December 868, 2023
RE: Central Coast Blue
TO: Grover Beach City Council, Mayor, and City Manager
The South County Chambers of Commerce (SCCC) Board of Director’s have voted to support Central Coast Blue. The vote was unanimous.
The Chamber believes this project is in line with the vison and mission of the Chamber and aligns with the Chambers Public Policy Guidelines that includes suppor�ng infrastructure that will support our economic wellness.
SCCC Mission: To create opportuni�es and partnerships that ensure South San Luis Obispo businesses prosper. SCCC Vision: That our members are the most resilient and diverse businesses in South San Luis Obispo County because of the effec�ve stakeholder engagement and advocacy we do.
The loca�on of this project is zoned for this use and the Chamber feels very grateful to have the City of Grover Beach the vision to tenacity to support a longterm project like Central Coast Blue. Several past years of drought has proven we are vulnerable when it comes to water. This project helps secure a safe and adequate water supply for much of our South San Luis Obispo County region including Grover Beach. It is essen�al we do our part to ensure we have an adequate water supply in the future.
There is an increasing need for reliable and safe water in south SLO County. This project provides water for current and future residents and businesses that call Grover Beach and the surrounding area home.
Infrastructure like Central Coast Blue is essen�al for the economic vitality of this region. Central Coast Blue has placed South San Luis Obispo County ahead of much of the State of California in crea�ng a way to not only stabilize but to increase our water supply.
It is our understanding that approximately 50% of the coast for this project is being paid for through grants. The South County Chambers of Commerce would like to thank everyone involved in this project for reducing our costs so significantly. Now the other 50% is up to us.
The Chamber respec�ully ask you to con�nue to support Central Coast Blue due to the posi�ve impact it will have for decades to come for the businesses and residents of Grover Beach.
Sincerely,
Kathy McCorry, CEO
South County Chambers of Commerce
1 Nicole Retana
From: RL Mann
Sent: Monday, December 11, 2023 11:29 AM
To: Wendi Sims
Subject: support letter for water rates increase Item 8 City Council 12/11/2023 Follow Up Flag: Follow up
Flag Status: Flagged
Dear City Council,
I'm writing in support of the proposed water rate increase plan to fully fund our water service, build our reserve, and pay our share of the construction and operation of the Central Coast Blue water recycling facility. I encourage you to vote yes to adopt the measure.
I live in a 40yo attached townhome as a single person, and I use 2 units/billing cycle. From the tables on page 28 and 29 of the Tuckfield & Associates Utility Rate Study report, it looks like my increase in 2024 will be around $5/billing cycle, or $2.50/month. By 2028, I can expect it to be an extra $52/billing cycle, or $26/month over what I paid in 2023.
To me, that's a very reasonable increase to ensure water supply resiliency for myself and all of my neighbors. But I expect it will actually be less than that.
I noticed on page 13 of the report that the proposed rates are based on very conservative growth (0.5%) in the number of residential ratepayers ‐‐ only 22 new accounts per year.
Thanks to our updated land use and building code, Grover Beach Planning Commission has reviewed and approved projects to build more than 150 new residential units in just the past two years, including the Cleaver Clark Commons apartments for our lower‐income neighbors. (The financing for this is item 7 of the Consent Agenda tonight. Please do also approve that.)
The proposed rates also assume zero new non‐residential ratepayers. We currently have approved three new hotels, one of which is already under construction.
The study also doesn't include the additional $10M in grants we have applied for, which we can expect to reduce the overall cost in the numerator.
With a greater than assumed number of ratepayers in the denominator, the realized rate increase per ratepayer should be lower than what has been projected.
I want to emphasize that new apartments, condos, and townhomes and hotels will be built to the most current water‐ efficient standards, so their marginal contribution to demand will be lower than existing detached single‐unit residential.
We certainly want to ensure that all of our lower‐income neighbors who qualify are registered for CAP (Customer Assistance Program) for their water bill. If there is any way to access grant money to expand assistance to neighbors in the next income‐tier up from that, let's explore it.
Thank you to staff and council for the time and care you've poured into preparing for this evening.
Sincerely,
2 Rachel Mann
Grover Beach Planning Commissioner
Hello…I’m Jeff Lee a resident of Grover Beach.
Trust is a hard thing to gain but an easy thing to lose…the Grover Beach staff and the City Council have gained the communiƟes trust over the course of the last decade…
- thru the implementaƟon of Measure K-14, we conƟnue to Save Our Streets - thru COVID – the CiƟes “Buy Local” program helped to support and sustain local businesses and residents
- thru a partnership with the County and the 5 CiƟes Homeless CoaliƟon, Grover Beach has become the south county leader in the orderly and compassionate approach to homeless services while being aware of impacts to the overall community
Now, this Council has an opportunity to provide the community with a sustainable water supply thru construcƟon of the Central Coast Blue recycled water project.
In order to advance the project, you are considering an increase in water rates thru the State’s Prop 218 process.
Prop 218 hearings are never an easy process…my first reacƟon when I heard about this was that I could not support it without changes…and someƟmes the process is complicated by those that “don’t want the facts to get in the way of a good story” – the story of this 218 process is that water rates are rising – that is not a good story…it has the potenƟal to be a bad story.
Do you know what would be an ever-worse story…if residents and businesses tried to turn on their faucet and NO WATER came out. If that happens, you will have 100% of the residents, businesses and even visitors screaming about the lack of water. It could have been a very real possibility THIS YEAR if the miracle rains had not arrived in January and March. To augment the City’s water supply – which is currently made up of groundwater and Lopez Lake water – a generaƟonal project that became Central Coast Blue was started someƟme around 2012.
While not a perfect project, it is the closest, most viable project before the region…it is aŌer all a partnership with Arroyo Grande and Pismo Beach…and all 3 ciƟes need to provide assurances to the funding agencies that they will be paid back. It is highly likely that the project will get more state and federal grants…which could allow the City to consider future rate decreases below the adopted rates in future years.
It is incumbent that the Council provide a road-map for staff and future Councils to ensure that future rate increases are minimized…I feel that the staff report provides that road-map and gives the Council much needed safeguards and opportuniƟes to ensure future increases are minimized and that Grover Beach has a sustainable water supply to protect against reducƟons in groundwater and Lopez Lake supplies.
Grover Beach has become a city of acƟon…approval of tonight’s acƟon will lead to a safer, more-sustainable water supply…and the people of Grover Beach are trusƟng you to provide that for them.