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Lompoc council withholds consent for countywide wine improvement district after recusals leave no majority
Summary
After hours of public comment from dozens of vintners and business owners, the Lompoc City Council declined to consent to the proposed Santa Barbara County Wine Improvement District; two council members recused themselves, leaving the council without the three votes required to approve inclusion.
The Lompoc City Council voted not to consent to inclusion in the proposed Santa Barbara County Wine Improvement District after two council members recused themselves, leaving the council without the three votes required under the county process.
The proposal, initiated by the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors, would add a 1% assessment on direct-to-consumer retail sales at wine-tasting facilities. The funds would be collected for a five-year term and administered by the nonprofit Santa Barbara Vintners Association for marketing and promotion of county wine tasting facilities, according to the county’s management district plan cited by staff.
The council’s decision followed more than an hour of public comment almost entirely in favor of inclusion from local vintners and tasting-room operators. Supporters told the council the assessment would fund coordinated marketing the region currently lacks,…
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