Last night, the Atascadero chamber of commerce and city of Atascadero hosted the final Talk-On-The-Block of 2020 at Community Church, and it was the liveliest of the year. City manager Rachelle Rickard gave her speech on finances in the city. She said, “We can do anything, but we can’t do everything. We have to make choices.”
Then, when she took questions, people raised issues of fire evacuation during emergencies, plans to narrow El Camino Real in downtown and other topics.
Fire chief Casey Bryson talked about efforts to develop evacuation plans for the city. He said all the fire departments in the county are working together to develop regional plans for evacuation. One resident complained about potholes. Another said he liked potholes, because it slowed down traffic.
A woman who lives in Santa Ynez thanked the police for stopping young drivers speeding on her street near the high school, after she brought the issue to their attention at a previous Talk-On-The-Block earlier this week. She aid, “I’m impressed how quickly you responded.”
This Talk-On-The-Block at the Community Church on Rosario foreshadowed upcoming discussion about evacuation plans and the narrowing of El Camino Real. Talk On The Block is sponsored by the city of Atascadero and the Atascadero Chamber of Commerce.