Daily Archives: May 1, 2018

Mighty Dog May

Take advantage of Santa Barbara County Public Health Department’s special promotion, Mighty Dog May. For only $75, all Santa Barbara County dog owners can get their small but mighty companion (under 30 pounds), spayed or neutered, rabies vaccinated and licensed. Spaying or neutering your dog is a win-win, it significantly reduces licensing fees, improves his or her quality of life, and reduces the risk of mammary and testicular cancers. Show your dog what a super hero you are and schedule his or her appointment for Mighty Dog May today!

Appointments will fill up fast so dog owners are encouraged to call one of the following organizations to schedule an appointment:

  • Santa Barbara County Animal Services, Project PetSafe, at (805) 934-6968
  • Santa Barbara Humane Society, at (805) 964-4777
  • Santa Maria Valley Humane Society, at (805) 349-3435
  • Santa Ynez Valley Humane Society, at (805) 688-8224
  • A.R.E. 4Paws, at (805) 968-2273

View the press release and flyer. For more information, please contact the Project PetSafe Team at (805) 934-6968.

Cox Cable Discount Program

The final enrollment for the Cox Cable Discount Program offered in conjunction with the City of Goleta is now open. This program offers 40% off basic cable service for applicants who reside within the boundaries of Goleta and meet certain criteria (listed below). New applications and renewals for the discount program must be received by June 28, 2018. 

This is the last year Cox Cable is accepting new participants. However, they have agreed to continue providing discounted services to any eligible applicant in perpetuity or until further account changes are made. Existing participants must complete one final application to be included.

Here are some important details about the program:

Where do I get an application?
Applications can be found on the City of Goleta’s website at www.cityofgoleta.org/i-want-to/apply-for/cox-cable-discount-program or call 805-961-7500 to make arrangements to pick up a hard copy. Completed applications must be returned to the City of Goleta (130 Cremona Drive, Suite B) by June 28, 2018.

What criteria are required for cable discount eligibility?
1) 65 years of age or older, and a maximum adjusted gross income, per most recent California Income Tax Return, as follows: $17,489 for individuals or $26,217 for households
– OR –
2) Disabled and received SSI/SSD

What documents are required when submitting my application?

  • All applicants must submit proof of age (Driver’s License, passport, etc.)
  • Eligibility for cable discount must be re-certified in the event of a change of address.
  • The City of Goleta reserves the right to require documentation of any information provided.
  • Your signature on the Cable Discount Program Application authorizes the State of California to release your income tax records to the City for income verification.
  • Your signature on the Cable Discount Program Application authorizes the Social Security Administration to release proof of your SSI/SSD qualification due to permanent disability.

I don’t live in the City of Goleta. Does Cox Cable offer discount programs in surrounding areas?
Yes, the City of Santa Barbara and the County of Santa Barbara also provide a discounted Cox Cable program. For City of Santa Barbara Cox discount information, call (805) 564-5342. For County of Santa Barbara Cox discount information, call (805) 681-4200.

Help Shape City of Goleta’s Parks & Recreation

Are you passionate about parks and recreation? Do you have the skills needed to serve on the Commission? The City of Goleta is seeking one member of the community to join our Parks and Recreation Commission. The Parks and Recreation Commission is a seven-member body with the responsibility of providing citizens a platform to discuss the needs, opportunities and current offerings of parks and recreation activities in the City.

Goleta residents can apply online at www.cityofgoleta.org/city-hall/city-clerk/boards-commissions. The deadline is May 7, 2018, by 5:00 p.m. The Parks & Recreation Commission meets as needed starting at 6:00 p.m. at Goleta City Hall Council Chambers (130 Cremona Drive, Suite B) and compensation is $50 per meeting. The term ends February 1, 2019. For more information contact Deborah Lopez, City Clerk, at 805-961-7505 or dlopez@cityofgoleta.org. 

Celebrate Public Works

Help celebrate National Public Works Week (May 20 – 26) with staff from City of Goleta’s Public Works department! On Thursday, May 24 from 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Public Works staff will be at the Camino Real Marketplace (7004 Market Place Drive) for a community event to answer questions and discuss programs and projects happening in Goleta. Don’t miss the interactive activities for kids and adults! Other local agencies will be in attendance as well. The event is family-friendly and includes games and prizes for kids, balloons, cookies and lemonade.

Public Works is a vital part of our community and plays an important role in our daily lives. Every time you travel on a city street, take a stroll on the sidewalk, or spend time at one of the many parks and opens spaces in our City, you are surrounded by the services provided by the Public Works department. From constructing, cleaning, repairing, and maintaining city streets and sidewalks to creating and maintaining the urban forest, parks and open spaces, Public Works is all around you. Public Works also administers the Capital Improvement Program approved by the City Council that creates needed infrastructure within the community, such as the crosswalk improvements in Old Town, Hollister Class I Multi-Use Path and the in progress Hollister Avenue Complete Streets Corridor Project. Learn more about the City’s Public Works Department at www.cityofgoleta.org/city-hall/public-works and please come celebrate with us on May 24th!

Ready, Set…Let’s Build a Park!

On Tuesday, May 1st, the Goleta City Council awarded a contract to C.S. Legacy Construction, Inc. to build the highly anticipated new 4-acre park in Old Town. The City purchased the site on the corner of Hollister and Kellogg Avenues in order to bring an exciting new park to the community with amenities that make it a fantastic place for not only children to play, but adults as well. C.S. Legacy Construction, Inc. was the low bidder through a competitive bidding process that began on March 9, 2018. We are excited for them to have the opportunity to build the largest new park in the history of the City of Goleta! Park features will include a multi-purpose field, basketball court, handball court, concrete ping-pong table, bocce ball court, pickleball court, perimeter walking path, fitness nodes with exercise equipment, picnic areas, skateboard plaza and splash pad (which will be installed during phase two). 

History will be made on Tuesday, May 29 at 4:30 p.m., when our City Council turns the earth at the ground-breaking event for the Old Town Park Project (aka Hollister Kellogg Park). Everyone is invited to join us for this momentous occasion.  

Click here for more information on the new park or contact JoAnne Plummer, Parks and Recreation Manager, at jplummer@cityofgoleta.org or (805) 562-5505.

Get Your New Library Card & Volunteer Today

The City of Goleta is excited to take over direct management of the Goleta Valley Library on July 1, 2018! Beginning May 1, all patrons within the Goleta Valley Library service area will need a new library card in order to check out any material or access electronic resources. The new Goleta Valley Library cards will work at any Santa Barbara County Public Library. To get your new library card, visit the Goleta Valley Library or any library in Santa Barbara County. Remember, as of May 1, you will no longer be able to check out material until you update your account with a Goleta Valley Library card.

The Goleta Valley Library is also seeking volunteers to help re-label and re-barcode the entire 75,000 item collection by June 30. Please help us with this task! We need volunteers to either place new barcodes on each item or register the new barcodes into the library system using the library’s computers and scanners. Training will be provided on your first day. Sign up at the library or contact Library Director Allison Gray at agray@cityofgoleta.org or 805-562-5502. Thank you in advance!

Next Stop…New & Improved Goleta Train Station!

The City of Goleta is excited to share that we were awarded a $13 million grant for the Goleta Train Depot in partnership with Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG). The City and SBCAG sought grant funds from the Transit & Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP) to meaningfully improve passenger experience. The funds will help construct a new full service train station adjacent to the existing train platform, make significant bicycle and pedestrian access improvements to enhance access to the station, and substantially expand the number of parking spaces for passengers. The project centers around the City of Goleta’s purchase of the old Direct Relief International warehouse, which allows the City to redevelop the property to create a welcoming train station for travelers to the region.

To learn more about the funding allocations, visit the California Transportation Agency’s website.

SB 1 Helps Fund Upcoming Road Improvements

California Senate Bill 1 (SB 1) was signed into law in April 2017 and provides more than $5 billion annually to make road improvements, fill potholes, repair local streets, freeways and overpasses and invest in public transportation throughout California communities. SB 1 funds come from an additional gas tax introduced at the pump, making it a tax that the people who use the roads pay for. The State requires each City to put its funds into a Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Account (RMRA) to ensure that the money is used for its intended purpose. The City of Goleta is thrilled to have this additional source of revenue for paving our roads. 

For fiscal year 2017/18, the City of Goleta is expected to receive $176,451 from SB 1 funds. In this upcoming fiscal year, the City is scheduled to receive an estimated $526,000. The additional funds Goleta and other cities receive from SB 1 provide the ability for cities to make necessary road improvements that we otherwise may not have had the general fund money available for.

Goleta’s first project with SB 1 funds is the Cathedral Oaks Pavement Rehabilitation project. SB 1 funds will be used, along with other gas tax funds and funds set aside in the City’s budget, to pay for pavement rehabilitation of Cathedral Oaks Road from Fairview Avenue west of Carlo Drive to the San Pedro Creek bridge, and budget permitting, Cathedral Oaks west from Los Carneros Road to the Los Carneros bridge. The project approval is expected to be on the Council’s consent calendar on May 15, 2018. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the project is expected to begin work in early fall. SB 1 funds will also be used on the next phase of the project, which includes Evergreen Drive (between Cathedral Oaks and Brandon Drive), Hillview Drive and Forest Drive. The anticipated start date is spring 2019 to avoid the rainy season.

For more information on SB 1, please go to http://rebuildingca.ca.gov.  

Piers 421

California State Lands Commission Community Town Hall

We know many of our residents are interested in the status of Platform Holly, Piers 421 and the Ellwood Onshore Facility. We want to share with you that the California State Lands Commission is holding a Community Town Hall to provide updates on May 14 from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at Goleta City Hall Council Chambers (130 Cremona Drive, Suite B). Attendees will hear about the State Lands Commission’s efforts to plug and abandon the oil and gas wells at Platform Holly and Piers 421 and begin the decommissioning process for the facilities. Commission staff will also provide a status update on Venoco, LLC’s bankruptcy proceedings and the Ellwood Onshore Facility. Please visit www.slc.ca.gov for more information. Click here to view a flyer.