Arroyo Grande City Council
May 26, 2026

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The following figure identifies the emergency incident segment, potential metrics, applicable NFPA standards, and other comments.

Figure 134: Incident Segments
Segment Key Performance Metric Standard Comments
Normal State Community demographics
N/A
This base state
needs to be
defined. Prevention
mainly affects this.

Incident Initiation
Incident Counts
Incident Detection
Notification Action
PSAP Answer NFPA 1225 Prevention and
PSAP Notification Education
PSAP Interrogation PSAP Transfer & Agency
Answer NFPA 1225 CAD to CAD
Agency Notification agreements
Agency Interrogation
Call Processing
Total
Response
Time
NFPA 1225
& 1710 These segments
should be
evaluated at a
minimum. Each
segment should
have an adopted
performance
standard.

FD Notified
FD Unit Dispatched
> Turnout Time
> Travel Time
FD Unit Responding NFPA 1710
FD 1st Unit Arrives
FD ERF Dispatched
ERF Travel & Total Time NFPA 1710
FD ERF Arrives
EMS To Destination
> Destination Travel
> Wall Time N/A Applicable to EMS
transport agencies. EMS At Destination
EMS Clear Destination
FD Units Clear Incident
From dispatch to clear,
total time, this translates
into unit utilization
N/A
Used to evaluate
unit workload and
availability.

Normal State
The outcome of the incident response is the gold standard for service delivery analytics. However, this advanced study is outside the scope of this report and requires unconventional research and analytic methods.

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Continuing to expand on the medical incident example, the time segments for the firstarriving unit in a medical call include call processing, turnout, travel, and total response times. However, due to dispatch performance, the PSAP component, FCFA would benefit from adding the call answer and PSAP transfer time segments as management components in its formal performance evaluations. That will, of course, need to be decided by the ECC, the Sheriff's office, and FCFA leadership. While some of the NFPA standards are challenging to meet, many dispatch centers have met the NFPA 1225 standards. The best approach is to agree on the standards and report performance.

Meeting turnout time standards is a mix of station design, staffing, and crew performance.

FCFA's goal time of 1 minute during the day and 1 minute, 30 seconds at night is an aggressive but attainable goal. A 2024 performance of 2 minutes, 38 seconds or faster, 90 percent of the time, is a good starting point.

The NFPA goal of achieving a first unit travel time of within 4 minutes, 90 percent of the time, is an extremely aggressive target. The design and placement of stations play a significant role in this. However, FCFA could adopt the travel times discussed above. Once the bridge replacement is complete, it will be a good idea to reassess this segment. Also, adding a staffed station closer to the Oceano area would be beneficial for that community. It would add some flexibility for the rest of the jurisdiction.

The effective response force times are going to be a complex subject for FCFA. With a small staff, they cannot rely on themselves for a full ERF on any incident of significant complexity. Ensuring there are enough firefighters and equipment in the appropriate area, whether FCFA or CAL FIRE units, is beneficial for all customers in both jurisdictions. It is essential for the cities of Arroyo Grande, Grover Beach, and Pismo Beach, as well as the communities of Oceano and, to a degree, Nipomo, to cooperate and deploy their forces in a manner that allows for comprehensive coverage of the entire area. While taxation is often viewed as a negative concept in today's political environment, public safety does come at a cost.

Performance Specifics
The next step is to define the criteria that satisfy the performance requirements of the analysis. For example, does the arrival of a chief officer stop the response clock, or is it an apparatus designed and equipped to address the incident's specifics? Can an ambulance stop the clock on a structure fire, or is it an apparatus that can begin to address the fire hazard, like fire attack and water supply? There is no one answer to these questions, and leadership must define them to meet the community's expectations of performance.

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The apparatus variable may be defined by type or a description of capabilities. If an engine company's capabilities are well known, then stating a first due apparatus as the engine company will suffice. However, the definition might be more descriptive if the engine companies differ in their approach. For example, a complete description might state, "the first arriving company, capable of providing a minimum of three firefighters, officers, or engineers, and equipped with an AED and EMT-B firefighters." It will be up to the agency to clarify this component. However, CFAI expectations are to clearly define the capabilities of the first arriving and effective response forces. For FCFA medical incidents, the leadership could adopt the first front-line vehicle, such as an engine, truck, or rescue apparatus, as the clock-stopping vehicle. This is what will be used in the example.

Another variable that should be defined is geographic limitations. For example, an agency may state that the travel time for a building within one road mile of the station would be four minutes, while those more than two road miles away would be ten minutes. FCFA may also be able to evaluate response areas by political subdivision. A more common methodology is to assess the area's population density; however, the entirety of the FCFA is situated in what the ECC describes as an urban environment.

FCFA may add or limit the number of qualifying statements for any incident type. However, the result is the same: a performance chart based on incident type and perhaps severity, which includes goals, standards, differences, and references. The following figure illustrates a potential performance statement based on a single-unit response.

Figure 135: Performance Chart Example
Key Metric Baseline Benchmark Strategic
Improvement Reference
First-due engine or truck performance for first-due fire & EMS incidents in FCFA.

Call Processing 1:15 1:00 ECC and Sheriff's
Dept.

Dispatch
agreement
Turnout Time 2:40 1:00 Day
1:30 Night
Management
initiatives Meets Agency Goal
Travel Time
6:00 (Cities)
7:00 (CSD)
(2024 90th)
5:00 (Cities)
6:00 (CSD)
Routing and
training,
improved roads,
staff station
(CSD)
Reasonable
expectation for the
area
Total Time 9:30 8:00 Turnout time
focus
This is a reasonable
expectation.

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The preceding figure is an example and does not necessarily meet or even follow the overall performance review standards accepted by FCFA. It does, however, illustrate the process. This process would be repeated for all the service areas or programs FCFA wishes to manage with data. For example, as in this risk assessment document, FCFA could continue to group fire, medical, and other incidents.

One concept to remember is that total response times are not an aggregate of call processing, turnout, and travel times. Because the evaluation in this case utilizes the 90th percentile, the baseline incident time segments do not stack vertically, and the total time is analyzed statistically. In other words, adding call processing, turnout time, and travel time for all incidents does not necessarily equate to the 90th percentile total response time.

Develop Evaluation Methodology
Now that the performance charts are defined for each incident segment and type, a methodology should be developed for analyzing the performance. During this step, the agency should evaluate who can perform the analysis and determine the necessary tools to complete their tasks. The reporting periods and management expectations from the reports should also be defined.

It is common for leaders to receive a technical report, such as a statistical evaluation of performance, and take little action as a result. The primary purpose of these statistical evaluations is to help leaders determine what to change, add, or leave unchanged to provide the best service to the community. Unfortunately, technical reports that are not understood or report irrelevant information are typically useless. Reports are received, dutifully read, and filed away in a corner or trash can without being connected to the statistics.

Statistics is not a magic solution. Statistics were developed to provide a reference for complex issues, making them easier to comprehend. However, inaccurate or misleading evaluations can cause damage and other problems. For an excellent example of mathematical systems being inappropriately applied and corrupted by leaders, see the book "The Fires" by Joe Flood. Statistical measures need to be valid, representative, and consistently applied.

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At its heart, statistics in emergency services should be designed to add understanding of historical performance, reported in a way that is consistent and comparable to other similar agencies. To make this work for FCFA, the leaders must discuss the statistical measures they will use. For example, they may use the mean or median measures for good reasons. However, the NFPA and CFAI have adopted a percentile-based approach for performance analysis, typically using the 90th percentile measure. Therefore, it is up to FCFA to decide which statistics they use. Since FCFA will likely evaluate itself against industry standards or other agencies, it should consider continuing with the 90th percentile measures presented in this document.

When building an evaluation methodology, a key concept is determining what data will be included in the analysis. There is significant debate within the fire service regarding what constitutes flawed data or an outlier. Again, the decision on what to include and potentially exclude is at the discretion of the FCFA leadership. For credibility, these decisions should be well-documented.

People typically create the errors encountered in the records system. For example, information in a record may be added incorrectly or left blank. These errors apply to time fields, code application, narration, and incident specifics that an analyst uses to slice the data. Since these errors are typically created during the incident record creation process, incorporating a robust quality assurance and training program is the most effective solution.

A quality assurance program looks at each incident for errors and unacceptable performance. Once the incident report is complete, it is placed in a quality check queue.

Someone with knowledge of the call, but not necessarily at the incident, will then review the report and evaluate it for accuracy. The following list is an example of a minimum quality assurance review.
• Well-written narratives that are legally defendable.
• All dispatched units added the correct information.
• Incident type matches the incident findings in the narrative or what the quality evaluator knows to be true about the incident.
• Incorrect date and time-stamped information is corrected through a verification process.
• Unexpected date and time-stamped information is captured and explained.

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Once the records are accurate, there may still be some data that skews the results because it contains abnormalities. In this case, an agency may want to disregard these anomalies in its performance analytics. Suppose the agency defines what records it will disallow. In that case, those records identified as unexpected can be removed from the analysis. This outlier policy should be well-documented and not designed to undermine the agency's credibility. A custom or trigger field can identify the disqualified incident record as an exception and exclude it from the analysis.

Caution should be taken when removing any record that accurately shows performance.

For example, it seems unlikely that any unit would be able to turn out in zero seconds, so often that zero data is removed. However, if a crew is contacted directly and initiates the response, the turnout time would be zero. Therefore, in this case, a zero response indicates the deployment of units for this incident was very effective. Another example is a long drive along a road under bad road conditions. While the time may be extensive, it is actual performance. Therefore, it should be evaluated for what it is: a problematic response.

Considering all the potential anomalies and defining them before any analytics are completed helps make the analysis more transparent and adds a level of trust.

A secondary method for removing incorrect data is to identify statistical outliers. The methodology for these changes is based on the shape and variability of the data. For example, taking 1.5 multiples of the standard deviation may identify those statistical outliers for data points evenly distributed along a typical distribution curve. On the other hand, data points with a strong left or right tendency have a different shape. For left or right tendency data, it may be more appropriate to evaluate those data points that are 1.5 multiples of the inner quartile range as a statistical outlier. Either statistical methodology can incorrectly remove accurate anomalous information. However, these methods have a good chance of finding and eliminating incorrect data. The approach chosen becomes a compromise between absolute accuracy and the time investment required. FCFA may wish to consult with CAL Fire or other regional fire departments to find a student or a teacher in the math and statistics courses to help determine these approaches and methodologies.

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Research and Adopt a Technology for Analysis
One or a few employees typically accomplish initial analysis and development of goals, identification of capabilities and standards, and general service understanding. These individuals analyze large datasets, identifying patterns and rules, and answering other related questions. This can be an enjoyable experience for the right temperament and can lead to hours of discovery. However, after this initial research, the ongoing reporting and analysis are dull and repetitive. Therefore, it will be to the agency's advantage to start researching technological solutions early in the planning stage.

In the age of Microsoft Excel, it is easy to believe that the spreadsheet program is the ultimate tool for analysis. It is a powerful tool, but the agency should research and adopt other methods. Typically, this is a homegrown analytics solution using standard business analytics software or records management analytical systems. Other options include seeking a third-party fire-service-specific service or hiring external consultants to conduct the analysis. Consulting reports can be reliable and are often performed by professionals.

However, these reports do not always enable agencies to manage their ongoing operations promptly.

FCFA should investigate the other technological solutions available to them. Whatever system FCFA chooses, it should have three primary attributes. First, the system should be easy to master. Next, any analytic system should provide consistent results from data sets directly attached to the source. Finally, the system should be highly customizable for the current service FCFA and what it might provide in the future.

One possibility is to utilize a third-party analytic vendor. This report will not provide vendor recommendations for third service analytics, as the field is highly competitive and changes consistently. Many vendors offer similar services but specialize in specific areas, producing reports and analyses based on their respective areas of expertise. Some of their products are truly exceptional and create complex calculations. The data they use is typically directly tied to the CAD data and may miss some of the subtleties of the NFIRS system.

However, suppose FCFA knows how to adopt performance objectives from CAD data. In that case, the agency may be able to write and manage its performance objectives appropriately. One warning is that if these vendors go out of business or close their operations, the codes and mathematical assumptions will also be lost. Additionally, what they produce is not typically owned by the fire agency. Another common concern is the high initial and ongoing costs associated with these systems.

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Another possibility is to utilize off-the-shelf analytic systems to create an automated, researchable, verifiable, and valuable reporting environment for management. Many vendors offer analytical software solutions, each with its own pros and cons. The current Gartner Magic Quadrant31 for business analytics software indicates that Microsoft's Power BI and Salesforce's Tableau are the continuing front-runners in this field. However, many options exist depending on the agency's operating system environment, budget requirements, and other available systems. In addition, ArcGIS software, an industry leader in geospatial analysis, is generally open to fire departments and districts associated with a city. If one of the participating cities owns a license, ESRI will usually provide a seat license to all departments. One concern for the homegrown approach is the need for technologically skilled personnel to create, maintain, and present these reports.

One final option would be to utilize the analytics that are intrinsic or available within the agency's records management system (RMS). FCFA uses the ImageTrend RMS system for incident reporting. This company has recently added an analytics package to the Elite level of service, which appears promising. The system allows for the adoption of specific rules at a level of detail not readily available in other RMS systems. The concerns would be cost, the agency's understanding of the mathematics and models, and ImageTrend's ability to deliver on its intended promises.

Adopt Policies, Procedures, and Systems for Analytics (Standardize) Once all the above processes, definitions, and systems are evaluated and recommended, they must be officially adopted. This means capturing policies and procedures in writing. All analyses created will be considered in accordance with the written rules to ensure consistency during the analysis period. These documents can be changed as the improvement process continues. However, the change process also needs to be defined.

In addition, changes should only be made if they can be reconciled with the previous analytics.
31 www.gartner.com/en/research/magic-quadrant.

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Do—Implement the Plan
Initial implementation of new plans can create dramatic organizational changes with minimal effort. This is typical because the changes are primarily policy and procedural, rather than operational. However, as the continuous improvement cycle continues, implementing and evaluating changes requires more effort and has a less pronounced impact. However, the most profound changes are usually encountered during these more difficult cycles.

Implementing the planned analysis systems requires communication and training throughout the organization. Most fire service organizations have a training system in place that can be tasked to meet this requirement. However, without adoption by those who create the reports and those who supervise and quality check the information, the system will not produce accurate results. Engaging these individuals early and clearly communicating the expectations and outcomes will yield the best results.

Effective communication means setting clear expectations for those impacted, outlining both their responsibilities and the outcomes the effort aims to achieve. Explain the methodologies to be used and create an open environment to help. People who do not understand the overall strategy of statistical analysis for improvement may not feel comfortable admitting this. Additionally, those whose actions are being evaluated may feel insecure and become defensive, which can lead them to attack the process. This emotional reaction should be anticipated, and steps should be taken to mitigate it, including the establishment of an open feedback forum.

Personnel may also need ongoing education and training to complete accurate and representative reports. Additionally, training on new business processes, systems, and technical infrastructure may be necessary. Efforts should be made to coach people through the changes and identify those who currently need training, as well as the positions or individuals that may transition into this process.

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Check—Perform the Analytics
Now that the agency has defined the metrics, established the collection system, and adopted the analytic methodology, it should begin working on reporting. There are several levels and types of reports that need to be completed. Additionally, there are different audiences for every kind of report. Some may go to FCFA’s leadership, some to all FCFA personnel, and others to the JPA leadership and city councils. The following list is an example of the reports that will be produced. It will be up to FCFA and the JPA leadership to approve the content, distribution, and timing.
• Quality assurance information and exceptions,
• Overall time segments analysis by incident type and severity, • Unit time segment reports by shift, station, and apparatus, • First due and ERF travel time by geographic area,
• Trend analysis by geographic location, unit, and overall.

The content and timing of the reports will be dictated by the intent of the information. For example, a daily report would be designed to identify data that may be incorrect and should be evaluated and potentially corrected. A monthly statement to crews and leadership may indicate unit performance with trends to improve crew activity. A quarterly report can be designed and used to track progress toward improvement goals and initiatives. Finally, annual reports would inform the public and the JPA leadership about the Department's overall performance, improvements, gaps in service delivery, and potential needs.

Act—Improve Operations Based on the Analysis
The agency should undergo this evaluation to understand service delivery and evaluate ways to enhance performance. The first step is to identify areas that could be improved, whether in a specific geographic location or within a particular unit at a station. Next, leaders and staff should evaluate which initiatives can be attempted and what the expected outcomes are. Finally, after the proposal is implemented and a reasonable amount of time has passed, the analysis is reviewed against expectations. This comparative analysis enables management to determine if the initiative has achieved the expected improvements.

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These improvements may require a simple policy change. Conversely, the enhancements may be as financially prohibitive as hiring new staff or building new stations, and they may take years to implement. Regardless of the improvement initiative, having solid analytic proof and definitive performance enhancement goals will improve the overall positioning and service of FCFA.

Continuous Improvement
This process must be frequently repeated, ensuring that the process and analytics remain relevant. The intervals will be determined based on findings, initiatives, and systems. Initially, the method may need to be evaluated monthly or quarterly to ensure the information is pertinent and valid. However, after the initial build, the entire process will need to undergo formal evaluation at a less frequent but more defined interval. Utilizing some of the performance indicators described in the Commission on Fire Accreditation International's (CFAI) 10th edition of its self-assessment manual may help create a formal review process.

The following list shows a review process based on the CFAI documents. • Annually, policies and procedures must be reviewed and updated to ensure they remain current and effective. Therefore, this is an excellent time to ensure the analytic policies and practices are up to date with the minor changes made within the year.
• Strategic plans should be produced every 3 years. The strategic plan should incorporate performance improvement initiatives to enhance overall effectiveness.

At this time, the types and levels of analysis may need to be redefined and adjusted.
• This Community Risk Assessment: Standards of Cover must be reviewed and updated every 5 years. The build-up to publishing this document is an excellent opportunity to determine if the analytics still meet the agency's needs.

Because this process is heavily reliant on policy and documentation, a built-in standardization step is implemented each time the cycle restarts. There is a reason the Deming cycle is typically depicted as going up a ramp. Without constant effort, the process will fall backward, and the organization will be back at the beginning.

Standardization, including the implementation and training of organization members, acts as a wheel chock. It may not be able to stop backward motion. Still, attention to the organization and standardization will help keep the ball rolling forward.

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It does not matter what approach the organization chooses to take to continually evaluate its operations and data. However, the critical concept is that they adopt a formal method that allows a deep understanding of improvement and guidance. The following figure is a review of the plan overview presented above.

Figure 136: Methodology Overview
•
•Analyze
•Report
•Review
•Compare
•Review
•Initiatives
•Train
•Implement
•Supervise
•Research
•Adopt
Objectives
•Standardize
Plan Do
Act Check

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SECTION IV:

Findings & Recommendations

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OVERALL FINDINGS & OBSERVATIONS
This section presents the key findings and recommendations from the Five Cities Fire Authority (FCFA) Community Risk Assessment and Standards of Cover study. The analysis is organized into three parts:

1. Observations: Factual details and data points identified during the assessment that characterize FCFA's current operations, resources, and service environment.

2. Findings: Significant issues or gaps that represent opportunities for organizational improvement. Each finding is supported by study data and linked to specific recommendations.

3. Priority Recommendations: Actionable strategies to address identified findings, ranked by urgency and organized by implementation timeframe. Each recommendation includes a description, expected outcomes, and estimated costs.

The information is presented in the order it is found throughout the document. The order of priority is up to the agency, as it must determine whether the recommendation fits its overall improvement strategy and when, or if, it can be accomplished. Together, these elements provide a roadmap for enhancing FCFA's operational effectiveness, improving service delivery, and ensuring long-term organizational sustainability.

Observations
Observations are listed in the order they appear in the document. • FCFA operates from 2 stations and serves approximately 10 square miles with 38,000 residents across 2 member cities (Arroyo Grande and Grover Beach) and 1 contract community services district (Oceano CSD, served via San Luis Obispo County contract as of January 1, 2025).
• FCFA relies heavily on automatic and mutual aid for more complex incidents. • Personnel costs account for approximately 77% of the FCFA expenditures. • Member Agencies account for approximately 93% of the FCFA operating expenditures.
• The City of Arroyo Grande contributes 43%, the City of Grover Beach contributes 31%, and the Oceano Community Service District (OCSD) contract makes up 19% of member funding. This aligns closely with population distribution.

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• The exit of OCSD from the FCFA raises some uncertainty and challenges for staffing and the FCFA's financial structure.
• Some FCFA responders serve on regional hazardous materials and urban searchand-rescue teams, adding specialty training and experience to the community. • FCFA has a slightly higher percentage of persons aged 65 or older than the state. • FCFA has a notably high percentage of residents living in one- or two-family dwellings.
• Wildfire risk in Arroyo Grande is considered significant. • Flood risk for the member cities of the FCFA is dominated by the Lopez Dam and 100- and 500-year flood events.
• The FCFA has a high earthquake potential.
• FCFA responds to 72% of its incidents between 8 AM and 8 PM. • The FCFA response area had 4,020 incidents that were not listed as cancelled in 2024:
• This averaged slightly more than 10 incident responses per day, primarily medical responses.
• The highest number of responses was 29 (on 2/4/2024). Ninety percent of the days there were 16 or fewer.
• The fewest responses were 1 (occurring 3/10/2024). Ten percent of the days had 6 or fewer responses.
• The most common number of responses per day (the mode) was 10, with half of the days having between 8 and 12 responses.
• The Engine 92 crew was the busiest with 1,649 responses in 2024. This is an annual average unit usage of 7.4%. The apparatus had 70 days, or 20% of days, without any responses. The maximum number of responses was 16 per day, with the most likely (mode) value, after zero days removed, being 4.
• FCFA has a 16% chance of running multiple incidents at the same time. • For the period of 2019 through 2024, FCFA response time components include a turnout time of 3 minutes, 21 seconds, a first due travel time of 6 minutes, 42 seconds, and a total response time of 9 minutes, 27 seconds or faster, 90 percent of the time.

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• Even though incident demand is expected to continue increasing, population growth is unlikely to be noticeable.
• Mutual and automatic aid programs are well established and defined. • Most incident unit assignments meet the risk level and the assumed responder needs.

Findings
Findings are separated by each specialty function, and the associated recommendation is referenced.

Finance
• Maintaining a balanced budget is critical, but reimbursable revenues and contributions from FCFA member agencies are projected to result in an operating deficit for Fiscal Years 2024–25, 2025–26, and 2026–27. (Recommendation 1) • FCFA’s fund balance goal is 10%. Projected operating deficits will bring the Authority’s fund balance below the goal in Fiscal Year 2026–27. (Recommendation 1)
• Some frontline apparatus and vehicles are identified as being in poor condition. For that reason, vehicle maintenance costs have increased from $167,000 in Fiscal Year 2022-23 to a projected $275,000 in Fiscal Year 2025–26, an increase of 69%. (Recommendation 2)
• FCFA uses the City of Arroyo Grande’s CalPERS contract for Authority employees; upon withdrawal from the Authority, the Member Agencies are liable for their respective shares of CalPERS liability. (Recommendation 3) Services Provided
• There is no schedule to inspect all commercial properties. (Recommendation 4) • Operational fire code permits are not being issued. (Recommendation 5) • There is no fire and life safety educator to provide risk reduction for the community. (Recommendation 6)
• Plan review is contracted to a private company. (Recommendation 6)

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• While the FCFA contracts for fire marshal services, it does not have a staff fire marshal. However, both the cities of Arroyo Grande and Grover Beach name the Fire Chief as the fire code official, adding to the Fire Chief’s workload and management responsibilities.32 (Recommendation 6)
• Fire and life safety code inspections are completed by the Engine Companies and by contract. The engine companies conduct the required multi-family inspections. In contrast, the contracted inspection services conduct new construction and tenant improvement inspections and provide technical expertise on fire code standards for development. (Recommendation 6)
• FCFA does not appear to have a fully vetted or written QI/QA plan. (Recommendation 7)
• FCFA provides BLS medical services only. (Recommendation 8) • Approximately 59% of the service demand is for emergency medical incidents, and FCFA relies on a private company to provide ALS services. (Recommendation 8) Community Risk Assessment
• Responsibility for the enforcement of the San Luis Obispo County’s weed abatement ordinance for the OCSD area is not yet addressed. (Recommendation 7) Standard of Cover
• The station closure in the OCSD area limits the effectiveness of any fire agency in the area. (Recommendation 9 & Recommendation 10)
• Of the area agencies, FCFA provides the closest coverage for the OCSD area. (Recommendation 10, Recommendation 12)
• Most of the area cannot be reached by more than 12 personnel, even with mutual aid companies. This means that most incidents of moderate or high complexity cannot assemble an effective response force within a reasonable time. (Recommendation 9, Recommendation 12)
• The closest mutual aid agencies are all part of the Call Fire system, including those in Pismo Beach and the Nipomo area. (Recommendation 11)
• There is no evidence of a comprehensive regional training program in place. (Recommendation 11)
32 Arroyo Grande, California Municipal Code, (part 8.04.024) & City of Grover Beach, California Code of Ordaninces (part 150.041).

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• The agency has not adopted official response performance standards nor identified any areas of improvement. (Recommendation 12)
• With the current auto aid agreements in place, FCFA would likely be responsible for the response to OCSD unless another agency opens a station closer to the area. (Recommendation 13)

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STRATEGIES & RECOMMENDATIONS
Recommendation 1: Incorporate an inflationary adjustment clause into the resolution adopting the fee schedule, allowing the board to annually adjust fees through a subsequent resolution.

Description: To ensure that the fee schedule remains aligned with actual costs, the resolution should include a provision for inflationary adjustments. An annual internal review process will evaluate whether fees require adjustment based on inflation, service delivery costs, or other economic factors.

Outcomes: Regular inflationary adjustments will ensure fees keep pace with rising costs, preventing budgetary shortfalls.

Estimated Financial Cost: None if integrated into the annual budget process.

Recommendation 2: Establish a capital asset replacement fund and funding strategy.

Description: FCFA attempted to establish a vehicle replacement schedule. However, it lacks a capital asset replacement fund due to insufficient support from Member Agencies.

Develop a proactive capital asset replacement and funding plan by setting aside funds for future replacements, rather than seeking financing when capital assets are due for replacement.

Outcomes: Capital replacement plans allow FCFA to budget for significant expenses in advance, avoiding budget overruns and potential financial strain. Replacing assets before they fail can reduce emergency repair costs. Newer, well-maintained assets require less maintenance, leading to long-term cost savings, improved operating efficiency, and compliance with safety standards.

Estimated Financial Cost: Cost savings in financing costs, emergency repairs, and maintenance.

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Recommendation 3: Conduct an annual actuarial update of the respective share of FCFA’s pensionable balance and develop a funding plan.

Description: An annual actuary update of each member agency’s allocated share of UAL will provide further transparency and accountability. An annual actuary update provides transparency and ensures accountability for each member agency’s share of the Authority’s portion of the pension UAL. Because the Authority does not have its own contract with CalPERS, its employees are part of the City of Arroyo Grande’s pension plan, which includes City police and miscellaneous employees.

Outcomes: The actuary's report for the FCFA portion of the pension UAL will provide a clear picture of the Authority's funding status and each member’s FCFA obligation, enabling the Authority and each member to develop a funding strategy to ensure the plan’s financial health and long-term sustainability. In addition, the annual update will provide an accurate calculation and accounting of each member agency’s assets and liabilities based on its contributions to the plan.

Estimated Financial Cost: To be determined, the cost depends on the level of analysis performed by Foster and Foster to memorialize the Oceano Community Services District’s ongoing share of unfunded CalPERS Liabilities. Since the study's framework has been established, FCFA will need to expand the scope for the annual update.

Recommendation 4: Develop a schedule to inspect all commercial occupancies.

Description: Currently, the FCFA does not have a formal schedule in place for inspecting all commercial occupancies, which presents a gap in fire prevention efforts. Without a structured inspection program, some properties may go unchecked for extended periods, increasing the likelihood that fire code violations—such as blocked exits, faulty electrical systems, or inadequate fire suppression equipment—could go unnoticed. These violations pose serious risks to the safety of building occupants, employees, and first responders.

With available personnel primarily focused on mandated inspections—such as those required for schools, healthcare facilities, and high-risk occupancies—there are insufficient resources to conduct regular inspections of lower-priority or non-mandated commercial properties. As a result, many businesses may not receive the oversight needed to ensure compliance with fire safety standards.

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Establishing a consistent inspection schedule, supported by adequate staffing and resources, would help identify and correct hazards before they lead to emergencies. It would also promote a culture of fire safety within the business community, improve code compliance, and enhance the overall safety and resilience of FCFA commercial infrastructure.

Outcome: Developing a risk-based inspection schedule for commercial properties in the FCFA response area would significantly enhance fire and life safety for both building occupants and FCFA personnel. By prioritizing inspections based on factors such as building occupancy type, prior code violations, fire protection systems, and potential hazards, the department can allocate its limited resources more effectively and focus on properties that pose the most significant risk to public safety. This targeted approach not only helps identify and address fire code violations before emergencies occur but also ensures that high-risk buildings receive the attention they need to remain compliant and safe. It increases situational awareness for responding crews, who gain up-to-date knowledge of building layouts, hazards, and fire protection features—ultimately reducing the risk of injury during emergency operations.

A structured, risk-based schedule enhances consistency and transparency in the inspection process, thereby building trust with business owners and the wider community. It promotes proactive compliance, reduces the risk of fire-related incidents, and supports the department’s broader mission of protecting lives, property, and the environment. Over time, this approach helps develop a safer, more resilient community while efficiently utilizing available staffing and resources.

Estimated Cost: The initial costs are for staff time spent identifying all commercial properties within the service area. Additional expenses will be incurred if current staffing levels are insufficient to schedule inspections for all commercial occupancies.

Recommendation 5: Inspect and issue operational permits.

Description: Section 105.6 of the California Fire Code outlines the requirement for operational permits for specific activities and conditions that pose potential fire or life safety risks. For the Five Cities Fire Authority, this section serves as a regulatory framework to ensure that businesses and facilities conducting certain operations maintain compliance with fire safety standards. Permit holders are responsible for maintaining compliance throughout the year, including proper storage and handling of hazardous materials, ensuring that fire protection systems are functional, and keeping safety documentation, such as Material Safety Data Sheets, readily available.

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Outcomes: These permits aim to reduce hazards that could threaten the public or emergency responders. Issuing an operational permit yields key outcomes that enhance public safety, ensure regulatory compliance, and facilitate a swift emergency response. It ensures that the permitted activity complies with the fire prevention code, reducing the likelihood of fire incidents and protecting occupants and property. Additionally, it creates a formal oversight system. Requiring permits allows the fire authority to conduct regular inspections, confirm safety measures, and enforce necessary corrective actions. This proactive strategy helps identify and mitigate risks before they escalate into emergencies.

Operational permits also serve as legal and administrative tools. They provide proof that a business or facility is authorized to carry out specific activities, which can be crucial during audits, insurance assessments, or legal cases. Additionally, they help improve communication between the fire department and the permit holder, encouraging collaboration on safety education and emergency readiness.

Recommendation 6: Hire a Fire Marshal.

Description: Hiring a fire marshal for FCFA is a strategic and essential decision that directly enhances public safety, operational efficiency, and regulatory compliance across the communities it serves. A fire marshal brings specialized expertise in fire prevention, code enforcement, and fire investigation, functions critical to reducing the risk of fire-related incidents and ensuring that buildings and operations meet stringent safety standards.

The fire marshal serves as the Authority’s lead figure in interpreting and applying the California Fire Code, conducting inspections of commercial, industrial, and residential properties, and identifying hazards before they become emergencies. This proactive oversight not only protects lives and property but also reduces the Authority's and its member cities' liability. In addition to inspections, the fire marshal plays a vital role in reviewing building plans and permits, ensuring that new developments and renovations incorporate fire-safe design and systems from the outset. Currently, the fire chief serves as the primary lead for fire code enforcement, which prevents them from functioning effectively as the organization's chief.

Outcomes: A fire marshal yields a range of impactful outcomes that strengthen the safety, efficiency, and resilience of the communities served. An immediate benefit is enhanced fire prevention efforts. A fire marshal leads the charge in enforcing fire codes, conducting inspections, and ensuring that buildings and operations comply with safety regulations, including the state-mandated inspections. This proactive oversight significantly reduces the likelihood of fire incidents, protecting lives, property, and the environment.

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Operationally, the presence of a fire marshal streamlines permitting processes, such as those required under Section 105.6 of the California Fire Code. Their expertise ensures that permits are issued with a clear understanding of associated risks and compliance requirements, thereby improving administrative efficiency and accountability.

Estimated Cost: The salary and benefits for this position range from $175,000 to $250,000, depending on the employee's rank.

Recommendation 7: Develop a quality improvement/quality assurance (QI/QA) plan.

Description: Medical incidents make up almost 60% of FCFA’s responses, and as such, a QI/QA plan and process are essential to response success. The plan outlines the methods and procedures for measuring, evaluating, and improving quality and meeting quality standards. While many of the elements of this plan are in place, there is no formal documentation. This type of evaluation is critical for an agency that wishes to expand its service scope to meet community needs.

Outcomes: A documented improvement plan that will help FCFA meet regulatory requirements.

Estimated Cost: Staff time. It may be rolled into other plans, such as an ALS implementation feasibility plan.

Recommendation 8: Conduct a detailed feasibility assessment of converting to an ALS first responder service.

Description: FCFA currently provides emergency medical first response services with basic life support (BLS) emergency medical technicians. Advanced life support (ALS) services are provided by a contracted private ambulance service. This can delay the deployment of needed ALS skills. Enhancing medical service levels at FCFA may speed the delivery of these necessary services. In addition, adding ALS first responders may have a positive financial impact, allowing FCFA to collect higher response fees for services provided.

However, it is outside the scope of this report to determine whether the increased responder fees would offset the higher costs of providing this service.

Outcome: Improve response time and resource allocation for critical care patients requiring ALS-level care.

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Estimated Cost: Several costs are associated with adding ALS to the response capabilities, including equipment, training, and pay for certified firefighters. There may be additional revenue available for providing this service. A detailed feasibility assessment and the development of a program will require staff time, assistance from the San Luis Obispo Public Health Department, and input from other medical and financial professionals. In 2025, utilizing a consultant to conduct a feasibility study with an implementation plan was less than $30,000.

Recommendation 9: Maintain a minimum of 3 companies staffed with three responders.

Description: Due to the limited resources, the size of the Authority, the risks, and the area aid obligations, it is critical to have an initial attack of sufficient force and size to mitigate hazards. It is also essential to assemble an effective response force (ERF) in a reasonable time. The ERF studies in this report assumed a minimum staff of three on two engines, two on the truck, and one command officer. Even with this staffing, only in Grover Beach from 6th Street west, to the coast can expect a timely ERF for a moderate-risk structure fire. That also assumes that all other companies are available throughout the automatic and mutual aid companies.

Additionally, a crew of two cannot safely begin a response where water and entry are needed to mitigate the hazard. For safety, an apparatus operator must remain outside with the engine pumping water or operate a truck during arial operations, further placing demands and reducing high-hazard operational usefulness of a two-person crew. This indicates that the prudent course for the fire department is to maintain at least three effective units, each of which can initiate firefighting operations.

Outcome: To satisfy response requirements, additional staffing is needed to ensure at least three capable first-due units are available throughout the system at all times.

Estimated Cost: Staffing one additional position for three apparatus, with a minimum staff of 3, would add the annual burdened salary for a firefighter, including overtime, to maintain the minimum staffing. This estimates approximately $170,000 per position, burdened, and includes average overtime filled by the same pay-level employee, as the average operations employee is absent approximately 20% of the time. Total costs in 2026 are estimated at an additional $500,000, fully burdened, and positions are filled with overtime due to an absence for the 1 additional firefighter per shift.

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Recommendation 10: Evaluate the best location to support the western and southern sections of the jurisdiction.

Description: The current station locations are decent for a two-station system. One on each side of the highway, which can serve as a natural barrier and be far enough apart to cover a large area while remaining close enough to offer mutual coverage. However, the southwester portion of Arroyo Grande, north of The Pike, is not in an optimal service area.

There appear to be two options and two immediate future states to discuss. The first option for FCFA is to either add a station to cover the area or to move the Grover Beach station further east on East Grand Avenue. Optimal coverage appears to be in the area along East Grand Avenue, between South Oak Park Boulevard and Elm Street. As long as FCFA remains an authority rather than merging the two city departments into a Fire Protection District, the Grover Beach community will likely not favor moving a station out of the city, which limits a station move to East Grand Avenue or west of South Oak Park Boulevard. This is also an opportunity for the City of Grover Beach to determine whether additional city space is needed or whether consolidating city facilities would be a better option for citizens. In this case, a combined city building, such as police, or city hall, and a fire station would share some of the costs of a new station.

Another consideration, although less critical to the Authority, would be OCSD's contractual requirements. If the expectation is that FCFA maintains the required service coverage, an additional station, optimally near The Pike and Elm Street, would add the needed coverage for the cities and improve coverage to the south.

Outcome: Create capital facilities that improve coverage for both cities within the FCFA and enhance coverage in the OCSD area.

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Estimated Cost: Because the cost of a fire station project is subject to many different influencing factors, the estimate provided here is based on generic costing found in an internet search and is as of December 15, 2025. The items listed in the standard cost guide include site acquisition (from 11% to 21% of total cost), construction from 800 to 12,000 square feet (from 50% to 56% of total cost), additional equipment and apparatus (approximately 18%), permits and fees (approximately 2%), design and engineering (approximately 7%), and allowing for a contingency (approximately 5%).33 From this list, FCFA should expect to spend between $14,755,000 for a moderately sized station with land and $57,780,000 for a larger, well-equipped station with land. These final cost estimates include an additional 130% to 180% increase due to California area cost premiums.34 Recommendation 11: Work with regional partners to develop a regional training program.

Description: FCFA and the surrounding agencies rely heavily on automatic and mutual aid to provide enough responders and equipment to mitigate more complex incident types.

These are high-risk, low-frequency events that can be dangerous and lead to significant losses. To efficiently capture and utilize these responders, it is vital to plan, educate, and exercise these events before they are needed. This requires an aggressively managed planning and training program for commanders, communicators, and responders. It is so critically important that it is mentioned in section I, paragraph C, of the automatic aid agreement between FCFA and the Cal Fire fire departments in the area. The first step is to develop a regional plan, a training program, and a calendar.

Outcome: Continuously improved inter-agency emergency response.

Estimated Cost: This will require staff time and attention, but no additional costs. Overtime costs may be incurred if off-duty training or backfill for training companies is approved. 33 latestcost.com/fire-station-construction-cost/
34 bidsanalytics.com/construction-cost-variations-by-region-why-your-project-costs-more-in-somestates/

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Recommendation 12: Adopt and periodically report response service standards and goals.

Description: Response standards are an agreement between the fire authority, the fire service providers, and the citizens that clarify expectations. These standards are the minimum an agency must meet to provide an effective service. Currently, FCFA has no adopted response-time standards to provide management with guidance on resource deployment. Knowing what the agency can accomplish will enable it to publish standards and performance metrics for transparency and accountability. This also allows management and elected leaders to judge where scarce assets and capital resources should be focused to meet community expectations. For FCFA, the recommendation is to adopt first due apparatus type and arrival time standards, and to show the incident time segment parts. This standard is the current baseline minimum performance, based on the 2023 and 2024 performance. Breaking incidents into specific segments enables goal-based management.

Setting goals helps management and authority leadership determine where capital and assets can be utilized to improve service to the community. Using a time-based goal helps citizens understand what is hoped to be gained from additional investment in time and resources. A proven approach is to establish achievable goals utilizing the SMART methodology (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound). Setting initial goals based on standards, such as NFPA 1710, is defensible but perhaps not feasible.

Therefore, the agency should adopt attainable goals. The following indicates realistic response standards based on 2023 and 2024 performance, and suggested goals based on what appears achievable.

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Figure 137: Performance Statements
FCFA Incident Response Performance Statements
Fire, HazMat,
Technical Rescue
For emergency Fire, HazMat, and Technical Rescue incidents, FCFA will respond within 9 minutes and 45 seconds or faster, 90 percent of the time.

The first due response will have a minimum of three responders, capable and equipped to enter a hazardous environment with positive-pressure airway protection and a minimum of level C protective garments. For incidents involving fire or hazardous materials, the apparatus will carry a minimum of 300 gallons of water and be capable of pumping 1,000 gallons per minute at a minimum of 150 PSI. Responders will maintain two-way radio communications at all times.

Wildland
For emergency Wildland Interface and Vegetation incidents, FCFA will respond within 9 minutes and 45 seconds, 90 percent of the time. The first due response will have at least two responders, capable and equipped to safely start, at a minimum, an indirect attack. The apparatus will carry a minimum of 400 gallons of water and be capable of pumping 50 gallons per minute at 100 PSI. Responders will be able to set up a command structure and maintain two-way radio communications at all times.

Medical
For emergency Medical incidents, FCFA will respond within 9 minutes and 15 seconds or faster, 90 percent of the time. The first due response will include at least two responders, capable and equipped to provide basic life support.

Responders will maintain two-way radio communications at all times.

For all non-emergency incidents, FCFA will respond within 11 minutes and 30 seconds or faster 90 percent of the time. The first arriving unit will have at least one responder able to maintain two-way radio communications.

FCFA Performance Reporting
Frequency: Annual Due By: End of 1st Quarter
Deliver To: Public Report through the Fire Authority Board Minimum Components
Incident Volume In District Out of District Type
Time Components Standard Goal Notes
Call Processing 106 seconds;
90th Percentile
106 seconds;
90th Percentile
By contract with
ECC. Based on
NFPA 1225.

Turnout Time
(Emergency, in
District)
2 Mins & 44 Secs
90th Percentile 2 Minutes
Improvement
through crew
awareness, policy,
and supervision.

Travel Time
(Emergency in
District, First Due)
Member Cities: 6 Mins & 35 Secs
Contract Areas: 8 min & 13 Secs
90th Percentile
Improvements are
strategic, including
where stations are
located.

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Outcome: By adopting and reporting on performance, residents will know what they can expect, and managers will know when the system is stressed and not working to its full potential.

Estimated Cost: Primarily staff time and costs associated with training a staff member in analytics and reporting. Potentially additional software, additional features, or functionality from the Image Trend records management system.

Recommendation 13: Ensure automatic and mutual aid responses continue to support all agencies' response requirements.

Description: While extremely valuable for the regional fire and emergency services protection in the area, the automatic aid agreement has had the effect of shifting some of Cal Fire’s responses to FCFA. In 2024, FCFA, as discussed, the future of the OCSD contract is in question, and while working under a contract, it will remain so. For FCFA, what must be taken into account is the continued automatic aid agreements, especially if Cal Fire takes over the OCSD contract. Historically, FCFA has provided more aid than it has received. In 2024, FCFA responded to 210 Auto Aid assignments, 43% in Pismo Beach and 32% in the area between FCFA and the Cal Fire Mesa Station.

If Cal Fire takes over the contract from OCSD, FCFA stands to lose significant financial benefits. At the same time, the auto aid agreements bind them to respond to the same number of incidents. It may become a burden on FCFA to cover not only its own area of responsibility but also a large proportion of those in OCSD and the auto aid areas directly to the south, when the reduced financial position may endanger the number of staff available to respond from FCFA.

The current situation is not beyond FCFA's ability to support, and the resources Cal Fire can bring to an emergency event are more than likely to outweigh the current lopsided aidgiven-versus-aid-received ratio. Maintaining this level of support, especially with FCFA retaining the financial benefit of the OCSD, is the most beneficial scenario. If the financial benefit of the contract were to change, it would alter the balance and mutual support capacities of FCFA. This is, of course, alleviated if Cal Fire opens a station in or near the OCSD.

Outcome: Maintaining an automatic and mutual aid program that benefits the residents of both the county fire department and FCFA without overly burdening either agency with emergency responses as identified in the auto aid agreement.

Estimated Cost: No costs if current agreements are maintained.

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SECTION V:

Appendices

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APPENDIX A: STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS
Introduction to the Stakeholder Interviews
Triton interviewed various internal and external stakeholders of the Five City Fire Authority (FCFA). These interviews aimed to better understand issues, concerns, and options regarding the emergency service delivery system, opportunities for shared services, and community members' expectations.

It is important to note that the information solicited and provided during this process was in the form of "people inputs" (stakeholders individually responding to our questions), including perceptions reported by stakeholders. All information was accepted at face value without an in-depth investigation of its origin or reliability. The project team reviewed the information for consistency and frequency of comments to identify specific patterns and/or trends. Multiple sources enhanced the credibility of the observations, and the information provided was sufficient to be included in this report.

Stakeholders were identified within the following groups: Elected Officials, County Management, Department Heads, Chief Officers, Labor Leaders, Volunteer and Career Rank & File, Businesses, Community Groups, Community Members, and Other Volunteers.

The following summarizes the answers to the questions. In addition, specific concerns that appeared to be a common theme are identified.

Feedback Review by Question
Question 1: What strengths contribute to the success of the Fire Authority? (What does the Five Cities Fire Authority do well?)
Key Themes:
▪ Adaptability and organizational evolution from three separate communities into one unified authority
▪ Strong personnel engagement, motivation, and community connections ▪ Quality of emergency response services and efficient use of limited resources ▪ Improved leadership and labor-management relationships

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Summary Narrative:

Respondents consistently identified the organization's ability to adapt and evolve as a fundamental strength. Multiple interviewees noted the successful transition from three separate communities into one unified authority, with the organization demonstrating flexibility through various staffing models and operational changes since 2010. The personnel were described as engaged, motivated, and progressive, with several respondents characterizing the workforce as the "heart and soul" of the organization.

The quality of service delivery was frequently mentioned as a strength. Respondents noted good response times, high-quality EMS service, and effective fire suppression capabilities.

The organization's ability to accomplish substantial work with limited resources was emphasized by multiple stakeholders, with comments about efficiency and budgetary constraints. Community connections were highlighted as particularly strong, with personnel having deep ties to the communities they serve and actively participating in community events.

Several respondents noted leadership improvements. The current leadership was characterized as bringing operational knowledge, local understanding, and a clear vision for the organization. Interviewees mentioned improved labor-management relations, greater cooperation among agencies within the joint powers authority, and increased transparency. Several respondents noted that the Fire Chief's engagement with city leadership and attendance at city staff meetings has strengthened organizational relationships. The transition in leadership from a more politically-focused to an operationally-focused approach was viewed as beneficial for internal cohesion and service delivery.

Question 2: What are some areas in which you think the Fire Authority could make improvements?
Key Themes:
▪ Staffing levels and resource allocation
▪ Policy and procedure development, consistency, and implementation ▪ Training program consistency and coordination
▪ Organizational culture and communication
▪ Fire prevention services and programming

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Summary Narrative:

Staffing emerged as the most frequently mentioned area for improvement. Respondents expressed concerns about minimum staffing levels, the impact of cross-staffing on risk, and challenges created by multiple work assignments without adequate support personnel.

Several interviewees discussed the need for competitive wages and aggressive recruitment to maintain sufficient staffing levels. The workload distribution and perceived lack of promised workload reduction following the addition of battalion chiefs were also noted.

Policy and procedure development was identified as a significant improvement area by multiple respondents. Interviewees mentioned the need for consistency in policies, more straightforward operational guidelines, and improved follow-through in implementation.

The transition from informal guidelines to formally adopted policies was discussed, with specific mention of using platforms such as Lexipol. Training consistency was linked to policy concerns, with respondents noting the need for more coordinated training across shifts and for standardized practices, such as hose-loading procedures.

Organizational culture and communication presented opportunities for improvement, according to several stakeholders. Respondents noted that three distinct cultures from the original agencies remain present, with newer employees absorbing culture from older generations. Messaging consistency between shifts and improved communication between the authority and the two cities were mentioned as areas needing attention.

Several interviewees discussed the need for better public engagement, community outreach, and education about the fire authority's role and costs.

Fire prevention was explicitly identified as an unresolved issue requiring attention.

Respondents noted a disconnect between city-contracted prevention services and actual needs. They suggested establishing an in-house fire prevention position or bureau.

Additional improvement areas mentioned included the need for strategic planning documents, such as a master plan or an updated strategic plan; better project management and higher completion rates; improved funding consistency and mechanisms; and enhanced branding and public perception of the organization.

Question 3: What opportunities, in your view, are available to improve the service and capabilities of the Fire Authority?
Key Themes:
▪ Advanced Life Support (ALS) service expansion

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▪ Fire prevention bureau establishment and fee-based services ▪ Staffing model changes and station location optimization ▪ Grant funding opportunities
▪ Enhanced training and partnerships
Summary Narrative:

Advanced Life Support capability was the most frequently mentioned service improvement opportunity. Multiple respondents discussed the potential for ALS engines or first-due ALS response, with several noting that the authority is surrounded by ALS providers and that growth in this service area would be beneficial. Some interviewees connected ALS expansion to better resource triage and more appropriate use of the firefighter brand in emergency medical responses.

Establishing a fire prevention bureau and capturing fee-based inspection revenue were identified by several stakeholders as both service improvements and revenue opportunities. Respondents mentioned the State Fire Marshal program, in-house prevention positions, and fee-based inspections as specific possibilities. The authority's role in creating fire-resilient communities through prevention messaging and mitigation efforts was also discussed.

Staffing and operational model improvements were frequently mentioned. Opportunities identified included addressing overall staffing levels, reducing or eliminating cross-staffing, optimizing station locations, and developing consistent first alarm assignments. Several respondents discussed grant opportunities, particularly SAFER grants for staffing and wildfire prevention funding.

Training enhancements and partnership development were also identified as opportunities.

Respondents mentioned interagency training opportunities, continuous training to keep personnel engaged and excited, and specific wildland-urban interface response training.

Partnership opportunities included working with Cal Poly, Hancock Fire, service organizations, and educational institutions for recruitment and community messaging. The use of a community academy or similar public engagement programs was suggested to improve understanding of firefighter roles and support recruitment efforts.

Question 4: What do you see as the top three critical issues faced by the Fire Authority today?
Key Themes:
▪ Staffing levels and sustainability

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▪ Funding stability and mechanisms
▪ Geographic coverage and response times
▪ Training consistency and safety procedures
▪ Organizational culture and communication
Summary Narrative:

Staffing was identified as a critical issue by the majority of respondents. Concerns included overall staffing levels, minimum daily staffing (9 personnel), administrative and operational staffing adequacy, impacts on call volume, and the absence of a prevention department.

Several interviewees connected staffing challenges to overtime usage, deployment to outside incidents, and concerns about personnel exhaustion and local coverage during wildfire season.

Funding emerged as the second-most-common critical issue. Respondents discussed funding stability, consistency of funding mechanisms, and the complexities of the joint powers authority's financial structure. The unequal financial health between the two cities and challenges with governmental support from city councils were mentioned. Some stakeholders noted concerns about long-term financial sustainability and the need for fund balance policies.

Geographic coverage and response capability were frequently identified as critical issues.

Station locations, particularly the closure of Station 3 in Oceano, were discussed as affecting service coverage for multiple communities. Response times, first-due area boundaries, and the impact of the Oceano bridge closure on operational effectiveness were mentioned. The East boundary between city and county jurisdictions was noted as sometimes unclear, even to emergency services personnel.

Training consistency, safety procedures, and policy development were identified by several respondents as critical issues. Concerns included clear expectations and processes, policy versus guideline implementation, and overall safety consistency. Organizational culture was mentioned by multiple interviewees as a vital issue, with references to the mindset, the cultural integration of the three original agencies, and internal communication challenges.

Additional critical issues identified included fire prevention service gaps, contractual complexities, particularly involving Oceano and Cal Fire, community awareness and outreach, Advanced Life Support capability, mutual aid philosophy, and overcommitment to outside deployments, and jurisdictional coordination challenges.

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Question 5: If you could change one thing in the Fire Authority, what would it be?? Key Themes:
▪ Reopening and staffing Station 3 in Oceano
▪ Advanced Life Support capability implementation
▪ Fire prevention bureau establishment
▪ Policy and procedure formalization
▪ Staffing increases and compensation improvements
Summary Narrative:

Station 3 reopening was mentioned by multiple respondents as the single change they would prioritize. The station is currently closed due to infrastructure concerns. Still, its reopening would significantly enhance service coverage for Oceano, Grover Beach, and Arroyo Grande. The recent closure of the Oceano bridge was noted as presenting additional operational impacts. However, staff had been temporarily redeployed to maintain coverage.

Several respondents identified Advanced Life Support capability as their priority change.

This was connected to improved patient outcomes, better service to the community, and addressing what one interviewee characterized as a "huge disservice" to residents without ALS availability.

The transition from informal guidelines to formally adopted policies was identified as a critical change. Respondents discussed the use of informational bulletins as interim communication tools. They noted that the organization previously relied on Arroyo Grande's host city policy, which was punitive and not tailored to the fire service or state law. The development of agency-specific policies was identified as essential, and current leadership was credited with catalyzing this transition.

Fire prevention services and establishing a prevention bureau were identified by some stakeholders as their single priority change. Additional items mentioned included compensation and recruitment improvements to address affordable housing challenges and staff living outside the jurisdiction; reductions in administrative burden on minimal staff, particularly during peak workload seasons; and improved clerical support to enhance operational efficiency.

Question 6: On a scale of 1-10, 10 being excellent, how would you rate the relationship between the citizens and the Fire Authority?

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Key Themes:
▪ Limited public awareness and understanding of FCFA's role ▪ Positive response satisfaction, but disconnected from resource constraints ▪ Need for improved outreach and public education
▪ Community appreciation is present but not widespread
Summary Narrative:

Ratings for citizen relationships ranged from 4 to 10, with most responses falling between 7 and 9. The lower ratings (4) were attributed primarily to poor public outreach and insufficient public understanding of the authority's structure, role, and funding. Multiple respondents noted ongoing confusion about the agency's name and organizational structure, and inadequate historical city support has contributed to limited public awareness.

Mid-range ratings (7-8) were explained by respondents as reflecting a disconnect between public satisfaction with emergency response and lack of awareness regarding resource and staffing constraints. Several interviewees noted that participation in public events generates positive community appreciation. Still, the broader public remains disconnected unless they directly need services. The community was characterized as satisfied with the response but unaware of operational challenges.

Higher ratings (9-10) came from respondents who focused on direct service interactions and noted no major complaints from the public. These respondents acknowledged community appreciation and characterized the relationship positively based on service delivery quality. However, even those providing higher ratings acknowledged room for improvement in public outreach and community engagement.

Question 7: On a scale of 1-10, 10 being excellent, how would you rate the relationship between management and labor within the Fire Authority? Key Themes:
▪ Significant improvement from previous leadership
▪ Good mutual respect and family-like atmosphere
▪ Positive impact of the battalion chief and the chief's changes ▪ Strong but continuing to improve

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Summary Narrative:

Ratings for management-labor relationships ranged from 7 to 10, with most responses at 8 or higher. All respondents who provided specific ratings characterized the relationship as good or better, with notable improvement trends mentioned.

Multiple interviewees specifically referenced improvements since leadership changes, notably the addition of new battalion chiefs and the current Fire Chief. The relationship was characterized by mutual respect, with one respondent comparing it favorably to previous agencies and describing it as "like a family." Several stakeholders noted that while the relationship is strong, it continues to improve and has room for further development.

The rating of 7 was described as "fair," but with notable improvements from previous leadership recognized. Higher ratings (8-9) reflected strong relationships with acknowledgment that progress continues. The single rating of 10 highlighted the positive change from previous organizational structures and the family-like atmosphere currently in place.

Question 8: On a scale of 1-10, 10 being excellent, how would you rate the relationship between the city governments (Arroyo Grande & Grover Beach) and the Fire Authority? Key Themes:
▪ Marked improvement in recent relationships
▪ Variable based on budgetary and political factors
▪ Differing perspectives between leadership and line staff ▪ Fire services are viewed as a necessary expense
Summary Narrative:

Ratings for relationships with city governments ranged from 5 to 9, with greater variability than for other relationship questions. The most common ratings fell in the 6-9-point range, indicating diverse perspectives among stakeholders.

Lower ratings (5-6) were attributed to city boards viewing fire services as a "necessary evil" expense, and relationships sometimes being driven by convenience for the cities.

Engagement was described as improving, but with historical challenges. Line staff perspectives differed from leadership perspectives: staff noted limitations due to city politics and unequal financial health between the two cities, while leadership rated the relationship higher due to budgetary factors.

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Higher ratings (9) reflected marked improvement and recent budget cooperation. One respondent noted that previously, external fundraising was needed for basic training materials, but current relationships have improved significantly. Multiple interviewees giving ratings of 9 acknowledged some "back and forth" but characterized the overall relationship as positive and improving.

Question 9: On a scale of 1-10, 10 being excellent, how would you rate the relationship between the Fire Authority and CAL Fire?
Key Themes:
▪ Strong operational/floor-level relationships
▪ Strained management and contractual relationships
▪ Oceano contract creating tensions
▪ Recent decline in administrative-level cooperation
Summary Narrative:

Ratings for CAL Fire relationships showed the widest variation of any question, ranging from 5 to 8, with most responses at 5 or 8, depending on whether respondents focused on operational or administrative relationships.

Multiple respondents distinguished between operational and administrative levels of the relationship. Floor-level and boots-on-the-ground relationships were consistently described as strong, with ratings of 8 or higher. Good working relationships between operational staff were noted, with frontline firefighter cooperation characterized positively.

Management and political relationships were rated significantly lower (5) by multiple respondents. Administrative-level interaction was described as limited, with tensions particularly around contracts and staffing models. The Oceano situation was explicitly mentioned by several interviewees as a source of strain. One respondent noted that the relationship at higher levels had recently declined from "amazing" 6 months before, 5, while floor-level cooperation remained high at 8.

Remnants of old rivalries between agencies were reported to still be present among some personnel. However, they do not affect operational cooperation. Several respondents noted that contractual arrangements and county service district issues continue to create management-level challenges even as operational relationships remain productive.

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Question 10: On a scale of 1-10, 10 being excellent, how would you rate the level of emergency services provided by the Fire Authority?
Key Themes:
▪ High quality given resource limitations
▪ BLS-only status is viewed as a significant service gap ▪ Staffing constraints affecting response capability
▪ Professional, well-trained, responsive personnel
Summary Narrative:

Ratings for emergency service level ranged from 3 to 9, with most responses between 7 and 9. The variation reflected different priorities and perspectives on service adequacy.

The lowest rating (3) was based on staffing and response times falling short of standards, and on the absence of Advanced Life Support capability, which was characterized as a "huge disservice." This respondent provided specific examples of recent critical incidents in which delays in backup or ambulance arrival during concurrent calls resulted in patient deaths, with ambulance arrival times extending to 15 minutes.

Mid-range ratings (7-8) reflected high quality given current limitations. Respondents who provided these ratings acknowledged that personnel quality, training, and professionalism were strong but expressed dissatisfaction with the BLS-only status and understaffing.

Captains in particular noted frustration with service limitations despite high-quality personnel.

Higher ratings (9) focused on the responsiveness, training quality, and professionalism of staff. These respondents characterized the service as well-delivered within current parameters. One interviewee specifically noted that broader emergency communication issues, such as a recent water contamination event, were county-level problems rather than failures of the fire department. Several respondents pointed out that fire prevention services would rate lower than operational emergency response if assessed separately.

Additional Context: Specific Issues and Concerns
Station 3 (Oceano)
Multiple respondents noted that Station 3 is currently closed for operational reasons and is unfit for service delivery. Reopening this station was identified as significantly enhancing service coverage for Oceano, Grover Beach, and Arroyo Grande. The recent closure of the Oceano bridge was noted to have operational impacts. However, it is too recent to affect current data sets.

Community Risk Assessment & Standards of Cover Deployment Analysis Five Cities Fire Authority 234
Wildfire Risk
Ongoing wildfire concerns were mentioned by several stakeholders, particularly from an insurance standpoint. While respondents noted the area is not in a "super high" wildfire zone, they expressed a desire for more robust mitigation efforts and community involvement in wildfire preparation.

Overtime and Deployment
Interest was expressed in analyzing overtime usage versus full staffing, with concerns about cost-effectiveness and personnel exhaustion. Specific concerns were noted about the wildfire season, when many staff may be deployed elsewhere, potentially compromising local coverage and community protection.

Jurisdictional Complexities
East boundaries between city and county jurisdictions were noted as sometimes unclear, even to emergency services. Contractual tensions, particularly involving Oceano and Cal Fire, were described as affecting resource allocation and financial management.

Mutual Aid Philosophy
Some respondents criticized overcommitment to outside firefighting deployments and statewide wildfire assignments when such commitments leave the local community inadequately protected. A community-first philosophy for mutual aid decisions was advocated.

Policy Development Process
The transition from informal guidelines to formally adopted policies was discussed by multiple respondents. The use of informational bulletins as interim communication tools was noted. Previous reliance on the host city (Arroyo Grande) policy was described as punitive and not tailored to the fire service or state law, and new agency-specific policies have been developed. Current leadership was credited as a catalyst in this policy development transition.

Community Risk Assessment & Standards of Cover Deployment Analysis Five Cities Fire Authority 235
APPENDIX B: RISK CLASSIFICATION
The following are the risk classifications determined by incident type.

Fire
Low-Risk Incidents
These incidents are considered low risk and are minor in scope and intensity. It takes only one fire apparatus and crew to handle fires involving passenger vehicles, fences, trash or dumpsters, downed power lines, residential or commercial alarm investigations, or an odor investigation.

Moderate-Risk Incidents
These incidents are the initial alarm responses needed to handle a moderate-risk fire incident. They include smoke inside a building, small outdoor fires, commercial vehicle fires, a single-family home, lightning strikes on a building, automatic fire alarms at high-risk occupancies, or a hazardous materials pipeline fire.

High-Risk Incidents
These incidents require a second alarm response to handle a high-risk fire. They include smoke in high-life-hazard buildings (such as schools or skilled nursing facilities), residences with injured or trapped victims, multi-family apartments, or moderate-sized commercial or industrial sites.

Maximum-Risk Incidents
A third alarm response is required for managing a maximum-risk fire incident. These incidents include a hospital, assisted living facility, fire in an apartment building, high-rise building fire, large commercial or industrial occupancy, hazardous materials railcar, or storage occupancy. Incident assignments will involve additional command personnel, rotating off-duty staff, and mutual aid assistance for other critical tasks.

EMS Risks
Low-Risk Incidents
A single EMS unit can handle a low-risk EMS incident such as assessing one patient with a critical injury or illness, a non-life-threatening medical call, a lift assist, or standby.

Community Risk Assessment & Standards of Cover Deployment Analysis Five Cities Fire Authority 236
Moderate-Risk Incidents
A two-unit response is necessary to control or mitigate a moderate-risk EMS incident. It involves assessing and treating 1–2 patients with critical injuries or illnesses, or responding to a motor vehicle crash with 1–2 patients.

High-Risk Incidents
A multiple-unit response is necessary to manage or reduce a high-risk EMS incident. It involves 3–8 patients with injuries that vary from minor to critical. Patient care includes triage, BLS/ALS treatment, and coordinated patient transport.

Maximum-Risk Incidents
A multi-unit response is necessary to manage or reduce the risk of a maximum-risk EMS incident. It involves more than nine patients with injuries ranging from minor to critical.

Patient care will include triage, BLS/ALS treatment, and coordinated patient transport. If this is an active shooter incident, a casualty collection area unit might be needed to treat patients outside the hot zone.

Technical Rescue
Low-Risk Incidents
A single fire unit can handle a low-risk technical rescue incident involving minor rescues such as a child locked in a vehicle, an elevator entrapment, or a small mechanical afterhours rescue.

Moderate-Risk Incidents
A two-unit response is necessary to manage or reduce a moderate-risk technical rescue incident. Support from a technical rescue team is typically not needed. This type of incident involves a motor vehicle crash requiring patient extrication, the removal of a patient tangled in machinery or other equipment, or a person trapped by fallen power lines.

High-Risk Incidents
A multiple-unit response is needed to manage or reduce a high-risk technical rescue incident. Such incidents may involve comprehensive technical rescue efforts, including structural collapses or swift-water rescues. They might also involve multiple motor vehicles that need extrication, commercial passenger buses, or a vehicle colliding with a building.

Support typically comes from a technical rescue team. These incidents may require multiple alarms.

Community Risk Assessment & Standards of Cover Deployment Analysis Five Cities Fire Authority 237
Maximum-Risk Incidents
A multi-unit response is needed to manage or reduce a maximum-risk technical rescue incident. Support from a specialized technical rescue team is essential, and the incident may involve multiple operational locations. This type of incident includes full-scale technical rescue efforts, such as victims trapped or endangered by structural collapses, swift water, or earth cave-ins. It will require multiple alarms and could extend beyond the initial critical tasks. During a disaster or when additional alarms and command personnel are necessary, off-duty personnel may be recalled, or assistance from automatic or mutual aid may be requested.

Hazardous Materials
Low-Risk Incidents
A single fire unit can handle a low-risk hazardous materials incident involving carbon monoxide alarms and other unknown hazmat investigations without symptomatic victims.

This includes incidents involving less than 20 gallons of fuel, a natural gas meter incident, downed power lines, equipment issues, electrical problems, or attempted burning.

Automatic alarms that may originate from a hazardous materials incident.

Moderate-Risk Incidents
A two-unit response is needed to control or mitigate a moderate-risk hazardous materials incident. Usually, direct support from a hazardous materials team is not necessary. This type of incident includes a carbon monoxide alarm with symptomatic patients, a fuel spill of 20– 55 gallons, or a gas or petroleum product pipeline break that does not threaten any exposures.

High-Risk Incidents
A multi-unit response with a hazmat team is necessary to control or mitigate a high-risk hazardous materials incident. Support is required for a Level 2 hazmat event that involves setting up operational zones (hot, warm, cold) and assigning multiple support divisions and groups. This response covers a hazardous materials release with 3–8 victims, gas leaks in a building, hazmat alarm alerts with victims, flammable gas or liquid pipeline ruptures with exposures, fuel spills over 55 gallons, fuel spills in underground drainage or sewer systems, transportation or industrial chemical leaks, or radiological incidents. Additional help may be needed to extend operations beyond the critical tasks identified.

Community Risk Assessment & Standards of Cover Deployment Analysis Five Cities Fire Authority 238
Maximum-Risk Incidents
A multi-unit response is necessary to manage or contain a maximum-risk hazardous materials incident. Support from an on-duty hazmat team and their specialized equipment is required. This type of incident involves setting up operational zones (hot/warm/cold) and deploying multiple support divisions and groups. Examples include nine or more contaminated or exposed victims, a large storage tank failure, a hazmat railcar failure, or a weapons of mass destruction incident. The response will likely involve multiple alarms and could extend beyond the initial critical tasks. Recall of off-duty personnel or assistance from automatic or mutual aid may be needed during a disaster or when additional alarms and command staff are required.

Wildland Urban Interface
Low-Risk Incidents
A single fire unit can handle a low-risk wildland firefighting incident that is minor in scope, with no threat to structures and no red-flag conditions. This includes low-risk wildland or grass fires, such as outdoor smoke investigations, illegal or controlled burns, or small vegetation fires.

Moderate-Risk Incidents
Multiple units are required to handle a moderate-risk wildland firefighting incident involving a significant fire in the brush, brush pile at a chipping site, grass, or cultivated vegetation.

Red-flag conditions are not present, and structures may or may not be at risk.

High-Risk Incidents
Multiple units or alarms are necessary to handle a high-risk wildland firefighting incident.

The level correlates with red-flag warnings and involves structures that may or may not be threatened. This fire includes a significant wildfire in brush, grasses, or cultivated vegetation, as well as woodland areas. Additional alarm assignments, command staff, recall of off-duty personnel, and mutual or automatic aid assistance may require extending operations beyond the initial critical tasks.

Community Risk Assessment & Standards of Cover Deployment Analysis Five Cities Fire Authority 239
APPENDIX C: TABLE OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Study Area Map ................................................................................................................2 Figure 2: Organizational Chart........................................................................................................5 Figure 3: Revenues/Expenditures Summary...................................................................................9 Figure 4: Revenue Sources ............................................................................................................10 Figure 5: Expenditures by Category .............................................................................................10 Figure 6: NFPA 1730 Inspection Frequency..................................................................................15 Figure 7: Occupancy Risk Classifications Example.....................................................................16 Figure 8: Leading Causes of Death in SLO County (2020–2022)................................................19 Figure 9: Years of Life Lost (All) in SLO County, 2023 ...................................................................20 Figure 10: General Training Competencies.................................................................................27 Figure 11: Drill-type & Frequency ..................................................................................................29 Figure 12: Administrative Staff Full-Time Equivalent Count.........................................................32 Figure 13: Fire Prevention Staff Full-Time Equivalent Count........................................................33 Figure 14: Operations Staff ............................................................................................................33 Figure 15: Station Units & Staffing Levels.......................................................................................34 Figure 16: Criteria Utilized to Determine Fire Station Condition .................................................40 Figure 17: Criteria Used to Determine Apparatus & Vehicle Condition ...................................44 Figure 18: FCFA Fleet Inventory (2024) .........................................................................................45 Figure 19: FCFA Administrative, Command, and Specialized Vehicles Inventory (2024).......46 Figure 20: FCFA Population Estimates...........................................................................................50 Figure 21: Age Risks.........................................................................................................................53 Figure 22: Population without Health Insurance..........................................................................56 Figure 23: Education.......................................................................................................................57 Figure 24: Race and Ethnicity........................................................................................................58 Figure 25: Year Structures Built.......................................................................................................59 Figure 26: Housing Units..................................................................................................................60 Figure 27: Average Temperatures ................................................................................................62 Figure 28: National Weather Service Heat Index Chart .............................................................63 Figure 29: Average Precipitation ..................................................................................................64 Figure 30: Drought Conditions (2011 to 2025)..............................................................................65 Figure 31: Drought Conditions – San Luis Obispo County and California.................................66

Community Risk Assessment & Standards of Cover Deployment Analysis Five Cities Fire Authority 240
Figure 32: Prevailing Winds.............................................................................................................67 Figure 33: Average Monthly Wind Speeds...................................................................................68 Figure 34: Fire Hazard Severity Zones............................................................................................71 Figure 35: FCFA Flood Zones..........................................................................................................73 Figure 36: Historic Earthquake Faults ............................................................................................75 Figure 37: Traffic Count ..................................................................................................................78 Figure 38: Streets and Highways in FCFA......................................................................................79 Figure 39: Fire Hydrant Protected Areas ......................................................................................82 Figure 40: Electrical Power Distribution.........................................................................................84 Figure 41: Natural Gas Transmission and High-Pressure Distribution Lines.................................86 Figure 42: Railway Line and Crossings ..........................................................................................88 Figure 43: Educational Occupancies...........................................................................................91 Figure 44: Assembly Occupancies ...............................................................................................92 Figure 45: Medical and Care Centers..........................................................................................94 Figure 46: Buildings Three or More Stories in Height.....................................................................97 Figure 47: Buildings Greater Than 50,000 Square Feet................................................................99 Figure 48: FCFA Property & Contents Loss per 1,000 People (2020–2023)..............................101 Figure 49: Fires per 1,000 Population (2020–2023) .....................................................................102 Figure 50: Intentionally Set Fires (2021–2024) .............................................................................102 Figure 51: Three-Axis Risk Classification Process.........................................................................104 Figure 52: Risk Scoring System......................................................................................................105 Figure 53: Probability or Likelihood of Occurrence...................................................................106 Figure 54: Consequences to the Community............................................................................106 Figure 55: Impact on Operational Forces..................................................................................107 Figure 56: Fire Response Risk Assessment ...................................................................................108 Figure 57: Fire Three-Axis Risk Classifications ..............................................................................108 Figure 58: EMS Response Risk Assessment ..................................................................................109 Figure 59: EMS Three-Axis Risk Classifications.............................................................................109 Figure 60: Technical Rescue Response Risk Assessment...........................................................110 Figure 61: Technical Rescue Three-Axis Risk Classifications......................................................110 Figure 62: Hazardous Materials Response Risk Assessment ......................................................111 Figure 63: Hazardous Materials Three-Axis Risk Classifications.................................................111 Figure 64: Wildland Fires Response Risk Assessment..................................................................112

Community Risk Assessment & Standards of Cover Deployment Analysis Five Cities Fire Authority 241
Figure 65: Wildland Fires 3-Axis Risk Classifications ....................................................................112 Figure 66: Data Skew....................................................................................................................115 Figure 67: FCFA Travel and Total Time Data Skew ....................................................................116 Figure 68: Total Incident Count (2019–2024)..............................................................................118 Figure 69: Incident Density (2019–2024) .....................................................................................120 Figure 70: EMS Incident Relative Density (2019–2024) ..............................................................121 Figure 71: Fire Incident Locations (2019–2024) ..........................................................................122 Figure 72: Top Ten Common Incident Addresses (2019–2024) ................................................123 Figure 73: Annual Incident Volume (2019–2024).......................................................................124 Figure 74: Incident Volume by Month (2019–2024)...................................................................125 Figure 75: Weekday Call Distribution (2019–2024).....................................................................126 Figure 76: Month & Day Distribution (2019–2024) ......................................................................126 Figure 77: Incident Distribution by Hour (2019–2024).................................................................127 Figure 78: Day & Hour Distribution (2019–2024) .........................................................................128 Figure 79: 5-Mile Travel Distance (In-Service Stations)..............................................................130 Figure 80: 1.5 Mile Travel Distance from Staffed Stations .........................................................131 Figure 81: 2.5 Mile Truck Travel Distance (From Station 1)........................................................132 Figure 82: Incidents by Type Volume by Apparatus Type (2019–2024) ..................................133 Figure 83: Annual Incident Volume Primary Units (2019–2024) ................................................134 Figure 84: Average Time on Incidents by Apparatus Type (2019–2024).................................135 Figure 85: Unit Hour Utilization (2023–2024) ................................................................................137 Figure 86: FCFA Concurrent Incident Responses (2019–2024).................................................138 Figure 87: Multiple Unit Responses (2019–2024).........................................................................138 Figure 88: Incident Lifecycle........................................................................................................140 Figure 89: Incident Segment KPIs................................................................................................141 Figure 90: Call Processing by NFIRS Type (2019–2024) ..............................................................143 Figure 91: Call Processing by Hour (2019–2024).........................................................................144 Figure 92: Turnout Time by Type and Day/Night (2019–2024)..................................................145 Figure 93: Turnout Time by Year & Grouping (2019–2024)........................................................146 Figure 94: Turnout Time by Unit & Shift (2019–2024)...................................................................147 Figure 95: Turnout Time by Hour (2019–2024).............................................................................148 Figure 96: FCFA 4-Minute Predicted Travel ................................................................................150 Figure 97: FCFA 8-Minute Predicted Travel ................................................................................151

Community Risk Assessment & Standards of Cover Deployment Analysis Five Cities Fire Authority 242
Figure 98: First Due Travel by Type and Area (2019–2024) .......................................................152 Figure 99: Annual First Due Travel Times by Category (2019–2024).........................................153 Figure 100: Travel Time by Hour (2019–2024)..............................................................................154 Figure 101: 8-Minute Response Force Model.............................................................................155 Figure 102: First Three Priority Units Travel (2019–2024) ..............................................................156 Figure 103: Agency Response Time by Political Subdivision & Type (2019–2024)..................157 Figure 104: Annual Agency Performance by Category (2019–2024).....................................158 Figure 105: Agency Performance by Hour (2019–2024)...........................................................159 Figure 106: Total Response Time by Political Subdivision & Type (2019–2024)........................160 Figure 107: Annual Total Response Performance by Category (2019–2024).........................161 Figure 108: Total Response Time Performance by Hour (2019–2024)......................................162 Figure 109: 20-Year Population Forecast with 95% Confidence Bands ..................................163 Figure 110: 2020 Population Distribution.....................................................................................165 Figure 111: Service Demand Projection to 2032 .......................................................................166 Figure 112: Automatic and Mutual Aid Resources (Table) ......................................................168 Figure 113: Automatic and Mutual Aid Resources (Map)........................................................169 Figure 114: 4-Minute Travel from all Area Stations.....................................................................171 Figure 115: 8-Minute Travel Area Stations ..................................................................................172 Figure 116: Automatic Aid Resources Available to FCFA ........................................................174 Figure 117: Staffing Recommendation Based on Risk ..............................................................179 Figure 118: Fire Response Critical Tasking ..................................................................................180 Figure 119: Emergency Medical Services Critical Tasking........................................................181 Figure 120: Wildland/WUI Fire Critical Tasking............................................................................181 Figure 121: Technical Rescue Critical Tasking ...........................................................................182 Figure 122: Hazmat Critical Tasking ............................................................................................182 Figure 123: Airport Rescue/Firefighting.......................................................................................183 Figure 124: Available Units...........................................................................................................184 Figure 125: Example of the FCFA Fire & EMS Dispatch Plan.....................................................185 Figure 126: Emergency Medical Assignments by Risk...............................................................185 Figure 127: Fire Alarm Assignments by Risk.................................................................................186 Figure 128: Wildland/WUI Assignments by Risk ..........................................................................187 Figure 129: Technical Rescue Assignments by Risk ...................................................................187 Figure 130: Hazardous Materials Assignments by Risk...............................................................188

Community Risk Assessment & Standards of Cover Deployment Analysis Five Cities Fire Authority 243
Figure 131: Aircraft Rescue/Firefighting by Risk .........................................................................188 Figure 132: Response Time Standards & Goal Examples..........................................................190 Figure 133: Deming Cycle............................................................................................................192 Figure 134: Incident Segments ....................................................................................................194 Figure 135: Performance Chart Example...................................................................................196 Figure 136: Methodology Overview ...........................................................................................205 Figure 137: Performance Statements .........................................................................................221

Item 11.b.

MEMORANDUM
TO: City Council
FROM: Matthew Downing, City Manager
BY: Nicole Valentine, Director of Administrative Services SUBJECT: Review Preliminary FY 2026-27 Mid-Cycle Budget Update Report DATE: May 26, 2026
RECOMMENDATION:

Review the preliminary Fiscal Year (FY) 2026-27 Mid-Cycle Budget Update Report, receive a presentation from staff, and provide feedback in preparation for the public hearing scheduled for June 9, 2026, to consider the FY 2026-27 Mid-Cycle Budget Update.

IMPACT ON FINANCIAL AND PERSONNEL RESOURCES:

The proposed FY 2026-27 Mid-Cycle Budget Update Report recommends approximately $55 million in expenditures including operating costs such as salaries, benefits, services, supplies, maintenance, debt service, and capital related items.

The proposed FY 2026-27 Budget General Fund budget utilizes excess fund balance reserves to pay for a combination of one-time and ongoing expenditures that will exceed expected revenues to address several goals. However, as presented, fund balance reserves are expected to remain at 17.8%, above the fund balance minimum target of 15%.

BACKGROUND:

Each year the City Council adopts a budget, which commits resources for the next Fiscal Year. The City Council adopted the FY 2025-27 Biennial Budget on June 10, 2025 1 . The
biennial budget process includes updates each quarter of the first year, a Mid-Cycle Update at the beginning of the second year that also includes appropriation of the secondyear budget and updates each quarter of the second year. Quarterly updates for FY 2025-

1 https://pub-arroyogrande.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=14866

Item 11.b.

City Council
Review Preliminary FY 2026-27 Mid-Cycle Budget Update Report May 26, 2026

26 have been provided on January 13, 20262, February 10, 2026 3 , and May 26, 2026,
Item 9.c.

On January 27, 20264, the City Council approved an update on City Council Goals and Priorities for FY 2025-27. Additionally, on May 12, 20265, the City Council adopted a resolution approving the 10-Year Capital Improvement Program (CIP) budget and the 10- Year Measure O-06 and Measure E-24 Local Sales Tax Fund Expenditures Programs.

The prioritization and direction provided by the City Council at these previous meetings have been incorporated into the FY 2026-27 Mid-Cycle Budget Update.

ANALYSIS OF ISSUES:

General Fund Overview
Item 9.d. of the City Council agenda packet reviewed the FY 2024-25 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) summarizing the Fund Balance at the end of FY 2024-25. The Consolidated General Fund Balance can be reviewed in the following table:

Table 1: Beginning and Ending Balances as of June 30, 2025 The ACFR reports a General Fund total fund balance of $15.9 million. However, a small amount of the fund balance is considered non-spendable because it is held as inventory ($1,063,999). The City’s Fiscal Policy establishes the maintenance of a fund balance reserve goal of 20% of expenditures, with a minimum of 15% in the General Fund. Based on available General Funds, the reserve was 37.3% and exceeded the City’s reserve goal at the conclusion of Fiscal Year 2024-25.

Though General Fund expenditures are expected to outpace revenues in FY 2026-27 by $2.3 million, as shown in Table 2, the year will end with a healthy projected fund balance of $4.9 million (see “2026-27 Proposed Budget” column). This projected fund balance is

2 https://pub-arroyogrande.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=17181 3 https://pub-arroyogrande.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=17335 4 https://pub-arroyogrande.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=16946 5 https://pub-arroyogrande.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=18941 General Fund
Measure O-06 Local
Sales Tax Fund
Measure E-24 Local
Sales Tax Fund OPEB Total
Beginning Fund Balance 7/1/24 $ 11,604,740 $ 5,017,872 $ - $ 1,288,901 $ 17,911,513 Revenues 23,227,799 3,191,022 1,412,063 169,234 28,000,118 Expenditures (25,365,466) (4,633,451) (3,035) - (30,001,952) Net Change in Fund Balance $ (2,137,667) $ (1,442,429) $ 1,409,028 $ 169,234 $ (2,001,834) Fund Balance:

Nonspendable $ 1,063,999 $ - $ - $ - $ 1,063,999
Assigned for capital projects - 3,406,182 1,409,028 - 4,815,210 Assigned for post employment benefits - - - 1,458,135 1,458,135 Unassigned 8,403,074 169,261 - - 8,572,335
Ending Fund Balance, 6/30/25 $ 9,467,073 $ 3,575,443 $ 1,409,028 $ 1,458,135 $ 15,909,679

Item 11.b.

City Council
Review Preliminary FY 2026-27 Mid-Cycle Budget Update Report May 26, 2026

higher than what was originally projected in the adopted FY 2025-27 Biennial Budget due to the higher than anticipated Beginning Fund.

Table 2: Status Quo General Fund Budget & Available Fund Balance in thousands Table 2 reflects anticipated adjustments in FY 2026-27 between the Adopted Budget and Proposed Budget. The revenue estimate decreased by $279,700. The Proposed Budget does not include the same level of projected growth for sales tax and Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) that was anticipated when the budget was originally adopted.

Revenues are still expected to remain stable and consistent with prior-year levels; however, staff is recommending a more cautious approach by reducing projected growth estimates based on current economic conditions and recent revenue trends.

Table 2 also reflects anticipated adjustments in FY 2026-27 expenditures between the Adopted Budget and Proposed Budget. The expenditure estimate increased by $207,470 primarily due to higher-than-anticipated workers’ compensation and liability insurance costs. The Adopted Budget assumed an approximate 10% increase in insurance premiums; however, updated projections now reflect increases closer to 30%, resulting in the proposed expenditure adjustment.

The tables in the following pages identify specific budget request items in the FY 2026- 27 Biennial Budget in the areas of services and supplies.

Proposed Services and Supplies Request
The preliminary proposed budget includes six Services and Supplies change requests.

The Police Department has successfully completed a 60-day pilot of an AI-powered report-writing application. This solution has proven to be a viable, cost-effective tool for modernizing investigative processes and aligning with the IT Strategic Plan. The 2024-25 ADOPTED ADJUSTED ESTIMATED ADOPTED PROPOSED

ACTUAL BUDGET BUDGET ACTUAL BUDGET BUDGET
Beginning Fund Balance $11,604 $7,460 $9,467 $9,467 $5,703 $7,206 Revenues 20,477 20,305 20,303 20,444 21,180 21,025
Transfers In 2,751 2,940 2,952 2,852 2,987 2,863
Total Revenues 23,228 23,245 23,255 23,296 24,167 23,888 Salaries and Benefits 13,509 14,292 14,358 14,384 14,880 14,909 Services and Supplies 9,222 10,288 10,276 10,141 10,609 10,788 Debt Service 302 294 294 294 283 283
Capital Outlay 380 13 50 51 52 52
Transfers Out 1,952 115 687 687 115 115
Total Expenditures 25,365 25,002 25,665 25,557 25,939 26,147 Revenue minus Expenditures (2,137) (1,757) (2,410) (2,261) (1,772) (2,259) Available Fund Balance $9,467 $5,703 $7,057 $7,206 $3,931 $4,947 Reserve % 37.3% 22.8% 27.5% 28.2% 15.2% 19.0%
2025-26 2026-27

Item 11.b.

City Council
Review Preliminary FY 2026-27 Mid-Cycle Budget Update Report May 26, 2026

department will reduce the administrative burden on personnel, allowing officers to shift their primary focus from desk work to fieldwork and critical duties. This service level enhancement is expected to improve reporting accuracy and data quality while accelerating overall case processing times.

The IT Strategic Plan included a Business Resilience Plan. This project involves developing or updating a comprehensive Business Resilience Plan, centered on a formal Business Impact Analysis. This analysis will identify mission-critical applications, evaluate the operational risks of system downtime, and establish strict timeframes for service restoration. To support these findings, a Disaster Recovery Plan will be created to provide a technical roadmap for restoring IT services and applications following a natural or manmade disaster. This initiative ensures the City can maintain essential operations and quickly recover vital public safety and administrative systems during an emergency.

The IT Strategic Plan also included a Cyber Security Plan. The City currently follows good cybersecurity practices on an ad-hoc basis, but lacks a formal, documented Cyber Security Plan that clearly outlines roles, procedures, risk priorities, incident response steps, and ongoing protection strategies for City systems and data. Without this comprehensive plan, the City remains more vulnerable to growing cyber threats—like ransomware, phishing attacks, or data breaches—that commonly target local governments holding sensitive resident information (such as personal records, financial details, police records, and utility data), potentially causing service disruptions, financial losses, privacy violations, or compromised public safety operations. Developing a comprehensive plan would establish clear guidelines to identify risks, strengthen defenses, train staff, respond quickly to incidents, and recover effectively aligning with best practices recommended for municipalities to protect essential services and build public trust.

The City is currently working with other cities in the county regarding a potential response to a future EMS RFP. Funding is provided in support of this effort.

The original Elections budget included $60,000 for the November 2026 election based on costs from 2024. The County provided an updated cost estimate that is approximately $80,000. The $20,000 increase to the Election budget is included in this service level request.

The Police Department server room currently relies on a single air conditioning unit, creating a critical "single point of failure." If this unit fails, servers could rapidly overheat, leading to hardware damage and the shutdown of vital systems like public safety communications and body-worn camera storage. This project will install a secondary backup cooling system to ensure constant, reliable temperature control even during primary equipment failure or routine maintenance. Table 3 is a summary table reflecting the proposed service and supplies change impacts.

Item 11.b.

City Council
Review Preliminary FY 2026-27 Mid-Cycle Budget Update Report May 26, 2026

Table 3: Proposed Services and Supplies Requests
On May 12, 2026, the City Council adopted a Resolution adjusting the Comprehensive User Fee Schedule, which included fees related to Adult Softball, Adult Basketball, and Trash Dumpster & Service. There will be an increase in revenues and expenditures that will be offset based on participation and use of the city facilities. These adjustments are shown in Table 4.

Table 4: Revenue & Expenditures Offset
When the requests listed in Tables 3 and 4 are incorporated into the FY 2026-27 MidCycle Budget Update, the impact at the end of FY 2026-27 is projected to be a fund balance of $4.7 million, which represents 17.7% of total operating expenditures in the General Fund. This will be $500,000 below the reserve policy goal of 20% but above the reserve policy minimum of 15%, as shown in Table 5.

Services & Supplies Ongoing One-time FY 2026-27
Purchase of AI Software "Code 4" for Report Writing
& Investigative Applications X 8,900
Business Resilience Plan X 50,000
Cyber Security Plan X 35,000
EMS MOU #3 X 24,600
Elections - County X 20,000
PD Redundant Cooling System for PD Server Room X 5,000
143,500
Revenue & Expenditures Offset FY 2026-27
Increased Fee for Adult Softball and Adult Basketball
Officials X (28,300)
Increased Cost for Adult Softball and Adult Basketball X 28,300 Increased Fee Trash Dumpster & Service X (2,000)
Increased Cost Trash Dumpster & Service X 2,000
-

Item 11.b.

City Council
Review Preliminary FY 2026-27 Mid-Cycle Budget Update Report May 26, 2026

Table 5: General Fund Budget & Available Fund Balance in thousands with Service Level Requests incorporated
Local Sales Tax Fund
The General Fund is the primary operating fund of the City, which accounts for resources and services traditionally associated with government. The General Fund provides administrative, financial, police protection, community development, public works, fire, and recreation services to the community. The General Fund accounts for revenues that have unrestricted uses and are not required legally or by contractual agreement to be accounted for in another fund.

The City has historically reported on the General Fund separately from the Local Sales Tax Fund, although the City’s auditors traditionally combine this information in the ACFR as shown above in Table 1. The City now has two Local Sales Tax Fund accounts for Measure O-06 and Measure E-24.

The Measure O-06 Fund is from revenue received through a half-cent sales tax approved by the City's voters in November 2006. Measure O-06 included advisory measures when passed, providing guidance on the uses to which the funding should be allocated. To ensure accountability, the measure included a provision requiring the City to publish and distribute an annual report to each household on the revenues and expenditures from the sales tax proceeds. To aid in the collection and reporting of this information, the City has accounted for this fund in a separate account.

The Measure E-24 Fund is from revenue received through a 1% sales tax approved by the City's voters in November 2024. Measure E-24 is intended to fund City services, such as fixing potholes, maintaining city streets, sidewalks, parks, aging infrastructure, and community facilities; providing local fire protection, police, and 9-1-1 emergency services; 2025-26 2026-27
2024-25 ADOPTED ADJUSTED ESTIMATED PROPOSED PROPOSED

ACTUAL BUDGET BUDGET ACTUAL BUDGET BUDGET
Beginning Fund Balance $11,604 $7,460 $9,467 $9,467 $5,703 $7,206 Revenues 20,477 20,305 20,303 20,444 21,180 21,055
Transfers In 2,751 2,940 2,952 2,852 2,987 2,863
Total Revenues 23,228 23,245 23,256 23,296 24,167 23,918 Salaries and Benefits 13,509 14,292 14,358 14,384 14,880 14,909 Services and Supplies 9,222 10,288 10,276 10,141 10,609 11,074 Debt Service 302 294 294 294 283 283
Capital Outlay 380 13 50 51 52 52
Transfers Out 1,952 115 687 687 115 115
Total Expenditures 25,365 25,002 25,665 25,556 25,939 26,433 Revenue minus Expenditures (2,137) (1,757) (2,410) (2,261) (1,772) (2,515) Available Fund Balance $9,467 $5,703 $7,057 $7,206 $3,931 $4,691 Reserve % 37.3% 22.8% 27.5% 28.2% 15.2% 17.7%
2025-26

Item 11.b.

City Council
Review Preliminary FY 2026-27 Mid-Cycle Budget Update Report May 26, 2026

cleaning up litter/graffiti, and addressing homelessness. To aid in the collection and reporting of this information, the City has accounted for this fund in a separate account.

For the purpose of providing the City Council and the community the full picture of the City revenues, expenditures, and ending fund balance, staff has combined these three funds for information purposes into a Consolidated General Fund in this report as shown in Table 6.

Table 6: FY 2026-27 Consolidated General Fund Budget & Available Fund Balance in thousands
The projected fund balance for the Consolidated General Fund at the end of FY 2026-27 is $6,558,426 or 18.4%.

Proposed Budget
The FY 2026-27 Mid-Cycle Budget Update presents a balanced budget, with excess revenues and fund balance sufficient to cover recommended work plan and capital project budget expenditures. The FY 2026-27 Mid-Cycle Budget Update proposed budget includes a total of $32.8 million in revenues and $35.7 million in operating and capital budget for a net of $2.8 million more expenditures than revenues. Fund balances accumulated over time offset the additional expenditures.

Consolidated General Fund Revenues
As shown in Chart 1, Sales and Property Taxes comprise the largest source of revenue in the General Fund, together accounting for approximately 74% of revenue within that fund. Given this dependence on just two revenue sources, fluctuations in the amount of taxes received can have profound impacts on the City’s ability to provide services.

Fortunately, as long as the real estate market stays reasonably strong, property taxes are a relatively stable revenue source.

Beginning Fund Balance $ 7,205,860 $ 943,263 $ 1,290,888 $ 9,440,011 Revenues:

Revenues 21,055,350 2,975,500 5,936,000 29,966,850
Transfers In 2,862,500 - - 2,862,500
Total Revenues 23,917,850 2,975,500 5,936,000 32,829,350 Expenditures:

Salaries and Benefits 14,908,800 - - 14,908,800
Services and Supplies 11,073,570 1,415,800 32,500 12,521,870 Debt Service 282,786 - - 282,786
Capital Outlay 51,529 - - 51,529
Transfers Out 115,000 1,984,750 5,846,200 7,945,950
Total Expenditures 26,431,685 3,400,550 5,878,700 35,710,935 Total Operating Incr/(Decr) (2,513,835) (425,050) 57,300 (2,881,585) Available Fund Balance $ 4,692,026 $ 518,213 $ 1,348,188 $ 6,558,426 Year end Reserve % 17.8% 15.2% 22.9% 18.4%
General Measure O-06 Measure E-24 Total

Item 11.b.

City Council
Review Preliminary FY 2026-27 Mid-Cycle Budget Update Report May 26, 2026

Chart 1: FY 2026-27 Consolidated General Fund Revenues - $32.8 million Overall, General Fund tax revenues have been trending upward over the past several years but are expected to remain flat in the FY 2026-27 Budget. Based on the latest information provided by the County Auditor-Controller’s Office, property taxes are expected to increase by 4.25%. This is the result of an increase in the assessed valuation of properties in Arroyo Grande and a housing market that has remained robust throughout the past year.

Sales tax receipts have remained flat throughout the past year; the City’s sales tax consultant projected a reduction in sales tax revenues due to an anticipated minor economic slowdown. These projections reflect expected declines in categories like automobiles and transportation, building and construction, and food & drug consumer goods. The lower projections in these categories are the result of lower expected consumer demand in the short term.

Item 11.b.

City Council
Review Preliminary FY 2026-27 Mid-Cycle Budget Update Report May 26, 2026

Chart 2: Consolidated General Fund Tax Revenues - $32.8 million Consolidated General Fund Expenditures
The following two charts show the proposed $35.6 million Consolidated General Fund expenditure budget for FY 2026-27, both in terms of the relative size of each department as well as the total dollars budgeted for each department. As the charts show, the Police Department and Capital Improvement Program are the City’s largest functions, with 22% of the budget, respectively. Fire services for FCFA will receive 12% of the Consolidated General Fund and Measure O-06 budget. Public Works receives 10% and Community Development will receive 6% of FY 2025-26 budget resources. The “Non-Departmental” category represents 11% of the General Fund budget and includes items that affect all departments, such as the annual payment on the City’s Unfunded Actuarial Liability (UAL), property and general liability insurance, and transfers to the Street fund.

Item 11.b.

City Council
Review Preliminary FY 2026-27 Mid-Cycle Budget Update Report May 26, 2026

Chart 3: FY 2026-27 Consolidated General Fund Expenditures by Department $35.7 million
Chart 4: FY 2026-27 Consolidated General Fund Expenditures by Department $35.7 million
Enterprise Funds
Though the focus of this report has been on the City’s General Fund, it is important to point out that the City’s two enterprise fund programs, Water and Wastewater, reflect rate adjustments approved by the City Council on March 8, 2022, based on the Water and Wastewater Rate Study. Table 7 details a consolidated look at these enterprise funds. It should be noted that the continued cost of Lopez Lake litigation will need to be addressed in a rate increase that staff is continuing to review.

Item 11.b.

City Council
Review Preliminary FY 2026-27 Mid-Cycle Budget Update Report May 26, 2026

Table 7: Consolidated Enterprise Funds
Special Revenue Funds
Special Revenue Funds are a governmental fund type used to account for specific revenues that are legally restricted to expenditures for particular purposes. The Mid-Cycle Budget Update for FY 2026-27 proposes changes to 4 of the 24 Special Revenue Funds.

Only the Special Revenue Funds with changes will be highlighted in this section.

Fund 213 Park Facilities Fund
The Fund 213 Park Facilities Fund accounts for the receipts of park-in-lieu (Quimby) fees and grant revenues that are used for construction, park acquisition, and development of park facilities. The anticipated revenues remained consistent compared to the current budget. The expenditure budget decreased by $135,000, is related to the Capital Improvement Project Design phase of the Short Street Plaza being moved from FY 2026- 27 to FY 2031-32. The anticipated fund balance at the end of FY 2026-27 is $1.6 million as shown in Table 8.
2023-24 2024-25 ADOPTED AMENDED ESTIMATED CURRENT PROPOSED

ACTUAL ACTUAL BUDGET BUDGET BUDGET BUDGET BUDGET
Beginning Working Capital $ 7,483 $ 5,856 $ 5,357 $ 4,857 $ 4,857 $ 5,746 $ 4,763 Revenues:

Revenues 7,026 9,436 10,562 10,562 10,562 10,873 10,877 Transfers In 4,803 4,779 5,684 5,727 5,684 4,082 4,789
Total Revenues 11,829 14,215 16,247 16,289 16,247 14,955 15,666 Expenditures:

Salaries and Benefits 1,266 1,164 1,364 1,364 1,364 1,419 1,476 Services and Supplies 4,854 6,624 5,142 5,381 5,381 5,094 5,802 Debt Service 55 - - - - - -
Capital Outlay 851 112 129 229 229 381 281
Capital Improvement Program 76 684 800 1,193 710 1,217 743 Transfers Out 6,353 6,631 8,018 8,624 8,657 8,364 7,246 Total Expenditures 13,456 15,214 15,453 16,790 16,340 16,475 15,548 Total Operating Incr/(Decr) (1,627) (999) 794 (501) (94) (1,520) 118 Available Fund Balance $ 5,856 $ 4,857 $ 6,151 $ 4,356 $ 4,763 4,225 4,881 2025-26 2026-27

Item 11.b.

City Council
Review Preliminary FY 2026-27 Mid-Cycle Budget Update Report May 26, 2026

Table 8: Park Facilities Fund
Fund 220 Streets
Fund 220 Streets accounts for receipts and expenditures of money apportioned by the State under Streets and Highway Code. The use of gas tax revenues can only be used to construct and maintain streets, roads and highways. The anticipated revenues increased by $12,400 compared to the current budget due to more consumers driving and the increase in gas costs. The expenditure budget also increased by $11,700 related to increased employee costs. The anticipated fund balance at the end of FY 2026-27 is $6,991 as shown in Table 9.

Table 9: Streets Fund
Fund 224 Transportation Facilities Fund
The Fund 224 Transportation Facilities Fund includes impact fees collected from developers paid to protect the public health, safety, and welfare by maintaining the existing level of public services for existing and future residents within the City of Arroyo Grande. The anticipated revenues remained consistent compared to the current budget. 2023-24 2024-25 ADOPTED AMENDED ESTIMATED CURRENT PROPOSED

ITEM ACTUAL ACTUAL BUDGET BUDGET BUDGET BUDGET BUDGET
Beginning Fund Balance $ 1,430,686 $ 1,490,533 $ 1,630,136 $ 1,630,136 $ 1,630,136 $ 1,686,136 $ 1,686,136 Revenues:

Revenues 59,846 139,603 56,000 56,000 56,000 56,000 56,000 Transfers In - - - - -
Total Revenues 59,846 139,603 56,000 56,000 56,000 56,000 56,000 Expenditures:

Salaries and Benefits - - - - - - -
Services and Supplies - - - - - - -
Capital Outlay - - - - - - -
Transfers Out - - - - - 310,000 175,000
Total Expenditures - - - - - 310,000 175,000
Change in Fund Balance 59,846 139,603 56,000 56,000 56,000 (254,000) (119,000) Ending Fund Balance $ 1,490,533 $ 1,630,136 $ 1,686,136 $ 1,686,136 $ 1,686,136 $ 1,432,136 $ 1,567,136 2025-26 2026-27
2023-24 2024-25 ADOPTED AMENDED ESTIMATED CURRENT PROPOSED

ITEM ACTUAL ACTUAL BUDGET BUDGET BUDGET BUDGET BUDGET
Beginning Fund Balance $ 81,325 $ 3,569 $ (969) $ (969) $ (969) $ 61 $ 61 Revenues:

Revenues 995,352 1,042,786 1,044,700 1,044,700 1,033,000 1,059,800 1,072,200 Transfers In 474,996 520,703 695,000 695,000 708,900 730,000 730,000 Total Revenues 1,470,348 1,563,489 1,739,700 1,739,700 1,741,900 1,789,800 1,802,200 Expenditures:

Salaries and Benefits 618,732 528,655 623,100 623,100 623,100 647,300 659,000 Services and Supplies 346,722 321,253 382,700 382,700 382,700 382,700 382,700 Debt Service 8,369 8,369 8,369 8,369 8,369 8,369 8,369
Capital Outlay 14,127 122,076 140,000 140,000 140,000 140,000 140,000 Transfers Out 560,154 587,673 586,700 586,700 586,700 605,200 605,200 Total Expenditures 1,548,105 1,568,027 1,740,870 1,740,870 1,740,870 1,783,569 1,795,269 Change in Fund Balance (77,757) (4,538) (1,170) (1,170) 1,030 6,231 6,931 Ending Fund Balance $ 3,569 $ (969) $ (2,139) $ (2,139) $ 61 $ 6,291 6,991 2025-26 2026-27

Item 11.b.

City Council
Review Preliminary FY 2026-27 Mid-Cycle Budget Update Report May 26, 2026

The expenditure budget increased by $361,500, is related to the Capital Improvement Project in FY 2026-27 to pay for the potential Huasna Roundabout totaling $1,600,000.

The anticipated fund balance at the end of FY 2026-27 is $1.2 million, shown in Table 10.

Table 10: Transportation Facilities Fund
Fund 271 State COPS Block Grant
The Fund 271 State COPS Block Grant Fund accounts for the receipt and use of monies from the State of California and is restricted to the purchase of police equipment and technology for crime prevention. The anticipated revenues remained consistent compared to the current budget. The expenditure budget increased by $150,000, related to the Capital Improvement Project to upgrade the Report Management System to coincide with the San Luis Obispo Sheriff’s Department upgrade. The expenditure budget increased by $50,000 to purchase a drone related to mapping traffic collisions and an electric bike or vehicle. The anticipated fund balance at the end of FY 2026-27 is $622,880 as shown in Table 11.

Table 11: State COPS Block Grant Fund
2023-24 2024-25 ADOPTED AMENDED ESTIMATED CURRENT PROPOSED

ITEM ACTUAL ACTUAL BUDGET BUDGET BUDGET BUDGET BUDGET
Beginning Fund Balance $ 2,682,500 $ 2,835,751 $ 3,084,459 $ 3,084,459 $ 3,084,459 $ 2,744,459 $ 2,744,459 Revenues:

Revenues 153,251 248,708 60,000 60,000 60,000 60,000 60,000 Transfers In - - - - - - -
Total Revenues 153,251 248,708 60,000 60,000 60,000 60,000 60,000 Expenditures:

Salaries and Benefits - - - - - - -
Debt Service - -
Capital Outlay - - - - - - -
Transfers Out - - - 400,000 400,000 1,238,500 1,600,000 Total Expenditures - - - 400,000 400,000 1,238,500 1,600,000 Change in Fund Balance 153,251 248,708 60,000 (340,000) (340,000) (1,178,500) (1,540,000) Ending Fund Balance $ 2,835,751 $ 3,084,459 $ 3,144,459 $ 2,744,459 $ 2,744,459 $ 1,565,959 $ 1,204,459 2025-26 2026-27
2023-24 2024-25 ADOPTED AMENDED ESTIMATED CURRENT PROPOSED

ITEM ACTUAL ACTUAL BUDGET BUDGET BUDGET BUDGET BUDGET
Beginning Fund Balance $ 683,208 $ 787,470 $ 942,280 $ 942,280 $ 942,280 $ 831,570 $ 872,080 Revenues:

Revenues 129,558 235,134 140,800 140,800 167,300 140,800 140,800 Transfers In - - - - - - -
Total Revenues 129,558 235,134 140,800 140,800 167,300 140,800 140,800 Expenditures:

Salaries and Benefits - - - - - - -
Services and Supplies 240 - 12,500 12,500 12,500 - 20,000 Capital Outlay 25,056 80,325 25,000 25,000 25,000 25,000 55,000 Transfers Out - - 200,000 444,300 200,000 125,000 275,000 Total Expenditures 25,296 80,325 237,500 481,800 237,500 150,000 350,000 Change in Fund Balance 104,262 154,809 (96,700) (341,000) (70,200) (9,200) (209,200) Ending Fund Balance $ 787,470 $ 942,280 $ 845,580 $ 601,280 $ 872,080 $ 822,370 $ 662,880 2025-26 2026-27

Item 11.b.

City Council
Review Preliminary FY 2026-27 Mid-Cycle Budget Update Report May 26, 2026

Summary
The proposed FY 2026-27 Budget recommends approximately $55 million in expenditures, including operating costs such as salaries, benefits, services, supplies, maintenance, debt service, and capital-related items, as shown in the consolidated fund summary as shown in Table 12.

Table 12: FY 2026-27 Consolidated Fund Summary
Next Steps
The FY 2026-27 Mid-Cycle Budget Update will be presented to the City Council at a Public Hearing held on June 9, 2026. Once approved by the City Council, FY 2026- 27 funds will be appropriated on July 1, 2026.

ALTERNATIVES:

The following alternatives are provided for the Council’s consideration:

1. Review and provide direction on the Preliminary FY 2026-27 Mid-Cycle Budget Update; or

2. Provide other direction to staff.

ADVANTAGES:

Providing direction will assist staff in developing the Preliminary FY 2026-27 Mid-Cycle Budget Update Report that is responsive to the City’s needs and community priorities, while maintaining economic feasibility.

DISADVANTAGES:

The recommendations do not fully address the long-term replacement needs of all City equipment and infrastructure, including the City’s streets, sidewalks, and stormwater facilities. Limited staffing levels continue to be a challenge for accomplishing all desired City priorities in a timely manner. Significant cost increases related to pensions and insurance are still threats that will require close monitoring. The performance of the Beginning Fund Balance $ 7,205,860 $ 943,263 $ 1,290,888 $ 4,763,064 $ 13,143,442 $ 5,109,805 $ 32,456,321 Revenues:

Revenues 21,055,350 2,975,500 5,936,000 10,876,832 2,522,991 423,944 43,790,617 Transfers In 2,862,500 - - 4,789,480 730,000 - 8,381,980 Total Revenues 23,917,850 2,975,500 5,936,000 15,666,312 3,252,991 423,944 52,172,598 Expenditures:

Salaries and Benefits 14,908,800 - - 1,475,700 659,000 - 17,043,500 Services and Supplies 11,073,570 1,415,800 32,500 5,802,225 1,011,941 7,900 19,343,936 Debt Service 282,786 - - - 8,369 382,944 674,099
Capital Outlay 51,529 - - 1,024,256 195,000 - 1,270,785 Transfers Out 115,000 1,984,750 5,846,200 7,246,069 1,318,000 179,900 16,689,919 Total Expenditures 26,431,685 3,400,550 5,878,700 15,548,250 3,192,311 570,744 55,022,239 Total Operating Incr/(Decr) (2,513,835) (425,050) 57,300 118,062 60,680 (146,800) (2,849,642) Available Fund Balance $ 4,692,026 $ 518,213 $ 1,348,188 $ 4,881,126 $ 13,204,121 $ 4,963,005 $ 29,606,680 General Measure O-06 Measure E-24 Total
Enterprise
Funds
Special
Revenue
Funds
Agency
Funds

Item 11.b.

City Council
Review Preliminary FY 2026-27 Mid-Cycle Budget Update Report May 26, 2026

economy in general, and the impacts of specific economic development activities, will also affect the financial condition and sustainability of City operations.

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:

The development of the FY 2026-27 Mid-Cycle Budget Update Report is not a project subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) because it has no potential to result in either a direct, or reasonably foreseeable indirect, physical change in the environment. (State CEQA Guidelines, §§ 15060, subd. (b)(2)-(3), 15378.) Individual projects listed herein may be subject to CEQA and environmental reviews will be conducted at the appropriate time during implementation of those projects.

PUBLIC NOTIFICATION AND COMMENTS:

The Agenda was posted at City Hall and on the City’s website in accordance with Government Code Section 54954.2.

Item 11.c.

MEMORANDUM
TO: City Council
FROM: Andrew Perez, Interim Director of Community Development SUBJECT: General Plan Update Study Session
DATE: May 26, 2026
RECOMMENDATION:

Receive an update on the implementation of the Council’s direction from the February 24, 2026, study session.

IMPACT ON FINANCIAL AND PERSONNEL RESOURCES:

The financial and personnel impacts associated with the study session are included in the budget for the Comprehensive General Plan Update.

BACKGROUND:

The Preliminary Public Review Draft (PPRD) General Plan was published on November 19, 2025. The release of the PPRD represented a significant milestone and was the result of nearly three years of work on the comprehensive general plan update. The PPRD was presented to the Planning Commission on December 2, 20251, and again at a community workshop on December 3, 2025, to obtain public comment on the PPRD.

Commentary received from the community workshop, an online survey, and the Planning Commission was presented to Council during a study session held on February 24, 20262.

During the study session, Council directed staff to revise the PPRD to better address its vision for the General Plan. Revisions were made in accordance with that direction to produce the Public Draft General Plan (Public Draft). The Public Draft was released for public review and comment on April 16, 2026. The Public Draft was also referred to outside agencies for comments, as required by Government Code Section 65352.

1https://pub-arroyogrande.escribemeetings.com/Meeting.aspx?Id=23ae5d44-3bef-4f0e-a510- 7549bf6752e3&lang=English&Agenda=Agenda&Item=15&Tab=attachments 2https://pub-arroyogrande.escribemeetings.com/Meeting.aspx?Id=661c1650-22a5-4167-91df42e815675b95&lang=English&Agenda=Agenda&Item=35&Tab=attachments

Item 11.c.

City Council
General Plan Update Study Session
May 26, 2026

ANALYSIS OF ISSUES:

This report describes how staff implemented the Council’s direction, organized by General Plan Element. Within each Element below, a table containing each of the revisions describes Council’s directive to staff, the resulting amendments made to implement the directive, and a brief summary explaining how the implementation addresses Council’s direction.

Council’s direction resulted in the following revisions to the PPRD:
 Six (6) text amendments;
 One (1) new goal;
 Eight (8) amended policies;
 Eleven (11) new policies;
 One (1) deleted policy;
 Two (2) new implementation programs; and
 Two (2) modified implementation programs
Land Use Element
Council’s discussion and direction regarding edits to the Land Use Element was largely focused on the process for the development of Focus Area Nos. 2 and 3. Specifically, Council directed revisions to make it clear that future improvements would occur in conjunction with the implementation of a Specific Plan, and in the case of Focus Area No. 2, not while the properties are in agricultural use. This is also reiterated in the Circulation Element as it pertains to planned circulation network improvements. The discussion about Focus Area No. 2 also resulted in direction to establish an in-lieu fee for the conversion of agricultural properties to urban uses.

City Council Direction Amendment
General
Plan
Page No.

Text Amendments: Focus Area
#2 (North Fair Oaks)
Allow flexibility in land use mix Text box added to clarify that future uses will be determined with the
development of a Specific Plan,
allowing flexibility to respond to
community priorities, market
conditions, etc.

LU-20
Creekside trail could
concurrently count as open
space and parks
Text addition to note that the multi-use
trail, developed as described by the
Active Transportation Plan, “may
concurrently serve as open space and
an active recreation facility.”
LU-20

Item 11.c.

City Council
General Plan Update Study Session
May 26, 2026

City Council Direction Amendment
General
Plan
Page No.

Text Amendments: Focus Area
#3 (Fredericks)
Description of the focus area is
mischaracterized.

Area is described as open space and
undeveloped to accurately describe
current and historic uses
LU-22
Focus Area No. 3 should
contain all adjacent parcels
with Specific Plan land use
designation.

Figure 2-7 was modified to include all
parcels with Specific Plan land use
designation.

LU-23
Modified/New Policies and Implementation Programs
Delete reference to “custom”
homes and neighborhoods in
Policy LU-3.11 to not
inadvertently deter affordable
housing development and
design
Amended Policy LU-3.11 by deleting
the word “custom.”
LU-27
Remove Policy LU-6.2 because
encouraging new development
to be compatible with
surrounding neighborhoods
could be detrimental to the
development of higher-density
projects that are encouraged by
the plan.

Delete former Policy LU-6.2 in its
entirety.

LU-30
Develop policy for the creation
of an in-lieu fee when
agricultural land is converted to
urban use
New Policy: LU-8.10 to develop an inlieu fee. LU-35
Remove low-density residential
as a priority for Focus Area No.
3 listed in Policy LU-10.2.

Amended Policy: LU-10.2 to encourage
low-medium and medium density
residential to encourage a more
efficient use of land.

LU-36
Remove reference to singlefamily zones in Implementation Program LU-E to encourage a
diverse mix of housing types
throughout the city.

Amended Implementation Program LUE by deleting reference to “singlefamily residential zones.”LU-40 Develop policy for the creation
of an in-lieu fee when
New Implementation Program LU-I to
implement new policy LU-8.10 directing
the City to develop the in-lieu fee.

LU-41

Item 11.c.

City Council
General Plan Update Study Session
May 26, 2026

City Council Direction Amendment
General
Plan
Page No.
agricultural land is converted to
urban use
Additional Notes
 A distribution of land uses by percentage of the focus areas remains in the descriptions for the North Fair Oaks and Frederick focus areas. These percentages reflect the community’s vision for the two focus areas and serve as general guidelines for future development. The mixture of land uses also informs the environmental impact report (EIR) being prepared for the comprehensive General Plan Update.

Natural and Cultural Resources Element
The study session resulted in a single edit to the Natural and Cultural Resources Element, as suggested by the Planning Commission, that policy should emphasize the City’s cultural and historic resources.

City Council Direction Amendment
General
Plan
Page No.

Encourages promotion and
conservation of historic
resources in the city.

Amended Policy NCR-4.8 encourages
conservation through education, tours,
and special events in coordination with
local organizations.

NCR-19
Additional Notes
 Upon closer review by staff, Policy NCR-4.1 from the PPRD was identified as problematic. This policy would have directed the City to “designate identified historic and cultural resources as Conservation/Open Space to preserve these resources.” Staff determined that such a designation could constrain maintenance or redevelopment opportunities associated with those properties in compliance with applicable standards.

Safety Element
Discussion about the Safety Element was fairly limited during the study session. Council direction resulted in one new policy that encourages the use of high-speed broadband to facilitate emergency response and management.

Item 11.c.

City Council
General Plan Update Study Session
May 26, 2026

City Council Direction Amendment
General
Plan
Page No.

Incorporate high-speed
broadband as a tool to improve
and facilitate emergency
response and management.

New Policy SAF-1.11 encourages the
use of high-speed broadband “to
facilitate real-time, data-driven
emergency management.

SAF-31
Noise Element
Council was supportive of modifying the Noise Element policy to regulate noise from commercial and residential land uses, such as live or amplified music.

City Council Direction Amendment
General
Plan
Page No.

Policy directing that the update
of the City’s Noise Ordinance
consider noise generated at the
neighborhood level.

Amended Policy NOI-3.10 directs the
ordinance update to establish
“acceptable noise limits for commercial
operations, activities occurring on
residential properties, and construction
activities.

NOI-16
Parks, Recreation, and Community Services
Council direction regarding edits to this Element resulted in the modification and creation of several policies. High-speed broadband is now described as an essential community service and is accompanied by its own goal and policies. Other minor edits address Council direction regarding future recreation facilities.

City Council Direction Amendment
General
Plan
Page No.

Describe Telecommunications
as an essential community
service.

Access to high-speed internet is
described as essential for business
operations, emergency warning
systems, and keeping people connected.

PRCS-9
Remove the reference to
pickleball in Policy PRCS-1.2.

Amended Policy PRCS-1.2 to be more
general, which will allow for data-driven
decisions with regard to developing new
and expanded recreation facilities
PRCS-12
Encourage expansion and
development of childcare
facilities.

New Policy PRCS-7.3 states the City’s
support and encouragement of youth
enrichment activities, childcare, and
afterschool programming.

PRCS-21

Item 11.c.

City Council
General Plan Update Study Session
May 26, 2026

City Council Direction Amendment
General
Plan
Page No.

Expand access and reliability of
high-speed broadband.

Added Goal PRCS-10 and Policies
PRCS-10.1, 10.2, and 10.3, which
encourage expanded quality and
access to telecommunication and highspeed broadband.

PRCS-23
Remove Arroyo Linda
Crossroads area (Focus Area
No. 3) as potential location for
sports fields.

Amended Implementation Program
PRCS-A by removing Arroyo Linda
Crossroads as a potential location for
sports fields due to topography.

PRCS-24
Additional Notes
 The addition of Policy PRCS-7.3 also responds to Council direction regarding placing a greater emphasis on the community’s youth and young families.

Circulation Element
Amendments to the Circulation Element resulting from the study session were relatively minor. Council requested updates to the Table 7-5: Major Circulation Improvements to better align the corresponding map, and in the case of the Valley Road extension, a note that it would occur in conjunction with the development of an approved Specific Plan.

City Council Direction Amendment
General
Plan
Page No.

Update Table 7-5 to align with
Figure 7-3 regarding planned
circulation improvements.

Two improvements were added to Table
7-5: Valley Road extension and the
Coach Road extension. A note was
added to clarify that the Valley Road
extension would occur with the
development of a Specific Plan for the
North Fair Oaks focus area.

C-19
Encourage the City to construct
and “maintain” streets in
conformance with City
standards.

Amended Policy C-1.1 to include
maintenance component.

C-36
Add Arroyo Grande High
School drop-off and pick-up
times as a major traffic
generator that would benefit
from Travel Demand
Management strategies.

Amended Policy C-5.9 to include
AGHS.

C-43

Item 11.c.

City Council
General Plan Update Study Session
May 26, 2026

City Council Direction Amendment
General
Plan
Page No.

Place additional emphasis on
the community’s youth and
young families.

New Policies C-10.9 and C-11.4 were
added to enhance protection of all users
of the City’s circulation facilities, but
especially children and their families
that utilize designated safe routes to
school.

C-51,
C-52
Economic Development Element
Discussion about the goals and policies in the Economic Development Element was largely focused on encouraging a wider variety of commercial industries. There was also direction from Council to encourage more regional cooperation that places less of an emphasis on the agricultural industry.

City Council Direction Amendment
General
Plan
Page
No.

Encourage expansion and
development of childcare
facilities.

New Policy ED-1.18, which recognizes
childcare as essential for economic
development.

ED-19
Reduce the emphasis on
agriculture as an economic
sector and attraction for
tourism.

Amended Policy ED-2.1 by promoting
the uniqueness of the City rather than
focusing solely on agriculture.

ED-19
Identify other opportunities for
revenue generation to help
fund City infrastructure projects
New Policy ED-3.4 directs the City to
seek new revenue sources.

ED-21
Be more permissive of
expanding commercial and light
industrial opportunities.

New Implementation Program ED-Q
encourages regulations that would allow
a variety of commercial uses to ensure
efficient use of limited land area and
commercial space.

ED-32
Additional Notes:

New policy ED-1.18 complements Council’s directive in support of the expansion of childcare facilities, which also generated a new policy in the Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Element.

Health and Equity Element
Council directed staff to add a high-level policy that directs the City to evaluate organic or less toxic options for City-maintained properties.

Item 11.c.

City Council
General Plan Update Study Session
May 26, 2026

City Council Direction Amendment General Plan
Page No.

Add policy encouraging the City
to use organic solutions for
land management.

New Policy HE-4.4 directs the City
explore options to replace
pesticides and herbicides with less
toxic or organic treatments.

HE-16
Public Comment
Since the release of the Public Review Draft General Plan, four comment letters have been received and are included as Attachment 2. These letters:
 Advocate for providing additional polices in the Circulation Element to promote multimodal transportation and safety of pedestrians and bicyclists;  Oppose policies that promote bicycle facilities at the expense of reducing circulation or parking facilities for automobiles;
 Encourage public events that promote community interaction; and  Oppose regulations that would allow more than two story buildings.

Next Steps
If Council is supportive of staff’s revisions, the Public Draft General Plan document will be ready to move forward to the necessary next steps. The Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is currently being prepared for the comprehensive General Plan Update and Climate Action Plan. The Public Review Draft EIR is scheduled to be published in July.

Once the public review draft EIR is released, there is a 45-day public comment period. A response to all comments received during that time will be prepared and included in the Final EIR that would be certified by Council. A public hearing for adoption of the General Plan and certification of the EIR is planned for November 10, 2026.

ALTERNATIVES:

The following alternatives are provided for the Council’s consideration:

1. Affirm that Council direction provided at the February 24, 2026, study session was accurately incorporated into the draft General Plan;

2. Direct staff to make additional revisions to the draft General Plan; or

3. Provide other direction to staff.

ADVANTAGES:

The study session is an opportunity for the City Council and public to provide input on the updated General Plan.

DISADVANTAGES:

Direction from City Council to significantly modify land use policies or programs may require additional environmental analysis and extend the timeline for adoption.

Item 11.c.

City Council
General Plan Update Study Session
May 26, 2026

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:

No environmental review is required for the study session because it has no potential to result in either a direct, or reasonably foreseeable indirect, physical change in the environment. (State CEQA Guidelines, Cal. Code Regs., tit. 14, §§ 15060, subd. (c)(2)(3), 15378.). A Program EIR is currently being prepared to evaluate the impacts associated with the implementation of the General Plan.

PUBLIC NOTIFICATION AND COMMENTS:

The Agenda was posted at City Hall and on the City’s website in accordance with Government Code Section 54954.2.

ATTACHMENTS:

1. Link to the Public Review Draft General Plan3

2. Public Comment

3https://planarroyogrande.com/images/AGGPU_PRD_Full_CLEAN_reduced2_2026%2004%2015%20NZ .pdf

ATTACHMENT 2

From: Arroyo Grande General Plan Update
To: [email protected]; Andrew Perez; [email protected]; [email protected] Subject: Comment from PlanArroyoGrande.com Get Involved! Date: Tuesday, March 31, 2026 4:03:44 PM
Name: Gianna
E-mail:

Comments:

It would be very fun and beneficial to the community if something like a box social or town square social dances for the community to get together and be incentivized to interact and build friendships and strengthen the bonds of the community. Potlucks, square dancing, etc.

Page title: Get Involved!

1 Andrew Perez
From: Jim DeCecco
Sent: Saturday, May 16, 2026 5:19 PM
To: Andrew Perez
Subject: General Plan
After reviewing the "Plan", I have a couple of comments. First, (copied from the transportation section):

Travel Demand Management . Consider ways to shift travel demand away from the peak period using Transportation Demand Management (TDM) strategies, especially in situations where peak traffic problems result from a few major generators (e.g., large retail developments on highway corridor, Arroyo Grande High School during drop -off and pick - up hours ). Strategies to consider include: [Source: Existing Policy: CT5 -9] I would include "work with Lucia Mar Unified School District to reduce peak hour traffic volumes at AGHS". The city should be in constant contact to get more families out of cars so the school start and dismiss times aren't so disruptive.

C -6.2 Interchange Priorities . Coordinate and support progress on the Brisco Road/Halcyon Road , Grand/West Branch/El Camino Mercado and Traffic Way/Fair Oaks Avenue interchange improvements to US 101. [Source:

Existing Policy: CT6 -2, modified ]
Also, I would include the Oak Park interchange (even though that has to be coordinated with Caltrans and Pismo Beach). Try riding north along El Camino. There is no way for a cyclist to get through that intersection without running a red light.

Reminder, Sharrows are NOT bike infrastructure. Studies have shown that Sharrows actually increase vehicle and cycling crashes where used.

C -8.8 Class III Bike Route . In order to increase awareness and visibility of bicyclists sharing the roadway with motorized vehicles, ensure Class III bicycle facilities include respective signage ( “Bikes May Use Full Lane ”) and markings such as shared lane markings (sharrows) to the maximum extent feasible. When Class III bike facilities exceed LTS 3 (or operative low -stress network LTS standard), the facility shall be converted to dedicated Class II lanes if determined feasible. [Source: Existing Policy: CT8 -6] Outside of those comments, the staff killed it with this General Plan. Awesome. It was a pleasure to read. I can't wait to see it implemented.

Jim DeCecco
Safe Routes Coordinator
Lucia Mar Unified School District