Daily Archives: December 7, 2015

Bird release

Restoration of Our Community After the Oil Spill – Your Input Needed!

On May 19, 2015, a pipeline owned and operated by Plains All America Pipeline, Inc. ruptured near Refugio State Beach sending oil into the ocean. In response, state and federal natural resource trustee agencies are conducting a Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) to assess exposure to spilled oil and the injuries to the environment and its public uses. The NRDA process identifies how to restore and compensate for the harm, and the damages that should be paid by the responsible party to fund restoration projects. A newsletter was released by the trustee agencies. Download the newsletter here.

The Refugio Beach Oil Spill trustee agencies will host a public meeting on Wednesday, January 20, 7:00-8:30 p.m., at the Santa Barbara Public Library, Faulkner Gallery (40 E. Anapamu St). The purpose of this meeting is to answer questions about the oil spill Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) process, provide preliminary results of the assessment studies, and to seek suggestions for restoration projects that will compensate for the injuries caused by the spill. The public is encouraged to attend this important meeting.

zoning

Draft Zoning Ordinance Now Available for Your Review

Following a year-long process of public meetings, the City’s Draft Zoning Ordinance is available via download for review and comment. City staff hosted dozens of public meetings to gather input from stakeholders, City departments, Design Review Board, Planning Commission, and the City Council throughout the process. The ordinance reflects input received during the public review process and is the first comprehensive zoning ordinance prepared since City incorporation.

The purpose of zoning is to achieve a community’s overall vision for its physical look and feel, and the shape of its future development. The new draft ordinance allows for a more user-friendly and efficient process that will be consistent with the City’s adopted General Plan / Coastal Land Use Plan. It determines what uses are allowed on your property, how high a building can be, or how far away it should be from the street.

“The City’s first zoning ordinance offers us an unprecedented opportunity to align our development standards and permitting procedures process with the General Plan.” said Councilmember Paula Perotte.
If you are a community or neighborhood group and want to meet with staff to discuss the Draft Zoning Ordinance, call 805-961-7548 to request an appointment. Upcoming formal public workshop dates will be announced in January 2016.

Visit www.GoletaZoning.com to download the Draft Zoning Ordinance with a companion User Guide. Other information such as existing versus proposed development standards, existing/proposed zoning and land use data by parcel and address are also available online. Use this website to sign up for future meeting notices.

Holiday Presents

Holiday Safety Tips from Sergeant Henebry

The holiday season is always a special time of year. It is also a time when busy people become careless and vulnerable to theft and other holiday crime. We can never be too careful, too prepared or too aware. Please share this information with family, friends and neighbors. The Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office in partnership with the City of Goleta wishes you a safe, happy and peaceful holiday season.

Driving
· Keep all car doors locked and windows closed while in or out of your car. Set your alarm or use an anti-theft device.
· If you must shop at night, park in a well-lighted area.
· Avoid parking next to vans, trucks with camper shells, or cars with tinted windows.
· Park as close as you can to your destination and take notice of where you parked.
· Never leave your car unoccupied with the motor running or with children inside.
· Do not leave packages or valuables on the seat of your car. This creates a temptation for thieves. If you must leave something in the car, lock it in the trunk or put it out of sight.
· Be sure to locate your keys prior to going to your car.
· Keep a secure hold on your purse, handbag and parcels. Do not put them down or on top of the car in order to open the door.
· When approaching or leaving your vehicle, be aware of your surroundings.
· Do not approach your car alone if there are suspicious people in the area.
· Ask mall or store security for an escort before leaving your shopping location.

Automated Teller Machine (ATM)
· If you must use an ATM, choose one that is located inside a mall or well-lighted location. Withdraw only the amount of cash you need.
· Protect your PIN by shielding the ATM keypad from anyone who is standing near you.
· Do not throw your ATM receipt away at the ATM location.

Shopping
· Shop during daylight hours whenever possible. If you must shop at night, go with a friend or family member.
· Dress casually and comfortably.
· Avoid wearing expensive jewelry.
· Do not carry a purse or wallet, if possible.
· Always carry your California Driver License or Identification Card along with necessary cash, checks and/or a credit card you expect to use.
· Even though you are rushed and thinking about a thousand things, stay alert to your surroundings.
· Avoid carrying large amounts of cash.
· Pay for purchases with a check or credit card when possible.
· Keep cash in your front pocket.
· Notify the credit card issuer immediately if your credit card is lost, stolen or misused.
· Keep a record of all of your credit card numbers in a safe place at home.
· Be extra careful if you do carry a wallet or purse. They are the prime targets of criminals in crowded shopping areas, transportation terminals, bus stops, on buses and other rapid transit.
· Avoid overloading yourself with packages. It is important to have clear visibility and freedom of motion to avoid mishaps.
· Beware of strangers approaching you for any reason. At this time of year, “con-artists” may try various methods of distracting you with the intention of taking your money or belongings.

Children
· If possible, leave small children at home with a trusted babysitter when doing holiday shopping.
· Teach your child to go to a store clerk and ask for help in case your child is separated from you.
· Teach children to stay close to you at all times while shopping.
· Never allow children to make unaccompanied trips to the restroom.
· Children should never be allowed to go to the car alone and they should never be left alone in the car.
· Teach children their full name, address and telephone number to give to police officers or mall security. Teach children to immediately inform you if a stranger is bothering them.

At Home
· Be extra cautious about locking doors and windows when you leave the house, even for a few minutes.
· When leaving home for an extended time, have a neighbor or family member watch your house and pick up your newspapers and mail.
· Indoor and outdoor lights should be on an automatic timer.
· Leave a radio or television on so the house looks and sounds occupied.
· Large displays of holiday gifts should not be visible through the windows and doors of your home.
· When setting up a Christmas tree or other holiday display, make sure doors and passageways are clear inside your home.
· Be sure your Christmas tree is mounted on a sturdy base so children, elderly persons or family pets cannot pull it over on themselves.
· If you use lights on your Christmas tree ensure the wiring is not damaged or frayed. Frayed or damaged wiring can cause a fire.
· Place your Christmas tree in water or wet sand to keep it green.
· Never place wrapping paper in your fireplace.

Strangers at Your Door
· Be aware that criminals sometimes pose as couriers delivering gifts.
· It is not uncommon for criminals to take advantage of the generosity of people during the holiday season by soliciting donations door-to-door for charitable causes although no charity is involved.
· Ask for their identification, and find out how the donated funds will be used. If you are not satisfied, do not donate.
· Donate to a recognized charitable organization.

Hosting a Party
· Have non-alcoholic beverages available for party guests.
· Find alternative transportation for intoxicated guests.
· Arrange for an official designated driver for your party who will not drink at all.

Attending a Party
· Have something to eat before consuming alcoholic beverages.
· Eat high protein foods that will stay in your stomach longer and slow the absorption of alcohol into your system.
· Remember only time will eliminate the alcohol from your body.
· Know your safe limit.
· Never drink and drive.

Traffic Collision

Police Department Receives Grant for Special Traffic Enforcement and Crash Prevention

The Goleta Police Department has been awarded an $112,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) for a year-long program of special enforcements and public awareness efforts to prevent traffic related deaths and injuries. The Goleta Police Department will use the funding as part of the city’s ongoing commitment to keep our roadways safe and improve the quality of life through both enforcement and education.

Goleta Police Chief and Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Lieutenant Butch Arnoldi stated, “The City of Goleta Police Department is extremely fortunate to once again be awarded this grant for this coming year. This will allow us to continue our partnership with the California Office of Traffic Safety in our enforcement actions as well as public awareness efforts to prevent traffic related deaths and injuries. This ongoing collaboration will continue to enhance the quality of life through both proactive enforcement and educational efforts.”

After falling dramatically between 2006 and 2010, the number of persons killed and injured in traffic collisions has been slowly rising. Particularly alarming are recent increases in pedestrian and bicycle fatalities, the growing dangers of distracting technologies, and the emergence of drug-impaired driving. This grant funding will provide opportunities to combat these and other devastating problems such as drunk driving, speeding and crashes at intersections.

“Overall, California’s roadways are among the safest in the nation,” said OTS Director Rhonda Craft. “But to meet future mobility, safety, and accessible transportation objectives, we have to reverse this recent trend in order to reach our common goal – zero deaths on our roadways. The Office of Traffic Safety and the Goleta Police Department want to work with everyone to create a culture of traffic safety across Goleta and the state.”

Activities the grant will fund include:

  • Educational presentations
  • DUI checkpoints
  • DUI saturation patrols
  • Distracted driving enforcement
  • Bicycle and pedestrian safety enforcement
  • Speed, red light, and stop sign enforcement
  • Compilation of DUI “Hot Sheets,” identifying worst-of-the-worst DUI offenders
  • Specialized DUI and drugged driving training such as Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST), Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE), and Drug Recognition Evaluator (DRE)

Funding for this program is from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The City of Goleta contracts with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office for police services.

Old Town Sidewalks

City of Goleta Receives $2.2 Million in Grant for Old Town Sidewalks

The City of Goleta recently received notice of the award of $2,224,000 for the Old Town Sidewalk Infill Project through the Active Transportation Program (ATP). With this project, the City expects to construct new sidewalks on some roads in Old Town Goleta where no or partial sidewalks currently exist.

“This important project will significantly improve pedestrian safety in Old Town Goleta. Because of our highly qualified staff’s successful pursuit of grants that leverage our local funding sources, we will now be able to make this project a reality.” said Councilmember Paula Perotte.

The project area includes the residential neighborhoods north of Hollister Avenue to the Union Pacific Railroad, between South Fairview Avenue and Kinman Avenue as well as Pine Avenue, south of Hollister Avenue. The project will provide curb, gutter, sidewalk and ADA ramps for safer and effective pedestrian travel in this area. One pedestrian route of travel will be provided on at least one side of each street to create a fully connected sidewalk network for the community.

ATP grants are for bicycle and pedestrian transportation. This grant process was highly competitive for the $360 million available funding over the years 2016/17, 2017/18 and 2018/19. The City will provide a match of $550,000 for this project.

Power Outage Image

How to Stay Safe During a Power Outage

When rain and wind hit our area, power outages are more common. With the anticipated El Nino, here are some simple safety reminders for how to stay safe during an outage:

· First, check for blown fuses or tripped circuits that may be the cause of the loss of power. Also, see if your neighbor has power. This will help determine whether there’s an outage.
· Switch off the lights (except one). You can help prevent damage to your electronics and appliances by unplugging them — computers, stereos, televisions and air conditioners. After the electricity is restored, you can plug them in again.
· Get updates from a battery-powered radio if it’s a storm or emergency situation. If it’s a hot day, find relief from the heat at a nearby cool center.
· Keep a fully charged cell phone on hand. During outages, you may lose phone service, and your cordless phone may also lose power.
· Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed. It helps keep the food cool. Before eating food items, check them for spoilage.
· Never light fires or charcoal indoors. If you are cold, wear multiple layers of warm clothing.
· If you see a downed power line, do not touch it. Call 911 immediately.

Electronic and Appliance Tips
Your electronics and appliances can be vulnerable to outages. Knowing how to care for them during power losses will help keep you safe and protect them from damage.
· Unplug them: Unplug expensive electronics and appliances to prevent damage. This includes televisions, computer equipment, washers and dryers, game consoles, fans, lights, etc.
· Use surge protectors: When you can’t unplug electronics, surge protectors can help prevent damage.
· Turn out the lights: Turn off all  light switches and lamps except for one. You want to leave one “on,” so you’ll know when power returns. If the power is still out when you go to sleep, leave a bedroom light switch on to wake you so you can safety check your home.

Food Safety Tips
Perishable foods in your refrigerator and freezer may or may not be safe to consume after an outage. It depends on things like the length of the outage and outdoor temperatures. You can take steps to keep your food fresh for longer. There are also things you can do to make sure your food is still safe to eat once the fridge is running again.
· Keep it closed: Open refrigerator and freezer doors only when necessary. Depending on the outside temperature an unopened refrigerator can keep foods cold enough for several hours. Placing blocks of ice inside will help keep food cold longer. Check food carefully for signs of spoilage.
· Draw the line at 40 degrees: Perishable foods should not be held above 40 degrees Fahrenheit for more than two hours.
· Coolers & ice chests: For outages longer than two hours, food items such as dairy products, meats, fish, poultry, eggs and leftovers should be packed into a cooler with ice. A separate cooler can be packed with frozen items.
· Cans & dry goods: Canned and dry goods and powdered or boxed milk, can be eaten cold or heated on a grill.
· Leave a Light On: When you go to bed, leave a bedroom light switched on. It will wake you when power returns, so you can check the condition of your food.
· If you’re not home: If an outage happens while you’re out of the house, try to determine how long it has been out. Check the internal temperature of perishables in your refrigerator with a quick-response thermometer; any item above 40 degrees should be thrown out. If power comes back on in less than 24 hours and your freezer is fairly full, your frozen items should be safe. If the refrigerator was out for more than 24 hours, you should get rid of perishables.

Medical Equipment Tips
Some people depend on uninterrupted power to operate medical equipment in their homes. We try our best to notify Medical Baseline customers before repair and rotating outages. Since we cannot guarantee uninterrupted service you should always have a backup plan. This could mean a backup power system or other arrangements.
· Equipment backup: If your medical equipment is supplied by a hospital or a durable medical equipment company, work with them to develop an emergency or back-up plan. Some companies may supply additional medical equipment and other services during emergency situations.
· Get on “Special needs” Lists: Contact your local fire department to learn whether they maintain a list of people with special medical needs. Being on this list may help them better respond to you during emergencies.
· Emergency contacts: Keep emergency phone numbers handy. This includes your doctor, police, fire and durable medical equipment company (if applicable).
· Backup plan: Develop plans to leave your home in the event of a lengthy outage. Share this plan with family, friends, and others that should be aware.

More tips from Southern California Edison on circuit breakers, generators, and general preparation can be found here. #getpreparedGoleta

 

Our Beautiful Visitors Have Arrived

The majestic Monarch butterflies have arrived! At last count, there were over 7,000 butterflies in the Goleta Butterfly Grove (also known as the Monarch Main Aggregation Site). It’s a beautiful walk from the parking lot on Hollister Avenue (across from Ellwood School) to the grove. It’s a little over a half mile through the trees.

To ensure the safety of the monarchs and enjoyment of the public, we ask that visitors please observe the following rules:

  • Always stay on designated trails and roads.
  • Stay out of the roped-off areas.
  • Watch your step when entering and exiting the grove, and avoid monarchs which may be “puddling” in the surrounding areas.
  • Do not touch or harass the butterflies.
  • Avoid making loud noises.
  • Keep dogs on a leash. No bicycles, horses or motorized vehicles in the grove.
  • Please take your trash out of the grove.
  • Docents can be found at the Goleta Butterfly Grove from mid-November through mid-February on Saturdays and Sundays (weather permitting) between 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. It’s a great opportunity to learn more about the migration and ask questions.

For more information, visit our website at www.goletabutterflygrove.com and take a look at this great little video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptrrRazEJcc.

 

Parks & Rec Commissioner

Serve Your Community in 2016!

There are several opportunities for serving the community at City Hall in 2016.

Parks and Recreation Commission

The City of Goleta is seeking one student member of the community to serve on the City’s Parks and Recreation Commission for a one-year term. The Parks and Recreation Commission is a seven-member body with responsibility to provide citizens a platform to discuss the needs, opportunities and current offerings of parks and recreation activities in the City. One member shall be a student (15 years or older). Members of the Parks and Recreation Commission shall be residents of the City. The Parks and Recreation Commission meets as needed starting at 6:00 p.m. at the Goleta City Council Chambers.

Compensation is set at $50 per meeting. The student commissioner may choose to waive their compensation to receive community service credit.

Applications must be received no later Monday, January 11, 2016, by 5:00 p.m.

Design Review Board

The Design Review Board is a seven-member body with responsibility to encourage development that exemplifies the best professional design practices so as to enhance the visual quality of the environment and prevent poor quality of design. The members shall be skilled in reading and interpreting architectural and landscape drawings and able to judge the effects of a proposed building, structure, landscaping or sign upon the desirability, and development of surrounding areas. The Design Review Board meets the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at 3:00 p.m. and are compensated at the rate of $50 per meeting.

Three (3) appointments will be made to the Design Review Board for the following positions. Members will be appointed to a three year term:

  • One (1) landscape professional
  • Two (2) at-large positions (individuals must reside within the City of Goleta)

Applications are due Monday, January 11, 2016, by 5:00 p.m.

Mosquito and Vector Management District Board of Santa Barbara County Vacancy

The Board of Trustees consists of eight members, five of which are appointed by the County Board of Supervisors and three of which are appointed by the City Councils of the member cities of Carpinteria, Goleta, and Santa Barbara according to the provisions of the “Mosquito Abatement and Vector Control District Law” under the California Health and Safety Code Section 2022.

The City of Goleta is currently accepting applications from citizens who are interested in serving on the Santa Barbara Coastal Vector Control District Board of Trustees.  The Santa Barbara Coastal Vector Control District meets on the second Thursdays of the month at 2:00 p.m. Trustees receive $100 per meeting attended. Trustees are reimbursed for any District business related expenses.

One (1) appointment will be made to the Santa Barbara Coastal Vector Control District Board.  To be eligible to apply, candidates must reside within the City of Goleta. The application deadline is Monday, January 11, 2016, by 5:00 p.m.

Applications

Applications may be obtained from and must be returned to the City Clerk, City of Goleta, 130 Cremona Drive, Suite B, Goleta, CA  93117. Application forms are available at the City’s website at www.cityofgoleta.org/city-hall/city-clerk/boards-commissions/applications-for-appointments. For more information or to obtain an application, contact the Deborah Lopez, City Clerk’s office at dlopez@cityofgoleta.org.