City Council — January 29, 2026

Meeting Summary

Present: 1-Santamaria, 4-Sneddon, 5-Friedman, 3-Gutierrez, 2-Jordan, Rowse

This summary was AI-generated to save you time. It may miss or misstate details, so verify against the official recording and the transcript.

At a glance

Retail Symposium and Downtown Revitalization

Staff presented data on visitor demographics and retail visitation volumes to inform the State Street Master Plan.
Panelists highlighted challenges including high regulatory costs, housing shortages, and safety perceptions.
Recommendations included creating a permitting concierge desk, repurposing vacant spaces, and avoiding vacancy taxes.
No formal motions were taken as the session served as an informational overview.

Economic Development and Regulatory Burdens

Discussion addressed strategies for affordable housing, including leveraging city-owned land and converting office space.
Participants noted conflicts between state and local regulations and suggested simplified development agreements.
Panelists advised against new taxes, recommending the elimination of red tape and fees instead.
The group explored balancing private property rights with business protections through development agreements.

Charter Amendment Proposal

Staff proposed amending the City Charter to allow lease approvals via resolution and remove the 50-year term limit.
Cost estimates were presented for a special June election versus a November general election.
The Council indicated support for drafting a resolution but deferred a formal vote to the next meeting.
Other potential amendments, such as ranked-choice voting and term limits, were noted for future consideration.

Boards and Commissions Streamlining

Participants discussed the potential to combine, eliminate, or restructure non-mandatory boards and commissions.
The group agreed to conduct an administrative review to identify consolidation opportunities before pursuing charter changes.
No formal motion was made, and the topic was scheduled for a future session.

Council Procedures and Handbook Updates

The Council reviewed proposed updates regarding the two-person memo process, budget guidelines, and event sponsorship.
Discussions covered hybrid meeting compliance, ceremonial guidelines, and the need to codify proclamation criteria.
Participants agreed that the two-person memo process requires revision but adopted no specific changes immediately.
No formal motions were made on these procedural updates during the workshop.

Agenda Order and Meeting Flow

The Council agreed to move public comment on consent calendar items to occur immediately after approval.
A trial was approved to combine "Council Questions" and "Council Comments" into a single segment.
Staff confirmed the Council has discretion to implement these flow changes immediately.
Suggestions were made to print the specific order of operations on future agendas.

Advisory Committee Guidelines

Opinions on term limits were mixed, with suggestions to allow exemptions or require justification for extensions.
Remote participation was debated, with proposals to allow it for special circumstances while requiring in-person majorities.
The group noted that changing the Historic Landmarks Commission composition would require a charter amendment.
Support was expressed for implementing annual work plans for all boards and commissions.

Ad Hoc Committee Formation

The Council moved to establish an ad hoc committee to review handbook updates and advisory committee guidelines.
The committee was tasked with addressing topics including site visits, study sessions, and vacancy procedures.
A motion was made and seconded to appoint members Kristen, Wendy, and Oscar to the committee.
The committee was formed, though a chair was not formally appointed at this time.

Closed Session

No closed session report was included in the provided meeting summary.

Full summary

Agenda Item: Retail Symposium – Overview of the Retail Environment and Downtown Revitalization

The meeting opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and a roll call confirming the presence of the Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem, and Councilmembers Harmon, Friedman, Gutierrez, and Jordan. Councilmember Santa Maria was noted as absent. Public comment was opened, but no members of the public spoke.
City staff introduced the session as an informational symposium to provide context on the retail environment in California and Santa Barbara to inform the State Street Master Plan. Tess Harris, State Street Master Planner, presented data indicating over 12,000 unique visits from the San Francisco area and over 37,000 from Los Angeles. She highlighted demographic concentrations in the 20–29, 30–39, and 60–69 age groups and noted that downtown retail serves both residents and tourists, generating approximately 2 million annual visits.
Three panelists presented:
Rachel Michelin (California Retailers Association): Discussed challenges including high regulatory costs and housing shortages. She noted that state regulations, such as EV charging and solar mandates, can cost over $500,000 per store. She advocated for streamlining regulatory processes and engaging state legislators.
Rick Lemmo (Caruso Properties): Emphasized the need for a clean, safe environment and housing for the workforce. He suggested a "concierge desk" to expedite permits and discussed the impact of residents on the community. He recommended police substations or kiosks to improve safety perception.
Mark Ingalls (Camino Real Marketplace): Distinguished between shopping centers and main streets, advocating for mixed-use development with housing on upper floors. He suggested converting vacant department store spaces into medical or educational facilities and cited the effectiveness of police substations in improving safety.
During the Q&A session, panelists addressed incentives, vacant storefronts, and safety. Suggestions included creating a concierge desk for permitting, waiving fees for timely submissions, and utilizing pop-up shops. Panelists expressed opposition to a vacancy tax, arguing it deters investment, and suggested alternative approaches such as dressing vacant windows. Regarding safety, panelists discussed the effectiveness of police substations and kiosks.
No formal motions were moved, seconded, or voted upon during this portion of the meeting.

Agenda Item: Economic Development and Retail Environment Discussion

Discussion continued regarding State Street revitalization, affordable housing, and regulatory burdens. Panelists addressed the challenge of narrow, deep parcels on State Street, suggesting splitting large retail spaces, utilizing rear portions for housing or offices, and repurposing underutilized office space.
Regarding affordable housing, the loss of the state's Redevelopment Agency (RDA) program was identified as a barrier. Suggestions included leveraging city-owned land, partnering with private landlords to convert office space, and engaging local colleges for design competitions. The concept of using property tax growth in specific areas to fund housing was raised.
On regulatory burdens, participants described overlapping state and local regulations as conflicting. Suggestions included creating simplified development agreements to waive specific requirements in exchange for community benefits and improving inter-agency communication.
Regarding taxation, Council members inquired about ballot measures such as increasing the transient occupancy tax or taxing high-value properties. Panelists generally advised against new taxes, citing potential negative economic impacts, and suggested eliminating red tape and fees would be more effective.
On rent control and private property rights, a case regarding a business forced out by rent increases was raised. Panelists discussed balancing private property rights with the need to protect local businesses, suggesting development agreements could include provisions limiting rent increases in exchange for regulatory waivers.
No formal motions were moved, seconded, or voted upon during this segment.

Agenda Item: Council Procedures and Handbook Update / Charter Amendment

Staff presented a proposal to amend Section 521 of the City Charter. The proposed amendment would allow the City Council to approve leases via either ordinance or resolution, removing the 30-day waiting period and second reading requirement associated with ordinances. It would also remove the 50-year limit on lease terms and clarify that contracts for the sale, lease, or use of city property are a municipal affair. Staff noted that existing limitations for airport and waterfront property would remain in effect.
Staff presented cost estimates for placing the amendment on the ballot: $195,000 for a special election in June and $50,000 for the November general election. Staff recommended the June election to allow immediate action on projects requiring long-term lease certainty. Council members identified other potential charter amendments for future consideration, including ranked-choice voting, term limits, and consolidating boards and commissions.
The Council conducted an informal straw poll to determine support for drafting a resolution for the charter amendment. The Council indicated support for moving forward but requested that staff present both election options with cost estimates at the next meeting for a formal vote. No official motion was adopted, and no formal vote was taken. The item was deferred to the next meeting.

Agenda Item: Boards and Commissions Guidelines

Discussion focused on streamlining the city's boards and commissions. Participants noted that while the charter mandates certain commissions, others could potentially be combined, eliminated, or restructured. It was suggested that an administrative review be conducted to identify opportunities for consolidation before addressing charter amendments. The group agreed to revisit the topic in a future session. No formal motion was made, and no vote was taken.

Agenda Item: Council Procedures and Handbook Updates

The City Administrator presented proposed updates to the Council Procedures and Handbook. The Council engaged in a workshop-style discussion to gather input for an ad hoc committee.
Two-Person Memo Process: Discussion focused on the inefficiency of the current two-meeting process. Suggestions included streamlining to a single meeting, creating a mechanism for urgent items, routing requests through the Mayor or Mayor Pro Tem, or utilizing the "Council and Staff Communications" agenda item. Concerns were raised regarding potential divisiveness, Brown Act compliance, and staff workload. The group agreed the process requires revision but adopted no specific changes.
Council Budget Office Guidelines: Discussion centered on establishing parameters for office budgets, including allowable expenses such as travel, conferences, and paid internships. Concerns were raised regarding inequities in internship funding. The group agreed guidelines should explicitly exclude campaign-related expenses.
Event Sponsorship Guidelines: Discussion focused on guidelines for supporting community organizations. Suggestions included using office budgets to offset rental costs, establishing a collective funding mechanism, and clarifying the distinction between official city support and individual member support. Strict prohibitions on using city funds for election-related activities were agreed upon.
Hybrid Meetings: Updates to ensure compliance with state legislation (SB 707) regarding teleconferencing were presented, involving notice requirements and public accessibility. The Council acknowledged the updates as necessary.
Ceremonial Guidelines: Parameters were proposed for proclamations and resolutions to clarify which items require full council consideration versus individual handling.
No formal motions were made, and no votes were taken on these updates.

Agenda Item: Agenda Order and Meeting Flow

The Council discussed the order of agenda items. It was proposed to move public comment on items pulled from the consent calendar to occur immediately after consent calendar approval. The group agreed this sequence was logical. Discussion occurred regarding combining "Council Questions" and "Council Comments" segments into a single segment following public comment. The City Administrator confirmed the Council has discretion to implement this change immediately. The group agreed to trial this combined approach. A suggestion was made to print the specific order of operations on the agenda.
No formal motions were moved, seconded, or voted upon.

Agenda Item: Council Handbook and Procedures (Continued)

Discussion addressed agenda distribution, with a suggestion to stagger document release to provide a full week of review. Staff indicated willingness to work toward this goal. The topic of public exhibit submission deadlines was raised; staff suggested checking state law before establishing a formal policy.
Regarding site visits, Council members expressed concern that mandatory visits often result in a lack of quorum. It was proposed to make site visits discretionary rather than automatic. The group generally agreed site visits should be optional.
The concept of "study sessions" was introduced as informal work sessions for deep discussion without formal action. Council members expressed interest in utilizing these for budget preparation and complex policy topics. It was noted that study sessions would require proper notice but would not include general public comment.
Guidelines for proclamations, resolutions, and certificates of appreciation were discussed. There was consensus on the need to codify guidelines to ensure consistency and transparency. Suggestions included creating an online portal for requests and establishing criteria for recognitions.
Additional topics included protocols for Council vacancies, censure procedures, and operating norms. Staff recommended including specific charter provisions regarding vacancies and outlining the process for interim appointments. The group discussed the need for a documented process for handling complaints against Council members. Staff suggested an ad hoc committee could consider adding a section on operating norms.

Agenda Item: Advisory Committee Guidelines and Updates

Discussion focused on term limits, remote participation, and board composition. Opinions on term limits were mixed; some argued they foster fresh perspectives, while others expressed concern over the loss of institutional knowledge. A suggestion was made to allow exemptions or require a statement of justification for members serving beyond a recommended limit.
Remote participation was debated. While some supported it for accessibility, others raised concerns about recording capabilities and unequal participation. Suggestions included allowing remote participation for special circumstances while requiring a majority of members to be present in person.
The composition of the Historic Landmarks Commission (HLC) was discussed, specifically a proposal to designate seats for a "young professional" and a member from the "development community." Council members expressed hesitation, noting the HLC is a charter board and changing its composition would require a charter amendment. Concerns were raised that current membership already includes relevant professionals.
Other topics included procedures for board members placing items on agendas, the distinction between advisory and policy-making bodies, and the importance of decorum. The concept of annual work plans for boards and commissions was supported.

Agenda Item: Ad Hoc Committee Formation

The Council moved to form an ad hoc committee to address handbook updates and advisory committee guidelines. The committee was tasked with reviewing topics including site visit protocols, study session formats, proclamation guidelines, vacancy procedures, censure processes, operating norms, term limits, remote participation, and board composition.
A motion was made to establish the ad hoc committee with members Kristen, Wendy, and Oscar. The motion was seconded. The committee was formed. No formal vote count was recorded, but the appointment was accepted by the body. The chair of the committee was not formally appointed at this time.

Agenda Item: Closing Remarks and Committee Nomination

The meeting concluded with closing remarks regarding the workshop's effectiveness. During the comments period, a suggestion was made to nominate Mayor Pro Tem Sneddon to chair the committee. This was presented as a suggestion rather than a formal motion. No formal motion was moved, seconded, or voted upon regarding this nomination or any other matter in this segment. The meeting was adjourned.

City Council — January 29, 2026January 29, 2026