Author Archives: Jaime Shaw

City Holds First Coffee and Community Event

View video slideshow to see how it went

A great turnout of community members gathered at Nectarine Park in Old Town on Saturday morning, January 21, for the City of Goleta’s first ever “Coffee & Community” (Café y Comunidad) event. Check out our video slideshow to see photos from the memorable morning.

This bilingual event with live interpretation was a great opportunity for neighbors to meet each other and share their thoughts, ideas and concerns with Mayor Paula Perotte, 2nd District City Councilmember James Kyriaco, City Manager Robert Nisbet, Goleta Public Works Director Charlie Ebeling and Neighborhood Services Director Jaime Valdez.  

Community members enjoyed fresh pastries from Goleta Bakery and warm coffee from Old Town Coffee. Councilmember Kyriaco provided updates on some of the important projects happening in Old Town Goleta followed by remarks from Mayor Perotte. City staff then answered questions from the public on a wide range of topics. In addition to the group Q&A time, community members also had time to ask their questions directly to attending Council and staff. 

It was a great way to spend a Saturday morning. Thanks to everyone who participated!

The City plans to hold more Coffee and Community events throughout Goleta. For questions, call or email the City’s Spanish Engagement Specialist Marcos Martinez at (805) 562-5500 or mmartinez@cityofgoleta.org.

Pictured above left-to-right: City Manager Robert Nisbet, Mayor Paula Perotte, 2nd District Councilmember James Kyriaco, Public Works Director Charlie Ebeling, and Neighborhood Services Director Jaime Valdez

Pictured below: Community members during the Q&A portion of the event

Suspects Arrested with 20 Catalytic Converters

Catalytic converter thefts continue to be a crime trend. A traffic enforcement stop on January 17, 2023, resulted in the arrest of two suspects and the recovery of 20 catalytic converters. A Santa Barbra County Sheriff’s deputy on proactive patrol conducted a traffic enforcement stop of a vehicle leaving the Isla Vista area, near Los Carneros Road and Castilian. Deputies found 20 catalytic converters inside the vehicle along with a floor jack and an impact drill. Deputies arrested both occupants of the vehicle, 25-year-old Arman Abrahamyan from Van Nuys and 27-year-old Levon Martirosyan from Glendale for grand theft (felony), possession of burglary tools (misdemeanor), possession of stolen property (felony), and conspiracy (felony).

Here are some tips to help reduce the risk of having your catalytic converter stolen:

  • Keep your vehicle in a locked garage or a well-lit area close to your home. 
  • Set up cameras to record the parking area can help as a deterrent and in the investigation.
  • Install anti-theft devices to make a catalytic converter harder to remove.

Victims can report theft by using the online reporting portal at SBSheriff.org or contact Sheriff’s Dispatch at 805-683-2724.

The City of Goleta contracts with the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office for law enforcement services.

Pictured: Recovered catalytic converters

Goleta Businesses: Burglary Prevention Tips

Book Appointment with CRD Rauch for Free Assessment and Review Burglary Prevention Tips

The City of Goleta would like to remind Goleta business owners and community members that the City’s Community Resource Deputy (CRD) is available to provide free assessments to Goleta businesses to help deter burglaries. Goleta business owners can book an appointment with CRD Ehren Rauch to receive an onsite inspection and personalized tips. Deputy Rauch will come to your business and provide tips on what the business can do to improve employee safety and prepare against burglaries and robberies in this free assessment. 

The City of Goleta partnered with the Goleta Police Department to publish a brochure that provides information on how to book an assessment and includes important tips for businesses such as what to do to avoid a robbery, what to do if a robbery occurs, proper design recommendations and video surveillance advice. The brochure is available at the Sheriff’s substation at the Camino Real Marketplace (7042 Marketplace Drive), Goleta City Hall (130 Cremona Drive), and you can view the brochure with the full list of tips here.

Goleta business owners who want to schedule a free assessment with CRD Rauch, please call (805) 968-3878 or email goletapd@sbsheriff.org.

Thank you to the Goleta Police Department for providing this great resource. 

The City of Goleta contracts with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office for law enforcement services.

Show Your Love for Goleta Businesses!

Shop GoodLandGoodShopping.com for Valentine’s Day 

Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to show your love for Goleta by shopping local. We encourage you to go to GoodLandGoodShopping.com to  purchase digital gift cards for meals, services and more at locally owned businesses and merchants. This makes a great gift for loved ones or a nice way to treat yourself!

To promote GoodLandGoodShopping this Valentine’s Day, the City is highlighting each of our GoodLandGoodShopping.com vendors on our social media sites (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram). Look for a spotlight every day on our channels from now through February 14th.

We are so appreciative of our awesome Goleta businesses that offer us much to love year – here’s a chance to show them some love! Make sure you visit www.GoodLandGoodShopping.com to view a list of registered local Goleta merchants to find one-of-a-kind gifts.

If you are a Goleta business and haven’t signed up to be a part of GoodLandGoodShopping, it’s not too late. All you need to do is go to https://www.goodlandgoodshopping.com/signup and follow the simple steps.

For questions about GoodLandGoodShopping.com and how to participate, email websupport@giftbar.com or call 866-989-5580. If you have questions for the City, email Kelly Hoover at PIO@cityofgoleta.org. And remember to follow us on social media (@cityofgoleta) for Valentine’s Day gift ideas!

Apply to Be on the City’s Public Tree Advisory Commission

City Looking to Fill Three Vacancies: Applications Due February 17

Do you live in Goleta and have an interest in Urban Forestry? Then you should consider applying for the City’s Public Tree Advisory Commission (PTAC). There are three vacancies on this five-member body and applications are due on February 17, 2023.

The Public Tree Advisory Commission provides advice to staff and the City Council in developing plans and goals for the Goleta Urban Forest, represents the interests of the community, and informs the community of the Urban Forestry program as directed by the City Council.

Urban forests encompass the trees and shrubs in an urban area, including trees in yards, along streets and corridors, in watersheds, and more. Urban forests are important because they are the trees right outside our doors providing air, shade, and beauty.

Each Commissioner serves a four-year term. Eligible applicants must live in the City of Goleta. The Commission holds six regular meetings and may hold additional meetings as needed; members are compensated $50 per meeting.

Apply by February 17 at 5:00 p.m. on the City’s website at https://www.cityofgoleta.org/boardscommissions. For additional information, please email cityclerkgroup@cityofgoleta.org.

Thank you for considering this important role in your community.

2023 Point-in-Time Count

The County now has a better idea of the number of people experiencing homelessness in Santa Barbara County following the annual Point-in-Time Count.  On January 25, almost 40 volunteers, including Mayor Paula Perotte and Goleta staff, met at Goleta City Hall Council Chambers at 5:00 a.m. for an important cause. The volunteers were part of the County-wide 2023 Point-in-Time (PIT) Count. The PIT Count is an annual count required by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) of sheltered (emergency shelter, transitional housing, or Safe Havens) and unsheltered people experiencing homelessness on a single night in January. Goleta City Hall served as one of the meeting spots for volunteers this year.

Volunteers were placed in different Count teams and assigned their own routes to document who is experiencing homelessness. Each homeless person was offered packs of tissues, socks, snacks, and other essentials. 

The PIT Count is an essential element in the effort to end homelessness. The data gathered shows so much more than how many people are homeless in Santa Barbara County – we also learn more about who is homeless and why. The count was scheduled to take place at 5:00 a.m. because people are more stationary and less likely to be counted twice.

Information from the PIT Count is used to plan local homeless assistance systems, justify funding, raise public awareness, and track trends that can help the County determine how to best serve the homeless population. 

Thank you to the dedicated individuals that volunteered to help complete the PIT Count for 2023!

Pictured above: Former Santa Barbara County Public Health Director Van Do-Reynoso (center) with community volunteers

Pictured below from left to right: City of Goleta Neighborhood Services Director Jaime Valdez, Associate Director of Programs for the Santa Barbara Alliance for Community Transformation (SBACT) Katherine Soto-Vasquez, and City of Goleta Homelessness Services Coordinator Chuck Flacks

 

City Adopts Housing Plan

Addresses Local Housing Needs for the Next Eight Years

The City of Goleta has a new Housing Element for the next eight years. The Council unanimously adopted the City’s 2023-2031 Housing Element at its January 17, 2023 City Council meeting. As a result, the City will submit its Housing Element to the State for review in advance of the February 15, 2023 statutory deadline. The adopted Housing Element addresses comments received from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) and provides zoned residential capacity that meets the City’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) for the 6th Housing Cycle (2023-2031).

Goleta’s Housing Element establishes City policies and programs for maintaining and improving existing housing and plans for sufficient residential capacity to meet the City’s share of the regional housing need, both overall and by affordability level.The adopted Housing Element plans for a total residential capacity of 2,614 housing units. Goleta’s mandated RHNA is 1,837 units. 

Meeting the State’s housing mandate requires the City to identify housing sites adequate to accommodate the City’s share of regional housing need. The City is not required to build housing on these sites itself. Rather, the Housing Element planning process paves the way for private builders to develop housing projects on the sites identified. Any housing proposed on these sites must satisfy important criteria and considerations, such as environmental factors and adequate water supply.  

The adopted Housing Element strives to preserve and protect Goleta’s unique community character as much as possible. A major focus of the plan is on underutilized sites within the urban area. The plan relies on sites already zoned for residential uses and none of the sites identified for potential housing is on land currently zoned for agriculture.

City of Goleta’s Mayor Paula Perotte said, “A big thank you to City staff for crafting this updated plan and meeting the State’s mandate. I am hopeful that over time we can address local needs for increased availability and affordability of housing for residents.”

City of Goleta’s Planning and Environmental Review Director Peter Imhof said, “We are very happy to be on track with our Housing Element update for the 6th housing cycle, which meets all State requirements and does its part to accommodate Goleta’s share of the region’s housing need.” 

State law requires each jurisdiction in Santa Barbara County to prepare a comprehensive update to its respective Housing Element of the General Plan for the 2023-2031 period. It is important that a City’s Housing Element comply with State law to enhance eligibility for grant funds and to support local land use authority.

The City originally submitted its Draft Housing Element 2023-2031 to the State in the summer of 2022. HCD requested more information to be included in the document and the City’s Planning and Environmental Review Department revised the document to provide the requested information.  The Planning Commission reviewed the draft Housing Element on December 12, 2022 and recommended City Council adoption.

Changes to the revised draft being submitted to the State include:

  • Furthering fair housing opportunities.
  • Strengthening programs addressing the needs of extremely low-income (ELI) households and persons with special housing needs.
  • Revising the inventory of housing sites, which led to an increase in the overall estimated capacity of housing units Goleta can accommodate from 2,065 to 2,614.
  • Analysis of the special needs population, which includes the elderly, persons with disabilities, large families with five or more members, female headed households, farmworkers and the homeless, and resources to address those housing needs.

The City’s adopted Housing Element now goes to the State for review.

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.

Are You Ready for an Earthquake?

Make a Plan and Sign up for Alerts

Our community just faced a natural disaster in the form of storms and flooding. There are other possible disasters that can occur in California, including earthquakes. The best time to prepare for an earthquake is before it happens. Whether you live, go to school, or work in an area prone to earthquakes, it is essential to have an emergency plan in place to know what to do if an earthquake were to happen and how to recover quickly following an earthquake. 

The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) has a statewide warning system, Earthquake Warning California, to give residents crucial seconds to take cover before you feel shaking. Visit earthquake.ca.gov to learn more and download the MyShake App to your mobile phone.

Individuals can play a key role in helping others appropriately prepare for the next major earthquake. Share information with neighbors, family members, friends, and others within your community.

Here are some important safety tips to help be earthquake ready:

  • Talk about earthquakes with your family so everyone knows what to do. Discussions ahead of time help reduce fear, particularly for younger children.
  • Protect your property. Secure heavy items in your home like bookcases, refrigerators, televisions, and objects that hang on walls.
  • Depending on your needs, there are alternatives to Drop, Cover & Hold On. If using a walker or wheelchair: Lock, Cover & Hold On. If in a recliner or bed: cover your head & neck with your arms or a pillow.
  • Remember that aftershocks can happen after an earthquake. Text loved ones to let them know you’re ok instead of calling. Save your battery by only using your phone for emergencies.
  • After an earthquake happens, clean-up begins. Wear protective clothing. Put on thick-soled shoes, work gloves, and goggles. Work with others to lift heavy objects.

A thoughtful preparedness plan can help reduce the number of injuries and deaths during an earthquake and lead to a quick recovery for a resilient California.

To learn which resources are available to you and how to react, visit https://www.ready.gov/earthquakes and https://earthquake.ca.gov/.

Decommissioning Project Update

Great progress is being made on the California State Lands Commission’s oil and gas decommissioning project taking place near Haskell’s Beach. The crews have removed the huge concrete caisson walls on PRC 421-1 and will start removing the second caisson walls on PRC-421-2 soon. Once both caisson walls have been removed, crews will start dismantling the piers. The caisson wall removal is a huge milestone in this important oil and gas decommissioning and beach restoration project along a pristinely beautiful stretch of Goleta Coastline. The entire project is on track to finish by 2023.

Pictured above and below: photos of the work being done, courtesy of the State Lands Commission.

 

Historic Oath of Office Swearing-In on December 20th

The City held its first ever District Election this past November and a Councilmember was elected for District One and District Two. Current Councilmember James Kyriaco was elected to represent District Two which encompasses Southeast Goleta and the Old Town Area. Luz Reyes-Martin was elected to represent District One which encompasses Northeast Goleta and the Fairview area.

Districts Three and Four in Western Goleta will be decided in the 2024. The Mayor’s position is elected city-wide and will be on the 2024 ballot. To find out what district you live in, click here. 

Luz Reyes-Martin may be a new face to the Goleta City Council but she is familiar to many in the community. She proudly served on the Goleta Union School District Board for the last eight years and is passionately involved in the community. Reyes-Martin has a Masters Degrees in land use planning and in public administration, and began her professional career working to support economic development and community programs at the city level. Later, she worked as the Executive Director of Public Affairs and Communications at Santa Barbara City College. Reyes-Martin lives in Goleta with her husband and two young children.

Upon certification, James Kyriaco and Luz Reyes-Martin will be sworn in and take their oaths of office at beginning of the December 20th Council meeting. The public is invited to attend in person in City Council Chambers (130 Cremona Drive, Suite B) or watch live on our website (www.CityofGoleta.org/GoletaMeetings) or Goleta TV Channel 19. At the meeting, the Council will also select a Mayor Pro-Tempore.