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Out with the old, in with the new in Pismo Beach

December 31, 2024

Rosemarie Gaglione

By KAREN VELIE

Pismo Beach on Tuesday announced the appointment of Rosemarie Gaglione to replace Ben Fine as public works director.

Gaglione has over 30 years of experience in public works, including working for Marin County and the cities of Oxnard and Goleta. She has expertise in managing complex projects, fostering engagement, and ensuring sustainable development.

After 15 years years with Pismo Beach, Fine left the city shortly after a San Luis Obispo Superior Court in June awarded $350,000 to a contractor who said Fine and other city officials threatened to harm unless he agreed to accept less than the city owed him for his work.

“Jim Lewis and Ben Fine lied to the city council,” said Vince Lopez, the contractor. “That is why we won. The big bully could not push us around.”

Fine is now working as vice president of construction for Gary Grossman’s Coastal Community Builders, which has multiple projects underway in San Luis Obispo County.

 


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What is the new hires total compensation?, compared to the person they are replacing? That outrageous compensation didnt get the best and brightest as we are told. What are the chances city officials are taking the issue of outrageous compensations seriously and starting to get them in line?


0

Best of Luck to Rosie!


Ben Fine’s arrogance related to the burning of grant money to force fit Central Coast Blue into South Grover and Oceano (in low income neighborhoods) that wouldn’t benefit from it is his Number 1 failure to serve the public.


Number 2, his neglect to oversee the design of the beach slide at the Pismo Pier (where at least 36 people obtained back and tail bone injuries) are the big failures for me.


Number 3, shifting blame onto Lopez and Sons construction company, defaming and damaging their reputation under his watch.


9

Number 4, Costing Pismo taxpayers $2 million in attorneys fees. Number 5, the disastrous Shell Beach Rd. Streetscape plan.


4

Number 5-Repeatedly destroying the public’s (your) property corners with public works projects so many times that complaints have been filed against his engineering license with the State Engineering Board.


1

Anything project involving Grossman is probably costing the taxpayers.


19

ask the homeowners in San Luis Ranch.


4

Good riddance. Ben Fine was an arrogant, pompous, condescending bureaucrat who caused a lot of pain and suffering for a lot of people. Lets see how well he does in the private sector.


16

I wouldn’t call CCB the “private sector”, their business model is based on beating out competitors based on brides and influence peddling with government officials, Adam Hill, Jim Lewis and Ben Fine being just a few examples.


8