By Cheryl Goldburg and Gary Meyer, TME

More than 160 Frazier Park and Lake of the Woods residents filled the community center at the park on Thursday, Oct. 19 to voice their concerns about a proposed mandatory trash pickup service that would be added to property owners’ tax bills.

There was standing room only with dozens of people standing around the walls of the community room.

Residents had turned out for an informational meeting on Senate Bill (SB) 1383, which requires counties, such as Kern, to implement recycling measures in specified areas. The State of California identified “Census Tract 3305” as an area required to have mandatory trash pickup and recycling service that would cost property owners $560 per year for each residential unit.

The program requires implementation of a “three-container” waste collection system in census tracts with population densities greater than 75 people per square mile, according to Assistant Director of Solid Waste, Lisa Shreder, of Kern County Public Works, who conducted the meeting and presented the basics of the proposed mandatory service.

Census Tract 3305 encompasses most of Frazier Park and Lake of the Woods, making 1,681 residential properties automatically part of the proposed program.

Plenty of Protestors

A show of hands was requested by BJ Saidi, who is Supervisor Zack Scrivner’s field representative for the Frazier Park area. He was attempting to get a rough idea of how many were opposed to the proposed plan. From our photograph, we were able to see all hands raised, except for only two (out of the 160 people present).Shreder revealed that her department had received back about 200 notices that were deemed undeliverable. She also revealed that only 14 protests had been received.

Can Residents Stop the Fee?

Yes. Property owners have the authority to change the outcome by submitting the required number of protests.

The affected areas are most of Frazier Park and most of Lake of the Woods. The state’s criteria for selecting this area was a population density greater than 75 people per square mile, based on the 2020 Census. The rest of the mountain communities did not fit into the criteria and is not subject to this potential trash pickup service fee.

A successful protest can stop the Board of Supervisors from voting to impose the fee-based service.

The required number of protests to stop the mandated service is 50% plus one of the 1,681 residential parcels that are included in the proposed area.

The required number of protests to oppose the new fee is 842 residential parcels. If the residents successfully protest by submitting the required number of valid protests, the proposed assessment fee will not be imposed and the Board of Supervisors will not vote on the matter.

If 842 valid protests are not submitted, then the Board of Supervisors will vote on the matter and could choose to either approve the mandatory fee-based service or disapprove it.

Kern County’s Situation

California’s Proposition 218 requires the county toget approval from its citizens before implementing any new taxes or fees.
Kern County is also required to implement SB 1383 and is attempting to apply one solution to the entire county. The county did request an exemption for Frazier Park and was denied by the state.

How to Protest

The most important criterion for a protest to be counted as valid is that it be submitted by the property owner. Protests submitted by renters cannot be counted in the protest numbers to achieve the 842 protests needed. If the community does not reach the threshold, the count of valid protests will be provided to the Board of Supervisors. Shreder said the additional number of protests submitted by renters would also be disclosed to the Board of Supervisors. The full set of information may potentially influence the board’s vote.

To be considered a valid protest, each protest submitted must include the following information and must be legible or they will not count it. Only one protest per residential parcel will be counted:
Property Owners Name
Assessor Parcel Number (helpful but not required)
Property physical address
Signature of property owner
Submit your protest using only one method. Only one protest per residential parcel will be counted.

Use One of These Methods

[To obtain this form, please pick up a printed version of this issue, and find it on pg 5]: The form on this page has been confirmed by Lisa Shreder of Kern County Public Works to be a valid form. As long as the handwritten information is legible and complete, it will be counted as a valid protest. Fill in the form and mail it to the address shown at the upper left of the form:
ATTN: Frazier Park UCA
1115 Truxton Ave
Bakersfield, CA 93301

Or go to Don’s Liquor and fill out a form that will be available there. Mail that form to the address on the upper left of the form so it will arrive before the December 5 Board of Supervisors meeting.

Or go to Mountain View Market in Lake of the Woods (Lockwood Valley Road) and fill out a form that will be available there. This location will also have a collection box that will be submitted for you to Kern County well in advance of the deadline.

Or bring your signed protest letter to the December 5 Board of Supervisors meeting by 2 p.m. and make sure it has been given to the Clerk of the Board before the hearing begins.

Or use the notice you may have received to check the “protest” box and return to the address shown.

Volunteers Needed

Frazier Park resident Sheri Treanor has launched a protest letter drive and needs volunteers to expand the number of locations where the protest forms can be made available.

If you would like to volunteer, please email sheri.treanor@gmail.com to inquire about the schedule, volunteer or request the form be emailed to you. Use the protest form in the information that you may have received from Kern County. The community needs to reach the required number of valid (842) protests to reject the proposed fee automatically.

The protests must be received by the Kern County Board of Supervisors prior to December 5. Your final option is to attend the Board of Supervisors meeting on December 5 and bring your protest to the meeting. The meeting takes place at 1115 Truxton Ave. Bakersfield at 2:00 p.m. Should you choose to speak, each speaker is allotted a maximum time of two minutes.

The Mountain Enterprise has a list of properties affected by this proposed fee. If you wish to check on whether your property is within the affected census tract, call the newspaper at 661-245-3794.

Photo captions:

A guide to protest letters and your right to refuse purchase of the fee-based service

When asked how many were opposed to the proposed mandatory trash pickup service and the $560 fee, of the 160 people in the room, all but one or two raised their hands. But not everyone paid attention to the process for opposing the fee-based service that would be required. Read this article to understand exactly how to file your protest if you oppose the proposal.

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This is part of the October 27, 2023 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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