Watch what they do, not what they say
Meeting
In 2023, the City hired a new Community Development Director who oversees the San Luis Obispo Community Development Department. She also oversees code enforcement and the issuance of conditional use permits for sororities and fraternities. Under her direction, code enforcement met with Cal Poly administration and Greek Life. The focus of the meetings was to explain the laws prohibiting fraternities and sororities in R-1 and R-2 neighborhoods. They also did a presentation at a Greek life event.
Transparency?
Shortly after the meeting, Cal Poly informed the City that it would no longer keep track of its satellite houses. This ultimately torpedoed transparency and ensured that the city would not know their locations.
On August 28, 2024, Cal Poly said:
“The Deferred Recruitment Compromise is not a binding agreement nor does it last indefinitely. It was a solution to issues pertinent at the time. As other policies and legal requirements evolve, so too do the requirements for fraternities.“
Cal Poly also said it was updating its Party Registration Policy and Guidelines for Greek Life. Would this remove the requirement that parties be held at registered satellite houses, and is Cal Poly changing its long-standing policy of documenting where fraternity parties are happening? Was this in response to the City telling them the fraternities were operating illegally in its neighborhoods, such as ours? Once again, the “partnership” with the community that Cal Poly claims it is committed to seems one-sided.