The San Luis Obispo City Council met on Tuesday, November 4, 2025. Below are highlights from the meeting. Review the full meeting video recording and agenda with attachments.

Presentations

• The Council received a presentation from San Luis Obispo Council of Government representatives regarding the 2027 Regional Transportation Plan and opportunities for Public Participation.
• The Council also received a brief report from City Manager Whitney McDonald on city services, programs and projects.

Consent Agenda Highlights
Council approved all items on the Consent Agenda, including:

• The schedule of City Council meetings for 2026
• The purchase of a Type 1 fire engine

Business Items

City Ends Fiscal Year With All Funds Under Budget

The City Council reviewed the City’s Year-End Budget Report for Fiscal Year 2024-25. Nearly 90% of 2023–25 Major City Goal initiatives were completed or are underway, and all City funds stayed within their approved budgets. Preliminary unaudited numbers show the City ended the year with an unassigned fund balance of about $4.1 million, which the Council will allocate at a public meeting in February 2026 after a final audit of the City’s financials is complete. However, after hearing public comment on Tuesday, the City Council pledged $500,000 of the unassigned fund balance to help the SLO Museum of Art meet a matching grant for the museum’s expansion downtown. City staff will work with SLOMA on a grant agreement that will also include terms which would commit the City to providing some funding toward Phase 2 of the project, subject to further analysis with funding allocations determined during future budget actions. SLOMA’s proposed project is another key investment that will help keep the downtown vibrant in the future. It also aligns with the City’s goals, economic development plan, and other guiding policies. The City has also invested in other similar projects, including the Cultural Arts District parking garage, new SLO REP Theatre, and the Mission Plaza Enhancement Project.

Prado Road Projects Move Forward While Saving Millions

The City Council voted to move forward with cost-saving design changes for the long-planned Prado Road Interchange and Bridge Projects, which will improve traffic flow, safety, and multimodal access across Highway 101. The updated design will reduce overall construction costs by about $20 million, bringing the total estimated cost to roughly $127 million. Design changes include narrowing the overpass, using more efficient bridge construction methods, and creating a single shared-use path on the south side of Prado Road that connects to Higuera Street and the Bob Jones Trail. These changes maintain safety and accessibility for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians while reducing environmental impacts and future debt costs. The long-awaited project remains a top City priority to improve east-west connections, support housing and economic growth, and enhance emergency response times, with construction anticipated to begin in 2029 pending state and federal grant funding.

Looking Ahead
The next City Council will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, at 5:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall. Attendees of City Council or Advisory Body meetings are eligible for one hour of complimentary parking in designated City garages. Learn more at Parking for Public Meetings.

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Media Contact: Whitney Szentesi, Public Communications Manager, 805.783.7716, wszentes@slocity.org