Issue 21 | February 22, 2022
Grover Gazette
Message From the City Manager
Greetings City of Grover Beach,

A mentor of mine once said, “Cities can do anything, but they can’t do everything.” This adage is true beyond just the role of government but has a particular relevance to us in how we approach serving the Grover Beach community. For the past several years, the City Council has been diligent in setting Council Goals every one to two years that reflect community priorities and needs. The Council uses numerous inputs to establish these goals, including community sentiment expressed in a variety of ways, staff information on potential service needs, and individual Council Member perspectives as community representatives. Once the Council Goals are established, staff carries them out through work programs and budgets and reports back to the Council throughout the year on how we are doing in our implementation. 

The Council established four Major City Goals for FY 2021-23 that define the highest priorities for the City to focus on: 1) Economic Development 2) Housing and Homelessness 3) Public Safety and 4) Street Improvements. These are all difficult and complex areas, but I’m pleased with the results we’ve achieved over the past year in addressing each of these areas. Examples include partnering with the Chamber on Buy Local programs and a new cowork space to support local businesses, approving a 53-unit affordable housing project to help provide housing for low- and very low-income workers, bolstering staffing and equipment in our Police and Fire departments, and continuing our rapid pace of fixing local streets and beginning to fix major streets. Despite these achievements, we have more work to do and numerous challenges in our midst such as providing shelter space for homeless individuals while keeping our parks and open spaces clean. 

On March 7, the City Council will conduct a special meeting to review the progress of the existing Council Goals and determine if any changes are needed for FY 2022-23. This meeting will be held in person at Ramona Garden Park Center at 6 p.m. and will be the first in-person Council meeting since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020. The meeting will also be streamed on the City’s website and Channel 20, and community members can still call into the meeting to provide comments. This special meeting will follow a mid-year budget review at the February 28 Council meeting to provide the financial background for the Council’s discussion on goals. 

We encourage the public to be involved in this process and provide your input on what’s most important for the City to focus on. Local government is ultimately where democracy takes shape within our communities and is only as strong as those engaged to make their community better. Let us know how we can keep making Grover Beach an even better place to live, work and play!  

Sincerely,

Matthew Bronson
City Manager
In the News
Buy Local Program Runs Through March 2022!
🛍 Shop at a Grover Beach small business and spend $100 or more.

🧾 Upload your receipt on the Buy Local Gift Card Program form.

đź’ł Then, select from a list of participating businesses to receive a free $25 gift card!

In 2021, residents submitted approximately 2,500 receipts through this program which generated $278,000 for our local businesses!
Grover Beach’s Strong Financial Position Affirmed by AA Bond Rating
Standard & Poor’s, the nation’s largest bond rating agency, has assigned Grover Beach an AA rating on the City’s $10 million general obligation bonds earmarked to fund street improvements. This rating is a testament to the City’s continued financial strength and stable outlook as it diversifies and expands its revenues.

Cowork Space Opening in Grover Beach
South County Chambers of Commerce is opening a new cowork space soon in Grover Beach in partnership with the Cal Poly Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (CIE) Small Business Development Center (SBDC), the City of Grover Beach, and the County of San Luis Obispo. Office space is available for lease through the South County Chambers of Commerce.

Pickleball Courts Are Coming to Grover Beach
Pickleball courts are coming to Grover Beach thanks to a recently approved pilot program set to launch this spring at Mentone Basin Park. The courts will be co-located with the currently existing tennis court, where there will be designated times for each sport.

Staff Spotlight
Rafael Castillo, Senior Planner
Rafael moved to Sacramento with his family after his father retired from 25 years of military service, later attending and graduating with honors from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. He soon began working as a consultant in the central valley and, during his time there, he was a project manager for various community planning efforts that won regional planning awards.

He then moved back to the central coast in 2010 and joined Grover Beach in late 2017 as the Senior Planner working on various projects including commercial cannabis, short-term rentals and other major developments and ordinances. He was a member of the 2020 South County Leadership class and a former board member of the Central Coast Chapter of the American Planning Association.

Rafael wed in October 2021 and recently returned from his honeymoon in the Caribbean. He loves being active in the community with his family, having participated in AYSO 599 for many years including serving as a coach for his son and daughter’s teams, referee and divisional coordinator. He also coaches for SLO Youth Baseball and Junior Giants summer league - baseball is a passion for both him and his stepson. Rafael also enjoys spending time with his children and their adopted dog, Lucky, as they go on various adventures throughout SLO County. When not with his kids, he enjoys working on smaller projects around the house and challenging his friends to a game of trivia.

Rafael recently gained first-hand experience putting to practice the very same information that he regularly gives to residents as he recently completed an ADU on their property constructed for his mother to provide care for her. “It definitely was very much a learning lesson being on that other end of the counter, so I take those lessons, and really try to pass on some wisdom when people ask about constructing ADUs here in Grover.”

“I really enjoy working for and serving residents in this great community, and am grateful to work alongside others here in City Hall that are likewise committed to our residents. Grover Beach staff have become my second family!”
Upcoming Meetings & Events
Virtual City Hall Schedule

City Council Meeting
February 28 @ 6 p.m.

Planning Commission Meeting
March 1 @ 6 p.m.

City Council Goals Special Meeting
March 7 @ 6 p.m.

City Council Meeting
March 14 @ 6 p.m.

Parks, Recreation & Beautification Commission Meeting
March 17 @ 6 p.m.

City Council Meeting
March 28 @ 6 p.m.
Community Events
Thank You to All Our Fence Painting Volunteers!
Thank you to the 45 volunteers who helped refresh one of our beautiful Grover Beach parks by painting the fence at Mentone Basin Park on Saturday, February 5! There will be another opportunity to help paint the remainder of the fence at a similar event in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for more details!

Frequently Asked Questions
What Are the Four Focus Maps Council Identified at the January 24 Districting Public Hearing?
City Council identified four focus maps: Plan 901a, Plan 901b, Plan 904 & Plan 905. The maps are available for review on the website and can be analyzed using the Interactive Mapping tool at grover.org/470/Draft-Maps.

📢 What do YOU think about the proposed district plans? We want to hear your feedback on the maps at the fourth hearing on February 28 or via email to districting@groverbeach.org.

Visit groverbeach.org/districting for more information.
We're Hiring!
Work with us! City Employment Opportunities Include:
  • Administrative Assistant I
  • Engineering Technician
  • Police Officer - Lateral Transfer/Academy Graduate
City of Grover Beach
154 S 8th Street
Grover Beach, CA 93433
(805) 473-4550