Community Input

Results from Phase III Community Forums:

Bakersfield Senior Center - March 16, 2000

Our Slogan

  • Look at us now!
  • Everything is possible!
  • The California utopia!
  • Mission Possible
  • From wagon travel to space travel

Our Image

  • Fairness
  • Open-minded
  • Caring
  • Understanding
  • No racism
  • Scenic
  • Smart
  • Fresh!
  • Silicon Valley South

Our Reputation

  • Friendly
  • Multi-cultural
  • Parents going back to good strong principles and discipline

Business Environment

  • More businesses - non-Ag - non-oil
  • Encourage 24 degree businesses - factories
  • Enviro-friendly/aware
  • Showers (after biking)
  • Jobs for unemployed not just for friends
  • Opportunities
  • Jobs with training in more than one field

Arts & Culture

  • Diverse
  • Active
  • Intellectually stimulating
  • Events for children
  • Summer music festivals

Heart of the City

  • More compassion for the less fortunate
  • More resources directed into less developed areas of the city
  • God first
  • Our children values and self respect
  • Higher paying jobs
  • No more crimes
  • Vocal & outspoken against KKK and other groupparticipation with race and hatred
  • Color blind society
  • Care for the elderly and mental disabled people

Technology

  • Computer in every home!
  • Video games with less violence
  • A lot of garbage off the internet

Transportation

  • 24 hour bus service
  • More frequent routes
  • Better connections to outlying areas
  • Bullet train to LA, Fresno, Sac. S.F.
  • No one walks from place to place unless they want the exercise
  • Better access to transport sick,elderly, handicap

Biggest Changes

  • Air we can breathe
  • Not dependent on OPEC - lower gas prices
  • Better resources for seniors
  • Everyone is employed with a job they like and a job that supports their family

Break Thrus

  • Color barrier broken
  • Became the generation of reconciliation and peace
  • Stronger numbers in hiring city and county employees
  • Bigger health department
  • Everyone is looked upon as being someone special
  • Females being women; Males being men

Looking back I'm most proud of…

  • Southeast Bakersfield developments
  • All the volunteers throughout the city
  • Getting involved

What's Our Vision for our Economy over the next 10-20 years?

  • Prime jobs include: data/computer tech; Teachers; day-care providers
  • Jobs with flexible hours (7-3) to allow parents to be home with kids after school
  • Hourly wage: $8/hour
  • Affordable senior housing (i.e.Senior Village Center)
  • Reduction in apts./increase in single family dwellings
  • Total redevelopment of retail/strip malls
  • More multi-generational recreation centers = merging ages together
  • A diversified economy less dependent on Ag and Oil
  • Elimination of blighted areas, especially the Southeast
  • More opportunities (educ. & jobs) for citizens in the urban areas
  • No discrimination

What kind of Economic Development Initiatives do we want to create?

  • Alternative energy development (i.e. solar, electric)
  • Strong incentives for 1st time businesses & push for home-based businesses
  • Mass transit system (i.e. Oakland BART system - also connect outlying areas such as Delano, Shafter, Mojave, etc.)
  • More full-service grocery stores including dry cleaners, banks, etc.
  • Environmentally friendly industries
  • More business opportunities and more jobes in So.East

What kind of Jobs do we want to attract here over the next 10-20 years?

  • Hub for space center (i.e. Edwards Air Force base, China Lake, etc.) = employment opportunities
  • Higher paying jobs
  • Business development for the people in SouthEast
  • Industry

Our Vision for Downtown

  • Trolley cars
  • Locally owned shops: clothing, books, antiques, cafes, etc.
  • Little Grocery stores downtown
  • Big park in the center
  • Carnival
  • Reroute the canal and have Gondola rides
  • Recreation Center in 34th street area
  • Recreation Center near Brundage Ln
  • Baseball Stadium
  • Lakeview Area: One stop shops for jobs; social service; multi-agency sites
  • Lakeveiw Area: Market Place II
  • Major grocery store - Ralphs
  • Redevelopment for friendship there! Child care center
  • Bike lanes
  • A healthy community
  • Quality low-income luxury senior housing (between Truxtun & California/Oak & Chester)
  • Supermarket between Truxtun and California
  • Supermarket on E. California
  • Between California & Brundage/ Union & Chester: commercial development; one-stop center; shopping center; keep from looking unkept; recreation inside gym
  • Lakeview area: Developed city plan for economic growth; Business Association; To be seen as a part of the over-all city and not a special project
  • Lakeview Area: New development; good image; Street lights; Events; housing improvements

In our Community's Future: What we wanted and we got:

  • Unification of diverse cultures/working together
  • Commercial development/grocery stores/outlets
  • A political structure that is inclusive of all of the citizens
  • All geographic areas of the community to feel that they are receiving their fair share of government services
  • Homeownership
  • Increased property values
  • Consideration of the needs of low income senior citizens
  • More medical help for school districts
  • Money
  • Better government leadership
  • Respect for one and other
  • Lead-safe community
  • Uniform development standards between city and county
  • Show growth
  • Curbside recycling
  • No styrofoam
  • Charter school
  • City county cooperation for the best interest of Greater Bakersfield
  • Activities/programs for youth (mentor programs, job training, volunteerism)
  • Community Centers
  • Tool lending library for economically distressed areas to help with repairs/facelift to community - Berkely has one.

In our Community's Future: What we didn't want and didn't get:

  • Crime, homeless people
  • Teens with not jobs or direction
  • Undeveloped Southeast community
  • Uneducated mothers, hopeless fathers, uncaring children, broken homes, families without
  • Redlining in the urban areas
  • Not to become a rental community
  • Child abuse
  • No more deadend freeways
  • No more movie theaters
  • Poor city/county relations

Common Themes

  • Better than minimum wage jobs
  • Diversity where we are all on level playing ground
  • Grocery store in Southeast
  • SE overdue for economic development
  • More job training - more competitive skills
  • City of compassion
  • Solid trade school
  • Recreation activities to curb crime - multi-rec centers in neighborhoods
  • Affordable education
  • Transportation to improve air and to get around
  • Reduction in crime/gang activities
  • Encourage family values
  • More city/county cooperation