County supervisors call emergency meeting

December 27, 2010

The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors will have an emergency meeting Tuesday, Dec. 28 at 9 a.m.

Tuesday’s meeting, scheduled to last only 45 minutes, is intended for county staff to update the supervisors on recent storm damage and actions taken to restore roads and other local infrastructure.

The supervisors will also be asked to extend the Proclamation of Local Emergency issued by county administrator Jim Grant on Dec. 21. County code requires the supervisors to review the situation every two weeks once an emergency has been declared.

CalCoastNews has reported exclusively that officials with the San Luis Obispo South County Sanitation District (SSLOCSD) have allegedly under-reported the amount of raw sewage spilled during recent rainstorms in an effort to protect an agency already being accused of firing whistleblowers.

On December 18, a sewage spill of between 110,000 gallons to approximately one million gallons occurred when the influent pumps at the plant failed. Critics contend the failure could have been avoided if the Oceano plant had repaired a failing electrical system.

“Sewer lines are backed up and sewage is bubbling out of manhole covers,” said John Wallace, the district’s administrator of the plant that serves the residents of the Oceano Community Service District, Arroyo Grande and Grover Beach. “Everything that comes into the plant is being treated.”

However, with the pumps down, sewage was not entering the plant’s sanitation system.

Staff at the plant used the sewage flow rate at the time of the failure and determined that during the shutdown, about an hour and a half, approximately one million gallons of raw sewage was spilled into the community and local waterways.

Under pressure from the county health department to follow legal requirements and provide the public with the amount of sewage spilled, Wallace reported 110,000 gallons. Wallace elected to ignore plant staff estimates and instead have his staff, at his privately-owned engineering firm, the Wallace Group, determine the amount of sewage spilled.

Public comment will be allowed at Tuesday morning’s  supervisor meeting.


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What a shame, as with the flooding of State Highway 1 that this County would want to withhold evidence from a trial and discovery! (Exhibit # 579)


The following are victoms of past flooding west of State highway 1 and County of San Luis Obispo documents, showing that this might happen again!


County Of San Luis Obispo Withholding of Evidence from Discovery Exhibit # 579 endangering Oceano Residents!…

County of San Luis Obispo and State of California Tort liability Drainage West of State Highway 1. If they fix their flooding of State Highway 1 as seen in documents that Molly Thurmond, ESQ. (SBN 104973 and The County of San Luis Obispo Dean Benedix withheld from Discovery! ———The State Highway 1 fix is only $43,295.00!!!!——


Bill Tatum 1539 Fountain Ave. —2001 flooding of Entire Street. Sporadic some flooding every year


Larry A Baughman–Owner of 1519 Fountain Ave. Statement house Floods every winter– Ex-OCSD Director


Chuck Bachman–1519 and 1525 Fountain Ave. Property on Fountain Floods every year with 6- 18 inch’s of water.


Greg S. McGree– Fountain Ave knowledge


Marquis Miller 548 Honolulu “Heavy Rains overflow lagoon”


Less Brown–652 Air Park Dr.


Jesser Esser–608 Air park Dr. “Storm Water Drainage Ditch next to Oceano Airport” “Years of neglect by SLO County”


John W. Carter 1778 Aloha Place


Mary Fernald 590 Honolulu St. Problems in last five years


David and Penny Villalba 567-571 Honolulu– Every time it Rains house up to 6-12′


Raoul Cristin 1810 Laguna Drive


Jan Dilo, Department of Public Services San Luis Obispo County


R. George Rosenberg, Deputy Director of General Services County Of San Luis Obispo


Cynthia M. Joselson/Dennis A.Huebner—Photos


Franklin C. Owen –Flooding in the Oceano Airport neighborhood.


Keith pelemeyer-Pismo State Beach maintenance Supervisor


In County of San Luis Obispo Files with drainage Studies and Color photos that where not part of Exhibit # 579 presented to Judge Tangeman!


September 7, 1990 San Luis Obispo County letter to Planning Department drainage in Oceano, Street improvements /Sidewalks


October 1, 1990 County Of San Luis Obispo letter to OCSD Water Run off and Drainage


October 17, 1990 Letter from John L. Wallace to OCSD Drainage in Oceano, Retention Basins, County Requirements


January 15, 1991 San Luis Obispo County letter to OCSD overall study of drainage patterns


March 15, 1991 San Luis Obispo County Letter to OCSD of Drainage nuisance problems and solutions by the County of Slo


May 3, 1991 OCSD letter to SLO County Analysis of OCSD Storm Drainage Problem regarding future County Building Permits


September 23, 1991 letter to Ruth Bracket Sidewalks


September 25, 1991 letter from Ruth Brackett not talking about Paso Robles and 13th streets


November 18, 1991Oceano Halcyon Advisory Committee minutes Drainage in Oceano not Paso Robles and 13th streets ally ways sidewalks


February 10, 1992 Draft letter Sidewalks


February 12, 1992 OCSD Meeting minutes Regarding Cienaga flooding County Responsibility Drainage Director Baughman.


March 11, 1992 OCSD letter regarding Flooding of Oceano Slough below State Highway 1


February 10, 1993 OCSD Minutes 11 C. Video of flooding problem on highway 1


June 8, 1993 OCSD memorandum Meeting on Arroyo Grande outfall


February 23, 1994 OCSD meeting minutes Concerns West of State highway 1


February 25, 1994 San Luis Obispo County Sanitation District letter to Tony Boyd County Engineering Dept.


July 26, 1995 OCSD Meeting minutes Cienaga flooding problem Concern with railroad subdividing their property. A problem at Paso Robles Street


January 10, 1997 OCSD Letter to planning Commission County of San Luis Obispo


October 8, 1997 OCSD meeting Minutes Drainage Problems Bill Bookout Specifically on Airpark and Fountain Ave.


May 13, 1998 OCSD meeting Minutes “Front and Cienaga Drainage problem


October 14, 1999 San Luis Obispo County letter and documents of concern to Union Pacific Railroad regarding Cienaga Drainage not Paso Robles St.


January 25, 1999 letter from OCSD to Khatchik h. Achadjian-issues-Flooding and Drainage channel behind Fountain Ave.


January 29, 1999 County Supervisor katcho Achadjian Letter to OCSD


February 5, 1999 OCSD letter to County regarding highway 1 Drainage issues not Paso Robles street.


November 10, 1999 Louis e. Wheeler letter to K.H. Achadjian


Whiteness Direct knowledge of State Highway 1 Drainage that Molly Thurmond, ESQ. (SBN 104973) and The County of San Luis Obispo Dean Benedix withheld from Discovery!


Jay Jamison showing no flooding in 2002 with his knowledge of Highway 1.


Mark Hutctenreuther, knowledge of highway 1


Loni Silkwood, 1611 Paso Robles St Knowledge of highway 1–.


Jak Harris, knowledge of highway 1


Stanly Manel, knowledge of highway 1


Wilford P. Deschenes, knowledge of highway 1


R. Bliver, knowledge of highway 1


Jerry Bunin, 2280 Paso Robles St. Knowledge of highway 1–


Luis Wheeler, knowledge of highway 1 with photos taken of highway 1 and withheld from discovery including drainage in front of Oceano Market and Oceano Nursery.


Larry A Baughman–Owner of 1519 Fountain Ave. Ex OCSD Director with knowledge of drainage through County property.


“We Own a home at 1519 Fountain Ave which is currently rented to Chuck Bachman. It floods every winter with up to a foot of water in the living room, causing Mr. Bachman to move to a Motel.”

“Water At The Corner Of 13th/Paso Robles/And Highway 1 Runs (Drains) Under The Railroad Tracks Across Railroad Ave And Collects In The Area Highlighted In Yellow On The Reverse. Something Has To Be Done To Get That Water To The Lagoon Or South To The Ag Creek At The East End Of Airport Runway. The End Of Fountain Ave Floods Every Winter. Larry Baughman”


Daniel Dena Neill–2640 Grell Ln. Safety Concerns on Paso Robles Street. Sidewalks and Alley ways paved with proper drainage.


Josue Astrero,Larry A Baughman–Knowledge of State Highway 1


Pat Clegg, Knowledge of State Highway 1


Sharon Collester, Knowledge of State Highway 1


Alan & Liane Barta, Knowledge of State Highway 1–2450 Paso Robles Street


Wando Cebulla, Knowledge of State Highway 1


Fred Cheda, 2231 Paso Robles Street–Knowledge of State Highway 1


Katherine B. Escobar 1627 Front Street, Knowledge of State Highway 1


Ben Harvey knowledge of Cal Trans changes to State Highway 1


Florence Welles 2431 Paso Robles Street.


Marylice Mankins


Eric Johnson Ally way knowledge


Herb West Knowledge of State Highway 1


Mark and Kristine Munro County Blaime wasting money on Study


Yvonne Putman 2591 Paso Robles–County Records


Robert W. Raymond, Knowledge of State Highway 1–poor county planning–County Eng. Photos


Charles E Royal 1561 16th between Warner and Wilmar Errosion problems


Chris & Linda Schroder ‘The End of 13th st. at Cienaga


James &Throck Scudder –“Warner & 15th-water travels down 15th and Warner”


Dean Sorensean 561 Security Court ‘Several inches to 1 foot depending on amount and length of rain


Ailo Stananage 547 Security Court– County Liability


Dan Striciculerda 1541 Wilmar Ave. “Flooding on Wilmar-between 14th &16th


Fred Van Slyke flooding at cienaga 7 front every time it rains

Judge Martin J. Tangeman Stated September 12, 2008 in regards to these (Redacted) whiteness statements and evidence withheld from discovery above! “No further information was forthcoming and now the questionnaires are here I guarantee they are voluminous, I haven’t even read through all of them.” “But I think it’s imcumbent to demonstrate to the court exactly which factual assertation and which witness would actually produce evidence which would result in a basis for a new trial.”


Unfortunately, MOST of the “reporters” in this county are nothing more than stenographers and simply take dictation from the “authorities” for their “news” stories. So concerned about not offending their “news” sources, it’s rare when any of these “reporters” questions the logic/illogic and inconsistencies in what the “souces” dictate to them to pass along to the general public. Most “reporters” in this county are just another branch—a very low-paid and poorly trained branch—of the propaganda machine.


It’s interesting to know the TPR is still around, as in the last decade or so I have never, ever seen anyone reading a copy. I still remember the time when that paper was caught “recycling” THOUSANDS of special advertising supplements that were never distributed despite advertisers in those pages being lead to believe they were going to be distributed.


Journalism in our county—and most others—is in terrible shape and the situation is a tremendous threat to democracy, while being a comfort for liars, crooks, and propagandists.


Amen to that. Most people here have absolutely no idea how bad things are, unless they read the Cal Coast News and the SLO Coast Journal.


I think it became clear how valued accurate news reporting is (to those who know where to find it) when Karen Velie’s readers rallied and contributed to her defense fund. It’s just a shame that most people don’t seem to realize that the mainstream media here is totally controlled by, as you call it, the “propaganda machine”.


Would any of the propagandists, liars, crooks, lap-dog journalists, or others who claim to “dislike” the posting above, care to explain the reasoning behind their vote? That would be rather interesting, I think.


We truly are fortunate to have Cal Coast News.


Lets see…April Charlton of the TPR in 5 cities tells us it’s 5000 , Wallace then says 50,000 initally and everything coming into the plant is being treated,yet staff tells us nothing was coming into the plant for over and hour, then it’s 110,000 gals and now the ones who actually work at the plant who are subject to being personally held responsible under Federal law say 1,000,000 gallons.Sounds like a typical politician lying to the public to cover his butt. Im sure his PR firm will straighten it all out.