From St. Patrick’s Day preparations to turning S. Higuera Street into a complete street, the City Council discussed several important issues this week.
Joint Preparations to Prevent Unruly Street Parties this March
The meeting began with a joint presentation from Cal Poly and the San Luis Obispo Police Department on this year’s plans for St. Patrick’s Day in San Luis Obispo. Preparations for St. Patrick's Day and related celebrations are well underway and the City and Cal Poly are both taking a zero-tolerance approach to illegal and disruptive behaviors and encouraging students to respect SLO. Together, the City and Cal Poly are building on winning strategies from last year, including proactive engagement and outreach to student groups, neighborhoods and more. The top priority is safety and the community can expect a similar law enforcement presence in the neighborhoods and downtown as last year. Cal Poly will also again host an on-campus event on the morning of March 14 in the early morning to draw crowds away from the neighborhoods and offer a safe alternative to unruly street parties. San Luis Obispo will become a Safety Enhancement Zone during the two weekends prior to St. Patrick's Day (3/6 - 3/8 and 3/13 - 3/15) and St Patrick's Day (3/17 - 3/18); fines will be doubled for common illegal behaviors such as public urination, open container violations, unruly gatherings, and noise ordinance violations.
City Manager Whitney McDonald then presented a brief report on City programs, projects, and upcoming events.
The Council approved all items on the Consent Agenda with one vote, including funding recommendations for more than $284,000 in Community Development Block Grants for local housing projects and programs for individuals with low or moderate income levels and grants for SLOPD including an application seeking up to $180,000 in California Office of Traffic Safety grant funding, and SLOPD’s award of nearly $75,000 in grant funds from CA Department of Justice Tobacco Grant Program.
Public Hearings & Council Business
The City Council also held a public hearing and study session. Recaps of these discussions are below.
City Budget on Track, Council Allocates about $3.1 Million Surplus As part of regular City business, the City Council reviewed and accepted the FY 2025-26 Second Quarter Budget Report. The Council also decided how to use about $3.5 million left over from the previous fiscal year, which included assigning $500,000 to support the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art’s expansion downtown, $500,000 toward an additional discretionary payment to the City’s pension debt, $1.2 million into infrastructure projects like streets and facilities, $802,798 to meet Insurance Fund reserve requirements, and $84,123 for Parks & Recreation grants. In addition, they approved using a $20,000 national grant award to purchase software that will help connect residents to home improvement and housing support services. The Council also directed staff to set aside $369,804 of the remaining funds for allocation at future budget discussions, which could help provide one-time funds for a rental registry program and/or to the San Luis Obispo College of Law to support the Center for Dispute Resolution to offer free services that help neighbors resolve conflicts.
Higuera Street to Soon See Improvements for All Travelers The City Council approved plans and funding to move forward with two safety projects on Higuera Street and authorized them to go out to bid for construction. Since 2018, there have been 11 fatal or severe injury collisions on South Higuera Street, four of which involved victims walking or biking. To reduce these types of collisions, the larger Higuera Complete Streets Project will add protected bike lanes, new and improved crosswalks, traffic signal upgrades, a new signal at Higuera and Elks, and change part of the road from four lanes to three lanes to improve safety for driving, bicycling, and walking. The Council decided to fully fund a $15.5 million investment to make significant improvements to this major corridor. In addition, Council approved a revised design for the 50 Higuera Widening Project that avoids harming heritage trees while still adding a center turn lane to reduce crashes. Construction on the widening project is expected to begin in spring 2026, followed by the Complete Streets Project in summer 2026.
Looking Ahead
The City Council will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, February 24, 2026 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.
