Kern County Supervisor for district 1, Phillip Peters. Photo by Catherine Stachowiak
Supervisor Phillip Peters addressed some Kern Valley issues, in a speech at the
Kern Valley Exchange Club luncheon meeting, Thursday August 29, which Paradise Cove Lodge hosted.
Peters opened his speech discussing the budget the County Board of Supervisors passed this year. He said there was not a lot of growth in the budget this year. “We passed the budget this week. Our county budget this year is at $4.4 billion, which is pretty similar to our budget last year. It’s just under a quarter percent bigger, or about $10 million bigger, than it was last year. Also we’ve taken a huge hit to the budget because of the state’s limitations on oil and gas production. We’ve been able to balance the budget. We haven’t had to cut any services.”
Peters said that the county was able to prioritize public safety. There will be one fire academy graduating and another academy starting. A Sheriff’s academy is starting as well.
Roads and parks are another priority to the board. He reminded the public about the recent skate park opening, which citizens worked to bring forth, with help from the county. He brought up Tank Park receiving a FEMA grant enabling the repair, beginning this month, to fencing, light poles, resurfacing the playground, picnic tables, gravel and work on an embankment. Riverside park received a $2.2 million FEMA grant to repair walkways and picnic tables, benches, basketball courts exercise equipment, playground equipment, barbeques, water, electrical, and turf. The hope is to have it all ready, early next year, in time for Whiskey Flat Days, according to Peters. He said working on the project at Riverside Park, shoring up the embankment, would begin probably March 2025.
The library was granted $470,000 for upgrades, according to Peters.
Sierra Way has been a huge issue. He said, “We are anticipating construction is going to be done in October.”
Peters said that the Borel Fire is considered 96% contained. He’s hoping the feds will move that to 100% containment so the recovery process can begin. Peters said phase one clean up, toxic and substance control, for residential properties is expected to take about in a month, which the state does, as a service. Phase two would begin after that, removing ash, after the okay from Office of Emergency Services.
