Author Archives: Jaime Shaw

Getting an E-Bike for the Holidays?

Is an e-bike on your holiday shopping list for you or your family and friends? If so, make sure a helmet is purchased as well. As the popularity of e-bikes continues to skyrocket, so do the number of issues surrounding the safety of this alternative mode of transportation. We hope you will join us on January 16, 2024, at the Goleta City Council meeting for the proclamation of E-Bike Safety Awareness Day. Let’s all be a part of doing what we can to make sure those zipping around town on e-bikes, many of them teens, arrive to their destinations safely. 

Electric bicycles are heavier and faster than standard bicycles and, without the proper safety education and training, e-bike riders have a higher risk of becoming severely injured or killed in a crash. As e-bikes become more commonplace, it’s also important for drivers to familiarize themselves with sharing the road with e-bike riders.

According to preliminary data from the California Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System, there were more than 9,600 bicycle-involved crashes in 2022. At least 225 of those crashes involved an e-bike, including four which resulted in fatal injuries. This reflects a significant increase from the previous year when there were 80 e-bike crashes reported in California.

In case you didn’t know, the California Highway Patrol has an online e-bike safety and training program designed to help riders of all abilities and all ages identify potential hazards, while offering information on safe riding practices and hazard-avoidance maneuvers. Go to www.chp.ca.gov/Programs-Services/Services-Information/Bike-and-Ped-Safety.

The City is planning educational activities surrounding E-Bike Safety Awareness Day, stay tuned for details.

Stay Safe & Healthy this Holiday Season

With the holiday season in full swing, keep yourself and your loved ones safe and healthy by following these timely tips from your County public safety and health officials.  

Fire safety is a year-round responsibility. Stay aware during these next few festive weeks by doing the following: 

  • When purchasing a live tree, look for signs of freshness. A fresh tree is green, the needles will be difficult to pull from branches and a minimum number of needles should fall off.
  • To keep your tree fresh, cut off about two inches of the trunk to expose fresh wood for better water absorption, and check the water level daily. Keep the tree stand filled with water at all times.
  • When placing your tree in your home, make sure it is kept away from heat sources like fireplaces or heater vents. 
  • Make sure no exits are blocked by the tree.
  • Check your lights before placing them on your tree. Look for worn or frayed wires and broken bulbs.
  • When you leave your home or go to sleep at night, turn off the lights on the tree.
  • Check your smoke detectors to ensure they are working properly and establish a residential emergency exit plan.

The holiday season is a cheerful time of year, but it’s also a time when busy people can become vulnerable to theft and other holiday crime. Here are a few tips to help you this holiday season:

  • Track packages online so you know when to expect your deliveries. Sign-up for email notifications to alert you when your package ships, is in transit and delivered.
  • Try to be home when packages are delivered or have a friend/family member get your packages for you.
  • Use drobox/locker locations to receive packages if you know you won’t be home.
  • While shopping, always be aware of your surroundings when approaching and leaving your vehicle.
  • Place all purchased items in the trunk or out of view and be sure to lock your car.

Protect yourself and others this holiday season by celebrating in ways that limit the spread of COVID-19 and other viruses. Find updated vaccines at your pharmacy, health care provider, or by visiting: https://www.vaccines.gov/.

  • Get vaccinated or boosted for COVID-19 and the flu.
  • Consider wearing a high-quality mask in crowded spaces.
  • If you test positive for COVID-19 and are at high-risk for complications, contact your doctor to receive treatment. Stay home if you’re sick and avoid close contact with others. 
  • Don’t forget the basics: Wash your hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds and be sure to cover your cough or sneeze with your elbow, arm or tissue.

Traveling this winter? 

Cold and wet weather conditions may affect your travel plans as you drive around the state and beyond. Be prepared by packing an emergency car kit when traveling. If you cannot get to your destination due to your vehicle being stranded or trapped, stay with your vehicle and wait for help.

Winter Bird Count for Kids

The Santa Barbara Audubon Society is having its 10th Annual Winter Bird Count for Kids on January 20, 2024, from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. at Lake Los Carneros.

This is a great way to introduce the young members of your family to the fun of bird watching! The morning includes:

  • A free birding basics event for kids 8-16 with a responsible adult
  • Guided walk around the lake with an experienced naturalist
  • Binocular Boot Camp – bring binoculars or borrow ours
  • Free souvenir bird list and t-shirt (for the first 75 kids)
  • Record and tally the bird species you see
  • Please leave your dog at home

For more information on the event, please visit https://santabarbaraaudubon.org/events/wbc4k/.

About
Santa Barbra Audubon Society protects area birdlife and habitat and connects people with birds through education, conservation and science.

#TeamGoleta Job Opportunities

Come work at a great place! The City of Goleta has a few open positions we are looking to fill. If you are looking for a rewarding job, take a look at the list below to see if anything interests you.

  • Assistant City Manager
  • Event Monitor / Building Attendant at the Goleta Community Center
  • Department Aide – General Services

For more information and to apply, go to www.CityofGoleta.org/Jobs. Check back regularly for new listings.

City Grant Applications Open December 15

Are you a part of a local non-profit serving Goleta residents or know someone who is? If so, the City of Goleta has $250,000 in grant funds available through a competitive application process. Starting Friday, December 15, 2023, through January 26, 2024, at 5:00 p.m., online applications will be accepted for both the Goleta City Grant and Community Development Block Grant programs.

Recipients of this grant may receive up to $10,000 for programs that benefit Goleta residents and the general community. Organizations involved in educational and cultural activities, such as music, art, dance, and recreation, as well as Goleta-oriented special events and regional projects that enhance and support the quality of life in Goleta are encouraged to apply.

Each year, the City of Goleta sets aside a portion of its Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding to support non-profits serving low-income residents, seniors, and those experiencing homelessness. CDBG funds are dispersed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which strictly regulates the use of these funds. The City of Goleta reserves these funds for agencies who qualify for CDBG funding, serve the goals of the City’s 5-Year Consolidated Plan, and apply for a minimum of $10,000. For the 2023-2024 Fiscal Year, the City is distributing approximately $40,000 to public services from its CDBG allocation.

Grant applications for both programs will be accepted online via the ZoomGrants program. Once all applications are received, they will be reviewed by the Human Services, Homelessness Issues, and Economic Development Standing Committees, as well as the Parks and Recreation Commission. These groups will evaluate the applications and make funding recommendations to the City Council. The Council then awards the grants at a meeting in the spring, likely in May of 2024.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to help your non-profit or community group. The City website (https://www.cityofgoleta.org/grants) will be updated with information closer to December 15. For questions on the grant programs please contact Melissa Cure in the City of Goleta Neighborhood Services Department at 805-961-7554 or mcure@cityofgoleta.org.

December Observances

Embracing the spirit of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, the City of Goleta city wants to take a moment to highlight a few of the December 2023 and January 2024 awareness days and cultural holidays:  

  • International Day of People with Disabilities (December 3, 2023) – Celebrated yearly December 3, promotes the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities at every level of society and development. 
  • Hanukkah (December 7, 2023) – Begins at sundown on December 7, 2023, and lasts for eight nights ending on December 15, 2023. The Jewish “festival of lights” is celebrated with a nightly menorah lighting, special prayers, the game of dreidel, and tasty foods including latkes and sufganiyot (jelly donuts). 
  • International Human Rights Day (December 10, 2023) – Marks the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that sets universal values and a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations establishing equal dignity and worth of every person.  
  • Christmas Day (December 25, 2023) – Is both a religious holiday and a cultural event, with common gift exchanges, dinner, Christmas carols and other celebrations.
  • Kwanzaa (December 26, 2023 – January 1, 2024) – A secular festival observed by many African Americans from December 26 to January 1 as a celebration of their cultural heritage and traditional values culminating in a communal feast called Karamu, usually on the sixth day.
  • Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (January 15, 2024) – Observed annually on the third Monday in January, honors the legacy of Dr. King and focuses on the issue of civil rights, highlights the use of nonviolence to promote change, and calls people into public service.

We hope you can join the City of Goleta in acknowledging and learning more about the different cultural and awareness observances every month as we work to foster a more inclusive Goleta for all.

Lions Club Donates to Local Non-Profits

Here is another shining example of #GoodLandGoodPeople. The Greater Goleta Santa Barbara Lions Club on November 24 donated more than $8,000 dollars to 10 local non-profits who are making a difference in our community. The amount of funding was announced and presented to the recipients as the annual Donation Checks Presentation Dinner held at the Glen Annie Golf Course. 

Recipients include: 

  1. Dos Pueblos High School Athletics Department 
  2. Dos Pueblos High School Activities Department 
  3. San Marcos High School Athletics Department 
  4. San Marcos High School Madrigal Singers 
  5. Santa Barbara County Foodbank 
  6. Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara 
  7. Goleta Boys and Girls Club 
  8. Page Youth Center 
  9. SB Athletic Round Table 

Thank you to the Greater Goleta Santa Barbara Lions Club for finding incredible ways to give back to our community. This group is always looking for generous people to join its team.   

For more info, please visit www.goletalionsclub.org.

Home Preservation Program for Low-Income Homeowners

Habitat Santa Barbara is currently accepting applications for A Brush with Kindness. A Brush with Kindness (ABWK) is a free exterior home preservation service offered to eligible low-income homeowners in Goleta and on the Santa Barbara South Coast, who are struggling to maintain their home. These improvements are led with the support of Habitat volunteers at no cost to the homeowner, and cover small scale projects such as painting, landscaping, and minor repairs and maintenance, grab bar installation, and more.

Click here to apply now.

For more information, go to www.sbhabitat.org/programs/abwk. You can also reach out to Habitat Santa Barbara via email (amanda@sbhabitat.org) or phone (805-692-2226) with any questions or to have an application mailed to you.

Sleeping Bag Drive for those Experiencing Homelessness

Santa Barbara County Public Defender’s Offices Accepting Donations until December 13th

More than 1,850 people are experiencing homelessness in Santa Barbara County. To help these individuals and families stay warm this winter, the Santa Barbara County Public Defender’s Office is accepting donations of sleeping bags, hats, gloves, jackets, clothing, socks, shoes, hygiene products, thermal underwear, scarves, and backpacks. 

New or lightly used donations are being accepted during regular business hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Public Defender’s offices. The Santa Barbara office is located at 1100 Anacapa Street. The Santa Maria office is located at 312-P East Cook Street, Building A. Physical donations may be made through 5 p.m. on Wednesday, December 13. Financial donations will also be accepted, for the purchase of new sleeping bags and undergarments, and are tax-deductible through the Public Defender’s partnership with the Family Service Agency of Santa Barbara. Financial donations may be made online through the following website, 2023 Sleeping Bag Drive | Family Service Agency (givebox.com). Donations of items will not be accepted at the Family Service Agency.

In order to receive donated goods, those experiencing homelessness will need to attend a distribution event on Friday, December 15 from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. or until supplies last outside the Santa Barbara Courthouse or Santa Maria Public Defender’s office. Homeless outreach teams and community partners are currently working to inform clients of the donations that will be made available to them at the event. For more information, contact the County Public Defender’s office; in Santa Barbara, call (805) 568-3470; in Santa Maria, call (805) 346-7500.

For more information about the County of Santa Barbara government organization, go to www.countyofsb.org.

Housing Element 2023-2031 Revisions Adopted

The City of Goleta’s Housing Element 2023-2031 is headed to the State for final certification. At the December 5, 2023 meeting, the City Council adopted the Housing Element revisions, including the rezoning of eleven sites to accommodate Goleta’s share of the regional housing need as mandated by the State. The decision comes in advance of the State-mandated deadline and following a comprehensive process that has taken several years and numerous public meetings.

Mayor Paula Perotte said, prior to placing her vote, “In the coming months and years, I am committed to ensuring that future housing developments align with our General Plan and I encourage our community to stay engaged.” 

City of Goleta’s Planning and Environmental Review Director Peter Imhof said, “The adoption of the Housing Element revisions by Council last night in compliance with all State requirements is the culmination of years of work and a huge accomplishment. We look forward to implementing this Housing Element following certification.”

Prior to Council adoption on December 5, the Goleta Planning Commission reviewed and recommended adoption of the Housing Element revisions at a public hearing on November 13 and 15, 2023.

The State Department of Housing and Community Development previously sent the City a letter dated October 16, 2023 informing the City that the proposed Housing Element revisions meet all statutory requirements and substantially comply with State housing law.

A recording of the City Council meeting is available on the City website at https://tinyurl.com/454ye4xp.  

For more information on the City’s Housing Element Update project, go to https://CityofGoleta.org/HousingElement. If you have any questions about the project, please email City staff at HousingElement@cityofgoleta.org. For inquiries in Spanish, please contact Marcos Martinez, Spanish Engagement Specialist, at (805) 562-5500 or mmartinez@cityofgoleta.org.