The San Luis Obispo City Council held a public meeting on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. Below is a recap of the meeting. Review the full recorded video and agenda packet.

Presentations and Consent Agenda 
The meeting began with several presentations, including proclamations declaring:

• April 19 – April 25, 2026 as California Cities Week, recognizing the essential role cities play in residents’ daily lives and encouraging civic participation, education and involvement in local government.
• April 19 – April 25, 2026 as Volunteer Appreciation Week, calling upon all to recognize, celebrate and uplift the contributions of past, present, and future volunteers.
• May 2026 as Bike Month, encouraging community members to participate in May’s events and urging all road users to share the road safely with bicyclists.

Then the City Manager gave a brief presentation with recent updates on City programs, services and events.

There were also several routine matters on the Consent Agenda, which the City Council approved with one vote, including:

• approving a partnership and funding agreement between the City and the Land Conservancy of SLO County to help permanently protect the Righetti Fiscalini Ranch in the City’s Greenbelt and to support work removing harmful invasive plants from local open spaces
• awarding a contract to MV Transportation, Inc. for Transit Operation and Maintenance Services.

Public Hearings & Business Items 

City Workforce Update Shows Strong Retention 
The City Council held a public hearing to review the annual report on the City’s vacancies and hiring and retention efforts, then accepted the report without making changes. The State requires public agencies to present this information during a public hearing before the next fiscal year budget is adopted. This year’s report showed that in 2025 the City had a strong employee retention rate of 91% with only about 7.6% of positions unfilled, which is relatively low but slightly higher than the year before. The City is taking steps to attract and retain employees by offering hiring incentives, promoting them from within, and providing flexible work options, but still faces challenges filling certain jobs due to the area’s high cost of living and competitive salaries elsewhere. Having enough skilled staff helps keep local public services running smoothly, reduces delays, and ensures the City can continue to meet residents’ needs both now and in the future.

Updates to Sewer Rules May Ease Development Burden 
Then, the City Council directed staff to move forward with changes to how private sewer laterals are regulated, with the goal of improving capacity within the City’s sewer system while reducing costs and barriers for the overall community. The new approach would require property owners to fix or replace broken and failed sewer laterals when a property is sold (starting in 2027), and eliminates the current rule that mandates all new development and re-developments to offset wastewater impacts in certain areas. Instead, the City will only require additional improvements for larger projects based on focused analysis. This change is expected to reduce sewer spills, improve system reliability, and expand capacity within the sewer system, which will support future housing development, while still protecting the environment and community health. This revised approach was proposed after a public study session held in August 2025 and subsequent feedback/input from community stakeholders, including property owners, realtors and housing developers. The City offers rebates for private sewer lateral inspections ($350) and replacements ($4,000), and encourages the community to learn more about the City’s Sewer Lateral Rebate Program. 

Council Sets Priorities for Future Water and Sewer Rates 
And finally, the City Council held a study session to help shape how water and sewer rates are designed in the future. The Council directed staff to focus on keeping rates fair, stable, and aligned with the actual cost of providing service. With this direction, the City can continue providing high-quality water and sewer services, while avoiding sudden rate increases and giving residents more predictability in their utility bills as the City plans for future infrastructure needs. Staff will conduct a full rate study starting with public outreach in Winter 2027. Any future rate changes will likely be proposed in Spring 2027.

Looking Ahead  
The next City Council meeting will take place on Tuesday, May 5, 2026 with an early start at 5:00 p.m. to recognize Laguna Lake Middle School students who completed 30 hours or more of community service. The regular meeting will start at 5:30 PM in the Council Chambers office at City Hall.

Attendees of the City Council Advisory Body meetings are eligible for one hour of complimentary parking in designated City garages. Learn more at Parking for Public Meetings.

To provide input or view upcoming agendas visit www.slocity.org/agendas. To receive updates from the City, sign up at www.slocity.org/Subscribe or follow us on social media.

Media Contact: Whitney Szentesi, Public Communications Manager, 805-783-7716, wszentes@slocity.org