Author Archives: Jaime Shaw

Styrofoam Recycling Comes to Santa Barbara County!

Tired of not being able to recycle your Styrofoam? MarBorg Industries and Heal the Ocean have partnered to create a pilot program for Styrofoam recycling in Santa Barbara County! Help make the program a success by dropping off your Styrofoam for free at 20 David Love Place in Goleta and 132 Nopalitos Way in Downtown Santa Barbara – do not place it in your blue recycling bin. Instead of making its way to the ocean and hurting wildlife, the recycled Styrofoam is “densified” into viscous material that is reformed into usable products such as mirrors, picture frames, and new packing materials. Any form of Styrofoam is accepted, including the type electronics are shipped in, construction material, and meat trays. However, Styrofoam must be clean (no tape, aluminum wrapping, concrete, food…). Packing “peanuts” and softer Polyurethane foam materials are not accepted. Learn more about the program here.

Back to School Safety

Summer vacation is over and children are back to school. Sergeant John Maxwell with the Goleta Traffic Safety Unit offers the following tips for parents and children to help keep everyone safe throughout the year:

  • When walking to school, walk on the sidewalk if one is available. If there is no sidewalk, walk as far to the edge of the road as possible, facing the traffic.
  • We all learned as kids to “look both ways before crossing the street”. This remains important advice, for both children and adults. When crossing, make eye contact with drivers and always cross the street at intersections or in crosswalks.
  • If riding a bike to school, teach children the rules of the road. Ride single file on the right side of the road, with the flow of traffic. Stop at all stop signs, walk bikes across the street and always, ALWAYS, wear a properly fitted helmet.
  • When driving your child to school, stay alert and never drive while distracted. Always obey school zone speed limits and watch for children crossing the street. Remember, the area 10 feet around a school bus is most dangerous for children. NEVER pass a bus loading or unloading children. It is also important to learn and follow your school’s drop-off and pick-up procedures.
  • Washing your car can be an easily overlooked task, but driving toward the morning sun with a dirty windshield can be blinding. To make certain you can see children walking and riding to school, make sure your windshield is clean, especially during morning school drop-off hours.

The Goleta Police Department looks forward to working with parents, students, school staff, and the community, so our children can have a happy and safe school year! 

Development Impact Fee Changes for Beneficial Projects

At the July 16, 2019, City Council meeting, Council adopted a Development Impact Fee (DIF) Reduction Program for Beneficial Projects. These reductions provide financial relief to new and proposed projects that provide valuable services to the Goleta community. Project categories which can now receive a reduced or waived DIF include:

  • Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) with a floor area of 500 square feet or less will receive a 100% Development Impact Fee (DIF) waiver
  • ADUs with a floor area exceeding 500 square feet will have a flat $5,000 DIF
  • Qualifying non-profit organizations will receive a 100% DIF reduction up to the first 15,000 square feet of the project
  • Qualifying non-profit Special Care Homes, Residential Care Facilities, Assisted Living, Supportive Housing, Transitional Housing, Special Needs Housing, Child Care Facility, Family Day Care or Day Care will receive a 100% DIF waiver; for-profits will receive an 85% DIF reduction

With lower fees, it is hoped that there will be more future projects that benefit the community. The new fees are currently in effect; applicable refunds are in progress.

Creek & Watershed Management Plan Now Underway

Work on the City’s Creek and Watershed Management Plan (CWMP) has begun.  Consistent with guidance included in the City’s General Plan Conservation Element, the CWMP will provide a detailed approach for protecting the ecological function and water quality of Goleta’s creeks and watersheds. This foundational document will provide more information about the physical characteristics of the creek corridors and their habitats, identify places where repairs or improvements are warranted, and provide best management practices to keep the creeks vital and healthy.

On June 4, 2019, the City Council approved a contract with Dudek, an environmental planning and engineering firm, with offices throughout California, including Santa Barbara. To date, there has been a kick-off meeting with City staff, an inventory of relevant information has been compiled, and field work is planned. 

Public Outreach is a key component of the CWMP planning efforts.  A Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) will be formed and public workshops are being planned. Specific outreach details are still evolving, but the City will have a table or booth with more information about the project and participation opportunities at Creek Week events (September 21-28) and the Lemon Festival (September 27 & 28).

Over the next few months, additional CWMP information will be available here on the City’s website. You can also sign up here to receive information on the Creek & Watershed Management Plan sent directly to you via email or text message.

More Energy Options Coming Soon

Community Choice Energy (CCE) is coming to Goleta! On August 20, Goleta City Council voted to join Monterey Bay Community Power, a Community Choice Energy provider serving counties from Santa Barbara to Santa Cruz. Community Choice Energy enables cities, counties and other authorized entities that aggregate electricity demand within their jurisdictions to purchase and/or generate electricity supplies for those residents and businesses. The day-to-day experience for the customer is the same; the difference being that the energy is purchased through the CCE.

The CCE model puts energy purchasing and pricing options into the hands of local decision-makers and allows the community to determine what type of energy mix serves its needs. This new partnership will make it easier and quicker for residents and businesses to adopt clean energy technologies while providing a competitive rate. Customers have the right to opt out of the CCE program and continue to receive service from the incumbent utility.

Joining a CCE program was a key component to the City of Goleta’s Climate Action Plan (2014) and Strategic Energy Plan (2019), and will help move the City towards its 100% renewable electricity goal and reduce local carbon emissions. Benefits of joining Monterey Bay Community Power include taking advantage of their incentive programs which will be available upon enrollment. These programs currently focus on reducing the cost of electric vehicles, developing renewable energy microgrids, building local solar projects, and increasing energy efficiency in the Central Coast region. Goleta will be enrolled in Monterey Bay Community Power starting in 2021.

Goleta’s decision to join Monterey Bay Community Power followed the County of Santa Barbara’s choice to pursue it as their Community Choice Energy provider on July 16. Other jurisdictions in the region, such as the Cities of Carpinteria, Santa Maria and Guadalupe have joined or are considering joining. Monterey Bay Community Power will likely rebrand to reflect the Central Coast communities.

Learn more about Monterey Bay Community Power here: www.mbcommunitypower.org, and stay tuned for more details. Sign up to receive news on Community Choice Energy and other sustainable topics here.

Adoption of the City’s First New Zoning Ordinance

After months of hard work and public outreach by the City of Goleta’s Planning Department, the City of Goleta is very close to having its first ever New Zoning Ordinance (NZO) adopted by the City Council! Public input began at the beginning of the year when a Revised Draft NZO was released to the public on January 31, 2019. During the spring of 2019, the City hosted nine Planning Commissioner workshops, six open houses and one joint City Council/Planning Commission workshop. Planning Department staff also met with the Design Review Board, City Councilmembers, Planning Commissioners and stakeholders to discuss specific issues and receive feedback. After this outreach effort, staff made revisions to the Revised Draft NZO, culminating in the release of the Public Hearing Draft NZO on August 14, 2019.

The Planning Commission will conduct a public hearing on September 9, 2019, to consider a resolution recommending the City Council adopt the New Zoning Ordinance. If the resolution is recommended, then the item is taken to City Council for deliberation. This is anticipated to happen before the end of the year. Stay tuned for details and sign up here for updates on the NZO.

The City’s current zoning ordinance was inherited from the County when we incorporated, and does not reflect the City’s General Plan, which governs land use and physical development within the City and establishes policy direction for the City’s growth. The New Zoning Ordinance revises citywide zoning regulations to implement the General Plan, updates development and design standards and permitting procedures, and helps realize the community’s vision for the future – a safe, beautiful, vibrant and livable community with a robust local economy and a sustainable relationship with the environment.

More information is available at www.GoletaZoning.com.

Join us for a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony!

Join the City for an exciting afternoon on October 2, 2019, from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m! Everyone is invited to attend the family-friendly ribbon cutting ceremony for the multi-purpose athletic field behind the Goleta Valley Community Center (5679 Hollister Avenue) and next to the Boys & Girls Club. There will be activity stations, information booths, and speeches from Mayor Paula Perotte, the Project Team, and stakeholders. View the flyer here.

The City broke ground on this project on June 19, and we can’t wait for people to begin using it! The project includes new turf with gopher mesh for the field, new irrigation, a walking path, and a fitness station. This new recreation space is a great addition for the entire community, the hundreds of children who attend the Goleta Boys & Girls Club each day, and those who use the Goleta Valley Community Center.

If You See Something, Say Something

Lieutenant Brian Thielst of the Goleta Valley Patrol Bureau / Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office has the following message:

As the Chief of Police for the City of Goleta, I would like to communicate an important message to our residents and visitors. These are trying times we live in, and Law Enforcement, through the strong partnership with the community, needs your help in keeping the community safe. As you live your daily lives, stay more alert and if you see something, say something, so we can possibly stop or prevent a violent act before it starts. The more eyes watching and the more alert everyone is, the safer our community will be. Whether you are out at the supermarket or at a community event, if something makes you feel uncomfortable please contact the police department immediately at (805) 683-2724.

Potential for Power Outages

Over the summer, we told you about Southern California Edison’s (SCE) plan to shut off power when high risk weather could potentially start a wildfire. Known as Public Safety Power Shutoffs or PSPS, these outages could lead to 3-5 days without power for Goleta residents and anyone within the SCE service area. In case SCE declares a PSPS and turns off the power this fire season, be prepared at home and talk with your family or roommates about what to do in an emergency. Here are some helpful resources to get you started:

Register for emergency alerts from the Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) at www.ReadySBC.org. To receive emergency information from the City of Goleta, go to https://tinyurl.com/goletaemergency, text Goleta Emergency to 468311, or call 805-961-7508.

New City Council Meeting Start Times!

Beginning October 1, 2019, Goleta City Council meetings will start at 5:30 p.m., with closed session taking place at 4:00 p.m. It is hoped that later meeting times will allow more people to participate. Meetings will continue to be held on the first and third Tuesdays of each month. There are several ways to watch a meeting:

  • Come in person to City Hall Council Chambers (130 Cremona Drive, Suite B)
  • Live or at any time on the City’s website (https://tinyurl.com/GoletaMeetings)
  • Channel 19 live, or rebroadcast on Wednesdays at 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

Everyone is encouraged to get involved with local government and attend City Council meetings. Check the City Calendar beforehand to confirm the meeting date. Find out ahead of time what is on the agenda – sign up here to receive City Council agendas sent to you via email or text message.