The past couple of months have been busy for the Cambria Community Services District.

As was previously reported in the Cambriaca and other news and social media, former General Manager Weigold resigned in November, and the Board appointed our District Engineer/Utilities Manager Ray Dienzo as our Acting General Manager. The recruitment process for a permanent General Manager will be on the Agenda for the regular CCSD Board meeting on January 12, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. The Board will be discussing and considering the job description, qualifications, and recruitment method, including whether to consider the services of an executive search agency, for the position of General Manager. Public input on these issues will be welcomed and appreciated.

This meeting will be held in person at the Cambria Veterans Hall, as well as via Zoom, and live streamed on SLO-Span.org. Written comments may also be submitted to boardcomment@cambriacsd.org. The full agenda packet, including the Zoom link, will be posted on the CCSD website on January 5, 2023.

With $12.1 million in financing now secured for critically needed improvements for the wastewater treatment plant, we are in the process of moving those projects forward. There are still many upgrades that will be needed for the wastewater plant, lift stations, and collection system that are not part of this financing package, and those projects will be undertaken as the funds become available through the current wastewater rates.

Final studies needed for the Coastal Development Permit for the Water Reclamation Facility are still underway. A number of state and federal agencies are involved in these studies along with the CCSD, so completion of the process depends in part on when they complete their work. We are hopeful that the permit application requirements will be completed early in 2023 so that the permitting process can move forward.

December brought the completion of the four-year terms for Directors Cindy Steidel and Donn Howell. Their dedication and service to the community was greatly appreciated. Our two newly elected Directors, Debra Scott and Michael Thomas were sworn in at the December 8, 2022 Board meeting, and we welcome their addition to the Board of Directors. Election of officers was also held at this meeting, Vice President Karen Dean was elected as Board President, and Director Tom Gray as Board Vice President.

Our new Fire Chief Justin Vincent was sworn in on November 8, 2022. He has been very busy getting involved and familiarized with Cambria, and has been making a real effort to introduce himself to all of our community and to listen to the concerns of the public.

The CCSD Board is looking for community members who would like to participate as a committee member on the Standing Committees for Finance, Resources & Infrastructure, Policy, and as Commissioners and Alternates on the PROS Commission (Parks, Recreation, and Open Space). The terms are two years for the Standing Committees and four overlapping terms for the PROS Commission. The application forms are posted on the CCSD website, and the application deadline is January 12, 2023 by 5:00 p.m. There are five seats available for each of the Standing Committees, two seats on the PROS Commission, and one PROS Alternate seat. Applicants must live and be registered to vote within the CCSD boundaries. The appointments will be considered at the January 19, 2023 regular CCSD board meeting.

The PROS Commission is also looking for input on what improvements the community would like to see on the East Ranch. The next PROS meeting will be held on January 3, 2023 at 10: 00 a.m. via Zoom. The Zoom link and the agenda will be posted on the CCSD website, www.cambriacsd.org, and written public comment can be submitted at boardcomment@cambriacsd.org.

The CCSD has a mailing list for interested members of the public to sign up for emailed updates on various CCSD topics, including meeting notices and agendas for board meetings as well as for the Standing Committee and PROS meetings. Among the additional topics the public can sign up to receive updates on are Water Conservation, the Annual Water Quality Report, Affordable Housing Program, News & Updates on Fire, Water & Wastewater, Facilities & Resources, Emergency Notifications, News, Notices, Press Releases, and more. There is a link to sign up for any or all of these email updates at the bottom of each page on the CCSD website, www.cambriacsd.org.

This is the first of many updates we hope to provide to the community on CCSD activities in an effort to improve transparency and the exchange of information between the CCSD and the Cambria community.

Sincerely,

Karen Dean

President, Cambria CSD Board of Directors.