OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER June 22, 2012 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council FROM: Alan Tandy, City Manager AT SUBJECT: General Information Miscellaneous News As reported to you previously, a celebration is planned for The Park at River Walk on the 4th of July. We encourage all of you to bring your family and friends to come out and enjoy the festivities. The press release and concert lineup are attached. Next year, through donations, we aspire to add a “name performer” and fireworks. The Federal Courthouse, which has been under construction for the past two years, is scheduled to hold its first day of cases on Monday, July 16th. We want to thank Gilbane Building Company, and specifically, Jerry Jones, Senior Project Executive, for keeping us informed every step of the way. Together with GSA, they have built a very striking new amenity that not only compliments Mill Creek, but the entirety of Bakersfield as well. An article is enclosed that provides more information. The Draft Environmental Report (DEIR) for the Kern River Flow and Municipal Water Program was released on Thursday, and there is a link on our webpage, http://www.bakersfieldcity.us/cityservices/devsrv/planning/DEIR.htm should you wish to review it. This environmental review is necessary to support the City‟s pending application before the State Water Resources Control Board for additional unappropriated water to run down the river. The Water Board will be holding a Special Meeting on July 11th at 5:15 p.m. to receive public comments. The Environment Impact Report for the 24th Street project is also out for review, and it can be accessed from the TRIP website: http://www.bakersfieldfreeways.us/project_24th_street.html There will be a Public Forum next Tuesday, June 26th, in the Rabobank Convention Center Lobby, from 4 – 7 p.m. The Planning Commission will then take public comment at their Special Meeting scheduled for Thursday, July 5th, in the Council Chambers. The School Food Waste Composting Program has won a Silver Award from the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA). A memorandum from the Public Works Department is attached. We commend Kevin Barnes and Sal Moretti from the Public Works‟ Solid Waste Division for their efforts! General Information June 22, 2012 Page 2 Kern County is set to consider a 10-year lease on an animal shelter facility at $310,000 per year, or over $3.1 million for the term. The City, of course, had given them a property for free for 34 years! Log Cabin Florist took advantage of the City‟s “Q” Street Improvement project to enhance the appearance of their facility on the corner of 19th and “Q” Streets. This is just another example of public investment encouraging private investment to create a “win-win” endeavor for the Mill Creek Linear Park area. The latest in The Park at River Walk Concert Series was a huge success last Friday when Satisfaction, a Rolling Stones tribute band, took to the stage at the Bright House Networks Amphitheater and entertained the crowd. There are two remaining concerts in the Series: The Bakersfield Symphony will perform on Saturday, September 15th; and, for the classic rock„n rollers among us, Poco will perform on Saturday, October 6th. The community really seems to enjoy the casual, outdoor venue, so we hope to expand the Series in the future. During a break in the Series is the highlight of the summer with the performance of Willie Nelson on Friday, July 20th. We look forward to having him entertain us at the Amphitheater that evening. I will be out of the office from June 28th through July 6th. Steve Teglia will be in charge during my absence. Staff will have my contact information in the event of an emergency. Event Information Bakersfield is the host city for the 2012 Pony Baseball district championships. The games will be played at Aera Park through Monday, June 25th. This event will feature 8 teams, with 12 to 13 players per team. Most teams are from out of town, and their teams – and parents – will be staying in local hotels. Additionally, there are multiple other events next week at City facilities: Trace Adkins Concert Beale Band Concert June 28th at 8 p.m. June 24th at 8 p.m. Rabobank Theater Beale Park Tickets: $29 - $49 Free Admission Kern River Blues BBQ Movies in the Park: Adventures of Tintin June 24th at 10 p.m. June 29th at 8 p.m. Beach Park Patriots Park Free Admission Free Admission Music Fest at Silver Creek: Bunky Spurling June 26th at 8:30 p.m. Silver Creek Park Free Admission General Information June 22, 2012 Page 3 Referral The following response to a Council referral is enclosed: Councilmember Hanson o Road Conditions on “O” Street, between 24th and 25th Streets Reports For your information, we enclose the following information: The Streets Division work schedule for the week of June 25th; and Letter from AT&T U-verse regarding proposed programming changes. AT:rs:ch:al cc: Department Heads Roberta Gafford, City Clerk MEDIA RELEASE June 19, 2012 Contact: Ed Dorsey (661) 852-7304 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Inaugural Fourth at River Walk Celebration Set Free Concerts, Children’s Activities Highlight Community Event Bakersfield, CA – The City of Bakersfield and SMG are pleased to announce the inaugural The Fourth at River Walk Independence Day celebration is set to take place July 4, 2012 at The Park at River Walk and Bright House Networks Amphitheatre from 2 to 9 p.m. The event will feature live music throughout the day, as well as food and beverage vendors and children’s activities. The free concerts at the Amphitheatre will start at 2 p.m. and culminate with headliners Foster Campbell & Friends at 7 p.m. A performance lineup is enclosed. The family-oriented event will include children’s activities for a nominal fee and food and beverages will be for sale. Attendees are encouraged to carpool and monitor the weather conditions for that day. Designated picnic shelters and areas throughout the Park are available for reservations, though not required to attend the event. Reservations must be made in person. Call the City of Bakersfield Recreation and Parks Department at 326-3866 for availability. For more information about the event, please visit: www.bhnamphitheatre.com Since 1977, SMG has provided management services to more than 220 public assembly facilities including arenas, stadiums, theatres and performing arts centers, equestrian facilities and convention, congress and exhibition centers. With facilities across the globe, SMG manages more than 11 million square feet (1.1 million square meters) of exhibition space. As the recognized global industry leader, SMG provides construction and design consulting, pre- opening services, venue management, sales, marketing, event booking, and programming. SMG also offers food and beverage operations through an in house catering company, Savor, currently servicing more than 100 accounts worldwide. For more information visit www.smgworld.com. # # # THE FOURTH AT RIVER WALK CELEBRATION CONCERT LINEUP JULY 4, 2012 BRIGHT HOUSE NETWORKS AMPHITHEATRE 2:00 p.m. – Welcome announcements 2:00 p.m. – “The Rick Copus Band” 3:15 p.m. – “Tracy Peoples & the Left Coast Groovies” 4:30 p.m. – “1916” 5:45 p.m. – “Right Cross” 7:00 p.m. – “Foster Campbell & Friends” 9:00 p.m. – Closing announcements Opening date set for new courthouse - BakersfieldCalifornian.com Page 1 of 1 Friday, Jun 15 2012 05:05 PM Opening date set for new courthouse BY ANNA BURLESON Californian staff writer [email protected] The newly built federal courthouse adjacent to Central Park is almost complete and is set to open July 16, with the first cases to be heard the same day. The building will service the courts, probation offices, U.S. Marshals and the clerk of courts, all of which will begin moving in July 9, according to the U.S. General Services Administration. RELATED PHOTOS Jennifer Thurston, a U.S. District Court magistrate judge for the Eastern District of California will preside over the new courthouse. She said the courts will be used for the following federal cases: * Petty offenses, such as having a controlled substance on an Air Force base. This would be similar to a misdemeanor in state court. * Infractions, like damaging federal land. * Civil trials, in cases where the subject matter applies to a federal law. An example of this would be By Casey Christie / The Californian a car accident involving a federal employee. The landscaping is coming along nicely around the new federal courthouse building in Bakersfield. * Prisoner litigation, in cases where prisoners have complained their civil rights are being violated. The courthouse will now be able to accommodate a jury, so cases that require them can happen at the new courthouse instead of being sent to Fresno. Felony trials will still have to take place in Fresno, but all litigation leading up to the trial can take place in Bakersfield. There will also be seven holding cells, two of which are directly off the courtroom so defendants can be readily available when their cases are called. The whole building looks very rigid and modern and Thurston's chambers have massive windows, giving her a breathtaking view of the park. "It's probably one of the most beautiful courtrooms in our district," she said. Thurston also said the courtroom itself has windows that allow the jury to see outside and let in natural light. The courthouse was originally supposed to be completed in May, but changes to the project made it take longer. The court will still open sooner than the originally planned September, said GSA regional construction manager Doug Hawley.