Daily Archives: August 30, 2022

Green Room: Zero Waste Events

School is back in session and the holidays will be here before we know it. Whether you’re looking to throw a birthday party with friends and family, or you’re a business that wants to host a banquet for employees, we encourage you to incorporate Zero Waste principles into your next event. Not only does it show your commitment to helping your community, in some cases reducing your event waste is a requirement. For example, SB 1383 aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through a variety of measures including waste diversion (meaning trash that would have gone to a landfill is recycled or composted instead). So, it’s important to consider how much and what kind of waste may be generated, and to have a plan to minimize and sort it properly. 

If you’re planning for an event, no matter the size, check out our tips and resources below so you can help keep Goleta healthy and beautiful.

If you are a resident that is planning a party or event:

  • Let your guests know ahead of time that your party is inspired by Zero Waste principles. You can even start by using online invitations instead of paper ones or sticking to a text/phone call.
  • If possible, rent or borrow tables and chairs instead of purchasing ones that may not be used again. If you do want to buy furniture, check out your local Nextdoor neighborhood, Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, or local thrift store first to see if you can find any good deals.
  • If you need table centerpieces, use things that can be taken home by guests at the end of the event, such as potted plants (this works well for large events, too!).
  • Find ways to cut down on single-use plastics:
    • If guests will be bringing presents, encourage them to use newspaper, cloth, or reused gift bags instead of wrapping paper. You can even have a competition to see who can come up with the most creative Zero Waste wrapping!
    • You can drastically reduce your waste by opting for reusable cups, plates, silverware, and napkins.
    • Avoid using balloons – they are one of the most found pieces of trash during beach cleanups, and they are harmful to marine wildlife. Check out these recommendations for balloon alternatives.
  • Keep your recycling, food scraps, and waste bins next to each other, clearly labeled, and easy for your guests to get to.
  • Have a plan for your leftovers. Beeswax wrap and compostable bags makes a great alternative to single-use plastic bags. If you or a friend has a compost pile, you can also leave your food scraps there. If you can’t find a composting option, it’s ok! Our local ReSource Center automatically sorts through all of waste to pull out organics for composting. 

If you are a commercial business that is planning a larger event:

  • In the early planning stages of your event, make sure all event coordinators are aware that Zero Waste principles should be considered when deciding on venues/vendors.
  • Although vendors should already have waste reduction practices built into their service agreements, it’s good practice to double check for any oversights. Read Plan a Zero Waste Event from LessisMore.org for suggestions of appropriate vendor language.
  • Educating your guests before and during the event is crucial:
    • Be sure to include Zero Waste language in your event invitations (online invites are preferred to paper). Also include Zero Waste reminders on your website and accompanying social media posts.
    • Have clear signs for your recycling, compost, and waste bins. Appropriate signage helps ensure that waste gets sorted correctly – it’s also a chance to promote your business/event as being environmentally conscious.
    • Announce your waste diversion efforts during the event. For example, “[Event Name] is helping to reduce our impact on the environment by diverting at least (50% or 75%) of our waste from the landfill. Help us reduce waste by using the Resource Recovery Stations around this event to compost and recycle. Thank you for contributing to a greener [Community Name]” (from the Zero Waste Planning Event Guide)
  • If your event includes handing out gifts, aim for giving reusable and durable items, like tumblers or canvas tote bags.

We encourage all residents and businesses to get creative with how they reduce and eliminate trash from their events. With a little extra planning, events of any size can follow Zero Waste practices and help keep Goleta beautiful.

Want a refresher on Zero Waste? Check out Zero Waste 101, or get a head start on your Zero Waste Spring Cleaning!

Goleta Tackles Plastic Pollution with New Ordinance 

The Goleta City Council will consider the second reading and adoption of an ordinance at its September 6 meeting that will reduce the prevalence of single-use plastics and polystyrene pollution in Goleta, and in turn reduce plastic pollution litter in Goleta’s neighborhoods, waterways, and beaches. 

Protecting the environment is one of Goleta’s core values. The ordinance is part of the City’s Plastic Free Goleta campaign to eliminate the use of a variety of single-use plastic items to protect our environment and the oceans. It is estimated that there are over five trillion pieces of plastic in the ocean, and that by 2050 plastic will outweigh fish in the ocean. Tiny plastic fragments in the ocean are eaten by marine wildlife and enter the food chain, creating adverse effects on the environment.  

The ordinance the City is considering is a comprehensive plastic reduction policy that will improve the health and safety of the Goleta community and environment. The ordinance provisions include: 

  • Regulations to reduce the use, distribution, and sale of certain polystyrene products like foodware and packing materials (for example, styrofoam cups and packing peanuts).  
  • A prohibition of the sale and distribution of Mylar balloons and the release of balloons in the City to prevent power outages, as well as reduce marine debris and impacts to wildlife.  
  • Regulations to prohibit food service vendors from providing single-use plastic disposable foodware accessories to consumers and requiring that single-use foodware accessories be made of non-plastic and non-polystyrene materials.  
  • Requiring reusable foodware for dining on premises at restaurants to limit waste from single-use items.  
  • A prohibition on the use, sale, and distribution of single-use plastic bottles at City facilities.  

The ordinance has an extended implementation date of June 1, 2023, to give businesses and residents time to prepare and adjust. The City will develop an application process by which extensions for compliance may be applied for by local businesses for up to six months after the implementation date. A public education and outreach campaign will be implemented to spread awareness of the regulations and the importance of the reduction of plastics in advance of June 1. 

We encourage the Goleta community to join us in going plastic-free! If you want to learn more about Goleta’s recent plastics initiatives, and ways you can help the environment and wildlife, please visit Goleta’s single-use plastics webpage. 

SB Creek Week and Coastal Cleanup Day

SB Creek Week is an annual celebration of our creeks, watersheds, and the ocean, with many organizations hosting events to help build awareness and stewardship of the natural treasures of Santa Barbara, Goleta, and Carpinteria. Creek Week is September 17 – 24 and begins with Coastal Cleanup Day, an international effort to clean up beaches on a global scale.

There are multiple opportunities to get involved with Creek Week in Goleta, through participation in Coastal Cleanup Day, Goleta’s Bulky Item Collection Event, Creek Week Art Contest, and a new app for Self-Guided Audio Walking Tours.

Coastal Cleanup Day

Become part of the solution to ocean pollution. Join us for Coastal Cleanup Day on Saturday, September 17th! The largest volunteer effort in California, Coastal Cleanup Day is our day to give back to the ocean, beaches, and creeks that make Santa Barbara County such a wonderful place to live. Get outside, enjoy nature, and remove marine debris from our beaches and waterways.

There are many beaches throughout the County you can join. Goleta locations for Coastal Cleanup Day 2022 include:

  • Haskell’s Beach (9AM – 12PM), led by site captain Meghan Leon, with Ritz Carlton Bacara.
  • Ellwood Bluffs and Beach (9AM – 12PM), led by resident Al Souma.
  • San Jose Creek (10AM – 12PM), led by Brian Trautwein with the Environmental Defense Center.

Meetup details and the registration link can be found on Explore Ecology’s website.

Bulky Item Collection Event

The Beautify Goleta program is hosting the 4th and last Bulky Item Collection Event of 2022!

Get rid of bulky household items like old furniture. Electronics, medicine, and hazardous waste will not be accepted. Drop off your bulky items on Saturday, September 17th from 9AM – 1PM at the intersection of Cannon Green Drive and Phelps Road.

The bulky item drop-off is in partnership with Caltrans and the Clean CA program. These statewide Dump Day events are made possible through Governor Gavin Newsom’s Clean California initiative, a sweeping $1.1 billion, multiyear clean-up effort led by Caltrans to keep roads and waterways free of litter, create thousands of jobs and transform state and local public spaces through beautification efforts. For more information on the Clean CA program, please visit Clean CA program online.

Creek Week Art Contest

The Goleta Valley Library is hosting a Creek Week Art Contest that asks community members to submit original artwork inspiring by our creeks, watersheds, and ocean!

Artwork may be submitted at the Goleta Valley Library anytime between 10AM – 5PM Tuesday through Friday, until the deadline of Wednesday, September 14th at 5PM. Artwork will remain on display for the community to enjoy Saturday, September 17th through Friday, September 30th.

Submission Details:

  • Age categories include Adults (18+), Teens (7th-12th grade), and Children (6th grade and below).
  • All artwork that represents the theme will be accepted.
  • Participants many only submit one piece of art.
  • Art must be original, completed solely by the participant.
  • All mediums allowed (photography, painting, drawing, collage, etc.).
  • Art must be no larger than 11” x 14” (including a frame if framed).
  • Artwork is not required to be framed but must be ready to hang on the wall.
  • Artwork must have participant’s name and age category on the back.

Artwork must be picked up at the Goleta Valley Library October 4th through 8th, 10AM – 5PM. For any questions please contact Sharon at SNigh@CityOfGoleta.org

Self-Guided Audio Walking Tours

The City of Goleta in partnership with the Cheadle Center at University of  California Santa Barbara (UCSB), the Ritz-Carlton Bacara, and Tima Link and the many Chumash Communities has published a FREE application called “Goleta Tours” that helps residents enjoy self-guided audio walking tours highlighting natural resources, wildlife, plants, and cultural history.

This Goleta Tours app is available via the web at https://cityofgoleta.stqry.app/. Stay tuned for future announcements about downloading the app directly to your mobile device via Apple and Google app stores.

Goleta Tours app includes tour stops located from Haskell’s Beach and the Chumash Nature Trail at He’lapunitse (Ritz Carlton Bacara) to the Ellwood Bluffs and UCSB North Campus Open space. A special thank you to the content provided by the Cheadle Center at UC Santa Barbara, the Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Tima Link and the many Chumash Communities including Coastal Band of the Chumash, Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, and Wishtoyo Chumash Foundation.

Please enjoy these tours, and if you know of or are a part of an organization interested in adding content to our tour app, please email EnvironmentalServices@CityOfGoleta.org.

 

 

 

 

Meet the City of Goleta’s New Assistant Public Works Director

Luz “Nina” Buelna Brings Extensive Engineering Experience

The City of Goleta is pleased to introduce Luz “Nina” Buelna as the City’s new Assistant Public Works Director. Nina brings more than 17 years of public service and infrastructure experience, performing design, construction, project management and maintenance of multiple Public Works and Department of Utilities facilities. She most recently worked for the City of Sacramento in its Department of Utilities. 

Goleta Public Works Director Charlie Ebeling said, “We are thrilled to have someone with Nina’s caliber of experience join our team during this pivotal time in the City’s 20 year history. Nina has an extensive background in engineering which she has gained through her work in several municipalities. We look forward to seeing the positive impact she is going to make.”

Ms. Buelna said, “I have always wanted to live in the Goleta area, I grew up coming to this area because my dad was a civil engineer, he was the Chief Operating engineer at Lake Cachuma for 20 years. When this position became available, I knew this was a great city with incredible projects and programs, I wanted to be a part of. I am so excited to help the City of Goleta’s Public Works Department achieve all of its goals and objectives.”

During her time in Sacramento, Ms. Buelna oversaw the City’s Combined Sewer System and Separated Sewer utilities planning and CIP projects as a supervising engineer and was the construction manager for the Department of Utilities as senior engineer. Ms. Buelna also spent more than 13 years as a City of Roseville Department of Public Works civil engineer. She has worked on a number of notable projects, including the Eureka Road and Interstate 80 Improvement, McKinley Water Vault, and Third Street Relief Sewer project. Nina has a degree in Civil Engineering from California State University Sacramento and is a first-generation American.

Ms. Buelna’s first day at the City was on Monday, August 1st. You can connect with her via email at nbuelna@cityofgoleta.org.

To learn more about the City’s Public Works Department and Capital Improvement Program that creates needed infrastructure within our community, please visit: https://www.cityofgoleta.org/your-city/public-works. 

If you are interested in a rewarding career with the City of Goleta, we are always looking for great candidates to #JoinTeamGoleta. Go to https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/goletaca for a list of job openings.

Provide Input on Economic Development in Goleta – Take our Survey

The City of Goleta needs your help! Time is running out to take our survey providing input on a new Five-Year Economic Development Strategic Plan. The City is seeking feedback from everyone in the community – businesses, non-profits, organizations, residents, visitors and anyone who has a stake in the economic future of Goleta.

Please take 10-15 minutes to complete our confidential survey to help guide this important project. The perspectives and ideas of the community and stakeholders are essential for the creation of the plan and will help inform and guide the development of not only the City’s long-term economic vision, but actionable strategies and initiatives.

The survey is available in both English and Spanish. Please complete the survey by September 9, 2022.

If you have any questions or concerns about the planning process or survey, please reach out to Ryan Kitz, Assistant to the City Manager at rkintz@cityofgoleta.org.

Thank you in advance for your participation.

Rep. Carbajal Tours Goleta Community Center and Delivers Federal Funding

Representative Salud Carbajal toured the Goleta Community Center (GCC) August 22, 2022, to see first-hand plans to utilize $3 million dollars in federal Community Project Funding he delivered to improve and help reopen the antiquated facility. Goleta’s General Services Director Matt Fore led the tour which included participants Mayor Paula Perotte, Councilmember James Kyriaco and staff from the City and Goleta Valley Community Center. The city-owned building located at 5679 Hollister Avenue has been partially closed since January 2021 due the need for seismic improvements. Watch a video clip of the tour here: https://youtu.be/rb8Ym3SuLZw.

The funding delivered by Rep. Carbajal will be used for ADA[1] and other building improvements that, together with the seismic upgrades, will allow the building to safely reopen. Rep. Carbajal said, “The Goleta Valley Community Center plays a pivotal role in the community, serving all facets and age groups. I am proud to have secured $3 million for renovations through Community Project funding, helping to ensure that the Center remains a resource for many years to come.”

Mayor Paula Perotte said, “It is imperative that we get this important community resource fully operational and available to the large and diverse populations that gather here.” She continued, “We are beyond grateful for Rep. Carbajal’s successful and ongoing efforts to secure the funding necessary for us to make ADA improvements to this important city-owned building following the seismic upgrade project.” 

Typically, 100,000 visitors use the GCC each year, including an average of 250 seniors daily. More than 90 non-profit organizations use the facility monthly. The GCC serves as a venue for classes and activities including childcare, senior services, and a host of other programs supporting arts, literacy, and recreation. The Community Center also serves as a Red Cross shelter during natural disasters and as a community hub for the distribution of critical resources and services such as COVID tests and food distribution.

In order to make seismic upgrades, the City is required to make ADA improvements. The first phase of ADA improvements will include adding access aisles to ADA parking spaces, improvements to the path of travel from the bus stop on Hollister Avenue to the front door, new handrails on the front entrance access ramp and addition of accessible toilet stalls to the inside restrooms.

Future phases could include additional improvements to ADA access throughout the Community Center and parking lot and/or improvements to the buildings infrastructure. These additional phases are under development.

Seismic improvements will be funded by a $5 million dollar Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Grant which includes $1.3 million dollars in matching funding from the City of Goleta. The funding will provide for the installation of additional anchorage systems throughout the building to secure connections at the wall and ceiling and protect the building during an earthquake.

Once the seismic upgrades are complete, the auditorium and dining room will be safe to reopen. Seismic upgrades are expected to begin in Winter 2022. The first phase of ADA improvements will follow shortly thereafter. 

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 back in 2013.

In all, Rep. Carbajal secured over $17 million for local projects, including $9,512,340 for community projects in Santa Barbara County.

ADA[1] = Americans with Disabilities Act

Salud Carbajal gets tour of Goleta Community Center from Goleta General Services Director Matt Fore 

City of Goleta General Services Director Matt Fore gives Rep. Salud Carbajal tour of the Goleta Community Center; Mayor Paula Perotte and City Councilmember James Kyriaco attended

Public Input Requested on City’s CDBG Year-End Report

Public Review Period Opens Monday, September 5

Every year the City of Goleta looks forward to helping those in our community via our Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. This past year, more than 2,000 people were assisted with CDBG funding. The City is required to submit a year-end report on its accomplishments called the Consolidated Annual Performance Evaluation Report (CAPER). The CAPER provides an assessment of the City’s performance in meeting housing and community development goals in the adopted 2021-2022 CDBG Action Plan. The draft CAPER can be viewed at https://tinyurl.com/yc82d828, for more information on the City’s grant programs go to: https://www.cityofgoleta.org/your-city/neighborhood-services/grants. 

Comments on the draft CAPER are being accepted during a 15-day public review period beginning September 5, 2022, and ending September 19, 2022, at 12:00 pm. Comments should be submitted to: City of Goleta, Neighborhood Services Department, Attn: Shanna Dawson, 130 Cremona Drive, Goleta, CA 93117 or emailed to sdawson@cityofgoleta.org.

The City Council will hold a public hearing on these matters on Tuesday, September 20, 2022, at its regular Council meeting which begins at 5:30 p.m. An agenda will be available ahead of time at www.CityofGoleta.org/GoletaMeetings.

About the Community Development Block Grant

On an annual basis the City receives funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for the CDBG program which is intended to be used to assist low-income citizens, people experiencing homelessness, youth and seniors with essential services such as medical and dental care, food security, counseling, homelessness prevention, case management and other needs.

The City also uses the majority of its CDBG allocation on capital projects that will benefit low- to moderate-income people and the disabled. Projects have included renovating City facilities and parks to meet Americans with Disability Act (ADA) access standards, installing sidewalks in areas where they are lacking, and adding crosswalks.

Project to Remove Final Two Oil Piers at Haskell’s Beach Underway

Decommissioning Began on Monday, August 29

The end of an era began August 29 at Haskell’s Beach, as the State Lands Commission in collaboration with the City of Goleta started work to remove the pier and caisson structures known as PRC 421-1 and 421-2. It’s a process that will take up to six months, during which time sections of the beach may close temporarily to keep the public safe during the operations. The beach will remain open otherwise.

This landmark decommissioning project marks the end of the Ellwood Oil Field that began production in the late 1920s and continued into the 1990s. At one time, the area off Haskell’s Beach hosted 13 large piers and significant oil storage and processing facilities immediately onshore, a latticework of oil and gas development.

“These two derelict structures represent the last vestiges of pier-based oil and gas production in California and their removal is a major milestone for the region and the state,” said State Controller and State Lands Commission chair Betty T. Yee. “Removal of these piers is one of several decommissioning projects the Commission is spearheading as part of California’s transition to a fossil fuel-free future.”

“This is a truly momentous occasion,” said Mayor Paula Perotte. “This project, the culmination of a multi-year partnership between Goleta and the state, will remove two blighted and derelict structures marring our beautiful coastline. Their removal is a major step in ending a legacy of fossil fuel development in Santa Barbara County.”

Crews will work Monday through Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Due to the surf zone location of the facilities, some work must be scheduled around low-tide cycles, which may be outside of these hours. The project requires the use of heavy equipment at the worksite and the transport of approximately 500 truckloads of material to an approved recycling and disposal facility. Crews will access the worksite via the existing gravel access road adjacent to the Ellwood Onshore Facility and along a 12’-wide easement across the Sandpiper golf course and along the cliff to the piers. Removal of the piers and caissons will require equipment access along the beach during low tides.

The Commission prepared an Environmental Impact Report and secured permits for this project in collaboration with federal, state, and local agencies. More information can be found at: www.slc.ca.gov/ceqa/prc-421-decommissioning-project.

Pictured: Aerial photo of PRC 421-1 and 421-2, courtesy of the California State Lands Commission

 

Ellwood Mesa Monarch Butterfly Workshop Sep. 12

Community members are invited to City of Goleta’s Ellwood Mesa Monarch Butterfly Habitat Management Plan (MBHMP) Workshop on Monday, September 12 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Ellwood Elementary School Auditorium (7686 Hollister Ave). The workshop will cover implementation projects for the MBHMP and will feature the project team, detailed project plans, and breakout group activities to encourage more community feedback on the proposed activities at Ellwood Mesa. We hope you will join us for this important discussion.

The City held community outreach events on this topic earlier this summer on July 7 and 9 on location at the Ellwood Mesa Monarch Butterfly Grove to engage with neighbors and the wider community on the City’s proposed MBHMP implementation projects. Approximately 50 people attended each event to learn about upcoming:

  • Vegetation management to reduce fire risk;
  • Infrastructure improvements, including upgrades to the pedestrian and authorized vehicle access entryways at the end of Santa Barbara Shores Drive;
  • Dead tree removals;
  • New eucalyptus, native tree, and native shrub plantings to benefit monarch butterflies and other wildlife;
  • New signage and trail improvements; and
  • Creek restoration and pedestrian footbridges to access the monarch butterfly viewing areas. 

This project is funded by a $3.9 million grant from the California Coastal Conservancy. The Coastal Conservancy is a California state agency, established in 1976, to protect and improve natural lands and waterways, to help people get to and enjoy the outdoors, and to sustain local economies along California’s coast. It acts with others to protect and restore, and increase public access to, California’s coast, ocean, coastal watersheds, and the San Francisco Bay Area. Its vision is of a beautiful, restored, and accessible coast for current and future generations of Californians.

Questions or comments about the project can be sent to the City of Goleta’s Parks and Open Space Manager George Thomson at gthomson@cityofgoleta.org or 805-961-7578. 

We hope to see you there!

George Thomson, Parks and Open Space Manager, presenting to the attendees of the July 7 outreach event

Lemon Festival is Back on September 24 and 25

The Goleta Lemon Festival, put on by the South Coast Chamber of Commerce, is back and will be here before you know it! Come on down to Girsh Park Saturday, September 24 and Sunday, September 25 for some good old fashioned Goleta fun. The jam-packed family-friendly weekend includes, live music, a variety of entertainment, the Goleta Fall Classic Car and Street Rod Show, “Safety Street,” arts and crafts vendors, and the “zest” food and drink in town. Those ready to “squeeze” the day will want to make sure to participate in the ever-popular pie-eating contest.

In between the fresh lemonade and delicious lemon desserts, make sure you stop by the City booth area and say “hello”!  Both the Community Relations team and Goleta Valley Library staff will be at the festival to provide you with the latest information and hand out free prizes.

If you are looking to show off your Goleta spirit at the event, you can purchase a commemorative City of Goleta 20-Year Birthday shirt ahead of time at the Goleta Valley Historical Society Museum Store while supplies last. The Museum Store is located at 304 N. Los Carneros Road. Store hours are Saturday and Sunday 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. and by appointment. T-Shirts are $25 and mugs are $10. This specialty merchandise is a great gift for anyone who loves the Good Land. Once the merchandise is sold, there are no plans to purchase more, so we encourage you to get your gear before its gone. 

Having fun will be “easy peasy lemon squeezy” for families at one of the Goodland’s greatest family festivals!

For more information, please visit https://lemonfestival.com/.

Pictured: City of Goleta Community Relations Manager Kelly Hoover at a previous Lemon Festival