City of Wasco City Council Meeting Minutes, March 18, 2025
MINUTES
WASCO CITY COUNCIL
and Successor Agency to the
Former Redevelopment Agency
Tuesday, March 18, 2025
Regular Meeting – 6:00 p.m.
City Council Chambers
746 8th Street, Wasco, CA 93280
REGULAR MEETING – 6:00 pm
1) CALL TO ORDER: Mayor
Mayor Medina called the meeting to order at 6:02 p.m.
2) ROLL CALL: Mayor Medina, Mayor Pro Tem Saldaña, Council Members: Martinez, Raya, Reyna
PRESENT: Mayor Medina, Mayor Pro Tem Saldaña, Council Members: Martinez, Raya, Reyna
LATE: Mayor Medina arrived at 6:04 p.m.
STAFF PRESENT: City Manager M. Scott Hurlbert, City Attorney Tom Schroeter, Assistant City Manager Maria Lara, City Clerk Maria Martinez, Deputy City Clerk Samantha Carranza, Public Works Director Luis Villa, Finance Director Isarel Perez -Hernandez, Community Development Director Keri Cobb, Police Chief Charlie Fivecoat, Kern Fire Chief Joe Appleton
3) FLAG SALUTE: by Mayor Medina
4) INVOCATION: observed a moment of silence
5) APPROVAL OF AGENDA:
Motion by Council Member Reyna, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Saldaña, to approve the agenda as to form by the following roll call vote:
AYES: MEDINA, SALDAÑA, MARTINEZ, RAYA, REYNA
NOES: NONE
ABSTAIN: NONE
ABSENT: NONE
6) PRESENTATIONS:
a. Recognition – National Transit Employee Appreciation Day Mayor Medina and Claribel Gutierrez, Field Representative for Assemblymember Dr. Jasmeet Bains, presented the certificate of recognition to the City of Wasco Transit Department staff.
Community Development Director Keri Cobb introduced the newly hired Homeless Outreach Coordinator, Many Bega, to the council.
Docusign Envelope ID: 0EF2C992-30F1-4F37-9792-9E86226F9AEA City of Wasco City Council Meeting Minutes, March 18, 2025
7) PUBLIC COMMENTS ON ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA:
Bob Ellis
Veronica Jacuinde
Deputy City Clerk Samantha Carranza mentioned that there were no email comments for this item or any other agenda items.
8) SUCCESSOR AGENCY BUSINESS: None
9) WASCO PUBLIC FINANCE AUTHORITY BUSINESS: None
10) PUBLIC SAFETY REPORTS
a. Kern County Fire Department (Appleton)
Chief Appleton gave a recent fire report.
b. Wasco Police Department (Fivecoat)
Chief Fivecoat gave a PowerPoint presentation on recent crime. c. Hall Ambulance
No report - absent
CITY COUNCIL BUSINESS:
11) CONSENT CALENDAR:
The Consent Calendar consists of items that are routine and noncontroversial, in the staff's opinion. These items are approved in one motion unless a Council Member or member of the public requests the removal of a particular item.
a. Receive and File department payments totaling $754,845.56
b. Approval of City Council Minutes for:
1. February 27, 2025, Special Meeting
2. March 4, 2025, Regular Meeting
c. Council finds this action not a “project” per Section 15378; Approval of Travel Expenses Exceeding $500.00 for the City Manager, Community Development Director, Mayor Medina and Council Member Reyna to attend the ICSC Conference scheduled for May 18-20, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
d. Council finds this “project” is exempt under section 15301 (Existing Facilities; Adopt a Resolution Authorizing the City Manager or Designee to approve a purchase order for three Bus Shelters with Tolar Manufacturing Company, Inc. for a total amount not to exceed $35,000.00.
Reso#2025-4187
e. Council finds this action not a “project” per Section 15378; Approval of Travel Expenses Exceeding $500.00 per trip for the City Clerk to attend the Laserfiche Empower 2025 Conference on April 14-17, 2025, in Las Vegas, NV.
There was no conflict of interest on the consent calendar for any of the council members.
Docusign Envelope ID: 0EF2C992-30F1-4F37-9792-9E86226F9AEA City of Wasco City Council Meeting Minutes, March 18, 2025 Motion by Council Member Martinez, seconded by Mayor Medina, to approve the consent calendar by the following roll call vote:
AYES: MEDINA, SALDAÑA, MARTINEZ, RAYA, REYNA
NOES: NONE
ABSTAIN: NONE
ABSENT: NONE
12) PUBLIC HEARINGS: None
13) DEFERRED BUSINESS: None
14) NEW BUSINESS:
a. Council finds this action not a “project” per Section 15060(c)(3); Appointment and Oath of Office for Florirene Olvera and Rocio Mosqueda to serve on the Wasco Sales Tax Oversight Committee (Measure X) for a term ending December 31, 2028, and for Larry Jennings to serve on the Kern Mosquito and Vector Control District for a term ending December 31, 2028.
Council Members Martinez a nd Raya interviewed three candidates and recommended Florirene Olvera and Rocio Mosqueda for the Wasco Sales Tax Oversight Committee and Larry Jennings for the Kern Mosquito and Vector Control District. All candidates accepted the appointments.
There were no public comments.
Motion was made by Council Member Reyna, seconded by Council Member Martinez, to appoint Florirene Olvera and Rocio Mosqueda to serve on the Wasco Sales Tax Oversight Committee, and for Larry Jennings to serve on the Kern Mosquito and Vector Control District for terms ending December 31, 2028, by the following roll call vote:
AYES: MEDINA, SALDAÑA, MARTINEZ, RAYA, REYNA
NOES: NONE
ABSTAIN: NONE
ABSENT: NONE
City Clerk Maria Martinez administered the oath of office to the newly ap pointed committee and board members.
b. Council finds this action not a “project” per Section 15378; Adopt a Resolution Approving the City of Wasco Social Media Policies , and Authorize the City Manager or Designee to Endorse and Implement the Social Media Policies.
Reso#2025- 4188
Oral presentation by City Manager Scott Hurlbert.
There were no public comments.
Docusign Envelope ID: 0EF2C992-30F1-4F37-9792-9E86226F9AEA City of Wasco City Council Meeting Minutes, March 18, 2025 Motion by Council Member Martinez , seconded by Council Member Reyna, to adopt a resolution by the following roll call vote:
AYES: MEDINA, SALDAÑA, MARTINEZ, RAYA, REYNA
NOES: NONE
ABSTAIN: NONE
ABSENT: NONE
15) REPORTS FROM COMMISSIONS AND COMMITTEES:
a. Kern Economic Development Corporation (Medina)
City Manager Scott Hurlbert attended the meeting and reported on item 16. b. Kern Council of Government (Reyna)
No reports.
c. Wasco Task Force (Saldaña and Medina)
Mayor Pro Tem Saldaña:
Task Force will collaborate with the citywide cleanup on March 29, 2025, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Barker Park.
16) REPORTS FROM THE CITY MANAGER:
City Manager Hurlbert updated the city council on the following:
There will be a SNIP event on April 4th and April 17th in front of Public Works. KCSOS Superintendent of Schools is hosting the annual Public Works equipment show off day at Barker Park on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. Community Clean Up with Kern County is sponsoring a bulky waste event at Barker Park on March 29, 2025, at 8:00 a.m.
Mental Health Art Festival will be on Sunday, March 30, 2025, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The Banner Veterans Program is open for submittals through April 7, 2025. The Police Activity League PAL Ribbon -Cutting event, plus the one -year Wasco Police Department celebration, is s cheduled for April 22, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. at the PAL Building.
The Wasco Resources Fair hosted at Wasco Union High School on April 25, 2025, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
League of California Cities Leaders Summit, April 23-25, 2025, in Sacramento, and plans on attending.
The International Council of Shopping Centers ICSC Conference will be held in Las Vegas from May 18 to 20, 2025.
The Kern EDC meeting was hosted at the Wasco Recreation and Parks Community Hall on March 19, 2025. The City Manager attended. There were 30 people in attendance from several surrounding cities.
17) REPORTS FROM THE CITY COUNCIL:
Council Member Reyna:
Attended the CDC Citizens Advisory Committee on March 18, 2025.
18) CLOSED SESSION: None
19) CLOSED SESSION ACTION: None
Docusign Envelope ID: 0EF2C992-30F1-4F37-9792-9E86226F9AEA City of Wasco City Council Meeting Minutes, March 18, 2025
20) ADJOURNMENT:
Mayor Medina adjourned the meeting at 6:59 p.m.
____________________________________
Maria O. Martinez, City Clerk
______________________________________
Valentin Medina, Mayor
Docusign Envelope ID: 0EF2C992-30F1-4F37-9792-9E86226F9AEA