Message From the New Mayor of Grover Beach
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Happy Holidays, Grover Beach!
I am honored to have been elected your Mayor and will work in an ethical and positive manner to serve our fine City.
I am grateful to have had so many opportunities to serve the City I love over the years. My community service began way back in the 1980s when I assisted with Beach Cities Little League and served on Grover Heights' and Judkins' PTAs. My service to the City of Grover Beach began in the 1990s when I was a part of a Citizen's Advisory Board, which was then called the Grover Beautiful Commission. I also served three terms as a Planning Commissioner until 2007 when I was appointed to fill an unexpected Council vacancy. In 2008 and 2012, I successfully ran for the City Council and served until 2016. In 2019, I was honored to be appointed again to fill a Council vacancy due to a resignation. Then, I ran successfully for a permanent Council seat in 2020 and was most recently elected Mayor in 2022. Whew! And, thank you!
I currently sit on the Lucia Mar Bond Oversight Committee, SLO Council of Governments, SLO Regional Transit Authority, South County Transit and SLO County Air Pollution Control District. I am particularly grateful to San Luis Coastal Unified School District, my employer of 33 years (1986-2019), for their support in all these endeavors.
We have much to be thankful for in Grover Beach: The beautiful dog-friendly, bonfire-friendly and accessible beach, great weather, safe walkable neighborhoods, improved streets, incredible sunsets, many fine small businesses and wonderful people. However, like all municipalities, we have challenges. As your Council, it is our duty to work hard to help alleviate those challenges, including the homeless population, the water supply, maintaining our infrastructure, providing excellent police and fire services and continuing to implement economic development. Aided by our superb staff and in cooperation with our residents, businesses, nonprofits and other City and County partners, the Council is committed to working to resolve these challenges. Here are some examples of what has been happening at City Hall:
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The long-awaited opening of Cabins for Change, a non-congregate shelter project, is scheduled for the next week. For the first time in the South County, 20 unhoused individuals will be sheltered separately under their own cabin roof. We were grateful to work in conjunction with 5 Cities Homeless Coalition and SLO County to make this happen. To further house those in need and preserve our public amenities, there is more to come on this front. The City acquired land on South 4th and Barka Streets where Five Cities Homeless Coalition will help us create a shelter complex.
- Central Coast Blue Regional Water Reclamation partnership has been initiated with the Cities of Arroyo Grande and Pismo Beach. Together we will develop a sustainable water supply to protect our groundwater basin and City wells from saltwater intrusion.
- We updated the Development Code to allow for objective design standards to encourage housing and economic development in the downtown area.
- The West Grand Avenue Streetscape design from 4th to 8th Streets will be finalized in April 2023 with work scheduled to being in late Summer 2023. This work will help calm traffic, improve drainage and encourage walkability and biking. The changes will make accessing local businesses easier and safer.
- Grover Beach and Arroyo Grande are working with a consultant to assess service and funding needs for the Five Cities Fire Authority. After the divestiture of the Oceano Community Services District, we will help determine the "what and how" in order to better serve our future fire services needs.
Grover Beach is on an upward trajectory, and I am immensely proud and thankful to continue to be a part of it. My Council colleagues and I are here to listen and help. We can be contacted at GroverBeach.org.
Here's wishing you a very healthy, happy and bright 2023!
Warm Regards,
Karen Bright
Grover Beach Mayor
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Cabins for Change Shelter Opens |
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The City of Grover Beach, 5 Cities Homeless Coalition and San Luis Obispo County are excited to announce that the construction of the temporary emergency shelter on 16th Street and Long Branch Avenue in Grover Beach is complete and set to open in the next week! This project, known as Cabins for Change, is the first of its kind in South County and will provide individual palette shelters and other important services for individuals experiencing homelessness.
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Grover Beach City Council Reviews West Grand Avenue Streetscape Improvements |
At the December 5 City Council Meeting, City Council Members reviewed designs for the West Grand Avenue Streetscape Project and discussed the next steps in the project. The proposed design includes corner bulb outs, median landscaping, sidewalk planters and decorative crosswalks. The City Council approved the design and provided direction for the final design phase, which will be brought back to the Council in Spring 2023.

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City of Grover Beach Seats Newly Elected Council |
Following the conclusion of the San Luis Obispo County Clerk-Recorder’s official canvass period, the elected City Council members were seated during the Council meeting on December 12. Before the newly elected members took their oath of office, the City recognized outgoing Mayor Jeff Lee for his long standing dedication to the Grover Beach community. After the Council members were sworn in, new Grover Beach Mayor, Karen Bright, appointed Council Member Anna Miller as the Mayor Pro-Tem.

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Join the Grover Beach City Council! |
Are you looking for a meaningful way to serve your community? Residents of Grover Beach have an opportunity to serve their community as part of the City Council. Interested residents who live in District 4 are encouraged to submit an application on the City’s website by December 30. To be a candidate, you must be a resident of District 4 and be a registered voter in Grover Beach. City Council will review all applications received by 5 p.m. on December 30 and interview applicants during their meeting on January 9.
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Retiring Grover Beach Employees |
There are a few Grover Beach employees retiring this year. We would like to congratulate them on their accomplishments and thank them for their service and dedication to the City and the entire Grover Beach Community.
Annette Munoz served as an Accountant for Grover Beach starting in 2018 and was promoted to Finance Manager in 2020. She has immensely enjoyed her time with the City of Grover Beach and will miss the dedicated colleagues in her department who make her laugh and encourage her every day.
Marty Solis has worked for the City of Grover Beach for 34 years. He loved his job in the Public Works Department because it allowed him to provide service to the community. While he will miss working for the City, Marty looks forward to spending more time with his grandchildren and the rest of his family.
Pete Yracheta worked for the City of Grover Beach for 29 years and was an instrumental part of the Public Works Department.
We wish the Grover Beach employees the best in their retirement!
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Upcoming Meetings & Events |
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City Hall Schedule
Winter Holiday - City Hall Closed
December 23-January 2, 2022
January 9 @ 6 p.m.
January 23 @ 6 p.m.
February 7 @ 6 p.m.
February 14 @ 6 p.m.
Parks, Recreation and Beatification Commission Meeting
February 16 @ 6 p.m.
February 27 @ 6 p.m.
March 7 @ 6 p.m.
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Holiday of Lights Winners |
Congratulations to all the winners of the 2022 Holiday of Lights Contest! Thank you to everyone who decorated.
Business Award Categories
- Best Overall Business Display: Julia’s Juices
- Best Use of Lights in Display: Halcyon Store
- Best Use of Window Painting and Decorations: Dealing with Dave & Let’s Knit
Residential Award Categories
- Best Overall in Originality: 821 2nd Street
- Best Use of Animation and/or Craftsmanship: 1168 Brighton Avenue
- Best Use of Lights: 507 N. 6th Street
- Extraordinary Display of Decoration and Lights: 1271 Capitola Street
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Frequently Asked Questions |
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How can I conserve water during the holidays? |
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This holiday season, many of us are doing a lot of cooking with our loved ones. Here are some tips to continue conserving water during the holidays:
- Thaw frozen hams and other food ahead of time in the refrigerator instead of in a sink full of water
- Scrape food from plates into the garbage instead of rinsing scraps down the garbage disposal
- Use the dishwasher as much as possible and only run it when it is full
- When washing dishes by hand, fill one basin with soapy water and fill the other with rinse water
- Collect water used to rinse fruits and vegetables to water houseplants
The City of Grover Beach continues to work hard to ensure that our community has a secure water source for years to come. A big part of that is Central Coast Blue, a recycled water project that will provide a drought-resilient water supply to the South County Region for years to come.
As the project heads towards the construction phase, Grover Beach, Arroyo Grande and Pismo Beach formed the Central Coast Blue Regional Recycled Water Authority (CCB Authority) on December 1. At its meeting, the CCB Authority Board, comprised of the Mayors of the three cities, executed the financial applications for state funding, transferred ownership of the CCB property to the Authority and instructed the City Managers of the three cities to recommend a manager for the Board’s consideration at the next meeting. This Board and the CCB Manager will manage the project's assets and operations until completion.
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Wondering what to do with your Christmas tree? South County Sanitary has you covered!
All natural Christmas trees are accepted for residential customers. To dispose of your Christmas tree:
- Remove all ornaments, tinsel and other decorations
- Cut the tree into sections no longer than four feet in length and six inches in diameter
- Put the sections in your Green Waste Cart at the curb
South County Sanitary Service can do an on-the-curb tree pick-up for an extra fee.
Flocked trees or trees with decorations cannot be accepted as green waste. These trees should be cut up and placed in your garbage cart with lids closed flat.
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Work with us! City Employment Opportunities Include: |
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City of Grover Beach
154 S 8th Street
Grover Beach, CA 93433
(805) 473-4550
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