San Luis Obispo County recently assumed control of the San Simeon Community Services District’s day-to-day operations to ensure that water and wastewater services continue for local residents.
The county’s temporary involvement comes under the California Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network (CalWARN), a mutual aid program that allows public agencies to assist one another during emergencies, according to a staff report.
“This is the first time I’m aware that we have used the CalWARN agreement to assist a special district in our county,” county 2nd District Supervisor Bruce Gibson told New Times via email.
Following a unanimous vote in March 2024 to begin the process of dissolving the district, the San Simeon CSD lost its interim general manager and only has three of its five board seats filled. The district requested help from the county in July 2025.
With limited staffing and management capacity, the district board passed a resolution on July 30 authorizing the county to provide emergency operational support “as soon as practicable to continue the operations of its water and wastewater facilities pending the selection of a new general manager.”
At the district’s Oct. 9 board meeting, Gibson said that the county is taking on a hands-on role to ensure “stability of operations” and “maintain essential water and wastewater services” for residents.
“This is an emergency response to ensure continuity of service,” Gibson told the board.
County Public Works Division Manager Suzy Watkins now leads the temporary management team. She said county staff have assumed responsibility for daily operations, financial oversight, and maintenance of the district’s utilities.
“The county was requested, by your board, to provide mutual aid assistance to ensure continuity of utility operations,” Watkins said during the meeting. “The support is temporary, and the district, under the CalWARN agreement, has agreed to reimburse the county of its expenses incurred.”
In addition to operational work, Watkins said the county created a communication plan to coordinate the temporary management.
County Public Works staff will handle operations and work directly with contractors and state regulators, according to Watkins, while the county Administrative Office will manage public inquiries.
Top priorities for the emergency period include maintaining operational compliance, supervising water system testing and certifications, replacing aging water meters, correcting billing discrepancies, and completing a Proposition 218 rate study to ensure the district can cover its costs, she said.
Gibson said the county’s involvement is expected to last about a year. During that time, staff will help the district complete a state-required dissolution study, which will guide the potential transfer of services if the district dissolves. The San Simeon CSD petitioned the county Local Agency Formation Commission for dissolution, but the process takes time.
“We want the study carefully done so that the services they provide (mostly water and wastewater) can be transferred to the ‘successor agency’ after their dissolution,” Gibson told New Times via email. “That agency could very well be San Luis Obispo County.”
Gibson added that the CSD expects to complete the LAFCO review in roughly 12 months, which Watkins will help oversee as the CSD’s interim general manager.
“The county is assigning staff to cover day-to-day operations, oversight of utilities, financials, as well as maintenance,” Watkins said. “We’re also working closely with other agencies on the district’s dissolution petition.” ∆
This article appears in Oct 16-26, 2025.