Santa Barbara County · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Santa Barbara County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Bicycle Safety
Santa Barbara just landed on a list of California's most dangerous cities for cyclists, putting local leaders on the hot seat to fix unsafe streets. If you ride a bike around town, you know the infrastructure needs a serious upgrade to keep people safe.
Northern Branch Jail Expansion Design
Public commenters and supervisors debated whether to build a 1.5-pod or 1-pod expansion for the North Branch Jail, emphasizing alternatives like diversion and community mental health support.
Orcutt Library Project Funding and Delivery
The county is moving forward with financing and design options for a new Orcutt Library co-located with the OASIS Senior Center. Residents strongly advocated for full funding of the project to serve the rapidly growing community.
Operational Area Oil Spill Contingency Plan
The county updated its oil spill contingency plan to maintain state compliance and clarify local emergency response roles.
Abandoned and Wrecked Vessels
Abandoned and wrecked boats washing up on county beaches pose environmental and safety hazards, with toxic materials leaking into the ocean. The problem has worsened due to stricter enforcement in neighboring city marinas.
State Ballot Measures (Props 1 and 45)
The board debated and voted on statewide ballot measures, strongly opposing Proposition 45 over environmental review rollbacks while splitting on Proposition 1 for housing bonds.