Daily Archives: September 4, 2025

Creek Week 2025 in Goleta

Celebrate Our Creeks, Watersheds & Ocean

The City of Goleta’s Environmental Services Division is thrilled to kick off another year of Creek Week festivities! This year’s celebration runs Saturday, September 20, through Saturday, September 27, with activities for all ages to connect with, learn about, and care for our local waterways.

From art and cleanups to guided tours and restoration projects, there’s something for everyone. Here are a few Goleta highlights:

Saturday, September 20

9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. – Coastal Cleanup Day
Join millions worldwide for this annual event. Locally, help clean up Ellwood Bluffs & Beach and Haskell’s Beach (hosted by Explore Ecology). Register & view all sites: exploreecology.org/coastal-cleanup-day

9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. – San Pedro/Las Vegas Creeks Cleanup
Help the Environmental Defense Center and the City of Goleta restore healthy waterways. Meet at Covington Footbridge (6200 block of Covington Way). RSVP: btrautwein@environmentaldefensecenter.org. 

9:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. – Beautify Goleta: Free Bulky Item Drop-Off
Safely dispose of unwanted items at Phelps Road between Cannon Green Dr. & Pacific Oaks Rd. Accepted items include: mattresses, box springs, furniture, wood pallets, tires. Please do not bring electronics, hazardous waste, or medications – these items will not be accepted.

Wednesday, September 24

4:00–5:30 p.m. – North San Jose Creek Walking Tour 
Meeting Point: southeast corner of Cathedral Oaks Road and North Kellogg Avenue (note new location)

Step away from the hustle and bustle and immerse yourself in the natural beauty of San Jose Creek. Join City of Goleta Environmental Services Project Manager, Dan Rowell, Andrew Raaf, Santa Barbara County Flood Control Environmental Manager, and Brian Trautwein, Senior Analyst/Watershed Program Director for the Environmental Defense Center, for an afternoon exploring shaded oak and cottonwood groves, tranquil pools, and the wildlife that call this creek home.

Along the way, you’ll learn about the challenges facing creek health and the collaborative local efforts to protect and restore this important waterway—particularly for the endangered steelhead trout. San Jose Creek flows to the Goleta Slough and into the Pacific Ocean at Goleta Beach County Park, connecting our community’s uplands to the coast.

This year’s tour also highlights the County’s Beach Sediment Management and Resilience Tactics (BeachSMART) project, led by the Santa Barbara County Flood Control District with support from the State Coastal Conservancy. BeachSMART focuses on watershed processes and nature-based solutions to build long-term resiliency for our beaches, creeks, and coastal communities. Learn more: www.beachsmart.org.  Get involved: Visit the “Get Involved” tab to sign up for updates and take the community survey.

Reserve your spot: environmentalservices@cityofgoleta.org

Thursday, September 25

5:30 – 7:00 p.m. – Creek Week Art Contest Reception
Goleta Community Center (5679 Hollister Avenue)

The Goleta Valley Library partnered with the City’s Environmental Services Division and Goleta Community Center on the 4th Annual Creek Week Art Contest this year. The community is invited to come check out the submissions from local artists at this event. The artwork will be on display at the GCC from September 12 through October 10. More info here.

Stay Updated

For a full list of South Coast Creek Week events, visit SBCreekWeek.com.

Let’s come together to celebrate and protect the creeks, watersheds, and ocean that make Goleta such a special place!

Give Input on CDBG Year-End Report

Public Review Period Open through September 22

Every year, the City of Goleta looks forward to supporting those in need within our community through funds from the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. This past year, more than 10,000 people were assisted with CDBG funding. The City is required to submit a year-end report on its accomplishments called the Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER). The CAPER provides an assessment of the City’s performance in meeting housing and community development goals in the adopted 2024-2025 CDBG Action Plan. The draft CAPER can be viewed on the City’s website at www.CityofGoleta.org/Grants.

Comments on the draft CAPER are being accepted during a public review period ending September 22, 2025, at 12:00 p.m. Comments should be submitted to: City of Goleta, Neighborhood Services Department, Attn: Cassidy Le Air, 130 Cremona Drive, Goleta, CA 93117 or emailed to CityGrants@cityofgoleta.gov.

The City Council will hold a public hearing on this item during its regular meeting on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, at 5:30 p.m. An agenda will be available ahead of time at www.cityofgoleta.org/meetings-agendas.

About the Community Development Block Grant

The City receives funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on an annual basis for the CDBG program, which is intended to assist low-income citizens, people experiencing homelessness, youth, and seniors with essential services such as medical and dental care, food security, counseling, homelessness prevention, case management, and other needs.

The City also uses the majority of its CDBG allocation on capital projects that will benefit low-to moderate-income people and the disabled. Projects have included renovating City facilities and parks to meet Americans with Disability Act (ADA) access standards, installing sidewalks in areas where they are lacking, and adding crosswalks.