The Buellton City Council decided Monday to extend its current law enforcement contract and to explore an alternative contract with Lompoc Police Department because of significant cost increases.

Buellton has contracted with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office since the city incorporated 34 years ago. The current contract costs $3.5 million per year, compared with an annual cost of $1.8 million in 2019.

Council members debated whether they should continue contracting with the Sheriff’s Office or work a deal with the Lompoc Police Department for law enforcement services.

The council directed staff to request an extension of the current sheriff’s contract by one year, so that it would expire June 30, 2028, rather than 2027. In the meantime, staff will organize public outreach events to reach a consensus among residents on how to move forward with their law enforcement services.

A contract with Lompoc police would cost an estimated $4.1 million annually, including a one-time startup cost of $2.1 million to $2.3 million, and it would include two full-time officers 24/7 compared with one deputy on patrol 24/7 in the current contract, according to staff. Lompoc police also have a cloud-based dispatch system and first-responder drones that fly to high-priority emergency calls, Police Chief Kevin Martin said.

Vice Mayor Carla Mead said the city should choose the option that has the highest value for the price.

“The Sheriff’s Department has done a good job, but we do have a fiduciary responsibility,” Mead said. “It’s not just the final number; it’s about the value of the number … what’s the biggest bang for our buck, essentially?”

The Lompoc Police Department said providing police services in Buellton would be contingent on also contracting with Solvang for services. Martin said that if Lompoc contracts with both cities, the department would have more officers stationed in the Santa Ynez Valley and available to back up each other on calls. Therefore, a contract would need both cities to agree to move forward with it.

If both cities decided to contract with Lompoc for police services, they would share the costs of a supervisor and lieutenant who would manage the law enforcement services, which Martin dubbed a “cost share benefit.”

Martin also said that since Buellton has a lower call volume than Lompoc, rotating officers to work in Buellton would give them an opportunity to decompress.

“I can assign officers here for a six-month rotation, and there’s a decompression that takes place,” Martin said. “It’s healthier for them, and healthier for their careers.”

Sheriff’s Lt. Travis Henderson, who serves as Solvang’s police chief, refuted the fact that Buellton’s contract is paying for only one deputy. He said the city contract buys Buellton access to a county-wide network including SWAT, forensics, the detective bureau and the crisis intervention team. 

“The idea that you’re only paying for one deputy is a fallacy,” Henderson said at Monday’s meeting. “When you need 20 deputies, you get 20 deputies. When you need one deputy, there’s always one available when the citizens of Buellton call for help, and that deputy will have support 24 hours a day.”

Mayor David Silva noted oversight concerns regarding a potential Lompoc police contract. While Buellton residents, along with the rest of the county, are able to vote for the county sheriff-coroner, they do not have a vote over Lompoc’s police chief. That position is appointed by the city manager.

“We do have this democratic option that takes place with the Sheriff’s Department,” Silva said. “I just want to make sure that we’re also being mindful of what is our oversight, so we’re not absconding from our ability to have direct oversight of our law enforcement and make sure that the Buellton residents feel like they have a voice in that.”