HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-07-2026 Agenda Packet
City Council
AGENDA
Tuesday, April 7, 2026, 5:30 p.m.
Council Chambers, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo
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INSTRUCTIONS FOR PUBLIC COMMENT:
Public Comment prior to the meeting (must be received 3 hours in advance of the meeting):
Mail - Delivered by the U.S. Postal Service. Address letters to the City Clerk's Office at 990
Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, California, 93401.
Email - Submit Public Comments via email to emailcouncil@slocity.org. In the body of your
email, please include the date of the meeting and the item number (if applicable). Emails will not
be read aloud during the meeting.
Voicemail - Call (805) 781-7164 and leave a voicemail. Please state and spell your name, the
agenda item number you are calling about, and leave your comment. Verbal comments must be
limited to 3 minutes. Voicemails will not be played during the meeting.
*All correspondence will be archived and distributed to councilmembers, however, submissions
received after the deadline may not be processed until the following day.
Public Comment during the meeting:
Meetings are held in-person. To provide public comment during the meeting, you must be
present at the meeting location.
Electronic Visual Aid Presentation. To conform with the City's Network Access and Use Policy,
Chapter 1.3.8 of the Council Policies & Procedures Manual, members of the public who desire
to utilize electronic visual aids to supplement their oral presentation must provide display-ready
material to the City Clerk by 12:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting. Contact the City Clerk's
Office at cityclerk@slocity.org or (805) 781-7114.
Pages
1.CLOSED SESSION (4:00 PM START)
1.a CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Erica A. Stewart will call the Closed Session of the San Luis
Obispo City Council to order at 4:00 PM in the Council Hearing Room at
City Hall, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo.
1.b CONFERENCE WITH REAL PROPERTY NEGOTIATORS
Pursuant to Government Code § 54956.8
Property: Assessor Parcel Number 002-412-010
Agency Negotiators: Robert Hill, Natalie Harnett,
Greg Hermann, Christine Dietrick,
Whitney McDonald
Negotiating Parties: Mello Lucille Trust
Under Negotiation: Price and terms of payment.
1.c CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL - EXISTING LITIGATION
Authorization for defense of litigation pursuant to paragraph (1) of
subdivision (d) of California Government Code Section 54956.9.
Name of case: John Ruda, Shahriar Zarnegar, Jordan Knauer, and
3160 Johnson, LLC v. City of San Luis Obispo, United States Central
District Court Civil Action No. 2:26-cv-02283-SSC
1.d ADJOURNMENT
The Council will hold a Regular Meeting of the San Luis Obispo City
Council in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 990 Palm Street, San Luis
Obispo.
2.CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Erica A. Stewart will call the Regular Meeting of the San Luis Obispo City
Council to order.
3.PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Council Member Michelle Shoresman will lead the Council in the Pledge of
Allegiance.
4.PRESENTATIONS
4.a MONTH OF THE CHILD
Mayor Stewart will present a proclamation declaring April 2026 as
Month of the Child.
4.b NATIONAL ARAB AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH
Mayor Stewart will present a proclamation declaring April 2026 as
National Arab American Heritage Month.
4.c EARTH MONTH
Mayor Stewart will present a proclamation declaring April as Earth
Month and Honoring SLO Earthfest 2026.
4.d SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS MONTH
Mayor Stewart will present a proclamation declaring April 2026 as
Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
4.e CITY MANAGER REPORT
Receive a brief report from City Manager Whitney McDonald.
5.PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA
Not to exceed 15 minutes. The Council welcomes your input. State law does not
allow the Council to discuss or take action on issues not on the agenda, except
that members of the Council or staff may briefly respond to statements made or
questions posed by persons exercising their public testimony rights (Gov. Code
sec. 54954.2). Staff may be asked to follow up on such items.
6.CONSENT AGENDA
Matters appearing on the Consent Calendar are expected to be non-
controversial and will be acted upon at one time. A member of the public may
request the Council to pull an item for discussion. Pulled items shall be heard at
the close of the Consent Agenda unless a majority of the Council chooses
another time. The public may comment on any and all items on the Consent
Agenda within the three-minute time limit.
Recommendation:
To approve Consent Calendar Items 6a to 6d.
6.a WAIVE READING IN FULL OF ALL RESOLUTIONS AND
ORDINANCES
Recommendation:
Waive reading of all resolutions and ordinances as appropriate.
6.b MINUTES REVIEW - MARCH 17, 2026 COUNCIL MINUTES 9
Recommendation:
Approve the minutes of the City Council meeting held on March 17,
2026.
6.c 2026 LEGISLATIVE ACTION PLATFORM 15
Recommendation:
As recommended by Vice Mayor Francis and Council Member
Boswell, adopt a Draft Resolution entitled, “A Resolution of the
City Council of the City of San Luis Obispo, California,
establishing a City Legislative Action Platform for 2026 and
appointing a Council Member and Staff Persons to act as a
liaison between the City of San Luis Obispo and the League of
California Cities”; and
1.
Appoint the Mayor, City Manager, and the City Attorney to act
as the primary legislative liaisons between the League of
California Cities and the City of San Luis Obispo.
2.
6.d AUTHORIZATION TO AWARD 879 MORRO ROOF REPLACEMENT,
SPECIFICATION NO. 2000075-10
73
Recommendation:
Approve the project plans and special provisions for the 879
Morro Roof Replacement, Specification No. 2000075-10; and
1.
Award a construction contract (Attachment A) to Ranger
Roofing and Solar in the amount of $189,074.96 for the 879
Morro Roof Replacement, Specification No. 2000075-10; and,
2.
Authorize staff to issue a Purchase Order to Brezden Pest
Control Inc., following completion of the roofing project, at an
amount within the remaining available project budget; and,
3.
Authorize a transfer of $24,948.21 from Sewer Fund Completed
Projects to support the roofing project and pest control work;
and,
4.
Authorize the City Engineer to approve Contract Change
Orders, provided they remain within the approved project
budget or any amended budget subsequently authorized by the
City Manager.
5.
7.PUBLIC HEARING AND BUSINESS ITEMS
7.a 2025 GENERAL PLAN ANNUAL REPORT (30 MINUTES)95
Recommendation:
As recommended by the Planning Commission, receive and file the
2025 General Plan Annual Report.
8.STUDY SESSION
8.a COMMUNITY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN PROGRESS REPORT AND
2027 PLAN UPDATE STUDY SESSION (60 MINUTES)
185
Recommendation:
Receive and file the 2026 Climate Action Plan Progress Report.1.
Provide strategic direction on the 2027 Climate Action Plan
update.
2.
Direct staff to join the Local Government Climate Alliance to
advocate for pre-approved positions via the City’s adopted
Legislative Action Platform to advance Council goals related to
the Climate Action Plan, and delegate City participation in the
organization to the City Manager or their designee.
3.
9.LIAISON REPORTS AND COMMUNICATIONS
Not to exceed 15 minutes. Council Members report on subcommittee
assignments, listed below, and other City activities. At this time, any Council
Member or the City Manager may ask a question for clarification, make an
announcement, or report briefly on their activities. In addition, subject to Council
Policies and Procedures, they may provide a reference to staff or other
resources for factual information, request staff to report back to the Council at a
subsequent meeting concerning any matter or take action to direct staff to place
a matter of business on a future agenda. (Gov. Code Sec. 54954.2)
Mayor
Stewart
Vice Mayor
Francis
Council Member
Boswell
Council Member
Marx
Council Member
Shoresman
SLO Council of
Governments
Airport Land Use Community
Action
Partnership
Air Pollution
Control District
CP Campus
Planning
Committee
Regional
Economic Action
Coalition
Nacimiento Water
Project
SLO Climate
Coalition
County Water
Resources
Advisory
Committee
Downtown
Association
Board
CA Men’s
Colony Advisory
Committee
Zone 9 Advisory
Committee
Local Agency
Formation
Commission
Homeless
Services
Oversight
Committee
Performing Arts
Center
Commission
Integrated Waste
Management
Authority
SLO Regional
Transit Authority
Visit SLO
County Advisory
Committee
Central Coast
Clean Energy
10.ADJOURNMENT
The next Regular Meeting of the City Council will be held on April 21, 2026 at
5:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 990 Palm Street, San Luis
Obispo.
LISTENING ASSISTIVE DEVICES for the hearing impaired - see the Clerk.
The City of San Luis Obispo wishes to make all of its public meetings accessible
to the public. Upon request, this agenda will be made available in appropriate
alternative formats to persons with disabilities. Any person with a disability who
requires a modification or accommodation in order to participate in a meeting
should direct such request to the City Clerk’s Office at (805) 781-7114 at least
48 hours before the meeting, if possible. Telecommunications Device for the
Deaf (805) 781-7410.
City Council meetings are televised live on Charter Channel 20 and the City's
YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/CityofSanLuisObispo. Agenda related
writings or documents provided to the City Council are available for public
inspection in the City Clerk’s Office located at 990 Palm Street, San Luis
Obispo, California during normal business hours, and on the City’s website
https://www.slocity.org/government/mayor-and-city-council/agendas-and-
minutes. Persons with questions concerning any agenda item may call the City
Clerk’s Office at (805) 781-7114.
1
Council Minutes
March 17, 2026, 5:30 p.m.
Council Chambers, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo
Council Members
Present:
Council Member Mike Boswell, Council Member Jan Marx,
Council Member Michelle Shoresman, Vice Mayor Emily
Francis, Mayor Erica A. Stewart
City Staff Present: City Manager Whitney McDonald, Christine Dietrick, City
Attorney, Teresa Purrington, City Clerk
_____________________________________________________________________
1. CLOSED SESSION (4:30 PM START)
1.a CALL TO ORDER
1.b CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL—EXISTING LITIGATION
Action: City Attorney Christine Dietrick indicated that the Council met in
closed session and there was no reportable action taken.
1.c ADJOURNMENT
2. CALL TO ORDER
A Regular Meeting of the San Luis Obispo City Council was called to order on
March 17, 2026 at 5:41 p.m. in the Council Chambers, 990 Palm Street, San Luis
Obispo, by Mayor Stewart.
3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Mayor Stewart led the Council in the Pledge of Allegiance.
4. PRESENTATIONS
4.a CITY MANAGER REPORT
City Manager Whitney McDonald provided a report on upcoming projects.
5. PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA
Public Comment:
Shawn Harris
Garrett Philbin
Page 9 of 251
2
--End of Public Comment--
6. CONSENT AGENDA
Public Comment:
None
--End of Public Comment--
Motion By Council Member Marx
Second By Council Member Shoresman
To approve Consent Calendar Items 6a to 6e.
Ayes (5): Council Member Boswell, Council Member Marx, Council Member
Shoresman, Vice Mayor Francis, and Mayor Stewart
CARRIED (5 to 0)
6.a WAIVE READING IN FULL OF ALL RESOLUTIONS AND ORDINANCES
Waive reading of all resolutions and ordinances as appropriate.
6.b MINUTES REVIEW - FEBRUARY 24, 2026 SPECIAL COUNCIL
MEETING AND MARCH 3, 2026 COUNCIL MINUTES
Approve the minutes of the City Council meeting held on February 24,
2026 and March 3, 2026.
6.c CONSIDERATION AND APPROVAL OF THE 2025-26 HUMAN
SERVICES GRANT REALLOCATION RECOMMENDATION
1. As recommended by the Human Relations Commission, approve
the reallocation of $15,000 in grants funds from the 2025-26
Human Services Grant program to specified recipients; and
2. Authorize the City Manager to execute agreements with each grant
recipient.
6.d CONSIDERATION OF THE 2025-26 DEI HIGH IMPACT GRANT
FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS
1. As recommended by the Human Relations Commission, approve
the revised 2025-26 Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) High
Impact Grant funding allocations in the amount of $150,000; and
2. Authorize the City Manager to execute agreements with each grant
recipient.
Page 10 of 251
3
6.e AUTHORIZATION TO EXTEND SUBLEASE AGREEMENT FOR SOUTH
HILLS RADIO SITE
Approve and authorize the City Manager to execute an amendment to
sublease agreement for South Hills Radio Site, between the City of San
Luis Obispo and Higuera Hill, LLC (Katherine L Foster, Trustee of the
Katherine L Foster Family Trust dated October 21, 2024, and Heather A
Spangler, Trustee of the Michael R Spangler revocable trust dated May
27, 2016).
7. PUBLIC HEARING AND BUSINESS ITEMS
7.a LOCAL ROADS FIRST PROPOSED BALLOT MEASURE – CONSIDER
RESOLUTION OF SUPPORT
Public Works Deputy Director of Mobility Services Jennifer Rice and Annie
Bowsky, SLCOG provided an in-depth staff report and responded to
Council questions.
Public Comments:
Rachel Whalen
Brad Brechwald
---End of Public Comment---
Motion By Mayor Stewart
Second By Council Member Boswell
To adopt Resolution No. 11636 (2026 Series) entitled, “A Resolution of the
City Council of the City of San Luis Obispo, California, supporting the San
Luis Obispo County Transportation Expenditure Plan and in support of the
proposed countywide 0.5% transportation sales tax measure being placed
on the November 3, 2026 ballot.”
7.b UPDATES ON CAPSLO HOMELESS SERVICES DIVISION 2025-2028
STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT PLAN AND CAPSLO GOOD NEIGHBOR
POLICY UPDATE FOR HOMELESS SERVICES
Homelessness Response Manager Daisy Wiberg and Lawren Ramos
Community Services Program Director provided an in-depth staff report
and responded to Council questions.
Public Comments:
None
---End of Public Comment---
Page 11 of 251
4
Action: No formal action taken on this item. Council directed staff to
receive and file CAPSLO's 2025-28 Strategic Alignment Plan and 2025
Good Neighbor Policy Update for Homeless Services.
7.c SLO COUNTY REGIONAL HOMELESSNESS AND AFFORDABLE
HOUSING COMPACT AND REGIONAL HOMELESS SERVICES
INVENTORY
Homeless Services Manager Daisy Wiberg and Linda Belch, Deputy
Director of Adult and Homeless Services Division for County of San Luis
Obispo provided an in-depth staff report and responded to Council
questions.
Public Comments:
Geraldine Clemons
---End of Public Comment---
Motion By Council Member Shoresman
Second By Vice Mayor Francis
1. Adopt Resolution No. 11637 (2026 Series) entitled, “Approving the
San Luis Obispo County Regional Homelessness and Affordable
Housing Compact,” and
2. Receive and comment on a report and presentation from the
County of San Luis Obispo’s Homeless Services Division on the
Regional Compact and a Regional Homeless Services Inventory.
Ayes (5): Council Member Boswell, Council Member Marx, Council
Member Shoresman, Vice Mayor Francis, and Mayor Stewart
CARRIED (5 to 0)
8. LIAISON REPORTS AND COMMUNICATIONS
Mayor Stewart
Attended Regional Economic Action Coalition (REACH) Summit March 10
SLO Regional Transit Authority (SLORTA) - March 4
Interview with the Solestiss Consulting firm regarding Diablo
Participated in the painting event at CL Smith
Threw out the first pitch for the SLO Girls Softball League
Attended the Cultural Arts District Parking Structure Ribbon Cutting
Page 12 of 251
5
Met with Victor Reyes-Morales, Regional Deputy Director from the
Governor's Office
Vice Mayor Francis
Attended News and Brews
Attended the Cultural Arts District Parking Structure Ribbon Cutting
Council Member Boswell
Attended the Cultural Arts District Parking Structure Ribbon Cutting
Met with SLO Climate Coalition
Attended the Civic Well Policy Makers Conference
Council Member Marx
Indicated that the Air Pollution Control District is looking for a public
member for its Hearing Board
Addressed the Community Academy on March 9th
Attended the Prado Interchange Community Meeting at San Luis Ranch
on March 11th
Council Member Shoresman
Attended SCLC meeting
Interview with the Solestiss Consulting firm regarding Diablo
Attended the Cultural Arts District Parking Structure Ribbon Cutting
Homeless Services Oversight Committee Meeting tomorrow 1:00 PM to
3:00 is a public listening session
9. ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 8:44 PM p.m. The next Regular City Council
Meeting is scheduled for April 7, 2025 at 5:30 p.m. in the Coun cil Chambers at
City Hall, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo.
APPROVED BY COUNCIL: XX/XX/202X
Page 13 of 251
Page 14 of 251
Item 6c
Department: Administration
Cost Center: 1001
For Agenda of: 4/7/2026
Placement: Consent
Estimated Time: N/A
FROM: Greg Hermann, Deputy City Manager
Prepared By: Natalie Harnett, Policy and Project Manager
SUBJECT: 2026 LEGISLATIVE ACTION PLATFORM
RECOMMENDATION
1. As recommended by Vice Mayor Francis and Council Member Boswell, adopt a Draft
Resolution entitled, “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of San Luis Obispo,
California, establishing a City Legislative Action Platform for 2026 and appointing a
Council Member and Staff Persons to act as a liaison between the City of San Luis
Obispo and the League of California Cities”; and
2. Appoint the Mayor, City Manager, and the City Attorney to act as the primary
legislative liaisons between the League of California C ities and the City of San Luis
Obispo.
POLICY CONTEXT
The legislative platform is a tool to promote the efficient use of staff and the Council time
while also ensuring the City is actively engaged on relevant legislative issues. City Council
approval is required for any modifications to the platform and is up dated through an
annual review process. The City will be providing a copy of the City’s Legislative Platform
to Federal and State legislators and will also be sharing a copy with the County Board of
Supervisors.
DISCUSSION
Attached for Council’s consideration is a Resolution (Attachment A) establishing the City’s
2026 Legislative Action Platform. Similar resolutions have been adopted by the Council
since 1993. The City Administration and IT Department coordinates the Legislative Action
Program with assistance from the Attorney’s Office and other City departments, as
appropriate. The proposed Resolution authorizes staff to respond to legislative issues
affecting the City (via letters signed by the Mayor, City Manager and occas ionally,
Department Heads), provided that the positions taken in the letters are consistent with
the priorities identified in Exhibit A to the Resolution (Attachment B) and League of
California Cities (Cal Cities) advocacy efforts.
Page 15 of 251
Item 6c
By establishing a broad legislative platform and delegating responsibility to the Mayor and
staff to respond to proposed legislation and recommendations from Cal Cities, the City is
better able to react quickly to changing circumstances and urgent requests than it would
be if each item were brought to the Council at its regular meetings. The process is
considered a best practice, has been efficient given the limited City resources available,
and the City continues to be very active in communicating its positions on Federal and
State legislation.
During the January 20, 2026 City Council meeting, the Council appointed Vice Mayor
Francis and Council Member Boswell to an Ad Hoc Committee to review the 2026
Legislative Platform. Staff reviewed the Legislative Platform and suggested edits to the
Ad Hoc Committee based on their subject matter expertise. After reviewing the platform,
the Ad Hoc Committee met on February 20, 2026, and recommended several updates to
the Legislative Platform, including both their own edits and those recommended by staff .
All changes, including language clean-ups, are shown in the redlined draft of the 2026
Platform included as Attachment C, with new language underlined and removed sections
shown with a strikethrough.
Previous Council or Advisory Body Action
The City Council discussed this item at the January 20, 2026 meeting and appointed the
Ad Hoc Committee. The most recent Legislative Action Platf orm was approved on April
15, 2025.
Legislative Liaison Appointments
The League of California Cities encourages cities to appoint a Council Member and a
staff person to act as legislative liaisons between the League and the City. As has been
past practice, staff recommends that Mayor Erica A. Stewart act as the Council Legislative
Liaison and the City Manager and the City Attorney serve as the Staff Liaisons.
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
Public comment on the item can be provided to the City Council through writte n
correspondence prior to the meeting and through public testimony at the meeting.
CONCURRENCE
In preparing this year’s draft platform, input was solicited from all City departments and
several additions and clarifications were recommended.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) does not apply to the recommended
action in this report, because the action does not constitute a “Project” under CEQA
Guidelines Sec. 15378.
Page 16 of 251
Item 6c
FISCAL IMPACT
Budgeted: Yes Budget Year: 2025-26
Funding Identified: Yes
Fiscal Analysis:
Funding
Sources
Total Budget
Available
Current
Funding
Request
Remaining
Balance
Annual
Ongoing
Cost
General Fund $ $ $ $
State
Federal
Fees
Other:
Total N/A N/A N/A N/A
Because no additional staff work is anticipated as a result of this ongoing program, no
new fiscal impact will be incurred that was not already included in the current budget
appropriation.
ALTERNATIVES
The Council may wish to modify the proposed 2026 Legislative Platform or include
other issues not included in the current draft. The Legislative Platform allows the City
to take action on any bills and other measures formally supported by the League of
California Cities. Any additions or modifications to the Platform should generally be
crafted to be flexible to allow for quick responses to legislation important to cities.
ATTACHMENTS
A - Draft Resolution adopting the 2026 Legislative Platform
B - Exhibit A to the Draft Resolution – 2026 Legislative Action Platform (Final Version)
C - 2026 Legislative Action Platform (Marked Version)
Page 17 of 251
Page 18 of 251
R ______
RESOLUTION NO. _____ (2026 SERIES)
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN LUIS
OBISPO, CALIFORNIA, ESTABLISHING THE CITY LEGISLATIVE
ACTION PLATFORM FOR 2026 AND APPOINTING A COUNCIL
MEMBER AND STAFF PERSONS TO ACT AS LIAISON BETWEEN THE
CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO AND THE LEAGUE OF CALIFORNIA CITIES
WHEREAS, a major objective of the City Council is to adopt an aggressive
legislative action platform which strengthens local government, promotes City goals and
defends the City against legislative actions by State and Federal governments that would
weaken local government and/or take away traditional revenue sources; and
WHEREAS, it is vital to the fiscal health and the self determination of the City to
effectively communicate with State Legislators and Federal representatives in order to
favorably influence State and Federal legislation, regulations and grant requests; and
WHEREAS, the League of California Cities conducts a legislative analysis and
advocacy program on behalf of cities for State issues and major Federal issues; and
WHEREAS, the City desires to be proactive and involved in the governmental
decision-making processes directly affecting the City legislative priorities identified in
Exhibit A, and other selected issues as may from time to time be recommended by the
League of California Cities; and
WHEREAS, the City Council considered an update to the Legislative Action
Platform on January 20, 2026, and formed an Ad-Hoc Subcommittee consisting of Vice
Mayor Francis and Councilmember Boswell to provide further review and changes in
response to Council and public input; and
WHEREAS, on February 20, 2026, the Ad-Hoc Subcommittee reviewed staff
recommended changes and provided additional recommendations in consideration of the
Council and public input; and
WHEREAS, a key component of the City’s Legislative Action Platform is face -to
face meetings between City representatives and elected officials at the Federal, State,
and County levels, and coordination with similar efforts made by other local government
entities.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City of San Luis
Obispo as follows:
Page 19 of 251
Resolution No. _____ (2026 Series) Page 2
R ______
SECTION 1. Establish the Legislative Action Platform for 202 6 as set forth in the
attached Exhibit “A” and authorize the Mayor, City Manager, and the City Attorney to take
positions on legislation generally consistent with the Legislative Action Platform and such
other resolutions and recommendations of the League of California Cities as may be from
time to time presented to the City.
Upon motion of _______________, seconded by _____________, and on the
following roll call vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
The foregoing resolution was adopted this _____ day of _____________________ 2026.
___________________________
Mayor Erica A. Stewart
ATTEST:
________________________
Teresa Purrington,
City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
________________________
J. Christine Dietrick,
City Attorney
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the official seal of the
City of San Luis Obispo, California, on ______________________.
___________________________
Teresa Purrington,
City Clerk
Page 20 of 251
Exhibit A - 2026 Legislative Action Platform
2026
CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO
LEGISLATIVE ACTION PLATFORM
ADOPTED BY CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION NO. XXXXX (2026 SERIES)
Page 21 of 251
LEGISLATIVE ACTION PLATFORM
Page 2
About this Legislative Platform
This Legislative Platform, adopted by the City of San Luis Obispo Council, will establish the City’s
position on legislative matters of priority and importance to the City. The Legislative Platform is
reviewed regularly and updated on an annual basis. The Legislative Platform shall be published
and disseminated widely to promote transparency and awareness among the public. The City
shares its Legislative Platform with Federal and State legislators, as well as the County Board of
Supervisors. This public document serves as a guiding framework for the City's legislative
advocacy efforts throughout the year.
Advocacy
The Legislative Platform reflects those legislative matters on which the council majority
authorizes the Mayor, City Manager and City Attorney to engage in legislative advocacy on behalf
of the City without the need for further council review or authority. The council’s authorization
extends only to advocacy for or against generally applicable legislative proposals (including those
pertaining to budget, regulations, policies, and programs) being considered by local, regional,
state and/or federal policy makers or regulators consistent with Major City Goals and adopted
City policy platforms. It does not otherwise extend to advocacy for or against any individual
project, program, or entitlement application pending before any decision-making body, unless
specifically noted herein.
The League of California Cities (Cal Cities)
The City actively participates in the Cal Cities, a statewide association representing most of
California’s 483 cities. Cal Cities advocates for local control through legislative efforts, ballot
measures, legal action, and strategic outreach to educate policymakers, opinion leaders, and the
public. It also conducts legislative analysis and advocacy on behalf of cities for key State and
Federal issues. Through the Council’s adopted Legislative Platform resolution, the City takes
positions consistent with Cal Cities’ recommendations. The 2026 Cal Cities advocacy priorities
include:
1. Protect and enhance local revenues and expand economic development tools.
2. Strengthen partnerships with the state to improve public safety.
3. Secure investments to prevent and reduce homelessness and increase the supply of
affordable housing.
4. Strengthen climate change resiliency and disaster preparedness.
Page 22 of 251
LEGISLATIVE ACTION PLATFORM
Page 3
Consistency with City Goals and Policies
The City of San Luis Obispo’s Legislative Action Platform is designed to align with the City’s and
broader strategic priorities. The platform provides a framework for legislative advocacy;
however, all positions that the City takes should be consistent with adopted City policies,
strategic plans, and/or overarching Major City Goals where feasible. This ensures a cohesive and
strategic approach to legislative engagement that reflects the City’s priorities and values. For
emerging issues or situations not outlined in the Legislative Platform or recommended through
Cal Cities, City staff will work with the City Council for further direction.
Figure 1 - 2025-27 Council Adopted Major City Goals
Page 23 of 251
LEGISLATIVE ACTION PLATFORM
Page 4
Contents
Climate Action ............................................................................................................................................... 5
Energy ........................................................................................................................................................... 6
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for All .......................................................................................................... 8
Homelessness Resources .............................................................................................................................. 9
Community Development ........................................................................................................................... 12
Tenant Protections ...................................................................................................................................... 13
Economic Development .............................................................................................................................. 13
Finance & Governance ................................................................................................................................ 14
Human Resources/Employee Relations ...................................................................................................... 15
Public Safety ................................................................................................................................................ 16
Public Works ............................................................................................................................................... 19
Parks and Recreation and Natural Resources ............................................................................................. 20
Transportation ............................................................................................................................................ 21
Utilities ........................................................................................................................................................ 23
Page 24 of 251
LEGISLATIVE ACTION PLATFORM
Page 5
Climate Action
Support:
1. Funding for communities to pay for public infrastructure that meets state greenhouse gas emission
reduction goals and adopted City objectives.
2. Funding to implement programs and related action items contained in local and regional Climate
Action Plans to quantitatively reduce greenhouse gas emissions and advocate for regulatory reform,
including but not limited to clean technologies, micro-grids, all electric/zero-emission buildings,
electrified transportation, behind the meter technology, and natural solutions (e.g., tree planting,
open space conservation, and contemporary land management and restoration practices).
3. Regulatory reform to facilitate the transition to clean technologies, microgrids, low and zero carbon
energy generation, and decarbonized buildings.
4. Legislation and regulation that is aligned with the City’s goals of carbon neutrality by 2035 and sub-
goals related to municipal operations, clean electricity, building decarbonization, clean mobility,
organic waste diversion, and natural solutions.
5. Legislation and regulation that is aligned with the policies and programs set forth by the Climate
Adaptation and Safety Element including using future projections for climate hazards in planning
decisions, investing in community resilience, and adapting built infrastructure and natural ecosystems
to climate change hazards and disturbances.
6. Funding and resources to focus climate investments on programs and projects that support
environmental justice, economic and racial equity, and head of household jobs.
7. Legislation, policies, and regulation that extend producer responsibility for packaging and single-use
product manufacturing as to encourage source reduction and the manufacturing of reusable and
sustainable products.
8. Legislation, policies, and regulation that that make waste diversion and reduction more equitable for
our residents and businesses.
9. Legislation that makes recycling organic waste and edible food recovery and distribution more
efficient and easily accessible to residents and businesses in need.
Oppose:
10. Legislation and regulation that limits the City’s ability to achieve its goals of carbon neutrality by 2035
and sub-goals related to municipal operations, clean electricity, building decarbonization, clean
mobility, organic waste diversion, and natural solutions.
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Energy
Support:
1. Reform of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) structure and policies, state regulation,
and state legislation to accelerate equitable building and transportation decarbonization.
2. CPUC reform that ties investor-owned utility compensation to performance consistent with state
policy objectives.
3. California Community Choice Associations’ (Cal CCA) Regulatory and Legislative Platform, where
consistent with the City’s legislative platform.
4. Reform of CPUC policies and state legislation to ensure investor-owned utilities are able and required
to provide timely, accurate, and sufficiently detailed energy data.
5. Reform of CPUC policies and state legislation that supports increased, equitable, and affordable access
to distributed energy resources, including rooftop solar.
6. Support legislation and regulatory actions that improve electricity affordability while maintaining
consistency with the City’s other platform positions, including preserving access to rooftop solar and
protecting ratepayer-funded decarbonization and energy efficiency programs.
7. Reform of CPUC policies, state regulation, and state legislation that support low income zero emission
buildings, including support for mobile home parks, low-income households, and other disadvantaged
community members.
8. The Central Coast Regional Energy Network at the County Board of Supervisors, the CPUC, and related
relevant entities and supporting pilot projects in the City as feasible.
9. Regional and regulatory collaboration to fund and support climate change impact projections and
coordinate approaches for increasing regional resilience.
10. Sustainable and resilient energy programs.
11. Legislation in alignment with Central Coast Community Energy Policy Board and Operations Board
Positions.1
1 The City Council approved the City joining Central Coast Community Energy (3CE) in September 2018 and City
representatives have been seated on 3CE’s Policy Board, Operations Board, and Community Advisory Council since
2019. This section of the City’s Legislative Platform identifies City of San Luis Obispo policy positions on key topics
that may come before the various boards and advisory bodies of 3CE. The policy positions contained herein are
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a. 3CE investment in and support for distributed energy resources (e.g., rooftop solar), virtual
power plants, demand response, behind the meter technology and energy efficiency.
b. 3CE in evaluating and deploying programs that are climate action force multipliers (e.g.,
tariffed on-bill financing, virtual power plants, etc.).
c. Processes that are transparent, collaborative, visible, accessible, and inclusive.
d. Rate, rebate, and revenue structures that create a robust programs budget.
e. Regional climate action and a portfolio of programs that are strategically implemented to
achieve regional climate targets.
f. Local government access to data, transparent GHG emissions reporting, and sub-annual
emissions factors as available.
g. Processes and governance approaches that provide sufficient time for Board members to fully
participate and drive decisions, from inception to implementation.
12. Legislation and regulatory efforts that promote the safe deployment, operation, and
decommissioning of battery energy storage systems (BESS).
13. Actions and legislation related to Diablo Canyon Power Plant that are consistent with the City’s 2016
adopted guiding principles, including:
a. Ensuring public safety and environmental protection during continued operations or
decommissioning.
b. Securing fiscal mitigation measures to offset local economic and infrastructure impacts.
c. Investigating opportunities for job creation, economic diversification, and the reuse of
facilities or lands in ways that provide long‑term community benefit.
d. Advancing open-space and community benefit outcomes for lands associated with the plant.
e. Promoting transparent stakeholder engagement and collaboration with local jurisdictions.
Oppose:
14. Legislative and CPUC decisions that negatively impact CCAs or otherwise shift the financial
obligations of investor-owned utilities to CCAs.
intended to guide Board member deliberation, and voting and staff review of agenda, but are not an exhaustive list
of issues that may arise. These positions are intended to extend only to advocacy for or against generally
applicable policy proposals being considered by 3CE and does not extend to advocacy on any individual project or
entitlement application pending before any decision-making body, nor does it extend to the larger legislative
platform of the City.
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Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for All
Support:
1. Legislation that creates, expands, and/or provides broad authority to jurisdictions to develop and
implement diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, policies, or initiatives to address systemic
inequities that disproportionately impact Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), LGBTQIA+, and
other marginalized, underserved, and underrepresented communities.
2. Legislation that centers reforms for advancing access for undocumented individuals’ health, well-
being, and success.
3. Education and employment opportunities and development of upward economic mobility and access
to programs such as childcare, after-school activities, school’s family support networks and supportive
services for individuals aging out of the foster care system.
4. Increased availability of grant funding for ADA accessibility improvements and connectivity to streets,
parks, and other public infrastructure.
5. Amendments to the California Elections Code to expand safe harbor provisions in response to district
elections demands under the California Voting Rights Act to include remedies, in addition to district
elections, to enhance quantifiable equity gains in participation and representation in local elections,
including, but not limited to cumulative voting, limited voting, ranked choice voting and other voting
structures that can be demonstrated to advance voter engagement and equity.
6. Legislation that furthers jurisdictions’ abilities to create policies that protect voting rights and work
to disrupt voter suppression tactics that disproportionately impact Black, Indigenous, and other
communities of color.
7. Legislation that provides funding sources for appropriate human service agencies that support the
mission of the Human Relations Commission.
8. Legislation and funding to increase affordable and equitable childcare services, and activities, and
options for working low-income families.
9. Legislation related to implementation of the Racial Equity Framework 2 and resources and tools to
promote racial equity and address structural racism.
2 Executive Order N-16-22 establishes the State's authority to develop plans and strategies to advance equity and
identify disparities. Within the Executive Order, there are specifics for the Governor's Office of Planning &
Research to create the Racial Equity Commission (REC). One of the duties of the REC is to produce a Racial Equity
Framework, which will contain strategies for state, county, and local governments to implement.
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10. Legislation that creates programs or policies that contribute to family friendly workplace
environments that may include, but are not limited to, leave for reproductive loss, paid parental leave,
flextime, and job sharing.
11. Legislation that advances access and expands funding for services, programs, and/or projects
centered in addressing inequities that disproportionately impact Black, Indigenous, People of Color
(BIPOC), LGBTQIA+, and other marginalized, underserved, and underrepresented communities.
12. Legislation that subsidizes or provides funding for translation and interpretation services for local
governments to ensure all members of a community can be civically engaged and easily access
government programs and services.
13. Legislation that strengthens the California Civil Rights Department and its ability to respond to and
address hate and discrimination cases appropriately.
14. Medicare reforms, including updates to geographic designation criteria, that promote equity, expand
access to care, enhance regional collaboration, and ensure healthcare sustainability on the Central
Coast.
15. Legislation that maintains civil rights protections, improves transparency, and builds community trust
in Federal immigration enforcement for our City residents.
Oppose:
16. Legislation that limits or preempts local authority to design, implement, or evaluate polices, programs,
or initiatives intended to advance access, belonging, or equitable outcomes, particularly where such
limitations hinder local government's ability to responds to documented community needs or
disparities.
Homelessness Resources
Support:
1. Legislation and funding for the prevention of homelessness and support of families and individuals
vulnerable to becoming homeless.
2. Funding for project-based, permanent affordable housing.
3. Funding for the entire housing spectrum (including affordable units, ADUs, Tiny Homes, Temporary
Emergency Shelters and family housing, and supportive housing for all unhoused individuals and
families including those with mental health needs, the medically fragile, and aging adults.)
4. Increased flexibility in the use of Federal Funds at the local level to address the full spectrum of
services and transitional housing for individuals who are unhoused.
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5. Nonprofit eviction prevention services for low-income individuals and families.
6. Programs and funding to encourage private market landlords to provide affordable units, participate
in housing voucher programs, and upgrade units for energy efficiency.
7. Funding that encourages unique multi-departmental and inter-governmental collaboration to assist
individuals experiencing homelessness, such as the City’s Community Action Team (CAT) and Mobile
Crisis Unit (MCU), as well as Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) for public safety personnel.
8. Employment services and job training opportunities for individuals who are homeless or at-risk of
becoming homeless.
9. Funding for federal, state, county and local coordination with non-profit and faith-based organizations
to prevent and address homelessness.
10. Funding for the removal and storage of unhoused individual’s belongings and the cleaning of sites
used by unhoused residents, in alignment with the City’s Compassionate Assistance, Mitigation &
Prevention (CAMP) Standards and Temporary Storage Guidelines.
11. Funding and programs that promote whole person care approaches that include access to expanded
medical, mental, and behavioral health services, including substance use disorder treatment
services, and new approaches to financing health care access and patient wellness to reduce
avoidable emergency room visits, hospital stays and readmissions.
12. Increased funding and statutory authorization for crisis intervention, involuntary assessment and
commitment, guardianship control, and health welfare intervention and supervision of those suffering
from chronic homelessness, mental health conditions and addiction, and recognition of mental illness
and addiction as contributors to chronic homelessness.
13. Streamlined protocols and metrics to be used by homeless service providers, local agencies, and other
non-governmental partners to capture and share accurate statistics of individuals experiencing
homelessness, including vacancy and capacity rates, in-flow and out-flow information, cost-reporting
of services provided and rendered, and individuals successfully housed.
14. Legislation, programs, funding, court intervention, and statutory authorization for a unified crisis
response system to enhance the ability of the County Behavioral Health Director, crisis response
personnel, family members and social service providers to share information necessary for effective
treatment interventions and to compel assisted outpatient treatment for a person exiting a
conservatorship and those lacking capacity to provide for their own healthcare, shelter and food
needs.
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15. Legislation that would allow the courts and crisis intervention personnel to consider a person’s
medical, addiction and mental health conditions, history of adverse impacts on community health and
safety, and capacity of individuals to provide for their own health, shelter, and food needs in
mandating program participation in connection with criminal justice and other contacts, including or
expansion of the definition of “gravely disabled” under code section 5150 et seq. in evaluating
whether an individual is a danger to themselves or others.
16. Legislation for Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) to allow for flexibility in funds earmarked for
“Innovation” programs that are aimed at finding new and different ways to provide services.
17. Legislation, funding, programs, and policies to help expand capacity in local psychiatric health facilities,
delivery of case management, drug, alcohol, and detoxification services and facilities, assisted living
beds for medically fragile people, and mental health services for all County residents.
18. Advocation that the County lead in the area of expanding humane shelter and housing opportunities
for the unhoused population and expand outreach and case management services specifically tailored
to the needs of unhoused individuals in the County to transition out of homelessness.
19. The use of data from public safety, City, and regional Community Action Teams (CAT) and Mobile Crisis
Units (MCU) outcomes, to advocate that the County allocate new resources to scale up these
programs to match the need.
20. An effective and efficient implementation of San Luis Obispo County’s 5-Year Plan to Address
Homelessness.
21. State and federal funding of mandates to provide care and services to vulnerable populations.
22. Legislative efforts to repeal Article 34 of the California Constitution, which requires majority approval
by the voters of a city or county for the development, construction, or acquisition of a publicly funded
affordable housing project.
23. Assistance for those experiencing physical and mental health impacts of a pandemic or other disaster.
24. Regional efforts to create a spectrum of housing types (including board and care and housing types
that include other supportive services) within the County to house the unhoused.
Oppose:
25. Legislation that seeks to circumvent local control and consideration of local circumstances and safety
of the general public when addressing homelessness.
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Community Development
Support:
1. Local control of land use planning and zoning matters.
2. State and Federal assistance to prevent the loss of housing for those impacted by local, state, or
federal disasters.
3. Reforms of the State mandated HCD Regional Housing Need Allocations process to recognize local
resource limitations, regional collaboration and development, and align infrastructure and other
funding to help communities meet mandated housing requirements.
4. Planning and funding of on-campus housing at Cal Poly for students, staff and faculty as included in
the Cal Poly Master Plan, including an on campus Greek row.
5. Increased and ongoing funding sources for affordable housing and supportive housing services for
very low-, low-, and moderate-income individuals and families in all cities and communities and
opposing the erosion of local inclusionary housing and in-lieu fee programs.
6. Continued funding of National Housing Trust Fund and streamlined and efficient implementation
regulations at the state level.
7. Additional state funding to implement AB 32 (The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006)
and SB 375 (The Sustainable Communities and Climate Protection Act of 2008) through local general
plan updates that implement the regional sustainable communities plan and alternative planning
strategy, if needed.
8. Funding for the identification, acquisition, maintenance and restoration of historic sites and
structures.
9. Continued and expanded funding for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program.
10. Policies, programs and funding to support opportunities to convert vacant commercial spaces to
affordable housing and childcare facilities.
11. State and federal level down-payment assistance programs and the expansion of below-market rate
assistance programs.
12. Continued local control over mobile home park rent stabilization and local control over the conversion
of mobile home parks to other uses to ensure that low-income mobile home park residents are not
involuntarily removed from homes or otherwise subject to involuntary displacement due to economic
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impacts of parks subdivision or conversion.
13.The protection, enhancement, and increased production of mobile home park residency
opportunities.
14.The ability to issue parking citations on private property.
15.Responsible review and revision of CEQA to ensure sound environmental determinations with a focus
on CEQA reform that specifically addresses housing production and rezoning efforts to facilitate
housing.
16.Pragmatic and clarifying actions to implement Proposition 64 Cannabis legalization, including
increased funding for health education, the preservation of local land use decision making and
reconciliation of conflicts in state and federal law, and systems for legal banking.
17.Funding for seismic retrofitting for buildings that haven't been retrofitted.
18.Building code reforms to enable single-stair mid-rise apartment buildings that meet modern fire
and life-safety standards.
19.Legislation that provides reasonable definitions, interpretive guidance, and flexible implementation
timelines for transit-oriented housing laws (including SB 79 and related follow-up bills).
Tenant Protections
Support:
1.Increased relocation assistance (AB 1482 2019) when a tenant is evicted due to no-fault of their own.
2.Increases in state and federal approaches to renter protections for rental housing and enforcement
of existing renter protections in accordance with the California Civil Codes including but not limited
to Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1940-1954.1 (includes Tenant Protection Act).
3.Legislation, policies, and programs that expand tenant affordability and stability.
Economic Development
Support:
1.State and federal assistance for those people and businesses facing severe economic losses due to
pandemic or other disasters.
2.Regional economic activities except for those that promote weapons or fossil fuel production or
distribution activities.
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3. Direct assistance and/or legislation that supports local agencies with recovering costs related to the
pandemic or other disasters and stimulate economic development, resiliency, and recovery.
4. Funding and legislation using tax credits or other incentive programs to encourage research and
development by businesses in California.
5. Funding and policies for the promotion of California and the City and County of San Luis Obispo as a
place to locate businesses that provide head-of-household jobs.
6. Economic development that is integrated with articulated Major City Goals such as climate action,
environmental protection and social justice and diversity objectives.
7. Funding for the state tourism promotion program.
8. The effective and efficient use of all communications technologies including voice, video, data, and
information services over wired and wireless transmission technologies and supporting net neutrality.
9. Telecommunications reform legislation and other measures that preserve local control over public
rights-of-way, protect local resources, broadband and telecommunications for all residents and
guarantee access to, funding for, and local flexibility in utilizing funds for public, educational and
government (PEG) access television.
10. Federal and state funding of broadband infrastructure.
11. The expansion of public infrastructure financing tools and funding for infrastructure.
12. Funding, policies, and legislation that support access to childcare, transitional kindergarten (TK), and
related services that strengthen the local workforce, reduce barriers to employment, and support
economic resilience.
Finance & Governance
Support:
1. Meaningful fiscal reform that allows each level of government to adequately finance its service
responsibilities while continuing to support efforts to protect the City from loss of revenues due to
State take-aways and unfunded State or Federal mandates.
2. The continuation of California Specialized Training Institute activities within San Luis Obispo County.
3. Legislation to modernize the Ralph M. Brown Act to provide increased flexibility for remote
participation in public meetings by elected and appointed officials and provide increased
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opportunities for public engagement.
4. Legislation that furthers SB 1439’s intent to restrict “Pay-to-play” campaign financing but provides
clarifications and modifications that reduce the administrative burden associated with the
implementation as currently written.
5. The streamlining, clarification, and simplification of conflict-of-interest regulations applicable to local
officials.
6. Tools and legislation that help cities fairly collect taxes and revenues owed.
7. Support monitoring and mitigating the impacts of federal FY 2026–27 budget legislation (H.R. 1)
that could reduce federal funding to local programs, including Medi-Cal and CalFresh, and other
safety-net services.
Oppose:
8. Initiatives that unduly burden and/or prohibit local government ability to support essential services
to the community.
9. Removal of the municipal bond tax exemption.
Human Resources/Employee Relations
Support:
1. Additional workers’ compensation reforms that lower employers' costs while still protecting workers
and oppose legislation that would restrict appropriate cost controls in the workers’ compensation
system.
2. Pension and retiree health benefits reform efforts, policy changes, and permissible administration
decisions aimed at reducing unfunded liabilities, reducing costs, and ensuring the long-term viability
of the defined benefit pension system in concert with the League of California Cities and the California
Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) Board of Directors.
3. Legislation to protect the City's continued ability to administer its Cafeteria Benefit Plan and maintain
comprehensive health care coverage for eligible employees, in a financially sustainable manner.
4. Reforms that limit the financial impacts of joint and several liability on public entities.
5. The clarification, modification, or repeal of AB 646 fact finding requirements and oppose measures
that reduces local control over public employee disputes.
6. Federal legislation to modify, refine, or eliminate Federal Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requirements on
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public agencies.
7. Reforms that limit the joint and several liability to agencies who have entered into Joint Powers
Agreements (JPAs).
8. Meaningful statewide and national efforts to make quality health care more affordable and accessible
to residents and reduce costs for cities and employers.
9. Clarification and modification of AB 3393 to reduce unnecessary administrative burden while
maintaining the legislative intent, including clarifying that notice requirements apply only when fully
contracting out represented positions or functions, and not to minor or ancillary contracts.
Oppose:
10. The expansion of property rights in public employment and procedural requirements that hinder or
significantly increase the public costs of effective performance management, including legislation that
curtails management rights or obstructs the timely, efficient, and cost-effective implementation of
performance management or disciplinary measures.
11. Measures that curtail management rights or impose local government mandated employee benefits
that should be directly negotiated between labor groups and employers.
Public Safety
Support:
1. New and continued State and Federal funding for school safety, disaster preparedness, earthquake
preparedness, Homeland Security, hazardous material response, State COPS (Citizen’s Options for
Public Safety) program, CIT (Crisis Intervention Training) and other public safety activities.
2. Preservation of the City's authority to investigate police misconduct.
3. Local control on issuance of concealed weapons permits.
4. Legislation to help curb drug and alcohol-related criminal behavior and underage consumption.
5. Legislation to limit or end the sale of all nonflavored and flavored electronic smoking device products,
including mint and menthol and to increase enforcement and education related to their use.
3 AB 339 (effective Jan 1, 2026) requires public agencies to give at least 45 days’ written notice before issuing RFPs,
RFQs, or renewing contracts for services that overlap with represented employee work. Exemptions include public
works, architect/engineering services, and emergency contracting.
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6. The fair and efficient allocation of radio spectrum that provides quality frequencies, free from
interference, for all local public safety communication needs.
7. Efforts to enhance radio and data system(s) stability and interoperability among public safety agencies
and jurisdictions.
8. The City's right to regulate activities with adverse health and safety impacts on local streets, sidewalks,
public spaces, and rights-of-way, including illegal street parties.
9. Legislation to improve and enhance the safety of cargo transported via rail, including but not limited
to: safety enhancements for rail vessel construction with an emphasis on efforts to rapidly improve
the safe transport of volatile crude oil and limit the use of older, “grandfathered” containers and
vessels; enhancements in remote monitoring and control of railcar speeds; reduction of railcar speeds
in populated areas like San Luis Obispo; enhancements in communications, notifications and
information dissemination to local governments, especially public safety agencies.
10. Funding and programs to local jurisdictions to proactively reduce fire risk attributed to heavy
vegetative fuels loads, high tree mortality, drought, and climate change to remove diseased, dead
and/or down combustible vegetation, thin forests to improve forest health, and create effective
defensible space between the undeveloped and developed environments.
11. Streamlining CEQA, including allowing exemptions, for fuel modification and reduction projects to
strengthen wildfire prevention efforts while maintaining appropriate environmental safeguards.
12. Funding to support implementation of State-mandated actions within designated Fire Hazard Severity
Zones.
13. Grants and aid to land/property owners with properties located within designated fire hazard severity
zones (as designated by Cal Fire), which are threatened by wind-driven fire events, to harden
structures again fire impingement and create sustainable defensible spaces.
14. Grants and aid to local governments to develop modern evacuation communications systems to
effectively reach all residents in a timely fashion via voice, text, email, and other electronic means.
15. Legislation to preserve and enhance local control, at the city level, for the provision of public safety
services, including the scope and provision of medical and non-medical emergency services and
legislation that would result in the implementation of a statewide modern earthquake notification
and evacuation communications system to effectively reach all residents in a timely fashion via voice,
text, email, and other electronic means, which is available for use by local governments at the
discretion of local governments.
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16. Uniformity of state and federal regulations of drones and the study and adoption of appropriate local
airport protections and public safety exemptions.
17. Legislation regarding the safe transport and storage of nuclear and hazardous waste.
18. Legislation to address the education, funding, and treatment of opioid addiction.
19. Legislation that expands funding to manage vegetation and fuel sources in the wildland urban
interface.
20. Legislation to provide funding to help communities prepare for response, recovery and be resilient
after natural disasters.
21. Funding to remove unwanted firearms from homes and businesses.
22. Responsive intervention programs that promote accountability and divert people away from both
crime and prison.
23. Funding and training for emergency response to electrified vehicles and infrastructure.
24. Legislation and policies that protect and support individuals who are targeted by hate crimes and hate
biased incidents.
25. Legislation and funding for Electric Vehicle (EV) fire mitigation, including specialized equipment and
training for emergency responders, with potential contributions from EV manufacturers.
26. Reforms to improve affordability, availability, and mitigation incentives for fire insurance.
27. The San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District's legislative program, where consistent with
the City's adopted policies and platform.
28. Efforts to enhance dangerous animal regulation and enforcement.
29. Tighter retail regulation of nitrous oxide to reduce misuse and access.
30. Targeted controls and public-health response to emerging drug threats such as xylazine.
31. Legislation and funding that provide clear, practical, and locally adaptable guidance for Zone 0
defensible‑space requirements, including financial assistance for homeowners and flexibility to
account for different community and property contexts.
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Oppose:
32. New or increased state fees for state-provided law enforcement services.
Public Works
Support:
1. Increased availability of grant funding to create new infrastructure and replace aging infrastructure of
all types, e.g., streets, bridges, water, sewer, parks, and storm sewer systems, etc.
2. Any funding opportunities, including grants and infrastructure programs, to support the planning,
design, and construction of the Prado Road Interchange.
3. Increased funding for flood protection, clean stormwater, and low impact infrastructure projects.
4. Cooperation and prompt approval from Federal and State regulatory agencies (such as the
Department of Fish & Wildlife, Regional Water Quality Control Board, and the Army Corps of
Engineers) for necessary projects involving the City's creek system.
5. Monetary incentives or grant funding for electric vehicles for replacement of municipal fleet
equipment.
6. Funding and policies that support and enhance active transportation modes such as bicycles,
pedestrian, and transit.
7. Continued protection of SB-1 and other funding for transportation infrastructure maintenance.
8. Policies and legislation that maintains local control of parking rules, regulations, rates, and citation
fees.
9. Policies and legislation that allow for increased enforcement ability for on and off-street parking with
an emphasis on allowing automated parking control devices (e.g. parking space sensors, parking
structure cameras, automated citations) for the purpose of issuing parking violations.
10. Permanently allowing local governments to use design-build processes and expand the types of
projects that cities can use design build and progressive design-build.
11. Participation by County in providing nearby parking for County employees and clients, and alternate
transportation and parking demand reduction.
12. The San Luis Obispo County Zone 9 Flood Control and Water Conservation District efforts to solve
City/County flood problems.
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13. Legislation that authorizes and facilitates the use of Community Workforce Agreements (CWAs),
enabling local governments to establish project labor agreements that promote local hiring, fair
wages, and workforce development while ensuring efficient project delivery.
Parks and Recreation and Natural Resources
Support:
1. State and Federal funding and other measures to promote the acquisition, protection, preservation
and restoration of natural resources, open space, coastal resources, signature landforms, wetlands,
and park development, including continued funding for the Land and Water Conservation Grant
Program and for the California Conservation Corps.
2. The expansion of National Marine Sanctuary off the coast of San Luis Obispo County to further protect
this fragile habitat from offshore oil and gas development.
3. State and Federal funding and other measures to conduct research and implement land management
measures for the purpose of carbon sequestration.
4. Measures to prohibit discharge of pollutants into the creeks and ocean (e.g., selenium contaminated
waters from the San Joaquin valley).
5. State and Federal funding and other measures to take advantage of opportunities for land and
easement acquisition and enhancement project contracting.
6. Legislative exemption from property taxes on lands dedicated to open space purposes, which may be
outside the boundaries of the jurisdiction owning such lands.
7. Funding to reduce or mitigate negative impacts to vital regional and community services and enhance
public access to parks, open space, after school programming, senior services, facilities that promote
physical activity, protect natural resources, and strengthen safety and security.
8. Policies that recognize the benefits of parks and recreational facilities in the advancement of
"sustainable communities" and curbing greenhouse gas emissions including: strengthening policies
that fund parks, open-space, bike lanes and non-motorized trails through the development and
implementation of a carbon credit and offset program, and advocating for the strong integration of
local and regional park and non-motorized transportation improvements into "Smart Growth
Scenarios" pursuant to SB 375 (2008).
9. Access and connectivity to joint use of schools; parks and open space; development of streets and
trails that encourage physical activity and healthy living.
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10. The extension or permanent legislation at the federal level of enhanced tax deductions for charitable
donations of Conservation Easements.
11. Legislation to limit the opening of protected public lands, e.g., Carrizo Plain, to fossil fuel extraction.
12. County land use policies and practices that are consistent with the Memorandum of Agreement
adopted by the City Council and County Board of Supervisors in 2016 regarding development near
the edges of the City and opposing inconsistent policies and practices.
13. The protection of our natural resources from invasive species.
Oppose:
14. Any development under existing or new offshore oil and gas leases off the Coast of San Luis Obispo
County.
15. Any development under existing or new oil and gas leases in San Luis Obispo County.
Transportation
Support:
1. Changes in gas tax laws that allow local tax for transportation purposes based on a majority vote of
the public, as well as revenue replacement for electric vehicles to support transportation
infrastructure.
2. The continuation of, and increased funding sources for street maintenance projects, transportation
improvements, mass transportation, transit operations and multimodal facility projects.
3. Funding sources for fleet and transit electrification including full State funding support to enable
compliance with zero-emission fleet mandates under the Innovative Clean Transit (ICT) and Advanced
Clean Fleets (ACF) regulations.
4. Transportation funding for San Luis Obispo County, in particular funding that provides for alternative
modes of transportation with clean air benefits or reductions in Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) and
greenhouse gases.
5. Transportation funding and policy that promote regional bike and pedestrian connections between
cities and other population centers.
6. Actions to: (1) promote cooperation and mutual support between metropolitan planning organization
(MPO) agencies and local transit providers, and (2) discourage trends toward MPO agencies/regional
"control" of local transit providers.
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7. Support potential changes to the Transportation Development Act to assist local public transportation
systems with funding eligibility.
8. Cooperation of private transportation companies (such as Union Pacific Railroad) to reach agreements
for sharing of properly secured right of way corridors for other compatible uses such as bicycle and
pedestrian facilities.
9. Funding for projects to implement adopted complete street plans demonstrated to improve public
health and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
10. Provision of Cap-and-Invest funding for active transportation projects.
11. Increased funding for existing Active Transportation Program (ATP) and other sources of bicycle and
pedestrian transportation funding.
12. Funding for existing and future transportation needs, including continued implementation of SB 125
transit funding programs and other formula-based State transit funding that supports operations,
capital projects, and transition to zero-emission technologies.
13. Funding strategies to reduce the personal cost of transportation, especially cargo and electric-assist
bicycles and their supporting infrastructure.
14. Improvements of state and federal standards guiding application of street design and traffic control
devices to allow more flexibility for local agencies to prioritize safety, particularly for vulnerable road
users, and including locations that interface with the state highway system, consistent with calls to
action from groups like the National Transportation Safety Board, NACTO and others.
15. Opportunities for improved coordination between state and local governments to advance common
goals and priorities, such as opportunities for partnership projects between the City and Caltrans to
advance safety and multimodal improvements to state highway facilities within and in the vicinity of
the City.
16. Legislation for a Bike Safety Stop, in alignment with the National Association of City Transportation
Officials (NACTO), that would authorize a person bicycling to treat a stop sign like a yield sign, giving
right-of-way to other traffic at an intersection before proceeding safely through, but without the
requirement to come to a full stop.
17. Consideration of increased funding and options for safe bike and pedestrian crossing of railroad
tracks, including bridges, underpasses and controlled at-grade crossings.
18. Legislation to improve safety features for new motor vehicles, including requirements for side guards
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on certain trucks and trailers and/or addition of devices that would limit the ability of drivers to
unreasonably exceed posted speed limits.
19. The San Luis Obispo Council of Governments' legislative advocacy activities, where consistent with
the City's adopted policies, platform, and public policy and project objectives.
20. Advocacy for the County of San Luis Obispo to build complete streets when building new roads, and
to upgrade existing roadways to be complete streets.
21. Legislation and regulatory efforts that give cities the option to consider automated speed
enforcement as a potential tool for improving traffic safety and reducing speeding-related accidents,
especially in high-risk areas such as school zones.
Oppose:
22. Proposed changes to statistical methodologies such as Metropolitan Statistical Areas that have the
potential to reduce funding for transportation improvements in small and mid-sized metropolitan
areas and/or reduce formula allocations to San Luis Obispo County.
23. Any reallocation or redirection of transportation funding, particularly Cap-and-Invest, SB 125, TIRCP,
and State Transit Assistance funds; that would reduce funding available for transit operations or zero-
emission fleet transition.
24. Legislation that would modify current restrictions to allow longer or heavier tractor-trailers to use
public roadways, which would increase roadway wear and tear and degrade safety for other road
users.
Utilities
Support:
1. Clean water and drinking water funding programs.
2. Recycling, waste diversion, and zero waste programs and enhancing local government's ability to
comply with solid waste reduction requirements (includes building of recycling infrastructure and
organics / biosolids composting facilities).
3. Measures that require the State Water Resources Control Board and Regional Water Quality Control
Boards establish a process to evaluate, in advance of adoption, the costs of compliance for pending
and future regulatory actions on National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permittees.
4. Legislation that requires the State's environmental agencies to conduct peer review of proposed
regulations to ensure that the proposal is based on sound science.
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5. The elimination of mandatory minimum penalties for violations of NPDES Requirements and returning
discretionary control to the Regional Water Quality Control Board Executive Officers (i.e., California
Water Code Section 13385[h]).
6. Measures to ensure reasonableness in the administration of NPDES permit governing City operations,
including pursuing a municipal representative on the Regional Water Quality Control Board.
7. The safe, responsible, and cost-effective reuse of Exceptional Quality or better biosolids.
8. County development of a local ordinance providing additional local oversight and regulation of the
land application of Pollutant Concentration (PC) or better biosolids.
9. The Integrated Waste Management Authority’s (IWMA) legislative platform, where consistent with
the City’s adopted policies, platforms, and public policy and project objectives.
10. Legislation allowing cities/agencies to establish fees for the costs of operating mandated water quality
programs such as, but not limited to, municipal storm water and total maximum daily loading.
11. Federal legislative action and funding to transfer the property ownership of Salinas Reservoir from
Army Corps of Engineers Military Project to Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works Project.
12. Federal and state funding that would allow for transfer of Salinas Reservoir from the Army Corps of
Engineers to the County or City of San Luis Obispo.
13. Water conservation and water use efficiency best management practices.
14. Amendments to the Urban Water Management Planning Act to recognize past investment in water
conservation and the City's ability to comply with SBx7-7 (2009) and other water conservation
regulations.
15. The expansion of recycled water production and use, including potable reuse.
16. The use of Public Goods Funds for the development and installation of energy saving or green energy
generating projects to benefit local government.
17. The protection of water resources, including protection of source waters from invasive species.
18. Regional water resiliency initiatives.
19. Requirements that development outside City jurisdiction have adequate water supplies to support
development activities and intensities and does not indirectly impose water service obligations to
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adjacent municipal water agencies.
20. Streamlined water rights amendment processes for minor water rights permit changes.
21. Federal and statewide funding of water infrastructure projects.
22. Amendments to stormwater regulatory requirements to reduce mandatory minimum fines and
penalties and the recovery of private attorneys’ fees for technical non-compliance issues that do not
result in adverse public health impacts or environmental harm.
23. Stormwater requirements that are related to specific issues and include reasonable implementation
timeframes and funding.
24. Autonomy for management of individual Sustainable Groundwater Management Act designated
basins within the county.
25. Funding for implementation of Groundwater Sustainability Plans including the San Luis Obispo/Edna
Valley Basin.
26. Federal and state policies that require per- or polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) source control and
labelling by product manufacturers, producers, packagers, importers, suppliers, or distributors, or
prohibit manufacturing of goods with PFAS.
27. Federal and state funding to assist with identification and cleanup of per- or polyfluoroalkyl
substances (PFAS) contamination in public source water supplies and aquifers.
28. Federal or state legislation to protect and limit the liability of passive receivers such as public water
and wastewater agencies facing the threat of either USEPA enforcement actions or third-party
litigation from the decision to list PFAS as a hazardous substance.
Oppose:
29. Measures reducing the city’s water security.
30. Legislation that requires recycled water to be included in water conservation regulations.
31. Mandatory consolidation of water systems.
32. Legislation that diminishes the City’s existing or potential water rights.
33. Legislation that inhibits the City's ability to collect water and sewer bills either through terminating
service for non-payment or other reasonable means absent public health or safety emergencies.
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34. Legislation that restricts water and sewer rates for certain customers to below the cost to provide
service based on legitimate public interests such as affordable housing, senior housing, nonprofit
public beneficial uses, and/or educational uses.
35. State or local per- or polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) regulations that are more restrictive than
federal regulations, with the exception of regulations that require per- or polyfluoroalkyl substances
(PFAS) source control and labelling by product manufacturers, producers, packagers, importers,
suppliers, or distributors, or prohibit manufacturing of goods with PFAS.
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EXHIBIT A
C - 2026 Legislative
Action Platform (Marked
Version).docx
202
6
CITY OF SAN LUIS
OBISPO LEGISLATIVE
ACTION PLATFORM
ADOPTED BY CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION NO. XXXXX
(2026 SERIES)
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About this Legislative Platform
This Legislative Platform, adopted by the City of San Luis Obispo Council, will establish the City’s
position on legislative matters of priority and importance to the City. The Legislative Platform is
reviewed regularly and updated on an annual basis. The Legislative Platform shall be published
and disseminated widely to promote transparency and awareness among the public. The City
shares its Legislative Platform with Federal and State legislators, as well as the County Board of
Supervisors. This public document serves as a guiding framework for the City's legislative
advocacy efforts throughout the year.
Advocacy
The Legislative Platform reflects those legislative matters on which the council majority
authorizes the Mayor, City Manager and City Attorney to engage in legislative advocacy on behalf
of the City without the need for further council review or authority. The council’s authorization
extends only to advocacy for or against generally applicable legislative proposals (including those
pertaining to budget, regulations, policies, and programs) being considered by local, regional,
state and/or federal policy makers or regulators consistent with Major City Goals and adopted
City policy platforms. It does not otherwise extend to advocacy for or against any individual
project, program, or entitlement application pending before any decision-making body, unless
specifically noted herein.
The League of California Cities (Cal Cities)
The City actively participates in the Cal Cities, a statewide association r epresenting most of
California’s 483 cities. Cal Cities advocates for local control through legislative efforts, ballot
measures, legal action, and strategic outreach to educate policymakers, opinion leaders, and the
public. It also conducts legislative analysis and advocacy on behalf of cities for key State and
Federal issues. Through the Council’s adopted Legislative Platform resolution, the City takes
positions consistent with Cal Cities’ recommendations. The 2026 Cal Cities advocacy priorities
include:
1. Protect and enhance local revenues and expand economic development tools.
2. Strengthen partnerships with the state to improve public safety.
3. Secure investments to prevent and reduce homelessness and increase the supply of
affordable housing.
4. Strengthen climate change resiliency and disaster preparedness.
Consistency with City Goals and Policies
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The City of San Luis Obispo’s Legislative Action Platform is designed to align with the City’s and
broader strategic priorities. The platform provides a framework for legislative advocacy;
however, all positions that the City takes should be consistent with adopted City policies,
strategic plans, and/or overarching Major City Goals where feasible. This ensures a cohesive and
strategic approach to legislative engagement that reflects the City’s priorities and values. For
emerging issues or situations not outlined in the Legislative Platform or recommended through
Cal Cities, City staff will work with the City Council for further direction.
Figure 1 - 2025-27 Council Adopted Major City Goals
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Contents
Climate Action ............................................................................................................................................... 5
Energy ........................................................................................................................................................... 6
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for All .......................................................................................................... 7
Homelessness Resources .............................................................................................................................. 9
Community Development ....................................................................................................................... 1211
Tenant Protections ...................................................................................................................................... 13
Economic Development .............................................................................................................................. 13
Finance & Governance ................................................................................................................................ 14
Human Resources/Employee Relations ...................................................................................................... 15
Public Safety ............................................................................................................................................ 1716
Public Works ............................................................................................................................................... 19
Parks and Recreation and Natural Resources ............................................................................................. 20
Transportation ............................................................................................................................................ 21
Utilities .................................................................................................................................................... 2423
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Climate Action
Support:
1. Funding for communities to pay for public infrastructure that meet s state greenhouse gas emission
reduction goals and adopted City objectives.
2. Funding to implement programs and related action items contained in local and regional Climate
Action Plans to quantitatively reduce greenhouse gas emissions and advocate for regulatory reform,
including but not limited to clean technologies, micro-grids, all electric/zero-emission buildings,
electrified transportation, behind the meter technology, and natural solutions (e.g., tree planting,
open space conservation, and contemporary land management and restoration practices).
3. Regulatory reform to facilitate the transition to clean technologies, microgrids, low and zero carbon
energy generation, and decarbonized buildings.
4. Legislation and regulation that is aligned with the City’s goals of carbon neutrality by 2035 and sub-
goals related to municipal operations, clean electricity, building decarbonization, clean mobility,
organic waste diversion, and natural solutions.
5. Legislation and regulation that is aligned with the policies and programs set forth by the Climate
Adaptation and Safety Element including using future projections for climate hazards in planning
decisions, investing in community resilience, and adapting built infrastructure and natural ecosystems
to climate change hazards and disturbances.
6. Funding and resources to focus climate investments on programs and projects that support
environmental justice, economic and racial equity, and head of household jobs.
7. Legislation, policies, and regulation that extend producer responsibility for packaging and single-use
product manufacturing as to encourage source reduction and the manufacturing of reusable and
sustainable products.
8. Legislation, policies, and regulation that that make waste diversion and reduction more equitable for
our residents and businesses.
9. Legislation that makes recycling organic waste and edible food recovery and distribution more
efficient and easily accessible to residents and businesses in need.
Oppose:
10. Legislation and regulation that limits the City’s ability to achieve its goals of carbon neutrality by 2035
and sub-goals related to municipal operations, clean electricity, building decarbonization, clean
mobility, organic waste diversion, and natural solutions.
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Energy
Support:
1. Reform of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) structure and policies, state regulation,
and state legislation to accelerate equitable building and transportation decarbonization.
2. CPUC reform that ties investor-owned utility compensation to performance consistent with state
policy objectives.
3. California Community Choice Associations’ (Cal CCA) Regulatory and Legislative Platform, where
consistent with the City’s legislative platform.
4. Reform of CPUC policies and state legislation to ensure investor-owned utilities are able and required
to provide timely, accurate, and sufficiently detailed energy data.
5. Reform of CPUC policies and state legislation that supports increased, equitable, and affordable access
to distributed energy resources, including rooftop solar.
6. Support legislation and regulatory actions that improve electricity affordability while maintaining
consistency with the City’s other platform positions, including preserving access to rooftop solar and
protecting ratepayer-funded decarbonization and energy efficiency programs.
7. Reform of CPUC policies, state regulation, and state legislation that support low income zero emission
buildings, including support for mobile home parks, low-income households, and other disadvantaged
community members.
8. The Central Coast Regional Energy Network at the County Board of Supervisors, the CPUC, and related
relevant entities and supporting pilot projects in the City as feasible.
9. Regional and regulatory collaboration to fund and support climate change impact projections and
coordinate approaches for increasing regional resilience.
10. Sustainable and resilient energy programs.
11. Legislation in alignment with Central Coast Community Energy Policy Board and Operations Board
Positions.1
1 The City Council approved the City joining Central Coast Community Energy (3CE) in September 2018 and City
representatives have been seated on 3CE’s Policy Board, Operations Board, and Community Advisory Council since
2019. This section of the City’s Legislative Platform identifies City of San Luis Obispo policy positions on key topics
that may come before the various boards and advisory bodies of 3CE. The policy positions contained herein are
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a. 3CE investment in and support for distributed energy resources (e.g., rooftop solar), virtual
power plants, demand response, behind the meter technology and energy efficiency.
b. 3CE in evaluating and deploying programs that are climate action force multipliers (e.g.,
tariffed on-bill financing, virtual power plants, etc.).
c. Processes that are transparent, collaborative, visible, accessible, and inclusive.
d. Rate, rebate, and revenue structures that create a robust programs budget.
e. Regional climate action and a portfolio of programs that are strategically implemented to
achieve regional climate targets.
f. Local government access to data, transparent GHG emissions reporting, and sub-annual
emissions factors as available.
g. Processes and governance approaches that provide sufficient time for Board members to fully
participate and drive decisions, from inception to implementation.
12. Legislation and regulatory efforts that promote the safe deployment, operation, and
decommissioning of battery energy storage systems (BESS).
13. Actions and legislation related to Diablo Canyon Power Plant that are consistent with the City’s 2016
adopted guiding principles, including:
Ensuring public safety and environmental protection during continued operations or
decommissioning.
Securing fiscal mitigation measures to offset local economic and infrastructure impacts.
Investigating opportunities for job creation, economic diversification, and the reuse of facilities or
lands in ways that provide long‑term community benefit.
Advancing open-space and community benefit outcomes for lands associated with the plant.
Promoting transparent stakeholder engagement and collaboration with local jurisdictions.
Oppose:
14. Legislative and CPUC decisions that negatively impact CCAs or otherwise shift the financial
obligations of investor-owned utilities to CCAs.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for All
Support:
1. Legislation that creates, expands, and/or provides broad authority to jurisdictions to develop and
implement diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, policies, or initiatives to address systemic
intended to guide Board member deliberation, and voting and staff review of agenda, but are not an exhaustive list
of issues that may arise. These positions are intended to extend only to advocacy for or against generally
applicable policy proposals being considered by 3CE and does not extend to advocacy on any indivi dual project or
entitlement application pending before any decision -making body, nor does it extend to the larger legislative
platform of the City.
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inequities that disproportionately impact Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), LGBTQIA+, and
other marginalized, underserved, and underrepresented communities.
2. Legislation that centers reforms for advancing access for undocumented individuals’ health, well-
being, and success.
3. Education and employment opportunities and development of upward economic mobility and access
to programs such as childcare, after-school activities, school’s family support networks and supportive
services for individuals aging out of the foster care system.
4. Increased availability of grant funding for ADA accessibility improvements and connectivity to streets,
parks, and other public infrastructure.
5. Amendments to the California Elections Code to expand safe harbor provisions in response to district
elections demands under the California Voting Rights Act to include remedies, in addition to district
elections, to enhance quantifiable equity gains in participation and representation in local elections,
including, but not limited to cumulative voting, limited voting, ranked choice voting and other voting
structures that can be demonstrated to advance voter engagement and equity.
6. Legislation that furthers jurisdictions’ abilities to create policies that protect voting rights and work
to disrupt voter suppression tactics that disproportionately impact Black, Indigenous, and other
communities of color.
7. Legislation that provides funding sources for appropriate human service agencies that support the
mission of the Human Relations Commission.
8. Legislation and funding to increase affordable and equitable childcare services, and activities, and
options for working low-income families.
9. Legislation related to implementation of the Racial Equity Framework2 and resources and tools to
promote racial equity and address structural racism.
10. Legislation that creates programs or policies that contribute to family friendly workplace
environments that may include, but are not limited to, leave for reproductive loss, paid parental leave,
flextime, and job sharing.
11. Legislation that advances access and expands funding for services, programs, and/or projects
2 Executive Order N-16-22 establishes the State's authority to develop plans and strategies to advance equity and
identify disparities. Within the Executive Order, there are specifics for the Governor's Office of Planning &
Research to create the Racial Equity Commission (REC). One of the duties of the REC is to produce a Racial Equity
Framework, which will contain strategies for state, county, and local governments to implement.
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centered in addressing inequities that disproportionately impact Black, Indigenous, People of Color
(BIPOC), LGBTQIA+, and other marginalized, underserved, and underrepresented communities.
12. Legislation that subsidizes or provides funding for translation and interpretation services for local
governments to ensure all members of a community can be civically engaged and easily access
government programs and services.
13. Legislation that strengthens the California Civil Rights Department and its ability to respond to and
address hate and discrimination cases appropriately.
14. Medicare reforms, including updates to geographic designation criteria, that promote equity, expand
access to care, enhance regional collaboration, and ensure healthcare sustainability on the Central
Coast
15. Legislation that maintains civil rights protections, improves transparency, and builds community trust
in Federal immigration enforcement for our City residents.
Oppose:
16. Legislation that limits or preempts local authority to design, implement, or evaluate polices, programs,
or initiatives intended to advance access, belonging, or equitable outcomes, particularly where such
limitations hinder local government's ability to responds to documented community needs or
disparities.
Homelessness Resources
Support:
1. Legislation and funding for the prevention of homelessness and support of families and individuals
vulnerable to becoming homeless.
2. Funding for project-based, permanent affordable housing.
3. Funding for the entire housing spectrum (including affordable units, ADUs, Tiny Homes, Temporary
Emergency Shelters and family housing, and supportive housing for all unhoused individuals and
families including those with mental health needs, the medically fragile, and aging adults.)
4. Increased flexibility in the use of Federal Funds at the local level to address the full spectrum of
services and transitional housing for individuals who are unhoused.
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5. Nonprofit eviction prevention services for low-income individuals and families.
6. Programs and funding to encourage private market landlords to provide affordable units, participate
in housing voucher programs, and upgrade units for energy efficiency.
7. Funding that encourages unique multi-departmental and inter-governmental collaboration to assist
individuals experiencing homelessness, such as the City’s Community Action Team (CAT) and Mobile
Crisis Unit (MCU), as well as Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) for public safety personnel.
8. Employment services and job training opportunities for individuals who are homeless or at-risk of
becoming homeless.
9. Funding for federal, state, county and local coordination with non-profit and faith-based organizations
to prevent and address homelessness.
10. Funding for the removal and storage of unhoused individual’s belongings and the cleaning of sites
used by unhoused residents, in alignment with the City’s Compassionate Assistance, Mitigation &
Prevention (CAMP) Standards and Temporary Storage Guidelines.
11. Funding and programs that promote whole person care approaches that include access to expanded
medical, mental, and behavioral health services, including substance use disorder treatment
services, and new approaches to financing health care access and patient wellness to reduce
avoidable emergency room visits, hospital stays and readmissions.
12. Increased funding and statutory authorization for crisis intervention, involuntary assessment and
commitment, guardianship control, and health welfare intervention and supervision of those suffering
from chronic homelessness, mental health conditions and addiction, and recognition of mental illness
and addiction as contributors to chronic homelessness.
13. Streamlined protocols and metrics to be used by homeless service providers, local agencies, and other
non-governmental partners to capture and share accurate statistics of individuals experiencing
homelessness, including vacancy and capacity rates, in-flow and out-flow information, cost-reporting
of services provided and rendered, and individuals successfully housed.
14. Legislation, programs, funding, court intervention, and statutory authorization for a unified crisis
response system to enhance the ability of the County Behavioral Health Director, crisis response
personnel, family members and social service providers to share information necessary for effective
treatment interventions and to compel assisted outpatient treatment for a person exiting a
conservatorship and those lacking capacity to provide for their own healthcare, shelter and food
needs.
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15. Legislation that would allow the courts and crisis intervention personnel to consider a person’s
medical, addiction and mental health conditions, history of adverse impacts on community health and
safety, and capacity of individuals to provide for their own health, shelter, and food needs in
mandating program participation in connection with criminal justice and other contacts, including or
expansion of the definition of “gravely disabled” under code section 5150 et seq. in evaluating
whether an individual is a danger to themselves or others.
16. Legislation for Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) to allow for flexibility in funds earmarked for
“Innovation” programs that are aimed at finding new and different ways to provide services.
17. Legislation, funding, programs, and policies to help expand capacity in local psychiatric health facilities,
delivery of case management, drug, alcohol, and detoxification services and facilities, assisted living
beds for medically fragile people, and mental health services for all County residents.
18. Advocation that the County lead in the area of expanding humane shelter and housing opportunities
for the unhoused population and expand outreach and case management services specifically tailored
to the needs of unhoused individuals in the County to transition out of homelessness.
19. The use of data from public safety, City, and regional Community Action Teams (CAT) and Mobile Crisis
Units (MCU) outcomes, to advocate that the County allocate new resources to scale up these
programs to match the need.
20. An effective and efficient implementation of San Luis Obispo County’s 5-Year Plan to Address
Homelessness.
21. State and federal funding of mandates to provide care and services to vulnerable populations.
22. Legislative efforts to repeal Article 34 of the California Constitution, which requires majority approval
by the voters of a city or county for the development, construction, or acquisition of a publicly funded
affordable housing project.
23. Assistance for those experiencing physical and mental health impacts of a pandemic or other disaster.
24. Regional efforts to create a spectrum of housing types (including board and care and housing types
that include other supportive services) within the County to house the unhoused.
Oppose:
25. Legislation that seeks to circumvent local control and consideration of local circumstances and safety
of the general public when addressing homelessness.
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Community Development
Support:
1. Local control of land use planning and zoning matters.
2. State and Federal assistance to prevent the loss of housing for those impacted by local, state, or
federal disasters.
3. Reforms of the State mandated HCD Regional Housing Need Allocations process to recognize local
resource limitations, regional collaboration, and development, and align infrastructure and other
funding to help communities meet mandated housing requirements.
4. Planning and funding of on-campus housing at Cal Poly for students, staff and faculty as included in
the Cal Poly Master Plan, including an on campus Greek row.
5. Increased and ongoing funding sources for affordable housing and supportive housing services for
very low-, low-, and moderate-income individuals and families in all cities and communities and
opposing the erosion of local inclusionary housing and in-lieu fee programs.
6. Continued funding of National Housing Trust Fund and streamlined and efficient implementation
regulations at the state level.
7. Additional state funding to implement AB 32 (The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006)
and SB 375 (The Sustainable Communities and Climate Protection Act of 2008) through local general
plan updates that implement the regional sustainable communities plan and alternative planning
strategy, if needed.
8. Funding for the identification, acquisition, maintenance and restoration of historic sites and
structures.
9. Continued and expanded funding for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program.
10. Policies, programs and funding to support opportunities to convert vacant commercial spaces to
affordable housing and childcare facilities.
11. State and federal level down-payment assistance programs and the expansion of below-market rate
assistance programs.
12. Continued local control over mobile home park rent stabilization and local control over the conversion
of mobile home parks to other uses to ensure that low-income mobile home park residents are not
involuntarily removed from homes or otherwise subject to involuntary displacement due to economic
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impacts of parks subdivision or conversion.
13. The protection, enhancement, and increased production of mobile home park residency
opportunities.
14. The ability to issue parking citations on private property.
15. Responsible review and revision of CEQA to ensure sound environmental determinations with a focus
on CEQA reform that specifically addresses housing production and rezoning efforts to facilitate
housing.
16. Pragmatic and clarifying actions to implement Proposition 64 Cannabis legalization, including
increased funding for health education, the preservation of local land use decision making
reconciliation of conflicts in state and federal law, and systems for legal banking.
17. Funding for seismic retrofitting for buildings that haven't been retrofitted.
18. Participation in the study period for AB 835 regarding building standards for single exit, single stairway
apartment houses.
18. Building code reforms to enable single-stair mid-rise apartment buildings that meet modern fire and
life-safety standards.
19. Legislation that provides reasonable definitions, interpretive guidance, and flexible implementation
timelines for transit-oriented housing laws (including SB 79 and related follow-up bills).
Tenant Protections
Support:
1. Increased relocation assistance (AB 1482 2019) when a tenant is evicted due to no-fault of their own.
2. Increases in state and federal approaches to renter protections for rental housing and enforcement
of existing renter protections in accordance with the California Civil Codes including but not limited
to Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1940-1954.1 (includes Tenant Protection Act).
3. Legislation, policies, and programs that expand tenant affordability and stability.
Economic Development
Support:
1. State and federal assistance for those people and businesses facing severe economic losses due to
pandemic or other disasters.
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2. Regional economic activities except for those that promote weapons or fossil fuel production or
distribution activities.
3. Direct assistance and/or legislation that supports local agencies with recovering costs related to the
pandemic or other disasters and stimulate economic development, resiliency, and recovery.
4. Funding and legislation using tax credits or other incentive programs to encourage research and
development by businesses in California.
5. Funding and policies for the promotion of California and the City and County of San Luis Obispo as a
place to locate businesses that provide head-of-household jobs.
6. Economic development that is integrated with articulated Major City Goals such as climate action,
environmental protection and social justice and diversity objectives.
7. Funding for the state tourism promotion program.
8. The effective and efficient use of all communications technologies including voice, video, data, and
information services over wired and wireless transmission technologies and supporting net neutrality.
9. Telecommunications reform legislation and other measures that preserve local control over public
rights-of-way, protect local resources, broadband and telecommunications for all residents and
guarantee access to, funding for, and local flexibility in utilizing funds for public, educational and
government (PEG) access television.
10. Federal and state funding of broadband infrastructure.
11. The expansion of public infrastructure financing tools and funding for infrastructure.
12. Funding, policies, and legislation that support access to childcare, transitional kindergarten (TK), and
related services that strengthen the local workforce, reduce barriers to employment, and support
economic resilience.
13. Legislation exempting public art projects from contractor licensing requirements to expand artist
eligibility and reduce project costs.
Finance & Governance
Support:
1. Meaningful fiscal reform that allows each level of government to adequately finance its service
responsibilities while continuing to support efforts to protect the City from loss of revenues due to
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State take-aways and unfunded State or Federal mandates.
2. Collection of the full amount of local transient occupancy tax from online sales of lodging.
2. Tools and legislation that help cities fairly collect taxes and revenues owed.
3. The continuation of California Specialized Training Institute activities within San Luis Obispo County.
4. Legislation to modernize the Ralph M. Brown Act to provide increased flexibility for remote
participation in public meetings by elected and appointed officials and provide increased
opportunities for public engagement.
5. Legislation that furthers SB 1439’s intent to restrict “Pay-to-play” campaign financing but provides
clarifications and modifications that reduce the administrative burden associated with the
implementation as currently written.
6. The streamlining, clarification, and simplification of conflict-of-interest regulations applicable to local
officials.
7. Support monitoring and mitigating the impacts of federal FY 2026–27 budget legislation (H.R. 1)
that could reduce federal funding to local programs, including Medi-Cal and CalFresh, and other
safety-net services.
8. Legislation that would provide an exemption from the current Bradley-Burns two percent local sales
tax cap for the San Luis Obispo Council of Governments (SLOCOG) to pursue a regional sales tax
measure for transportation, subject to voter approval.3
Oppose:
8. Initiatives that unduly burden and/or prohibit local government ability to support essential services
to the community.
9. Removal of the municipal bond tax exemption.
Human Resources/Employee Relations
Support:
1. Additional workers’ compensation reforms that lower employers' costs while still protecting workers
and oppose legislation that would restrict appropriate cost controls in the workers’ compensation
system.
3 This was approved by Council on January 21, 2025, as a standalone legislative advocacy item.
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2. Pension and retiree health benefits reform efforts, policy changes, and permissible administration
decisions aimed at reducing unfunded liabilities, reducing costs, and ensuring the long-term viability
of the defined benefit pension system in concert with the League of California Cities and the California
Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) Board of Directors.
3. Legislation to protect the City's continued ability to administer its Cafeteria Benefit Plan and maintain
comprehensive health care coverage for eligible employees, in a financially sustainable manner.
4. Reforms that limit the financial impacts of joint and several liability on public entities.
5. The clarification, modification, or repeal of AB 646 fact finding requirements and oppose measures
that reduces local control over public employee disputes.
6. Federal legislation to modify, refine, or eliminate Federal Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requirements on
public agencies.
7. Reforms that limit the joint and several liability to agencies who have entered into Joint Powers
Agreements (JPAs).
8. Meaningful statewide and national efforts to make quality health care more affordable and accessible
to residents and reduce costs for cities and employers.
9. Clarification and modification of AB 3394 to reduce unnecessary administrative burden while
maintaining the legislative intent, including clarifying that notice requirements apply only when fully
contracting out represented positions or functions, and not to minor or ancillary contracts.
Oppose:
10. The expansion of property rights in public employment and procedural requirements that hinder or
significantly increase the public costs of effective performance management, including legislation that
curtails management rights or obstructs the timely, efficient, and cost-effective implementation of
performance management or disciplinary measures.
11. Measures that curtail management rights or impose local government mandated employee benefits
that should be directly negotiated between labor groups and employers.
4 AB 339 (effective Jan 1, 2026) requires public agencies to give at least 45 days’ written notice before issuing RFPs,
RFQs, or renewing contracts for services that overlap with represented employee work. Exemptions include public
works, architect/engineering services, and emergency contracting.
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Public Safety
Support:
1. New and continued State and Federal funding for school safety, disaster preparedness, earthquake
preparedness, Homeland Security, hazardous material response, State COPS (Citizen’s Options for
Public Safety) program, CIT (Crisis Intervention Training) and other public safety activities.
2. Preservation of the City's authority to investigate police misconduct.
3. Local control on issuance of concealed weapons permits.
4. Legislation to help curb drug and alcohol-related criminal behavior and underage consumption.
5. Legislation to limit or end the sale of all nonflavored and flavored electronic smoking device products,
including mint and menthol and to increase enforcement and education related to their use.
6. The fair and efficient allocation of radio spectrum that provides quality frequencies, free from
interference, for all local public safety communication needs.
7. Efforts to enhance radio and data system(s) stability and interoperability among public safety agencies
and jurisdictions.
8. The City's right to regulate activities with adverse health and safety impacts on local streets, sidewalks,
public spaces, and rights-of-way, including illegal street parties.
9. Legislation to improve and enhance the safety of cargo transported via rail, including but not limited
to: safety enhancements for rail vessel construction with an emphasis on efforts to rapidly improve
the safe transport of volatile crude oil and limit the use of older, “grandfathered” containers and
vessels; enhancements in remote monitoring and control of railcar speeds; reduction of railcar speeds
in populated areas like San Luis Obispo; enhancements in communications, notifications and
information dissemination to local governments, especially public safety agencies.
10. Funding and programs to local jurisdictions to proactively reduce fire risk attributed to heavy
vegetative fuels loads, high tree mortality, drought, and climate change to remove diseased, dead
and/or down combustible vegetation, thin forests to improve forest health, and create effective
defensible space between the undeveloped and developed environments.
11. Streamlining CEQA, including allowing exemptions, for fuel modification and reduction projects to
strengthen wildfire prevention efforts while maintaining appropriate environmental safeguards.
12. Funding to support implementation of State-mandated actions within designated Fire Hazard Severity
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Zones.
13. Grants and aid to land/property owners with properties located within designated fire hazard severity
zones (as designated by Cal Fire), which are threatened by wind-driven fire events, to harden
structures again fire impingement and create sustainable defensible spaces.
14. Grants and aid to local governments to develop modern evacuation communications systems to
effectively reach all residents in a timely fashion via voice, text, email, and other electronic means.
15. Legislation to preserve and enhance local control, at the city level, for the provision of public safety
services, including the scope and provision of medical and non-medical emergency services and
legislation that would result in the implementation of a statewide modern earthquake notification
and evacuation communications system to effectively reach all residents in a timely fashion via voice,
text, email, and other electronic means, which is available for use by local governments at the
discretion of local governments.
16. Uniformity of state and federal regulations of drones and the study and adoption of appropriate local
airport protections and public safety exemptions.
17. Legislation regarding the safe transport and storage of nuclear and hazardous waste.
18. Legislation to address the education, funding, and treatment of opioid addiction.
19. Legislation that expands funding to manage vegetation and fuel sources in the wildland urban
interface.
20. Legislation to provide funding to help communities prepare for response, recovery and be resilient
after natural disasters.
21. Funding to remove unwanted firearms from homes and businesses.
22. Responsive intervention programs that promote accountability and divert people away from both
crime and prison.
23. Funding and training for emergency response to electrified vehicles and infrastructure.
24. Legislation and policies that protect and support individuals who are targeted by hate crimes and hate
biased incidents.
25. Legislation and funding for Electric Vehicle (EV) fire mitigation, including specialized equipment and
training for emergency responders, with potential contributions from EV manufacturers.
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26. Reforms to improve affordability, availability, and mitigation incentives for fire insurance.
27. The San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District's legislative program, where consistent with
the City's adopted policies and platform.
28. Efforts to enhance dangerous animal regulation and enforcement.
29. Tighter retail regulation of nitrous oxide to reduce misuse and access.
30. Targeted controls and public-health response to emerging drug threats such as xylazine.
31. Legislation and funding that provide clear, practical, and locally adaptable guidance for Zone
Zero defensible‑space requirements, including financial assistance for homeowners and flexibility
to account for different community and property contexts.
Oppose:
32. New or increased state fees for state-provided law enforcement services.
Public Works
Support:
1. Increased availability of grant funding to create new infrastructure and replace aging infrastructure of
all types, e.g., streets, bridges, water, sewer, parks, and storm sewer systems, etc.
2. Any funding opportunities, including grants and infrastructure programs, to support the planning,
design, and construction of the Prado Road Interchange.
3. Increased funding for flood protection, clean stormwater, and low impact infrastructure projects.
4. Cooperation and prompt approval from Federal and State regulatory agencies (such as the
Department of Fish & Wildlife, Regional Water Quality Control Board, and the Army Corps of
Engineers) for necessary projects involving the City's creek system.
5. Monetary incentives or grant funding for electric vehicles for replacement of municipal fleet
equipment.
6. Funding and policies that support and enhance active transportation modes such as bicycles,
pedestrian, and transit.
7. Continued protection of SB-1 and other funding for transportation infrastructure maintenance.
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8. Policies and legislation that maintains local control of parking rules, regulations, rates, and citation
fees.
9. Policies and legislation that allow for increased enforcement ability for on and off-street parking with
an emphasis on allowing automated parking control devices (e.g. parking space sensors, parking
structure cameras, automated citations) for the purpose of issuing parking violations.
10. Permanently allowing local governments to use design-build processes and expand the types of
projects that cities can use design build and progressive design-build.
11. Participation by County in providing nearby parking for County employees and clients, and alternate
transportation and parking demand reduction.
12. The San Luis Obispo County Zone 9 Flood Control and Water Conservation District efforts to solve
City/County flood problems.
13. Legislation that authorizes and facilitates the use of Community Workforce Agreements (CWAs),
enabling local governments to establish project labor agreements that promote local hiring, fair
wages, and workforce development while ensuring efficient project delivery.
Parks and Recreation and Natural Resources
Support:
1. State and Federal funding and other measures to promote the acquisition, protection, preservation
and restoration of natural resources, open space, coastal resources, signature landforms, wetlands,
and park development, including continued funding for the Land and Water Conservation Grant
Program and for the California Conservation Corps.
2. The expansion of National Marine Sanctuary off the coast of San Luis Obispo County to further protect
this fragile habitat from offshore oil and gas development.
3. State and Federal funding and other measures to conduct research and implement land management
measures for the purpose of carbon sequestration.
4. Measures to prohibit discharge of pollutants into the creeks and ocean (e.g., selenium contaminated
waters from the San Joaquin valley).
5. State and Federal funding and other measures to take advantage of opportunities for land and
easement acquisition and enhancement project contracting.
6. Legislative exemption from property taxes on lands dedicated to open space purposes, which may be
outside the boundaries of the jurisdiction owning such lands.
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7. Funding to reduce or mitigate negative impacts to vital regional and community services and enhance
public access to parks, open space, after school programming, senior services, facilities that promote
physical activity, protect natural resources, and strengthen safety and security.
8. Policies that recognize the benefits of parks and recreational facilities in the advancement of
"sustainable communities" and curbing greenhouse gas emissions including: strengthening policies
that fund parks, open-space, bike lanes and non-motorized trails through the development and
implementation of a carbon credit and offset program, and advocating for the strong integration of
local and regional park and non-motorized transportation improvements into "Smart Growth
Scenarios" pursuant to SB 375 (2008).
9. Access and connectivity to joint use of schools; parks and open space; development of streets and
trails that encourage physical activity and healthy living.
10. The extension or permanent legislation at the federal level of enhanced tax deductions for charitable
donations of Conservation Easements.
11. Legislation to limit the opening of protected public lands, e.g., Carrizo Plain, to fossil fuel extraction.
12. County land use policies and practices that are consistent with the Memorandum of Agreement
adopted by the City Council and County Board of Supervisors in 2016 regarding development near
the edges of the City and opposing inconsistent policies and practices.
13. The protection of our natural resources from invasive species.
Oppose:
14. Any development under existing or new offshore oil and gas leases off the Coast of San Luis Obispo
County.
15. Any development under existing or new oil and gas leases in San Luis Obispo County.
Transportation
Support:
1. Changes in gas tax laws that allow local tax for transportation purposes based on a majority vote of
the public, as well as revenue replacement for electric vehicles to support transportation
infrastructure.
2. The continuation of, and increased funding sources for street maintenance projects, transportation
improvements, mass transportation, transit operations and multimodal facility projects.
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3. Funding sources for fleet and transit electrification including full State funding support to enable
compliance with zero-emission fleet mandates under the Innovative Clean Transit (ICT) and Advanced
Clean Fleets (ACF) regulations.
4. Transportation funding for San Luis Obispo County, in particular funding that provides for alternative
modes of transportation with clean air benefits or reductions in Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) and
greenhouse gases.
5. Transportation funding and policy that promote regional bike and pedestrian connections between
cities and other population centers.
6. Actions to: (1) promote cooperation and mutual support between metropolitan planning organization
(MPO) agencies and local transit providers, and (2) discourage trends toward MPO agencies/regional
"control" of local transit providers.
7. Support potential changes to the Transportation Development Act to assist local public transportation
systems with funding eligibility.
8. Cooperation of private transportation companies (such as Union Pacific Railroad) to reach agreements
for sharing of properly secured right of way corridors for other compatible uses such as bicycle and
pedestrian facilities.
9. Funding for projects to implement adopted complete street plans demonstrated to improve public
health and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
10. Provision of Cap-and-Trade Invest funding for active transportation projects.
11. Increased funding for existing Active Transportation Program (ATP) and other sources of bicycle and
pedestrian transportation funding.
12. Funding for existing and future transportation needs, including continued implementation of SB 125
transit funding programs and other formula-based State transit funding that supports operations,
capital projects, and transition to zero-emission technologies.
13. Funding strategies to reduce the personal cost of transportation, especially cargo and electric-assist
bicycles and their supporting infrastructure.
14. Improvements of state and federal standards guiding application of street design and traffic control
devices to allow more flexibility for local agencies to prioritize safety, particularly for vulnerable road
users, and including locations that interface with the state highway system, consistent with calls to
action from groups like the National Transportation Safety Board, NACTO and others.
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15. Opportunities for improved coordination between state and local governments to advance common
goals and priorities, such as opportunities for partnership projects between the City and Caltrans to
advance safety and multimodal improvements to state highway facilities within and in the vicinity of
the City.
16. Legislation for a Bike Safety Stop, in alignment with the National Association of City Transportation
Officials (NACTO), that would authorize a person bicycling to treat a stop sign like a yield sign, giving
right-of-way to other traffic at an intersection before proceeding safely through, but without the
requirement to come to a full stop.
17. Consideration of increased funding and options for safe bike and pedestrian crossing of railroad
tracks, including bridges, underpasses and controlled at-grade crossings.
18. Legislation to improve safety features for new motor vehicles, including requirements for side guards
on certain trucks and trailers and/or addition of devices that would limit the ability of drivers to
unreasonably exceed posted speed limits.
19. The San Luis Obispo Council of Governments' legislative advocacy activities, where consistent with
the City's adopted policies, platform, and public policy and project objectives.
20. Advocacy for the County of San Luis Obispo to build complete streets when building new roads, and
to upgrade existing roadways to be complete streets.
21. Legislation and regulatory efforts that give cities the option to consider automated speed
enforcement as a potential tool for improving traffic safety and reducing speeding-related accidents,
especially in high-risk areas such as school zones.
Oppose:
22. Proposed changes to statistical methodologies such as Metropolitan Statistical Areas that have the
potential to reduce funding for transportation improvements in small and mid-sized metropolitan
areas and/or reduce formula allocations to San Luis Obispo County.
23. Any reallocation or redirection of transportation funding, particularly Cap-and-Invest, SB 125, TIRCP,
and State Transit Assistance funds; that would reduce funding available for transit operations or zero-
emission fleet transition. The proposed diversion of any funding source for transportation that
reduces amounts designated for transit operations.
24. Legislation that would modify current restrictions to allow longer or heavier tractor-trailers to use
public roadways, which would increase roadway wear and tear and degrade safety for other road
users.
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Utilities
Support:
1. Clean water and drinking water funding programs.
2. Recycling, waste diversion, and zero waste programs and enhancing local government's ability to
comply with solid waste reduction requirements (includes building of recycling infrastructure and
organics / biosolids composting facilities).
3. Measures that require the State Water Resources Control Board and Regional Water Quality Control
Boards establish a process to evaluate, in advance of adoption, the costs of compliance for pending
and future regulatory actions on National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permittees.
4. Legislation that requires the State's environmental agencies to conduct peer review of proposed
regulations to ensure that the proposal is based on sound science.
5. The elimination of mandatory minimum penalties for violations of NPDES Requirements and returning
discretionary control to the Regional Water Quality Control Board Executive Officers (i.e., California
Water Code Section 13385[h]).
6. Measures to ensure reasonableness in the administration of NPDES permit governing City operations,
including pursuing a municipal representative on the Regional Water Quality Control Board.
7. The safe, responsible, and cost-effective reuse of Exceptional Quality or better biosolids.
8. County development of a local ordinance providing additional local oversight and regulation of the
land application of Pollutant Concentration (PC) or better biosolids.
9. The Integrated Waste Management Authority’s (IWMA) legislative platform, where consistent with
the City’s adopted policies, platforms, and public policy and project objectives.
10. Legislation allowing cities/agencies to establish fees for the costs of operating mandated water quality
programs such as, but not limited to, municipal storm water and total maximum daily loading.
11. Federal legislative action and funding to transfer the property ownership of Salinas Reservoir from
Army Corps of Engineers Military Project to Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works Project.
12. Federal and state funding that would allow for transfer of Salinas Reservoir from the Army Corps of
Engineers to the County or City of San Luis Obispo.
13. Water conservation and water use efficiency best management practices.
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14. Amendments to the Urban Water Management Planning Act to recognize past investment in water
conservation and the City's ability to comply with SBx7-7 (2009) and other water conservation
regulations.
15. The expansion of recycled water production and use, including potable reuse.
16. The use of Public Goods Funds for the development and installation of energy saving or green energy
generating projects to benefit local government.
17. The protection of water resources, including protection of source waters from invasive species.
18. Regional water resiliency initiatives.
19. Requirements that development outside City jurisdiction have adequate water supplies to support
development activities and intensities and does not indirectly impose water service obligations to
adjacent municipal water agencies.
20. Streamlined water rights amendment processes for minor water rights permit changes.
21. Federal and statewide funding of water infrastructure projects.
22. Amendments to stormwater regulatory requirements to reduce mandatory minimum fines and
penalties and the recovery of private attorneys’ fees for technical non-compliance issues that do not
result in adverse public health impacts or environmental harm.
23. Stormwater requirements that are related to specific issues and include reasonable implementation
timeframes and funding.
24. Autonomy for management of individual Sustainable Groundwater Management Act designated
basins within the county.
25. Funding for implementation of Groundwater Sustainability Plans including the San Luis Obispo/Edna
Valley Basin.
26. Federal and state policies that require per- or polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) source control and
labelling by product manufacturers, producers, packagers, importers, suppliers, or distributors, or
prohibit manufacturing of goods with PFAS.
27. Federal and state funding to assist with identification and cleanup of per- or polyfluoroalkyl
substances (PFAS) contamination in public source water supplies and aquifers.
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28. Federal or state legislation to protect and limit the liability of passive receivers such as public water
and wastewater agencies facing the threat of either USEPA enforcement actions or third-party
litigation from the decision to list PFAS as a hazardous substance.
Oppose:
29. Measures reducing the city’s water security.
30. Legislation that requires recycled water to be included in water conservation regulations.
31. Mandatory consolidation of water systems.
32. Legislation that diminishes the City’s existing or potential water rights.
33. Legislation that inhibits the City's ability to collect water and sewer bills either through terminating
service for non-payment or other reasonable means absent public health or safety emergencies.
34. Legislation that restricts water and sewer rates for certain customers to below the cost to provide
service based on legitimate public interests such as affordable housing, senior housing, nonprofit
public beneficial uses, and/or educational uses.
35. State or local per- or polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) regulations that are more restrictive than
federal regulations, with the exception of regulations that require per- or polyfluoroalkyl substances
(PFAS) source control and labelling by product manufacturers, producers, packagers, importers,
suppliers, or distributors, or prohibit manufacturing of goods with PFAS.
Page 72 of 251
Item 6d
Department: Public Works
Cost Center: 9501
For Agenda of: 4/7/2026
Placement: Consent
Estimated Time: N/A
FROM: Aaron Floyd, Public Works & Utilities Director
Prepared By: Allie Genard, Capital Projects Manager I
SUBJECT: AUTHORIZATION TO AWARD 879 MORRO ROOF REPLACEMENT,
SPECIFICATION NO. 2000075-10
RECOMMENDATION
1. Approve the project plans and special provisions for the 879 Morro Roof Replacement,
Specification No. 2000075-10; and
2. Award a construction contract (Attachment A) to Ranger Roofing and Solar in the
amount of $189,074.96 for the 879 Morro Roof Replacement, Specification No.
2000075-10; and,
3. Authorize staff to issue a Purchase Order to Brezden Pest Control Inc., following
completion of the roofing project, at an amount within the remaining available project
budget; and,
4. Authorize a transfer of $24,948.21 from Sewer Fund Completed Projects to support
the roofing project and pest control work; and,
5. Authorize the City Engineer to approve Contract Change Orders, provided they remain
within the approved project budget or any amended budget subsequently authorized
by the City Manager.
POLICY CONTEXT
On May 17, 2022, Council approved a Purchasing Policy Update to the Financial
Management Manual (Resolution No. 11328), requiring Council authorization for Public
Works contracts exceeding $200,000.
DISCUSSION
Background
The Utilities Department Administration building roof at 879 Morro Street was last
replaced in 2001 as part of a Tenant Improvement (TI) and renovation project. Since then,
the roofing system has exceeded its useful life and developed multiple leaks, which have
been temporarily addressed through ongoing maintenance. A full roof replacement is now
required. Staff have worked with an architectural consultant team to prepare project plans
Page 73 of 251
Item 6d
and specifications for construction. In addition to the roofing system, staff observed
termite damage in the rafters supporting the roof. After the roofing project is complete,
staff will coordinate a termite remediation project (Attachment B).
The 879 Morro Roof Replacement Project (Project), Specification No. 2000075 -10, was
previously bid in the summer of 2025, with bids opened on July 17, 2025. Three bids were
received and all were deemed non-responsive; therefore, the project was not awarded.
The Project was re-advertised, with bids opened on February 12, 2026. Two bids were
received from Ranger Roofing and Solar and Southland Roofing Inc. The bid results are
listed below:
Contractor Bid Total
Engineer’s Estimate $ 225,000.00
1 Ranger Roofing and Solar $ 189,074.96
2 Southland Roofing Inc. $ 194,380.00
Ranger Roofing and Solar (Ranger) provided the lowest responsive bid in the amount of
$189,074.96. The contractor’s references, license, and registration with the Department
of Industrial Relations have been verified.
On February 13, 2026, staff received a bid protest letter from Southland Roofing Inc., the
2nd low bidder (Attachment C). The letter alleges that Ranger is not certified to install
Garland roofing products, which are specified in the project’s special provisions , but may
be substituted with an approved equal. Staff forwarded the bid protest letter to the low
bidder, Ranger, on February 20, 2026. Ranger responded with a letter on February 23,
2026, stating that the project plans and specifications list Versico products as the basis
of design (Attachment D). Additionally, Ranger stated that they are certified to install
Versico roofing systems, as required in the project’s special provisions. Staff determined
that Southland Roofing Inc.’s bid protest was invalid , because it did not satisfy the
procedural requirements for submitting a protest as set forth in the bid package.
Specifically, the protest did not reference the specific portions of the Contract Documents
upon which the protest was based. Additionally, staff determined that the bid protest was
without merit, as the special provisions do not require the contractor to use Garland
roofing products or be a certified Garland installer. On March 5, 2026, staff notified
Southland Roofing Inc. that their bid protest had been deemed invalid.
Staff is recommending that the project be awarded to Ranger Roofing and Solar. A 25%
construction contingency is recommended due to the potential for concealed conditions
commonly encountered during roofing replacements on older buildings. These include
dry rot, deteriorated substrate materials, and structural repairs that may not be visible until
the existing roof is removed.
Project plans and special provisions are ready for construction, and the agreement with
Ranger Roofing and Solar has been drafted (Attachment A).
Page 74 of 251
Item 6d
Previous Council or Advisory Body Action
This project received funding allocations across the 2021-23, 2023-25, and 2025-27
Financial Plans, all of which were adopted by Council.
Public Engagement
Public input was solicited and considered during the development of each respective
Financial Plan.
CONCURRENCE
This project has received concurrence from the Utilities Branch of the Public Works and
Utilities Department, the Community Development Department, and the City Attorney’s
Office.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This project is categorically exempt from environmental review pursuant to sections
15301 (Existing Facilities) and 15302 (Replacement or Reconstruction) of the CEQA
Guidelines, as it is a maintenance and rehabilitation project. A Notice of Exemption has
been filed through the Community Development Department.
FISCAL IMPACT
Budgeted: Yes Budget Year: 2025-27
Funding Identified: Yes
Fiscal Analysis:
Funding Sources Total Budget
Available
Current
Funding
Request
Project Balance Annual
Ongoing
Cost (2000075-10)
Water Fund –
2000075-10, 10.01 $ 197,164.14 $ $ 197,164.14 $ -
Sewer Fund –
2000075-10, 10.01 $ 131,324.14 $ $ 131,324.14 $ -
Sewer Fund
Completed
Projects –
602.9501.71501
$ 1,182,406.95 $ 24,948.21 $ 24,948.21 $ -
Total $ 1,510,895.23 $ 24,948.21 $ 353,436.49 $ -
Page 75 of 251
Item 6d
879 Morro Roof Replacement, Specification No. 2000075-10
879 Morro -
Roof
2000075-10,
10.01 Water
Fund (601)
879 Morro -
Roof
2000075-10,
10.01 Sewer
Fund (602)
Sewer Fund
Completed
Projects –
602.9501.71501
Project Total
Construction $94,537.48 $94,537.48 $0 $189,074.96
Construction
Contingency
(25%) $23,634.37 $23,634.37 $0 $47,268.74
Total for
Construction $118,171.85 $118,171.85 $0 $236,343.70
Construction
Design
Support $3,950.00 $3,950.00 $0 $7,900.00
Printing $500.00 $500.00 $0 $1,000.00
Termite
Remediation $33,650.50 $8,702.29 $24,948.21 $67,301.00
Total Project
Cost $156,272.35 $131,324.14 $24,948.21 $312,544.70
Total
Available $197,164.14 $131,324.14 $24,948.21 $353,436.49
Remainder $40,891.79 $0 $0 $40,891.79
The project was initially identified in the 2021 -23 Financial Plan, where $15,000 was
allocated for design services, split between the Water and Sewer Funds. The 2023-25
Financial Plan allocated an additional $100,000 for the construction phase. The 2024-25
Supplemental Budget allocated an additional $130,000 to support the construction phase ,
split between the Water and Sewer Funds. The 2025-27 Financial Plan allocated an
additional $75,000 to accommodate construction cost escalation, split between the Water
and Sewer Funds. As of February 13, 2026, there is currently a balance of $328,488.28
in the project account.
The total estimated project cost is $312,544.70. Funding for the project will be split evenly
between the Water and Sewer Funds, which can be accomplished by transferring
$24,948.21 from the Sewer Completed Projects Fund into the project account to
contribute toward termite remediation. The project account has sufficient funds among
the Water Fund, Sewer Fund, and Sewer Completed Projects Fund to award the lowest
responsive bid, complete construction, and hire a pest control company to perform termite
remediation with $40,891.79 in remaining budget from the Water Fund .
Page 76 of 251
Item 6d
ALTERNATIVES
Reject all bids and readvertise the project. The estimated project cost is within
available project budget. Re-advertising the project would result in cost escalation, which
could require the need for additional funding. Additionally, there is a small windo w during
the dry season when Utilities staff can reasonably be relocated during construction
(August 10, 2026 – September 11, 2026). Should this window be missed in 2026,
construction will not be able to occur until spring of 2027 at the earliest, which wo uld likely
result in further cost increases.
ATTACHMENTS
A - Draft Contract, Specification No. 2000075-10
B - Termite Abatement Estimate - Brezden Pest Control Inc
C - Bid Protest Letter - Southland Roofing Inc
D - Bid Protest Response Letter - Ranger Roofing and Solar
Page 77 of 251
Page 78 of 251
APPENDIX
0
AGREEMENT
THIS AGREEMENT, made on ______________________, by and between the City of San
Luis Obispo, a municipal corporation and charter city, San Luis Obispo County, California
(hereinafter called the City) and RANGER ROOFING AND SOLAR (hereinafter called the
Contractor).
WITNESSETH:
That the City and the Contractor for the consideration stated herein agree as follows:
ARTICLE 1, SCOPE OF WORK: The Contractor shall perform everything required to be
performed, shall provide and furnish all of the labor, materials, necessary tools,
expendable equipment, and all utility and transportation services required to complete all
the work of construction of
879 MORRO ROOF REPLACEMENT, SPEC NO. 2000075-10
in strict compliance with the plans and specifications therefor, including any and all
Addenda, adopted by the City, in strict compliance with the Contract Documents hereinafter
enumerated.
It is agreed that said labor, materials, tools, equipment, and services shall be furnished and
said work performed and completed under the direction and supervision and subject to the
approval of the City or its authorized representatives.
ARTICLE II, CONTRACT PRICE: The City shall pay the Contractor as full consideration
for the faithful performance of this Contract, subject to any additions or deductions as
provided in the Contract Documents, the contract prices as follows:
Item Item Unit of Estimated Item Price Total
No. SS(1) Description Measure Quantity (in figures) (in figures)
1 14
Comply w/ applicable OSHA
provisions throughout duration of
the project.
LS 1 ----- $2,200.00
2 99
Disconnect / Unmount MEP
conduits, ducts, equipment from
roof surface, store on site for
reinstallation, and dispose of
debris.
LS 1 ----- $2,750.00
3 14
Disconnect, unmount, remove,
and dispose existing photovoltaic
array (48 panels), incl. all
components and substructure.
LS 1 ----- $10,142.72
4 99 Remove and dispose existing
multi-layer bituminous roofing. SQFT 2,000 $4.15 $8,300.00
5* 99
Partially remove, replace, and
dispose water-damaged plywood
per plan S -1 Allowance.
SQFT 200 $14.00 $2,800.00
Page 79 of 251
APPENDIX
1
Item Item Unit of Estimated Item Price Total
No. SS(1) Description Measure Quantity (in figures) (in figures)
6* 99
Partially remove, replace, and
dispose water-damaged roof 2x8
rafters per plan S-1 Allowance.
LF 50 $42.00 $2,100.00
7 99
Remove and dispose existing
polycarbonate glazing and
gaskets, clean and store aluminum
glass stop profiles on site for
reinstall.
SQFT 180 $7.78 $1,400.40
8 99
Prepare surface for, deliver and
install new roofing system incl. all
materials
SQFT 2,000 $39.49 $78,980.00
9 99
Install new polycarbonate glazing
and gaskets in existing skylight
structure.
SQFT 180 $54.44 $9,799.20
10 99
Deliver and install new scuppers
and connect to existing
downspouts
EA 4 $1,567.06 $6,268.24
11 99 Reinstall/attach/connect MEP
conduits, ducts, equipment. LS 1 ----- $3,500.00
12 99 Replace exhaust fan per plan M-1 LS 1 ----- $5,200.00
13 99 Install parapet roof membrane,
flashing, and metal coping detail LF 180 $152.78 $27,500.40
14 99 Deliver and install ladder cage EA 1 ----- $7,434.00
15 14 Health and Safety Plan (HSP) LS 1 ----- $2,000.00
16 14 Asbestos Removal by California
Certified Asbestos Abater LS 1 ----- $18,700.00
(1) refers to section in the Standard Specifications, with modifications in the Special Provisions, that describe required
work.
* Bid item exempt from Section 9-1.06B & 9-1.06C of the Standard Specifications. The unit price will not be adjusted
regardless of the final bid item quantity.
BID TOTAL: $189,074.96
Payments are to be made to the Contractor in compliance with and subject to the provisions
embodied in the documents made a part of this Contract.
If any dispute arises regarding the work or contract price, Contractor must follow the
procedures in the contract documents, including the requirements on change order
requests and dispute resolution.
ARTICLE III, COMPONENT PARTS OF THIS CONTRACT: The Contract consists of the
following documents, all of which are as fully a part thereof as if herein set out in full, and if
not attached, as if hereto attached:
1. Notice to Bidders and Information for Bidders
2. Standard Specifications and Engineering Standards
3. Special Provisions, any Addenda, Plans and Contract Change Orders
4. Caltrans Standard Specifications and Standard Plans 2024
5. Accepted Bid and Bid Bond
Page 80 of 251
APPENDIX
2
6. List of Subcontractors
7. Labor Code Section 1725.5 Statements
8. Bidder Acknowledgements
9. Qualifications
10. Non-Collusion Declaration
11. Agreement and Bonds
12. Insurance Requirements and Forms
ARTICLE IV INDEMNIFICATION: The Contractor shall indemnify, defend with legal
counsel approved by City, and hold harmless City, its officers, officials, employees and
volunteers from and against all liability, loss, damage, expense, cost (including without
limitation reasonable legal counsel fees, expert fees and all other costs and fees of
litigation) of every nature arising out of or in connection with the acts or omissions of
Contractor, its employees, subcontractors, representatives, or agents, in bidding or
performing the work or in failing to comply with any obligation of Contractor under this
Agreement, except such loss or damage which is caused by the sole or active negligence
or willful misconduct of the City. Should conflict of interest principles preclude a single legal
counsel from representing both the City and the Contractor, or should the City otherwise
find the Contractor’s legal counsel unacceptable, then the Contractor shall reimburse the
City its costs of defense, including without limitation reasonable legal counsel fees, expert
fees and all other costs and fees of litigation. The Contractor shall promptly pay any final
judgment rendered against the City (and its officers, officials, employees and volunteers)
with respect to claims determined by a trier of fact to have been the result of the Contractor’s
acts or omissions in bidding or performing the work or in failing to comply with any obligation
of Contractor under this Agreement. It is expressly understood and agreed that the
foregoing provisions are intended to be as broad and inclusive as is permitted by the law
of the State of California and will survive termination of this Agreement.
The Contractor obligations under this section apply regardless of whether such claim,
charge, damage, demand, action, proceeding, loss, stop notice, cost, expense, judgment,
civil fine or penalty, or liability was caused in part or contributed to by an Indemnitee.
However, without affecting the rights of the City under any provision of this agreement, the
Contractor shall not be required to indemnify and hold harmless the City for liability
attributable to the active negligence of City, provided such active negligence is determined
by agreement between the parties or by the findings of a court of competent jurisdiction. In
instances where the City is shown to have been actively negligent and where the City’s
active negligence accounts for only a percentage of the liability involved, the obligation of
the Contractor will be for that entire portion or percentage of liability not attributable to the
active negligence of the City.
ARTICLE V: It is further expressly agreed by and between the parties hereto that should
there be any conflict between the terms of this instrument and the bid of said Contractor,
then this instrument shall control and nothing herein shall be considered as an acceptance
of the said terms of said bid conflicting herewith.
Page 81 of 251
APPENDIX
3
ARTICLE VI LABOR CODE COMPLIANCE: This Agreement is subject to all applicable
requirements of Chapter 1 of Part 7 of Division 2 of the Labor Code, including requirements
pertaining to wages, working hours and workers’ compensation insurance, as further
specified in the contract documents.
The project is subject to the prevailing wage requirements applicable to the locality in which
the work is to be performed for each craft, classification or type of worker needed to perform
the work, including employer payments for health and welfare, pension, vacation,
apprenticeship and similar purposes. Copies of these prevailing rates are on file with the
City and are available online at http://www.dir.ca.gov/DLSR.
City may not enter into the Agreement with a bidder without proof that the bidder and its
subcontractors are registered with the DIR to perform public work pursuant to Labor Code
section 1725.5, subject to limited legal exceptions.
Pursuant to Labor Code § 1861, by signing this Agreement, Contractor certifies as follows:
“I am aware of the provisions of Labor Code § 3700 which require every employer to be
insured against liability for workers’ compensation or to undertake self-insurance in
accordance with the provisions of that code, and I will comply with such provisions before
commencing the performance of the work on this contract.”
Page 82 of 251
APPENDIX
4
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties to these presents have hereunto set their hands this
year and date first above written.
CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO
A Municipal Corporation
__________________________________
Whitney McDonald, City Manager
APPROVED AS TO FORM CONTRACTOR:
Ranger Roofing and Solar
________________________________
By:________________________________
J. Christine Dietrick
City Attorney
Chad A. Kozak
Its: CEO
(2nd signature required if Corporation):
By:________________________________
Levy Benitez
Its: Project Manager
Page 83 of 251
Page 84 of 251
WORK ORDER AGREEMENT
Building No.Street City Zip Date
879 Morro St San Luis Obispo 93401-2710 10/11/24
Brezden Pest Control Inc.
3261 S Higuera St
Suite 100,San Luis Obispo,CA 93401-2021
Tel 805-544-9446 Fax 805-544-2807
Registration #:PR30
A LICENSED PEST CONTROL
OPERATOR IS AN EXPERT IN
HIS/HER FIELD. ANY QUESTIONS
RELATIVE TO THIS REPORT
SHOULD BE REFERRED TO
HIM/HER.
Report #:13437
Ordered by:Property Owner and Party of Interest:Completion sent to:
Utilities Offices
879 Morro St
San Luis Obispo,CA 93401
City of San Luis Obispo
990 Palm St
San Luis Obispo,CA 93401
City of San Luis Obispo
990 Palm St
San Luis Obispo,CA 93401
COST FOR WORK RECOMMENDED FOR TERMITE REPORT #:13437
SECTION I SECTION II SECTION NOT DETERMINED OR FURTHER
INSPECTION RECOMMENDED
2A $67,301.00
Total Section I: $67,301.00
I HEREBY AUTHORIZE BREZDEN PEST CONTROL INC.TO PERFORM THE FOLLOWING ITEMS:
TERMS:
DOES ANY PERSON LIVING OR WORKING AT THIS ADDRESS HAVE ANY KNOWN CHEMICAL SENSITIVITES OR ALLERGIES? YES /NO
HAVE YOU OR ANYONE ELSE LIVING OR WORKING AT THIS ADDRESS EVER MADE ANY PESTICIDE APPLICATIONS TO THE INTERIOR OR
EXTERIOR OF THE STRUCTURE? YES /NO
AUTHORIZATION
CONDITIONS:
BY OWNER/AGENT/BUYER Brezden Pest Control Inc.
PHONE: 805-781-7371 By: James Byon
SIGNATURE:
Signature:
Lic.#:FR51027
NOTE:WORK WILL NOT COMMENCE UNTIL DELIVERY OF YOUR WOOD DESTROYING PESTS AND ORGANISMS REPORT. FOR DETAILS
REGARDING THE ABOVE RECOMMENDATIONS PLEASE REFER TO YOUR INSPECTION REPORT.
Page 85 of 251
Page 86 of 251
1
Date: 02/13/2026
From: Southland Roofing, Inc.
9127 S Western Avenue,
Los Angeles, CA, 90047
February 13, 2026
To: City of San Luis Obispo
Public Works and Utilities Department
Attn: Project Manager - 919 Palm Street San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
Re: Bid Protest – Apparent Lowest Bidder, Specification No. 2000075-10 (879 Morro Roof
Replacement)
Dear Sir or Madam,
Pursuant to the Notice to Bidders and the bid protest procedures set forth in the Contract
Documents, this letter serves as a formal protest of the apparent lowest bidder for the above-
referenced project. This protest is submitted timely within the required protest period and is made
by an actual bidder on this project, in accordance with the City’s stated protest requirements.
The basis of this protest is that the apparent lowest bidder is not certified or approved to install
Garland roofing products, which are specified for this project, and failed to submit any substitution
request or “or-equal” request prior to the bid date, as required by the Contract Documents. As a
result, the bidder’s proposal does not comply with the specified material and manufacturer
requirements and is therefore non-responsive.
The Contract Documents require strict compliance with the specified roofing system and
manufacturer requirements. Any proposed deviation or substitution must be formally requested
and approved prior to bid submission. Allowing a bidder who is neither certified nor approved by
the specified manufacturer, and who did not submit a timely substitution request, would be
inconsistent with the bidding requirements and would undermine the integrity of the competitive
bidding process.
Page 87 of 251
2
Accordingly, the undersigned respectfully requests that the City determine the apparent lowest
bidder to be non-responsive, reject that bid, and proceed with award to the lowest responsive and
responsible bidder who fully complies with the Contract Documents, including manufacturer
certification and substitution requirements.
Supporting documentation regarding Garland manufacturer’s certification requirements and the
absence of a pre-bid substitution request is available upon request and can be provided to the City
for review.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. Please confirm receipt of this protest and advise of the
City’s determination in accordance with the protest procedures outlined in the Contract
Documents.
Sincerely,
Pier Pjerin Prenga | Principal
Page 88 of 251
February 23, 2026
Allie Genard
Capital Projects Manager
City of San Luis Obispo, Public Works
919 Palm Street San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
RE: Bid Protest Response – 879 Morro Roof Replacement (Spec. No. 2000075-10)
Ms. Genard,
Please see responses to the bid protest claims on the 879 Morro roof replacement project in
San Luis Obispo CA.
PROTEST CLAIM 1 – Ranger roofing is not an approved applicator with the specified
manufacture published by the project architect.
RESPONSE -
Specification section 071354 calls out in the section 1.6 -C that the bidder be certified with
Versico Roofing systems. Attached below is a copy of that section and a copy of Ranger
Roofings Versico Roofing Systems certified applicator letter.
1
Los Angeles - Inland Empire - SoCal
(619) 748-9663
chad@rangerroofingandsolar.com
License #1107898 C-39, C-46
Page 89 of 251
PROTEST CLAIM 2 – Versico was not a specified product in the project specification.
RESPONSE - Specification section 071354 in Appendix B section 2.1 – A specifically calls out
Versico Roofing Systems Versiflex 80 mil PVC as the basis of design for this project. This is the
product and manufacture Ranger Roofing utilized in its project bid. There are contradicting
products listed below that are not manufactured by Versico; however, the published project
drawings only show the use of the appropriate versico products as can be seen in the
highlighted project drawings below. Ranger Roofing is confident that the submitted bid meets
the project criteria published by the city and their architect and is fully compliant with the bid
process.
2
Los Angeles - Inland Empire - SoCal
(619) 748-9663
chad@rangerroofingandsolar.com
License #1107898 C-39, C-46
Page 90 of 251
3
Los Angeles - Inland Empire - SoCal
(619) 748-9663
chad@rangerroofingandsolar.com
License #1107898 C-39, C-46
Page 91 of 251
4
Los Angeles - Inland Empire - SoCal
(619) 748-9663
chad@rangerroofingandsolar.com
License #1107898 C-39, C-46
Page 92 of 251
Ranger Roofing and Solar bid this project in strict accordance with the project documents provided by the
City. We believe the protest is without merit as our submission fulfills all technical and experience
requirements set forth in the Special Provisions.
Thank you for the opportunity to clarify our position.
Sincerely,
Chad A. Kozak
CEO, Ranger Roofing and Solar
5
Los Angeles - Inland Empire - SoCal
(619) 748-9663
chad@rangerroofingandsolar.com
License #1107898 C-39, C-46
Page 93 of 251
Page 94 of 251
Item 7a
Department: Community Development
Cost Center: 4006
For Agenda of: 4/7/2025
Placement: Public Hearing
Estimated Time: 30 minutes
FROM: Timmi Tway, Community Development Director
Prepared By: Ethan Estrada, Assistant Planner
SUBJECT: 2025 GENERAL PLAN ANNUAL REPORT
RECOMMENDATION
As recommended by the Planning Commission, receive and file the 2025 General Plan
Annual Report.
REPORT-IN-BRIEF
The 2025 General Plan Annual Report (Attachment A) is required by state law to be
submitted to state agencies in April each year and provides an opportunity to review the
status of the City’s implementation of General Plan programs. The report includes
highlights of the City’s prioritized programs to support housing production and other
building trends, progress in homelessness response, and policy initiatives, as well as
public safety services and open space protections.
POLICY CONTEXT
According to the General Plan Land Use Element Policy 11.3, the City shall prepare an
annual report on the status of the General Plan, which is to include the following items:
A. A summary of private development activity and a brief analysis of how it helped
achieve General Plan goals;
B. A summary of major public projects and a brief analysis of how they contributed to
achieving General Plan goals;
C. An overview of programs, and recommendations on any new approaches that may
be necessary;
D. A status report for each General Plan program scheduled to be worked on during
that year, including discussion of whether that program realization is progressing
on schedule, and recommendations for how it could better be kept on schedule if
it is falling behind schedule;
E. A status report on how the City is progressing with implementing its open space
preservation policies and programs; and
Page 95 of 251
Item 7a
F. Updated population or other information deemed important for the Plan.
In addition, all jurisdictions are required to provide the Governor’s Office of Land Use and
Climate Innovation (LCI) and the Department of Housing and Community Development
(HCD) with separate General Plan Annual Reports in April, per Government Code
Sections 65400 and 65700. The annual report shall include the progress in meeting the
City’s share of regional housing need allocation (RHNA) for above moderate income,
moderate income, lower income, very low income and extremely low-income households
and local efforts to remove governmental constraints to the provision of housing.
DISCUSSION
Background
California Government Code Section 65400 requires cities to submit an annual report on
the status of their General Plan and progress in its implementation to their legislative body
(City Council), the Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation, and the
California Department of Housing and Community Development. Prior to submittal to the
state, the annual report must be presented to the City Council for review and acceptance.
Previous General Plan Annual Reports can be found at this website. The Housing
Element portion of the annual report shall include the city’s RHNA progress described
above and housing production applications, completions, and demolitions, as well as
measures the City takes to remove housing barriers.
The General Plan Annual Report (GPAR) is strictly a reporting document and does not
create or modify any City goals, policies or programs found within the General Plan.
Report Organization
The General Plan is a comprehensive statement of the City’s goals and guides the use
and protection of various resources to achieve them. It consists of numerous policies
covering a range of City activities, including the creation and/or maintenance of public
programs, guidelines on land use and development standards, and more. The GPAR is
an opportunity for the City to review the Plan’s progress in meeting its goals. It also
provides an opportunity to review the effectiveness of the programs identified by the Plan,
and to determine if they are still relevant to City goals and policies. Additionally,
assessment of the implementation of the General Plan informs the City Council about
potential new programs and projects that might be initiated as the City develops a new
financial plan.
The 2025 GPAR is organized around the following key implementation areas:
Planning and Building Activity
Residential Growth
Non-Residential Growth
Housing Element Program
Implementation
Regional Housing Needs
Allocation (RHNA) Progress
Municipal Code Updates
Climate Action Plan
Economic Development
Policy Initiatives
Water Supply
Transportation & Circulation
Safety Services
Page 96 of 251
Item 7a
Homelessness Solutions
Coordination with Other Agencies
Area Plan and Specific Plan
Development
Neighborhood Wellness
Conservation & Open Space
Parks & Recreation
Report Highlights
Highlights from the GPAR are identified in this section of the report. More information on
these topics, and others, is available in the GPAR (Attachment A).
Development Activity and Trends (Pages 3 – 7)
Residential Development
The 2025 GPAR presents a variety of data collected by the City to give insight into
development activity and trends over several years. Based on the Community
Development Department’s (CDD’s) residential building permit data, the City issued
permits for 83 single-family residences and 11 multifamily units in 2025, for a total of 94
new residential units. This represents a decrease compared to 353 units in 2024 and 284
units in 2023. A total of 104 accessory dwelling units were permitted in 2025, an increase
compared to 96 in 2024 and 86 in 2023.
California cities and counties are required to develop and implement programs designed
to meet a share of their region’s housing needs for all income groups as part of their
Housing Element development and implementation. Each jurisdiction’s Housing Element
includes plans, policies, and standards to help meet housing needs within the planning
period. The City planned for a total RHNA of 3,354 housing units in the 6th Cycle Housing
Element (2019-2028). Table 7 of the GPAR, included below, illustrates the City’s progress
towards 6th Cycle Quantified Objectives for RHNA. Of the 3,354 assigned housing units,
2,118 have been accounted for. The remaining 37% of housing units needed consist of
1,229 Below Market Rate units for extremely low, very low, low, and moderate -income
levels, as the above-moderate allocation has already been met. These numbers do not
represent the total number of housing units that have been added to the City’s housing
stock.
Table 7 - Progress Towards 6th Cycle Quantified Objectives, 2019-2028
Income Level
(% of County Median
Income)
6th Cycle
RHNA
Allocation
Building Permitted Units Issued by Affordability Total
Units by
Income
Level
Total Units
Remaining
by Income
Level
Years 1 - 3
(2019-2021)
Year 4
(2022)
Year 5
(2023)
Year 6
(2024)
Year 7 of 10
(2025)
Extremely
Low
Deed
Restricted
825
14 36 0 123 0 173
500 Non-Deed
Restricted 0 0 0 0 0 0
Very Low Deed
Restricted 56 14 22 60 0 152
Page 97 of 251
Item 7a
Non-Deed
Restricted 0 0 0 0 0 0
Low
Deed
Restricted 520
42 21 5 15 0 83
211 Non-Deed
Restricted 76 50 0 48 52 226
Moderate
Deed
Restricted 603
22 2 4 13 1 42
518 Non-Deed
Restricted 0 0 43 0 0 43
Above
Moderate - 1,406 1,411 439 293 190 145 2,478 0
Total Units
3,354 1,621 562 367 442 198 3,190 1,229
Land Use Element (LUE) Policy 1.11.2, related to residential growth, states that the City’s
housing supply shall grow no faster that 1 percent per year, on average, based on
established thresholds in Table 3 of the Land Use Element (LUE). Dwellings affordable
to residents with extremely low, very low, low or moderate incomes, as defined by the
Housing Element, new dwellings in the Downtown Core, and legally established
accessory dwelling units are exempt. (SLOMC 17.144.020(D))
Each year, the City calculates a rolling average of housing units produced since 2015 (the
year the Land Use and Circulation Element was adopted). In 2025, staff calculated the
current average annual growth rate to be 1.00 percent per year since 2015.
Table 5 – Residential Growth Rates, 2015-2025
Calendar Year Period New Units Average Annual
Growth Rate
Total Units in the
City in 2025
LUE Estimated Units
in 2025 (1% Growth)
2025 174*
1.00% 23,292* 23,560
2015 - 2025 3,588
*These totals exclude deed-restricted affordable units, ADUs, and new dwellings in the C-D Zone. The all-
encompassing unit total in 2025 was 24,399 units
It was reported in the 2024 General Plan Annual Report that the average annual growth
rate had reached 1.03 percent per year since 2015, exc eeding this threshold. Staff
assessed the implications of exceeding this threshold and found that the General Plan
only called for the phasing of residential projects subject to these regulations, which is
already done for current projects and future projects in annexation areas. Therefore, no
action was required of the Council. Staff expects this growth rate to continue to decrease
based on the decreasing number of residential permits being issued. For more
information on the City’s growth management policies, please see Attachment B (City’s
Growth Management Regulations – Status Update).
Page 98 of 251
Item 7a
Non-Residential Development
LUE Policy 1.11.4 states that the City Council shall evaluate the increase in non -
residential floor area over a five-year period and consider establishing limits on the rate
of non-residential development if it exceeds five percent. In 2025, 176,673 square feet of
non-residential floor area was added the City (120,000 square feet is attributed to the
completion of the Marriot hotel project in the San Luis Ranch Specific Plan area), resulting
in a net annual growth rate of 1.47 percent and a five-year growth rate of 3.15 percent.
The City remains below the threshold to establish a non-residential growth limit.
Homelessness Solutions (Pages 12 – 15)
The City's 6th Cycle Housing Element includes policies and programs to reduce
homelessness under Goal 1, Safety and Goal 8, Special Housing Needs. Homelessness
Response remains a Major City Goal as part of the 2025-27 Financial Plan.
In 2025, the City responded to 104 encampment fires and 941 medical incidents, removed
47 tons of trash, and posted, conducted outreach, and cleaned up 247 illegal
encampments, with a total of $49,879 in funds spent on related cleanup and maintenance.
Homelessness response activities in 2025 included regional collaboration to pursue state
funding opportunities for the development of interim and permanent supportive housing,
as well as partnerships with community and faith-based organizations to implement a
Community Safe Parking Pilot Program model.
Additionally, construction continued for the Beacon Studios project, which received
approximately $400,000 in financial support from the City, and the Welcome Home Village
project, in collaboration with the county, began construction in 2025. Other programs,
including the Human Services Grant Program that awarded $150,000 in grants to
qualifying non-profit organizations, Community Action Team, Mobile Crisis Unit, and
collaborative efforts with Downtown SLO and CAPSLO who received $412,005 in funding
for programs and operations at the 40 Prado Homeless Services Center, continued
throughout 2025. For more up-to-date information on the various strategies implemented
to address the needs of those at risk or experiencing homelessness, refer to the Co unty’s
Regional Homeless Services Inventory Report recently presented to the City Council
(pending minor updates).
Safety Services (Pages 34 – 46)
Climate Adaptation and Safety Element (CASE) Policy OP-7.1 requires adequate
planning, organization, and resources for emergency preparedness and emergency
response. The City achieved several accomplishments in 2025 to implement this policy.
Fire Department
The San Luis Obispo Fire Department (SLOFD) responded to 7,344 incidents from four
strategically placed fire stations throughout the City in 2025. SLOFD’s Urban Search and
Rescue (USAR) Team continued to play a vital role in protecting the lives of both visitors
Page 99 of 251
Item 7a
and residents, responding to 13 technical rescues and medical emergencies in open
space areas in and around the City.
SLOFD’s Mobile Crisis Unit (MCU) continued to respond to behavioral health incidents,
handling 151 calls for service and conducting 2,234 field contacts, which resulted in 46
transports to alternate facilities. Working with stakeholders, the MCU Team also facilitated
the reunification of 25 individuals with family, friends, or other out-of-area support
networks.
A draft update to the City’s Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP) was completed in 2025 as part
of the Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan update led by San Luis Obispo County.
The HMP provides guidance on reducing the community’s vulnerability to natural hazards.
Maintaining an updated HMP, as required by law, allows the City to apply for state and
federal funding for proactive mitigation projects and to seek reimburs ement in the event
of a disaster. The updated HMP will be presented to the City Council for adoption in June
2026.
In 2025, the state released updated Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps identifying areas of
elevated wildfire risk within the City. These maps serve as the regulatory basis for wildfire-
related planning, development standards, and community risk-reduction efforts, including
defensible space requirements for existing properties in the City. The updated state maps
identified more than 2,800 parcels within the City as being in the Very-High Fire Hazard
Severity Zone, whereas fewer than 50 parcels were identified within that zone under the
previous maps. In addition, the 2025 CA Wildland -Urban Interface (WUI) Code was
issued at the state level for adoption by local jurisdictions. The City Council formally
adopted the WUI code on December 2, 2025. City staff is dedicated to proactive outreach
regarding the new WUI code, including providing information at public counters, hosting
community events and neighborhood meetings regarding wildfire preparedness, and
creating dedicated webpages and outreach materials. Additionally, Fire and Community
Development Department staff have been trained on the new regulations and are
ensuring compliance with said regulations through the permitting process.
Police Department
In 2025, the San Luis Obispo Police Department (SLOPD) completed the second year of
its five-year strategic plan. Accomplishments included completion of a department-wide
staffing study; implementation of data-driven policing tools to reduce crime; establishment
of an online recruitment portal; improvements to the Department’s physical fitness facility;
development of a centralized resource guide for employee wellness information; updates
to body-worn and in-car camera systems; enhancement of community communication
strategies; and improvements to the Department’s training program.
SLOPD’s Community Action Team (CAT) continued to identify problems and crime trends
negatively impacting residents, business owners, and visitors. In 2025, CAT engaged with
798 individuals and made 164 treatment referrals to mental health and substance abuse
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Item 7a
services. Additionally, CAT facilitated two family reunifications for individuals
experiencing homelessness.
SLOPD’s Community Service Officer (CSO) program continued to deliver personalized
services to residents, business owners, and visitors. In 2025, CSOs issued 443 citations
for offenses such as public alcohol consumption, littering, smoking, and unregi stered
vehicles, along with 189 cite-and-release arrests related to alcohol, drugs, theft, vehicle
tows, and trespassing. Although not finalized, staff have observed a 22% decrease in
Part 1 crime rates based on data from January 2025 to November 2025.
Conservation and Open Space (Pages 48 – 51)
The General Plan contains many goals, policies, and programs focused on open space
protection. The policies apply to sensitive lands within the City’s urban reserve as well as
land in the San Luis Obispo Greenbelt area that is protected for its biological, agricultural,
aesthetic, and/or watershed protection value. These policies are further detailed in the
Land Use and Circulation Element and the Conservation and Open Space Elements of
the General Plan. Some highlights for 2025 include:
In May 2025, the City hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Righetti Hill Open
Space, officially opening the 51-acre property to the public. The site features more
than two miles of sustainably built trails.
In December 2025, the City hosted a cultural burn at the Johnson Ranch Open
Space conducted by the yak titʸu titʸu yak tiłhini Northern Chumash Tribe (ytt) with
support from CalFIRE.
City staff began cataloging potential sites for new oak trees planting and initiated
installation of oaks to expand the existing oak forest on several City open space
properties, including Terrace Hill, Bowden Ranch, and Cerro San Luis. As of 2025,
over 6,000 new trees have been planted in collaboration with various community
partners, volunteers, and community members in both private and public spaces
in support of the City’s 2035 goal of planting 10,000 new trees.
City staff partnered with the California Conservation Corps through the
Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund program to implement the Wildland -Urban
Interface and Integrated Vegetation Management Plan for the Open Space Land
of San Luis Obispo. This work included activities in Bowden Ranch, as well as
major fuel reduction and cleanup efforts along the WUI.
Previous Council or Advisory Body Action
The Planning Commission reviewed the 2025 General Plan Annual Report on March 11,
2026. Staff responded to Planning Commission questions regarding housing production,
homelessness response, and safety services. Staff received direction from the Planning
Commission to verify the activity of the Neighborhood Officer Program operated by
SLOPD following public comment received at the hearing. In review of this section of the
annual report, it was found that information pertaining to activities conducted in 2025 was
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Item 7a
not provided and that any such activities, if conducted, could not be verified. Therefore,
staff has removed this section from the annual report with plans to revisit this topic in the
2026 General Plan Annual Report if appropriate. The report was unanimously
recommended to be forwarded to the City Council.
Public Engagement
The General Plan Annual Report is strictly a reporting document and does not create nor
modify any goals or policies found within the General Plan. Once accepted by the City
Council, the report will be available on the City’s website for public review and will be
submitted to LCI and HCD as required. In addition, opportunity was provided for public
comment before and during the Planning Commission meeting on March 11, 2026, and
the public will have the opportunity to provide public comment before and during the City
Council meeting.
CONCURRENCE
The Community Development Department prepared the General Plan Annual Report with
significant input from other City departments. Administration (including Natural
Resources, Economic Development, and Office of Sustainability divisions), Public Works
and Utilities, Police, Fire, and Parks and Recreation Departments collaborated with the
Community Development Department to complete the report.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) does not apply because the General
Plan Annual Report does not constitute a “Project” under CEQA Guidelines Section
15378.
FISCAL IMPACT
Budgeted: N/A Budget Year: N/A
Funding Identified: N/A
Fiscal Analysis:
Funding
Sources
Total Budget
Available
Current
Funding
Request
Remaining
Balance
Annual
Ongoing
Cost
General Fund $N/A $ $ $
State
Federal
Fees
Other:
Total $ $ $ $
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Item 7a
The acceptance of the 2025 General Plan Annual Report does not have a direct fiscal
impact. However, it should be noted that it is estimated that the City’s population will grow
to 57,200 at full build out of the General Plan, by 2035. This may precipitate the need for
additional staff, capital projects and maintenance, and other resources to support a larger
population and respond to an increasing diversity of needs.
ALTERNATIVES
1. Council could decide not to accept and file the 2025 Ge neral Plan Annual
Report. The report is required to be submitted to LCI and HCD by April 1, 2026, in
accordance with Government Code Sections 65400 and 65700. Enforcement
provisions per state law allow for a court to compel jurisdictions to comply with the
requirement.
2. Council could decide to continue consideration of or direct modifications to the
2025 General Plan Annual Report. The report is required to be submitted to LCI and
HCD by April 1, 2026, in accordance with Government Code Sections 65400 and
65700. Enforcement provisions per state law allow for a court to compel jurisdictions
to comply with the requirement.
ATTACHMENTS
A – 2025 General Plan Annual Report
B – City’s Growth Management Regulations – Status Update
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cannshel
growt
ann
City of San Luis Obispo
2025 General Plan Annual Report
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General Plan Annual Report 2025
ii
Community Development Department
Our Mission Statement
Our mission is to serve all persons in a positive and courteous manner while helping ensure that
San Luis Obispo continues to be a healthy, safe, attractive, and enjoyable place to live, work, or
visit. We help plan the City’s form and character, support community values, preserve the
environment, promote wise use of resources, and protect public health and safety.
Our Service Philosophy
The City of San Luis Obispo Community Development Department (CDD) staff provides high
quality service when you need it. We will:
• Listen to understand your needs;
• Give clear, accurate and prompt answers to your questions;
• Explain how you can achieve your goals under the City’s rules;
• Help resolve problems in an open, objective manner;
• Maintain high ethical standards; and
• Work to improve our service.
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General Plan Annual Report 2025
iii
Acknowledgements
City Council
Erica A. Stewart, Mayor
Emily Francis, Vice Mayor
Michael R. Boswell
Jan Marx
Michelle Shoresman
Planning Commission
David Houghton, Chair
Eric Tolle, Vice Chair
Justin Cooley
Sheryl Flores
Robert Jorgensen
Steven Kahn
Juan Munoz-Morris
City Manager
Whitney McDonald, City Manager
Project Management Team
Project Lead: Ethan Estrada, Assistant Planner
Delaney Ginn, Intern IV
The 2025 General Plan Annual
Report was prepared by the
Community Development
Department for review by the
Planning Commission and
acceptance by City Council.
The Community Development
Department’s Planning
Division often takes the lead
on staff work related to the
General Plan. However, all
City departments and advisory
bodies are involved in General
Plan implementation and have
contributed to the 2025
General Plan Annual Report.
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General Plan Annual Report 2025
iv
Staff Contributors
Aaron Floyd, Public Works and Utilities Director
Adam Fukushima, Active Transportation Manager
Alexander Fuchs, Mobility Services Business Manager
Brian Amoroso, Deputy Chief - Administration
Bryan Wheeler, Transportation Planner/Engineer III
Chris Read, Sustainability Manager
Christine Wallace, Neighborhood Outreach Manager
Daisy Wiberg, Homelessness Response Manager
David Amini, Senior Planner
Devin Hyfield, Recreation Manager
Donna King, Parking Program Manager
Doug Carscaden, Recreation Supervisor
Freddy Otte, City Biologist
Greg Avakian, Parks and Recreation Director
Ivana Gomez, Cannabis Business Coordinator
Jennifer Rice, Public Works Deputy Director of Mobility Services
Joe Little, Emergency Manager
John Mezzapesa, Code Enforcement Supervisor
Joshua Daniel, Fire Marshal
Luke Schwartz, Transportation Manager
Lucia Baesemann, Sustainability and Natural Resources Analyst
Matt Horn, Major City Projects Manager
Matheson Bliss, Hazardous Materials Coordinator
Meghan Tolley, Recreation Manager
Laura Fiedler, Economic Development & Tourism Manager
Nicole Vert, Business Analyst
Rick Scott, Police Chief
Robert Hill, Sustainability & Natural Resources Official
Sammy Fox, Deputy Fire Chief
Sarah Cooper, Administrative Specialist – Homelessness Response
Shawna Scott, Assistant Director of Utilities
Timmi Tway, Community Development Director
Randy Harris, Interim Fire Chief
Tyler Corey, Deputy Community Development Director
Vanessa Nichols, Permit Services Supervisor
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v
Table of Contents
Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 1
Background ................................................................................................................................... 2
Planning and Building Activity ....................................................................................................... 3
Residential Growth ....................................................................................................................... 5
Non-Residential Growth ................................................................................................................ 6
Housing Element Program Implementation .................................................................................. 7
Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) Progress ................................................................. 10
Homelessness Solutions .............................................................................................................. 12
Coordination with Other Agencies .............................................................................................. 15
Area Plan and Specific Plan Development ................................................................................... 16
Municipal Code Updates ............................................................................................................. 23
Climate Action Plan ..................................................................................................................... 24
Economic Development .............................................................................................................. 25
Policy Initiatives .......................................................................................................................... 26
Water Supply .............................................................................................................................. 27
Transportation and Circulation ................................................................................................... 29
Safety Services ............................................................................................................................ 34
Neighborhood Wellness .............................................................................................................. 46
Conservation and Open Space .................................................................................................... 48
Parks & Recreation ...................................................................................................................... 51
Conclusion ................................................................................................................................... 64
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vi
List of Figures
Figure 1 - Total Planning Applications Received per Calendar Year, 2023-2025............................ 3
Figure 2 - Net Annual Growth Rates of Non-Residential Sectors, 2021-2025 ................................ 6
Figure 3 - Monthly Noise Party Calls for Service, 2025 ................................................................ 48
List of Tables
Table 1 – Plan Check Applications Submitted, 2023-2025 ............................................................ 3
Table 2 – Building Permits Issued, 2023-2025 ............................................................................... 4
Table 3 – Valuation of Construction, 2023-2025 ........................................................................... 4
Table 4 – LUE Table 3, One Percent City Population Growth Projection ...................................... 5
Table 5 – Residential Growth Rates, 2015-2025 ........................................................................... 5
Table 6 – Highlights of Housing Element Program Implementation Progress, 2025 ..................... 7
Table 7 – Progress Towards 6th Cycle Quantified Objectives, 2019-2028 .................................... 10
Table 8 – Active BMR Housing Projects in the Pipeline .............................................................. 11
Table 9 – Margarita Area Development Status, 2025 ................................................................. 16
Table 10 – Orcutt Area Development Status, 2025 ..................................................................... 17
Table 11 – Airport Area Development Status, 2025 .................................................................... 18
Table 12 – Avila Area Development Status, 2025 ........................................................................ 20
Table 13 – San Luis Ranch Area Development Status, 2025 ........................................................ 23
Table 14 – City Water Resource Availability, 2025 ...................................................................... 27
Table 15 – Code Enforcement Statistics, 2021-2025 ................................................................... 47
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Introduction
General Plan Annual Report
The General Plan is a comprehensive statement of the City’s goals and guides the use and
protection of various resources to achieve them. It consists of numerous policies covering a range
of activities, including the creation and/or maintenance of public programs, guidelines for land
use and development standards, and more. The General Plan is adopted and amended by the
City Council after considering recommendations from citizens, appointed advisory bodies, other
agencies, and City staff.
As required by California Government Code Section 65400 and Land Use Element Policy 11.3 of
the General Plan, the City publishes an annual report on the status of its General Plan and efforts
to implement its policies. This report provides an opportunity to gauge the efficacy of both the
actions taken to implement these policies and the policies themselves. Land Use Element Policy
11.3 stipulates that the annual report shall include the following:
A) A summary of private development activity and a brief analysis of how it helped achieve
General Plan goals;
B) A summary of major public projects and a brief analysis of how they contributed to
achieving General Plan goals;
C) An overview of programs, and recommendations on any new approaches that may be
necessary;
D) A status report for each General Plan program scheduled to be worked on during that
year, including discussion of whether that program's realization is progressing on
schedule, and recommendations for how it could better be kept on schedule if it is
lagging;
E) A status report on how the City is progressing with implementing its open space
preservation policies and programs;
F) Updated population or other information deemed important for the plan.
Housing Element Annual Report
The City completes a separate Housing Element Annual Report that is submitted concurrently
with the General Plan Annual Report as required under Government Code Sections 65400 and
65700. The Housing Element Annual Report contains detailed information on issued and/or
completed residential building permits from the previous year. This information can be accessed
on the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) website.
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2
Background
State law requires each city and county to adopt a general plan that
addresses seven topics, typically referred to as “elements.”
Additional topics, or general plan elements, may be included. The law
also requires general plans to be comprehensive, internally
consistent, and provide a long-term perspective. The California
Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) publishes General
Plan Guidelines, which include the following basics:
• Geographic Comprehensiveness: The general plan must cover all
territory in the jurisdiction’s boundaries.
• Regional Context: The general plan must consider regional plans
for transportation, air quality and water quality, and must spell
out measures needed to meet federal or state standards for the
region.
• Issue Comprehensiveness: General plans must address the
jurisdiction’s physical development over the long term, but
because the general plan is the most comprehensive expression
of the general welfare, it should also recognize social and
economic concerns.
• Internal Consistency: All general plan elements must be
internally consistent. Each element’s data, analyses, goals,
policies, and programs must be consistent and complement one
another. This includes consistency with area and specific plans.
• Long-Term Perspective: The general plan must address the
welfare of current & future generations, although the
timeframes may vary between elements. The Housing Element,
for instance, must be updated every five to eight years.
State law requires that a city’s general plan be kept current. The City
of San Luis Obispo does so through this annual review process,
comprehensive updates, and amendments. Updates to entire
elements are done as needed and include an evaluation of underlying
conditions and community preferences. Amendments are typically
smaller in scope and involve changing one part in a way that fits
within the overall framework. Consideration of amendments is
triggered by private applications or by direction from the City Council.
Changes to the City of San Luis Obispo General Plan require hearings
by the Planning Commission and by the City Council. The type of
notice provided for the hearings depends on the type of proposed
change but always includes a descriptive item on the meeting
agenda, which is published in the newspaper. The City’s website and
public access television channel provide additional information.
City of
San Luis Obispo
General Plan
Elements
Land Use
Update Adopted 2014
Circulation
Update Adopted 2014
Housing
6th Cycle Adopted
2020, certified 2021
Conservation and
Open Space
Revised 2014
Climate Adaptation
and Safety
Revised 2023
Parks and
Recreation
Adopted 2021
Water and
Wastewater
Revised 2025
Noise
Adopted 1996
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General Plan Annual Report 2025
3
Planning and Building Activity
Application totals are tracked in real-time via Community Development’s EnerGov permitting
system. This data can serve as an indicator of development trends in the City, assist with budget
forecasting, and provide insight into how this development has contributed to achieving General
Plan goals.
Yearly Planning Applications Received
Figure 1 indicates all planning applications
received in 2023, 2024, and 2025. This may
include use permits, development reviews,
subdivisions, zoning amendments,
environmental reviews, and administrative
actions. In 2025, the total number of
planning applications received was 222, a
decrease of approximately 16% from the
previous year.
Building Permits and Plan Reviews
Building permits are issued for various projects, ranging from the relatively simple projects (e.g.,
water heaters, window change-outs, reroofing) to more complex projects (e.g., additions and
new buildings). Plan reviews are typically required for the more complex projects, as it is
necessary to examine submitted plans for code compliance.
Table 1 shows the number of plan check applications conducted by the Building Division over the
past three years. In 2025, plan check applications were roughly the same as in 2024, with no
major increase or decrease.
Table 1 - Plan Check Applications Submitted, 2023-2025
2023 2024 2025
Plan Check Applications Submitted 1,479 1,049 1,079
Source: Community Development Department, 2025
Figure 1 – Total Planning Applications Received per Calendar Year,
2023-2025 (Community Development, 2025)
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General Plan Annual Report 2025
4
Table 2 shows the number of building permits issued for residential and commercial projects, as
well as the number of expected residential units associated with these permits, over the past
three years. In 2025, the City continued to see a gradual decline in the number of permits issued
and a significant decrease in the total number of residential units. This decline is primarily due to
a reduction in new multifamily and mixed-use permit issuances compared to the previous two
years, while a steady decline in single-family permits continues as well.
Table 2 - Building Permits Issued, 2023-2025
BUILDING PERMITS ISSUED
2023 2024 2025
Permits Units Permits Units Permits Units
New Single-Family 136 136 119 119 83 83
New Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)1 73 86 88 96 99 104
New Multifamily & New Mixed-Use 7 148 13 234 6 11
Demolitions2 20 -3 25 -7 16 -6
New Commercial 6 - 5 - 6 -
Residential Additions / Alterations 236 - 216 - 257 -
Commercial Additions / Alterations 122 - 108 - 83 -
TOTAL 600 367 574 442 525 192
Source: Community Development Department, 2025
1ADU unit totals come from ADU permits and new single-family permits, 2includes units lost from demolitions
Valuation of Construction
Construction valuation is a useful indicator of the level of private investment in building
construction in the City. Table 3 shows the annual construction valuation over the past three
years and indicates that total valuation has declined compared to last year. This decline is largely
due to a reduction in permits issued. However, valuation for single-family and commercial
addition/alterations increased, despite fewer permits issued, likely reflecting rising construction
costs.
Table 3 - Valuation of Construction, 2023-2025
VALUATION OF CONSTRUCTION 2023 2024 2025
Single-Family $31,956,590 $16,693,300 $22,705,700
Multi-Family $26,914,510 $57,011,615 $1,400,000
Commercial $41,871,000 $27,075,000 $12,140,000
Residential Additions / Alterations $11,494,439 $23,631,968 $12,531,181
Commercial Additions /
Alterations $26,659,996 $30,689,344 $48,720,537
Total Valuation $138,896,535 $155,101,227 $97,497,418
Source: Community Development Department, 2025
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5
Residential Growth
The Land Use Element policy related to residential growth (LUE . . ) states that the City’s
housing supply shall grow no faster than one percent per year, on average, based on the
thresholds shown in Table 4 (Table 3 in the Land Use Element). Affordable dwellings restricted
to residents with extremely low, very low, low, or moderate-incomes, new dwellings in the
Downtown Core (including the C-D zone), and legally established accessory dwelling units are
exempt from these regulations (M.C. 17.144.020.D).
Table 4 – LUE Table 3, One Percent City Population Growth Projection
Year Approximate Maximum
Number of Dwellings* Anticipated Number of People
2013 20,697 45,541
2015 21,113 46,456
2020 22,190 48,826
2025 23,322 51,317
2030 24,512 53,934
2035 25,762 56,686
Estimated urban reserve capacity: 57,200
Source: Land Use Element, City of San Luis Obispo General Plan, Table 3, page 1-37.
*2013 population based on CA Department of Finance data. Projected numbers are based on a one
percent annual growth rate.
As shown in Table 5, the City has maintained an average annual residential growth rate of 1.00
percent in dwellings since 2015. In 2024, the average annual residential growth rate exceeded
the one-percent threshold by 0.03 percent. Staff attributed this to the near completion of several
specific plan areas and anticipated that, once completed, the City would see a decline in the
number of residential units produced, resulting in the average residential growth rate falling back
below the one-percent threshold within the next few years. As shown in Table 2 (Building Permits
Issued, 2023-2025), residential permits have continued to decline and are expected to continue
this trend.
Table 5 – Residential Growth Rates, 2015-2025
Calendar Year
Period New Units Average Annual
Growth Rate
Total Units in the
City in 2025
LUE Estimated Units
in 2025 (1% Growth)
2025 174*
1.00% 23,292* 23,560
2015 - 2025 3,588
Source: 2025 Building Permits Finaled, Community Development Department
*These totals exclude deed-restricted affordable units, accessory dwelling units (ADUs), and new dwellings in the
Downtown Commercial (C-D) Zone. The all-encompassing unit total in 2025 was 24,399 units.
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General Plan Annual Report 2025
6
From 2015 to 2025, the City granted occupancy to 3,588 newly constructed residential units,
accounting for the 47 units demolished during that period. Of the 3,588 units constructed
between 2015 and 2025, 2,522 were subject to growth management limitations. Of the units
exempt from the Growth Management Ordinance, 589 units were deed-restricted affordable
housing units, 497 were accessory dwelling units or junior accessory dwelling units, and 60 were
located within the Downtown Commercial (C-D) zone. As of 2025, there are 23,292 residential
units subject to the Growth Management Ordinance within the City (as shown in Table 5),
compared to the 23,322 units projected for 2025 in the 2015 LUE.
The City updated the General Plan Land Use and Circulation Elements in 2015; however, some of
the housing construction occurring today within the Orcutt Area and the Margarita Area was
planned for in the previous General Plan. Due to a variety of factors, some of the development
originally planned in the 1994 General Plan is only now under construction. LUE Policy 1.11.2
(Residential Growth Rate) states that approved specific plan areas may develop in accordance
with the phasing schedule adopted by each specific plan, provided that the thresholds
established by LUE Table 3 are not exceeded. Of the 3,588 units granted occupancy from 2015 to
2025, 1,971 were located within Specific Plan areas.
Non-Residential Growth
Based on final building permits, 176,673 square feet of net new non-residential floor area were
added to the City in 2025, resulting in an annual growth rate of 1.47 percent. Most of this increase
is due to the completion of the Marriott hotel project in the San Luis Ranch Specific Plan area,
which contains just over 120,000 square feet of non-residential floor area. Figure 2 illustrates the
net annual non-residential growth rate from 2019 to 2025. Non-residential growth includes
office, services and manufacturing, retail, hotel, and institutional uses.
Figure 2 - Net Annual Growth Rates of Non-Residential Sectors, 2019-2025
Source: Building Permits Finaled, Community Development Department, 2025
Note: Demolition of nonresidential square footage included in calculations.
0.44%
0.29%
0.56%
0.71%
0.35%
0.60%
1.47%
0.00%
0.20%
0.40%
0.60%
0.80%
1.00%
1.20%
1.40%
2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Gr
o
w
t
h
R
a
t
e
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General Plan Annual Report 2025
7
Land Use Element Policy 1.11.4 states that each year the Council will evaluate the actual increase
in non-residential floor area over the preceding five years. The Council shall consider establishing
limits on the rate of non-residential development if the increase in non-residential floor area for
any five-year period exceeds five percent. The five-year net non-residential growth rate from
2021 through 2025 was 3.15 percent.
Each year, the City Council has considered implementing limits on new non-residential floor area
and has decided against establishing such limits. If limits are established, they would apply only
to certain types of new commercial floor area, such as new offices or new retail establishments
outside the downtown core. Since the five-year growth rate is less than five percent (3.15
percent), establishing limits on new non-residential floor area is not necessary at this time.
Housing Element Program Implementation
Since adopting the Housing Element in November 2020, City staff has implemented numerous
Housing Element Programs in alignment with the Housing and Homelessness Major City Goals.
Table 6 displays a list of programs that were implemented or started in 2025.
Table 6 – Housing Element Program Implementation Progress, 2025
Safe Housing and Renter Protections
Renter Protections Study Session: On October 28, 2025, City Council held a Study Session on
Renter Protections. Staff presented Council with an overview of the various tenant protections
in state law, as well as a variety of potential tools to improve conditions and protections for City
renters, including a potential rental registry program.
Healthy Housing and Innovation Cohort: In August 2024, the City was selected to join the
National League of Cities Healthy Housing and Innovation Cohort to advance health outcomes
and equity through improving healthy housing programs. The City’s team competed with other
cities across the country, and won the second place prize of $20,000 in October of 2025 for the
Green and Healthy Homes pilot program, which focused on creating a concierge service to
provide energy upgrades to manufactured housing residents in the City.
Program 1.6
Continue code enforcement to expedite the removal of illegal or unsafe dwellings, to eliminate
hazardous site or property conditions, and resolve chronic building safety problems. Code
Enforcement staff shall continue to provide property owners and tenants with information on
how to rectify violations, who to contact in Code Enforcement for assistance, and other resources
that may be pertinent to the citation.
Policy 9.1
Residential developments should promote sustainability consistent with the Climate Action Plan
(CAP) and California Building Energy Efficiency Standards (Title 24) in their design, placement,
and functionality.
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8
Support Housing Solutions
Maxine Lewis Apartments: In December 2025, the Maxine Lewis Grove Apartments opened,
providing 40 new permanent supportive residential units.
Tiburon Place: In July 2025, the Tiburon Place Apartments opened, providing 68 new permanent
supportive housing units.
Waterman Village: On December 11, 2024, the City Planning Commission approved the 20-unit
below market rate tiny manufactured unit project on the site of the City-owned Rosa Butron
historic adobe known as the Waterman Village. City Council upheld the Planning Commission’s
approval of the project on March 5, 2025. The project is currently in the building permit submittal
process.
Housing Trust Fund Support: The City continues to provide $40,000 in operational support for
the SLO County Housing Trust Fund’s efforts to provide below-market financing and technical
assistance.
Program 2.5
Continue to manage the Affordable Housing Fund so that the fund serves as a sustainable
resource for supporting, at a minimum, 4 new affordable housing developments during the
planning period. The fund shall serve as a source of both grant funding and below-market
financing for affordable housing projects; and funds shall be used to support a wide variety of
housing types at the following income levels: extremely low, very low, low, and moderate, but
with a focus on production efficiency to maximize housing benefits for the City’s financial
investment, and to support high-quality housing projects that would not be feasible without
Affordable Housing Fund support
Program 2.9
Assist with the issuance of tax-exempt bonds, tax credit financing, loan underwriting or other
financial tools to help develop or preserve at least 20 affordable units annually through various
programs.
Program 2.11
In conjunction with the Housing Authority and other local housing agencies, continue to provide
on-going technical assistance and education to tenants, property owners and the community at
large on the need to preserve at-risk units as well as the available tools to help them do so.
Program 2.14
Continue to support density bonuses for residential projects above the state density bonus
allowance of 35% to promote the development of units for extremely low, very low, and low-
income households.
Policy 3.3 Encourage the construction, preservation, rehabilitation or expansion of residential hotels, group
homes, integrated community apartments, and single-room occupancy dwellings.
Policy 3.9
Work annually with non-profit organizations, faith-based organizations, or the Housing
Authority of the City of San Luis Obispo to encourage rehabilitation of residential, commercial,
or industrial buildings to expand extremely low, very-low, low-, or moderate income rental
housing opportunities.
Program 6.14
Continue to provide City resources, including $40,000 annually for operational support, to
support the SLO County Housing Trust Fund’s efforts to provide below-market financing and
technical assistance to affordable housing developers to construct or preserve five affordable
housing units per year in the City of San Luis Obispo.
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Homelessness Response
Assisting the homeless and those at risk of becoming homeless: The City’s Homelessness
Response Team continued to implement the 2024-2026 Homelessness Response Strategic Plan,
which was adopted by the City Council on June 18, 2024. The Strategic Plan outlines objectives
and key tasks to prevent and address homelessness in alignment with the Countywide Plan to
Address Homelessness. More details are included in the following section.
Community Safe Parking Pilot Program: On January 22, 2025, the Planning Commission
approved Director’s Action applications for five sites as part of the Community Action
Partnership of San Luis Obispo’s (CAPSLO) Community Safe Parking Pilot Program. CAPSLO
implemented the pilot program in September 2025, utilizing three City-owned sites and three
sites operated by faith-based organizations, including one faith-based site that is located outside
of City limits. The program provides overnight safe parking for registered participants from 7
p.m. to 7 a.m. The long-term objective of the pilot program is to develop a safe parking model
that can be replicated countywide to expand safe parking services throughout the County.
Transitional and supportive tiny-unit housing: The City, as a California Encampment Resolution
Grant subrecipient, continued to work closely with the County of San Luis Obispo on the
Welcome Home Village project. The project will provide 14 interim and 40 permanent supportive
manufactured housing units located within the City at the County Health Agency campus. On July
1, 2025, the City’s subrecipient agreement went into effect, and the City’s outreach teams began
collaborating with the County and the project’s service provider, Good Samaritan Shelter, on
encampment outreach and engagement efforts. The Welcome Home Village is projected to open
in early May 2026.
Permanent supportive housing motel conversion: The City and People’s Self-Help Housing
(PSHH) continued to implement the Beacon Studios project, which will provide 75 permanent
supportive housing units. The project is funded through the California Department of Housing
and Community Development, which awarded the City and PSHH a $19.4 million Homekey
Round 3 grant to convert the Motel 6 North into permanent supportive housing. The Beacon
Studios project is projected to open in July 2027.
Program 1.7 Continue to support local and regional solutions to homelessness by funding supportive program
services and housing solutions.
Policy 8.10
Assist the homeless and those at risk of becoming homeless by supporting 40 Prado Homeless
Services Center and other local service providers, as well as advocating for additional safe
parking, interim housing, and permanent supportive housing opportunities Countywide.
Source: Community Development Department, 2025
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Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) Progress
Quantified Objectives
California cities and counties must develop programs to meet their share of regional housing
needs across all income groups. The California Department of Housing and Community
Development (HCD) determines each region’s housing need, and councils of governments
allocate those units among their member jurisdictions through the Regional Housing Needs
Allocation (RHNA) process. RHNA ensures that each jurisdiction plans for housing consistent with
its physical and financial capacity. State housing law clarifies that these allocations are planning
goals, not production quotas. The allocations are incorporated into each jurisdiction’s Housing
Element to guide policies and standards during the planning period.
The City’s 6th Cycle RHNA allocation is 3,354 housing units, with 10 years to meet the
requirement. The City counts building permits issued between January 1, 2019, and December
31, 2028, toward this allocation. Beginning in 2020, HCD also authorized the City to count half of
all newly issued accessory dwelling unit (ADU) permits toward the low-income category, based
on a market study conducted by the County of San Luis Obispo. Table 7 summarizes the City’s
progress toward meeting its RHNA allocation.
Table 7 - Progress Towards 6th Cycle Quantified Objectives, 2019-2028
Income Level
(% of County Median
Income)
6th Cycle
RHNA
Allocation
Building Permitted Units Issued by Affordability Total
Units by
Income
Level
Total Units
Remaining
by Income
Level
Years 1 - 3
(2019-2021)
Year 4
(2022)
Year 5
(2023)
Year 6
(2024)
Year 7 of 10
(2025)
Extremely
Low
Deed
Restricted
825
14 36 0 123 0 173
500
Non-Deed
Restricted 0 0 0 0 0 0
Very Low
Deed
Restricted 56 14 22 60 0 152
Non-Deed
Restricted 0 0 0 0 0 0
Low
Deed
Restricted 520
42 21 5 15 0 83
211 Non-Deed
Restricted 76 50 0 48 52 226
Moderate
Deed
Restricted 603
22 2 4 13 1 42
518
Non-Deed
Restricted 0 0 43 0 0 43
Above
Moderate - 1,406 1,411 439 293 190 145 2,478 0
Total Units 3,354 1,621 562 367 442 198 3,190 1,229
Source: Community Development Department, Building Permits Issued, 2025
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The City has met its total allocation for above moderate housing units. This leaves 1,229 affordable
units needed to meet the 6th Cycle RHNA allocation by the end of the 2028 calendar year. Of the
remaining allocation, 39 percent of the units must be reserved for very low and extremely low
incomes, 21 percent for low incomes, and 40 percent for moderate incomes.
Below Market Rate (BMR) Housing (Commonly Known as Affordable Housing)
In , the City followed the State’s lead in rebranding the often misunderstood term "affordable
housing" as “Below Market Rate Housing.” Below Market Rate (BMR) means that the affordability
level of a dwelling unit is below the cost of a comparable market-rate unit and includes a deed
restriction to ensure the unit remains affordable to extremely low, very low, low, or moderate-
income households.
The City continues to implement its Inclusionary Housing Ordinance and promote opportunities to
collaborate with non-profit partners to develop BMR housing projects. In 2025, two 100 percent BMR
housing projects were completed (Maxine Lewis and Tiburon Place), resulting in 108 new units
reserved for lower-income households. The City continues to assist in completing the three BMR
projects currently under construction (Bridge Street, Beacon Studios, and Monterey Senior/Family),
which will result in 275 units for lower-income households. Staff is also working on several new
projects to ensure more BMR housing is provided in the City. These projects are listed in Table 8
below and show that, as of 2025, 357 new BMR units are planned for lower-income households.
Table 8 – Active BMR Housing Projects in the Pipeline
Projects Address Dwellings Status
Bridge Street Mixed-
Use 279 Bridge Street 94 Phase 1 – Under Construction
Phase 2 and 3 – Seeking Financing
Monterey Mixed-
Use (Senior Phase
and Family Phase)
1422 and 1424
Monterey Streets 106
Senior Phase – Under Construction
Family Phase – Permitted, beginning
construction March 2026
Avila Ranch –
Sendero Apartments 165 Cessna Court 60 Planning Entitlements – Approved
Building Permits – Awaiting Submittal
Waterman Village 466 Dana Street 22 Planning Entitlements – Approved
Building Permits – Under Review
Beacon Studios 1433 Calle Joaquin 75
Planning Entitlements – Approved
Building Permit – Issued,
Under Construction
Total 357
Source: Community Development Department, 2025
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Third Party Below Market Rate Administrator
The City of San Luis Obispo’s BMR housing programs are expanding, and oversight and enforcement
are increasing to ensure that local affordable housing programs comply with State law. In 2021, the
City contracted with HouseKeys to serve as the City’s BMR Housing Administrator and to manage its
growing Affordable Homeownership and Rental Programs. This work ensures that units are marketed
to the community in a fair and equitable manner and occupied by eligible households. HouseKeys
also provides community members with the knowledge and support needed to successfully access
homeownership and rental housing opportunities.
Through HouseKeys, the City has conducted 58 Opportunity Drawings for inclusionary housing units
across the City, including 24 drawings for homeownership opportunities and 34 drawings for rental
opportunities.
Funding and Grant Programs for Housing
1. Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG): The CDBG program provides
annual funding for eligible affordable housing projects and support for the 40 Prado
Homeless Services Center. Over the past decade, the CDBG Program has allocated over
$3,710,000 towards affordable housing and $1,160,000 towards homeless services.
Projects funded for the upcoming 2025 Program Year include funding for CAPSLO and
People’s Self-Help Housing for homeless services and homelessness prevention, funding
toward the Monterey Family Housing project by the Housing Authority of San Luis Obispo,
and funds to further implement the 6th Cycle Housing Element.
2. Prohousing Incentive Program Funding: In 2024, the City received designation as a
Prohousing jurisdiction, which provides incentives to cities and counties in the form of
additional points or other preferences in the scoring of competitive housing, community
development, and infrastructure programs. Subsequently, the City applied for and was
awarded $750,000 from the Prohousing Incentive Program. In 2025, the City successfully
disbursed $400,000 of Prohousing Incentive Program funds to affordable housing
projects, with additional disbursements anticipated in 2026.
Homelessness Solutions
The City’s 6th Cycle Housing Element includes policies and programs to reduce homelessness
under Goal 1, Safety, and Goal 8, Special Housing Needs. Additionally, Homelessness Response
remains a Major City Goal as part of the 2025-2027 Financial Plan. With the continued rise in
homelessness across California, the City Council prioritized funding programs and resources to
prevent and address homelessness in collaboration with the County of San Luis Obispo and local
service providers. In local government, counties are primarily responsible for leading efforts to
address homelessness; however, the impacts often are borne directly by cities.
In 2025, the City responded to 104 encampment fires and 941 medical incidents involving people
experiencing homelessness, removed 47 tons of trash, and posted, conducted outreach, and
cleaned up 247 illegal encampments, with $49,879.20 in City funds spent on related cleanup and
maintenance activities. The City also provided $412,005 to CAPSLO for programs and operations
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at the 40 Prado Homeless Services Center, including the 40 Prado Safe Parking Program, a hotel
and motel program, the 40 Prado Warming Center, and the Community Safe Parking Pilot
Program.
Strategic Planning for Homelessness
In June 2024, the City Council approved an updated version of the City’s Homelessness Response
Strategic Plan for 2024-2026. The plan outlines objectives and key tasks to prevent and address
homelessness in the City of San Luis Obispo. The Strategic Plan aligns with the San Luis Obispo
Countywide Plan to Address Homelessness, which outlines key lines of effort to reduce
homelessness by 50 percent between 2022 and 2027. Key components of the City’s plan include
Regional Collaboration & Engagement, Communications, Data, Pilot Programs, and Funding
Opportunities.
Homelessness response activities in 2025 included regional collaboration on state funding
opportunities to develop interim and permanent supportive housing; partnerships with
community and faith-based organizations to implement a Community Safe Parking Pilot Program
model; and distribution of the City’s Homeless Resources Pocket Guide, updated in English and
Spanish, which contains critical information on how to access community resources for
individuals experiencing homelessness. Staff also received and responded to 244 AskSLO
requests from community members regarding transient activity on City property and general
homelessness-related concerns. These requests were addressed through encampment cleanups,
enforcement actions, and/or field outreach, and outcomes were communicated back to the
reporting parties.
Human Services Grant Program
The City’s Human Services Grant (HSG) Program, overseen by the Human Relations Commission,
provides financial support to non-profit organizations that promote the economic and social well-
being of the community. The program’s funding criteria focus on homelessness prevention,
including affordable and alternative housing, supportive services, and transitional housing. Other
funding priority areas include hunger and malnutrition prevention; supportive physical and
mental health services; services for seniors, veterans and/or people with disabilities; supportive,
developmental, and care services for children and youth; and services that encourage diversity,
equity, and inclusion initiatives, including access to language services. The Human Services Grant
Program is highly competitive and received total funding requests of $419,942, which was
$269,942 more than funds available to the program.
The Human Relations Commission reviewed 27 applications and recommended full or partial
funding for 12 different organizations. The City has issued $150,000 in grants to those
organizations since the approval of these funding recommendations.
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Community Action Team
The San Luis Obispo Police Department’s Community Action Team (CAT) consists of one CAT
officer, one Community Services Officer, one Licensed Psychiatric Technician from County
Behavioral Health, and one Community Resources and Services Specialist. The team works to
identify problems and crime trends that negatively impact the quality of life for residents,
business owners, and visitors to the City of San Luis Obispo.
In 2025, the CAT team engaged with 798 individuals, with 164 individuals electing to receive
referrals to mental health and/or substance abuse services. Additionally, CAT facilitates family
reunifications, and in 2025 reunited two individuals with family members across the United
States. CAT works in collaboration with County Behavioral Health, social services agencies, local
nonprofit organizations, and other City departments, utilizing a trauma-informed care approach
to connect the City’s most vulnerable residents to resources and services.
Partnerships with Downtown SLO and CAPSLO
The City provides funding for the Downtown
Clean & Safe Program, which is administered
by Downtown SLO. The Downtown SLO Clean
Team works to ensure that downtown is clean,
safe, and welcoming to visitors — whether
they’re living, working, shopping, or exploring
downtown.
The Clean Team provides cleaning services for
sidewalks and alleys within the boundaries of the 24-block service area. This includes, but is not
limited to, the removal of trash, graffiti, stickers, and human waste.
In 2024, the Downtown SLO Board of Directors explored alternative options to further enhance
the efficiency and effectiveness of the Downtown Ambassador and Clean & Safe Programs.
Downtown SLO transitioned to a dedicated contractor cleaning service with CityWide Solutions
to oversee cleaning duties. This shift allowed Downtown SLO to focus on maintaining a cleaner
and more welcoming environment while ensuring consistent, high-quality service without the
need to manage the day-to-day operations, hiring, and training of the Clean Team. By leveraging
professional cleaning expertise, Downtown SLO can better meet the needs of the community and
uphold the standards of cleanliness and safety essential to our shared spaces.
In 2025, the Clean Team operated for a total of 1,672 hours and removed 7,741 pounds of trash;
removed 693 graffiti tags; responded to and cleaned 1,394 cases of urine, vomit, and feces;
cleaned public trash cans a total of 8,445 times; removed 2,744 pieces of gum; removed 18,696
cigarette butts; removed 1,658 stickers and flyers; and cleaned tree grates and wells a total of
2,277 times.
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The City also provides funding to CAPSLO for the 40 Prado Homeless Services Center, which
provides overnight shelter and day services for unhoused community members, including
housing navigation and case management. The Homeless Services Center also offers access to
meals, showers, laundry facilities, healthcare, internet, and other supportive services. The City
provides funding for the 40 Prado Safe Parking, Community Safe Parking, Warming Center, and
Hotel & Motel Programs, which offer overflow capacity, services, and shelter for unhoused
community members.
Mobile Crisis Unit
Embedded within the City’s Fire Department, the Mobile Crisis Unit (MCU) pairs a Community
Resource and Services Specialist with a Licensed Psychiatric Technician (LPT) contracted through
County Behavioral Health, as well as a part time Fire Department intern. The team responds to
calls for service within the City and provides crisis support services to individuals experiencing
non-emergency mental health challenges, drug and alcohol addiction, and chronic homelessness.
In 2025, the MCU established 2,234 contacts with individuals experiencing homelessness;
reunified 25 homeless individuals with agencies or family; provided 69 transports to services or
alternate facilities; and responded to a total of 143 mental health crisis intervention calls for
service.
Inspection of Homeless Shelters (AB 362)
Under AB 362, the City must follow up upon receiving a complaint from an occupant of a
homeless shelter alleging that the shelter is substandard pursuant to California Health & Safety
Code Section 17920.3. Code Enforcement received one complaint regarding the 40 Prado
Homeless Services Center in June 2025. An inspection was conducted, and the complaint was
determined to be unfounded.
In June 2025, state legislature passed AB 130, which requires cities and counties to perform an
annual inspection of every homeless shelter in their jurisdiction, even if no complaints have been
filed by occupants. Code Enforcement conducted an inspection in December 2025 and found no
violations. The Housing Team will file these inspection findings to HCD before the April 2026
reporting deadline.
Coordination with Other Agencies
City staff has continued to engage with other agencies and jurisdictions to foster collaboration
aimed toward implementing General Plan policy:
Regional Housing Action Team
Representatives from San Luis Obispo County and its cities, including the City of San Luis Obispo,
continue to implement the county’s first regional housing action team, as outlined in their
respective Housing Elements. This collaboration has helped housing professionals in each
jurisdiction navigate evolving housing issues and new state legislation aimed at removing housing
barriers. Coordination through SLOCOG also facilitates the sharing of housing and transportation
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infrastructure data in preparation for the Regional Transportation Plan and future Regional
Housing Needs Assessment allocations.
Area Plan and Specific Plan Development
The General Plan requires the approval of specific plans as a precursor to development of the
City’s major expansion areas. Specific plans typically contain more detailed land-use and design
standards than the General Plan and address the timing and financing of public facilities. Specific
plans can supersede the Zoning Regulations or lead to amendments to the Municipal Code. The
process of adopting a specific plan is similar to the process of adopting or amending a section of
the General Plan.
Margarita Area Specific Plan
The Margarita Area Specific Plan (MASP) is
located in southern San Luis Obispo, bounded
by South Higuera Street, Broad Street, Tank
Farm Road, and the South Hills ridge. Under
Land Use Element (LUE) Policy 8.1.3, the MASP
provides for residential units, a business park,
a neighborhood park, sports fields, and open
space. Over 40 percent of the land area is
designated as open space, including 56 acres of
parks. The policy also states that the City may
consider the area appropriate for additional
housing, but revisions to the MASP are
required if development exceeds the plan’s
current residential capacity
The Airport Land Use Plan (ALUP) was amended in 2021. In response, City staff selected a
consultant in 2024 to prepare amendments to the MASP to evaluate increased residential
densities on already zoned land, encourage “Missing Middle” housing types, and allow mixed-
use development on commercially zoned land. In 2025, staff continued working with the
consultant on potential MASP amendments. Table 9 summarizes the status of current
development projects within the MASP.
Table 9 - Margarita Area Development Status, 2025
Projects Address Commercial Dwellings Status
Prado Business
Park 301 Prado 159,663 -
Planning Entitlements – Approved
Public Improvements - Under Review
Building Permits – Expired
365 Prado Rd.
Mixed-Use Project 365 Prado 100,000 222 GP and SP Amendments – In Process
Planning Entitlements – In Process
Total 259,663 222
Source: Community Development Department, 2025
Coversheet of Margarita Area Specific Plan
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Orcutt Area Specific Plan
Nestled at the base of the Santa Lucia foothills, the Orcutt Area offers a variety of scenic resources
for both residents of the area and travelers along Orcutt Road and Tank Farm Road, including
views of Righetti Hill, Islay Hill, and the Santa Lucia foothills.
Located along the southwestern edge of the city limits and bounded by Orcutt Road, the railroad,
and Tank Farm Road, the area encompasses 230 acres at the base of Righetti Hill. The Orcutt Area
Specific Plan calls for a residential
neighborhood with up to 979 homes,
a variety of housing types, parks,
hiking trails, and recreational
opportunities. These opportunities
include bicycle and pedestrian paths,
as well as protection of natural
habitats and visual resources in
nearby open space areas. Table 10
below shows the status of
development in the Orcutt Area.
Table 10 - Orcutt Area Development Status, 2025
Projects Address Dwellings Commercial
Sq. Ft. Status
Bullock Ranch 3580 Bullock 192 585
Planning Entitlements – Approved
Public Improvements - Under Review
Building Permits – Awaiting Submittal
Pratt Property 3750 Bullock 35 3,400
Planning Entitlements - Approved
Townhome Construction - Complete
Live / Work units – Under Construction
Building Permits for Commercial – Awaiting
Submittal
Enclave at Righetti 3805 Orcutt 34
Planning Entitlements - Approved
Public Improvements – Substantially
Complete
Building Permits Issued – Under Construction
Jones Mixed-Use 3806 Ranch
House 15 7,600
Planning Entitlements – Approved
Building Permits Issued – Under
Construction; Three (3) affordable for-sale
units construction complete
Total 276 11,585
Source: Community Development Department, 2025
Linear Park Detail from Orcutt Area Specific Plan
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Airport Area Specific Plan
Located approximately . miles south of Downtown San Luis Obispo, within the City’s Urban
Reserve, the Airport Area Specific Plan (AASP) encompasses 1,500 acres adjacent to the San Luis
Obispo County Regional Airport and is bordered by the Margarita Area, South Higuera Street,
South Broad Street, and Buckley Road.
The AASP envisions a mixture of open space, agriculture, business parks, and industrial
development, as well as limited residential development. Plans for the Airport Area include the
reuse and regeneration of the natural and built environment; enhancement of public, private,
and environmental value; and smart, sustainable growth that benefit the community
economically, aesthetically, and environmentally. Table 11 shows the status of development
within the AASP in 2025.
In 2025, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 1747 (2025 Series), amending the AASP to allow
mixed-use development in the Service Commercial (C-S) and Manufacturing (M) zones with a
minor or conditional use permit where appropriate and consistent with the 2021 updated San
Luis Obispo County Airport Land Use Plan (ALUP). The adoption of these amendments fulfilled
Major City Goal of Housing and Homelessness work program 3.1.c. of the 2023-25 Financial Plan,
which states: “Initiate an update to the Airport Area Specific Plan to allow mixed-use residential
development, where appropriate and consistent with the County Airport Land Use Plan.”
Table 11 – Airport Area Development Status, 2025
Projects Address Dwellings Commercial
Sq. Ft. Status
Tank Farm
Commerce Park 179 Cross - 29,280 Planning Entitlements - Approved
Under Construction
650 Tank Farm
Mixed-Use 650 Tank Farm 239 18,600
Planning Entitlements – Approved
Building Permits – Awaiting Submittal
Public Improvements - Under Review
600 Tank Farm
Mixed-Use 600 Tank Farm 280 12,500
Planning Entitlements – Approved,
Modification in Process
Public Improvements - Under Review
SLO Airport Hotel 950 Aero 204 Rooms - Planning Entitlements – Approved
Building Permits – Under Review
Conserv Fuel
Station 4600 Broad - 4,800 Planning Entitlements - Approved
Under Construction
U-Haul Personal
Storage and
Warehouse
1109 Kendall;
4805 Morabito - 114,368;
24,498
Planning Entitlements – Approved
Under Construction
Aerovista Medical
Services and Offices 832 Aerovista - 41,007 Planning Entitlements – Approved
Building Permits – Pending Submittal
Earthwood Lane –
Lots 16 and 17
4185 and 4195
Earthwood - 3,694;
3,764 Planning Entitlements – Under Review
Total 519 252,511
Source: Community Development Department, 2025
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Avila Ranch Development Plan
In 2017, the City Council approved
the Avila Ranch Development Plan to
allow the development of 720
residential units and 15,000 square
feet of neighborhood commercial
uses on a 150-acre site located north
of Buckley Road and within the
boundaries of the Airport Area
Specific Plan (AASP).
Major Development review of the R-
2 portion of Phases 1-3 and the R-1
portion of Phase 5 were approved by
the Planning Commission in 2021.
The R-2 area includes up to 297 detached for-sale dwelling units. Building permits for this part of
the project have been issued, and construction of the residential units and public improvements
is underway. Approximately 200 residential units in Phases 1 and 2 have been completed and
occupied to date. The R-1 portion includes 101 detached for-sale dwelling units, which have
received entitlements but have not yet been constructed.
An application for Major Development Review for the multifamily R-4 portion of Phase 3 was
approved by the Planning Commission on February 14, 2024. The application included a density
bonus request to add 20 affordable units to the site, bringing the total R-4 unit count to 85
market-rate rental units and 60 affordable rental units. Applications for Major Development
Review and a Tentative Tract Map for condominium purposes for the multifamily R-3 portion of
Phase 4 were approved by the Planning Commission on December 10, 2025. A total of 194
townhome-style residential units are included in Phase 4. With the approval of the R-4 density
bonus, the total number of residential units entitled at Avila Ranch is currently 737. Phases 3 and
4 are fully entitled but have not yet begun construction.
Conceptual Residential Street Scene from Avila Ranch Dev. Plan
Phasing Map from the Avila Ranch
Development Plan
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Mass grading for Phases 2-6 has been completed. Public improvements, including certain onsite
improvements such as internal roads, utilities, and park and landscape areas, as well as certain
offsite improvements, including the Buckley Road extension, have been substantially completed.
Construction of the interim fire station at Avila Ranch is required to be completed by the
developer prior to final occupancy of the 361st residential unit, which is currently anticipated in
2028. Table 12 shows the status on development in the Avila Ranch area.
Table 12 - Avila Area Development Status, 2024
Projects Address Dwellings Commercial
Sq. Ft. Status
Avila Ranch SFR
Phases 1, 2, & 3 (R-2) 175 Venture 297 -
Planning Entitlements - Approved
Public Improvements – Under Construction
Building Permits Issued – Under
Construction
Avila Ranch
Phase 3 (R-4) 175 Venture 145 -
Planning Entitlements – Approved with 20-
Unit Density Bonus
Public Improvements – Pending Submittal
Building Permits – Pending Submittal
Avila Ranch
Phases 4 (R-3)
175 Venture
194 -
Planning Entitlements - Approved
Public Improvements – Pending Submittal
Building Permits - Pending Submittal
Avila Ranch
Phase 5 (R-1)
175 Venture
101 -
Planning Entitlements - Approved
Public Improvements – Under Construction
Building Permits – Under Review
Avila Ranch Phase 6
(Neighborhood
Commercial)
175 Venture - 15,000 Future Phase
Total 737 15,000
Source: Community Development Department, 2025
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Froom Ranch Specific Plan
A major component of the Froom Ranch Specific Plan is a Life Plan Community (LPC) known as
Villaggio, which would provide 366 independent senior units, 38 assisted living units, 51 care
facility beds, and a wellness center with ancillary services. In addition to the LPC, the Specific
Plan includes approximately 174 multi-family units; 100,000 square feet of commercial retail
uses; a 3.6-acre trailhead park that would incorporate onsite historic structures; and over 60
acres of land designated for conservation/open space. Consideration of the project included
preparation of an Environmental Impact Report (EIR).
The City Council certified the Final EIR and
approved the Specific Plan, General Plan
Amendment, pre-zoning of the property,
and the Vesting Tentative Tract Map. The
City Council authorized submittal of an
annexation application to LAFCO in
September 2020. An annexation
application was filed in February 2021 and
was approved by LAFCO in October 2021.
The LAFCO conditions of annexation were
completed, and the site was annexed into
the City of San Luis Obispo in November
2023. Public improvement plans for on-
and offsite roadway and utility
improvements were submitted to the City
for initial plan check in June 2023.
The Froom Ranch project has been on hold
for the past several years due to
ownership changes and potential requests for modifications to the approved project
entitlements. An application to initiate a Specific Plan amendment was recently submitted by the
property owner, and City staff is currently evaluating the proposed changes. The City Council’s
consideration of initiation of the proposed Specific Plan and General Plan amendments is
expected to be scheduled for a public meeting late 2026 to determine whether the proposed
legislative amendments should be accepted for processing.
Froom Ranch Site Plan
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San Luis Ranch Specific Plan
The San Luis Ranch Specific Plan project includes a mix of 654 residential units, 145,500 square
feet of commercial, retail, and restaurant space; 100,000 square feet of office development; and
a 200-room hotel. The public improvements have been completed, including utilities,
landscaping, and the extension of Dalidio Drive and Froom Ranch Way. Building permits were
issued in 2022 for the hotel, and
construction was completed in
2025. The Agricultural Heritage
and Learning Center (now known
as SLO Ranch Farms and
Marketplace) is open to the
public and includes several new
commercial buildings with
restaurants, retail, and
agricultural processing uses,
along with the rehabilitation of
historic structures.
A total of 577 residential units have been completed and occupied within the San Luis Ranch
Specific Plan area, including 296 multifamily units and 281 single-family units. Construction has
not yet begun on the 64 to 77 affordable
housing units required as part of the Specific
Plan.
In December 2024, the City Council
authorized initiation of the processing of
General Plan and Specific Plan amendments
for San Luis Ranch to modify the uses
planned for “Lot 7,” a vacant .44-acre
commercial parcel. The developer has
proposed replacing approximately 100,000
square feet of planned commercial uses
with an additional 276 market-rate
multifamily units. The project developer has
not yet submitted applications for these
amendments. Table 13 below displays the
status of development in the San Luis Ranch
Area.
San Luis Ranch Site Plan
Conceptual Rendering of the Agricultural Heritage and Learning Center (now
known as SLO Ranch Farms and Marketplace)
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Table 13 – San Luis Ranch Area Development Status, 2025
Projects Address Dwellings Commercial
Sq. Ft.
Hotel
Rooms
Office
Sq. Ft. Status
Commercial
Center
1035
Madonna
77 114,300 - -
Planning Entitlements –
Amendments in Process
Public Improvements – Partially
Complete
SpringHill
Suites
Hotel
- - 200 - Construction - Complete
NG-10
Single-Unit
Residences
198 - - - Construction - Complete
NG-23
Single-Unit
Residences
83 - - - Construction - Complete
NG-30, The
Orchard
Multifamily
Residential
296 - - - Construction - Complete
Agricultural
Heritage
and
Learning
Center
- 31,200 - - Construction - Complete
Office - - - 100,000 Future phase, no building
permits issued
Total 654 145,500 200 100,000
Source: Community Development Department, 2025
Municipal Code Updates
Energy Code & Reach Code Updates (Clean Energy Program for New Buildings)
The City has a long history of local requirements for new construction that cost-effectively reduce
greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. On October 3, 2023, the City Council
adopted an energy reach code for new buildings, which began enforcement on January 1, 2024,
and is expected to result in lower building emissions. The reach code will remain in effect through
December 31, 2025, when a new state energy code will be adopted. In 2024, the City Council
adopted an energy reach code for major additions and alterations to single-family homes, which
went into effect in early 2025 and also expired on December 31, 2025. Staff adopted an update
to the additions and alterations reach code for enforcement in 2026 and will be working on
updated new building reach codes throughout 2026.
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Amendments to Titles 16 & 17 Regarding ADUs and Urban Lot Splits
On April 1, 2025, the City Council adopted a series of updates to the City’s accessory and junior
accessory dwelling unit regulations, along with other miscellaneous items in the Zoning
Regulations. These changes were made to maintain compliance with state law, provide
clarifications, and identify and remove obvious barriers to housing development. This update also
included revisions to the City’s Urban Lot Split regulations in Title 6 of the Municipal Code,
implementing recent changes to state law.
Climate Action Plan
The General Plan includes climate action initiatives in the Land Use, Circulation, Conservation and
Open Space, and Water and Wastewater Elements, including:
• Land Use Policy 9.4 - Climate Action Plan: The City shall maintain and implement its
Climate Action Plan to reduce community and municipal GHG emissions consistent with
state laws and objectives.
• Conservation and Open Space Policy 2.2.1 - Atmospheric Change: City actions shall seek
to minimize undesirable climate changes and deterioration of the atmosphere’s
protective functions that result from the release of carbon dioxide and other substances.
• Conservation and Open Space Policy 2.2.5 - Model City: The City will be a model of
pollution control efforts. It will manage its own operations to be as pollution free as
possible. The City will work with other agencies and organizations to help educate citizens
in ways to prevent air pollution.
In 2020, the City Council adopted the Climate Action Plan for Community Recovery (CAP) and set
the goal of achieving community carbon neutrality by 2035 (Resolution No. 11159,2020 Series).
The City Council also adopted the Lead by Example Plan for Carbon Neutral City Operations in the
summer of 2021 (Resolution No. 11263, 2021 Series), which established the goal of carbon-
neutral municipal operations by 2030. As part of the 2023-25 Financial Plan, climate action was
also identified as a Major City Goal (Climate Action, Open Space, and Sustainable Transportation),
as well as in the new 2025-27 Financial Plan (Open Space, Climate Action, and Resilience).
On December 13, 2022, the City Council adopted the Climate Action Plan 2023-27 Work Program
(CAP Volume 3). In late 2025, staff initiated an update to the Climate Action Plan, which is
expected to be completed in early 2027.
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Economic Development
The City’s Economic Development Strategic Plan (EDSP) was adopted by the City Council in 2012,
revised in 2015, and fully updated in 2023. The overarching goal of the plan is to advance the
economic vitality of the City of San Luis Obispo and develop strategies that strengthen the City's
economic development efforts while integrating the principles of sustainability, diversity, equity,
and inclusion. Additionally, the EDSP emphasizes the retention of current businesses, the
continued expansion of the arts and culture scene, and ongoing efforts to enhance the vibrancy
of the Downtown area. The City has also recognized the need to expand the traditional scope of
economic development to include practices that incorporate sustainability and social equity to
maximize the community’s economic vitality. The EDSP establishes broad themes encompassing
three key pillars and their associated action plans: Business & Entrepreneurship Vitality,
Placemaking & Promotion, and Talent Development & Attraction. These pillars are intended to
reflect the City’s priorities, as appropriate, while responding to its ever-evolving economic
landscape. Careful consideration was given to ensure that the recommendations that follow fall
within the scale and scope of the City’s economic development function.
Many of the strategies in the EDSP are aligned with the policies in the Land Use Element. Progress
on the implementation of the EDSP is published quarterly on the City’s website: Economic
Development Strategic Plan | City of San Luis Obispo, CA.
Tourism and Community Promotions
The importance of the City’s Tourism and Community
Promotions activities as an economic development
function continued to be evident in Fiscal Year 2025
(FY25). As a result, the City collected a record-breaking
$11.4 million in transient occupancy tax (TOT). This
represents a 4.6 percent increase in revenue compared to
Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24), which had previously been the
best performing year in the City’s history. FY25 produced
five $1 million revenue months – April, May, June, July,
and August. This contribution of TOT revenue to the City’s
General Fund is a direct benefit of tourism, as the full
collection of TOT revenue is retained by the City. The FY25
occupancy level in the City was 2.9 percent higher than
FY24, with an average occupancy rate of 70.05 percent for
the year.
During this same period, the Promotional Coordinating Committee (PCC) continued its
commitment to enhancing the San Luis Obispo experience for residents and visitors. In October
2025, the PCC celebrated the third annual ARTober, a celebration of National Arts & Humanities
Month. The events highlighted various arts, culture, and humanities experiences in San Luis
Obispo. The PCC also continued the City’s Cultural Arts & Community Promotions (CACP)
program, which provided $100,000 in vital promotional grants to local nonprofit organizations
Visit San Luis Obispo Logo
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for programs that enrich the social, cultural, and diverse community events and activities
available during this time.
Also in FY25, the PCC directed the “Support Local” campaign through the Economic Development
program, which included a multi-channel paid advertising plan, local public relations, a social
media content strategy, and business support. In addition to implementing the sixth year of the
Buy Local Bonus promotion, the City supported SLO Restaurant Month in January 2025.
Policy Initiatives
Cannabis Business Program
Tax Revenue: The revenue generated from the City’s Cannabis Program helps support a variety
of the City’s core services. This revenue is collected through taxes, licensing fees, and other
financial mechanisms associated with the legal cannabis market. The City collected roughly
$815,000 in tax revenue in Fiscal Year 2024-25 and is budgeting approximately $1 million in
revenue for Fiscal Year 2025-26.
Program Updates: Since the adoption of the Cannabis Program, staff has provided annual
updates to the City Council, including policy recommendations to improve commercial cannabis
administrative and operational processes. In 2025, staff presented the Annual Cannabis Business
Program Update to the Council, including a review of operator permit changes, updates to
cannabis tax and permit fee revenue forecasts, and recommended amendments to the cannabis
zoning code to improve clarity in the Municipal Code and ensure consistency with state law.
Historic Preservation
An update to the Historic Resources Inventory was included as an implementation task under the
City’s Major City Goal for Cultural Vitality, Economic Resilience, and Fiscal Sustainability in the
2023-25 Financial Plan. In 2025, Phase 1 of the project was completed. Phase 1 included updates
to the City’s Historic Preservation Ordinance and Historic Context Statement. The City’s Historic
Resources Inventory includes over 760 properties, the majority of which were added more than
30 years ago.
The Historic Preservation Ordinance and Historic Context Statement provide the framework and
regulatory guidance for determining which properties qualify as historically significant. Major
updates to the Historic Preservation Ordinance included revisions to historic resource
designations and evaluation criteria for historic significance to ensure greater consistency with
guidance from the National Park Service and the State of California Office of Historic Preservation
regarding the definition and evaluation of historic resources.
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The Historic Context Statement was revised to provide a more inclusive approach to preservation
of the City’s resources and to align with updates to the Historic Preservation Ordinance. The
updates expanded the discussion of themes related to minority and ethnic communities and
integrated the contributions of San Luis Obispo’s Chinese, Japanese, African American, Filipino,
and other communities into the relevant temporal and thematic contexts. These changes
recognize members of these groups as
significant contributors to the City’s
development whose social, economic,
and cultural experiences are relevant to
and reflective of broader themes.
With the update of these documents,
the City now has an updated framework
and guidance for the next phase of the
project (Phase 2), including review of
the current Historic Resources
Inventory, future surveys, and
continued effective implementation of the City’s Historic Preservation Program. Staff will initiate
Phase 2 of the project in mid-2026, and the project is expected to take 12-18 months to complete.
The Historic Resource Inventory (HRI) Update project is consistent with various policies in the
Cultural Heritage (Chapter 3) section of the Conservation and Open Space Element, including
those related to the identification and preservation of historic resources. The project directly
implements COSE Goal 3.2, which calls for the City to expand community understanding,
appreciation, and support for historic and architectural resource preservation to ensure long-
term protection of cultural resources.
Water Supply
In 2025, the City obtained water from four sources: the Salinas Reservoir (Santa Margarita Lake),
the Whale Rock Reservoir, the Nacimiento Reservoir, and recycled water from the City’s Water
Resource Recovery Facility (WRRF).
Table 14 - City Water Resource Availability, 2025
Water Resource 2025 Annual Availability
Salinas Reservoir (Santa Margarita Lake) and
Whale Rock Reservoir 4,910 AF Safe Annual Yield1
Nacimiento Reservoir 5,482 AF Dependable Yield2
Recycled Water 354 AF 2024 Annual Usage3
Siltation to 2060 (500 AF) WWME Policy4 A4.2.24
TOTAL 10,246 AF
Source: Public Works and Utilities Department, 2025
View of San Luis Obispo, Looking West
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1Safe Annual Yield is the quantity of water which can be withdrawn every year while operating both reservoirs in coordinated operations under
critical drought conditions. The City’s Safe Annual Yield Model was updated in 8 to reflect drought conditions that ended in 7.
2Dependable Yield is the contractual amount of water the City has right to from Nacimiento Reservoir. During the 2025 calendar year, the
Nacimiento Pipeline was offline for a portion of the year, during those periods the City did not receive source water from the Nacimiento
Reservoir. City water supply was provided from the Whale Rock and Salinas Reservoirs, which provided sufficient supply for the City.
3The quantity of recycled water included is the actual prior year’s recycled water usage ( 243) per WWE A7.2.2.
4Reservoir siltation is a natural occurrence that reduces storage capacity over long periods, resulting in the reduction of safe annual yield.
For 2025, availability from the
City’s water sources totaled
10,246 acre-feet, as shown in
Table 14. This supply meets the
projected primary water supply
need at General Plan buildout of
7,496 acre-feet, plus an
additional 1,298.35 acre-feet
for a reliability reserve and a
secondary water supply of
1,452 acre-feet.
The primary water supply was calculated using the City’s buildout population ( 7, people)1
and a water use rate of 117 gallons per capita, pursuant to Water and Wastewater Element Policy
A 5.2.1 (Water Use Rate). The reliability reserve was calculated using the City’s estimated 2025
population (49,534) and 20 percent of the aforementioned water use rate. The secondary water
supply includes the remaining water resources. Additional information is available in the City’s
annual Water Supply and Demand Assessment.
1The City’s population projection of 7, persons, from the General Plan Land Use Element, is based on 1 percent growth annually between
2014 and 2035. By policy, certain housing types and areas are excluded from this growth rate and projection (affordable housi ng, etc.). The
City’s estimated Primary Water Supply need is based on projected population but encompasses all water demand in the City (residential, non-
residential, and irrigation).
Whale Rock Reservoir
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Transportation & Circulation
Sustainable Transportation was identified as a Major City Goal (Climate Action, Open Space, and
Sustainable Transportation) as part of the Fiscal Year 2022-23 Financial Plan and again in the
2023-25 Financial Plan. The following transportation planning and engineering projects and
programs were implemented in 2025 as part of the City’s Sustainable Transportation Major City
Goal, consistent with the Circulation Element of the General Plan.
Vehicular
Numerous traffic safety improvements were
implemented as part of the City’s Traffic Safety
Program to address collision trends and resident
safety concerns. These improvements included
striping modifications, sign replacements, and
sight distance improvements at several
intersections. Additionally, the City’s first Vision
Zero Action Plan was released in draft form for
public review in 2025. The Action Plan provides a comprehensive summary of current safety
trends and a blueprint to guide priorities in engineering, enforcement, education, and post-crash
care to improve traffic safety citywide. The final Action Plan is scheduled for City Council review
in the spring of 2026.
Additional vehicular projects and programs implemented in 2025 include:
• Numerous traffic signal and intersection optimization improvements were completed as part
of the City’s ongoing traffic signal management responsibilities. Traffic signal timings were
adjusted at all City signals, and optimized signal coordination plans were implemented on the
Johnson, Broad, Madonna, and Los Osos Valley Road corridors.
• “Daylighting” improvements were
implemented at intersections across the
City. Daylighting prohibits vehicles from
parking within 20 feet of marked and
unmarked crosswalks, per State
Assembly Bill 413. This improves safety at
intersections by creating a clearer line of
sight between drivers and pedestrians in
crosswalks.
• Traffic signal modifications were
completed or are in progress at several
intersections to address collision trends
and improve pedestrian accessibility.
These modifications include the addition of lead pedestrian crossing intervals and ADA-
compliant audible pedestrian push buttons at multiple intersections.
Striping and flex-post parking restriction to allow for
pedestrian “Daylighting”
Vision Zero Traffic Safety Program
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• Design for the roundabout at California and Taft Streets is complete, and acquisition of the
remaining right-of-way is in progress, with construction expected to begin in 2026.
• Prepared 38 Engineering and Traffic Studies to maintain enforceable speed limits and
implemented speed limit reductions and/or speed limit visibility enhancements on 30 street
segments, where permitted under California Vehicle Code requirements.
• Issued 28 permits allowing residents to paint red curbs at their driveway entrances to improve
sight distance.
• Progress continues with preliminary engineering and environmental review for the Prado
Road/US 101 Interchange Project, with a targeted construction start in 2029.
• Final design, permitting, and right-of-way work continues for the Prado Road Bridge
Replacement over San Luis Obispo Creek Project. Construction of the Prado Bridge Project is
anticipated to begin in 2027 and is expected to be completed before the start of construction
for the Prado Interchange Project.
Bicycle/Pedestrian
The 2024 Paving Project was completed in early
2025. The project included numerous traffic
safety elements to improve mobility for all
roadway users on Grand Avenue, Johnson
Avenue, and various neighborhood streets,
consistent with the Circulation Element, Active
Transportation Plan, and Vision Zero Policy. It
included the installation of a pilot road diet with
new protected and buffered bike lanes and
pedestrian/bicycle crossing enhancements on
Grand Avenue; permanent improvements to
retain a previous pilot road diet on Johnson
Avenue; installation of an uphill bike lane on
Highland Drive approaching Santa Rosa Street; Protected bicycle lanes and beacon crossings added to Grand
Avenue
Rendering of the Prado Road / Highway 101 Overpass
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and other minor complete street and safety improvements.
Public outreach and design work continued through 2025 for the Higuera Complete Street
Project. The project includes multimodal transportation and safety improvements along the
Higuera Street corridor from Marsh Street south to the City limits. These improvements include
several miles of protected bike lanes, more than 70 ADA curb ramp upgrades, enhanced
pedestrian crosswalks at 40 locations, pavement repairs, traffic signal upgrades, and updated
pavement surfaces and roadway markings. The project is supported by over $9 million in external
grant funding. Environmental review and design are complete, and the project will be brought to
the City Council for approval to advertise for construction in early 2026.
Annual transportation safety educational activities continued in 2025, particularly with the
development of the “Roll and Stroll” Bike and Pedestrian Resource Hub, which shares maps,
information, tips, and how-to videos on biking and walking in San Luis Obispo. The Hub covers
safety basics, understanding new facilities, and where to find additional education resources,
including in-person classes. Activities in 2025 included Walk & Bike to School Days, Bike Month,
Walktober, reflective Halloween bag distribution, Bike Light Education Pop-Up events, and other
educational programs coordinated with Bike SLO County. Additionally, the City released a series
of educational videos on bike and pedestrian safety topics, which will continue into 2026 and
cover subjects such as safe riding and how to use new bikeway and pedestrian facilities.
The City’s supply of short- and long-term bicycle
parking continued to expand. Six new BikeLink lockers
were installed at the parking lot at 1166 Higuera
Street, providing secure and affordable long-term
parking options in the downtown area. This brings the
total to twelve such lockers in the downtown, in
addition to the Marsh Street Parking Lot location.
Bike valet parking service continued to be offered at
the Farmer’s Market, Concerts in the Plaza, and other
events, with a total of over 2,500 bikes parked in 2025.
BikeLink Lockers at 1166 Higuera
Rendering of the Planned Higuera Complete Streets Project
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SLO Transit
SLO Transit operations in 2025 included the following:
• In April 2025, the City Council adopted SLO
Transit’s FY 6-30 Short-Range Transit Plan.
The plan outlines service, program, and fare
change recommendations aimed at meeting the
City’s current and future public transit needs.
Notable service change recommendations
include the reinstatement of services suspended
during the pandemic, more frequent service on
Routes 2A/B, implementation of a new direct
service to the Avila Ranch Specific Plan area, and
a two-year microtransit pilot program.
• In May 2025, the City took delivery of six new
battery-electric buses to replace older diesel-
powered buses. This purchase positions the City
ahead of the state’s zero-emission mandates and
advances its goal of achieving carbon neutrality
by 2035.
• Ridership continues to recover post-pandemic.
SLO Transit reported over 660,000 passenger
trips in Fiscal Year 2024-25, representing a
seventeen percent increase compared to the
previous fiscal year.
• In August and September 2025, staff attended events at Laguna Middle School and Cal Poly
to promote SLO Transit’s services, including the Laguna Tripper, which provides service to the
middle school, and the 6 Express, which provides direct service between the campus and
downtown on Farmers’ Market nights.
• In November 2025, the City Council approved the release of a Request for Proposals (RFP) for
transit operation and maintenance services. The RFP’s scope of services includes the service
changes recommended by the Short-Range Transit Plan. Staff anticipate returning to the
Council in April 2026 to award the contract, with service beginning July 1, 2026.
• In December 2025, the City partnered with Rideshare’s Know How to Go campaign to offer
free rides on the Holiday Trolley. During the 30-day holiday service period, more than 1,000
trips were provided at no cost to riders.
New Battery-Electric Bus
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Parking Services Program
Parking Services Program’s major focus areas in 2025 included:
• Completion of the Technology Roadmap implementation, updating the parking technology
used downtown to improve the customer experience. Improvements included digitizing
garage permits, adopting a single mobile payment app for on-street parking, installing a
consistent gated system in all public parking garages, adding new parking pay stations
downtown, and enhancing security and customer service at all public parking garages.
• In conjunction with the Technology Roadmap implementation, signage, equipment wraps,
and public educational materials were standardized to improve communication and provide
a consistent, easily recognizable downtown parking experience.
• The final lighting, landscape, and striping improvements, as well as the demolition of the
building and installation of six new BikeLink lockers, were completed at Lot 11, located at
1166 Higuera Street. This public parking lot provides long-term paid parking spaces on the
eastern side of downtown.
• The City continued construction of the Cultural Arts District Parking Structure, located at the
corner of Palm and Nipomo Streets. This will be the City’s fourth parking garage and is
expected to be completed in spring 2026.
• Parking Services and the Mobility Services Communication Coordinator continue to
collaborate with organizations such as Downtown SLO, the SLO Chamber, the Parking
Steering Committee, and local business owners to keep them informed on all aspects of
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parking. This collaboration included the creation of informational flyers, business toolkits,
and presentations. Staff have also provided ongoing public outreach through press releases,
media campaigns, social media posts, flyers, updated signage, and in-person events.
Safety Services
Fire Department
Climate Adaptation and Safety Element Policy OP-7.1 states that there should be adequate
planning, organization, and resources for emergency preparedness and emergency response.
Staff made several accomplishments in 2025 to meet this policy and has highlighted some of
them below.
Administration
Public Information: In 2025, the San Luis Obispo Fire Department (SLOFD) continued to expand
its Public Information services by increasing the Department’s communications capacity and
public outreach efforts. This included an expanded social media presence, supported by a
comprehensive social media calendar integrated into the City’s master communications
calendar. The Department’s Administrative Specialist was responsible for social media content
creation and external written communications, while the Emergency Manager conducted in-
person television and radio interviews and served as the primary public-facing spokesperson. The
Department also continued preparedness and safety interviews on KVEC and KNEWS radio. Since
the Public Information Officer (PIO) role was formalized in late 2019, SLOFD has steadily improved
its ability to deliver accurate, timely, and reliable information to the media and the public.
Effective public information plays a critical role in reducing the severity of emergencies by
educating the community in advance and enabling informed decision-making during incidents.
Department social media analytics indicate that nearly percent of SLOFD’s followers are
residents of the City of San Luis Obispo, demonstrating strong local reach and engagement.
Operations
Emergency Response: In 2025, SLOFD responded to 7,344 incidents from four strategically placed
fire stations throughout the City. This number is 4.85 percent higher than in 2024. Emergency
response was accomplished with a daily minimum staffing of fourteen sworn personnel. To help
maintain this daily minimum, the City continued its investment in two important programs: a
functional movement program to reduce the occurrence and severity of physical injuries, and a
Peer Support Team Program to maintain the mental health and well-being of department
personnel.
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Open Space Rescue Operations: In 2025, the
Fire Department’s Urban Search and Rescue
(USAR) Team continued to play a vital role in
protecting the lives of both visitors and
residents. Members of the USAR Team receive
specialized training in complex and technical
rescue operations and participate in the San
Luis Obispo County Regional USAR Team. The
team consists of nine members, which
increases the likelihood that multiple USAR
specialists will be on duty on any given day,
thereby increasing the Fire Department’s
operational readiness. The Fire Department, along with its USAR Team members, responded to
thirteen technical rescues and medical emergencies in open space areas in and around the City
during 2025. Significant incidents included rescues on Cerro San Luis (Madonna Mountain),
Bishop Peak, Irish Hills, Cal Poly, and Reservoir Canyon.
The Fire Department’s open space rescue programs continue to evolve. Many of these rescues,
particularly around Bishop Peak, require the use of a helicopter to locate, access, and transport
victims. The Fire Department works closely with, and trains frequently alongside, the California
Highway Patrol, which operates the rescue helicopter in the county. In addition to this
collaboration with CHP for air resources, two key contributors to the continued success of the
Fire Department’s open space rescue program have been the E-Bike Program and the Utility
Terrain Vehicle (UTV) program. Both pieces of equipment have been invaluable in locating,
transporting, and caring for people in open space in a timely manner. The UTV program is also
utilized through Mutual Aid to assist neighboring fire departments.
Mobile Crisis Unit: The Mobile Crisis Unit
(MCU) responds to behavioral health
incidents both proactively and reactively.
Law Enforcement (LE) and Fire Service (FS)
resources are often called to assist
individuals in crisis, serving as a one-size-
fits-all solution for issues ranging from
homelessness to mental illness and
addiction. As a result, many individuals are
not connected to the most appropriate
resources available. To provide more
tailored support, the MCU pairs a
Community Resources Services Specialist
with a Fire Department intern and, as of October 2024, a Licensed Psychiatric Technician from
County Behavioral Health. This model enhances service for those in need while reducing reliance
on LE and FS resources, which have limited tools to address individuals in crisis.
The MCU is staffed during peak activity hours, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday,
based on current SLOPD and SLOFD response data. Implementation of a 24/7 service may
Open Space Rescue and Expanded Technical Rescue Team
Mobile Crisis Unit
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eventually be warranted, depending on the program’s ability to meet community needs, reduce
LE and FS resource impacts, and decrease hospitalization and arrest/jail time.
In 2025, the MCU responded to a total of 143 calls for service and 2,234 field contacts. These
field contacts enabled the MCU to provide transport to alternate facilities (other than local
hospital emergency departments) a total of 69 times. Working with stakeholders, the MCU Team
also facilitated the reunification of 25 individuals with their family, friends, or other out-of-area
support networks.
Training
Climate Adaptation and Safety Element (CASE) Program OP-7.18 “Staff Training,” states that the
City will train firefighters, police officers, building inspectors, and public works and utilities staff
to levels appropriate for their tasks and responsibilities. As of 2025, the Fire Department
employed 49 sworn positions and 12.5 non-sworn positions for a total of 57.5 full-time
employees.
Fire Department employees logged nearly 19,121 hours of training in 2025. Employees eligible
to participate in the Joint Apprenticeship Committee (JAC) registered a total of 9,942 hours in
2025. The JAC provides reimbursable funds back to the department. JAC training resulted in over
$47,000 in funds returned to the department in 2025, a $15,000 increase from 2024. These funds
are held by the JAC program and can be used to support the department’s training program upon
approval from the sub-JAC committee, which is comprised of department and labor group
leadership. The department has also reached an Instructional Service Agreement (ISA) with Allan
Hancock College, which allows it to receive compensation for the training of personnel who do
not qualify for the JAC program.
Non-sworn employees attended several key training courses in 2025 to maintain skill levels
appropriate for their tasks and responsibilities. Some of this training included attendance at the
biannual California Conference of Arson Investigators and State Fire Investigation training. Our
Fire Mechanic staff attended training to maintain their certifications and to learn about new
technologies in fire apparatus, including electric fire apparatus, which are becoming more
common across the nation.
Training Officer: The Training Captain oversees the Injury Prevention Program, which has
continued to show success in reducing hours lost to work-related injuries. Prior to the start of the
program in 2019, the Fire Department recorded 11,550 hours of work comp time lost. In 2025,
comp time hours lost decreased to 3,487 hours, a 70 percent reduction. The new positions help
provide consistent and reliable administration and coordination of all mandatory, recertification,
and recommended in-service training and safety programs for emergency response, which is
necessary as the increasing complexity and evolving service demands call for specialized
instruction. In addition, the Fire Training and Safety Officer responds to emergency incidents in
the primary role of operational support and as the incident safety officer, identifying and
addressing preventable accidents or potentially unsafe situations.
The Training Captain oversaw a four-person recruit academy and continues to provide oversight
of probationary firefighters during their rotations and testing at the six- and twelve-month marks
of their probation.
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As part of the Injury Prevention Program, a new vendor,
Pinnacle Fitness, provides more comprehensive physical
examinations for all suppression members and fire
prevention staff. The vendor offers in-house blood
testing, physical exams, fitness assessments, cancer
screening, hearing screening, and vision screening. The
increased cancer screening aligns with NFPA
recommendations for professional firefighters.
The Deputy Chief manages the Fire Intern Program. In
2025, the Fire Department employed five interns,
sponsoring two interns through a Firefighter 1 academy
at Allan Hancock College. The program was expanded to
include the fire prevention bureau, mechanic shop,
MCU, and emergency management division. Fire interns
were able to interview for areas in which they had particular interest or experience. Through the
internship program, the Fire Department is a certified internship site for Cal Poly psychology
students, currently providing a six-month internship for a psychology student.
Interagency Training: The Training Division coordinated joint training with inter and intra-
departmental entities, preparing our employees for all types of emergencies. Those included:
• USAR H70 Helicopter Training - Irish Hills
• Open Space Mapping - City GIS Department
• County Structure Burn: Prepares members to extinguish and rescue victims from live
structure fires.
• Cal Poly Response: Training on Cal Poly Campus for various disciplines including open space
rescue, technical rescue on campus, industrial accidents at the new dorm construction site,
and large scale MCI response.
Wellness and Fitness Initiative (WFI): The WFI program was created in 2018 to enhance the
fitness, health, and wellness of Fire Department emergency response staff, strengthening the
department’s ability to provide service to the community. In 2025, the wellness team helped
provide funding for more comprehensive annual physical exams.
California Incident Command Certification System (CICCS): The California Incident Command
Certification System (CICCS) is a cooperative effort between the State Fire Marshal’s Office and
the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, Fire and Rescue Branch. CICCS is an all-
hazard qualification and certification system that enhances the State of California’s ability to
deploy firefighting resources to complex and catastrophic incidents with trained and qualified
personnel. The system includes the development of personnel in key field positions of the ICS
system, as well as minimum training standards, qualifications, and experience requirements
when assigned to wildland/urban interface incidents.
To achieve these standards and qualifications, personnel must meet the minimum requirements
for each ICS position they choose to work in. Prospective candidates are required to complete
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multiple week-long classes, then submit an application that includes certifications from the
required classes, documentation of experience, and a letter of support from their respective fire
department. This application is reviewed by the CICCS committee for approval to become a
trainee in the position. Trainees are then required to open a task book, which involves
participating in all-hazard incidents under the supervision of a trainer. During this period, trainees
are taught and evaluated on specific aspects of the position. Completing the task book often
takes two or more years and multiple incident assignments. Once the task book is complete, all
documentation is submitted to the CICCS committee for final review and approval to work in the
position.
These expanded roles provide personnel with greater depth of knowledge and qualifications,
which further enhance departmental capabilities. By being qualified in multiple ICS positions,
personnel can serve both within their department and in other jurisdictions in the event an
incident, improving overall emergency response capacity.
Emergency Management
Climate Adaptation & Safety Element (CASE) Policy OP-7.1, Emergency Preparedness and
Response, ensures that the City of San Luis Obispo and all relevant City departments maintain
adequate planning, organization, and resources to effectively prepare for and respond to
emergencies. In 2025, City staff made significant progress toward meeting this policy through
coordinated planning, training, public education, and emergency readiness initiatives, as
summarized below.
Coordinated Emergency Planning & Training: CASE Program OP-7.15 directs the City to operate
within the Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS), the National Incident
Management System (NIMS), the National Response Framework (NRF), and to participate in
periodic, multi-jurisdictional disaster response exercises. CASE Program OP-7.18 further requires
the City to conduct Emergency Operations and Emergency Services response exercises for non-
nuclear hazards, while also coordinating participation in required nuclear disaster preparedness
exercises.
In , the City’s Emergency Manager ensured that the Fire Department maintained an effective
and comprehensive emergency management program, including emergency planning, training,
staff preparedness, community preparedness, and hazard mitigation project support. During the
year, the Emergency Manager and San Luis Obispo Fire Department staff participated in multiple
functional and full-scale emergency exercises, including a FEMA-evaluated Emergency
Monitoring and Decontamination (EMAD) drill coordinated by the San Luis Obispo County Office
of Emergency Services, a Cal Poly full-scale Emergency Operations Center (EOC) exercise, a City
of San Luis Obispo EOC drill, and a First Responder Point of Distribution (FRPOD) drill focused on
vaccine administration. These exercises strengthened interagency coordination, tested
emergency communications and decision-making processes, and reinforced operational
readiness across departments and partner agencies.
The Fire Department continued close coordination with all City departments to ensure that
employees, including City Council members, completed required SEMS and NIMS training.
Completion of this training is a prerequisite for eligibility for Federal Emergency Management
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Agency (FEMA) disaster assistance. Staff also worked closely with Human Resources to integrate
required disaster training into onboarding for new employees. This program will continue to
expand with additional Disaster Service Worker (DSW) training citywide.
The Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) describes the City of San Luis Obispo’s policies and concept
of operations for responding to major emergencies or disasters that could affect the health,
safety, and property of the public within the City and exceed the capabilities of day-to-day city
operations. The EOP includes hazard-specific annexes, including Earthquake, Hazardous
Materials, Multiple Casualty, Transportation, Fire, Civil Disturbance-Terrorism-Active Shooter,
Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant, Adverse Weather, Extended Utility Disruption, and
Pandemic. This plan will be reviewed and exercised periodically and revised as necessary to
satisfy changing conditions and needs.
Preparedness Education: CASE Program MH-1.10
directs the City to work with community
organizations to educate residents and households
on strategies to increase preparedness for
emergency events and climate-related impacts. In
2025, the Fire Department conducted a broad range
of public education and outreach efforts to improve
community disaster readiness. These efforts included
wildfire preparedness events, community flood
readiness outreach, the Fire Department’s annual
Fire Prevention Week Open House, participation in a
Parks & Recreation Monday Meet-Up event, and
continued support of Firewise neighborhood
education and engagement activities, including the
countywide AlertSLO public notification program.
In addition, the Emergency Manager conducted
multiple preparedness-focused radio and television
interviews to provide timely safety messaging and
emergency preparedness information to the public.
Staff also delivered preparedness presentations to
the Downtown Business Association, church groups,
and other community organizations, helping to
extend preparedness messaging to residents, businesses, and vulnerable populations.
Staff continued to disseminate preparedness flyers and videos developed through the Prepare
SLO campaign to ensure the public had access to current and reliable information. These
resources are available through the Fire Department’s website and social media platforms and
support ongoing community awareness and resilience efforts.
SLO Fire Dept. Preparedness Education
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Risk Reduction and Fire Prevention
Hazard Mitigation: The most recent update of the City’s
Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP) was completed in 2025 as the
Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan, which is
pending adoption by the City Council after review and
approval by the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) and the California Office of Emergency Services
(CalOES). This HMP serves as the mandatory update to the
City’s 2020 Local Hazard Mitigation Plan. The HMP is
incorporated by reference into the CASE and should be
consulted when addressing known hazards to ensure the
general health and safety of people within the City of San
Luis Obispo. It provides guidance on how to reduce the
community’s vulnerability to natural hazards. The plan calls
for annual stakeholder meetings at the County level to
review progress and identify collaborative opportunities.
The City is required to maintain a current HMP, which must be updated every five years, and in
2023 signed a letter of commitment to participate in the 2025 MJHMP update with the County
of San Luis Obispo. Maintaining a current HMP allows the City to apply for State and Federal
reimbursement in the event of a disaster.
Program FI-5.12 of the CASE states that the City should continue to implement the City’s
Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) to reduce wildfire risk in the City’s wildland-urban
interface, including implementation of the CWPP Tactical Policy Measures that focus on four key
policy areas: community education, fuels management, planning, and emergency response
preparedness. As part of hazard mitigation, SLOFD finalized the City’s first CWPP in July 9. The
CWPP is a collaborative plan designed to guide the City in addressing fire protection planning
efforts to minimize wildfire risk to watershed lands, assets, firefighters, and the public. It presents
the City’s physical and social characteristics, wildfire history, and evaluates landscape-scale fire
hazard variables; utilizes priority landscape datasets to assess wildfire risk; identifies strategic
measures for reducing structural ignitability; provides guidance for public education and
outreach; and identifies fuel reduction goals and techniques for minimizing wildfire risk. The
CWPP is intended to be a living document, managed and updated by the Fire Department with
stakeholder input and involvement.
Staff utilized the plan to act in 2025 to guide public education and fuel reduction efforts. City staff
continued to provide wildfire preparedness tools to the community through news releases,
webinars, social media, and a Wildfire Readiness Night held in June. The Fire Department also
coordinated with the Office of Sustainability and Natural Resources and the Parks and Recreation
Ranger Service to conduct fuel reduction efforts along San Luis Obispo Creek, the Irish Hills Open
Space, San Luis Drive, and Cerro San Luis Open Space.
Multi-Dwelling Property Inspection Program: Under the direction of the Fire Marshal, the Fire
Prevention Bureau inspects all multi-dwelling properties (three or more units) in the City to
ensure that they meet fire and life safety standards set by the California Fire Code. This state-
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mandated program helps safeguard residents and visitors who patronize local hotels and
generates approximately $350,000 in annual revenue to offset implementation costs. The Fire
Prevention Bureau conducted inspections of apartments, hotels, and fraternity and sorority
houses in 2025, achieving 100 percent compliance.
Fire and Life Safety Inspections: In 2025, 1,800 inspections were completed in the City of San
Luis Obispo. These inspections included new and existing businesses, annual inspections, and fire
and life safety systems. The Fire Prevention Bureau (FPB) maintained a 97 percent compliance
rate for all fire and life safety systems in the City. Life safety systems include fire sprinklers, fire
detection systems, and commercial kitchen hood systems. FPB staff also completed 428.66 hours
of plan review. A portion of these inspections resulted in Fire Code operating permits, generating
approximately $100,000 in annual revenue.
Hazardous Materials Inspections: The Fire Prevention Bureau serves as a “Participating Agency”
in the County’s Certified Unified Program Agency (CUPA). Businesses that use or store hazardous
materials in appreciable quantities, generate hazardous waste, or operate underground or
aboveground petroleum storage tanks are subject to inspection. The Hazardous Materials
Coordinator conducted 325 facility inspections in 2025, an increase from 288 in 2024; of these,
109 were also Fire Department Operational Permitted Programs. The overall program generated
approximately $214,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2024-2025.
Vegetation Management: In July 2025, the
Fire Prevention Bureau took a proactive
role in weed abatement. The Bureau
mailed 76 courtesy letters to property
owners with a history of enforcement. Due
to the early notification, only two dozen
follow-up enforcement actions were
required, resulting in compliance within 30
days. Vegetation management achieved
100 percent compliance across the City.
The Fire Department continued to support
the Natural Resources and Parks and
Recreation Ranger Service in fuel-
reduction projects within City-owned open
space and creek corridors. In 2025, City staff conducted fuel reduction work along the Bob Jones
Bike Trail and San Luis Obispo Creek between Prado Road, Los Osos Valley Road, and San Luis
Drive. Staff removed dead and downed material and smaller vegetation from the creek, creating
a shaded fuel break along the creek corridor behind the Water Resource Recovery Facility and
other nearby critical facilities.
Fuel reduction efforts also continued in the Bowden Ranch Open Space and Cerro San Luis
Natural Reserve, with support from Ranger Service’s Open Space Technicians (supplemental staff
positions) and assistance from California Conservation Corps crews. In the fall of 2024, staff
received notification of a grant award from CalFIRE to purchase two large woodchippers to
Bob Jones Trail
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support hazardous fuel reduction in high-fire-risk creek areas. The chippers were received in late
2025 and will be fully implemented in 2026.
In 2025, the Fire Department worked closely with the County Fire Safe Council to support
vegetation management projects through 2026, including planning and fuel-reduction efforts to
reduce wildfire threats surrounding the City, with a strong focus on the Irish Hills, Miossi Ranch,
and Reservoir Canyon areas. Grants secured through the Fire Safe Council funded hazardous tree
removal throughout the City and grazing along San Luis Obispo and Prefumo creeks.
Fire Hazard Severity Zones and WUI Code Implementation: In March 2025, the State of California
released updated Fire Hazard Severity Zone (FHSZ) maps reflecting the latest science on wildfire
behavior, climate conditions, topography, and vegetation. These updated maps identify areas of
elevated wildfire risk within the City of San Luis Obispo and serve as the regulatory basis for future
wildfire-related planning, development standards, and community risk-reduction efforts. The
maps identify more than 2,800 parcels within the City limits that fall within the Very High Fire
Hazard Severity Zone (VHFHSZ).
Following the release of the maps, the 2025
California Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI)
Code was issued at the state level for
adoption and implementation by cities
beginning in January 2026. In October, City
staff held a public study session with the City
Council to explain the updated fire hazard
maps and WUI code requirements and to
clarify how state standards are applied and
interpreted locally. This session was
intended to support transparency, technical
understanding, and informed policy
decision-making.
In November 2025, the City Council formally
adopted the 2025 California WUI Code,
along with the updated 2025 California
Building and Fire Codes. Before and after
adoption, the City leveraged publications,
public messaging, and community outreach to inform residents, property owners, and
development professionals about the changes and their future implications.
To further support community preparedness and compliance, the Fire Department was awarded
a FEMA Fire Prevention and Safety Grant in 2025. This funding enables the Department to begin
offering voluntary Detailed Home Assessments to property owners, providing site-specific
guidance on defensible space and home-hardening measures. These assessments are intended
to help residents prepare for future wildfire resilience requirements, including anticipated
legislation related to Zone 0 ember-resistant standards.
2025 Local Responsibility Area Fire Hazard Severity Zone Map
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Critical Facilities Locations and Reducing Structural Hazards:
CASE Program OP-7.12 identifies City facilities that are essential
to community function and emergency response and directs the
City to avoid locating new critical facilities within designated
flood hazard areas, wildfire hazard zones, earthquake fault zones,
or other special hazard areas. Where critical facilities are already
located within these zones, the program requires the City to
identify and, where feasible, implement mitigation strategies to
reduce associated hazard impacts.
In 2022, City staff initiated a project in coordination with the
California Joint Powers Insurance Authority (CJPIA) to install
seismic sensors in select critical facilities to support rapid post-
earthquake assessment of potential structural impacts. The
sensors were installed, and the project was completed in 2024. In 2025, the devices were
removed following the evaluation period, with lessons learned informing future approaches to
post-earthquake structural assessment and critical facility resilience.
Police Department
CASE Program 9.4 states that the City will train police
officers and other City employees to levels appropriate
for their tasks and responsibilities. In 2025, the Police
Department employed 63 sworn positions and 34 non-
sworn positions, for a total of 97 full-time employees.
As noted in the 2018 Capital Facilities Fee Program
Nexus Study (i.e. AB 1600 Nexus Study), the service
population totals a combined 72,800 workers and
residents. With the current 63 sworn officers, the service
level is a ratio of 0.87 sworn officers per 1,000 service
population. At General Plan buildout, the service
population is forecasted to grow by approximately 15,500 persons. If the same service level ratio
is applied, the City would need 13 additional sworn officers by 2035.
The Police Department had 59 sworn officers back in 2002 and has not experienced significant
sustained growth in personnel over the past 20 years, while the City has continued to grow in
area and population. In 2024, the Police Department completed a comprehensive staffing study
that was presented to the City Council in January 2025. The study recommended 55 action items
for the Department, including the addition of 14 full-time employees to enhance service delivery
to the community, 11 of whom would be police officers.
In 2025, the Police Department completed its second year of work effort on the five-year
strategic plan. Year 1 and 2 action items included completion of a department-wide staffing
study; use of data-driven policing tools to reduce crime; establishment of an online recruitment
portal to enhance hiring efforts; improvements to the Department’s physical fitness facility;
development of a central resource guide for employee wellness information; updates to body-
SafeHub Seismic Sensor
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worn and in-car camera systems; exploration of options to enhance community communication;
expansion of community presence; and enhancement of the Department’s training program.
Staff Training: The California Commission on Peace
Officer Standards and Training (POST), which mandates
minimum content and hours for basic and in-service
training, also regulates the training of police officers and
communication technicians. In 2025, the Police
Department maintained compliance with POST
requirements for in-service training hours by sending
employees to POST-certified courses on various topics -
costs of which were reimbursed by POST - and by
providing in-house training. Employees utilized a
combination of online, in-person, and SLOPD-hosted
training to ensure all staff maintained their required
training hours.
In 2025, the Department continued its commitment to having 100 percent of staff trained in Crisis
Intervention Training (CIT). New employees are sent to CIT training as soon as possible to
maintain a fully trained CIT staff. The primary goal of CIT is to reduce injuries to officers and
mental health consumers during interactions, while appropriately redirecting consumers from
the judicial system to services and support needed to stabilize them and reduce future police
contact. CIT training ranges from 8 to 40 hours depending on the course, and the San Luis Obispo
Police Department is committed to ensuring all staff receive the full 40-hour course as soon as
possible.
The San Luis Obispo Police Department (SLOPD) also conducts in-house training using employees
who are certified instructors in a variety of police-related functions, including defensive tactics,
mobile field force, active shooter response, and firearms use. In addition to standard police
training, the Department continues to support training efforts related to the Peer Support Team,
which was created to assist officers following tragic or traumatic events. The Peer Support Team
is trained to address a wide variety of issues and can provide direct counseling or refer individuals
to appropriate resources. The team also produces a monthly employee wellness newsletter to
provide ongoing outreach and information to staff. Additionally, Peer Support has shared its
expertise and experience with surrounding law enforcement agencies in response to critical
incidents in those jurisdictions.
Mutual and Automatic Aid – Police: Section 9.10 of the CASE indicates that the City will work
with other jurisdictions to obtain and maintain adequate mutual-aid and automatic-aid
agreements. The Police Department provides officers to assist surrounding law enforcement
agencies with various special events, including parades, protests, and large-scale investigations.
Typically, officers assist many local police departments, including Santa Maria, Pismo Beach, Paso
Robles, Morro Bay, Atascadero, the California Highway Patrol, and the County Sheriff’s
Department. In return, many of these agencies assist SLOPD with several of its large-scale events,
including St. Patrick’s Day and the annual Holiday Parade.
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Since 2008, the City has participated in a regional Special Weapons and Tactics Team (Regional
SWAT). The Regional SWAT team allows participating cities to leverage limited resources and
maximize coordination and specialized expertise during critical incidents. The SWAT team
responds to incidents throughout the county and conducts twice-monthly training exercises,
along with scenario-based training days in conjunction with the City’s Crisis Negotiation Team.
Community Action Team (CAT): The CAT Team continues to identify problems and crime trends
that negatively impact the quality of life for residents, business owners, and visitors. The Team
works collaboratively with patrol officers, investigators, the Neighborhood Outreach Manager,
other City departments (Fire, Ranger Service, Public Works and Utilities, Community
Development), social service providers, business groups, and other governmental agencies as
appropriate to provide a trauma-informed care approach that connects the City’s most
vulnerable residents to resources and services. The CAT Team has focused on individuals involved
in adverse and repetitive criminal activities that negatively affect the community. In 2025, CAT
engaged with 798 individuals and made 164 treatment referrals to mental health and substance
abuse services. Additionally, CAT facilitated two family reunifications for individuals experiencing
homelessness.
The CAT Team includes one police officer, a Community Resources Officer, a Licensed Psychiatric
Technician from County Behavioral Health, and a Community Resources and Services Specialist.
Community Service Officers: The growth and
rebranding of the Community Services Officer
(CSO) program, formerly known as Field Service
Technician (FST), was a strategic expansion aimed
at tripling the program's capacity and enhancing
the City’s commitment to the well-being of the
Downtown Core and the broader community.
Since then, the CSO program has played a pivotal
role in delivering personalized services to the
business community, residents, and visitors.
The primary objective of CSOs is to address
quality-of-life issues efficiently. These non-sworn
officers promptly respond to both non-criminal
and criminal infractions, including, but not limited
to, drinking, smoking, noise disturbances, blocking
the right-of-way, and minor disturbances of the peace. In 2025, the CSO program demonstrated
significant impact and success in addressing crime and quality-of-life issues. CSOs have effectively
responded to infractions and misdemeanors, contributing to a safer and more harmonious
downtown environment. That year, CSOs issued 443 citations for offenses such as public alcohol
consumption, littering, smoking, and unregistered vehicles, along with 189 cite-and-release
arrests for alcohol, drugs, theft, tows, and trespassing. While many of these incidents reflect their
dedicated efforts downtown, enforcement has been carried out citywide, and their presence has
been felt through the rapid resolution of incidents.
Community Service Officer Team, 2024
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CSOs have actively engaged in building effective partnerships with various community
stakeholders. This collaborative approach not only fosters a sense of community but also allows
sworn police officers to concentrate on more serious calls for service. The CSO team maintains a
visible presence in the community, utilizing a range of patrol tactics, including bikes, vehicles, and
predominantly foot patrols. CSOs have proven to be a force multiplier for the Police Department,
and the strategic allocation of these resources has improved overall service delivery, providing
assistance more efficiently.
The success of the expanded CSO program over the past few years represents a significant step
toward creating a safer, more vibrant downtown community. This initiative has strengthened the
bond between law enforcement and the community, fostering a collaborative and secure
environment for all.
Neighborhood Wellness
Land Use Element Program 2.14 states that the City will help identify neighborhood problems
and undertake a wide range of focused development review, capital improvement, and code
enforcement efforts to help residents preserve and enhance their neighborhoods.
Code Enforcement – Community Development Department
The City’s Code Enforcement Office reports directly to the Community Development
Department’s Chief Building Official and is responsible for prioritizing, responding to,
investigating, and enforcing the validity of all reported violations relating to several regulations.
It is the goal of code enforcement to gain compliance utilizing the lowest level of enforcement
mechanisms and techniques possible. Staff is responsible for ensuring compliance with state and
local laws relating to:
• Building and Zoning Requirements
• Property Maintenance
• Graffiti
• Abandoned Shopping Carts
• Conditional Approvals and Permits
• Setbacks, Fence Height
• Polystyrene/ Straws/Water bottle
• Signs
• Land Use
• Health & Safety Concerns
• Unpermitted Construction
• Improper Occupancy
• Substandard Buildings
• Dangerous or Unsecured Buildings
• Animal & Waste
• Noise & Odor
In 2025, Code Enforcement staff responded to 1,259 requests for investigation. This represents
a 9.9% decrease compared to the previous calendar year; however, compared to the last five
years, it represents a 121% overall increase from 2021-2025. In total, 163 Neighborhood
Preservation cases and 183 additional Code Enforcement cases were opened during 2025.
Additionally, 278 investigation requests resulted in confirmed violations and were resolved
without escalated enforcement, resulting in a total of 624 cases addressing confirmed violations,
as shown below in Table 15.
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Table 15 - Code Enforcement Statistics, 2021-2025
Source: Community Development Department, 2025
Neighborhood Outreach – Police Department
Police Department SNAP employees (Student Neighborhood Assistance Program) continue to
conduct parking enforcement and respond to noise complaints in neighborhoods during evening
hours. In 2025, SNAP responded to 570 noise complaints and issued 300 Disturbance Advisement
Cards (DACs). DACs are formal warnings that carry no financial penalty but place the property on
the noise “no warning” list; future noise complaints are investigated by patrol. SNAP also
continued parking enforcement in residential districts, issuing 3,626 citations in 2025 for
violations such as no permit, fire lanes, blocking hydrants, and parking in disabled spaces without
placard.
In June 2025, Wilshire Community Services declared bankruptcy and closed. The SLO Solutions
community mediation program, run by Creative Mediation was part of Wilshire, ceased
operations with the closure. In December 2025, the Police Department, in collaboration with City
Administration, Cal Poly, and Cuesta College, began discussions on revitalizing the community
mediation program.
Data for the first six months of 2025 for the SLO Solutions program was not available.
Noise abatement in neighborhoods continues to be a priority for maintaing civility and
community wellness. Figure 3 below provides a monthly overview of noise complaints
throughout the year.
Voluntary party registration remains an effective tool for residents hosting social gatherings at
their homes. Registration allows residents to notify SLOPD of their event so that, if a noise
complaint is received, police dispatch can call the host and issue a 20-minute warning to reduce
noise. In 2025, 4,453 party registration applications were received, 353 applications were
approved, 50 warning calls were made, and six citations were issued to party hosts who did not
heed their warning.
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Figure 3 - Monthly Noise Party Calls for Service, 2025
Conservation & Open Space
Conservation and Open Space Protection was identified as a Major City Goal (Climate Action,
Open Space, and Sustainable Transportation) in the Fiscal Year 2023-2025 Financial Plan, as well
as the new 2025-27 Financial Plan (Open Space, Climate Action, and Resilience). The General Plan
includes numerous goals, policies, and programs focused on open space protection. These
policies apply to sensitive lands within the City’s urban reserve, as well as to land in the San Luis
Obispo Greenbelt that is protected for its biological, agricultural, aesthetic, and watershed
protection value. Further details are provided in the Land Use and Circulation Element and the
Conservation and Open Space Element. Highlights for 2025 include:
• Righetti Hill: On May 13, 2025, the
City hosted a ribbon-cutting
ceremony for Righetti Hill Open
Space and officially opened the 51-
acre property to the public. The site,
one of San Luis Obispo’s striking
Morros, features over two miles of
sustainably built trails. The City
received a dedication of Righetti Hill
within the Orcutt Area Specific Plan
and Natural Resources, along with
the Ranger Service staff to establish
a new open space and trail system. The Righetti Hill Open Space Conservation Plan was
Righetti Hill Open Space Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony
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adopted by the City Council in 2023. Phase 1 of the trail system and trailhead was completed
in early 2024, with additional trails finished in 2025.
• City Farm SLO: The City continued to support and partner with City Farm SLO to deliver
sustainable agriculture education for students and the community, while producing healthy
local food. In early 2022, a 40-year lease extension was granted to City Farm SLO reflecting
the successful long-term partnership and City Farm SLO’s plans for significant capital
improvements at the property. In 2024, City Council authorized a financial contribution by
the City of San Luis Obispo to complete additional road maintenance on the driveway access
from the end of Calle Joaquin to provide a 20-foot-wide all-weather access road on the City
owned property. City Farm is currently constructing a 2,000 square foot agricultural pole
barn structure onsite for storage and wash/pack operations for the farm. Architectural
review was completed by the City in 2025 and 2026, as required by the lease agreement,
and Building permits were issued for the new structure. The pole barn is being funded by a
grant from the State of California Department of Food and Agriculture. In 2025, the City
Council approved a lease amendment with City Farm SLO to include an additional 1.5 ac res
to their area, and City Farm SLO was successful in securing a $75,000 grant from the
California Farmland Conservancy Program, to activate this site for farming. The City will
continue to further augment the efforts at the City Farm site with in-kind services and
support as part of the Major City Goal work program.
• Invasive Species and Restoration: The City continued invasive species vegetation control,
focusing on French broom along Froom, Prefumo, and San Luis Obispo Creeks. Once the
invasive plants were removed, native trees and vegetation were planted to restore habitat.
Restoration efforts included the installation of butterfly gardens in City and neighborhood
parks and medians to support the Mayor’s Monarch Pledge, a partnership with the National
Wildlife Federation. With the installation of educational signage (in English and Spanish) and
a demonstration nectar garden in Mission Plaza to educate visitors, staff plan to expand
planting and educational efforts along the Mission Plaza Walkway with grant funding
secured.
• Cultural Fire: In December 2025, the City
hosted a cultural burn at Johnson Ranch
Open Space. The burn was conducted by the
yak titʸu titʸu yak tiłhini Northern Chumash
Tribe (ytt) with support from CalFIRE. It was
the third Indigenous-led cultural fire hosted
on City Open Space since the first burn in
June 2024. In 2022, the City adopted the
Climate Adaptation and Safety Element
(CASE), which aims to incorporate
traditional ecological knowledge - such as
cultural burns - to help the community adapt
to climate change. Good fire reduces fuel
loads and decreases the likelihood of catastrophic wildfires that can cause safety risks,
Cultural Burn at Johnson Ranch Open Space
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property damage, and poor air quality. Tinɨtyu ("Good Fire") can also enhance biodiversity,
increase the abundance of foraged food, encourage the growth of high-quality plant
material, reduce plant diseases and insect infestations, and improve hunting conditions.
• Johnson Ranch Riparian Restoration: In
2025, the City continued implementing
restoration work at Johnson Ranch. This
project is funded by a $250,000 grant from
the Wildlife Conservation Board and Point
Blue Conservation Science. The approach
relies heavily on City partners, such as ytt,
who are leading perennial grassland
restoration efforts on the banks of Dry
Creek, while Nature’s Engineers installed
and are maintaining 30 Beaver Dam Analogs
(BDAs) in Dry Creek to retain water longer into the dry season, improve groundwater
recharge, and improve steelhead habitat. ECOSLO is leading volunteer-driven native tree and
shrub plantings in the creek corrridor. Together, these restoration activities sequester
carbon while making Dry Creek and Johnson Ranch more resilient to climate change. Staff
also continue to engage Cal Poly professors and students to provide hands-on education through
the “Learn by Doing” approach in open space monitoring and restoration projects.
• Staff continued to support the Public Works and Utilities Department in implementing the
Stormwater Management Program as required by the Regional Water Quality Control Board
(RWQCB). The program focuses on improving stormwater quality through Best Management
Practices (BMPs), including construction site monitoring, municipal operations,
development review, litter control, installation of projects addressing the Pathogen TMDL,
and public participation to reduce pollution runoff.
• Staff continued steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and Pacific lamprey (Entosphenus
tridentatus) surveys along San Luis Obispo and Stenner Creeks with biologists from the
California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
(USFWS). Staff collaborated with CDFW to tag juvenile steelhead to better understand
migratory patterns, timing, and population trends, and to expand future monitoring efforts.
• Staff also began cataloging potential sites for new oak trees planting and initiated installation
of oaks to expand the existing oak forest on several City open space properties, including
Terrace Hill, Bowden Ranch, and Cerro San Luis. These projects were completed in
collaboration with Rotary clubs, volunteers, and the California Conservation Corps and will
support the City’s “ Tall” goal of planting , trees by .
• City staff partnered with the California Conservation Corps (CCC) through the Greenhouse
Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) program to help implement the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI)
and Integrated Vegetation Management Plan for Open Space Lands of San Luis Obispo.
Through this partnership, CCC members worked in Bowden Ranch to remove dead, downed,
Johnson Ranch Open Space
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and burned material as well as ladder fuels following the October 2023 Lizzie Fire. Staff also
collaborated with the FireSafe Council and PG&E on a major fuel reduction and cleanup
effort in response to the fire and continue to additional projects to enhance community
protection along the WUI.
Parks & Recreation
Throughout 2025, the Parks and Recreation Department offered programs and activities in
senior programming, youth activities, and family-friendly community events, with an emphasis
on community building to support objectives associated with the Parks and Recreation Blueprint
for the Future (Element and General Plan), Major City Goals, and Local Revenue Measure G . The
following sections highlight the divisions and programs that support the Major City Goals and the
Parks & Recreation Blueprint for the Future.
Community Programming
Youth Sports: The City provides accessible recreational youth sports opportunities for children of
all abilities and experience levels through instructional clinics and sports leagues that focus on
building confidence, teamwork, integrity, and leadership skills. The City continues to work
collaboratively with local youth sports groups, the San Luis Coastal Unified School District
(SLCUSD), and the SLO County YMCA to meet community needs.
Youth Sports Clinics, offered by Parks and Recreation staff, continued to provide a variety of
sports and fitness activities in 2025. Throughout the year, eight separate clinics were offered
twice a week, including pickleball, soccer, basketball, t-ball, and volleyball, serving over 125 youth
athletes.
Community Services staff provided two and a half weeks of full-day Summer Sports Camp during
the summer, with 180 youth participants. This camp has quickly become a favorite summer
option and is offered during the weeks when the Youth Services traditional summer camp is not
in session, providing continuous childcare opportunities for the community.
The Sports Division continued the long-
standing San Francisco Junior Giants
summer program (baseball and
softball), serving 175 youth athletes and
over 50 volunteer coaches. This free,
non-competitive, eight-week program
focused on skills and drills, training,
gameplay, and weekly Junior Giants
topics designed to build resiliency.
Other annual youth leagues, offered in
partnership with the Channel Islands
YMCA (San Luis Obispo County), include
the Basketball and Futsal leagues. The
winter youth basketball league enrolled nearly 700 children, with 110 volunteer coaches. City
Youth Futsal Game
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staff served as weekly referees for Saturday games at five locations throughout the City. The
spring Futsal program had over 370 youth participants and 55 volunteer coaches. The Division
also provided focused, hands-on sports officials training before the start of the season and
distributed communications to families and coaches outlining expected and appropriate conduct.
Adult Sports: Adult recreational sports
continue to provide the community with
a variety of activities for both adult and
senior populations. These activities
include drop-in opportunities such as
boomer softball, ultimate frisbee, table
tennis, volleyball, dodgeball, and
basketball. Scheduled community sports
programs include adult soccer, offered
in partnership with Central Coast Soccer,
and affordable pickleball lessons
through the SLO Pickleball Club. New in
2025, the Division launched an adult
volleyball league, serving 80 players across 10 teams.
The largest and most staff-intensive adult league is the year-round softball league, which consists
of three seasons (Spring, Summer, and Fall) serving between 700 and 730 participants with 45-
50 teams per season. Games are held four nights per week, with Sports staff serving as umpires
at all locations throughout the City.
Community Building Programs:
The Department continued to assess and
expand accessible, low-cost activities that allow
the community to connect and enjoy all that San
Luis Obispo has to offer through enhanced year-
round programming.
Throughout 2025, staff coordinated popular
community events, including the Leprechaun
Lost event at the Farmer’s Market in March, the
Spring Fling and Egg Hunt at Meadow Park, and
the summer “Monday Meet-Up” nights at local
parks, featuring music, food trucks, public art
and activities. Highly attended fall events
included the September Scramble, with over
600 participants, and the October Boo Bash,
which featured a movie and haunted house and set a record attendance of over 600 community
members of all ages.
Contract Classes: The City’s external instructor partners offer a range of classes for youth and
adults. Parks and Recreation staff coordinated over 750 class registrations for courses in art,
dance, fitness, financial planning, and even surfing.
Leprechaun Lost Event at the Farmer’s Market
Softball League Champions
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Community Gardens: The five Community Gardens in the City continued to bloom with the
support of staff through regular maintenance. Staff coordinated six volunteer workdays, as well
as free composting days for gardeners through the City’s Hitachi Zosen Inova (HZI) program. With
support from the garden intern, a quarterly gardening newsletter was produced, providing
important reminders, seasonal tips and tricks, recipes, service opportunities, and highlighting a
“favorite” garden plot.
SLO Senior Center: The City continued
to support senior programming and the
Senior Center Board with a half-time
Coordinator who continues to expand
programs and services in partnership
with the Senior Board. In 2025, City
funded and coordinate programs
included:
• Family Trivia Nights: a multiage event
held 19 times throughout the year.
• Around-the-Town staff led tours; six different tours led throughout the year, including
Dalidet Adobe Gardens and a downtown public art tour.
• Family Barbecue events during the summer and winter.
• Music and dancing events: six events including a partnership with the SLO Winds
Orchestra.
• Hiking and Walking Program: 12 SLO Hikers events and 10 SLO Walkers events, each led
by City staff.
• New Yoga for Seniors (and all ages) 11-month program.
Jack House and Gardens: The Jack House Gardens event season was closed for most of 2025 due
to a roofing project from March to August. During this time, the Volunteer Coordinator worked
with the Jack House docents to inventory house items, prepare for upcoming tours, research
other historical properties, and develop a framework for succession planning for a program that
relies heavily on a volunteer docent coordinator. When the House reopened in the winter, it
hosted the annual Holidays at the Jack House over a two-month period, with weekly attendance
exceeding historical numbers, including over 120 visitors on any given Sunday.
Youth Services
School Year Childcare: During the 2024-2025 school year, childcare continued to be offered
before and after school to children enrolled in grades TK through 6th grade at five San Luis Coastal
Unified School District (SLCUSD) elementary school sites: Bishop Peak, CL Smith, Hawthorne,
Pacheco, and Sinsheimer Elementary Schools (except for Teach Elementary, whose students are
bussed to the nearby Pacheco Elementary site). To keep childcare costs low, increase access, and
Family Barbecue Event
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promote inclusion, staff continued to use a drop-in care registration system, allowing families to
pay only for the time their child attends rather than registering by week or month. While this
system requires more staff time and administrative effort, it benefits families by charging only
for care used, rather than a flat “use it or lose it” rate, and allows more children to enroll despite
fluctuating schedules.
Programs continued to operate during
traditional time frames: before school,
midday for TK and Kindergarten
students, and after school. Due to
limited facility space at each campus,
waitlists were managed throughout
the school year. District construction
projects at all of the school sites
continued, resulting in shifting spaces to provide care. At two school sites, the licensed childcare
program operated on the school stage, creating additional challenges, as the stage is a central
location used for lunch, PE, or other programming while children were present.
For the 2024-2025 school year, the District continued its partnership with the City to support
younger students. Instead of the City providing family-paid childcare during traditional TK/Kinder
program hours (8:30 a.m. to the start of the school day and from school dismissal until 2:50 p.m.),
the District used Extended Learning Opportunity Program (ELOP) funds to cover childcare for all
TK/Kindergarten students during this time. The District also extended the school day for
Kindergarten students. This arrangement resulted in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU),
with the District paying directly for the costs associated with children attending during these
program hours.
During the 2024-2025 school year, 564 children were enrolled into the City’s licensed before- and
after-school program (paid for by families or subsidized through CAPSLO or City scholarships),
with 777 time slots of care provided. In addition, 438 TK/Kindergarten children received care
during the District-paid hours (8:30 a.m.– 2:30 p.m.). Combined, the City provided daily care to
more than 863 children - the highest number to date.
Challenges in increasing attendance continued, as the school district is currently undergoing
construction at all school sites using funds from a recent bond measure. As a result, some
childcare programs have been confined to operating on a stage in a multipurpose room or sharing
a classroom, with the understanding that opportunities for growth will follow once construction
is complete.
Summer and School Break Care:
In summer of 2025, the City provided two camp models: the traditional summer camp program
(Ultimate Day Camp, or UDC) and a summer school option offered in partnership with SLCUSD
(Summer Fun Day Camp, or SFDC). UDC included seven weeks of full-day camp for approximately
105 children each week, featuring field trips, swim outings, and special on-site events.
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Staff coordinated field trips to locations
throughout the City and County, including
Mustang Waterslides, Avila Beach, the Santa
Barbara Zoo, Boomers, and Mustang Lanes,
as well as biweekly trips to the SLO Swim
Center and Sinsheimer Park. Since the
pandemic began, City transit and local buses
have not been available for summer camp
transportation. As a result, the program
incurred additional costs to hire a charter
bus, allowing children to participate in
traditional field trips, including twice-weekly
visits to the SLO Swim Center. Prior to the
pandemic, the camp was held at Sinsheimer
Elementary School, which allowed campers to walk to the SLO Swim Center. However, in summer
2025, Sinsheimer was unavailable due to construction, requiring the use of a charter bus for swim
trips. For many campers, these outings provide their only opportunity to swim recreationally
during the summer, as their families work and are unable to take them outside of camp hours.
Enrollment in the package-price program
decreased slightly in 2025, while
participation in the District’s free summer
school program increased. For SFDC,
enrollment grew as the City partnered with
the District to provide before- and after-
summer-school care at two school sites.
Although the program was free for
participating children, the District paid the
City directly for services using ELOP funds,
with more than 400 children participating at
the two sites before and after summer
school.
New this year, the District asked childcare
staff to provide a two-week “extended day”
program at SFDC. During this period, City
staff delivered curriculum for summer
school students as part of their educational
experience, rather than solely providing
before- and after-school care, Due to the
District’s need for additional staffing
support. For those two weeks, the City
served nearly 200 registered children and an additional 400 non-registered students for the full
day, while also continuing to operate the full-day UDC program.
Ultimate Day Camp Attendees
Summer Camp 2025 Enrollment Advertisement
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Other programs during the school year included Teacher Workday Camps and a week-long Spring
Break Camp for school-aged youth, collectively serving 285 participants. In addition, the Division
provides extended childcare hours during the District’s early release days, as well as numerous
onsite special events. The Division also hosted its third annual “Family Fest” in December, where
families made gingerbread houses and participated in a silent auction featuring items donated
by local businesses, with all proceeds supporting Youth Scholarships.
Subsidized Childcare: The City continues to partner with Community Action Partnership (CAPSLO)
and Childcare Resource Connection to provide subsidized childcare. Children who qualify through
CAPSLO may attend childcare at no cost, and the City applies to CAPSLO for reimbursement
(unlike other participants, who are required to pay prior to attendance). In 2025, 62 children
received subsidies through CAPSLO.
The Youth Services Division also manages a registration scholarship program. In the 2023-2025
Financial Plan, the City Council approved $20,000 for youth scholarships. In 2024-2025, 38
families received $33,500 in scholarship support.
Childcare Staff: All Youth Services programs are supported by up to 70 supplemental staff,
ranging from entry-level Childcare Aides to Childcare Head Teachers and full-time Site Directors.
Staff turnover since fall 2024 has resulted in the hiring of 200 part-time staff members during the
year. Each time a supplemental staff member is onboarded, the Youth Services administrative
team and Parks and Recreation administrative staff spend approximately 60 hours total per
employee on onboarding and training.
Staff receive ongoing instruction to ensure programs remain consistent with Department and
State licensing standards. Training topics include Positive Guidance, Safety and Accountability,
Mandated Child Abuse Reporting, and Pediatric CPR/First Aid. In addition to supplemental staff,
each school site is supervised by a Site Director who is responsible for up to 150 children
throughout the day, ensuring state licensing compliance and staff oversight. Due to current staff
shortages, all Site Directors, along with full-time positions such as Program Assistant, Recreation
Coordinator, and Recreation Supervisor, are providing direct care to children.
Volunteers & Training
The Citywide Volunteer Program continued to
expand under the leadership of the
Coordinator. Volunteers support the
advancement of City projects and Major City
Goals, working alongside staff on a regular
basis, at single-day events, and through
recurring opportunities. In 2025, an average
of 150 volunteers served each month,
contributing more than 8,600 volunteer
hours. Fifteen different City teams engaged
volunteers throughout the year.
Volunteer opportunities included recurring
administrative support across several City Volunteer Assisting with Administrative Duties
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departments, regular Trail Service Days with the Rangers, and service with the dedicated Jack
House docents. Several groups continued to participate in the Adopt-A-Park program, and due
to its success under the Volunteer Coordinator’s management, additional initiatives expanded to
include Adopt-A-Trailway and Adopt-A-Storm Drain.
Volunteers served throughout the City as visual arts volunteers, supported graffiti abatement
efforts, assisted at Whale Rock Reservoir, promoted recycling education at downtown events,
and provided coaching through sports leagues, among many other roles. Single Day of Service
opportunities included Pumpkin Smash, September Scramble, Boo Bash, Leprechaun Lost, garden
service days, public art maintenance, and more.
Open Space Maintenance
The Ranger Service accomplished significant goals in 2025, including creating new and upgraded
trails, and continued to provide educational and recreational opportunities to the San Luis Obispo
community. The City's 4,050 acres of designated open space and more than 68 miles of trails are
designed to provide access for a variety of abilities and experiences, ranging from easy to rugged
hiking trails, introductory to advanced mountain biking, and scenic pathways located within
minutes of residences and businesses.
The Ranger Service led monthly educational hikes throughout City open spaces, hosted more
than 50 community and volunteer workdays, promoted educational “Wilderness Wednesdays”
through social media to engage and educate the community, and conducted Junior Ranger
Camps during the summer. In 2025, more than 1,000 hours were devoted to public education,
focusing on conservation and the local history of flora and fauna specific to each open space
property.
Dedicated community volunteers worked alongside Ranger staff on trail maintenance projects at
Johnson Ranch and Miossi Open Spaces, the Irish Hills Natural Reserve, and a new switchback
trail in Bowden Ranch. Ranger staff also partnered with Natural Resources and the Fire
Department to support a second collaborative cultural burn with the Chumash Tribes at Johnson
Ranch Open Space in fall 2025.
A major internal project - the creation of the first
formal bike park at Laguna Lake Park - continued into
2025 with additional phases and upgrades. The project
fulfills a key objective outlined in the Parks &
Recreation Blueprint for the Future (Master Plan and
General Plan Element), as bike park amenities ranked
among the top five community requests.
The bike park includes the Mountain Bike Loop, a Kids
Pump Track, and two jump lines (Progressive and
Advance). The next phase will add an intermediate (all-
ages) pump track. In fall 2025, the Laguna Lake Bike
Park received a Facility Design Award for Innovation
from the California Parks and Recreation Society,
District 8. Laguna Lake Bike Park
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The popular Winter Evening Access (WEA) Program at Cerro San Luis Natural Reserve allows for
extended evening hours of passive recreational use along approximately 4.9 miles of City-
managed trails during the winter months (November – March), when daylight savings time is not
in effect. During this period, public use is extended to one hour before sunrise and until 8:30 p.m.
During daylight saving time, public use hours return to one hour before sunrise through one hour
after sunset. Nighttime use is by permit only and limited to 65 people per evening, based on prior
conservation review. Free permits for biking and hiking are available up to one week in advance
through the City website. Ranger staff are present at the trailhead to check permits and educate
the public during the Winter Evening Access program.
Mission Plaza Concessionaire Kiosk
After bringing the RFP forward for approval in May 2025, the City received nine vendors, five of
which were selected to move forward with in-person interviews. In late August 2025, a
committee of City staff, SLO Chamber of Commerce representatives, and Downtown SLO staff
selected Linnaea’s Café as the preferred vendor for the kiosk. The lease agreement was finalized
in December 2025. Staff anticipate that tenant improvements to the kiosk will take 3-4 months,
with a projected opening in Summer 2026. The concessionaire will collaborate with organizations
hosting special events in the plaza to support plaza activation.
Laguna Lake Dog Park
The long-awaited new dog park project
was approved for construction in fall 2024
and opened in May 2025. The three-acre
park features full perimeter fencing with
separate areas for small and large dogs.
Each area includes ground improvements
such as turf and mulch, as well as an
improved drainage system for year-round
use. New dog agility structures were
assembled through a partnership with
local organizations and schools to provide
features for play and training. The project
received a park design award from the
California Parks and Recreation Society
District 8 in November 2025.
A Good Dog Enjoying the New Agility Course
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Orcutt Area Parks (Righetti Park System)
In July 2021, the City Council approved the development
of a multi-park system as part of the Orcutt Area Specific
Plan, specifically within the Righetti Ranch
Neighborhood. The design process continued with an
in-person community workshop in April 2023, which
provided updated construction designs. The proposed
parks in this area include a comprehensive community
park, a linear park, a pocket park, and a formal trail
junction. An RFP for the project was issued in summer
2025, and the project was approved for construction,
including funding authorization for the first three of five
phases, in December 2025. Construction is set to begin
in late spring 2026, with pickleball courts, a multi-age
playground, restrooms, athletic turf fields, and bike
park features planned for completion in fall 2027. The
recreation amenities support the Parks and Recreation
Blueprint for the Future (General Plan and Element), with future phases to include tennis courts,
basketball courts, additional restrooms and parking, a dog park, and community gardens.
SLO Swim Center
In 2025, the popular SLO Swim Center continued
to provide a wide range of community-focused
aquatic opportunities, including lap swimming,
recreational swimming, group and private swim
lessons for all ages, aquatic fitness classes,
SCUBA, and various programs for the warm-
water pool. In summer 2025, the Swim Center
partnered with three nonprofit organizations -
GALA, Central Coast Autism Spectrum Center,
and SLO County Friday Night Live - to offer
unique recreational swim opportunities and
modified swim lessons throughout the year,
increasing lesson availability for the community.
The Super Rec Saturdays featured an inflatable obstacle course and family-focused themed
activities, with attendance averaging 500 to 800 participants per event. Staff also partnered with
the SLO Seahawks to operate a snack bar during each event. The Aquatics Division continues to
promote water safety through social media and the “Designated Water Watcher” program,
which can be used at alternate water locations. This program provides tools to enhance water
safety through proper swim instruction and education.
Orcutt Area Park System
Swim With Pride Rec Swim Event
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The SLO Swim Center currently serves as the lifeguard training hub for San Luis Obispo County,
with the Aquatic Coordinator acting as the regional Red Cross Instructor Trainer. This prestigious
certification allows the Swim Center to be a focal point for water safety within the region.
Laguna Lake Golf Course
The Laguna Lake Golf Course (LLGC) provides affordable
programs and services seven days per week. During the past
year, community use continued to grow, with just under
25,000 rounds played in 2025. Staff implemented a variety
of community programming at the golf course, including
upgraded mats at the driving range, seating and pitching
area improvements, all-ages golf lessons, Laguna Middle
School PE classes, the SLO High School golf program, Cal
Poly kinesiology classes, free classes for the SLO County
Special Olympics, free youth golf clinics through the First
Tee program, and hosting special events such as the
September Scramble and a county-wide cross-country
youth competition.
General maintenance and operations of the golf course
continue to be impacted by aging irrigation systems, which
require additional maintenance and increase operational
costs, as well as rising water expenses. The Pro Shop facility remains closed due to major flooding
from a significant winter storm in December 2021. Golf Operations are currently conducted from
a temporary onsite office trailer, supporting golf reservations, rentals, and merchandise sales.
Design of the new Pro Shop is scheduled to begin in mid-2026, with construction anticipated in
2026-2027.
Winter 2023 storms created a significant safety hazard for the pedestrian wooden bridge, as
creek embankments were compromised. The bridge connects holes one and two and provides
access to holes three through five. Staff modified the course to provide alternate access and
resume play for golfers. Bridge replacement is currently scheduled for summer 2026.
Public Art Program
Outreach: The City Public Art Program plays a key role in the community and supports the Major
City Goals of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and Economic Development. City collaborations
included internal partners - Public Works and Utilities, Community Development, Tourism,
Communications, and DEI - as well as external partners and collaborators, including the SLO
History Center, GALA, SLO Arts Council, The Bunker, SLO Senior Center, regional, state, and
nationwide Public Art Administrators groups (all coordinated by the City’s Public Art
Coordinator), numerous local artist groups, the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art, and many more.
Upgraded Mats at the Driving Range
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Public Art staff were invited to speak at both Laguna Middle School and SLO High School during
tutorial periods to provide an overview of the Box Art program, ways to get involved, and
opportunities for careers in the arts. Staff were also invited to present at other local and
statewide events, including the California Parks and Recreation Society Fall Forum.
Box Art Program: 2025 marked the 15th year
of the Box Art program in San Luis Obispo,
the oldest in California. This year also served
as a revitalization of the program, beginning
with the definition of “cultural districts” for
box assignments. A call for artists in the
winter/spring of 2025 resulted in over 80
submissions for 20 spots.
Prior to the close of the call, City staff, along
with local photographers, representatives
from the vinyl wrap company, and tech
experts, held workshops to support artists in submitting their work. A jury of 16 community
members - including representatives from the Chumash Tribe, local Chinese-American
community, GALA, the SLO History Center, downtown businesses, and others - spent a full day
selecting pieces based on cultural representation, diversity of expression and medium, and
overall aesthetics.
Once all boxes were installed, the City
continued to celebrate the 15th anniversary
with new swag, including playing cards and
coloring books. Additionally, the first-ever
“Meet the Artist” event was held downtown
in October 2025, during National Arts and
Humanities Month, and the annual Artist
Appreciation event in December 2025
recognized both new and deaccessioned
Box Art artists. Throughout the year, City
staff hosted numerous walking tours of Box
Art for the community, with over 20
attendees participating.
15th Anniversary of the SLO Box Art Program
Artist Melisa Beveridge with her Box Art Mural
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Other City installations and projects: The North Chorro Street underpass project was completed,
featuring the mural “In the Shadow of the Mountain” by local group Marmalade Mural Co. and
bronze work by Thiessen Metal
Works. This collaborative mixed
media art installation
celebrates one of the most
locally treasured natural
landmarks, Cerro San Luis
Obispo Mountain. The mural
depicts flora and fauna native
to the surrounding open spaces,
with each column of the
overpass highlighting a vibrant
plant or animal in a night scene
on the north side of the street or
a day scene on the south side.
Public Art staff also spent part of 2025 preparing for the community mural to be installed at
Newport Street, the first-ever community painting project. In addition, staff focused on
developing the first-ever Poetry Walk, celebrating public art in a variety of mediums.
Staff collaborated with SLO Rep staff as they began identifying a piece of art to fulfill private
development requirements, and also guided the developers of San Luis Square through the
installation of a privately funded public art piece, “The Alley Cats - All 9 Lives.”
Community Programming: Continuing the trend of community building, an artist was
commissioned to create an interactive community mural, which was transported to multiple
programs and events throughout the summer, including the four Monday Meet-Up events. This
provided opportunities for discussion and engagement.
For the second year, the City partnered
with the SLO Arts Council to offer a free
summer artist lecture series, featuring
four lectures throughout the season.
New this year, the City hired a local artist
to provide two weeks of daily art lessons
for children attending Summer Fun Day
Camp, in partnership with SLUCSD. The
artist engaged over 200 budding artists,
who created artwork inspired by the
summer camp theme.
A Portion of “In the Shadow of the Mountain”
City Volunteers Assisting with Cleaning and Waxing Downtown
Bronze Sculptures
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In 2025, the City hosted four separate service days to engage the community with art. On MLK
Day of Service, a group of individuals from the African Black Caucus participated in cleaning art.
In the spring, nearly 20 Cal Poly volunteers worked with City staff and two local fabricators,
learning how to clean and wax all the downtown bronze sculptures. Later in the fall, City staff led
another volunteer group through the cleaning and waxing of the popular Mission Plaza Bears
sculpture. Finally, volunteers spent a day with City staff cleaning downtown Box Art.
Maintenance and Infrastructure: In 2024, an artist was hired to assess and provide
recommendations for artwork with deferred maintenance. In 2025, City staff worked with local
fabricators and repair professionals to determine the priority and costs of needed repairs,
identifying two top projects based on safety concerns and deterioration: The Greys in Between
and Puck. The Seven Sisters railing on the Santa Rosa bridge received a much-needed refresh.
Ongoing graffiti abatement of murals continued throughout the year. As stated above, staff also
worked with volunteers to complete overdue cleaning and waxing of downtown sculptures.
SLOMA Partnership: In 2025, the City entered its third two-year community partnership
agreement with the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art (SLOMA). In February 2025, the public art
piece Along the Way was installed in Garden Street Alley as a temporary installation for one to
two years. SLOMA staff also worked with City staff to prepare for the installation of Shift at San
Luis Ranch, as well as the next temporary sculpture rotation at the Mission Plaza Lawn upon
completion of the Mission renovation project.
Conclusion
The City’s General Plan guides the use and protection of the City’s various resources to meet
community needs. The General Plan reflects consensus and compromise among a wide diversity
of citizen preferences within a framework established by state law. The General Plan is published
as separately adopted elements, each containing its own policies and programs. The 2025
General Plan Annual Report summarizes the progress made in 2025 on major programs specified
in the elements of the General Plan.
One purpose of the annual report is to evaluate whether actions taken during the year indicate
a change in the community’s overall vision that would require a more comprehensive update of
the General Plan. In review of the work reported on in this annual report, such a comprehensive
update is unnecessary at this time. Substantial progress was made by the City in 2025 related to
implementation of key General Plan elements. These efforts were undertaken in pursuit of the
City Council’s Major City Goals for FY 2023-2025. With the end of the 2023-2025 Financial Plan,
the City, with extensive community engagement, established the 2025-2027 Financial Plan with
a new set of Major City Goals that, as per usual, are aligned with the City’s General Plan. With
these new goals, City staff will continue to implement policies and programs related to Cultural
Vitality, Economic Resilience, and Fiscal Sustainability; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion;
Homelessness Response; Housing and Neighborhood Livability – Healthy, Safe, and Affordable;
Infrastructure and Sustainable Transportation; and Open Space, Climate Action, and Resilience.
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Progress on implementation of these goals and objectives will be further reported in the 2026
General Plan Annual Report.
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City of San Luis Obispo, Council Memorandum
DATE: March 27, 2026
TO: City Council
FROM: Timmi Tway, Community Development Director
VIA: Whitney McDonald, City Manager
PREPARED BY: Ethan Estrada, Associate Planner and David Amini, Senior Planner
SUBJECT: City’s Growth Management Regulations – Status Update
Memorandum-in-Brief
This memo provides an overview of the history and background of the City’s Growth Management
Regulations, as well as discussion regarding the City’s growth rate exceeding the one percent
average annual growth rate threshold established in the Land Use Element for the first time in
2024. As described in this memo, there is no requirement for Council to take any specific action
to address the one percent threshold being exceeded in 2024. Based on finaled building permits
for the construction of new housing units for 2025, the average annual growth rate has dropped
back to one percent in compliance with the threshold. Due to a decline in building activity city-
wide, as well as the significant progress and completion of construction in specific plan areas such
as Orcutt Area and San Luis Ranch, staff anticipates that the growth rate will lower further when
final housing permit data is collected for 2026.
Purpose
The purpose of this memo is to provide Council with information and background regarding the
City’s Residential Growth Management Regulations. As outlined in the 2024 General Plan Annual
Report that was presented to the City Council on April 1, 2025, the City’s average annual growth
rate was 1.03 percent per year between 2015-2024, which slightly exceeded the one percent
threshold established in Land Use Element Policy 1.11.2. This growth rate is based on finaled
building permits for the construction of new housing units (except those in the Downtown,
Accessory Dwelling Units, and deed-restricted affordable housing units). Within the same
timeframe, the City’s average annual population growth remained under one percent. This means
that the housing unit growth did not directly correspond with a proportionate level of population
growth. This could be due to the average number of persons per household shrinking over time, in
addition to transient populations such as students and second home owners not being tracked by
population data. Between 2015-2024, the average household size in the City decreased from 2.64
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to 2.50 persons per household1.
Since 2024 was the first time the City exceeded the one percent average annual growth rate, a
number of questions arose around the threshold, including questions regarding whether the city
was obligated to take action. These questions required additional research and the staff report for
the 2024 General Plan Annual Report indicated a Council study session would be held to discuss
the status of the City’s Growth Management Regulations. Additionally, the City’s 2025-27
Housing Major City Goal Work Program includes an item to conduct a study session on the growth
management regulations. At the February 17, 2026 City Council meeting, staff presented the Q2
Budget Report which recommended presenting this work plan item to Council as a memo rather
than a study session due to emergent community needs and an impacted agenda. Additional
opportunities for Council discussion will be provided when the 2025 General Plan Annual Report
is presented at a public hearing on April 7, 2026.
Policy Context
General Plan Land Use Element Policy (LUE) 1.11.1 states that the City shall manage its growth
rate to provide for the balanced evolution of the community and the gradual assimilation of new
residents. Growth must be consistent with the City's ability to provide resources and services and
with State and City requirements for protecting the environment, the economy, and open space.
LUE Policy 1.11.2 sets the growth rate of the City’s housing supply so that it does not exceed an
average of one percent per year over the ten-year Housing Element planning period.
The City’s Residential Growth Management Regulations in Chapter 17.144 of the Municipal Code
are intended to assure that the rate of population growth will not exceed the City’s ability to
accommodate new residents and to provide municipal services consistent with the
maximum growth rates established in the General Plan. Also, these regulations are meant to ensure
that those projects which best meet the City’s objectives for affordable housing, infill development,
open space protection, and provision of public facilities will be allowed to proceed with minimum
delay.
Background
The City has had a Growth Management policy since 1978, and Growth Management regulations
since 1982. Though these terms sound the same, there are distinct differences between the policy
and the regulations. The Growth Management policy lives in the Land Use Element, and requires
the City to manage its growth rate so that it does not exceed an average of one percent per year.
The City implements this policy through the Growth Management regulations in the Municipal
Code. The regulations have been subject to various modifications and exceptions over the years
and a brief history of the regulations are included below.
1 U.S. Census American Community Survey,
https://data.census.gov/table/ACSDT1Y2024.B25010?q=B25010:+Average+Household+Size+of+Occupied+Housi
ng+Units+by+Tenure
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Over time, the applicability of the Growth Management regulations has narrowed. The City’s
current Growth Management Regulations only apply to development in specific plans in areas that
have been or will be subject to annexation. Developments are required to adopt a construction
phasing plan so that the one percent growth threshold is not exceeded. Figure 1 shows the areas
subject to the phasing plan requirements of the Regulations outlined in various colors relative to
each specific plan. These areas include San Luis Ranch, the Orcutt Area/Righetti Ranch, Airport
Area, Margarita Area, Edna-Islay, and Froom Ranch.
Figure 1: Specific Plans/Annexation Areas
History of Growth Management Regulations
• 1977: Council adopts General Plan Land Use & Growth Management Element. The
Growth Management Objectives were set to achieve a gradually reduced rate of
population growth, compatible and coordinated with the County’s growth rate reduction,
both aimed at stabilizing and balancing with that of the State by 1990. The Objectives set
the following average growth rates for each subsequent decade:
o 4% annual average growth during the 1970s
o 2% annual average growth during the 1980s
Avila Ranch Orcutt Area San Luis Ranch Froom Ranch
Edna-Islay Area Airport Area Margarita Area
Margarita Area
Airport Area
Avila Ranch
Froom Ranch
Edna-Islay
Orcutt Area
San Luis
Ranch
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o 1% annual average growth during the 1990s
o The resultant, anticipated 1997 population was approximately 55,000.
• 1978: Citizen Advisory Committee recommends permanent regulations regarding growth
management
• 1982: Council adopts permanent growth management regulations through Ordinance 940,
placing limits on the amount of permits that can be issued for housing units, with the
following exemptions:
o Single family homes or duplexes
o Replacement of damaged or destroyed dwellings
o Additions or remodels which result in not more than two dwellings
• 1983: Council exempts Mustang Village Addition (300 units) from the Growth
Management Regulations (Resolution 5239)
• 1984: Council amends regulations through Ordinance 1013. This allows building permit
pauses under the growth management ordinance to be based on staff counting a 24-month
rolling average period of building permits rather than 18 months.
• 1985: Council exempts three projects from the Growth Management Regulations:
o Southwood Apartments – 168 units (Resolution 5640)
o Pine Creek Condominiums – 36 units (Resolution 5616)
o Willowbrook Condominiums – 28 units (Resolution 5809)
• June 1986: Council amends regulations through Ordinance 1068 to add the following:
o Tabulation and ranking of building permits to be calculated every 3 months rather
than monthly
o Exception for student housing is removed
o Any planned-development or specific plan with its own growth management
provision is now exempt
o Scoring standard for projects changed (scoring standards are to evaluate projects
against each other for permit issuance if yearly allocation of permits is exceeded)
o In first quarter after amendments, 100 units are to be allocated, then allocations
move back to 75 units per quarter.
• August 1988: Council adopts Ordinance 1119 implementing Water Allocation
Regulations (Chapter 17.89) into the Municipal Code. The new water regulations suspend
the Growth Management Regulations during quarters where water-use increases are
limited pursuant to the water use regulations. During these quarters, the water allocation
process restricts growth in the City. This process establishes specific water reserve
amounts for residential development (initially 101 acre-feet) which cannot be exceeded.
After these reserves have been exhausted, no further development can occur until the
reserves are replenished by “safe annual yield” amounts determined by the Utilities
Manager.
• The City population grows on average, at the rate of 2.2% per year from 1980 through
1988.
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• 1989: Council votes to place an advisory measure on the ballot asking residents whether
the City should amend the Growth Management Regulations to apply to all development
in the City. The measure passes. In 1994, the City updates the Land Use Element with a
policy that focuses the 1 percent growth threshold towards annexation areas. In 1999,
Council amends regulations to only apply to annexation areas. While these changes are
contrary to the approved ballot measure, staff currently believes the focus on expansion
areas was of a practical nature given that this is where the majority of new housing unit
production occurs.
• 1994: Council adopts new General Plan Land Use Element. Program 1.11.3 states that
before a residential expansion area is developed, the City must have adopted a specific
plan or development plan that provides for phased development that does not exceed the
1 percent average annual growth rate.
• 1999: Council adopts Ordinance 1359, containing new growth management regulations
which now only apply to housing annexation areas of the City consistent with the updated
Land Use Element. The ordinance requires the City to adopt a Phasing Schedule
allocating potential residential construction among these areas. Council adopts Resolution
8972 establishing Phasing Schedule. Development in these areas is subject to specific
plans or development plans that shall contain provisions consistent with the Phasing
Schedule. Dwellings affordable to very-low and low income residents are exempt from
the regulations.
• October 2004: Council adopts Ordinance 1459, exempting downtown residential
development and affordable moderate-income housing from Growth Management
Regulations.
• June 2010: Council adopts Ordinance 1550, amending growth management regulations.
Instead of adopting a Phasing Schedule, each specific plan is required to adopt its own
phasing schedule that allocates timing of construction consistent with the general plan
and regulations. The Water Allocation Regulations are also repealed, as multiple projects
have taken place resolving water and wastewater capacity issues in the City that
necessitated the regulations.
• September 2018: Council adopts Ordinance 1650, which includes amendments to
growth management regulations to include accessory dwelling units as exempt from the
regulations.
The City’s approach to growth management has evolved over time to reflect development patterns,
the community’s needs, and City Council goals with regard to housing. The Growth Management
Regulations have been amended over time to effectively accommodate planned, phased growth in
specific plan developments in annexation areas in compliance with the Growth Management
policy and associated 1 percent growth threshold.
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Previous State Review of Growth Management Policy
In the process of certifying the City’s 6th Cycle Housing Element, the California Department of
Housing and Community Development (HCD) reviewed the City’s Growth Management
Regulations, in particular the one percent growth rate set in the Land Use Element. HCD warned
the City that the Housing Crisis Act, specifically Government Code Section 66300(b)(1)(D) does
not allow affected jurisdictions to adopt new or enforce existing limits on the number of land-use
approvals or permits for housing. HCD further states that the City should evaluate consistency
with these requirements and if necessary, immediately void or suspend the annual growth cap.
The City responded to this direction by stating that per state law, an affected county or affected
city may enforce a limit on the number of approvals or permits or a cap on the number of housing
units that can be approved or constructed if the provision of law imposing the limit was approved
by voters prior to January 1, 2005, and the affected county or affected city is located in a
predominantly agricultural county. For the purposes of this subparagraph, “predominantly
agricultural county” means a county that meets both of the following, as determined by the most
recent California Farmland Conversion Report produced by the Department of Conservation: (i)
has more than 550,000 acres of agricultural land; and (ii) at least one-half of the county area is
agricultural land. The City of San Luis Obispo resides within a county that has over 550,000 acres
of agricultural land and at least one-half of the county area is agricultural land. As noted above,
the 1989 ballot measure was advisory and therefore is not a binding restriction of the City’s
subsequent policy or regulatory actions. HCD did not inquire further regarding the ballot measure.
On September 3, 2021, HCD certified the City’s 6th Cycle Housing Element.
Current Growth Management Regulations
The City’s current Growth Management Regulations state the following:
17.144.010 Purpose and justification.
A. The regulations codified in this chapter are intended to assure that the rate of
population growth will not exceed the city’s ability to accommodate new residents and to
provide municipal services consistent with the maximum growth rates established in the
general plan. Also, these regulations are to assure that those projects which best meet the
city’s objectives for affordable housing, infill development, open space protection, and
provision of public facilities will be allowed to proceed with minimum delay.
B. San Luis Obispo is a charter city, empowered to make and enforce all laws concerning
municipal affairs, subject only to the limitations of the city charter and the constitution and
laws of the state. Regulation of the rate of residential development is a reasonable extension
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of municipal authority to plan overall development in furtherance of the public health,
safety, and general welfare.
C. According to the general plan land use element, the city should achieve a maximum
annual average population growth rate of one percent. The reserve of developable land
within the city and the capacity of proposed annexations could sustain growth rates which
would exceed the objectives of the general plan.
D. The growth rate policies of the general plan reflect the city’s responsibility to
accommodate a reasonable share of expected state and regional growth.
E. To avoid further imbalance between the availability of jobs and of housing within the
city, the general plan also manages expansion of growth-inducing activities. The burdens
of growth management are not being placed solely on the residential sector since it largely
responds to demands caused by other sectors.
F. Considering the likely levels of housing demand and construction throughout the
housing market area, nearly coinciding with San Luis Obispo County, these regulations are
not expected to affect the overall balance between housing supply and demand in the
market area. These regulations will not impede and may help meet the needs of very low-,
low-, and moderate-income households.
17.144.020 Allocations.
A. Each specific plan that authorizes residential development shall adopt a phasing
schedule that allocates timing of potential residential construction, including phasing of
required improvements, consistent with the general plan and with these regulations.
B. The limitations on residential development established by these regulations apply to
new residential construction within certain areas that have been annexed to the city2 or that
will be annexed to the city. Development in such areas is subject to development plans or
specific plans which shall contain provisions consistent with these regulations.
C. Allocations shall be implemented by the timing of issuance of building permits.
D. Dwellings affordable and enforceably restricted to residents with extremely low, very
low, low, or moderate incomes, as defined in the city’s general plan housing element, new
dwellings in the Downtown Core, and legally established accessory dwelling units shall be
exempt from these regulations. Enforceably restricted shall mean dwellings that are subject
to deed restrictions, development agreements, or other legal mechanisms acceptable to the
city to ensure long-term affordability, consistent with city affordable housing standards. In
expansion areas, the overall number of units built must conform to the city approved
phasing plan.
E. It shall not be necessary to have dwellings allocated for a particular time interval or
location to process and approve applications for general plan amendment, zoning
2 The Regulations do not define a date by which annexation has occurred for the growth limitations to apply. This
language has been in the Regulations since 1999.
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regulations amendment, or other zoning action, subdivision application, or architectural
review.
17.144.030 Periodic city council review and consideration of revisions
The community development department shall provide status updates to the council
concerning implementation of these regulations, coordinated with the annual report on the
general plan. The status update will describe actual construction levels and suggest if
revisions are necessary to maintain the city’s one percent growth rate.
Discussion
The City’s average annual growth rate slightly exceeded the one percent threshold for the first time
in 2024. This was presented to Council with the General Plan Annual Report on April 1, 2025.
During the time period between 2021-2024, several specific plan areas experienced significant
housing construction, including Avila Ranch, Orcutt Area/Righetti Ranch, and San Luis Ranch.
Avila Ranch and Orcutt Area are subject to phasing plans created to phase building permits in
order to not exceed the one percent growth cap. San Luis Ranch was initially subject to a phasing
plan, but was subsequently allowed to proceed with unphased construction based on a revised
project description and the 2018 Supplemental EIR, which demonstrated that unphased
construction of this 580-unit development would not exceed the growth cap. The unphased
construction of San Luis Ranch, along with the phased construction of Avila Ranch and the Orcutt
Area, as well as increased infill construction, all contributed to the growth rate slightly exceeding
one percent in 2024.
Based on finaled building permits for the construction of new housing units for 2025, the average
annual growth rate has dropped back to one percent in compliance with the threshold. This
information is included in the 2025 General Plan Annual Report that will be presented to Council
at a public meeting on April 7, 2026. Due to a decline in building activity city-wide, as well as the
significant progress and completion of construction in specific plan areas such as Orcutt Area and
San Luis Ranch, staff anticipates that the growth rate will lower further when final housing permit
data is collected for 2026.
As previously discussed, HCD has cautioned the City against imposing a limitation on building
permits as it could constitute a violation of state law. While the City did provide information as
part of the 6th Cycle Housing Element asserting that enforcing the growth cap is allowed per a
provision in the state law that was ultimately accepted by HCD, future enforcement could still be
subject to action from the state. It is clear based on continuing legislation, housing related legal
challenges and State level pro-housing policy that local policies such as the Growth Management
Regulations have and are likely to continue to come under close scrutiny by HCD during the
upcoming 7th Cycle Housing Element certification process in 2028. Through this process, Council
may be directed to remove the growth management policies and regulations that are perceived to
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present a barrier to housing production, including the one percent threshold included in the Land
Use Element, in order to receive housing element certification from HCD.
In addition to the analysis above, the City’s rationale for maintaining the cap in the previous 6th
Cycle Housing Element may not be upheld by HCD for the 7th Element, as the 1989 ballot measure
was advisory and does not expressly prohibit contrary Council policies or regulations that would
remove the current growth cap. The City still meets the criteria for being in a primarily agricultural
county, which is a portion of the state law requirement and it is important to note that the City has
not denied any housing development application or permit on the basis of the growth cap.
Council Actions to Address Growth Management Threshold
The growth management regulations do not require Council to take any action if the average annual
growth rate exceeds one percent. The regulations proactively address the one percent threshold by
requiring specific plans in areas subject to the regulations to contain phasing schedules for the
timing of building permit issuance. Timing and implementation of phasing schedules in specific
plan areas are the only currently allowable mechanism by which Council may address the growth
management threshold in the Land Use Element consistent with the Growth Management
Regulations. Council could amend the Regulations to address the growth management threshold
differently; however, denials of development approvals or permits based solely on growth
management regulations of any kind raise state law conflict concerns, as well as potential issues
during the Housing Element process as described above, and would require careful analysis and
coordination with HCD prior to taking any action that could be perceived as increasing restrictions
on housing development.
Recommendation
The average annual growth rate is currently one percent and in compliance with the threshold.
There is no action for Council to take at this time. Staff will continue to implement phasing
schedules for new and existing specific plan areas as required by the regulations. Staff will address
any Growth Management Regulations as part of the 7th Cycle Housing Element work program.
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Item 8a
Department: Administration
Cost Center: 1005
For Agenda of: 4/7/2025
Placement: Study Session
Estimated Time: 60 minutes
FROM: Greg Hermann, Deputy City Manager
Prepared By: Chris Read, Sustainability Manager
SUBJECT: COMMUNITY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN PROGRESS REPORT AND 2027
PLAN UPDATE STUDY SESSION
RECOMMENDATION
1. Receive and file the 2026 Climate Action Plan Progress Report.
2. Provide strategic direction on the 2027 Climate Action Plan update .
3. Direct staff to join the Local Government Climate Alliance to advocate for pre -
approved positions via the City’s adopted Legislative Action Platform to advance
Council goals related to the Climate Action Plan, and delegate City participation in the
organization to the City Manager or their designee.
REPORT-IN-BRIEF
This Council Agenda Report provides the 2026 Climate Action Plan Progress Report1
(Report) and provides background information to support Council’s strategic guidance on
the upcoming 2027 Climate Action Plan update. The Report provides updated
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions inventory and forecast snapshots, reports on
implementation progress to date, identifies implementation headwinds and momentum,
and looks ahead to how the City can enable continued emissions reductions in support
of its goal of carbon neutrality by 2035.
The Report finds that while the City has made real progress, emissions reductions related
to natural gas and transportation are falling behind previous projections, and as a result,
the City is not on target to meet original projections. The report also notes that the City is
on track to achieve local reductions con sistent with the state’s 2030 targets, but
projections show implementation of the current CAP falling short of the new legislatively
mandated statewide goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by no later than 2045
(AB 1279).
1 The progress report covers communitywide greenhouse gas emissions. While this report references the
City’s municipal operations climate action work, known as Lead by Example, it does not go into detail on
Lead by Example, nor does it provide new analysis on Lead by Example. The Lead by Example: A Plan for
Carbon Neutral Municipal Operations progress report was presented to Council in May of 2024, and the
Plan update was adopted by Council in February of 2025. The next progress report for Lead by Example is
scheduled to be presented to Council in 2028.
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Item 8a
Staff conducted community outreach, engaged with stakeholder groups and regional
agency partners, and sought input from technical experts in advance of this Study
Session. This research will support the 2027 Climate Action Plan update (2027 CAP
update) by affirming successful actions that should be continued, identifying actions that
should be modified or tried again, and proposing initial new ideas that could meaningfully
reduce emissions through 2035 and beyond.
Potential actions proposed to be modified or tried again include: (1) re-evaluation of
mobility innovations related to bikeshare, carshare, and micro-transit, (2) enhanced
support for regional transit and EV charging infrastructure, (3) re-evaluation of a large
building energy efficiency program, (4) evaluation of the new single-family Home Energy
Score program, and (5) proactive legislative advocacy. Potential new ideas that could be
considered include: (1) evaluation of bulk purchasing and direct installation programs for
rooftop solar, batteries, and heat pump water heater and HVAC units, and (2) support for
“plug-in” solar and battery energy storage systems.
This Council Agenda Report includes three key questions for Council:
1. Which of the potential actions described above, and summarized below, should be
further evaluated as part of the 2027 Climate Action Plan Update?
2. Does Council want to retain its local 2035 target?
3. Does Council have further direction or feedback on the proposed outreach,
engagement, and plan update approach to the 2027 CAP Update?
Following the Study Session, staff will transition to preparation of the 2027 Climate Action
Plan, which is expected to be presented for Council’s consideration in early 2027.
POLICY CONTEXT
The City’s General Plan includes numerous policies and programs related to clean
energy, energy efficiency in buildings, housing, mobility, transportation, landfilled solid
waste, and natural resource management topics included in the Climate Action Plan. For
brevity, this policy context section references only General Plan policies that directly
mention or are related to climate action planning, including:
Land Use Element of the General Plan Policy 9.4 (Climate Action Plan) - The City
shall maintain and implement its Climate Action Plan to reduce comm unity and
municipal GHG emissions consistent with State laws and objectives.
Conservation and Open Space Element of the General Plan Policy 2.2.1
(Atmospheric Change) - City actions shall seek to minimize undesirable climate
changes and deterioration of the atmosphere’s protective functions that result from
the release of carbon dioxide and other substances.
Housing Element of the General Plan Policy 9.1 - Residential developments
should promote sustainability consistent with the Climate Action Plan (CAP) and
California Building Energy Efficiency Standards (Title 24) in their design,
placement, and functionality.
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Item 8a
Circulation Element of the General Plan Transportation Goal 1 – Maintain
accessibility and protect the environment throughout San Luis Obispo while
reducing dependence on single-occupant use of motor vehicles, with the goal of
achieving State and Federal health standards for air quality.
These General Plan policies are implemented as follows:
Resolution 11159 (2020 Series) adopted the Climate Action Plan for Community
Recovery with the goal of community carbon neutrality by 2035 and a sub -goal of
50 percent reduction in emissions from existing buildings by 2030, and
Resolution No. 11381 (2022 Series) reaffirmed these goals and adopted a work
program for fiscal years 2023-27, including Administrative Action 2 (Monitor and
Report Plan Implementation) and Administrative Action 3 (Regularly Update the
Climate Action Plan).
Currently, the Climate Action Plan Update is a work program item in the 2025-27 Financial
Plan’s Major City Goal for Open Space, Climate Action, and Resilience. Action 1.c directs
staff to complete the 2027-2031 Climate Action Plan and GHG Inventory Update by early
2027. Though the Major City Goal Work Program for the 2025-27 Financial Plan
organizes its work into five discrete topic areas (economic resilience, diversity equity and
inclusion, housing, infrastructure and sustainable transportation, and sustainability),
these goals are cross-cutting, and many of the tasks within the goals depend on and
reinforce each other.
DISCUSSION
Background
The City of San Luis Obispo has a long history of energy and resource conservation and
has been taking intentional action on these topics since at least the early 1980s. More
recently, in 2017, Council made Climate Action a Major City Goal, and since then, staff
and community members have worked to make substantial greenhouse gas emissions
reductions and advance local climate solutions, while supporting related goals (i.e.,
housing, diversity, equity and inclusion, economic development, and community
resilience).
In 2020, the Council adopted the Climate Action Plan for Community Recovery (CAP),
which set a goal of communitywide carbon neutrality by 2035. The CAP charted a course
for an approximately 70 percent reduction in emissions by 2035, while acknowledging
that the remaining 30 percent had no known reduction pathway and would require
technological breakthroughs, significant new external funding sources, and
unprecedented alignment across federal, state, and regional governments to get to full
carbon neutrality. In adopting a goal of carbon neutrality by 2035, Council acknowledged
the value of having an aspirational goal, despite the uncertainty associated with full
achievement of that goal.
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Item 8a
As outlined in the 2020 CAP, the City commits to providing a progress report to the
community and City Council every four years. These progress reports are scheduled
ahead of each plan update , which also occur every four years. The most recent CAP
update, adopted by City Council on December 13, 2022, is the 2023-27 Climate Action
Plan Work Program.
2026 Climate Action Plan Progress Report
The 2026 Climate Action Plan Progress Report (Report) (Attachment A) includes
information about the City’s Climate Action Plan, an updated greenhouse gas emissions
inventory and forecast snapshot, and a detailed review of implementation progress from
the 2023-27 Climate Action Plan Work Program. The Report is organized into the
following Chapters:
Chapter 1 - Progress Report Background shares information about the history of
climate action in San Luis Obispo and provides the context for the progress report.
Chapter 2 - Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory and Forecast Snapshots
updates historic greenhouse gas emissions inventories, provides a 2024 inventory
update, and forecasts emissions for 2030, 2035, and 2045.
Chapter 3 - Climate Action Progress by Pillar explains the different sectors of the
Climate Action Plan, reports on implementation progress to date, identifies
implementation headwinds and momentum, and looks ahead to how the City can
support continued emissions reductions in support of its goal of carbon neutrality.
Appendix A - provides detailed information about the implementation status of all
48 actions in the 2023-27 Climate Action Plan Work Program.
GHG Inventory Snapshot
In 2020, the City estimated that approximately 60% of inventoried communitywide
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions were from transportation, with nearly 80% of those
emissions attributable to regional travel. The remaining inventoried emissions were from
electricity, natural gas, and landfilled solid waste. The 2020 CAP projected that by 2035,
electricity and organic waste emissions could be nearly eliminated, approximately 50% of
natural gas emissions could be reduced, and roughly two -thirds of transportation
emissions could be reduced.
Updated analysis projects 2035 electricity and solid waste emissions reductions to occur
roughly as projected. However, natural gas and transportation emissions are declining
more slowly than anticipated, and regional travel, where emissions reductions are having
to overcome higher than expected regional growth, remains the largest source of
remaining emissions in the updated 2035 forecast. While the 2020 CAP anticipated that
the City could reduce overall emissions by about 70% by 2035, given these slower than
anticipated reductions in natural gas use and regional transportation emissions, staff
estimate that the City is on track to reduce emissions by about 50% by 2035.
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Item 8a
It should be noted that, as described in Attachment A, the City inventories and forecasts
GHG emissions consistent with guidance provided by the California Air Resources Board.
The GHG emissions sectors included in the City’s inventory are required sectors under
state guidance and exclude optional sectors associated with off-road equipment,
wastewater treatment, and aviation, among other things.2 The “narrow and deep”
approach to pursuing ambitious action (i.e., focusing on deep reductions in the required
emissions sectors only) is consistent with direction Council provided at the December 14,
2022 adoption of the 2023-27 Climate Action Work Program.
Implementation Progress
As part of the progress report, staff reviewed all 48 CAP actions. The City has seen
success in all emissions sectors, with the deepest reductions coming in clean electricity
(via Central Coast Community Energy) and solid waste (via SB 1383 implementation). In
these sectors, early action has driven substantial reductions and set the foundation for
deep reductions through 2035 and 2045.
Even where emissions reductions are falling short, CAP implementation is significantly
reducing emissions relative to “no-action”. Actions ranging from investing in active
transportation infrastructure to supporting low-income energy efficiency upgrades are
driving measurable progress towards carbon neutrality. However, external factors are
playing a larger-than-expected role and are presenting new constraints. For example,
anticipated federal grant funding for a large building energy retrofit program was cancelled
in 2025, leaving commercial natural gas use on track for only modest declines through
2035. Regional growth is also expected to increase regional single-occupancy car trips
into San Luis Obispo through 2035, leading to an increase in regional vehicle miles
travelled (VMT), which is the emissions source that the City has the least ability to
influence. While the City plays an important role in reducing transportation emissions
through strategies like housing production (so people can live closer to where they work),
active transportation, and transit investments, many of the factors that shape how far
people travel in the region are outside the City's control, including the rural nature of the
area, regional economic growth, and jobs and housing production in adjacent
communities. In addition to continued focus on areas the City has direct control over,
enhanced coordination with regional transportation partners will be necessary to address
these trends.
California’s Legislative Climate Targets
The City’s 2035 carbon neutrality goal is a local policy preference, and it sits inside
California’s evolving greenhouse gas emissions legal framework. The City’s climate
action efforts are now informed by two statewide GHG emissions targets that have been
adopted or clarified since the adoption of the 2020 CAP:
SB 32 sets a 2030 regulatory goal to reduce statewide greenhouse gas emissions
to 40 percent below 1990 levels. Since 2020, new best practices have emerged
on how cities should operationalize this goal and the City’s current analysis finds
2 The Lead by Example Plan provides an estimate of direct emissions from wastewater treatment for
informational purposes. For more information, see the Lead by Example Council Agenda Report at:
https://opengov.slocity.org/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=218409&dbid=0&repo=CityClerk&cr=1 .
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that with implementation of the existing CAP, the City is on track to achieve this
goal.
AB 1279 sets a 2045 regulatory goal of achieving net‑zero emissions “as soon as
possible,” and no later than 2045, with at least an 85 percent reduction in emissions
by that date.3 The City’s analysis shows that the implementation of the current
Climate Action Plan puts the City on track for approximately a 75% reduction by
2045, which is nearly consistent with AB 1279’s requirements of an approximately
85% reduction by 2045, but a gap of about 10% remains.
2026 Progress Report Key Findings
Based on the work completed for the Report, staff have identified four key takeaways:
1. The City’s leadership and investments in climate action produce measurable
results, invite outside resources (including over $57 million in external funding for
CAP implementation actions since 2020), and demonstrate the effectiveness of
sustained local leadership.
2. Regional, state, and federal policy changes are introducing new constraints on
local climate progress.
3. Regional vehicle trips and natural gas use in existing buildings remain the most
significant obstacles to achieving Council’s 2035 community carbon neutrality
goal.
4. Persistent local innovation and creativity will be required to reach carbon neutrality.
2027 Climate Action Plan Update
Given the information provided above, a key task of the CAP update is identifying a work
program that puts the City on a trajectory to achieving it’s adopted carbon neutrality target,
in addition to ensuring that the City is on track to reach California’s 2030 and 2045
statewide legislative targets.
To set the stage for the 2027 CAP update, staff prepared comprehensive information on
implementation progress for Council’s consideration, as well as findings from stakeholder
outreach and technical research on how to increase the pace of emissions reductions.4
Staff, with support from participants in the community outreach process, identified which
actions might be paused or continued, as well as which actions merit revisiting that did
not succeed the first time. In addition, some new ideas were considered that could further
reduce emissions through 2035 and beyond. The remainder of this report identifies the
types of actions that could be enhanced, reimagined, or newly proposed as part of the
2027 CAP update.
3 The guidance for establishing an 85% reduction assumes statewide carbon sequestration initiatives
achieving the other 15% as modeled by the California Air Resources Board and included in its 2022
Climate Scoping Plan.
4 Technical analysis conducted ahead of this Study Session includes comparative review of 15 of the most
ambitious and effective Climate Action Plans in California, conversations with staff from cities with similar
carbon neutrality goals throughout the US, review of research prepared for state agencies including the
California Energy Commission, Public Utilities Commission, CalRecycle, and the California Air Resources
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Implementation of Climate Action Plan actions occurs collaboratively across multiple City
departments and divisions. As the 2027 Climate Action Plan Update is developed, staff
will continue to evaluate how proposed actions align with departmental work programs
and operational capacity. The ideas below represent an illustrative but not exhaustive list
of potential actions, and additional analysis and outreach may result in different or
additional recommendations.
Actions to Improve, Expand, or Retry
Based on technical analysis and community feedback, the following actions exemplify the
types of 2020 CAP actions that staff recommends improving, expanding, or retrying.
Actions in this category would be subject to additional analysis prior to inclusion in the
2027 CAP update and fall into three main categories:
1. Transportation
a. Mobility Innovations. There are opportunities to re-evaluate innovative
programs that complement SLO Transit, including the further evaluation of
bikeshare, carshare, and micro-transit programs. Bikeshare and carshare
programs can play an important role in supporting households with one or
zero personal vehicles and in facilitating a transition away from single -
occupancy vehicle travel. Micro-transit, which can take a wide range of
forms, but has typically operated in other California cities like a public ride
share service, can further support transit ridership by providing strategically
targeted service in areas or times where overall fixed-route ridership is low.
To date, neither bikeshare nor carshare programs have demonstrated long-
term viability in San Luis Obispo under a model that requires no financial
contribution from the City. However, conditions may be shifting for
bikeshare, and staff will continue to monitor market developments and
provide updates to the community and City Council as appropriate.
Carshare services remain more challenging to implement under the current
model, but emerging approaches, including the development of
autonomous vehicles, have the potential to disrupt existing business
structures and may improve the feasibility of similar services in San Luis
Obispo in the future.5
Micro-transit is being used in other California cities to serve low-ridership
areas or times. A micro-transit program could potentially enable fixed-route
networks to shift more from coverage to ridership growth. Given the wide
range of program design options and related costs, the viability of a micro-
transit program that would be optimal in San Luis Obispo is currently
unknown. A study is underway to evaluate operational considerations and
constraints of a potential pilot program.
Board, and review of articles by national technical experts at the forefront of issues like clean energy and
mobility.
5 As noted in the 2026 Progress Report, private carshare providers previously shared with staff that the
City lacks the population required to operate a program. Staff are currently reconnecting with providers to
test whether that assumption is true in 2026.
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Staff recommends further analysis and potential inclusion of these actions
in the 2027 CAP due to their ability to reduce vehicle miles travelled (VMT),
support increased transit ridership and transportation mode integration, and
make continued progress on the City’s mode split goals.
b. Regional Transit. Regional transit remains a critical tool for reducing vehicle
miles traveled across San Luis Obispo County and the broader region.
There is a continuing need for increased and stable funding to support
ongoing transit operations. While the City does not directly administer
regional transit, it does have representation on regional transportation
agencies that provide transit service. Staff recommends further analysis
and potential inclusion of actions that support regional transit, as well as
other actions that have the potential to reduce the City’s largest source of
emissions (regional VMT) such as continued support of electric vehicle (EV)
uptake and associated EV charging infrastructure.
2. Existing Buildings – In 2025, staff conducted a Study Session for Council
discussing the different building energy retrofit policy options that are available to
a City for emissions reductions.6 Since then, staff have been implementing
Council’s strategic direction to develop voluntary energy reporting programs as
described below and opportunities for accelerated emissions reductions exist in
the following areas:
a. Large-Building Retrofits: As previously noted, the City had expected to be
competitive for a Department of Energy grant that would have covered the
cost of developing and staffing a large-building retrofit program (commonly
referred to as a “Building Performance Standard”). With the dissolution of
the funding source in 2025, staff pivoted to completing initial tasks that could
be conducted with existing resources, including identifying approximately
100 buildings that exceed 50,000 square feet and approximately 150
buildings between 25,000 and 50,000 square feet. Staff have also set up
the no-cost digital infrastructure that can enable initial voluntary reporting of
energy performance for buildings of this size. Voluntary disclosure can
provide education and awareness about cost savings associated with
retrofits and can connect building owners with rebates and incentives to
complete those retrofits.7 As discussed at the July 2025 Study Session, if
emissions reductions from voluntary disclosure are not sufficient to meet
the City’s goals, the City could consider mandatory reporting or retrofit
requirements. Additional resources would be required to transition to a
mandatory reporting program. Further, any program that requires
mandatory retrofits would need substantial additional resources and
staffing. In the near term, staff anticipates developing relationships with
6 For more information about existing building retrofit policy options and considerations, see the Council
Agenda Packet developed for Council’s July 15, 2025 Study Session on the topic at: https://pub-
slocity.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=20844
7 Examples of current rebates, incentives, and technical assistance for commercial building retrofits
include the 3C-REN Commercial Energy Savings Program, the PG&E on-bill financing program, and the
Central Coast Leaders in Energy Action Program - Energy Advisor Service.
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building owners and sharing resources that support voluntary retrofits as
discussed in the July 2025 Study Session. Staff recommends further
analysis and potential inclusion of a Building Performance Standard action
in the 2027 CAP update that focuses on assessing voluntary disclosure
success and, if needed to reach the City’s goals, identifying and securing
grant funding to support further program development.
b. Single Family Home Energy Disclosure. The City has successfully
advocated to the Bay Area Regional Energy Network (BayREN) to bring the
statewide Home Energy Score program to San Luis Obispo. The Home
Energy Score provides homeowners with a standardized assessment of
their home's energy performance, rated by a certified, independent
assessor. The assessment evaluates current energy consumption and
associated costs, and produces tailored recommendations for cost-effective
efficiency improvements. As with large-buildings, voluntary disclosure can
provide education and connect homeowners with resources to support
energy retrofits. The program is expected to launch in mid-2026, and staff
will assess its effectiveness in its initial years of operation. A potential action
in the 2027 CAP could direct staff to assess the effectiveness of the
voluntary disclosure program, and if results are insufficient to achieve the
City’s goals, to evaluate the potential costs and benefits of a mandatory
disclosure or retrofit program.
3. Proactive Legislative Action – The 2023-27 CAP Work Program includes an action
to advocate for legislation supporting CAP implementation. The City has since
updated its Legislative Action Platform to reflect local climate priorities and
submitted letters in support of and opposition to state legislation accordingly. To
more effectively influence legislative outcomes, staff recommend joining the Local
Government Climate Alliance (LGCA), a new consensus -based organization
currently hosted by the City of Santa Barbara. An informational sheet about LGCA
is provided as Attachment B. As of March 6, the LGCA has 10 member cities and
counties representing 4% of California's population. Membership provides access
to a lobbyist with deep energy sector expertise and a collective local go vernment
approach to shaping climate-specific legislation, with particular focus on electricity
affordability. Because the LGCA is consensus-based, if the City were a member,
the organization would only formally take a position on legislation if the City a nd all
other LGCA members approve of the position. City staff would use the City's
adopted Legislative Action Platform to evaluate whether to support legislative
positions considered by LGCA. If Council approves joining LGCA and delegates
authority to the City Manager’s designee, it is suggested that the role be staffed by
the Office of Sustainability and Natural Resources. Membership would cost $1,500
annually, which staff believe can be covered by reallocating existing budget from
memberships in lower-impact sustainability-focused professional organizations.
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New Ideas
A recurring theme throughout technical analysis and the outreach conducted to date is a
shortage of new transformative ideas capable of rapidly reducing emissions. This
reinforces the significance of the "Improve, Expand, or Retry" category. Nonetheless,
several new ideas did emerge and are provided below as an example of the types of
things the City could explore as part of the 2027 CAP Update. New ideas include:
1. Energy and Buildings – The City could explore a municipally supported program
for bulk-purchasing and direct installation of solar panels, battery storage, and heat
pumps, modeled on similar programs in Ann Arbor, MI, and Palo Alto, CA. This
program could address two key barriers to building electrification retrofits: price
uncertainty for customers and inconsistent demand for local installers by offering
fixed-price purchasing to property owners and tenants, while providing a reliable
pipeline of work for local installers. Because start-up costs, operating costs, and
staffing needs require further evaluation, a 2027 Climate Action Plan (CAP) action
would likely take the form of directing staff to conduct a n initial feasibility study.
Staff recommends further analysis and potential inclusion of this action in the 2027
CAP because of its potential to make voluntary retrofits more accessible and
reduce the cost and complexity of complying with any future retrofit requirements.
2. Energy and Buildings – There is currently a national movement in support of solar
and battery energy storage systems that can be purchased “off the shelf” and
plugged into standard wall outlets, providing cost savings and resiliency benefits
for community members (renters, mobile and manufactured home resident s, and
apartment occupants, among others) that have not traditionally been able to
benefit from clean energy. The City could play a role in streamlining local rules to
ensure these systems, which are not grid connected, are installed safely with
limited administrative and permitting obstacles. These systems generate local
renewable energy, reduce electricity demand during peak hours, and can increase
the long-term cost effectiveness of efficient electric appliances for consumers. In
addition, new technologies are available that provide low-cost window heat pump
units for zero emissions heating and cooling, and induction cooktops that plug in
to standard outlets, among other things. As over 60% of San Luis Obispo residents
are renters, these off the shelf systems provide a whole new segment of the
community with access to green buildings solutions. The City can also advocate
to regional rebate incentive providers (e.g., 3CE and 3CREN) to provide renter
focused programs. Staff recommends further analysis and potential inclusion of a
“plug in solar” supporting action in the 2027 CAP update because of its potential
to reduce emissions and support issues related to renters’ access to clean energy
and energy affordability.
Updated Ideas and Progress to Carbon Neutrality
Based on initial quantification estimates conducted by staff, should the actions above
prove feasible, it is expected that implementation of the current CAP, together with these
actions, could improve the margin by which the City complies with the statewide 2030
target and put the City on track to achieve the 2045 target. In this scenario, staff forecasts
an approximately 65% reduction in emissions by 2035 relative to baseline, 35% short of
the carbon neutral by 2035 target. Similar to the discussion had in 2020, closing this gap
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would require technological breakthroughs, significant new external funding sources, and
deep alignment across federal, state, and regional governments. Staff recommends that
all of the ideas presented above be further evaluated for potential inclusion in the 2027
CAP and requests that Council flag any actions that they think should not be further
evaluated. Should Council direct staff to continue updating the Climate Action Plan, the
rest of 2026 will be spent evaluating th ese ideas, along with new ideas to further reduce
emissions that might be provided by community outreach or additional technical research.
Additional details about schedule and next steps are provided at the end of this report.
Previous Council or Advisory Body Action
July 17, 2012 – City Council adopted the community’s first Climate Action Plan.
September 18, 2018 – City Council directed staff to pursue the 2035 carbon
neutrality goal and directed staff to update the Climate Action Plan with strategies
and options to achieve the 2035 goal.
August 18, 2020 – City Council adopted the Climate Action Plan for Community
Recovery, which included the goal of carbon neutrality by 2035.
May 18, 2021 – Staff presented the 2020-21 Climate Action Progress Report to
City Council, which highlighted key Climate Action Plan implementation milestones
achieved in 2020 and 2021.
July 6, 2021, Council adopted Lead by Example: A Plan for Carbon Neutral
Municipal Operations, which identified goals, objectives, and actions for achieving
the City’s municipal operations climate goal.
December 13, 2022 – Council adopted Resolution No. 11381 (2022 Series) and
adopted the 2023-27 Climate Action Plan Work Program, which identified 48 CAP
actions for fiscal years 2023-27.
June 6, 2023 – Council adopted the 2023-25 Financial Plan, prioritizing "Open
Space, Climate Action, and Sustainable Transportation" as a major city goal.
May 21, 2024 - Lead by Example: A Plan for Carbon Neutral Municipal Operations
progress report was presented to Council in May of 2024
February 4, 2025 - Lead by Example: A Plan for Carbon Neutral Municipal
Operations plan update was adopted by Council.
June 17, 2025 – Council adopted the 2025-27 Financial Plan, prioritizing "Open
Space, Climate Action, and Resilience" as a major city goal.
Public Engagement
2026 Progress Report Outreach
Staff have conducted the following public engagement efforts to inform that 2026
Progress Report and to begin looking ahead to the 2027 Climate Action Plan Update. The
engagement conducted for this study session builds on recent engagement efforts
conducted for the “Existing Building Energy Efficiency Retrofit Policy Options” study
session conducted by Council on July 15, 2025, and the “Lead by Example” business
item conducted by Council on February 4, 2025.
Community Roundtables – Staff convened community-based organizations (e.g.,
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ECOSLO, SLO Climate Coalition, the Diversity Coalition of San Luis Obispo,
Chamber of Commerce, Sierra Club, etc.), regional public agencies (e.g., SLO
APCD, SLOCOG, Central Coast Community Energy, Cal Poly, etc.), and
community experts for seven roundtable meetings between December and
February. The meetings focused on connecting organizations on t he topic of
Climate Action, providing educational information about the City’s approach to
carbon neutrality, and hosting generative discussions on what actions the City
should stop doing, keep doing, or improve, as well as big new ideas for the City to
consider. In total, over 50 community members and regional agency
representatives participated in the stakeholder forums.
Community Workshops – Staff conducted an in-person communitywide workshop
on March 10 and an on-line communitywide workshop on March 11. The
workshops provided the background and context information in this report and
sought feedback on topics related to GHG emissions reductions goals,
recommendations for improving implementation success, and ideas for achieving
additional emissions reductions. Stakeholder groups were invited to attend,
including the Developers’ Roundtable, local realtors, and Active Transportation
Committee members. In total, 31 community members participated in the
workshops.
Presentations to local organizations - Staff provided an overview of the Progress
Report and highlighted strategic questions that will be presented to Council at the
following meetings:
o Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Committee (March 5), and
o Climate Coalition Executive Director and Board Chair Meeting (March 9).
The public engagement directed the content of the 2026 Progress Report and this Council
Agenda Report in the following ways:
1. Each of the roundtable meetings provided community members with an exercise
to provide feedback on which CAP actions should be set aside, which actions were
working as currently conceived, which actions should be amended, enhanced, or
tried again. Additionally, participants were asked to share new ideas that might be
included in the 2027 CAP. Combined with technical research. this feedback was
critical in identifying the initial set of actions that could be included in the 2027 CAP,
as described above. The feedback also affirmed that the City’s current approach
to carbon neutrality is supported and that the 2027 Plan Update should look more
like small changes and refinements to the existing plan rather than a
comprehensive rethinking of the City’s approach.
2. In each of the outreach events, staff shared the progress that is expected to be
made by 2035, described the gap between that progress and the 2020 CAP’s goal,
and shared information about the new statewide goal of carbon neutrality “as soon
as possible, but no later than 2045” (AB 1279). Staff tested whether the City should
continue with the 2035 goal given the known gap and the general feedback was
aligned with the sentiment that the value of having an aspirational goal is worth the
uncertainty that comes with it.
3. In each of the outreach events, staff also asked for ideas on how to have an
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excellent community outreach program that supports the 2027 CAP update. Staff
found that community members, community-based organization leaders, and
regional agency staff shared enthusiasm in collaborating on unique, fun,
informational, and effective events.
2027 Climate Action Plan Update Outreach
The outreach described in this report represents the initial phase of engagement and will
be complimented by extensive additional outreach during the CAP update process which
will occur throughout 2026. In addition to standard community workshops, surveys, and
conversations with stakeholders, notable planned outreach events include:
Pop-up outreach efforts at existing neighborhood and community level-events
such as Monday Meetups, Earth Fest, and neighborhood farmers’ markets.
Collaborating with existing community cultural events such as Building a Better
SLO’s lecture series.
Community service events where participants take action to improve their
community while learning about and providing feedback on the 2027 CAP.
Offering presentations and conversations with civil society organization boards
such as the Rotary Club and the Lions Club.
It should also be noted that, consistent with the approach taken in support of the 2020
CAP, staff broadly interprets what “stakeholder” means in the context of climate action
planning and intends to engage with a wide cross-section of the community (e.g., builders,
developers, realtors, mobile home park residents, students, renters, seniors, and non-
English speakers, among others).
CONCURRENCE
The City’s Green Team collaborated on the development of the 2026 Progress Report
and concurs with the content therein.8 This Council Agenda Report also has concurrence
from leadership in Public Works and Utilities, and Community Development.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The California Environmental Quality Act does not apply to the recommended action in
this report, because the action does not constitute a “Project” under CEQA Guidelines
Sec. 15378. The updated 2027 Climate Action Plan is a “Project” and will be subject to
environmental review prior to being presented to Council for approval. The City adopted
an Initial Study/Negative Declaration in 2021 prior to adoption of the Climate Action Plan
Update, and any subsequent updates require review of this previous document to
determine the appropriate environmental documentation and associated required findings
(i.e., findings of consistency with the adopted IS/ND, Addendum to the IS /ND, or
8 The City’s Green Team is a cross-departmental group of staff that helps coordinate efforts across City
functions. The Green Team enables shared ownership of climate goals, integrates sustainability into day-
to-day operations, and supports an all-City approach to achieving municipal and communitywide
emissions reductions.
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subsequent or supplemental documentation). The City has already retained the services
of an environmental consultant to conduct the environmental review in 2026, ahead of
returning to Council with the plan update in 2027.
FISCAL IMPACT
Budgeted: Yes Budget Year: 2025-26
Funding Identified: Yes
Fiscal Analysis:
Funding
Sources
Total Budget
Available
Current
Funding
Request
Remaining
Balance
Annual
Ongoing
Cost
General Fund $30,000 $ $ $
State
Federal
Fees
Other:
Total $30,000 $ $ $
As anticipated in the 2025-27 Financial Plan, staff have the internal capacity to complete
the Climate Action Plan “in house,” except for environmental review which is anticipated
to cost $30,000. This amount is budgeted and available to cover the scope of work.
The 2027 CAP Update is intended to be presented to Council in early 2027 to inform the
deliberative process being undertaken as part of the 2027-29 Financial Plan and will
provide staff’s recommendation for the tasks required to achieve state GHG reduction
goals and make progress on local GHG reduction goals. The City’s budget development
occurs via a separate process, and inclusion of any projects or programs in the City’s
budget are subject to Council approval. Funding for tasks included in the 2027 CAP
Update would require additional Council deliberation and approval and would not pre-
emptively approve or otherwise imply that they are automatically included in future
budgets.
QUESTIONS FOR COUNCIL
1. Which of the potential actions described above, and summarized below, should
be further evaluated as part of the 2027 Climate Action Plan Update? The
purpose of this Study Session is to provide strategic direction that will inform
development of the 2027 Climate Action Plan Update. Specific policies, programs, and
implementation strategies will return to Council for consideration as part of the draft
plan. Staff recommends further evaluation of all seven items included below and
requests that Council flag any actions they believe should not be further evaluated for
the 2027 CAP update.
Potential actions proposed to be modified or tried again include:
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1. Re-evaluation of mobility innovations related to bikeshare, carshare, and micro-
transit.
2. Enhanced support for regional transit and EV charging infrastructure.
3. Re-evaluation of large building energy efficiency programs.
4. Evaluation of the new single-family Home Energy Score program.
5. Proactive legislative advocacy.
Potential new ideas that could be considered includ e:
6. Evaluation of bulk purchasing and direct installation programs for rooftop solar,
batteries, and electric heat-pump water-heater and HVAC units.
7. Support for “plug-in” solar and battery energy storage systems.
2. At a minimum, the City will be required to adopt the AB 1279 goal of carbon
neutrality “as soon as possible,” but no later than 2045. Does Council want to
retain its local 2035 target as well?
2.a. If so, is Council comfortable with staff returning with a 2027-31 Climate Action
Plan that does not identify a path to carbon neutrality by 2035, thus retaining the
goal as an aspirational target?
2.b. If not, should staff include recommendations for what “as soon as possible”
could mean in practice?
2.c. Does Council want to retain its existing “narrow and deep” approach to
covered greenhouse gas emissions (focusing on energy, transportation, and
landfilled solid waste)?
3. Does Council have further direction or feedback on the proposed outreach,
engagement, and plan update approach to the 2027 CAP Update?
SCHEDULE AND NEXT STEPS
Staff is prepared to incorporate Council’s strategic direction into the outreach and work
program for the 2027 Climate Action Plan update based on the following schedule:
April-October 2026 – Staff will conduct community outreach and engagement,
conduct technical research, and further evaluate potential CAP actions. The
findings from these efforts will be used to develop the 2027 CAP.
December 2026 – Staff will publish a public review draft of the 2027 CAP.
Spring 2027 – Staff will present the 2027 CAP to Council for approval.
ALTERNATIVES
1. Council could provide strategic direction not included in the “Questions for
Council.”
2. Council could direct staff to cease work on the Climate Action Plan Update
and reprioritize planning efforts to implementation. This alternative would
allow staff to spend more time in 2026 working on CAP implementation actions.
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Staff does not recommend this as the updated Climate Action Plan is an important
tool for ensuring staff work programs are aligned with the City’s needs to achieve
state targets related to SB 32 and AB 1279.
ATTACHMENTS
A - 2026 Climate Action Plan Progress Report
B - Local Government Climate Alliance Information Sheet
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PAGE i
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CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO COMMUNITY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN
2026 PROGRESS REPORT APRIL 2026
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
City Council
Erica A. Stewart, Mayor
Michelle Shoresman, Vice Mayor
Emily Francis, Council Member
Jan Marx, Council Member
Dr. Michael Boswell, Council Member
City Management
Whitney McDonald, City Manager
Scott Collins, Assistant City Manger
Greg Hermann, Deputy City Manager
Green Team Contributors
Kiersten Anderson; Volunteer Coordinator, Lucia Baesemann; Sustainability & Natural Resources Analyst, Meg
Buckingham; Solid Waste & Recycling Program Manager, Dan Clancy; Financial Analyst, Jacqui Clark-Charlesworth;
Tourism Analyst, Greg Cruce; Deputy Director, Maintenance Operations, Ethan Estrada; Assistant Planner, Amy
Fletcher; Human Resources Specialist, Benefits, Adam Fukushima; Active Transportation Manager, Adria Griggs; City
Attorney, Nico Gurney; Engineering Technician II, Natalie Harnett; Policy and Project Manager, Alejandro Hernandez;
Facilities Maintenance Supervisor, Bob Hill; Sustainability & Natural Resources Official, Devin Hyfield; Recreation
Manager, Basile Inman; Ranger Service Worker, Juanita Iriarte; Communications Coordinator, Madeline Kacsinta;
Engineer III, Riley Kuhn; Principal Budget Analyst, Chris Lehman; Deputy Director, Wastewater, Joe Little; Emergency
Manager, Teresa McClish; Housing Policy and Programs Manager, Patrick McGrath; WRRF Supervisor, Freddy Otte;
City Biologist, Rachelle Paris; Solid Waste & Recycling Coordinator, Matt Pennon; DEI Manager, Chris Read;
Sustainability Manager, Jennifer Rice; Deputy Director, Mobility Services, Keith Schwanemann; Stormwater Program
Manager, Shawna Scott; Assistant Director of Utilities, Jesse Stanley; Transit Coordinator, Whitney Szentesi; Public
Communications Manager, Nick Teague; Water Resources Program Manager, Bryan Treanor; Lieutenant.
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CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO COMMUNITY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN
2026 PROGRESS REPORT APRIL 2026
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PROGRESS REPORT SUMMARY ............................................................................................ 2
1. PROGRESS REPORT BACKGROUND ................................................................................ 4
2. GHG INVENTORY AND FORECAST SNAPSHOTS ............................................................. 8
3. CLIMATE ACTION PROGRESS BY PILLAR .......................................................................12
Pillar 1: Lead By Example..............................................................................................12
Pillar 2: Clean Energy Systems .....................................................................................15
Pillar 3: Green Buildingss ..............................................................................................18
Pillar 4: Connected Community .....................................................................................22
Pillar 5: Circular Economy .............................................................................................27
Pillar 6: Natural Solutions ..............................................................................................31
Administrative Actions ...................................................................................................34
APPENDIX A. CLIMATE ACTION PLAN IMPLEMENTATION MATRIX ............................. - 35 -
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2021
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CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO PROGRESS REPORT
COMMUNITY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN APRIL 2026
PAGE 2
PROGRESS REPORT
SUMMARY
Introduction
The City of San Luis Obispo (City) and the community have been working hard to reduce pollution,
create more clean energy, provide more ways to move around the community, and do so in a way
that supports other goals related to housing, diversity, equity, and inclusion, economic
development, and community resilience. In 2020, the City Council adopted the Climate Action
Plan for Community Recovery (Climate Action Plan, or “CAP”) that set forth and established an
ambitious communitywide goal of carbon neutrality by 2035. Consistent with the schedule
adopted with the 2020 CAP, staff provide the City Council and community with a progress report
every four years.
What’s Inside
The 2026 Progress Report (the “Report”) includes information about the City’s Climate Action
Plan, updated greenhouse gas emissions trends, and detailed information about implementation
progress since the adoption of the Climate Action Plan. The Report is organized into the following
Chapters:
1. Progress Report Background shares information about the history of climate action in
San Luis Obispo and provides the context for this progress report.
2. Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory and Forecast Snapshots updates historic
greenhouse gas emissions inventories, provides a 2024 inventory update, and forecasts
emissions for 2030, 2035, and 2045.
3. Climate Action Progress by Pillar explains the different sectors of the Climate Action
Plan, reports on implementation progress to date, identifies implementation headwinds
and momentum, and looks ahead to how the City can support continued emissions
reductions through 2045.
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CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO PROGRESS REPORT
COMMUNITY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN APRIL 2026
PAGE 3
Progress Report Summary Findings
Based on the work completed for the Report, staff have identified four key findings:
1. The City’s leadership and investments in climate action produce measurable
results, invite outside resources (including over $57 million in external funding for
CAP implementation actions since 2020), and demonstrate the effectiveness of
sustained local leadership. Staff across City departments and programs are aligned in
advancing CAP strategies and have reduced community emissions in partnership with
local organizations and residents. Our local electricity provider is committed to providing
100% carbon-free electricity by 2030, enabling more homes and vehicles in our
community to transition from fossil fuels and plug into a cleaner grid. The City is investing
in essential active transportation infrastructure, making it safer and more convenient to
walk, bike, and use transit. Citywide organics recycling is reducing emissions from the
landfill, and climate-forward management of City open spaces, parks, and the urban forest
is increasing carbon sequestration.
2. Regional, state, and federal policy changes are introducing new constraints on local
climate progress. While local climate programs and projects are gaining momentum,
factors outside of the City’s direct control are making it more challenging to reduce
emissions. These factors include funding limitations for regional transit and regional low-
carbon mobility options, statewide legislative and regulatory decisions affecting electricity
affordability and clean energy deployment, and significant shifts in federal priorities that
have disrupted the funding landscape for green buildings and low-carbon transportation.
3. Regional vehicle trips and natural gas use in existing buildings remain the most
significant obstacles to achieving Council’s 2035 carbon neutrality goal. The
external challenges described above, combined with higher-than-anticipated regional
growth projections, indicate that there will be more fossil fuel powered buildings and
vehicles in the future than originally forecasted. Without additional intervention, this trend
will widen the gap between current trajectories and adopted targets. The 2027 Climate
Action Plan update can respond directly to these findings and identify practical strategies
to close that gap.
4. Persistent local innovation and creativity will be required to reach carbon neutrality
goals. The City’s role as a leader in local climate action remains clear. Maintaining
momentum will require deliberate policy direction and sustained investment. New tactics
are required for successful collaboration with regional and state partners, including
leadership on regional boards and commissions, and new forms of advocacy on the state
level. Internally, the City will need to find creative solutions to go further with the resources
available, and community organizations will need to continue playing a major role in local
success.
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1. PROGRESS REPORT
BACKGROUND
Background
In 2012, City Council adopted the City’s first Climate
Action Plan (CAP), which established (and achieved) the
goal of reducing greenhouse (GHG) emissions by 15%
by 2020. In 2020, Council adopted a comprehensive
update that included a communitywide goal of carbon
neutrality by 2035. The 2020 CAP set a long-term vision
for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, while also
helping achieve local resilience, economic development,
housing, and social equity goals. In 2022, Council
adopted the 2023-27 CAP Work Program that reaffirmed
the 2035 carbon neutrality target and refined the City’s
strategies in response to evolving state policy,
implementation experience, and updated emissions data.
This 2026 Climate Action Progress Report (2026
Progress Report) provides a snapshot of the City’s
implementation efforts since adoption of the 2020 CAP
and its subsequent update. The Progress Report
provides findings from an updated greenhouse gas
emissions inventory and forecast, summarizes progress
across each of the six CAP pillars, highlights key
implementation trends, and identifies areas where
additional action may be needed. A detailed, action-by-
action implementation review that reflects work
completed through March 2026 is provided in Appendix
A. This Report is intended to act as a “check-in” in
advance of the comprehensive Community Climate
Action Plan update, scheduled for early 2027.
Climate Action Plan & Progress
Report Development Process
The Climate Action Plan organizes actions into six pillars
that address the City’s primary sources of greenhouse
gas emissions. Implementation follows a regular and repeating cycle of evaluating emissions
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through inventories, advancing priority
actions, monitoring progress, and
adjusting strategies over time. This
approach allows the City to respond to
changing conditions while maintaining
focus on its long-term carbon neutrality
goal.
The planning and implementation of
the Climate Action Plan occurs over
four repeating steps, including
evaluating existing conditions via a
greenhouse gas emissions inventory,
identifying key actions to eliminate
greenhouse gas emissions,
implementing those actions, and
monitoring progress via this progress
report. This cycle is intended to be
completed every four years until the community achieves its goal of carbon neutrality.
The 2026 Progress Report was informed by extensive community outreach including seven
roundtable workshops with community-based organizations and regional public agencies, a
community meeting and webinar, and conversations with boards or committees at numerous
organizations including the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce and the San Luis Obispo
Climate Coalition.
Green Team
Climate action planning and implementation are
supported by the City’s Green Team, a cross-
departmental group of staff that helps coordinate
efforts across City functions. The Green Team
enables shared ownership of climate goals,
integrates sustainability into day-to-day
operations, and supports an all-City approach to
achieving both municipal and communitywide
emissions reductions.
Local, Regional, Statewide, and National Collaboration
Since the 2020 Climate Action Plan was adopted, City staff have been collaborating with cities
throughout California and the United States to ensure lessons learned in other places allow the
City to do the work as efficiently as possible. Examples of collaboration include:
Green Cities California is a network of around 30 California cities and counties that
collaborate on projects related to local energy reach codes that require buildings to be
more efficient, electric vehicle chargers, and renewable energy, among other things.
Urban Sustainability Network is a network of over 200 U.S. and Canadian cities and
counties that also collaborate on best practices for achieving local climate goals.
February 2026 Green Buildings Stakeholder Forum
Staff from the City’s Green Team
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The Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Climate Compact is an informal working group
comprised of staff from the City of Santa Barbara and the City of San Luis Obispo. Both
cities have carbon neutral by 2035 targets and collaborate on approaches to achieve those
goals.
Photo of 2025 Green Cities California Annual Meeting
Implementation Resources
A central principle of the 2020 CAP is that leadership brings resources, and since 2020, the City
also brought in substantial funding from outside resources to help achieve the actions in the
Climate Action Plan, totaling over $57 million. The amount provided in this section is conservative,
may not be inclusive of all grants or rebates received, and doesn’t account for the grant funded
work completed by community-based organizations and regional public agencies (e.g., 3C-REN,
3CE, and APCD). Table 1 provides a summary of major grants, rebates, and incentives that the
City has received by sector.
Table 1. External Funding for Climate Action Plan Implementation (2020-25)
Sector Total
Lead by Example $11,531,876
Clean Energy and Green Buildings $956,798
Connected Communities (Transportation) $44,159,489
Solid Waste $259,078
Natural Solutions $656,996
Total $57,564,238
Note: the “Lead by Example” total includes $7,332,979 in tax credit funds pending final review by the Internal
Revenue Service (IRS) and $76,790 in formula funds committed to the City by the US Department of Energy (DOE).
Disbursements from the Federal Government are delayed in both instances.
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2. GHG INVENTORY AND
FORECAST SNAPSHOTS
GHG Inventory Background
A greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory is a measure of GHG emissions that have occurred as the
result of activity in a jurisdiction or a geographic area in a calendar year. Greenhouse gas
emissions are modeled by multiplying data about activity (e.g., the amount of electricity
consumed, the number of miles travelled in fossil fuel powered vehicles, the tons of solid waste
sent to the landfill, etc.) by the greenhouse gas emission content of a typical unit of that activity
(e.g., the average greenhouse gas emissions content per unit of combusted natural gas).
Consistent with California Air Resources Board guidance and related reporting protocols, this
inventory accounts for three common greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide (CO 2), methane (CH4),
and nitrous oxide (N20). Since methane and nitrous oxide are substantially more potent
greenhouse gases than carbon dioxide (86 and 265 times more potent, respectively), the
emissions modeled from their release into the atmosphere are multiplied by their respective
potential to warm the atmosphere relative to CO2 The reporting unit for greenhouse gas emissions
is “Metric Tons of Carbon Dioxide Equivalence”, or MTCO2e.
The City’s inventory includes emissions related to electricity and natural gas used in buildings and
facilities (including electricity used to treat and move water), energy used for vehicles, and
pollution for landfilled solid waste. The GHG emissions sectors included in the City’s inventory
are required sectors consistent with California Air Resources Board guidance and do not include
optional sectors associated with off-road equipment, wastewater treatment, and aviation, among
other things. The “narrow and deep” approach to pursuing ambitious action in the required sectors
is consistent with direction Council approved at the December 14, 2022 adoption of the 2023-27
Climate Action Work Program. This section provides a snapshot of the most recent San Luis
Obispo communitywide GHG inventory and forecast work.
The inventories and forecasts are subject to change as the City updates them with best available
data throughout the 2027 CAP update process. In particular, the forecasts are subject to change
as new economic and regional growth forecasts become available. As such, the snapshots
provided in this report are best used as an indicator of the general scale and direction of emissions
through 2045.
GHG Inventory and Forecast Snapshot
According to the City’s current GHG inventory and forecast snapshots, San Luis Obispo’s 2024
GHG emissions decreased by approximately 20% from 2005 levels and are expected to continue
to decrease through 2035. As shown in Table 2, emissions in 2035 are expected to be at 218,810
MTCO2e (approximately 50% below 2005 levels). Chapter 4 provides additional inventory and
forecast detail and findings for each of the inventoried emissions sectors.
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The 2027 CAP will include a technical GHG inventory and forecast memorandum that will provide
extensive detail about the methods and data used to calculate the City’s GHG emissions
estimates.
Table 2 GHG Emissions Inventories and Forecasts, 2005-2045 (MTCO2e).
Sector 2005 2016 2023 2024 2030 2035 2045
%
Change
(2005-
35)
Buildings
(Electricity) 59,580 32,690 75,950 43,690 470 440 390 -99%
Buildings (Gas) 57,120 51,310 58,780 54,170 51,400 39,920 24,300 -30%
Transportation
(Internal Trips) 83,720 67,760 44,800 44,800 40,520 33,160 14,560 -60%
Transportation
(Regional Trips) 191,690 155,140 180,330 180,330 166,740 138,710 62,690 -28%
Solid Waste 47,740 42,630 28,950 29,480 11,100 6,580 3,590 -86%
Total 439,850 349,530 388,810 352,470 270,230 218,810 105,530 -50%
% Change from
2005
-21% -12% -20% -39% -50% -76%
Note: The figures reported in this table reflect the best available analysis as of March 2026.
These numbers may be revised ahead of the 2027 CAP update pending additional data or
updated economic and demographic forecasts.
Local and Statewide GHG Emissions Reduction Goals
The City’s 2035 carbon neutrality goal is a local policy preference that sits inside the California
legal framework related to greenhouse gas emissions. The City’s climate action efforts are now
informed by two statewide GHG emissions targets that have been adopted or clarified since the
adoption of the 2020 CAP:
SB 32 sets a 2030 regulatory goal to reduce statewide greenhouse gas emissions to 40
percent below 1990 levels. Since 2020, new guidance on how cities should calculate this
as a local goal has been issued and the City’s current analysis is that with implementation
of the existing CAP, the City is on track to achieve this goal.
AB 1279 sets a 2045 regulatory goal of achieving net‑zero emissions “as soon as
possible,” and no later than 2045, with at least an 85 percent reduction in emissions by
that date.1 The City’s current analysis shows that the implementation of the Climate Action
Plan does not put the City on track to achieve local reductions consistent with AB 1279.
Figure 1 illustrates the GHG emissions provided in Table 2 in relationship to the 2030 target (SB
32), the 2035 target (Council’s adopted goal), and the 2045 target (AB 1279). The gap between
the forecasted emissions and the City’s goals represents the gap that the 2027 Climate Action
Plan needs to address.
1 The guidance for establishing an 85% reduction assumes statewide carbon sequestration initiatives
achieving the other 15% as modeled by the California Air Resources Board and included in its 2022 Climate
Scoping Plan.
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Figure 1. GHG Emissions Relative to State and Local Goals (2005-2045 in MTCO2e)
2005
2016
2018
2023
2024
2030
2035
2045
0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
300,000
350,000
400,000
450,000
500,000
MT
C
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2e 2030 Target (SB 32)
2045 Target (AB 1279)
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3. CLIMATE ACTION
PROGRESS BY PILLAR
The following section presents progress updates for each of the six Climate Action Plan pillars,
which together organize the City’s approach to reducing community-wide greenhouse gas
emissions. Each pillar summary provides a snapshot of where the City is making progress, where
challenges remain, and how current efforts align with the City’s long-term carbon neutrality goal.
Where this section describes progress on a particular pillar action, the action is identified in
parentheses. More details about each action and the entirety of the 2023-27 CAP Work Program
can be found at the end of this report in the CAP Implementation Matrix (Appendix A).
Each section concludes with a look to the future, reflecting on the remaining emissions-reduction
gap and identifying opportunities, emerging strategies, and policy considerations that may be
necessary to achieve the City’s community carbon neutrality target.
PILLAR 1: LEAD BY EXAMPLE
Pillar Overview
The City of San Luis Obispo is a highly visible
organization whose climate commitments and
results can inspire others to take similar action.
The City is reducing greenhouse gas emissions
across municipal operations (e.g., in City
buildings, facilities, and fleet vehicles), while
also integrating climate action into economic
development, and community partnerships.
The City has adopted a goal of carbon-neutral
operations by 2030, five years ahead of the
community target. By reducing municipal
emissions, the City is demonstrating that carbon
neutrality is achievable and can share lessons
with residents, businesses, and other local
governments.
Since 2021, the municipal operations emissions
reduction strategies have been moved to a
separate planning document: Lead by Example:
Goal
Carbon neutral government operations by
2030
Progress
Projected 84% reduction in covered
municipal operations emissions by 2030
Headwinds
Elimination of federal rebates and
incentives
Fluctuation in the EV truck market
Momentum
Ongoing rebates and incentives from
3CE
Fleet continues to electrify and the
charging depot at the Corp Yard is now
in design
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A Plan for Carbon Neutral Municipal Operations. The plan’s progress report was presented to
Council in May of 2024, and the Plan update was adopted by Council in February of 2025. As
illustrated in Figure 1, the updated Lead by Example Plan reports progress between 2022 and
2024 and forecasts an 84% reduction in municipal operations emissions by 2030.2
Sector Emissions Inventory and Forecast
Figure 2 shows activity data and historical emissions trends for municipal operations from 2022
to 2024, alongside forecasts through 2030. Emissions from City buildings and facilities are
expected to decrease rapidly by 2030 while other sectors, such as employee commute and fleet
face greater challenges and are expected to decrease less rapidly.
Figure 2. Municipal Operations Emissions Inventory (2022-2024) and Forecast (2025-2030)
Implementation Progress
As noted above, the 2025 Lead by Example plan reports that the City is
on track to achieve an 84% reduction in covered municipal operations
emissions by 2030 (for more detail, see the Lead by Example 2025-29
Work Program). In addition to municipal operations decarbonization, the
Lead by Example pillar also includes actions related to community
leadership and partnerships and capacity building.
Visibility and Community Leadership
Leading by Example only works if people are aware of what work is
being completed and why it is a priority. To enhance visibility, the City
created the Sustainable SLO brand, which has been applied to electric
2 The Lead by Example Plan addresses required emissions sectors per the Local Government Operations
Protocol (LGOP), which includes electricity and natural gas consumption, solid waste, and transportation.
The Lead by Example Plan also provides an estimate of direct emissions from wastewater treatment for
informational purposes. For more information, see the Lead by Example Council Agenda Report at:
https://opengov.slocity.org/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=218409&dbid=0&repo=CityClerk&cr=1
0
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031
Building & Facility Energy Fleet Employee Commute Solid Waste
MT
C
O
2e
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fleet vehicles, buses, waste infrastructure, and trailheads, among other things. This branding is
supported by ongoing communication through social media, newsletters, and in-person events,
translating technical progress into accessible stories.
Partnerships and Capacity Building
Beyond City operations, the “Lead by Example” pillar emphasizes capacity building and
partnerships. The City has invested in and collaborated with community-based organizations to
expand the reach of climate action, including low-income energy programs delivered through
CAPSLO, urban forestry with ECOSLO and Rotary de T olosa, watershed restoration with Creek
Lands Conservation, sustainable agriculture education with City Farm SLO, and cultural fire and
ecological restoration in partnership with yak titʸu titʸu yak tiłhini Northern Chumash Tribe
(Leadership 3.1.A). Through these partnerships, the City can help other organizations make
progress on the community’s climate action goals while benefiting from their unique expertise.
While as a small municipality, the City lacks the capacity and leverage to meaningfully influence
regional workforce efforts, the City benefits from broader efforts led by REACH and the Workforce
Development Board (Leadership 2.2.A).
Reaching Carbon Neutrality
As City operations approach carbon neutrality, the role of Lead by Example will be to maintain
the emissions reduction progress achieved to date, while also investing more time and support
into community organizations that seek to do the same.
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PILLAR 2: CLEAN ENERGY SYSTEMS
Pillar Overview
A carbon-neutral, affordable, and reliable
electricity system is the foundation of the City’s
greenhouse gas reduction strategy. Clean
electricity reduces emissions from current
electricity use and enables a zero-emissions
alternative for fossil-fuel appliances, equipment,
and vehicles.
As illustrated in Figure 2, in 2024, electricity
used in San Luis Obispo generated an
estimated 43,690 MTCO2e, about 12% of total
communitywide emissions. This reflects a 27%
reduction from 2005 levels.
Implementation Progress
Since 2020, the City has pursued a goal of
carbon-free electricity. The Climate Action Plan
primarily advances this goal by supporting
Central Coast Community Energy’s
commitment to provide carbon-neutral electricity by 2030. The Plan also includes strategies to
improve grid reliability, access, and affordability in coordination with PG&E, and to explore
potential decarbonization pilot programs with SoCal Gas.
Clean energy actions focus on transforming the electricity supply that underpins nearly all other
decarbonization strategies. The foundation of local climate action is that the electricity grid will
continue to get cleaner over time, and through efficiency and transitioning from fossil fuel
appliances to electric appliances, the community will reduce and eventually eliminate emissions.
Community Choice Energy Participation
The City continues to support and participate in Central Coast Community Energy (3CE), with
over 96% of local electrical load served by the community choice aggregator (Clean Energy
1.1.A). Since launch, more than $4.1 million in incentives and rebates have flowed back to the
community for electric vehicles, charging infrastructure, and building electrification, reinforcing the
local benefits of participation.
After a temporary increase in reported 3CE emissions intensity between 2021 and 2023 driven
by the transition from purchasing carbon credits to the direct investment in new renewable energy
projects, emissions declined in 2024 as new renewable projects came online and reset the
trajectory to carbon neutral electricity by 2030.
3CE is governed by a Policy Board composed of elected officials and an Operations Board
composed of City Managers. The City of San Luis Obispo shares a board seat with the City of
Morro Bay and per a memorandum of agreement between the agencies, alternate representation
every two years. San Luis Obispo represented the seat in 2019 through 2024 and will do so again
in 2027 and 2028.
Goal
100% carbon free electricity by 2020
Progress
27% reduction in electricity emissions since
2005; expected to reach goal by 2030
Headwinds
Federal Regulatory and Financial
Incentive Changes
California Regulatory Changes
Increased Construction Costs
Momentum
3CE’s new renewable energy projects
are coming online
Batteries prices continue to decrease
while making the grid cleaner and more
resilient
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Grid Reliability and Affordability
Grid reliability concerns have shifted over time. Earlier fears related to Public Safety Power
Shutoffs (PSPS) have eased, with no PSPS events affecting the City in recent years (Clean
Energy 2.1.A). Instead, the primary challenge has become the pace of interconnection for new
housing, EV charging, and renewable projects, combined with steep electricity rate increases.
PG&E rates have nearly doubled since 2018, largely due to required and deferred distribution
system maintenance and wildfire mitigation costs, creating affordability concerns as electrification
accelerates.
Sector Emissions Inventory and Forecast
Figure 3 shows activity data and historical emissions trends for the electricity sector from 2005
to 2024, alongside forecasts through 2045. Electricity emissions are forecasted to reach zero by
2030 as 3CE invests in renewable energy projects.
Figure 3. Electricity kWh and Emissions Inventory (2005-2024) and Forecast (2025-2035)
Headwinds and Momentum
The following headwinds emerged since 2020 that have slowed or threaten to slow progress:
Federal Regulatory and Financial Incentive Changes - the elimination of tax credits and
other financial incentives, combined with permitting obstacles makes rapid deployment of
renewables more difficult.
Regulatory Changes - California Public Utilities Commission’s decisions related to PG&E
rates, non-by-passable fees, and resource adequacy, among other things, continue to
make 3CE’s business of providing low-cost clean electricity unnecessarily difficult.
0
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
70,000
80,000
90,000
0
50000000
100000000
150000000
200000000
250000000
300000000
MT
C
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kW
h
kWh MTCO2e
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Increased Construction Costs - High material costs, interest rates, and labor costs
translate to higher energy costs.
Despite these challenges, momentum exists for progress, including:
3CE's new renewable energy projects are coming online and the organization continues
to reach new levels of organizational and financial maturity.
Batteries continue to become more affordable, and the California grid has over 17,000
megawatts of battery storage — a 2,100% increase in capacity since 20193.
Statewide clean energy progress continues; in 2025 there were 279 days when 100%
clean energy met or exceeded demand for a portion of that day, with an average of 5.1
hours of 100% clean energy per day (this is a rapid increase from 42 days in 2022, 136 in
2023, and 219 days in 2024)4.
Reaching Carbon Neutrality
Clean electricity remains essential to achieving carbon neutrality and future progress will depend
on affordability as much as supply. Rising rates risk slowing adoption of electric vehicles and
appliances, particularly for low-income households. While the purpose of this report is to provide
a progress report, staff also asked community members and stakeholders during the outreach
component for ideas that might bend the emissions curve towards carbon neutrality. Innovative
new ideas include engaging in legislative advocacy in support of affordable and reliable clean
electricity, as well as creating more accessible pathways for community members to install solar
or battery energy systems at their homes or businesses.
Photo of a geothermal plant near the Mammoth Lakes area that provides clean electricity to 3CE customers
3https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/california-electricity-data/california-energy-
storage-system-survey
4https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/clean-energy-serving-california/tracking-progress-toward-100-
clean-energy
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PILLAR 3: GREEN BUILDINGSs
Pillar Overview
A carbon neutral San Luis Obispo is one in
which nearly all energy used in buildings and
facilities comes from clean electricity. In 2024,
energy use in buildings and facilities (electricity
and natural gas) generated an estimated 97,860
MTCO2e, about 27% of total communitywide
emissions. This represents a 16% reduction
from 2005 levels.
Since 2020, the City has pursued a goal of
reducing building-related emissions by 50% by
2030. The strategy focuses on two core actions:
1) minimizing emissions from new construction
through building codes and 2) reducing
emissions from existing buildings through
energy efficiency retrofits. Work on existing
buildings also includes supporting voluntary
electrification and evaluating regulations that
would require efficiency upgrades in certain
situations.
CAP Implementation Progress
Low Emissions New Construction
The City has made strong progress reducing
emissions from new buildings. In 2022, the City adopted all-electric requirements for new
construction and implemented them through 2023. After federal law limited local authority to
require electrification, the City shifted to targeted amendments to the California Energy Code that
strongly encourage low- and zero-emissions buildings (Green Buildings 1.1A).
Between 2021 and mid-2025, approximately 79% of permitted buildings reporting energy data
were all-electric. Most of the remaining new buildings had only a single major appliance connected
to natural gas.
Existing Building Energy Retrofits
As anticipated in the 2020 Climate Action Plan, reducing emissions from existing buildings has
been more challenging. Permit data shows early signs of market transformation, with growing
adoption of electric heat pump water heaters and HVAC systems, compared to virtually no permits
for these technologies in 2020.
Overall natural gas use has declined only modestly, with a 5% decrease between 2005 and 2024.
During that period, residential gas use decreased by approximately 14% and non-residential use
increased by 8%.
Goal
No net new building emissions from onsite
energy use by 2020; and a 50% reduction in
existing building emissions by 2030
Progress
16% reduction in electricity emissions since
2005; reductions in existing building
emissions are slower than expected.
Headwinds
CPUC regulatory decisions have
devalued solar and increased the cost of
electricity
Momentum
Efficient electric appliances are readily
available to consumers
Relative cost of electricity compared to
natural gas is projected to decrease over
time
Local governments nationwide have
tested viable new ideas for market
transformation
California continues to enforce ambitious
climate policies across regulatory spaces
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As detailed in Appendix A, the City has completed multiple actions to support existing building
retrofits, including:
Piloting high-visibility, equity-focused retrofit projects, particularly in manufactured housing
communities, through partnerships with CAPSLO and the Diversity Coalition. These
efforts provided energy audits, weatherization, heat pump installations, and ongoing
energy coaching, providing information installation cost, feasibility, and utility bill impacts
(Green Buildings 2.1B).
Implementing permitting and process improvements such as permit discounts, rebate
referrals at application, SolarAPP+, and access to technical assistance through 3C-REN’s
Code Coach (Green Buildings 2.1C).
Partnering with 3CE to simplify access to rebates, resulting in more than $1 million in
community rebates since 2020 for building energy efficiency, electrification, batteries, and
all-electric new construction (including ADUs) (Green Buildings 2.1.B).
Advancing regulatory exploration through study sessions on additions-and-alterations
requirements, voluntary time-of-sale energy disclosure, and early evaluation of building
performance standards for large buildings (Green Buildings 2.1E). The City has adopted
energy efficiency requirements for major single-family additions and alterations, plans to
launch a voluntary home energy score program in spring 2026, and has identified the
approximately 100 buildings that exceed 50,000 square feet in floor area and the
approximately 150 buildings that are between 25,000 and 50,000 square feet that could
be included in a large-building energy disclosure program.
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Sector Emissions Inventory and Forecast
Figure 4 shows activity data and historical emissions trends for the buildings sector from 2005 to
2024, alongside forecasts through 2045. Electricity emissions are forecasted to reach zero by
2030 as the grid becomes cleaner, while emissions from natural gas use in buildings are expected
to persist over time.
Figure 4. Green Buildings Sector Emissions Inventory and Forecast
Headwinds and Momentum
While the emissions reductions associated with this sector were always expected to be
challenging, the following headwinds emerged since 2020 that have slowed or threaten to
continue slowing progress.
Changes to California Public Utilities Commission rules have substantially reduced the
value of rooftop solar, which previously had been a key component of cost-effective
electrification.
California Public Utilities Commission’s decisions related to PG&E’s rates and to allowing
PG&E to change certain fees that impact 3CE customers has made it more challenging to
address the price gap between electricity and natural gas in the short term.
Changes to the federal tax code, as well as changes to state rebates and incentives, have
reduced the funding available for energy efficiency retrofits.
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Despite these challenges, some momentum exists for progress, including:
The appliance market has undergone the early phases of transformation, with heat pump
equipment and induction cooking appliances now readily available at retail and distribution
locations.
National innovation continues, with two notable examples being the launching of public
utility in Ann Arbor, MI focused on providing solar and battery systems using local
contractors at a fixed low cost and the emergence of “plug in” solar as a cheap way for
almost every person with an outlet and access to the sun can participate in the clean
energy transition.
The State of California continues to make progress towards its own 2030 and 2045 climate
goals, including through the 2025 California Energy Code that encourages new buildings
to be all-electric and the California Air Resources Board’s Zero-emissions Appliances
rulemaking process that would prohibit natural gas appliances from being sold in California
starting in 2030.
Reaching Carbon Neutrality
Existing buildings represent the second largest remaining emissions gap. Voluntary programs
alone are unlikely to achieve the scale and speed of retrofits required by 2035. Closing this gap
may require new policy tools, such as mandatory energy disclosure, phased performance
standards, or targeted retrofit requirements, paired with robust financial assistance and technical
support. Ensuring affordability
and health benefits, particularly
for low-income households and
renters, will be essential to
maintaining continued progress.
While the purpose of this report
is to provide a progress report,
staff also asked community
members and stakeholders
during the outreach component
for ideas that might bend the
emissions curve towards carbon
neutrality. Innovative new ideas
include engaging in legislative
advocacy in support of
affordable and reliable clean
electricity and evaluating the
feasibility of Ann Arbor’s
Sustainable Energy Utility
model.
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PILLAR 4: CONNECTED COMMUNITY
Pillar Overview
Transportation remains the City’s largest source
of emissions. The City tracks local emissions
from internal trips that originate and end within
City limits, but also takes responsibility for half
of the emissions from regional vehicle trips,
which account for 80% of emissions in this
sector. In 2024, emissions from transportation
generated an estimated 225,130 MTCO2e –
about 63% of total communitywide emissions.
This represents an 18% reduction from 2005
levels.
Since 2020, the City has pursued a goal of
reaching a mode split of 50% (or less) single
occupancy vehicle trips, with the remaining trips
occurring via transit (7%), biking (20%), walking
(12%), and carpool and other (11%). Progress
in this sector looks like a community where
people can comfortably walk, bike, or take
transit for daily trips, and where remaining car
travel increasingly occurs in electric vehicles
supported by convenient, reliable charging. The
City’s strategy for reaching this mode split
includes building active transportation
infrastructure for walking and biking, investing in
innovative transit solutions and models, and
enabling a robust EV charging network, all while
supporting compact development patterns.
CAP Implementation Progress
Mode Shift
As of 2025, surveys show that the City has reached General Plan mode split objectives for walking
and carpooling (including other) but is behind on the percentage of trips taken by bike and transit.
As seen in Table 3, 15% of citywide trips are taken on foot, 12% by biking, 3% by transit, 12%
though carpools and other modes, and 59% in single occupancy vehicles.
Table 3. Progress Towards Mode Split Objectives
Mode 2019 Household
Survey
2024 Household
Survey
2025 Household
Survey 2030 Goal
Walking 11% 15% 15% 12%
Bicycle 16% 11% 12% 20%
Transit 2% 2% 3% 7%
Single-Occupancy Vehicle 61% 62% 59% 50%
Carpool and Other 10% 11% 12% 11%
Goal
Achieve General Plan Mode Split Objective
by 2030; 40% VMT by electric vehicles by
2030
Progress
18% reduction in transportation emissions
since 2005. The City achieved mode split
objectives early for walking and carpooling,
but is behind on increasing transit and bike
use, and on reducing rates of driving alone
Headwinds
SLO Transit and RTA ridership declined
in the early 2020s as a result of the
pandemic
Federal funding priorities have shifted
away from sustainable transportation.
Momentum
Rapid construction of 1/3rd of the Tier 1
active transportation network
SLO Transit ridership increases year after
year and is at 77% of the annual ridership
prior to the pandemic
Internal walking, carpool, and other trips
surpassed the City’s mode split objectives
five years early
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Walking and Biking
The City continues to implement the Active Transportation Plan, prioritizing projects that improve
safety, connectivity, and comfort for people walking and biking (Connected 1.1.A). Since 2021,
the City has completed approximately one-third of the Tier 15 active transportation network. When
including projects that are currently in design or planning, more than 60% of the Tier 1 network is
either complete or actively advancing. Recent investments include the North Chorro
Neighborhood Greenway, shared-use paths on Madonna Road, pedestrian and bicycle
improvements in the Cerro San Luis development, and upgraded crossings on high-profile
corridors.
Together, these projects reduce barriers to short, non-car trips and improve access for all ages
and abilities. As the City’s active transportation network improves, programs like a public
bikeshare program can attract new riders
and audiences to bicycling in SLO. The
City explored launching a bikeshare in
2024, but market changes and funding
risks emerged during the procurement
process that resulted in not selecting a
vendor (Connected 1.2.A). To support
accountability, walking and biking mode
share is now tracked through the biennial
Active Transportation Plan Report Card,
strengthening the link between
infrastructure investment and outcomes
(Connected 2.1.A).
Transit
The City operates SLO Transit in City
limits and the Cal Poly University campus.
Challenges that emerged during the
COVID-19 pandemic, alongside a
nationwide bus operator shortage, made
it difficult for SLO Transit to quickly restore
pre-pandemic service levels. These
headwinds are evident in measurements
of transit service: the number of
passenger-trips per vehicle-service-hour
has decreased by 52% over the last ten
years and by 33% over the last five years.
Despite these challenges, SLO Transit
has steadily recovered. As of 2026, approximately 95% of pre-pandemic service has been
restored, and ridership has increased by double-digit percentages annually for the past four years.
While ridership in FY 2024-25 remains below FY 2018-19 levels, it continues to trend upward as
service improvements are implemented.
5 The Tier 1 network includes the improvements identified with the greatest potential to increase bicycle
and pedestrian mode share.
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Improvements to SLO Transit’s frequency, reliability, fare programs, and rider experience are
being planned through the Transit Innovation Study and Short-Range Transit Plan, with several
pandemic-delayed enhancements scheduled for implementation in 2026 (Connected 4.2.A).
These improvements include improved fixed route services under a forthcoming new contract for
transit operations and maintenance services, which will go into effect in July 2026.
As existing diesel buses are a local source of pollution, the City is transitioning to zero-emission
transit vehicles with two electric buses in operation and eight additional buses are planned to
enter service in 2026 (Connected 4.1.A). Once in operation, approximately half of the transit fleet
will be electric, reducing tailpipe emissions while improving rider comfort. This transition to a zero-
emission fleet is aligned with state law that requires transit agencies to fully transition to zero-
emission technologies by 2040.
As the San Luis Obispo Regional Transit Authority (RTA) serves transit users travelling in and out
of San Luis Obispo, the City is working with RTA to make transfers to local SLO Transit buses as
seamless as possible, including by implementing a new Open-Loop or “Tap2Ride” payment
system, which is scheduled to launch in Spring 2026. Staff continue to monitor opportunities for
regional collaboration and are currently coordinating on tools such as the Mobility Wallet Pilot
Program to expand access to transit and shared mobility for low-income residents throughout the
region (Connected 2.2.A).
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Electric Vehicle Infrastructure and Parking Policy
City-owned EV charging has expanded from two chargers in
2019 to 27 in 2026, with 49 additional chargers added in 2026
(Connected 3.1.A). Installations prioritize public facilities and
locations that serve residents without home charging.
Land Use and Infill Development
Implementation of Housing Element programs, flexible
downtown density policies, and missing-middle housing
incentives continue to support compact development
patterns. Infill housing development has progressed at a
steady rate, providing additional housing units in existing City
neighborhoods, leading to shorter trip lengths and improving
the viability of walking, biking, and transit. Growth in Specific
Plan areas has provided housing development in new areas
of the City, with associated infrastructure improvements that
promote multimodal transit and pedestrian connectivity
(Connected 5.1.A, 5.1.B).
Sector Emissions Inventory and Forecast
Figure 5 shows activity data and historical emissions trends for the transportation sector from
2005 to 2024, alongside forecasts through 2045. While VMT remains high through 2045,
emissions are expected to decrease over time as zero emissions vehicles become common and
the average vehicle becomes more fuel efficient.
Figure 5. Connected Community Emissions Inventory and Forecast
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Headwinds and Momentum
Transportation remains one of the most challenging sectors for achieving carbon neutrality. The
following challenges have emerged in this sector:
Given the City’s role as job center, the City’s job-housing imbalance, and the region’s
development pattern of geographically isolated communities, reducing vehicle trips across
the county remains a challenge.
Local and regional transit ridership levels remain below pre-pandemic levels. SLO Transit
ridership in FY 2024-25 remains 33% below FY 2018-19 levels; however, ridership has
increased by double-digit percentages each year for the last four years.
The City’s ability to offer community new sustainable ways of getting around, including
bikeshare, carshare, and microtransit, is dependent on successful public-private-
partnerships. Shifts in market conditions for bikeshare and carshare operators have thus
far prevented launch of a zero-cost solution in the City of San Luis Obispo.
Opportunities include:
EV adoption is growing rapidly. Residents purchased more than 11,000 electric vehicles
in SLO County through 2025. EVs accounted for 24%, 22%, and 22% of all light-duty
vehicle sales in the County in 2023, 2024, and 2025, respectively.
SLO is encouraging compact development patterns. Land use decisions will remain a
powerful long-term lever. Continued infill development near jobs, schools, and transit
corridors is essential to reducing car dependence over time.
Reaching Carbon Neutrality
While the purpose of this report is to provide a progress report, staff also asked community
members and stakeholders during the outreach component for ideas that might bend the
emissions curve towards carbon neutrality. Innovative new ideas include stepping up regional
leadership for sustainable mobility. Advancing sustainable regional transportation solutions
requires regional coordination with SLOCOG, RTA, Cal Poly, and neighboring jurisdictions to
complete strategic investments across central coast communities. Additionally, micromobility and
microtransit could reduce vehicle trips while also enabling SLO Transit to make service changes
that increase headways on main routes. Near-term opportunities may allow for a fresh look at
shared bicycle and on-demand transit programs.
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PILLAR 5: CIRCULAR ECONOMY
Pillar Overview
The Circular Economy pillar has delivered some
of the City’s most consistent and measurable
emissions reductions, driven largely by state
policy alignment and strong local
implementation. This pillar is currently narrowly
focused on the emissions that result from
organic waste decomposing in the landfill and
releasing methane, which is a potent
greenhouse gas. The City benefits from a
special composting facility, called an anaerobic
digester. The City sends its organic waste to this
facility, where it becomes organic compost and
methane biogas that generates enough
electricity to power around 600 homes. In 2024,
emissions from organic waste generated an
estimated 29,480 MTCO2e, about 8% of total
communitywide emissions. This represents a
38% reduction from 2005 levels.
Since 2020, the City has pursued a mid-term
goal of 75% diversion of landfilled organic waste
by 2025, and with the ultimate goal of 90%
diversion by 2035. This means that the
overwhelming majority of residential food scraps and yard waste, as well as organic waste from
large generators like local restaurants, groceries, commercial kitchens, large events, and
multifamily properties need to be properly sorted and sent to the digester.
CAP Implementation Progress
SB 1383 Compliance and Enforcement
In 2022, the City adopted an ordinance requiring organic waste subscription for all residential and
commercial customers. Since implementing organic waste collections citywide, the City, in
coordination with the SLO County Integrated Waste Management Authority (IWMA), has carried
out inspection, monitoring, and targeted education programs to meet the requirements of SB 1383
(Circular Economy 1.1.A). Outreach has focused on commercial generators, multifamily
properties, and food-generating businesses, with an emphasis on technical assistance and
corrective action rather than penalties. As of 2024, compliance issues have been resolved through
education, automatic service enrollment, and follow-up monitoring, keeping the City in good
standing with CalRecycle’s requirements.
Organic Waste Diversion and Processing
Organic waste diversion continues to be supported by education and regional infrastructure,
notably the Kompogas anaerobic digestion facility, which converts organic waste into renewable
energy and compost (Circular Economy 1.1.B). The City exceeded its SB 1383 organic
Goal
75% diversion of landfilled organic waste by
2025; 90% diversion by 2035
Progress
Emissions from organic waste have reduced
38% since 2005
Headwinds
Large events, multi-family housing,
mobile home parks, and large employers
have high rates of contamination
Momentum
Organics recycling is rolled out Citywide.
By implementing SB 1383, the City is
reducing landfilled organics
Local partnerships recover significant
amount of edible food
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procurement target by ~43% in 2024 through a combination of compost application, renewable
natural gas use, and mulch projects. These actions reduce methane emissions while supporting
soil health and local reuse markets.
Edible Food Recovery
The City has benefits from collaborations between the IWMA and local food recovery
organizations that are expanding edible food recovery to reduce waste and alleviate hunger
(Circular Economy 1.2.A). The SLO Food Bank is the local party responsible for edible food
recovery coordination and reporting. The SLO Food Bank manages two food rescue
programs: the Glean Program that rescuers a fresh produce in partnership with local farms and
community residents, and the Grocery Rescue Program that rescues edible food directly from
markets and connects charitable agencies with near-date food from grocery chains and local
markets. Due to the efforts of the SLO Food Bank and IWMA, there is greater awareness of these
programs among food generators and stronger redistribution networks serving food-insecure
residents.
Photo courtesy of the SLO Food Bank
Education, Outreach, and Contamination Reduction
The IWMA provides free kitchen pails and commercial internal organics collection containers to
support residents and businesses in properly separating organic waste. The City and IWMA have
conducted additional outreach to businesses, homeowner’s associations, and property
managers, particularly in multifamily and mobile home communities where contamination rates
tend to be high (Circular Economy 1.1.C, 1.3.A). Updated signage, site visits, and direct outreach
have improved sorting behavior over time. Despite this, contamination remains higher than other
customer segments. In rental units, ongoing education is especially needed given high turnover.
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Waste Prevention and Reuse
While most progress to date has focused on diversion, the City has continued to explore
opportunities for upstream waste reduction, including reuse initiatives, deconstruction practices,
and education around consumption and material use (Circular Economy 2.1.A). These efforts
remain smaller in scale but are increasingly important.
Sector Emissions Inventory and Forecast
Figure 6 shows activity data and historical emissions trends for the waste sector from 2005 to
2024, alongside forecasts through 2045. As organic waste is forecasted to comprise a decreasing
share of total landfilled waste through 2045, emissions from the waste sector are expected to
decrease substantially over time.
Figure 6. Solid Waste Emissions Inventory and Forecast
Headwinds and Momentum
There are many challenges in reducing landfilled organic waste and more broadly achieving a
circular economy. These include:
Behavior change takes time, and proper usage of the green organics bin still needs work.
The City and IWMA will continue to update signage, conduct site visits, and have direct
engagement to improve sorting behavior over time.
Multi-family housing, mobile home parks, and large employers struggle to sort organics
and have high rates of contamination. Shared waste services that serve these customers
still need updated infrastructure and consistent waste-stream education. Ongoing
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outreach will remain essential as the community grows and turns over, particularly in
multifamily housing and the commercial sector.
Large events generate significant amounts of unsorted waste. Events are high-volume
waste generators and continue to have elevated contamination rates despite City
requirements and improved outreach and education.
Despite these challenges, the City continues to adapt and find opportunities to improve the sector.
For example:
The City has made significant progress rolling out organics recycling Citywide and all
businesses and residents in San Luis Obispo are equipped with green carts. By
implementing SB 1383, the City is making strides reducing landfilled organics.
The City is ahead of schedule on achieving the compost procurement targets set by SB
1383.
The SLO Food Bank, in partnership with IWMA and local food generators, has significantly
expanded edible food recovery capacity and participation.
Reaching Carbon Neutrality
Regional coordination and state policy evolution will continue to shape the City’s ability to deepen
emissions reductions in this sector. While the purpose of this report is to provide a progress report,
staff also asked community members and stakeholders during the outreach component for ideas
that might bend the emissions curve towards carbon neutrality. Innovative new ideas include
partnering with IWMA and local businesses on a “bring your own reusables” campaign, tracking
reductions in single-use food ware, and expanding refill station education to improve participation
in reuse and recycling systems – all of which are aligned with recently adopted state law SB54
that is focused on Reuse and Refill.
More broadly, achieving the 2035 carbon neutrality goal will increasingly depend on waste
prevention, not just proper sorting. This may require greater emphasis on reuse, repair, and
reduction strategies and support for circular business models.
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PILLAR 6: NATURAL SOLUTIONS
Pillar Overview
Natural Solutions actions involve protecting
open spaces, restoring creeks, supporting
healthy soils, and a growing urban forest that
can store carbon while providing shade, habitat,
flood protection, and recreational benefits.
These actions can sequester carbon while also
advancing biodiversity, wildfire resilience, water
quality, and community well-being. As the City’s
future projections anticipate significant GHG
emissions into the future, natural climate
solutions are one way to get to carbon neutrality
faster. In 2024, carbon sequestration activities
in open spaces, parks, and the urban forest
sequestered an estimated 390 MTCO2e, which
is less than one percent of total communitywide
emissions.
Since 2020, the City has learned a lot about the
practical feasibility of carbon sequestration
through compost application-based carbon
farming activities and tree planting. These
learnings have shifted the City’s goals
somewhat to focus more on regenerative
grazing and riparian restoration.
CAP Implementation Progress
Land Conservation
The City continues to protect and expand open
space properties as part of the San Luis Obispo
Greenbelt Protection Program. Since 2020, the
City has inaugurated Righetti Hill Open Space, completed the on-site conservation easement at
San Luis Ranch that permanently protects prime farmland, and completed permanent open space
easements that protect both wetland habitat areas and the “upper terrace” at Froom Ranch where
numerous rare and sensitive status species occur, including the state and federally endangered
Chorro Creek bog thistle (Natural Solutions 1.1.A).
Regenerative Land Management
The City manages open space lands to preserve and expand existing carbon stocks while
improving ecosystem health. The City has applied compost to rangelands, expanded regenerative
grazing, installed beaver dam analogs, and planted trees and riparian shrubs to improve soil
health, reduce wildfire risk, and support carbon sequestration. These stewardship activities are
often implemented through grant-funded projects and partnerships (Natural Solutions 1.1.B). In
partnership with the yak titʸu titʸu yak tiłhini Northern Chumash Tribe, the City has supported
Goal
Increase Carbon Sequestration on the San
Luis Obispo Greenbelt and Urban Forest
through compost application-based carbon
farming activities and tree planting; ongoing
through 2035
Progress
The City’s increased implementation of
climate-smart land management practices
has increased annual carbon sequestration
by an estimated 390 MTCO2e.
Headwinds
Climate change threatens existing carbon
stored in living landscapes
Quantitative verification of natural climate
solutions is still an emerging practice
Momentum
Continued investment in the City’s
Greenbelt Protection Program enables
growth of open space network
Strong partnerships are the foundation of
success for planting trees, restoring
creeks, reviving cultural burns, and other
natural solutions successes
The City continues learning through each
pilot project, refining staff’s approach for
future land management decisions
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cultural burning and native grassland restoration,
integrating traditional ecological knowledge into land
management while advancing climate and resilience
goals.
Urban Forestry and Tree Canopy Expansion
Urban forestry remains a highly visible component of
Natural Solutions. Through Keys for Trees, volunteer
events, grant-funded projects, and private plantings,
over 6,000 trees have been planted on both private
properties and public land toward its goal of 10,000
trees by 2035 (Natural Solutions 2.1.A). The City also
continues to maintain a healthy urban forest so that
existing carbon stocks stored in trees’ living tissues are
resilient to present and future climate hazards. Tree
planting efforts prioritize shade equity, climate
resilience, and long-term survivability, with increasing
attention to species selection and maintenance.
Sector Emissions Inventory and Forecast
Figure 7 shows historical carbon sequestration trends for the natural solutions sector from 2022
to 2024, alongside forecasts for carbon sequestration through 2045. As carbon sequestration
practices are expected to scale across open space lands and private property through 2045,
annual sequestration will increase over time.
Figure 7. Natural Solutions Sequestration Inventory and Forecast
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Headwinds and Momentum
Challenges:
Wildfires and climactic changes are increasingly threatening local ecosystems. The
carbon stocks stored in City open spaces are vulnerable to climate-related disasters like
wildfires, droughts, and floods, even with investments to strengthen resilience.
The science and quantification methods that underly natural solutions are still developing.
Accurate models (and field measurements) of how various land management practices
are impacting carbon stores in the landscape are limited and are an evolving practice.
Current areas of momentum in the Natural Solutions sector include:
The City continues to make progress on protecting land within the City’s Greenbelt through
direct purchases and conservation easements.
The City has developed strong partnerships with nonprofits, volunteers, and regional
agencies, as well as external grant funding to expand and maintain a resilient network of
Open Space properties and Urban Forestry network. Project implementation relies heavily
on these partnerships and external grant funding to expand capacity, reduce costs, and
align local efforts with regional conservation and climate priorities.
The City is invested in learning and adaptive management, and by completing a carbon
farming study and piloting carbon sequestration practices, such as "beaver dam analogs"
in Dry Creek, good fire application, compost application, tree plantings, and regenerative
grazing the City has amassed practical knowledge to guide future efforts.
Reaching Carbon Neutrality
Natural solutions provide important co-benefits but
it’s likely that priorities will increasingly shift toward
protecting existing carbon stocks, improving long-
term maintenance and survivorship, and integrating
natural solutions with wildfire risk reduction and
water resilience strategies. Continued access to
state and federal funding will be essential to
sustaining stewardship activities, particularly as
climate stressors such as drought and extreme heat
intensify. While the purpose of this report is to
provide a progress report, staff also asked
community members and stakeholders during the
outreach component for ideas that might bend the
emissions curve towards carbon neutrality.
Innovative new ideas included expanding natural
solutions projects on private lands and connecting
greenbelt projects with funding via a prospective
regional mitigation bank.
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ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIONS:
Pillar Overview
Administrative actions establish the governance, coordination, and accountability needed to
implement the Climate Action Plan across all pillars.
CAP Implementation Progress
Climate Governance and Coordination
The City has embedded climate action into core administrative functions through
interdepartmental coordination and leadership oversight, with the Office of Sustainability providing
centralized tracking and technical support (Admin 1.1.A). This structure ensures climate
considerations are integrated into capital planning, land use decisions, transportation
investments, and municipal operations.
Tracking, Reporting, and Accountability
Ongoing monitoring and reporting remain central to implementation. The City maintains
greenhouse gas inventories, implementation tracking tools, and public-facing progress reports,
enabling transparency, accountability, and course correction over time (Admin 1.2.A).
Funding and Grant Leveraging
The City has successfully leveraged state and federal grants to advance CAP implementation
across multiple pillars, including transit electrification, EV infrastructure, building retrofits, urban
forestry, and land stewardship (Admin 2.1.A). External funding has expanded capacity while
minimizing impacts to local resources.
Community Engagement and Policy Alignment
Administrative actions emphasize equitable community engagement through partnerships with
community-based organizations and alignment with City policy f rameworks such as the General
Plan, Housing Element, and Capital Improvement Program (Admin 3.1.A, Admin 4.1.A). These
efforts support consistent, coordinated, and adaptive climate action implementation.
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APPENDIX A. CLIMATE ACTION PLAN IMPLEMENTATION MATRIX
The table below provides an overview of actions committed to in the 2023-27 Climate Action Plan Work Program (2023-27 CAP). The table provides implementation details for each action including the original 2020 CAP action description
language, the 2023-27 CAP updated task description, the City department responsible for leading initiation and implementation, the status of the action, and a report on general progress. The “Current Status” column indicates the
implementation progress of each specific task identified in the 2023-27 CAP. It does not reflect the level of emissions reductions achieved. Instead, it shows the City’s progress in advancing the associated program, project, or work effort.
The status categories are defined as follows:
On Track – action has been initiated as anticipated in the schedule defined by the 2023-27 CAP. In some cases, action implementation is complete, and in others the action is ongoing.
Behind – action is not being implemented at the speed anticipated in the 2023-27 CAP, but is still a strategic priority for the City.
On Hold – action has encountered uncertainties or barriers resulting in the need for a new or altered strategic approach.
Foundational
Action
Action
Description 2023-25 Task 2025-27 Task Responsible
Department
Start
Date
Progress
Tracker Status July 2023 – March 2026 Action Progress
Leadership
1.1
Adopt a
municipal
carbon
neutrality plan
in 2021.
Leadership
1.1.A: Implement
the 2023-25
actions in the
Lead by
Example
municipal carbon
neutrality plan
and complete a
focused plan
update for 2025-
30.
Leadership
1.1.A: Implement
2025-27 actions
in the Lead by
Example
municipal carbon
neutrality plan.
Administration,
Public Works
Summer
2023
Lead by
Example
progress
report and
plan update
which
projects an
84%
reduction in
covered
municipal
emissions
by 2030.
On
track
In 2021, the City adopted Lead by Example: A Plan for Carbon Neutral City Operations, which identified the projects, policies, and
programs required to reduce municipal emissions to carbon neutral by 2030. The City adopted a work program update in 2025; at
which point staff estimated that at full implementation of the actions included in the Lead by Example 2025-29 Work Program, the
City would achieve an 84% reduction in covered greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 relative to 2022. The City has embedded Lead
by Example throughout its plans and operations, including via projects prioritized in the Capital Improvement Program. Notable Capital
Improvement Projects in the City’s current Capital Improvement Program include:
Level 2 and level 3 charging depot at the City’s Corporation Yard
Ongoing purchase of electric fleet vehicles
Design work in support of electrification retrofits at the SLO Swim Center and City Hall
Electrification retrofit work at the Ludwick Community Center
These capital projects are accompanied by a range of programs and policies that support low emission employee commutes,
substantial reductions in the amount of organic waste sent to the landfill, and zero-emissions new municipal buildings and facilities.
Leadership
1.1.B: Brand
Lead by
Example
projects with the
Sustainable SLO
emblem and
develop a
complementary
educational and
awareness
campaign.
Leadership
1.1.B: Continue
telling the City’s
Lead by
Example story
with the
Sustainable SLO
emblem and
“best practice”
outreach efforts.
Administration Summer
2023
Qualitative
tracking in
CAP
progress
report
On
track
Sustainable SLO is a city-wide campaign aimed at fostering a relationship between community members and the actions the City is
taking to reach carbon neutrality. The Sustainable SLO mark has been added to nearly all of the electric and hybrid fleet vehicles,
trash and recycling bins, and electric buses to increase public awareness of the City’s investment s in a sustainable future. In
coordination with physical branding, staff utilize multiple platforms, such as the City’s social media accounts, email newsletters, and
in-person events to inform the public about climate action related news or resources. Going forward, the City will continue to brand
new assets with the Sustainable SLO mark, as directed by the City’s amended brand guidelines. The City will also regularly
communicate with the public about environmental and climate issues using the Sustainable SLO brand.
Leadership
2.1
Include carbon
neutrality,
social equity,
and a focus on
developing a
green local
economy in
the updated
Economic
Development
Strategic Plan.
Leadership
2.1.A: Support
implementation
of the green
economy and
social equity
portions of the
Economic
Development
Strategic Plan.
Leadership
2.1.A: Continue
to support
implementation
of the green
economy and
social equity
portions of the
Economic
Development
Strategic Plan.
Administration Ongoing Qualitative
tracking in
CAP
progress
report
On
track
The 2023 Economic Development Strategic Plan established City goals and actions at the intersection of economic development and
climate action. Staff from the Office of Sustainability and Natural Resources and the Office of Economic Development coordina te
regularly to implement this work. A key action is ongoing sup port for the San Luis Obispo County Green Business Network , hosted
by ECOSLO. City staff helped launch the program locally and continue to support it by referring businesses through the City’s
Business W elcome Program. In 2026 there are 36 certified green businesses in San Luis Obispo County with 151 businesses in the
certification process. In 2026, three City facilities (City Hall, 919 Palm Street, and 879 Morro Street) were certified as green businesses
by ECOSLO.
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CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO CAP PROGRESS REPORT APRIL 2026
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Foundational
Action
Action
Description 2023-25 Task 2025-27 Task Responsible
Department
Start
Date
Progress
Tracker Status July 2023 – March 2026 Action Progress
Leadership
2.2
Research
methods to
support local
contractors
and labor.
Leadership
2.2.A: Support
regional efforts
to develop the
workforce
required to
implement the
Climate Action
Plan.
Leadership
2.2.A: Continue
to support
regional efforts
to develop the
workforce
required to
implement the
Climate Action
Plan.
Administration Ongoing Qualitative
tracking in
CAP
progress
report
On
hold
Staff have had a limited role in developing a regional green workforce. Since adoption of the 202 3-27 CAP Work Program, staff have
concluded that, as a small municipality, the City lacks the capacity to meaningfully influence regional workforce efforts. Th e original
premise, that meeting climate goals and capturing related economic benefits required local gre en workforce training, has not held in
practice. Contractor capacity to install clean energy equipment has not been a primary barrier to adoption.
Regional workforce efforts continue through other entities. The Tri-Counties Pre-Apprenticeship Building and Construction Trades
Training Program includes green construction in its Multi-Craft Core Curriculum and is supported by the Workforce Development
Board. The City also maintains annual agreements with REACH, the region’s economic development organization, to support
workforce initiatives focused on cleantech, energy, building design, and construction. City leadership and staff participate in the
REACH Council and related working groups.
Leadership
3.1
Create a
formal
approach to
support and
empower
community
collaboration
for climate
action.
Leadership
3.1.A: Continue
to support and
empower
community
collaboration for
climate action.
Leadership
3.1.A: Continue
to support and
empower
community
collaboration for
climate action.
Administration Ongoing Qualitative
tracking in
CAP
progress
report
On
track
The City has invested in a wide range of organizations for the purpose of supporting local community-based organizations and their
capacity to support climate actions. Key organizational relationships include:
Climate Coalition of San Luis Obispo: the City has a formal Memorandum of Understanding with the Climate Coalition and
provides funding to assist with hosting community events including Earth Fest and National Drive Electric Week.
Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo: The City has identified, applied for, and received grant funds in the total
amount of over $350,000 that have been allocated directly to CAPSLO’s low-income energy efficiency programs.
Diversity Coalition of San Luis Obispo County: The City has worked to identify, apply for, and receive grant funds in the total
amount of nearly $200,000 that have been passed through directly to DCSLO to provide community outreach and energy bill
technical assistance.
Environmental Center of San Luis Obispo: the City provides funding via Keys for Trees and external grants to support
volunteer tree plantings and creek clean ups.
Creek Lands Conservation: the City partnered with Creek Lands on the SLO Creek Resiliency and Rewi lding Plan and is
actively seeking grant funding to implement restoration projects that increase our watershed’s resilience to climate change.
City Farm SLO: the City leases prime agricultural property to City Farm, a nonprofit that provides educational services to the
community about sustainable agriculture while addressing food insecurity by growing food for the food bank.
yak titʸu titʸu yak tiłhini Northern Chumash Tribe of San Luis Obispo County and Region: the City has partnered with ytt to
return traditional ecological knowledge and practices on City Open Space properties, including cultural fire. The City and yt t
have successfully partnered on a grant to restore perennial grasses at Johnson Ranch Open Space.
Rotary de Tolosa: the City partners with the Rotary de Tolosa to plant trees on City properties and maintain them over time.
Clean
Energy 1.1
Launch
Monterey Bay
Community
Power and
achieve a 98%
participation
rate while
advocating for
programs that
support equity
and achieve
maximum
local benefit.
Energy 1.1.A:
Continue to
support Central
Coast
Community
Energy’s 100%
renewable by
2030 goal and
continue to
advocate for
equitable
decarbonization
programs.
Energy 1.1.A:
Continue to
support Central
Coast
Community
Energy’s 100%
renewable by
2030 goal and
continue to
advocate for
equitable
decarbonization
programs.
Community
Development
Ongoing CCCE
participation
rate – 96%
of electrical
load and
accounts.
On
track
Central Coast Community Energy (3CE) adopted an ambitious procurement target in 2021 to achieve 100% renewable and carbon
free energy through direct investment in projects by 2030. To do so, the agency sold many of its “carbon free attributes” whi ch had
previously allowed it to report very low emissions, similar to how other utilities, including PG&E, are able to report very-low emissions.
As a result, 3CE’s electricity emissions intensity increased substantially in 2021 through 2023 as the new projects were bid,
constructed, and brought on to the grid. With major projects now operating, the emissions intensity fell in 2024 and 2025, putting the
agency back on the trajectory towards carbon neutrality.
Participation remains high, with 96.87% of total electrical load and 96.2% of electrical acco unts in the City participating in 3CE and
$4.1 million in direct incentives and rebates coming back to the community and City for investments in electric vehicles, charging
infrastructure, and building electrification in alignment with the City’s and community’s carbon neutrality goals.
The City supports and influences 3CE through representation on 3CE’s boards. The City and Morro Bay share a Policy Board seat
and an Operations Board seat. 2025 was the first year that the City did not serve on either of the Boards, with Morro Bay representing
both cities in 2025 and 2026. The City will resume its role on the boards in 2027.
Clean
Energy 2.1
Work with
MBCP and
PG&E to
develop a
regional grid
reliability
strategy.
Energy 2.1.A:
Continue to
monitor and
support CCCE
and PG&E’s grid
reliability work.
Energy 2.1.A:
Continue to
monitor and
support CCCE
and PG&E’s grid
reliability work.
Administration Ongoing Qualitative
tracking in
CAP
progress
report
On
track
In the early 2020s, with the advent of Public Safety Power Shutoffs, the concerns around overall grid reliability were very high. Since
adoption of the CAP update in 2023, according to PG&E’s reports, the City has not experienced a Public Safety Power Shutoff.
Localized distribution grid outages occur occasionally as the result of inclement weather or accidents; however, these remain minor
and relatively undisruptive. Two other electricity service concerns have emerged since 2020:
1. New housing, electric vehicle charging, and renewable energy projects are experiencing significant delays in grid
interconnection, impacting project viability and investment.
2. The substantial increases in PG&E electricity rates since 2018 that have occurred primarily as the result of increased
preventative and deferred distribution grid maintenance costs and wildfire mitigation and response costs being embedded
into electricity rates.
As California’s plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions depends on plugging in buildings, cars, and transportation sy stems into a
clean electricity grid, it is important for these assets to be connected to the grid in a predictable and timely manner, and for electricity
prices to maintain parity with natural gas.
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CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO CAP PROGRESS REPORT APRIL 2026
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Foundational
Action
Action
Description 2023-25 Task 2025-27 Task Responsible
Department
Start
Date
Progress
Tracker Status July 2023 – March 2026 Action Progress
Clean
Energy 3.1
Partner with
SoCal Gas to
research
options for
reducing
greenhouse
gas emissions
associated
with the
existing
natural gas
grid.
Energy 3.1.A:
Continue to
explore
opportunities to
partner with
SoCal Gas on
innovative
decarbonization
pilot projects that
are aligned with
the Climate
Action Plan.
Energy 3.1.A:
Continue to
explore
opportunities to
partner with
SoCal Gas on
innovative
decarbonization
pilot projects that
are aligned with
the Climate
Action Plan.
Administration Ongoing Qualitative
tracking in
CAP
progress
report
On
track
SoCal Gas provides gas distribution and transmission grid maintenance as standard practice and have access to infrastructure in the
public right of way via their franchise agreement with the City. In 2020 and 2021, staff worked with SoCal Gas’s project development
team to identify potential “biogas to grid” projects in the region. SoCal Gas’s team were not able to identify any projects. Due to staff
turnover at SoCal Gas, there has been less direct contact than in previous years. The utility has held webinars about energy efficiency
programs, and the City intends to participate where beneficial so long as the programs don’t unnecessarily prolong or reinves t in
fossil fuel infrastructure.
Green
Buildings
1.1
Adopt and
implement the
Clean Energy
Choice
Program for
New Buildings
and review
opportunities
for
improvement
in the 2022
code cycle.
Green Buildings
1.1.A: Support
Clean Energy
Program for New
Buildings with
ongoing access
to technical
assistance.
Green Buildings
1.1.A: Monitor
Clean Energy
Program for New
Buildings
Implementation
and consider
local
amendments to
the California
Energy Code
concurrent with
the 2025
triennial code
cycle if
necessary.
Administration,
Community
Development
Ongoing Number of
all-electric
new
buildings;
number of
customers
assisted:
All-electric
buildings
accounted
for 79% of
new building
permits
On
track
Since 2020, the City has adopted numerous local amendments to the California Energy Code, including: (1) electric preferred new-
building requirements (2020), (2) mandatory all-electric new building requirements (2022) (note: the 2022 requirements were nullified
following a change in federal law interpretation), and (3) energy efficient new building requirements (2023). In the 2022 code Cycle,
the City enforced local amendments as follows:
Ordinance 1730 (2023 Series) required additional energy efficiency measures for residential and non-residential new
construction and encourages the installation of high-efficiency electric appliances.
Ordinance 1736 (2024 Series) required major additions and alterations to existing single-family residential buildings to install
certain energy efficiency measures in the existing building.
Ordinance 1730 and 1736 provided local amendments to the 2022 California Building Standards Code and as such were no longer
enforceable once that code sunset on December 31, 2025. For the subsequent 2025 building code cycle, which will hold for six years
due to state legislation, the City adopted Ordinance 1752 (2025 Series) to update and extend the energy efficient major additions
and alterations policy (Ordinance 1736). Council provided direction to staff to return with additional potential local amendments to the
California Energy Code in 2026.
Together with updates to the California Building Standards Code that aim to reduce emissions, these local amendments have
significantly contributed to the City’s climate action progress. Between 2021 and June of 2025, of the over 700 building permits issued
by the City (including single-family, multi-family, and non-residential buildings) that collected energy utility data, 79% were all-electric.
Green
Buildings
2.1
Conduct
comprehensiv
e retrofit
program study
and develop
and implement
a strategic and
equity-focused
building retrofit
program by
2021.
Green Buildings
2.1.A: Expand
high visibility
pilot projects.
Green Buildings
2.1.A: Assess
the value of
continued pilot
projects and
either continue
pilot projects or
consider
transitioning
resources to an
equity fund that
supports low-
income and/or
hard to reach
(e.g., rentals)
residential
retrofits.
Administration Summer
2023
Number of
buildings
retrofitted: 0
On
track
The City worked with HASLO and no-cost technical experts to design zero-emission water heating and HVAC retrofit projects at two
local properties. Staff leveraged grant funding, public programs, and City time to develop permit -ready plan sets. HASLO ultimately
determined that site conditions made the projects too complex and chose not to proceed. Remaining grant funds were reallocate d to
CAPSLO to support low-income weatherization and water heater upgrades in mobile and manufactured homes through the Buildings
Up project described below.
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CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO CAP PROGRESS REPORT APRIL 2026
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Foundational
Action
Action
Description 2023-25 Task 2025-27 Task Responsible
Department
Start
Date
Progress
Tracker Status July 2023 – March 2026 Action Progress
Green Buildings
2.1.B: Create an
equity focused
“Green and
Healthy
Buildings”
service to
educate the
community and
connect low-
income building
owners with
resources,
incentives,
financing, and
contractors.
Green Buildings
2.1.B: Review
service
effectiveness
and expand to
include
additional
project types
and income
levels, if
feasible.
Administration,
Community
Development
Fall
2023
Number of
customers
served: 4
mobile
homes; with
funding
secured for
25
additional
installations
in 2026
On
track
Staff, in partnership with Diversity Coalition of San Luis Obispo County and Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo, was
awarded two rounds of the Department of Energy’s Building Upgrade Prize to research the feasibility of electrification in mobile and
manufactured homes and to design a concierge service that helps low-income residents electrify their homes and access rebates
and incentives. The project focused on manufactured housing because it is a source of naturally occurring owner-occupied affordable
housing in San Luis Obispo.
After extensive stakeholder outreach, the team began a 12-month Technology Demonstration to research the cost-effectiveness and
feasibility of green and healthy building upgrades in manufactured housing and to pilot potential features of a future concierge service
with residents living in Chumash Village, a manufactured housing community in San Luis Obispo . Through the pilot, a total of four
residents received an energy audit, weatherization upgrades, and some combination of a new electrical panel, heat pump water
heater, and/or heat pump HVAC system from CAPSLO. Over the next 12 months, the team monitored their energy use and bill
impacts of switching from natural gas to electric. The team also provided supportive services including a monthly bill protection
program, on-call energy coaching and troubleshooting for their new appliances, and quarterly home comfort check -ins to better
understand the participants’ needs, concerns, and experience with their home upgrades. In parallel, staff met with representatives
from Central Coast Community Energy, Tri-County Regional Energy Network, and the California Energy Commission to advocate for
incentives that support home energy upgrades in manufactured housing.
In October of 2024, the City was also selected to participate in the National League of Cities’ Healthy Housing Innovation Co hort.
Staff from the Office of Sustainability and the Community Development Department partnered to deliver another round of stakeholder
outreach, this time to professionals in the fields of affordable housing and public health. This outreach resulted in the des ign and
delivery of a Green and Healthy Homes Resource fair. City staff planned and hosted the fair alongside stakeholders in Silver City
Mobile Home Lodge, and the event successfully connected residents with local health, safety, and climate resources.
In November 2025, staff, in partnership with Diversity Coalition, CAPSLO, and SLO Climate Coalition, were selected for a TECH
QuickStart Scaling Fund grant. The grant will fund the expansion of the pilot program initially offered to Chumash Village to a broader
subset of manufactured housing communities. Diversity Coalition and SLO Climate Coalition will conduct outreach to additional
manufactured housing communities to share resources and solicit additional program participants. CAPSLO will complete up to 25
additional heat pump upgrades in local manufactured homes, and Diversity Coalition will trai n SLO Climate Coalition staff to expand
their Home Energy Advising Service to include manufactured housing and integrate the services tested in the technology
demonstration, such as energy coaching and home comfort check -ins.
Green Buildings
2.1.C: Establish
“Green and
Healthy
Buildings” permit
streamlining
program.
Green Buildings
2.1.C: Continue
working to
minimize
regulatory
barriers to
electrification
retrofit projects.
Administration,
Community
Development
Winter
2024
# of permits
processed
through
program:
The number
of permits
streamlined
is extensive
due to the
City’s
approach,
making this
action
infeasible to
track
numerically
with existing
systems
On
track
Staff reviewed a number of opportunities to streamline permitting of green and healthy building improvements, and implemented the
following enhancements to the process:
The City provides a discount for permits associated with green and healthy buildings, including solar, windows, and heat
pump water heater and HVAC systems.
The City connects project applicants with rebate programs at time of permit submittal.
The City’s Climate Action Plan allows for new development projects that require CEQA review to illustrate consistency with
the CAP and forgo environmental review for greenhouse gas emissions impacts.
The City processes solar building permits through Solar App+, which provides on demand, next -day permits.
The City received the “Gold” designation via the SolSmart program, which awards the distinction based on achieving national
best practices for solar permitting.
The City provides access to 3C-REN’s “Code Coach” program, which provides no-cost technical assistance to community
members that are working to comply with the California Energy Code.
Additionally, staff will continue to monitor emerging best practices, including on-demand permitting for heat-pump hot water heaters,
and pursue additional improvements to the permitting process as capacity allows.
Green Buildings
2.1.D: Facilitate
access to low
interest
financing for
retrofit projects.
Green Buildings
2.1.D: Review
financing
support
approach and
modify as
necessary.
Administration Summer
2023
Qualitative
tracking in
CAP
progress
report
Behind Staff have reviewed a wide range of financing models, but none have yet proved viable for a city the size of San Luis Obispo to
administer and operate. Statewide and regional programs do exist, however, including GoGreen Financing, a state financing program
that connects building owners to lower interest finance through regional credit unions for certain clean energy and energy efficie ncy
projects. Community Choice Aggregators in other regions of California including Peninsula Clean Energy and San Jose Clean Energy
have also launched zero interest, on-bill loans to help qualified community members access water heating, HVAC upgrades, and
energy efficiency improvements. City staff has advocated to Central Coast Community Energy to develop a regional program of this
nature, but to date, the agency has declined.
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CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO CAP PROGRESS REPORT APRIL 2026
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Foundational
Action
Action
Description 2023-25 Task 2025-27 Task Responsible
Department
Start
Date
Progress
Tracker Status July 2023 – March 2026 Action Progress
Green Buildings
2.1.E: Develop
an equitable
framework for
requiring
electrification
retrofits and
develop cost
effective building
electrification
policies for
additions and
alterations.
Green Buildings
2.1.E: Use the
foundational
research and
community
outreach
conducted in
2023-25 to
identify whether
additional
disclosure or
retrofit
requirements are
needed, and if
so, develop and
adopt these
requirements.
Administration Summer
2023
Number of
buildings
retrofitted:
As of 2026,
the
Additions
and
Alterations
Reach Code
has been
applied to a
small
number of
building
permits. An
exact
number was
not available
at the time
of this
report’s
publishing.
Behind On July 15, 2025, staff conducted a study session with City Counc il about recent progress supporting efficiency and electrification
retrofits in existing buildings, and the policy options available for future consideration. At the study session (Council Agenda Report
linked here), staff shared that while the emissions from energy use in buildings in San Luis Obispo is decreasing, the reductions are
not occurring at the rate required to achieve Council’s time b ound goals. Staff also shared updates and received strategic direction
on the following:
Additions and Alterations Reach Code: Staff presented the existing single-family building additions and alterations progress
to date and sought strategic direction on next steps. Council directed staff to update the reach code, which they subsequently
adopted via Ordinance 1752 (2025 Series) in November of 2025.
Time-of-Sale Energy Disclosure: Staff received strategic direction from Council to coordinate and launch a voluntary pilot
program in San Luis Obispo called the “Home Energy Score”. The program, provided by the statewide implementer of the
Home Energy Score, is expected to launch in Spring of 2026, with no-cost training to local home inspectors and real estate
professionals, as well as subsidies for homeowners or home sellers that would like to provide a score for their home.
Building Performance Standard: Staff have conducted extensive research on the feasibility of establishing a building
performance standard in San Luis Obispo. The process of establishing a building performance standard begins with requiring
energy disclosure from applicable buildings, before ultimately setting targe ts for efficiency improvements in those buildings
over time. While enforcing a building performance standard would be staff intensive and likely require external funding, staff
have identified a viable path to adopting and enforcing an energy benchmarking (e.g., disclosure) program for large buildings.
Staff have already identified approximately 100 buildings that exceed 50,000 square feet and approximately 150 buildings
between 25,000 and 50,000 square feet. Staff verified current building use type for eac h and organized them into a database
to allow for sorting and identifying buildings that could qualify. A preliminary process for receiving disclosed building ene rgy
use data has been created and staff will begin engaging with local building owners and businesses willing to champion
voluntary energy use disclosure to further inform program design.
Connected
1.1
Establish a
consistent
method for
tracking and
reporting
mode split
metrics.
Connected
1.1.A: Conduct
the Household
Transportation
Survey every
other year to
track and report
on mode split
metrics.
Connected
1.1.A: Continue
to conduct the
Household
Transportation
Survey every
other year to
track and report
on mode split
metrics.
Public Works Ongoing Qualitative
tracking in
CAP
progress
report; Up-
to-date
mode split
metrics and
additional
data can be
found in the
Active
Transportati
on Plan
biennial
status report
On
track
Mode share metrics are reported in the City’s Biennial Active Transportation Plan (ATP) Report Card. The 2025 ATP Report Card
reports mode share from the 2025 Household Transportation Survey with the following results:
Walking - 15%
Bicycle - 12%
Transit - 3%
Single-Occupancy Vehicle - 59%
Carpool and other - 12%
The City’s overall target is for 50% of trips to come from modes other than single-occupancy vehicles, and these updated numbers
show good progress towards that target. While staff use the Citywide Household Travel Survey as the primary data source for deriving
mode share estimates, the Report Card also presents multimodal data trends from the US Census Department’s American
Community Survey and latest trends in auto/bicycle/pedestrian volumes on primary transportation routes and annual SLO Transit
Ridership data. The City’s Active Transportation Portal web page provides additional information on current mode share trends.
Connected
1.2
Research and
develop an
approach to a
“Mobility as a
Service”
platform for
people to
easily use all
modes of low
carbon
mobility in the
City.
Connected
1.2.A: Taking
direction from
the Transit
Innovation
Study, pursue
the development
of a regionally
integrated
"Mobility as a
Service"
platform.
Connected
1.2.A: Update
the Mobility as a
Service platform
as necessary.
Administration,
Public Works
Fall
2023
Qualitative
tracking in
CAP
progress
report
On
hold
While the City has not developed a Mobility as a Service platform, SLOCOG is advancing the concept in a narrowed way through
their forthcoming Mobility Wallet Pilot Program. Whereas a “Mobility as a Service” platform would serve users as they move around
using multiple modes of transportation in a single trip (for example: using bikeshare to travel to the bus stop to commute via transit),
the Mobility Wallet pilot being led by SLOCOG is an electronic or card-based system that would distribute $1.047 million in Low
Carbon Transit Operations Program funding to eligible SLO County constituents as pre -loaded debit cards restricted for transit use
on both RTA and SLO Transit’s systems. The initial program will be focused on transit services only, but the goal is to expand the
Mobility Wallet to include other services like bike lockers and other forms of public transit as they become available.
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CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO CAP PROGRESS REPORT APRIL 2026
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Foundational
Action
Action
Description 2023-25 Task 2025-27 Task Responsible
Department
Start
Date
Progress
Tracker Status July 2023 – March 2026 Action Progress
Connected
2.1
Complete
Active
Transportation
Plan and
begin
implementatio
n immediately.
Connected
2.1.A: Continue
to implement the
Active
Transportation
Plan.
Connected
2.1.A: Continue
to implement the
Active
Transportation
Plan.
Public Works Ongoing Qualitative
tracking in
CAP
progress
report
On
track
The City adopted the Active Transportation Plan in February 2021 and has since rapidly implemented active transportation projects
across the community. Projects completed since the adoption of the 2023-27 CAP Work Program include the North Chorro
Neighborhood Greenway, shared use paths on Madonna Rd and in the Cerro San Luis Development, and new crossing
improvements at South/King and Sydney/Johnson. As of 2026, the City has completed 31% of the City’s Tier 1 active transportation
network, with more projects on the way at Higuera, Tank Farm, South Brood, and Prado. More information about the implementation
of the Active Transportation Plan can be found in the 2025 ATP Report Card.
Connected
2.2
Launch micro
mobility
program by
2021.
Connected
2.2.A: Reassess
the viability of
launching a
Micro Mobility
Program and
launch if
feasible.
Connected
2.2.A: If viable,
continue to
operate and
expand the
Micro Mobility
Program.
Administration,
Public Works
Summer
2023
Qualitative
tracking in
CAP
progress
report
On
hold
On May 7, 2024, City Council authorized the release of a request for proposals (RFP) for a community bikeshare program. The RFP
was for a bikeshare pilot with 100 bikes with docks sited in the downtown core and Cal Poly campus. The RFP also specified that the
program be operated at no cost to the City and low impact to Public Works staff. During the RFP process market conditions shifted
and the bidding vendors updated their proposals to require substantial external funds to sustain operations and as a result, a vendor
was not selected. Staff continues to monitor market conditions and better under stand potential service providers. Should a viable
program be possible that meets the operational needs of the City, staff could return with an updated RFP to re-test market conditions.
Connected
3.1
Establish a
policy and
strategic
approach to
leveraging
existing and
new parking
garages for
downtown
residential and
visitor serving
uses and to
allow for
further
implementatio
n of the
Downtown
Concept Plan.
Connected
3.1.A: Establish
a policy that
addresses the
distribution of
Level 2 and
Level 3 chargers
in parking lots
and garages.
Connected
3.1.A: Continue
to implement the
parking lot and
garage policy
and pursue
updates if
necessary.
Administration,
Public Works
Winter
2024
Qualitative
tracking in
CAP
progress
report
On
hold
At the time of adopting the 2022 CAP, staff were concerned about the lack of Level 3 chargers at City parking lots and garages and
included this action to develop a policy requiring more Level 3 chargers. As electric vehicle adoption rates have increased a nd
charging behavior has been observed, staff have determined that Level 2 chargers are the appropriate infrastructure for public parking
garages and have deemed the development of a new policy unnecessary. The City continues to deploy new charging infrastructure
in public lots and garages, including 41 new Level 2 EV spaces in the Cultural Arts District Parking Structure and 8 privately operated
Level 3 charging ports at various public lots, with 8 more scheduled for installation in 2026. The City also developed an updated rate
structure that will better support charger availability, as well as ongoing maintenance, replacement, and expansion of EV infrastructure
in the future.
Connected
3.1.B: Pursue
parking
programs, rules,
and regulation
that can reduce
vehicle miles
travelled and
support
alternatives to
vehicle
ownership.
Connected
3.1.B: Continue
to pursue
parking
programs, rules,
and regulation
that can reduce
vehicle miles
travelled and
support
alternatives to
vehicle
ownership.
Administration,
Community
Development,
Public Works
Spring
2024
Qualitative
tracking in
CAP
progress
report
On
track
The City has advanced its efforts to reduce vehicle miles traveled and support alternatives to vehicle ownership through severa l key
actions. The Parking Fund purchased and installed 22 new BikeLink lockers in the downtown core, expanding secure bike storage
facilities for people who bike to downtown San Luis Obispo. The SLO Transit Downtown Access Pass program, funded by the City’s
Parking Fund, has grown to 68 active users in 2025, nearly doubling the 2024 total of downtown employees using SLO Transit.
Additionally, in 2023 the City created the Mobility Division, integrating Parking, Transit, and Active Transportation under one structure
to improve coordination, develop multimodal solutions, and balance competing priorities.
Connected
4.1
Develop
transit
electrification
strategic plan
and begin
implementing
in 2020.
Connected
4.1.A: Continue
to electrify the
SLO Transit bus
fleet.
Connected
4.1.A: Continue
to electrify the
SLO Transit bus
fleet.
Public Works,
Administration
Ongoing # of electric
buses;
percentage
of fleet
electrified: 8
/ ~50%
On
track
As of early 2026, there are two electric SLO Transit buses in service. Six more electric transit buses are scheduled to enter service
Spring 2026 and an additional two electric buses should be in service by Fall 2026. This will bring the total number of electric buses
in the SLO Transit fleet to 10, comprising around 50% of the total fleet of 19-20 vehicles. This progress aligns with the City’s Zero-
Emission Bus Roll Out Plan, which provides a strategy to reaching California’s Innovative Clean Transit (ICT) fleet regulation goal of
100% zero-emission buses by 2040, while also avoiding early retirement of conventional buses. With the adoption of 2025 Short-
Range Transit Plan update, Council approved the refurbishment of up to five diesel -powered buses to accelerate the implementation
of service expansion recommendations. These refurbishments will delay SLO Transit’s transition to 100% zero-emission
technologies; however, the City will remain compliant with California’s ICT mandates. By 2030, staff anticipates that 80% of the fleet
will be zero-emission assuming state and federal funding for zero-emission buses continues be available. Additionally, the Short-
Range Transit Plan provides a holistic approach to improving SLO Transit’s vehicles and infrastructure including reinvestment in
existing buses and critical on-board technology upgrades. These two plans work together to provide the best experience for SLO
Transit users in the short term while advancing the long-term goal of 100% zero-emission buses in the long term.
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CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO CAP PROGRESS REPORT APRIL 2026
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Foundational
Action
Action
Description 2023-25 Task 2025-27 Task Responsible
Department
Start
Date
Progress
Tracker Status July 2023 – March 2026 Action Progress
Connected
4.2
Shorten transit
headways
through
accelerated
implementatio
n of the
existing Short-
Range Transit
Plan.
Connected
4.2.A:
Incorporate
recommendation
s from the
Transit
Innovation Study
into the Short-
Range Transit
Plan and begin
implementation
immediately.
Connected
4.2.A: Continue
to implement the
Short-Range
Transit Plan.
Public Works
Fall
2023
Annual
transit
system
headways
On
track
The Transit Innovation Study (TIS) provides recommendations to improve SLO Transit into the future. In January, 2024, Council
reviewed a draft of the Transit Innovation Study and directed staff to finalize the report and begin implementation. In March 2025, the
City published the Transit Innovation Implementation Progress Report. Specific TIS recommendations were further analyzed and
incorporated into the Short-Range Transit Plan (SRTP) update process, which was adopted by Council in April 2025. Not all TIS
recommendations were analyzed in the SRTP or included as recommended actions. Details on implementation progress for the high
and medium priority TIS recommendation are presented below in ranked priority order. The TIS recommendations that were further
analyzed in the SRTP are identified in this broader list.
1. Enhanced fixed route services (TIS) Fixed route recommendations (SRTP)
o Reinstate services to pre-pandemic levels.
Reinstatement of pre-pandemic service levels is scheduled to take place Spring 2026.
o Increase Route 4A/B service, operate “B” Routes on weekends, increase service frequency on Routes 2A/B,
provide academic service year-round, and provide new service to Avila Ranch area
Fixed route SRTP recommendations will be implemented under a new contract for transit operations and
maintenance services (assuming funding and vehicles are available to operate service). The new contract is
expected to go into effect on July 1, 2026. Implementation of the SRTP recommendations will be phased in during
the contract term and coordinated with the new contractor.
2. Pursue open-loop payment system (TIS)
SLO Transit is partnering with SLOCOG, RTA, and California’s Department of Transportation on this project with the goal
of implementing the new payment system by April 2026. The new system includes a payment option that will limit what
riders pay to the max daily and max monthly rates.
3. Fare changes for students, seniors and low-income riders (TIS)
In February 2025, Council approved making the discounted K-12 15-ride pass a permanent program. SLO Transit,
SLOCOG, and RTA considered a one-year fare free pilot program but, by federal law, it would also mean that the County’s
paratransit services would also have to be free. There was not enough funds available to cover both fixed-route and
paratransit. Instead, SLOCOG is using the funds on a Mobility Wallet Pilot Program (see Connected 4.1.A).
4. Replace Computer-Aided Dispatch and Automated Vehicle Locator (CAD/AVL) system of fixed route vehicles (TIS)
The CAD/AVL system connects with other technologies such as onboard voice annunciators, passenger counters, security
cameras, and real-time passenger information displays. Replacing the CAD/AVL system will enhance scheduling accuracy,
Connected
4.3
Explore
additional
innovative
transit options
in the 2022
Short-Range
Transit Plan
(e.g., on-
demand
deviated
routes, electric
fleet
expansion,
micro transit,
Bus rapid
transit, transit
signal priority).
This action will
be addressed by
Connected
4.2.A.
This action will
be addressed by
Connected
4.2.A.
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CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO CAP PROGRESS REPORT APRIL 2026
PAGE - 42 -
Foundational
Action
Action
Description 2023-25 Task 2025-27 Task Responsible
Department
Start
Date
Progress
Tracker Status July 2023 – March 2026 Action Progress
Connected
4.4
Assess
feasibility of a
“free to the
user” transit
ridership
program.
This action will
be addressed by
Connected
4.2.A.
This action will
be addressed by
Connected
4.2.A.
service monitoring, reporting, and rider communication. Funding from state and federal grants is expected to fully cover the
cost, with installation anticipated in Spring 2026.
5. Upgrade automatic passenger counters (TIS)
Installation of automatic passenger counter technology is scheduled to occur in Spring 2026 along with the implementation
of a new CAD/AVL system.
6. Enhance real-time passenger information
Immediate improvements to real-time passenger information will occur once a new CAD/AVL system is installed. Staff
updated SLO Transit’s bus stop inventory in August 2025, and bus stop conditions along with ridership data will be used to
identify locations to install additional amenities like real-time information signs.
7. Replace and improve camera systems
$750,000 in state grant funding has been approved for improved camera systems and are currently available for project
related costs.
8. Explore institutional partnerships
In November 2025, the City partnered with Rideshare’s Know How to Go campaign to sponsor the Holiday Trolley. The
sponsorship covers the costs of fares allowing riders to use the service at no cost. Ridership of the Holiday Trolley was
over 1,000 riders compared to less than 250 the prior year when there was no sponsorship of the cost. Remaining
sponsorship funds are being used to cover fares for the Farmers’ Market Trolley service which operates every Thursday.
Future partnerships are being explored to offer discounted or free fare rides on other SLO Transit services including the
Mobility Wallet Pilot Program previously discussed.
9. Install lighting, shelters, and bike parking at applicable bus stops (TIS)
An update to SLO Transit’s bus stop inventory was completed in August 2025. The updated inventory will be used to
develop a multiyear improvement plan for all bus stop amenities. Staff is also working to replace the twelve remaining old
style bus shelters with new shelters per the City’s Engineering Standards by June 2027.
10. Expand the Downtown Access Pass (TIS)
The application process was streamlined in fall 2024, and expansion of the program’s geographic area is a
recommendation in the Short-Range Transit Plan.
11. Pursuing microtransit mobility services (TIS) Microtransit pilot program (SRTP)
Microtransit will be pursued as a “turnkey” option through a third-party contractor. There is a microtransit feasibility study
underway in FY25-26, which will determine how a microtransit program could be implemented in SLO including possible
service alternatives.
12. Launch a bikeshare program
See Connected Community 2.2.A.
Connected
5.1
Complete the
2019-21
Housing
Element of the
General Plan
Update and
Flexible
Zoning
Connected
5.1.A: Continue
to implement the
Housing
Element of the
General Plan.
Connected
5.1.A: Continue
to implement the
Housing
Element with a
special focus on
reaching the
City’s RHNA
goals.
Community
Development
Ongoing Housing
production
by income
(per
Regional
Housing
Needs
Allocation)
On
track
Implementation of the Housing Element includes removing barriers to housing production, meeting the State's Regional Housing
Needs Allocation of 3,354 housing units from January 1, 2019, through December 31, 2028, and diversifying housing options for all
with a focus on infill development. Since the adoption of the 6th Cycle Housing Element, the City has updated zoning standards that
approve objective design standards, allow housing in more zoning districts, incentivize more below-market-rate housing, and expand
housing projects eligible for ministerial permits. As of the end of 2025, the City has far exceeded its 1,406 housing unit allocation for
“Above Moderate” housing units by permitting 2,478 housing units. For below market rate ("affordable") housing units, the City has
permitted 719 housing units with 1,229 units still needed to meet the 6th Cycle RHNA allocation by the end of the 2028 calendar
year. Of the remaining below market rate allocation, 39% of the units must be reserved for Very Low and Extremely Low Incomes ,
21% for Low Incomes, and 40% for Moderate Incomes.
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CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO CAP PROGRESS REPORT APRIL 2026
PAGE - 43 -
Foundational
Action
Action
Description 2023-25 Task 2025-27 Task Responsible
Department
Start
Date
Progress
Tracker Status July 2023 – March 2026 Action Progress
Requirements
for Downtown.
Connected
5.1.B: Conduct
“Missing Middle”
housing pilot
program along
major urban
corridors.
Connected
5.1.B: Continue
to support
“missing middle”
housing along
major urban
corridors.
Community
Development
Spring
2024
Qualitative
tracking in
CAP
progress
report
On
track
The City's goals to foster "missing middle" housing have been reshaped through state housing legislation since 2019. Instead of a
stand-alone ordinance to widen housing opportunities along specific corridors, the City has leveraged a series of state laws and
programs to expand missing middle housing opportunities and is incorporating missing middle housing as a priority in Specific Plan
updates. Examples of missing-middle aligned regulations and programs include:
Density Bonus Law implementation provides incentives for smaller units as higher densities are achieved for infill lots. The
majority of all housing projects over 10-units utilize the City's Density Bonus incentives.
The inclusionary housing in-lieu fee is based on square footage. As a result, smaller units have lower fees, which incentivizes
smaller infill development.
The Downtown Flexible Density Program developed through the State SB2 Grant programs removes density requirements
for units less than 600 square feet downtown.
Expanded opportunities for ministerial review and greatly reduced fees for ADUs and JADUs have resulted in approximately
80-100+ permits issued annually.
The City's updated Subdivision Ordinance allows flexible lot design for R-1 districts and implements a streamlined processes
for urban lot splits allowed through SB 9 and SB 684.
Updated zoning regulations and the Airport Area Specific Plan implement state law by allowing more mixed-use housing
within Service Commercial and Manufacturing districts.
The City is currently updating the Margarita Area Specific Plan to incentivize missing middle housing opportunities.
Connected
6.1
Develop and
begin
implementing
electric
mobility plan
to achieve a
goal of 40%
electric vehicle
miles traveled
(VMT) by
2035.
Connected
6.1.A: Enable
the installation of
publicly
accessible EV
chargers on
public property
to meet
community
need.
Connected
6.1.A: Continue
to expand EV
charging on
public property.
Administration,
Public Works
Ongoing # EVs
registered in
county:
11,000
# public
chargers in
City: over
250+
# publicly
available
chargers on
City
property: 68
On
track
Publicly accessible EV charging on public property has expanded since 2020. Locally, the network grew from two public charger s in
2019 to a combined 27 today, including 19 standard ports intended for multi-hour use and eight fast chargers for short stops.
Additional projects scheduled for 2026 will add 41 more standard chargers at the Cultural Arts District Parking Garage and ei ght fast
chargers at Railroad Square and the Calle Joaquin Park-and-Ride, for a total of 76 public chargers. These public chargers supplement
an expanding network of private and residential charging already operating in the community. Additionally, in February 2026, the City
updated EV charging rates in paid parking lots to a structure designed to balance affordability and availabilit y for users while covering
operational costs, utility expenses, and equipment maintenance.
Connected
6.1.B: Support
publicly
accessible EV
chargers on
private property.
Connected
6.1.B: Continue
to support the
installation of
publicly
accessible EV
chargers on
private property.
Administration,
Community
Development,
Public Works
Ongoing # of EV
chargers on
private
property:
over 250
publicly
accessible
and 400
non-
accessible
charging
ports
(estimates)
On
track
Statewide, California’s public charging ports grew from 41,947 in 2019 to 178,549 in 2024, a more than fourfold increase.
Using the best available public data, the number of publicly accessible EV charging ports within San Luis Obispo city limits has
increased steadily over the same period. Estimates indicate roughly 109 public ports in 2020, rising to about 130 in 2021, 154 in
2022, 183 in 2023, and 217 in 2024. By 2025, the total is estimated at approximately 258 public ports, more than doubling loc al public
charging capacity since 2020. This growth is in addition to privately accessible chargers on private property. City permitting records
show roughly 400 private charging heads in use, a conservative estimate that excludes charging equipment installed as part of larger
development projects, unpermitted chargers, or lower-level chargers that do not require permits.
This rapid expansion in charging infrastructure aligns with continued growth in EV ownership. According to California Energy
Commission and DMV data, residents purchased more than 11 ,000 electric vehicles in San Luis Obispo County through 2025. EVs
accounted for 24%, 22%, and 22% of all light-duty vehicle sales in the County in 2023, 2024, and 2025, respectively. With the
elimination of federal tax credits, continued growth local adoption of EVs and EV chargers will face new headwinds. However, durable
local and regional rebates exist, including 3CE’s Electrify Your Ride, which since 2020, has issued over $2.2 million in reba tes for
electric vehicles and home charging projects in the city.
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CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO CAP PROGRESS REPORT APRIL 2026
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Foundational
Action
Action
Description 2023-25 Task 2025-27 Task Responsible
Department
Start
Date
Progress
Tracker Status July 2023 – March 2026 Action Progress
Connected
6.1.C: Assess
the viability of
launching a
publicly
accessible EV
carshare
program and
launch if
feasible.
Connected
6.1.C: Continue
to support a
publicly
accessible EV
carshare
program.
Administration,
Public Works
Winter
2024
# carshare
sites: 0
# vehicles in
operation: 0
# annual
trips made
by carshare
vehicle: 0
On
hold
Based on conversations with vendors in the early 2020s, the launch and operation of a stand-alone carshare program was identified
as prohibitively costly in a low density and small community like San Luis Obispo. The City is currently working to understand how
these conditions may have changed over the last several years and is currently engaging directly with Zipcar, Cal Poly’s car share
program provider to learn more. Beyond that, there are no active tasks to further evaluate or pursue car share in the City’s current
work program.
Connected
6.1.D: Deploy
EV charging
infrastructure in
low-income and
underserved
areas.
Connected
6.1.D: Continue
to support the
installation of EV
chargers in low-
income and
underserved
areas.
Administration,
Community
Development,
Public Works
Summer
2023
# of EV
chargers in
underserved
areas: the
City hosts 4
charging
ports in
disadvantag
ed areas as
defined by
SLOCOG
Behind The City was supported HASLO’s participation in a regional grant for EV chargers at multifamily properties. This HASLO project,
when complete, will install 32 new level 1 chargers across 4 HASLO properties in San Luis Obispo (and a total of 54 chargers across
7 sites county wide). Additionally, the City has heard from community members that the Level 3 EV chargers installed at Johnson
Park have provided nearby multifamily tenants with an accessible charging option near their homes. Staff have sent informatio n about
grant programs that provide charging at multi-family properties to property managers, but there has been little interest in pursuing
these projects.
Going forward, the City will continue to prioritize providing low-income and underserved areas with access to EV charging, and in
particular finding solutions for the 60% of San Luis Obispo residents who are renters. Future strategies include continuing t o connect
multifamily property owners with regional technical assistance providers and EV charging incentives, as well as ongoing expansion
of EV charging infrastructure on public lots and providing information about available chargers to low -income community members
(e.g., the CADPS parking structures’ Level 2 chargers are also intended for overnight use by downtown residen ts).
Circular
Economy
1.1
Adopt an
ordinance
requiring
organic waste
subscription
for all
residential and
commercial
customers by
2022.
Circular
Economy 1.1.A:
Implement an
inspection and
enforcement
program to
ensure
compliance with
SB 1383
requirements.
Circular
Economy 1.1.A:
Maintain
compliance with
SB 1383
inspection and
enforcement
requirements.
Utilities Ongoing # Notice of
Violations
issued
annually
(beginning
in 2024): 15
On
track
The Integrated Waste Management Authority (IWMA) has established an SB 1383 inspection program that provides as -needed
education and outreach to any premises found out of compliance through site visits or complaints. Enforcement guidelines were
adopted under City Ordinance 1706, which grants the City’s Code Enforcement Team the authority to require corrective action for
non-compliant premises. Under this process, the IWMA conducts the initial site visit or outreach, and if non-compliance persists
without voluntary remediation, the case is referred to the City’s Code Enforcement Team for follow-up. Since implementation, the
IWMA has conducted fifteen SB 1383-related complaint investigations, all of which were successfully resolved through IWMA
outreach and education.
Circular
Economy 1.1.B:
Comply with SB
1383
procurement
requirements for
recycled organic
waste and
paper.
Circular
Economy 1.1.B:
Maintain
compliance with
SB 1383
procurement
requirements.
Utilities,
Finance
Ongoing Quantity of
organic
materials
procured
annually:
over 5,000
tons
On
track
The City continues to maintain compliance with SB 1383’s organic waste and recycled-content paper procurement requirements. The
IWMA tracks and reports the annual procurement target on a countywide basis for all member agencies. Compliance is achieved
through eligible organic and paper purchases, application of compost and mulch, and the renewable electricity and other benef icial
byproducts generated by the Kompogas anaerobic digestion facility. In 2024, the City procured 5,255.93 tons of organic waste, which
is 143% of the SB 1383 organic procurement target. The City’s Solid Waste and Recycling Team and Purchasing Team provide
education and outreach to staff on SB 1383’s procurement requirements, and supply the IWMA with the necessary documentation
to support ongoing compliance.
Circular
Economy 1.1.C:
Collaborate with
the IWMA to
educate the
public on waste
minimization and
the proper
sorting and
disposal of
organic and
recyclable
products.
Circular
Economy 1.1.C:
Continue to
collaborate with
the IWMA to
educate the
public on waste
minimization,
and the proper
sorting and
disposal of
organic and
recyclable
products.
Utilities Ongoing Qualitative
tracking in
CAP
progress
report
On
track
The City and IWMA continue to collaborate on waste-minimization and proper-sorting outreach through social media posts, in-person
events, presentations, and newsletters. In addition, the IWMA has developed short educational v ideos on waste reduction, which
have been shared on social media platforms and broadcast on local television. Further outreach materials are being developed by
the IWMA, Science Discovery, and City staff to expand community awareness and engagement.
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CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO CAP PROGRESS REPORT APRIL 2026
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Foundational
Action
Action
Description 2023-25 Task 2025-27 Task Responsible
Department
Start
Date
Progress
Tracker Status July 2023 – March 2026 Action Progress
Circular
Economy
1.2
Develop and
implement
program to
increase
edible food
rescue by
20%.
Circular
Economy 1.2.A:
Monitor and
support IWMA
programs that
aim to increase
edible food
rescue.
Circular
Economy 1.2.A:
Continue to
monitor and
support IWMA
programs that
aim to increase
edible food
rescue.
Utilities Ongoing Qualitative
tracking in
CAP
progress
report
On
track
The IWMA manages edible food recovery requirements countywide on behalf of member agencies, all of which have maintained full
compliance. The City continues to monitor and support the IWMA’s food recovery tracking efforts and maintains a strong working
relationship with the region’s primary food rescue organization, the SLO Food Bank . Since, July 2023 to October 2025, 1.7 million
pounds of edible food was recovered in the City of San Luis Obispo.
Circular
Economy
1.3
Develop and
implement a
waste stream
education
program for
HOA/Property
Managers and
the
commercial
sector.
Circular
Economy 1.3.A:
Partner with the
IWMA on waste
stream
education and
outreach for
HOA/Property
Managers, as
well as major
employers and
institutions.
Circular
Economy 1.3.A:
Continue
partnering with
the IWMA on
waste stream
education and
outreach for
HOA/Property
Managers, as
well as major
employers and
institutions.
Utilities Ongoing Qualitative
tracking in
CAP
progress
report
On
track
In partnership with the City, the IWMA develops and provides outreach to commercial businesses, major employers and instituti ons,
HOAs, and Property Managers. As a college town, it was recognized that Property Managers require more proactive support due to
high contamination rates and frequent tenant turnover. In response, City staff expanded outreach to multi -family properties through
email communication and as-needed on-site visits.
Mobile home parks with shared waste services were additionally identified as key stakeholders needing updated and consistent
waste-stream education, prompting increased engagement efforts. This work also aligns with the 2025 –27 Major City Goal, which
prioritizes enhanced outreach to both multi-family and mobile home park communities. Large employers and institutions are also
offered opportunities for on-site presentations to strengthen compliance and reduce contamination.
Circular
Economy
2.1
Update the
Municipal
Code solid
waste section
and bin
enclosure
standards.
Complete. Complete. Utilities N/A N/A On
track
City Council adopted Ordinance 1706 to update Sections 8.04 and 8.05 of the Municipal Code to align with the requirements of
Senate Bill 1383, supporting the City’s continued efforts to divert food and organic waste.
In January 2024, the Trash Enclosure Design Guidelines were updated and posted to the City’s website. The City partners with San
Luis Garbage throughout the permitting process to ensure that new and redeveloped sites include adequate capacity and service
levels for the proper collection and diversion of trash, recycling, and organic materials.
Circular
Economy
2.2
Develop and
expand
funding for a
Solid Waste
section in the
Utilities
Department.
Circular
Economy 2.2.A:
Support
innovative
organic waste
collection
systems for
high-volume and
hard-to-reach
waste
generators.
Circular
Economy 2.2.A:
Continue to
support
innovative
organic waste
collection
systems for
high-volume and
hard-to-reach
waste
generators.
Utilities Winter
2024
Qualitative
tracking in
CAP
progress
report
On
track
Events and multi-family complexes have been identified as high-volume waste generators with elevated contamination rates. The
City provides Special Event Waste Reduction Guidelines to all permitted events, and the event application and contract clearly outline
the City’s organic waste diversion requirements and local sustainability ordinances. Multi-family complexes receive additional
education and outreach support, including recurring resource emails to property managers and opportunities for on -site presentations
to improve compliance and reduce contamination.
Circular
Economy 2.2.B:
Build
relationships
with local and
regional waste
industry
stakeholders.
Circular
Economy 2.2.B:
Convene a
Circular
Economy
Stakeholder
Forum to gather
key stakeholders
and inform future
Circular
Economy
actions.
Utilities,
Administration
Ongoing Qualitative
tracking in
CAP
progress
report
On
track
The City continues to develop relationships with local industry stakeholders such as industry leaders, local advocates, non -profits,
educators, practitioners, and implem enters in the local and regional waste industry. A Circular Economy Stakeholder Forum will be
facilitated with these stakeholders to develop implementable and impactful actions for the forthcoming Climate Action Plan update.
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CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO CAP PROGRESS REPORT APRIL 2026
PAGE - 46 -
Foundational
Action
Action
Description 2023-25 Task 2025-27 Task Responsible
Department
Start
Date
Progress
Tracker Status July 2023 – March 2026 Action Progress
Natural
Solutions
1.1
Conduct
Carbon
Farming Study
and Pilot
Project in
2021. If
feasible, begin
implementatio
n by 2023.
Natural
Solutions 1.1.A:
Make progress
on protecting
land within the
City’s
Greenbelt
through direct
purchases and
conservation
easements.
Natural
Solutions 1.1.A:
Continue to
make progress
on protecting
land within the
City’s Greenbelt
through direct
purchases and
conservation
easements.
Administration Ongoing Number of
acres
protected
On
track
Staff actively pursue priority land conservation opportunities in ac cordance with Council direction.
The City received a dedication of Righetti Hill within the Orcutt Area Specific Plan and the Natural Resources Program, along with
the Ranger Service staff, worked to establish a new open space and trail system. The Righet ti Hill Open Space Conservation Plan
was adopted by Council in 2023 and trail system and trailhead improvements were completed in 2025.
Natural
Solutions 1.1.B:
Expand climate
resilience and
carbon
sequestration
practices to
additional
properties and
sites in the City
and broader
Greenbelt.
Natural
Solutions 1.1.B:
Maintain and
continue to
apply climate
resilience and
carbon
sequestration
practices to
properties in the
SLO Greenbelt.
Administration,
Parks and
Recreation
Fall
2023
Number of
projects
completed;
acres
receiving
treatment/s;
estimated
carbon
sequestered
On
track
The City continues to apply innovative climate-informed land stewardship practices across the SLO Greenbelt, and staff continue to
actively pursue external funding to expand these efforts. At Johnson Ranch the City has installed 30 "beaver dam analogs" in Dry
Creek to retain water longer into the dry season, improve groundwater recharge, and improve steelhead habitat. This grant -funded
project is also on track to plant over 300 native riparian plants and trees, and regenerate native perennial bunchgrasses. Additional
restoration projects include regenerative grazing with goats, sheep, and cattle. The City continues to invest in regenerative contract
grazing at select properties and is continually improving cattle grazing agreements and infrastructures to promote regenerative
outcomes. Together these restoration activities can sequester carbon while making San Luis Obispo and its open spaces more
resilient to the impacts of climate change.
The City also continues to partner with the yak titʸu titʸu yak tiłhini to revive traditional ecological knowledge on City Op en Space
properties including the use of cultural fire (with burns occurring in June 2024, November 2025, and December of 2025). Good fire
reduces fuel loads and decreases the likelihood of catastrophic future wildfires. Tin ɨtyu "Good Fire" can also enhance and maintain
biodiversity and restore perennial bunch grasses that store more carbon than invasive annual grasses.
The City also continued to support and partner with City Farm SLO to deliver sustainable agriculture education for students and the
community, while producing healthy local food. In early 2022, a 40-year lease extension was granted to City Farm SLO reflecting the
successful long-term partnership and City Farm SLO’s plans for significant capital improvements at the property. City Farm SLO was
awarded a $200,000 grant from the California Farmland Conservancy Program for site access improvements and enhancement s
along Prefumo Creek, which was completed in 2024, and in 2025 an additional 1.5 acres of farmland was added to the lease area .
The City will continue to further augment this effort with in-kind services and support as part of the Major City Goal work program.
Natural
Solutions
2.1
Prepare the
City’s first
Urban Forest
Master Plan
by 2021 and
plant and
maintain
10,000 new
trees by 2035.
Natural
Solutions 2.1.A:
Adopt and
implement the
Community
Forest Plan and
make significant
progress on the
10 Tall goal of
planting and
maintaining
10,000 new
trees by 2035.
Natural
Solutions 2.1.A:
Continue
implementing
the Community
Forest Plan and
make significant
progress on the
10 Tall goal of
planting and
maintaining
10,000 new
trees by 2035.
Administration,
Public Works
Summer
2023
Number of
trees
planted
On
track
Over 6,000 new trees have been planted by the City, community partners, volunteers, and community members in both private and
public spaces, in support of the City’s 2035 goal of planting 10,000 new trees. The City also continues to maintain a healthy urban
forest so that existing carbon stocks stored in trees’ living tissues are resilient to present and future climate hazards.
Through the intradepartmental "Keys for Trees" program in partnership with ECOS LO, the Tourism Business Improvement District
(TBID) allocates 1% of their assessment of all hotel revenue in the City towards planting trees in San Luis Obispo. Keys for Trees
plants roughly 40 trees per year in City parks, open space, and other locations .
Staff have continued to work with ECOSLO and Rotary de Tolosa to implement tree planting, as well as community volunteers. Ar bor
Day events resulted in new trees planted at French Park, along the Railroad Safety Trail, and at Santa Rosa Park, as well as providing
new community relationships and educational opportunities. Staff also began cataloging where new oak trees can be planted and
have begun installation of oak trees to expand the current oak forest in several City open space properties, such as Terrace Hill and
Cerro San Luis. These projects were completed in collaboration with Rotary clubs, volunteers, and the California Conservation Corps.
The North Chorro Greenway project, funded in part by a State of California Urban Greenways grant, installed 60 new street trees.
Administrat
ive Action 1
Implement
Climate Action
Plan with an
equity lens.
Implement Climate Action Plan with
an equity lens.
All
Departments
Ongoing Inclusion of
equity lens
in
implementati
on project
plans
On
track
Staff are committed to integrating equity considerations into all implementation projects on an ongoing basis. The primary way the
City has centered equity in its climate work is through the internal requirement that all implementation action project plans include a
detailed description of how the project will include meaningful equity considerations. This has ensured that equity stays top of mind
in project implementation. Tangible results of this approach include:
Pursuing grant funds that provide administrative resources to local diversity focused non-profits.
Focusing on providing affordable air conditioning to low-income homeowners as a primary benefit of electrification.
Piloting building retrofit projects focused on affordable housing developers.
Restoring pre-COVID SLO Transit service levels.
Increasing access to safe and convenient bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure.
Supporting tribal-led cultural burns and the return of ancestral stewardship practices on City open space.
Enacting procedural equity throughout the CAP Volume 3 update and related stakeholder engagement processes.
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CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO CAP PROGRESS REPORT APRIL 2026
PAGE - 47 -
Foundational
Action
Action
Description 2023-25 Task 2025-27 Task Responsible
Department
Start
Date
Progress
Tracker Status July 2023 – March 2026 Action Progress
Administrat
ive Action 2
Monitor and
report Plan
implementatio
n.
Monitor and report Plan
implementation.
Administration,
All
Departments
Fall
2024
Biennial
GHG
emissions
inventory
update and
City Council
update
On
track
This progress report is the outcome of Administrative Action 2.
Administrat
ive Action 3
Regularly
update the
CAP.
Regularly update the Climate Action
Plan.
Administration Winter
2026
CAP Update
in 2027
On
track
Staff will be returning to City Council in early 2027 to present a comprehensive update to the community Climate Action Plan. This
progress report supports the 2027 CAP update process.
Administrat
ive Action 4
Ensure
transparency
by reporting
GHG and
climate action
information to
public
disclosure
programs.
Ensure transparency by reporting
greenhouse gas and climate action
information to public disclosure
programs.
Administration Summer
2023
State,
national,
and
international
disclosure
platforms
On
track
The City reports on a wide range of greenhouse gas emissions and resilience efforts to the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) on a
biennial basis. The City received “A-List” status, the highest grade for a disclosing City, in 2021 and 2023. The City received an A- in
2025 (with the minus coming because the City did not have an aggressive enough 2030 target). The City will submit for scoring again
in 2027.
Administrat
ive Action 5
Develop
mitigation
program for
new
development
to illustrate
consistency
with the CAP.
Complete Community
Development
N/A N/A On
track
The mitigation program was developed as part of the 2020 CAP via local California Environmental Quality Act thresholds of
significance for greenhouse gas emissions and a related Climate Action Plan consistency checklist. The thresholds and checkli st
were intended to apply to development projects that required CEQA review and that resulted in mitigated negative declarations or
full environmental impact reports. According to staff’s records, there have been seven projects since 2020 that have been rev iewed
against this standard. All of these projects chose zero operat ional emissions via high-efficiency electric appliances and systems.
It should be noted that state law has substantially reduced the number of projects required to undergo environmental review, which
means fewer projects will be required to illustrate consistency with the CAP’s local GHG emissions thresholds moving forward.
Fortunately, the 2025 California Energy Code will be in place through 2031 and heavily incentives new buildings to be mostly-electric.
Administrat
ive Action 6
Pursue grants
opportunistical
ly and
strategically.
Pursue grants opportunistically and
strategically.
Administration Ongoing Number of
grant
applications;
total funds
received
On
track
Since 2023, the City has pursued dozens of grants related to support community climate action solutions for green buildings, transit,
active transportation, solid waste, and natural solutions. Additionally, the City has brought in approximately $15.5 milli on since 2020
to implement the Lead by Example pillar of the CAP which focuses on carbon neutrality projects at City facilities. Successful external
funding, including grants, rebates, incentives, and tax refunds across all CAP pillars s are estimated to exceed $57 million since 2020.
Administrat
ive Action 7
Engage in
legislative and
regulatory
advocacy.
Engage in legislative and regulatory
advocacy.
Administration Ongoing Update
annual
Legislative
Action
Platform
On
track
Since 2020, the City has included a sustainability and energy plank in the annual Legislative Action Platform and has submitted letters
in support of legislation that is supports and advances the City’s climate work. In 2025, the City participated more directly in legislative
advocacy around AB 130, which would have precluded the City from adopting energy efficiency reach codes. Due to direct advocacy
with legislators and collaboration with aligned organizations including CalCities, the final legislation included an exemption that allows
the City to continue adopting and enforcing energy reach codes.
Page 250 of 251
The Local Government Climate Alliance (LGCA) unites California
cities and counties to advocate for bold, equitable climate policies
at the state level. LGCA leverages joint advocacy, knowledge sharing,
and collective influence to accelerate action and deliver benefits to
local communities across California.
VALUE PROPOSITION
Local governments lack a powerful voice in Sacramento to advocate for the nuanced and often
technical climate solutions that are needed to reach local climate goals and keep communities safe.
Existing municipal lobbyists are often underinformed about climate issues, and are necessarily spread
thin across topical issues to represent the totality of local government priorities. LGCA will bring the
focus and expertise necessary to advance impactful equitable climate solutions in California’s crowded
advocacy space.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
To drive the impactful, equitable, and scalable solutions needed to significantly accelerate statewide
climate action, deliver lasting benefits to local communities, and meet climate goals ahead of
California’s 2030 and 2045 targets, LGCA will work to:
1. Expand cities’ authority for local climate action and securing funding.
2. Accelerate affordable access to clean electricity, electrified transportation, zero-emission
buildings, and low-carbon industry.
3. Remove barriers for local clean energy and climate strategies.
4. Ensure retraining, wage protection, and community reinvestment as cities and counties phase
out fossil fuels.
5. Invest in wildfire prevention, water security, coastal resilience, habitat restoration, and urban
greening, using nature-based solutions when possible.
6. Improve housing affordability, air quality, public transit access, public health and safety, and local
economic development.
GOVERNANCE
The General Assembly of Core Members, Partners, and Affiliates will meet every other month, and will
be led by a Chair and Vice Chair. Committees include an elected Executive Steering Committee (meets
monthly) and a Policy Advisory Committee (meets monthly) and topic-specific subcommittees. Core
Members commit to attending monthly Policy Advisory Committee meetings. The full General Assembly
will meet at least once annually. Equity is embedded in all decisions.
● Core Members: Cities/counties, full voting rights.
● Observing Members: Cities/counties, limited participation, non-voting.
● Affiliates: Regional agencies, nonprofits, academics, tribal governments (advisors).
MEMBERSHIP AND DUES
Local Government (by population) Affiliate (by employee count)
< 50,000: $1,500 1-20: $1,500
50,000 - 150,000 $4,500 20+: $2,500
150,001 - 500,000 $6,500
500,001+ $8,000
LGCA membership will consider a jurisdiction’s population size and ability to pay and will make
accommodations wherever practicable. This flexible approach recognizes that every city and county
has different resources, priorities, and constraints, while ensuring we can sustain strong, coordinated
climate advocacy together. The City of Santa Barbara will serve as LGCA’s initial fiscal sponsor, with
alternative sponsorship options to be explored in future years.
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