Hometown News Since 1889
Good News Real News Making Communities Better Through Print. VOL. CXXX, NO. XXVIII
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2019
pasoroblespress.com • $1.00 • WEEKLY
New Paso PD Unit Takes to the Streets
City Councils Divvy Up CDBG Money $163K going to Atascadero, $236K to Paso Robles
CAT officers to interface with at-risk individuals
By MARK DIAZ mark@pasoroblespress.com
By MARK DIAZ mark@pasoroblespress.com
NORTH COUNTY — The City Councils for Atascadero and Paso Robles made preliminary decisions on where to portion out incoming federal funds from the Community Development Block Grant. CDBG funding comes from Federal Housing and Urban Development. Federal regulations limit what the funding can be used for — 70 percent of the total must be spent on low- and moderate-income people with no more than 30 percent of the total aiding in the prevention or elimination of urban decay; 15 percent can be used for public service activities and 20 percent can be used for administrative costs. Entities or groups applying for CDBG funds from either city had to do so by late October. Cities must present their plans for the requests to the County, which disseminates the funds. Atascadero Public Works Department estimates the City will receive $163,833 in 2020. The amount is a sum of reallocation funds, project CDBG amounts and a repayment of funds lent to the City of Morro Bay. However, grant applications received by Atascadero exceeded $600,000. Atascadero Mayor Heather Moreno said that difficult decisions will have to be made to in view of the amount the City has to offer and the amount requested by the applicants. “Typically, what we do in a situation is we average everything, but to average everything doesn’t really help much of anyone,” said Moreno. Organizations requesting funding included Atascadero Loaves and Fishes, Peoples’ Self-Help Housing and the Food Bank Coalition of San Luis Obispo County. The City also requires funding for the Santa Rosa barrier removal and administrative costs on both the County and City levels. The Council unanimously passed a motion to fund $124,759 to the Santa Rosa barrier removal project, $8,511 to the El Camino Homeless Organization for the operation of the homeless shelter, and $12,500 for youth activity scholarships for the City with the remainder going to City administrative costs. Paso Robles estimates receiving $236,185 in CDBG funding. The city received eight applications for grant money, including GRID Alternatives Anna’s Home Solar project and job training, the City’s 17th Street sidewalk project, the Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo County, Peoples’ Self-Help Housing and the Food Bank. “CDBG is a one-time chance to do things for places that we normally can’t do,” Councilmember Fred Strong said. The Paso Robles Council decided to pull funds from the 17th Street project and direct them toward both of GRID Alternatives Anna’s Home solar projects. The nonprofit operates as a sup-
PASO ROBLES — In a new approach to address social challenges, the City of Paso Robles authorized a police-run Community Action Team in July. On Nov. 1, the four-person unit began its mission to build relationships with displaced and at-risk people and direct them to available resources. CAT operates under the premise that law enforcement alone is not the solution to social problems. Across the state, police departments are instituting CAT programs to address issues specific to their area. For example, Paso Robles has a large displaced population residing in the Salinas riverbed. Therefore officers must be equipped to venture into the riverbed and be well versed CONTINUED ON PAGE A10
Reporter Tonya Strickland’s daughter Clara enjoys a cup of tea while hugging a teddy bear at the Paso Robles Victorian Teddy Bear Tea event Saturday. Photos by Tonya Strickland
Tea With Teddys, Victorian Style By TONYA STRICKLAND FOR THE PASO ROBLES PRESS
I
’ve written about Paso Robles’ Victorian Teddy Bear Tea so many times, I could recite all its details in my sleep. But I had never taken my children to it until 2017. And what a treat it is seeing it through their eyes. This year, Wyatt stayed home. Boys are certainly welcome, but he was sick this year. So Clara put on her best Christmas coat (who am I kidding, she only has one Christmas coat. And I just bought it last month. At the Cracker Barrel). Anyway, she put on the coat, grabbed her teddy bear and geared up for one heck of a Christmas party. Organized by the Downtown Paso Robles Main Street Association, the Teddy Bear Tea is an annual, ticketed event where guests are
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atascaderonews.com
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A packed house enjoyed refreshments, entertainment, a toy raffle and more at the Park Ballroom Saturday.
ENTERTAINMENT
NONPROFIT
SPORTS
HOLIDAY
SENSORIO FIELD OF LIGHT Installment Will Stay Open Until June | A4
PEOPLE’S SELF-HELP HOUSING Breaks Ground on New Office | A8
YEAR IN REVIEW Look back at the Biggest Sports Moments of 2019 | B1
HOLIDAY SPECIAL: Christmas in Creston and more | B4
Councilman Helps Keep Highway 46 Projects Alive
Strong scores $1.3M for safety projects By MARK DIAZ mark@pasoroblespress.com PASO ROBLES — Paso Robles City Councilmember Fred Strong reported in December that he helped garner millions of dollars for City and San Luis Obispo County roadways through negotiations at the local and state levels. Strong said that California lost over $368 million of federal aid due to the Trump Administration’s Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient (SAFE) Vehicles Rule for model years 20212026 passenger cars and light trucks. Acting as President and Chairman of San Luis Obispo Council of Government (SLOCOG), Strong worked to secure previously guarCONTINUED ON PAGE A10
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