In November, Solvang residents will decide whether to recall sitting City Councilmember Chris Djernaes following a successful citizen-led petition effort. Lammy Johnstone, who is leading the recall effort, filed paperwork to begin the process on June 25. The notice Johnstone filed states, among other claims, that Djernaes isn’t respectful to residents and disregards the wishes […]
ZAC EZZONE
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Santa Barbara County looks to permanently reduce the number of inmates held in jail
Hundreds of inmates have been released from the Santa Barbara County Jail to limit the spread of COVID-19 in the facility, and county leaders would like it to stay that way. A lower population and a felony diversion program are some of the changes the county Board of Supervisors said it would like to see […]
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County governments begin regional housing needs process
Local governments in Santa Barbara County are beginning to analyze the region’s housing needs over the upcoming decade. State law requires regional government boards, such as the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG), to manage the Regional Housing Needs Allocation process. Through this, the state sets housing goals for each region, after which regional […]
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County bans cannabis cultivation in Tepusquet Canyon, other rural neighborhoods
A change in regulations further limits where cannabis farms can operate in Santa Barbara County. During its meeting on July 14, the Board of Supervisors approved a package of ordinance amendments that it developed during a previous hearing in June. Among the four changes is one that prohibits cannabis cultivation in existing developed rural neighborhoods, […]
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Solvang solves its trolley problem
A contentious Solvang City Council vote on a businesses license renewal ended with a broken gavel and a council member leaving the meeting early. The Solvang Trolley and Carriage Company’s one-year license to operate its seven trollies—six of which are horse-drawn and one is motorized—expired on June 30. According to city regulations, only the council […]
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A recent meeting gave Orcutt residents the chance to weigh in on a future cannabis store
The process of selecting the owner and location of the single cannabis retail store that’ll operate in Orcutt recently kicked off with a virtual community meeting. Santa Barbara County officials held the meeting on July 9, which included an overview of how the decision will be made and a chance for residents to provide input. […]
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Lompoc sues Mission Hills Community Services District over 20-year old annexation agreement
Lompoc, a city looking for new housing, is taking legal action to try to move forward a development that city officials said is being held up by a 20-year-old agreement. In 2000, the city of Lompoc and the Mission Hills Community Services District entered into an annexation agreement that states the land slated for a […]
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Lompoc City Council approves pay raises for police officers
Amid nationwide and local calls for redistributing funds from police departments, the city of Lompoc recently approved pay raises for its officers. During its meeting on July 7, the City Council approved an agreement with the Lompoc Police Officers’ Association that includes a 2 percent salary increase for the union’s members. According to a staff […]
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After a few weeks of not quite normal operations, many businesses in the county shut down for a second time
Amid a surge of COVID-19 cases, Gov. Gavin Newsom recently required many businesses in Santa Barbara County to fully or partially close, a few weeks after many reopened from the previous closure. During a press conference on July 1, Newsom announced a health order that mandates certain businesses in counties on a state COVID-19 watch […]
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Grand jury criticizes county’s cannabis regulations in recent report
Echoing many of the talking points of the local anti-cannabis crowd, the Santa Barbara County grand jury recently released a scathing report in which it criticized county officials for allowing the creation of a cannabis industry to the detriment of county residents. “The action taken by the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors to certify […]
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Buellton joins Monterey Bay Community Power
In June, the city of Buellton became the latest jurisdiction to opt into joining Monterey Bay Community Power, a community choice aggregation agency that has expanded along the Central Coast over the last two years. Community choice aggregation agencies are public entities governed by a board of directors made up of officials from participating jurisdictions […]
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County begins drafting plan to reach 2030 emission reduction goal
Over the next two years, the county of Santa Barbara will develop a plan identifying programs and policies the jurisdiction can pursue to meet its greenhouse gas reduction goals. During its meeting on July 7, the county Board of Supervisors authorized staff to hire a consultant and move forward with developing the Climate Action Plan […]