Water and public safety on tap for A.G. council

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• Arroyo Grande mulls being a charter city

  Arroyo Grande mulls being a charter city

  The Arroyo Grande City Council considered a slew of ideas this week, including becoming a charter city and dipping into sales tax funds normally earmarked for local projects in order to reduce an estimated $900,000 shortfall in next fiscal year’s budget.

  City employees, who last year agreed to a combination of furlough days and increased pension costs to save the city about $410,000, may be asked to make up the difference if some of the ideas don’t bridge the gap.

  City officials had anticipated a $656,000 shortfall for the 2012-13 fiscal year, which starts July 1.

• A.G. weighs renewing tax hike

  A.G. weighs renewing tax hike

  Over the past five years, since a half-cent sales tax increase took effect in Arroyo Grande, nearly $8.5 million has been spent or is budgeted for street and sidewalk repairs, transportation projects, public safety and public facility improvement.

  City staff is recommending the Arroyo Grande City Council maintain the sales tax at 7.75 cents on the dollar.

  Doing so is critical to help fund improvements to the Brisco Road/Halcyon Road interchange with Highway 101, continue resurfacing city streets, contribute to the Five Cities Fire Authority (the joint department with Grover Beach and Oceano), and pay some of the cost associated with a loan the city received to acquire and upgrade its current city hall building at 300 E. Branch St., City Manager Steve Adams wrote in a staff report to the council.

• Arroyo Grande will again go to voters for a new police HQ

  Arroyo Grande will again go to voters for a new police HQ

  Arroyo Grande officials want to build a new police station at West Branch Street and Old Ranch Road, but doing so depends largely on local voters.

  The Arroyo Grande City Council this week chose a city-owned parcel east of Highway 101 as the preferred site for a new, 14,500-square-foot station to replace the current headquarters on North Halcyon Road.

  To pay for most of the estimated $8.3 million cost, city officials propose putting a $6.7 million bond measure to voters in June that would extend for 30 years the rate set by a fire bond measure that voters passed a decade ago.

• Government Watch: A roundup of this week’s agendas

  Government Watch: A roundup of this week’s agendas

  Arroyo Grande City Council. Meets Tuesday. 473-5400. Review strategies to reduce a projected $700,000 shortfall in fiscal year 2012-13 budget; consider placing a bond measure and a possible property tax increase to finance a new police station on the June ballot; consider ballot measure asking voters to approve purchasing water from the California State Water Project.

  Atascadero City Council. Meets Tuesday. 461-5000. Acting as the Atascadero Redevelopment Agency board, vote on a list of projects and services the agency requests to be paid before its state-mandated dissolution; plumbing contract for historic City Administration Building rehabilitation project; updates from the city manager; updates from council members on their committee appointments.

  Grover Beach City Council and Improvement Agency Board of Directors. Meets tonight. 473-4567. Take actions required as part of the state-mandated dissolution of the Grover Beach Improvement Agency and decide whether to elect to retain the housing assets and

• Grover Beach police union opposes merger

  Grover Beach police union opposes merger

  The Grover Beach Police Officers Association has written a letter opposing a proposed merger of its department with Arroyo Grande police because it could lead to layoffs of a few members.