Solvang residents urge changes to business‑certificate pricing for holiday vendors and protest 4% credit‑card fee on water bills

During public comment on Oct. 13 residents raised two separate affordability concerns: a craft fair vendor charged a higher short‑term business‑certificate fee, and a resident said the city’s vendor is adding a 4% credit‑card fee to water payments.

Kathy Mobbs said she had planned to sell handcrafted items at holiday craft fairs but when she applied for a Solvang business certificate she was told the fee had increased from $35 last year to $125 and that the short‑term certificate would only be valid for November and December. Mobbs said staff also told her a separate home‑occupation permit was required for $100 and that the combined cost made participation unaffordable. “I am just a working grandmother trying to raise a 17‑year‑old granddaughter,” Mobbs said during public comment, and she asked council to consider a tiered or lower cost for seasonal crafters.

Denise El Amin told the council she pays “the highest water bill in the Valley” and objected to a 4% service charge she incurred when paying a water bill by credit card. “For you to add 4% just for someone to use a credit card, it’s unreal,” she said, and urged council to consider reducing fees that burden working residents.

City staff acknowledged both concerns during the city manager’s report and said the manager would follow up with staff to review business‑certificate and home‑occupation permit procedures and to provide information about payment‑processing fees. The council did not take immediate action during the meeting but members asked staff to examine the licensing structure and fee schedules and return with options.