Mediation Services
As part of the City’s annual Holiday closure, the City of Santa Barbara Community Development Department offices and services will be closed from Friday, December 22, 2023 through Monday, January 1, 2024. The Office will reopen on Tuesday, January 2, 2024.
For a complete list of closures, please visit the City’s Holiday Closures Page
Mediation is a process in which a neutral person or persons facilitate communication between parties to assist them in reaching a mutually acceptable agreement.
The mediator helps the parties to communicate, assists them in generating options, and helps them analyze any proposed settlement to make sure the proposed solution is an informed and realistic one that will provide a long-term solution.
- Participation in the mediation process is voluntary.
- The parties are not coerced to enter dispute resolution.
- The role of the mediators and staff is neutral, with no conflict of interest in the dispute.
All participants are treated equally without any special benefit or consideration.
The parties, ultimately, make the final decision as to how they want to resolve their dispute.