Exterior of County Government Center in downtown San Luis Obispo

Board of Supervisors Set Priorities for Next Fiscal Year

Author: Administration
Date: 11/16/2021 4:25:06 PM

Here's what happened at today's Board of Supervisors Meeting

Supervisors today started the process of determining what should be priorities for the next fiscal year. The Board identified a handful of priorities staff should consider in drafting next year’s budget. 

  • Public Safety  
  • Housing and Homelessness
  • Economic Development in the County
  • Water Resiliency (groundwater management, maximize State Water delivery, desalination)
  • Roads

The establishment of Board priorities helps to guide development of the FY 2022-23 budget and decisions about funding levels for various programs and services. The priorities were passed by a unanimous vote.

The Board also heard from people concerned about regulations surrounding camping on private rural properties. The growing popularity of “Hip Camp”, a popular booking system similar to AirBnB has prompted county land-owners to “rent” a portion of their properties to campers. As the County looks at it’s planning and zoning ordinances and priorities, people who have been using the app encouraged Supervisors to consider allowing for such uses, and there were some who expressed concerns about fire dangers and other issues. Supervisors agreed to have staff evaluate the scope of work for this ordinance change to be added to the Planning and Building Tier I priorities for planners to examine in the coming year.    

There was celebration from the crowd when Supervisors approved a loan allowing work to begin on restoration of the Cayucos Veterans Hall. The historic building that was once known as Cass Warehouse (built by the town’s founder, James Cass, in 1873) has been closed to the public since 2016 after repair work discovered major failures in the structure and foundation. The board authorized a budget adjustment of $3,500,000 from the Tax Reduction Reserve Fund for an internal loan to fund the rehabilitation project. The loan is expected to be repaid through grants, fundraising by locals, and projected income from the property once the project is completed and can be used by the public again. It passed by a 4/5 vote with Supervisor Debbie Arnold dissenting.

The day began with some resolutions honoring locals for their services to the community. 

Family and friends of Marilyn Britton accepted a resolution in her honor. Britton died last month. She was a lifelong resident of the county, Cal Poly Alumna, and served the Farm Bureau of San Luis Obispo County for 30 years, retiring as the agency’s executive director in 2001. In 2018 she was named Agriculturalist of the Year and was very active in the agricultural community her entire career. Britton died in October. 

The board passed resolutions honoring and thanking veterans in our county as part of "Thank a Veteran Month."  Board Members presented a proclamation to Morgan Boyd, the County's Veterans Services Officer. The Board also recognized the County Veterans Center for providing counseling service to combat veterans.

Also honored today, the foster and adoptive families in our county who are heroes to the children who find themselves in crisis and in need of stable, loving homes, through no fault of their own. There are more than 350 children in foster care in San Luis Obispo County. The goal is reunification with their biological parents but sometimes that is not possible. Thanks to parents who open their hearts and homes to these kids, more than 40 children in the county found forever homes in 2021.

Supervisors honored our adoptive families as part of National Adoption Month, thanking the families who stepped up this year.

Check out this video to meet just a few of them: