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Dear Inquirer
If I haven't had the pleasure of meeting yet, my name is Jimmy Paulding, and I'm your representative on the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors. District 4 includes the South County communities of Arroyo Grande, Nipomo, and Oceano, among others. Having grown up in Arroyo Grande and attended school in Oceano and on the Mesa, getting to represent my hometown community is an absolute privilege.
Since I was elected to the Board in 2022, I've been putting out a monthly email newsletter with lots of information about what your County government is up to. I also share updates about key projects in District 4, as well as events going on in the community. If this sounds like something you might be interested in, you can sign up for my newsletter here.
Here's a flavor of some of the things I cover in my monthly newsletter, broken down by community.
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Did you know that the Board of Supervisors has approved the construction of a new Sheriff's Substation in Nipomo? Starting next year, this $12,000,000 project will begin construction in Olde Towne. Once completed in 2028, the substation will not only improve response times in Nipomo, but it will also make it easier for residents to report crimes in person, as well as offer a community meeting space for the public to use. Read more about it here.
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The County Planning & Building Department is in the middle of updating the Nipomo Community Plan—the planning document that guides future improvements and investment in the community. So far, there have been a handful of public workshops, and last summer more than 1,200 residents participated in a survey about what kinds of community improvements they'd like to see. The survey showed that traffic and circulation, sidewalks and bike lanes, and parks and recreation improvements were top priorities. Based on this input, County staff are working on a draft plan that will include suggestions for how to fund community improvements, all without raising taxes. Learn more about the community plan update here, and I'll be sure to share the draft plan in my newsletter once it's released later this spring.
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There are a couple of community improvements coming to Oceano very soon that I want to highlight. Oceano Memorial Park is getting a brand-new playground! The project will not only bring new (and safer) equipment, but it will also address the longstanding flooding issues. You're invited to join us for the groundbreaking ceremony tomorrow (Tuesday, February 17) at 11am at the park! Construction is expected to start this month and will be completed later this Spring. Read more about the project here and watch a video rendering here.
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Nearby, Pier Avenue is also getting a facelift. Over the past couple of years, County Public Works has been engaging with the community on how to improve this critical stretch of road between Highway 1 and the beach. The Pier Avenue Corridor Plan includes multiple phases, with the first phase adding protected bike lanes, enhanced crosswalks, and improved parking configurations to help support nearby businesses—not to mention fresh pavement! Staff are currently aiming to complete these initial improvements before Memorial Day. Learn more about it here.
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When the Cecchetti Road low-water crossing—a critical road connection in East AG—was destroyed during the heavy storms of January 2023, no one expected it would take years to fix. From complex environmental permitting to endangered species lawsuits (more on that below), it's been one agonizing delay after another. Late last year, I was able to work with our staff to find cost savings from another bridge project and allocate them for a temporary bridge to be installed at Cecchetti Road. If everything goes according to plan, the temporary bridge will be installed after the rainy season ends this spring and will remain in place until construction starts on the permanent bridge. You can read more about it here.
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The Arroyo Grande Library is getting a major interior remodel to modernize the space and improve safety, accessibility, and services for the community. Built in 1979, the original library has had only minor updates until now. The project, which is underway and expected to be completed by the end of this year, will include new restrooms, an updated children’s area and teen space, breakout rooms, as well as a new fire sprinkler and alarm system and ADA accessibility upgrades. The remodel will also add a dedicated Veterans Services office, and an exterior patio reading area. Read more about the project here.
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Inquirer, sign up now for the latest news and updates from my office.
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South County/Regional Updates
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I'm sure many of you have been following the Endangered Species Act lawsuit over Lopez Dam and the Arroyo Grande Creek, but for those who aren't, this is a critical moment for the future of South County's water supply. Lopez Lake supplies water to the communities of Arroyo Grande, Grover Beach, Oceano, Pismo Beach, and Avila—about 50,000 people. In 2024, several environmental groups sued on the grounds that the dam was negatively impacting steelhead trout populations. Unfortunately, a judge issued a preliminary decision that forced the release of significantly more water from the dam than would be sustainable over the long run. We appealed that decision, and fortunately the initial ruling was overturned. We're not out of the woods yet, and fighting this lawsuit remains very expensive for our communities—costs that will likely lead to higher water rates. You can read more about this issue here.
While fighting to preserve our existing water supplies, we also have to be thinking about how to meet our water needs in the future. That's why the County, along with more than a dozen local agencies that also supply water (including all of the major ones in South County), is embarking on a long-term project to explore building a regional desalination plant. While still in the study phase, we are actively evaluating the feasibility of various sites across SLO County, and two of the five finalists are in South County (the retired Phillips 66 refinery and the South County Sanitation District's water treatment plant). There is a lot of great information about this project on the County website, so I encourage you to check it out if you're interested. The draft feasibility study will be released in the coming months, which I'll be sure to include in my newsletter.
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I hope you found this information interesting and useful. If you'd like to get my monthly newsletter delivered to your inbox, you can sign up here.
Do you have an issue with County government? My office is here to help! You can contact us by email at district4@co.slo.ca.us, by phone at 805-781-4337, or by simply responding to this email. I'm also happy to meet with you during my office hours in South County.
If you've made it this far, thanks for reading this update. I look forward to seeing you sometime out in the community!
Sincerely,
Jimmy Paulding
Supervisor, District 4
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Reach out to my office —
1055 Monterey Street, Suite D430
San Luis Obispo, CA 93408
(805) 781-4337
district4@co.slo.ca.us
District 4 Website
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