Daily Archives: February 4, 2025

Meet New Parks and Recreation Manager

Long-Time Goleta Resident Justin Wilkins Brings Decades of Leadership Experience  

The City of Goleta has a new Parks and Recreation Manager! Justin Wilkins brings more than 20 years of leadership in non-profit management and program implementation to the position. In this role, Justin will be responsible for planning, developing, supervising, and coordinating all park and recreational programs, services, facilities, and special events. Justin is a familiar face to Goleta having lived, studied and worked in the area for the past 25 years.

JoAnne Plummer, Neighborhood Services Director said, “The Parks and Recreation Division is busy with exciting programs and projects and Justin’s passion for Goleta, combined with his diverse experience makes him the ideal person to lead this amazing team.”

Justin said his career path and passion for the community have prepared him for this impactful leadership role. He said, “The ability to utilize my vast programming, administrative, and recreational experience in Goleta, where we are high users of parks and open spaces, makes this opportunity all the better.”

Prior to joining the City, Wilkins served as the Executive Director for the Santa Barbara Soccer Club where he helped guide the organization the past five years through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and significant growth in recreational programming. Justin also served as the Director of Operations at Santa Ynez Valley People Helping People where he oversaw a variety of social service programs, school based mental health, and a community-based food program delivering over 30,000 pounds of food to families in need each week.

A long-time resident of Goleta, Justin moved to the area in 2000 to attend the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) and stayed in Goleta to raise his family. He said, “Most of the special memories I have are watching my kids grow up playing in our local parks. From their adventures at ‘Caterpillar Park’ to sliding down the pines at Bella Vista, to playing soccer for countless hours on any patch of green grass – Goleta raised them as much as their mom and I did.”

We wish Justin a great chapter ahead with the City of Goleta. He can be reached via email at jwilkins@cityofgoleta.org.

City Welcomes New Emergency Services Coordinator

Jason Levy Brings Years of Public Safety Experience to Goleta

Jason Levy has joined the City of Goleta as its new Emergency Services Coordinator. In this role, Jason will be responsible for the coordination and administration of all emergency management programs. As recent devastating fire events in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties have proven, this is an important position for the City in enhancing safety and resiliency for our community.

JoAnne Plummer, Neighborhood Services Director said, “We are so happy to welcome Jason to our team. He has already hit the ground running since he started on January 13th. Jason has been busy reviewing and updating plans, working on reviving the Community Emergency Response Training (CERT) program, and scheduling Community Disaster Education (CDE) classes. Stay tuned for how you can participate.”

Jason said, “I am most excited about engaging with community members, collaborating with colleagues at the City of Goleta, and partnering with numerous agencies and organizations to support the community. I consider it a privilege to have the opportunity to guide Goleta through the five mission areas: prevention, protection, mitigation, response and recovery and disaster management.”

Jason received his Master’s in Educational Leadership and Organization from the University of California, Santa Barbara and has spent his professional career in public service across the region. Jason also has a passion for helping people through his volunteer work on the Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Team where he serves as an Incident Commander. In this capacity he has responded to major disasters, including assisting with the largest search mission at its time in California history: the recovery efforts in Paradise, CA, following the 2018 Camp Fire.

Jason’s previous experience also includes working at the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department from 2020 to 2025 where he supported the County’s COVID-19 response. Additionally, he led a project that collaborated with numerous local public safety first-aid agencies, training personnel and procuring Narcan to ensure effective responses to opioid overdoses.

Please join us in welcoming Jason and wishing him a great chapter ahead with the City. You can reach Jason by emailing him at jlevy@cityofgoleta.org. To learn about upcoming opportunities for emergency preparedness training, please contact cert@cityofgoleta.org.

Watch Recap of First Coffee & Community of 2025

Coffee & Community / Café y Comunidad events are a great opportunity to connect with the City, fellow Goletans, and discuss topics of interest relevant to your neighborhood. On Saturday, January 11, 2025, the City held its first Coffee and Community event of the year at Armitos Park in Old Town. More than fifty people showed up on this beautiful Saturday morning, including many who have a spot at the City’s first Community Garden which recently opened at the site. Check out our short highlight video here to see how it went.

Councilmember James Kyriaco (District 2) said these casual community coffee gatherings are a great way to bring the City to the people. He said, “It’s so important for people to have a government that works for them, that’s responsive to them and that is willing to come into their neighborhoods to talk about the issues that are impacting them.”

There was time for mingling, coffee, juice and pastries from local Old Town vendors and several information tables including Goleta Public Works, Neighborhood Services, the Goleta Valley Library, Community Relations and the Santa Barbara Food Bank. Spanish interpretation was available.

After welcoming attendees, Councilmember Kyriaco gave a short update on projects happening in Old Town followed by a time for questions. After the Q&A period, City staff from various departments was available for one-on-one questions. Due to the devastating Los Angeles and Ventura County fires, many of the questions surrounded emergency planning and public safety.

A big thank you to Boone Graphics for opening up its parking lot for the event.

The City holds Coffee and Community / Café y Comunidad events throughout the year in each district. Find out which district you live in here: https://tinyurl.com/GoletaInteractiveMap. Stay tuned for information on our next event.

Pictured: Councilmember James Kyriaco (District 2) at the Community Garden at Armitos Park during the Coffee & Community event

Record Breaking Beautify Goleta Bulky Item Drop-Off Event

116 Vehicles Disposed of 17,149 Pounds of Unwanted Items

The first Beautify Goleta Bulky Item Drop-Off event of the year on Saturday, January 25, 2025, saw record-breaking attendance and collection of bulky items. A total of 116 vehicles dropped off 17,149 pounds of bulky items at the intersection of Mathilda Drive and Strehle Lane in western Goleta. The event was so popular that capacity was reached three hours into the four-hour event. The most commonly dropped-off items included old mattresses and large, damaged furniture.

Dan Rowell, City of Goleta’s Environmental Services Project Manager, was thrilled with the event’s success. He said, “Seeing the enthusiasm from our community for Beautify Goleta events is truly rewarding. Of course, we couldn’t achieve this without the support of our fantastic partners at MarBorg Industries, Big Green Cleaning, and Solid Waste Solutions.”

The Beautify Goleta team plans to conduct this event every January at this location.

If you missed it, don’t worry! There are more Beautify Goleta bulky item drop-off events and cleanup opportunities coming up. Be sure to mark your calendar for these upcoming dates:

  • February 2025: Beautify Goleta’s second annual Self-Guided Cleanup Month
  • March 8, 2025: “Spring Into Action”
  • April 19, 2025: “Earth Day”
  • July 19, 2025: “Plastic Free July”
  • September 20, 2025: “Coastal Cleanup Day”

We need Beautify Goleta Captains! Captains are a vital part of the program, helping to organize and guide volunteers on event days. Captains can represent clubs, businesses, community groups, or individuals. Becoming a Captain is also a great way to gain recognition for your organization, as Captains are regularly highlighted in City press releases, the Monarch Press e-newsletter, and social media campaigns.

Interested in being a Beautify Goleta Captain or hosting your own cleanup event? Email EnvironmentalServices@CityOfGoleta.org today!

For more information about Beautify Goleta, visit www.CityofGoleta.org/BeautifyGoleta.

Show Goleta Love During Self-Guided Cleanup Month

Report Results for a Chance to Win Eco-Friendly Prizes

Show some love to your favorite park, open space, neighborhood, creek, or beach throughout the entire month of February by participating in the City’s Beautify Goleta Self-Guided Cleanup Month! Unlike previous Beautify Goleta events that take place on Saturday mornings throughout the year, all of February is a Beautify Goleta Self-Guided Cleanup Month. 

Grab your buckets, gloves, and a good pair of walking shoes, and pick up litter where you want, when you want. Help keep our streets, neighborhoods, and parks and open spaces clean and healthy. Please do not pick up litter on private property without getting permission from the property owner first. Schedule a time to pick up trash with friends and family, go on your lunch break, or while walking your dog. Participate at your own pace – just once or as many times as you can throughout the month.

Participants are encouraged to report information about the trash they pick up to the City using this online form. You can also email your results to EnvironmentalServices@cityofgoleta.org. Collecting data is a crucial component in helping measure the amount of litter collected throughout the City of Goleta. All participants who use the online form will be entered into a prize drawing for the categories below: 

  1. Grand Prize Drawing with All Participants (3 Winners)
  2. Prize for picking up the most trash by weight (1 Winner)
  3. Prize for the most number of cleanups throughout the month (1 Winner)

All prizes encourage waste reduction. Prizes include stainless steel bento boxes, beeswax wrap, reusable cutlery sets, and more! All prizes will be announced by the City the week of March 3rd. Visit our social media channels (@cityofgoleta) to see who won!

Before you participate in a cleanup, please review our Self-Guided Cleanup Cheat Sheet, our Cleanup Safety Guidance, and our list of Helpful Contacts.

Need Equipment? The City has trash grabbers, gloves, trash bags, and buckets that can be checked out for free. Email EnvironmentalServices@cityofgoleta.org to schedule a pickup time.  

We hope you’ll spread the love this February by making Goleta a cleaner, healthier place to live. Learn more about Beautify Goleta at www.CityofGoleta.org/BeautifyGoleta.

Goleta’s E-Bike Safety Awareness Week Recap

Special Activities Held Throughout the Week at Local Schools

More Goleta teens now know more about e-bike safety following a dedicated week of outreach at local schools.  For its annual E-Bike Safety Awareness Week held January 21 to 25, 2025, the City partnered once again with MOVE Santa Barbara County to help provide education and bring an important safety topic to the forefront.

During the week, targeted outreach activities were held at Goleta Valley Junior High, Dos Pueblos High School and San Marcos High School. These activities included free helmet and safety equipment distributions and safety presentations. Thanks to representatives from MOVE Santa Barbara County, the City of Goleta, the Goleta Police Department, the California Highway Patrol, and Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital for being there to help make sure students know how to be safe while operating or sharing the road with an e-bike.

Stay tuned for more outreach about e-bike safety during CycleMAYnia in May.

Photo above above: Bike safety equipment giveaway at San Marcos High School. Pictured Left to Right: City of Goleta Spanish Engagement Specialist Marcos Martinez, MOVE Education & Engagement Coordinator Eliza Howard, Cottage Health Injury Prevention Outreach & Education Coordinator Mayra Vazquez


Helmet Distribution at Dos Pueblos High School. Pictured Left to Right: School Resource Deputy George Hedricks, Spanish Engagement Specialist Marcos Martinez, MOVE Education & Engagement Coordinator Gemma Jimenez, Goleta Police Deputies Connor Worden, Dylan Darga,and CHP Jon Gutierrez


Community Resource Deputy Worden at Dos Pueblos High School


Safety Presentation with MOVE Santa Barbara County and Goleta PD at Goleta Valley Junior High School

 

What is Your Favorite Goleta Business? GoodLandGoodShopping Social Media Spotlights are Back!

Let Us Know and See Who is Featured Each Week on the City’s Social Media

Our GoodLandGoodShopping social media spotlights are back! Every week we will be highlighting a different Goleta business across our platforms. Do you have a favorite store, restaurant, or go-to business that you think deserves recognition? We want to hear from you! Your recommendations will help us highlight their special offerings and the passionate people behind these locally owned businesses. 

To have your favorite business featured, please send an email to PIO@CityofGoleta.org. Include the name of the business, a brief description of why it’s special to you, and any additional details you’d like us to know.

Last year, the #GoodLandGoodShopping campaign featured more than 50 locally owned businesses. We encourage you to scroll through our social media pages on Instagram, Facebook, and X to check out all the great businesses that have been featured so far. 

Looking to discover more local businesses? Check out the City’s GoodLandGoodShopping.com online business directory! With over 900 businesses ranging from boutique stores and family-owned restaurants to professional services and apparel shops, you are bound to find what you need. GoodLandGoodShopping.com is a free, user-friendly resource that includes a map view to see where each business is located, a search feature, and filter options to easily find what you are looking for. Watch our video promo in English or Spanish to find out more.

Businesses located within the City of Goleta with a business license, are automatically included in the GoodLandGoodShopping.com directory for FREE. We encourage all businesses to take a moment and customize your free listing to gain more exposure. You can add your logo, social media links, promotions, photo galleries, and more. City staff will review and approve the listing before it is published. View a short tutorial on how to edit your business or add your business.

Thank you for shopping Goleta and supporting our local economy! 

17 Electric Vehicle Chargers Open at City Hall

Chargers Available 24 Hours a Day for Electric or Plug-In Hybrid Vehicles

17 new Level 2 PowerFlex Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations are officially open at Goleta City Hall (130 Cremona Drive) following a special celebration the morning of January 23, 2025. The attendees, which included the entire Goleta City Council, City staff, community partners, project funders, and supportive community members, were super-charged to see the green ribbon cut and a demonstration of how to use the new EV chargers. Watch a recap of the event here.

The EV chargers are open 24 hours a day to the public for any electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle and provide approximately 25 miles of charging per hour. They will be especially convenient for electric City fleet vehicles, those working at or visiting City Hall, nearby office workers, and residents in the area near Los Carneros Road.

Mayor Paula Perotte said, “Today is truly a momentous occasion. Here we have the largest EV charging project the City has ever undertaken at one of its facilities. It represents years of hard work and shows the City’s dedication to a cleaner and more sustainable future. This installation is what we hope will be one of many clean energy projects at our City facilities.” She added, “Just think, you can come to a Goleta City Council meeting and charge your vehicle.”

2nd District Councilmember James Kyriaco said, “Hundreds of housing units are close to Goleta City Hall consisting of both homeowners and, importantly, apartment renters – people who don’t necessarily have the easiest time having access to steady, reliable charging. Having a centrally located hub of EV chargers makes it more feasible for renters, people who are not always high-income individuals, to be able to have access to more affordable charging options. I look at this as a step towards equity and environmental justice. This is really only the beginning, but it is a big beginning. This is part of a larger strategy to be the greenest community on the South Coast.”

Santa Barbara County Supervisor Chair Laura Capps said, “This also helps the County reach its ambitious goal of 50% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions below 2018 levels by 2030. The more that we have reliable EV charging stations, it’s going to push people over to become an electric driver like I did 10 years ago. The one thing people don’t tell you is that it is so nice to not go to the gas station – ever. It’s cheaper, better for the planet, and it’s just easier to be an electric driver.”

Sustainability Manager Dana Murray said there are many people to thank for bringing this project to completion. “Thank you to both Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District (APCD) and Southern California Edison (SCE) for their grants and rebates to further electric vehicles in our area. I also want to recognize our City Council and other City staff for pushing forward on getting more clean energy and clean, zero emission vehicles and supporting the infrastructure for that transition in our area. In addition, these EV chargers are running on 100% renewable energy from solar and wind – so you can park your clean air vehicle and charge it with clean electricity here at City Hall.”

Natalie Yanez, SCE’s Government Affairs Representative said, “We are so thankful to have jurisdictions like the City of Goleta partner with us though our Charge Ready Program to bring charging infrastructure to our local communities.”

Aeron Arlin Genet, Executive Director of Santa Barbara County APCD, said, “Transportation emissions account for a significant amount of air pollution in our County, electric is the way to go to reduce ozone forming emissions as well as greenhouse gases. You may have heard that California has a goal by the year 2035 to go completely zero emission for all passenger cars. So, we need to get a hustle on expanding the amount of infrastructure we have in our County so that it is feasible for those, once they have it, to properly charge when they are going around the community.”

Following the remarks, ACPD presented a $22,000 check awarded to the City for the project through the Clean Air Grants for Infrastructure Program.

SCE provided approximately $250,000 in infrastructural work at no cost to the City through SCE’s Charge Ready Infrastructure and Rebate Program. The City’s investment in the project is $11,000, which it aims to fund through additional rebates.

Following the speakers, staff gave a live demonstration on how to use the chargers and the associated PowerFlex app. Instructions are available in English and in Spanish.

This project is one of hopefully many more like it to come. Learn more about the City’s Sustainability Program and projects at: https://cityofgoleta.org/sustainability.


Ceremonial cutting of the ribbon


Mayor Perotte speaking at the event


Check presentation from APCD. Pictured left-to-right: Santa Barbara County Chair Laura Capps, APCD Air Quality Specialist Sydney Rouse, Sustainability Manager Dana Murray, Planning & Environmental Review Director Peter Imhof, APCD Executive Director Aeron Arlin Genet, Mayor Paula Perotte, Mayor Pro Tempore Stuart Kasdin (District 4), Councilmember Luz Reyes-Martín (District 1), Councilmember James Kyriaco (District 2), Councilmember Jennifer Smith (District 3), and Sustainability Analyst Angeline Foshay


Sustainability Analyst Angeline Foshay giving a demonstration of how to use the new EV chargers at Goleta City Hall


Attendees at ribbon cutting event for new EV charging stations at City Hall

Applications Open for Old Town Goleta Pride of Place Grant

Attend Application Workshop at Goleta Community Center February 18th at 10 AM

With the new Pride of Place (POP) Grant, we hope ideas will be POPping like never before! The City of Goleta is pleased to announce the release of its Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for the Old Town POP Grant Program. Old Town Business owners are invited to submit their ideas on how they would enhance a sense of place and attract more customers to this historic part of the City known as the heart of Goleta. If accepted, the business owners would receive funding to implement the idea(s) submitted in the application. The application deadline is Monday, March 3, 2025. Submit your application online here or access the printable form here. An application workshop is being held at the Goleta Community Center (5679 Hollister Avenue) on Tuesday, February 18th from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Spanish interpretation will be available.

The Goleta City Council approved the Old Town POP Grant Program in January 2025 and allocated $120,000, with an average award anticipated to range between $3,000-10,000. There is no cap to the maximum funding request, and each proposal will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

  • Alignment with program goals
  • Positive community impact
  • Creativity and innovation
  • Feasibility
  • Community engagement
  • Business collaboration

Paper applications are available at City Hall (130 Cremona Drive, Goleta, CA 93117) for pickup or you can print the application here. Please return your printed application to City Hall or email it to Shannon Kirn at skirn@cityofgoleta.org by the March 3rd deadline. Electronic applications can be accessed here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/popgrant.

To learn more about this program, visit the City webpage at www.CityofGoleta.org/POPgrant. Please contact Shannon Kirn at skirn@cityofgoleta.org or (805) 562-5512 if you have any questions.

2025 Point-in-Time Count

We will soon know more about the number of people experiencing homelessness in Santa Barbara County thanks to a caring group of volunteers County-wide who participated in this year’s annual Point-in-Time (PIT) Count. More than 40 volunteers, including Councilmember Jennifer Smith, City staff, and a current LEAD Goleta Community Academy participant, arrived at the Goleta Community Center (GCC) bright and early (5:30 a.m.) on January 22nd to get to work counting the number of sheltered and unsheltered people experiencing homelessness in a given day.

The count includes people in emergency shelters, transitional housing, or Safe Havens on a single night. The count was scheduled to take place at this early time because people are more stationary and less likely to be counted twice. Volunteers were placed in different Count teams and assigned their own routes to document who is experiencing homelessness. Each homeless person was offered packs of tissues, socks, snacks and other essentials.

The PIT Count is organized by the Santa Maria/Santa Barbara County Continuum of Care, in partnership with the County of Santa Barbara and the Santa Barbara Alliance for Community Transformation (SBACT). The information collected is used to plan local homeless assistance systems, justify funding, raise public awareness, and track trends that can help the county determine how to best serve the homeless population.

Please stay tuned for the results which will be released later this year.

Thank you to the volunteers and PIT organizers for collecting this important data.


Volunteers gathered at the Goleta Community Center

Pictured top right: 3rd District City Councilmember Jennifer Smith (center) with volunteers