Daily Archives: March 29, 2022

Change Your Clock, Change Your Batteries

In light of the recent time change, the Santa Barbara County Fire Department wants to remind residents to make another change that could save their lives – changing the batteries in their smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.

To save lives and prevent needless injuries, the Santa Barbara County Fire Department has joined the “Change Your Clock, Change Your Battery” campaign. The program urges all Americans to adopt a simple, lifesaving habit: changing smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector batteries when changing clocks to daylight savings time.

The peak time for home fire fatalities is between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. when most families are sleeping. Smoke alarm maintenance is a simple, effective way to reduce home fire deaths. A working smoke alarm can give your family the extra seconds you need to get out of a home fire safely.

In addition, the Santa Barbara County Fire Department recommends testing smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors by pushing the test button, planning “two ways out” and practicing escape routes with the entire family. Families should also prepare a fire safety kit that includes working flashlights and fresh batteries.

Photo courtesy of the National Fire Protection Agency

Get Your Home Energy Savings DIY Toolkit & Attend Webinar

Earth Day DIY Toolkit Webinar on April 21

Do you know how much energy is used in your home? Is your home using energy efficiently, or is it going to waste? Want to learn how saving energy can benefit you, your home, and our climate?

The Tri-County Regional Energy Network (3C-REN) has partnered with local libraries to bring you the Home Energy Savings DIY Toolkit! Join in Thursday evening, April 21st at 6:00 p.m. for the DIY Toolkit Earth Day Webinar which will cover the tools, equipment and a guide to help you save energy and increase the comfort of your home. The kit has FREE items (Yes, we said it, “FREE!”) for you to install in your home as well as tools to conduct your own home-assessment and later return after use. Additionally, the presentation will cover how 3C-REN can help you save energy and make your home healthier and more comfortable. Register here today and learn more at 3C-REN.org!

Home Energy Savings DIY Toolkits are available now at the Goleta, Buellton and Solvang Library branches and can be checked out through the Library of Things collection. Kits include items for you to keep like LED light bulbs, outlet gaskets, weather stripping, and water leak detection dye tablets; and tools you will return like an infrared laser thermometer and a Kill-A-Watt meter.

New System Debuting at Library

Libraries Closed April 22 & 23

Library staff is busily working behind the scenes to get our new Circulation, Acquisitions, and Materials Management system ready for debut on April 25. In order for this to happen, the libraries will be closed on Friday, April 22 and Saturday, April 23. Patrons will also not be able to place holds on any items from home on either of those two days.  

We apologize for this inconvenience. Bywater Solutions, the new company we’re using, has to capture all of our data from all the remaining Black Gold libraries and import it into our new Koha system. To do this, there can be no activity at all on our end.

We are taking the opportunity to hold an All-Staff Training for staff from all three branches on these two days. We hope to be experts in the new system by April 25th when you get to experience it for the first time!

Our Water Our World: Controlling Moles, Voles, and Gophers

Learn how to control moles, voles, and gophers with these tips from the City of Goleta Environmental Services Division.

Moles, voles, and gophers are small, mouse-like animals that are found outdoors in your backyard. These mammals look similar, live underground, and move quickly, so it can be difficult to distinguish them. One way to know if you have moles, voles, or gophers is to look at the soil mounds or holes in your backyard.

Do You Have Moles, Voles or Gophers?

  • Moles travel through a network of raised tunnels and create cone-shaped soil mounds entrance holes
  • Moles have oversized front claws, sensitive snouts, and poor eyesight
  • Voles travel through a network of closed or partly exposed tunnels and create clean, golf-ball sized entrance holes
  • Voles look the most like mice and have short tails and round bodies
  • Gophers create a crescent-shaped soil mound with a plugged opening
  • Gophers are larger than moles or voles and have yellow-orange teeth

Did You Know?

  • Moles usually do not eat plants and can usually be found after a rain event
  • Vole populations can quickly reach up to thousands per acre
  • Gophers carry food and nesting material in their cheek pouches

What Can You Do?

Different methods can be used to remove moles, voles, and gophers such as creating barriers or using traps. The most effective and less toxic method to control moles, voles, and gophers is to create barriers. To prevent these animals temporarily, purchase castor oil-based repellents. It is not recommended to use any poisons, fumigants, or devices that cause fire (incendiary devices).

  • Build in barriers. Use wire baskets when planting fruit trees or other plants. For planter beds, lay wire mesh or hardware cloth across the entire bottom.
  • Use the correct measurements. Certain measurements should be used when installing barriers. If you have voles, bury ¼-inch wire mesh 6 to 10 inches below the surface and leave 12 inches above the surface. For gophers, bury at least 24 inches below the surface.
  • Use a wire basket. For delicate plants, use wire baskets, also known as “gopher baskets.”
  • Remove weeds. Remove weeds or other unwanted plants, which can attract these animals.
  • Avoid and remove dense foliage. Voles use dense foliage to hide from predators, such as owls and hawks.
  • Call in professionals. If you want to trap and remove these animals, it is recommended to call a professional because trapping can be dangerous.

Find more information on controlling moles, voles, and gophers with eco-friendly products in our OWOW brochure. 

The City of Goleta along with the Cities of Buellton, Carpinteria, Solvang, Santa Barbara, Santa Maria and the County of Santa Barbara have partnered with the OWOW organization to promote the use of less-toxic products in an effort to reduce pesticide pollution in our communities. By reducing pesticide use and the use of less-toxic products around the home, you can help reduce pesticides and other pollutants such as herbicides and fertilizers from being picked up while watering or when it rains and transported to the nearest storm drain inlet and into our waterways. The OWOW website is a great resource for finding less-toxic products to use around your home or garden.

Green Business Program

Did you know that the City of Goleta is home to many certified Green Businesses? These local businesses have gone above and beyond to achieve certification through the Green Business Program of Santa Barbara County. Certified Green Businesses conserve resources and save money by implementing sustainability measures in the areas of energy conservation and efficiency, water conservation and efficiency, waste minimization, recycling, environmentally preferable purchasing practices, and transportation. To see a list of Goleta Green Businesses, visit the Green Business Program’s website here: https://search.greenbusinessca.org/

Do you own a business in Santa Barbara County?  

Now is a great time to become a Certified Green Business! The California Green Business Network (CAGBN), in partnership with the California Environmental Protection Agency, has rebates available to assist businesses with the updates and upgrades that are required to become a Certified Green Business. Up to $500 per business is available on first-come first-served basis, until the available funds are spent. The rebates can be used to cover the cost of expenses such as low-flow water fixtures, recycled paper, reusable utensils and eco-friendly cleaning products.

For more information on the Green Business Program, contact Frances Gilliland at (805) 729-3472 or email coordinator@greenbizsbc.org.  Ready to sign up? Visit www.greenbusinessca.org/SantaBarbaraCounty

Green Room: Earth Day 2022

Join Us at the Earth Day Celebration on April 23!

There are many local groups that celebrate Earth Day by challenging us to make small but important changes in our day to day lives. Come learn about those simple lifestyle choices that lead to a large impact over time at the Santa Barbara’s 2022 Earth Day Celebration. Stop by the City of Goleta’s table at this year’s Earth Day Celebration on Saturday, April 23 from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. at the Arlington Theatre (1317 State Street). This is a free community event hosted by the Community Environmental Council (CEC); there is also a ticketed concert at 7:30 p.m.

Goleta is a community that cares deeply about its impact on the environment. Every April we get an amazing opportunity to celebrate Earth Day, a movement that began in Santa Barbara. In 1970, 20 million Americans took to the streets and parks on the first Earth Day to learn about how they could protect the environment, creating a national shock wave that fueled rapid and impactful action. Learn more about the History of Earth Day.

Also consider attending Free Day At The Santa Barbara Zoo on Tuesday, April 19 from 9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Enjoy free admission, free parking, and special conservation keeper talks. Due to limited capacity, you must make a reservation online for this event.

Earth Month Challenges

The City of Goleta has put together some Earth Month challenges to help residents reduce their impact on the environment. These challenges are for four main areas including Energy, Transportation, Water, and Waste.

Energy

  • The Great Unplug: Did you know that Americans add an estimated 44 million tons of CO2 by just leaving their devices plugged in when not in use? Try unplugging your electronics when not in use or using a strip outlet to eliminate phantom power use.
  • Opt for 100% Renewable Electricity: Goleta residents enrolled with Central Coast Community Energy can opt up to 100% clean, renewable energy with 3Cprime. Enroll today to reduce your carbon footprint.

Transportation

  • Get Alternative: The transportation sector is the number one contributor to Santa Barbara County’s greenhouse gas emissions. If you have access, try riding a bike, taking an MTD bus, carpooling or even walking to get to your intended destination.
  • Electrify Your Ride: Goleta residents and businesses enrolled with Central Coast Community Energy can qualify for rebates on new and used electric vehicles, e-bikes, and charging infrastructure. Making the switch can help you save on fuel and reduce emissions.

Water

  • Schedule a FREE residential water conservation checkup by calling (805) 964 – 6761.
  • Take shorter showers: By reducing shower time from 20 minutes to 5 minutes you can save roughly 37 gallons of water. Review more indoor conservation tips.
  • Water landscaping during non–daylight hours: Set your timer for the early morning or late evening for best results. Learn more irrigation tips.
  • Switch to drought tolerant landscaping: Landscape irrigation is estimated to account for 50% of annual residential water consumption statewide. It total, it accounts for 9% of all state water use. Lawns alone account for 3.5 – 5% of all state water use. Learn more from the Center for Landscape & Urban Horticulture.

Waste

  • Refuse what you don’t need, even if it’s free.
  • Refuse Single-Use Items when getting take-out or dining in.
    • Single-use food ware is available only upon request in California. “Need it? Just ask!”
  • Bring your reusable coffee cup and carry a reusable water bottle as much as possible.
  • Ditch paper towels and transition to reusable cloth towels.
  • Join a community cleanup event: Sign-up for Beautify Goleta today!

Meet Your Mayor and Supervisor at Goleta Farmers Market

Goleta Mayor Paula Perotte and Third District Supervisor Joan Hartmann will be at the Goleta Farmers Market on Sunday, May 1 from 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. The Farmers Market takes place every Sunday at the Camino Real Marketplace (7004 Marketplace Dr.). They will have a  table in front of the Sheriff’s Substation.

Mayor Perotte and Supervisor Hartmann are eager to hear from Goleta constituents about community ideas, learn about and share upcoming community projects, and answer questions or concerns residents have about local issues. You can also just stop by to say, “Hi!” in-person.

Pictured: Goleta Mayor Paula Perotte and Third District Supervisor Joan Hartmann with a community member

Community Asked to Test their Internet Access and Speed

Are you satisfied with your internet speed? How about the cost? Please take a minute to complete a Santa Barbara County broadband internet needs assessment survey AND speed test on a personal computer or laptop at home, work, or wherever you connect by May 31 at www.sbcag.org/broadband.

Information collected helps to improve affordable access to high-speed internet countywide. Privacy controls protect responses and anonymous participation is an option.

If you do not have internet, please call Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG) at 1-805-961-8902 to report why you don’t!

The Broadband survey and speed test is part of the efforts of the Broadband Alliance of Santa Barbara County to develop a Regional Broadband Strategic Plan, learn more at https://bit.ly/3CZdxjm.

Cox Enhances Broadband Affordability Program

Cox low-cost product tiers Connect2Compete and ConnectAssist speeds double to 100 mbps  

Cox will double the download speed of its low-cost internet options ConnectAssist and Connect2Compete from 50 Mbps to 100 Mbps, effective March 31, 2022.  The over 500,000 individuals participating in these programs will receive these faster speeds at no additional cost. 

In addition, Cox is participating in the federal government’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) and has expanded eligibility for its low-cost internet program to match the ACP criteria.  With the application of the $30 ACP internet subsidy, more people will have the ability to receive free 100 Mbps internet service.  Customers can visit cox.com/digitalequity to find out if they’re eligible and sign up for these programs. 

Goleta Community Center

Goleta Community Center to Receive Federal Funding

The Goleta Community Center will receive $3,000,000 in Federal Funds as part of a newly approved government spending bill for Fiscal Year 2022.The approval comes after more than a year of advocacy by Representative Salud Carbajal for critical local projects. In all, $9,512,340 in direct funding for Santa Barbara County community projects was approved. The money will be used to help the City of Goleta reopen the GCC, a key community asset, that has been partially closed since January 2021 due to need for seismic repairs and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) upgrades.

The City of Goleta has identified a number of infrastructure improvements, totaling $108.5 million, that are currently unfunded or partially unfunded.

“The Goleta Community Center, located in the heart of the City in Old Town, is an important gathering place for our community,” said Goleta Mayor Paula Perotte. “The City is ecstatic to be awarded $3,000,000 for the necessary seismic and ADA improvements at the Community Center as part of the Federal Government Omnibus Bill. This funding is critical for the reopening of the auditorium and returning the GCC to a vibrant community hub. This treasured building can now be restored thanks to the efforts of Congressman Carbajal and his staff. The City is beyond grateful for their dedication to the City of Goleta.”

In 2013, right before the City assumed ownership of the property, the City Council received the results of a Seismic and ADA Needs Assessment for the Goleta Community Center. The City Council subsequently elected to move forward with the Priority 1 seismic upgrades to the main building, those which pose the greatest risk to life-safety because they can generally contribute to local areas of collapse. The seismic upgrades also trigger certain required ADA improvements, including accessible entrances, accessible routes to the improved areas, accessible restrooms, telephones and drinking fountains. The City Council approved moving forward with these, and with other ADA improvements that are not triggered by the seismic improvements. In January 2021, the building was inspected again, and City’s building official recommended the auditorium and the dining hall be closed pending completion of the seismic upgrades.

The funding secured by Representative Carbajal, together with a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant for a portion of the seismic work, will allow the project to proceed. This will include accessibility improvements to the bus shelter on Hollister Avenue, the parking lot, exterior ramps and curb ramps, building entrances, plumbing, and the restrooms.

When fully operational, the Goleta Community Center has between 90,000-120,000 visitors, including those participating in programs at the Goleta Valley Senior Center. Over 90 non-profits and over 50 commercial establishments use the facility on a monthly basis. By providing a venue and rental equipment for meetings, classes and activities, the GCC serves all facets and age groups of the Goleta community, from child-care to senior services, with a special commitment toward other non-profits. It also serves as an American Red Cross shelter site that has been used during recent fires in the Santa Barbara South Coast area.

On January 1, 2023, the City is taking over management of the Goleta Community Center, which is currently being operated by the non-profit Goleta Valley Community Center (GVCC) organization. The City acquired the GCC from the Goleta Union School District in 2013. The City hopes to begin renovations of the GCC in January of 2023 or shortly thereafter depending on the timing of the construction bid process.

President Biden signing the government spending bill into law (photo credit Associated Press)