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By Lauren Bray, edhat staff
The Santa Barbara City Council unanimously decided to take steps to meet the demands set forth by the local Black Lives Matter (BLM) chapter after hearing over three hours of public comment.
Over sixty speakers called in during Tuesday afternoon’s virtual City Council meeting joining more than 130 letters that were submitted to the city council in support of BLM.
City staff was tasked to organize the demands BLM leaders Simone Ruskamp and Krystle Farmer-Sieghart presented to Mayor Cathy Murillo during a peaceful protest over a week ago.
The list of demands asks for the protection and preservation of local Black landmarks, transparency and accountability from local law enforcement, recognition of Juneteenth celebration and other historical events, and that the City Council adopt a resolution condemning police brutality and declare racism a public health emergency.
The public comment section got off to a rocky start after someone was heard saying “oh shit” into the microphone around the same time the long list of commenters were announced. After several comments mentioned their dismay upon hearing this, City Attorney Ariel Calonne admitted it was him but had nothing to do with the commenting but that he accidentally spilled his beverage on his lap.
The vast majority of comments centered around supporting BLM’s demands, calling to reallocate funding from the Santa Barbara Police Department and its new police station to community services, disappointment with Murillo and Police Chief Lori Luhnow for not meeting with BLM leaders, and funding for the Juneteenth celebration directed to the public library instead of event organizers.
“We are trying to work to make this community better, we are trying to work to help vulnerable folks in the community,” said Farmer-Sieghart during public comment. “Why are we trying to fund a million-dollar police station when we are in a pandemic?” she continued while stating there are numerous businesses and community programs that could benefit from that funding.
“Mayor, we had to reach out to you, we expect answers. We have not seen any action outside of tweeting,” said Ruskamp also directing her comment to Chief Luhnow for not setting up a meeting.
Murillo clarified a meeting is scheduled for this coming Friday between herself and BLM leaders. Additionally, other city councilmembers confirmed they have been in contact with BLM, but they are unable to meet at once due to the Brown Act.
Calonne stated the Brown Act, which guarantees the public’s right to attend and participate in local government meetings, prevents the majority of the council from meeting face to face or communicating about business that is within the authority of the city.
City staff also clarified the line item for $35,000 of funding for Juneteenth was placed under the public library as a temporary placeholder but the council will vote to decide where the funding will go. The library was selected because it is assisting in the virtual Juneteenth celebration that’s taking place on June 19, but it was a misunderstanding and the funds are able to go directly to BLM, according to city staff.
A motion was made by Councilmember Kristen Sneddon to form a resolution to condemn police brutality and declare racism a public health crisis, for staff to return on July 14 with options for a civilian review board of the Santa Barbara Police Department, for the Historic Landmarks Commission to review local landmarks rooted in black history, for staff to appropriate $35,000 to be used for the Juneteenth celebration not through the public library as well as a separate line item for BLM in perpetuity to be use funds as they see fit in supporting these causes, and to continue discussions on what it means to defund police services.
Sneddon also added a separate item to agendize a discussion to create a summit to look at deeper systemic changes within the city and to include special meetings with BLM leaders where these items can be fully discussed.
“I’m sorry to everyone in this community who has to fight so hard to be heard, who has to raise their voices so loud and in such numbers to feel that we will act and I don’t know how else to say it, but that I’m truly truly sorry,” said Sneddon.
The motion was seconded by councilmember Alejandra Gutierrez who stated, “I am extremely proud of my community for speaking out… a lot of my motives to sit here now was exactly that drive of wanting change, wanting to be heard.”
Councilmember Meagan Harmon credited Ruskamp and Farmer-Sieghart for their success in bringing the council to this moment. Councilmember Oscar Gutierrez voiced his support for the movement and thanked those who offered patience and the willingness to teach.
Murillo stated she has been humbled by this experience and gives credit and thanks to BLM, especially Ruskamp and Farmer-Sieghart, for teaching her what it means to be an ally.
During the public comment section of last week’s city council meeting, supporters of BLM criticized Murillo for her actions and inactions at a recent protest and beyond.
“When I reflect on the demonstration in the Sunken Gardens last Sunday, I felt like it was the appropriate message and it was an effort to tell people don’t go back to sleep, that the killing of George Floyd was horrible, we were there angry, we were there grieving and they’re directing us to take action. I heard be an ally, be teachable. I am offering myself as an ally and I’m hoping that I’m teachable,” said Murillo.
She went on to state that within conversations with Councilmember Oscar Gutierrez they spoke of their commitment to Latinx youth and racial justice but realized they have not been in touch with the black community.
“When I saw thousands of people at [recent protests], it seems to me people have been transformed, I know that I have,” she said.
Murillo suggested there is a city budget meeting on June 15 where discussions could be held about funding surrounding police services. The city attorney’s office will present a list of options for civilian review boards on July 14 and the list is expected to be made public ahead of the meeting date.
Wait, what? Where are all the complainers who say the council never does anything? Oh yeah, they’re doing something…..
Loving seeing this! Progress finally! Can’t believe how many people thought Murillo was worth anything, and are having their eyes opened fully.
It turns out that Floyd and the cop did know each other from working security at the same nightclub and run-ins in the past before said cop murdered him.
Sounds like the city may not be building a new police station any time soon because of the huge city revenue losses from the pandemic and BLM. A win for the Farmers Market!
That article didn’t have anything to do with removing police, because crime response times didn’t change at all. The only change was the decision by the police force to stop being pro-active in doing their jobs and initiating contact. It seems like retaliation by the Union in response to the officers prosecuted (and let go) for killing Freddie Gray and other officers for planting guns on suspects. But if you want to use it to support your opinions, go ahead.
Reducing police at this point is like eliminating guns – very difficult to accomplish without unintended consequences. The situation in poor communities is so dire and any reduction in the military occupation of the ghettos and barrios will probably lead to negative consequences such as the looting that we recently saw. Maybe we can replace armed police with unarmed community service officers but that won’t lead to a huge reduction in budget. Another intractable problem.
There is so much need in our society for so many good causes, you can’t pick and choose which one is more worthy than the other. I personally fully support the cause of BLM. BUT, If the City Council selects BLM to receive $35,000 of our taxpayer money, or ANY other charity, be it the Teddy Bear Foundation, Storyteller, or the Environmental Defense Council (point being those are all wonderful organizations) I will vote against each and every one of them until they’re all out of office. It is not the role of our City Council to be donating taxpayer money to charities.
City of SB already does this, for instance by sponsoring the Earth Day festival each year.
@ 1:39 And because of the city union employees who just got a raise thanks to the city council! They really show their fiscal responsibility approving raises in the face of the historic budget deficits, job losses, and economic destruction.
Who’s Lori Luhnow?
Low income families will suffer the most. The rich will just pay for their own security.
The Chief of Police….
Thanks Newt! Yes, the City already diverts funds for a variety of events and “cultural experiences.” This can certainly be one of them.
I demand the recognize festivus!
The big elephant in the room: Our local Chumash population, the folks not associated with the Ca$ino, who yet again, are forgotten and pushed to the bottom of the sh** barrel.
I support getting rid of the tanks and military weapons that were given to the police force a while back. I was surprised when many people didn’t complain about that then. But with all the problems this city faces, are these really the biggest issues in Santa Barbara County and worthy of putting other issues aside? Thank you to @fernaldpoint93108 for pointing out that BLM does not represent a big portion of the inhabitants of SB. I am not black (but I have a lot of other blends in me), I am struggling on a daily basis, I get no govt support because we tend to fall through the cracks. Most the homeless people I see here in SB are not black, most the failing businesses are not black owned. The hispanic and chumash populations have not demanded murals instantly painted on public walls, and they have good reason to in this city. This seems a lot like mob rule, pandering to the squeakiest wheel. Do law abiding people of color really have it so bad here in SB?
Racism to be considered a public health crisis but 5G blasting into every living organism 365/24/7 is just no big deal. None of this is open for discussion. Don’t even question it. Don’t understand? Too bad. Keep your mouths shut and say nothing because to debate either issue makes you a racist nutcase.
“Demands”? Really? No one sees a problem with this? “Shut up while I speak… and make demands… ” Really? That’s how we are going to get things done now in a civilized society? For all those who think there isn’t a real threat to our city, there are tons of people in town right now who don’t live here, aren’t really tourists, and are just waiting for commands from on high. And there are plenty of rocks to be had at the Padero offramp, funny enough. And that’s awfully close to “white-priviledged” Montecito. Jus’ sayin’
If you dont support the ideals behind the BLM movement, you are a racist.
You make a good point 8:36. We have been lucky here in SB so far, but violence is possible. Someone shot at a police station up in Paso Robles this morning and wounded a deputy. If it can happen there, it can happen here.
It’s perfectly acceptable for a group to present a written list and explanation of what they want done. If they don’t ask, how will the council members know what the group wants? The demands are pretty reasonable and attainable. The list I saw had just five requests, and the first three are not even specific to Black people. The word “demands” might sound pushy, but “serious requests” is not the usual term. Now it’s up to the council to act, or not.
See the comments above and below for examples of the problems we face in our community: Denial, trivialization, suspicion, conspiracies, and the very trendy what-about-ism.
she kneels too
That’s right Observer, and it’s a real innovation. In the past, people could choose not to get involved or not to express an opinion about something. Now that is considered “racist” and can be equated with physical violence, which justifies punishment. Obey and conform! Or else!
Isn’t Murillo running for assembly woman? Her motives for anything might be wrapped into that little detail.
Chip, you really think BLM supporters are going to hurt me because I’m not wearing a pro-BLM tee-shirt or something?
City workers out spending their money in the community is not a bad thing for our local economy. And, it’s likely a raise in name only as the workers will end up taking pay cuts but returning to their already-negotiated (very small) raise after the economy fully recovers. Fair pay and occasional raises for the lower orders of city workers who get the real work done is a very positive thing. Management raises, maybe not so much.
There is a difference between being supportive of their ideals and supporting the actual group. For instance, I’m all for the ethical treatment of animals, but I don’t support PETA or their tactics/demands. At this point I’m putting BLM in that category too. I agree on a lot of levels, but demanding immediate adoption and implementation of anything and everything they say immediately is wildly problematic to me. Rational rule… not (no matter how noble and right) mob rule…
Thank goodness this is not Seattle where one of the city council members who is part of the socialist alternative party unlocked city hall, let the protestors storm in and now they are demanding the mayor resign if she doesn’t defund the police
https://twitter.com/alwaysactions/status/1269476349384818703?s=21
If people cannot be honest about what’s happening now how we will never get out of this. Stop blaming the police and start looking at the real problems. This anti police rhetoric is costing officers their lives. Try telling an unarmed social worker to deescalate an armed assault, I’m sure that will go over well.
If by extrapolating you mean [webster dictionary] “to infer from values within an already observed interval” well maybe so. We’ve observed a lot so far. Even though there are many peaceful BLM protests, there’s a heck of a lot of other criminal behavior going on, too, in the name of this cause, even if done by other groups. So maybe that is something to be worried about and “extrapolate” over.
10:17, our constitution has traditionally protected civil rights in this country. The idea behind declaring “racism” a public health emergency is to bypass these traditional civil rights protections, such as free speech. The emergency declaration would classify things once considered protected free speech as acts of violence and a threat to public health. This makes it possible to implement speech codes to regulate what types of speech and expression are permitted in order to “protect” the public.
Nice try.
Babycakes..
Thanx for speaking up.
I question the prudence of the line item Kristen Sneddon proposed: “as well as a separate line item for BLM in perpetuity to be use (sic) funds as they see fit in supporting these causes”. In perpetuity means no going back ever and the amount is obscure. What if BLM changes their platforms? That the taxpayers in SB are to just hand over money permanently to a group that then has sole discretion as to utilization of the funds with no oversight? This does not make sense at all.
BLM has already been caught funneling millions in recent donations to the DNC so consider that too.
I feel like I’m reading comments from the 1960’s about MLK and Malcolm X, and why this certain group of people don’t deserve equal treatment. Seriously, ya’ll are displaying massive ignorance. It’s kind of scary to think this is my hometown, actually, and this is how people think here when hiding behind an electronic wall.
Could it be because the DNC has their back and Democrats are committed to passing legislations necessary to protect them?! Nothing wrong with that!
Maybe the voters in these cities like NYC and Minneapolis should consider dumping their racist Republican leadership and give Democrats a chance.
This murder never could have been committed by someone who was not a Police Officer. Citizens watching it unfold couldn’t help him, and the Police standing there did nothing!! This was murder committed under Police protection. So yes it was outright Police Brutality and murder committed with the permission of his fellow Officers who failed to do their duty to protect. I’m surprised the demands didn’t focus more on zero tolerance, and making it mandatory for other Officers to intervene in these situations or also be held accountable.
agree that was/is an appalling display of ignorance, naivety, and overall poor public policy making…. regardless of the underlying intent. I don’t care WHAT nonprofit or entity is receiving public funds- to say “in perpetuity” and to hand out money “as they see fit” is stunningly irresponsible- cities and counties don’t do things that way- cdbg, and other social service applicants for even smaller amounts of funding must jump through hoops, lay the groundwork for expenditures, etc. WTF kind of precedent is being established.
I attended the BLM rally on Saturday in Santa Barbara and was grateful for the message of peace, unity and the condemnation of violence. As someone who does not agree with the BLM organizations stated policy demands such as ‘collective ownership”, reparations, defunding police and black separatism I can see the the council has started us down that path by accepting their current demands that they say are just the beginning. In 2017 when police were removed from black communities at BLM request crime rose dramatically and black lives were lost. We need to cherish and build our Black community but we cannot segregate, demonize and victimize our future generations. It is unacceptable dissenting opinions (no matter how respectful or well meaning) are called racist or hate speech. The stats are available to everyone when it comes to how black lives are lost in this county but police account for only 0.0004 percent of those deaths. Almost 20 people have died in the protests over the last few weeks, who will protest for them? Did their lives matter? Do Black lives only matter when they are killed by White cops? How will removing police presence help with school shootings? This feels like our media and politicians using a tragedy to rally before a major election.
MP805, … or worse, Michigan, where ARMED lockdown protesters stormed the Capitol looking for the Governor. They screamed right in the faces of the Police Officers who stood there and let them. Not because one of them was again murdered in cold blood by a Police Officer, but because they didn’t want to lockdown to keep the virus from spreading anymore. Our own President condoned it and said the Governor should negotiate with them, because they’re good people. Did he condone similar actions in Seattle by unarmed protesters who didn’t scream in the face of Police Officers? Why not?!
we still need the popo but defunding things like Bearcat armored vehicles and other militarized weaponry and channeling those funds into mental health, drug rehab, afterschool programs, and other social programs is a good idea. i was watching John Oliver the other day and they had a clip of black police chief saying the police were being asked to do/get involved in too many social issues that the police really have no business or training to handle.
Hopefully the city considers input from all locals, not just one group. BLM is very influential but they were not elected to represent us.
Sorry Chip. Such a resolution does not in any way affect or regulate any individual’s speech or expression. 10:17 – It asks all of our public offices to examine their policies and practices and to reform those that may be leading to inequities in the liberties and constitutional protections that we all enjoy.
Have never heard this stat about black lives lost when police were removed from their communities? Care to cite a reference? Not impressed how you minimized the loss of black lives with your 0.0004 % stat. What aboutism arguments are weak.
Soapbox, your reasonable explanations are not helpful for Chip’s extremist rhetoric. But I appreciate them.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/07/12/baltimore-police-not-noticing-crime-after-freddie-gray-wave-killings-followed/744741002/
My solution is the same as it would be for teachers. Dissolve the unions who protect bad apples and pay all teachers and cops a lot more. Hold both more accountable and expect professionalism.
I’ve been to bad areas of town and know people of all races that live in the “hoods”. They are not afraid of police, they are afraid of gangs, stray bullets, looters, and rapists.
I wonder if any of the more than 300 million people that had no hand in killing George Floyd or any of the vast majority of people that aren’t racists are feeling guilty yet.
Google institutional racism to understand what people are talking about. When you say most people aren’t racist, you seem to be saying they haven’t lynched anyone lately. But they have police forces that lynch people, and they live in largely segregated neighborhoods and go to largely segregated schools. If you look around and don’t see all ethnicities of people represented in SB according to their percent of population in the US, then there is a reason for that and the reason is institutionalized racism perpetuated by people with racist attitudes.
With an increasing population, statistically more “bad” people will surface; not fewer. These bad people will increasingly appear in all sectors, be it “racist” cops or any other criminal category. Before condemning any group of “bad” people, at least wait for all the facts to avoid triggering a national calamity by self-interpreting only a smart phone video and running off on your emotions. Get all the specific details first of what actually led up to the video. If anyone has forgotten, in this country you’re innocent until proven guilty.
It’s painfully clear reading these comments that there is a lot of work to be done to educate and eradicate. Even in a progressive city like SB its clear we have a lot of closeted racists and ignoramuses. The good news is that they’re easy to spot these days. Trump signs and MAGA hats… Remember kids, not all Trump followers are racists, but all racists are Trump followers…
Yes, and often times these same ‘charities’ that collect these payments then send part of those payments as ‘campaign contributions’ to the office holders that authorized those payments.
There was a very compelling piece on 60 minutes years ago which studied Indian Reservations. Each Reservation was given two options: 1) have complete ownership of the land with no government assistance or 2) get government funding/assistance/welfare (whatever you want to call it) but not have land ownership. Guess which Reservations thrived vs were wrought with problems? There is also another saying – give someone some fish and they will eat for a day, teach someone to fish and they will eat for a long time. We have to get out of this mindset that giving people something is a good thing. It may be a short term feel good thing – but it the long run it is very harmful. Liberal Democrats use handouts to keep their voter base in check and become reliant on their agenda – similar to how someone selling drugs gives their customers short tern gratification but long term pain. Republicans are about taking the drugs away – in which case you will see a furious short term backlash – but over the long run is what is best for the person. The best thing we can do for these impoverished areas is to empower the people – give them economic opportunities. If that means moving funding from Police to economic development – then sure – as it may reduce crime in long run. However I would not rely on government agencies to execute on this plan as it will be ripe with political corruption. Privatize economic development budget and pay companies to do this with performance incentives for hitting KPIs. Employe people in the community – empower them – give them a reason to wake up every morning and be productive. Right now Democrats are the biggest threat to BLM – as they are all about short term gratification in exchange for long term pain.
Republicans are all about putting people in jail to benefit the private corporations running the prisons, maximizing the profits of drug companies at the expense of public health, and overspending on weapons to the benefit of private defense companies. Even Adam Smith recognized the potential toxic nature of capitalism and how it had to be tempered with “rational” self interest. Rational meaning if you keep most of the nation in abject poverty then you do not have a stable or merciful society. A Democrat looks a social problem and says- how can we help? A Republican says- your condition is your own fault and if you don’t pull yourself up by your own bootstraps, it is because you are lazy and unmotivated. Which world do you want to live in, given that both have flaws due to the nature of people?
8:09, it is illegal for 501c3 nonprofit charities to engage in politics as you described. So either you are uninformed or just trolling. PitLocal, local government is picking winners and losers every time they make a decision. If they decide that a local segment of society has been overlooked for many years, it is certainly their duty to try and create opportunity for that group.
We all know that the data show that “white” people earn more, are better educated, and live in nicer neighborhoods than “minority” groups. The data also show that given access to the same opportunities, minority children can achieve the same success as “white” children. If both those things are true, what is the reason for the unequalness in our society except for historical systemic racism and lack of opportunity? Isn’t it our duty to address this historical discrimination instead of pretending the playing field is currently level for all people? We all know this is not true.
SBSHores thanks for your thoughtful post. I think it’s clear that the path forward is imperfect, because it is a human one.
That being said, it’s important to try and be broad minded about how we can do better. Can policing be done in a more productive fashion that is safer for everyone, including the police? I think so.
Try not to focus on the deaths too much, they are a symptom of a much bigger problem. All of the deaths matter and are important, but the bigger issue is one of millions of American citizens who are far more likely than their fellow citizens to be harassed, beaten up, improperly charged, and otherwise abused by the way we police. Consider that there are millions of people who, unlike you, become justifiably anxious or terrified every time a police car drops in behind them because of a terrible history in this country.
We can and must do better.
Very true. The root cause is ownership within these communities. If people own something (or know there is a path to get there), then they take care of it better. The person’s whole mental model shifts. They realize they are not destroying someone else’s property – but their own. This is a very hard problem to solve. You just cannot wave a wand and transfer wealth – it has to be part of a longer term plan. Things like if you own rentals then you must live where they are owned. The rich can not just piggy back off of people who can not afford to own.
“educate and eradicate”… those buzz words have been used many a time throughout history….some good…some bad…some bloody…
Obviously, we cannot do much about those who cling to their racist views except to show our disgust toward them. Like those who might minimize the 25% of southern slave owners to a “a few Americans who had slaves” and those who twisted mind might consider ending slavery as a sacrifice made by their white ancestors rather than an obligation. We can only hope that they take these ideas to their graves without infecting too many others with their sad disease. 11:47: you disgust me.
My previous comment is out of context without the now deleted comment by a reader who suggested that we should give more credit to those white ancestors who made the difficult sacrifice of ending the practice of slavery by a “few Americans.” Yes, so much more work to do.
https://www.npr.org/2017/12/31/574824963/baltimore-residents-blame-record-high-murder-rate-on-lower-police-presence