The City Council held its regular public meeting on Tuesday, September 3, 2024, at City Hall. During the meeting, important topics impacting and benefiting the community were discussed.

Below is a brief recap of the meeting. You can also review the meeting video recording on YouTube. 

Presentations
The meeting began with a brief report on City projects, programs, and services. This included: 

• Mayor Erica A. Stewart declared September 15th-October 15th as “Hispanic, Latinx, and Latino Heritage Month” to honor the rich heritage and significant contributions of our Hispanic, Latinx, and Latino community in San Luis Obispo (Item 3a).  

• An annual presentation from Central Coast Community Energy on their collaboration with the City and other agencies to keep rates for clean and renewable electricity affordable and equitable for all customers while also funding innovative energy programs designed to lower greenhouse gas emissions and stimulate community reinvestment (Item 3b).  

• The City Manager announced the annual memorial ceremony as a time for the community to honor the men and women on the front lines of public safety. Community members are encouraged to attend the event on Wednesday, September 11, from 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. at Fire Station #1. For more details, visit www.slocity.org/fire 

• The City Manager reminded the community that starting September 19, SLO Transit will be extending service hours to better accommodate Cal Poly students, staff, and faculty during the school year. For the updated schedule, visit www.slotransit.org 

 Cannabis Retail Sales by Delivery (Item 6a)
The City Council held a public hearing to discuss allowing cannabis retail storefronts to offer delivery services within approved commercial zones. Staff provided an overview of current cannabis retail operations and highlighted the positive impact of integrating delivery services within a specific criteria. Allowing cannabis storefronts to provide delivery will support a sustainable local economy, broaden customer access, and contribute to the City's financial stability, while also providing flexibility to businesses.

Qualifications Changes to Board of Appeals (Item 6b)
The Council held a public hearing to update the Construction Board of Appeals Bylaws by removing the local residency requirement and changing the qualifications for disabled access representatives to promote inclusion and equitable treatment for all community members. Currently, the board requires two physically disabled members, two members experienced in construction, and one member of the public. Staff proposed modifying the qualifications for the physically disabled positions by eliminating the registered voter and residency requirements and expanding eligibility to those closely connected to a physically disabled person. This recommendation ensures representation for the physically disabled community and allows advocates who represent them to fill these positions, ensuring a full board can consider important matters and represent disabled community members.

Consent Agenda
As part of the consent agenda, the City Council approved several items with one vote. Those included approving the advertisement of the Sierra Way Sewer Replacement Project, which will provide a reliable long-term wastewater system, reduce the need for emergency repairs, and prevent health and environmental hazards from leaks (Item 5d); updating the private sewer lateral replacement rebate program, which incentivizes residents to upgrade their sewer lines, reduce impacts on public infrastructure, and reduce health and environmental issues from sewer overflows (Item 5e); and authorizing SLO Transit to provide Fare-Free Transit during Rideshare Week, the 1st week of October, to promote sustainable transportation in San Luis Obispo (Item 5h).

The next regular City Council meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 17, 2024, at 5:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 990 Palm Street.

Attendees of City Council or Advisory Body meetings are eligible to receive one hour of complementary parking; restrictions apply, visit Parking for Public Meetings for more details.

For ways to provide input to the City Council, download the meeting agenda when it’s posted at www.slocity.org/agendas.

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Media Contact: Whitney Szentesi, Public Communications Manager, 805.783.7716, wszentes@slocity.org