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Surprise! Power Plant Ranked No. 1 as Site for New Sewage Facility

by Jack McCurdy

In a surprise development, the Morro Bay Power Plant site has been selected as the top choice to locate a new water reclamation facility (WRF), previously known as a wastewater treatment plant, by a consultant hired recently to assist the City in planning for development of the new facility. Read More

Is Money Behind the Recall Effort?

The majority of the Morro Bay City Council has moved to negotiate the departure of City Attorney Rob Schultz with the fate of City Manager Andrea Lueker up in the air. This despite continuing attacks on that move by organized supporters of the two top City officials, supporters who are loud and sometimes repulsive despite their dwindling numbers speaking from the lectern at Council meetings still centered on the fate of Schultz and Lueker. But what is motivating those crowds at Council meetings? It now appears financial benefit may be motivating them, not just the ideology of Mayor Jamie Irons and Council Members Christine Johnson and Noah Smukler replacing the recallers favorites on June 5, 2015, the fateful day for the City, Bill Yates, Carla Borchard — and Lueker and Schultz.

Update: The City of Morro Bay is pleased to announce the appointment of Anne Russell as Interim City Attorney for the City of Morro Bay. Ms. Russell has over 30 years of experience in public entity law, real estate, land use, contracts, construction and environmental law. She was the former Of Counsel to the San Luis Obispo law firm of Diehl & Rodenwald. The City believes that the hiring of Ms. Russell will allow City business to carry on until more permanent counsel is secured. Read More

Coastal Commission Sued Over Approval of Waterfront Expansion

A suit has been filed against the California Coastal Commission by former Morro Bay City Council member Betty Winholtz over the Commission's approval of a second story addition to the Harbor Hut restaurant, 1205 Embarcadero Road, which sits on a waterfront lease issued by the city to relatives of Council member George Leage.

Winholtz said approval by the Commission of the second story addition is in violation of Measure D, an initiative approved by Morro Bay voters about 30 years ago, which prohibits any expansion of nonconforming buildings, like the Harbor Hut, in the Measure D area. The measure was enacted to preserve commercial and recreational fishing services and activities on the north end of the Embarcadero area. In addition, the suit claims the proposed addition will violate the area's height limit without the required public benefit and harms visual resources in a highly scenic coastal and visitor-serving area. The restaurant is a nonconforming use on a publicly-owned tideland, zoned commercial/recreational fishing

The suit asks the San Luis Obispo County Superior Court to enforce Measure D and the city's Local Coastal Plan in order to set aside the Coastal Commission's approval of the Harbor Hut  expansion. While the city and Harbor Hut owners are named as real parties of interest, the suit is against the Coastal Commission only. Winholtz's attorney is Cynthia Hawley of Cambria. Winholtz also was a Morro Bay mayoral candidate in 2010.

Let's Clear Up the Mystery of Morro Bay

By Andrew Christie

As we go to press, Morro Bay City Attorney Rob Schultz and City Manager Andrea Leuker have not been dismissed from their positions. The image of a city up in arms against the city council majority contemplating thisaction has been spread across multiple front pages. A notice of intent to circulate a recall petition against Mayor Jamie Irons has been filed by the mayor's political opponents. Read More