ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
MEETING DATE: May 14, 2025 AGENDA CATEGORY: Appointments TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Julie Drimakis, City Clerk
DATE: May 7, 2025
SUBJECT: Appointment of Conference Committee Members to Fill At -Large Vacancy on Golden Empire Transit District Board of Directors
[Document Description]
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends Council Determination
BACKGROUND:
On March 19, 2025, Leasa Sukut Engel resigned her position as the at-large Director of the Golden Empire Transit District (GETD), creating a vacancy on the Board of Directors. Pursuant to PUC section 101135, any vacancy must be filled for the unexpired term by the body authorized to make the appointment for that class of director. Under PUC section 101103(c), the at-large director is appointed by a majority vote of the other four board members.
PUC section 101136 requires the remaining GETD Board members to fill the vacancy within 30 days. The GETD Board failed to appoint a new at -large member by April 18, 2025. As a result, PUC section 101136 mandates that the vacancy be filled within the next 30 days (by May 18, 2025) by a majority vote of a five- member conference committee composed of:
• Two members of the Kern County Board of Supervisors, chosen by the Board of Supervisors; • Two members of the Bakersfield City Council, chosen by the City Council; • One member chosen by a majority vote of the four members selected above.
The Kern County Board of Supervisors met on April 29, 2025, and appointed Supervisors Flores and Perez to the conference committee. The Golden Empire Transit District has requested that the Bakersfield City Council take the necessary steps to initiate this process in accordance with PUC section 101136.
To comply with PUC section 101136, the City Council must appoint two of its members to the conference committee. The committee will then select a fifth member by majority vote and proceed to appoint an at- large director to fill the vacancy by May 18, 2025. This action ensures the GETD Board remains fully constituted to carry out its duties.
Upon City Council’s appointment of two members to the conference committee, staff will coordinate with the Kern County Board of Supervisors and the Golden Empire Transit District to facilitate the committee’s selection of the fifth member and the subsequent appointment of the at-large director.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no direct fiscal impact associate d with the appointment of City Council members to the conference committee.
COUNCIL GOAL:
Innovative and Efficient City Government
ATTACHMENTS:
None