May 21, 2026 — APCD Board Meeting of May 21, 2026

Meeting Summary

Present: Lee, Caps, Hartman, Nelson, Silva, Clark, Parodi, Julian, Rouse, Brown, Labadino

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

Staff presented a $15.2 million budget proposal with a 13.7% increase driven by grants.
Proposed fee increases under Rule 210 aim to achieve 85% cost recovery for permit management.
The Board voted to receive the budget and schedule a public hearing for June 25, 2026.
No public comments were reported received on the draft budget during the discussion.

Staff detailed smoke management processes including plan requirements and ignition authorizations.
Data regarding burn activities, public outreach notifications, and monitoring protocols were presented.
The Board received the update and filed the item without further motion or vote.

The Board entered a closed session to conference with labor negotiators under Government Code Section 54957.6.
The session concluded with a report that no reportable action was taken.

The meeting was called to order. A roll call established a quorum. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited.

The Board entered a closed session to conference with labor negotiators regarding employee organizations and management under Government Code Section 54957.6. The session concluded with a report that no reportable action was taken.

The Board considered the approval of the minutes from the March 19, 2026 meeting. A motion to approve the minutes was made and seconded. Following a roll call, the motion passed unanimously.

The Board considered the approval of administrative agenda items. It was reported that no public member had pulled any items from the administrative agenda. A motion to approve the administrative items was made and seconded. The motion passed unanimously.

The District Director provided a report covering several operational and strategic topics:
Wildfires and Smoke: Staff noted recent wildfire activity and reported no significant air quality impacts at that time, though moderate conditions were observed in some areas. Resources available on the district website, including real-time air quality readings and clean air center locations, were highlighted.
State Regulation: Updates were provided regarding the California Air Resources Board (CARB) Cap and Invest regulation. Staff noted that proposed modifications could result in reduced Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) funding, which may impact local AB 617 Community Air Protection Program projects.
Meeting Logistics: A scheduling conflict was identified regarding Board meeting locations in August and September due to a change by the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors. This could potentially result in Board members being divided between two locations. A joint lunch for Board members at the September meeting was also announced.

Public comment was received from a representative of the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association. The speaker addressed the Voluntary Blue Whales Blue Skies Vessel Speed Reduction Program. The comment raised concerns regarding the lack of publicly shared analysis on the program's impact on air quality and NOx emissions.

The Board discussed the proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2026-27. Staff presented a total proposed budget of $15.2 million, representing a 13.7% increase, attributed primarily to pass-through grant funds and the permit re-evaluation cycle. Key points included:
The operating budget was projected at $10.4 million.
Fee increases under Rule 210 were proposed at 14.7%, within the state cap of 15%, to achieve 85% cost recovery for permit management.
Initiatives highlighted included the IDS 2.0 system upgrade and continued monitoring programs.
Staff reported that no public comments had been received on the draft budget.
A motion was made and seconded to receive the proposed budget, hold a public hearing to accept comments, and schedule a budget adoption hearing for June 25, 2026. The motion passed unanimously.

The Board received an update on the Prescribed Burn Program. Staff detailed the smoke management process, including requirements for Smoke Management Plans and ignition authorization requests based on meteorological conditions and air quality forecasts. Data on burn activities, public outreach notifications, and monitoring protocols were presented. The Board received and filed the update. No motion or vote was taken on this item.

The meeting was adjourned. The next Board meeting was scheduled for June 25, 2026. A rebroadcast of the meeting was noted to occur on May 24.