In its virtual meeting on Tuesday, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors will receive and file the fiscal year 2021-26 five-year forecast and fiscal issues report.
The plan aims to provide context for balancing short-term objectives with long-term goals during the upcoming budget development cycle.
“The FY 2020-21 budget was adopted with discretionary revenue growth and use of one-time funds sufficient to avoid potential cuts — despite COVID-related revenue losses — and departments have continued to implement restructuring initiatives to enhance services or increase efficiencies,” the staff report reads. “Because of the uncertainties surrounding the pandemic response and economic impacts, the budget did not expand services, but rather focused on maintaining existing services.”
Despite the pandemic, FY 2021-22 shows an anticipated modest General Fund budget gap of just under $2 million, but years beyond this are expected to show growing funding shortfalls, with the gap growing to over $27 million by the fifth year of the forecast.
In a “mild recession” scenario, a funding gap would grow to $11.6 million by 2025-26; a “baseline” scenario would project a gap of $27.2 million by then; and in a “prolonged recession” scenario, a $39.4 million gap is projected.
In other business, the board will be updated on the Agricultural Tiered Permitting Ordinance Amendments and provide direction to staff.
The Agricultural Tiered Permitting project would amend the County Land Use and Development Code and Coastal Zoning Ordinance to (1) reduce the permitting requirements for certain agricultural structural development, and (2) make consistent, countywide, the permitting requirements for a variety of small scale uses on lands zoned Agricultural II, which were first adopted for the Gaviota Coast Plan area.
“This project would allow all owners of lands zoned AG-II the same opportunities to pursue the same range of uses following the same tiered permit structure,” the staff report reads.
The board of supervisors will be asked to approve a Resolution of Necessity to facilitate the acquisition of a temporary construction easement in the property owned by Reginald E. Drew, Jr. for the Lower Mission Creek Project. The overall project will reduce flood risk in the downtown area of Santa.
In addition, the board will be recommended to deny the appeal by Thomas Becker of the Montecito Planning Commission’s approval of the San Ysidro Roundabout project.
The project currently plans to reconfigure the intersection at San Ysidro Road, North Jameson Lane and the northbound Highway 101 on- and off-ramps from two stop-controlled intersections to a roundabout.
The appellant contends that the approval 1) does not comply with the Coastal Act; 2) does not comply with Coastal Land Use Plan; and, 3) fails to minimize Vehicle Miles Travelled.
The board will also receive COVID-19 update, which will include whether or not the county received a purple tier mark on its report card.
The meeting, set for 9 a.m. Tuesday, can be streamed at http://www.countyofsb.org/ceo/csbtv/livestream.sbc or https://www.youtube.com/user/CSBTV20.
email: gmccormick@newspress.com
