Board adopts Isla Vista mandatory-waste ordinance to curb litter and consolidate accounts
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Summary
Supervisors approved revisions to County Code Chapter 17 requiring property-owner accounts, increased minimum service by bedroom, mandatory recycling carts, and a phase-out of 32‑gallon detachable cans; the changes include a waiver through July 1, 2028 to allow site adjustments.
Santa Barbara — The Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted amendments to County Code Chapter 17 on Feb. 24 to address chronic litter and under-subscription of trash service in Isla Vista.
Public Works staff said Isla Vista’s population density and high tenant turnover have led to numerous small 32‑gallon cans with detachable lids that are easily lost or scattered by wind and animals. Carlisle Johnston and colleagues proposed consolidating service into larger carts or dumpsters, requiring property owners or managers (not tenants) to hold waste accounts for residential parcels, and adopting per‑bedroom minimum service levels for multiple‑unit and large single‑unit dwellings.
Under the amendment: existing 32‑gallon detachable cans will be phased out; multiple‑unit and large single‑unit dwellings will move to 35‑gallon carts for trash (twice per week) and 35‑gallon recycling carts (once per week) per bedroom as a minimum; properties with 10+ bedrooms must use dumpsters; only one residential waste account will be permitted per parcel (with limited exceptions); and chapter 17’s storage‑out‑of‑view rule will be waived for residential Isla Vista premises through July 1, 2028 to allow physical reconfiguration.
Public comment from the Isla Vista Community Services District, residents and local restaurateurs supported the ordinance as a structural fix to a longtime litter problem. "The proposed amendments address the structural causes of litter in Isla Vista," Jenna Norton (IVCSD program manager) said, noting full lids and larger containers reduce animal scavenging and wind dispersal.
Staff said new IV rates have been negotiated with franchise hauler MarBorg Industries and will be presented to the board in June 2026 as part of annual rate setting; those rates will include on‑site collection costs for many multiple‑unit properties. The board voted to adopt the ordinance amendments unanimously.
What happens next: Public Works will return in June 2026 with the revised IV rate schedule; property owners and managers will have until July 1, 2028 to adjust container enclosures and storage arrangements.