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Oceano is crumbling: Where is our Fourth District supervisor?

October 20, 2023

OPINION by ADAM VERDIN

In reading Supervisor Jimmy Paulding’s latest newsletter, I was disappointed that Oceano was barely mentioned. Oceano is a community in crisis.

Oceano Community Services District Director Charles Varni, Paulding’s supported board member, recently caused Oceano’s attorney to resign. The attorney’s exit is likely due to serial Brown Act violations on the part of Mr. Varni and his open hostility towards district staff and members of the community.

This conduct puts the district at risk in multiple ways, including legal liability for insisting on releasing confidential employee information to the public.

At minimum, Mr. Varni needs stern counsel. Instead, we see only the promotion of Mr. Varni’s potluck in Paulding’s newsletter.

Paulding once said to a group of spirited Oceano and Halcyon residents, “I’m your supervisor whether you like it or not.”  Well, now is the time to lean into that.

Although it is encouraging that Paulding has expressed interest in improving Oceano’s parks, he has not been seen at an Oceano CSD meeting since his annexation effort. Meanwhile, he has attended numerous community meetings and events in Nipomo and other parts of the district.

Yes, Oceano is a hard nut to crack. But it is his nut.

I hope Jimmy Paulding finds the time to attend the next Oceano CSD meeting so that he may provide guidance and counsel to his endorsed board member, Mr. Varni.

Adam Verdin is a lifelong Central Coast resident and an owner of Old Juan’s Cantina in Oceano.


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Sorry, Mr. Verdin, Océano is not “a Community in crisis”. It is especially ironic that your commentary is unnecessarily accusatory and hyper political and brimming over with speculation and unsubstantiated accusations

It is not Mr. Paulding‘s responsibility to police or censor the political opinions or actions of people on our local boards. Anyone who follows Océano politics knows that Mr. Paulding has been more involved and more knowledgeable and more resposive to Oceano than any other supervisor this century. And rightly so. Oceano needs good leader ship, and we can only hope that Mr. Paulding can find time from his busy schedule to lead where so many others have failed. But we had must also appreciate that Oceano is but one portion of Mr. Paulding’s district, and his leader ship is continually being requested from those various portions of our community.


-17

Because Paulding and the Varni guy are friends and they like each other , he can ask the Varni guy to sort of chill out? Maybe then the lawyers won’t quit, and the whole place won’t be mad at everyone with people flipping off people, and that lady dumping her sewer where she is not suppose to and stuff? Maybe he can ask Varni when he sees him at his potluck party. Or maybe he’s too busy to bring his leadership to Oceano because everyone wants his leadership. Just the other day I heard someone say that they needed his leadership really bad. So thats probably it then like you said.


8

All of this ridiculous defending and glorifying of Paulding and Varni, seriously looks like “great guy” is Varni, which sounds correct considering Varni is really Pauldings biggest and maybe only delusional fan. Not to mention Varni is the only nut case to twist the facts, and you “great guy” twisted the opinion of Mr. Verdin in an extremely odd way. I sure hope Adam Verdin does run for Supervisor or at the very least takes your seat in the OCSD Varni…… I mean (not so) “great guy”


5

GreatGuy is NOT Varni. Sorry.


1

I’ve been an Oceano resident for decades, and consider Jimmy Paulding to be the best, most responsive and active and caring Supervisor Oceano has ever had.


-19

If Paulding is so fantastic then why in the world would he endorse Varni? Asking for a friend.


14

How about you ask Paulding directly? He is very accessible and responsive to respectful and reasonable people. He is well known for this. You should check it out. Keep an open mind.


-9

I’ve asked paulding directly and he acts as though he is not a supporter of Varni! Go figure, he must just be using Varni for his dirty work???


2

What so-called “dirty work”? I’ve never known Mr. Paulding to be anything but honest and straightforward and helpful. That was his reputation on the Arroyo Grande Council, and that’s his reputation to this day as a supervisor. And that’s why so many people supported him in his last election against the incumbent. Our county has not had a better supervisor this century. And he’s his own man and does good for the people.


-7

Thank you Adam Verdin! Paulding is one of the worse supervisors we have had. He claimed he was conservative during his campaign. He lied. I think he should be recalled. I would vote for Adam if he wanted to take it on.


17

Unlikely that Verdin would want to enter the circus. Anyone but Paulding would be a plus.


41

It would appear that Verdin just launched his campaign for District 4 supervisor in 2026.


41

Anyone really surprised Paulding is absent?


54

Nope not surprised at all, especially since he lets that crazy Varni speak for him, just proves paulding does not care at all about Oceano.


2

Mr. Paulding absolutely does care about Oceano and has proved it time after time in the course of his public service.


1