More than 30 people gathered in the Lompoc Public Library to listen to community activist Elliot Petty and Santa Barbara City Councilman Das Williams both talk about one thing - how to fight a proposed Walmart supercenter.

The meeting was held by Citizens Against Walmart Expansion (CAWE) Wednesday night in the library's Grossman Gallery.

Protest signs decorated the room, opposing the plans of the Walmart at 721 West Central Ave. to expand into a supercenter that would carry full grocery goods and have more retail space.

A more subtle indicator of anti-Walmart feelings could be seen on the room's back table, where there was a large amount of cookies, all donated by Vons grocery store.

"We're introducing a few speakers who have actually fought Walmart and won," meeting emcee Harry Keim said, before Petty took the podium.

Petty, a member of the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy (LAANE), told the story of the campaign he and other community volunteers led to oppose a Walmart Supercenter from being built in the heart of Inglewood, Calif.

"We had the same concerns that you do," Petty said, as he gave a synopsis of his community group's efforts to fight the company, beginning in 2004.

Petty said there were several reasons he opposed Walmart, including the lower wages the company pays its employees.

"That can depress the quality of local jobs, because then other local businesses feel they need to slash pay and benefits to compete," he said.

Petty said low wages also meant higher medical and social welfare for community.

He said several community members had a different vision for Inglewood's economy, and began to campaign against allowing the "big box" retailer in.

The campaign was not easy, and eventually led to Walmart trying to pass a ballot measure which would bypass all city government control and restrictions to build the store without any community consideration.

"It was a tough fight. We had to keep at it; we had to keep making noise," Petty said.

The ballot measure was defeated by a 2-to-1 margin, and Walmart has apparently abandoned plans of developing the property.

"What I learned was, if we fight, we win," Petty said.

The Lompoc Walmart has proposed an expansion of the existing Lompoc store to 151,271 square feet. The expansion would add 100 jobs, according to a company spokesman.

The expansion plan is currently under environmental review by the city. A draft version of the environmental review document is scheduled for release next month.

CAWE held a protest in August to publicize what they say are the negative community impacts the larger store would have.

Williams also spoke to the group about his own dealings with opposing a Walmart Supercenter. As a member of a stop Walmart coalition in Ventura, Williams talked about current efforts to pass a proactive ballot measure that would force supercenter-style retailers to prove they would not have a negative effect on the local economy.

Williams gave tips on the language to use for ballot measures, and pledged Lompoc protesters the logistical support of the Coastal Alliance United for a Stable Economy group, involved in the Ventura measure.

"They keep adapting, so you have to keep adapting, too," Williams said, suggesting CAWE seek to create a broad coalition of community groups to help with their fight.

At the end of his speech, Williams included a plug for his campaign for the 35th District State Assembly race for south Santa Barbara County and Ventura.

After the speakers, CAWE went over "a call to action" list for the audience members, included suggestions to write letters to the editors of local newspapers, as well as the city's Planning Commission and City Council. CAWE representatives said they were working on signatures to place their own measure on the ballot, and had more than 600 signatures so far, and were looking for more volunteers to gather more.