Tag archives: Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors

The Board of Supervisors Meet About TRUTH
By Tiana Molony   |   May 20, 2025

On Tuesday, May 6, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors unanimously accepted a report from the Sheriff’s Office outlining its interactions with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement under the TRUTH Act, short for the Transparent Review of Unjust Transfers and Holds Act.  The TRUTH Act is a California law aimed at safeguarding the rights […]

BOS & Sable: Supervisors Decide the Fate of Oil and Gas in County
By Tiana Molony   |   May 20, 2025

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. […]

Cannabis Odor Abatement Plan Officially Adopted by County
By Tiana Molony   |   April 1, 2025

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 […]

Sad But True: How Our Supervisors Saved California’s Cannabis Industry
By Jeff Giordano   |   April 1, 2025

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 […]

An Unlikely Duo Maps Out Their Vision for Santa Barbara County
By Jeff Giordano   |   January 21, 2025

At last week’s Board meeting, there was an Honor Guard, the La Colina HS Jazz Band, and even a bit of soaring keynote rhetoric from Montecito’s own Gwyn Lurie. It was as Supervisor Steve Lavagnino described — a “celebration of democracy” — where Roy Lee took his place on the dais and Supervisor Laura Capps […]

Good Governance & Speeches
By Montecito Journal   |   January 21, 2025

I picked up the MJ this morning and read your [Gwyn Lurie] editorial, the transcript from last week’s BOS meeting. I loved it. It captures what I hold as the essence of the expectation – the hope, to borrow from you – of good governance.  I also delighted in the eclectic choices of sources and […]

Rosewood Miramar Goes to the Board of Supervisors
By Tiana Molony   |   December 24, 2024

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, […]

Board of Supervisors Hear Music Academy’s Call
By Tiana Molony   |   November 12, 2024

At a lengthy meeting on November 5th, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted 3-0-1 to deny the appeal of the Montecito Planning Commission’s approval of the Music Academy of the West’s Revised Conditional Use Permit (CUP).  District 1 Supervisor Das Williams moved the vote under the condition that staff recommend no more than […]

Housing Element Update Approved 
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   December 12, 2023

The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors narrowly approved the Housing Element Update (HEU) on Tuesday, solidifying the State-mandated housing chapter of the County’s Comprehensive Plan. The purpose of the Housing Element is to accommodate existing and projected housing needs for all residents of the unincorporated County.  County planners presented the HEU to the Supervisors, […]

County Decides to Switch Cannabis Meeting Originally Slated for Yom Kippur
By Nick Masuda   |   September 9, 2021

(Editor’s note: This story is updated with information attained after our print deadline for the September 9 edition of the Montecito Journal) After initially rejecting multiple requests to change an upcoming meeting pertaining to a potential Santa Claus Lane cannabis dispensary due to a conflict with Yom Kippur, the County of Santa Barbara acquiesced late […]

Key Santa Barbara County Contacts: Websites, Emails and Phone Numbers
By Nick Masuda   |   August 12, 2021

A One-Stop Shop for Key Contacts within Santa Barbara County