Kern COG reports 1,500 RTP comments and flags major high‑speed rail funding; two staff to retire

The Kern COG executive director reported that outreach for the Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) drew broad participation and produced over 1,500 comments collected at events across the county.

"We received over, 1,500 comments in response to our outreach efforts on the RTP," the executive director said, citing events at multiple county venues and targeted community workshops. Board members and staff praised the outreach effort and noted active participation from students, community groups and local agencies.

The executive director also highlighted a state-level development on high-speed rail funding: "California High Speed Rail received an allocation of $1,000,000,000 a year from the cap-and-invest program via legislative action at the state level," a change that the director said could materially affect planning and coordination for Bakersfield–Merced service and local project staging.

The executive director asked for board volunteers to help with regional-award selections and emphasized Kern County’s strong delivery performance on certain state funds (identified in meeting materials as 163% of allocation). He closed the report by recognizing two staff members — Suzanne Campbell (15 years of service) and Becky — who are retiring this month; the board presented plaques and thanked them for their service.

The director said staff will report back on any CTC agenda items and continue to coordinate on large projects and grant opportunities.