Grover Beach Council removes mayor from APCD board
December 17, 2013
The Grover Beach City Council chose to remove Mayor Debbie Peterson from the San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District (APCD) Board of Directors during a committee assignment discussion Monday night.
The council previously considered booting Peterson from the APCD board in August after she campaigned for a repeal of the APCD dust rule. If implemented, the dust rule would fine the California Department of Parks and Recreation $1,000 a day if it does not reduce the amount of dust blowing onto the Nipomo Mesa.
On August 5, the council voted 3-2 to keep Peterson on the APCD board, but on Monday night, all four of Peterson’s fellow council members agreed to replace her with Councilwoman Karen Bright, the previous Grover Beach representative to the air district board.
San Luis Obispo County Supervisors Adam Hill and Bruce Gibson had previously lobbied the council to remove Peterson from the APCD board, according to other council members. Hill and Gibson objected to Peterson questioning reports and recommendations presented by APCD staff.
When on the APCD board in the past, Bright has tended to vote based on the recommendations of Air Pollution Control Officer Larry Allen.
Two Grover Beach councilmen, Jeff Lee and Glenn Marshall, are employees of the county. Both have stated that they do not have a conflict of interest in the matter.
Marshall, as well as Bright, voted in Peterson’s favor in August, but flipped their positions Monday after Councilman Bill Nichols called for taking the mayor off the APCD board.
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