Hospital Budget Cuts

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger predicts that California could face a budget deficit that approaches $20 billion through June 2009. He's proposing cut backs in many areas, including hospital care that target those who are in greater need of such services. Das Williams joined with groups and individuals to raise public awareness of the problem with hospital services cuts the Governor is proposing...

To view the KEYT-TV video, please go to: KEYT-TV: Hospital Budget Cuts

BH: A Poodle Perspective

[ Excerpts from "It's A Dog's World After All," by Nick Welsh, SB INDEPENDENT, April 24, 2008 ]

The "building height controversy... shows no sign of going away... What’s striking in this is how upside-down the players have become.

"Spearheading the initiative effort to set the new height limit at 40 feet — down from the existing limit of 60 feet — is architect and former planning commissioner Bill Mahan. What makes Mahan so incongruous in this battle is that while on the Planning Commission, he was consistently one of the more reliably pro-business, pro-growth commissioners. In fact, while on the commission  —  where he reigned as the congenial and well-respected sage silverback  —  Mahan voted in favor of the two new buildings looming over Chapala Street that have since become the chief exhibits in the argument to lower Santa Barbara’s ceiling. But about the time he left the commission, Mahan experienced a religious epiphany about how all the proposed new big buildings are threatening to destroy Santa Barbara’s soul. And if not for Mahan, there would be no building height initiative campaign.

"On the flip side, there’s City Council member Das Williams, who has been consistently outspoken in his opposition to the initiative. Williams argued it would undermine developers’ ability to provide affordable housing. But of all the council members, Williams is the most flamboyantly no-growth. He can legitimately boast  —  and frequently does  —  that no council member has voted against as many development projects as he. More than any other politico I can think of, Williams has consistently sought to embrace and embody the most violently contradictory aspects of the local enviro community. Williams attempts to keep one foot in the Smart Growth camp  —  which holds that higher urban densities can prevent sprawl, promote mass transit, and accommodate affordable housing  —  and the other in the Not in My Back Yard posse, who are alarmed at any increase in traffic, congestion, and density. Some have accused the unapologetically political Williams of pandering, posturing, and trying to be all things to all people. There are times I think the same thing. But I give Williams high marks for trying..."

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For full-text of "The Angry Poodle" column, please go to:
SBI: Dog's World After All

Building Heights Confusion

Reading the various reportings on the building heights issue, I asked my son to help with my confusion. He explained where we are on the building heights issue and later put it in an email:

"I do admit that the conclusion was not very clear. We cannot pass a draft interim ordinance as is in one hearing, and we are not likely to do so as is. To ensure that there is enough public input, we need to have some process. We [the City Council] instructed the Ordinance Committee to draft an interim ordinance on height limits, incorporating the issues of open space, setbacks and type and mix of units; to come back to Council after the GPU workshop, check-in with Council is complete, and to possibly include a sunset date which would coincide with the adoption and implementation of the ordinances."

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The following are excerpts from "City Council Waits for More Data Before Capping Downtown Structures - No Building Height Ordinance — Yet," By Martha Sadler, SB INDEPENDENT, April 24, 2008:

"On Thursday, April 17, Councilmember Das Williams called a press conference to announce an historic compromise between smart-growth advocates and preservationists regarding the question of building heights and density... The spokesperson for the new coalition was architect Bill Mahan, a former city planning commissioner and one of the authors of the Save El Pueblo petition, which aims to place on the ballot an initiative that would impose a 45-foot building height maximum throughout the city... Former mayor Sheila Lodge, another leader in the signature drive, stood by his side on the steps... according to Lodge, they had crafted this compromise with those who favor tall buildings downtown to prevent horizontal sprawl  —  including Williams, housing advocate Mickey Flacks, and high-profile architects Detlev Peikert, Brian Cearnal, and Bruce Bartlett...

"... It turned out that the compromise came as a surprise to most of those who had gathered signatures for the ballot initiative, signed it, or contributed money to the effort...

"The council on Tuesday night concluded that there was no point in a temporary height-limiting ordinance if it wouldn’t stop the ballot initiative...

"In a gesture demonstrating their understanding of the public’s concern about building heights, a majority of council members directed planning staff to work on a height-limiting ordinance, but not to rush it. The consensus was that height limits and associated questions about open space and affordable housing were best addressed as part of the Plan Santa Barbara process, now underway, which is leading up to the update of the city’s General Plan..."

For full-text of the SB INDEPENDENT article of 4/24/2008, please go to:
SBI: Building Heights

Building Heights Ordinance (con't)

[ Excerpt from "City plans to create temporary building guidelines" BY ERIC LINDBERG
DAILY SOUND, April 22, 2008 ]


After a lengthy seesaw battle, Santa Barbara city leaders approved by a slim 4-3 margin a proposal to have the city’s Ordinance Committee draft temporary legislation to address concerns about the height, bulk and scale of recent building projects until the city’s General Plan update process is complete...

Councilmembers Das Williams, Helene Schneider and Iya Falcone, who brought the proposal to the council’s agenda, joined with Councilmember Grant House yesterday evening to vote in favor of drafting an interim ordinance.

“It’s moving in the right direction,” House said. “Is it all the way? No way.”

In contrast, Councilmember Dale Francisco called the proposal an “end-run” around the Plan Santa Barbara process and a failed attempt to head off the petition being circulated for signatures that would lower building height limits...

Schneider also called the proposed ballot initiative, organized by a group known as Save El Pueblo Viejo, an “end-run” around Plan Santa Barbara. She said while an interim ordinance is not an ideal situation, it is necessary given the context.

“Of course it’s not perfect,” she said, calling the ordinance language proposed yesterday evening a starting point...

Many in attendance, including several supporters of the Save El Pueblo Viejo initiative, also agreed that a citizen-led ballot initiative is too simplistic to address complex planning issues related to size, bulk and scale of buildings.

“The issues are so subtle that it’s somewhat ham-fisted to have a ballot initiative that just talks about height,” said Brian Barnwell, a former city councilmember and one of the organizers of the Save El Pueblo Viejo initiative.

Barnwell said the initiative has cachet because local residents lost faith in city leaders to take action on buildings they perceived to be inappropriately large and bulky. With a good interim ordinance, however, he said he would be willing to urge people to vote against the initiative, if it gathers the requisite number of signatures to appear on the ballot...

House, who appeared to waver back and forth on the merits of an interim ordinance, ultimately swung in favor of the proposal after Falcone and Williams agreed not to place a timeline on the process.

Williams said the intent is to use input from a current round of Plan Santa Barbara community workshops to build the temporary ordinance.

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For full text of the article, please go to:
SBDS: Temporary Building Guidelines

Height Limits Ordinance

[ Prior to the City Council meeting of April 22, 2008, Das wrote to SantaBarbarasBlog the following: ]


“First, the discussion tonight would not be whether to adopt the draft interim ordinance that was drawn up by Bill Mahan, Sheila Lodge, Brian Cearnal, and myself (with help from 20-30 members of each group), but whether or not to have a process at Ordinance Committee by which the public can give us some input and we can decide whether or not to have an interim ordinance at all,” Das told the Blog.

“The origin of this is that former Mayor Sheila Lodge and I both started showing up to groups, her to support the Mahan heights initiative and me to oppose it. Sheila is one of my heroes and one of the people whose example got me into politics and we concluded that it was quite foolish for us to be fighting when we agree that:

1. The issue of size, bulk, and scale must be addressed
2. That we need to assure that we can still build affordable and workforce housing
3. We need to assure that red-tile rooftops, screened solar panels, and other good architectural elements are not dis-incentivized by this effort
4. We need to ensure that the massing of buildings gets smaller as the building rises
5. We need to address the setback and open space issue for mixed use buildings
6. That it would be better if we had environmental review on any proposed change to the charter

"Mahan’s 40′ limit initiative would only address the first of these issues. It ignores the others because citizen-based initiatives do not cover multiple topics. That is why the idea of an interim ordinance, perhaps placed on the charter INSTEAD of the 40′ limit, is a better way to go.

"This draft proposal has a 40′ limit, but one in which the roof does not count so that we still have red-tiled roofs instead of flat roofs, an incentive of 12 more feet if there is 30% or more affordable housing, and it makes setback and open space requirements. The only downside, from my perspective, is if we do place this on the ballot, we are making decisions for future generations, who may have other needs.

Now I’m not even saying that this one must be adopted as is. There should be an open and transparent process in the City to wrestle with these issues and one that is part of the General Plan process, but unless the Council forwards this onto the Ordinance committee tonight, there is unlikely to be that kind of discussion in which anyone can take part, except I suppose on the Blog.” - Das Williams

Treaty of El Pueblo Viejo

[ More about the groups working together on the issue of downtown building heights - "Height fight opponents unite," BY COLBY FRAZIER, DAILY SOUND, April 17, 2008 ]


Warring factions of Santa Barbara groups that have been at odds over plans to place an initiative on November’s General Election ballot that would change building height limits throughout the city announced... a truce has been reached.

There’s only one hitch: The Santa Barbara City Council has to adopt an interim building regulation ordinance... or else, they say, efforts to move forward with the ballot initiative will continue.

The groups made the announcement on the steps of city hall and were joined by city council members Helene Schneider and Das Williams, who helped draft the interim ordinance. If approved, the ordinance would set the maximum building height throughout the city’s commercial zones that allow residential use at 40 feet — down 20 feet from the 60 feet currently allowed under the city’s charter.

“We all want to have a Santa Barbara that continues to be beautiful,” Williams said. “People stepped aside from pride and said ‘how can we make things best for Santa Barbara?’”

... Because the height initiative blossomed in the midst of an effort to amend the city’s General Plan, some argued that a better way to address issues like height would be at Plan Santa Barbara meetings.

One of these people was Santa Barbara Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Steve Cushman, who voiced his disapproval of a ballot initiative last month.

Bill Mahan, chair of Save El Pueblo Viejo, said he always agreed going through the General Plan and the city was the proper route, but said he addressed the city council about the idea last summer and there was no interest.

Now there is apparently plenty of interest from the council, or at least from Williams, Schneider and Councilwoman Iya Falcone...

When asked what changed between last summer and now, Williams said, “Nobody was quite ready for it [then].”

Williams and Schneider both said the tone at Plan Santa Barbara meetings about the size, bulk and scale of buildings points in the direction of further restriction, as does the roughly 4,000 signatures that Mahan said his group has gathered in favor of the height initiative in the past two months.

He speculated that by November, he could have as many as 12,000 signatures — a clear sign, he said, that many are ready for change.

To the pleasure of some, the interim ordinance does a lot more than limit height.
It would mandate 10 percent of a net lot area to remain open space on mixed-use projects and 5 percent on commercial projects.

Projects where at least 30 percent of the residential units are classified affordable will be allowed an additional 12 feet of height. The ordinance would also set limitations on maximum floor areas and mandate additional setbacks of up to five feet from the property line facing a public street.

By dealing with the height issues through the General Plan, [Mickey] Flacks said any permanent ordinance would require environmental review. A community driven ballot initiative would not.

Mahan said the 40-feet height limit would be calculated from the ground to the top of the wall, which means a buildings roof could be several feet higher than 40 feet.
Williams said a local architect, who was once opposed to such an ordinance, called the proposed ordinance a “masterpiece.”

“This tackles the biggest issues in Santa Barbara [building heights] on one page,” he said. “That’s hard.”

... Williams said the ordinance is a way to stave off larger developments while the General Plan is being updated, and if approved, it could provide a framework for Plan Santa Barbara discussions.

... Over the past couple of months, those involved in drafting the proposed ordinance said they looked at their friends and neighbors, many of whom were on opposing sides of the issues, and asked one another why they were fighting.

For Williams, the day came when he realized he was at odds with his mentor, former Santa Barbara City Mayor Sheila Lodge, who is on the Save El Pueblo Viejo Committee.

“We just looked up at each other one day and said, ‘this is weird. We’ve got to come up with a compromise,’” he said...

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For full text of the article, along with posted comments, please go to:
SBDS: Height Fight Opponents Unite

Building Height Ceasefire

[ Excerpt from: "Ceasefire in Downtown Height Fight - Preservationists and Smart Growth Activists Craft a Compromise," SB INDEPENDENT, April 17, 2008, By Martha Sadler ]

A group that has been passing around a petition to limit building heights in Santa Barbara stood shoulder-to-shoulder on the steps of City Hall with their nemesis, the “smart-growth” crowd who preach the gospel of building up—not out—to avoid sprawl. The occasion, on Thursday afternoon, April 14, was to announce that the two camps have laid the groundwork for a possible “treaty of El Pueblo Viejo.” The fight over heights, sparked by recent developments on Chapala Street, drove a wedge between former allies in urban design battles of the past. However, it appeared to be over as both sides praised the compromise they have crafted during the past couple of months. The new coalition is hoping that the City Council will adopt their compromise as an ordinance...

[The compromise] would create a 40-foot height limit in all commercial zones that allow residential uses, with one major exception. Projects that include at least 30 percent affordable housing—up to 200 percent of the median income—would be rewarded with an additional 12 feet of height. It would also require more ground-floor open space than current law demands for mixed-use buildings. Landscaping, patios, or walkways open to the sky would have to take up 10 percent of the lot area, and said open space would have to be adjacent to the street. Buildings on State Street or within a block of it would be exempt from the open space requirement...

“This tackles the biggest issues... in one page of law,” enthused Councilman Das Williams, whom both sides said was instrumental in brokering the agreement.

Councilwoman Helene Schneider emphasized that the new coalition was not trying to hijack the general plan updating process...

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For full text of this article, along with pictures and comments, please go to:
SBI: Building Heights Ceasefire

Proposed $3.3M Budget Cuts

[ Excerpt from "City unveils $3.3 million in budget cuts," by Eric Lindberg, DAILY SOUND, April 15, 2008 ]


In the first sweeping look at the City of Santa Barbara’s proposed $250 million operating budget for fiscal year 2009... finance staff outlined $3.3 million in suggested cuts to the general fund needed to keep the city on an even keel.

City Administrator Jim Armstrong blamed a sluggish economy and the ensuing lower-than-expected revenues for the need to make cuts. City leaders said estimates are on the cautious side due to uncertainty over the national economy, the state budget and other factors...

Among the proposed cuts — which will actually total $4.1 million to provide a cushion to absorb uncertainties — are cutbacks of $767,000 to police, $295,600 to fire, $234,300 to parks and recreation, and $326,900 to community development.

While several members of the council raised concerns over slashes to the police department’s budget, Armstrong said those cuts will be discussed and explained in full detail during four budget work sessions planned for the next few months. He assured the council that no patrol positions are being dropped.

However, Councilmember Das Williams, in addition to calling the $767,000 figure alarming, noted a proposed increase in emergency response time from 6:15 to 7:40.

“I haven’t declared war yet,” he said, “I’m just putting it on notice.”

Williams also called attention to rising administration costs in the police and fire budgets despite cuts in other areas of those departments.

“Those are just my two big red flags that I hope we look very hard at,” he said.

Slacking tax revenues, including sales tax, transient occupancy tax and utility users tax, are largely responsibly for the need to make cutbacks in the general fund, city Finance Director Robert Peirson said...

City leaders will delve into the specifics of the budget in coming weeks, beginning on April 25 from 1:30 to 4:30 in Council Chambers. That meeting will cover budgets for the mayor and council, city administrator’s office, city attorney, library, and parks and recreation.

Three other budget work sessions are planned, covering other city departments, and the complete schedule is available on the city’s website. Budget adoption is scheduled for June 24...

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For the full text of this article, please go to:

DAILY SOUND: Budget Cuts

CC Poetry Special

In celebration of Poetry Month, Channel 21 presents poems read by Santa Barbara’s Poet Laureate Perie Longo, Mayor Marty Blum, Councilmembers Das Williams and Grant House, Miki Garcia, head of the Contemporary Arts Forum, and other prominent community members.

The one hour Creative Community poetry special, hosted by David Starkey (with full audio), is currently running on Channel 21 during the following dates and times:

Thursday, 4/17 at 8:30 PM
Saturday, 4/19 at 3:30 PM
Monday 4/21 at 6 PM
Tuesday 4/22 at 8 AM and 3 PM
Wed. 4/23 at 1 AM, 3 PM and 6 PM
Thursday, 4/24 at 8 AM and 3 PM
Friday 4/25 at 1 AM and 6 PM
Saturday 4/26 at 10:30 AM
Sunday 4/27 at 8:30 PM

Additional air times will mostly likely continue the week of 4/28 at the same times reflected for the week of 4/21.

For a few more details and a video of Mayor Blum reading one of her favorite poems, please go to:

Poetry Month

Middle-Class Housing

[ Excerpt from: "Desperately Seeking Middle-Class Housing - Ordinance Committee Zeros In on Smaller Condo Developments," By Bianca Licata, SB INDEPENDENT, April 3, 2008 ]


Making advances in Santa Barbara’s affordable housing program, councilmembers Dale Francisco, Das Williams, and Grant House met on April 1 as the Ordinance Committee and recommended some basic changes to the city’s inclusionary housing law. Conceived in 2004, the ordinance demands that all ownership subdivisions of 10 units or more make 15 percent of those units affordable to “middle-income” families, which means two-bedroom condos priced at $249,000, and three-bedrooms at $283,000. This is supposed to allow employers to attract and keep a workforce without increasing commuter traffic...

However, many feel that because the ordinance does not affect housing projects of fewer than 10 units, it is practically useless in meeting the demand for affordable middle-income housing...

Developers of condo projects with two to nine units who do not want to include affordable units could pay an “in-lieu” fee of $17,700 for each unit they build, so a two-unit project would pay $35,400 and a nine-unit project would pay $153,000. This is a lighter burden than the $473,300 fee that currently applies to larger projects, for each affordable unit they are required to build but do not...

Williams defended inclusionary housing and in-lieu fees, supporting the changes staff had outlined. “This is a regional market. Charges recommended today will make it more functional,” said Williams. “Is it okay to allow smaller units [like condominium developers] to sail on through without an extraction?”

... For the recommended ordinance to become law, a supermajority of five councilmembers will have to agree.

Williams said the decisions would help propagate the development of affordable housing. “[These are the] first meaningful steps towards [making sure] that the city of Santa Barbara will build housing for the income levels Santa Barbara City needs,” said Williams...

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To read the full text article, please go to:

SBI: Desperately Seeking Middle-Class Housing