P.4 What is a non-violent city? P.8
Grammy winning guitarist P.2
Estuary poetry contest winners P.6
Ordinary people doing extrordinary things
JULY 2017 • EVERYTHING MORRO BAY • MORRO-BAYLIFE.COM
Waste water woes New plant on hold after citizens voice concerns Years in the making, the waste water treatment facility project is in a pause stage after citizens’ concerns about the possible increase in water and sewer rates were placed before the City Council. For more than 10 years our city fathers have wrestled with the planning for a new waste water treatment facility. The existing plant is definitely reaching the end of its life. It has operated well, treating the waste water from both Morro Bay and Cayucos for years, except for when an increase in waste water hits the plant, that usually occurring during tourist season when both towns swell with visitors. Over the past five years there have been only three to five days when the water sent through the outfall did not comply with state and
SEE PAGE 10
Story and photos by Ruth Ann Angus
A GATHERING OF FRIENDS AT THE
RUSTIC DIAMOND
Coffee table metal washtub with recycled board top from The Rustic Diamond at Writer’s home in Morro Bay.
New business offers vintage home decor and more
I
t’s on the corner of Main and Surf and you might miss it if you speed on by in your car, so slow down, look for the sign in the window, turn on Surf, park in the back lot, and come on in to The Rustic Diamond. You’ll be glad you did! SEE PAGE 10
Story and photo by Ruth Ann Angus
Interim City Manager hired
The Morro Bay waste water treatment plant.
LOMELI
The City of Morro Bay recently announced the appointment of Martin Lomeli as Interim City Manager, effective Wednesday June 28. Mr. Lomeli is a resident of Morro Bay and retired after serving 23 years as City Manager for the City of La Verne, a full-service city in southern California. He also served as Interim City Manager for the California cities of Irwindale, La Puente, and Upland. His contract was approved at the June 27 Council Meeting and he will be paid $76.92/hour. He is limited to working no more than 960 hours under the contract. “I am honored to have been selected to
manage the City through this transitional period,” said Lomeli. In the upcoming months Mr. Lomeli will assist the City in hiring a permanent City Manager and continue to make progress on the Water Reclamation Facility, and other Council priority projects. “We are pleased to have someone with Mr. Lomeli’s experience and knowledge working with our management team as we continue forward,” said Mayor Irons. “I would also like to thank the department heads for working diligently to keep the City on track in serving the needs of our residents.”
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