A main focus at Tuesday’s San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors meeting will concern groundwater basins and alleged violations of state law by some of the supervisors.
The allegations stem from the March 7 board meeting during which - without any prior public notice or discussion - Supervisor Arnold made a motion for the county to become the agency responsible for managing the area's groundwater basins. Supervisors Peschong and Compton’s supporting votes passed the motion that significantly changed policy.
On Tuesday the board is first scheduled to "review and consider and give direction," as the agenda reads, as to if the supervisors violated the Brown Act by allegedly discussing the groundwater basin vote in advance of the March 7 meeting, in what’s called serial meeting. If the board takes no action, the district attorney or a member of the public could file a lawsuit.
The San Luis Obispo county board will also hold a hearing to reconsider the March 7 change in policy regarding the statewide Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. Both discussions surrounding the alleged Brown Act violations and groundwater basin management will take place in the afternoon session, starting at 1:30 p.m.
Many Shandon residents will be happy to hear this week the county is scheduled to award a construction contract for the San Juan Creek pedestrian and bike bridge project. For years Shandon residents have been asking the county to address the current road configuration, which has pedestrians, bicycles and vehicles all using a narrow bridge to cross from one side of town to the other. San Luis Obispo company Souza Construction submitted the lowest bid and the project is expected to be completed in early 2018, according to county project manager Genaro Diaz.
Souza Construction is also slated to win a $1.6 million contract for a bridge project near Adelaida.
In Santa Barbara, the county board of supervisors will make decisions on special assessments in the city of Lompoc to participate in the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program, as well as consider hiring outside attorneys who specialize in “tribal relations.” Santa Barbara county officials are also slated to decide whether to extend the county’s temporary ban on all commercial recreational cannabis activities. They will also review Santa Barbara County’s animal services program and talk about Measure A spending plans.
No meeting this week in Monterey County, the Board of Supervisors there next meet on April 11.
