City Council - September 16th, 2026 3:30PM Meeting

The City of Bakersfield regular City Council meeting of September 16, 2026, included public comment on the city’s $500,000 tree-planting allocation for underserved neighborhoods, particularly Wards 1, 2, and 7. Speakers supported expanding tree canopy but raised procurement and implementation concerns: the Sierra Club representative said an RFP had been issued for 60% of the funding without public or Tree Advisory Committee review and asked that it be suspended pending community input. Speakers also urged the city to consider school-based planting and maintenance, publish information on trees planted, removed, and trimmed and associated costs, and develop a longer-term plan. A council member cited potential grant sources, including the Land and Water Conservation Fund, an EPA climate pollution reduction grant, and a California urban and community forestry grant, and said the city planned to meet with Cal Fire. No motion or vote on the tree funding or RFP was reported in the transcript.

The council also approved youth commission appointments; this did not involve a procurement decision. In closed session, the City Attorney reported direction was given on one existing litigation matter and no reportable action on the other. Public comments also addressed sanctuary-city policy. No contract award or other purchasing approval was identified.