TIMELINE

Against the backdrop of a quickly dwindling water basin, the California State Office of Legislative Council ruled that the proposed Paso Robles water district is constitutional. Following the decision, Assemblyman Katcho Achadjian vowed to move forward with his legislation, AB 2453, which would create a board of directors comprised of both property owners and directly elected residents in the district. 60% of the property owners in Arroyo Grande, Grover Beach, and Oceano rejected the Five Cities Fire Authority (FCFA) request for a $66 per year property tax hike. The FCFA, which formed in 2010, had seen its budget rise from $3.4 million to $4.3 million over the last two years. In 2012, the FCFA had received a FEMA grant and used the one-time funds to hire six new firefighters. The funds expire later this year leaving the agency in financial limbo.

Pismo Beach City Council settled a lawsuit brought on by Madison, Wisconsin-based group Freedom from Religion in conjunction with a member of Atheists United San Luis Obispo by agreeing to no longer begin its meetings with a prayer, eliminate the volunteer city chaplain position, and pay the plaintiff’s attorney fees totaling $47,500. A few weeks later, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-to-4 in a separate but similar case that the town of Greece, New York was allowed to continue to start its council sessions with a prayer. In front of one of the largest crowds to ever attend a meeting, SLO City Council, by a 4-to-1 vote, decided to not ban marijuana dispensaries or restrict outdoor growing. Councilman John Ashbaugh said at the meeting attended almost entirely by opponents to the legislation, “The only way I would pass this is if I had too many hits on the bong.” The issue came to a head after the City had received multiple complaints from neighbors of a downtown resident who was growing a dozen six-foot tall marijuana plants in his backyard.

The City of San Luis Obispo installed seven parking meter-like donation stations downtown which accept cash and credit card donations for homeless services. Contributions to the machines go directly to The Prado Day Center. The innovative “Change for Change” program had been in the works through a coordinated effort between the City, SLOPD, and the Downtown Association for more than a year.

The Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo County (CAPSLO) announced that it partnered with the SLO Regional Transit Authority to jointly purchase 9.7 acres at 40 Prado Road near Highway 101 to build its long-sought homeless services center. Construction on the overnight facility is expected to begin late next year and will replace both the Prado Day Center as well as the Maxine Lewis Memorial Shelter. The following day, CAPSLO made more news by announcing that it is transitioning to a sobriety-based program and will no longer serve drug and alcohol addicted clients.

Citing alcohol-fueled disturbances at Cal Poly graduation ceremonies in past years, Mayor Jan Marx and Cal Poly Vice President for Student Affairs Keith Humphrey sent a letter to the Downtown Association asking that they assist in urging bars to end the practice of opening at 6am on graduation day. The bar owners politely, but firmly declined the request, stating that they will continue to open early for students on those days.

Former Atascadero Citizen of the Year, Kelly Gearhart, pled guilty to fraud in a Los Angeles federal courthouse in connection to his real estate development activities. The 53-year-old, who had been living in a commercial building in Ohio, scammed Central Coast investors out of $20 million. His conviction carries a minimum of 11 years in federal prison, but Gearhart will learn the actual length of time he will be required to serve when he is formally sentenced on December 29th. The California State University Board of Trustees approved Cal Poly’s plan to build the controversial 1,475-bed, seven building student housing complex on the south side of campus near a neighborhood at the intersection of Grand Avenue and Slack Street. Building is expected to begin at the end of next year and should be ready for the 2018/2019 school year.

More high-temperature records are broken around the Central Coast as heat waves bake the drought-stricken landscape twice in the month of May. Los Osos, which is often covered in fog during that period, hits 103 degrees on May 14th, Morro Bay registers 102, and Cambria checks in at 100.