Santa Barbara City Council approves $5 million for Dwight Murphy Field, accepts police wellness donation and fiscal correction

Santa Barbara — The Santa Barbara City Council on May 20 approved a package of consent items and separate votes that included a $5,000,000 increase to the Dwight Murphy Field Renewal Project, acceptance of a $50,000 donation for Santa Barbara Police Department employee wellness, a clerical correction to the city’s third-quarter budget adjustments and the closing of a TEFRA public hearing on proposed revenue bonds for a continuing-care facility.

The actions were taken during the council’s regular meeting in City Hall chambers. Councilmembers present voted to approve the measures; Mayor Randy Rouse and Councilmember Mike Jordan were absent for portions of the meeting.

Why this matters: The council’s vote clears the way for construction and naming elements of the Dwight Murphy Field renewal, allocates private funds for police mental‑wellness programming, corrects a budget line item that would have underfunded a golf‑course infrastructure project, and completes the federal TEFRA procedural step for a large bond issuance that will fund a local continuing‑care community.

Dwight Murphy Field gift and naming The council adopted a resolution amending the fiscal‑year 2024–25 budget to increase revenue and expenditure appropriations by $5,000,000 in the capital outlay fund for the Dwight Murphy Field Renewal Project. The funding was presented as a gift and bridge funding from H. Ty Warner.

Bill Medel, speaking on behalf of H. Ty Warner, said the donor decided quickly after seeing the project materials: "Once this project was presented to Ty Warner, it took him 3 minutes to say yes." Victoria Strong, representing the Gwendolyn Strong Foundation, said, "This isn't just a donation, this is legacy."

Parks and Recreation staff told the council the park name will remain Dwight Murphy Field; the playground will be named Gwendolyn's Playground and the newly configured sports area will be designated the Ty Warner Sports Complex at Dwight Murphy Field. The council approved the MOU and budget adjustment; the action passed with all members present voting in favor (Mayor Rouse and Member Jordan absent).

Donation for police employee wellness The council accepted a $50,000 donation from the nonprofit 1805 to support the Santa Barbara Police Department's employee wellness and peer‑support programs. Kirsten Cavendish Weston Smith, who identified herself as the head of 1805, said the organization "has given the city police [a] grant for $50,000 for mental wellness and their peer support program." The item passed unanimously among members present (Mayor Rouse and Member Jordan absent).

Third‑quarter budget correction Keith DeMartini, the city finance director, notified the council of a clerical error in the staff packet affecting the Golf Course Capital Fund. "It should be for $200,000 to match the revenue appropriation, not $20,000," DeMartini said. Council approved the corrected third‑quarter adjustments to fiscal‑year 2024–25 revenue and expenditure appropriations.

TEFRA hearing for Valle Verde bonds Council opened and closed a TEFRA (Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act) public hearing on a proposed issuance by the California Municipal Finance Authority of revenue and refunding bonds in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $205,000,000. Staff said up to $20,000,000 of that amount would be used for the benefit of Valle Verde, a continuing‑care community at 900 Calle De Los Amigos. No members of the public spoke on the item at the hearing; the council approved the related resolution.

Other consent items The council also approved: a first amendment to a lease (item 5) authorizing the Sustainability and Resilience Director to execute a lease amendment for office space at 801 Garden Street, Suites 20201, commencing July 1, 2025; a resolution declaring the council’s intention to levy parking and business improvement area assessment rates for fiscal year 2025–26 and setting a public hearing for June 17, 2025; and the minutes from the May 6, 2025 meeting (the minutes vote passed with one abstention and two absences).

Votes at a glance - Item 4 — Approval of minutes for the May 6, 2025 meeting: approved (one abstention; Mayor Rouse and Member Jordan absent). - Item 5 — First Amendment to lease agreement for 801 Garden Street (Sustainability & Resilience Dept.): approved as part of the consent calendar (members present voted yes; Mayor Rouse and Member Jordan absent). - Item 6 — Accept donation from 1805 for SBPD employee wellness ($50,000): approved unanimously by members present (Mayor Rouse and Member Jordan absent). - Item 7 — Fiscal Year 2024–25 third‑quarter review with clerical correction (Golf Course Capital Fund increase corrected to $200,000): approved unanimously by members present. - Item 8 — Declaration of intent to levy PBIA assessments for FY 2025–26; public hearing set for 06/17/2025 at 2 p.m.: adopted as part of consent. - Item 9 — MOU with H. Ty Warner and budget amendment to add $5,000,000 for Dwight Murphy Field Renewal Project: approved by members present; naming details announced by Parks & Recreation staff. - Item 13 — TEFRA hearing and approval of resolution for CMFA revenue/refunding bonds, Series 2025 (aggregate not to exceed $205,000,000; up to $20,000,000 for Valle Verde): hearing opened/closed with no public comment and approved by members present.

What’s next The council set a public hearing for the parking and business improvement assessment rates for June 17, 2025, at 2 p.m. Several items approved at the meeting direct staff to proceed with project implementation and contract administration steps; councilmembers did not add new conditions on those items during the meeting. Mayor Randy Rouse and Councilmember Mike Jordan were recorded absent for portions of the meeting.