Results from Phase III Community Forums:

The Bakersfield Californian - March 29, 2000

Our Slogan:
� A better place to live
� Getting better all the time

Our Image:
� New high tech center of California
� Attractive on and off ramps to freeway system
� Demetris Southerd (the Greek)
� Strong supporter of the Education System
� Our students have highest GPA in state

Our Reputation:
� Shady, beautiful, not dusty
� Not the butt of jokes
� Broad based economy-recession proof
� A Great Place to Visit..the Greatest Place to Live!

Civic Culture:
� Strong planning committee
� City and county governments work together

Business Environment:
� National companies with employment presence
� All businesses are on the leading edge of technology
� Industrial park land is developed & occupied
� Light manufacturing
� Software development

Arts & Culture:
� More activities that Bakersfield is known for
� Movie theater that shows independent films
� Affordable family entertainment
� Public art
� Downtown activities (more like 1st Night activity)

Heart of the City:
� Large park surrounded by modern buildings, restaurants, and cultural centers
� Cool new baseball stadium
� Downtown high rise condo's
� Trees, fountains, river emphasis, green, shade
� Art! To buildings - Centers - more
� Water theme Park - more for kids/families
� Quality redevelopment to replace blighted areas

Technology:
� Hub for software development & manufacturing
� Strong division at Cal State Bakersfield

Transportation:
� Vastly improved traffic light system
� More telecommuting - less congestion
� Bikes!
� Speed rail

Our Values:
� Sense of community
� Hardworking workforce
� Cleaner air - trees, water, awnings, lampost - ie: asethetics, caring for the earth!

Biggest Changes:
� It actually looks nice when you drive down 99
� Feel safe strolling downtown after dark

Break Thrus
� Fuel cells - no gas, each house business has own generating plant.
� Longevity - longer productivity
� Ability to improve air quality developed
� People are aware that they can make a difference - it's up to them

Looking back I'm most proud of�
� We've become a diverse, integrated community
� We learned tolerance
� We planted 1,798,300 trees to become a shady community
� We preserved our identity as a city of hard working people

Our Vision for our Economy over the next 10-20 years
� More diversity
� Higher median incomes
� Lower unemployment rates
� Strong & visible
� Ethnic presence - ie: Hispanic culture integrated and celebrated

What kind of Economic Development Initiatives do we want to create?
� Create incentives to attract supplier companies to tech. Backbone of California
� Ensure Airport expansion happens

What kind of Jobs/Work do we want to attract here over the next 10-20 years?
� High technology jobs
� Higher paying
� Manufacturing/more stable blue collar employment opportunities
� More artistic jobs
� Work at home
� Flex-time jobs - walking to work opportunities

Our Vision for Downtown:
� Speed rail from Truxtun depot to connect with N/S speed rail along 99
� Cool landscape concepts at all exits of 99
� Really attractive people's (visitor's) first impression @ California & 99
� Trees all along Hwy 58
� Union Ave. - clean it up! It's so visible - better housing, trees, attractive mobiles, clean up trash & litter!
� Golf course downtown N. of 24th St.
� Water park, wave pool, water slides at N end of town
� Entertainment - parks near Museum
� Manufacturing center near Golden State Hwy
� A Riverwalk thing with a real river (So. Fork of Kern) instead of canal. Parks with paths etc. alongside; Hi Tech Building, Vetern building, shops and restaurants all along with art on the buildings/ Museum and TREES
� Downtown #2 North of Union Ave. between Truxtun and Hwy 178
� Tear down the old JLJ apartments alongside 178
� Water in mad made lake - East Bakersfield
� Redevelop Lakeview - tear down projects and build new housing

In our Community's Future We Wanted and We Got:
� A real Kern River - has water, wildlife and is buffered by natural boundaries and flows
� Efficient roadways, freeway system with well-engineered traffic signals
� Expanded cultural offerings
� An airport to accommodate high tech companies/growth
� Strong economy with job opportunities for professional, technical and labor
� A zoo that compliments the community
� A bullet t5ain to San Francisco and Vegas and L.A.
� Vital downtown with upscale residences
� Aggressive enforcement of air quality laws and regs
� Highpaying clean industry
� Safer neighborhoods
� Places to relax in - walk, stroll, enjoy outdoors
� Old Town -refurbish & Museum redeveloped
� Upgraded public transportation, lower auto use
� Downtown street life - caf�'s shade, pedestrian walkways
� Access to health care for all
� Wide bike lanes - a bike friendly community
� Public art/statues
� Access to river
� Tree-lined streets everywhere

What we Didn't Want and Didn't Get:
� Higher unemployment rates
� Dirtier air
� More potholes and bad roads at rail crossings
� No more asphalt patch
� No more prisons!
� No more homeless!
� Trash, litter
� Crime
� Gangs
� County islands within Metro Bakersfield
� To lose our city's unique identity
� Demetris Southerd ( The Greek)

Common Themes:
� Clean up and beautify
� More activity to city
� Upgrade jobs
� Real river
� More trees
� Higher paying jobs
� Better transportation
� Acceptance - embracing diversity
� Downtown focus
� Better education
� Diversified economy

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