city of carpinteria

What city of carpinteria does

The City of Carpinteria is a California general law municipal government incorporated on September 28, 1965, operating under a council-manager form of government with a five-member elected City Council and an appointed City Manager (currently Michael Ramirez). It serves residents, local businesses, and visitors within the city boundaries of Carpinteria, a small coastal community in Santa Barbara County offering municipal services including public works, planning, building and safety, code compliance, parks and recreation, community pool and aquatics, junior lifeguards, a community library, emergency preparedness, and contracted sheriff services.

Core service delivery is organized through a municipal government operations platform with online service portals, including the online Transient Occupancy Tax submission portal (managed by HdL Companies), SolarAPP+ integration with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory for automated residential solar permit review, a virtual meeting platform for City Council and Planning Commission livestreaming, and RecDesk for recreation registration. Notable technology components include the council-manager governance structure, citywide GIS and 311-style service request system, and multi-channel communications infrastructure (website, email newsletter, Facebook, Nextdoor, GATV Channel 21, YouTube).

The revenue model is predominantly transaction-based civic funding rather than commercial sales. Revenue streams include a 15% Transient Occupancy Tax on short-term rentals of 30 days or less (effective January 1, 2025), annual business license fees, planning and building permit fees, general fund revenue from sales and property taxes, and approximately $2.4 million annually from assessment districts supporting library, senior services, and other community programs. The city is pursuing a proposed quarter-cent sales tax measure (Measure I2026) on the November 2026 ballot to address a $1M structural deficit and $24M+ in deferred street and road maintenance. Customer segments are constitutionally defined: city residents (primary), local businesses, visitors and tourists, and renters protected by tenant ordinances.

Name

city of carpinteria

Legal name

City of Carpinteria

Website

https://carpinteriaca.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The City of Carpinteria is a California general law municipal government serving residents, businesses, and visitors in coastal Carpinteria with public works, planning, parks and recreation, emergency preparedness, and community services under a council-manager structure.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Government Services

NAICS

Executive Offices (921110), Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (925), Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (92615)

SIC

Operators Of Nonresidential Buildings (6512)

akta.pro primary industry

Mayor/City Manager & General Administration (BPAIACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Works & Municipal Infrastructure (Streets, Stormwater, Facilities) (BPAIACAF), Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services (BPAIACAI), Parks, Recreation & Protected Areas Administration (BPAIAMAH)

Keywords

• Municipal government services
• Public works administration
• Parks and recreation
• Community development
• Emergency preparedness

Headquarters

HQ city

Carpinteria

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. General Fund Revenue: Primary operational funding through various tax sources including potential quarter-cent sales tax measure, property taxes, and other municipal revenues
2. Transient Occupancy Tax: 15% tax on lodging rentals of 30 consecutive days or less, collected quarterly from hotels, motels, and short-term rentals
3. Business License Fees: Annual business license fees for commercial operations within city limits
4. Assessment District Contributions: Approximately $2.4 million annually from assessment districts supporting library, senior services, and other community programs
5. Planning and Building Fees: Fees for permits, development applications, planning reviews, and building inspections

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The City of Carpinteria administers local government services including public works, planning, building and safety, public safety (via sheriff), parks and recreation, emergency preparedness, housing programs, and community programs. It collects taxes and fees, issues permits and business licenses, and operates recreational facilities including the Carpinteria Community Pool and Junior Lifeguards program.

Product overview

The City of Carpinteria is a municipal government offering a comprehensive portfolio of public services through multiple interconnected departments. The core offerings include City Hall administrative services (legislative, finance, clerk, human resources), Community Development (planning, building safety, housing, code compliance), Parks Recreation & Community Services (recreation facilities, senior programs, pool, junior lifeguards), Public Works (infrastructure, maintenance, sustainability), and Emergency Preparedness programs. Key sub-products include the Carpinteria Community Pool with aquatics programs, the Junior Lifeguards youth program, Carpinteria City Television broadcasting, and the online TOT portal for short-term rental tax collection. These services operate together under the council-manager form of government established in 1965.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• City Hall Services Core municipal government services including City Council, Administrative Services/Finance, City Clerk, Human Resources, and City Manager functions. Provides legislative activities, budget management, public records, elections, and administrative support for residents and businesses.
• Community Development Department Planning, building and safety, housing programs, animal care and control, code compliance, and cannabis regulations. Oversees development review, permit issuance, zoning enforcement, and affordable housing initiatives for residents, developers, and businesses.
• Parks, Recreation & Community Services Parks and open space management, community pool, recreation programs, Veterans Memorial Building, junior lifeguards, and community garden. Includes AgeWell senior services programming for residents and visitors.
• Public Works Department Engineering, maintenance, sustainability, and environmental services including street maintenance, fleet management, floodplain management, solid waste programs, and watershed management for residents and businesses.
• Emergency Preparedness Program CERT and LISTOS California programs, hazard mitigation planning, public safety power shutoff information, gas pipeline safety, tsunami awareness, and emergency operations coordination for residents and businesses.
• Carpinteria Community Pool Year-round community swimming facility offering lap swim, aqua aerobics, swim lessons, water polo, and swim team programs (Carpinteria Aquatics Club) for residents and visitors.
• Junior Lifeguards Program Youth beach safety and competition program for ages 6-17 held during summer sessions, teaching ocean awareness, rescue skills, and beach safety. Two 2026 sessions available.
• Carpinteria City Television (GATV Channel 21) Government access television broadcasting City Council meetings live and rebroadcasting on Wednesdays and Saturdays for residents and the public.
• Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) Portal Online portal for hotel operators and short-term rental owners to submit TOT remittance forms and manage transient occupancy tax payments at 15% rate.

Quantifiable outcome

• 15% Transient Occupancy Tax rate on short-term rentals generating revenue from visitors
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty-level emergency management coordination for natural disasters and emergency response operations in the Carpinteria area.
• Santa Barbara Rental Housing Mediation ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity contracts with this program to provide tenant-landlord mediation services, information on rights and responsibilities, and referrals to social service agencies. Serves Spanish-speaking residents, seniors, disabled persons, single parents, and students.
• Housing Authority of Santa Barbara CountyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral partner for residents seeking Section 8 housing vouchers and affordable rental housing assistance.
• People's Self-Help HousingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerManages affordable housing at Casas de las Flores Apartments. City refers residents seeking affordable housing to this organization.
• Habitat for Humanity Santa BarbaraminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral partner for affordable homeownership opportunities in the region.
• Housing Trust Fund of Santa Barbara CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with the City on the Workforce Homebuyer Down Payment Loan Program to expand homeownership opportunities in Carpinteria.
• USDA Rural DevelopmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides Single Family Housing Repair Loans and Grants to very low income homeowners. Carpinteria is eligible for these programs.
• Santa Barbara Mosquito and Vector Management DistrictminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDistrict provides mosquito and vector control services. Contact information provided for bee swarm and bee-related issue referrals.
• California Coastal CommissioncoreTechnology or IntegrationState regulatory agency overseeing coastal development. City works with commission on Local Coastal Program amendments and cannabis regulations in coastal zone.
• California Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources (CalGEM)coreTechnology or IntegrationState agency regulating oil and gas operations. City provides regulatory oversight and permit compliance for oil and gas facilities.
• HdL CompaniescoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerContracted to assist City in development of City cannabis business licensing program and online TOT submission portal management.
• FEMAcoreTechnology or IntegrationFederal Emergency Management Agency requires and approves local hazard mitigation plans. City maintains Hazard Mitigation Plan compliance.
• Community Media Access CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic member appointee to board of directors representing city interests in community media access.
• County Library Advisory CommitteeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity has public member appointee to county library advisory committee.
• 3C-RENminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional energy code training organization providing free training events for energy code and high performance building. City promotes their Energy Code Coach free service.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• City of San Luis Obispo: Central Coast California city with similar tourism-and-small-city profile and comparable municipal service structure; does not directly compete geographically but offers a useful operational benchmark.

Broad incumbents

• City of Santa Barbara: Larger, established coastal California municipality operating a much broader portfolio of departments and services; useful as a comparable for service-line breadth and scale.
• City of Ventura: Larger coastal California municipality with overlapping municipal functions (public works, community development, parks & recreation, harbor) and similar coastal regulatory exposure via the Coastal Commission.

Direct peers

• City of Solvang: Small general-law city in Santa Barbara County with a comparable mix of tourism-driven TOT revenue, parks and recreation, public works, and community development functions — directly comparable in scale and service mandate.
• City of Pismo Beach: Coastal California small city with a tourism-heavy revenue base (high TOT) and a council-manager government structure highly comparable to Carpinteria's.
• City of Goleta: Santa Barbara County coastal city operating under council-manager government with comparable departments (public works, community development, parks & rec) and a coastal/tourism-influenced revenue mix.
• City of Ojai: Small California city with a comparable service portfolio (council-manager government, parks & recreation, public works, planning, transient tourism tax) and similar reliance on tourism-related revenue.
• Town of Summerland: Unincorporated coastal community in Santa Barbara County offering a comparable small-town municipal service profile to Carpinteria.
• City of Buellton: Adjacent small Santa Barbara County city with similar council-manager governance, TOT and sales tax reliance, and a comparable portfolio of municipal services.
• City of Lompoc: Santa Barbara County city with comparable municipal functions and revenue sources (TOT, sales tax, business license), though somewhat larger in population.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xfacebook.com/cityofcarpinteria
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCZiUSe9s2v-h0CXhGfwm3fg
• Facebookfacebook.com/cityofcarpinteria
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/city-of-carpinteria

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about city of carpinteria