Author Archives: Jaime Shaw

Meet the City’s First Spanish Engagement Specialist

Goleta Valley Library Technician Marcos Martinez to Take on New Role

City of Goleta is pleased to announce the hiring of the City’s first-ever Spanish Engagement Specialist. Marcos Martinez, who has been working as a Goleta Valley Library Technician for the past three years, is now also working part-time with the City’s Community Relations team doing Spanish outreach.

City of Goleta Community Relations Manager Kelly Hoover said, “Marcos has a sincere desire to help us grow our Spanish Engagement in the City of Goleta and we are so excited to see the impact he will make. He has already been doing timely Spanish translation of press releases and other City outreach this past year and is in a perfect position to help us expand our communication efforts.”

Marcos grew up in San Diego and moved to Santa Barbara ten years ago to attend UCSB. He double majored in Global Studies and Chicano Studies. Currently, he is finishing a master’s degree in Library and Information Science. At the Goleta Valley Library, Marcos coordinates After School Homework Help, the Tech Tutoring Program, the Spanish Book Club and Bilingual Storytimes.

Marcos said, “Everything I have achieved, I owe to the love and support of my parents. As native Spanish-speakers, it was the tools and resources that local government agencies provided to them that paved the way to where I am today. The ability to give back to those that gave so much to me and my family is something I truly cherish. I am excited to build deeper connections with families in the community and see how we can better engage and serve our Spanish community in the same life-changing manner that my family received. I am proud to work for the City of Goleta, a place that supports the growth, development, and empowerment of all members of our community.”

Marcos is now the primary point of contact for all Spanish inquiries for the City. You can either find him at the Goleta Valley Library, Goleta City Hall, or out in the community. Please feel free to email him at mmartinez@cityofgoleta.org or espanol@cityofgoleta.org. To reach Marcos by phone, call (805) 562-5500.

3CE Enrollment Off to a Strong Start

Attend a Webinar to Learn More

Enrollment continues for residential and commercial electricity users with our new electricity provider, Central Coast Community Energy (CCCE). We want to take a moment to thank our community, who has demonstrated great leadership and commitment to clean energy by maintaining an over 97% enrollment retention rate of the eligible load. Our community’s enthusiasm for sustainability and a greener Goleta both informs and inspires us to continue pushing the envelope for reducing citywide carbon emissions and improving our City’s sustainability. Once again, we thank you for investing in a greener Goleta!

If you’re new to CCCE’s enrollment and rollout, please watch our video and hear directly from Goleta Mayor Paula Perotte and Councilmember Kyle Richards on the benefits and what to expect. The video is also available in Spanish here. We hope this video helps answer questions and encourages Goleta community members to get excited about the multiple environmental and economic benefits of this transition.

Haven’t received your postcards in the mail yet? As a reminder, all Net Energy Metering (NEM) customers will be receiving their first postcard this November with details regarding the CCCE enrollment. Enrollment for customers with residential or commercial solar installations will begin in January 2022.

CCCE is continuing to host outreach and education events. Please join CCCE in the upcoming public forum webinars to learn more about CCCE service and what enrollment means for your household or business.

Upcoming Events & Webinars:

If you have questions, you can contact a local customer service Energy Advisor: 888-909-6227, or contact Central Coast Community Energy Customer Service at SouthSupport@CCCE.org, or visit CCCEnergy.org/2021-enrollment.

Solar Photovoltaic Project Approved

A solar photovoltaic system is coming to Goleta City Hall! On October 19th, the Council approved the project making it the City’s first solar installation for municipal facilities. The decision also marks the beginning of City efforts to expand solar energy proliferation and improve local energy resilience. The 210kW project, financed through a hybrid power purchase agreement, will be microgrid-ready, include carport shade structures fitted with solar panels, and be wired for future installment of EV charging stations.

“This is a real exciting time to be here in Goleta and to see the fruition of so many things that we’ve put in motion, and now they’re finally coming together,” Councilman Kyle Richards said at the meeting. “The photovoltaic array at City Hall is one thing, but we’re also looking at battery storage and a microgrid and EV charging stations, so there’s more to come, but this is such a great step along the way.”

The solar project will be located at the back of City Hall (130 Cremona Drive) near the entrance to City Council chambers and will consist of two rows of photovoltaic shade structures over City Hall parking spaces. While the installation will still be tied to the energy grid, eventually, the City intends to procure battery storage and install a microgrid, which would allow City Hall to continue operations in the event of a power outage without having to fully rely upon the City’s backup diesel generator. In the near future, the City plans to install EV charging stations in the same parking lot that will be available for public use, improving community access to EV charging.

Paired with Goleta’s enrollment in Central Coast Community Energy, this project will significantly assist the City in working towards its 100% renewable energy goal by 2030, and its interim goal of 50% renewable energy goal for municipal facilities by 2025. The solar installation will help implement the Council adopted Strategic Energy Plan, will provide budget certainty, and will help reduce electricity bills at City Hall by offsetting the majority of the building’s electricity usage, saving tax-payer dollars. In addition, the project will significantly reduce the City’s carbon footprint and lay the groundwork for improved energy resilience for City facilities.

The project is anticipated to break ground sometime in December 2021 – January 2022. We encourage our community to learn more about the benefits of renewable energy and why our City is committed to meeting its 2030 goal.

View the complete staff report at https://tinyurl.com/38fwebkj.

Pictured above: City Hall Solar PV Site Plan

Electric Vehicle Home Charging Safety Tips

The U.S. Fire Administration wants to keep communities safe from fire and electric shock related to charging electric vehicles (EVs). There are two types of home charging, Level 1 and Level 2. Level 1 uses the charger included with the EV. These chargers are plugged into a standard 120-volt outlet. Level 2 charging uses a charger that is sold separately from the EV and allows for faster charging times. They are plugged into a 240-volt outlet. Read on for safety tips.

Before buying an EV, have a qualified electrician install:

  • A new, dedicated circuit for your EV charging device. Older home wiring may not be suitable for use with EV supply equipment.
  • A Level 2 charging device (if that is your preferred charging method).

When you charge an EV

  • Follow manufacturer’s guidelines when charging your vehicle. Check with your local dealer if you need additional information.
  • Purchase a charging device that is certified by a nationally recognized testing laboratory.
  • Plug Level 1 EV chargers directly into an outlet designed to handle the amperage of the charging device. Never use a multiplug adapter or extension cord.
  • Install a residual current device with the charging unit. It will turn off the power if a fault is detected and help prevent a fire.
  • Place all charging device components out of reach of children when not in use.
  • Maintain the components of your charging station according to the manufacturer’s maintenance guidelines. Signs of excessive wear may indicate a potential shock hazard. Never use an EV charger with obvious signs of damage.
  • Cover the EV charging station outlet to stop water from entering. Check the manufacturer’s guidelines to make sure it is safe to charge your EV in wet conditions.

Download the safety tips handout here.

Goleta Deploys the First EV ARC™ 2020 Charger in the County

The City of Goleta received and set up Santa Barbara County’s first EV ARC™ 2020 (EV ARC) which is available for the public to use to charge their electric vehicles, acting on its commitment to building a green and sustainable community. The EV ARC is a transportable, 100% off-grid solar-powered EV charger that can also serve as a mobile emergency preparedness and energy resiliency asset. The unit, now occupying a single standard parking space and being grid-independent, required no construction, trenching or electrical circuit work, allowing for fast deployment.

Goleta Mayor Paula Perotte remarked, “We are excited to have taken this first step of many in providing our community with access to clean, reliable energy and supporting the transition to electric vehicles. We are looking forward to continuing the momentum in addressing climate change and creating a more sustainable, green Goleta.” 

Fully funded by the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District 2020 Clean Air Grants Infrastructure and the California Office of Emergency Services Public Safety Power Shutoff Resiliency Programs, the City of Goleta’s EV ARC unit is equipped with a ChargePoint™ Dual Port charger and can power up to 265 miles of electric driving in a single day. The EV ARC system generates and stores its own clean electricity and delivers that electricity to power EVs, day or night, and during inclement weather and power outages.

The EV ARC from BEAM Global is now online in Goleta City Hall’s parking lot (130 Cremona Drive) and is available for public use at no cost to the user. Community members are now welcome and able to charge their electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles using the EV ARC at any time day or night, free of charge with a ChargePoint™ account. There are two charging plugs, and users can park on or next to the EV ARC unit to charge their vehicle.

The new electric vehicle charging station is one of many ways the City is striving to meet its goal of 100% Renewable Energy by 2030 and expanding EV charging access. The City is currently enrolling in Central Coast Community Energy (3CE) this October 2021 in an effort to support clean energy at competitive rates and participate in innovative energy programs that facilitate the electrification of the transportation and built environments. This year the City will move forward with a solar photovoltaic project and additional EV charging stations at City Hall. Learn more about what we are doing here.

Pictured: EV ARC™ 2020 by BEAM Global newly installed in the Goleta City Hall parking lot and charging a car.

City Initiates Lawsuit Against UCSB

The Goleta City Council has directed its attorneys to file a lawsuit against UCSB for failing to provide student housing for its burgeoning student population. The announcement was made at a public City meeting on Friday, November 5th.

City of Goleta Mayor Paula Perotte stated, “I am disappointed that it has come to this because the City of Goleta has always had a good relationship with UCSB. However, the failure of UCSB to meet its obligations under the 2010 Long Range Development Plan Settlement Agreement to provide housing has made us reach a breaking point.”

In 2010, the City of Goleta, County of Santa Barbara, and UCSB entered into the 2010 University of California, Santa Barbara Long Range Development Plan (LRDP) Mitigation Implementation and Settlement Agreement, which can be viewed here. The Agreement settled a dispute over the impacts of UCSB’s 2010 LRDP, which proposed a significant increase in student enrollment, with UCSB promising to build campus housing to mitigate this growth.

UCSB has breached the Settlement Agreement since 2015 by failing to provide sufficient housing for its students. This has had negative repercussions on the City, the most recent being UCSB’s placement of students in hotels in the City, depriving the City of critical tax revenues that are the mainstay of the City’s budget. UCSB students also take up housing in the City of Goleta, thereby decreasing housing supply and increasing housing costs for Goleta’s workforce, such as nurses, teachers, and public safety officers, who are forced to live elsewhere and have to commute to work in the City. Increased enrollment at UCSB also generates a greater demand on Goleta’s public resources and services. There is no foreseeable end in sight for these negative impacts on Goleta.

“UCSB’s currently proposed student housing project, Munger Hall, a 4,500-unit dorm, has recently received harsh scrutiny in the national press. In light of this, we, at the City, are concerned that there may be no certainty as to whether the needed student housing will be built in a reasonable time frame,” Mayor Perotte also said after Friday’s meeting.

After a decade of UCSB’s failure to satisfy its obligations and the negative repercussions on the City, the City has determined that it is necessary to file a lawsuit in order to preserve its rights and require UCSB to finally take meaningful responsibility for the impacts it has created.

Join Us for October 21 District Elections Workshop to Draw Goleta’s District Boundaries

First Goleta Resident to Submit a Map Explains Rewarding Process

Mark your calendar for Thursday, October 21st at 6:00 p.m. to attend our next virtual District Elections Workshop. We are hoping to get as many maps from the public as possible for consideration for the City’s move to district elections for the first time ever. The deadline to submit a map for consideration is January 6, 2022.

City of Goleta resident Bill Woodbridge attended a District Elections workshop and was the first person to turn in his map. He is encouraging others to do the same.  He said, “We are lucky to live in a city where they ask you for input, and if they ask you, why wouldn’t you do it?  It took me less than 45 minutes to do the map. It was a fun and challenging experience.”

With district elections, the City will be divided into four districts, and voters in each district will elect a City Council member who lives in their own district. The Mayor will continue to be elected by voters across Goleta.

The upcoming District Elections Workshop on October 21, 2021, will be held during the Public Engagement Commission meeting. A link to the meeting will be available on our website at www.CityofGoleta.org/GoletaMeetings prior to the meeting. National Demographics Corporation (NDC) will lead the workshop and provide training on public mapping tools, including live demonstrations of how to use them, as well as offer feedback on any public map submissions. Spanish interpretation will be available.

Don’t want to wait until the workshop to start drawing a map? Watch our “How to Draw a Map” video tutorial featuring Dr. Daniel Phillips of NDC. The video provides step-by-step instructions on how to draw a map using the DistrictR online mapping tool. The City hopes the video will increase public participation by making the process simple and less intimidating. All you need to do is go to your computer, go to DrawGoleta.org, and play the video in English or Spanish. The final state-adjusted Census population numbers will appear in updated mapping tools on DrawGoleta.org in advance of the October 21 workshop. Anyone who already submitted a map using the previous population estimates will be given the opportunity to adjust their map boundaries, if they want, based on the new numbers.

If you prefer to submit your ideas using a paper map, you can pick one up from Goleta City Hall or the Goleta Valley Library during hours of operation. Again, maps are due by January 6, 2022, to be considered. 

For more information go to www.DrawGoleta.org. For additional questions, contact cityclerkgroup@cityofgoleta.org or call 805-961-7505. Thank you for your interest and participation in shaping the future of Goleta.

Pictured: Goleta resident Bill Woodbridge with his district elections map, and the first one submitted to the City

Co-Response Teams Making a Difference in Goleta

We are thrilled to highlight the partnership the City of Goleta has with the County’s Law Enforcement & Mental Health Co-Response program (COR) operated by the Sheriff’s Office and Behavioral Wellness. The mission of this program is to work with persons with mental health and substance abuse problems that are intersecting with the criminal justice system with the intent of de-escalating crises and diverting persons from the criminal justice system and into treatment. 

The City of Goleta was instrumental in seeing the COR program get off the ground. In early 2019 the Sheriff’s Behavioral Sciences Unit, managed by Dr. Cherylynn Lee, and the City of Goleta co-authored a grant that funded two full time COR teams. These teams have been working within the city since February 2020 and we are excited to share with you some of the outcomes related to their work.

According to data from the Sheriff’s Office, on any given month, approximately 25-35% of all mental health crises calls occur within the Goleta area. Mental health crisis calls include: persons whom are suicidal; persons who are experiencing psychosis; persons whom are under the influence of substances and having psychiatric and behavioral problems; and persons whom are committing crimes and the underlying driver of those behaviors are mental illness. These calls can be complex and often require time and resources beyond what patrol deputies can provide. Having COR teams allows for patrol deputies to be released from these mental health calls quicker and be put back in service to handle crimes and incidents occurring within the city.  

In the year 2020, Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Deputies handled approximately 3,000 mental health crisis calls. Of those 3,000 calls, approximately 1,600 were handled by a COR team. Out of the 1,600 calls handled by a COR team, 11 persons went to jail. The expertise the COR teams have are of immense value to our neighbors who suffer from mental illness. The COR teams receive specialized training and are able to navigate complicated mental health systems to get the person in crisis to the right resource at the right time.  

To see the teams at work, check out this newly released video.

The Sheriff’s Office will be presenting additional information to the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors (BOS) during an upcoming meeting this October or November. We encourage the public to watch for this presentation, titled “Sheriff’s and Behavioral Wellness’ County Co-Response 2020 Quantitative and Qualitative Data and Outcomes Review” on the BOS agenda and participate in public comment as the County plans for the future of this program after the grant funding expires in late 2022. You can find agendas for upcoming BOS meetings on the County Board of Supervisor’s website here.

For more info, please visit the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office YouTube channel, SBSheriffs, where you can meet the Co-Response teams and learn more about this valuable, collaborative approach to mental health and co-occurring substance use disorder crises in Santa Barbara County. You can find even more information about the Co-Response program as well as the Sheriff’s Office Behavioral Science Unit at SBSheriff.org.

Co-Response Team Clinician Marisol and Deputy Plett at work in Goleta

Dr. Cherylynn Lee, Sheriff’s Behavioral Sciences Unit

 

Goleta Resident and WWII Veteran Turns 106!

Each birthday is a blessing and more so if you are a centenarian. Local WWII Veteran Lt. Charles Dever celebrated his 106th birthday by being honored in two ways. First, the City of Goleta wrote a proclamation in his honor, and, second, he was part of a group of seniors who went on a field trip hosted by Dream Flights, a non-profit established and dedicated to honoring seniors and the United States military veterans. Their mission: “Giving Back to Those Who Gave”. Dever and the other veterans enjoyed conversing with the pilots and seeing the planes up-close. He was especially thankful for the honor bestowed on him by the City of Goleta and on behalf of Mayor Paula Perotte.

Born on September 20, 1915, in Englewood, New Jersey, Charles Dever was the fourth of 5 children born to a Tailor. Dever, the only son, helped deliver clothing from his father’s downtown tailor shop. He played football and was a track star in high school but the Great Depression and WW II interrupted his going to college. Instead, he worked at a cosmetics company in New York City, until he was called to service by the Army. He then joined the Army Air Corps was stationed on the east coast before going overseas to North Africa and Western Europe as a Navigator on B-24 airplanes who completed more than 50 missions. Dever was honored with the Distinguished Flying Cross among many other medals. After the war, he moved to Los Angeles, with his wife, to work at a cosmetics company. The couple had two children. In the early 1960s, he went to work for the U.S. Postal Service until he retired in 1980. After retirement, he continued to live in the family home in Fullerton, until July 2019 when he moved into the Mariposa at Ellwood Shores to be closer to his family in Santa Barbara.

Pictured: Lt. Charles Dever shows off his City of Goleta proclamation for his 106-year birthday.

Annual Housing Santa Barbara Day on October 9

Both North and South Santa Barbara County residents are invited to attend Annual Housing Santa Barbara Day this October hosted by 2nd Story Associates with support from the Housing Authority City of Santa Barbara (HACSB). The Santa Barbara event will be held Saturday, October 9th from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at De La Guerra Plaza. A second event will be held in Santa Maria in conjunction with the Housing Authority of the County of Santa Barbara on Saturday, October 16th from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at Town Center West.

Each event will include Housing Partners, Housing-Related Workshops, Tenant and Landlord Resources, Workforce Housing Information, ADU resources, a COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic, Food Booths and Live Music. There will also be fun activities for all ages that include a miniature home building activity. Please note: Masks will be required for all attendees.

This will be the 4th annual Housing Santa Barbara Day in South County and 1st annual Housing Santa Barbara Day in North County. South County will feature over 30 community agencies and service providers along with “free “affordable housing trolley tours.” Tours will leave every 15 minutes from the Plaza with stops at various nearby affordable housing developments. 

Housing Santa Barbara Day is an annual free public event for community members to connect with local non-profit agencies and service providers, and participate in housing related workshops. Housing affordability is vital for the homeless population, low-income residents, and for all workers in all industries that support the community.

“Housing Santa Barbara Day is a day of advocacy and a day to connect working families with the resources that are available,” said Jerry Morales, a HACSB representative. “Both events will give the communities a chance to collaborate with the city to voice their concerns, find affordable housing and spend a day of fun with their families.”

October is national Housing America Month, a time when communities throughout the country celebrate local housing efforts and a time to raise awareness for the need for additional affordable housing through education, advocacy, and empowerment. To learn more about Housing Santa Barbara Day, watch a video here.

2nd Story Associates gratefully acknowledges the following sponsors for supporting Housing Santa Barbara Day: Santa Barbara Foundation, Santa Barbara Community Housing Corporation, Union Bank, Montecito Bank & Trust, Santa Ynez Board of Chumash Indians, American Riviera Bank, The Fund for Santa Barbara and McCune Foundation.

About 2nd Story Associates
2nd Story Associates is a nonprofit corporation created in 2007 for the purpose of funding and developing affordable housing and related social services for the benefit of low-income families, seniors and disabled members of the Santa Barbara community. For more information, visit www.2nd-story.org

About Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara
The Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara is a local public agency created for the purpose of providing safe, decent, and quality affordable housing and supportive services to eligible persons with limited incomes, through a variety of federal, state, local and private resources. Since 1969, the Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara has developed and/or secured over 4,000 units of affordable rental housing for Santa Barbara through a variety of federal, state, local and private funding sources. Please visit the website at hacsb.org.