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Council grants consent to include Guadalupe in countywide Santa Barbara wine improvement district
Summary
Council approved a resolution consenting to inclusion of the city in the Santa Barbara County Wine Improvement District; staff and an industry representative said the move carries no cost to Guadalupe residents or businesses now and would position the city favorably if a winery locates inside city limits in the future.
The Guadalupe City Council on Jan. 28 voted to consent to inclusion of the city in a Santa Barbara County Wine Improvement District, which creates a countywide promotion and marketing assessment for participating wineries.
A representative of the countywide association told the council Guadalupe currently has no wineries and that the district would place no assessment or cost on residents or existing non-winery businesses. The assessment (a 1% levy on direct-to-consumer winery sales) would apply only to wineries or winery tasting rooms that are assessed members of the district; grocery stores, social clubs and wine shops are exempt.
Speakers explained why Guadalupe’s consent is sought now: a single city’s decision can affect whether the countywide promotional map and marketing materials include a jurisdiction. The presenter said inclusion could make Guadalupe “shovel-ready” for a future winery by assuring that promotional infrastructure is in place if a winery locates in the city.
The council discussed timing and benefits and adopted a resolution consenting to Guadalupe’s inclusion in the district for the proposed five-year term; council votes recorded four ayes and one absence. Staff and the presenter said the district is intended to be funded by assessed wineries and would not assess residents or unrelated businesses.
