Atascadero City Council met virtually Tuesday night. Mayor Heather Moreno and the council received a report from City Manager Rachelle Rickard on the annual Creek Clean-up. Dozens of people helped remove literally tons of debris from creeks in Atascadero. The clean-up takes place every year in the fall, before the winter rains.
Rickard also told the council about the recruitment process to find a new police chief. Chief Jerel Haley is retiring in October. Candidates for the job were interviewed by three panels. One panel was a professional panel, made up of local law enforcement officials. An executive management panel also interviewed each candidate. That group was comprised of city officials who work in San Luis Obispo County. There was also a community panel made up of leaders in the Atascadero community. Rachelle thanked them for all their efforts. Rickard says the process to find a new chief continues. The next step is further interviews and thorough background checks leading to the selection of a new police chief. Ultimately, the council would approve the selection.
The council also discussed at great length the Del Rio Road Specific Plan. Community Development Director Phil Dunsmore discussed issues related to that area, which at one time was going to be a Walmart store. The council and Phil Dunsmore talked about ways to solicit more public input into that specific plan.
