Grover Beach, CA – At its March 24 meeting, the Grover Beach City Council adopted top priorities and broad goals for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 fiscal years. Shaped by the Council with community input, these goals will guide the City’s budget and initiatives over the next two years.
“Our City Council is committed to making meaningful progress on the issues that matter most to our community,” said Grover Beach Mayor Kassi Dee. “Establishing our key goals and priorities is a crucial step, as it sets the roadmap for how we will invest and allocate our resources.”
The City Council identified two top priorities for focused attention and resources for the next two years — Water and Sewer Infrastructure and Community Engagement and Rebuilding Community Trust and Civility in Public Discourse — while establishing four broad goals: Public Safety and Community Services; Economic Development and Housing; Community Infrastructure and Financial and Organizational Sustainability.
“By placing special priority on community engagement and our water and sewer infrastructure, we’re focusing on the foundation of a thriving city: essential services and a strong sense of public trust,” added Mayor Dee.
The City’s biennial goal-setting process involved a comprehensive approach to gathering priorities and insights from the Council and residents. This process included a goal-setting workshop on March 3, a Community Priorities Survey, a community forum on Jan. 28 and individual interviews with Council members.
“These goals set the stage for continued progress in Grover Beach,” said Grover Beach City Manager Matt Bronson. “By investing in critical infrastructure and strengthening our connection with the community, we’re not just planning for the next two years, but investing in the future of the City for generations to come. I want to thank the City Council for their leadership and our community for their valuable input in helping to shape these priorities.”
Following the Council goal-setting workshop, the Council focused on one of its key priority areas, the City’s sewer infrastructure. As a separate item on March 24, the Council received a presentation on a 2025 Wastewater Rate Study.
The study found that the City’s current wastewater rate structure falls short of providing the necessary funding to complete critical infrastructure improvements for existing and future needs, while also ensuring adequate reserve funds. Without these essential upgrades, the City risks significant impacts to community health and safety and potential delays in the implementation of Measure K-14 residential street rehabilitation projects.
Following a discussion, the Council voted unanimously to direct staff to prepare an agenda item for the April 14 Council meeting to accept the final rate study report and authorize a Proposition 218 noticing process to residents to increase wastewater rates.
To ensure transparency and community engagement, the Council also directed staff to launch an outreach and education effort around the proposed wastewater rates and system needs. This will include a direct mailer and two community information sessions to provide residents with robust information about the proposed rate adjustments.
Additionally, residents are invited to a Coffee with Council event on April 24 from 9 to 10:30 a.m. at Red Bee Coffee. This is an opportunity to have one-on-one conversations with City leaders, ask questions and share thoughts on important community matters.
For more information about the City’s 2025-27 goals and the Wastewater Rate Study, visit the Grover Beach website.