The Buellton City Council voted unanimously Thursday night to increase its financial pledge for the planned Santa Ynez Valley Community Aquatics Complex, matching a recent decision by the Solvang City Council to raise its own contribution.
The action increases Buellton’s pledge from $450,000 to $500,000 for the project planned at Santa Ynez Valley Union High School, where the Santa Ynez Valley Community Aquatics Foundation is seeking to build a new community pool serving residents across the Santa Ynez Valley.
During public comment, foundation President Lisa Palmer thanked the council for its support.
“You may recall a year ago we weren’t in this cooperative agreement between two cities,” she said. “To be here now sends a significant message to the community.”
Palmer also provided a brief update on the project’s status, saying the foundation is making progress on a letter of intent discussed previously with the cities. She said the goal is to bring that document back to the City Council early next year.
Palmer said the foundation has now raised more than $4.6 million toward the project, including the pledges from Buellton and Solvang. She described the total as roughly one-third of the overall fundraising goal.
Councilmember Hudson Hornick asked how much additional funding would be needed before attracting broader community or private support. Palmer said an additional $2 million to $3 million would likely help drive further commitments.
Hornick followed up by asking where the remaining funding would come from.
“We’re working on that, we have strategies,” Palmer said. “It’s premature to talk about it now.”
Councilmember John Sanchez raised the possibility of using naming rights as a potential fundraising tool.
Hornick said he was considering a larger dedication, and suggested the city could earmark transient occupancy tax revenue for community benefits such as the aquatics complex.
City Attorney Greg Murphy cautioned that expanding the scope of the agenda item beyond the noticed $50,000 increase could raise Brown Act concerns.
Mayor David Silva said council members were interested in providing additional support, but said he would prefer to revisit the issue in six to nine months after the project has had time to build on the initial funding pledges from the two cities.
The motion to approve the $50,000 increase passed 4–0, with Councilmember Elysia Lewis recusing herself from the item because of her employment with the Santa Ynez Valley Union High School District.