The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to update regulations on outdoor festivals and public nuisances in Isla Vista.

Changes to festival ordinances would prohibit any outdoor festivals during Deltopia, which takes place the first week of UCSB’s spring quarter, in addition to Halloween weekend.

Outdoor festivals are defined as an event where music is provided by a performer or by a prerecorded means at any place that’s not meant to hold such events and is open to the public for money or free with 250 people or more. Music amplified in order to generate a group of people will have to be shut off by 6 p.m. during the week of Deltopia.

Isla Vista Foot Patrol Lt. Garrett TeSlaa told the board that paid parties, medical emergencies, and bluff and rooftop safety are the top problems the Sheriff’s Office faces every week in Isla Vista and that its ability to address those issues is “woefully inadequate.”

TeSlaa said he reached out to numerous members of the Isla Vista community when it came time to update county code. The Isla Vista Community Services District board of directors also unanimously approved the amendment changes at its meeting on Oct. 10.

“These weekly parties are occurring on a scale that hasn’t been seen in Isla Vista through out my career,” TeSlaa told the board on Tuesday. “Although we have successfully wrestled through Halloween, the unsanctioned Deltopia event remains a serious threat to public safety.”

He said cliff, bluff and rooftop safety would be addressed through these changes by identifying gatherings that allow climbing over fences and railings onto exposed bluff tops. 

Bluff safety has been an ongoing issue in Isla Vista for decades but started recently gaining more attention after the death of SBCC student Benjamin “Benny” Schurmer during Labor Day weekend. 

Last month, the county supervisors approved raising fence heights along the bluffs in Isla Vista to 6 feet. The amendment was outlined in Supervisor Laura Capps’ eight-point plan to address bluff safety. 

The monetization of Deltopia parties became an issue earlier this year when UCSB students began to complain about the party promoting app Poppin, a Bay Area startup that allows potential party hosts to advertise their events on the app. In the spring, the app tried to sell $35 tickets to a Deltopia Music Festival, which led to many residents becoming upset with the monetization of a longtime Isla Vista tradition.

In his presentation, TeSlaa told the board about a young woman who suffered from alcohol overdose at a paid party that was changing $20 for entrance and was selling alcohol inside. 

“She was completely unconscious. Nobody at the party was helping her,” TeSlaa told the board. “No one would call 9-1-1, despite the severity of her condition. The crowds were so thick that our deputies had to carry her out to the street because the fire engines and ambulances couldn’t reach her.”

TeSlaa said deputies issued more citations and had more medical emergency calls during this year’s Deltopia weekend than last year, and went on to say that the current codes are inadequate to addressing Isla Vista’s reality.

Additionally, TeSlaa said there is confusion on what is legal and illegal, and a goal of the revisions is for the public to clearly understand what is and isn’t allowed in residential zones. 

TeSlaa told the board that their goal is to not make more arrests or hand out more citations but prevent the dangerous activity from occurring, and that the Sheriff’s Office is responsible for public safety.  

“We understand that this will be a significant change to some people in Isla Vista, and we want to be patient with that because we’re thinking long term about public safety, not just trying to get a new law on the books,” TeSlaa said.

There were nine requests for public comment on Tuesday from property managers, longtime residents and IVCSD board members. All public speakers endorsed ordinance changes, with several noting the problems paid parties have caused and the safety concerns. 

During public comment, IVCSD General Manager Jonathan Abboud said the processes to approve the ordinance changes is one that brought several groups together and resulted in something they can all support. 

“The new ordinances are balanced and take into account community priorities from on the ground,” Abboud said. “I can’t tell you anyone in Isla Vista, besides the paid party organizers, who support the paid parties.” 

Read here to learn more about the approved ordinance changes.