Troy Gatchell is the newest member of the Los Osos
Community Services District Board of Directors.
The Los Osos Community Services District Board of Directors welcomed a new member and swore in two returning members at a remote meeting Dec. 11.
Troy Gatchell was seated as the newest member of the Board. Gatchell said in a statement, “As an 8-year resident of Los Osos, I’m committed to the sustainability of our water basin and continued excellence in our community services.”
He’s been a long-time volunteer in a local environmental group. “My time volunteering in Surfrider’s ‘Know Your H20’ organization,” Gatchell said, “gave me a unique perspective of the water issues that face our state and community.”
His work experiences will be valuable. “I’ll bring years of experience in computer engineering and business operations,” Gatchell said, “providing innovative solutions to our community issues. Having served in the U.S. Army drives my sense of community and teamwork. Together, we can build a community that we are proud of and one that will thrive into the future.”
Gatchell won a 4-year term of office in a November walkover, as the CSD had just three people vying for the three open seats, and therefore the County Clerk canceled the election and declared them the winners.
Long-time Incumbent Director, Marshall Ockylski, got a 4-year term along with Gatchell, and appointed Incumbent, Christine Womack, got a 2-year term.
Womack was dragged into an election SNAFU in 2018, when the County Clerk messed up and listed her on the ballots as running for a 2-year term, when it should have been a 4-year term.
The mistake, which County Clerk Tommy Gong took full responsibility for, had her in a separate contest, when normally, all candidates run together with the top vote getters winning available seats.
Gong’s remedy at the time was to ask County Supervisors to nullify that election. The CSD Board then appointed her to a 2-year term and she would have to run again in 2020 to put the Board’s terms of office back on the proper schedule. With no opposition, she was declared the winner without having to campaign.
But she will have to run again in 2022, should she decide to try for a full, 4-year term, putting the Board’s election schedule back on track.
The other two board members, who were not up for re-election, are Board President Chuck Cesena and Matthew Fourcroy.
The next board meeting is set for Thursday Feb. 4 and will continue to be held virtually under the State’s and County’s Coronavirus Pandemic restrictions.
