Atascadero welcomes Mayor Charles Bourbeau, Councilmember Seth Peek, and new Teasurer Jeri Rangel

ATASCADERO — Atascadero said farewell to Mayor Heather Moreno at their regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 10. After six years as mayor, Moreno will leave to represent District 5 on the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors. The meeting started off with Moreno as mayor before switching over to incoming Mayor Charles Bourbeau later in the meeting.

“We’re going to first recognize our outgoing treasurer, Gere Sibbach,” said Moreno before reading an accommodation in his honor.

Sibbach has handed in a resignation. Prior to that, he was the Atascadero city treasurer for the last 10 years after being elected in 2014. With his help, Atascadero is in its best fiscal position since its incorporation in 1979. 

“Gere Sibbach’s dedication to the city has set a standard that will be acknowledged for years to come, and his legacy is one that will inspire future generations of public servants,” Moreno continued in the accommodation.

Director of Administrative Services Jeri Rangel and Councilmember Bourbeau also had wonderful things to say about Sibbach and working with him in various ways for the last 10 years.

“Thank you, members of the council, for the kind words, and thank you also for the support you and your predecessors provided to me in trying to do the role that I was asked to do,” said Sibbach. “Also, the staff, Jeri Rangel, and all of the finance staff have been very gracious to me.”

Incoming Mayor Charles Bourbeau then read the accommodation for Moreno. 

“Be it resolved that we, the City Council of the City of Atascadero, do hereby commend Heather Moreno on her 12 years (six on the City Council prior to being Mayor) of dedicated service to the City of Atascadero,” read Bourbeau.“It’s actually 14 with the Planning Commission time, and wish her all the best as she embarks on her new journey as District 5 Supervisor, signed almost Mayor Charles Bourbeau.”

Bourbeau went on to say that Moreno has been a great mayor of the city and a role model for him to follow and added how highly she thought of in the county, which is something he knows firsthand by sometimes needing to substitute for her.

Councilmember Heather Newsom also had much praise for the departing mayor.

“From one Heather to another, I have many thoughts and have shed many tears,” she said. “You have been an amazing leader. You have made a tremendous impact in your community and on us personally. This is not goodbye but see you soon. You will always be our super mayor.”

Funk, who ran against Moreno in the District 5 Supervisor race, expressed her appreciation that Moreno never let the election proceedings get in the way of the work they were doing in Atascadero together on the council.

Councilmember Mark Dariz added, “You’ve been a mentor for me. You’ve been very encouraging, and like I said, I’velearned a lot from you.”

Moreno then thanked the city staff for everything they do and the competence, commitment, and caring that they bring to the community and to the entire team.

“I want to thank every single one of you. Every single one of you. All four of you,” she said to the other members of the council. “You have been part of that. You’ve brought your dedication, your passion, your leadership, your ideas, and your commitment. You’ve brought it all, and we all come together, and we wrestle through things, and we work it out, and once we become unified, we set those priorities, and we focus on the essentials, we give it to staff, and they run with it. Look what they’ve done, and that couldn’t have been done without your leadership. So thank you.”

Moreno also thanked the community for everything they do for Atascadero and for being an engaged, caring community that gets things done.

“It is the honor of my life to have been your mayor, and I thank you for your trust. I thank you for your participation, and I thank you for believing in what Atascadero could achieve,” added Moreno.

Dariz was resworn in and was then chosen as mayor pro tem, with his two-year term ending December 2026. The newest member of the council, Seth Peek, was also sworn in, and Bourbeau officially became mayor.

City Manager Jim Lewis addressed the new council with the Consideration of Action to Fill the Vacant Treasurer Position Arising From Former Treasurer Gere Sibbach’s Resignation. Lewis said the council had until Feb. 8, 2025, to appoint a successor through council appointment or special election. If appointed, the individual chosen will complete Sibbach’s term, which ends in November 2026, and then they would need to run for the office of city treasurer.

The council appointed Rangel as the new city treasurer, and she was sworn in by Deputy City Manager Lara Christensen.

The next Atascadero City Council meeting will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 14, at 6 p.m.