Author Archives: Jaime Shaw

Goleta Community Center Reopening Ribbon Cutting

Join Us on Thursday, April 4, 2024, at 10:00 a.m.

Goleta’s favorite gathering spot is opening once again and we want you to be a part of celebrating this joyful occasion. Join us on Thursday, April 4 at 10:00 a.m. for a ribbon cutting to commemorate the reopening of the Goleta Community Center (GCC) which has been closed for more than a year to seismically retrofit the facility. The auditorium and dining room have been closed since 2021. The ceremony will take place on the footsteps of this historic building which is nearing one-hundred years of age.

The event will be attended by U.S. Congressman Salud Carbajal, Santa Barbara County Supervisors Laura Capps and Joan Hartmann, City of Goleta Mayor Perotte, Goleta City Councilmembers and other community leaders and stakeholders.

Mayor Paula Perotte said, “We hope anyone and everyone who has a connection to our beloved Goleta Community Center and understands the important role it plays in keeping our community connected will come celebrate with us.”

Following comments from those associated with the project, there will be a ceremonial ribbon cutting and then a time to tour the facility and learn more about forthcoming programming and rental opportunities. There will also be some free giveaways with the new GCC logo for those who attend while supplies last.

While there is still work to be done to prepare the building to be fully open, the City will be accepting applications from groups looking to book the facility after April 1, 2024.  Go to www.CityofGoleta.org/GCC.

The City is grateful to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for funding 75% of the Seismic Retrofit Project. Thanks to federal Community Project Funding secured by Congressman Carbajal, additional Americans with Disabilities Act upgrades are planned in the coming years to make the building accessible for all users.

Background:

Originally built in 1927, the building located at 5679 Hollister Avenue was once a schoolhouse. The City acquired the building from the Goleta Union School District in 2013. The Goleta Community Center was managed by the non-profit group the Goleta Valley Community Center (GVCC) for decades. When it was determined that the building needed seismic and accessibility upgrades, the City assumed management of the building in January 2023 and used the construction time to gather input from the community and put together a Strategic Plan for the GCC. You can view the plan here.

The City is excited to see this beloved community hub fully open soon and bustling with activity. We hope to see you on April 4th for the ribbon cutting.

Owl Rescue

Goleta Public Works Maintenance Workers are accustomed to being called out on the weekend for various issues, especially during storms, but this is the first time Jorge Flores and Joel Rubio were involved in an animal rescue.

Susie Clothier, a photographer and Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network volunteer, happened to be at Lake Los Carneros taking photos on Saturday morning, February 17, when she witnessed visitors talking about a barn owl who was dangling from a fishing line in a palm tree at Stow House approximately 60 feet off the ground.  Clothier sprung into action and notified Santa Barbara County firefighters at Fire Station 14 next to the Stow House. Unfortunately, their fire truck ladder was not able to reach the bird but as luck would have it, the City of Goleta had just purchased and received a Boom Lift which could.

That’s when Santa Barbara County Firefighters called Flores and Rubio who responded to the scene in a City truck with the Boom Lift. While muddy conditions near the owl’s location posed a challenge causing the City truck to get stuck, the collaborative team of SB County Fire, Goleta Public Works, and SB Wildlife Care Network worked together to push the truck back on solid ground.

With Joel Rubio operating the Boom Lift from the ground, Jorge Flores and Santa Barbara County Firefighter Shaun Bahne were elevated to reach the owl. Carefully and with patience, they were able to cover the owl with a blanket and remove the fishing line that had entangled the owl.

While they never expected such a call, Flores and Rubio were grateful for the opportunity to respond and provide assistance in this unique situation.

“The Public Works guys are really the heroes,” Firefighter Shaun Bahne said. “Without that lift, we wouldn’t have been able to reach the owl.”

Clothier drove the owl to the Ojai Raptor Center where it is currently being cared for. While it survived the ordeal, it is being treated for capture myopathy.  This occurs from stress enzymes that attack the bird’s muscles. We really hope this beautiful creature makes a full recovery and is able to take flight again soon.


SB County Firefighter Shaun Bahne with the owl


Group photo of those involved in the owl’s rescue

Winter Reading Program Wrap-Up

The Goleta & Santa Ynez Valley Libraries would like to congratulate our community on a successful 2024 Winter Reading Program! Over the course of seven weeks, a total of 1,525 books were read by children, teens, and adults: participants in grades 6 and under read 920 books, while the teen category in grades 7-12 logged 58 titles, and adults finished 547 altogether.

This fun annual program celebrates starting your new year off strong with some great books and brings with it the many important benefits of reading, from expanding vocabulary to encouraging relaxation to fostering empathy. Participants share a brief review of each book they read in order to be entered into the program’s weekly prize drawings. You can check out some of our favorite reviews from this year here.

Our sincere gratitude goes to the generous community sponsors whose prize donations provided incentives to keep our patrons reading strong throughout the program! Thank you to Beauty Salon V, Blenders in the Grass, The Book Loft, Brick Barn Winery, Enjoy Cupcakes, Fairview Barbers, Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co., Friends of the Goleta Valley Library, Friends of the Library of Santa Ynez Valley, The Habit, Miner’s Ace Hardware, ONEder Child, Peasant’s Deli & Market, Sprouts Farmers Market, and Trader Joe’s.

Although the Winter Reading Program has ended, there are many fantastic titles that await on the library shelves! We look forward to seeing you all year long at the Goleta & Santa Ynez Valley Libraries.

Watch Video Invite to Goleta Community State of the City

Join Us on Wednesday, April 10th from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.

Preparations are underway for the City of Goleta’s biggest night of the year coming up next month on Wednesday, April 10, from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. at the Goleta Community Center (5679 Hollister Avenue). The City released a video invite for the Goleta Community State of the City with Mayor Paula Perotte with details on what to expect at this memorable and informative event. The City also released the video invite in Spanish with Mayor Pro-Tempore Luz Reyes-Martín (1st District). Please watch and share the videos, and plan to attend this special night for Goleta.

Making the 7th Annual Goleta Community State of the City even more grand is the return of the event to the Goleta Community Center which has been closed due to seismic renovations. It’s a great opportunity to hear about the City’s accomplishments, challenges and exciting plans for the future.  The event is free to the public and Spanish interpretation is available.

The full evening includes:

  • 4:00 p.m. – New! Dos Pueblos High School Jazz Band performs in the gazebo outside of the Goleta Community Center.
  • 5:00 p.m. – Come early to check out our City information tables featuring current and upcoming projects and programs. Mingle informally with the Goleta City Council, stakeholders, City staff, and fellow Goletans. Submit a question to be answered during the Q&A portion of the program, take photos and enjoy light refreshments.
  • Program begins promptly at 6:00 p.m.:
    • Mayor Perotte gives the 2024 State of the City Address
    • City Manager Robert Nisbet provides an update on the City’s Finances
    • Q&A session with Mayor Perotte and Department Directors

If you love Goleta, this is a night you won’t want to miss. Bring your family and friends!

We hope to see you at the 2024 Goleta Community State of the City!

Plant a Tree for Arbor Week

Here in Goleta we love our trees! The City Council will recognize March 7 – 14 as City of Goleta Arbor Week at its upcoming March 5 Council meeting with a proclamation. Trees are good for the environment, bring beauty to our community and are a source of joy and spiritual renewal. The City maintains over 20,000 trees in Goleta. All residents are urged to celebrate Arbor Week by planting and maintaining trees to promote their importance for current and future generations. View the proclamation here: http://tinyurl.com/7v3vvcjj.

Start Your Spring Cleaning with Beautify Goleta on March 16

First Self-Guided Cleanup Month Wraps Up with 650 Pounds of Trash Collected

Start your spring cleaning with Beautify Goleta on Saturday, March 16 with a community wide clean-up and bulky item drop off event. Join us for a morning of picking up trash city-wide from 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. with the spotlight on the Old Town Goleta neighborhood area south of the US 101 between Fairview Avenue and the 217 Freeway. Two long-time Captains are leading this event, Community West Bank and the Goleta Rotary Club. To participate, meet at the Community West Bank Parking Lot (5827 Hollister Avenue). Volunteers and Team Captains needed, sign up at www.CityofGoleta.org/BeautifyGoleta.

Declutter your home, garage and/or yard with Beautify Goleta’s free Bulky Item Drop-Off event from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at the Goleta Community Center (5679 Hollister Avenue). It is open to Goleta residents only.  You are encouraged to arrive early as the event will close if capacity is reached before 1:00 p.m. As a reminder, electronics, medicine, and hazardous waste will NOT be accepted.

The bulky item drop-off is in partnership with Caltrans and the Clean CA program. These statewide Dump Day events are made possible through Governor Gavin Newsom’s Clean California initiative, a sweeping $1.1 billion, multiyear clean-up effort led by Caltrans to keep roads and waterways free of litter, create thousands of jobs and transform state and local public spaces through beautification efforts. For more information on the Clean CA program, please visit Clean CA program online. 

We also want to take this opportunity to share the results of the City’s first-ever self-guided cleanup month in February. For 29 days, individuals and organizations picked up litter at a time and a place most convenient to them. All participants submitted reports to the City on what they collected. Thank you to the 14 participants who covered 29 cleanup locations and picked up 654 pounds of trash!

Check out more results on the new dashboard. All participants who provided their email addresses are eligible to win a prize drawing. Winners will be emailed the week of March 4th to schedule a time to pick up their prize from City Hall (130 Cremona Drive). Look out for future social media posts on the City’s accounts (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) to see who won! Our prize drawing categories are listed below: 

  1. Grand Prize Drawing with all participants (3 Winners) 
  2. Prize for picking up the most trash by weight (1 Winner) 
  3. Prize for the most number of cleanups throughout the month (1 Winner) 

Learn more about the City’s Beautify Goleta program at www.CityofGoleta.org/BeautifyGoleta. We hope to see you on March 16th!


Girls Inc. students participating in Beautify Goleta’s self-guided cleanup month


Dan Rothschild participating in Beautify Goleta’s self-guided cleanup month

 

 

 

 

Ellwood Mesa Reopens

Major Winter Storms Caused Severe Damage to Eucalyptus Forest and Infrastructure

The City of Goleta is happy to announce the reopening of Ellwood Mesa to the public, effective March 1, 2024. The Ellwood Mesa was temporarily closed following severe winter storms that caused several landslides, downed dozens of large trees, and damaged a critical authorized vehicle access road. The City completed major tree work to reduce risks to trail users and protect monarch butterfly habitat. Additional work is planned in the coming month to restore the authorized vehicle access road.

Public safety and the protection of sensitive wildlife habitat remains the City’s top priorities at Ellwood Mesa. Please take note of the following important points:

  1. Potential Tree Hazards: Trees and large branches within the grove may pose a risk of falling. Visitors are urged to exercise caution and be aware of their surroundings. Enter at your own risk.
  2. Eroded Bluffs and Trails: The natural beauty of Ellwood Mesa includes its rugged bluffs and scenic trails. However, erosion has affected some areas. Trail users are advised to stay on trails and avoid the bluff edge.
  3. Stay Off Closed Trails and Out of Work Zones: For your safety and the safety of our maintenance crews and first responders, please avoid using any closed trails. Closed trails are clearly marked with onsite signage. Closure locations may change depending on site conditions and work crew schedules. The decision to temporarily close specific trails is based on careful consideration of public safety. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in respecting these temporary closures. Beach access remains open, but some trails down to the beach may have detour signage or exclusion fencing to avoid eroded areas.

The parking lot is now reopened to the public at Ellwood Mesa Open Space & Sperling Preserve parking area, located at 7729 Hollister Avenue (across from Ellwood Elementary School).

For additional information or inquiries, please contact George Thomson, Parks and Open Space Manager, at 805-961-7578 or gthomson@cityofgoleta.org.

Apply for the City’s Design Review Board

Applications due by March 15

Those with an eye for design are encouraged to apply for the City of Goleta’s Design Review Board (DRB). The City is looking to fill two vacancies:

  • 1 Licensed Architect
  • 1 At-Large Member (must be a City Resident)

This seven-member body encourages development that uses the best professional design practices to enhance the visual aesthetics of the community and prevent poor quality of design. The DRB advises the City Council, Planning Commission, and staff. Members are appointed to a three-year term.

The Design Review Board meets the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at 3:00 p.m. Members are compensated $75 per meeting.

Put your skills to good use and apply for the Design Review Board. Applications are available at www.CityofGoleta.org/BoardsCommissions and must be submitted by Friday, March 15 at 5:00 p.m.

For additional information, please email cityclerkgroup@cityofgoleta.org.

New #TeamGoleta Job Opportunities

Have you considered a career in local government? The City of Goleta is always looking for passionate people to join our team and we have some exciting new positions coming soon!

Current job openings include:

  • Goleta Community Center Event Monitor / Building Attendant
  • Coming soon! Management Analyst (Public Works)
  • Coming soon! Management Analyst (General Services)
  • Coming soon! Public Works Supervisor

For more information on City jobs, please visit www.CityofGoleta.org/Jobs.

Electric Vehicle Reach Code Lunch & Learn

Watch the Lunch & Learn Webinar Recording Now

Lunch is a great time to squeeze in some learning. That’s why the City of Goleta’s Sustainability Team used the time to host a Lunch and Learn on February 28th. Participants learned about the Electric Vehicle (EV) reach codes and provided feedback on EV charging regulations for the City.

The Lunch and Learn presentation updated participants in the transition to electric vehicles and provided them with an opportunity to provide direct feedback on how they could support the transition and also improve charging access in new construction.

The presentation wrapped up with an engaging Q&A discussion where attendees got to bring up additional concerns, comments, and suggestions.

If you missed the Lunch and Learn but are interested in learning more about EV reach codes and infrastructure development, you can watch a recording of the zoom program on the City’s YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/MjHM9_qnEzs.

If you have any questions or would like to learn more about the EV reach code project, please email sustainability@cityofgoleta.org.