After months of back-and-forth between the Lompoc City Council and the city’s Chamber of Commerce, a new funding agreement appears finally settled. Since the original cut to chamber funding in June, the draft contract has remained a recurring item on the council’s agenda. But on Tuesday night, the council voted unanimously to approve amended terms, restoring full funding to the chamber and signaling a fresh start for both parties.
The chamber had received the city’s proposed contract after the last council meeting, with the opportunity to make revisions and resubmit. The city also requested the chamber’s overdue 2024 audits, which have since been completed. With those items in hand, staff from both sides sat down for negotiations, and returned with just a few sticking points for council direction.
The first was a chamber request to modify their stipulated open office hours. Originally, chamber representatives were to be made available for the public Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Citing difficulty finding volunteers on weekends, the chamber proposed keeping weekday hours as written but making Saturday hours optional. The contract also stipulated annual events including a financial audit to be submitted by the end of October and the Old Town Trick or Treat Event, neither of which were feasible due to this summer’s funding cuts. The chamber requested an extension to the end of December so the audit could reflect the extended negotiations. It also asked to postpone the return of the Old Town event until 2026, after its cancellation this year. The final question concerned language requiring the chamber to “secure at least one larger venue opportunity annually.”
During discussion, councilmembers raised a mix of concerns and encouragement. Representing the chamber, Chair Blake Bradley addressed the council’s questions directly. Councilmember Steve Bridge noted that the contract contained “15 reports and six meetings a year,” saying such requirements could be overwhelming. He also questioned whether the contract required a certified audit, warning that “a certified audit is very expensive and very time consuming.”
Councilmember Jeremy Ball, the lone vote against the original budget cuts in June, said he had no issue with the revised language and even felt the chamber “could use more funds.” He invited the chamber to speak to their confidence in executing the contract. He asked about the chamber’s confidence in executing the contract. Bradley responded that the chamber plans to work with a new executive director to restructure finances with “more diverse revenue streams.” Councilmember Victor Vega supported that goal, also emphasizing the importance of volunteer work when it came to community outreach.
Mayor James Mosby drew on his business experience highlighting the need for a bilingual marketing plan, recounting conversations with his Spanish-speaking tenants: “I ask them about the chamber and they say ‘What? ‘¿Que?‘ It’s difficult for me to market to a chamber that’s not marketing to them as well.”
Moving on to the “larger venue events” question, he pointed to the Spring Arts Festival, or a previously proposed cannabis and wine industry collaboration as examples of such opportunities for the chamber. Ball echoed Mosby’s concern for underserved community members saying, “There has to be some way to embrace the disadvantaged parts of our community.” Bradley agreed that inclusivity and entrepreneurship were priorities for the chamber, saying, “Our board feels strongly that our purpose is to spur that entrepreneurial spirit. California can be a hard state to do business, and the chamber can be a first step.”
After a few final adjustments based on the chamber’s and city manager’s recommendations, all four items were amended. The council voted unanimously to approve the revised contract, prompting Mosby to quip, “The motion barely passes, 5-0.”
