BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) \u2014 Bakersfield Recovery Services will not take over the Kern County Family Justice Center after a split vote at Tuesday\u2019s Board of Supervisors meeting.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s the latest turn in the controversial contract.<\/p>\n
All supervisors except Phillip Peters and Leticia Perez have taken campaign money from Bakersfield Recovery leadership.<\/p>\n
Due to Perez being absent, the Kern County clerk had to draw names out of a jar to determine who could vote, regardless of the conflict of interest.<\/p>\n
RELATED: Kern County District Attorney emails show plans to push Open Door Network out month before notice <\/a><\/p>\n Supervisor Chris Parlier and Jeff Flores voted to approve the contract, while Peters voted no. Since the majority of the five member board did not vote yes, the motion failed.<\/p>\n \u201cThe occupancy agreement is between the district attorney\u2019s office and with BRS in order to have a confidential case manager be housed at the Family Justice Center,\u201d said District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer as she was addressing the board.<\/p>\n She said the contract has already been awarded to BRS and the board was voting only on BRS staff to use the county building.<\/p>\n \u201cThe contract for BRS has already gone through a competitive bidding process, pursuant to the county administrative policy\u2019s rules, we followed those rules and followed the advice scripously by county counsel.\u201d<\/p>\n Public comments opposed the agreement.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve had 10 to 15 women murdered in the last three years in this county, by the failure of DA Zimmer,\u201d said Nadine Escalante, a domestic violence survivor.<\/p>\n \u201cThe DA\u2019s office has lost the trust of many people in this county. We cannot have a functioning government if the public no longer trusts the institutions that are supposed to serve them honestly and transparently,\u201d said Jack Lavers, a Kern County resident.<\/p>\n Supervisors Chris Parlier and Jeff Flores, who were drawn to vote due to their conflicts of interest, approved the contract, while Peters, the only candidate without a conflict of interest, voted in opposition.<\/p>\n