Arroyo Grande Gazette, Volume 1, Number 1

ARROYO GRANDE EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT:

Shane Taylor

2022 YEAR IN REVIEW 2023 STORM UPDATE

MEET YOUR NEW CITY COUNCIL Photo by Tony Gomes

GAZETTE MARCH 31, 2023 VOLUME 1, NUMBER 1

Photo by Namu Williams

A Message from your City Manager Whitney McDonald

Dear Readers, The Arroyo Grande City team takes great pride in welcoming you to our reimagined City Newsletter, the Arroyo Grande Gazette. We created this publication with the intention of providing a space to highlight the incredible work being done within our community.

Our vision is to offer a high-quality publication that is relevant and provides readers with a deep knowledge of the ins and outs of your City government.

This Newsletter is also intended to bring information and discussions of the City's current and anticipated work, as well as highlights of accomplishments.

In this first newsletter, we are pleased to include a look back at events and work completed in 2022, showcasing the City's commitment to serving its community and achieving its goals, as well as a summary of 2023 storm outcomes and an employee spotlight.

We are grateful that you are joining us as readers and taking the time to stay informed of the City's work and accomplishments.

City Manager , Whitney McDonald page 2

INSIDE THIS ISSUE 2022 A Year in Review A New Year, A New City Council 2023 Winter Storms Employee Spotlight: Shane Taylor

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2022 A Year in Review AUTHOR Aleah Bergam, Management Analyst

Throughout 2022, the City of Arroyo Grande and the world at large were emerging into a post-Covid-19 environment. Where 2021 focused on mitigating public health risks associated with the pandemic and supporting economic recovery efforts, 2022 allowed the City to more or less return to normal operations.

2022 saw the return of the Harvest Festival and Parade, and the City took over planning and logistics of Concerts in the Park and the annual Holiday Parade. In addition, through securing grant funds and donations from the Arroyo Grande Kiwanis Club and others, the City was able to replace Elm Street Park Playground with inclusive playground equipment and host an Elm Street Park Tree Lighting and Snow event in December.

In late fall of 2021, the serious drought permeating the state triggered a Stage 1 Water Shortage Emergency in the City. Our customers heeded the call of conservation and cut back water use by 14% in 2022 compared to 2020, from an average of 117 gallons per person per day to 99, saving 328 acre feet of water. During this time, the City’s agreement with the County Flood Control District for water from Lopez Reservoir was amended to allow the City to store unused water each year during non-drought times, which will increase the amount of water available to the City in the future. Additionally, the Cities of Arroyo Grande, Grover Beach, and Pismo Beach, entered into a cost sharing agreement and formed a Joint Powers Authority in 2022 to support the development and operation of the Central Coast Blue Project. This project will inject high-quality recycled water into the groundwater basin to safeguard the basin from seawater page 4

First joint City Council meeting regarding Central Coast Blue, September 14, 2022

intrusion and increase available groundwater for the three cities. The project has received $15 million in federal and state grants and is anticipated to begin construction by 2025.

The City secured $500,000 in grant funding through Congressman Carbajal’s Office to repair the Swinging Bridge, which will enable the bridge to be used without its current weight limit following completion of the project in 2024. Grants were also awarded to the City in 2022 to support construction of the Halcyon Complete Streets Plan and preparation of a Citywide Active Transportation Plan in the upcoming couple of years.

A number of additional land use planning efforts were also completed in 2022, including updates to the City’s Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) and Short-Term Rental Ordinances, and creation of new Tiny Homes on Wheels and Parklet Ordinances. Preapproved ADU plans are also now available to help streamline permitting and lower

costs for property owners interested in building new ADUs in the City. 2022 also saw the creation of new voting districts for City Council seats in Arroyo Grande following extensive outreach and input from the public. On November 8, 2022, voters in new Districts 1 and 4 elected Council Members Kate Secrest and Jim Guthrie to represent them on the City Council. Citywide, voters also re-elected Mayor Caren Ray Russom as Mayor, which will remain an at-large seat in the City. Also on the November 8, 2022 ballot, the voters considered a 1% Sales Tax Ballot Measure (D-22) proposed by the City to raise revenue to address funding gaps for the City’s streets and infrastructure. As Measure D-22 ultimately did not pass, the City will need to continue evaluating ways to pay for the estimated $6.25 million needed for street repair each year, while also addressing increasing costs in other critical areas such as public safety.

The future of the Five Cities Fire Authority is another big work item in 2022 and 2023 for the communities of Arroyo Grande, Grover Beach, and Oceano. As the Oceano Community Services District was unable to secure additional funding for its share of FCFA costs through a parcel tax ballot measure in June 2022, Oceano will unwind its role in the FCFA by July 1, 2023. In the meantime, the Cities of Arroyo Grande and Grover Beach are working to restructure the Authority to address current and future funding and emergency service delivery needs for our communities.

With much to celebrate from 2022 and work well underway on pressing issues in 2023, we are excited to continue the momentum and make Arroyo Grande the best place possible for everyone who lives, works, and visits here!

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AUTHOR Jessica Matson, City Clerk On November 8, 2022, the City held the consolidated General Municipal Election to elect a Mayor, one Council Member for District 1, and one Council Member for District 4. Caren Ray Russom was reelected as Mayor for another 2-year term.

Kate Secrest was elected as District 1 Council Member, and Jim Guthrie was elected District 4 Council Member – each Council Member will serve a 4-year term.

The newly elected City Council Members were seated on December 13, 2022, after a swearing-in ceremony conducted by City Clerk, Jessica Matson. Mayor Ray Russom, Council Member Secrest, and Council Member Guthrie join already seated Council Members Kristen Barneich and Lan George, whose terms continue through December 2024.

Mayor Caren Ray Russom

Caren Ray Russom is no stranger to hard work, having built an impressive career in public service for Arroyo Grande since 2005, first as a Planning Commissioner, before being elected to the City Council in 2010.

In 2013, Caren stepped away from the City Council when Governor Jerry Brown appointed her to fill the vacant San Luis Obispo County District 4 Supervisor seat, following Supervisor Paul Texeria's passing.

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Swearing-in ceremony on December 13, 2022

In 2016, Caren was elected to the City Council once more, and was elected Mayor in 2018 - the second female Mayor in the City's history. She was re-elected in 2020 and 2022.

In addition to her service as Arroyo Grande's Mayor, Caren has been a modern world history teacher at Santa Maria High School since 2007.

When she's not tending to her students or City business, Caren enjoys cooking, home improvement projects, and spending time with her four kids, Bernese Mountain dog Shasta, and house rabbits Biscuits and Gravy.

Mayor Pro Tem Kristen Barneich

Council Member Lan George

Kristen Barneich also has an impressive career in public service for Arroyo Grande. First as a Planning Commissioner in 2007, until she was appointed by the City Council in 2013 to fill a vacant Council seat left by Council Member Ray Russom's appointment to the SLO County Board of Supervisors. Kristen was elected to the City Council in 2016 and reelected in 2020.

When not conducting City Council business, Kristen owns and manages a vacation cabin in the western Sierras. She enjoys antique shopping, hiking, traveling with her husband, and searching for her next rainbow sprinkled doughnut!

Lan George has been dedicated to serving Arroyo Grande and an avid volunteer in our community for 20 years. Lan was first appointed to the Architectural Review Committee in 2014.

Eight months later, Lan was appointed to the Planning Commission, where she served until 2019 when she was appointed to the City Council. Lan was reelected to the City Council in 2020.

When she's not busy with City Council business, Lan runs multiple businesses and enjoys spending time with her family, volunteering, and advocating for youth mental health, and traveling the world.

James "Jim" Guthrie is also no stranger to public service in Arroyo Grande. Jim was first elected to the City Council in 2004 and served until 2016.

In 2021, Jim was appointed to serve on the Planning Commission, where he served until being elected to Council again in 2022 to represent District 4.

Jim retired from the hospitality business in 2015 after twenty-seven years managing hotels in Santa Barbara and Pismo Beach.

District 4 Council Member Jim Guthrie

District 1 Council Member Kate Secrest

Kathleen "Kate" Secrest is new to the City Council but her career has been dedicated to public service. Kate currently serves as a Deputy District Attorney for San Luis Obispo County, and she has been serving in this role for twentyfive years. Kate's heart for service also led her to serve as both Vice President and Director during her fifteen year membership with the Altrusa International organization in San Luis Obispo County. Kate was elected to the City Council in 2022 to represent District 1.

When Kate is not serving the County or residents of Arroyo Grande, she enjoys travel, books, and spending time on the Central Coast with friends and family, including husband Scott, daughter Pema, two delightful felines (Kibbi and Gratuity Tucci), and Bobby the horse. page 7

2023 Winter Storms AUTHOR Bill Robeson, Assistant City Manager & Director of Public Works

When 2023 began, Arroyo Grande, and all communities in California, hoped for rain. Since the end of 2021, all fifty-eight counties in California were under a drought emergency proclamation. By the end of March 2023, Arroyo Grande has weathered three powerful, atmospheric river storms. This heavy winter rain has refilled the Lopez Lake Reservoir and helped to replenish depleted groundwater sources utilized by the City. Lopez reached full capacity in the early morning of March 23, 2023.

Water was discharged over the spillway into Arroyo Grande Creek. Fortunately, the discharge volume was small (26 cubic feet) and manageable.

The large volumes of storm water that began in early January continue to impact residents and City infrastructure. Some Tally Ho Road homes flooded, causing property damage and displacement of residents. The City continues to work with home and property owners affected by the storms to assist in providing information and resources from local, State, and Federal agencies. Work is also ongoing to remove debris from Arroyo Grande Creek and remediate damage to streets, trails, and stormwater infrastructure in coordination with FEMA and other agencies.

The City will continue to monitor the impact of the recent, and potential, storms and take necessary steps to mitigate any potential negative side effects.

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Rain Accumulation (as of March 31, 2023) Arroyo Grande Creek - 32.73 inches Lopez Dam - 47.23 inches Lopez Rec Area - 45.78 inches Upper Lopez - 49.68 inches

Lopez Lake Reservoir Dam Capacity reached 100% March 23, 2023

233%

Average Rainfall Comparison from July 1, 2022

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Years since Lopez Lake topped the dam into the lake's spillway

Employee Spotlight: Shane Taylor

AUTHOR Sarah Lansburgh, Deputy City Clerk/Communications Coordinator

Humboldt State University, he studied Fisheries Biology and Industrial Arts.

During the summers he worked at oil refineries as a pipefitter, then as a field engineer at Diablo Canyon and Vandenberg Airforce Base during the space shuttle project. A six-week job at Diablo Canyon Power Plant in December of 1983 brought him to Oceano. Shane laughs, saying, “I thought, 'this place is great', it’s like San Diego but with less people.” The job ended, but he never left the area.

Shane Taylor 3/21/2023 What do you want to be when you grow up? Children, and adults, are asked this monumental question over and over. As children, the answers are filled with imagination and hope. As we grow, the answers shift into the practical, but we hold onto and foster that small hope. Hope that whatever career we settle into will align with our passions, or at least allow time for our passions outside of work. With a career spanning forty-four years, thirty-six with the City, Utilities Manager Shane Taylor, and his passion for working for the City of Arroyo Grande, has yet to waver. “It was one of those things, where I never anticipated ever wanting to work [for a City] …I’ll tell you a story.” Amidst the conversation, Shane goes back to where all stories must – the beginning.

After Shane was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, his parents moved to California and he grew up in San Diego. Attending

During an outing to rent a VHS with his new wife Pamela, a flyer was posted on the library bulletin board for a Water Services Worker for the City of Arroyo Grande.

Pamela pointed the job out with a casual, “Oh you could do this.” Shane mimics the tone he used back in 1987, “'Are you kidding me? Why would you think I’d want to work for a City?' I actually said that.” Four months after he applied for the job, Shane had forgotten about it when he received a phone call to interview for the position. In the end, he was offered the job with a decent salary, benefits, and three-minute commute to work. With a baby on the way and a young family to support, Shane was eager to take a stable job, even if it meant working for a City. What followed was a most unsuspecting surprise – he liked it.

Career of Purpose Over the past thirty-six years, Shane has worked with twelve City Managers, trained countless Public Works employees, and played a vital role in numerous projects, from water conservation to the City’s

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Water Quality Reports. Shane’s long experience and razor-sharp memory have become a valuable resource for the City.

City employees frequently rely on Shane’s recall when it comes to City history. So, I shouldn’t have been surprised when I asked what I considered a tough question, 'what project stands out the most', and Shane was ready to answer.

Handing me a Five Cities Times-PressRecorder yellowed newspaper from May 22, 1996, Shane tells me, “This is one I’m particularly proud of […] one of the things I started with our staff was our new meter reading system.” The system would save the City more than $20,000 annually in staff costs. “We went to automated meter reading back in the nineties, which was groundbreaking for around here. Nobody had done it before. That’s one project I’m pretty proud of…we’ve got lots of them, and this one is documented.” He laughed, pointing to the photo of Mayor Pete Dougall featured in the article. This project encapsulates what he has enjoyed during his career: the creation and planning of a project, the bidding and oversight, the gathering of all the input necessary for building it. He takes great joy in talking about how he gets to experience the difference a completed project makes in the operations of the utility systems.

Reflecting over the last three decades, he doesn’t pretend his path has been without hardship. “When I first started, I was scared to death. There are so many things that happen and it’s all on you.” He acknowledges the work and around the

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clock dedication that goes into working for a City Public Works Department. If a road or utility emergency happens at 2 AM, you will find a Public Works employee in the thick of things, taking care of the City.

Being the Utilities Manager for Arroyo Grande bears the weight of ensuring the City follows federal, state, and local water regulations. Over the years the regulations have evolved, requiring more testing and reporting – and Shane must accept responsibility for all of it. While some would falter when faced with this task, Shane has an understanding which only comes from experience.

“Be patient, […] this job, it can be overwhelming. Over the years, there are a million things that can go wrong. The best thing about the job is you get to help people, you really do, and we have a lot of wonderful people here to help.”

The Road Ahead After working for Arroyo Grande and living in the Five Cities area, Shane expresses hope for his community. As the Utilities Manager, he knows the 2016 Central Coast Blue Project undertaken by Arroyo Grande, Grover Beach, and Pismo Beach will help shore up the groundwater supply. His practicality knows the biggest help for the City is residents being more sustainable when it comes to water conservation. He assures me that the residents have made great efforts in conservation, citing the Cash for Grass, Plumbing Retrofits, and Water Efficient Washing Machines programs.

It is admirable that Shane not only acknowledges the severity of the drought, but also manages to find positive aspects in the community despite challenging circumstances. It is heartening to hear that he goes beyond his professional duties to support the community during his own time. Shane is the President of the Wednesday Night Men's Bowling League in Pismo Beach for over ten years, and is an active volunteer for the 5-Cities Christian Woman's Food Pantry in Grover Beach.

This demonstrates his dedication and commitment to making a difference in people's lives. It is essential to have individuals like Shane, who prioritize the well-being of their community, especially during challenging times.

Recently, more and more people have been asking Shane when he plans to retire; after thirty-six years, it’s a fair question.

When he took the job, his priority was stability for his young family. Now, he isn’t ready to leave until he can provide it to the City. “I don’t want to leave until everything’s stable.” I asked what that would look like, and after considering for a moment he replied, “Having the same director for a while, having people stay more than two years. It’s like raising your kids and you never see them again.”

“Ultimately, I’ve been thrilled to work here. I can’t imagine doing anything else. That - a lot of people don’t get to have. So, I feel very blessed. That I got this opportunity and whether I realized it or not. There was probably twenty years I didn’t really have that, ‘Why am I doing this? Why am I still here?’ Finally, the lightbulb came on and said, because you’re supposed to be here.

You were chosen to do this, for whatever reason. This is what you’re supposed to do, is take care of these people and help them.”

Shane Taylor 2/9/1993

Like Shane’s career, the stories he tells are historied, full of laughs, gasps, and moments that leave me full of admiration.

Above all, Shane shows passion and genuine care for what he does.

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