I keep trying to remain optimistic that there will be a dramatic turnaround of new growth and an influx of prosperity and wealth in Lompoc, but all the signs point in the opposite direction.
In many ways a tone-deaf City Council majority has contributed to a reversal of improvements that have been made by previous community leaders. The majority has opposed or ignored any effort to raise the image of Lompoc.
This year, for the first time in over 40 years, the Lompoc Kennel Club canceled the annual show dog competition at Ryon Park. This three-day event brought hundreds of participants and guests to the city each year. Hotels were sold out, restaurants full, and tax revenues from the sale of gasoline for all those vehicles soared.
Why did they leave? Well, Ryon Park has deteriorated to a point that it was becoming dangerous for the dogs and people to show their animals on the grassy areas.
One of the reasons is that the last few budgets have seen some serious cuts; last year it was well over $1 million, and the next budget outlook predicts at least another million in cuts. There are only five park maintenance employees to maintain all the parks in Lompoc, and the only improvements that have been made have been largely through the efforts of citizens groups.
The council has ignored this problem; strong leadership is needed to marshal all the resources, government and private, to fix this problem. But none have surfaced so far. A modest and temporary sales tax increase, which would have helped mitigate the problem, was opposed by the majority, so there is no relief in sight.
The city’s roads, streets, and alleys are in very poor condition. Once again budget issues complicate the matter. How can people take pride in their own private property when the street is full of potholes and the broken pavement?
As with many other cities across the nation, Lompoc has a homeless problem. The homeless are camped in the riverbed, in the shrubbery around businesses, and on the streets in vintage camp trailers and motorhomes throughout the city.
Instead of enforcing the “no camping” rules, our City Council concluded that the best approach to the problem was to allow the homeless to camp in the City Hall parking lot! Of course, they claim that there will be careful vetting and the camp will be carefully monitored, but considering their attitude on other enforcement issues, I am not yet convinced that this is a promising idea.
Besides, what sort of image does that give to out-of-town visitors that have business during public meetings held in the evening hours?
The selection of a new city manager seems to have hit a speed bump; as quick as it appeared on the council agenda, it disappeared. Is there some sort of problem with the selection process? Inquiring minds want to know, but since these matters are handled in closed session, we may never find out. Maybe the Canary knows.
The overall attitude of the City Council seems to be to cater to the lowest common denominator when considering the future of the city.
Legalize cannabis, but refuse to protect children attending youth events. Allow the homeless to camp in the City Hall parking lot, but refuse to enforce “no camping” laws. Allow the homeless to set up a begging stand on city sidewalks, but don’t enforce rules against solicitation in public areas. Allow the use of “safe and sane fireworks,” but ignore the fact that illegal fireworks are used every week throughout the year.
Lompoc is on a slippery slope, and the current leadership team has consistently dropped the ball. It’s time for a dramatic change in leadership to reverse this trend. m
Ron Fink is a resident of Lompoc. Send your thoughts to letters@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Jun 14-21, 2018.