Read updates from your County government, including important projects and events in your community.

Dear Inquirer,

As we move through the second half of the year, I'm encouraged by the progress we're making together across South County and San Luis Obispo County. From reducing homelessness and advancing long-awaited infrastructure projects to improving public safety and investing in our roads and schools, we're continuing to move important priorities forward.

There is still much work ahead, but I remain committed to practical, collaborative solutions that improve quality of life for our communities. Whether it's restoring critical infrastructure after the 2023 storms or preparing for this coming winter's storms, making neighborhoods safer for families, supporting local businesses, or planning for the future, my focus remains on delivering results that make a meaningful difference in people's everyday lives.

Thank you for taking the time to stay informed and engaged. It is an honor to serve as your Fourth District Supervisor, and I appreciate the opportunity to work alongside residents, community organizations, local businesses, and my colleagues to help keep SLO County one of the best places to live, work, and raise a family.

Yours in service, 

Jimmy Paulding 
District 4 Supervisor

• The site feasibility study for our county's desalination plan has been released and is open for public comment through Friday. 
• Read my opinion piece about the investments PG&E and the state legislature should make in SLO County if Diablo Canyon Power Plant is extended for another 20 years.
• Finalized Point in Time Count numbers show unsheltered homelessness is down 42% in SLO County.
• An update on the East Arroyo Grande bridge replacement projects at Cecchetti Road and Huasna Road.
• Transportation improvements are moving forward with a safe routes to school project in Oceano and a roundabout project on Highway 227 in Edna Valley.
• See the results of the County's fireworks enforcement efforts from the Fourth of July holiday.
• Key upcoming meetings and events.

For those interested in our DESAL Plan, the County is pleased to announce that the Draft DESAL Plan Site Feasibility Study is now available for public review and comment through August 7. 

The study provides a planning-level review of possible desalination projects in SLO County and its purpose is to support future regional water supply planning. The study identifies and evaluates a variety of potential desalination project sites, applies consistent screening criteria to compare them, and narrows the options to five feasible desalination project concepts (identified as "alternatives" in the plan). Two of the five study sites are in South County: the wastewater treatment plant near Oceano and the retired oil refinery on the Nipomo Mesa. 

We welcome your feedback and encourage you to review the document and submit your comments during the Public Comment period which is open through Friday August 7.  

• REPORT
• APPENDICES
• DESAL PLAN COMMENT FORM
• PROJECT WEBSITE

The draft study will be presented to the Water Resources Advisory Committee (WRAC) on Wednesday, August 5 at 1:30pm before being finalized and presented to the Board of Supervisors on September 1. 

Thank you for your continued interest in the DESAL Plan and for taking the time to participate; we appreciate your input and look forward to hearing your feedback!

Last week, I had the opportunity to share my perspective in The San Luis Obispo Tribune on one of the most important issues facing our region: the future of Diablo Canyon Power Plant.

I continue to support extending Diablo Canyon's operations because I believe it plays a vital role in California's energy reliability and clean energy future. At the same time, I believe any extension must include a renewed commitment to the communities that have supported the plant for decades.

In my opinion piece, I outline two priorities that should accompany any long-term extension:

• Restoring long-term local funding by continuing the unitary property tax—or providing an equivalent funding source—to support the local governments, schools, and public services that have historically hosted Diablo Canyon.
• Strengthening emergency preparedness by ensuring our public safety infrastructure, emergency management systems, and first responders have the resources needed to safely support another generation of plant operations.

As the Legislature considers the future of Diablo Canyon, I believe we have an opportunity to protect both California's energy future and the communities that help make it possible.

You can read my full opinion piece in The San Luis Obispo Tribune here.

If you missed it, the County also hosted an informational session on the possible extension of Diablo Canyon Power Plant's operation, "Diablo Canyon 2045: Local and Statewide Implications" last week.  
 
Featured speakers included Dr. John Parsons of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), who discussed the economics associated with the proposed extension of Diablo Canyon's operations through 2045, and Dr. David Roland-Holst, Executive Director of Berkeley Economic Advising and Research, who presented information on the plant's economic impacts in SLO County. PG&E representatives provided updates on plant operations, safety systems, seismic monitoring, spent fuel storage, and regulatory oversight. The program also included a moderated Community Perspectives Panel featuring representatives from education, business, labor, and other community sectors.

You can watch a recording of the forum here or listen to the audio on SLO-SPAN. 

The recently finalized 2026 Point-in-Time Count Report shows encouraging progress in our efforts to address homelessness across San Luis Obispo County. Since 2022, unsheltered homelessness has declined by 42%, putting us on track to achieve our countywide goal of reducing homelessness by 50% by 2028. Overall homelessness has also continued to trend downward, demonstrating that the investments we've made in prevention, outreach, emergency shelter, and permanent housing are making a measurable difference.

While there is still more work to do, these results reinforce that our local approach is working. To sustain this progress, we must continue investing in the programs and partnerships that help people avoid homelessness, connect individuals with services, and create more housing opportunities. The recent completion of 54-bed Welcome Home Village in SLO is a great example of the kind of project that will help us continue moving the needle. By staying focused on practical, results-driven solutions, I am confident we can continue making meaningful progress for our community.

You can read the full PIT Count report here.

I know restoring permanent, reliable access to the Huasna/East AG community remains a top priority for many residents, and I want to share an update on these important bridge projects.

Public Works is finishing up the permitting and design process and is currently on track to construct the permanent Cecchetti Road Bridge in spring 2027, followed by the Huasna Road Bridge replacement project in spring 2028 once Cecchetti has been completed. Sequencing the projects this way will ensure one access route remains open while the other bridge is under construction, minimizing disruptions for residents.

In the meantime, County engineers are completing additional hydraulic modeling to determine what size storm would require removal of the temporary Cecchetti bridge that was installed earlier this year. With the potential for an El Niño weather pattern this winter, this analysis will help ensure the temporary bridge is removed before dangerous flood conditions could damage or wash it away.

Even if no storm requires its early removal, the temporary bridge must still be taken out before construction of the permanent bridge can begin, which will take place shortly before the start of construction assuming it remains in place through the winter.

While this has been a long process, I appreciate the community's continued patience as we work toward a permanent, reliable solution for the Huasna community.

I'm pleased to share that the Oceano Safe Routes to School project reached an important milestone last month by going out to bid. Construction is anticipated to be completed next year, bringing long-awaited safety improvements for students, families, and residents who walk or bike through the neighborhood surrounding Oceano Elementary School.

The project will improve pedestrian and bicycle access along 19th Street, 20th Street, 21st Street, Warner Street, and Vista Street, primarily along the eastern edge of the school campus. These improvements are designed to make it safer and easier for children to get to school while enhancing accessibility for the entire community.

This $1.1 million project is being funded primarily through a Community Betterments Grant from the San Luis Obispo Council of Governments (SLOCOG). Securing this funding was one of my priorities when I was first elected, and in 2023 I was able to direct our Public Works team to pursue this grant opportunity. I'm grateful for their efforts and excited to see this important investment move one step closer to construction.

I want to congratulate County Fire/Cal Fire Battalion Chief Chad Fleming, who is stationed in Nipomo, on receiving the Governor's State Employee Gold Medal of Valor—the highest honor awarded to California state employees for extraordinary acts of heroism.

Chief Fleming was recognized for his courageous actions during last year's Gifford Fire, where he rescued a civilian who was engulfed in flames and provided lifesaving aid despite the extreme danger.

I also want to recognize the other three SLO County firefighters—Fire Captains Clint Marsalek, Carlos Pacheco, and Andrew Perez—who also received the Gold Medal of Valor for rescuing eight people from dangerous floodwaters in Avila Beach during the severe winter storms of 2023.

These awards are a testament to the extraordinary dedication and courage of the first responders who serve our communities every day. Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition!

Planning continues on the State Route 227 Enhancement Project, an important regional effort led by the San Luis Obispo Council of Governments (SLOCOG) in partnership with Caltrans to improve safety and traffic flow along one of South County's busiest transportation corridors. The project includes construction of two new roundabouts at Los Ranchos Road and Buckley Road, safety improvements at the Crestmont Drive intersection, and a new 1.2-mile Edna Valley Trail that will provide a safer walking and biking connection between Los Ranchos Rd and Airport Drive in SLO.

Project design is progressing, with the 30% design milestone expected this August and final design sometime in 2027. Community input remains an important part of the process, and SLOCOG will host its first of two community meetings on Tuesday, September 1 (details coming soon), to provide an update on the project, share preliminary designs, and gather feedback from residents before work continues. I encourage anyone who regularly travels Highway 227 or has an interest in the project to attend and help shape these improvements. For more information and to sign up to receive project updates, visit the SLOCOG project page here.

I want to thank our Sheriff's Office, County Fire Department/Cal Fire, and all of our public safety partners for their outstanding work over the Fourth of July holiday. Their coordinated enforcement efforts helped make this one of our safest Independence Day celebrations in recent years.

On July 4 alone, the Sheriff's Office deployed maximum staffing and handled more than 1,100 calls for service, including 285 calls related to illegal fireworks. Despite that activity, there were no fireworks-related fires anywhere in SLO County—a tremendous accomplishment and a testament to the hard work of our first responders and the cooperation of our community.

Countywide, more than 42 citations were issued and more than 100 fireworks and launchers were confiscated. Deputies from the Sheriff's South Station, which covers Oceano and Nipomo, issued 19 fireworks ordinance violations, initiated one criminal case, and identified 10 additional violations through drone operations for follow-up enforcement. More than 70% of countywide citations were issued in South County.

While these results reflect meaningful progress, I know many residents still want to see even stronger enforcement. As a member of the County's Fireworks Task Force, I share that goal. We will continue evaluating this year's efforts, identifying opportunities to improve, and working with our public safety partners to strengthen enforcement strategies ahead of next year's Fourth of July.

You can read the latest report from the Fireworks Task Force summarizing this year's enforcement efforts here. 

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August 4 – Board of Supervisors Meeting, 9am, Katcho Achadjian Government Center Board Chambers. The meeting agenda is available here.

August 18 – Board of Supervisors Meeting, 9am, Katcho Achadjian Government Center Board Chambers. Key agenda items include a discussion on the formation of a Fire Appeals Board, a report on affordable housing projects funded last year, and water management planning updates for Lopez Lake.

August 24 – South County Advisory Council Meeting, 6:30pm, Dana Adobe Cultural Center. This is a great opportunity for you to weigh in on land use decisions in the AG Mesa/Nipomo area. Learn more at scac.ca.gov.

September 19 – Creeks to Coast Cleanup, 9am-noon. This annual event empowers our community to come together to protect our waterways, coastline, wildlife, and our neighbors. Volunteer opportunities in Oceano, Nipomo and throughout SLO County! Learn more and sign up here. 

September 19 – Girls in Aviation Day, 11am-2pm, Oceano Airport. Organized by our County Airports Department, this free, family-friendly event celebrates the women shaping the future of flight. Guests ages 3 and up can get up close with aircraft, meet local pilots and aviation professionals, and enjoy hands-on activities built to inspire young dreamers. Learn more here. 

Please note that anticipated Board agenda items are subject to change. Always be sure to check the posted agenda at slocounty.ca.gov to confirm if an item will be discussed at the next meeting. Agendas are usually published the Wednesday prior to each Board meeting.

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