The Solvang City Council voted unanimously on Monday night to ask for a portion of grant money given out by the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians.

The move spurred little discussion, but Solvang Mayor Jim Richardson told the public if they received money it wouldn’t make the city beholden to the tribe.

Nearly $1.5 million was made available by the Santa Barbara County Indian Gaming Local Community Benefit Committee. While all the council agreed that the grant should be applied for, the mayor attempted to ease concerns the public might have. Richardson has long opposed gaming in the Valley but stated he is supportive of the tribe’s other business and education endeavors. At the council meeting, he said, “I received phone calls about concerns from the public about us taking this money.” He went on to add: “I want it understood that this special distribution fund is a requirement by the compact that the Tribe has signed with the state of California they have two funds they are required to pay into.

One is to fund tribes who do not have casinos. The other is to fund locales and cities that are close to casinos where the casino impacts the local community. That is what this special distribution fund is; it is a requirement to pay out those monies. They may not pay us all the money – it’s their choice, but it is not by charity they are giving it to us. That has to be understood.”

The council was also tasked with deciding where that money should go. City manager Brad Vidro told the council that in the last four years the city has received a grant, that money went toward funding the Alamo Pintado Creek Bridge widening. The city has received a little more than $1.1 million toward the project that is estimated to cost around $7 million.

The city had also received funding via these grants for remodeling the upper level of city hall to accommodate firefighting operations. He said projects such as a wastewater plant, hiring another deputy and replacing public restrooms had been turned down in previous years. Vidro suggested that the city continue to seek funding for the Alamo Pintado project. In his staff report, he said the money would be used to finish work on plans and specifications.

Councilman Ken Palmer asked if the money could be used as a backup in case funding for the community resources deputy in Solvang was axed. Vidro replied that because the program was currently funded it would be an unlikely candidate for a grant, even if that funding was tenuous.

Palmer then put his support behind the bridge-widening project. He said, “I believe the closest nexus to the requirements that the Chumash have placed on awarding these grants to be roads. So for my second priority (after the community enforcement officer), I would say roads.”

The nexus alluded to by Palmer references a section of a grant application that outlines how cities would be evaluated based on their proximity to the casino.
That section presents four criteria for gaining money based on how close the governmental entity is and if they have a roadway that services the casino. The more of the criteria a governmental body meets, the more money it could be awarded.

The rest of the council supported the Alamo Pintado project. Council woman Tara Wood said, “We really do need to work on that bridge.”

The only public comment voiced on the item came after the council had approved the application. Willi Campbell told the council, “I hope the people who are paying attention get the message that this must have a relationship to the traffic, and even social problems that the Chumash establishment in our community is the primary cause of. To alleviate them because we have no tax revenue (from the casino) to alleviate these things.” With the council’s approval in hand, the city staff is now tasked with putting in an application before the March 18 deadline. It will then be up to the Santa Barbara County Indian Gaming Local Community Benefit Committee to decide how the money is distributed in the Valley.