[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6670144,"mediaKeyId","2172966-6d9ef8f66418dc5fd80c9787a1aeb6e0","parentId",2172966,"title","Solvang tourism partners report strong Q4 metrics; Thomas Dambo troll draws national interest","audioSeconds",2851,"startMs",4645000,"endMs",7496000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2172966-6d9ef8f66418dc5fd80c9787a1aeb6e0&start=4645&end=7496","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2172966-6d9ef8f66418dc5fd80c9787a1aeb6e0/thumbnail_4645000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6670144/Solvang/Santa-Barbara-County/California/Solvang-tourism-partners-report-strong-Q4-metrics-Thomas-Dambo-troll-draws-national-interest","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6670144-50ba81f4dd9b78a8d431dee413c111b2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771177649&Signature=b3ZUYS6OWtt3y0ssEJ73IStSLUteN06TFy9vHxsTFYCQim5hypN9xZ7JHAaax4eirvsX8QkfNEPpxqiYXpQwGpMhmaNek9caR6WDnRxh1EXVLNhiG4o6Y7KLB~QMo1VEViXlyKvHXd0tJtepqSB~plnb6ICjrUD36rFo-ZZ8q37Rsn-3j-5uwkDZbZawsUGEbHXXdDZHqLcVc46~Ljasyv5GEq1D33YUV1c0IM67xdFgWkcFA4g8l4gigBj6B~uaU9c4QnDJQxpDHHazu8IHld~LCKQO2goMnaZ8LJw6y-ZcVQsyL6KyENlifZ1NKT0EGen2uyFX3PywClqzYOtbZw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Solvang, CA","date","2025-01-28T05:56:32.08Z","article","Solvang’s tourism marketing partners and visitor center reported strong fourth-quarter results and a busy holiday season during the Jan. 27 City Council meeting, citing year-over-year gains in website traffic, social engagement and visitor-center visits — and previewing the new Thomas Dambo troll exhibit slated for February.

Marketing highlights: John, the lead from TJA (the city’s marketing partner), told council members the city’s website sessions were up about 41% year over year and page views totaled roughly 850,000 (a 29% increase). He said lodging referrals from the Solvang website rose by “over 242%,” and the Yulefest landing page drew about 253,000 page views (up 33% from the previous year). John summarized a range of digital metrics — low cost-per-click on paid ads, a monthly e‑blast open rate near 43% and large social impressions from Facebook campaigns — and described the “know before you go” downloads and printable maps as high-performing visitor tools.

Visitor-center and local numbers: Sue, the visitor-center manager, reported 104,203 in-person visitor-center contacts for calendar year 2024 versus 98,447 in 2023; December remained the busiest month, with 16,476 visits in 2024 compared with 16,434 in 2023. Sue also described a small relief bag program the visitor center assembled for people displaced by recent fires.

AI-based counter and countywide visitation: City staff member Joe told the council the city recently subscribed to an AI-enhanced visitor-counting product that uses anonymized cell-phone data. For the Yulefest period (roughly Thanksgiving through the first weekend in January) the service estimated about 750,000 visitors; for the full 2024 calendar year staff cited an aggregate count of about 5,000,000 visitors to Solvang, with the caveat that the product’s method excludes residents and very short pass-through stops and counts repeat overnight visitors. “For the calendar year of 2024, we had 5,000,000 visitors in Solvang,” Joe said, while noting the methodology and uniqueness caveats the city is still vetting.

Thomas Dambo troll and earned media: Marketing and museum partners said the Thomas Dambo installation will have a public preview beginning Feb. 1 and a formal start Feb. 2; a presenter also described the exhibit as permanent. Marketing staff said the installation has driven earned media and influencer interest: social and influencer posts about the troll reached hundreds of thousands of accounts across platforms, and the partners reported increased journalist outreach and editorial coverage tied to the installation.

Other notes: Liana and the social-media team summarized record social metrics — Solvang’s Instagram growth rate outperformed regional peers and several posts drew hundreds of thousands of impressions and shares. Partners said they are coordinating content with Visit California and the Bay Area News Group and plan continued campaigns tied to the troll, Yulefest and off-season lodging specials.

Caveats and next steps: Staff and marketing partners urged caution when interpreting large visitor estimates produced by cell‑phone methods; they said the product excludes short pass-throughs and counts overnight visitors multiple times. Partners also emphasized the planned visitor‑survey and community engagement work that will accompany parks, tourism and marketing initiatives.

No action was required; council members thanked staff and partners for the presentation and for work supporting businesses and the visitor economy.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Solvang City Council Meeting 01/27/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Marketing partners and the visitor center told the council Jan. 27 that website sessions, page views and social engagement rose sharply in Q4; city and partners also previewed the Thomas Dambo troll exhibit and reported new visitor-count metrics showing high seasonal peaks.","taxTitle","Solvang, Santa Barbara County, California","taxId",60283,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6670149,"Solvang council accepts FY 2023–24 audit; auditor issues unmodified opinion",1275,8429000,9704000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2172966-6d9ef8f66418dc5fd80c9787a1aeb6e0&start=8429&end=9704","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2172966-6d9ef8f66418dc5fd80c9787a1aeb6e0/thumbnail_8429000.jpg","/articles/6670149/Solvang/Santa-Barbara-County/California/Solvang-council-accepts-FY-202324-audit-auditor-issues-unmodified-opinion","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6670149-114c07e70ec423f8386b74c0ccf12a21/orig.mp4?Expires=1771177649&Signature=Mc3EqT~6T~mo5cE8iQiyWH3aTcbecuRUkJnSgBbb341LT1IO3tWnMK8qviOAgOvybHjGmp9mqUhCXMt9x9MpNSj1U1DH28V6KQcXH~Oc8ysMH3sxbOId-Kr5yyfznAG1aOQHyGbhQaHurYUOCY4hkDvsvD9uGAA6vz7U3nUrdhrKTBFnPmw88fHG2iXeIWpKsqDzXmeUz8woVWCLoe8naxYMJZ7QuVcx4~OXFmHeQZMGlpejXjbYG6XAf00J-2hSEJoHEDESvyIq98LRSolRvNBKG6FwdzRRKLzsvEbKPaFb6mTxECdYWsQjblvR5Bny9nYsIA0Xm~6Awyw81rL0iQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Solvang City Council voted Jan. 27 to accept the fiscal year 2023–24 financial audit for the period July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024, after a presentation by the city's auditor.

Mitesh, the auditor from Bedawi & Associates, told the council the firm issued an unmodified opinion on the city's financial statements. “We’ve issued an unmodified opinion on these financial statements,” he said, explaining that an unmodified opinion indicates the auditor believes the statements are fairly presented in all material respects. The auditor also reported no material weaknesses in internal control.

Key figures presented by staff included year-end balances for enterprise funds: the city’s water fund had a fund balance the auditor summarized as $8,303,826 and the wastewater fund at $1,978,827. (Staff noted Measure U revenues are tracked separately for accounting purposes but are reported in the general fund for audit purposes.)

The auditor reviewed audit scope and risk areas, including the risk of management override of controls and revenue recognition; he described standard audit procedures used to address those risks, such as analytics, confirmations of large revenues and testing of manual journal entries. The audit identified no significant audit adjustments; all proposed adjustments were recorded.

The auditor also discussed accounting estimates that affect the financial statements, including pension and other post‑employment benefit (OPEB) liabilities and capital-asset useful-life estimates, and flagged upcoming GASB changes the city will need to address in future reports, including disclosures related to compensated absences and capital assets.

Council members praised finance staff for completing the report and for the city’s financial-reporting recognition. Staff also noted the city has earned awards for its financial reporting in prior years.

The council approved the auditor’s report by roll call: Council member Infante — yes; Mayor Pro Tem Claudia Arona — absent; Council member Smith — yes; Council member Elizabeth Arona — yes; Mayor David Brown — yes. The motion passed 4-0.

Clarifying details recorded during the presentation included the auditor’s reminder that an audit provides reasonable, not absolute, assurance and that some balances are estimates based on actuarial assumptions. City staff and the auditor said they will monitor upcoming GASB pronouncements and implement required disclosures in future reports.","Auditor Bedawi & Associates presented the City of Solvang’s fiscal year 2023–24 financial audit and the council voted 4-0 to accept the audit, which included an unmodified opinion and no material weaknesses in internal control.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6670154,"Solvang council votes to join Santa Barbara County Wine Improvement District",1878,6117000,7995000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2172966-6d9ef8f66418dc5fd80c9787a1aeb6e0&start=6117&end=7995","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2172966-6d9ef8f66418dc5fd80c9787a1aeb6e0/thumbnail_6117000.jpg","/articles/6670154/Solvang/Santa-Barbara-County/California/Solvang-council-votes-to-join-Santa-Barbara-County-Wine-Improvement-District","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6670154-21a6981f7e754ae6fe29206a7329ff9b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771177649&Signature=O4fDWwNUkULtaS0kRcawaIaJKdkGWDmmGhj687pG5J200pQQFmztl1ssdXZOXgsgc~tvri90mkI6vhMu0rX~fpHQZadgDI4dziqBjrAZKyKW0rwyo-haP~aVq561i2okb6Gnn76HhArd5tUsNFhTuZ5BAg5bMJZYK9pjrJ8RZkAcy8bOyPXYQX8llgMrhFQuH7XNcjYYPUMCZx2jAHVOSMpXKOr0QhgabB0dLU~1zvXUfMbA3dc8PxgdKa9LJUlRzFZiWqhPLF31rbvARJZtHY4JQXEF0l2EhfPsRI7~yRL-5zsCx0ZSNF8HnIC3VI6Q4FYjrL4Q3pkRy2f2GhHlAg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Solvang City Council voted Jan. 27 to adopt Resolution No. 251278, granting the County of Santa Barbara consent to include the city in the proposed Santa Barbara County Wine Improvement District (SBCWID).

The district would levy a 1% assessment on wineries' direct-to-consumer retail sales — including tasting-room sales, wine-club charges, event sales, food and merchandise — and use the revenue for marketing, public relations, events and industry and government education, proponents said. The county is the lead jurisdiction for formation; organizers told the council the district would begin collections April 1 if the county finalizes formation at a Feb. 11 meeting.

Why it matters: Supporters said a dedicated, regionwide marketing fund will attract more visitors to wineries and area businesses and amplify Solvang’s role in the Santa Ynez Valley tourism economy. Opponents or hesitant speakers at other jurisdictions have carved out their cities; Lompoc recently voted not to participate, a development proponents described as a risk to unified regional promotion.

Association CEO Allison Laslett, introducing the plan, described the assessment as designed for easy auditing and collection. “The 1% was chosen because that is the amount of tax that comes back from the state sales tax to Santa Barbara County, which makes it an auditable number,” Laslett said.

Laslett told the council the Santa Barbara Vintners, a 40-year industry association, currently raises about $400,000 a year in dues and $250,000–$300,000 in events revenue. She said the association expects SBCWID collections to total roughly $1.5–$1.6 million annually, though she cautioned first-year collections could be lower given recent wine-market trends.

Public comment at the council meeting was overwhelmingly pro-district. Dozens of winery owners and representatives — including small producers who said they lack marketing resources and larger operators who said pooled funding would amplify the region — urged the council to consent. Speakers identified themselves as owners or representatives of Dreamcoat Wine Company, Sea Grape Wine Company, Dragonet Cellars, Sarlos and Sons, Gainey Vineyards, Dierberg and Starlane Vineyards, Carhartt Family Wines, Cali Love Wine and others. Shelby Sims, representing Visit Santa Ynez Valley and the local hotel association, told the council the countywide bid mirrors a hotel assessment Visit SYV helped form and “doesn't cost the city a dime.”

Process and collection: Proponents said the county will use HDL, a private tax-collection contractor the county already uses, to gather the assessment. Organizers said using the same base data as sales tax reporting simplifies collection and auditing for wineries and the county. Under state rules cited by presenters, wineries may choose to absorb the assessment or pass it to consumers; if passed through it would appear on receipts as a separate line above sales tax.

Council action: After discussion the council approved the consent resolution by roll call: Council member Infante — yes; Mayor Pro Tem Claudia Arona — absent; Council member Smith — yes; Council member Elizabeth Arona — yes; Mayor David Brown — yes. The motion passed 4-0.

Next steps: Organizers will return to the County of Santa Barbara on Feb. 11 for final formation votes and, if formed, the district would begin collections April 1. Council members and staff said Solvang will not incur administrative cost from the district; the county will lead formation and collection.

Clarifying details: the assessment is 1% of direct-to-consumer retail sales only (wholesale sales are excluded); collection is handled by HDL; formation requires county action following city consents; Lompoc declined to participate and will be treated as carved out if the county forms the district without that city.

Observers and industry participants said the district is intended to create stable, predictable funding for regionwide marketing and visitor outreach and to support smaller wineries that currently lack dedicated marketing budgets.","The Solvang City Council on Jan. 27 voted 4-0 to adopt a resolution consenting to the inclusion of the city in the new Santa Barbara County Wine Improvement District, a county-led 1% assessment on direct-to-consumer retail wine sales to fund regional wine marketing and visitor promotion.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Solvang tourism partners report strong Q4 metrics; Thomas Dambo troll draws national interest

Solvang council accepts FY 2023–24 audit; auditor issues unmodified opinion

Solvang council votes to join Santa Barbara County Wine Improvement District