An empty seat on the Los Osos Community Services District Board has been filled, with confirmation still to come by the Board of Supervisors.
LOCSD General Manager, Greg Kwolek said on Oct. 1 the board unanimously selected Tom Maier to fill the Area 2 seat being vacated by current Board Chairman Matthew Fourcroy, who chose not to run for re-election.
Since no one else applied to run for the seat, the Board sought out residents in Area 2 to apply for appointment to the Board and two men stepped up to serve.
Maier was one applicant and the other was Brandon Leibowitz-Glavan.
Kwolek said Supervisors will be asked to approve his appointment at one of their November meetings and Maier would be sworn in Dec. 4, the day after the Board’s only scheduled meeting in December. Normally the second meeting in December is canceled for the Christmas-New Year’s Holiday.
“The public won’t see him behind the dais,” Kwolek said, “until Jan. 7, 2027.” Maier will serve a 4-year term.
In his Board application, Maier listed a number of reasons he wanted to serve on the Board.
“As a long-time Los Osos resident,” he said, “I have seen firsthand both the strengths of our community and the importance of thoughtful, responsible local leadership.
“As a father and grandfather of Los Osos residents, I have a deep personal commitment to this community and believe we are at an important point in our future.”
He believes the LOCSD will be making some important decisions for the community’s future wellbeing.
“Over the next several years,” he said, “the CSD will make consequential decisions involving parks and recreation, water sustainability, and fire and emergency medical services. I would welcome the opportunity to bring my experience and judgment to those decisions, guided by a commitment to the public interest.”
He holds a doctorate degree in microbiology and worked for decades in public health and environmental health. He was also instrumental in helping pass a property tax measure in June that will allow the LOCSD to purchase the old Sunnyside School property and turn it into a public park.
“The development of Sunnyside Park,” Maier said, “is both an important opportunity and a significant responsibility. As a core member of the Measure B Committee, I worked to help make possible the acquisition and future development of this much-needed park and community asset, one intended to serve Los Osos residents now and for generations to come.
“If appointed, I would support careful, transparent, and fiscally responsible implementation of the project within the dedicated funding approved by voters. Water sustainability is another defining issue for Los Osos.”
His background working in the public sector and especially in the health field will be useful for figuring out the issues with the fire department’s funding.
“I believe the Board,” he said, “must make practical, evidence-based decisions that protect the Los Osos community and its natural resources for future generations.
“Reliable fire protection and emergency medical services are fundamental public-safety responsibilities. My career in County public health included senior management and administrative responsibility for community health programs, public-health emergency response, and medical services.”
Maier will join two other Board members who sought re-election and were unopposed — Chuck Cesena and Christine Womack. The other two board members are Tom Cross, and Richard Hubbard.
