San Miguel Community Services District

What San Miguel Community Services District does

San Miguel Community Services District (SMCSD) is a California special district - a public local-government entity formed under the Community Services Districts Principle Enabling Act (Government Code §61000 et seq.) - that provides essential municipal services to the unincorporated community of San Miguel in San Luis Obispo County. The district delivers five core service lines: water production and distribution, wastewater collection and treatment, fire protection and emergency response (via the San Miguel Fire Department, which has operated continuously since 1888 and holds an ISO Public Protection Classification of 03/3X), solid waste and recycling (contracted to San Miguel Garbage), and street lighting and landscaping. Ancillary offerings include a Paid Call Firefighter (PCF) volunteer program, hydrant meter rentals, a Cross Connection Control Program, Consumer Confidence Reports, and Will Serve applications for new connections including Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs).

The underlying technology consists of standard municipal utility infrastructure: water distribution and treatment systems, wastewater collection with lift stations, fire apparatus (Type 1, Type 3, and Type 6 vehicles), and street lighting networks. The district does not maintain proprietary technology assets; instead, it leverages commercial SaaS tools for digital operations, including the Streamline platform for website and document hosting, the Paya Citizen Portal for online utility billing, and DocAccess for accessible PDF document search and translation. The district operates as a Groundwater Sustainability Agency for the Paso Robles Subbasin under California's Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, coordinating with the Paso Robles Groundwater Authority and submitting annual reports to the California Department of Water Resources.

The business model is a regulated utility model with revenue generated primarily through monthly water and wastewater service charges (with rates increasing annually each July 16 per Resolution 2024-01), one-time connection and will-serve fees, hydrant meter rental deposits and usage charges ($750 deposit, $100 rental fee, $6.35 per hundred cubic feet), and pass-through solid waste fees. Pricing follows a hybrid subscription plus usage-based structure with monthly billing cycles. The district is governed by an elected five-member Board of Directors serving four-year terms and is staffed by approximately six personnel including a General Manager (Kelly Dodds), Fire Chief (Scott Young), Board Clerk/Executive Assistant, Financial Officer, Account Clerk, and Field Operator Lead. There are no funding rounds, private ownership, or parent company; the district is a public entity accountable to its community residents through the electoral process.

Name

San Miguel Community Services District

Legal name

San Miguel Community Services District

Website

https://sanmiguelcsd.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1888

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

San Miguel Community Services District is a California special district providing water, wastewater, fire protection, solid waste, and street lighting/landscaping services to residents of the unincorporated San Miguel community in San Luis Obispo County under a regulated utility model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Utility Services

NAICS

Fire Protection (92216), Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Sewage Treatment Facilities (221320)

SIC

Sanitary Services (4950), Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Safety Administration (Fire/EMS, Emergency Management) (BPAIACAL)

Keywords

• Municipal utility services
• Water distribution
• Wastewater treatment
• Fire protection
• Solid waste collection

Headquarters

HQ city

San Miguel

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Utility Service Fees: Monthly water and wastewater service charges billed to residents. Rates increase annually on July 16th per Resolution 2024-01. Includes fixed charges and volumetric consumption-based charges.
2. Connection and Hookup Fees: One-time connection fees for new water and wastewater service installations, including fees for accessory dwelling units (ADUs).
3. Hydrant Meter Rentals: Fees for temporary hydrant meter rentals including deposit and usage charges.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

San Miguel Community Services District is a California special district providing essential municipal services to the unincorporated community of San Miguel in San Luis Obispo County, including fire protection, water production and distribution, wastewater collection and treatment, solid waste and recycling, and street lighting/landscaping. The district operates as a local public agency governed by an elected five-member Board of Directors, billing customers through fixed monthly charges and volumetric usage rates.

Product overview

San Miguel Community Services District is a California special district that provides a suite of essential public utility and safety services to the community of San Miguel. The district operates as a unified set of core services rather than a software product: Fire Protection (via San Miguel Fire Department, est. 1888), Water Services, Wastewater Services, Solid Waste and Recycling (via contract with San Miguel Garbage), and Street Lighting/Landscaping. Ancillary programs include a Will Serve application process for new service connections, hydrant meter rentals, a Cross Connection Control Program for water safety, Consumer Confidence Reports for water quality transparency, and Groundwater Sustainability Agency functions. The district also publishes annual water and wastewater rate schedules, maintains a Sewer System Management Plan, and operates a volunteer Paid Call Firefighter (PCF) program. The district is governed by a five-member Board of Directors with regular monthly meetings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fire Protection Services Fire suppression, emergency response, and fire life safety review services delivered by the San Miguel Fire Department to residents of the San Miguel Community Services District. The department has operated since 1888 and maintains an ISO Public Protection Classification of Class 03/3X.
• Water Services Water production, distribution, and quality monitoring services for district residents, including water sampling, leak detection support, cross-connection control, hydrant meter rentals, and annual Consumer Confidence Reports published under the Safe Drinking Water Act.
• Wastewater Services Wastewater collection and treatment services for district residents, operated under a Sewer System Management Plan (SSMP) with periodic audits. The district operates lift stations and provides wastewater connection services.
• Solid Waste and Recycling Garbage collection and recycling services provided within the district by San Miguel Garbage under contract. Includes food and green waste programs, cardboard recycling, mattress and e-waste recycling, and compliance with SB 1383 organic waste regulations.
• Street Lighting and Landscaping Services Maintenance of street lighting infrastructure and landscaping across the district, with published lighting standards for urban and rural locations.
• Hydrant Meter Rentals Short-term hydrant meter rental service for construction, landscaping, and temporary water needs. Fees include a $750 deposit, $100 rental fee, and $6.35 per hundred cubic feet usage rate.

Quantifiable outcome

• ISO Public Protection Classification: Class 03/3X

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department - Environmental Health DivisioncoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2024Contracted to provide Cross-Connection expertise and services to meet certified CCC Specialist requirements for water system safety compliance.
• San Miguel GarbagecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2021San Miguel Garbage is the contracted provider for garbage and solid waste collection services within the district. Residents are required to use this service. Contact: 805-467-9283.
• San Miguel Firefighters AssociationminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2020The firefighters association supports community events including the Fourth of July celebration and San Miguel Christmas Parade.
• San Luis Obispo County Integrated Waste Management Authority (IWMA)minorOthersIWMA provides recycling education resources, programs, and guidelines for residents including mattress recycling, e-waste disposal, and food/green waste programs.
• Paso Robles Groundwater Authority (PRAGA)minorOthersCollaborative groundwater sustainability agency for the Paso Robles Subbasin. SMCSD serves as a Groundwater Sustainability Agency member.
• California Department of Water ResourcesminorOthersState agency overseeing Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) compliance. Submitting GSP Annual Reports for Paso Robles Subbasin.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cambria Community Services District: California special district on the same central coast providing water, wastewater, fire protection, and solid waste to an unincorporated community of comparable size. Directly comparable in scope, governance model, and regulatory exposure.
• Templeton Community Services District: Nearby SLO County special district delivering water, wastewater, fire, and parks/recreation services. Comparable in scale, service mix, and reliance on connection-fee and rate-based revenue.
• Cayucos Sanitary District: Small coastal SLO County sanitary district providing wastewater collection and treatment to a similar unincorporated community. Useful comparability on rate-funded wastewater operations and SSMP compliance.
• Nipomo Community Services District: San Luis Obispo County CSD providing water, wastewater, solid waste, and street lighting services to a comparable unincorporated community. Operates under the same California Government Code §61000 framework as SMCSD.
• Heritage Ranch Community Services District: Small SLO County CSD providing water, wastewater, solid waste, and recreational services to a similarly sized rural residential community. Shares the same enabling legislation and rate-setting dynamics as SMCSD.

Broad incumbents

• California Water Service Group: Large investor-owned California water utility regulated by the CPUC, serving many communities across the state. Provides a public-market benchmark for water rate structures, capital intensity, and operating efficiency relevant to small CSDs like SMCSD.
• San Luis Obispo County Public Works Department: County-level public works provider that delivers some overlapping services (solid waste, flood, lighting) elsewhere in SLO County and partners with SMCSD on environmental health and groundwater issues. Comparable in service mix but broader geographic scope.

Others

• California Special Districts Association: Statewide association that advocates for and provides governance/transparency certification to California's special districts, including SMCSD. Not a competitor but a key ecosystem body governing best practices, training, and policy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@sanmiguelcsd/playlists
• Facebookfacebook.com/SanMiguelCSD
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/san-miguel-community-service

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 San Miguel Community Services District