Solvang City Council sends letter to state about reopening plan

SOLVANG, Calif. - The Solvang City City Council sent a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom earlier this week about the challenges the city sees in regards to the Solvang community and what the city needs during the recovery process.

Solvang Mayor Ryan Toussaint sent a letter to the city's residents and businesses on Saturday to update them on the city's coronavirus response.

The letter to the governor said that progress through the state's four stages of reopening should be determined at very local levels.

Mayor Toussaint's letter said in part:

My letter to the Governor, and County, urges action to carefully and safely – but, promptly – begin to reopen our economy. The Santa Ynez Valley region only has eight (8) confirmed cases of COVID-19, to date. We want to do this prudently, but we need to ensure that Solvang businesses can re-open and that our workforce can get back to, well, work. My plan outlined in the letter speaks to the fact that Solvang is prepared to work with businesses and our community to modify regulations and space requirements to accommodate a phased approach to re-opening and still maintaining modified social distancing.

The mayor's letter also said the community’s need for food provided by nonprofits and churches has tripled since the beginning of this pandemic.

The City Council plans to discuss the current state reopening plan and how it relates to Santa Barbara County during its next City Council meeting on Monday, May 11, at 6:30 p.m.