Board of Supervisors Meeting Recap for June 16, 2026

The Kern County Board of Supervisors met today as scheduled for Tuesday's June 16, 2026, Board Meeting. Chairman Phillip Peters (District 1), Supervisor Chris Parlier (District 2), Supervisor Jeff Flores (District 3), Supervisor David Couch (District 4), and Supervisor Leticia Perez (District 5) were in attendance. Supervisor Leticia Perez (District 5) was in absent from the afternoon meeting. For information on how to address the Board on a specific agenda item or provide general public comment, please click HERE.

Meeting Highlights:

Item No. 1 AM session:

The Board proclaimed July 2026 as the commemoration of the 250th Anniversary of the founding of the United States of America and signing of the Declaration of Independence, in Kern County.

You can watch the presentation HERE .

Item No. 2 AM session:

The Board proclaimed June 22 - 26, 2026 as National Boys and Girls Club Week in Kern County and recognize the Boys and Girls Club's 60th Anniversary of serving children in Kern County.

You can watch the presentation HERE .

Item No. 3 AM session:

The Board adopted a Resolution honoring Sheriff's Sergeant Jay Heisey upon his retirement with 26 years of dedicated service to the County of Kern.

Item No. 10 AM session:

The Board received and filed the certification of results of the examination of the California Living Museum Zoo Improvement and Conservation Act of 2026-Retail Transactions and Use Tax Initiative Petition and approved to submit the Ordinance, without alteration, to the voters at the November 2026 General Election.

You can watch the presentation HERE.

Item No. 11 AM session:

The Board approved the proposed Resolution to accept Proposition 36 funding from the California Department of Health Care Services, to support County Behavioral Health Departments in establishing necessary infrastructure to conduct assessments, coordinate with the courts, and deliver mandated treatment services, in the amount of $1,505,844.

Item No. 21 AM session:

The Board approved an agreement with Telecare Corporation, Inc., to provide recovery station services for clients residing in Bakersfield, from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, in a total amount not to exceed $2,612,037.

Item No. 22 AM session:

The Board approved an agreement with The Open Door Network, to provide supportive services for behavioral health clients residing in Kern County, from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, in an amount not to exceed $200,000.

Item No. 23 AM session:

The Board approved an agreement with Third Tradition Venture, Inc., to provide temporary housing and supportive services for Transitional-Aged Youth (TAY), from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, in a total amount not to exceed $240,000.

Item No. 24 AM session:

The Board approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Department of Human Services (DHS) to provide increasing services for foster care youth, from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, in an amount not to exceed $141,296.

Item No. 28 AM session:

The Board approved an agreement with Clinica Sierra Vista (CSV) to provide outpatient behavioral health clinic startup funds, from June 16, 2026 through June 30, 2027, in an amount not to exceed $400,000.

Item No. 29 AM session:

The Board approved an agreement with California Mental Health Services Authority (CalMHSA) and Motivo Consulting Inc., to provide remote clinical supervision services for pre-licensed behavioral health staff pursuing California licensure, from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, in an amount not to exceed $40,000.

Item No. 32 AM session:

The Board approved an agreement with Crestwood Behavioral Health, Inc., to provide peer support crisis residential services for adult mental health clients residing at the Freise Hope House in Bakersfield, from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, in an amount not to exceed $3,000,000.

Item No. 33 AM session:

The Board approved a sole source Agreement with The Center for Sexuality and Gender Diversity, to provide outreach and supportive services to the LGBTQ+ community,

from July,1 2026 through June 30, 2027, in an amount not to exceed $206,675.

You can watch the presentation HERE .

Item No. 35 AM session:

The Clerk of the Board presented on the public participation guidelines for Board of Supervisors meetings due to implementation of Senate Bill 707 (SB707) amendments to the Ralph M Brown Act effective July 1, 2026.

You can watch the presentation HERE.

Item No. 37 AM session:

The Board approved a request for retroactive authorization to terminate the Labor Management Workers' Compensation Expedited Resolution Process (ERP) agreement between the County and Kern Law Enforcement Association (KLEA), effective May 11, 2026, with the understanding that there will be an analysis presented to the Board after a year with KLEA.

You can watch the presentation HERE .

Item No. 39 AM session:

The Board approved funding for Subcontracted Adults, Dislocated Workers, Combined, and Youth Programs and Services under The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, in an amount not to exceed $3,033,710.

Item No. 41 AM session:

The Board approved an agreement with California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) for cooperative fire protection services within the State Responsibility Areas in the County, from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2029, in an amount not to exceed $188,000,188.

Item No. 42 AM session:

The Board approved an agreement with Aspiranet to provide Family Urgent Response System (FURS) - Mobile Response Team services to current or former foster youth and their caregivers, from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, in an amount not to exceed $75,000.

Item No. 43 AM session:

The Board approved an award Kern Bridges Youth Homes as the successful request for proposal (RFP) vendor and enter into an Agreement for provision of the Intensive Services Foster Care (ISFC) program, from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, in an amount not to exceed $2,754,920.

Item No. 44 AM session:

The Board approved a sole source agreement with Kern County Superintendent of Schools (KCSOS), Community Connection for Child Care (CCCC), to provide mandated CalWORKs Stage One Child Care services, from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, in an amount not to exceed $18,000,000.

Item No. 45 AM session:

The Board approved an agreement with Community Action Partnership of Kern (CAPK) to provide youth mentoring services, from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, in an amount not to exceed $102,384.

Item No. 46 AM session:

The Board approved a sole source agreement with Exemplar Human Services, LLC, to provide performance tools for caseload alert reports to help track weekly, daily, and monthly workload production in various programs, from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2028, in an amount not to exceed $976,000

Item No. 47 AM session:

The Board approved a sole source agreement with Kern High School District for Adult Basic Education (ABE), General Education Development (GED), and High School Diploma (HSD) programs at Bakersfield Adult School, from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2028

Item No. 49 AM session:

The Board approved a resolution authorizing temporary closure of the Rosamond Branch Library Facility from Tuesday, August 18, 2026 through Saturday, August 29, 2026, for life-safety and critical maintenance improvements.

Item No. 1 PM session:

The Board approved the resolution to dispense with bid requirements and contract with HPS Plumbing Services for emergency sewer line repair at Bernard and Haley Street, Bakersfield.

You can watch the presentation HERE .

Item No. 2 PM session:

The Kern Council of Governments presented a 4-year update to the long-range Regional Transportation Plan.

You can watch the presentation HERE.

Item No. 8 PM session:

A public hearing was held for the request of Discovery Solar Storage, LLC, for the Discovery Solar PV and Storage Project. The Board approved land use entitlements necessary to construct and operate a 1,400 megawatt (MW) solar facility with a corresponding 8 gigawatt hours (GWh) battery energy storage facility on approximately 7,700 acres across 473 parcels in the vicinity of the unincorporated communities of Mojave and Rosamond, in southeastern Kern County, south of State Route 58 and west of Highway 14, and straddling the east and west sides of Tehachapi Willow Springs Road.

You can watch the presentation HERE.

Item No. 12 PM session:

A public hearing was held for the establishment of assessments within County Service Area (CSA) No. 87 for streetlight service charges for Fiscal Year 2026-2027, and possible adoption of Ordinance on the same, Lamont. Ballots were tabulated, and the majority approved the service charge. The Board approved to ordinance imposing the proposed increased assessment.

You can watch the presentation HERE .

Item No. 14 PM session:

The Board set a public hearing on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at 2:00 pm to consider updated rates and a proposed Ordinance amending Sections 17.60.140 and 17.60.150 of the Kern County Ordinance Code regarding Tehachapi Transportation Impact Fees.

Item No. 17 PM session:

The Board authorized Public Works to publish a notice to bidders opening on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, at 11:00 am for Contract No. 26012, Road Rehabilitation on Palm Avenue and Jenkins Road, Bakersfield.

Item No. 20 PM session:

The Board approved a sole source Agreement with Housing Authority of the County of Kern, for federal Emergency Housing Voucher Program, from June 16, 2026 through June 30, 2028, in an amount not to exceed $694,754

Item No. 26 PM session:

A public hearing was held for the pursuant to the requirements of Assembly Bill 2561, to report the status of job vacancies, recruitments, and retention efforts for Fiscal Year 2025-2026. The Board received and filed the report.

You can watch the presentation HERE.

The Board will reconvene on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, for budget hearings.