Santa Maria
Labor agreements approved by council
The Santa Maria City Council Tuesday night approved labor agreements with the Santa Maria Police Officers Association, the Santa Maria City Fire Fighters' Union Local 2020, the city's public safety managers, and nonrepresented managers and confidential employees.
The contracts include salary and benefit increases as well as updated wording. For the remainder of the fiscal year, the city expects to spend $630,000 more than budgeted with the new agreements in place, according to the written staff report.
Funds to cover the extra expense would come mostly from general fund reserves.
Santa Maria
Bidding begins for library signage
The Santa Maria City Council started the bidding period Tuesday night for companies interested in supplying signs for the new city library.
The city is looking for indoor and outdoor signs that would be used for marking entrances and exits, book stacks, media rooms, restrooms, study areas and offices, according to the written council staff report.
Complete specifications are available at the city clerk's office, 110 E. Cook St., Room 3. Bids are due to the clerk before March 4 at 2 p.m., at which time the bids are scheduled to be opened.
Arroyo Grande
Cuesta College board to meet today
The San Luis Obispo County Community College District board of trustees, which oversees Cuesta College, is scheduled to meet today in the Lucia Mar Unified School District's Louise Elliston Board Meeting Room, 602-G Orchard St., Arroyo Grande.
Trustees are scheduled to meet in closed session at
3 p.m. to discuss personnel issues and confer with labor negotiators, then reconvene in open session at 5 p.m.
Board members plan to review proposed new policies regarding the delegation of authority and authorized signatures, contracts, audits, property management and insurance and, on the consent agenda, consider approving a board policy on recording public meetings.
Trustees also plan to consider a consulting agreement with Susan Dressler, and a business services agreement with the San Luis Obispo County Office of Education; and hear a summary of the South County Market Assessment Report completed in December.
Oceano
Oceano Dunes SVRA permit to be review
The California Coastal Commission will hold a public hearing when it meets Friday in Oceanside to conduct its annual review of the coastal development permit for the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area.
The annual review also looks at effectiveness of the Oceano Dunes SVRA's Technical Review Team in managing vehicle impacts at the off-road park, according to the Coastal Commission.
A staff report and commission recommendations can be viewed at
www.coastal.ca.gov. The meeting can also be viewed live from the Coastal Commission's Web site.
Santa Maria
Freeway paving set for today
Freeway congestion is expected today when paving that was postponed due to rain over the last two weeks gets started on southbound Highway 101 in Santa Maria.
The fast lane, between Main Street and Stowell Road, is slated to be closed from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. that day for the work, according to Caltrans officials.
Drivers can expect 15- to 20-minute delays, officials said.
The work is part of the $30 million widening project that will take the highway from four lanes to six lanes through Santa Maria. The project is expected to be finished by the end of the year.
San Luis Obispo County
‘Unmet transit needs' hearing today
Members of the public can request that the San Luis Obispo Council of Governments fill what they believe to be unmet transit needs throughout the county when the body meets today.
The SLOCOG board will meet at 8:30 a.m. at the County Government Center, 1055 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.
The Council of Governments annually allocates approximately $11 million in Transportation Development Act funds to the county's seven cities and unincorporated areas such as Nipomo.
Public testimony received during the SLOCOG meeting's Regional Unmet Transit Needs/Unmet Bikeway Needs hearing will be used to determine which requests are for unmet needs and which are “reasonable to meet.”
Funds are designated for public transit but can also be used to improve local streets and roads after all transit needs are first met, according to a SLOCOG spokesman.
San Luis Obispo County
Free tax preparation is available for some
Free income tax preparation for seniors and moderate-income working families and students is available through the AARP Foundation Tax Aide Program in southern San Luis Obispo County and Santa Maria.
Tax returns are prepared using professional software by volunteers who have many years of experience, and must pass a six-hour comprehensive test, said an AARP spokesman.
The volunteers are specialists in such senior issues as pensions and IRAs, as well as issues facing working taxpayers, including the child tax credit, earned income credit and education credits.
Returns are electronically filed, and refunds are usually received within 10 days, the spokesman said.
To make an appointment, call 481-7886 for Grace Bible Church, 100 Rodeo Drive, Arroyo Grande; 489-1336 for Rabobank, 899 W. Grand Ave., Grover Beach; 929-1911 for Rabobank, 615 W. Tefft St., Nipomo; or 925-0951, Ext. 207, for the Minami Community Center, 600 W. Enoss Ave., Santa Maria.
Arroyo Grande
Volunteers sought by salmon group
Central Coast Salmon Enhancement is looking for volunteer gardeners to help remove English ivy from the banks of Arroyo Grande Creek, starting Feb. 23.
Salmon Enhancement is starting a pilot project - “No Ivy League” - and needs people willing to hand-remove the non-native ivy from the creek banks near Arroyo Grande City Hall.
The project is aimed at restoring the creek's habitat and improving water quality, a Salmon Enhancement spokeswoman said.
For more information about the creek restoration project that also involves the city of Arroyo Grande and Coastal San Luis Resource Conservation District, call 473-8221.
- From staff reports
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