Funds allocated to repair public areas damaged by recent storms

SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY — During the Tuesday, March 21, meeting, the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors were introduced to a new ordinance that would rescind local campaign finance contribution limits. 

In November 2020, the Board adopted Ordinance No. 3429, which set the campaign contribution limit to $25,000 per person. However, at the Jan. 24 meeting, the board directed staff to instead default to the state’s campaign contribution regulations. If the new ordinance were to pass, it would limit the campaign limit for the period of Jan. 1, 2023, through Dec. 31, 2024, to $5,500 per person. 

While the supervisors did not discuss the proposed ordinance, Supervisor Jimmy Paulding expressed his support during consent agenda comments. The official hearing for the ordinance is set for next week, Tuesday, April 4. 

The Kiwanis Club of Atascadero was allocated $5,000 from Districts One, Two, and Five Community Projects Funds. The funds will be used for the foundation’s Mother’s Day Picnic, being held on May 14, and its Kiwanis Mayors’ Winemakers Dinner, being held on June 23.

In the consent agenda, the supervisors approved a resolution that allows the director of groundwater sustainability to file an application and grant agreement with the California Department of Conservation. The resolution includes the ability to execute funding agreements with any local project sponsors for funding under the Multibenefit Land Repurposing Program Round 2 Grant Program to support the development and implementation of a Multibenefit Irrigated Land Repurposing (MILR) Program for the Paso Robles Groundwater Subbasin. 

One grant the county is looking to apply for is a Solicitation Notice and Application (Grant Solicitation) for the Multibenefit Land Repurposing Program (Program) administered by the Department Division of Land Resource Protection’s Conservation Unit. The grant offers $40 million available in its second round of applications for groundwater sustainability projects that reduce groundwater use, repurpose irrigated agricultural land, and provide wildlife habitat.

Projects eligible are those that benefit at least one community health, economic well-being, habitat, flood, renewable energy, or climate, with benefits lasting at least 10 years.

Some members of the public spoke against consent items 20 and 24, which approved the federal grant American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Public Health Spend Plan for the Public Health Department to continue the work of addressing the COVID-19 pandemic along with increasing the budget for the General Fund COVID-19 Designation to Fund Center.

Supervisors approved the $1,651,897 spending plan for the Public Health Department to continue addressing the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The spend plan includes over 10 temporary and limited-term positions along with various services and supplies. The entire spending plan can be found here agenda.slocounty.ca.gov/iip/sanluisobispo/file/getfile/150403

The General Fund COVID-19 was adjusted to redirect $2,521,000 to fund community parks, regional parks, and golf courses damaged by recent storms. Staff laid out the storm damage here that will be repaired with the reallocated funds:

  1. Lake Lopez Recreational Area suffered significant damages to the maintenance area, playground, campgrounds, roads, Sewer Treatment Center and Marina, which require extensive repairs to reopen the Marina and campground, reestablish access to the Camp French Event Center, and group camping.
  2. Santa Margarita Lake experienced high lake levels beyond capacity, causing electrical damage to a transformer controller, the water well, the Marina building, and throughout the campground; damage to the roads, docks, and trails; and contaminated the fuel tank, which require extensive repairs to open the Marina and campground.
  3. El Chorro Regional Park and Coastal Dunes RV Park experienced damage to trails and significant debris cleanup.
  4. Several Coastal Accessways in Cambria and Cayucos were damaged by high surf along the coastline. Damage to the handrails, platform boards, and landings caused several accessways to close until repairs can be made.
  5. Community Parks throughout the county suffered flooding, high surf, high creek levels, mudslides, and collapsed embankments. There is a need to replace playground safety surface areas, repair or replace fences, rebuild damaged trails, debris cleanup, and clearing of downed trees.
  6. Dairy Creek Golf Course experienced collapsed lake embankments, damage to the aeration system and flooding to bunkers and the Top Tracer building.

The next San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April 4, at 9 a.m.