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.