Solvang Mayor: City will support businesses that defy stay-at-home order

SOLVANG, Calif. - The Solvang City Council supports the idea of creating a new 'Central Coast' region and says it won't actively enforce the new stay-at-home order.

The city relies heavily on tourism and plans to create a new committee focused on the economy.

Councilmembers said they want to maintain the status quo of "safe, open outdoor dining and other business practices."

Solvang Mayor Ryan Toussaint said in a statement released to NewsChannel 3-12 that the city can't direct businesses to defy the state order, but it will support them if they do decide to stay open.

Toussaint and the city council voted to send a letter to the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors in support of plans to petition the state to allow for Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties to be recognized as its own region. The vote pass unanimously.

He said tourists who have seen Solvang in a recent Hallmark movie are coming up anyway.

But there are plenty of parking spaces and plenty of people in need of food.

Many have joined the Tuesday food drive-thru line at the Bethania Lutheran Church. The church as been giving out food bags for 38 weeks,