Daniel Contreras appointed to Planning Commission, water-rate discount approved, funds for Fall Fest and River Trail project approved
The Buellton City Council held its regular meeting on Thursday, Sept. 25, but it was anything but regular, as Carla Mead was sworn in as the new council member representing the city’s District 4, making the council a full unit for the first time since the changeover from the November 2024 election.
Mead, a self-employed math tutor and wine ambassador for Rideau Winery who has served on multiple local boards and volunteer organizations, won a special mail-in election Aug. 26 over former City Councilperson and Mayor Dave King. The District 4 seat had gone vacant when David Silva moved into the mayor’s seat at the beginning of the year after defeating King in the November 2024 mayoral election.
Mead took her oath from City Clerk Linda Reid approximately 15 minutes into the meeting, before the council dealt with its business items on the agenda. She was joined in the audience by many friends and well-wishers, most of whom wore pink at her request. In fact, District 3 City Councilmember John Sanchez got into the spirit with a pink shirt of his own underneath his sportcoat.
In a reception before the City Council meeting started, Mead reflected on her time this year campaigning and getting to know the people who would become her constituents.
“Not for the weak-spirited, but campaigning and door-knocking, it’s been great meeting so many neighbors to get to hear about people’s concerns directly from them,” she said. “The biggest thing is making people aware that there is a kind of person in their district, making them aware of who I am and making them aware that I’m at their service.”
Mead already had a couple of topics she was ready to tackle as soon as she took her City Council seat.
“I’ll continue working on the SYV Pedestrian Trail. And commercial development — what are we doing to develop,” she said. “And, from listening to the people, how do we improve our transportation issues, whether it’s on 246 or at the high school.”
After Mead took her oath of office, which was followed by a short recess, the five-member council got down to business. One change in the agenda was the redesignation of Item 5 in the Consent Calendar, having to do with funding for the Buellton segment of the Santa Ynez River Trail to Business Item No. 13.
First off was the opportunity to fill the vacant spot on the Buellton Planning Commission now that Mead was on council.
The city had an open window for applications last month, and the only applicant ended up being Daniel Contreras, who served on the Planning Commission from 2024 until he had to vacate the spot with the City Council District 4 vacancy.
Contreras addressed the council citing his background and experience on the commission, and Mead has the opportunity to appoint him back to the commission, which she did, saying “We have similar goals. I would like to nominate Daniel Contreras.” The appointment passes with a 5-0 vote from council.
In Item 11, the Council OK’d by a 4-0 vote an $11,000 payment to En Fuego Events for costs in running the Buellton Fall Fest, which will be held Nov. 7-9 in the area of Avenue of Flags north of Highway 246. The event will be held at Avenue of Flags for the fourth year next month. Councilmember John Sanchez recused himself from the item because he is related to the event applicant.
In Item 12, Council unanimously passed Resolution No. 25-27, Amending the Monthly Wastewater Service Fees and Low-Income Program in the City of Buellton. The low-income program is a service provided by PG&E and SoCal Gas that offers a 20% discount monthly for rate-payers that have been heavily vetted by those agencies. Also a part of the resolution was a deep sewer-rate discount for Buellton mobile-home park residents.
Finally, Item 13, which was originally in the Consent Calendar, Consideration of MOU with SBCAG for the Santa Ynez Valley River Trail (Santa Ynez Valley Regional Community Connector) saw the City Council OK a $425,000 outlay in a city partnership SBCAG for the administration, and preliminary plans for the trail which is proposed to start at Buellton’s River View Park and end at the intersection of Highways 246 and 154.
Fred Luna of SBCAG, a Buellton resident, said he looks to hire a consultant to help with the project and said they already have preliminary plans underway for the project.
Before adjourning, Buellton Mayor David Silva announced the next scheduled City Council meeting for Thursday, Oct. 9, will be canceled due to councilmembers going to the League of California Cities conference that week. The council will meet next on Thursday, Oct. 23, at 6 p.m.
