City 12-24

To save $200,000 a year in salaries, City Administrator Jim Armstrong opted not to fill the position of Joan Kent-the assistant city administrator who just retired-but instead decided to split up her duties three ways. Armstrong himself will assume some of Kent’s functions, as will administrator Marcelo Lopez. In addition, Community Development Czar Paul Casey will be drafted to assume Kent’s former oversight responsibilities over the airport and the Parks & Recreation Department.

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Plans to build 73 housing units where the Sandman Inn now stands on outer State Street won unanimous approval by the Santa Barbara City Planning Commission this week. “It was a slam dunk,” declared Commissioner John Jostes while listing the project’s attributes. Eleven of the units are affordable, Jostes said, adding that the project preserves many of the existing trees, sits back from the street, and is low-slung enough not to tower over the neighborhood. There was no opposition to the project.