Author Archives: Jaime Shaw

Goleta Goes BIG for Coastal Cleanup Day!

More than 500 pounds of Trash and Recyclables Collected from Haskell’s Beach Alone

This year’s Coastal Cleanup Day on September 18, 2021, was a huge success thanks to YOU!  We were so impressed with the turnout at cleanup sites throughout Goleta. Just at the Haskell’s site alone, we had more than 75 volunteers and collected more than 500 pounds of trash and recyclables. Trash items included cigarette butts, bottles, cans, abandoned construction equipment, and more.

The turnout County-Wide was astounding as well! More than 1,287 volunteers showed up for Coastal Cleanup at 28 sites throughout the County. These dedicated community members picked up more than 5,211 pounds of trash and more than 892 pounds of recyclables for a total of 6,104 pounds or 3.05 tons of waste. Incredible! Altogether, they covered 42 estimated miles at sites ranging from Rincon Beach Park to Guadalupe Dunes.

City of Goleta Team Captains at Haskell’s Beach were so appreciative of all the volunteers that showed up including several familiar faces. Goleta’s Environment Services Coordinator Melissa Nelson said, “It’s a testament to how much our community cares about keeping our beaches and outdoor spaces clean. Some liked this event so much, they want to keep community cleanups going year-round, and I can’t wait to get their ideas!”

State-wide there were more than 21,000 volunteers. These volunteers picked up 153,281 pounds of trash and an additional 9,256 pounds of recyclable materials, for a total of 162,538 pounds or more than 81 tons.

Volunteers who participated in the Cleanup can visit the Coastal Commission website to fill out the Coastal Cleanup Day Volunteer Survey and be entered in a drawing for prizes.

Statewide, Coastal Cleanup Day is presented by the California Coastal Commission. In Santa Barbara County, the event is organized by Explore Ecology and the County of Santa Barbara Resource Recovery and Waste Management, with support from Project Clean Water, the Cities of Santa Barbara, Goleta, and Solvang, and the help of many non-profits, businesses, and generous individuals. 

 
Local high school students Monica and Joy participate in Coastal Cleanup day at Haskell’s Beach


Beach Captain and City of Goleta Parks and Open Space Manager, George Thomson


City of Goleta Beach Captains and Councilmember Stuart Kasdin with the trash picked up during Coastal Cleanup Day


Beach Captain George Thomson and Councilmember Kyle Richards


Mayor Pro Tempore James Kyriaco with Beach Captain Ryan Kintz

Goleta City Council Supports Reproductive Freedom

The Goleta City Council is showing its support for reproductive freedom. At the Tuesday, September 21, 2021, Goleta City Council meeting, the Council adopted “A Resolution Affirming Support of Reproductive Freedom.” View the resolution and staff report here.

City of Goleta Mayor Paula Perotte said, “The City’s adoption of this resolution further affirms the City’s commitment to protecting the rights of all women, including the rights related to family planning.”

Mayor Pro Tempore James Kyriaco added, “As the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to hear oral arguments on a case that threatens to overturn decades-old abortion protections, it’s important that local communities like Goleta speak up. We support reproductive freedom and justice, and believe that pregnant people – not government should make personal medical decisions for themselves and their families.”

The City has a proud record of proclaiming its commitment to inclusivity, diversity, and equity. The City Council has expressed a commitment to making Goleta a welcoming, inclusive, and safe community for everyone, promoting free thought and speech, while condemning racism and police brutality, hate speech, bigotry, violence and prejudice against all.

LED Lights Installation Project Approaches Finish Line

The City’s six week city-wide LED streetlight installation is nearly complete! Approximately 1,300 LED streetlights out of the total of 1,430 have been installed. As part of the City’s LED Street Lighting Project, LED lights have been installed throughout most residential neighborhoods, and the contractor is now working on installing lights in high traffic areas. The City anticipates this project will be finished by mid-October.

City of Goleta Public Works Department Project Manager, Michael Winnewisser, said, “The long-awaited LED Street Lighting Project is ahead of schedule, and we hope that the residents are pleased with the outcome. Installing LED lights is one more way the City is focused on sustainability and we thank everyone for their patience as this project wraps up in the next couple of weeks.”

The City is replacing 1,430 streetlight fixtures throughout Goleta with new energy efficient LED streetlights. The project is expected to save Goleta more than 345,000 kilowatt hours and approximately $115,000 annually after the project is implemented. In addition to saving the City money, the new lights will require less maintenance and provide clearer lighting.

You can learn more about the project at www.CityofGoleta.org/LEDStreetlights where you can also find a map of the project replacement locations. If you have any questions or comments, please contact Project Manager Michael Winnewisser at (805) 690-5120 or mwinnewisser@cityofgoleta.org.

For more information on this project, watch our video featuring Public Works staff. The video is available in English and Spanish.

Background:

The LED Street Lighting Project took root in 2017. After long negotiations with Southern California Edison, in 2020 the City acquired the streetlights and began looking into different LED options for our community. In January 2021, the City conducted a pilot study to get community input. Based on feedback from the pilot study, Green Committee, and Virtual Town Hall, the City selected GE fixtures that are 2700K color temperature streetlights. On July 20, 2021, Goleta City Council approved the replacements and the fixtures were ordered the next day. 

Pictured below: New LED lights being installed throughout Goleta

City of Goleta Begins Partnership with CityNet to Help Find Housing for Homeless

The City of Goleta is pleased to have officially begun our partnership with CityNet this week to achieve our collective goal of finding housing for at least 50 homeless individuals in Goleta by summer 2022. On August 17, 2021, the Goleta City Council approved a $530,565 contract for homelessness services to CityNet, a non-profit organization, to provide outreach, bridge housing, and housing navigation.

Additionally, as fire season progresses, many Goleta residents have expressed concerns that people camping illegally alongside the Union Pacific Railroad tracks and Highway 101 pose a severe fire threat to the encampment residents and the community. This threat was documented by the County Fire Marshall in December of 2020, and the City of Goleta has been working with the County of Santa Barbara, CalTrans, Union Pacific Railroad, and the Sheriff’s Office to try to relocate those living in encampments. These efforts have already been partially successful as approximately 10 people have relocated from their encampments to either permanent housing or to Hedges House of Hope, the new shelter for homeless individuals in Isla Vista recently purchased by the County of Santa Barbara.

However, there are many more homeless people living on the streets and in encampments in the Goleta area who need help connecting with services and housing. CityNet’s efforts in conducting outreach to the homeless, connecting them to area service providers, providing both immediate shelter and bridge housing, and case management to help ensure ongoing success has already proven to be effective. The group has been working with the City of Santa Barbara and the County of Santa Barbara on similar efforts with great success.

City of Goleta Mayor Paula Perotte said, “By providing temporary, safe shelter, this initiative will provide increased safety for the homeless. And by reducing urban encampments we will be reducing the risk of fires for the entire community.”

The new effort by CityNet will implement significant portions of the City of Goleta’s Homelessness Strategic Plan adopted by the City Council on April 20, 2021. CityNet’s provision of services will run through June 30, 2022, and includes the following activities:

  • Outreach and Engagement – Two CityNet staff will contact homeless people living in encampments or other areas not fit for human habitation three times per week. People will be assessed, provided food, water, and sanitation products, and invited to participate in the homelessness Coordinated Entry System.
  • Housing Navigation – CityNet staff will offer homeless people immediate shelter in either a local motel room, Hedges House of Hope, or one of the two Goleta beds at the PATH homeless shelter in Santa Barbara. At the same time, efforts will be made to secure permanent affordable housing through rental assistance or permanent supportive housing options.
  • Case Management – Each homeless person will be enrolled in a collaborative case management process that will track and guide people into transitional and/or permanent housing with ongoing supportive services like crisis management, motivational interviewing for lifestyle changes, access to physical and behavioral healthcare providers, financial assistance, and food assistance.

“We are bringing the best evidence-based practices for ending homelessness to the City of Goleta,” said Interim Director of Neighborhood Services, Jaime Valdez, “The use of five motel rooms on a continual basis means that homeless individuals will have an incentive to get off the streets and begin their journey into permanent housing.”

Pictured: Homeless encampment in Goleta

City Updates Community on Fire Station 10 Tree Replacement Plan

City staff is reviewing comments and concerns from more than a dozen community members attending a public meeting at the Santa Barbara Shores Open Space on September 25, 2021. The meeting focused on a review of a tree enhancement effort planned for that park, related to the Fire Station 10 (FS10) project at 7952 Hollister Avenue. The Neighborhood Services Department is in the design phase for the FS10 project, which was approved by City Council in December 2018 and the Coastal Commission in September 2020. The Coastal Commission required a tree replacement plan to provide new native trees in the coastal zone to offset those that will be removed for the fire station construction.   

The City began the informal meeting with a five-minute presentation on the purpose of the meeting and shared a 2’ by 3’ printout of the Tree Planting Replacement Plan. The Santa Barbara Shores open space was identified by staff as an excellent opportunity to increase native tree planting and thereby enhance the creek and riparian environment in this area.  No existing trees in this open space would need to be removed to accommodate the 41 new trees.  

After the presentation, City staff and Santa Barbara County Fire personnel engaged in a lengthy question and answer session noting and addressing concerns from the public. Topics such as fire safety, sightlines from the street to the park equipment area, number of trees and alternative locations were posed by the public. Staff will be reviewing the comments/suggestions/concerns provided at the meeting and work with our consultants to address them where possible while still meeting the requirements from the Coastal Commission.  

For more information on Fire Station 10, please go to https://cityofgoleta.org/FireStation10. View the tree planting replacement plan here.


Pictured: September 25, 2021, meeting

Making Progress on Needed Road Repairs

The Goleta City Council approved the construction contract for the 2020-2021 Pavement Rehabilitation Project and authorized an additional $3,900,000 from the General Fund for additional roadway paving work throughout the City at their September 21, 2021, meeting.

Goleta Deputy Public Works Director James Campero said, “Public Works staff bid the paving project with bid alternates to provide the City flexibility to award additional roadways if we received good bids. Fortunately, we received very advantageous bids and we are very thankful to have a City Council and community that supports taking advantage of such great bids. We will be constructing nearly $6 million worth of paving work, which is a major step in the right direction to repairing our City’s roadway system.”

The added work includes the much-needed pavement rehabilitation on Cathedral Oaks Road from Glen Annie Road to Los Carneros Road. Paving work is anticipated to start in one-two months.

Although this will be a big benefit to the City’s roadway network and a major step in the right direction, this is a one-time funding allocation. City staff will continue to explore all options to identify potential funding sources for the additional $3.3 million needed annually to appropriately maintain the City’s entire roadway system. The City is also working on evaluating the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and identifying how to reprioritize and/or fund the approximately $110 million worth of unfunded CIP Projects.

Watch a recording of the meeting here and read the staff report here.

Pictured: Cathedral Oaks Road

Attention Businesses: Apply for a Goleta ReStart Loan from WEV

Goleta ReStart Loans are still available to help businesses within Goleta city limits reopen and adapt to operating under proper public health guidelines due to COVID-19. The City of Goleta collaborated with Women’s Economic Ventures (WEV) to provide a program specifically for Goleta-based small businesses. 

The loan program provides loans up to $25,000 with a 4.50% fixed interest rate with up to a 60 month repayment term with interest only payments for the first six payment cycle in order to provide for more time to re-establish cash flow and capacity to rebuild/reopen the business. The City of Goleta contributed $200,000 in order to support the small business loan program for Goleta small businesses. This is a critical step in the City’s economic relief and recovery efforts.

City of Goleta Mayor Paula Perotte said, “The WEV ReStart Loan program will provide immediate funding on favorable terms and WEV’s highly-regarded financial expertise to our small businesses.”

“Business owners consistently say community support is a key factor in sustaining their resolve through the pandemic,” shared WEV CEO Kathy Odell. “Our ReStart Loans will provide the capital necessary to retain employees, modify business practices and acquire new equipment and/or supplies required for safe re-opening. Additionally, ReStart Loan recipients are eligible to receive business advisory services from WEV.”

Learn more and apply today at www.wevonline.org/loans-2/restart.

Apply Now for County of Santa Barbara’s COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program

The County of Santa Barbara Emergency Rental Assistance Program, administered through United Way of Santa Barbara County, is now accepting applications at https://www.unitedwaysb.org/rent.

The program is open to Santa Barbara County tenant-households with an annual income at or below 80 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI), who have experienced a loss of income due to or during the COVID-19 pandemic and experiencing a risk of homelessness or housing instability. 

Qualified applicants may apply for rent and utility debt dating back to March 2020. To apply, go to unitedwaysb.org/rent. To check the status of an application already submitted to United Way, tenants or landlords may call (805) 965-8591. 

A separate California Emergency Rental Assistance application portal is closed to new applications for Santa Barbara County residents.  Applications already received will continue to be processed.  Tenants or landlords who need to confirm the status of an application with the state program may call (833) 430-2122 or go to their application at housing.ca.gov.

California Becomes First State with COVID-19 Vaccine Requirements for Schools

After implementing first-in-the-nation school masking and staff vaccination measures, California becomes the first state to announce plans to require student vaccinations – adding the COVID-19 vaccine to list of vaccinations required for school, such as the vaccines for measles, mumps, and rubella

Students will be required to be vaccinated for in person learning starting the term following FDA full approval of the vaccine for their grade span (7-12 and K-6).

At a school in San Francisco, Governor Newsom announced plans to add the COVID-19 vaccine to the list of vaccinations required to attend school in-person when the vaccine receives full approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for middle and high school grades, making California the first state in the nation to announce such a measure. Following the other first-in-the-nation school masking and staff vaccination measures, Governor Newsom announced the COVID-19 vaccine will be required for in-person school attendance—just like vaccines for measles, mumps, rubella and more.

“The state already requires that students are vaccinated against viruses that cause measles, mumps, and rubella – there’s no reason why we wouldn’t do the same for COVID-19. Today’s measure, just like our first-in-the-nation school masking and staff vaccination requirements, is about protecting our children and school staff, and keeping them in the classroom,” said Governor Newsom. “Vaccines work. It’s why California leads the country in preventing school closures and has the lowest case rates. We encourage other states to follow our lead to keep our kids safe and prevent the spread of COVID-19.”

Read the full press release from the Governor’s office here.

Pictured: Governor Newsom

#VaccinateGoleta COVID-19 Updates

The City of Goleta wants to remind everyone to #VaccinateGoleta. As of September 30, 2021, only 68.4% of eligible (12 years and older) Santa Barbara County residents are fully vaccinated. This is up around 4% from one month ago, but there is still a lot of work to do. Please get vaccinated if you haven’t already, and encourage your friends and family to do the same. Mayor Paula Perotte and all of the Goleta City Council members share the importance of getting vaccinated in our #VaccinateGoleta video message available in English and Spanish.

View the Santa Barbara County Community Data Dashboard for more information on COVID-19 locally.

New COVID-19 Testing Location in Goleta

A mini-bus testing site is now located at Direct Relief in Goleta (6100 Wallace Becknell Rd, Santa Barbara) every Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. This is in addition to the Goleta Valley Community Center testing site and other sites throughout the County. Click here for all locations and hours.

COVID-19 booster shots endorsed by CDC for those at highest risk

By Dr. Henning Ansorg, M.D., FACP, Health Officer County of Santa Barbara, Department of Public Health

You may have heard that a COVID-19 booster shot is being recommended and are wondering if you are eligible for it and if you should get it.

On Friday, September 24, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) endorsed the recommendation for a booster shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in certain populations and for persons in high risk occupational and institutional settings.

People previously vaccinated with Pfizer BioNTech who SHOULD receive a booster include:

People who MAY CONSIDER receiving a booster based on their individual benefits and risks include:

  • Age 18 through 49 years with underlying medical conditions; and
  • Age 18 through 64 who are at increased risk of exposure to COVID-19 due to their occupation or institutional setting. The CDC currently defines occupations at increased risk for COVID-19 as:
    • First responders (healthcare workers, firefighters, police, congregate care staff)
    • Education staff (teachers, support staff, daycare workers)
    • Food and agriculture workers
    • Manufacturing workers
    • Corrections workers
    • U.S. Postal Service workers
    • Public transit workers
    • Grocery store workers

Why do I need a booster shot?

COVID-19 booster doses are meant to boost immunity that may have waned overtime and are the same dose of vaccine that were given as part of the primary series. Those that should receive a booster dose are at highest risk of hospitalization or death and need to be prioritized for booster doses.  

Booster doses can be received at least six months after completion of the initial vaccine series. California is ready to administer boosters to those that are recommended for boosters immediately.

What about those who didn’t get the Pfizer-BioNTech shot?

At this time, CDC is evaluating available data to make recommendations for other populations or people who got the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines. We are anticipating these recommendations imminently.

Where do I get a booster shot?

You may obtain your booster shot at local pharmacies and in some instances, through your primary care provider. Please consult with your primary health care provider if you have questions about receiving a booster shot.

Source: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/booster-shot.html

For information about the COVID-19 vaccine and countywide availability, please visit www.publichealthsbc.org/vaccine/ or call 2-1-1.