Author Archives: Valerie Kushnerov

Goleta Continues to Move Forward in Quest to Go Green

Last fall, the Goleta City Council approved the establishment of a Transportation Demand Management(TDM) Program for City staff. The program, designed by City staff with help from Traffic Solutions, encourages employees to carpool, take the bus, ride their bikes and walk to work in exchange for a variety of incentives. More employees are using alternative transportation methods to get to work, and those who choose to carpool or use public transportation have access to bicycles (pedal powered and electric) and cars for short trips during the workday.

Since the establishment of the program, staff has achieved the following: Reduced 335 commuter trips to and from work; Saved 1,101 gallons of gas; Reduced emissions by 21,383 pounds. This program supports the ongoing efforts of Go Green Goleta.

Community View

The City of Goleta has a new view for you—Community View. The City of Goleta’s Community View is a Geographical Information System (GIS) and is now available online and provides detailed information about properties from a geographic perspective. You can find everything from existing bikeways and beach access points to flood plains, legislative districts, and zoning maps.

To check out this new view, click here.

The Goleta Library is a Family Place

The Goleta Library received $15,000 to help create a warm and friendly space for families at the library. The Family Place Library Program is a statewide initiative that helps create family/early childhood space in the children’s areas of local public libraries. Goleta joins the nearly 300 libraries nationwide dedicated to providing services to families with young children. The Friends of the Goleta Valley Library have provided $5,000 in matching funds for the grant.

The new Family Corner will be equipped with toys, books and comfortable furniture, creating an attractive and exciting space designed specifically for young children. The library setting supports early-learning interactions between young children (ages 0 to 5 years), parents and caregivers, and encourages the use of public libraries by families with children. All the new materials were selected so that they would enhance the
development of young children’s learning, enabling them to become school-ready.

In addition the new Family Corner, library staff will partner with local professionals to offer frequent sessions of the Play With Me, Learn With Me Parent/Child Workshops that will meet weekly for five successive weeks. In these workshops, parents will play with their children using age-appropriate materials, have the opportunity to ask local experts about topics that concern them and learn nursery rhymes, songs and finger plays.

Goleta staff has also created a Parenting Collection with timely and pertinent circulating materials on topics of interest to parents and their toddlers. As part of the grant process, two staff members received three days of training on the program and are now training the rest of the staff on how to interact with families in a new way. The Goleta Library will be known as a place with knowledgeable staff that successfully focuses on
literacy, early childhood development, education and family services.

For more information, visit www.sbplibrary.org/hourslocations/goleta.html or call 964-7878.

 

Goleta Magazine

Copies of the 2012 Goleta Magazine are now available at the Goleta Library, Goleta Valley Community Center, at City Hall and at other locations throughout the City. This annual publication by the Goleta Valley Chamber of Commerce highlights the best Goleta has to offer. Inside you will find articles on the City’s first 10 years, education, business, real estate and more. Pick up your copy today!

Business, Government and Education Collaboration is a GEM

The City of Goleta, Goleta Valley Chamber of Commerce and the University of California at Santa Barbara launched the GEM (Goleta Entrepreneurial Magnet) Initiative at Goleta’s fifth annual State of the City. GEM is a collaboration of business, government and education to strengthen the local economy by supporting new and growing technology entrepreneurs. GEM’s vision is to have the Goleta Valley recognized as a world-class regional center of excellence for entrepreneurial technology and growth. The next step for GEM is to create a Web-based resource for the Goleta entrepreneur wanting to start and grow a business from permitting, to finding a workforce, to everything in between. Look for more about this exciting new initiative in the coming months.

Grow Your Neighborhood and Earn a Nextdoor Frozen Yogurt Party!

Last issue, we talked about our Nextdoor program (to read a copy of the article, go to www.CityofGoleta.org and search 2012 Monarch Press). Nextdoor is an online, social network for neighborhoods and has an interface similar to Facebook. Over 800 residents throughout Goleta have already logged on, and we invite you to do the same.

During the month of July, we’ll be running a contest to get more neighbors participating. Each neighborhood will have the opportunity to sign-up new neighbors. The neighborhood that has the greatest percentage increase at the end of July will earn a frozen yogurt party in their neighborhood. If you have any questions, please contact Valerie Kushnerov, Public Information Officer, at vkushnerov@cityofgoleta.org or 961-7507.

To sign up for Nextdoor, go to http://www.nextdoor.com/.

Are you In the Neighborhood?

All residents of Goleta now have access to a free, online social network specifically for their neighborhood called Nextdoor. This private network fosters communication between neighbors which leads to stronger neighborhoods and a safer community. Nextdoor sites are an easy way for residents to get to know their neighbors, exchange information and advice and ask questions. Topics of discussion range from local events and school activities, to contractor recommendations, disaster preparedness, recent crime activity and lost pets.

1. How does Nextdoor work?
Each of the City’s 22 neighborhoods has a private Nextdoor website that is accessible only to the residents of that neighborhood. Once neighbors verify their addresses and join their neighborhood website, they can find other neighbors in the resident directory, view a neighborhood map, ask for advice, exchange local recommendations and share neighborhood information with each other. Neighbors can choose to see and respond to updates via email or only on the website.

2. What types of things do people do on Nextdoor?
People in Goleta are already using their Nextdoor networks to find a great babysitter, alert fellow neighbors to local crimes, learn more about upcoming City construction projects and share an abundance of fruit from their own trees. However, the exchange of information is limitless.

3. How is Nextdoor different from my neighborhood mailing list?
Nextdoor is designed for the specific communication needs of a neighborhood. For example, Nextdoor websites include a neighborhood map and directory of residents, so it’s easy to know who you’re talking to. When a neighbor shares a recommendation for a favorite local service (e.g. gardener, cleaning service, tutor) it’s automatically cataloged so anyone can easily refer back to it at any time. Unlike mailing lists and groups, Nextdoor makes it easy to stay informed without overwhelming people with too many emails. Members can choose to receive emails about each new post, see everything in a single daily digest, or turn off emails and check the website for new posts from neighbors. In addition, Nextdoor archives and organizes all recommendations for easy use across the neighborhood.

4. How do I get started?
Go to Nextdoor.com and put in your address to see if your neighborhood has a leader (also known as  a founder). If so, continue the process and join your neighbors on Nextdoor. If your neighborhood has not yet been established with a leader, or if you have any questions, contact Valerie Kushnerov, Public Information Officer at the City of Goleta, at 961-7507 or vkushnerov@cityofgoleta.org.

Hint: Being the founder is easier than you might expect. The best founders are people who are  willing to invite neighbors to the group through email, a conversation or a flyer dropped off on a doorstep. The time is minimal but the reward of serving your community is great.

Winding Down the City’s Redevelopment Agency

In December 2011, the California Supreme Court ruled that the elimination of redevelopment agencies (RDAs) throughout the State was constitutional. As the City looks at the end of its own agency, we sat down to interview Vyto Adomaitis, Director of Public Safety and Neighborhood Services (formerly the Director of the Redevelopment Agency for the City of Goleta).

Tell us about how redevelopment agencies came about.
Vyto: Redevelopment agencies were established to help local governments revitalize their communities. Goleta’s RDA was created in 1998 by the County of Santa Barbara with the adoption of the Old Town Revitalization Plan (the “Plan”). Upon City incorporation in 2002, the City of Goleta assumed responsibility for its implementation. The Plan is focused on improving infrastructure, developing affordable housing, strengthening and rehabilitating neighborhoods and supporting economic development.

Why did the governor and the legislature move to eliminate RDAs?
Vyto: They believed that it would bring an influx of cash to relieve the State’s coffers when, in fact, it eliminates the best tool the State and cities have for building infrastructure improvements, creating and sustaining affordable housing and creating and retaining jobs. California desperately needs to keep finding ways to create jobs and stimulate local economies—redevelopment agencies were once one of the best local tools to fulfill such laudable goals.

What does this mean for Goleta?
Vyto: The loss of redevelopment is a big blow to Goleta. Our agency was on the cusp of making  significant improvements to our Old Town area. We will no longer receive about $3 million annually to fund projects to improve and enhance the RDA area. Although redevelopment as we know it goes away, the needs and challenges of Old Town remain.

What programs and projects will this affect?
Vyto: The City will no longer be able to offer housing rehabilitation or storefront facade improvement grants. RDAs once served as California’s 2nd largest source of funding for affordable housing after the federal government. Without this vital source of funds for affordable housing, the ability to meet the City’s housing goals—particularly in Old Town—becomes all-the-more difficult. Plans for Old Town beautification and projects, such as the Hollister Redesign, will be put on hold indefinitely or until an alternate funding source becomes available.

Is the San Jose Creek Project in jeopardy?
Vyto: No, the San Jose Creek Project is not in jeopardy as funds have been secured, contracts executed and construction is now underway. The Ekwill and Fowler Road Projects, the design of a new park in Old Town (on Kellogg Avenue) and the Hollister Avenue Bridge Replacement project will also continue to move forward because the funding for these projects come from different funding sources.

However, construction of the new park may be more challenging due to the loss of redevelopment funding. Moreover, securing funding for Hollister Avenue Redesign will also prove challenging given that the City’s main source for that project will no longer be available.

What happens over the next few months?
Vyto: In January 2012, the City assumed the role of Successor Agency both for housing and non-housing functions needed to wind down the affairs of the former Redevelopment Agency for the City of Goleta. Over the next several months, the Successor Agency will continue working with the County Auditor and the State to fully implement the functions of this new entity.

Goleta Launches First Citizen’s Academy

Have you ever wanted to learn more about all of the different types of services our law enforcement personnel provide?

On April 18, the first annual Citizen’s Academy will kick off. The Academy offers you the opportunity to learn more about what the Santa Barbara Sheriff ’s Office personnel do on a day-by-day basis. You’ll get an insider look at the various departments over the course of seven weeks. Topics will include: department history, how a deputy sheriff is trained, forensics, SWAT, narcotics, bomb squad, dive team and much more. The academy will also include a tour of the main jail, the Santa Barbara Courthouse and the Emergency Communications Center.

The academy will begin on Wednesday, April 18 at Goleta’s City Hall at 130 Cremona Drive, Goleta, and will run every Wednesday evening from 6-9 p.m. through May 30. Class locations will vary by topic. The final class includes a Graduation BBQ on Saturday, June 2.

To take advantage of this exciting opportunity, please contact Senior Deputy Greg Sorenson at 968-3878 or drop by the Goleta Police Department’s Substation at the Camino Real Marketplace for more information. The class is restricted to 20 people and will fill quickly. Don’t wait to sign up!