Meeting Summary
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At a glance
CEO Report and Clerk Announcements
- The Clerk announced an addendum correcting the case name for A.D.C. v. County of Santa Barbara.
- An administrative item regarding state COVID-19 emergency homelessness funding was added to the agenda.
- The Clerk clarified that the COVID-19 appropriations item requires a majority vote.
COVID-19 Update
- Public Health reported 192 confirmed cases, 34 hospitalizations, and two deaths as of April 6.
- Modeling projections indicated varying hospitalization peaks based on social distancing compliance levels.
- Staff outlined efforts to expand shelter capacity for the unhoused population using FEMA reimbursement funds.
- The board accepted the report after discussing testing availability, economic impacts, and outreach to specific communities.
Waiver of Retirement Exclusion
- Public Health requested a waiver to retain a retiree for expertise in federal HRSA grants.
- The CEO recommended expediting such waivers for departments involved in the recovery response.
- The board adopted the staff recommendation to grant the waiver.
Historic Landmark Designation
- Staff presented the architectural significance of the Sheldon House, designed in 1918.
- The board determined the action is exempt from CEQA.
- The board adopted the resolution designating the Sheldon House as a county historic landmark.
Agricultural Employee Dwelling Coastal Zoning Ordinance Amendment
- Staff presented five modifications from the California Coastal Commission to the local coastal program.
- Supervisors debated the impact of "on-site employment" requirements on building AEDs in Carpinteria.
- The board continued the item to May to allow staff to revise and resubmit with definitional changes.
Closed Session
- The board considered two matters of existing litigation in U.S. District Court.
- The Chair reported that there were no reportable actions taken during the session.
Full summary
Meeting Opening and Roll Call
- The April 7, 2020, meeting of the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors was called to order. The clerk called the roll, and all five supervisors were present. The board recited the Pledge of Allegiance.
Approval of Minutes
- Item: Approval of the minutes from March 24 and March 31, 2020.
- Discussion: No discussion was requested.
- Motion: Supervisor Hartman moved to approve the minutes. The motion was seconded.
- Vote: The motion passed.
CEO Report and Clerk Announcements
- CEO Report: CEO Miyasato reported there was no CEO report for the morning session.
- Clerk Announcements: The Clerk announced an addendum correcting the name of a case under conference with legal counsel (A.D.C. v. County of Santa Barbara, Case No. 2:18-cv-03694-SK). An additional administrative agenda item (A23) regarding state COVID-19 emergency homelessness funding was added. The Clerk clarified that Item A5 (COVID-19 related appropriations) requires a majority vote. Methods for public participation, including email and phone comments, were outlined.
Approval of Administrative Agenda
- Item: Approval of the balance of the administrative agenda (Items A1 through A23).
- Discussion: No board members or members of the public requested to pull items from the agenda.
- Motion: Supervisor Hartman moved to approve items A1 through A23. The motion was seconded.
- Vote: The motion passed unanimously.
General Public Comment
- Comment: A letter from Bobby McGinnis, Chairwoman of the Santa Barbara County Republican Party, was read into the record. The letter requested that the Treasurer’s office close from April 10 to May 31, 2020, to prevent automatic collection of property taxes.
Departmental Item 1: COVID-19 Update
- Item: Hearing to consider recommendations regarding a Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) update from the County Executive Office.
- Presentation: Dr. Yvonne Dorinoso, Public Health Director, presented the weekly update. Key data points as of April 6 at 12 PM included 192 confirmed cases, 34 hospitalizations, two deaths, and 42 recoveries. The county had 376 medical surge beds and 91 ICU beds, operating at approximately 40% capacity, with 50 ventilators available.
- Modeling: Dr. Dorinoso presented projections using the Penn model and the University of Washington model.
- Penn Model: Showed varying outcomes based on social distancing compliance (40%, 45%, 50%). At 40% compliance, hospitalization peaked around June 25. At 50% compliance, the peak was delayed to August 20 with significantly lower numbers.
- University of Washington Model: Estimated peak hospital census of 140, ICU census of 21, and ventilator needs of 17 for Santa Barbara County, with an anticipated 57 deaths by August 4.
- Surge Capacity: The county’s verified surge capacity was estimated at 699 beds (60% of licensed beds reserved for COVID-19).
- Discussion:
- Supervisors asked about the duration of social distancing measures, testing availability in rural areas, and the balance between health and economic impacts.
- Dr. Dorinoso stated that current compliance estimates range between 40% and 60% based on cell data analytics. She noted that the county is planning to acquire hotel rooms for discharge patients and stand up additional beds.
- Supervisor Adam raised concerns about the economic impact of prolonged social distancing and the sustainability of current measures through November.
- Supervisor Lavinino asked about the ratio of ICU beds to hospitalizations and the 40% reserve capacity for non-COVID patients, which Dr. Dorinoso confirmed was validated by hospital partners.
- Supervisor Hartman asked about testing supplies and serology testing. Dr. Dorinoso reported that 200 rapid tests were arriving and that the county was engaging with state task forces for serology testing.
- Supervisor Williams commented on the policy balance between health and economic collapse, noting that economic ruin also harms public health.
- Unhoused Population Update: Mr. Jackson, representing the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), provided an update on serving the unhoused population.
- The county opened a shelter in Santa Maria, serving up to 71 people, which was subsequently taken over by Good Sam.
- Efforts are underway to open shelters in South County and mid-county, with PATH expected to assist.
- The county is using HEAP and HAP funds, with the goal of reimbursing 75% of eligible costs through FEMA.
- Challenges include staffing shortages and the complexity of balancing sheltering with infection control.
- Public Comment:
- A letter from Corey Heyman was read into the record, acknowledging improvements in public reporting, thanking the board for keeping beaches and trailheads open, and requesting proactive identification of next steps.
- A letter from Jose A. Navarrete was read into the record, criticizing the quality of Spanish translations on the county public health website and suggesting the use of certified interpreters.
- Ms. Nesich, from the Joint Information Center, responded to the translation concerns, stating that county-specific information is translated by certified staff, while some state/federal content relies on Google Translate. She noted that certified court translators and FEMA-trained staff are part of the JIC team.
- Chair Hart asked Ms. Nesich to include information about Spanish outreach to Mixteca and Oaxacan communities in North County.
- Outreach Efforts: Staff reported on outreach efforts targeting the Mixteco and Oaxacan populations, including the production of ten videos converted to radio PSAs, collaboration with promotoras and First 5, and the installation of signage in key neighborhoods.
- Public Comment (Dr. Tom Shaw): A physician commented on the shelter-in-place order, noting that the curve in Santa Barbara County was not flattening as desired. He proposed a mandate similar to San Diego County’s face mask order. The Chair noted that dialogue is not permitted during public comment and that the board would respond in a different forum.
- Public Comment (Anna Marie Gott): A commenter recommended that the county publish the percentage of people social distancing and the data source for that figure. She also requested demographic information regarding race in daily data reports, citing observations of social distancing violations in specific ethnic groups and businesses. She questioned the county’s policy regarding enforcement by police or county employees when observing violations.
- Public Comment (Andy Caldwell): A commenter representing COLAB argued that infection and hospitalization rates had been overestimated, citing recent adjustments by federal health officials. He criticized the start date of data charts (April 1) and requested actual data from the first diagnosed case. He also raised concerns about positive patients being sent to nursing homes and the ban on plastic bags.
- Board Discussion: Supervisor Durbin-Oson discussed the long-term nature of the virus and the need to eventually transition from surge management to long-term strategies, noting that herd immunity will be achieved through vaccination or survival. He suggested contacting the Governor regarding policy. The Chair summarized public health recommendations, including social distancing, masking, and hygiene. Supervisor Lavagnino and Supervisor Hartmann expressed appreciation for the staff’s efforts and professionalism during the crisis.
- Motion: Supervisor Hartmann moved to accept the report.
- Second: Seconded by a board member.
- Vote: The motion passed unanimously.
- Administrative Clarification: The CEO clarified the record regarding the voting threshold for an administrative agenda item, confirming that a four-fifths vote was required and that the board had voted accordingly.
Departmental Item 2: Waiver of Retirement Exclusion
- Item: A hearing to consider recommendations regarding a waiver of retirement exclusion for Catherine Macy, a retiree from the Public Health Department.
- Discussion: Public Health requested the waiver to utilize Macy’s expertise in federal HRSA grants and to allow time for cross-training and transition of duties. The CEO noted that Governor Newsom’s executive order suspended certain restrictions on rehiring recent retirees. The CEO recommended expediting such waivers for departments involved in the recovery response.
- Motion: Supervisor Hartmann moved to adopt the staff recommendation.
- Second: Seconded by Supervisor Williams.
- Vote: The motion passed unanimously.
Departmental Item 3: Historic Landmark Designation
- Item: A hearing to consider the Historic Landmark Advisory Commission’s designation of the Sheldon House as a county historic landmark.
- Presentation: Staff presented the history of the Sheldon House, designed by James Osborne Craig in 1918, noting its architectural integrity and significance to Santa Barbara’s architectural identity. Staff recommended adopting the resolution and determining the action is exempt from CEQA.
- Discussion: Supervisor Durbin-Oson asked if there were tax benefits for the owners; staff responded that they were not aware of any tax benefits, though some historical structures may receive benefits under the historic building code.
- Public Comment: No requests to speak were received.
- Motion: A motion was made and seconded to adopt the resolution.
- Vote: The motion passed unanimously.
Departmental Item 4: Agricultural Employee Dwelling Coastal Zoning Ordinance Amendment
- Item: A hearing to consider accepting the California Coastal Commission’s conditional certification of the Agricultural Employee Dwelling (AED) Coastal Zoning Ordinance Amendment as an amendment to the county’s certified local coastal program.
- Presentation: Staff presented the five suggested modifications from the Coastal Commission, which included updating permitted uses, clarifying permitting requirements for principally permitted uses (PPUs) and non-principally permitted uses (non-PPUs), revising findings for approval, and making minor changes to the Gaviota Coast Plan overlay table. Staff recommended accepting the conditional certification and adopting the LCPA with modifications.
- Discussion:
- Supervisor Williams expressed concern that the modifications, particularly regarding "on-site employment" requirements, would make it difficult to build AEDs in Carpinteria, potentially invalidating the board’s previous work to streamline permitting. He suggested rejecting the changes.
- Staff and Director Plowman explained that the changes were a compromise and represented a downshift from previous requirements (e.g., from major CUPs to CDPs/CDHs). They noted that rejecting the modifications would eliminate the improvements.
- Supervisor Williams asked if the board could clarify the definition of "on-site employment" to include multiple parcels of a single business. Staff indicated this would require a withdrawal and resubmittal to the Coastal Commission.
- The CEO outlined four options: accept, accept and initiate new amendments, reject, or revise and resubmit. She noted that rejecting outright would send the item back to the Planning Commission, while revising and resubmitting would keep it with the Board of Supervisors.
- Supervisor Hartmann suggested exploring different strategies, such as using the greenhouse overlay, to present a plausible argument to the Coastal Commission.
- Supervisor Williams advocated for continuing the item until May to allow staff to revise and resubmit with a definitional change to "on-site employment," either for the whole coastal zone or just the Carpinteria Ag overlay.
- Public Comment: Andy Caldwell commented that the current proposal was ineffective and suggested the board send a letter to the Governor and State Legislature criticizing the Coastal Commission’s stance on housing. He also suggested that elected leaders should engage directly with Coastal Commission members rather than just staff.
- Motion: Supervisor Williams moved to continue the item until May and direct staff to bring forward a recommendation to revise and resubmit with a definitional change to what constitutes on-site employment, providing two options: one for the whole coastal zone and one for the Carpinteria Ag overlay.
- Second: Seconded by Supervisor Hartmann.
- Vote: The motion passed unanimously.
Closed Session
- Agenda: The board recessed to closed session to consider two matters of existing litigation: AC et al. v. County of Santa Barbara and Crown Castle Fiber LLC v. County of Santa Barbara, both U.S. District Court cases.
- Report: The Chair reported that the board considered the two matters of existing litigation. The report stated there were no reportable actions. No motion was made, seconded, or voted upon regarding this report.
Adjournment
- The meeting was adjourned to Monday, April 13, 2020, for budget workshops.