‘A huge drop off’: seizures and citations in campaign against unpermitted vendors
By Tom Schultz, News-Press Staff Writer
A six-month campaign to deter unpermitted vending on unincorporated county land—and prevent food borne illnesses from spreading—resulted in food and equipment seizures and several citations.
From April 3 to Oct. 3, health and public works officials in partnership with the California Highway Patrol and Sheriff’s Office visited multiple locations in the Santa Maria and Santa Ynez Valleys.
“It made a huge difference,” said Supervisor Joan Hartmann, whose Third District saw significant enforcement.
The effort led officials to 1,156 pounds of contaminated food subsequently discarded or impounded. They also impounded 13 sets of cooking equipment and issued 13 notices of violation, according to a county report.
“We will continue to respond to consumer and public complaints,” Lars Seifert, County Health deputy director of operations, told the board of supervisors Tuesday. “We appreciate the public giving us information about where unpermitted vendors have been located.
“We have seen a huge drop off in the Santa Ynez Valley,” Seifert said, adding Orcutt numbers also fell. “We will continue to stay vigilant. Now is the time to really lean in and continue that progress.”
Officials looking to ease impact of wrecked vessels
By Julianna Lozada, News-Press Staff Writer
When a boat washes up on a Santa Barbara County beach, Harry Rabin gets a phone call.
The field organizer at the environmental nonprofit Heal the Ocean has helped clean up 31 abandoned vessels—most had no insurance—since 2021. He often documents the environmental and public safety hazards the wrecks pose to beachgoers on the Heal the Ocean website.
“We’ve been in the trenches,” Rabin told the county Board of Supervisors Tuesday.
In turn, the board took a first step toward giving Rabin and others involved in boat cleanups a helping hand.
In a 4-0 vote, the board directed county staff to find ways to address negative impacts of abandoned vessels. These impacts include sharp debris, hazardous materials, sewage, pollutants, disruptions to beach recreation and associated removal costs.
After cleaning up two derelict vessels on Butterfly Beach in one week, Rabin asked First District Supervisor Roy Lee for help.
Lee’s Chief of Staff, Wade Cowper, told the board that removal costs typically run from $5,000 to $15,000. It’s often difficult to recover that money because many of the boats are uninsured, he said.
In addition, Cowper said that boat wrecks often require coordination across many agencies. The sooner that county can intervene, he said, the less expensive the process can be.
“The goal is to move from a purely reactive approach to a more proactive one,” Cowper said.
Supervisor Hartmann said she’s “supportive of doing all that we can in the short run” to get money for boat wreck clean-ups. However, she suggested the state should also play a role since boats typically travel through numerous jurisdictions.
“This experience demonstrates that the need is significantly greater than the resources currently available,” said Karina Johnston, Heal the Ocean executive director.
Fifth District Supervisor Steve Lavagnino was absent.
Resolution celebrates immigrants amid detention reports
By Tom Schultz, News-Press Staff Writer
The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a resolution recognizing Oct. 28 as National Immigrants Day in the county—and said it’s crucial to ensure the safety, dignity and due process rights of all county residents regardless of immigration status or national origin.
“Immigrants are indispensable to the overall wellbeing of Santa Barbara County,” Julissa Peña, executive director of the Santa Barbara County Immigrant Legal Defense Center (ILDC), told the board while accepting the resolution on behalf of a coalition of groups.
Second District Supervisor Laura Capps, who brought the resolution to the board, praised the work of immigrant advocates, who drew attention to what they described as numerous ICE detentions this week in Santa Maria.
“Just yesterday, ILDC received a call about a father who has lived in this country since 2004,” Peña said. “He worked in our agricultural fields for more than a decade and is raising five children, including two children he adopted after their mother passed away.
“While dropping his daughter off at Allan Hancock College, he was taken into ICE custody,” she said. “The circumstances of his arrest raise serious due process concerns.”
Capps, Lee and Hartmann voted for the resolution. Board Chair Bob Nelson, who represents the Fourth District, abstained. Lavagnino was absent.
Board splits on Proposition 1 housing bond
By Tom Schultz, News-Press Staff Writer
Supervisors split and failed to find consensus on whether to support a $11.25 billion state bond measure to fund affordable housing projects.
In addition to providing $1.25 billion to house veterans, Proposition 1 would fund rental homes and home ownership programs as well as farmworker, student and tribal housing. The California Legislature put the measure on the November ballot.
Capps brought a resolution in support the bond to the board, and Hartmann voted in favor.
“To me this is a no-brainer, a slam dunk for the county to be on record,” Capps said, calling affordable housing “by far the biggest crisis we face… This would infuse much-needed dollars.”
However, supervisors Lee and Nelson abstained.
“I typically am against most bonds, although I am glad to see veterans highlighted here,” Nelson said. “I understand why it would be supported at the county level by some of my colleagues.”
Lee, who more often votes with Capps, agreed with Nelson: “I generally do not trust propositions.”
Lavagnino was absent.
New CenCal hub online to help Medi-Cal patients
By Tom Schultz, News-Press Staff Writer
Nearly two months after raising alarms about threats to Medi-Cal enrollment, the organization that administers the program in Santa Barbara County has announced a new online hub.
Called Central Coast Coverage, it offers resources and one-on-one assistance to patients navigating insurance shifts.
“State and federal policy changes affect every part of our healthcare system,” said Van Do-Reynoso, chief health equity officer at CenCal Health. “Working together, we can help community members keep the coverage they qualify for and maintain access to essential health care services.”
In August, CenCal working with county Social Services Department administrators said new federal work requirements and other changing eligibility rules would force an estimated 17,000 low-income Santa Barbara County residents off Medi-Cal in 2027—followed by an additional 13,000 people in 2028.
CenCal developed the $2 million hub with the Family Service Agency and other partners. The agency serves more than 220,000 people in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.