Santa Maria will get help paying for a park ranger dedicated to keeping the Santa Maria Riverbed clean of encampments and trash.
The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors approved funding of $42,864 on Tuesday to help fund the role. The approved amount is only half, leaving the rest to the city to provide.
In July 2024, after several months of collaboration, the county, with the assistance of local nonprofit organizations and agencies, cleared the riverbed and transitioned people into temporary housing…