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Santa Maria council approves user‑fee updates, disruption policy and election resolutions; rescinds landscape assessment step
Summary
At the June 2 meeting the council approved the consent calendar; adopted a comprehensive user‑fee schedule (with a handful of utility fees to be republished); adopted a disruption/teleconferencing policy required by SB707; approved resolutions to call the Nov. 3, 2026 municipal and special elections and place a 0.5% transactions and use tax measure on the ballot; and rescinded a previous landscape assessment resolution to allow more review.
The Santa Maria City Council on June 2 handled several routine but consequential actions tied to the city’s operations, communications and the November ballot.
Consent calendar: Council approved the consent calendar by roll call vote with all members recorded in the affirmative.
User fees: Finance staff presented a comprehensive study and recommended bringing many fees to full cost recovery. The proposed 2026 user fee schedule described 274 fee types and included detailed appendices. Staff asked council to adopt the updated fee schedule while excluding several specified utility fees that require republishing; council moved, seconded, and adopted the fees (with the exclusions) by unanimous roll call.
Disruption policy and outreach: As required by SB707, staff presented a disruption policy to handle interruptions to telephonic or internet services during meetings, including a one‑hour recess protocol, required outreach steps, recordkeeping and findings language the council can adopt to continue meetings when remote access is lost. Council adopted the policy by roll call.
Election resolutions and tax measure: Clerk presented six resolutions to call and consolidate a general and special municipal election on Nov. 3, 2026, to fill expiring council seats and a special vacancy, and to place a one‑half cent general sales tax measure (a transactions and use tax) on the November ballot, estimated to raise about $13 million annually. Council adopted the resolutions and directed staff to submit the required materials to the county by the consolidation deadline.
Landscape maintenance district assessment: Recreation & Parks staff recommended rescinding Resolution 2026‑76 to pause a proposed 3% assessment increase for the landscape maintenance district and set a new public hearing date to allow additional review. Council voted to rescind the prior resolution and reset the process.
Ending: These votes set the city up to finalize budget decisions at the June 16 meeting and to move forward with election and outreach processes ahead of the November election consolidation deadline.
