Council also hears from local grant funding applicants and gets report from new county fire chief
Advancing a proposal to tighten up the ordinance dealing with short-term rentals in the city, the Solvang City Council approved the first reading of the amended ordinance during its regular meeting on Monday, Feb. 23.
During the meeting, the council also heard a presentation of the Santa Barbara County Fire Public Safety Annual Review, and also got to hear from local applicants for the city’s 2026 funding grants.
The meeting began with Mayor David Brown introducing young resident Carter Levine, who got to serve as Mayor for the Day, an annual honor for a lucky youngster. Carter was able to pound the gavel to start the meeting and then led the council and audience in the Pledge of Alliance before going to sit with her mom in the audience.
The first order of business for the council was the 2025 SBC Fire Public Safety Annual Review, presented by recently appointed Santa Barbara County Fire Chief Garrett Huff, who also introduced the department’s new Public Information Officer Capt. Mike Gray.
During the report, Huff hailed the recent opening of the Regional Fire Communication Center, which changes the manner of which first responders are dispatched.
“What it means for the county is that we dropped all jurisdictional boundaries,” Huff said. “Before, the dispatch would depend on which agency had jurisdiction, but now, say there’s a call in the county area, but a Santa Barbara city engine happens to be closer, we would send that. It drops all the borders.”
In a review of the annual stats, Huff said Solvang produced 690 calls in 2025, which was pretty consistent with the previous year. He also elaborated on some notable local fires in 2025, especially that of the Hans Christian Anderson Square buildings on 1st Street and Molle Way. He said the Molle Fire, as it’s called, and the fire that gutted the former Sear Steakhouse on second street was still under investigation.
The council then conducted a public hearing on Ordinance No. 26-0390, which regulates the zoning for short-term rentals.
In 2025, the City Council directed staff to revise the ordinance, which was enacted in 2016. Since then, technological changes and the growth of online rental platforms exposed gaps in the ordinance, due to lack of enforcement, limited investigations, and lack of oversight and cap on STR permits.
Community Development Director Rafael Castillo said the amendments proposed in 2025 and approved by the city’s Planning Commission in its Jan. 5 meeting modernizes regulations, strengthens enforcement, and largely restricts short-term rentals to the Village Mixed-Use zone with limited exceptions. City staff brought the item back to council throughout 2025 to ensure direction of ordinance changes.
During questions, Brown asked about enforcement and why STR citations that involved fines were changed to misdemeanors. City Attorney Chelsea O’Sullivan said the misdemeanor designation is a default that gives the city option on further actions against violators, including fines. Castillo said the city was counting on voluntary compliance from those with STRs.
Also notable was the amendment putting a cap on 40 STR permits, a number Castillo noted was agreed upon by the council at an earlier meeting.
Councilmember Elizabeth Orona asked about the list of permits and who would be managing it. Castillo said city staff would manage the list, and it would be put online for easy access to manage. He also said once the list hit 40, staff would begin a waiting list for a permit.
In Public Comment, Solvang resident Suzie Townsend questioned whether restriction was warranted and defended the STR model.
“If we are truly ‘modernizing’ this ordinance as this city like to use this terminology, we need to recognize that this [STRs] is an increasingly popular option for tourists,” Townsend said. “Severly limiting these options, and 40 is very limiting, does not modernize the policy, but puts us behind current traveling trends.”
Townsend added that limiting STRs could negatively affect Solvang’s economy.
“Limiting the number of home-stays in Solvang, where people would be within walking distance of business, would cost our city revenue that would got to Los Olivos, Santa Ynez, and Buellton, and those who prefer the home-stay would spend their money in those communities.”
Ultimately, Elizabeth Orona moved to approve the first reading of the ordinance, with Councilmember Mark Infanti seconding, and the item passed 5-0.
The next item, a Discussion Item, was to receive the fiscal year 2026-27 FY 26/27 Grant Funding Summary. Brown recused himself from the item, disclosing that his wife’s employer is one of the applicants for city grants in 2026.
Introducing the item, Administrative Services Director Wendy Berry said the purpose of this program is to provide financial assistance to eligible organizations whose programs and services align with the City’s goals and serve the Solvang community. After an application period from Dec. 1, 2025, to Jan. 30, staff conducted two mandatory informational meetings in January, reviewing eligibility requirements, application procedures,
required documentation, and deadlines.
Upon review, staff found seven applications to be complete, and therefore eligible for grants. They were identified as Atterdag at Home ($20,000 requested), Nature Track ($5,000), SYV Humane Society ($25,000), SYV Fruit and Vegetable Rescue ($12,500), SYV People Helping People ($30,000), Solvang Arts and Music Foundation/Solvang School Education Foundation ($10,000), and Solvang Rotary Foundation ($25,000).
Five of the seven applicants were on hand during Public Comment to state their case (Atterdag at Home and Nature Track were absent) for grants.
After Public Comment, Infanti moved to receive and file the report with Elizabeth Orona seconding, and the item passed 4-0
The City Council will next meet on Monday, March 9, at 6:30 p.m.
