Author Archives: Jaime Shaw

Attention Businesses: Apply for a Goleta ReStart Loan from WEV

Goleta ReStart Loans are still available to help businesses within Goleta city limits reopen and adapt to operating under proper public health guidelines due to COVID-19. The City of Goleta collaborated with Women’s Economic Ventures (WEV) to provide a program specifically for Goleta-based small businesses. 

The loan program provides loans up to $25,000 with a 4.50% fixed interest rate with up to a 60 month repayment term with interest only payments for the first six payment cycle in order to provide for more time to re-establish cash flow and capacity to rebuild/reopen the business. The City of Goleta contributed $200,000 in order to support the small business loan program for Goleta small businesses. This is a critical step in the City’s economic relief and recovery efforts.

City of Goleta Mayor Paula Perotte said, “The WEV ReStart Loan program will provide immediate funding on favorable terms and WEV’s highly-regarded financial expertise to our small businesses.”

“Business owners consistently say community support is a key factor in sustaining their resolve through the pandemic,” shared WEV CEO Kathy Odell. “Our ReStart Loans will provide the capital necessary to retain employees, modify business practices and acquire new equipment and/or supplies required for safe re-opening. Additionally, ReStart Loan recipients are eligible to receive business advisory services from WEV.”

Learn more and apply today at www.wevonline.org/loans-2/restart.

Apply Now for County of Santa Barbara’s COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program

The County of Santa Barbara Emergency Rental Assistance Program, administered through United Way of Santa Barbara County, is now accepting applications at https://www.unitedwaysb.org/rent.

The program is open to Santa Barbara County tenant-households with an annual income at or below 80 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI), who have experienced a loss of income due to or during the COVID-19 pandemic and experiencing a risk of homelessness or housing instability. 

Qualified applicants may apply for rent and utility debt dating back to March 2020. To apply, go to unitedwaysb.org/rent. To check the status of an application already submitted to United Way, tenants or landlords may call (805) 965-8591. 

A separate California Emergency Rental Assistance application portal is closed to new applications for Santa Barbara County residents.  Applications already received will continue to be processed.  Tenants or landlords who need to confirm the status of an application with the state program may call (833) 430-2122 or go to their application at housing.ca.gov.

California Becomes First State with COVID-19 Vaccine Requirements for Schools

After implementing first-in-the-nation school masking and staff vaccination measures, California becomes the first state to announce plans to require student vaccinations – adding the COVID-19 vaccine to list of vaccinations required for school, such as the vaccines for measles, mumps, and rubella

Students will be required to be vaccinated for in person learning starting the term following FDA full approval of the vaccine for their grade span (7-12 and K-6).

At a school in San Francisco, Governor Newsom announced plans to add the COVID-19 vaccine to the list of vaccinations required to attend school in-person when the vaccine receives full approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for middle and high school grades, making California the first state in the nation to announce such a measure. Following the other first-in-the-nation school masking and staff vaccination measures, Governor Newsom announced the COVID-19 vaccine will be required for in-person school attendance—just like vaccines for measles, mumps, rubella and more.

“The state already requires that students are vaccinated against viruses that cause measles, mumps, and rubella – there’s no reason why we wouldn’t do the same for COVID-19. Today’s measure, just like our first-in-the-nation school masking and staff vaccination requirements, is about protecting our children and school staff, and keeping them in the classroom,” said Governor Newsom. “Vaccines work. It’s why California leads the country in preventing school closures and has the lowest case rates. We encourage other states to follow our lead to keep our kids safe and prevent the spread of COVID-19.”

Read the full press release from the Governor’s office here.

Pictured: Governor Newsom

#VaccinateGoleta COVID-19 Updates

The City of Goleta wants to remind everyone to #VaccinateGoleta. As of September 30, 2021, only 68.4% of eligible (12 years and older) Santa Barbara County residents are fully vaccinated. This is up around 4% from one month ago, but there is still a lot of work to do. Please get vaccinated if you haven’t already, and encourage your friends and family to do the same. Mayor Paula Perotte and all of the Goleta City Council members share the importance of getting vaccinated in our #VaccinateGoleta video message available in English and Spanish.

View the Santa Barbara County Community Data Dashboard for more information on COVID-19 locally.

New COVID-19 Testing Location in Goleta

A mini-bus testing site is now located at Direct Relief in Goleta (6100 Wallace Becknell Rd, Santa Barbara) every Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. This is in addition to the Goleta Valley Community Center testing site and other sites throughout the County. Click here for all locations and hours.

COVID-19 booster shots endorsed by CDC for those at highest risk

By Dr. Henning Ansorg, M.D., FACP, Health Officer County of Santa Barbara, Department of Public Health

You may have heard that a COVID-19 booster shot is being recommended and are wondering if you are eligible for it and if you should get it.

On Friday, September 24, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) endorsed the recommendation for a booster shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in certain populations and for persons in high risk occupational and institutional settings.

People previously vaccinated with Pfizer BioNTech who SHOULD receive a booster include:

People who MAY CONSIDER receiving a booster based on their individual benefits and risks include:

  • Age 18 through 49 years with underlying medical conditions; and
  • Age 18 through 64 who are at increased risk of exposure to COVID-19 due to their occupation or institutional setting. The CDC currently defines occupations at increased risk for COVID-19 as:
    • First responders (healthcare workers, firefighters, police, congregate care staff)
    • Education staff (teachers, support staff, daycare workers)
    • Food and agriculture workers
    • Manufacturing workers
    • Corrections workers
    • U.S. Postal Service workers
    • Public transit workers
    • Grocery store workers

Why do I need a booster shot?

COVID-19 booster doses are meant to boost immunity that may have waned overtime and are the same dose of vaccine that were given as part of the primary series. Those that should receive a booster dose are at highest risk of hospitalization or death and need to be prioritized for booster doses.  

Booster doses can be received at least six months after completion of the initial vaccine series. California is ready to administer boosters to those that are recommended for boosters immediately.

What about those who didn’t get the Pfizer-BioNTech shot?

At this time, CDC is evaluating available data to make recommendations for other populations or people who got the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines. We are anticipating these recommendations imminently.

Where do I get a booster shot?

You may obtain your booster shot at local pharmacies and in some instances, through your primary care provider. Please consult with your primary health care provider if you have questions about receiving a booster shot.

Source: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/booster-shot.html

For information about the COVID-19 vaccine and countywide availability, please visit www.publichealthsbc.org/vaccine/ or call 2-1-1.

City Appeals County-Approved Cannabis Cultivation Project

The City of Goleta has appealed the County of Santa Barbara’s approval of a cannabis cultivation project located just outside of the City’s limits near the Winchester Canyon Road neighborhood. Santa Barbara County has permit authority over commercial cannabis operations within the County’s unincorporated area and, on September 16, 2021, approved the White Light Cannabis Cultivation Project. The project calls for the development of 17 acres of nursery and outdoor cannabis cultivation, processing and distribution on a property zoned for agricultural use (AG-ll-100) at 222 Winchester Canyon Road, 0.5 miles outside of City limits. The decision comes after the City has repeatedly expressed its concerns about the project and notified the County that the City would appeal the decision if it was approved without addressing the City’s concerns.

Mayor Paula Perotte said, “The County has not addressed our concerns surrounding the project prior to the project being approved. A cannabis cultivation project has no place near a residential neighborhood without adequate safeguards and environmental review.”

The City’s primary concerns relate to hydrogen sulfide (H2S) hazards known to occur in the well water in the area, the lack of an H2S Safety Plan, an inadequate Odor Abatement Plan relating to cannabis odors, and insufficient environmental review as required by the California Environmental Quality Act. More detailed information about these concerns can be found on the City website at https://www.cityofgoleta.org/city-hall/planning-and-environmental-review/county-cannabis-permitting.

The City’s appeal will be heard by the County Planning Commission along with any other appeals at a future date to be determined. The County Planning Commission’s review is de novo, meaning it gets to consider the facts and permit findings anew, without deference to the staff-level decision. 

Four New Neighborhood Playgrounds Break Ground

We are so excited to be breaking ground on four of the City’s neighborhood parks! Children will be able to play on the amazing new equipment before the end of the year. Each of the parks will have their own set of play equipment that came about after receiving community input on what the people who lived nearby felt was most important for their neighborhood playground.

New playground equipment will be installed at Andamar, Berkely, and Winchester II parks. There is something for adults as well; outdoor fitness equipment will be going in at Winchester I park.

City of Goleta Parks and Recreation Manager said, “This has been a long process, but the excitement is high as we near the day when children will be able to play on new equipment that will challenge and enhance their creativity, physicality and social experiences. We will do our best to minimize the impacts to the neighbors, while working hard to bring the community amazing new playgrounds and outdoor fitness equipment.”

Below is information on each park and its construction timeline:

  • Berkely Park: The park broke ground on October 4th and is expected to wrap up by the end of October. The existing play equipment will be replaced by new equipment for ages 2 – 5 and 5 – 12. The toddler area will have a dual bouncer and a climbing feature. The play area for kids 5 – 12 years old will have a climbing structure.

  • Winchester I Park: Construction began on October 5th and will take about four weeks to complete. The park will have outdoor fitness equipment available for community members 13 years and older. Four different machines will be added along the north east side of the park to allow for maximum green space and ADA accessibility.

  • Winchester II Park: Work begins on Wednesday, October 6th and we anticipate the new play area being ready for kids to use by the end of November. This park is getting a large makeover. It currently has only one swing set, and we are so excited to be adding two play features with climbers and swings; one for children 2 – 5 years old and the other for children 5 – 12 years old. Even with the expanded play equipment, there will still be room for t-ball and soccer activities for children eight and under. We are also adding seating and shade for users and spectators.

  • Andamar Park: Construction is tentatively planned to start at the end of October and will take about two months. The size of the play area will increase, and the existing equipment will be replaced with swings and a play structure that includes climbing, monkey bars and slides for both toddlers and school age children. We are also adding a merry-go-round, benches and shade.

During construction, portions of the park(s), or in some cases the entire park(s), will be closed to public access. Please keep in my mind this schedule is tentative and could be modified based on field and/or weather conditions.

Thank you for your patience as we work to bring new playground equipment to Goleta! For more information, visit the project page on our website here.

For questions, please contact JoAnne Plummer, Project Manager, at jplummer@cityofgoleta.org or (805) 562-5505. Stay tuned for a ribbon-cutting announcement. 

Park renderings below:

Berkeley Park (area for children ages 5-12 years old)

Berkeley Park (area for children 2-5 years old)

Winchester I Park

Winchester II Park

 

Andamar Park

New Electricity Provider Begins Service in Goleta – Watch Video

The moment the City of Goleta has been waiting for is finally here! Goleta now has a new electricity provider, Central Coast Community Energy (3CE), to purchase clean and renewable energy on behalf of all electricity customers in the City. 3CE will begin on your normal meter-read date during the month of October. 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.

The move to 3CE is a huge step towards furthering Goleta’s commitment to reach 100% renewable power by 2030. The new energy model will both help set the region on a path of clean energy solutions and help stimulate the local economy.

Central Coast Community Energy, or 3CE, serves nearly 400,000 customers throughout the Central Coast and follows the same structure as more than 20 other community choice energy agencies serving more than 11 million customers throughout Californian.

When a Community Choice Energy program launches, all customers are automatically enrolled in the new program, allowing them to get the benefits of more renewable energy and access to new rebates and programs to make clean energy technologies more affordable. No action is required.

The main benefits include:

  • Cleaner electricity with lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
  • Competitive electricity rates
  • Access to Energy Program rebates and incentives designed to assist customers with the transition from fossil fuel sources to clean energy solutions
  • Local control and local accountability of our energy provider
  • New opportunities for local jobs and renewable energy projects
  • Opportunities for greater local resilience
  • Faster progress toward local climate goals

Goleta customers can expect that their electrical bill will STILL come from Southern California Edison but will now include Central Coast Community Energy Electric Generation charges. SCE will no longer charge for electric generation services – there are no duplicate or extra charges. The 3CE charges will appear as a separate line item on page one of your energy bill. 

You can also learn more about the new service by attending an upcoming webinar hosted by 3CE in November. Sign up at 3CEnergy.org/2021-enrollment. You can also view a recording of a previously held residential webinar here and commercial/agricultural webinar here.

If you have questions, you can contact a local customer service Energy Advisor: 888-909-6227, or contact Central Cost Community Energy Customer Service at SouthSupport@3CE.org, or visit 3CEnergy.org/2021-enrollment.

County Mental Health Support Services Survey on COVID-19

Globally and nationally, the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected many people’s mental health and created new challenges for people already suffering from mental illness and substance use disorders. In order to ascertain and respond to needs locally, the County of Santa Barbara, in partnership with community mental health and wellness partners and stakeholders, is seeking input to help determine mental health and substance use disorder services to meet the needs of our community.

The whole community is invited to respond to a short 10- to 15-minute survey during September. Data gathered through the survey will be used to identify and tailor services to meet the needs of community members. The survey is available electronically in English and Spanish, and on the County’s website at recoverysbc.org/covidrecovery/. The survey will also be conducted in the field by service providers for populations less likely to have access to an electronic survey.

In June, the County Board of Supervisors authorized the use of federal ARPA funding (American Rescue Plan Act) to expedite an assessment of mental health needs resulting from COVID 19, and to develop a plan to initiate identified priority services in conjunction with partners to promote recovery and resiliency in individuals and our overall community.

“Isolation, quarantine, remote learning, business impacts and physical distancing has impacted everyone; some more than others,” said Suzanne Grimmesey, MFT, PIO/Chief Quality Care and Strategy Officer for the County of Santa Barbara Department of Behavioral Wellness. “It is critical that necessary supports to address the unique impacts of COVID-19 are in place in a timely manner to help our community through recovery. We could not be more appreciative of the County Board of Supervisors for recognizing a need to address whole-community mental health and supporting this collaborative effort.”

The process is being led by the County Department of Behavioral Wellness and the Community Wellness Team, along with a broad stakeholder group that provided input on the assessment processes including key populations and targeted outreach strategies. The survey was developed with assistance from mental health experts from UCSB to assure efficacy. The survey includes questions from the 2019 Cottage Health Population Health Survey, and from previous children’s mental health surveys.

Data from this survey will be reviewed and compared against previous surveys. A separate survey designed to assess the impact of the pandemic on children ages 0-5 is under development, and will be sent out at a later date. Collaborative community partners include those listed below in alphabetical order.

For more information about the process and recovery plan, the public may contact Suzanne Grimmesey at suzkirk@sbcbwell.org.

Preserving Local Water Quality: Lake Los Carneros – A Living Ecosystem

Local water quality and the preservation of open space and natural areas are high priorities for the City of Goleta. Lake Los Carneros is a living ecosystem that requires freshwater inputs from winter rains to ensure a healthy aquatic environment for birds, fish, and plants.  When we experience drier winters, the lake level drops, and the water heats up faster during the summer months.  Warmer water encourages algae growth that can lead to less dissolved oxygen in the water when the algae die.  During some years, the oxygen levels drop below critical thresholds necessary for fish to survive.  This cycle of events occurred at Lake Los Carneros this year, which led to a fish die-off in July and noticeable odors in adjacent residential areas.  The dead fish, including bass and catfish, were removed and a temporary aeration system was deployed to increase dissolved oxygen levels in the lake.  No dead turtles or birds were observed during the temporary change in water quality.

Several longer-term solutions are being evaluated to improve water quality, wildlife habitat, and fishing opportunities at Lake Los Carneros.  Potential options include permanent, solar-powered aerators to reduce fish die-offs.  Other future actions may include lakebed sediment removal to reduce high nutrient levels and selective harvesting of vegetation.  Some of these solutions will require significant funding, permitting, and community support to accomplish. 

There are several significant maintenance and enhancement needs throughout Goleta’s open space, including trail improvements, fuel management to reduce the risk of wildfires, and upland habitat restoration. The wooden footbridge, which is closed due to public safety concerns, also requires significant funding to remove and replace. With so many competing needs at Lake Los Carneros and throughout the City, management actions need to be prioritized to match limited anticipated funding levels as the City plans for the future.

Priorities for funding are typically recommended annually by City departments and then approved by the Goleta City Council.  For Lake Los Carneros, a comprehensive management plan serves as the community’s guiding document to prioritize needed maintenance and improvements to critical infrastructure, habitats, and recreation amenities.

The City’s Parks and Open Space Division will be hosting a series of events during Spring 2022 to begin updating the Lake Los Carneros Management Plan.  The current plan is over 20 years old and was developed when the area was still managed by Santa Barbara County Parks.  The plan can be reviewed here.

Stay in the know on Lake Los Carneros by signing up for our Public Works updates here.

For more information about Lake Los Carneros, please contact George Thomson, Parks and Open Space Manager at (805) 961-7578 or gthomson@cityofgoleta.org.

Planning Commission Public Hearings – September 13

The public is invited to participate in two public hearings at the upcoming virtual Planning Commission meeting on September 13, 2021, at 6:00 p.m.

One of the public hearings is to consider a resolution recommending to the City Council to adopt two new affordable housing fees and adopt associated Title 17 Amendments. City Council will consider the recommendation at a later hearing to adopt the fees and amendments to Title 17. View the Notice here.

The City hosted a virtual public meeting on August 24, 2021, regarding two ongoing Affordable Housing Fee Studies. The two studies support adoption of affordable housing fees for new residential and non-residential development to implement policies established in the City’s General Plan Housing Element. A recording of the meeting is available here. Slides from the presentation are also available here.

The other public hearing is to consider a resolution recommending to the City Council adoption of General Plan and Zoning Amendments to Allow Entertainment and Recreation Services in the General Commercial (C-G) land use designation and zoning district.

The C-G land use designation and zoning district includes various commercial parcels around the City. C-G currently allows a variety of commercial and heavy commercial uses. However, the General Plan and the City’s zoning regulations do not currently allow entertainment and recreation uses, like gyms and dance studios, in C-G. The proposed General Plan and Zoning Amendments would make those types of uses allowed uses in C-G. View the Notice here. 

The agenda and how to participate will be available prior to the meeting date at www.CityofGoleta.org/GoletaMeetings.