Santa Barbara County Is Facing Big Budget Shortfalls

••• Santa Barbara might finally reform the way that the harbor’s boat slips are sold. —Santa Barbara News-Press

••• “Over the Next Five Years, County Government Is Looking at $66 Million in Cumulative Budget Shortfalls [….] Of that, [explained Santa Barbara County Executive Officer Mona Miyasato], $26 million can be explained by chronic deficits that have afflicted certain general fund operations, like the departments of Public Health and Social Services. Some of it stems from a projected increase in wages and benefits. But $40.3 million, she said, will be caused by federal and state funding cuts to social safety net programs. If the supervisors want to keep those programs whole for the next year alone, it will cost them $23 million they currently do not have.” —Independent

••• “Santa Barbara City Council is laying the groundwork for a rent stabilization ordinance, and while there’s still a long path to final approval, councilmembers offered a road map for city staff to follow over the next several months, including direction to pursue a temporary moratorium on rent increases until the details of the new rent cap are worked out in full.” —Independent

••• “Despite previous resistance, the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort will move forward with its plan to expand its buildings and add more rooms to the hotel. The Santa Barbara Historic Landmarks Commission [granted] final approval to Hilton Santa Barbara, allowing the hotel to add 73 rooms to its facilities. The expansion will increase the room count from 360 to 433.” —Noozhawk

••• “The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a 15-year lease for [a four-court indoor volleyball] facility with youth sports nonprofit Santa Barbara Volleyball Club. The agreement allows the club to demolish the current duplexes and storage sheds at 4550 Hollister Avenue, adjacent to the Page Youth Center and Fire Station 13, to build the 18,400-square-foot steel facility.” It’ll be “funded through donations and community fundraising.” —Noozhawk

••• “The California Coastal Commission voted to approve a permit allowing the Diablo Canyon Power Plant, perched above Avila Beach of San Luis Obispo County, to continue operating through at least 2030. The controversial decision was conditioned on Pacific Gas & Electric, the [nuclear] plant’s operator, agreeing to permanently conserve 4,000 acres of surrounding land from commercial or residential development.” —Independent

••• Realtor.com and North Hillcrest recently spilled the beans on the famous buyers of two Montecito properties. Ever since I started Siteline, I’ve wrestled with whether to mention when someone purchases property around here, and the rule I settled on was to do it only after another outlet had published it—i.e., the information had become public. (An exception was made for serial flippers.) As Siteline has grown, and concerns about privacy along with it, I no longer feel comfortable doing so. Selling, however, still strikes me as fair game.

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