Daily Archives: June 2, 2022

Mariscos Santa Barbara Celebrates Grand Opening in Old Town Goleta

Councilmembers James Kyriaco and Kyle Richards were in attendance Wednesday, June 1, as Mariscos Santa Barbara invited the community to celebrate its grand opening at 5892 Hollister Avenue and experience the freshly-crafted cuisine. Mariscos Santa Barbara was filled with community members that came to celebrate the ribbon cutting ceremony and enjoy an evening of fresh food, culinary desserts, and hors d’oeuvres.

Councilmembers Kyriaco and Richards, both residents of Old Town Goleta, joined Miguel Avila (Co-President for the Greater Santa Barbara Hispanic Chamber of Commerce) in welcoming Mariscos Santa Barbara to the community.

“I am so happy to welcome Mariscos Santa Barbara to Old Town,” said Councilmember Richards. “The City of Goleta is very excited to have another thriving and delicious local business come into the area.” 

Mariscos Santa Barbara is led by Chef Karlos Gonzales and a kitchen team with over 30 years of combined restaurant experience that aims to bring the taste of real Mexican seafood flavors to Old Town Goleta. Chef Karlos and his team have committed to sourcing ingredients only from local farmers’ markets to create a new and authentic experience for customers.

“We always love seeing new business make their home in Goleta,” said Councilmember Kyriaco. “Especially a business like this that represents the cultural and historical heart of Goleta.”

City of Goleta Sustainability Staff was also given the opportunity to speak to community leaders and business owners in attendance. Management Assistant Angeline Foshay and Civic Spark Fellow Stephanie Holmes provided important information and answered questions about the new single-use plastic ordinance. The new regulation requires that single-use foodware accessories be available for customers only by request starting June 17th. To learn more about plastics reduction in Goleta, please click here.  

Please join the City of Goleta in welcoming its newest restaurant to Old Town.

  

 

 

We Need You! Apply for a City Board or Commission

Applications Accepted Through June 14

The City of Goleta is looking for community members interested in applying to be on a Board or Commission. We have extended the deadline to June 14. The City is seeking applications for upcoming vacancies on the Design Review Board, Parks and Recreation Commission, Library Advisory Commission, and the Santa Barbara County Library Advisory Committee. Joining a Board or Commission is a great way to give back to your community and have your voice heard.

Interested community members can apply for the following positions:

Design Review Board – one (1) vacancy for an At-Large Member; This board meets the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at 3:00 p.m., and the members are compensated $50 per meeting.

Parks and Recreation Commission – one (1) vacancy for a Commissioner; Eligible applicants must live in the City of Goleta. The Commission holds six regular meetings and may hold additional meetings as needed.

Library Advisory Commission – one (1) vacancy for a Commissioner; Eligible applicants must live in the City of Goleta. The Commission meets the first Monday of every month.

Santa Barbara County Library Advisory Committee – one (1) vacancy for a Committee member; Eligible applicants must live in the City of Goleta.

Applications for all open Board and Commission vacancies may be submitted online at https://tinyurl.com/goletaboards-commissions. Applications are due by June 14, 2022, at 5:00 p.m.

Again, this is a great opportunity to be involved in your city and learn more about how local government works. For additional information on what is involved with serving on a Board or Commission, or to inquire about a specific vacancy, please email cityclerkgroup@cityofgoleta.org.

City Manager Retirement Date Extended

Council Requests Additional Time to Allow for Ongoing Recruitment Process

Goleta City Manager Michelle Greene, who was set to retire on June 30, 2022, has agreed to stay on until September 1, 2022, to provide continued leadership to the organization during the ongoing recruitment and eventual appointment of a new City Manager. The Goleta City Council tonight, May 17, 2022, unanimously approved Ms. Greene’s separation agreement, which included the extension of her retirement date. 

City of Goleta Mayor Paula Perotte said, “We are grateful for Ms. Greene’s willingness to stay on and provide her seasoned leadership to our City as we take the time needed to find and hire the right replacement.”  

The recruitment for a new City Manager has closed and a series of interviews is being scheduled for June. After the interviews and background checks are concluded, negotiations with the preferred candidate can begin.  Once a tentative agreement is reached with the new City Manager, a contract would then be approved at a regular City Council meeting, and the successful candidate would likely need to give formal advance notice to their current employer.   If more time is needed during the City Manager recruitment and appointment process, the Council can request another extension to Ms. Greene’s separation agreement.

Another Beautify Goleta Success

Almost 700 Pounds of Trash Picked Up

The City of Goleta held its second city-wide Beautify Goleta community cleanup on Saturday, May 21 and are excited to share the results with the community. We are grateful for the seventy-five volunteers who took time out of their Saturday and collected 673 pounds of trash! That’s 673 pounds of trash that will no longer pollute our neighborhoods, creeks and ocean. Volunteers were spread out among four locations: Dos Pueblos/El Encanto, South Old Town, Marketplace, and Jonny D. Wallis Neighborhood Park. The Dos Pueblos/El Encanto location was also the Neighborhood Spotlight, and collected 2,900 pounds of furniture, mattresses, and other items as part of the Bulky Item Drop-Off.

We are so thankful and proud of our volunteers and neighborhood captains for taking the time and energy to participate in this event. A special thank you to Goleta Evening Rotary Club and Santa Barbara Habitat for Humanity for hosting their spotlight volunteer groups! Additionally, thank you to Big Green and MarBorg for their continuing support of Beautify Goleta events, and to Dos Pueblos High School for the use of its upper parking lot.

By the Numbers:

  • 673 pounds of trash collected
  • 2,900 pounds of bulky items collected
  • 3,573 pounds of total waste collected
  • 2,512 pounds of total waste recycled (70%)

Neighborhood Spotlight – Dos Pueblos/El Encanto:
Twenty volunteers, including the Goleta Evening Rotary Club spotlight volunteer group, picked up a total of 141 pounds of trash from the Dos Pueblos/El Encanto neighborhood area! Plus, an additional 2,900 pounds of bulky item waste was dropped off by nearby residents – that’s 3,041 pounds of total trash collected for this site! Thank you to Goleta Evening Rotary Club for supplying coffee and pastries for volunteers. Also, thank you Cheryl Washburn-Lander for being our returning spotlight captain!

South Old Town:
Old Town is a popular volunteer cleanup spot, and May 21st was no exception. Thirty-two volunteers, including Santa Barbara Habitat for Humanity, Goleta Presbyterian Church, the Winslowe community, and fellow residents picked up a total of 412 pounds of trash! Thank you to Zoe Atkins of Santa Barbara Habitat for Humanity, and Katie Pazan of Goleta Presbyterian Church for leading this cleanup effort with such an amazing turnout.

Marketplace:
This location was brand new for our May 2022 event. A total of 15 volunteers met at the Phelps Road parking lot to clean areas around the Marketplace neighborhood. In just two hours, they were able to collect 71 pounds of trash! Thank you to Jennifer Smith for leading this effort and providing pastries for her volunteers.

Adopt-A-Park at Jonny D. Wallis Neighborhood Park:
The City of Goleta’s recently launched Adopt-A-Park program held its monthly cleanup at Jonny D. Wallis Neighborhood Park on the same day as Beautify Goleta – this was the perfect opportunity to join forces! Three Beautify Goleta volunteers joined five Goleta Noontime Rotary members to pick up trash, clean benches, and sweep up Jonny D. Wallis Neighborhood Park. In total, 49 pounds of trash were removed from the park.

Thank you again to all the volunteers who came out on Saturday to help Beautify Goleta. If you were not able to be part of this event, you can still join our next event on July 30th by signing up here. For more information on the program, please visit https://cityofgoleta.org/BeautifyGoleta.

Prop 218 Solid Waste Increase Begins July 1

Starting in July, you will see your Solid Waste Collection Rates charged by MarBorg Industries for franchise residential and commercial waste collection services increase.  Effective July 1, 2022, collection rates will be increased by 5.93%.

The reason for the increase is due to (i) inflation, based on the Consumer Price Index (“CPI”) and (ii) the per ton tipping fees imposed by the County of Santa Barbara for disposal and/or processing of solid waste at the ReSource Center (“Pass-Through Tipping Fees”). The terms of the franchise agreement with Marborg allow for rate increases due to CPI or Pass-Through Tipping fees.

A Public Protest hearing was held on May 17, 2022, in compliance with Proposition 218. Only three public comments were received, far fewer than the 50% required to deny Marborg’s rate increase request. As a result, City Council motioned to approve the collection rate increase.

Healthy Homes for Healthier Living Webinar

Are you interested in learning how your living space may be affecting your health or how you can lower your utility bills while making your home safer and more comfortable?

3C-REN’s (Tri-County Regional Energy Network) next webinar on June 8th from 4:00-6:00 p.m., Healthy Homes for Healthier Living, will help you understand how your home works, how it can affect your health, and steps you can take to mitigate health risks.

Some key home-related health concepts you’ll learn: 

  • Your home acts as a system that needs to be managed; through a combination of the building and its components, what’s inside your building, and how you occupy and manage your indoor environment.
  • There are eight healthy home principles that work together as a successful strategy for improving your home environment.
  • Learn how to clean smart! Home cleaning is all about your health and reducing exposure to things in the home that are known to contribute to increases in health complaints.
  • Modern homes and their contents directly impact how much moisture is available to create problems that lead to mold growth and allergen overload.
  • The best intentions of homeowners sometimes have the worst consequences. Learn some common pitfalls in home maintenance and how to avoid creating health impacts.
  • Your comfort in any home is all about good ventilation and air management. Things like air sealing and insulation are just as important as the products you use to clean with for better health in your home.

Register today at 3C-REN.org/events.

Ordinance Aimed at Reducing Plastic and Single-Use Waste Goes into Effect on June 17

Goleta Businesses Encouraged to Display Signage

The City of Goleta now has an ordinance regulating single-use foodware accessories and standard condiments. The ordinance received final approval at the May 17 Goleta City Council meeting. This ordinance will bring Goleta into compliance with California Assembly Bill 1276, mandating that single-use foodware accessories and standard condiments be made available only upon request by the consumer. It will go into effect on Friday, June 17, 2022.

In addition to single-use foodware being available only upon request, the ordinance will encourage food and beverage vendors to reduce plastic and single-use waste through other actions, such as displaying signage stating that single-use items must be requested by consumers. An example of signage is attached.

The AB 1276 compliance ordinance will be the first of two expected ordinances seeking to regulate and reduce local single-use plastics and further divert waste from our landfills. Staff shared initial details of a second ordinance that the Sustainability Program is developing to further regulate single-use plastic use in our community. This second ordinance is expected, among other things, to ban expanded polystyrene (EPS) foodware, following over 120 jurisdictions across California that already have restrictions on EPS to improve the health of safety of their communities and environment. 

Outreach is currently underway to identify best practices for how the City can support the local business community in fostering the switch from expanded polystyrene and single use plastics to more environmentally friendly alternatives.

To learn more about single use plastics reduction, click here.

California Mortgage Relief Program Now Accepting Applications

The California Mortgage Relief Program (Program) is open to all eligible Californians who are currently experiencing pandemic-related hardships and have fallen behind on their housing payments. The Program, part of the state’s Housing is Key initiative, uses federal Homeowner Assistance Funds to help homeowners get caught up on their housing payments. The Program is free and the funds do not need to be repaid. Learn more at: https://camortgagerelief.org/.

Applicants must meet ALL of the following criteria:

  • Household income at or below 100% of their county’s Area Median Income;
  • Missed at least two mortgage payments prior to December 27, 2021;
  • Past due amount must be $80,000 or less at the time of application submission;
  • Own a single-family home, condo or permanently affixed manufactured home; and
  • Faced a pandemic-related financial hardship after January 21, 2020.

You can find more information regarding eligibility at camortgagerelief.org/who-is-eligible.

This Program will remain open until all funds have been used. It is anticipated that this will be around September 2025, but it could be sooner.

City Council to Consider Housing Element on June 28

As part of the City’s Housing Element Update project, the City of Goleta released a Draft Housing Element (2023-2031) for public review on May 2. The Housing Element includes the following major components: an evaluation of housing needs in Goleta, with emphasis on the needs of lower-income households and persons with special needs; analysis of resources and constraints related to addressing housing needs; assessment of fair housing; review of the City’s progress related to the programs and objectives set forth in the previous (2015-2023) Housing Element; and updated policies, programs and objectives for the next eight years.

The City’s Planning Commission considered the Draft Housing Element on May 9 and May 23 and provided three recommended revisions. On June 28, 2022, the City Council will consider the Draft Housing Element with the Planning Commissions revisions. Information on how to participate in this meeting will be provided on the agenda which is released at least 72 hours in advance and can be found at www.CityofGoleta.org/GoletaMeetings. Spanish interpretation will be available through a virtual meeting link in the agenda.

At the meeting, staff will seek City Council direction to submit the Draft Housing Element to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) for a 90-day review. HCD will have 90 days to review the Draft and provide the City with comments after which City staff will revise the Housing Element and return to the Planning Commission and City Council for adoption hearings. The statutory due date for the City to adopt the 2023-2031 Housing Element update is February 15, 2023.

For more information on the City’s Housing Element Update, go to https://cityofgoleta.org/HousingElement. If you have any questions or concerns, please email HousingElement@cityofgoleta.org.

Here’s What You Told Us…Goleta’s Next 20

The City of Goleta is releasing results of Goleta’s Next 20 Community Survey which residents were mailed in February 2022 and which many residents completed online over the following weeks. In the survey, community members were asked to rank their community service priorities for the City as it plans for the future.

Here is what we you told us (600 survey responses; importance of community services – high or medium priority):

 Keeping public areas safe and clean

97% 

 Paving streets, removing potholes, and improving traffic safety

95%

 Protecting Goleta’s long-term financial stability 

94%

 Supporting public safety and maintaining rapid 911 response

93%

 Maintaining open spaces and natural areas

93% 

 Preparing for wildfires, floods, natural disasters, and public health emergencies

93%

 Protecting local creeks and coastal waters from pollution

92%

 Conserving water by increasing use of recycled water to irrigate parks and fields

92%

 Preventing brush fires caused by illegal encampments

91%

 Maintaining services for low-income senior citizens and other vulnerable residents

85%

 Addressing homelessness through our Homelessness Strategic Plan

84%

 Helping local businesses rebound and retain the workforce to fill critical jobs

79%

 Improving access to affordable housing for middle- and working-class families

78%

 Supporting and expanding afterschool programs and affordable early childhood/childcare programs

73%

Additional Resources are Needed to Address Community Needs

Streets and Roads: The most recent independent road engineers report rated 2/3 of Goleta’s streets and roads as “fair”, “poor”, or “failed”. The City needs additional funding for these street and pothole repairs, which become more expensive to address the longer we wait.


Aging Infrastructure: Twenty years ago, the City inherited many old buildings from the County, including an aging library and a now 95-year-old community center. Additional resources are needed to repair and upgrade aging local infrastructure to ensure our buildings remain safe.

Homelessness: Homelessness is a serious problem in cities across California, and Goleta is no exception. Additional funding is necessary to address homelessness and to support those who are at risk of becoming homeless by connecting them with available non-profit and regional organizations providing emergency shelter, food services, and treatment for mental health and addiction.

Locally Controlled Funding

In addition to the City’s important unfunded projects, Goleta has lost millions of dollars from State takeaways. To provide additional funding to maintain and expand city services and programs, the City Council is considering placing a local 1 cent sales tax measure (adding a penny to a $1 purchase) on an upcoming ballot. Goleta is one of the few cities in the region without its own local, dedicated source of sales tax revenue. 100% of all funds raised by a potential measure would stay in Goleta. Essential purchases such as groceries and prescription medicine, are exempt from sales tax. No funds could be taken away by the State or County, and visitors to Goleta would pay their fair share.

The City Council will be discussing this issue at its June 7 and June 21 meetings. Agendas are available at least 72 hours prior to the meeting at www.CityofGoleta.org/GoletaMeetings.

For more information, go to www.CityofGoleta.org/GoletaNext20.