Peter J. Brown from Belmont must know what he’s getting himself into.
He’s probably taken a peek at past Oceano Community Services District (OCSD) board meetings and read the news coverage about all the dysfunction that hangs over it like a cloud of effervescent dog doodoo.
And he’s about to step in it as the OCSD’s next permanent (ish?) general manager! Brown, who doesn’t even start until June 10, has already managed to raise the hackles of Los Osos resident and OCSD hanger-on Julie Tacker, who was upset about the severance clause in his contract.
“If somebody wants a job and they’re doing the job well, they don’t need that kind of parachute, and that’s where my issues are really with you and how this was negotiated,” she said at a recent meeting. “Someone who wants the job doesn’t need a parachute, they’re going to do the job, they’re going to do it well.”
But, Julie, that clause isn’t about Brown believing he can’t do the job so much as it is about not trusting the dysfunctional OCSD board—a plane co-piloted by a punch-drunk board of directors that’s on the struggle bus, attempting to navigate a trimotor that’s been on fire for a few years now!
Brown actually needs more than a parachute because those things are flammable.
He’s either smart or lucky. Brown’s contract guarantees him a 12-month salary if the district fires him without cause before Jan. 1, 2026, and six months’ worth if it happens in the following two years. His salary is almost $200,000.
As board member Shirley Gibson put it: “I’ll say it this way, there’s a price to pay for the last year and a half of district dysfunction and ugliness that has engulfed our district meetings.”
Ugliness is putting it mildly. I would have tried to put in a clause about the board deliberations and how they should be conducted, the professionalism with which they should treat administrative staff, and the level of infighting that’s allowed to waylay the district’s responsibilities. Oh! That’s called the Brown Act.
Community trust, once it’s gone, is hard to get back. Just ask the Cambria Community Services District (CCSD), which can’t catch a break when it comes to the clusterfuck previous boards and administrators left in their wake: The gift that has yet to give—the emergency water facility, I mean sustainable water facility, I mean wastewater treatment facility … am I missing a name change? It’s possible.
In 2014, the at-the-time board members slipped a desalination facility in through an emergency drought declaration allowance, built it along the San Simeon Creek, and didn’t really get to use it. They shoved it through, despite protests from ratepayers who didn’t want to take out a $9 million loan with interest to build something they didn’t believe they needed.
And after the “emergency” was over, the CCSD was stuck with an expensive facility it couldn’t use on 6 acres of Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Area (ESHA) that it had no plans to mitigate for and a partly broken facility. The Regional Water Quality Control Board ordered Cambria to shut the plant down due to flooding issues.
In 2018, the CCSD sued the company that built the facility for constructing a problematic plant. The CCSD wanted $3.5 million in damages for the repairs the CCSD had to make to fix things, but ultimately settled for $1.75 million.
A handful of general managers and several different board members have cycled through since the facility’s birth, and residents haven’t really been happy with any of them.
The district had what CCSD board member Harry Farmer called a “problematic relationship” with the state and local agencies that oversee development. A 2020 application for a coastal development permit was denied due to all of the environmental issues associated with the plant, which was allowed to build first and ask for permission later due to the “emergency.”
What’s up with that, California? The California Coastal Commission told Gov. Jerry Brown to hold its beer during the drought? Seemed like a good idea at the time?
Nothing in the application addressed the major environmental problems with the project—and thus far, the CCSD still hasn’t really figured out solutions to all of its issues. Instead of attempting to work through things in 2020, board members blamed SLO County for the CCSD’s giant failure.
Cambrians are paying more than $660,000 annually until 2034 for a water supplementation system that doesn’t supplement their water. I’d be pissed, too! WTF?
On top of that are rumors about the real intentions behind building the facility in the first place. Some residents believe the CCSD board wanted to open up the town to development, which has been outlawed since 2000 thanks to the Cambria’s limited supply of water. Them’s fighting words.
That’s the pile of poop that the newest general manager, Matthew McElhenie, has inherited. A shitty mountain that he has to climb. I don’t envy him. He has to rebuild trust in the district, bring a polarized community back to the middle ground, and submit a wastewater facility application that will satisfy his community, SLO County, and the Coastal Commission.
Whew. He needs a parachute. He probably should have asked for a better severance clause in his contract. Δ
The Shredder Community Services District is a party of one. Join the party at shredder@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in May 30 – Jun 9, 2024.
The Shredder has obviously not watched any OCSD meetings in 2024 because a new culture of civility is taking hold and not one meeting has been dysfunctional. It’s not perfect and never will be–like all government agencies.
The reasons for the new civility are very simple. The old general manager and legal counsel were separated from the District and very competent interim replacements hired. Interim General Manager Paavo Ogren worked with all of the Directors individually and helped create a more civil and respectful atmosphere. Additionally, at my first meeting as OCSD President, I invoked the District’s Code of Civility, the necessity for all of us to behave accordingly , and I promised the codes and by-laws would be enforced on all. Mr. Orgren spoke to the importance of the Board working together on the business of the District and demonstrating that they were committed to working civilly. He also reminded us that if we could not work together it would be challenging to find new staff. Our new attorney, Mr Schultz, explained the rules of order and the importance that they be followed in order to have successful meetings and that disruptions would not be allowed. Finally, Sheriff Commander Ian Doughty shared that he supported civility and was there to enforce public order if needed.
The OCSD is in overall very good shape. The replacing of old water and sewer pipes is expanding with 100’s of thousands in grant funds as well as customer support. This year every child at Oceano Elementary School went on at least three different field trips to State Parks, the cost of which was paid for by the OCSD Parks and Recreation Committee through a $16,000 grant from the State Parks Association for which Wanda Monson and I wrote the application. Our Sanitation District has more planning to do around regional water management and this will be a major topic for District leadership. Providing secure, safe, sustainable water is at the core of our work–and planning for its future is a responsibility the California Coastal Commission has mandated that OCSD, Grover Beach, and Arroyo Grande do together through the Sanitation District. All of this is exciting and good.
The District was fortunate to find a new General Manager with the knowledge and experience of Mr Brown. We are all looking forward to working with him.
I think we’re all a little tired of Charles Varni, honestly. Every time he causes a stir that erodes public trust in the OCSD and causes district staff to leave, Varni promises a new day and a fresh start.
How many more “exciting and good” new days and fresh starts?
How many more restarts?
How many more Brown Act violations?
How many more laws will be broken?
How many more General Managers?
How many more lawyers?
Jimmy Paulding may afford Charles Varni, but Oceano can’t.
MR. Varni, while I don’t see quit as much dysfunction that the shredder talks about but there is still some chaos/disruptions that still occur towards the back of the room at almost every meeting, that you have never addressed. Many people have written letters to the board as well as stand up at meetings in regards to this, but nothing is ever done. Also, I would like to remind you as well as the public that you gaveled and silenced Shirley Gibson during one of the meetings in May. Why? Because you didn’t like that she had some questions and issues with Ecologists? Gaveling and silencing a fellow board member who was trying to have a conversation is an abuse of power.
Also in regards to the fields trips at Oceano Elementary, not every grade/student went to a state park this year, the first grade class went to the Avila Beach Aquarium. Did the grant pay for this trip? Because when reading the grant that you applied for on behalf of OPARC, that was not included, nor should it be since it was not to a state park program.
Varni has also now potentially opened up the Sanitation District to a brown act violation for his communications with the board members that sit on that board. How many times must we allow this complete disregard for the laws and rules. I rewatched the board meeting when the reginal water planning was discussed, and to me it seemed like you guys were going to wait for the new general manager to start before any further discussions took place. But Varni again has no regard for his fellow board members or the district he serves, because he went ahead and opened the line of communication and had potential violated the Brown Act. There is a reason for having a General Manager, and that is for them to do the communication to avoid Brown Act violations. I think President Varni needs a refresher course on the Brown Act.