City of Pismo Beach

What City of Pismo Beach does

The City of Pismo Beach is a California general law city located on the Central Coast in San Luis Obispo County, serving approximately 8,000 permanent residents and a substantial visitor population drawn to its 1.5-mile beach, 1,200-foot pier, and tourism amenities. Incorporated in 1946 and originally founded in 1891, the city operates under a Council/Manager governance model with a five-member City Council and a professional City Manager overseeing departments including Police, Fire (via CalFire), Lifeguards, Public Works, Community Development, Finance, and a Conference & Visitors Bureau.

The city delivers services through a digital infrastructure built on CivicPlus CMS, Springbrook for financial and utility billing, Laserfiche for public records, ActiveNet for recreation, Progressive Cloud for tax e-filing, and SolarAPP+ for solar permit expedited processing. Physical infrastructure includes 7 city-owned parks, 2 veterans halls, a paid parking system in the downtown core, and a seasonal lifeguard operation (20-25 personnel) covering the 1.5-mile beach between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

Revenue is generated through multiple transactional streams: an 11% Transient Occupancy Tax on lodging, a 2% Lodging Business Improvement District assessment, a 1.5% Tourism Marketing District assessment, an 8.25% sales tax (effective April 2025), tiered water and sewer utility billing, annual business licenses, parking fees, and various permit fees. The city has maintained 23 consecutive years of GFOA financial reporting excellence awards and 7 CSMFO budgeting awards, reflecting sustained fiscal discipline. Major strategic initiatives include the Central Coast Blue regional water sustainability partnership with Grover Beach and Arroyo Grande.

Name

City of Pismo Beach

Legal name

City of Pismo Beach

Website

https://pismobeach.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1891

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The City of Pismo Beach is a California general law municipal government serving approximately 8,000 residents and tourists through public safety, water/sewer utilities, parks, permitting, and tourism promotion, funded by taxes, utility fees, and licenses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Government Services

NAICS

Police Protection (922120), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241), Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (926150), Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (9251)

SIC

Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Works & Municipal Infrastructure (Streets, Stormwater, Facilities) (BPAIACAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Parking & Curbside Management Authorities (Municipal Parking, Permits, Loading Zones) (BPAIALAL), Coastal & Marine Resources Administration (Oceans, Fisheries, Shorelines) (BPAIAMAI)

Keywords

• Municipal government services
• Water and wastewater utilities
• Business licensing and permits
• Transient occupancy tax administration
• Parks and recreation programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Pismo Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT): 11% tax on transient lodging (hotels, motels, vacation rentals) for stays of 30 days or less. This is the primary tourism-related revenue stream supporting the city's general fund.
2. Lodging Business Improvement District (LBID) Assessment: 2% assessment on gross rent from lodging: 1% for promoting Pismo Beach lodging industry, 1% for physical improvements benefiting the industry.
3. Tourism Marketing District (TMD) Assessment: 1.5% San Luis Obispo County Tourism Marketing District Assessment on gross rent, collected by the city and remitted to Visit San Luis Obispo County.
4. Sales Tax: City sales and use tax rate of 8.25% (effective April 1, 2025), comprising 7.25% statewide rate plus 1.0% transaction and use tax.
5. Utility Billing (Water & Sewer): Residential and commercial water and wastewater services billed bi-monthly with tiered consumption rates. Average single-family residential consumption is 14 HCF per two-month cycle.
6. Business Licenses: Annual business license fees based on gross receipts for retail and service businesses. Home occupation permits required for home-based businesses at $200.
7. Parking Revenue: Paid parking in downtown core area operating 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM daily. Citation revenue from parking violations.
8. Permit Fees: Building permits, planning applications, special event permits, film permits, wedding permits, and various encroachment/encroachment permits with associated fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The City of Pismo Beach is a municipal government entity that delivers core public services to approximately 8,000 residents and visitors, including police and fire protection, lifeguard operations, water and wastewater utilities, parks and recreation programs, business licensing, building and planning permits, paid parking, and tourism promotion. These services are accessed through City Hall walk-in counters, an online e-services portal, dedicated department offices, and the Pismo Voice biennial community engagement program. The city funds operations primarily through tax revenues (transient occupancy, sales, property), utility billing, fees, and permits.

Product overview

The City of Pismo Beach operates a comprehensive municipal government website serving its population of approximately 8,000 residents. The digital infrastructure consists of a CivicPlus CMS-based portal providing citizen-facing services including an Agenda Center for public meeting access, Notify Me notification subscriptions, and Access Pismo records portal powered by Laserfiche. Core services include Utility Billing (Springbrook Software), Business Licensing, TOT/LBID/TMD e-filing, Parks & Facilities reservations, and Recreation class registration (ActiveNet). The Pismo Voice platform enables biennial community engagement on budget priorities. All offerings function as integrated modules within the unified city website rather than standalone products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• City Website Portal The official municipal government website serving as the primary digital interface for government services, city information, and citizen engagement. Built on the CivicPlus CMS platform.
• Agenda Center Online portal for viewing and accessing meeting agendas, minutes, and related documents for City Council, Planning Commission, and advisory bodies.
• Notify Me Alert Subscriptions Subscription-based notification system allowing residents and visitors to receive council agendas, planning meetings, elections, recreation updates, and general city announcements via email and SMS.
• Access Pismo Public Records Portal Laserfiche-based document management portal providing public access to city records, legislative documents, and official communications in response to public records requests.
• Water and Wastewater Utility Services Residential and commercial water and wastewater service provided by the Public Works Department's Utilities Division, billed bi-monthly through the Springbrook software-powered online platform. Tiered consumption-based rates apply per the 2024-2028 approved rate schedule, and low-income assistance programs are available.
• Business License Application and Renewal Online portal for applying, renewing, and managing city business licenses, including gross receipts, contractor, and special event business licenses for businesses operating within city limits. Home occupation permits are issued at $200.
• TOT/LBID/TMD E-Filing and Payment System Online system for lodging businesses to file and pay Transient Occupancy Tax (11%), Lodging Business Improvement District assessments (2%), and Tourism Marketing District fees (1.5%) on the Progressive Cloud platform.
• Parks and Veterans Halls Facility Rentals Online reservation system for renting city parks, the Pismo Beach Veterans Hall (780 Bello Street), and the Shell Beach Veterans Hall (230 Leeward Avenue) for weddings, meetings, and community events.
• Recreation Classes Registration ActiveNet-powered platform for browsing and registering for city recreation programs, classes, and community activities offered by the Recreation Division.
• Beach Lifeguard Services Seasonal lifeguard protection for the 1.5-mile Pismo Beach with five lifeguard towers, staffed by 20-25 lifeguards from Memorial Day through Labor Day in partnership with CalFire.
• Police Services 24/7 police services delivered from the Police Department headquarters at 1000 Bello Street, including non-emergency response and a tourism-oriented policing approach. Non-emergency line: (805) 773-2208.
• Downtown Paid Parking Metered parking in the downtown core area operating daily from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM with automated pay stations, managed from the Parking Management Office at 585 Dolliver Street.
• Building and Planning Permits Building permits, planning applications, special event permits, film permits, wedding permits, and encroachment permits issued by the Building Division and Planning Division. Includes the SolarAPP+ expedited solar photovoltaic permitting process and Electric Vehicle Charging Station expedited permits.
• Conference and Visitors Bureau Tourism Promotion Tourism marketing and visitor information services provided by the Conference & Visitors Bureau to drive Transient Occupancy Tax revenue, including promotion of signature events such as the Clam Festival, 4th of July Celebration, Classic California Car Show, Jubilee-by-the-Sea Jazz Festival, and Marching Band Review.
• Central Coast Blue Regional Water Supply Regional water sustainability partnership with Grover Beach and Arroyo Grande, in which Pismo Beach serves as lead agency. The advanced water purification facility creates drought-resistant supply by treating wastewater and injecting purified water into the groundwater basin, reducing Pismo Beach WWTP ocean effluent discharge by 74%.

Quantifiable outcome

• 23 consecutive years of GFOA financial reporting excellence recognition
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Grover BeachcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional water sustainability partnership for Central Coast Blue project. Pismo Beach serves as lead agency. Project includes advanced water purification facility to create drought-resistant water supply by treating wastewater and injecting purified water into groundwater basin. Reduces Pismo Beach WWTP ocean discharge by 74%.
• Arroyo GrandecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional water sustainability partnership for Central Coast Blue project. Joint development of advanced water purification facility to supplement local groundwater supplies and create seawater intrusion barrier.
• Visit San Luis Obispo CountyminorOthersTourism Marketing District partner receiving TMD assessment funds (1.5% of gross rent from transient lodging). City collects and remits these funds to support regional tourism marketing efforts.
• CalFire / California Department of Forestry and Fire ProtectioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCalFire operates the Pismo Beach Lifeguard Division and Fire Department. Lifeguards protect 1.5-mile beach from Memorial Day through Labor Day with 20-25 seasonal lifeguards. Fire services include full-time Battalion Chief, 6 Fire Captains, 6 Fire Apparatus Engineers.
• San Luis Obispo CountyminorOthersCounty partnership through SLO County Tourism Marketing District for TMD assessment collection and remittance. Also referenced for emergency preparedness coordination (Ready SLO).

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• City of Grover Beach: Adjacent small coastal San Luis Obispo County city and direct infrastructure partner on Central Coast Blue. Comparable in size, form of government, and tourism/recreation economy, and a clear comparitor for budget, staffing, and service delivery benchmarks.
• City of Arroyo Grande: Adjacent SLO County city and the third Central Coast Blue partner with Pismo Beach and Grover Beach. Similar general-law council/manager structure and small-city operating scale, making it a direct peer for water, public works, and tourism-revenue comparisons.
• City of Morro Bay: Small California coastal city with a tourism-driven TOT, harbor/marina operations, water/wastewater utility, and paid parking. Closely comparable operating model and revenue mix to Pismo Beach.
• City of Carmel-by-the-Sea: Small, tourism-anchored California coastal city with similar reliance on TOT, paid parking, beach operations, and a small permanent population. Comparable budget structure and service delivery profile to Pismo Beach.
• City of Half Moon Bay: Small Northern California coastal city with comparable beach tourism, TOT dependence, water/wastewater utility, and small permanent population. Strong direct peer for size and operating dynamics.

Regional players

• City of San Luis Obispo: Larger county seat and SLO County hub, also in the same tourism corridor. Operates the same municipal service stack (utilities, parking, permits, tourism promotion) at a larger scale, serving as a regional benchmark for service delivery and digital infrastructure.
• City of Avila Beach: Unincorporated community within SLO County (administered by the county rather than a city), but it is the closest tourism-and-beach comparable in the immediate region and competes for visitor dollars alongside Pismo Beach.

Broad incumbents

• City of Santa Barbara: Larger Central/Southern California coastal city with a full municipal service stack including water, wastewater, parking, and tourism promotion. Functions as an incumbent benchmark for coastal-city fiscal management and service breadth.
• City of Monterey: Mid-sized California coastal city operating its own water utility, paid parking, and tourism-marketing apparatus. Relevant incumbent comparable for the broader service portfolio and revenue diversification strategy.

Others

• Visit San Luis Obispo County (SLO CAL): Regional Destination Marketing Organization that receives TMD assessments collected by Pismo Beach and other SLO County cities. An ecosystem partner rather than a direct municipal competitor, but directly tied to Pismo Beach's tourism revenue capture.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CityofPismo
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/PismoBeachTravel
• Facebookfacebook.com/CityofPismoBeach
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/city-of-pismo-beach

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles26 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about City of Pismo Beach