Without a fifth member, the Montecito Sanitary District board of directors last week went 2-2 when voting on an agreement to look into reorganization with two nearby special districts.

Vice President Dana Newquist resigned before last week’s meeting began. 

Newquist provided Noozhawk with a copy of his resignation letter.

He said over email that he has “maintained that the community of Montecito would be best served by the consolidation of the Montecito Water and Sanitation districts,” but that “unfortunately, not all directors share that goal.”

He added: “Sensing this body is further away from what my goals are, coupled with the anticipated immense amount of time that will be needed to persuade the Montecito community on the 14% increase for sanitation service, I feel that my many commitments would make my participation inadequate.”

(The board is pursuing sewer rate increases of up to 14% per year for the next five years.)

Newquist was first elected to the board eight years ago. He served through his first term and was asked to come back under appointment. His term was set to end in December.  

The board has 60 days from Newquist’s notice to accept applications from community members and fill the seat by appointment. If they fail to do so within that time period, that choice will fall to the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors. 

Applications are due by 5 p.m. May 8.

Staff said that the vacancy may be filled as early as May 13. Applicants must be at least 18 years old, registered to vote, and live within the sanitary district boundaries. 

Since Newquist’s term was up this year, anyone who wants to serve on the board in that position after early December must also run in this year’s election. 

On the agenda last week was an item that had been pushed from the previous few meetings: a draft agreement to look into reorganization with the Montecito Water District and the Summerland Sanitary District. 

Montecito’s districts have entertained on-and-off discussions about reorganization for years. 

The two ordered a feasibility study in 2022 to look into the benefits. That study found that there was largely no financial benefit to consolidating, but that the area could benefit from having a single board oversee water policies.

Talks revived last year, this time with Summerland Sanitary District in discussions, and Montecito Sanitary District’s board voted in favor of consolidation. 

Staff from all three special districts have spent the past year working on a collaboration agreement.  

Under the pact approved by the Montecito Water District’s board in January, a consultant would be hired to look into the reorganization of Montecito’s sanitary and water districts and the Summerland Sanitary District.

It also, as presented, indicates that if the three districts do consolidate, the Montecito Water Board would serve as the guiding governing board. 

That agreement does not bind the three districts to consolidation. 

Sanitary staff asked the board last week to clarify their vision.

They said when the board voted in favor of consolidation a year ago, staff weren’t sure if that board supported consolidation under the strict legal definition — combining under one entity — or some other form of reorganization.

(The make-up of the sanitary board is different now, with President Rock Rockenbach’s appointment last July after Director Diantha Glaser’s departure.)

Staff also presented a marked-up version of the agreement approved by the Water District, with notes and legal comments. 

Director Woody Barrett motioned to approve the agreement as presented by the Montecito Water District.

He argued that if the board disagreed with the Water District on reorganization at any point, the agreement’s termination clause would protect them. 

That vote did not pass, with Barrett and Director Dorinne Lee Johnson voting in favor, and directors Rockenbach and Carter Ohlmann against. 

With that deadlocked vote, and after lengthy discussion, the board agreed to shift gears away from reorganization talks for now until the board fills that fifth seat.

The board also agreed to continue looking into other options to support Montecito’s operations, such as sending untreated sewage to the city of Santa Barbara for processing.