The Construction Source America

include a large grocery store and a large manufacturer of bi- cycle apparel – the City practic- es a “down-to-earth” approach to customer service. “We’re a small community, so folks can walk right into city hall and be able to talk to plan- ners, to the Community De- velopment Director, or to my- self if they have any issues or questions,” Matthew says. “We pride ourselves on providing a customized, personal service to our business customers.” “We also work very effectively with the South County Cham- ber of Commerce,” he adds. “We work closely with them to make sure we’re aware of busi- ness needs, that we’re consid- ering their input, and that we’re making policy decisions based that will help local business be successful.” “Our City Council is very pro-business,” he says. “They are pro-development in the right places and the right ways. The Council approaches their policies based on an appreci- ation of what businesses do in the community. We recognize that they’re the backbone to our economy, and we do what we can in city government to provide an environment where they can flourish.” In order to provide that kind of environment, city government has turned their attention to im- proving local infrastructure, in- cluding city streets. In the past, the condition of city streets was often “neglected,” Matthew says, with maintenance being deferred over a long time given limited funding. Recently, how- ever, voters approved nearly $50 million in funding to help improve local streets – which is a very significant investment for a city of Grover Beach’s size. In response, over the last few years, the city has been busy upgrading their streets – repav- ing neglected streets, adding sidewalks, adding curb ramps, and more. By 2020, they will have repaired 50 per cent of all local streets. GROVER BEACH, CA