This SLO County community is getting more than $48,000 from state for storm repairs

The Cambria Community Services District is slated to get more than $48,000 in state funding to fix properties and infrastructure damaged during a series of devastating winter storms.

Rainstorms in January and February 2021 brought widespread flooding, power outages and falling trees and stiff winds to the San Luis Obispo County community, resulting in more than $64,000 worth of damage to the Santa Rosa Creek Trailhead area and an office and other structures on the district’s Rodeo Grounds Road property.

The California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) announced in a news release Monday that it plans to cover 75% of the district’s repair and cleanup costs, and provide an additional $4,200 for administrative costs.

According to Cal OES information officer Greg Renick, the state has received confirmation that work on two projects is done, and the State Controller’s Office has issued payment warrants for those.

He said the state is awaiting final confirmation that work is done on the largest project, as well as information about how much it cost.

The Cambria projects are among several eligible for reimbursement under the California Disaster Assistance Act following Gov. Gavin Newsom’s state of emergency proclamation on Jan. 29, 2021, covering San Benito and Santa Cruz counties.

Under state law, that kind of proclamation can also open up opportunities for damage reimbursement to public agencies and nonprofit organizations in adjacent areas similarly impacted by disasters. In this instance, that included San Luis Obispo and Monterey counties.

When the larger Rodeo Grounds project is finished, the Cambria CSD will receive $38,778 as reimbursement for fixes such as repairing major appliances, plumbing, water removal, antimicrobial application and cleaning. That property housed the CSD’s Facilities and Resources Department, including an office that was flooded with four feet of water.

A check for administrative costs has already been issued for the project, according to Cal OES information officer Greg Renick.

The state is reimbursing $4,706 of the $5,705 the district spent to replace the Rodeo Grounds entrance gate, plus a 10% administration fee, Renick said.

In addition, CAL OES is covering more than $5,200 of the nearly $7,000 the CCSD paid for trailhead repairs, including 2,500 linear feet of fill material, equipment rental and 65 hours of work done by three district staffers.

According to Renick, the state has received confirmation that work on two of the projects is done, and the State Controller’s Office has issued payment warrants for those.

He said the state is awaiting final confirmation that work is done on the last and largest project, as well as information about how much it cost.

Renick is familiar with San Luis Obispo County disasters. He was part of the CAL OES public information team that worked with local authorities in the months following the 2003 San Simeon earthquake.