City Council - Regular Meeting

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Heat. Hey. Hey. Hey. Heat. Heat. Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey. a baby. He Good afternoon. This is the April 14th, 2026 uh meeting of the Santa Barbara City Council. Would you please join me in the pledge of allegiance?

I aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Mr. Clerk, would you call the role, please? Oh, madam clerk. Council member Freeman. That was yesterday here. Council member Santa Maria here. Council member Gutierrez present. Mayor PMsteadnstead here. Council member Harmon here. Council member Jordan here. And mayor Rouse

here. Very good. And we have some ceremonial items to read. I'll read both of them. Item one, animal care and control appreciation week. And item two, National Public Telecommunicator Appreciation Week.

Chief, how are you? Excellent. All right. Okay.

It's almost always better to do things for dogs. Animal care and appreciate and control appreciation week, April 12th through 18th, 2026. Whereas the National Animal Control Association has designated the second week of April as animal care and control appreciation week. And whereas animal care and control week proise provides an opportunity to acknowledge the dedicated work of animal care professionals, volunteers, and advocates who tously support animal welfare, impose animal protection laws, and deliver essential services to animals in need. And whereas animals are an integral part of our community, providing companionship, assistance, and joy to countless individuals and families. And whereas through education, outreach, and enforcement efforts, we can help raise awareness about the importance of spaying and neutering pets, keeping vaccinations up to date, providing up proper identification, and ensuring animals are treated humanely. And whereas by celebrating animal care and control week, we pay tribute to the commitment and compassion of those who work tireously to ensure that all animals are treated with kindness, respect, and compassion in our community. Now therefore, I, Randy Rouse, as mayor of the city of Santa Barbara, do hereby proclaim April 12th through 18th, 2026 to be Animal Care and Control Appreciation Week in Santa Barbara and encourage all residents to join us in expressing their sincere appreciation for the service and dedicated of our animal control employees. So, very good. I won't make her say it.

This is the rule that we have. If I make my uh if if my team members have to say it, then they won't come back to council again. But I just want to acknowledge, as we all know here in Santa Barbara, we love our pets and love our animals, whether they're wildlife or whether they're domesticated. So, we just want to take this moment to acknowledge our small but mighty group of animal control officers that make sure that we all coexist in the proper ways. and really want to thank the compassion and the care that is shown by our animal control officers. So, thank you so much.

I'm right here.

National Public Safety Tele Communicators Week. I'm having a hard time communicating myself. April 12th through 18th, 2026. Whereas the city of Santa Barbara acknowledges the dedication, expertise of communications personnel that help save lives, provide assurance in times of crisis, and uphold the highest standards of public service. And whereas these skilled professionals serve as the lifeline between public and emergency personnel, ensuring that help arrives rapidly when it's needed most. And whereas the safety of our police officers and our community rely on the safety and efficiency of information gathered by the telecommunicators at the city of Santa Barbara's communication center. And whereas these dedicated professionals work tirelessly, often in challenging and strenuous environments to ensure timely and effective emergency response across services across our city. And whereas uh National Telecommunicators Appreciation Week serves as a meaningful occasion for our community to recognize and honor the vital contributions of telecommunicators in ensuring public safety and contributing to the quality of life in Santa Barbara. Now therefore, I, Randy Rouse, as the mayor of the city of Santa Barbara, do hereby proclaim April 12th through 18th, 2026 to be National Public Safety Comm Telecommunicators Week in Santa Barbara in honor of the men and women whose diligence and professionalism keep our city and its residents safe. Oh, congratulations once again, Chief and all you. Same same rules apply. Even though they talk on the phone, they don't like to talk in public. So, it's a true statement, but I'd like to acknowledge Katie, our dispatch manager. We have two of our dispatchers with us. Dispatcher Rogers and Dispatcher Gonzalez are with us today. But, you know, a lot of the times we get um I guess community comments about dispatch because they don't understand why we ask all the questions that we ask. They're patient,

the compassion, the empathy that they have to show call after call after call, whether it is a priority call or whether it's because a barking dog call or other calls, right? It can be a whole variety of things that they have to. But the other side is they're in the dispatch center and they don't actually know what the outcome is or what's happening. They just hear what's on the radio and they are literally our lifeline not just for us but for the community because they're the ones that take that initial call. But they're the ones that get us the information that we need so that we can safely respond to the situation and actually know kind of what we're going into. But they they are a vital part of our agency. We really appreciate them. And we're very lucky also to have our support dog who's taking a good snooze nap today. She brings that zen with us. I'm going to attribute to the Zen we started the meeting with Dakota today. So with that, I just want to say thank you to Katie and to all of our dispatchers. They're a vital part of our department, but even more so that support that they give our community. So thank you.

All right, madame administrator, are there any changes to the agenda? Um, no, mayor. No changes that I'm aware of. Thank you very much. And madame clerk, do you have some uh consent items to read?

I do. Item two, adopt resolution declaring intent to continue wildland fire suppression assessment district for fiscal year 2027. Preliminary approving engineers report and setting June 2nd, 2026 public hearing resolution. Recommendation the council adopt by reading of title only a resolution of the council of the city of Santa Barbara declaring its intention to continue the wildland fire suppression assessment within the foothill and extreme foothill zones declaring the work to be more than general or ordinary benefit and describing the district to be assessed to pay the cost and expense of thereof preliminarily approving the updated engineers report staining intention to continue assessments for fiscal year 2027 and establishing a time of 2 p.m. on Tuesday, June 2nd, 2026 in the city council chambers for a public hearing on the wildland fire suppression assessment. Item four, resolution affirming the city's commitment to biodiversity protection and restoration resolution. Recommendation council adopt by reigning of title only. A resolution of the council of the city of Santa Barbara affirming the city of Santa Barbara's commitment to biodiversity protection and restoration. Item five, adoption of wastewater and water systems climate adaptation plan resolution. Recommendation council adopt by reading of title only a resolution of the council of the city of Santa Barbara adopting the wastewater and water system climate adaptation plan and that is all for consent to be read Mr. Mayor.

Okay. Very good. Are there any items that need to be pulled by council members for either a separate discussion or vote? Miss Nedden. Thank you Mayor Rouse. Item three, four, and six just for comment but can vote together. Okay. Uh Mr. Freriedman, sorry. Uh item four was included in that and it was just for comment not a separate vote. Okay. Very good. And then so we will do those and bring them back uh after the report from the public ordinance committee and general public comment. Uh may I have then have a motion for the balance whatever's left of the consent calendar which looks like it's items five and 7 A and B. So moved. Moved by Harmon. Second.

Second by Jordan. May we have the vote please madam clerk? Uh yes, Mr. Mayor, this is a motion by Council Member Harmon, seconded by Council Member Jordan for consent items five and seven. Correct. Go ahead and vote, please.

That pass unanimously. Thank you very much. And then with that, we will take a report from the ordinance committee. Mr. Chair, thank you, Mr. Mayor. uh we ran over in time with public comment and we weren't able to finish the public comment period. So we uh voted to continue the issue for the following ordinance committee meeting.

All right. Thank you very much. And with that we'll move on to um general public comment. Three minutes at the dis for anything that is not on today's agenda but within the purview of this body. And we'll start out with Mark Redmond. Oh, hello everybody. Uh, your mayor, your honorhip, Eric, Wendy, Oscar. Did they name Gutier Street after you? Randy, Kristen, Megan, and Mike. I'm running for mayor. I'm serious. I'm giving it my all. I now run a podcast. Met her on the red carpet. She said, "Keep doing what you're doing. These kids are dying less." She doesn't believe in the drug situation. The director of the um opioid related data for Santa Barbara County has said it's come down since 2023 when said its peak and we lost 186. Now the last two years we've only lost 93 individuals to opioids. I go to the drug and alcohol meetings and I am serious about trying to bring awareness more so than the commercials on television. I talk to the kids, most of them are in their 20s and 30s that have done drugs. They said, "It's so addictive, Mark." I said, "Look, it's not a badge of honor that you died five times. Firemen, the medics, and the police have saved you with Narcan. They give me I've got six of them in my trunk. I gave one to a lady last year out of the Wildcat lounge. It was froening at the mouth and then the medics came and she made it and she's still in our program. Anyway, um I wanted to give you some statistics besides that. The changing overdose crisis in Santa Barbara County is a community authorized

by Kendall Court Leu, a PhD from a professor at Central Florida. And um the director here um the opioid and assistant favorite for Santa Barbara is a sheriff's office, Lieutenant um Robert Mentor. You can download this whole report. Um, so I don't need to go on and on about it. Santa Barbara County officials highlighted a decline during the board of supervisors meeting March 10th, 2026. Overdose rate has dropped and as I repeat, it was up to 186 in 2023 at its height. In the last two years, we've lost 93 individuals both years. Everybody get their primary election in the mail yesterday like I did. There's uh a lot of races. Board of supervisors, governor goes on and on. Lieutenant Governor. Anyway, uh if you pay taxes, that's your best American right is to vote, make a difference, and I want to work hard. I'm a farm kid from Kansas, just like Kelly Mcadoo, who grew up in Ottawa. I grew up in Lewisburg, 30 miles to the east, six miles from the misery line we call Missouri. Anyway, everyone have a great day. I love you all over the world, especially in Santa Barbara.

Thank you. Uh, Maria Love Day.

Hello. My name is Maria Love Day. I'm a native of Santa Barbara and a resident and I'm here today to find out who I can talk to about the lack of outdoor public seating and um in relation to um the ambassador program as well. Um because I called public works yesterday, talked to Max Thomas and he said he couldn't answer my questions or provide me with anyone anyone who could. Um so I came here. Um, recent examples of removal of public outdoor seating include Alama Park. When I was when it was just recently repaved, they took out the central seating there. Um, and then the library when it was renovated. Um, that seating was taken out. Of course, seating on state, you all know about those have all been removed because I guess of maintenance issues. But prior to that, I believe there were benches all along state and those were removed even maybe before that. Um, there hasn't been adequate public seating along Cababrio Boulevard for a very long time. The gazebo at Alama Park has been closed to everyday people for many years. Um, I'm guessing that the lack of seating removal of seating is due to loitering and maintenance concerns. Correct me if I'm wrong or I'm overlooking other issues. Um, if this issue is about the lack of public seating due to loitering, maintenance issues, has Santa Barbara considered other options besides little or no seating. Santa Barbara could consider providing more outdoor public seating while expanding the ambassador program to monitor public spaces, keeping them clean, secure, and safe for all people to enjoy. Ventur's ambassador program provides its citizens with part-time trained paid employees on bikes who are part security, part social worker, and part tourism. They help public keep public space clean, safe, and enjoyable for all people to enjoy. And maybe SB could consider a similar

program to Venturas so that we could have public seating that is for all and to enjoy our beautiful space that we live in in peace. Um, and I understand that the Santa Barbara public safety receives 45% of our revenues. So, please consider using some of this towards more seating and expansion of the SB Ambassador program, which I understand is volunteer only, but maybe I'm wrong about that. Um, to get closer to maybe Ventura's program. Thanks for your service to our community, and please let me know who I could follow up with on this issue since I didn't get very far with parks and recreation. Thank you very much for your time. Thank you, John Thomas.

Hey, how are you?

Mayor Randy, I miss your restaurant so much. Just so you know, I loved that restaurant, my favorite restaurant in um Santa Barbara and now it's gone. Um history history always repeats itself and um when COVID hit um the Plaza Vera Cruz was closed. It said on the sign for three months three years later um the park was still closed. Um and um um there's a now um it was known it was it was known as Needles Park. Nobody knew what Vera Cruz was. But um my dog park is closed and they have a sign again. I'm getting no cooperation at all from Parker emergencies. None. They don't return phone calls, blah blah blah. Um, but that's how I'm a poor retired veteran and um, I live at the Garden Street Apartments and I make a living walking people's dogs and there's this one-third of Pleaser Cruz was turned over into a public park. Um, I've asked Lisa Mohler um to write a letter to the independent because she got that park opened again. Um she's she like she fought back and forth to be able to get that park. I really need that little park open. It's a park. What what is what does the maintenance have to be in there? You know, the trapeze the trapeze school is next to it that the f there's a fence. You know, there's a little kid school that's no longer there anymore. Um that's connected. It's the kota that cute little school the kiwani school thing for the kids that's gone and then there's a little park is my dog park and it's locked and so I can walk seven dogs in there because we can close the gate and the dogs can run around free in there so if you whatever you can do to help me get that dog park I would like to set up an appointment your district one. Yes, ma'am. Okay, congratulations on being in in there. So um I think I'm done talking. I just need help getting the dog park open and sorry

for my entrance in earlier.

Thank you. Uh FISA Dean. Hi. Um my name is Fasia Dean. I'm in district three. I want to announce today that uh I want to run for uh city council district 6. I I have a plan to relocate. Uh I want to talk about um I want to shift the focus to uh my counting strength and the declaration. Uh first of all, um I'm an American descendant of slavery and and came before the city with nothing while they have it all. Right. While you have it all. Okay. My family is from Tinselaw Parish, Louisiana, where at one point 90% of the descendants of slavery were there. We paid for the sovereignty of America with the backs of our labor and blood. I'm not your ordinary person. My father is a icon of Louisiana. Thomas Jefferson. Uh the bonds for our sovereignty, government bonds were paid by my descendants of slavery. My father, he is a French chef from Louisiana. He is an icon and legacy of history. I have much to give and benefit Santa Barbara. We were the labor that built the wealth of this continent. When the British accepted government bonds for the sovereignty of what is now America, those bonds were based on

the high value of my ancestors. My family paid for America and they paid for the purchase of themselves. The lineage fought to expand and save the Union and the civil rights. The Mexican-American War was won with our help and a mulatto Mexican governor led this land before my ancestors helped win California. To honor our fight, because this is the only home we have. Our owner, America, wrote the 14th amendment to incorporate American descendants of slavery into the United States and for all the state to follow. Each and every edios is a corporation. Today, a corporation under law is a person, a entity, and cannot represent itself. However, American descendants of slavery can represent themselves. We are the first corporation.

Thank you. Thank you. Um, Madam Clerk, do we have speakers online? Yes, Mr. Mayor. We have Stephen Leonard. Steven Leonard, please go ahead. Uh, good afternoon, members of the city council. Um, can you hear me? Yeah.

Great. Thank you. Uh, my name is Steve Leonard. I'm an associate attorney with Angel Law, speaking regarding issues we have with the proposed short-term rental ordinances contemplated earlier today by the ordinance committee, which uh might come before you in the coming weeks. Uh, these ordinances would eliminate hundreds of short-term rentals, which is an extreme effect that should not be taken lightly. And should these ordinances come before the city council, we urge you not to accept them as currently written until they can be rewritten, brought into compliance with SQUA, with the city's land use plan, and with the property rights of the people of Santa Barbara. First, the exemption violates SQUA. The uh staff report uh prepared for the ordinance committee says the ordinance should be exempted from SQA, meaning that it wouldn't have to go through any more environmental review. Uh the staff report bases this finding on sequent guidelines section 15061B3 which applies where it can be seen with certainty that there's no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment. But the staff report contains no evidence to support such certainty despite the seismic shift in the city's accommodations patterns that the ordinances will cause. Uh the project doesn't need to be a big construction site to have environmental impacts. By suddenly eliminating hundreds of STRs, these ordinances risk simply pushing visitors to Santa Barbara out to accommodations outside the city. And the farther you push visitors, the longer they have to drive to get into the city, increasing their air pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions. So we're saying that an initial study is appropriate and necessary to meet sequence goals of careful deliberation and public disclosure. Second, adoption of the ordinance as written is inconsistent with the sea's own land use plan, which explicitly requires the preservation of lower cost visitor accommodations like short-term rentals. By banning a vast swath of STRs, these ordinances make overnight accommodations both rarer and more expensive. So, in other words, they turn access to the Santa Barbara coast into a luxury for the wealthy rather than something within the reach of regular Californians. So, we urge a more moderate approach in the sweeping prohibitions in these ordinances. And uh

finally, these ordinances, if adopted as written, also implicate constitutional issues threatening the property rights of the people of Santa Barbara. For example, the non-conforming use provisions in each of the ordinances are underinclusive and that they fail to protect the rights of STR hosts who currently operate legal STRs but who haven't had to get a permit. For example, coastal zone STRs and city residential zones A, E, R1, and R2, which are protected by the cracky injunction. And STRs and non-residential zones where hotels and similar uses are currently allowed. And for these reasons, we urge you not to adopt these ordinances should they come before you in the coming weeks. That's all. Thank you very much.

All right. Very good. Are there further uh speakers online, Madam Clerk, for general public comment? No further speakers for general public comment. Okay. And with that, we'll close uh general public comment. We'll move to the poll consent items. The first one is item three, which has been written into the record. And Miss Snen, you had a comment and or question.

Yes. Thank you, Mayor Rouse. So, for item three, um and I mentioned this before, but I'll just keep making the comment. And I'm not sure we're in the process, but I do believe um hearing from residents in extreme high fire and high fire areas that they would be willing to assess themselves at a higher um rate if that would be going more toward um doubling investments from neighborhood groups or from other groups that are also investing in areas. So, um I'm not sure at at what point that might be considered, but I I do want to mention it here at this item. Very good.

Sure. I'll just uh comment our fire chief and fire marshall here. Um significant increases above what the assessment district already has built in as a cost of living would require a new vote for the district and um I think would require a substantial outreach process. I think we are, you know, I think there's some other um work flows that are in the process around uh the fire facilities assessment and some other sort of needs assessment for the fire department. And I think we are all in wanting to kind of wait till that process plays out to see whether, you know, this is an appropriate funding mechanism to fund some of those improvements or if we should be identifying others as well. And so absolutely hear the comment and are are willing to explore it. I just want to make sure that we're doing it with uh an eye towards the long longer term fire facility needs and and staffing needs as well.

Okay. And and where should I direct residents who um specifically want to move that forward? You can uh send them to myself and the fire chief and that we're happy to keep keep track of those and and and talk with them further. Thank you. Yep. All right. Very good. And with that, uh, we'll move to item four. You had that poll as well, Miss Nen. We also have some public speakers, so I'll I'll wait till after the public comment. Okay, very good. We'll begin with, uh, Stephanie Diaz. Miss D, you have uh, three minutes.

Hi, I'm Stephanie Diaz. I'm with the Land Trust for Santa Barbara County. And um, good afternoon. Um we are really pleased to see that the city has um prepared a resolution in support of biodiversity and it's something that the land trust has added a core uh value for them and over the years we have about 40 years worth of work and almost 60,000 acres of conserved land. And um part of what our conservation is about is keeping biodiversity and um the health of our our entire region as well as the special ecosystems that we have is um threatened by um the loss of uh uh general um ecosystem species that we in that we have the flora and the fauna. And this happens because many times there's inappropriate development or water is moved from the area, it's not available. And um we understand that protecting biodiversity is a long-term commitment. And that's why we feel that your resolution speaks publicly to your commitment to that long term. And um I think I would like finally like to say that the biodiversity is not just for plants and animals. It also helps water shed. It helps soil. It helps agriculture. So it has a a more uh full uh community service. Thank you.

Thank you. Uh next up we have the threesome of Helen Schneider Sigrite and Steve Winhager. Little unfair ganging up on us like that, but go right ahead. We come in peace. You get you get all of us for three minutes instead of nine, right? So that's nothing. You know better than that. I know that's all good.

Mayor Rouse, uh members of city council, Helen Schneider, I have the honor and privilege of serving as chair of the board of directors at the board of trustees at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden. I want to acknowledge Sigrid Wright, ex uh executive director of community environmental council. And then on staff at uh the Botanic Garden, Steve Winhanger, our executive director, and Eric Cardinis is right over there, our director of impact and advocacy. And just to thank you for supporting this biodiversity resolution. You are the first in the county to get on the agenda. We are going to other cities in the county and to the county itself who will also be uh looking at this resolution as well. Um the Botanic Garden and Community Environmental Council co-chair the this regional collaborative. We just heard from land trust. There are 40 organizations in the region who have signed on to this process. Um the representatives meet quarterly to discuss pressing issues involving local biodiversity and who've create a shared vision and policy platform which I believe you have copies of um in support of biodiversity on the central coast. And our vision is to support new and strengthen current systems that will reduce the impacts of climate change, support economic well-being, improve habitat and ecosystem functions, and increase the biodiversity in areas most impacted by society and development. Um, we encourage you to use this resolution when considering future actions in city planning and zoning. development decisions could be as simple as adding native plants to a landscape design to something more complex in your long-term planning or dealing with fire fire resiliency um or climate uh action here. So, uh I'll turn it over to Sigret Wright.

Well, Helen said it all, but what I want to really call out is that state of the city last week. I was just so impressed both I've long been impressed with the city's um history when it comes to taking the lead on promoting sustainability but I'm also really impressed with your ability to partner and um so as you just mentioned as you just heard CEC the Botanic Gardens and 40 plus organizations as part of the biodiversity working group we're here to help you we're here to partner with you um to do things that all of us are really concerned about improving water quality reducing water demand improving soil health and as you've heard here today building resilience against wildfires. So, we do hope that you will reach out to us in ways in other ways that um we can collaborate and thank you. Thank you for your leadership.

Thank you, Madame Mayor at Hall. Um do we have any uh speakers and speakers online, Madam Clerk, on this item? Uh yes, Mr. Mayor. We have Lori Gaskin and then Joseph Miller and Nancy Aos have raised their hands when I call on Joseph and Nancy. We need to find out what item they're there to speak to if you may please. But I believe uh Lori Gaskin is for the second. So go ahead Lori Gaskin.

Thank you so very much. My name is Lori Gaskin and I have the honor and privilege of serving on the city's creek advisory committee as well as I chair the conservation science committee for the Santa Barbara Ottabbon Society. And I am here um uh Mr. Mayor and city council members to thank you so very much for this resolution protecting biodiversity and supporting restoration. Uh we have as as we all know when we go out and we enjoy this extraordinary habitat that we have the privilege of of living within. We have such a diverse landscape from our mountains and foothills through our riparian corridors, coastal plains to the coastal zone itself, including the uh very special and unique Galita Slooh over which the city of Santa Barbara has stewardship. and for all of those diverse and special and extraordinary ecosystems. When you commit to in those five bullet points fostering and advancing biodiversity protection and restoration, you are in turn protecting birds and bird habitat. And for that Santa Barbara Ottobon Society is extremely grateful and we simply encourage uh further embracing of the progressive uh approach you take to habitat protection and habitat restoration in the name of of this generation and future generations to come. Thank you very much.

Thank you. Are there further speakers online for item four? Uh, next we have Joseph Miller. Joseph Miller, if you wish, can you let us know what item you want to speak on? And if it is item four, please go ahead and speak. Hi everyone. I just had a general comment. I'm not sure what item it was for and I'm sorry if I sign. Yeah, I'm we've we've closed general comment. We'll have uh we can reopen it at the end of the meeting, but we've closed the general comment for now. Oh, I'm sorry. Well, I'll get it at next meeting then. Okay. Appreciate everyone. Thank you.

Next is Nancy Aos. Nancy Aos, please go ahead and let us know what item and if it is item four, please go ahead.

Good afternoon, Mayor Rouse and honorable city council members. I am speaking on um item four. Thank you. Um, my name is Nancy Vos and I'm the assistant director with SPAN. You guys have heard of uh from us multiple times. The Santa Barbara County Action Network is a part of a collaborative group meeting quarterly to protect our local diversity, biodiversity, and we are very, very proud that the city of Santa Barbara has taken this step affirming the benefits that biodiversity brings to this region. We urge you to integrate biodiversity considerations into planning, zoning, and development decisions. Moving forward, please continue to support wildfire resilience, agricultural landscapes, and overall regional conservation. Thank you so much for the opportunity to give public input.

Thank you. Are there further speakers online for that item?

Our last raised hand is Mark Jatilo. Mark Chhatilo, if you wish to speak on item four, please go ahead. If not, please let us know which item. Thank you uh Madame Clerk, members of the council. M Mark Chatillo, I wanted to just offer my support for um this item and appreciation for all the prior speakers. They said pretty much everything that needed to be said. Um this is a really important uh gesture and uh substantive action supporting both biodiversity and restoration of our habitat. uh and uh to have that include all city lands uh both lands that are within the city and those that are outside of the city but owned by the city is particularly important. So, uh thank you and I hope that you will uh endorse and adopt this measure.

Thank you. And with that, Miss Nut, you're up.

Thank you, Mayor Rouse. I just um really grateful for this resolution and um just highlighting as as we heard the importance of biodiversity is not just soil enrichment and water infiltration and air purification but as was mentioned resilience um fire um food resources uh against illness against climate change and um this came to our um sustainability council committee and was fully embraced and it comes forward with the with the full support of the council committee as well. And um congratulating the Botanic Gardens on your 100 years and and going to one of those events and something that was really impactful was mentioning that the redwoods that we see now, these, you know, huge majestic trees were planted by the careful planting a 100 years ago. And then the Tory pines that you're planting now with the just the little um sprigs there are planning for the next hundred years and that generations you know we won't see them at at that majesty but future generations and was really powerful um uh planning on that and so um I think also this ties into the ecological framework that the CEC has been championing and that um sustainability committee also is bringing paying forward and um really appreciating how again in partnership with the um bringing this forward from Botanic Gardens and the support with that too with planting on State Street and then bringing things forward to sustainability committee and then and then here and um just appreciation for all that this item really is significant. Thank you.

Thank you. And then uh we'll move to item six which has been read in the record. Oh, comment by Mr. Freeman. are you uh jumping in on this?

Yeah, thank you. Uh thank you, Mr. Mayor. Really uh just wanted to express appreciation to the Botanic Garden in particular for leading this effort. Um I know Mr. Cardinis and Mr. Winhaganger put a lot of work in this with our sustainability department and the chair of your board, uh former mayor Schneider, so it kind of ties into the city and it's a real honor for all of us up here to be the first in the county to adopt this and move this forward. uh city of Santa Barbara has a long history of environmental protection and also environmental policy forward thinking. This is very forward thinking considering that we are in a bio biological diversity hotspot and yet the diversity is threatened here and and worldwide. So this is an opportunity for education but also reversing that trend and to have 40 partners uh it's a public private partnership because government alone is not going to be able to make the changes that we need. So, it's great to see the the CEC uh land trust here today as well as well as the other comments. So, thank you all for showing up, being a part of this, and look forward to implementing this in the weeks and months and years ahead.

Very good. Thank you very much. And with that, we'll move on to item six, which has been read on the record, and we have a public speaker on that, Lanny Evenstein. Mayor Rouse, members of the council, thank you for your service to our community. Um, I'm speaking on behalf of the Coalition to Preserve uh Mission Canyon today. Uh, we were most recently involved uh with city issues several years ago on uh bridge issues and uh the city had uh uh accepted a grant for some millions of dollars uh from the state of California. This is a cliffnotes version. um that and was moving toward demolition of the existing Mission Creek Bridge and uh building a new bridge using some materials from the previous one. And the the coalition organized and um broad-based uh bipartisan, nonpartisan uh people with very different perspectives on many issues, uh but united in the view that um uh that wasn't a good idea. And ultimately after a seven-year effort, um, uh, all of the members of the council, including all the members of the council now who are on the council at that time, voted for at least, uh, one of the resolutions, uh, to, uh, detract that project. And two of the members of the council, Council Member, uh, Freriedman and Council, Council Member Harmon voted uh, uh, for both of the motions that would uh, detract that project. And uh, and we continue to have the Mission Creek Bridge today. And I I've thought several times since then that if that project had gone through, what would the impact be on uh the the eight eightstory proposed eightstory development next to the Santa Barbara Mission? It it was a a very important vote and and thank you for it. Um so

we're supportive of conceptual design contracts uh for pedestrian pathways and for waterhed fish passage improvement plants. We're we've always been in favor of them and our our goal has always been that discussions are open, honest, conceptual, preliminary. There aren't decisions made. It's not brought back. Well, we put so much money and effort into it. We this is what we've got to do in terms of and so I I wanted to speak on members of the coalition will certainly becoming more active in the coming weeks and months uh to to monitor and become involved in these issues. Um it's very important to the city. It's it's very important to the entire region. It's a very uh uh important area both uh naturally and and also in terms of its its long development. Um the coalition also supported more recently the designation in the county of Rockyuk Park as a uh county historic landmark. Um, so in any event, we we're we're just here to let you know that we're we continue to be involved and we'll be involved on this issue and um we we take you at your word that these are conceptual design contracts and that there'll be lots of opportunity for community participation as the process develops. Thank you for your time and your service.

Thank you. Um Miss Schned, thank you. Thank you, Mayor Ros. So, that was going to be my question for the public so we can um let people know that this is just for a foot path, not for a bridge demolition and what the timeline is and what are the points of engagement. Sure. I thank you, Mayor Russ. And I I think there's maybe one more public speaker online potentially for this item. So, we'll let that person speak and then I'm we're happy to respond to Thank you. Yes. Very.

Mark Tatello, did you wish to speak on item six as well? Yes, Madame Clerk. Thank you. Uh Mark Chhatillo speaking on this item on behalf of the organization Friends of Mission Canyon. We've been actively involved in creek protection issues uh and restoration as well as circulation issues. Uh and I wanted to offer the friends support for this action and a lot of appreciation for staff and bringing this forward. Um the the primary interest that we have is around fish passage. Uh Mission Creek is for is unfortunately fortunately it's an important steel head and um part of the biological constituency and DNA of our city. Um but it's also the creek itself u Mission Creek is not providing anything near uh the potential that it could um for for fish and for biological resources. removing the fish barriers uh the that is the barriers to fish migration including the one that's right under uh the Mission Canyon Road bridge that does implicate pedestrian circulation in that area uh is a sore spot and it's one that definitely needs to be addressed and uh kudos to staff for identifying that and bringing it forward and I hope that your council will uh support this. Uh we need actions to both remove the barriers to fish passage and also take actions uh to remediate the city's adverse impacts to fish flows in Mission Creek in order to restore this habitat and this watershed uh to the way it should be. So uh support for this action and we very much appreciate your efforts. Thank you.

Thank you.

Uh thank you Mayor and and Council Member Snedden. I just wanted to say a couple prefacing comments and then I wanted to ask our sustainability and resilience director, Alia Paranto, to come up and speak. I recognize the long and complicated history of of this bridge um the community input and the concerns that have have gone on uh around the design of this bridge and alternate um pedestrian and bike uh passage through the area along with the sustainability issues. Uh last year in the CIP, I believe it was last year in the CIP budget, uh the council added back in uh some preliminary design dollars for this project. At that time, uh I I basically asked our sustainability department to take over leadership of this uh project. It will no longer be run by the transportation division, which it had been previously, and to embark on a new uh design process that is very community-engaged and and really sort of brings all of the stakeholders together. This contract is simply the first step in a very extensive process. And so I'm going to let uh Miss Parento speak to what the next steps are from this contract award.

Parent.

Yes. Thank you. Uh Mr. R, council, Mr. Mayor, council members. Uh yes, Miss Mcadoo is absolutely right. We're just kicking off the process. In August of 2021, your council did vote to move forward on conceptual pedestrian pathway designs. And when we took over the uh project last year, we started looking at all of the constraints that are in the area both upstream and downstream and wanted to have some factual options before re-engaging the community so that we could start from a place of feasibility. So that's where we are today. will be entering into this contract to get some concepts to then engage with the community on where which sightings are better, which tradeoffs are worth it. Um, and so we do anticipate a very robust community engagement process from that point and will not make any decisions or bring anything forward to council without that input. Sned.

Yeah, think I was just going to say thank you. Okay, very good. Okay, with that um are there anybody is anybody online? This is that was it for the line room. Okay, we got all this. So, we need to go back and approve or make a motion to approve items three, four, and six. So, second

moved uh Sned and second by Freeman. May we have the vote, please? This is a motion by by Mayor PM Snedden, seconded by Council Member Freeman for items 3, four, and six on the consent calendar for the recommended actions. Please go ahead and vote. Those are previewed annually. Thank you very much. And we will move on then to uh item where are we? Item eight. Yes. Yes.

Item eight, community development and human services committee funding recommendations and fiscal year 2027 action plan public hearing. And mayor, I just wanted to take a moment before our staff kicked this off. I think this may be the first presentation that our new housing and homelessness services manager, Carrie Payne, is making before the council. So, I wanted to acknowledge her addition to the city staff team and welcome her and thank her for her leadership of this really important critical program uh within the city organization. So, with that, I will turn it over to her. Very good. We're usually pretty tough on first appearances, so good luck.

Oh dear. Well, it is a great honor to be here and thank you for that introduction, Miss McAdoo. I am excited to share the hard work that not only the office of housing and community vitality has been up to, but also our community development and human services committee because we have some very dedicated volunteers that spent every week in February working to make sure that this project moved forward and that we are able to leverage some really important federal funding and help support our community. So here we go. This is our basic presentation that goes through the recommendations and the action plan for the upcoming fiscal year. So we have a four-part recommendation today. One, to approve the fiscy year funding based on the recommendations of the community development and human services committee for use of community development block funds, as well as approve an amendment to the fiscal year 2026 human services and public service grants to renew a second year of grant funding for fiscal year 2027. We also recommend to authorize deputy city administrator to execute such agreements, amendments, and related documents subject to approval as to form by the city attorney and conduct a public hearing to obtain input on the city's annual action plan for program year 2026 through 2027. So, a little bit of background about the CDBG program. So these are federal funds that we receive annually for the purpose of providing decent housing, create suitable living environments, and create economic opportunities. The city council also allocates general funds to further supplement what we are

able to do with the CDBG dollars and provide human service grants to a variety of nonprofits supporting these goals. A little bit of background. CDBG funds are awarded annually to efficiently address community infrastructure needs. Four projects were recommended in fiscal year 2027. So a majority of the CDBG funds go towards capital campaigns, infrastructure and development and a a minority of those funds are allocated to the public service grants. So in this cycle, we reviewed four of these recommended capital campaign projects. Since fiscal year 2023, human service grants have been awarded by annually in two-year grant cycles. So on March 18th of last year, the council approved 41 grants for fiscal years 26 and 22nd. So we are looking for a recommendation to continue on with that funding. Here's the breakdown of the funding that we have available this year. So, we get an annual entitlement. That's that blue section 841,577. We also have the annual allocation that is um from the council in terms of the general service funds which is the 726,150. We have our CDBG reprogrammed funds. So in last year projects came in under budget. So 12,975 and we have a little bit of program income or repayments which is the 60,000. The CDBG program uh is through HUD and they establish funding priorities. So, homeless assistance, community development, needs and services, decent

housing availability, public facilities and infrastructure, and economic development. We also establish funding priorities for the public and human service grants. So, the first funding priority being programs that help meet basic human needs, specifically food, shelter, housing, medical, physical, and mental. And second, proposals that reduce the impact of violence, including prevention of gun violence and suicide and/or prevention in nature and or promote the highest degree of functioning the individual is capable of achieving. The funding process for capital grants um goes through a standard process. We provide notices to interested parties. We do an advertisement. There's a press release including a Spanish language option. It's posted on the city website and through social media. We host a mandatory applicant workshop and then provide staff Q&A. The funding process after um applications have come in. We go through a standard process. Four capital applications were received this year. None of those were economic development proposals. We received two proposals that are focused on preservation of important housing stock through the nonprofits in our community who provide housing to very low-income individuals. We received one that is about preservation of housing stock for low-income homeowners. And we also received an application to complete the vision for Plaza Vera Cruz and the development that's happening in that park. The CDHSC is the committee that uh reviews these applications and makes the funding recommendations. This is a 13 member

board represents board interests from a variety of community interests including low and moderate income neighborhoods and the role is to review the proposals, recommend the grants and monitor existing grantees. The development of the recommendations this year was done by the CDHSC in February. They reviewed the applicants. They review they interviewed the applicants. Each applicant came to the committee and presented um their proposal. The applicants were scored by the committee members. The committee members also conducted site visits throughout the year of the current grantees and reported back at the committee meetings and the final funding recommendations were form formulated and approved by the committee. Capital grant recommendations which were the ones that we were focusing on this year came in. All applicants were recommended for full funding, which was really awesome that we had enough funding to go around and everybody got what they asked for. Recommendations met CDBG goals to provide decent affordable housing, infrastructure improvements for public facilities. There was a contingency plan that was developed. However, we did receive our funding allocation from HUD before this action plan and recommendation report were created. So, there is no need for a contingency plan. The recommendation report has been included in the packet. It's also published on our website and it has a detail of each grant in the funding cycle including um what the funds will be used for and the amount of each grant. This also includes the secondyear

human service public service grants. The annual action plan is a mandate of HUD. It's a component of our five-year consolidated plan. And so each year we report on the updates to that plan progress and the recommendations that we have for the year ahead. The difference between the action plan and the recommendation report is largely that the recommendation report includes those human service grants that we provide as a city that are in addition to the CDBG HUDF funded programs. The annual action plan process today is a public hearing. We will have a 30-day review process that starts April 15th, so tomorrow, and will end May 17th. You can access our action plan online and we will have final approval May 19th of that action plan which will include any public comments that we get in that open 30-day period. The next steps will be to submit the action plan to HUD for final approval, execute the agreements for the capital grants and execute the agreements for the public service grants as well. And that is a conclusion of my presentation.

All right. Very good. Are there questions from staff? Mr. Freriedman. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Just a a couple of questions. In in the staff report, it mentioned and this is the second year of a two-year plan. And uh when we brought that forward a couple years back, couple of the the reasoning behind that proposal was on the operational side for the nonprofits if it would have benefits for reducing overhead, reducing time with the grants, but also allow them to recruit

uh staffing positions for those because they had the two-year guarantee. And then on our side, again, we're looking at the city to improve efficiencies and and costs here. uh was reducing having to review those grants every year and put that out. So, has there been a positive feedback in terms of both of those goals that came from the proposal two years ago?

I have not received specific feedback about the efficiency. However, I imagine that it is a decreased burden for our nonprofit partners. I do know that they're very grateful for the grants. Even though they're not a large part of their operating budget, they make a huge impact. And so I did hear that from each one of our grantees during this cycle. Not only the impact financially to the organization, but also in leveraging our funding and approval of their programs into additional funding. So actually being able to leverage these small grants into increased funding for their organization. So and then having the two years probably helps them addition.

I am very confident that it helps them with the administrative burden. All right. Thank you. I'd just like to check in uh that change because those were the intended part of the intended packages of reforms that we put in a couple years back. Thank you. Yeah. Any further questions of staff? Okay. Um do we have any public speakers online for this? No, Mr. Mayor. Okay. Very good. Back to council for comments and deliberation. Miss Ned.

Thank you, Mayor Rouse. I just as as liaison to the committee I just really want to reiterate what a dedicated committee that is. It's very intense work over a short period of time and um they're delegating work to each other and then there were staffing changes in that time and then they were training each other on what the the rules were and um I just it's really impressive um how much they care and and how much they dedicate to this this endeavor. Um it was a good year. I have heard from applicants and there were some comments on that that they appreciated the two-year cycle. Um, and then there was, it was such a quiet year this year really with smaller projects but for more funding and I wanted to ask you there was some unexpended funds or some um the the full amount wasn't applied for and I just want to make sure it's not use it or lose it or if it um if you could just speak to that. Yeah.

Yes. Thank you. We uh with the staffing changes and there was kind of an unusual request in that an applicant asked for a large amount of funding and then in the process between the time in which they applied and the time in which they came for an interview in February had gotten more information about their project and actually had a much lower bid. And so it threw us through some hoops. And um in the end what the committee's recommendation was because that lower bid was so significantly lower was to have that money go as a not to exceed amount for that grantee. they will have a cushion if they get in in this process when the capital campaigns go to complete the work because the work isn't done for many months after they actually get the award in February March they have to go through a bidding process and so those bids don't always match exactly the initial bids for a variety of reasons and so providing them with that cushion I think will be really valuable in ensuring that they're able to complete that work any funds that are left over, we do have the ability to allocate to other projects that go over budget

or use as reprogram funds for the following year. So, we will not lose it. Okay. If we don't use it. Thank you. Um and I'm happy to move the recommendation. Okay. Very good. Um there's a motion on the floor. Is there a second? Second by Freriedman. Any further discussion? May we have the vote, please, Madam Clerk? Yes, this is a motion by Mayor Prom Snettton, seconded by council member Freriedman for the recommended actions for item 8. Please go ahead and vote.

It pass unanimously. Thank you. Good job. Thank you all so much.

All right, we will move on to the next item. Item nine. Very good. Item nine, single family streamlining project ordinance amendments. Ordinance introduction resolution. Sorry, I have to read a little bit here. Uh recommendation that council A introduce and subsequently adopt by reading of title only an ordinance of the council of the city of Santa Barbara amending the Santa Barbara Municipal Code by amending chapters 30.01 30.15 30.20 30.25 30.30.35 30.140 30.165 30.175 30.185 30.2 20 30.205 30.220 30.235 30.250 30.29 30.295 30.30 and section 30.150.090 of chapter 30.150 of title 30 pertaining to regulations for single family streamlining. B introduce and subsequently adopt by reading of title only an ordinance of the council of the city of Santa Barbara amending the Santa Barbara Municipal Code by amending chapter 25.03 03 of title 25 pertaining to regulations for single family streamlining project C. Introduce and subsequently adopt by reading of title only an ordinance of the council of the city of Santa Barbara amending the Santa Barbara municipal code by adding chapter 22.22 and amending chapters 22.68 and 22.69 969 of title 22 pertaining to regulations for single family streamlining project and D adopt by reading of title only a resolution of the council of the city of Santa Barbara amending the single family design board guidelines

very good Miss Kakinda

good afternoon mayor and council members I'm Ted Hamilton role designer review supervisor joining me is city planner Ellen Kakinda I also want to acknowledge Brenda Belts our planning analyst and Allison Debus our community development director and take a second to acknowledge and recognize them for their contributions to this project. It's been a lot of work and uh they've done a whole lot of good things for it. Uh we're here on the ordinance committee's recommendation to request your consideration of the ordinance amendments associated with the single family streamlining project. As you may recall, this project was initiated in 2022 as a result of community feedback and land development team oversight subcommittee direction. We presented a conceptual level briefing to council of our proposed ordinance amendments in June of last year. This project implements much needed changes to the city's design review process for single family development, streamlining and simplifying what is currently an overburden process. Council supported the direction on the proposed amendments. This project has been in progress for more than three years and has been thoroughly vetted by the public, the SFDB, the planning commission, and city council. In early 2023, staff analyzed three years worth of SFDB project data. Did public outreach focused on SFDB stakeholders, including homeowners, architects, designers, planning consultants, American Institute of Architects, Advocates, and current and former SFDB members. In 2024, based on this targeted outreach, staff began developing the ordinance and guidelines updates and presented those concepts to the single family design board and planning commission. Then in 2025, we held additional SFDB and planning commission discussions and did outreach to neighbors and the realtors association and then held the briefing session at city council. We held an additional introductory session with planning commission in December 2025 and in January 8th of this year, the planning commission

recommended that the amendments be forwarded to city council. Ordinance committee unanimously recommended the proposed amendments on March 17th and we are here today for your consideration of our recommendation to introduce and adopt the amendments. The project goals are the same as presented to city council in June 2025. One, to reduce the number of single family development projects subject to design review. Two, to streamline the public hearing process for single family projects, and three, to create more flexibility to address common homeowner interests. Key project actions include updating the SFDB code and guidelines and incorporating complimentary amendments to the zoning ordinance to ease up on restrictions and give homeowners more flexibility. I'll now walk you through how we're addressing each of these goals. Again, the first goal is to reduce the number of projects subject to design review. And the primary change we're proposing to achieve this goal is to exempt alterations from design review if they don't result in new floor area and either visually match the existing development or result in a new cohesive design. Here's an example of how we would apply this approach and what we mean by exempting alterations from design review. In the SFDB approved project shown on this slide, the existing mid-century home in the top image needed a new roof, windows, and plaster. And under current code, this project required consent review SFDB just due to the number and extent of the changes proposed. However, under the proposed code, this project would not require a public hearing since it only involves exterior alterations and the resulting design is cohesive and consistent with the SFGB guidelines. and the proposed and approved design is on the bottom. Along with reducing the design review triggers, we propose to increase administrative approvals of minor projects, part of a comprehensive update to the SFDB guidelines, which is part of your packet. We're doing a general reorganization and reformat to enhance readability, enhance accessibility. Uh simplifying and

consolidating the long list of SFDB's goals. uh in in adding enhanced process guidance including the addition of substantial conformance criteria and also to help streamline the process we plan to expand the guidelines criteria for administrative staff level approvals of minor projects. Here's an example of a project that would qualify for administrative approval under the new code. It's this red hatched addition that's in the back of the house. You can see the street up here at the front. Um, this is a onestory 500, it's over 500 square feet addition and it required consent just because it's over that 500 foot threshold. Um, and by allowing admin approval of up to 800 square feet in our proposed guidelines, this would give us more flexibility to approve projects like this that are obviously consistent with the SFDB guidelines and don't alter the front facade, result in a cohesive style, and are located in consideration of neighbors. This would allow more streamlined permits for projects like adding a bedroom addition at the rear of the house. And for comparison, here's an example of an addition that wouldn't necessarily be eligible for admin approval with the new standards. Even though the addition shown here is small and one story and meets most of the criteria, it's this little bump out in the front here. It doesn't meet meet one of the criteria, which is that additions can't significantly alter the front facade and still qualify for admin approval. So, it's important to keep in mind that just because we receive an admin approval request, we don't have to approve it administratively and we regularly refer admin approval request to consent or fullboard if they don't meet the criteria in the guidelines. If these amendments are proposed, we anticipate at least 24% of SFDB projects will no longer require design review. This is a conservative estimate of the total number of projects that would be reduced, the bare minimum we can expect to be eliminated. the actual reduction in projects might be higher. And note that there is actually little change to

the share of projects reviewed at full board, demonstrating that we are not proposing changes that would remove the most significant projects like new two-story houses and large additions from SFDB purview. What this means in terms of the actual number of projects and agenda items is that of the average of 221 projects triggered for some level of SFDB review every year, whether it's administrative consent or full board, 54 of those projects would be entirely exempt from design review under the proposed ordinance. Consent and fullboard SFDB projects take an average of two public hearings. So if we multiply the number of consent and fullboard projects by two, we get approximately 108 fewer SFTB agenda items every year. We think this is a reasonable reduction for now as we wanted to this project to take a measured approach using a scalpel, not a hatchet, so that the proposed ordinance will strike a balance between streamlining and maintaining reasonable aesthetic oversight of single family projects. The second goal is to streamline the public hearing process by consolidating the SFDB review process from two approval hearings into one, changing the requirement for mailed notices, and lowering the review level for floor area modifications. By consolidating the SFDB approval process from two hearings into one, we're implementing a NOVAC report recommendation to reduce the number of appeal points. Uh we're shining a light emphasizing project design approval as the most important approval to appeal and by eliminating a hearing at final approval helping the city comply with the five hearing limit for housing projects set by the housing crisis act. The current process requires public hearings for both project design approval in the middle and final approval on the right. Project design approval is the main approval point at SFDB and the one that counts for that state permit streamlining purpose and

final approval despite its name that implies otherwise is not the substantive SFDB approval despite its name. Uh instead it's only the approval of final project details and verification that those details substantially conform to project design approval. And currently final approval is appealable by anyone who participated in the decision hearing even though the final approval scope is narrow limited to scope or I'm sorry limited to color and material details and whether the project substantially conforms to project design approval. The proposed process now shown on the screen frontloads the review of final details to project design approval. Meaning that some of the plan details currently required for final approval would now be required for project design approval. like your uh finish details, your color and material board, etc. So, instead of going to a public hearing for final approval, applicants would be able to submit directly to building and safety for the building permit, and planning staff would perform their review for substantial conformance to the project design approval as part of the regular building permit plan check. If staff find that the building permit plans don't substantially conform to the project design approval or are otherwise uncomfortable making a decision, we would have the option to refer final approval to the SFDB. And those referred decisions uh that the community development director refers to SFDB on final approval would only be appealable by the project applicant. I want to note that for the current and proposed process, you still have the option of going to a concept review where uh these design issues can be ironed out early on. To assist staff with making those post-approval decisions, we are introducing a process for determining substantial conformance to the approved plans in the SFDB guidelines. Uh there are seven sub seven criteria for substantial conformance that need to be met for to qualify for final approval. Minor variations to plans may be approved if they meet these criteria and

if they do not then a revised project design approval would be required. This makes it much more clear to everyone what to do when a plan set deviates from an SFDB approval and was something that SFDB project appellants and neighborhood representatives advocated for. Along with streamlining the final approval process, staff proposed updated findings for SFDB project design approval. We've reduced the number of findings from 7 to 5, shortened the text, and rewarded them to keep their original intent while also focusing them on SFDB's purview of house size, design, and aesthetics. This is something the SFDB has requested and reiterated and will help with the clarity of their motions. And just for reference, these same findings now take up three slides with the same text slide text size. We also propose cleanups to the hillside finding and grading and vegetation removals findings that focus the SFDB's review on project aesthetics and reduce the amount of text for them to read. Again, helping with motion clarity. Another streamlining code amendment is to update mailed notice triggers for all designer viewboards. The biggest changes are two additions. Currently, a 500 ft firststory edition requires a mailed notice. We are proposing to increase that threshold to 800 square feet to be able to administratively approve an addition of up to 800. Like we discussed earlier, this aligns with state ADU law and allows ministerial approval of that 800 foot ADU or state. This aligns with state ADU law that allows ministerial approval of an 800 foot ADU without any design review. And also similarly with second story additions, we propose to increase the male notice threshold from 150 ft to 250 ft. This would allow staff to administratively approve a small bedroom addition to an existing second story, something that the current code and guidelines do not allow. And I want to

emphasize that new second stories would still require mail notice when you're going from one story to two or more. We also propose to change the eligibility requirements to appeal HLC and ABR final approvals. As with final approval decisions made by SFDB, the proposed amendments would make ABR and HLC final approval appealable only by the project applicant. Again, this facilitates the city's compliance with the housing crisis act five hearing limit for housing projects. Lastly, for design review ordinance amendments is a widely supportive streamlining action. Currently, the process to approve or deny a single family project exceeding the allowable floor area, also known as an F modification, is done in three steps. First, a required concept review at design review. Second, the formal decision at the planning commission. And third, back to design review for project design approval and final approval. The proposed process combines these three steps into one, making the design review body the decision maker, which stakeholders indicated was preferable as the F findings really have more to do with aesthetics than with land use. And I want to note the appeal of SFDB and HLC F design waiverss would be heard at planning commission. Goal three is to implement zoning amendments that help streamline home improvement projects and address common homeowner interests. A primary approach to achieve this goal and to reduce the number of automatic design review triggers is to create design standards from existing design guidelines. Applicants can either design to these standards and be exempt from discretionary design review or request an exception reviewed at SFDB. This allows the community to maintain aesthetic oversight even with state mandates to reduce design review. One such guideline turn standard is that upper story decks like this one shown in the image should be 15 away 15 feet away from the property line for fences and sight walls. The maximum

height as per the zoning code and the code now specifies allowed materials including wood, black or green painted metal, masonry or stucco. Disallowed materials include chicken wire, vinyl, unfinished CMU block and chain link. And these materials are based on those listed in the current SFDB guidelines. And again, exceptions to these new standards can be requested at design review. To address privacy concerns voiced by members of the public, we propose to add standards for upper story windows within 15 ft of an interior lot line. They can either use a minimum sill height of 42 in or be oriented toward the front or the rear. Like you see a lot of windows on this house are oriented toward the front. This prevents large floor to ceiling openings looking directly at neighbors. This is another example of an existing guideline turned into a standard and the single family residence design guidelines encourage those upper story openings to be uh placed on the front facade. The SFDB guidelines also promote the use of front porches. To facilitate homeowners building front porches, we are proposing to remove the automatic design review trigger for them and replace it with design standards. To allow maximum flexibility and as a result of public comment received at ordinance committee on March 17th, a new front porch can encroach up to 10 feet into the front setback as long as it's at least 5 feet from the property line. And it can either be 16 feet wide by 10 feet deep or if it's wider than 16 feet, it can be up to the width of the building with a reduced depth of six feet. In addition to front porches, fences and hedges can really alter the streetscape and have a big impact on neighborhoods. Initially, we had planned to exempt all minor zoning exceptions from SFDB review. However, we recognize that over height fences, walls, and hedges, as shown in this image with these fences

can significantly affect the streetscape and can present conflicts between uh neighbors with shared property lines. Therefore, we're keeping the process the same for them with a public hearing and a mailed notice. We're proposing a new process for the more commonly rubber stamped MES, including building height increases in the setback, trash enclosures in the front yard, and new and expanded openings and setbacks. Those would now be re reviewed administr administratively, excuse me, using code standards based on existing findings. And I want to just clarify this image here on the right. This fence is what the guidelines encourage. Something that's relative relatively short that allows you to see the house. It discourages these tall fences that really cover uh the beautiful houses that the SFDB works on approving uh from the street. We are proposing minor changes to the height regulations for fences and hedges illustrated in this table in the red text. And for front yard fences, the max height is decreasing from 8 ft to 5t, but you can still request a minor zoning exception to go up to 12 feet. This might seem more strict at first glance, but this allowed us to eliminate the design review trigger for front yard fences over 3 and 1/2 ft tall. So instead of this automatic trigger, we're now allowing up to a 5ft tall fence in the front yard as long as it meets objective design standards and material specs aligning with current guidelines. These next few concepts for inland zoning won't apply in the coastal zone. They are aimed at providing homeowners more flexibility in how they develop their property. The main change we're proposing is to remove the requirement that parking spaces for single family residences, duplexes, and condos have to be covered. This gives property owners building a new house the option to not build a garage, potentially lowering project cost and reducing project size and bulk. Note, we're not proposing to change the number of required parking spaces, only the stipulation that they

must be covered. And this provides significant relief from regulations. Currently, the code often forces people into a path they don't necessarily want to take just to get an approval, and the new regulations provide some common sense alternatives. These process improvements allow more options for folks who want to use their garage or uh as something other than parking, but don't want to convert it to a full-fledged ADU. Currently, the code allows your garage to be either a garage like shown on the left or an accessory dwelling unit with a full kitchen and full bath with no flexibility to permit it as anything in between. By removing the covered parking requirement, the proposed amendments would give people options to keep their garage as is or convert it to a storage or playroom or a guest room or a space that better meets their needs. They would still need a building permit to formally convert it. Along with allowing the flexibility to build or not build a garage, the proposed ordinance would allow the construction of a guest house that can be used only by the occupants of the main residents, their non-paying guests or domestic employees. This gives folks more flexibility to build a space with a bedroom and a full bath for their guests to visit without the expense of adding a whole kitchen. Again, this is something current zoning doesn't allow. Now, initially we proposed a detached new construction guest house size limit of 500 square feet and planning commission directed us to increase the size limit to allow more living space. Um, in January we proposed and they accepted a 650 foot cap. uh this cap still is needed so that these guest houses would not take away from the existing incentives to go ahead and build an 800 foot ADU. We also propose easier to meet open yard requirements. There are many lots in the city between 5,000 and 6,000 ft and they

often have a hard time meeting the required 1,250 foot of open yard as shown in red here when planning an addition or accessory building. To address this, we propose to update the zoning code to reduce the open yard requirement to 800 square feet as shown in the blue square here. And this is not to scale. It's just a rough estimate. Um, we also propose to change the minimum dimensions from 20x 20 ft to 20 x 15 ft. This will make it e even easier for folks with smaller lots to meet the open yard requirements while still maintaining ample open space. The amendments also promote vibrant streetscapes by requiring landscaping in the front setback. Currently, there's nothing in the ordinance that would prevent a front setback from being covered over in asphalt. To address this, we propose to add a requirement that at least 50% of the area within the front setback be planted or landscaped, as shown in this image here. Occasionally, there are projects that the code requires to go to the community development director or the staff hearing officer for a decision, but the project is controversial or complex enough to warrant review by a higher review authority. And the proposed code would allow the director or staff hearing officer to just refer a project to the next highest authority without holding it hearing to do so. This is key because it eliminates what's effectively a wasted hearing just for the referral, allowing the project to go straight to the next highest authority for a decision. This also helps the city comply with the state mandated limits on the number of hearings for housing projects. And lastly, for zoning ordinance updates, along with the amendments specific to single family development, we're proposing a whole host of amendments that address new state laws, housing element updates that reduce constraints on housing development, and clarifying amendments to zoning ordinance uh that streamline processes and simplify code language. Before I conclude, I'll mention that

this project implements one housing element policy and three programs related to streamlining and reducing constraints on housing development. I can explain further if there are questions about that. Overall, we crafted these amendments to help city staff get to yes on simple projects more quickly and efficiently while maintaining aesthetic oversight on development. This project maintains the city's objective of ensuring new development is compatible with the neighborhood and facilitating neighbor participation. It also results in a faster process, better efficiency, and achieves state requirements related to housing element and other legislative updates. Here's our recommendation, and this is an abbreviated version to what's in your packet. If you vote to adopt the new ordinance would take effect on May 28th, planning and building permit applications submitted before May 28th may choose to use the o the new or the old standards, but not both. And the cuto off for getting a building permit issued under the old standards would be December 17th of 2026. Applications submitted on or after May 28th must use the code standards, the new code standards. Our staff and staff training and applicant support plan includes five staff trainings, a public webinar, a fact sheet on our website, outreach to the LDT, AIA, and staff office hours. We're also recruiting for the design review project planner, a position that would provide additional continued support with implementation. Thank you very much. That concludes my presentation.

All right. Thank you. Very good. Um, council questions. Miss Ned. Thank you, Mayor R. I have two questions. One, um, can you just step us through the process the how it goes well and then if it's going to be appealed, at what point? So, it's it's minimizing the number of meetings. And so if you could just step through each step of that.

Thank you, Council Member Snedden. Uh through the mayor. Uh currently the process uh for single family development projects involves um essentially three steps at a public hearing. A concept review, project design approval, and final approval. Concept review is not appealable. It's just an initial look at a project. It's before the application has been deemed complete and uh has been determined to include everything that the decision maker needs to make a decision. Project design approval is the main approval point. It's where the size, bulk, scale, massing and everything get locked in. Um the board is making those specific findings that are in the code and uh it is an appealable action. Final approval is another appealable action currently. It's also a public hearing. This is where uh you have uh drawings that are approaching working construction drawings including um all of your structural details, mechanical, electrical, plumbing if it's necessary on the outside uh etc. And uh really the scope of review at that point is just do the final approval plans conform with project design approval and are there sufficient details uh that we can verify that the project is what uh the applicant says it is essentially

and this is where we've had issues before where by the time it's appealed at that point when it gets appealed to council the only thing that we can opine on is whether or not it complies with the final approval.

That's correct. Um and through the mayor um to council member Sneden that we've also seen there were a number of projects where there were appeals at both project design approval and a follow-up appeal to final approval which was an immense amount of either council time before um the ordinance amendment to um move single family design board appeals to the planning commission. But that was kind of this it was painful for everybody and because by the time you get to final approval again the mass bulk and scale has already been determined and really it's so narrow but sometimes the issues kept coming up that really were beyond the purview that you're supposed to be looking at that final approval. So that's the current process and a lot of this was streamlining and not requiring this. And I'll put context Santa Barbara we're different anyway. I mean, we have a tremendous amount of oversight over aesthetics and single family design, and many communities don't have any design review for single family residences. Um, so this is kind of trying to balance or like what Mr. Hamilton Ro will show coming up for what we're proposing to do is to try to recognize yes, we're different. We still want to have oversight from a design review perspective, but we also can uh manage our process a little better and still have it be meaningful for when people participate.

Thanks for that additional uh context, Miss Kakinda and uh Council Member Sneden. This is the proposed process. Again, concept review is still uh it's it's remaining the same. Uh I will note it's optional. It's optional currently and we're proposing to keep it optional, but most projects just like to go to concept review to get those initial comments. What our proposed process does is it really shines a light on project design approval as the main approval point. Makes it really clear to everybody that that is the key decision point at which uh if you're going to comment on the project, if you're going to participate in the meeting, that's the point at which to do so. And if you're going to appeal, it's the it's the best place to do so. if you're uncomfortable with a project's size or design. Uh so we're making that the main public hearing. Uh it's still going to be appealable to the planning commission and there's going to be more final detail required at this stage than currently. Um so really it's what this does is it tries to frontload the process uh and put more emphasis on the concept review needing uh you know having a good concept review having more information up front and then uh carrying it through to project design approval which is the approval of the project and it eliminates the confusion of final approval for SFDB um and just puts that on the building permit plan check.

Okay. And if I may add um one other thing, this really helps streamline it for homeowners.

It's tremendous um to because the architects or designers, they're already working on these details and they're prepping them for building permit. So by asking for a little bit of extra detail at project design approval, they can already jumpst start getting ready for building permit. So really trying to shrink down that process for people so that they can get through the building permit process faster. And then again, we've got some guardrails in place for the building permit review that if somebody promote or presents new information or something that is way outside of what was approved, then they can go back to SFDB for revised approval or again we can look at it with our criteria. Um so that we again it it makes it it gives more clarity for people for homeowners in the process of these designs

and if it's wildly different then that counts the count starts over again then we consider that a new project in a revised project design approval. Okay. Thank you. And

we um if I may also add just for clarity that for public participation, if a project requires a mailed notice and they choose to do concept review, a mailed notice goes out at concept review and project design approval. So there are two mailed uh notices that would go out when it's triggered. And so we always encourage people to start as early as possible to participate, but they can also participate at project design approval. And then an applicant can still go through um a more I don't know discretionary process if they want to sort of not go by the objective standards. That's correct.

Yeah. And then just one more question about the um it's on slide 52. I don't know if this was we were didn't see it but it's caught my eye. The adding public scenic views definition. Um could you just speak to that um adding that in and the significance of that? Thank you, Council Member Snedd and through the mayor. Uh these are actually my back pocket slides if you had any questions. Uh

so the these just to kind of give you some more context. Uh this series of slides has to do with uh responses uh we provided to planning commission after the December 2025 hearing. One of planning commission's requests was to add a definition for public scenic views. Um, and the point of that, I think, was just to clarify what we mean by when we say a project uh doesn't detract from public scenic views of the ocean and mountains. There wasn't really a definition of that before. Adding one in helps bring clarity to that. Thank you. And this is the one that is added in. That's okay. That's correct.

Okay. And I'll I'll I'll save my comments about how much I appreciate making standards instead of guidelines, but I'll I'll save those for after. Mr. Freriedman.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Just two two questions. One on this and then a larger question for uh probably Miss Mcadoo. If you just quickly pull up slide 28, it has to do with with hedges. I just wanted to go over that a little more. So there's this is one of the bigger issues in the city that comes up is the height of hedges. Um sometimes neighbors get approval or they have to go through a process. There's one on Stacy Lane that uh has been going through the process for a number a couple years now. So would these changes still allow neighbors the ability to opine? What protections do neighbors have on these issues when the hedge might be too large or impact the neighbor? and uh how in in what way does it would it limit their if any um ability to participate?

Thank you uh council member Freriedman through the mayor. Uh the proposed process really keeps uh keeps things the same for uh requests for minor zoning exceptions to exceed the fence and hedge height limits. Um the process is that if someone is proposing a a hedge that's over the I believe it's 8 foot limit uh especially well yeah 8 foot limit I think anywhere on the property um you need a minor zoning exception that requires a mailed notice and a public hearing at the single family design board. So the mail notice would go out to uh a 300 ft radius, all lots within that radius, and neighbors would be able to get that and learn more about the project and come in and uh opine at a public hearing.

Okay. So it still protects those rights for the for the larger hedges.

Absolutely. And if I may uh through the mayor to council member Freriedman. So, our zoning ordinance and what this is proposed. We're showing you kind of a little part of it, but our zoning ordinance estab establishes what you're allowed the fence and hedge height, what you're allowed by right without any any other special approvals. We establish what you're allowed by right. And then if you go beyond that, there's a a couple there's um what you're allowed through the approval of a minor zoning exception. And that minor zoning exception, as uh Mr. Mr. Hamilton rule said it requires a mailed uh a mailed notice and a public hearing at the single family design board or historic landmarks commission. And we did that to ensure that we would have participation because we know that fences and hedges make good neighbors, but they can also kind of really drive neighbors away from one another. So having them be part of the process is really important that we didn't choose to make this a staff level decision. We wanted to maintain that at a public hearing. And then if you go beyond minor zoning exception in the zoning ordinance, you can also ask for a modification which is another that's a land use approval that's done at the staff hearing officer. So um that uh in the one project that you just mentioned um they're requesting uh modifications because they're going beyond what's allowed by right and what's allowed through a minor zoning exception and they're exceeding that and the pathway to do that is through a modification. So this wouldn't in in that example, this wouldn't affect that.

No, that that that process is still the modification is still an available path to them which would also um be a public hearing and require mail noticing.

Perfect. Thank you. Uh just my my last question and this is I guess more for Miss Mcadoo. So in the staff report it it mentions uh the the Novak report. It came out in 2020. Uh, council member Jordan and I um have been on the long range development oversight committee for the entire time since then and we've slowly been going through those 31 recommendations and we have hit the mark on a lot of them uh in order to simplify the process. There's still a lot of work to be done but with this this is this was part of that uh reforms of single family design board. Is it time and are we in place to have a new set updated so that we can hit new metrics? We can see where we are, where the successes have been and start challenging ourselves to look at the realities of today because that report came out in 2020. So the data is 2019 a lot has changed. So are we looking to to do another report?

Funny you should mention that. Um Mr. of us. Do you want to talk about uh our next steps on we we have a a cross-dep departmental team that has been working on um a new program that we are calling pathways to yes and um included in that will be I think we'll be be coming back to the LDT oversight committee and I'll let Mr. Bus talk a little more about sort of what what we envision that process to look like.

Thank you. Uh yes. So we are hoping to return to the land development team oversight committee in June to discuss um a couple things. One being this pathways to yes which um is still in the works. It is interdep departmental and um we're just really looking for ways to help get these projects through sticking points um which come up and it's different for every project. Um but we're hoping that through this we may find kind of commonalities that we can address to help projects um get through the project uh through the process. Um and then also at that meeting we hope to also discuss um a pilot incentive program for downtown to help um incentivize uh housing. So um something to look forward to at LDTO in June.

Yeah. And I think part of that is sort of the sunsetting of the Novak report and then sort of tracking of I mean I think there's still maybe a couple recommendations on there that we still want to continue to move forward but I think you know sort of we can stop probably calling it the Novak report now and uh and actually have more just a tracking mechanism for the process improvements that we're working on and uh and that'll be part of the convers conversation with LDTO. The other piece of that which the team has started embarking on um is looking at kind of what we're calling an ordinance audit which will comprehensively look at all of our development related ordinances and do comparisons with sort of what you know kind of what are sort of state requirements, what are you know best practices that we've seen from other agencies and then what are we what do we require from the city? And in a lot of ways, um, our ordinances conflict with one another because we've just kind of continued to layer things on top of each other without looking at how they how the ordinance all talk to each other and work together. So that will be part of that process as well. And so very excited. Um, and I want to thank, you know, Allison and and the rest of the department heads that are a part of that process and are are looking at that in in great detail.

Thank you. This is great news that uh we're implementing those pathways to yes, the ordinance audit and the pilot incentive program. look forward to the the upcoming meeting and it it gets into this it is time to sunset I think Novak report we've we have that chart for every LDTO meeting with the 31 and most of them have been checked off some of them are always going to be ongoing but appreciate that we're able to take the next step and and gain the momentum so thank you those are all the questions I will reserve after public comment comments thank you

all right very good uh with that we will move to public comment I have a speaker slip here Jared Goran Hi, uh, mayor, members of the council. I'm Jared Goran from Vanguard Planning, and I'm excited to come down here this afternoon and support, uh, this effort and these ordinance revisions. Um, they're fantastic. Uh, we have a lot of clients that are dealing with exactly the types of projects that these are going to impact. And, you know, I this is just a great example. It's almost like a case study of how you should go and approach an ordinance like this. Um staff uh came out and talked to us and a lot of other design professionals early on to really figure out where the pain points were for all of us and our our clients. And um I just they did an amazing job identifying things up front and then coming up with some really practical solutions. And like there are so many things in here I could talk about and why they're great. But I'm just going to limit this to two, which is just this whole concept of having really clear standards on one hand that allows them to quickly filter things out from having to go and overload hearings. Um, but still providing a relief valve for things that might want to go outside of that if an applicant really elects that they want to do something beyond those standards. Um and then at the tail end of the process, um really eliminating all of these appeal points which are just just a complete waste of time and money for everybody. Um including but not limited to the city. Um these hearings are really expensive and um savvy opponents know how to really milk that system and just make things hard for applicants and just just delay projects. I think a lot of some some appellants that that we've faced, they knew that they weren't going to prevail, but they just did it just to sort of almost out of spite at the city and at us. And and I think um taking

that away is that's a major step forward. So, um I really want to just say thanks to staff. You guys have just done an excellent job. Um and and I really um recommend that you guys accept this and and approve it pretty much just the way it is. Thank you. Thank you. Are there any speakers online? Madam clerk? No, Mr. Mayor. Okay. With that, we'll come back to council for deliberation. Mr. Jordan.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I've had uh a few of these uh lottery days in my past, and that's when uh Jerick Goran and I both talk the same way in this in this type of land use hearing. So, I'm on my way home tonight and gonna pick one up. So, um, this was a lot more exciting, uh, at, uh, ordinance committee. We got to ask a lot more questions and act a little more casually, but, uh, so, um, I just want to thank you. I know it's a lot of work and I think I popped up then and said, "Hey, we need to do this every year to get the list of what happened during that year that looks repetitive and and do it again." And I'm your best friend that way, I know. Um, but just some things I want to highlight. A couple of them you already heard. Um so grabbing always always always grabbing repetitive like near unanimous um decisions and just get those out of the process. Get those into over- the-counter just automatic type of thing and quit just uh torturing everybody staff and the applicant um and giving an opportunity for the crazy people to show up. So, um um the appealing uh the appeal timing great improvement, too. I know that's always uh we can do it here, we can do it more than once. Um so, it's just it's been out of control. Um I always appreciate the pictures and the diagrams. I'm big fan of that. Um I appreciate something Jarrett brought up too that uh I asked that a couple times too, like yeah, there's an easy way and the other way is there's always a pathway. So, we're here to make it easy when you um show that it's like most other things that always go through here and get approved. Um and we're not saying you can't do it another way. There's always another pathway, the Santa Barbara way, but it's another pathway. Um, and then

the guard rails along there too on when people can pull people can just sniff something and pull it aside and send it somewhere like the show can send it to planning commission just uh just so somebody's not um it doesn't develop into somebody just people just beginning to push the envelope and push the envelope because we're not really paying attention and just kind of weasling in there. But when you see that going sideways, like a bunch of white houses or something like that, like we talked about earlier, like white is the new whatever color. Um that there's an opportunity for somebody at multiple stages to to put that way. Um so those are all my high points. It's a really big work product and I'm just pretty simply satisfied with those points right there and pretty trusting on the rest of it. So, I just want to thank you for all the work and um I think um I it'll probably immediately soon as you get this out and work with uh all the people that work with it, I think everybody will start to see immediate uh improvements. So, thank you,

Mr. Freriedman. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. So, uh Henry David Thorough once famously wrote simplicity, simplicity, simplicity. the lot ticket wasn't enough

and and I'll I'll use Mr. Goran as well. I I think if he was until today if he was to describe our process it would be complexity complexity complexity. So I just wanted to say it is it is great that we went through this process. I want to thank our staff and the community for coming together upfront. I I really appreciate the the words that Mr. Gordon put out there about the process because I think that when we get that feedback, especially here in the chambers, it signals to us that as we go through other processes, that's a model to continue to use and to have that upfront. So, uh, my comments are are very similar to to Council Member Jordan's. This is an opportunity again that we are looking to improve our efficiencies uh better serve the public have more have more efficient outcomes but also preserve the neighbors ability. Uh that's why the hedge issue was so important and the fencing to to have a say in their neighborhoods as well. So we're not just giving it away. We're we're striking that balance. If you go back to the Novak report, there was even a a recommendation in there, I think, um that it came out or possibly even eliminate the single family design board and we quickly said no, we're not doing that. Um and now we've we've achieved that balance and I think we're in a much better place and I'm really excited for the next long-range development oversight committee meeting with the pathways to yes. I think it's going to be uh using the momentum from this and the goodwill of this process that we have with the community to engage on the pathways to yes uh as well as um the new direction that we're taking uh for these projects. So I'm fully supportive of this today and appreciate all that it's going to do in terms of uh city efficiencies and uh beneficial use for the public. Thank you,

M. Ned.

Thank you, Mayor Rouse. And um we did hear this at ordinance committee and it was as council member Jordan says exciting um and and having this come forward. Um, I'm really really happy that the findings are now more clear um in sort of a different perspective as someone who usually sides with the appellant um myself on and and um over and over again over the years this frustrating question of if they don't have to do them, if they're just guidelines, why do we have them? and um if we can't, you know, honor them in appeal or or have those be in our findings. So, I really appreciate when things are clear and laid out and everybody knows what to expect and it's been years of of talking through it's you know gone through many painful appeals of well if you know the difference between the standards and the guidelines. So, thank you for making these standards and then also thank you for the flexibility that an applicant can go through a different process if they if they want something bolder than what's um already here. And um really appreciate that and really appreciating um that some of the issues that came up over and over again had to do with privacy or balconies looking down into windows. though. Um I think these have been sort of little bit scaled back or that taken into account that good neighbor that portion of the good neighbor guideline being more of a standard. Um very much appreciating that and um things like the making the required cover covered parking optional is huge. There are so many little things to do to a garage that you just can't do because now you have to make an entire another covered parking area that isn't even

possible in so many places. So, this is like it it seems like such a small thing, but people just don't use their garages anymore to park in. And especially, you know, I talk about the hillsides and and some of the older um places that that they were built for horserawn carriages or something. And you know, even a Prius can't fit all the way in. But if you're going to do anything with this little tiny space, then you have to make a covered parking in space that doesn't even exist on your property. And especially on a hillside where you can't just always do it right where it's convenient. So these these little things and the flexibility on how people can use their garage space. We've talked about this for years. Um and I think that's huge. It just matches how people live now and how they use the space that's available to them. So um so much appreciation for that and and for the whole um the the all all of the amendments here too. Um and again, you know, the other things in your back pocket slides, the story polls, you know, diff different things that we've talked about different times and then they came forward. Um a a note on the Novak report and the long range development team. um as as the maker of the motion that proposed the ad hoc committee on long range development team. And it was the idea was that council would there would be three members of council who were on that and three members of council who were on the interim state street ad hoc. Um the idea was was that it was you know sort of splitting council so that it was broadly um covering these two different areas. So I'm wondering as we're checking off the things from the NOVAC. It it seems to me an ad hoc is supposed

to have a specific purpose and not sort of go on into forever. um because these are things that are of interest to all of council and I think we sort of decided that interim state street operations were of interest to all of council. So I'm just wondering in this next um iteration past the Novak report I not maybe to decide today but the initial intent of that and maybe it's become more than that but the ad hoc of it was temporary and thought the NOVAC um things would happen faster. So just into the future considering whether that continues to be its own team or not and it would probably be reconfigured you know into the next years anyway. So something to think about. Yeah, thank council me happy to I think what might be useful you know I do it is something that we are interested in daylighting you know more broadly um and so you know after the June meeting I think it might make sense to bring it back to the full council for conversation and just kind of how how the council wants you know or does the council want a land development team oversight committee as an ongoing committee um that then would be become part of uh you know the annual sort of appointment process um and then would be responsible for just kind of reviewing the these process improvements on an ongoing basis. So happy to happy to do that. Um you I think that makes a lot of sense just given the interest in the community in all of these processes um to bring it back to the full council

and the rest of council too. And again, if it's not balanced with sort of like dividing council up to tackle immediate things as ad hocs, it's sort of I would like the opportunity to talk about whether and maybe maybe it is something that has value long term, but um it it has sort of I don't know bifurcated council that way. Um but really excellent. So happy these are moving forward and thank you. Okay, any further comments? All right, I think we have consensus. Let's break out some more. Does anybody want to make a motion? So moved. Moved by Santa Maria. Second.

Second by Gutierrez. May we have the vote, please? Yes. This is a motion by council member Santa Maria, seconded by Santa by council member Gutierrez for the recommended um actions for item nine. Please go ahead and vote. All right. Very good. It passes unanimously. Thank you. Good job. All right. We will move on to the next item.

Next item is the annual report on community oversight of law enforcement and work plans submitted on behalf of the fire and police commission. All right. Very good. Good afternoon, Mayor and Council.

Mr. Henderson.

Oh, this is an end show. Let's see. There we go. Um, I'm Barbara Anderson, senior assistant to the city administrator, and I also serve as the designated independent police monitor within the city administrator's office. I'm joined this afternoon by police chief Kelly Gordon to present the annual report on community oversight and this year's work plan on behalf of the fire and police commission. This is our third year of submitting the this report and work plan to city council as part of the new duties and authorities of civilian oversight that were assigned to the fire and police commission back in 2022. And this annual report is required per ordinance to be submitted to council every year. We're a little bit delayed just because the fire and police commission meeting was canceled in February, but we are back on track um to submit this report for your consideration. The commission evaluates its work plan annually and makes adjustments as needed to meet their oversight duties and responsibilities. This process is facilitated in coordination with the police monitor role in the city administrator's office. We'll walk through briefly the planning objectives from last year and then speak to accomplishments. The first objective was to identify and implement ways in which the community can engage more in the work of the fire and police commission. As you know, um you know, the commission, our community was impacted significantly by federal immigration enforcement activities that began escalating in summer of last year. The community engagement and listening processes and response to these incidents were facilitated by city council. So the commission felt strongly that this was an objective that needed to continue forward because they

recognized that there were few spaces where community members felt safe to be in public dialogue and engage I will say with government agencies and government officials at the time. So they took a step back and really tried to understand how to better better facilitate this process moving forward. So this is an objective you will see in this year's plan as well. The second objective was to coordinate with city staff to publicize meetings of the fire and police commission and ensure that public has access to relevant data and meeting material. So thanks to our city's communication team and our public information officer, each meeting was publicized through multiple channels including our city news and brief as well as throughout all of our social media platforms. And so we advertised both that the meeting was occurring and when as well as what was being detailed and discussed on the agenda that that month. The third objective was to gain a better understanding of the investigatory process for complaints of police misconduct and use of force incidents. So the police chief and her leadership team actually facilitated educational briefings with our commissioners last year and the feeling was that these sessions were very valuable and would be conducted again this year. Again, these were um smaller briefings so that commissioners felt comfortable asking questions and that these questions could be answered in detail. Um, but they're learning, continuing to learn about that process as well as the additional retraining requirements that were guided by council, implemented by ordinance, and facilitated with the support through our office. The last objective was to receive additional training and consultation on how the commission exercises its ability to make public statements. I will say given the importance of other meeting kind of agenda items for the year, we weren't able to do a deeper dive here. Um but we have facilitated public statements on behalf of the commission in years prior. So the importance for us moving forward

is to make sure that commissioners that are relatively new understand what this process is and how it can be facilitated. I just wanted also to highlight the annual reporting requirements that are now overseen by the fire and police commission. So this happens every year. A lot of the first quarter of the year are these now regular reporting processes. This includes the annual report on community oversight and a report on complaints and investigations which you'll you'll hear today, use of force, use of military equipment, and then the state's racial and identity profiling act in a report. Additional topics that were um delved into in terms of the commission duties last year included review of the tow rotation list and policies which is part of their quasi judicial duties. This occurs every year but last year we did a substantial update um as well as some change some changes in fees. They also received the statement from the police chief on immigration violations. Again, this was in the aftermath of a town hall forum in July of last year. Um, and we continue to use the fire and police commission as another opportunity to educate the broader community. They also received anformational presentation on the fire prevention bureau, an overview of the police department's um, at the time new blue envelope program, and then the regional fire communication center of which the commission will be facilitating tours next month. The commission was also briefed on the launch of the new Genesis evacuation software. So I know this has mentioned been mentioned to you, but um they were given detailed briefings on how both agencies will use that as well as how we'll use it to interface better with the broader community during emergencies. So this year's work plan um will continue to focus on ways in which the

community can engage more in the work of the fire and police commission. As mentioned before, this is something that we want to delve into a lot deeper and it really is the direction of the commission to meet folks where they are, where they're most comfortable, sit with them, be in listening sessions with them, understand how they can work to support the police department and the fire department and bridging that greater understanding with the broader community. The commission also considered the appointment of a commission liaison for community meetings. This actually occurred at its last meeting. Um this liaison is specific to city staff scheduled and facilitated meetings with community groups. We felt it important to have a designated representative from the commission in attendance. Again continuing to bridge understanding between the work of the fire and police commission and the and the public. The commission also added an objective per council's direction. And so this was our meeting in March regarding the resolution that affirms the city's response to federal immigration enforcement activities. Um it was actually brought up by council member Harmon to have the fire and police commission step into and lean into the role that we've established for them which is being this um public forum for information sharing regular reporting and debriefing incidents that are critical and impact our broader community. Also lastly, as mentioned, we want to continue to delve deeper into um the the understanding of the investigatory process for complaints. It really is their primary role. So, we want to continue to prioritize that moving forward. So, at this time, I will turn it over to Chief Gordon um to provide the annual report on complaints and investigations.

Good afternoon, mayor, city council members. So we'll give a quick interview as we go through. I'm gonna take this so I can sure actually turn my head since I don't.

So this year we did the report just slightly different so that we could give an overall uh big picture at the start of this about our actual calls for service, our actual crime data and calls for service that support it. So I think it's good for council to see this so you have a a clear understanding. So, for last year, um, over 69,000 calls for service, over 21,000 officer initiated actions, over a thousand cases closed by our investigations bureau. You can see our average response times, which for some reason on here turned out a little weird. Not sure what.

Uh, but we are meeting our goals on our response times. You can see that for crimes against persons we had a slight increase of 6% but when you actually look at the total number it's a difference of 11 offenses. So when you look at the percentages you can also see the corresponding numbers. Crimes against property was down by 9.8%. And then crimes against society was up 5.7%. But that is in large part because officers were much more proactive in dealing with some of the uh narcotics and other offenses that we see in our community. So that's uh proportionate and you would expect which we are glad to see there's a proportionate decrease in property crime as a result of that quick hiring and uh recruitment recap. you know, a particular council member, maybe council member Jordan challenged me a couple years ago. And uh so I'd like to uh share that we have been really doing a fantastic job as a team in terms of our recruitment and hiring. We've been doing uh our approach is a lot different including using multiplemies, the number of applications that we're processing, how in which we handle our recruitment process. So last year over,300 applications. We hired 22 professional staff. So we're almost at n 90% uh positions filled for professional staff. 14 new officers hired last year. So we're at that 90%. Our attrition, not our attrition, I'm sorry, but our vacancy rate was three years ago 25%. So it's a significant increase and I really have to give hats off to the team. Um I push them. I continue to push them. They know that. But it's fantastic. Uh last year we hired our new community engagement coordinator and you

can see that there's a significant um corresponding the number of community events that we're doing and not just big community events but all of our smaller community events. We had a went from 47 and 24 to 126 last year. So there's a proportionate to having someone who's focusing on helping us get organized and to do that. So there's been a big push around that community engagement piece as well. So with that, like I said, just a quick overview in terms of calls, crime statistics, as well as hiring. I'm going to just give a quick overview on the community and administrative complaints just so you understand and as a review of how the complaint process works. We receive a complaint, it goes to her professional standards for investigation. It also Barbara gets notified as our independent monitor so she's aware and monitors the tracking of all our investigations. We assign it to an investigator. We conduct that investigation. the investigation's approved all the way up through the chain of command. We communicate those findings with the officer. We also communicate those findings with the complaintant who's typically a member of the community. And then whatever the outcome is, whether it's discipline, whether it's unfounded or whatever it is, and we take the appropriate course of action. So an administrative complaint is something that's in gener generated internally. So that doesn't come from the community. That comes from inside the department. It can be from another employee. It can be from a supervisor. But anytime that another member of the department becomes aware of misconduct, it's our policy that they have to notify a supervisor for review and investigation. So in 2025, we had one administrative

complaint. You can see that's compared to 2024 where we had eight. So now we're going to talk about community complaints. What you can see is all the different ways we heard a couple years ago about making sure that we had multiple different ways for the community to make complaints. We've increased that. We've simplified our complaint forms, taken a lot of different steps to make sure we're accessible. You can make a telephone. You can do it in person. You can do it in writing, email, online. You can come to the station, you can come to the city administrator's office. We take anonymous complaints. There's pretty much not a way that if you want to make a complaint, there is in fact some place and some way for you to do so. So this last year we had 11 community complaints. In comparison to eight in 2024, you can see that seven, which was the the highest number, came into the station and made a face toface complaint. You had three that came in via um online and one that came in via the phone. So now we're going to compare that number of complaints to our actual activity. So, out of 56 over 56 calls calls for service, over 5,600 traffic stops, over 3,500 pedestrian contracts, and over 4600 arrests, we had 002% complaints. So, in 99.98% of the time, we did not have a complaint based on the activity that was taking place. And the difference when you see calls for service with this versus the initial number that you saw is we take out the animal service, parking enforcement, and other calls. So this is for officers so that we're using that statistic specifically for officers.

The different types of dispositions for complaints. So once we investigate a complaint, this is what the finding can be. It can either be unfounded, which means that we find that the allegation is not true. It can be exonerated, which means we say yes, it happened, but was in policy. So yes, the officer did what the complainant said they did, but it was within policy and it's actually what we train for. Not sustained means that we didn't have enough to prove or disprove the allegation based on the standards of evidence. And then sustained means that we sustain the complaint that it did happen by preponderance of the evidence. So, of the 12 complaints, two were unfounded, two were exonerated, one was not sustained, three were sustained, and we still have four that are being investigated. So, you can see the difference between 23, 24, and 25. You can see the difference in the numbers. I'm not going to go over each of them, but you can see we are trending downwards with our number of complaints. So when you get those sustained complaints, there are different actions that we can take for those sustained violations. It could be corrective counseling. That means the officer that was involved sits down. We have a conversation about what they did, why they did it, what corrective measures that they can take to correct the behavior so it doesn't occur again. It could be a written reprimand which means it's the next level where it is written there's a course of action and then you have suspension they could take days off without pay they could get demoted they could get terminated. So you can see 25, 24, and 23. For the 25, we had two corrective counselings and one suspension for the sustained

violations. And you can see how that compares with the years prior. And then we'll talk about policy a little bit. So these are the policies. So for the policy violations, and we just picked the most serious policy violation out of whatever the allegation is. So there were four failure to act, three rudent discourteous, two discriminatory, two related to use of force and violation of criminal statute. And you can see how those add up together. Now before we get into the training overview, the one thing I will say is that for all sustained allegations, there is training that goes with it. So if someone receives corrective counseling, suspension, whatever the discipline is, the point of discipline is not to punish, it is to change behavior and to help someone correct their deficiencies and become a better police officer. So all of those include training for us. So, like I said, whether that's corrective counseling or whether that is suspension or or whatever the the result is is that we provide training to go with it to address those issues. Now, when you look at the training overview, we have a very specific training philosophy. You'll see Officer Duffy here. He is our training officer. Over the last year, we've moved training under community accountability, which has made a big difference because now it is directly related where when we see things in terms of use of force, um, complaints, just different things that we see, whether it's in patrol or investigations, we can now customize our training to address those issues that we're seeing and make us more responsive and and a better trained department. So the two and the two go hand inand at this point and there now there's an

increased nexus between the two. Training is data driven. It's based on community feedback, performance metrics. It's tailored to meet the needs of our department and it's all about growth and improvement. So for 2025, our training goals were to update all of our internal postcourse curriculum, train the postcurriculum not just by annually but annually. So, we're required by post to do it by annually, but now we've done it so that we've increased our training cycle so that we're hitting those core elements every year instead of every two years. Um, like I talked about before, we use those use of force and those other metrics that we have so that we can guide our training. For example, our training officer looks at every single use of force. He's also our use one of our use of force experts. And if we see a pattern where it's not necessarily well it's not misconduct but it's something that we're seeing as a pattern where maybe officers are not taking control early early enough or there's a technique that they're not using or that they are using. We can then change our training to address it so that we're reducing injuries to our community members and also in reducing the the uh injury to our officers as well. So for 2025, our accomplishments, we created our four and six-hour arrest and control course, driving course, firearms, mobile field force, use of force, bicycle control. So all of our coursework that we used to have to send officers out. We even updated all of our internal training so that we can do all of it inhouse. We have a subject matter expert for each course now. So now instead of just what you'll see our post, we also did an extra 3,000 hours of additional structured training on top of the post

training. This is what you see is what's the post CPT required training, which is four hours of tactical firearms, driver training, four hours arrest and control, strategic communications, use of force, and first aid. If we just did this minimum, it's not enough in any way, shape, or form. So for us, we actually did over over 8,000 hours of post training last year, which in comparison to the year before, we did 7,600 hours. So we've increased our number of post training hours. You can see we did a lot of instructors to get those subject matter experts because all of our instructors have to go to specific instructor courses. firearms, traffic safety and investigations, first aid, leadership, crowd control, specialty training, arrest and control, use of force, you can go down the whole entire list and these are just the top categories. So beyond just those post trainings that we just talked about, so beyond that 8,000 hours, we also do briefing trainings. We also do training bulletins. We also do structured internal training that may just not be postcounted hours. We do classes, conferences. Right now, one of those that some of our officers at or is at the first responder conference, wellness conference that's occurring. So it's not just about the tactical skills, it's also about the soft skills are which are very important. Our local joint agency trainings like what we do with the airport and then specialized private party training. One of the things that we've added this year and I think it's probably on the next slide. I'm probably getting a health is we have a company called the briefing room which provides short videos that we can give to all our briefings to train on particular legal

topics. Oh, see there it is right there. And so, um, that 95 hours equals not just the 95 hours overall, but if you multiply that by the number of officers we have, it's actually a lot of training. We want to highlight a couple of items. Co-response team, I know there's been a lot of conversation about that and we talked about that in the budget workshop. We have two very, very competent co-response teams. We have the officers who are paired with clinicians from the county. Um we're very fortunate to have two fantastic clinicians and we have seven day a week coverage by having those teams spread out the way that we do. Very very effective response to calls in involving mental health, reduce escalation, less likelihood of use of force, better long-term outcomes. But the other piece is that they do a lot of internal training and support internally and externally. So with different community members, they do a lot of follow-ups with families to make sure that support services are being given. But they do a lot of training with our officers internally. And I will say it's the first time that when I go to briefing and I go especially nights where they don't have the team as late as they might like, it's the first time I've actually heard the request to have more co-response, which I will tell you in in the world of policing is not the way it used to be before. So there's a great appreciation of for what our teams and the the relationships our team have with our officers and the additional training that means that our our officers get every day. Crisis negotiations response. So although we you know fortunately don't get a lot of the larger incidents this team and their specialized skills and their specialized training

our our critical need is on the everyday calls for service and that's where they bring those skills. So it may not be where you see the big call out but you see them every day using those skills on calls that we have in everyday calls for service. So the additional almost,000 hours of training they get really pays off every day because they use those skills on your your routine everyday calls for service. That team consists of 10 officers, two sergeants and is overseen by a commander. And then same thing with our special weapons and tactics. They com they completed over 3,200 hours of monthly team trainings. same thing. They set that standard. They meet that post and that NOA standard. It's 18 officers, three sergeants overseen by a commander. But the reason I highlight this is, you know, you don't often see them rolling out in, you know, the Bearcat or force as a team, but they are the ones that help us tactically deescalate situations and handle those everyday situations so that we don't have to call the whole team out. They use all those skills on an everyday basis to help us appropriately problem solve and work through scenarios every day. And it's a really important vital piece of our team and what they provide to us. And that level of training and skill that they bring is extremely important to us. Community outreach and training. So this goes beyond our officer development. We have our officers go out and do a lot of community demonstrations and training. A lot more public education builds that public trust, but also improves training for our community. I think this just gives you an idea um of all the different community training

and outreach that was done in the last year. We talked about the number of uh community engagement events, but besides that community engagement, we did a lot of school youth outreach, a lot of ebike training, almost every school we went to. Uh vehicle safety education, PAL discover program, unlocked, which was drug awareness for youth and parents, scam education at the retirement homes, which is taught by detectives, our blue envelope program, which we talked about, communitywide preparedness. So, we've done a lot of active attackctor at various locations. We've done communitymies in English and Spanish. We've done a lot of on-site safety training and assessments at community locations. So, we've proactively reached out. We've done a lot of work with cottage hospital, schools, library, churches, nonprofits, and businesses. So, that community engagement extends beyond just your coffee with a cop. All right. So, I know I went through that quickly, but in the essence of time, I wanted to make sure that you got the full picture and uh clearly available and ready for questions.

All right. Very good. No, this is actually for council member. Oh, okay. Okay. Uh so, if you don't mind. Okay. Uh this is not a an action item, so we'll just questions and comments together if you've got them. Miss Sned.

Thank you. I guess um before my comments, I'll just ask it's it's been a few years now with the committee and after the formation and how it's all gone. How's it going in terms of any adjustments to suggest about how it's being run or what the format is or function or um just sort of from your perspective is there value to it or not or what the value might be?

Mayor Rouse, Council Member Snedden, I think, you know, the biggest that there's a been a big learning curve to go with it. I think the the best part part about it is everyone on their end and our end are very engaged in the process. So I think working through and working through different issues that we've seen and the learning process. Um I will say it is it is a fairly significant work pill on our part which I don't think was really represented in the beginning. Um you know there's benefit to it but it is there's a lot of work that goes with it. So that would just be my one comment on it is we want to make sure it's productive and useful and um you know the the reports are are good but I do wish we could streamline uh just some of it because it is such a large undertaking for us uh with the amount of work that's done to provide the information. Like I said I'm it's a balance because we want to be transparent. We want to provide all that information but there is a lot of work that goes with it. Mhm.

So that would be just my one comment is as we think about what else we can push towards the commission remembering that on the other end of that there that all requires staff time on our part. So that would just be my one uh piece of feedback. But I do appreciate we have really good um conversations, hard conversations with u our chair and our vice chair and all members of our of our fire and police commission. So, I'm very appreciative of that and I'm appreciative of the o open communication and the ability to talk through issues and I feel like that's been very beneficial for all of us. Thank you.

And council member Stannon, I want to just add a couple of points. Um, one is, you know, when we first were implementing the civilian oversight structure, a huge kind of motivating factor was the lack of transparency at the time around um complaints of police misconduct with our department and not sharing the information more broadly about the avenues to be able to submit those complaints. And then the second piece is so we've created as the chief said you know while taking in the consideration of the significant work workload to make that happen because now you've elevated the commission and all of our meetings are recorded and all those staff presentations are accessible that data is at the finger tips for anyone who who seeks to to learn more. The the second piece for for us is the makeup of the commission and the training requirements. I think initially when I was working with city attorney Damis on those requirements, we thought, how are we going to be able to facilitate this? But that level of training really sets this commission apart from other city advisory groups. And I will say has created um a dynamic between the commission and each the fire and police departments as well as the city administrator's office that I will say we we benefit tremendously from. Mhm. That's that's that's great to hear. And the feedback too and keeping that maybe when we have these um annual report back like having that be part of that too is is how it's serving the public but also the department and also that communication. And for my part um I think this has really shown us what we all knew but didn't have sort of the the data to represent and have that communication with the public. And it was I want to acknowledge it was hard a hard hard uh transition to go through um

for all parties involved and and to have it um be from my perspective successful in that it does show that we have a very honorable um department and and that we are exemplary and I and I think without all that the data and the yearly oversight of that um that doesn't always come across in the same way. So, I think that's um I'm grateful that it that it shows in this way. Um just a a few comments from what you put forward. I do think it's a good idea to have a designated representative for meetings with community. I think um I it's kind of surprising we missed that that there that that should be um the the through line there and especially with that elevated training and the um ability to have that communication. Um, congratulations on recruitment and hiring that that um really um attending some of the swearing in and it's really impressive and um the the cadetses are are so qualified and earnest and um so so congratulations on that. um community engagements are clearly up, positive community engagements. And um with that, I I I I want to personally say that um recognizing that you also are members of the community that you serve and and live in. And I think this has been very difficult times, but I want to appreciate how often and how um really openminded and openhearted coming and meeting with community members and um protecting free speech for you know so many large rallies and you know delegings and even when that means it's hard to be

on receiving end of that same free speech at different times. Um just really appreciating honoring free speech and all that that takes to to protect that. And um these are hard times and and um I just wanted wanted to personally mention that and thank you for bringing this forward, Mr. Freriedman.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Thank you, Chief and staff for for all you're doing. Uh just a couple questions and I'll do couple quick comments. Just getting in uh the recruitment, incredible job going from 25% vacancies just a couple years ago to 10%. But could you speak a little more detail of how you've achieved that? Uh and then also the time frames that it takes to get a new recruit and and why that's important when we're looking at, you know, budget cycles now in terms of setting you up for the future. Uh because it's not something that you can just do quickly. So if you could speak to that.

So with the hiring process, we really a we have changed our hiring process a lot. Whereas you know before if you put your application in, you could wait a couple three four months before you would hear from us. We're constantly pulling applications and reaching out to applicants. So we are literally making phone calls, literally trying to get them scheduled for interviews right away. We now instead of doing a couple of hiring processes a year, we're doing interviews every month. And if we have enough applications to do four days of interviews, we will literally interview everyone. And we're doing hiring seminars so that we walk people through the process. We do things very, very differently that other departments don't do because it's a different time. The candidates that we're hiring are different. They want that personal touch and that's exactly what they get. And so we do do things differently in the process. We do different things what what point they do a department head interview. We know that if we do the process the way in which we think it works, our success rate is over 90% once we put them into backgrounds with their success of getting through the academy and what that looks like. So we're also we've gone to SBCC. We do a lot more work with the classes at SBCC. We put a lot of emphasis on local hiring and not just going to different um recruitment fairs, but not that we don't. Like I interviewed someone last week that we went to a recruitment fair in San Diego and they're willing to relocate to come work here. The biggest credit that I can give though despite all the changes in the processes and all of the things is our hiring team. And that hiring team includes everybody in the department because they are recruiting and they're out there. When

we do a physical agility test, you typically have 10 to 15 officers and professional staff that just show up to support those that are out there taking the physical agility test, meeting with folks, talking to folks. We do a family night before they go into the academy so their families get to come in the department and answer get to know each other. but also to get their questions answered and understand what the process looks like. We're looking for two things when we hire. I want someone to be a good person and a hard worker. They already show that they have the desire by the fact that they're sitting across from me. So, that's what we're taking advantage of. And I'm very proud of the fact that when we did our last sergeant testing, when I asked the question in department head, what are we doing right? And they said, we're hiring good people. That's what we want. So then it's up to us to train. Um it's a challenge because you get so much natural attrition per year just with retirements and we just you know lost an office two officers that moved to Colorado. So the hard part for us in your second question is how long does it take? So hiring process takes us anywhere from 3 to six months to get them through background. The academy then starts. They spend six months in the academy. Once they graduate from the academy, they spend um usually three weeks in a post academy where we get them qualified and go through department procedures and then we send them to field training. The field training program takes typically about five months. So from start to finish, if someone is completely on track, depending when the academy lines up, you're looking at about two years before they're out on their own. So that's why when we are not and we get to that point where we were at that 25% level, it takes us so long to catch up.

Because if you lose 8 to 10 a year out of attrition, you're barely keeping up with that attrition, let alone making up for that additional deficit that you have. So that's part of that struggle that we have. We've been doing things differently, too, like with our parking enforcement overhires. those three overhire positions. If we have someone that we think, man, I think they will become a good police officer, but they need a little what we call time and seasoning. So whether that's because they need to understand really what the job means or maybe they need a little more time to be physically ready, whatever that is, we might put them in that parking enforcement position for 6 months to a year to give them that seasoning and then we transition them to the academy which we've been very very successful with. And there's a benefit for us and them and the community because they're out in that experience. They get that experience, you know, wearing a uniform, doing parking enforcement. We can watch them mature and grow and then we have that eyes on, they become part of our culture and then when we feel like they're ready, then we send them to the academy. So, there's a few things like that that we do differently, but it doesn't change the fact that it is just a long process. You know, the requirements for someone to become a police officer have only increased, not decreased. you know, the what they go through in their background is very very rigorous. Um, you know, all the way to looking at all of their social media posts, everything that they do in their entire life is scrutinized when they go through the background. So, that background process takes a bit and those requirements are very extensive now, uh, even more so than they used to be. So, like I said, it's a long process. So, when you don't have those positions and are not able to fill them, that's where you really get into trouble and get behind. So every time we hire where you think you're, you know, getting to that single-digit number of vacancies, then like I said, then you have someone that

moved to Colorado because that's what they've decided is best for their family. So it is a battle constant battle to get there. But I will say as a result of the fantastic work our team is doing, this is why we're making progress. The team is fantastic. You you couldn't ask for a better team doing hiring right now. Thank you, Ch. I I appreciate the the level of detail. It's important for the public to understand what goes in uh to not only the hiring process, but getting quality officers, but it's also important for us up here because we do we work in two-year budget cycles. And your department might be beyond that in terms of uh if things line up, you're lining up perfectly with the budget, but if they don't, then you're going beyond the the budget cycle that we consider. So when we're looking at the budget, we have to keep that in mind for your department uh and a couple others too, but yours in particular with the level of training. So I think it was important to do that. Just one other question uh because it came up and I um during the budget hearing last week on the co-response team and first congratulations on having such a a robust team. Um it's c creating great outcomes in in situations that uh we get the the press releases that come out in situations that could uh wind up a lot worse than they have, but they're they've been uh many times recently uh due to the level of our officers and the co-response wound up um peacefully resolved and getting the person the care they need. And so could you speak to the co-response team and the security of the funding and how and the the opioid settlement as well? I thought that was very fascinating when you explained what that was and I don't think a lot of people understand what took place and how that is benefiting our department.

So, uh, Mayor Rouse, Council Member Freriedman, we hired a opioid coordinator. So, we had settlement funds, a pretty significant, um, amount of money that comes from those opioid settlements from different firms that sell opioids. I won't get into all the specifics of that. And then it's really a challenge to figure out what you can actually use that money for. There are rules and sets of rules for sets of rules. So we had have someone that worked with us to really focus on figuring out how we can best use that money for to to benefit our community. So with the hiring of our opioid coord coordinator, she was able to look at these are the different priorities. These are the different pots of money that you can actually use that opioid settlement for. One of the things that happens is a lot of the calls that our um co-response officers go to are mental health, but they're also co-occurring where a lot of it has to do with substance abuse. A lot of the calls for service that our officers go to is substance abuse related. So there's a process on how we then submit to the state to get that funding approved where we can show and we track how many of those calls for service related to mental health are also related to um to drug use. So we had to go through that process in order to be able to get approved to use that money to actually fund the officers that are assigned to co-response. So that allows us to free up general fund and use that opioid settlement money to pay for those two officer positions.

Great. Thank you. I It's very important because that's a secure funding for them and it allows us like you said to focus on other community priorities by strategically using and that's a very important service because it gets into prevention and a whole lot of other things that it that it gets into. So, just wanted to highlight that and thank you for the clarification on it and just just in general, thank you for all that you and the department are doing. Um, it's again incredible that we've gone from a 25% to 10% vacancy rate and you have just recruits that are that are top-notch and and that gets into when you're recruiting up front and you're showing that support and you're getting the quality recruits, it leads to the numbers that we saw of 99.9% of incidents um of of contacts uh have have no reports uh filed with them. So, it's it's just that level of commitment, that level of person that is committed to the community and going to a number of the uh promotions that we have. There's there's also a focus to the extent we can on getting individuals who are from the community here. There's been a number that were uh born or raised in Santa Barbara or at least in the tri counties that you've been able to focus on so they're familiar with the community which goes a long way as well. And then um thanks for the continuing education. and that's an important part of it so that we're up on the best practices um and looking what the communities do. So just appreciation to the department for all you're doing. Thank you,

Miss Herman.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um well, I I will join my colleagues first in their gratitude. Chief, to you and your team, our officers, this was a really impressive um report as it was um the last few years. And I I think um I've said this a few times lately. You know, when I was talking a few years ago about civilian oversight, transparency and trust was my mantra. I repeated it over and over again. And um it's it makes me so proud to see how well you all continue to live up um and to earn the community's trust day after day. That's what we see out there. So um I really appreciate that. And as this is my last um the last report I will receive as a council member on civilian oversight, I just want to take this opportunity really briefly uh to say I still so strongly continue to believe in the necessity of civilian oversight. Um at the time when we had this challenging series of conversations, a lot of of what folks said was was we don't need it. our department is uh one of the best departments out there. And while I certainly agree, I think we do have the best department, not one of the best department out there. Um what an incredible opportunity to highlight that. Um and I I want to specifically acknowledge Miss Anderson, your work. Um, it's not lost on me that you were in the middle of what was a very challenging series of conversations around setting up this oversight system and to see the collaborative nature of what has evolved and and the real success out of what was such a difficult series of conversations. um is um just

such a testament to your continued and unrelenting focus on building that trust and building that transparency and to doing it fairly um so that everyone feels that they have a voice, our officers, our community members, and um it's also not lost on me that you're in the middle of another very difficult conversation in this moment. Um, and it's just reminding me how lucky we are to have you in that role. Um, and the work you've done to build trust with all parties. So, I I had to acknowledge that. I didn't want to let the moment pass. I also think it's incredibly um I don't know what the word is, telling, remarkable. any of those. Pick pick pick your your word here that we have so many ways for our community to give feedback to engage um to lodge complaints to put it very frankly and that the numbers continue to go down. Um, that is not due to the Civilian Oversight Committee. That's due to the work of you and your officers. But I do think it just speaks to this entire menu of community engagement that we're putting forth and that this number has gone down so consistently and yet we have more avenues, more opportunities for engagement than ever before. um to me is real evidence that this is working that what you all are doing is working. So I recognize that this is a huge amount of work and it sounds honestly it sounds like a huge a lot of amount of work so I'm not surprised to hear that. Um but from my perspective uh it is time very very well spent and I'm incredibly grateful that you all do it. Um and I believe in it and I'm I'm glad that as a city uh we believe in it too.

Thank you. Miss Anaria,

thank you, Mr. Rouse. Thank you to our city staff. Um, Chief Gordon, I really do commend you on such an incredible job from you and your department on the hiring. It is it is not lost on me that, you know, a lot of times we we hear constituents talking about, well, we need more of our police force out here. And I can often assure them, our police chief is working hard on getting those positions staffed. I know you are. And these numbers, you know, speak for themselves. So I only had one question about the trainings um and some of the required coursework that's being fully internalized. That seems very that's an encouraging thing for me to hear um that we inhouse are able to keep our officers, you know, properly trained. Could you speak a little bit to the process of internalizing that coursework? Has that impacted your department's budget? Has there been any savings because of that or or how has what does that look like? So, Mayor Rouse, Council Member Santa Maria, it's actually allowed us to be more fiscally responsible the way we use our training cycles. Now, every six weeks, all of our officers go through those trainings, but because of the way they work their shifts, most of that is not overtime at this point. And we're not paying travel for them to go someplace else. As we know, our location can be a challenge whether you know you send someone to Los Angeles for a training for a day. That means an overnight stay typically that involves hotel different pieces. But this way we're able to do that. And actually the other big piece is that we make sure there's consistency. So things like leadership training and other things where like the supervisory leadership institute that our sergeants go through that's an eight-month program and that's really important that we send our officer our sergeants to that and that's outside but the things that we can do inside so that we can you know we have instructors that can do drivers training now so now we do actually behind the wheel we actually go to Alen

Hancock and use our facility and take our or we go to the airport and use airport property so that I mean fiscally responsible. Some of the things that get us in trouble most is simple backing with a police car. You know, it's one of those things. But using those skills and doing those things and addressing what we're specifically seeing in relation to use of force and the other pieces and by creating those subject matter experts with our instructors, we're building that skill set, too. So, they're getting additional training and that only builds and helps internally because they're getting that additional training. So your experts aren't from the inside, they're from the I mean aren't from the outside, they're from the inside. So those pieces are really really important and it allows us to increase those number of training hours. So by going from 7600 the year before to over 8,000, like it's over 500 hours of increased training, which is a big deal for us. And then doing the other 3,000 hours that we're now capturing internally is really important. So, it's that focus. It's being very intentional and it it only builds that level of expertise that we have internally. And there's still an an important reason to send folks in, you know, exposure to the big wild world outside of Santa Barbara. But it allows us to be more um intentional about those trainings that we send to the outside and have more of the budget for that. But we have actually decreased our overtime usage on overtime by doing things this way. Thank you so much, Chief. I I had a bit of a feeling that would probably result in some uh financial, you know, some savings and am really encouraged to hear that. I It just feels like a win-win and and really want to congratulate you and the rest of your department on, you know, a lot of times, especially now that we're talking about our budget overall as a city and our budget deficit, we're thinking about cost-saving measures. You know, that doesn't always have to mean cutting salaries or cutting benefits. It can just simply be these creative ways of

internalizing some of that. and it's truly not lost on me that you were able to increase training hours and still practice that fiscal responsibility. So again, congratulations on that. Thank you for that. And I think that just speaks to I mean for me personally as the vice chair of the finance committee, I am just personally very grateful that you and your department are looking for ways I mean as every department is, right? Um but realistically the majority of of our of our spending that from our general budget often goes to our to public safety and you know fire and police and especially police. So as we take a look at our finances as we comb through everything with a fine tooth comb and and find ways that we can close the gap. Thank you truly. I I'm I'm really encouraged to hear this and I I do think that this is you you really are setting an example for how we move forward and that public safety can be done in a fiscally responsible way and that we can be um you know appropriating some of these funds not just to what people would typically consider law enforcement but you know the co-response teams and everything. So again thank you.

All right very good. Well once again this is not an action item so uh thank you very much. Well, well done. Very well done. Okay, with that we will move to uh any council engagement uh reports. Miss Neden,

thank you. Meows. Um let's see. I think we didn't report out last week, so I'll do a couple. Um the ribbon cutting for Library on the go van. Um very exciting. Um at HLC, uh two weeks ago, they heard uh the Bloomberg grant. Um they were very, uh supported that. there was a quote delighted to see it. So that was um nice support. Um they did note that they are sorely missing the architectural historian and I believe that position um is being filled and they just they it's filled and they were very appreciative of that. So um and then they also heard again uh 901 State Street the the music academy project and they were very supportive this time around as well. So that's moving forward. Um attended firewise council meetings. Um Southern California Edison uh was a guest there about um PSPS shut offs and um resilient communities and backup battery programs. Um and um comb Kuma operation management board operation meeting um updates on the Sheffield tunnel rehab projects and the capital improvement projects for the next nine years. and um you know that it's a very impressive operation the Kachuma operations management um team over there and just um wanted to share that attended elected leaders forum um on housing and uh the main focus of that was the reena number um updates from each um jurisdiction in the region and then also attended the Roosevelt HR dinner.

Mr. Freriedman.

Thank you. Uh Mr. Mayor, uh attended the Central Coast Water Authority uh monthly meeting and uh big focus on that was uh subsidance and then passing the the budget and uh the Santa Barbara Mission, St. Barbara Parish had the uh ribbon cutting for the new ADA accessible ramp to the mission. It's an incredible improvement for our community for access. Council member Harmon was there and council member Gutierrez. Uh and it's the first they said there is it's the first significant structural change to the outside of the mission since it was created over 200 years ago. Uh but a lot of thought went into that and uh congratulations to uh to the mission uh for for that. And then uh three events at um at the library uh were all very fun events. library on the go uh celebrating having the second van. And then on first Thursday, the Independent had their art installation uh of the of the 40 years of covers at the Falner Gallery. Uh congratulations to the Independent. It was a great community event. Um it brought back a lot of memories for everybody looking at those covers and and some of those like I remember that event. I thought it was five years ago, but it was 25 years ago. So everybody was making uh going back in time. And then also on Library Plaza uh which is always incredible that we can have events there now. Uh there was the Italian festival this weekend and it was just uh very well uh turned out for the community. A lot of happy families. Kids were making their own pasta and then we had some of the local vendors there. Great food and then noticed that a lot of people, my family included, went down on State Street. So, I did exactly what festivals we hope is everyone comes together and then we um go downtown and support local businesses downtown. I know our finance director was there with his family uh doing the same. I saw him and they were all had smiles on their face with with gelato and everything.

So, with that um yeah, look forward to having more events at Library Plaza.

Okay. And uh a couple weeks ago went back to DC to chase down some highway dollars of my compadres from SB Kagg and uh I got to spend the evening with our congressman Slude Carver Hall and we talked about a lot of stuff including the dredge funding which finally came to fruition for at least another year or so. Uh but uh and then Slude came back with some dough for our East Side Library which we presented that check yesterday. So, some very cool stuff is going on over there and uh Slooh is doing good work for us back in DC. And with that, unless there's anybody else, uh we will adjourn. Thank you.