Board of Supervisors - County of Santa Barbara - 10/20/26

At its October 20, 2026 meeting, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors approved advancing the proposed Orcutt Library project under the full-scale Option A, estimated at about $44 million, rather than the phased Option B, estimated at about $26 million. By a 4–1 vote, with Supervisor Hartman abstaining, the board directed staff to include the project in financial planning, prepare a financing strategy that accounts for ongoing operating costs, use the construction-manager-at-risk (CMAR) delivery method, and negotiate with the project’s designer, RRM Design Group. The board also requested that the upcoming forecast show costs for both project scenarios. The update cited a $2 million federal grant, a separate state grant, $924,000 in property purchases, and $721,000 paid to RRM for completed work; operating costs remain to be analyzed. Supervisors discussed the project alongside competing county capital needs and the effect of debt service on future budgets.

The board also received an update on the Northern Branch Jail addition, a design-build project reported to be on schedule and on budget, with initial occupancy projected for July 2029; a separate recreation-yard proposal is to be considered in a future capital-improvement cycle. Members of the public urged the board to pause two of six planned housing units, citing falling jail population and treatment needs, while county and Sheriff’s Office staff described the design and its flexibility. The board approved the staff recommendations on the jail item. Other business included approval of a revised county oil-spill contingency plan, a retirement-exclusion waiver to retain a health-department nurse practitioner, and scheduling hearings on two planning matters; no additional procurement awards were identified.