A chaotic year was followed by an emotional night for the Grover Beach City Council on Dec. 9 as residents bid farewell to three council members and look to new leaders to help repair the community’s divide.
New Mayor Kassi Dee, who takes the city’s reins from Karen Bright and beat out Debbie Peterson and current Councilmember Robert Robert for the job, plans to step up to the challenge.
Dee told New Times that her first priority is rebuilding trust between the City Council and residents.
“You should be able to speak to your local government and not feel like you’re not being listened to,” she said. “I’m planning to lead with integrity, transparency, and visibility.”
Dee was sworn in as the city’s new mayor on Dec. 9 alongside 4th District incumbent Clint Weirick, who won reelection, and new 3rd District Councilmember Kathy McCorry-Driscol, who is filling outgoing Councilmember Zach Zimmerman’s seat.
In 2024, Grover Beach’s City Council dealt with turbulence, mostly thanks to Grover H2O—a group of residents who came together over what they saw as unfair water rate increases and a regional water recycling facility they didn’t want to pay for.
Originally upset by an almost 20 percent rate increase over the course of four years to help fund Grover Beach’s portion of the Central Coast Blue project, Grover H2O members regularly attended City Council meetings to express their dismay.
The city eventually listened, and council members voted in favor of pulling out of the Central Coast Blue project on April 22 and reverted its water rate structure to what it was before the increase.
Upset at the three council members who originally voted in favor of the project, the group campaigned against 2nd District Councilmember Dan Rushing, the only council member who was eligible to be recalled during the Nov. 5 election.
The recall needed to have a 50 percent majority plus 1 to pass, and 55 percent of the voters in his district voted yes.
Community members showed up to that Dec. 9 City Council meeting to express their gratitude for the work that Rushing, Bright, and Zimmerman did during their terms.
Katherine Sells, a 35-year resident of Grover Beach, said Rushing was an excellent council member and that she’s ashamed to see the community taken over by hate.
“I’ve never seen so much hate. … I’m so tired of it, and I’m really ashamed of the public for what they’ve done here to Dan,” she said during public comment. “I’m really happy that [Kassi] is going to be our new mayor. I think she’ll do a great job, and I hope she can help us get some of the hate out of our community. I’m just really sad about this whole thing.”
With teary eyes, Rushing told the new council members to follow their guide and thanked the community for their constant support during his term.
“It’s been an honor,” he said. “Thank you.”
Zimmerman followed Rushing’s lead and said he wouldn’t have traded this opportunity for anything.
“It’s been my pleasure getting to know our community and what they’re up to and their concerns and their joys and everything in between,” he said. “I look forward to remaining involved one way or another and wish all the best to the upcoming mayor and council.”
To fill the vacant 2nd District spot once held by Rushing, the new council will take applications until Jan 3, 2025, and begin interviews Jan. 13, 2025.
For more information on how to apply, visit Grover Beach’s website at grover.org. Δ
This article appears in Dec 12-22, 2024.