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Paavo Ogren up for SLO County appointment, but where does he live?

January 25, 2021

Supervisor Dawn Ortiz-Legg

By KAREN VELIE

Former public works director Paavo Ogren used to live in Atascadero. But that was before he applied to represent San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Dawn Ortiz-Legg on the Water Resource Advisory Committee (WRAC) as the District 3 representative. District 3 includes Edna Valley, Avila Beach, Pismo Beach, Shell Beach and Grover Beach and a portion of San Luis Obispo.

In 2018, Ogren and his long-time significant other Maria Kelly jointly purchased a more than 100 year old home in Atascadero, taking out a joint mortgage. Ogren and Kelly then changed their voter registrations to District 5 while a relative lived in the home Ogren owns in SLO.

Shortly after Ortiz-Legg, a personal friend of Kelly, learned she would be replacing Adam Hill on the SLO County Board of Supervisors, Ogren changed his voter registration back to the home he owns in District 3 in SLO. WRAC bylaws require appointees to live in the district they represent.

On Nov. 19, a week after he allegedly moved to SLO, Ogren attended a 10 a.m. San Simeon CSD meeting via Zoom, from his home in Atascadero.

Paavo Ogren at a Nov. 19 Zoom meeting

In addition, SLO County records continue to list Ogren’s residence at his home in Atascadero.

SLO County Department of Planning and Building records for Ogren’s SLO house list his home in Atascadero as his residence. And while a homeowner’s exemption is taken for Ogren’s home in Atascadero, none is claimed on the home in San Luis Obispo, according to county records.

Paavo Ogren’s home in Atascadero from a real estate site

Working closely with Supervisor Bruce Gibson, Ogren was a key player in the controversial attempt to privatize the Paso Robles Water Basin, which was rejected by 77.83 percent of landowners in 2016.

Kelly worked for Justin Vineyards of the Wonderful Company from 2017 through 2020. Justin Vineyards is part of The Wonderful Company, a primary proponent of privatizing the Paso Robles Water Basin.

The WRAC is an advisory body to the SLO County Board of Supervisors on water district regulations.


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I thought Paavo Ogren had moved to Morro Bay after he retired.

WRAC is an advisory board with no real power anyway.

Otherwise, I’d say Ogren is well-versed in local water issues and probably a good choice for that advisory committee, any political baggage he may carry aside.

Dawn O.L. will have to face election in 2022, so his WRAC tenure could be short lived.


1

You know, the resident rule never has bothered me as much as others. I agree a candidate (or appointee) needs to live/work in the area they service, but I always thought that should just be a reasonable distance and voters should decide if that is paramount for them. Many people that have worked in SLO for decades have lived in the surrounding cities. Sometimes the best person for the job is just the best person for the job.

Please note: I’m just talking about the resident rule, not corrupt people trying to do corrupt things.


-2

“and voters should decide if that is paramount for them.”


We already did, that is why there is a rule. It’s corrupt people (and the slo city/county attorneys) who want to skirt the rule like Paavo, Settle and Heide Harman who apparently does not live in the city.


11

Private water rights will remain private. The public taking is over per recent adjudication, and will never ripen into further public takings although there might a purchase by the public at some future date. Willing seller and a willing buyer is always an option. It is clearly understood that possession and paid taxes keeps private ownership where it belongs. Know this: if you purchase land with no underlying water the price is very low as are the property taxes. In California property owners have a constitutional right to reasonable use of the water their property overlies. Again taxes reflect what lies beneath the surface. Ha ha to the local takers, your done.


7

“In California property owners have a constitutional right to reasonable use of the water their property overlies. ” Good luck with that:

California Water Futures Begin Trading Amid Fear of Scarcity


-2

It’s amazing how often this issue comes up locally. We had the same problem with Allen Settle https://calcoastnews.com/2009/10/where-does-settle-live/


12

Ogren is either a leech or a tick and the public taxpayer is his host.


34

Is his still the party house for teenagers? Just maybe not his children and their friends but his grandchildren and their friends?


18

Although I certainly don’t doubt the validity of these claims from Ms. Velie, it has to be instructive that there are never any rebuttals.


I guess the principals in these stories simply ignore her. Representatives from the majority on the SLO Board of Supervisors also seem to ignore both Ms. Velie and Ms. Tacker. Not surprising.


Ms. Velie has been barking up trees for several years now, and never gets anything to stick. I mean, where are the state or federal charges against the deceased Mr. Hill or the mafia marijuana mogul Mr. Daysprings? I’m waiting.


-39

Why would the corrupt officials whom Karen exposes care to take the time from their busy schedules of “civil self-service” to form a rebuttal? There will always be people such as yourself to vote them back into office or be appointed to their positions by the corrupt officials YOU continue to vote for. Most will not even acknowledge Karen’s articles (no matter how damning) unless by some miracle the corruption-friendly mainstream press decides to run with a heavily diluted version of the story. As for Adam Hill, I really don’t think the FBI is in the business of filing charges against dead people, let alone bringing the dead to trial. The fat payoff check that his former assistant received from the county speaks volumes as to the character of Adam Hill long after he assumed room temperature. I truly believe that if Mr. Hill’s name appeared on the 2024 district 3 ballot, that the same people would re-elect him despite his being dead and all that . Oh, and Helios Dayspring is “too rich to fail.” He has bought and paid for enough elected officials and civil self-service employees to keep him immune as long as he can keep his poop from stinking. Nonetheless, I kinda like you Adam Trask. So much so, that I’ll make up some “Adam Hill for Supervisor 2024” posters for you to put on your lawn.


1

You’re welcome Mr. Trask. Sorry that all-important “last word” got taken away from you. -Robert


0

It’s all good, Robert. You know, we live in the absolutely best place in the world (I’ve been around), and these stories about fictional corruption are actually pretty entertaining, so no worries.


-1

Here we go again. Progressive’s continue set the standards when it comes to corruption and moving the goal post to fit their desired results all the while claiming righteousness. Dawn and Paavo are a chip off the corruptive block of Adam Hill. What a joke they all are. The sooner Paavo is out of Atascadero, the better. You’ll fit right in at SLO.


27

The gop swamp continues set the standards, but fans of the corruption can’t see that through all of the eco chamber bullshit, Moscow Mitch all the way down to the CA gop claiming righteousness and family values while stealing (spending) the public’s money.


-9

Nothing to see here move on along….. Same old SLO county corruption.


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