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Annual report of the City of Tehachapi, Tehachapi, California, for 2012
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Live Up.
The Year-In-Review Play Up. Build Up. Work Up. Start Up. Live Up.
Inside 2012
Page 2 ………………………………………. City Manager Introduction
Page 3 ………………………………………. Finance
Page 4 ………………………………………. Community Development
Page 5 ………………………………………. Police Department
Page 6 ………………………………………. Infrastructure
Page 7 ………………………………………. Airport and More Highlights
Page 8 ………………………………………. City Organization and Contact Info
Page 2
City of Tehachapi
Dear Community Members,
In 2008, life changed. As a nation, we saw our economy bottom out,
investments lost, fortunes eliminated, and the brightness of the future
dimmed. Unfortunately, there was widespread talk of a new normal,
stemming from a reluctant acceptance that the unparalleled excitement
and prosperity that we had seen during the first part of the 21st century
would not return in our lifetimes.
I'm proud to say however, that despite the doom and gloom expressed
nationally, the greater community and the City of Tehachapi rejected the concept that we were on the
downhill slide. That didn't mean that we stuck our heads in the sand- we made cuts and set priorities like
you probably did in your own households- but we made a conscious choice to find a new way forward. I'm
proud to say that because of that commitment by our community, our City Council and our City Staff, the
City of Tehachapi was on the upswing in 2012.
That's what makes it so gratifying to share this year-in-review with you now. We've seen success in
improving our infrastructure, we've seen business and private investment growth, and we've seen the
housing market that has dragged down so many communities beginning to correct itself.
In the pages that follow, our Departments will share a selection of this year's successes. We'll also share
with you our plans for the future and what we think we can do to defy physics and see our City's upswing
carry us even higher than where we started.
Best Regards,
Greg Garrett
City Manager
Page 3
Year-In-Review
The City of Tehachapi General Fund
had another year in the black.
Throughout the recession, the City of
Tehachapi has maintained a
balanced budget, outpacing many of
the communities in the surrounding
region. Through the hard work of
City Staff, there is a healthy reserve
in the General Fund and City Staff
expects that trend to continue into
2013. In fact, Tehachapi’s 2012
upswing took sales tax revenues
higher than pre-recession levels.
Although the City’s Fiscal Year runs
from July 1-June 30, and therefore
does not coincide with the end of the
calendar year, City revenues are
again projected to increase over
those of the previous year, and our
expenditures are expected to remain
fairly steady.
Finance Director
Hannah Chung
Tehachapi City Finances
How Is The Money Spent?
0
$1,000,000
$2,000,000
$3,000,000
$4,000,000
$5,000,000
$6,000,000
$7,000,000
07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Mid
11/12
12/13
General Fund Revenue vs. Expenditures
Fiscal Year
Actual Budget Revenue
Expenditure
Page 4
City of Tehachapi
Growing Up Community Development Director
David James
General Plan
In 2012, the City of Tehachapi continued to
“Build Up.” After several years of community
input and the hard work of Planning Staff and
the Planning Commission, the City adopted an
unconventional and unrivaled General Plan.
With few other similar plans nationwide, the
City of Tehachapi is on the leading edge of
community planning with a renewed focus on
livability, sustainability, pedestrian friendliness,
and attractive urban development. The plan
also works in concert with the new Greater
Tehachapi Specific Plan, adopted by the
County, encouraging urban growth within the
City limits and rural growth in the County.
Plans aren’t the only things being built in the
City however. New retail centers and light
industrial buildings have also been continuing
their steady progression. Specifically, a retail
center on Tehachapi Blvd will be taking the
place of the old Mountain Crossing restaurant
and another new freeway oriented service
station has been built at the eastern end of
Tehachapi Blvd. This year has also seen the
construction of several new industrial buildings
on Tehachapi Blvd, just east of Dennison.
These buildings represent new business growth
and more jobs for community residents.
Light Industrial
New Retail Opportunities
Page 5
Year-In-Review
Chief of Police
Jeff Kermode
Concept Elevation for the new Tehachapi Police Headquarters
Public Safety a High Priority For any community to succeed in the long-term, it must have
excellent public safety. Our own Tehachapi Police Department
(TPD) works hard every day to provide that excellence through a
focus on community policing. Some of the best evidence of this
philosophy is the significant volunteer service provided by TPD’s
Volunteers In Policing. In 2012, these volunteers provided
approximately 3500 hours of their time and saved the City an
estimated $84,630.00. TPD also has a strong Police Explorer
program with 14 young adults learning policing techniques and
life skills. Their hard work has paid off as they’ve won trophies
in several Explorer competitions and even hosted their own here
in Tehachapi.
Unfortunately, community policing doesn’t stop crime
completely. While some property crimes have increased in
recent months, the relationships our officers have built with the
community has led to many of those crimes being solved quickly
and effectively. Violent crime also continues to be very low and
almost entirely between people who know each other. Our
community is still very safe and working together with the
community, our officers will make sure it stays that way.
Lastly, to enhance our community policing efforts the City began
design work on a new Police Headquarters building in 2012.
This new building will be constructed in an old building on C
Street, allowing for the redevelopment and adaptive reuse of the
existing facility and the creation of more community space. It
will also provide a larger, more functional space for the officers
working so hard to keep our City safe.
Sergeant,
Wyatt Empey
Sergeant,
Kevin Paille
Page 6
City of Tehachapi
Building Up Our Infrastructure
Assistant City Manager
Christopher Kirk
Utility Manager
Jon Curry
City Engineer
Jay Schlosser
Public Works Director
Dennis Wahlstrom
High quality infrastructure is a priority for the City of Tehachapi and we continued “Building Up” our
infrastructure foundations in 2012. One of the highest profile projects of the year was our Wastewater
Treatment Upgrade, which included $4.5 million of new investment to improve the treatment process
and increase capacity. The upgrades also included landscaping the plant’s frontage along Highway
58, a new maintenance building, and a new administration building for the wastewater plant. This
project, and others were executed more effectively with the addition of a City Engineer and Assistant
Engineer to the City’s staff.
Improvements continued throughout downtown in 2012 with the addition of landscaping, lighting and
accessibility enhancements at multiple intersections, on South Green St, and on Tehachapi Blvd, from
Robinson St to Hayes St. These projects totaled nearly $2 million in investment in downtown and were
grant funded.
Downtown wasn’t the only area of town to receive needed upgrades however, as the Alta Estates
Subdivision at the southern end of Curry St received completed roads, sidewalks and storm drains as a
result of a settlement between the City and the failed housing developer. Within weeks of the award of
the project, new housing starts began again, signaling a turn-around in our housing market and a light
at the end of the tunnel for residents living in a previously unfinished neighborhood.
Page 7
Year-In-Review
The Sky’s the Limit
Airport Manager
Tom Glasgow
The Tehachapi Municipal Airport continues to be a
destination for pilots wanting to “Fly Up” for lower
fuel prices and a friendly airport. The airport
experienced record fuel sales in 2012 and saw
continued enhancements with grant funds from the
Federal Aviation Administration. Airport and City
Staff have also been in conversations for the
development of a permanent home for the Kern
County Fire Department’s Helitack Crew. While the
crew has moved operations into a temporary facility
at KTSP, a permanent home will be a welcomed
addition to an already stellar aviation facility.
More Great Highlights The year 2012 saw even more partnerships developed between the
City of Tehachapi and local organizations and non-profits. Expanded
seating, improved accessibility and other great improvements were
completed at the Tehachapi Event Center and Rodeo Ground through
one of these partnerships, with the Tehachapi Mountain Rodeo
Association.
The City also completed a Bicycle Master Plan in parallel course with
the County of Kern. These two new plans will help our community
develop a more effective bicycle network for both travel and
recreation.
Partnering also extended into the private sector as Lehigh Southwest
Cement Company made a generous donation of $20,000 to the
construction of a new “Freedom Plaza” in downtown celebrating the
five main branches of the United States Military. A conceptual plan
for the plaza was approved by the City Council in late 2012 and
construction is expected to begin in 2013.
Other exciting partnerships helped the City “Talk Up” Tehachapi to
the movie industry. The Kern County Film Commission and the City
of Tehachapi worked closely to attract and support several large film
shoots to Tehachapi. These film shoots brought money into the
community through hotels and restaurants and even helped the City
win a California On Location Award for being such a film friendly
destination.
Page 8
Tehachapi City Council
Mayor
Phil Smith
Mayor Pro-Tem
Susan Wiggins
Councilmember
Ed Grimes
Councilmember
Kim Nixon
Councilmember
Mary Lou Vachon
Tehachapi City Hall
115 S. Robinson St
Tehachapi, CA 93561
(661) 822-2200
After Hours (661) 822-2233
Tehachapi Police
129 E. F St
Tehachapi, CA 93561
(661) 822-2222
www.TehachapiCityHall.com
Tehachapi’s Stock Is Trending Up In 2013.