This week’s San Luis Obispo County government meetings

June 17, 2024

By CalCoastNews staff

The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors will meet at 9 a.m. on June 18 in the board chambers.

Some local governments pack consent calendars with important items prior to major holidays when many members of the community are not paying attention. Consents calendars permit boards to streamline meeting by grouping routine and noncontroversial items under one vote. Members of the board can then select one or more items to remove from the consent calendar for a separate discussion and vote.

On Tuesday’s agenda, county staff has packed in 65 consent calendar items, many of which are not routine and are very controversial.

Under item 1 on the consent agenda, staff wants the board to review the unincorporated county growth rate for new dwelling units for fiscal year 2023-2024; and to establish the unincorporated county maximum growth rate and allocation for new dwelling units for fiscal year 2024-2025. While the board claims housing is a top priority, the County Growth Management Ordinance, which was adopted in 1990, appears to limit and stifle growth. Staff is asking the board to continue the program.

Oceano Community Services District can no longer afford to pay for fire services. Under item 20 on the consent agenda, the board will discuss taking over fire services for Oceano at a cost of $1.8 million of which $498,783 will come out of the county’s general fund.

Items 34 through 38 on the consent agenda are related to management of the Paso Robles Groundwater Basin, one of the county’s most controversial topics. In these items, recharge of the basin is discussed. Recharge generally refers to water that originates in the basin and is injected, spread, naturally percolated, or otherwise used to fill a basin. Water banking generally refers to water that is imported from outside the basin.

The Paso Robles City Council will meet at 6:30 p.m. on June 18 in the council chambers.

In Dec, 2023, the Paso Robles City Council decided to delay the procurement process for a highly lucrative contract to operate concessions at the Paso Robles Municipal Airport because staff reports lacked detailed financial information about the two applicants. While staff refused to allow even the council to see the contracts, they were promoting Loyd’s Aviation, a Bakersfield company providing less money for improvements that staff felt was a better “culture fit” with Paso Robles. City Manager Ty Lewis is from Bakersfield.

The City Council then directed staff to form a committee of two council members and two commission members to work with both applicants regarding what the city is looking for and to examine their proposals. Mayor John Hamon was initially on the committee, but replaced by Councilwoman Sharon Roden following allegations of conflicts of interest.

Under item 3 on the agenda, the Ad Hoc Committee is recommending the city council enter into negotiations with Loyd’s Aviation, an action some argue supports small plane owners over the financial health of the city.

The Pismo Beach City Council will meet on June 18 at 5:30 in the council chambers.

Earlier this year, both Grover Beach and Arroyo Grande city councils voted to quit the joint powers association tied to the Central Coast Blue reclaimed water project. The Pismo Beach City Council then voted to take over the project.

Under item E-1 on the agenda, the Pismo Beach City Council is slated to vote to pay $1,219,647 to Grover Beach and Arroyo Grande for their ownership of property related to the project.

The San Luis Obispo City Council will meet June 18 at 5:30 p.m. in its council chambers.

The SLO City Council adopted its first Homelessness Response Strategic Plan in March 2023 as a two-year plan outlining objectives and key tasks for preventing and addressing homelessness. The key tasks outlined in the strategic plan in collaboration with key internal and external stakeholders including multiple nonprofits, the city’s police and fire departments, San Luis Obispo County and community and faith-based organizations.

Under item 7-b on the agenda, staff will provide a status report on the fiscal year 2022-2024 Homelessness Response Strategic Plan. The council will discuss  modifications to strategic objectives, funding priorities, and key tasks to be incorporated into plans for the next two years. While costs of some programs were listed, the overall cost was unavailable in the city’s report.

The Templeton Community Services District Board will meet on June 18 at 7 p.m. in the board room.