AGENDA HIGHLIGHTS
May 27, 2026 COUNCIL MEETING
REGULAR MEETING – 3:30 PM
REPORTS
Item 4.a Short-Term Rental Ordinance Presentation (All Wards) Staff will provide a presentation about Chapter 17.74 to Title 17 (Zoning) in the Bakersfield Municipal Code that will summarize the operating zoning regulations, the revenue and permit fee structure, and its enforcement.
REGULAR MEETING – 5:15 PM
ORDINANCES
Items 6.c.1 First Reading of Short Term Rental Ordinance (All Wards) At the February 12, 2026 Housing and Community Development Committee meeting, the City Attorney’s Office presented the draft ordinance and was directed by the Committee to bring said ordinance to the full City Council for review and approval. On May 7, 202 6, the Planning Commission adopted Resolution No. 44 -26 recommending the City Council adopt Chapter 17.74 to Title 17 (Zoning) of the Bakersfield Municipal Code (BMC), which enacts the regulations for Short Term Rentals (STR). A STR permit fee will be established in order to allow for cost recovery of administering the program.
The Development Services Department will be in charge of administering and enforcing the ordinance and STR program, since the permitting regulations fall within building and zoning codes.
The operator will pay the Transient Lodging Tax (“TLT” more commonly referred to as “TOT”) directly to the City’s Finance Department. The Development Services Department will have the authority to hire a 3rd party in order to provide short-tern rental administration services.
MISCELLANEOUS
Item 6.h.2 Cal OES Appropriation for Fire Certification (All Wards ) The Bakersfield Fire Department (BFD), as the host agency for Urban Search & Rescue Regional Task Force 11 (CA - RTF11), provides specialized regional response capabilities for large -scale urban search and rescue operations throughout Kern County. CA -RTF11 i s one of ten statewide task forces and consists of highly trained personnel supporting command, search, rescue, medical, and logistics functions. Since 2023, Cal OES has awarded BFD a total of $324,450 in grant funding to support mobilization training exercises, ongoing training, equipment purchases, and training consumables necessary to maintain CA -RTF11 certification and operational readiness. The requested appropriation will be fully funded through reimbursable State grant funds.
CONSENT CALENDAR PUBLIC HEARINGS
Items 7.a - 7.c General Plan Amendment and Zone Change P ublic Hearings (Wards 4 and 7) The following General Plan Amendments and Zone Changes are being proposed:
• R-1 (Single -Unit Dwelling) to C -2/PCD (Regional Commercial/Planned Commercial Development) for approximately 5.39 acres generally located at the southeast corner of
Ashe Road and McKee Road. (Ward 7)
• County A (Exclusive Agriculture) to City R -1 (Single-Unit Dwelling) for approximately 10.44 acres generally located on the east side of Calloway Drive between Tortuga Del Mar Drive and Snow Road. (Ward 4)
• R-S 2.5A (Residential Suburban 2.5-acre minimum) to R-2 (Small Lot Single-Unit Dwelling) Zone for approximately 2.5 acres generally located on the northwest corner of Stine Road and Ryzona Drive. (Ward 7)
DEFERRED BUSINESS
Item 10.a Sewer Usage Rates (All Wards ) The Water Department’s Wastewater Division completed a comprehensive revenue rate study with HF&H Consultants to evaluate the Sewer Enterprise Fund’s long-term operational, maintenance, staffing, and infrastructure needs. Based on a 15 -year financial and c apital improvement plan, staff developed recommended sewer rate increases for FY 2026 -27 through FY 2030 -31 to ensure the continued sustainability of the sewer system and wastewater treatment operations. Following Ci ty Council direction, stakeholder feedback, and public outreach, a five-year rate increa se was proposed. In compliance with Proposition 218 requirements, notices were mailed to affected property owners and public hearings were held in April and May 2026. If approved, the proposed rates will go into effect July 1, 2026, and future increases would go into effect each July 1 thereafter through July 1, 2031. Failure to adopt the proposed rates will result in the Sewer Enterprise Fund being underfunded for upcoming fiscal years.
NEW BUSINESS
Item 11.a H Street Corridor Improvements Projects (Ward 2) The H Street Corridor Improvements Project, approved in FY 2022/2023, includes roadway reconfiguration, pavement rehabilitation, multimodal safety enhancements, drainage and lighting improvements, updated signage and striping, and aesthetic upgrades along H Street from SR58 to SR204. Construction funding was secured through the Active Transportation Program (ATP) and approximately $11 million in Congestion Mitigation Air Quality Program (CMAQ) grant funding, with environmental clearance received through a NEPA Categorical Exemption on April 8, 2025. Following extensive public outreach and design refinements, four bids were received on May 14, 2026, with Griffith Company identified as the lowest responsible bidder at $14.37 million. Staff requests approval of a $300,000 construction contingency and Amendment No. 2 to the agreement with Quad Knopf, Inc. for additional design services, bringing the total agreement amount to $947,435. The project has a total budget of $16,905,806, funded through a combination of ATP , CMAQ, General Fund, PSVS, and State Gas Tax revenues, with sufficient funds available to complete the project.
Prepared by:
Jaritza Nunez, Management Fellow CC: Department Heads
Alex Hinojosa, Management Fellow City Manager’s File
City Clerk’s File
News Media File