Tag archives: County Board of Supervisors
It was three against one at the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, May 13, as the board weighed the future of oil and gas in the county. In a 3-1 vote, the supervisors passed a motion to prohibit new oil and gas drilling and phase out existing operations in the county. […]
Over seven years and more than 4,000 complaints later, the pungent smell of pot in Carpinteria might finally be under control, thanks to the Santa Barbara County Supervisors who, on March 18th, unanimously voted to adopt amendments to the county’s cannabis ordinance. “Unanimously, the Board of Supervisors ushered in a new chapter of cannabis in […]
On January 3, and for 46 days thereafter, growing cannabis was illegal in the 25 California counties that had allowed it. But then, thanks to the efforts of Santa Barbara, the cannabis cultivation industry was rescued, permitting its powerful lobbyists, investors and growers to breathe a collective, and perhaps smoke filled, sigh of relief. Allow […]
Maker House – Clay Studio, founded by Lynda Weinman and Patrick Hall five years ago, is located in Goleta. Studio Director Erin Smith has announced its new Board for 2025 as follows: Yvonne DeGraw, President; Rachel Hammond, Vice President; Elizabeth Guffey, Secretary; and Melissa Cunningham, Treasurer. DeGraw is a tech writer and small business owner. […]
In the annals of Cinderella stories, this was a good one. When Roy Lee decided to throw his hat in the ring against (former) First District County Supervisor Das Williams, naysayers abounded. He lacks the experience, the political savvy, and the familiarity with the Montecito community – were just some of the charges leveled his […]
Over one year ago, the Rosewood Miramar went before the Montecito Association Land Use Committee to share its expansion plans. From one county meeting to the next, Miramar owner Rick Caruso and his team presented numerous iterations of the plan, each time receiving feedback from county officials, neighbors, and other community members who voiced opinions, […]
Earlier this week the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors appointed Marshall Miller to the Montecito Planning Commission. His appointment was for the vacancy left by Charles Newman, who stepped down from the Commission at the end of his second term in December 2020. Growing up in Montecito, Miller attended All Saints, Montecito Union School, […]
It takes a good interviewer and writer and selection of a worthy subject to produce a meaningful and touching article. Leslie A. Westbrook achieved all three for her piece, “At Home with Lou” (August 21-28, 2021). She focused on interviews with the prize-winning, former senior White House Correspondent for The Washington Post, Lou Cannon, and […]
On October 7, in a 3-2 vote, our County Board of Supervisors voted to give themselves an optional 3% pay raise. Supervisor Joan Hartmann justified her vote by explaining that “this job is a very demanding one with a lot of responsibilities that are very diverse.” Das Williams and Steve Lavagnino expressed similar justifications for […]
Also in the news on the rebuilding front: earlier this week the County Board of Supervisors dedicated $10.1 million toward restoring haul routes and roads within the Montecito community and surrounding area that were damaged due to the 1/9 debris flow and emergency response. The funds were recently received as part of the County’s litigation […]
Sue Happy Supervisors The old saying, “What goes around, comes around,” should be the new County motto! That is, our County Board of Supervisors (BOS) has done virtually nothing to prevent forest fires by way of reducing fuel loads or creating adequate buffers between the urban and wildland interface. Moreover, they have not maximized the […]
In August, Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors (BOS) received a briefing on Short-Term Vacation Rentals (STRs) in the Coastal Zone of the County and directed staff to return to the board with recommendations for how STRs should be allowed to operate in the Coastal Zone. In May, the California Coastal Commission denied the BOS’s […]
On Tuesday, May 15, the County Board of Supervisors (BOS) voted on an amendment that modifies the current “Like for Like” (LFL) ordinance that allows people who want to rebuild their home the same way it was before, to get an exemption from the County Planning and Development (P&D) permitting process. The Thomas fire/debris flows […]
