11/18/2024 Letter from the General Manager

Dear Cambrians,

The Cambria Community Services District (CCSD) recently conducted a Staff SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis as part of our ongoing commitment to transparency, growth, and service excellence. This collaborative effort allowed our team to evaluate our internal operations and external challenges to serve our community better.

The primary purpose of this SWOT analysis was to gain a clearer understanding of our organization’s current position and identify pathways for improvement. Our secondary purpose was to analyze this information and provide it to the board of directors as a tool for establishing our new strategic plan in 2025.

By examining our strengths, we recognized the many ways our dedicated staff consistently deliver high-quality services to the Cambria community. Acknowledging our weaknesses allowed us to pinpoint areas where we can strengthen our operations and ensure resilience. Exploring opportunities illuminated new and innovative ways to meet your needs while considering threats enabled us to proactively address potential challenges that may arise in the future.

The process was highly collaborative and productive. Our team engaged in open discussions, shared ideas, and embraced feedback to create a comprehensive overview of our current position and goals. This exercise was beneficial for our internal development and reinforced our commitment to accountability and continuous improvement.

We are excited to share the results of this analysis with the community at the December 12, 2024 CCSD Board Meeting. During this presentation, we will highlight the key findings, discuss how they align with our strategic goals, and outline actionable steps we plan to take based on the analysis.

Together, we can build a stronger and more resilient community.

Administrative & Finance Departments

CCSD Office Closure for Thanksgiving Holiday

The Cambria Community Services District (CCSD) administrative office will be closed on Thursday, November 28, 2024, and Friday, November 29, 2024, in observance of Thanksgiving.

Please call the CCSD's 24-hour main line at (805) 927-6223 for all Water and Wastewater emergency services during this period. Our office will reopen on Monday, December 2, 2024, at 9:00 a.m.

Facilities & Resources Department

We are pleased to inform you about the recent progress in maintaining and improving the safety and cleanliness of our local environment:

Santa Rosa Creek Embankments Clean-Up: Our team has successfully removed debris from the Santa Rosa Creek embankments adjacent to Highway 1, ensuring better water flow and a cleaner landscape.
Caltrans Vegetation Management: In coordination with Caltrans, vegetation removal efforts along Highway 1 are actively being conducted to enhance safety and visibility.
Property Patrols and Encampment Awareness: Our department has been conducting regular patrols of CCSD properties and training our crews to identify potential encampments. We are committed to following state and county guidelines for handling such situations, particularly in our open space easements

PROS Community Park Phase 3 Feedback Form

The PROS Community Park ad hoc committee is conducting a series of community engagements to gather input and build momentum toward adopting the Phase 3 Plan. Please review the PROS Committee East Ranch Community Park Phase 3 Presentation document below before completing the feedback form. Please click here for more information.

Sand for 24/25 Storm Season

In preparation for the upcoming storm season, SLO County Public Works has generously provided free sand to help protect our community from potential flooding and erosion. This resource is available to all Cambria residents who may need it.

Details:

Location for Sand Pickup: 2021 Rodeo Grounds Road and Lampton Park at the corner of Lampton and Windsor
What to Bring: Please bring your own shovel, containers, or bags for transportation. Tractors are not allowed to take sand from the district's sand locations. Sandbags are available at most local hardware stores but not at the Cambria Fire Department.

We encourage everyone to use this opportunity to help safeguard your properties.

Project	Description	Status
Cambria Skatepark	Design and construction of a new skatepark facility at the old skatepark location on Main St across from the Vets Hall.	The minor use SLO County Planning portion of the permitting process is complete. Staff anticipates receiving funding in January 2025. On 10/30, all requirements had been met for application completion, and we confirmed that no additional information was needed. Staff is seeking engineering estimates to update construction costs, given the recent inflation over the past year.
East Ranch Restroom	Design and construct a restroom facility near the Dog Park on the East Ranch.	The Public Restroom Company has provided an anticipated delivery date in early January for the prefabricated bathroom delivery.

Cambria Fire Department

Over the past month, your fire department dedicated approximately 25 hours per shift to specialized training, covering crucial areas such as Emergency Medical Services (EMS), rescue operations, wildland fire simulations, and structure fire scenarios. These training sessions help ensure our team remains skilled, prepared, and committed to the highest standards of safety and emergency response.

We would also like to remind everyone that if you need to complete an Emergency Evacuation Assistance form, please mail it directly to the county at the address provided on the form. Kindly avoid returning it to the Fire Department or CCSD for processing.

October was an especially busy and rewarding month for community engagement. Our department actively participated in various awareness and educational programs, including:

Fire Prevention Week: We engaged with residents to share vital fire safety tips and supported burn prevention efforts in partnership with the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation Relay.
Project Hero Ride: We proudly took part in this event, which honors first responders and promotes mental health awareness.
Community Trunk or Treat: We enjoyed connecting with families at this fun event, where we shared safety advice and joined in the festivities.

Beyond these events, our commitment to local safety remained steadfast through ongoing defensible space inspections, business inspections, and residential construction inspections.

As Thanksgiving approaches, we want to remind everyone to prioritize holiday fire safety. Stay attentive while cooking, especially when using high heat, and keep flammable items such as towels and paper away from the stove. If you plan to deep-fry a turkey, please do so outdoors and with caution. Lastly, check your smoke alarms to ensure they are functioning properly.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership in keeping our community safe and prepared. We wish you a safe and happy holiday season!

Meet the Fire Chief

On Monday, November 25, 2024, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., Fire Chief Michael Burkey will be working out of the Cambria Veterans' Memorial Hall and would love to meet you and hear your thoughts on anything related to the Cambria Fire Department.

Water & Wastewater Departments

Project	Description	Status
Adaptive Management Plan (AMP)	The AMP is a surface water, groundwater, and biological monitoring program designed to detect potential impacts to sensitive biological resources, requiring groundwater modeling and monitoring while the WRF is in operation.	The 2017 AMP is available on the District’s website. AMP monitoring is ongoing. Per the methods described in the AMP, surveys are conducted at eight (8) survey sites to collect data, describe survey conditions, habitats, stream flows, surface water quality, Well 9P7 soil moisture, and observe species.
San Simeon Water Line & Effluent Line Well Field Transmission Lines	Developing a permanent repair of the San Simeon Water Main. This project will also include resolutions for the Sewer Effluent Main.	The permitting lead time for this project scale ranges from 4 months to 1 year. The target is to install it by late summer to early fall of 2025. The CCSD’s consultant is in the process of obtaining encroachment permits from Caltrans for existing utility locating and for geotechnical data-gathering activities.
Water Meter Replacement Project – AMI	Upgrades system to Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) with new meters and real-time water analytics.	Staff began installing new registers in the community's north end using “in-house” staff. The staff has installed 100 endpoints. An RFP to contract the installation of additional endpoints was released. While we wait for the RFP process to complete, Staff will continue to install AMI meters as staff and equipment are available. We request that the public keep the area around their meter box clear of obstructions for three (3) feet in all directions.
Zero Liquid Discharge Program Project	Pilot study project to test innovative technology for brine reduction with the goal of zero liquid discharge.	The staff has submitted to County Planning for a Substantial Conformance Determination concerning the temporary pilot run. County Planning deemed a project modification permit for the temporary pilot test run was unnecessary. Supply chain issues have affected the production of the treatment vessel for the ZLD project. Pilot operations have been rescheduled for Fall 2025, pending Board approval. All information and data requested by regional water and county planning have been submitted.
San Simeon Well 3	Replacement of pump and motor.	Installation is complete, and the well is now fully operational.
Stuart Street Tank Project	Critical water infrastructure project to rebuild the Stuart Street tanks, which have reached their useful operational life.	District staff and consultants presented the updated project in a pre-application meeting with San Luis Obispo County Planning. County Planning confirmed that a Coastal Development Permit (CDP) would be required due to the Project’s expanded scope. The project must be submitted to County Planning for review, followed by a hearing in front of the Planning Commission. The staff is waiting for a date to be established for the Project hearing. The Coastal Development Permit (CDP) application was successfully submitted to SLO County Planning on 8/27/2024. We anticipate a 2–3-month review period before permit issuance. The CDP application number is P-APP2024-00206.

The status of District Project Updates can also be found on the CCSD website.

Request for Proposals (RFP) for Formal Bid No. 03-2024-12 for Installation of Water Meter Register Replacement and Advanced Metering Infrastructure Upgrade

The Cambria Community Services District is requesting formal, sealed bids from licensed contractors for the Water Meter Register Replacement and Advanced Metering Infrastructure Upgrade Project. The full request package can be accessed here.

Wastewater Personnel Update

We are proud to share the following achievements from our dedicated Wastewater Department staff:

Arthur Garney: Congratulations to Arthur for successfully passing the Grade III Wastewater Exam. This significant accomplishment is a testament to his hard work and dedication to enhancing his skills and expertise.
Christien McManus: Congratulations to Christien for obtaining his Class A Commercial Driver’s License. This important milestone will greatly benefit our department’s operations and improve overall capabilities.

Please join us in congratulating Arthur and Christien for their commitment to excellence and for their continued service to our community.

CCSD Board Meetings

November 14, 2024, Regular Board Meeting Update

For a more detailed Board meeting transcript, visit our website.

The Board of Directors received a presentation from R3 Consulting Group, Inc. regarding the proposed solid waste and recycling collection rate increase for Mission Country Disposal
The Board of Directors approved a Public Works Contract with Hartzell General Engineering Contractor, Inc. for the construction of the East Ranch Community Park Public restroom installation project and authorized the General Manager to execute the agreement
The Board of Directors approved an Agreement for Consultant Services with Padre Associates, Inc. for the environmental monitoring of the East Ranch Community Park restroom installation project

Upcoming December Board Meeting Items (subject to change):

Discussion and consideration of Standing Committee Chair & Liaison appointments
Discussion and consideration of the adoption of a Resolution establishing the 2025 CCSD Regular Board Meeting Schedule
Discussion and consideration to direct staff to advertise for positions on the Standing Committees
Receive a presentation from Upper Salinas - Las Tablas Resource Conservation District regarding a Habitat Restoration Project for the Fiscalini Ranch Preserve
Discussion and consideration to receive CCSD Staff's SWOT analysis input and appoint an Ad Hoc Committee
Presentation on the results of the District-Wide Staff SWOT analysis

On Monday, November 25, 2024, from 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., I will be working out of the Cambria Veterans' Memorial Hall and would love to meet you and hear your thoughts on everything, Cambria. We will provide coffee and snacks; as always, we welcome your feedback and ideas.

If you have any concerns, please don't hesitate to contact me or any of our management team.

Thank you again for your support; I am at your service.

Matthew McElhenie