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San Simeon services district considers shutting down

December 5, 2023

By KAREN VELIE

Following years of mismanagement, the San Simeon Community Services District Board is scheduled to discuss several options for shutting down the district at a board meeting on Thursday, according to the meeting agenda.

Formed in 1961, the San Simeon district currently provides water, sewer, street lighting and road maintenance for approximately 160 permanent residents and up to 1,500 transient visitors. District officials are looking at either dissolution of the district or divestiture of some of its services to another agency.

San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Bruce Gibson and LAFCO  Executive Director Rob Fitzroy will provide information on  the proposed closure of the district or divestiture of services to agencies such as the county or the Cambria Community Services District during Thursday’s meeting.

During the past 10 years, the district has faced investigations and penalties because of multiple conflicts of interest. Earlier this year, A San Simeon official settled a lawsuit with the SLO County District Attorney’s Office for illegal business practices and false advertising. And last month, district staff wrote a $42,500 check to a man as part of a settlement for allegedly encroaching on the man’s property, but the check bounced.

 


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Congratulations to the Board – perhaps County will serve this district assuming their liability. Cambria Community Service District has no business engaging


1

I have a complete lack of faith in the judgement and intentions of both the County and the CCSD. Both are guilty of mismanagement of our water resources and our money. The County BOS approved our CCSD’s horrible plan of a the desal/toilet-to-tap project that has made our water bills unmanageable for all but the wealthy whilst not rendering us a drop of potable water. Not that it could ever supply our actual needs. All while ignoring and deep-sixing any proven productive water sources, such as off-stream storage, which would have gotten immediate approval from the Coastal Commission and Fish and Wildlife, because that was what they recommended. Those options were infinitely less expensive and environmentally friendly as well.


Money talks louder than sense. The desal game is a scam, that more often than not costs a fortune and is, in the end, too expensive to run and too environmentally damaging to be approved. But that is where these entities put our hard-earned money, for a continued disappointment in result.


Had we gotten what we actually needed, such as a reservoir for firefighting and off stream storage in our watershed to continuously, year ’round, recharge our aquifer, we would have sufficient water now, with a surplus for modest expansion of development. As it is, we are saddled with a fortune in debt and those who forced the desal mess on us are blaming those of us who opposed it for the fact that we have insufficient water! Consequently I, for one, do not wish to see San Simeon taken over by the County or the CCSD. I would prefer to see both SCSD and the CCSD taken over by some entity that can prove itself less corrupt than either one. IMHO.


6

Most CSDs in this area should do the fiscally responsible thing and shut down, followed by dissolving many JPAs.


8

Cambria CSD has mismanaged its operations so how can they manage San Simeon?


13

That’s one way to reduce the cost of gov’t, merge gov’t entities.


2

Finally…… Time to close up shop and turn the keys over to someone who knows what they’re doing. Dissolution- turning the services over to the County could work- if the County even wants that……… Other than that, merger with the Cambria CSD, if Cambria would even want that. Just get it done- the sooner the better.


6

The Cambria CSD has mismanaged the district and costed the ratepayers millions. How can they manage San Simeon?


15