Chamber News

February 11, 2026 Thank you to everyone who joined us for this year’s Annual Membership Meeting & South Coast Leadership Forum. We hope you found the program informative, inspiring, and valuable as the Chamber unveiled its five-year strategic plan, announced the launch of BEAM, shared key initiatives to boost regional economic growth, and introduced the…

Assembly Bill 671 is a new piece of state legislation that streamlines the permit process for restaurant tenant improvements by requiring local building departments to approve or deny project plans within 20 business days, or 10 business days for resubmissions. The bill only applies to interior renovations of restaurants and projects that do not require…

February 3, 2026 AB 671 is a new state law designed to streamline the approval process for restaurant tenant improvement permits by imposing stricter review deadlines on local building departments and providing the option to have plans approved by an experienced architect or engineer, known as a Qualified Professional Certifier. AB 671 took effect on…

January 22, 2026 The Chamber has released its Q4 2025 Data Dashboard, offering comprehensive insights across key regional indicators, including residential and commercial real estate, building permits, workforce trends, sales tax, tourism, taxable cannabis sales, homelessness, and poverty throughout Santa Barbara County and the South Coast. Source materials and additional details are available in the…

On December 16 the Santa Barbara City Council reviewed a work plan for the development of a Rent Stabilization Ordinance and Program, and provided feedback to guide further research and ordinance development. Following the December 16 meeting, the Council met on January 13 and voted 4-3 to pass a temporary rent increase moratorium (also known…

The City of Santa Barbara’s Ordinance Committee met for a second time (Tuesday, January 13) to discuss the proposed massage ordinance. Among other provisions aimed at combatting human trafficking in the community, the current proposal aims to update local massage rules to align with the state’s stricter massage regulations. However, some of these arbitrary requirements will create significant burdens on massage…

December 11, 2025 Last week, we gathered at The Ritz-Carlton Bacara for a memorable evening celebrating the 75th Anniversary of Goleta’s Finest and our 2025 honorees. The gala featured inspiring speeches, heartfelt moments, and special recognition for the remarkable individuals who have made a lasting impact on the Goleta community. Thank you to everyone who…

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASENovember 3, 2025 Goleta’s Finest 2025 Award Recipients Announced75th Annual Community Awards Gala to be Held on December 5 at The Ritz-Carlton Bacara The Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the 2025 Goleta’s Finest Award Recipients. Goleta’s Finest celebrates 75 years of honoring extraordinary individuals who have significantly contributed…

The Chamber, in partnership with the Scheinfeld Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation at SBCC, the SBCC Career Center, and the EDC Small Business Development Center, has hosted two sessions of its three-part community series titled AI Unlocked, with one final session remaining. The first event, AI Unlocked: Powering Productivity, featured leading local innovators who shared…

We’re still flying high from last week’s B2B Networking Breakfast, thanks to our sponsor Southwest Airlines! Special thanks to our event co-hosts, the Santa Barbara Zoo and Events by Rincon. The morning was filled with high energy, valuable networking, and an exciting presentation about Southwest. As we approach the end of 2025, only two B2B…