Assistant city manager to step down next month
Bakersfield Assistant City Manager Chris Huot will be leaving his position in early December, the city announced Friday.
Huot has worked for the city for more than 10 years, starting in 2008 at the Convention and Visitors Bureau, which is now known as Visit Bakersfield. He moved to the City Manager’s Office in 2011, and was promoted to his current position in 2015.
“It has been the greatest honor to work on behalf of the over 400,000 residents and countless visitors of Bakersfield for the past 13+ years,” Huot wrote in an email to The Californian. “The most rewarding part of my time with the city of Bakersfield has been working alongside the nearly 1,900 dedicated city staff members each day. Without our amazing staff, we could not accomplish the goals of the City Council and address the needs of our community.”
He said in the email he has accepted an assistant city manager position in another community, of which a formal announcement will be made next week.
Over the last several years, he has overseen the city’s budget and implemented spending of the Public Safety and Vital Services Measure, also known as Measure N. He has also spearheaded the Clean City Initiative along with the Fire Station 8 rehab project, among others.
“I greatly appreciate former Economic and Community Development Director Donna Kunz for bringing me to the city in 2008 and to former City Manager Alan Tandy for his mentorship during my time in the City Manger’s Office,” he wrote. “I will miss working with such a great team, but am looking forward to an exciting new professional opportunity on the horizon.”
Kern Family Health Care is hosting a COVID-19 and flu vaccination clinic from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. today.
The event at 2900 Buck Owens Blvd. will have vaccines and will be available to those 12 and older. There will be first and second dose Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines, as well as booster shots, depending on supply. There will not be pediatric doses available to those 5 to 11 years old.
No appointment is necessary. Those eligible for a booster shot are asked to bring their vaccination card and ID.
Those who get vaccinated will receive tacos and churros. There will be $25 gift cards available for those who receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
Kern County Latino COVID-19 Task Force co-founder Jay Tamsi said the event is important to head off an uptick in positive COVID-19 cases in California, especially in Kern County and the Central Valley.
The event is being held in partnership with Kern Medical, the Kern County Latino COVID-19 Task Force and Kern County Public Health Services Department.
For questions or to make an appointment, call 661-525-5900.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Kern County will host coronavirus vaccination clinics for ages 5 and up in Lamont and Bakersfield beginning Monday.
Three clinics will be hosted Monday, Wednesday and Thursday at the Armstrong Youth Center located at 801 Niles St. The clinics will take place from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.
A clinic will also be hosted from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, at the Lamont Club located at 8301 Segrue Road.
Any child is welcome. No insurance is required.
A new Big Lots store in Delano will celebrate Saturday with a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony starting at 8:45 a.m.
The store at 912 County Line Road expects to give out scratchoff cards offering savings of up to $250 through the weekend.
The store’s hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Sunday.
“We’ve put our most innovative thinking into the layout, design and visual appeal of the store to elevate the shopper experience and help our customers live bigger and better,” Big Lots President and CEO Bruce Thorn said in a news release.
The discount store is part of a publicly traded company based in Columbus, Ohio. The chain operates 1,424 stores in 47 states.