On March 22, the Solvang City Council unanimously approved waiving a $350 banner fee for Santa Ynez Valley Youth Football League and Cheer as the youth program picks up again after its 2020 athletic year was canceled due to COVID-19.
The council moved the request further up the agenda that evening as Brenda Messer, vice president of Santa Ynez Valley Youth Football League and Cheer, said some of the school-aged speakers who wanted to speak on the item needed to go home and get homework done before the next school day.
Three football players attended the council meeting, and one player, Levi Snow, asked the council to consider lifting the fee to help him and his fellow players.
“This is going to be my last year of [the youth football league], but they still have a few more years left,” Snow said, gesturing to the players behind him. “But we’re really excited to find out that we’re having a season this year, and we’re wondering if the money can get waived because we don’t have any money for our league.”
The $350 city fee would allow the league to place their banner along Highway 246 to advertise the upcoming season.
Normally the league is able to pay the fee, Messer said, but due to the pandemic, “we essentially made zero dollars last season” because there wasn’t one.
“We don’t have the money to put up the banner, which is one of the ways we let the community know that our registrations are open. And we really need as much recognition and exposure as possible,” she said.
Last year was very difficult for everyone, Messer said, but especially for the youth.
Without discussion, the board unanimously agreed to waive the fee and wished them well on their upcoming season. Santa Ynez Valley Youth Football League and Cheer is hoping to kick off its season in late July.
This article appears in Mar 25 – Apr 1, 2021.
