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Contractor loses position for illegal practices, Cambria hires him

January 16, 2025

Charles Grace

By KAREN VELIE

Less than two years after Charlies Grace settled a lawsuit with the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office for illegal business practices and false advertising, Cambria hired his company Grace Environmental Services to install water meters.

Prosecutors filed a civil suit in 2021 against Grace and his private company regarding their management of the San Simeon Community Services District. In a June 2023 settlement agreement, Grace agreed to pay a civil penalty of $75,000, and to stop working for the district.

Late last year, Cambria put out a request for companies to bid on upgrading 3,500 water meters. Grace then submitted the lowest bid for the project, $217,000.

Even though multiple members of the public asked the board not to select a known bad actor, the Cambria Community Services Board voted to give the contract to Grace’s company at its Jan. 9 meeting.

“Take the message from the court and do not hire him in Cambria,” Christine Heinrichs wrote the board. “The district has several items other than hiring a known bad actor, at any price.”

 


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I think a lot of the commentors on this story would be shocked to find out that it is the “libs” who have opposed these miscreants who have been screwing Cambia for decades and the more “conservative” types who insist on having them in office and accepting their scammy projects. I see it happen time after time. Usually because certain individuals want development that would make them rich, or so they think. Greed is destroyig communities and countries. Always has.


0

The Cambria Community Service District Board and staff need to be investigated.


11

lowest bid ya right???? who’s running Cambria idiots.


6

He’ll make it up on the change orders, 100% certain the final costs will be much highet than the bid.


1

Christopher Mazzei get jail time for misuse of PPP fund program and Charlie Grace gets a slap on the hand and then rewarded with a contract for pilfering the San Simeon CFD.


12

This guy shouldn’t be hired to clean porta potties let alone install water meters. Good luck Cambria


14

The DA and Federal agencies need to investigate the Cambria CSD Board and staff.


5

A slap in the face to little San Simeon. Dis-GRACED!


3,500 meters retrofitted in 6 months for $217,000. Watch for change orders! There’s no way to get all this work done that fast for that price.


13

Something is wrong with Cambria’s management. The County requires bidders to disclose bankruptcies,  problems with regulatory agencies, and, most importantly, run-ins with the law. Bidders can be eliminated based on these responses.  Apparently, Cambria doesn’t “formally” ask these questions of their bidders, but they all knew.


I understand that Grace’s Regional Sales Manager, Steve, lives in Cambria and will do or manage the work. I heard this Steve, goes to San Simeon CSD meetings and pecks away at the new San Simeon Board and new General Manager who replaced Grace. He makes all kinds of record requests. Nice regional manager of this company.


What a slight to Cambria’s neighbor, San Simeon, and the District Attorney’s Office. How disgraceful! 


11

maybe there is something wrong with the San Simeon and Cambria CFD attorneys?


5

Tim Carmel is the attorney for the Cambria CSD. Who is the attorney for the San Simeon CSD?


0

Now, I no longer feel sorry for what happens in Cambria. Water woes, traffic woes, crumbling infrastructure woes?


You only have two feet, CCSB, and you have shot both of them.


9

Who makes the decision to award the contract to this guy? How many bad decisions do those in charge get to make before they take accountability?

Warning…when this whole thing goes sideways…and it most likely will go sideways, is the folks that chose this guy going to take accountability for the legal mess, additional costs, litigation, unfulfilled work, and the additional money that will be needed to pay the next guy to come in and complete the work at 1 1/2 to 2 times the budgeted amount?

Good luck with those water meters Cambria…

How do these people wind up in these roles? I really hope citizens take some time to reflect on the disasters of LA, Oakland, San Francisco, etc… because the utter failures of the incompetent people in positions of responsibility should scare you. Choices have consequences, and this contract choice has a very high degree of probability of turning out very badly…but hey…what would I know? I’ll come back and apologize with full humility if things go smoothly on this, but I highly doubt I will need to.


15

The DA needs to investigate each CCSD Board member and staff.


2