Author Archives: Jaime Shaw

Be Water Wise

Santa Barbara County remains in a drought emergency despite Governor Brown lifting the drought State of Emergency in April 2018 for most parts of California. Residents all over the state worked hard to conserve water and it has now become a way of life. Lake Cachuma is below 33%. It is critical we continue conserving water and finding new ways to do so. One way to save water is to transform your landscape to a more water wise garden. It is important to put in plants that do not need a lot of water and are climate appropriate. Santa Barbara County’s water conservation website, www.waterwisesb.org, has a lot of great information. Learn about sustainable landscaping, schedule a free water check-up for your home (or business) and learn more about where your water comes from along with other water facts. You may also be eligible for a Landscape Rebate Program by making your yard or garden more water wise.

New Year’s Resolution: Take CERT Training for Disaster Preparedness

Update: December 21, 2018: The basic CERT training courses in English and Spanish have been cancelled. Future dates will be available at  https://tinyurl.com/GoletaCERT.  The advanced training classes are still happening.

Start off the new year by learning how to be better prepared in a disaster. Sign up for the City’s FREE Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Training Mondays in January and February. The CERT Program educates people about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their neighborhood and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. Using the training learned in the classroom and during exercises, CERT members can assist others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event when professional responders are not immediately available to help. CERT members also are encouraged to support emergency response agencies by taking a more active role in emergency preparedness projects in their community.

Goleta CERT Training Class:
Mondays, January 7 – February 25, 2019
6:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Goleta Valley Community Center (5679 Hollister Avenue)
*Participants must attend all eight classes.

The CERT training course will also be offered in Spanish on Wednesdays, January 30 – March 20, 2019.

For those who already have CERT training, there will be an Advanced CERT Training course on Psychological First Aid January 10 & 11 from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. The class is also offered in Spanish January 17 & 18.

Information and registration for all CERT classes is available at https://tinyurl.com/GoletaCERT. Questions? Contact Anthony Rodriguez at (805) 961-7571 or arodriguez@cityofgoleta.org.

Be Green This Holiday Season

Did you know that Americans throw 25% more trash away from Thanksgiving to New Year’s than during any other time of the year? While we gather with friends and family to celebrate, let’s keep our City green this holiday season. Here are some tips to keep waste out of our local landfill and reduce our environmental impact:

  1. Decorate your home using LED holiday lights to save energy. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, they use up to 75% less energy, and last 25 times as long. They’re also safer to use in your home, as LEDs don’t get hot to the touch like traditional decorative incandescent lights.
  2. Wrap your holiday gifts in used or recyclable material to reduce your waste. If every American family wrapped just three presents in re-used materials, it would save enough paper to cover 45,000 football fields. This year, try gift wrapping with newspaper, a reusable bag, or gift an item that will help someone reduce their long-term waste like a reusable coffee mug or water bottle. Better yet, gift an experience such as a movie pass, meal, or an exercise/creative arts class.
  3. Shop local for holiday meals this year or opt for a meatless feast. The average American meal travels about 1,500 miles from farm to plate. Visit the local Farmers Market for fresh local produce to reduce your food’s environmental impact. On a budget? All local Farmers Markets accept CalFresh EBT and will match a $10 purchase with an additional $10 for fresh fruits and vegetables.
  4. Throwing a party? Provide reusable or compostable dishes and utensils to keep plastic out of our landfills. It can take a plastic fork or plate up to 1,000 years to decompose. This year, try serving on reusable or compostable dishware to keep our oceans cleaner and plastic out of our landfill.
  5. Reduce your paper waste by sending a holiday e-card to friends and family. The 2.65 billion Christmas cards sold each year in the U.S. could fill a football field 10 stories high. If we each sent one less card, we’d save 50,000 cubic yards of paper.
  6. Donate or compost your holiday leftovers to reduce your food waste. Americans waste 150,000 tons of food per day. Did you know that the City of Goleta has paired up with MarBorg Industries to provide up to two free Earth machine compost bins per household? Let’s work together to keep organic waste out of our landfills. Alternatively, you can donate your leftover canned goods and items to the Santa Barbara County Food Bank. Here are some guidelines for donations.

How to Watch City Council Meetings

City Council meetings are held the first and third Tuesdays of each month at 1:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. There are some exceptions and special Council meetings, so please check the City’s Calendar for exact dates and times.

There are a variety of ways to watch City Council meetings. You can watch them in person at Goleta City Hall Council Chambers (130 Cremona Drive, Suite B), or live from the comfort of your own home either on Cox Channel 19 or the City’s website. If you are not available to watch the meeting live, a recording is available anytime at https://tinyurl.com/GoletaMeetings. Agendas are generally posted on our website five days before Council meetings. Sign up here to have the agendas sent to you via email and/or text. You can also sign up to receive agendas for our Boards and Commissions, go to https://tinyurl.com/goletasubscriptions.

Reminder to Sign up for Santa Barbara County Emergency Alerts

All Santa Barbara County residents are urged to sign up for Aware and Prepare alerts from the County at ReadySBC.org by clicking on the red “Register for Alerts” button. The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office and the Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Services will alert the public any time an urgent action in needed. It is imperative the County has a way to reach you in order to alert you. The ReadySBC.org website also has lots of great resources including maps, storm preparedness and health & safety tips. In addition to signing up for County emergency alerts, the City of Goleta also encourages you to:

November 2018 Election Results

In the November 2018 election, Goleta residents were asked to directly elect a Mayor for the first time, vote for two open City Council seats and decide on two measures: W2018 and Z2018. In case you haven’t heard, we wanted to share the outcome with you.

Goleta residents voted for Paula Perotte to serve as Mayor for a two-year term. Paula has served on the City Council since 2010, and was appointed Mayor by her fellow councilmembers for one-year terms in 2014, 2016 and 2017. She will continue to serve on the City Council alongside Stuart Kasdin and Kyle Richards, who both have two years remaining on their four-year terms. Two councilmember seats were on the ballot, and the two candidates vying for those positions included incumbent Roger Aceves and newcomer James Kyriaco. They were both elected to four-year terms. The new Council will be sworn in at a special Council meeting on December 12.

Goleta residents also voted in favor of Measure W2018, an increase to City Council salaries (64.86% to 35.14%). Current salaries for all five councilmembers, including the Mayor, are $7,020 annually. Beginning later this month, councilmember salaries will increase to an annual amount of $42,134 and the Mayor’s salary to $50,561.

The cannabis business tax, Measure Z2018, also passed. It received an overwhelming amount of support with 81.95% in favor and 18.05% opposed. The passing of this measure puts in place a tax on gross receipts of cannabis businesses. The tax will not exceed 10% and initial rates will range from 1-5% depending on the type of business (ex.: retail, distributor). The cannabis business tax is estimated to raise $334,000 – $1,423,000 for unrestricted general revenue purposes such as street repair, parks and police. Measure Z2018 becomes effective January 2019.

Motorized Scooters Banned in Goleta

The City Council voted unanimously to ban shared on-demand motorized scooters in Goleta at the December 4, 2018, Council meeting. The City received more than 200 public comments in advance of the item, the most ever received on a single topic, and the Council heard numerous speakers at the meeting.

These scooters have become a hot topic in Goleta with vendors dropping off scooters within Goleta City limits without permits. The idea is that these scooters provide an additional form of alternative and convenient transportation, however, the City has received multiple complaints from residents and business owners. Some users were not following the law when riding the scooters, they were sometimes left haphazardly in the public right-of-way obstructing pedestrian travel, some members of the public were concerned that they caused visual impacts and they can present an operational safety hazard for riders.

The passing of the City of Goleta’s urgency ordinance is effective immediately and prohibits shared on-demand motorized scooters from being offered for use anywhere in the City. This does not prevent the City from creating a future regulatory framework which would eventually allow the scooters to be used within City limits. But for the time being, they are banned. With the urgency ordinance, the City’s public works crew is collecting and impounding all motorized scooters in Goleta that are not otherwise picked up by the vendors. If you see any in the public right of way, you can let the City know through the online City Assist program (please submit it under “Ask a Question”). At the meeting, Council directed City staff to work with the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG) and neighboring entities on regulations for a shared scooter program. Staff was also directed to work with police services on an enforcement and education plan.

Watch the Council discuss this topic and view the staff report at https://tinyurl.com/GoletaMeetings.

Learn about Local Government with LEAD Goleta

Be part of the City’s first LEAD Goleta community academy! The program is free and designed to help residents better understand the role that local government plays in the community so that they can effectively participate and share that knowledge with others. LEAD Goleta stands for Learn, Empower, Advocate, Discuss. Attendees will be exposed to the role of local government and will hopefully consider a future role in city governance either as an elected Councilmember, Board member or Commissioner.

LEAD Goleta is open to the first 20 Goleta residents who submit a completed application. The City believes that it is important to get young adults involved in the local government process as well. That is why we have reserved five additional spots for youth ages 15-21, and encourage people within that age group to apply. Participants must attend all six classes which are held on the second Wednesday of each month, beginning February 13, 2019, from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at Goleta City Council Chambers (130 Cremona Drive, Suite B). The remaining class dates are March 13, April 10, May 8, June 12 and July 10. Following completion of the six classes, attendees will be recognized by the City Council for their participation. The program will include lively discussions, role playing, and other activities.

For more information and to apply, go to: https://tinyurl.com/LEADGoleta. Questions? Contact Valerie Cantella at pio@cityofgoleta.org or 805-961-7507.

Fire is Everyone’s Fight – Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Do you have a carbon monoxide detector? If so, when was the last time you checked it? Carbon monoxide detectors have a lifespan of up to seven years and because of legislation requiring them back in 2011, many expire this year.

Carbon monoxide, also known as CO, is called the “Invisible Killer” because it’s a colorless, odorless, poisonous gas. More than 150 people in the Unites States die every year from accidental non fire-related CO poisoning associated with consumer products, including generators. Other products include faulty, improperly-used or incorrectly-vented fuel-burning appliances such as furnaces, stoves, water heaters and fireplaces. 

Because CO is odorless, colorless, and otherwise undetectable to the human senses, people may not know that they are being exposed. The initial symptoms of low to moderate CO poisoning are similar to the flu (but without the fever). They include: headache, fatigue, shortness of breath, nausea and dizziness. High level CO poisoning results in progressively more severe symptoms, including: mental confusion, vomiting, loss of muscular coordination, loss of consciousness and ultimately death.

Protect yourself and your family from the dangers of Carbon monoxide by:

  • Installing and maintaining CO alarms inside your home to provide early warning of CO.
  • Installing CO alarms in a central location outside each separate sleeping area and on every level of your home.
  • Using portable generators outdoors in well-ventilated areas away from all doors, windows and vents.
  • Making sure vents for the dryer, furnace, stove and fireplace are clear of debris.

Learn more about fire prevention from the U.S. Fire Administration at www.usfa.fema.gov.

Santa Claus is Coming to Old Town!

Begin the holiday season with the Annual Old Town Goleta Christmas Parade on Saturday, December 1! The parade starts at 6:00 p.m. and runs along Hollister Avenue from Orange Avenue to the Goleta Valley Community Center (5679 Hollister Avenue). Stay after the parade for a Christmas Tree Lighting in front of the GVCC and photos with Santa Claus.

The parade is presented by the Goleta Old Town Community Association, Goleta Valley Community Center and community volunteers. If you would like to volunteer please contact Robin Hurley at robinhurley.sb@gmail.com  or 805-455-2712. For more information on the parade please go to http://goletachristmas.com/.