Santa Barbara Council backs waterfront adaptation outreach and backs resolution urging a state climate ‘super fund’

City staff launched public outreach on a 30‑year waterfront adaptation plan and outlined a range of options to protect Santa Barbara’s three‑mile waterfront—Leadbetter through East Beach—against coastal erosion and flooding while preserving public access and the working harbor.

The plan, presented March 10 by Melissa Hetrick (adaptation and resilience manager) and Timmy Bolton (senior climate adaptation analyst and project manager), describes a phased approach: immediate “quick wins” such as restriping parking and temporary deployable flood proofing; core measures intended to provide about 30 years of protection including an elevated walking and biking path that could act as a flood backstop; and larger “future options” such as headlands, groins or artificial reefs that require more permitting and long‑term maintenance. Bolton emphasized the technical basis for the plan and the project’s risk framing, saying the effort will “determine feasibility, effectiveness, cost, and timing” for options it studies further.

Why it matters: the waterfront supports beach recreation, tourism and a working harbor. Bolton told council that recent storms cost the city roughly $3 million for cleanup in 2023 and that parts of East Beach have eroded at rates up to five feet per year in some locations. Projections shown to the council indicated that, without intervention, some segments of the waterfront could lose much of their sandy beach by mid‑century as sea levels rise.

Funding and process: staff said the work already includes initial technical designs for targeted core measures but acknowledged the larger projects will require grant funding, low‑interest loans and local matching funds. The proposal bundled adoption of the plan’s outreach with a second recommendation: a council resolution urging support for statewide “polluters pay” legislation often described as a climate super fund. Leia Parto (sustainability and resilience director) and others framed the fund as a potential source of the local match for major adaptation investments.

Public reaction: dozens of residents, students and climate advocates addressed the council in favor of the super fund and spoke to interrelated concerns such as wildfire, sea level rise and housing impacts. Lauren Leland of the local Make Polluters Pay campaign urged the city to back statewide legislation, arguing it would provide resources for projects beyond what local taxpayers can cover.

Council action and next steps: after a broad discussion of options and outreach plans — including ten commission road‑shows, three public open houses and targeted Spanish‑language engagement — the council voted unanimously to adopt the staff recommendation to support legislation for a climate super fund. Staff will proceed with the three‑month outreach, follow‑on technical analyses this summer and a public draft plan expected before a final council consideration in spring 2027.

Quotes: Timmy Bolton, senior climate adaptation analyst: “This is about a 2 and a half year work effort…what you’ll see presented today is really a first pass at whittling down the big spectrum of options we could do.” Leia Parto, sustainability and resilience director: “The climate super fund is a mechanism that assesses revenues from fossil fuel companies and can provide funding for projects that address climate adaptation and mitigation like this one.”

What’s next: staff will collect community feedback through the outreach program, incorporate that into a more detailed technical and financing plan, and return with a public draft for further review and final adoption anticipated in spring 2027.