BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — A discussion on whether to allow Bakersfield Recovery Services on county property stalled at Tuesday's Board of Supervisors meeting due to a lack of a quorum.
The contract was slated to be voted on Tuesday morning, but District 4 Supervisor David Couch was absent. District 2 Supervisor Chris Parlier and District 3 Supervisor Jeff Flores said they were required to abstain from the proceedings due to campaign contributions. County counsel added that the delay was also because of a glitch in the system with the bidding process.
Without a quorum, District 1 Supervisor Phillip Peters and District 5 Supervisor Leticia Perez pressed on to hear public comment. The board acknowledged that the contract will have to be voted on at a later date after the bidding process is completed or when Couch returns, depending on whether he has a conflict.
Opponents of the proposal who spoke during the public comment period pointed their concerns towards the District Attorney’s Office and former county supervisor Zack Scrivner, who is Kern County District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer’s nephew.
“She does not want to address domestic violence and sexual violence; that person is no longer appropriate to serve Kern County,” one woman said.
"It's not just a glitch. It is not an accident. And I think the only reason that's being addressed right now is because they knew that we were going to come here to speak about this," said another woman.
Lisa Kerr, a woman who says she sought services from the Family Justice Center under the Open Door Network, said the non-profit did not meet her needs. She said while Scrivner’s matter is a serious one, the lack of staffing in the Family Justice Center is coming at the cost of victims.
“The fact that DA Zimmer and her family are involved in some kind of other issue, which is equally important, should not overshadow the fact that victims need urgent help. The people here, who are victims, talking about how much we've been failed is true,” Kerr said.
Michael Bowers, the chairman of Bakersfield Recovery Services, said the organization is now caught in the crossfire while trying to fill a need.
“This is not a multi-million dollar contract. This is a contract for $75,000 a year. For two years, we will lose money. We wanted to step up and help the victims,” Bowers said.
Deputy District Attorney Joseph Kinzel noted during public comment that he believes the board could have acted on the matter Tuesday to fill the Family Justice Center.
"We did exactly what we were supposed to do, and our counterparts at the auditor's office informed the district attorney's office that it had been approved," Kinzel said. “The only issue that is causing recusal is this issue of contributions. And if it goes through the process, which is already in the middle of being done and has been for quite some time, then it could go forward. What this board can do today is conditionally approve the occupancy. Let BRS come in. And if, for some reason, the sole source justification doesn't go through purchasing, then it can come back to the board, but the board can act today."
However, as advised by county counsel, the board did not act today, and the Family Justice Center will remain empty until the board takes up the matter at its next meeting in April.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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