Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Administration topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County planning director outlines fee overhaul and upcoming Board items; Board denied SABL transfer
Summary
Santa Barbara County planning director told the Montecito commission the Board recently approved a fee overhaul to move toward cost recovery and will consider housing element and environmental justice items on Jan. 27; he also said the Board denied a transfer of SABL ownership/operator guarantees.
Director of Planning and Development Plowman reported to the Montecito Planning Commission on Dec. 17 that the Board of Supervisors had approved a departmental fee overhaul after a Dec. 9 hearing with a second reading on Dec. 16. Plowman said the update simplifies fees for building and safety, moves the department closer to cost recovery and will increase revenue overall, with some fees decreasing and others increasing. "So this update demonstrated that we were only recovering in, like, the 84% range, and so we did have to increase fees, in order to bring that back up closer to the 100% range," Plowman said. He added fees will not reach 100% because the department continues to subsidize public counter services, enforcement and appeals.
Plowman also told commissioners the Board heard a housing-element streamlining and update ordinance package that will return to the Board for action on Jan. 27 and flagged an environmental justice element slated for the Board on the same date; he emphasized staff will work with the 3rd and 4th districts on commercial and residential zone changes.
On another Board action, Plowman said the Board took action on a matter involving "SABL" and "denied the transfer of ownership, operator, etcetera, guarantor." He said he expects additional developments on that issue.
Plowman closed with a brief logistics note that the fee changes take effect in about two months and staff would be available for questions; commissioners had none.
