DELANO, Calif. (KERO) — A Kern County Grand Jury finds that the City of Delano is "at a crossroads," according to a report released Wednesday.
They found the city "at an intersection where politics, special interests and conflicting public sentiments come head to head." The Grand Jury recommends that Delano move from an at-large City Council to a district-based one within the next five years so all demographics have equal representation.
They also found that the Measure U Citizens Review Committee hasn't met since 2012 which is in violation of the Measure U ballot initiative. The Grand Jury says the City Council should advertise for and add candidates to the committee and make sure the meetings are held yearly.
Another finding was over holding council meetings by ZOOM video only. Of seven cities in Kern County, Delano is the only city not allowing public attendance, the Grand Jury wrote. Also they say the meeting link being on the last page of the agenda makes it hard to find for those who wish to view it. They recommend moving the link to the first page of the agenda and should resume in-person meetings so people without internet access can still participate.
The Grand Jury mentions that City Council is "divided" on several issues. Among the issues cited are the appointment of a new chief of police and the use of school resource officers on campuses. They suggest the City Council can improve their working relationships through quarterly team-building meetings.
The purpose of the Grand Jury inquiry was to examine the operations and management of Delano and issue a report on their findings and recommendations.
Kern County Grand Jury report on Delano on Scribd
