Author Archives: Jaime Shaw

New Website: 50 Great Public Lands Destinations – Santa Barbara and Beyond

The City of Goleta is proud to share a new Public Lands website created by one of our very own Parks and Recreation Commissioners, Deborah Williams. The 50 public lands featured on the website include numerous Goleta parks and open spaces. 

There has never been a more important and positive time to get out and explore our remarkable federal, state, county and city public lands. The website: “50 Great Public Lands Destinations – Santa Barbara and Beyond” recently launched to help everyone discover new and wonderful places and adventures, all within 300 miles of Santa Barbara,

The website can be accessed at: https://50greatpubliclanddestinations.org

Easy to navigate, and filled with succinct and informative descriptions, links and photos, the website is designed for all to use: including newcomers, students, visitors and people who have lived in the area a long time.

“While teaching the Public Lands class at UCSB, I learned that a lot of my students from throughout the state and nation did not know about the tremendous public land opportunities all around us,” notes Deborah Williams, the author of the website. “I wanted to create a resource for my students and other students; for newcomers to the Santa Barbara area; for visitors; for health care professionals; for parents; and even for people who have lived here for years.”

Each public land destination has numerous useful links, a short description of the location, interesting facts, a location map and photos. Many destination pages also include very brief descriptions and links to “Nearby Public Lands Worth Visiting.” While the new website highlights public land destinations within 300 miles of UCSB, it emphasizes closer ones within and adjacent to Santa Barbara, Goleta and Isla Vista.

“Exploring our public lands is so rewarding,” continues Deborah, noting: “We are the owners of our public parks, beaches, forests and open spaces. Enjoying these extraordinary areas is very important to our physical and mental health, our sense of community, and our happiness.” Especially now, being outdoors during the pandemic — while social distancing and engaging in other safe practices — is a great way to stay fit, connected and proactive.

“I hope this website will help people discover new and special public land areas to explore all around us,” concludes Ms. Williams. Notes Santa Barbara resident, Cathy Newman: “This is incredible! What an amazing resource for everyone. We will be using this website extensively and it will become our Go To for looking for new places to explore in this wonderful place.”

Deborah Williams is a Lecturer in the Environmental Studies Department at UCSB, and specializes in Public Lands. Among other past positions, Deborah served as an Attorney for the National Park Service and the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and as a Presidential Appointee with the Department of Interior. Currently, in addition to teaching at UCSB, Deborah is a Commissioner on the Goleta Parks and Recreation Commission and a member of the Community Environmental Council’s Partnership Council. Deborah’s grandparents lived in Santa Barbara, and some of her earliest memories are associated with playing in the beautiful public sand and waves at Carpinteria State Beach. 

Pictured: Website screenshot (above); Deborah Williams at Lake Los Carneros (top right)

City of Goleta Looking for Two New Parks and Recreation Commissioners Including Student

The City of Goleta is looking for two Goleta residents to serve on the Parks and Recreation Commission.  The vacancies include one student position.  Serving the residents of Goleta as a Parks and Recreation Commissioner is a great opportunity to be involved in meaningful projects that have a direct impact on the quality of life in our community.  For the Student Commissioner, it’s also a great college resume builder and community service opportunity.  The Commission advises the City Council on all issues related to parks and recreational opportunities in Goleta, including the acquisition, development, maintenance, and improvement of the City’s public parks, recreational services, and open spaces.

Parks and Recreation Manager JoAnne Plummer said, “Parks and Recreation Commissioners are committed and passionate about what they do because they understand the important role that Parks and Open Spaces have in a community and the benefit they provide to our residents.”

Just some of the rewarding recent projects the Parks and Recreation Commission has been a part of include the creation and completion of the Jonny D. Wallis Neighborhood Park, renovation of the athletic field behind the Goleta Valley Community Center, the Parks, Facilities and Playgrounds Master Plan, and the design of the Community Garden to be built next year.

Former Parks and Recreation Student Commissioner Nora Kelly said, “I was able to see the community through a lens that very few people my age are able to experience and that is all because of the Parks and Recreation Commission.  It was a joy to see so many advancements come to life and to see all the plans in place for the future.  I cannot wait to come back one day and see all of the projects this Commission had a hand in creating.”

To be eligible, applicants must live within Goleta’s city limits.  For the student position, the applicant must be between the age of 15 to 21.  Each Commissioner is appointed for a four-year term, with the exception of the Student Commissioner who is appointed for a one-year term.  Meetings are held every two months on the first Wednesday of every even month at 6:00 p.m., and are currently being held virtually.  Parks and Recreation Commission members are compensated at the rate of $50 per meeting.  The Student Commissioner may choose to waive his/her compensation and receive community service credit instead.

Applications can be completed online at https://tinyurl.com/goletaboards-commissions and must be submitted by Monday, August 10.  Additional information can be provided by emailing cityclerkgroup@cityofgoleta.org. 

Residential Solar and Battery Storage 101 Webinar

The Community Environmental Council (CEC) is hosting a free webinar this Thursday, August 6, at 12:00 p.m. on “Residential Solar and Battery Storage 101.”  Sign up to learn the financial, technical, and logistical basics of going solar and adding battery storage. CEC’s Solarize Santa Barbara program makes going solar easier and more affordable with vetted local installers and discounted pricing for residents of Southern Santa Barbara County.

The webinar includes:

  • Basics of adding solar panels to your residence
  • Benefits and basics of also adding solar-paired battery storage systems
  • Incentives, tax credits, and other financial considerations for going solar
  • The Solarize program’s discounted prices, vetted installers and equipment

The 2020 Solarize Santa Barbara program is open July 28 – October 31 to residents in Southern Santa Barbara County. Solarize has helped over 800 Central Coast homeowners go solar, working toward a future where 100% of the electricity that powers our homes, businesses, and cars is generated from clean, renewable, and local sources. Learn more about the Community Environmental Council at https://www.cecsb.org/.

City of Goleta Joins National Clean Energy Challenge

The City of Goleta will join thirty communities in five states this August in taking the Sustainable States Community Energy Challenge, which offers tools and support to assess clean energy goals and initiatives. The challenge will compare clean energy achievements across similarly-sized cities, assess future initiatives, and provide project implementation assistance. Additionally, the Goleta Sustainability Program will be a part of an in-state peer cohort along with the Cities of San Luis Obispo, West Hollywood, Manhattan Beach, Dublin, and Cupertino. Together these cities will receive technical assistance to complete a pressing clean energy initiative, demonstrating that you don’t need to be a big city to have a big impact.

The project is a partnership of the Sustainable States Network, American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), and five state-level sustainability programs, including Green Cities California, which Goleta is a member, as well as Sustainable CT, Sustainable Maryland, Minnesota GreenStep Cities, and Sustainable Jersey.

Given the very real financial challenges cities face because of COVID-19, this opportunity helps municipalities promote energy savings for residents, businesses, and local government operations.

Splash Pad Coming to Goleta

The Jonny D. Wallis Neighborhood Park in Old Town made a splash with its grand opening in March 2019. The park has everything children and adults could want: a multi-purpose field, basketball court, handball court, concrete ping-pong table, bocce ball court, pickleball court, perimeter walking path, fitness nodes with exercise equipment, picnic areas, and skateboard plaza. The only thing missing – a splash pad. This was included in the original design of the park, but water restrictions at the time prohibited the City from moving forward.

Shortly after construction of the park was complete, water restrictions were modified, which allowed the City to move forward with this project. At the upcoming Parks and Recreation Commission meeting on Wednesday, August 5 at 6:00 p.m., Commissioners will consider options for the design of the splash pad. Tune in to watch the meeting live on Channel 19 or on the City website at www.CityofGoleta.org/GoletaMeetings. The recommendation from the Parks and Recreation Commission will be carried forward to the Goleta City Council for final direction on design. This project is anticipated to begin construction in early 2021. View the full Parks and Recreation Commission agenda here: https://tinyurl.com/y53jjjye.

Coastal Cleanup Day—Every Saturday in September

Coastal Clean-up Day is still ON for 2020!  There have been some changes to help us stay safe during COVID-19 while keeping our oceans clean.

What is coastal cleanup day? It’s an annual event where communities across the world come together, to protect our coasts by cleaning up our neighborhoods or natural areas. This year, the City of Goleta is still partnering with the County of Santa Barbara, Explore Ecology, and other local jurisdictions. But instead of gathering together at beaches and sites throughout the County on a single day, cleanups will happen every Saturday in September in our local neighborhoods, and we can use technology to collaborate. Even though we are using social distancing, there is a great new app that can help us track how well we are doing as a community, and globally! Use the Clean Swell App to report the different kinds and amounts of trash you find! There are other ways to submit your trash data, find out more at Explore Ecology’s website here.

Community members are encouraged to clean up their neighborhood or favorite open space every Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to Noon on September 5th, 12th, 19th, and 26th.

Your cleanups should be self-guided and close to home. Local parks, shores, creeks, streets, drainage areas, sidewalks, natural areas, and trails are great choices. Practice physical distancing and strictly follow both local ordinances and the set of guidelines provided on the California Coastal Commission website to make this a safe cleanup for you and your community.

Guidance for Neighborhood Cleanups

To protect your health and slow the spread of the coronavirus, please follow the most recent guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, available here. We also include guidance from the Coastal Commission in the steps below. Here’s how you can get started:

PREPARATION

  • If you have a smartphone, download the CleanSwell app (from Ocean Conservancy, available for free on all platforms) to keep track of what you pick up and how many people participated with you. You can download it ahead of time. Create an account and you are ready to go.
  • Enter in “Explore Ecology-Goleta” in the “group,” and we can track our progress as a city and regionally. Learn more at Explore Ecology’s website here.
  • Stay tuned for useful tips on social media: Facebook (@CityofGoleta), Twitter (@GoletaPIO), and Instagram (@CityofGoleta).
  • If you are sick in any way, DO NOT go out for a cleanup.
  • Assemble your own Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): face covering, gloves, and make sure to wear close-toed shoes to protect against sharp objects. Don’t forget hand sanitizer, water and sunscreen!
  • To reduce waste, bring your own buckets and other reusable cleanup supplies to lessen the plastic footprint. We recommend separate buckets or bins for trash and recyclables.

CLEANUP

  • Maintain a social distance of at least 6 feet from everyone you encounter, even if you are wearing a face covering.
  • ALWAYS wear gloves – disposable if available – and dispose or wash them immediately after your cleanup.
  • Avoid touching any surfaces like railings, benches, etc.
  • Avoid touching your face.
  • Do not pick up sharp objects, especially syringes!
  • If you clean up a local beach or waterway, be mindful of the conditions (such as high tide, sneaker wave warnings, etc.), and be careful near the water’s edge.
  • Keep a safe distance from all wildlife!
  • Use the CleanSwell app to enter in your trash items as you pick them up. Be safe! It’s advised that you dedicate one household member to using the app, and the others to collecting trash. If you’re on your own, it’s best to enter in information after you’ve completed pickups and sorted your items.
  • Unfortunately, you may find used gloves, face coverings, and other personal protective equipment (PPE) among litter. DO NOT PICK UP ANY PPE without a grabber. Put all PPE litter in a separate disposable bag. 
  • Show us your cleanup! Post your pictures using our “Protect Your Happy Place” filter on Instagram and Facebook and see how your community is participating. You can even post through the CleanSwell app. Use the hashtags #protectyourhappyplace and #coastalcleanupmonth. Although we can’t meet in person this year, we can stay connected virtually. Tag the City of Goleta and Explore Ecology: @CityofGoletaGovernment and @SBCoast (Facebook) and @GoletaPIO and @ExploreEcology (Instagram), in your posts!
  • Email us your best pictures for a chance to be on Goleta’s facebook page and Environmental Services web page! Send you pictures to PIO@cityofgoleta.org.

AFTER CLEANUP

  • If possible, weigh or estimate the pounds of trash and recyclables you collected during your cleanup to report to your local coordinator or the Coastal Commission. If you don’t have a scale, that’s ok, the CleanSwell app will estimate weight for you as you collect.
  • Submit your data! If using the app, tally up the different items, then click “Done collecting,” and follow the prompts. If not using the app, then report data on Explore Ecology’s website under “Submit Data”.
  • Separate into trash and recycling. Dispose of trash in your home debris bin.
  • Dispose or wash gloves immediately after your cleanup. To properly remove disposable gloves, grab the glove opening near your wrist and pull towards your fingers, then turn the glove inside out before disposing. 
  • Wash your hands thoroughly as soon as possible, and use hand sanitizer in the meantime if soap and water are unavailable.

For more information, visit the Explore Ecology website.

Have fun and remember, safety first!

Train Depot Design Goes to Council August 5

The City Council will hear an update on the Goleta Train Depot project and pick a design theme for the building at their August 5 Special City Council Meeting. The Goleta Train Depot will be a full-service multi-modal train station next to the existing Amtrak platform on South La Patera Lane. By creating a full-service station, the City hopes to increase train ridership, improve connections to bus transit, accommodate transit service to/from the Santa Barbara Airport and UCSB, and add new bicycle and pedestrian facilities. This project will also allow accommodation for future additional train storage, supporting increased commuter rail needs.

The City’s consultant came up with three design themes for the building (“Traditional,” “Sunrise,” and “Schooner”) and the City conducted extensive outreach to find out what the community wanted. Outreach included a survey which more than 1,100 people completed and a community meeting via Zoom with City staff and consultants to learn more about the project and ask questions.  Learn more about the Goleta Train Depot project at https://tinyurl.com/GoletaTrainDepot. Read the full staff report here: https://tinyurl.com/y48a45rm. Watch the meeting live on Channel 19, or live or at anytime on our website at www.CityofGoleta.org/GoletaMeetings .

Lake Los Carneros Wooden Footbridge Closed Due to Public Safety Hazard

The wooden footbridge at the northern end of Lake Los Carneros is closed due a public safety hazard caused by extensive wood rot.  The City of Goleta Public Works Department inspected the bridge and discovered several support posts are in need of replacement. The existing structure is estimated to be 30 years old and is exposed annually to seasonal flooding during the winter months.  The footbridge will need significant reconstruction or replacement to reopen.  Public access across the bridge is closed until further notice.  City staff is working on a recommended plan for assessing the extent of needed repairs, engineered design, and permitting the necessary infrastructure improvements.  A cost estimate and funding for the project is not yet developed, but will be detailed as part of the improvement process.

We know this is an inconvenience to the many Lake Los Carneros visitors who enjoy using the wooden footbridge to view wildlife, connect with nature, and find a nice place to relax and reflect.  Visitors are encouraged to detour around the footbridge via Covington Way to the north or do a loop hike through the many alternative trails at the eastern and southern portions of Lake Los Carneros.  Temporary signage and barricades have been posted onsite.  Additional signage and detour maps will be installed onsite to aid in navigating the detours. 

Questions about the footbridge closure can be directed to George Thomson, Parks and Open Space Manager, at 805-961-7578 or gthomson@cityofgoleta.org.

Census Countdown is Here – Less than Two Months Left to Make Goleta Count!

If you haven’t filled out your census yet, please do so! It’s easy, important, and takes less than 10 minutes to answer the nine questions asked. As of August 2, 2020, 72.4% of Goleta households have filled out their census. That means we still need 27.6% of households to complete their census and only have until September 30 to make sure EVERYONE counts.  You can complete the census online at https://my2020census.gov/ or by calling 844-330-2020.  For those who don’t respond, Census workers will begin going door to door next week. 

We are so appreciative of everyone who participated in, and came out to watch, our Make Goleta Count Census Caravan on Saturday, July 11. We were fortunate to have many of our local leaders take time out on their weekend to drive throughout Goleta honking, waving, and spreading the word about the importance of filling out your census. Our featured participants included the Mayor and City Council members, Congressman Salud Carbajal, Assemblymember Monique Limón, Supervisors Gregg Hart and Joan Hartman, several key leaders on the Santa Barbara County Complete Count Committee, and the Santa Barbara Promotores Network!

Please watch our fun Census Caravan video here.

When filling out your census, please remember to count everyone in your household even if they are not family members. Also, don’t forget to count children even if they are babies. It’s estimated that one in 10 children under age five were missed in the last census. That is more than two million uncounted children. Also, it’s important to know that the 2020 Census is confidential and your personal information, by law, can’t be shared.

Emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic are precisely why the government needs accurate 2020 Census Data. Your response to the census shapes decisions about how billions of dollars in federal funds flow into communities each year for the next ten years. The following items are at stake for Goleta if there is an undercount in the 2020 Census:

  • Loss of revenue for TEN years
  • Federal funding for Community Development Block Grants
  • Library funding
  • Gas tax related revenue for road repairs
  • Special funding based on population
  • District election boundaries

Learn more about the 2020 Census on the City’s census webpage and on Santa Barbara County’s census website. Information in Spanish is also available on the City website and Santa Barbara County website. The City of Goleta is proud to be a part of the Complete Count Committee which is working together to make sure EVERYONE counts in Santa Barbara County.

Make Goleta Count Census 2020 Caravan cruising through Goleta

Congressman Salud Carbajal at the end of the Census Caravan


City staff member Sandra Rodriguez waving our Make Goleta Count car flags

New Website to Help Understand Your Property’s Wildfire Risk

The Santa Barbara Fire Safe Council launched a new website to help residents understand their property’s risk from wildfire. The new www.sbfiresafecouncil.org online platform provides Santa Barbara County residents with a host of resources including tools to reduce individual wildfire risks such as Community Wildfire Protection Plans and the FireWise USA and Ready! Set! Go! Programs. The site also provides access to published papers on topics such as Fire History of Santa Barbara County, Weather and Fire Environment, and Risk Management; and includes current information on wildfires burning across California.

Typically, the Fire Safe Council meets every month at the Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management in Goleta. These meetings are open to the public and include presentations from local experts on topics such as fire ecology, fire behavior, vegetation management, habitat restoration, infrastructure improvement, weather services, and emergency planning. The presentations are recorded and made available for viewing on the new website. Due to the current limitation on public gatherings, the Fire Safe Council will be hosting their meetings online for the foreseeable future. The monthly meetings as well as the website offer opportunities for community members to become part of the solution to the challenges fire poses to our wildland urban interface areas.

According to Santa Barbara County Fire Chief, Mark Hartwig: “The Santa Barbara County Fire Safe Council has been an invaluable partner with all fire agencies in the county helping to promote wildfire safety for our communities. They have done this through a very effective public education campaign now highlighted in their new website. They have engaged in numerous grant-funded projects that have helped support wildfire mitigation including the development of Community Wildfire Protection Plans for the at-risk communities in Santa Barbara County.”

Please visit www.sbfiresafecouncil.org to learn more about your local Fire Safe Council and become informed on how to prepare your property, home, and families for wildland fires.

Pictured: screenshot of website