SLO County supervisors OK $1 million to repair storm damage to parks
San Luis Obispo County is still recovering from record-breaking rainfall and flooding that damaged roads, parks and buildings in the winter.
On Tuesday, the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to approve about $1.3 million to repair county Parks & Recreation Department infrastructure.
The board also voted to hire a temporary employee in County Parks to assist with the Federal Emergency Management Agency reimbursement process.
“The storm has definitely done a number on a lot of property across the county,” Supervisor Debbie Arnold said.
Winter storms damage SLO County parks
The winter storm series had a devastating impact on County Parks properties, according to Parks Director Tanya Richardson.
Heavy rain, flooding, landslides and high surf damaged 16 park locations, Richardson said.
Of those parks, 13 required debris removal, three needed emergency repairs and two require permanent repairs, she said.
Flooding and mudslides caused significant damage to the Lopez Lake Recreation Area near Arroyo Grande, including campgrounds, roads, the marina, the playground and the sewer treatment area.
“That took a significant amount of time and money to get that completely cleaned up,” Richardson said.
Additionally, Upper Lopez Canyon Road collapsed during the storms.
County Parks must repair the road before re-opening the Camp French Event Center and nearby campgrounds to ensure that emergency vehicles can access the facility, according to Richardson.
According to Richardson, Santa Margarita Lake reached 113% capacity as a result of winter rainfall, causing it to spill and damage a transformer controller to a water well.
“The transformer gives power to the well which provides water to the entire campground, swimming pool, marina and park,” the staff report said. “Water is essential to operations and to keep the entire recreational area open.”
The flooding also damaged the marina, campground and septic system at Santa Margarita Lake, Richardson said.
High creek levels, mud and debris damaged trails at El Chorro Regional Park in San Luis Obispo and Coastal Dunes RV Park in Grover Beach, the staff report said, while high surf in Cambria and Cayucos damaged “handrails, platform boards, and landings caused several access ways to close.”
The county estimates that the total cost of these damages are about $3.5 million, which includes $283,100 for debris removal, $168,000 for emergency protective measures, $1.16 million for permanent road and culvert repairs, and $1.9 million for permanent parks repairs, according to the staff report.
The county already budgeted for about $2.5 million of those costs — so the Parks Department is asking for the additional $1 million to finish the job.
The county will apply to FEMA for reimbursement for all of these costs, Richardson said.
Realistically, the county expects a 66% reimbursement from FEMA.
The California Office of Emergency Services could potentially reimburse an additional 18.25% of the costs, the staff report said.
SLO County Parks to hire FEMA liaison
County Parks will hire a temporary employee to manage the application process for reimbursement from FEMA.
The San Luis Obispo County Public Works Department and County Auditor Controller’s Office are at capacity, and aren’t able to lend staff long-term to County Parks to assist with the reimbursement process.
“The FEMA claiming process is so extended, and we’re shuffling around as best we can, but you know, these are not like a typical grant programs,” county Auditor-Controller Jim Hamilton said, and it helps to have a staff member involved in the projects managing the reimbursement application.
The position lasts for two and a half years and will cost the county a total of $390,000, Richardson said.
This breaks down into $71,500 for six months of fiscal year 2023-2024, $153,700 for fiscal year 2024-2025 and $164,800 for fiscal year 2025-2026, according to the staff report.
The county will apply to FEMA to reimburse these costs, too.
