In an effort to not turn into the town from the movie “Footloose,” the Isla Vista Community Services District Board of Directors voted Monday to oppose a proposed 72-hour amplified music ban for Deltopia weekend. 

The ordinance proposed by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office would ban any music that could be heard from the property line during the first weekend of UC Santa Barbara’s spring quarter, which is when the annual unsanctioned street party is typically held. 

The board voted to oppose the ordinance, believing that the increase in law enforcement activity wouldn’t be enough to curb unsafe activity without offering residents an alternate organized event. 

Following a letter from the public comparing the ordinance to the town in “Footloose” that attempted to ban dancing, IVCSD board president Spencer Brandt noted that even in the movie, the ban didn’t stop the high-schoolers from dancing.

“I do think that there is something to be said there about recognizing the limits of our power and authority and also recognizing that we all want the same thing,” Brandt said, “which is a safe community where there are greatly reduced public health and medical issues, and where folks that live in residential areas can enjoy the right to peace in their home, but we can also still allow for something fun to exist in the commercial area that doesn’t put our local businesses out.”

For the past few years, IVCSD has held its own spring festival during Deltopia in an effort to provide a safer alternative to the large crowds partying on Del Playa Drive. The festival was held during the day before the existing 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. noise ordinance went into effect.

However, under the proposed ordinance, IVCSD wouldn’t be able to have that event with amplified music without going through the permitting process and getting permission from the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors. 

“I have a lot of heartburn about our ability to do that, even with an incredible team that I know is going to work their butts off to try to do what is necessary,” Brandt said.

During Monday’s meeting, Lt. Joe Schmidt of the Isla Vista Foot Patrol explained the history of Deltopia. He cited two deaths since 2013, the 2014 riot, and how the event overwhelms emergency responders and law enforcement with increased 9-1-1 calls.

He explained that this year there were 122 medical calls in Isla Vista on the Saturday of Deltopia, on April 5, and that law enforcement had to turn the parking lot next to the Foot Patrol station into a mobile booking center and temporary jail because of the high number of arrests. 

Additionally, since 2023, the Sheriff’s Office and the Santa Barbara County Fire Department have spent more than $400,000 just on overtime staffing during Deltopia, he noted. 

“We are not trying to stop the party culture,” Schmidt said. “This ordinance is a mechanism to deter out-of-town crowds and out-of-control parties. Limiting out-of-town crowds will reduce the need for a heavy police presence.”

He also argued that having a noise ordinance during Halloween has helped to reduce visitors and unsafe activity during the holiday.

Dozens of students and longtime residents spoke out about the ordinance during Monday’s meeting. Longtime resident Carmen Bailey said she and other residents have to deal with booming music from several blocks away.

“The noise reaches well beyond the property line. It’s excessive,” Bailey said. “I understand the frats and sororities want to have unlimited, unrestricted partying, but what the community needs is to put health and safety first.”

Deltopia originally started as Floatopia in 2004 with residents partying on the Isla Vista beaches. In 2010, the county closed beach access on the event’s annual weekend, partially because of trash and safety issues, and the party moved to Del Playa Drive. 

E.J. Raad, a third-year political science major at UCSB and external vice president for local affairs with Associated Students, said he thinks the new ordinance would only continue the cycle and shift Deltopia to another time of the year. 

“Are we going to try the exact same solution we already tried and have a couple years from now a new big party event in a completely different time of year that we’re going to try to address with the same thing?” Raad said. “We’re going to have this never-ending cycle of big party, ordinance, big party, ordinance, of chaos happening over and over again.”

Instead, Raad advocated for community stakeholders to work together to turn Deltopia into a sanctioned event with more medical resources.  

Other students expressed concern that the ordinance would turn Isla Vista into a police state and that it would hurt businesses that play music.

IVCSD board members said they were concerned that the ordinance wasn’t clear, that anyone playing music could get cited, and that it didn’t include warnings for violations. 

“I don’t think that this ordinance is positive,” board member Kylan Hobart said. “I don’t think that it takes into account community needs. I don’t think that it’s clear enough on what is going to be policed and what’s not.”

Hobart added that she didn’t know if there was enough time to put on a permitted event before the 2026 Deltopia weekend and she wanted to see more involvement from the university. 

Board member Edward Pilotte pointed to San Luis Obispo, where the city and Cal Poly leaders worked together to provide an alternative on-campus concert to deter students from dangerous house parties during the annual St. Fratty’s event.

“I worry that without an alternative event, we will see years of back and forth between police and students and spending excessive public funds without achieving significant long-term results,” Pilotte said.

Whether the 72-hour amplified music ban goes into effect will be up to the county Board of Supervisors, with a vote on the policy set for Jan. 13.