After hearing United Way presentation in regular meeting, councilmembers discuss budget priorities in Saturday session
The Buellton City Council put in a little extra time in the first full week of April, conducting its regular meeting on Thursday, April 10, before holding a special meeting on Saturday, April 12, at the Buellton Library to discuss future budget priorities.
In the regular meeting, for which Mayor David Silva was absent, the council listened to a presentation by the United Way of Santa Barbara County on its Brighter Futures Childcare Initiative, a program designed to improve access to childcare for low- and middle-income families in the Santa Ynez Valley.
Later, in the meeting’s first business item, Steve Ortiz and Rose Levy of the United Way of Santa Barbara County gave a presentation explaining the organization’s Brighter Futures Childcare Initiative. Having the United Way come to explain the program was something suggested by Councilmember Hudson Hornick, who has two children in the Zaca Preschool in Buellton, and said he has seen the difficulty that some have had in getting affordable childcare.
“I’ve talked with Shelley Grand, the executive director of the preschool, and she told me she has a waiting list of 100 to get into the school,” Hornick said. “This is just a staggering obstacle for families to get proper care.”
In her presentation, Levy pointed out that the county has a child-space deficit (people waiting to get in to childcare) of 9,371, and their are over 1,000 on waiting lists in the Santa Ynez Valley alone.
Levy said the issues facing families trying to get their kids into childcare include high tuition rates, difficulties ofrunning a childcare facility, lack of providers, and inability of parents to fully participate in the workforce.
The Brighter Futures Initiative tries to narrow the gap with scholarships for the “missing middle” (middle-income families), and programs to encourage more childcare, among other things.
Levy suggested ways for Buellton to engage would be create revenue sources to help strengthen the childcare sector,and gave examples from elsewhere in the county.
“In Goleta, they have the Measure B sales tax; in Aspen, Colorado, they use a real estate transfer taxes; and in Hood River, Oregon, they use [transit occupancy tax] to fund childcare opportunities,” she said, naming just a few of many.
Levy said the city can also help by looking at its land-use policy to make it less restrictive for preschool and childcare facilities to open.
In response, Vice Mayor Elysia Lewis said she could direct staff to look at Buellton’s land-use policy, whileCouncilmember John Sanchez suggested the city could incentivize future housing project to include a building or facility for childcare. Hornick, who has already joined a county coalition on the issue, said he would like to explore the possiblity of partnerships with the United Way to help the process.
In other business, the council agreed to install signs at the transit stop near the Buellton Library on Valley Dairy Road. In the March 13 meeting, staff was directed to find a solution other than a red curb to prevent parking at the stop.
Director of Public Works Rose Hess recommended signs prohibited parking while the transit buses were still in operation, which Hess said would be from approximately 6:49 a.m. to 7:15 p.m. Monday through Saturday. After agreeing to keep a red curb in front of the fire hydrant just before the Dairyland Road intersection, the council voted 3-0 to approve the signs.
On Saturday, April 12, the City Council convened in a conference room at the Buellton Library for a special meeting to discuss budget priorities, one that City Manager Scott Wolfe said would be an “informal discussion” on the city’s budget needs. Hornick had suggested the meeting at previous regular meetings because he believed the council would have to deal with a deficit in future years.
However, after Finance Director Shannel Zamora gave her presentation, which had new numbers that showed the city would be operating with a surplus for the rest of its 10-year forecast, Hornick said the discussion was probably unnecessary as the forecast now did not show a future deficit, thanks to, among other things, an expected spike in the Transit Occupancy Tax (TOT).
The councilmembers still decided to go over the budget priorities that were listed in an earlier meeting.
Among the listed items included in the projection:
Willemsen Property Parking Lot: Cost given at $2.6 million which will be split between separate fiscal years. Sanchez voiced his opposition at a stairway up to the library, but Wolfe assured that they would be looking to build a ramp instead.
Highway 246 Safety Improvements: To cost $2 million, to be split between fiscal years.
Motor Officer add to Sheriff Contract: Listed at $270,200 per current contract proposal.
Median 3 (Avenue of Flags) design/improvements: Listed at $3 million — $850,000 paid in FY 2024-25 and $2.15 million paid in FY 2025-26.
Children’s Museum: City has agreed to partner up with museum on Willemsen property, projected as $800,000, with a $350,000 start-up contribution, $150,000 per year in years 1 and 2, with a $150,000 match at 2 for 1 in year 3.
Two items on the list not projected included a splash pad (thought to be part of Children’s Museum budget), and a shade canopy at the River View Park playground (deemed not feasible due to frequent high winds at park).
The City Council will meet next on Thursday, April 24, at 6 p.m.
