COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Dennis Smitherman, Interim Director of Recreation and Parks
DATE: March 3, 2026
SUBJECT: Introduction of an Ordinance Amending Ordinance No. 2025 -03, Revising Title 2 and 10 of the Santa Maria Municipal Code
Description:
The City Council will introduce an Ordinance amending Ordinance No. 2025-03.
RECOMMENDATION:
The City Council to:
1. Waive first reading and introduce an Ordinance amending Ordinance No. 2025 - 03, revising Titles 2 and 10 of the Santa Maria Municipal Code to clarify that final approval authority for all recreation fees rests with the City Council; and
2. Confirm the Recreation and Parks Commission’s authority to conduct public hearings and forward recommendations to the City Council; and
3. Set said ordinance for adoption at the next regular City Council meeting.
BACKGROUND:
On June 3, 2025, the City Council approved a standardized methodology for setting recreation program and facility fees. As part of that policy directi on, the City Council authorized the Recreation and Parks Commission to conduct public hearings on proposed recreation fee changes and to forward its recommendations to the City Council for consideration and adoption.
Ordinance No. 2025-03 was subsequently adopted to amend Titles 2 and 10 of the Santa Maria Municipal Code to align the Recreation and Parks Commission’s authority with City Council policy direction. Following adoption, staff and the City Attorney’s Office identified language within the amended code that could be interpreted as allowing the Recreation and Parks Commission to adopt fees prior to City Council approval, which was not consistent with Council intent.
DISCUSSION:
2 The purpose of the amended ordinance is to correct and clarify the Municipal Code to ensure that the City Council retains final approval authority over all recreation fees. The amendment removes language authorizing the Recreation and Parks Commission to adopt fees subject to later Council review and replaces it with lang uage requiring City Council approval, by resolution or ordinance, before any new recreation fee or fee increase may take effect.
The amendment expressly preserves the Recreation and Parks Commission’s authorized role in the fee -setting process, including conducting public hearings on proposed recreation fee changes and providing recommendations to the City Council for consideration and adoption.
Alternative(s)
1. Introduce the amended Ordinance No. 2025-03 as recommended.
2. Take no action and retain the existing Municipal Code language.
Fiscal Considerations
There is no direct fiscal impact associated with the adoption of the amended ordinance.
The action clarifies governance roles and approval authority only and does not establish or modify any specific recreation fees.
ATTACHMENT(S)
A. Ordinance – Amending Ordinance No. 2025-03.