Staff is working on a number of public input opportunities for the spring on topics such as Historic Preservation, the Butterfly Habitat Management Plan, Old Town Sidewalks, Complete Streets and more. This is in addition to workshops for the Council to wrestle with their priorities for projects in Planning and Public Works. Be sure you’re signed up for all topics that interest you in order to be notified of these important meetings. Click here to sign up today.
Did you know that MarBorg offers free Christmas tree collection after the holidays? To participate, place your tree curbside on your green waste collection day. If you do not have green waste service, bring your tree to the curbside on your trash collection day. Please remove all tree stands, lights, tinsel and ornaments. Any trees taller than six feet must be cut down to fit in MarBorg’s trucks. Christmas trees can also be dropped off at no charge through January 13 at MarBorg’s Santa Barbara facility (119 North Quarantina Street) or the South Coast Recycling & Transfer Station (4430 Calle Real in Santa Barbara).
For more information on tree recycling, how to prevent holiday waste this season and MarBorg’s winter holiday schedule, visit www.MarBorg.com.
Many of us spend more time in the kitchen during the holiday season than any other time of year. Goleta West Sanitary District would like to remind everyone that it is important to properly dispose of all Fats, Oils and Grease (FOG). Putting them down the drain can cause major problems for homeowners and beyond. A byproduct of cooking, FOG is found in things such as meat fats, cooking oil, lard and shortening, butter and margarine. When washed down the drain, it may stick to the inside of sewer pipes on your property and in the streets; over time it can build up and block pipes. Garbage disposals do not help keep the grease out of pipes; they only shred it into smaller pieces. A grease-blocked sewer pipe can back up into your home or neighborhood resulting in expensive and unpleasant clean-ups. Follow these steps to properly dispose of your FOG:
For more information please visit www.GoletaWest.org.
Santa Claus’ visit to Old Town is now Wednesday, December 20! Please join Santa at the Goleta Valley Community Center (5679 Hollister Avenue) from 5:00 – 9:00 p.m. Activities include games, cookie decorating, letter writing to Santa and more. Kids (and adults) can meet and take photos with Santa beginning at 6:00 p.m. Brought to you by the Goleta Old Town Community Association and Goleta Valley Community Center. For more information visit www.goletaoldtown.org or call 805-694-8275.
The Design Review Board (DRB) needs you! The DRB is a seven-member body whose responsibility is to encourage development exemplifying the best professional design practices in order to enhance the visual quality of the environment and prevent poor quality of design. There are two vacancies for a professionally licensed architect, one of which must be a Goleta resident, and one vacancy for an alternate position. Members of the DRB are appointed to a three-year term. The DRB meets the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at 3:00 p.m., and the position is compensated $50 per meeting. Put your skills to use in the community and apply today! Click here for an application. The position is open until filled. For questions contact Liana Campos, Deputy City Clerk, at (805) 961-7506 or lcampos@cityofgoleta.org.
The City of Goleta has been working with a consultant team from Historic Resources group to conduct a citywide historic resources survey. Information collected from the survey will give property owners and developers greater certainty about the historic significance of a site so that they can plan accordingly. It will also inform thoughtful decision-making by City officials, property owners, residents, and preservation professionals. The project consists of the creation of a comprehensive Citywide Historic Context Statement (a written document that provides the framework for evaluating a property for historic significance and integrity) and a Citywide Historic Resources Survey (a process of systematically identifying, researching and documenting properties that reflect important themes in the city’s growth and development).
Throughout the project, public input has been requested. Recently there have been two public workshops to discuss and receive input on both the draft of the Goleta Citywide Historic Context Statement, and specifically, the archaeological resource portion of the draft. A Tree and Landscape Study was also made available for public feedback and was presented to the Public Tree Advisory Commission for comments at their November 29 meeting. The next public workshop will be in spring. Get up to speed on the project at www.HistoricGoleta.org. To be notified by email or text message about public workshops and updates on this topic sign up here.
Photo: Goleta Depot in 1912; streetside view
STAR Communities is a nonprofit organization that works to advance a national framework to evaluate and certify sustainable communities. The City of Goleta has been working toward receiving certification and we are pleased to announce that we have been awarded the 3-STAR Community Rating for national leadership in sustainability! The STAR Community Rating System (STAR) is the nation’s leading framework and certification program for local sustainability. The rating system was developed by technical experts, sustainability leaders, and local government officials to provide a transparent and data-driven mechanism to improve local communities. Cities and counties use STAR to measure their progress across social, economic, and environmental performance areas.
STAR certification provides a clear, data-driven approach to assessing communities’ sustainability efforts. Certification allows communities to credibly and transparently track progress toward overall sustainability objectives. A sustainable community promotes a healthy environment, a strong economy, and well-being for all residents, now and for future generations. The rating system is based on a cumulative score of 750 possible points available over 7 goal areas and 45 sustainability objectives. We are proud to have received a 3-STAR Community Rating, but know there is still work to be done. Click here to see our score. For more information on STAR Communities, please visit www.starcommunities.org.
The City will be hosting a community meeting on H2S odors in Western Goleta on January 10, 2018, at 6:00 p.m. at the Ellwood School Multipurpose Room. Representatives from various local agencies will be on hand to provide information about their roles and responsibilities and answer questions. Get up to date before the meeting, click here to learn about the regulatory roles of the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District and Santa Barbara County Public Health Department and Environmental Health Services.
As you know, the Thomas Fire has affected Southern Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties in many ways. I know that I speak for all Goleta residents in expressing our gratitude for the hard work and sacrifices made by the valiant firefighters and public safety personnel throughout this emergency. They continue to minimize danger to our residents and property and are doing everything possible to extinguish this fire. Still, let’s not minimize the need for continued awareness and precautions until this fire’s threat to our community is completely eliminated.
Our City’s first priority is your safety. To that end, City staff has been coordinating with the Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Services since the incident began to provide operational and communications support. Thousands of individuals are serving on this incident from around the country and Goleta staff members are honored to work beside them.
Our City Council and staff are committed to keeping our residents well informed and safe from the fire, including providing timely information not only on fire developments but also resources available to you, such as mask distribution sites. Look for regular updates on our City’s website at www.cityofgoleta.org and sign up for alerts (see below) if you haven’t done so already.
For Up-to-Date Fire Conditions, Please Refer to Important Resources Below
How to Keep Abreast of Goleta-Specific Information and Developments
The City provides emergency updates in several ways:
Whenever the fires abate, that’s a good time to review your preparedness for a future emergency situation. CalFire has put together these helpful resources:
On behalf of our City Council and staff, I want to express our deepest appreciation to Goleta residents and superb public safety personnel for your continued, cooperative efforts to bring this emergency to a conclusion, as safely and quickly as possible.
Thank you,
Mayor Paula Perotte
A coordinated schedule change that will impact Amtrak Pacific Surfliner, Metrolink and COASTER trains began Monday, October 9, 2017. These adjustments are intended to improve reliability and provide enhanced coordination with other trains operating on the Los Angeles – San Diego – San Luis Obispo rail corridor. Learn more about the new schedule at http://pacificsurfliner.com/New-Schedule/.
The Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG) shared that the October 9 schedule change is the first of a two-part change which will ultimately allow for implementation of peak hour Pacific Surfliner service between Santa Barbara and Ventura counties in 2018, allowing for more people who live south to commute north to work in Goleta.
