to be an historiclandmark. FINDINGS: F1. The Wasco rose industry is in decline. Blackstreet Capital Management purchased the premium rose company, Jackson & Perkins, and its sister company, Park Seed, out of bankruptcy in August 2010. The parent company, J&P Acquisitions Inc., is based in Hodges, South Carolina, but still has operations in Wasco. The rise of big box stores and the collapse of the housing market aided in the downtrend of the rose industry. F2. Despite the decline in the rose industry, the City has kept a rose as the primary image in its logo and still celebrates the Festival of Roses on the second Saturday in September. F3. The City is in continued talks with the California High Speed Rail Authority (HSR) regarding the alignment of the project through the City and its implications forproperty owners and businesses. HSR representatives indicatethat they will be proactive in the City’s desire to relocate farm labor camp housing from the east side of Hwy. 43 (its present location) to the west side of Hwy. 43. This will make the housing closer to schools and commercial centers. The City is concerned about farm labor camp residents crossing the railroad tracks illegally rather than using appropriate rights-of-way. This situation will be improved when the housing is moved. F4. The Committee found a clean community with no graffiti or litter and well-kept lawns and gardens. F5. Wasco has atraditional downtown with a variety of shops. F6. Cityemployees removed the tree grove at the site of the new Walmart Supercenter on Hwy. 46 at Central Avenue. This job was not bid out in order to save city funds. F7. The historicwater tower needs to be painted. 87 COMMENTS: The Committee would like to thank the City Manager and his staff for their quick response to the Committee’s questions. The City appears to be a positive place to raise a family.
• CO8
  The City of Wasco should post a copy of this report where it will be available for public review.
• CO9
  Persons wishing to receive an email notification of newly released reports may sign up at www.co.kern.kern.ca.us/grandjury.
• CO10
  Present and past Kern County Grand Jury Final Reports and Responses can be accessed on theKern County Grand Jury websitewww.co.kern.ca.us/grandjury. RESPONSE REQUIRED WITHIN 90 DAYS PRESIDING JUDGE KERN COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT 1415 TRUXTUN AVENUE, SUITE 212 BAKERSFIELD, CA 93301 CC: FOREPERSON KERN COUNTY GRAND JURY 1415 TRUXTUN AVENUE, SUITE 600 BAKERSFIELD, CA 93301 DISCLAIMER: This report was issued by the Grand Jury with the exception of a juror pursuant to PC §916.2(a). This juror was excluded from the writing and approval of this report, all parts of the inquiry/investigation (including interviews),and all deliberationsrelated to this report. 88 89 90 THE CITY OF MCFARLAND THE TOWN BEHIND THE MOVIE PREFACE: Until now, “McFarland” has evoked images of a mid-1980s “cancer cluster” scare that primarily affected children, the rise of gang violence during the same time period1, and scenes of immigrant workers toiling in the fields under a blazing sun – all issues covered by both local and City of McFarland Logo national news. Poverty, gang problems, even water that supposedly caused cancer – one would hardly think a Disney movie would be set in such a town. Yet that is exactly what happened. McFarland is the setting for the Disney movie, McFarland USA, which was released in February 2015, the year of this report. The movie tells the story of a championship cross-country team set against the backdrop of a largely agricultural, Hispanic community that has struggled with its overall image. After the release of the movie, instead of thinking of McFarland as portrayed by the news, people might begin to think of young Latino runners rising above overwhelming challenges to win numerous consecutive cross country championships. Neither the movie version nor the news version is complete or even wholly accurate. Just a few months after the release of McFarland USA, the 2014-2015 Kern County Grand Jury (Grand Jury) set out to discover the true nature of the City of McFarland (City). McFarland USA Movie Poster PURPOSE OF INQUIRY: The Cities and Joint Powers Committee (Committee) of the Grand Jury reviewed the City pursuant to California Penal Code §925a. PROCESS: On May 26, 2015, the Committee interviewed McFarland’s City Manager, Chief of Police, and Community Development Director. The Committee was given a copy of the City’s annual budget report. After the interview, the Committee toured the City. BACKGROUND AND FACTS: One’s initial impression of McFarland is of a typical, sleepy agricultural town in California’s San Joaquin Valley. Yet just below the surface boils a gathering force of progressive plans aimed at this burgeoning City’s future. McFarland’s beginning wasn’t particularly auspicious. It began as a homesteaded area in the 1860’s and grew into an area known as Hunt’s Siding. There was no town there at that time, just 50 families and a number of livestock pens2. Then in 1907, James B. McFarland purchased 160 acres of unimproved land on the present site of the City of McFarland and, with W.F. Laird, began to lay out and build a community in December of that year3. In 1908, McFarland was founded. J.B. McFarland was the first in the area to irrigate crops with a pumping system and held an interest in a dairy farm southwest of James B. McFarland 3 town. He established a lumber mill in the Greenhorn mountain range, produced award-winning butter out of the McFarland creamery, and manufactured ice for local consumption. He raised prize Percheron Norman horses and sat on the board of directors of the First National Bank of McFarland. Mr. McFarland later went on to serve as a member of the Kern County Board of Supervisors and served on the Grand Jury. By 1914, the City had grown to a population of 300. In 1957, the City was officially incorporated. Today, according to the City Manager, McFarland’s population is 14,037. FINDINGS: F1. The City has completed the installation of solar panels at the wastewater facility as recommended by a previous Kern County Grand Jury4. F2. The City’s website needs to be updated. F3. The City does not currently have a Mission Statement. F4. During the filming of the movie, McFarland USA, Disney built a children’s playground for the community in one day with 300 volunteers – 150 from Disney and 150 from the community. Playground Built by Disney F5. McFarland is a city of superlatives. The Police Department won the “Best Car of the West” in 2010 for state of the art equipment, weaponry, and electronics, beating out major cities such as Los Angeles and San Francisco. McFarland is one of the few California cities that have electric police motorcycles. McFarland High School’s athletic teams have won numerous, consecutive cross country championships and continues to win state and national events. The City’s high school Division VI baseball team took McFarland's Award-Winning Police Car 1st place this year4. F6. According to the Chief of Police, the Police Department is working with local gangs by actively talking with them. “We let them know we’re here and we’re not going anywhere.” F7. Relations continue to improve with community outreach such as “Cops with Candy” at Halloween, an Easter egg hunt with local police, a Neighborhood Watch program, and similar events and programs. “We want to let them know we have transparency,” stated the City Manager. F8. The City has an 1800 acre “General Plan Amendment” that includes redoing sidewalks, curbs, and gutters on East Sherwood Avenue and also includes zoning for residential, industrial, and commercial construction. A twelve-acre park is planned on East Sherwood Avenue. Discovery Park Plan A F9. The City has a full-time grant writer. F10. The City is planning to create an educational center that could provide the community access to tutoring, job training, accredited college classes, and possibly a library. F11. The biggest challenges facing McFarland are: 1) enough funding to meet the City’s vision for itself, 2) economic development, and 3) expanded health services for the community. F12. At the time of this report, $20-$30 million in City-funded construction projects were in progress, with many more planned. City-Funded Street COMMENTS: Development The Committee found the City of McFarland to be in the hands of an enthusiastic, forward- looking City Government that has far-reaching plans for improvement of the City. The Committee would like to thank the City Manager, Chief of Police, and Community Development Director for their generous time, information, and for an informative, eye- opening tour of the City.
• CO11
  The City of McFarland should post a copy of this report where it will be available for public review.
• CO12
  Persons wishing to receive an email notification of newly released reports may sign up at www.co.kern.kern.ca.us/grandjury.
• CO13
  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, SUITE 212 BAKERSFIELD, CA 93301 CC: FOREPERSON KERN COUNTY GRAND JURY 1415 TRUXTUN AVENUE, SUITE 600 BAKERSFIELD, CA 93301 DISCLAIMER: This report was issued by the Grand Jury with the exception of a juror pursuant to PC §916.2(a). The juror recused her/himself from all parts of the inquiry/investigation, including interviews, deliberations, and the writing and approval of this report. ENDNOTES: 1 http://www.bakersfield.com/News/2007/05/13/Gang-siege-terrorizes-McFarland-community.html 2 http://www.kernsheriff.com/fieldops/substations/mcfarland/Pages/default.aspx 3 Morgan, Wallace M. History of Kern County, California. Los Angeles: Historic Record Company, 1914. http://mediasvc.ancestry.com/v2/image/namespaces/60623/media/f5b48aa2-17ec-4398-b319- 91241b082ee7.jpg?client=Boards 4 Kern County Grand Jury 2013-2014 Final Reports, Cities and Joint Powers Committee, City of McFarland CITY OF RIDGECREST THE KEY TO NEW HORIZONS PURPOSE OF INQUIRY: The Cities and Joint Powers Agreement Committee (Committee) of the 2014-2015 Kern County Grand Jury visited the City of Ridgecrest (City) on April 20, 2015, to inquire into the operation and management of the City pursuant to California Penal Code §925a. PROCESS: The Committee interviewed the City Manager in City Hall at 100 West California Avenue, Ridgecrest, CA 93555. The Committee also researched several public information websites. BACKGROUND AND/OR FACTS: The City is surrounded by four mountain ranges – the Sierra Nevada on the west, the Cosos on the north, the Argus Range on the east, and the El Paso Mountains on the south. The three nearest major urban centers are the Lancaster/Palmdale area (approximately 82 miles away) and the Bakersfield and San Bernardino areas, which are each about 116 miles away. Originally, the City was known as Crumville. In the early 1910’s, the brothers Robert and James Crum settled in the area and ran a dairy that produced products for the local mining community. By late 1942, a small community developed around the dairy. The City’s first post office opened that same year. In 1941, the City received its official name by a community vote. The community originally wanted its name to be “Sierra View”, but this was overturned by the postal authorities because there were too many “Sierras” in California. The community voted for a new name suggested by Ada Thompson – “Ridgecrest” – which won by a single vote over the name “Gilmore”. The City was incorporated in 1963 as a general law city and operates under a Manager/Council form of government. The City Council representatives are elected through citywide elections for four-year terms. The City Manager is the administrative head of the City government under the direction and oversight of the City Council. When looking for a remote test site for weapons development, the United States Navy found the high desert area of Ridgecrest to be ideal. In 1943, the Naval Ordinance Testing Station (NOTS) was established at the Inyokern Airport (originally named Harvey Field). Following the end of World War II, Harvey Field was deactivated and NOTS aviation operations were transferred to the new Armitage Field at China Lake. Through the following decades, the City was highly impacted by the changes in NOTS, later China Lake Naval Weapons Center. Today, it is known as the Naval Air Weapons Station (NAWS) China Lake. During World War II, components of the first atomic bombs were developed and manufactured on the base. The Sidewinder air-to-air missile and the Harpoon anti-ship missile were both developed at the base. FINDINGS: F1. The City has a well-educated populace with a high percentage of people who hold advanced graduate degrees. F2. The City is mostly graffiti free with three graffiti patrol employees and approximately 50 volunteers. F3. NAWS China Lake makes the City a “Company Town” and the largest employer in the area as illustrated in Table 2-2. F4. The population of the City is over 27,000 according to the 2010 US Census. F5. The Ridgecrest area is served by the Sierra Sands Unified School District (District) which consists of two high schools, two middle schools, five elementary schools, and one continuation school. Several District facilities are located on the NAWS China Lake installation. The District also serves Inyokern and Johannesburg, each with one elementary school. F6. Cerro Coso Community College was established in 1973 as a separate college within the Kern Community College District. Cerro Coso has five instructional sites (Eastern Sierra Center Bishop, Eastern Sierra Center Mammoth, Indian Wells Valley, Kern River Valley, and South Kern) which together form the largest geographical service area (18,000 square miles) of any community college in California. Together these locations serve a population of approximately 85,000. The Cerro Coso Community College has an enrollment of about 24,000 students throughout its five locations. F7. The City has a number of cultural attractions: Museums: Desert Tortoise Natural Area Historic Rand Mining District Maturango Museum Naval Museum of Armament and Technology Parks: Freedom Park Helmer’s Park James M. Pearson Memorial Park Kerr McGee Community Center Kerr McGee Youth Sports Complex Leroy Jackson Park Sports Complex Moyer Park Ridgecrest Skate Park Sgt. John Pinney Memorial Pool Upjohn Park COMMENT: The Committee would like to thank the City Manager for his cooperation in the gathering of information about the City.
• CO14
  The City of Ridgecrest should post a copy of this report where it will be available for public review.
• CO15
  Persons wishing to receive an email notification of newly released reports may sign up at: www.co.kern.kern.ca.us/grandjury.
• CO16
  The Grand Jurycommends the Cityand its leaders forattractingnew revenue-contributing firms that will benefit the City and Kern County and for a job well done. RECOMMENDATIONS: R1. The City should schedule emergency training drills for all employees by year end. (Finding 1) R2. The City of Shafter should promote better utilization of the cooling center prior to and during periods of high temperature. (Finding 3) 76 NOTES: The City of Shafter 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, click on: Sign up for early releases. Present and past Kern County Grand Jury Final Reports and Responses can be accessed through the Kern County Library system and 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, SUITE 212 BAKERSFIELD, CA 93301 cc: FOREPERSON KERN COUNTY GRAND JURY 1415 TRUXTUN AVENUE, SUITE 600 BAKERSFIELD, CA 93301 77 78 79 CITY OF TAFT PURPOSE OF INQUIRY: On August 28, 2014, the Cities and Joint Powers Agreement Committee (Committee) interviewed the City Manager in Taft, California (City). An inquiry by the 2014-2015 Kern County Grand Jury (Jury) was made regarding the operation and management of the City pursuant to Penal Code §925a. PROCESS: The Committee met with the City Manager, the Human Resources Director, and the Finance Director at City Hall located at 209 East Kern Street. The Committee reviewed prior Kern County Grand Jury reports, the City website; City Council meeting agendas and minutes along withvarious publications to prepare questions pertinent to the inquiry. .

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