The Santa Barbara City Council today will consider implementing a proposed fee structure for the outdoor dining parklets that line State Street and nearby side streets.
The fees will pay for the cleaning, maintenance and operation of the downtown’s Pedestrian Promenade,
But first, the council will deal with two items connected to this week’s winter storm that slammed into the city with heavy rain and high winds.
Council members will meet at 2 p.m. in the David Gebhard Room at 630 Garden St., Santa Barbara.
They will receive a report from city staff regarding the recent storm and the city’s response, presented by Emergency Services and Public Works departments.
Then they will be asked to adopt a resolution ratifying Monday’s Declaration of Local Emergency issued by the city administrator, acting in the capacity of director of emergency services.
City Administrator Rebecca Bjork proclaimed a local emergency due to conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property caused by storms and flooding. The law requires the council to ratify such an emergency declaration within seven days.
Later in the meeting, the council will be asked by staff to provide final direction to staff to establish a schedule for Outdoor Business Facility Charges for use of the public right-of-way on the State Street Promenade, including from the 400 to 1300 blocks of State Street. The staff will return to the council for adoption of a resolution setting the Outdoor Business Facility Charges as recommended.
On Sept. 20, the council took a number of actions regarding interim operations on State Street. One of the actions was directing staff to present payment options for the outdoor dining parklets to the Finance Committee for consideration before returning to council for approval of a payment structure.
On Dec. 6, the Finance Committee heard a presentation from staff, but after considerable discussion, the committee could not agree on a recommended payment structure and directed staff to forward the item to the full council for discussion and approval.
Staff will propose several payment structures for the council’s consideration.
The proposed payment option presented to the council last September was a graduated rate based on square footage starting at $5 per square foot per month.
Staff will request a final council decision on a payment structure for the outdoor business facilities on the State Street Promenade.
To date, food and beverage businesses are operating approximately 50 outdoor business facilities.
The Subcommittee advised staff that the payment structure should be at a level sufficient to generate enough revenue to pay for costs associated with ongoing maintenance and operation of the State Street Promenade. This includes State Street from the 400 to 1300 blocks and the cost associated with employing a code compliance officer.
The officer would enforce the Americans with Disabilities Act requirements and, if needed, design requirements.
Promenade-related expenditures in Fiscal Year 2023, which include deep cleaning and staffing, are estimated to be approximately $515,000 and are expected to rise the following year.
Additionally, City Council, the Subcommittee, and community stakeholders have expressed an interest in adding a 0.5 Full Time Equivalent code compliance officer for ADA, design, and other regulatory requirements in the State Street Promenade and citywide parklets. The estimated cost for such a position is $83,000 per year.
Therefore, staff anticipate Fiscal Year 2024 costs to be approximately $675,000.
email: nhartsteinnewspress@gmail.com
