Stephen Pepe, Lompoc

After two years, untold tens of thousands of dollars spent, scores of meetings with wineries, several press releases, a business improvement district (BID) website, four proposals, and a rejection by the Board of Supervisors staff, the Santa Barbara County Vintners Association board at the end of October announced they were dropping the wine BID. How […]

At its Tuesday, Oct. 20, meeting, the Lompoc City Council passed a resolution stating: “The City Council does not consent to the inclusion of the city of Lompoc in the BID.” This was in response to a petition from 32 Lompoc wineries opposing the Santa Barbara Vintners’ Wine Business Improvement District (BID). The petition signers […]

The Santa Barbara Vintners has spent two years and undisclosed funds trying to craft a Business Improvement District (BID).  The good news is their latest proposal—1 percent assessment on all California direct to consumer sales—has dropped two of its more objectionable suggestions: using BID funds to market to the trade (grocery stores, wine shops, hotels, […]

The Santa Barbara Vintners have been working on a wine business improvement district (BID) for two years.  Their first proposal was a 2 percent tax on all direct to consumer (DTC) wine sales, which would include wine clubs, tasting rooms, wine merchandise sales, food sales, winemaker’s dinners, and weddings. The 2 percent tax would not […]