Some of the more than 600 bicyclists took over downtown San Luis Obispo Sunday for the annual SLO Criteriumand a celebration of bicycling in general. Story and more photos on Page 10. Photo by Christopher Gardner

Volume 19 • Issue 30 • July 24 – 30, 2008

Become anArt Patronpage 19

Von’sDonates toBig Brotherspage 15

More to Fallin Love Withpage 11

Rumble atthe RockJuly 24-26page 12

INSIDE INFORMATION

YOUR COMMUNITY IN YOUR HANDS

Input Sought on

LOVR StudyBy Jack Beardwood

The County Public WorksDepartment is continuing to seek

public comments on its Los Osos ValleyRoad Corridor Study, which is intendedto serve as a blueprint for future trans-portation planning for downtown LosOsos.

At a recent joint meeting of the LosOsos Community Services District Boardof Directors and the Los Osos CommunityAdvisory Council, consultants, RickEngineering of San Luis Obispo, gave apower point presentation on the plan thatwill affect future development and countyprojects.

As part of their traffic analysis, the con-sultant recommends:

• Construction of a raised median alongLOVR between Bush Drive and SouthBay Boulevard;

• Installation of a signal at the LOVRand Fairchild Way intersection;

• Continuing to provide a medianbreak in front of the driveway at Ralph’smarket; and,

• Creation of a median break in front ofSunset Drive at LOVR allowing fullaccess at the intersection with a 2-waystop control for the northbound andsouthbound approaches.

With the implementation of theimprovements, the overall traffic flow,safety, and access along LOVR is expectedto significantly improve under the futuretraffic conditions, according to the con-sultants.

The study calculated average accidentrates on LOVR between Bush Drive andOak Ridge Drive at 5.25, which is morethan twice the statewide average of 2.40for similar roadways.

Mike Britton, project manager for theCounty Public Works Department, saidthey would be looking to get “acceptance”of the study by LOCAC. He said therewill be a discussion at LOCAC’s Aug. 28meeting set for 7 p.m. at the South BayCommunity Center.

He said he hopes to get the communi-ty’s blessing by September or October.

The document, which carries a pricetag of $80,000, is currently not availableat the library or online. Britton said inter-ested parties should contact him at PublicWorks, 781-5252.

The study area runs along LOVR fromSouth Bay Boulevard to Palisades Avenue.

The Morro Bay Fire Department’s future is up for discussionwhen the city council holds a public hearing in September on

whether to contract with Cal Fire and give up its more than 70-year-old independent department.

The hearing will come on the heels of a public workshop held July12 where state and local representatives laid out the contractingprocess, discussed the pros and cons, issues with other counties andtheir contracts, and explained what could be done and for about howmuch.

Solid cost figures for a contract won’t be known unless the coun-cil votes to move forward with Cal Fire but an ad hoc city commit-tee had some educated guesses. Bill Murphy, a firefighter, commit-

tee member and union representative, explained that their prelimi-nary estimate is the city could save some $53,000 the first year andbetween $592,000 and $1.2 million a year after about 10 years.

This is based almost entirely because the state doesn’t give as largea cost of living increase as Morro Bay has in the past. Murphy saidit was a trade off for the local crews. The COLAs are smaller but theretirement is better, he said.

Dispatching duties would switch over to Cal Fire’s headquartersin San Luis Obispo but still be routed through Morro Bay police.Some worried about a potential for delay but Cal Fire BattallionChief Steve Beighter said any delay would be a matter of seconds. “It

Morro Bay’s Police Department continues to bleed personnel,as two more officers are applying to new agencies, and the

department wants to sponsor recruits to the police academy aspotential replacements.

The city council approved hiring two part-time recruits, payingthem $22 an hour without benefits, to attend the academy atHancock College in Santa Maria. One recruit is in the testingprocess for one position but two other possible recruits didn’t workout. So, the police chief will interview some unclaimed recruits at

Hancock and at an academy in Fresno to try to fill the other posi-tion.

The department is expecting to lose Cpl. Robert Root who hasapplied to the state Alcoholic Beverage Control agency and Ofc.Tyler Brooks, the current officer of the year. Brooks is trying to geton with the Santa Maria PD, his hometown.

With the Hancock academy set to begin July 28, the departmentneeded to act fast to make sure it has two recruits on line otherwise

Fire Department Future?Council to Hold Hearing in September

By Neil Farrell

Police to Hire Two Recruits

See Department Future, page 5

See Police Recruits, page 5 See LOVR Study, page 5