Ballarat and the Indian Wells Valley: Why Ridgecrest Groundwater Records Deserve Attention

October 15 update: Kern County District Attorney’s findings

A seven-page letter dated October 12, 2026, signed by Kern County District Attorney Cynthia J. Zimmer and addressed to the Ridgecrest City Council and City Manager, reports the conclusion of the prosecutor’s investigation into city advocacy for AB 1413 and AB 1466. California58 has reviewed a copy of that letter. Its conclusions are the prosecutor’s findings, not a criminal conviction or a court judgment.

Finding: Ridgecrest’s City Council did not conduct a lawful vote supporting either bill. The investigation found that Councilmember Kyle Blades and former City Manager Ron Strand incorrectly presented personal or purported closed-session support as an official city position, depriving residents of the public opportunity to weigh in. The prosecutor says their assertions of council authorization were unsupported by evidence.

Criminal charges: The District Attorney says she does not contemplate filing criminal charges as a result of this investigation. The letter expressly distinguishes officials’ First Amendment right to personally support legislation from their ability to claim the city officially endorsed it. It also says investigators could not substantiate that a vote had actually taken place in closed session. Accordingly, this report does not claim a proven secret vote, a criminal conviction, or a finding that the individuals were legally guilty of a Brown Act crime.

Source: Cynthia J. Zimmer, Kern County District Attorney, Investigation of Advocacy Relating to AB 1413 and AB 1466, letter to Ridgecrest City Council and City Manager, October 12, 2026, pp. 1–7. A copy was provided to California58; an independently hosted official public URL for this specific letter has not yet been confirmed. See also the official City Council agenda archive and California Assembly committee analysis of AB 1466.