This week’s San Luis Obispo County government meetings

September 9, 2024

By CalCoastNews staff

The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors will meet at 9 a.m. on Sept. 10 in the board chambers.

First appointed county counsel in 2012, in 2013 Rita Neal received $258,541 in salary and benefits, a number that nearly doubled in 10 years amid large pay increases.

Under item 6 on the consent agenda, the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors is slated to approve a new four-year contract with Neal at a cost of nearly $2 million, or $479,006 a year in salary and benefits.

The Arroyo Grande City Council will meet at 6 p.m. on Sept. 9 in the council chambers.

As City of Arroyo Grande prepares to embark on the largest capital project in its history, the Traffic Way Bridge, the city is working on the logistics regarding traffic issues during construction.

In 1932, the Traffic Way Bridge was first constructed over Arroyo Grande Creek. A 2016 inspection showed issues with the aging bridge’s structural integrity.

At a cost of $13,822,938, the city plans to start construction on the bridge in April 2025 and finish in Dec. 2025. The Highway Bridge Program is funding 88.53%, $12,237,447, of the project.

Under item 11-a on the agenda, the city council will provide input regarding the traffic detour plan and parking impacts associated with construction of the bridge, which will be fully closed for the duration of the construction.

Proposed alternatives for traffic:

1. Accept information provided regarding detour planned parking reductions associated with the Traffic Way Bridge Replacement Project;
2. Provide additional input to city staff for consideration or implementation to reduce negative impacts associated with detour plans and parking reductions currently planned for the Traffic Way Bridge; or
3. Provide other direction to staff.

The Atascadero City Council will meet at 6 p.m. on Sept. 10 in the council chambers.

The Millhollin Pit, a gravel mine established in 1945, closed in 2011. Since then, the Millhollin family has worked on the reclamation of the property located at 11600 Santa Lucia Road.

Under item B on the agenda, the Atascadero City Council is slated to confirm the Millhollin Mine has been sufficiently remediated, and then authorize staff to take all appropriate action to complete the closure of the mine.

The site is comprised of three parcels currently zoned for single-family residential use. Upon closure of the mine, the owners can apply for a permit to build homes on the site.

The Grover Beach City Council will meet at 6 p.m. on Sept. 9 in the council chambers.

During closed session on the agenda, the city will negotiate with marijuana mogul Helios Dayspring’s former partner, Prime Capital Venture owner Mayer Separzadeh, over the purchase of six parcels the pot sellers purchased nearly a decade ago in Grover Beach.

In 2022, Dayspring admitted to paying bribes to then-San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Adam Hill for favorable votes on his cannabis business interests and for deliberately failing to report millions of dollars in income to the IRS. He was then sentenced to 22 months in federal prison.

Even though the agenda does not say why the city is interested in the six parcels, it appears the parcels are needed by the public work’s department, which will have a representative in the closed session meeting.

The Morro Bay City Council will meet at 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 10 at the Veterans Memorial Hall.

Through Morro Bay’s Public Works Department, the city operates its own bus service, which is under performing partially because of a shortage of bus drivers.

Under item 9-b on the agenda, the Morro Bay City Council will discuss consolidating all Morro Bay Transit operations and approving a 10-year contract with the San Luis Obispo Regional Transit Authority to take over all city bus routes and transit operations.

The Cambria Community Services District Board will meet on Sept. 12 at 1 p.m. in the board room.

The Nipomo Community Services District Board will meet Sept. 11 at 9 a.m. in the board room.