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Santa Barbara County adopts ordinance to curb large unaffiliated gatherings in Isla Vista
Summary
The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved an ordinance expanding festival and public‑noise rules for Isla Vista aimed at limiting large unaffiliated gatherings (commonly called Deltopia) after presentations from public‑safety agencies and nearly three hours of public comment. Supporters cited repeated medical emergencies and infrastructure strain; opponents warned of unintended harms to students and local businesses.
The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors on Jan. 13 adopted an ordinance amending county festival and public‑noise rules that county officials say will help reduce the large, unaffiliated spring gatherings in Isla Vista known as Deltopia.
Sheriff's office and emergency medical presenters summarized multi‑year operational impacts: high numbers of medical calls, multiple hospital transports and repeated overtime costs for first responders. “Esta ordenanza es importantísimo y prueba lo que pasó en Halloween,” the sheriff’s presenter told the board, citing past mass‑casualty risks and repeated calls for mutual‑aid resources.
Why it matters: County staff and public‑safety officials said the gatherings have exceeded local capacity in past years — one presentation cited thousands of participants, dozens of arrests and hundreds of medical responses — and that…
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