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Board approves donations, contracts and agriculture report in unanimous votes
Summary
The Santa Barbara County Board approved several administrative and departmental items including animal-services donations ($25,749), a $5,000 foundation gift, a contract with Dignity Health for sexual assault response, and the 2025 agriculture annual report.
The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a set of administrative and departmental items on June 23, including donations, a health-services contract and the county's 2025 agriculture report.
The board accepted in-kind donations for Animal Services valued at $25,749 intended to support shelter design work and improvements; separate action accepted a $5,000 gift and discussed a one-time $105,000 bridge from the County Animal Care Foundation to preserve a threatened animal-care officer position. Linda Greco, president of the foundation, described the bridge funding as a short-term measure while the department pursues more sustainable funding sources.
The board also approved a contract with Dignity Health to provide a sexual assault response team that will expand forensic exams and survivor supports to three county sites (Santa Barbara, Lompoc and Santa María). Prosecutors and public-health staff described the agreement as essential to maintain services after budget and staffing challenges in the public-health system.
Separately, Agriculture Commissioner José Chan presented the county's 2025 crop and livestock report. The presentation noted a county production value of about $2.2 billion in 2025 (an 11.5% increase over 2024 driven by strong prices) and highlighted strawberries, broccoli, lettuce and wine grapes among top commodities. The office also reported 375 intercepted invasive pests in 2025 and recommended the board receive and file the annual report; the board did so by unanimous vote.
Other items approved included routine personnel actions (a retirement-related payment for a county executive office employee) and several fee schedule updates for weights-and-measures inspections designed to recover operational costs.
What it means: The votes formalize near-term funding for animal services, preserve victim services through a public–private contract, and record the annual agricultural economy and pest-interdiction results for county planning.
Sources: Department presentations and motions taken during the June 23, 2026 Board of Supervisors meeting.
