The controversy among the Oceano Community Services Board continued on Wednesday, carried over from a January meeting on the Central Coast Blue water reclamation project.
It’s described as a “local water sustainability project that will create a new, high quality, and reliable water supply for our Five Cities communities, including Arroyo Grande, Pismo Beach, Grover Beach, and Oceano.”
But there are a number of questions surrounding the project, which remains in its early stages of development.
The four-and-a-half hour meeting on Wednesday was contentious at times, showing turmoil among the five person board. The board is passively active in the project.
Comments by board director Cynthia Replogle, in which she questioned the project, landed her in hot water among other board directors. On Wednesday she faced being ousted from committee boards.
“I was attacked out of nowhere basically just for doing my job and trying to advocate on behalf of the community and represent the people of Oceano,” she said.
The community and other municipalities have voiced displeasure with the board’s infighting.
Shortly before 10 p.m., the board voted 4-1 to disengage from the project with Replogle, the lone nay vote.
“We have to listen to every point of view and the problem we had with Central Coast Blue is so early in the stages of production that it’s too soon to call for or against it. We need to gather all the facts first,” Linda Austin, district president, said.
Replogle will remain on the south sanitation committee.
The board will now focus on other, more pressing needs in front of the community like the Five Cities Fire District financial situation and other infrastructure projects.
You can learn more about the project here.
