Author Archives: Jaime Shaw

Library Instagram Contest Celebrates Reading Together

Join us for #GoletaReads and share your favorite family reading photos

Goleta Valley Library invites the community to participate in a fun, interactive photo contest happening now through Friday, November 19th on the library’s Instagram page (@goletavalleylibrary).

As we approach the holiday season and prepare to gather with family and friends, the library wants to celebrate the importance of family reading in the development of young children. Community members are invited to share photos of themselves, their kids, and other family members reading together. To be entered in the contest, participants can follow these three easy steps:

  • Post their photo to their Instagram account
  • Tag the Goleta Valley Library Instagram account @GoletaValleyLibrary
  • Use the hashtags #GoletaReads and #RaiseReaders

Photos will be re-posted to the Goleta Valley Library Instagram account and will be automatically entered into a prize drawing to win a $50 Gift card to Trader Joe’s! Two lucky winners will be announced Monday, November 22nd on the library Instagram page.

Introducing your child to books and reading to them regularly before they go to school is one of the biggest influences on a child’s early educational success. Once your child learns to read on their own, it’s still important for you to read aloud together. This can help build your child’s confidence and motivate them to improve their skills and understanding of what they are reading.

Reading has also been shown to have the following great benefits for all ages:

  • Reduces stress
  • Expands vocabulary
  • Improves memory
  • Develops strong analytical skills
  • Boosts writing skills
  • Improves focus and concentration
  • Grows imagination

Head to the Goleta Valley Library to pick up some great family books and start reading with your child today. We can’t wait to see your photos! Remember to tag the library (@GoletaValleyLibrary) and use the hashtags #GoletaReads and #RaiseReaders for your chance to win this holiday season.

Libraries Move to In-Person Service Only

Masks and social distancing still required indoors

The Goleta and Santa Ynez Valley Libraries moved back to in-person only service last month, concluding Sidewalk Service after 16 successful months. The libraries are open for in-person service on Tuesdays – Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., with no time limits on visits. Patrons are welcome to pick up their holds, browse the stacks, and use a computer. Book returns are also now accepted indoors again.

Health and safety rules remain in place for all library visitors: masks are required for patrons ages 2 and older, and visitors must maintain social distancing of at least six feet. Hand sanitizer and gloves are available inside the building.

Library patrons who cannot enter the library for in-person service can call or text to arrange pick-up of requested items at the front door. For more information, please contact your local library branch.

Engaging library programs for all ages continue to be held online every week. Check out the Events Calendar for storytimes, craft workshops, book clubs, homework help, and much more.

Staff at the Goleta Valley, Buellton, and Solvang Libraries enjoyed being able to serve the community through Sidewalk Service and are now looking forward to seeing more of you inside the library!

For more information on programs and services at the Goleta and Santa Ynez Valley Libraries, visit GoletaValleyLibrary.org.

Goleta Green Room: The Goleta Recycling Center

Drop off recyclables, used paint, oil, batteries and more for free or CRV

Do you know about Marborg’s Goleta Recycling Center? It’s a great facility and service that provides an easy and eco-friendly way to recycle some of your household hazardous waste, such as asbestos, batteries, oil and paint (ABOP), in addition to other recyclables. And it’s FREE! Disposing of or recycling waste correctly keeps our community and watersheds clean and reduces the environmental impact of waste by recycling.

Household Hazardous Waste (ABOP)

Household hazardous waste items that can be brought to the Goleta Recycling Center include:

  • Antifreeze
  • Batteries
  • Oil (petroleum-based: motor oil, hydraulic oil, etc.)
  • Paint (both oil and water-based)
  • Fluorescent light bulbs
  • Electronic waste (E-waste): computers, monitors, radios, cell phones etc… anything with an electrical cord.

Be reminded, these are considered household hazardous waste and should NOT be put in your general trash disposal. Recycle them the safe way for free!

CRV

The Goleta Recycling Center also offers the CRV (California Refund Value) that pays you when you recycle beverage containers. The minimum refund value established for each type of eligible beverage container is 5 cents for each container under 24 ounces and 10 cents for each container 24 ounces or more significant. CRV items include plastic beverage containers marked with CRV (all caps must be removed), aluminum bi-metal, and glass. Not only is this program eco-friendly, but it also pays you back to recycle.

Hours and Other Recycling

The Goleta Recycling Center is open 8 am to 4 pm, Monday – Friday, but they also offer a 24-hour free drop-off of the following items: Aluminum Cans, Glass (no plate or window), Newspaper, Cardboard, Magazines, Office paper, scrap metals, tin cans, plastic bottles that held a liquid, but the cap must be removed. The 24-hour drop-off is a free disposal program available to all Goleta Residents.

The Goleta Recycling Center is a fantastic service facility for all residents to use. Be sure to use these free programs and dispose of your waste in the most effective way possible. If you have hazardous waste other than ABOP, you can take that to the Community Household Hazardous Waste Center. 

The Goleta Recycling Center is located at 20 David Love Place, Goleta. For more information call (805)963-1852.

Get Your Sandbags Now

The storm we had last month is a good reminder to make sure you are prepared. The City provides sand and burlap bags for our residents to protect their homes from storm damage. It is recommended to prepare your property for future storms by filling your sand bags a few days prior to a heavy rain. Three self-service sandbag stations are located at:

  • Fire Station 11 (6901 Frey Way and Storke Road just south of Santa Felicia, across from the main post office)
  • Fire Station 14 (320 Los Carneros Road next to the Stow House Museum lot)
  • Goleta Valley Community Center (5679 Hollister Avenue)

The City’s sandbag stations are stocked and ready for residents. Here are some things you should know about sandbag pick up:

  • Sand and bags are available on a first come, first served basis.
  • Pick up is open during daylight hours, seven days/week.
  • 20 bag limit (additional bags can be purchased at home improvement stores).
  • Bags are for residents.
  • Bring your shovel to fill the bags.
  • It is easiest to fill the bags with two people — one to hold the bag and the other to shovel the sand.

For disposal of old Polypropylene sandbags:

  • Residents may displace old sand in planters or on lawns, and dispose of bags in their trash containers.
  • Residents may also bring their old filled bags to Public Works Corporate Yard located at 6735 Hollister Avenue (behind the Deckers building) for disposal.

Stay informed, register for emergency alerts from Santa Barbara County at readysbc.org, and sign up for emergency information from the City at https://tinyurl.com/GoletaEmergency. Get more tips on winter storm preparedness here.


Fire Station 14 Sandbag Station


Fire Station 11 Sandbag Station

Goleta Valley Community Center Sandbag Station

Goleta Green Room: Are You Ready for the Rainy Season?

The City of Goleta Environmental Services Division would like to share some tips to help protect our watersheds during the rainy season. As winter approaches, let’s stop water pollution and keep our storm drains and creeks clean! Winter rains produce stormwater runoff which is rain that does not soak into the ground and flows over land and other surfaces. Stormwater runoff can carry trash and pollutants into storm drains, which flow directly to creeks, rivers, and the ocean without any treatment. The trash and chemicals in the runoff pose a threat to wildlife and water quality.

Remember “only rain down the drain.”

If you observe stormwater concerns such illegal dumping, or any discharges of non-stormwater (any fluid that’s not rain) entering the storm drain within the City of Goleta, report water pollution to environmentalservices@cityofgoleta.org. Hazardous Materials Spills should be reported to 911 immediately.

Here are some great ways to keep storm drains clear of trash and pollutants:

  • Keep garbage and recycling cans tightly covered to prevent litter from being blown away during storms.
  • Take your car to a commercial car wash prior to the first rains.
  • Do not drain or pour any automotive fluid onto the street or into a storm drain.
  • Sweep dirt out of curbs and into landscaping to prevent it from entering storm drains.
  • Adjust your sprinklers to prevent over-watering and prevent water from draining onto paved surfaces such as driveways and sidewalks.
  • Do not apply pesticides or fertilizers before a rain event or within:
  • 5 feet of pavement
  • 25 feet of a storm drain
  • 50 feet of a water body
  • Compost leaves and yard clippings.
  • Always pick up after your pet.

Photo credit top right photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto

LED Light Installation Project Complete

The City of Goleta is pleased to share our LED Street Lighting Project is now complete! Installation began in September, and the project included installing approximately 1,400 energy efficient LED lights throughout Goleta. Other than a small number of special exceptions, the implementation of these new lights is complete.

City of Goleta Public Works Department Project Manager, Michael Winnewisser, said, “After many months of working on this project, I am pleased to share with the community that the installation phase is complete. We hope all residents are pleased with their new lights and appreciate their input and patience throughout this process. This project is one of the many ways the City is focusing on sustainability.”

The project is expected to save Goleta more than 345,000 kilowatt hours and approximately $115,000 annually. In addition to saving the City money, the new lights will require less maintenance and provide clearer lighting.

To see a video overview of the project, click here to watch in English or Spanish.

If you are curious if a light near you was replaced, you can learn more at www.CityofGoleta.org/LEDStreetlights where you can find a map of the project replacement locations.

If you wish to request a shield on a light near you, or if you have any other questions or comments, please contact Project Manager Michael Winnewisser at (805) 690-5120 or mwinnewisser@cityofgoleta.org.

Background:

The LED Street Lighting Project took root in 2017. After long negotiations with Southern California Edison, in 2020 the City acquired the streetlights and began looking into different LED options for our community. In January 2021, the City conducted a pilot study to get community input. Based on feedback from the pilot study, Green Committee, and Virtual Town Hall, the City selected GE fixtures that are 2700K color temperature streetlights. On July 20, 2021, Goleta City Council approved the replacements and the fixtures were ordered the next day. 

Pictured: Installation of new LED lights

School Safety Crosswalk Installation Planned

The City of Goleta’s Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon (RRFB) at School Crosswalks Project kicked off on Monday, November 1, 2021. When the project is complete, there will be three new RRFB enhanced crosswalks on Cathedral Oaks Road at the intersections of Brandon Drive, Evergreen Drive, and Carlo Drive. The RRFBs are traffic control devices designed to use flashing lights to alert motorists when pedestrians are crossing the road.

City of Goleta Public Works Director Charles Ebeling said, “Goleta is committed to establishing safe routes to schools throughout the City. We were very pleased to receive a grant for this important project and are excited to see construction begin.”

There will be minimal impacts to the public during this time. The project is expected to take until the end of the year to complete unless there are shipping delays. Thank you for your patience as we work to complete this project and improve pedestrian safety in Goleta.

Currently, there are four RRFB crosswalk locations in the City of Goleta.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact Project Manager Michael Winnewisser at (805) 690-5120 or mwinnewisser@cityofgoleta.org.

Pictured: Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon crosswalk across Kellogg Avenue at Jonny D Wallis Neighborhood Park

City of Goleta Continues Homelessness Efforts

The City of Goleta is proactively addressing homelessness. In April 2021, the Goleta City Council formally adopted the City’s first Homelessness Strategic Plan. To kick-off implementation of this Plan, the City Council recently allocated over $550,000 with the goal of getting 50 people out of hazardous encampments and into housing.  To facilitate this effort, the City is working with the Santa Barbara Alliance for Community Transformation (SB ACT), a local nonprofit guiding homelessness strategic efforts, and CityNet, a statewide leader in homeless outreach and housing placement. Together, these organizations will work to address street-level homelessness through outreach, case management, housing navigation, and more. The primary goal is to relocate people from dangerous fire-prone encampment areas and sensitive habitat areas into permanent housing. The CityNet contract includes ongoing reservation of five hotel rooms for bridge housing while more permanent accommodations are found.

“I have been personally working on this issue for many years,” noted City of Goleta Mayor Paula Perotte, “For the first time, we have a significant amount of new federal funding that gives us the financial resources to make a real difference in the mission of getting people off the streets and into more stable, permanent housing. This funding, along with a significant contribution from the City’s General Fund, allows us to bring on organizations like SB ACT and CityNet which, along with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, and the County’s Department of Behavioral Wellness, gives us a real chance to make a difference.”

The City’s Neighborhood Services Department prepared the Homelessness Strategic Plan and is working closely with the Parks and Open Space Manager George Thomson of the Public Works Department and Community Resource Deputy Ben Sandu of the Sheriff’s Office to address encampments.

“We are taking advantage of City investments in transitional housing at PATH and the Hedges House of Hope in Isla Vista,” remarked Jaime Valdez, Interim Director of Neighborhood Services, “People living in encampments along the railroad tracks and highway are not just endangering themselves, but the community when they have open fires and have nowhere to go to the bathroom or shower.”

During the past several months, the City addressed numerous encampments at Ellwood Mesa, the public open space that includes the Monarch Butterfly Grove, Ellwood Beach, and acres of sensitive habitat.  Five encampment residents at Ellwood Mesa were relocated to transitional housing at the Hedges House of Hope and over 4,500 pounds of trash from eight separate abandoned encampments was removed. 

George Thomson, City Parks and Open Space Manager notes, “Reporting encampments to the City is the first step to ensure encampment residents transition to permanent housing.  With the help of the community reporting encampments, the impacts to residents and the environment can be minimized.”  

Report an encampment using City Assist here.

Each week, SB ACT coordinates a team of stakeholders that includes City staff, Mayor Perotte, and representatives of CityNet, County Behavioral Wellness, CalTrans, Union Pacific Railroad, the South Coast Chamber of Commerce, and others to discuss specific steps to moving people off the streets. In the past month, the collaboration has already been responsible for relocating four people out of encampments and into more stable housing. Once encampment residents have been housed, the City works with Caltrans and UPRR to clean-up and clear the area of all trash and waste.  

Mayor Perotte said, “This is only the first step of our comprehensive strategy to address homelessness here.  I’m sure that we will learn a lot and we will build upon our successes.”

Board and Commission Applications Now Open

Applications due by November 24, 2021

Are you looking for a meaningful way to get involved in your community? The City of Goleta is looking for community members to #JoinTeamGoleta by serving on the Planning Commission, Public Engagement Commission, or Mosquito and Vector Management District Board of Santa Barbara County.

City Clerk Deborah Lopez said, “We have a very active community and serving on a Board or Commission is a great way to give back. It provides an opportunity to participate in the decision-making process for Goleta and work with staff at the City or County level.”

The Planning Commission sits as a decision-making body on land use issues for the City and consists of five members who each serve a four-year term. Their role is to review and take appropriate action on discretionary development applications and to make recommendations to the City Council regarding any proposed legislative actions, including the General Plan and its implementation, as required by law. The Planning Commission meets on the second and fourth Mondays of each month starting at 6:00 p.m. Compensation is $100 per meeting. There will be one vacancy. To be eligible, applicants must reside within City limits and be a qualified elector.

Those interested in looking for opportunities and ways to increase public engagement in City government are encouraged to apply to serve on the Public Engagement Commission. To be considered, you must be a resident of the City of Goleta and not employed by the City. There will be four vacancies. The Commission has six regularly scheduled meetings per year and Commissioners are compensated $50 per meeting. Currently, the Public Engagement Commission is assisting with the district mapping process to determine district lines for the City’s first District Elections in November of 2022.

The Mosquito and Vector Management District Board of Santa Barbara County consists of eight members, five of which are appointed by the County Board of Supervisors and three of which are appointed by the City Council of the member cities of Carpinteria, Goleta, and Santa Barbara. The City of Goleta is currently accepting applications for one vacancy from residents who are interested in serving on this Board. The District’s Board of Trustees meets on the second Thursday of each month at 2:00 p.m. to discuss District business and authorize fiscal and operational activity.

Interested applicants must submit an application by Wednesday, November 24, 2021, at 5:00 p.m. for consideration.

For more information, go to https://tinyurl.com/goletaboards-commissions or e-mail cityclerkgroup@cityofgoleta.org.

Meet Mariposa!

Goleta’s one-of-a-kind Monarch Butterfly climbing structure has a name! Mariposa is the newest addition at Berkeley Park, which is currently undergoing a playground renovation. Thank you to everyone who participated in the naming process. Stay tuned for information on a ribbon cutting at Berkeley Park. We can’t wait to see the community enjoying the new climbing structure and other playground equipment!