Government officials at all levels – local, state and federal – need to be focused on finding ways to put people to work. I am proud that our Board of Supervisors has focused on job creation and environmental protection during my time on the board.
During recent months, our board has approved two solar-power generation plants in my district, each bringing hundreds of skilled worker jobs to San Luis Obispo County residents. While we can’t control what happens at the national level, I can say without hesitation that we’re doing all we can locally to create an environment in San Luis Obispo County that welcomes investment and paves the way for more local jobs.
Locally grown projects also create local jobs. I’ve worked with the County Administrative Office, the City of Atascadero and the Atascadero Friends of the Library to secure a new building in the heart of Atascadero to relocate and expand the library and keep county offices in the city’s core.
Additionally, I’ve spent quite a lot of time working with CDF/County Fire and the Creston Community to build – with a local construction company – a new, larger fire station, which will enhance fire protection and emergency response services to the community and the surrounding area.
Our Board of Supervisors has approved a long-awaited sewer project in Los Osos, bringing several hundred more skilled jobs for local residents, and we approved the Willow Road Interchange, a major highway improvement project along Highway 101 in Nipomo, adding still more jobs.
All of these approvals came with the maximum level of environmental safeguards, proving that economic growth and environmental protection are not mutually exclusive.
With these decisions, the Board of Supervisors has laid the foundation for the creation of more than 1,000 head-of-household jobs in San Luis Obispo County during the next several years. This is no small accomplishment, particularly when viewed in the context of a state unemployment exceeding 10 percent.
Comments on Facebook