SLO This Week

SLO Council Election Results, High Surf Advisory & Bishop Peak Closure

SLO This Week — Fri, 06 Nov 2026 14:07:42 -0800

This week on SLO This Week: early numbers from San Luis Obispo's first council race under Citywide Single Vote, a big swell and high tides on the Central Coast, and trail closures that change how you get up Bishop Peak. Also: a court ruling clears Waterman Village, and the downtown holiday season dates are set.

In this episode:

City Council election (partial count as of Nov. 4, not certified): incumbents Michelle Shoresman (3,104 votes, 38.6%) and Emily Francis (2,828, 35.2%) lead Brett Cross (2,112, 26.3%) for two seats. Mayor Erica Stewart ran unopposed.
How Citywide Single Vote works: two open seats, but each voter picks one candidate.
Oct. 20 council recap: 2027-28 CDBG housing grant priorities, a consultant hired to update the Housing Element, the Tourism Business Improvement District renewed at its 2% assessment, and a briefing on El Niño storm prep.
Parking rates stay the same: $2.75/hour in the downtown core, $2.25/hour in outer downtown, and garages at $2/hour with an $8 daily max. Plus the June 2 change to parking validations for advisory body members.
National Weather Service high surf and coastal flood advisories through Monday afternoon, Nov. 9: 10-16 foot surf and morning high tides of 7.1-7.4 feet. Also, the county's advice to stay out of the ocean for 72 hours after significant rain (hotline (805) 788-3411).
Trail closures: Patricia Drive is closed for up to two months starting Oct. 12, which affects access to Bishop Peak. The Bob Jones Bike Trail between Prado Road and LOVR is closed for about three months, reopening around early January 2027.
Waterman Village: a Superior Court judge dismissed the lawsuit holding up 20 small affordable homes at the Rosa Butrón Adobe site on Dana Street. Plus who would qualify under Prop 37 in SLO (buyers earning under $147,000 a year).
Downtown and Cal Poly calendar: the Thursday Farmers Market on Higuera (6-8:30 PM), Light Up the Plaza on Nov. 27, Shop Local Weekend Nov. 27-28, the 50th Holiday Parade on Dec. 4 at 7 PM, and Cal Poly fall break Nov. 23-27.

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Full transcript

Cam Ortega: Okay so, Bishop Peak. You know the move: lace up, park off Patricia Drive, and you're on the rocks before the coffee kicks in. Well, not this month. Patricia Drive is closed for up to two months, starting back on October 12, and that cuts into how a lot of us get up Bishop Peak. So if that's your route... plan for a different one for a while.
Cam Ortega: And that's sort of the theme this week. The trails above town, the water below them, and a few things in between that are going to change how your weekend goes. Let's walk through it.
Cam Ortega: Start at City Hall, because the election just happened. Tuesday, November 3rd. Two council seats. As of the partial count on the 4th, the incumbents are out front. Michelle Shoresman has 3,104 votes, that's 38.6 percent. Emily Francis has 2,828, about 35.2. Brett Cross has 2,112, around 26.3. Now... these are NOT final. Not certified. The county's unofficial report from Thursday morning, 9:15, shows about the same picture. Mayor Erica Stewart ran unopposed.
Cam Ortega: Here's the part I actually love, though. This was the city's first race under something called Citywide Single Vote. Two seats open, and you pick ONE candidate. Just one. So if you stood there with your ballot thinking, wait, why do I only get one bubble? That's why. It's new. Get used to it.
Cam Ortega: Okay, the October 20th meeting. The recap went up on the 22nd, and there are four things worth knowing. One, the council set funding priorities for the 2027-28 federal housing grants, the CDBG money. Two, they hired a consultant to update the city's Housing Element, which is basically the long-range plan for where homes go. Three, they renewed the Tourism Business Improvement District and kept its 2 percent assessment where it was. So visitors staying overnight keep paying the same. And four... a briefing on getting ready for El Niño storms. Hold onto that one. It comes back when we get to the beaches.
Cam Ortega: Now, parking. Everybody's favorite council topic. Here's the news: there's no news. No new parking decision this fall. The city's fee notice for July 1st said, and I'm quoting, "parking rates are not changing." So downtown core is still $2.75 an hour. Outer downtown, $2.25. Garages are $2 an hour with an $8 daily max. If you're coming down Thursday night, the garage math works out pretty well.
Cam Ortega: One small parking footnote, just because it's funny to me. Back on June 2nd, the council approved bigger parking validations for people who serve on city advisory bodies. So if you volunteer on a city committee, your meeting parking got a little bump. Not exactly front-page stuff. But it counts.
Cam Ortega: Housing, real quick, because this one's a good story. Waterman Village. That's the plan for 20 small affordable homes at the Rosa Butrón Adobe site on Dana Street. Tiny homes, 220 to 264 square feet. A lawsuit held it up for a while, and now a county Superior Court judge has tossed it. Mustang News reported the court found the 1989 donor deed had expired. So... cleared. But not done. The partner, Smart Share Housing Solutions, still has to raise money, finalize a lease, and pull permit...

SLO Council Election Results, Parking Rates & Mobile Home Rent Rules

SLO This Week — Wed, 04 Nov 2026 14:06:55 -0800

This week on SLO This Week: partial results from San Luis Obispo's first vote-for-one City Council election, what the October council meetings mean for your street, and the downtown parking, market and holiday dates to know before you head out.

In this episode:

Partial Nov. 3 council results from the County Clerk-Recorder: incumbent Michelle Shoresman at 2,940 votes (39.5%), incumbent Emily Francis at 2,620 (35.2%) and former Planning Commissioner Brett Cross at 1,887 (25.3%). These results are not final.
Why SLO moved to vote-for-one: the city adopted it after settling a voting rights lawsuit.
Oct. 20 council meeting: Tourism Business Improvement District renewed with its 2% assessment (more than $2.2 million a year projected), 2027-28 Community Development Block Grant priorities approved, and a consultant authorized to update the Housing Element through 2036.
Oct. 6 study session on early design ideas for the Grand Avenue Paving Project.
Downtown parking basics: $2/hour garages, $8 daily max, $45 monthly permit, plus one free hour in designated city garages for people attending council and advisory meetings.
Mobile home rent protections in effect since Oct. 1: long-term leases now covered across 1,500+ mobile homes in 12 parks, with space-rent increases capped at 10%. South Peak park owner Harmony Communities says it will sue.
Thursday Farmers Market on Higuera (6-8:30 PM, closed to cars at 5 PM), a Thanksgiving-night reminder to check first, Light Up the Plaza starting Nov. 27, and the 50th annual Holiday Parade on Dec. 4 at 7 PM.
Beach water advice from SurfSafeSLO, trail checks after rain, Cal Poly dates (Veterans Day, Fall Break, finals) and the delay of year-round operations to 2029-30.

Sources:

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Full transcript

Cam Ortega: Four fifty-nine on a Thursday. That's the whole parking argument in San Luis Obispo, right there. You're circling Higuera, the market's about to set up, and at five o'clock those blocks close to cars. Not "please move." Closed. Leave your car in there and it might get towed. So okay, let's talk about parking. Then let's talk about everything else that changes on your street this week, because there's a lot.
Cam Ortega: Start with the numbers, since that's where most of the arguing actually comes from. City garages run two dollars an hour. The daily max is eight bucks. A monthly permit is forty-five. That's it. That's the whole menu. People argue about it like it's a mystery, and it's really just three numbers. Two, eight, forty-five.
Cam Ortega: And here's one almost nobody knows. If you're going to a city council meeting or one of the city's advisory meetings, you get one free hour in designated city garages. One hour. Free. So if you've ever wanted to stand up at public comment and say your piece about parking... the city will cover your first hour of parking while you do it. Honestly? That's my favorite line item in the whole city budget.
Cam Ortega: Okay so, the council. The big story is the election that just happened, Tuesday, November third. And this one's different. It's the first SLO council race where every voter picked just ONE candidate. Not two. One. Three people ran for two seats, and the top two win.
Cam Ortega: The partial count from the County Clerk-Recorder has incumbent Michelle Shoresman out front with 2,940 votes. That's thirty-nine and a half percent. Incumbent Emily Francis is second at 2,620, about thirty-five percent. Former Planning Commissioner Brett Cross has 1,887, around twenty-five percent. And I want to be really clear here... those results are NOT final. Partial count. Ballots are still being counted, so hold off on the victory laps.
Cam Ortega: Why vote-for-one? The city adopted it after settling a voting rights lawsuit. So when you filled out your ballot this time and it felt weird to stop at one name... that's why. It's a real change in how this town picks its council, and it's worth knowing how it got here.
Cam Ortega: Now, the October meetings. Less flashy, but they hit your street. On October twentieth the council renewed the Tourism Business Improvement District for another year. Lodging businesses didn't file a qualifying protest, so the two percent assessment on hotel stays stays put. That works out to more than two point two million dollars a year projected for tourism marketing. So when you see visitors downtown on a Saturday, part of the reason is hotel guests paying to bring more hotel guests. It's a loop. A very sunny loop.
Cam Ortega: Same night, the council approved funding priorities for the 2027-28 Community Development Block Grant cycle. That's a federal grant program for housing and community needs. And they authorized hiring a consultant to update the Housing Element. That's the city's housing plan, and this update runs all the way through 2036. Sounds dry. It isn't. It's the document that shapes where homes can go for the next decade.
Cam Ortega: Earlier in October, on the sixth, the council held a study session on early design ideas for the Grand Avenue Paving Project. Early ideas. Nothing's poured yet. But if Grand is part of your daily route, this is the moment to start paying attention, not the week the cones show up.
Cam Ortega: And one more housing piece that's already in effect. Since October first, the city's expanded rent protecti...

SLO Council Recap, Waterman Village Ruling & Cal Poly Bikeshare

SLO This Week — Wed, 04 Nov 2026 09:50:00 -0800

The San Luis Obispo City Council takes Election Day off, so we look back at what it decided in October and what it means for your street. We also cover the court ruling that cleared Waterman Village, Thursday's farmers market on Higuera, beach water quality and the Cal Poly dates coming up.

In this episode:

The Nov 3 council meeting is cancelled for Election Day. The next regular meeting is Tuesday, Nov 17 at 5:30 p.m.
Oct 20 council actions: a consultant hired to update the Housing Element through 2036, 2027-28 CDBG funding priorities, renewal of the Tourism Business Improvement District (projected revenue over $2.2 million), and Nov 7 proclaimed Arbor Day.
Oct 6 council actions: a joint request for proposals with Cal Poly for a community bikeshare, and direction to add safer bike lanes, better lighting and improved crossings to the 2027 Grand Avenue repaving project.
Downtown parking: $2 an hour with an $8 daily max, $45 monthly permits, and the new Cultural Arts District Parking Garage at 609 Palm St. with about 400 spaces and 41 EV chargers.
A Sept 29 Superior Court ruling threw out the lawsuit against Waterman Village, 20 small affordable homes at the historic Canet Adobe on Dana Street built with Smart Share Housing Solutions. The project can go ahead unless the ruling is appealed.
The Downtown SLO Farmers' Market runs Thursdays, 6-9 p.m., on Higuera Street. Storms can cancel it.
SurfSafeSLO posts weekly bacteria results for 19 beaches, and the county advises staying out of the water for 72 hours after significant rain. The El Niño community meeting is Nov 4 at 6 p.m.
Cal Poly's first semester term: Veterans Day holiday Nov 11, fall break Nov 23-29, and the CAFES 125th anniversary weekend Nov 13-14 with "Taste of Cal Poly."

Sources:

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Full transcript

Cam Ortega: Okay so, Thursday night. Higuera Street. Six o'clock. If you live here, you already know that feeling, right? The street closes, the crowd shows up, and for three hours downtown is basically everybody's living room. And this week it's ON. Thursday, November fifth, six to nine. Unless it rains. In SLO in November it's always "unless it rains."
Cam Ortega: I'm not joking about the rain, either. Last year the November thirteenth market got rained out. Storm came through and that was it. So if the sky looks heavy Thursday afternoon, check before you load up the kids and the tote bags. More on the weather in a minute, because the county's been talking about it a lot.
Cam Ortega: But first, city hall. And here's the thing... tonight there's no council meeting. Tuesday, November third, it's cancelled for Election Day. Which makes sense. Go vote, then go home. The next regular meeting is listed for Tuesday, November seventeenth, five-thirty p.m. The agenda isn't up yet. The city usually posts it about a week ahead, so look for it around the tenth.
Cam Ortega: So what did they actually do lately? Okay. October twentieth. Four things, and I'll tell you what each one means for your street.
Cam Ortega: One. They hired a consultant to update the Housing Element. Sounds boring. It's not. That's the city's plan for fitting in the housing the state requires, all the way through 2036. Where new homes go, how many, what kind. If you've got opinions about your block, and I know you do... this is the document that'll shape it.
Cam Ortega: Two. They set funding priorities for the 2027-28 Community Development Block Grant cycle. CDBG. The focus is homelessness, decent housing for lower-income residents, and economic opportunity. That's federal money, and this decides where it points.
Cam Ortega: Three. They renewed the Tourism Business Improvement District. Quick translation: it's a two percent charge on hotel stays, and it pays for tourism marketing. Lodging businesses didn't file a qualifying protest, and projected revenue is over two point two million dollars. So if you're a local? You don't pay it. Your out-of-town cousin staying in a hotel does.
Cam Ortega: And four, my favorite. They proclaimed Saturday, November seventh, Arbor Day. Two days after the market. Plant something. Hug a tree. I won't tell anyone.
Cam Ortega: Back up to October sixth, too, because two things there are kind of a big deal if you ride a bike. The council backed a joint request for proposals with Cal Poly to start a community bikeshare program. Still early. That's a request for proposals, not bikes on the curb yet. But it's moving. And they held a study session on the Grand Avenue repaving project, scheduled for 2027. Staff got told to work in safer bike lanes, better lighting, and better crossings. If you've crossed Grand in the dark, you know why that matters.
Cam Ortega: Now... parking. You know me. I live for the parking fights. And this month? Nothing. No new council parking decision turned up for October. I checked. I'm almost disappointed.
Cam Ortega: But since we're talking Thursday night downtown, here's what you need to know. Downtown garages are two dollars an hour, eight dollar daily max. Monthly permits are forty-five bucks. And if you haven't tried it yet, the Cultural Arts District Parking Garage at 609 Palm Street opened back on March seventeenth. About four hundred spaces. Forty-one EV chargers. FORTY-ONE. So if you're driving in for the market, that's your move. Park on Palm,...