County Roundup

SLO County

A former high-ranking Sheriff’s Department official who is suing Sheriff Pat Hedges and the county has retired.

Chief Deputy Gary Hoving retired from his position June 28 because there were no other options, he said.

“The problem can’t get fixed. I want to go back to work. I want to go back to work at the Sheriff’s Department,” Hoving said Wednesday.

The county offered Hoving a position at the Probation Department, but he said it did not relate to his career experience. He has been on paid administrative leave and sick leave since Aug. 29.

Hoving filed a federal lawsuit against the county, Hedges and Undersheriff Steve Bolts, claiming his civil rights were violated during a secret taping by the sheriff.

Hedges is being investigated by the state Attorney General’s Office for the alleged illegal eavesdropping after he secretly taped Hoving talking to a subordinate in Hoving’s office Oct. 13, 2006.

—Leslie Parrilla

San Luis Obispo

Motorists traveling on Santa Rosa Street through San Luis Obispo should expect delays of 10 to 20 minutes today and Friday while crews repave lanes in both directions.

The portion of the street

—which is also Highway 1 —under construction stretches from Walnut to Westmont streets. Caltrans has announced the paving must be done during the day because the paving material requires a minimum temperature of 70 degrees to set.

One lane of traffic in both directions will remain open at all times.

On Thursday, paving will take place in both directions between Murray Street and Foothill Boulevard from 6 a. m. to 4 p. m.

On Friday, paving will take place from 6 a. m. to 3 p. m. between Highland Drive and Westmont.

—Sally Connell

Pismo Beach

County environmental health officials have again posted health advisories on the beach just south of the Pismo Beach pier urging beach-goers to avoid contact with the water.

A water sample taken 14 yards south of the pier Monday showed high levels of bacteria. This is the site of frequent exceedances of state health standards.

Another water sample was taken at the same time the warnings were posted. The signs will stay up until a sample shows safe bacteria levels.

County environmental health officials monitor 20 beaches in the county for three types of bacteria that can indicate the unhealthy conditions.

—David Sneed

Cambria

An announcement is expected Friday on whether Cambria ratepayers have stopped a second consecutive water and sewer rate increase proposal, according to two Cambria Community Services District directors.

About 2,500 protest letters were submitted by the July 14 deadline. About 2,000 valid protests, or 50 percent plus one, are needed to stop the rate hike.

Since then, League of Women Voters’ representatives, district staffers and consultants have been tallying and verifying signatures and other data while representatives of Cambrians for Fiscal Responsibility looked on.

District board President Joan Cobin said they “are done validating the signatures. Now they have to enter it all into the computer, match it up with our account numbers.

That’s when they’ll get the final count” for a report the league will prepare and submit to the district.

The two-stage rate increase would boost a bimonthly bill for 12 units of water to $145.49, as of Sept. 1, and to $165.74 on July 1, 2009.

In November, a similar protest by ratepayers halted a larger increase recommended by a district consultant.

More than 3,550 protests were submitted in that protest; 2,266 were deemed valid.

—Kathe Tanner