Daily Archives: August 31, 2022

Thank You Michelle Greene

We want to express our heartfelt appreciation to Michelle Greene who finished her last day as our incredible City Manager this past Wednesday, August 31, after 18 years of dedicated service to Goleta, including eight as City Manager. 

At her last Council meeting Ms. Greene said, “It’s been a tremendous honor for me to have served the community for so many years in Goleta. I am proud of what we have accomplished. We’ve worked on a number of high priority issues while facing unprecedented challenges and I am proud of how we matured as an organization.”

Ms. Greene is the first female City Manager in Goleta and is credited with bringing a new level of professionalism and sophistication to the organization during her tenure. Her contributions and accomplishments will continue to benefit Goleta for generations to come. 

“I feel that we’ve done so many great things together. Goleta is an incredibly special place, and always will be. The City has really talented and amazing staff that want to do the best for the community. It has been a honor for me to serve beside them.  I’ll be watching out for Goleta, I’m one of your biggest fans and I can’t wait to see what’s on the horizon for the city.” 

At her last Council meeting, Ms. Greene was presented with a Proclamation and City Tile. Staff also surprised her with a video including heartfelt messages from colleagues both inside and outside the organization. If you haven’t had a chance to watch it, we encourage you to do so.  It’s uplifting and a clear indication of what type of leader we have been lucky to have had and the forever impact she has made on the Good Land. You can view the video here: https://youtu.be/sgzFpjp-TX8.

Many people may not know that Michelle started her career as an intern at the City of Santa Barbara and then as an intern for the City of Manhattan Beach.  Once she saw the impact local government could have on helping the community, whether it be a new stop sign or a park, she was hooked on working for a city. 

Ms. Greene never had a career goal of becoming a City Manager but as her career unfolded that is where the journey led her.  She said, “It was never about the position but how I could best serve the community.”

The motto she lives by? “Life is a marathon, not a sprint.”

What does she love most about Goleta? For her that is an easy answer. “The people. They are so authentic, respectful, down-to-earth and smart.”

Her favorite Goleta spot is a harder question. “There are so many. I love the view at Lake Los Carneros, the Redwoods at Stow Grove Park, Haskell’s Beach and of course Ellwood Mesa to name a few.”

What does she attribute her success to in Goleta? “I couldn’t have succeeded without the support of the Council, staff and the community. Thank you.”

Michelle, we wish you a well deserved retirement and cherished time with family. We are glad we have a little longer as our City Manager Emeritus to be reasonably available to the city to answer questions and advise on pending matters.

Please join us in thanking Michelle Greene for her years of service and a Happy Retirement!  

Ms. Greene’s last meeting with staff as City Manager

 

 

Pavement Rehabilitation Coming to Western Goleta this Fall

City’s 2020-2021 Pavement Rehabilitation Project Wraps Up Soon

Beginning this fall, pavement rehabilitation work will take place on roadway sections in the Cannon Green Neighborhood, the Covington Neighborhood, and a portion of Cathedral Oaks Road from Alameda to Evergreen as part of the 2022-2023 Pavement Rehabilitation Project. Additionally, the City’s 2020-2021 Pavement Rehabilitation Project is anticipated to be completed at the end of September / early October.

The 2020-2021 Pavement Rehabilitation Project began in November 2021 and consists of roadway sections along Cathedral Oaks Road, Kellogg Avenue, Calle Real, Glen Annie Road, Hollister Avenue, Coloma Drive, and the Evergreen Neighborhood. The project began with concrete work consisting of reconstruction of curb ramps to be ADA compliant, spandrels, cross gutters, and miscellaneous concrete repairs. Completion of the concrete work was immediately followed by asphalt work that included rehabilitation methods from grind and overlays to full depth reconstruction. The project is currently in its final stages, completing signage, striping, and miscellaneous items before wrapping up.

The City constructs an Annual Pavement Rehabilitation Project as part of its Pavement Management Program (PMP). Following the PMP ensures the most efficient use of available funding for maintaining the City’s roadway network. The PMP consists of tracking the condition of the pavement and based on the condition, developing periodic pavement maintenance activities and projects. Pavement maintenance ranges from pothole repair and crack sealing to slurry seals, overlays, and reconstructions. The PMP is also a critical planning tool that assists staff in establishing a list of priority roadways to be included in the City’s annual pavement rehabilitation projects. In addition to the PMP recommendations, the paving priority list is developed based on public input and staff’s experience and understanding of the roadways. While the use of the PMP helps with expending available funding efficiently as possible, the City has a backlog of deferred roadway pavement maintenance. With the backlog as well as the recent significant increase in the cost of construction, additional funding sources are needed.

The City worked with Pavement Engineering Inc. (PEI) to complete the design of the 2022-2023 Pavement Rehabilitation Project. A 3-year design agreement with PEI is currently scheduled to go before City Council for authorization on September 6, 2022. The intent of a 3-year design agreement is to be able to begin design of one pavement project immediately following another without delay of further authorization, based on the PMP that is updated every 3 years. Currently, a pavement project from design to start of construction takes approximately 14-16 months. The extended agreement will allow for a more predictable schedule in hopes of being able to complete construction during the summer months to avoid conflicts with school activities.

The City would like to express its appreciation to the public for its patience during construction. If you have any questions on the Annual Pavement Projects, please contact Debbie Talarico, Contract Project Manager, at dtalarico@cityofgoleta.org.

Intersection of Calle Real and Glen Annie: Curb ramps throughout the project were reconstruction to be ADA compliant

Cathedral Oaks Road: The City coordinated with COAST and SBBIKE during design to incorporate Green Bicycle Transition Safety Zones

September is National Preparedness Month

The Goleta City Council will proclaim September as National Preparedness Month at its September 6 Council meeting. This year’s National Preparedness theme is “A Lasting Legacy: The life you’ve built is worth protecting. Prepare for disasters to create a lasting legacy for you and your family.” 

Goleta’s Neighborhood Services Director Jaime Valdez advises, “Now is the perfect opportunity to make sure you are prepared for an emergency. Make sure you are signed up to receive emergency alerts, double check family plans and create or update your Go-Bag for your garage, car or closet.

Here are some important safety tips:

  • Be sure you are signed up for local emergency alerts with both Santa Barbara County (ReadySBC.org) and City of Goleta (http://tinyurl.com/goletaemergency).

  • Think about gathering supplies that will last for several days after a disaster. Make sure you have enough for everyone living in your home and don’t forget to consider the unique needs of each person or pet. Think about dietary restrictions, prescription medications, important documents and pictures! Create a Go-Bag, a bag meant to be stored away somewhere safe but can be accessed at a moment’s notice. Learn how to build a kit at Ready.gov/kit.

  • Start the new school year by talking to your kids about emergencies that could happen at home and away. Talk about meeting spots in case you are separated and make games to help them memorize family phone numbers. Help them know how to stay safe and navigate potentially scary situations. Resources for kids, teens, and the whole family are available at Ready.gov/kids.

Learn more about National Preparedness Month, and how to make sure you and your family are prepared, at https://www.ready.gov/september. 

Lemon Run Returns September 18

Come celebrate your school and the Goleta Valley at the Lemon Run on Sunday, September 18. There is something for everyone – run, walk, or volunteer with your family and friends as a new school year kicks off. The 10K, 5K and 1K events take place on the flat Obern Trial bike path, perfect for competitive runners and first-timers alike. Races take place throughout the morning beginning at 8:00 a.m.

With great food, family-friendly activities, and prizes from local businesses, this is a Goodland event you don’t want to miss. The Lemon Run is presented by the Goleta Education Foundation and supports educators in Goleta schools who bring new and exciting learning opportunities to students.

For more information and to register, go to https://goletaeducationfoundation.org/goleta-lemon-run/.

Asian Citrus Psyllid (ACP) Proclamation of an Emergency Program

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has confirmed the presence of the insect, Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), Diaphorina citri Kuwayama, which feed on citrus plants and spread the disease huanglongbing (HLB), in Goleta and Santa Barbara County. ACP present a significant, clear, and imminent threat to California’s commercial citrus production, residential citrus plantings, natural resources, and economy.

The Asian citrus psyllid (ACP; Hemiptera: Psyllidae) is a tiny (0.125 inch, 3 mm, in length) mottled brown insect that is about the size of an aphid. The adult psyllid feeds with its head down, almost touching the leaf, and the rest of its body is raised from the surface at a 45-degree angle with its tail end in the air.

Adults typically live one to two months and develop more quickly in warmer weather. Females lay tiny yellow-orange, almond-shaped eggs in the folds of the newly developing, unfurled, soft leaves, called the feather flush. Each female can lay several hundred eggs during her lifespan. Nymph development is limited to the flush or new growth of citrus. Nymphs are typically yellow-orange but can also have a green hue and lay flat on the surface of new feather flush (young instars), edges of leaves, and stems of flush (older instars).

Unless emergency action is taken to disrupt these ACPs life cycles, there is high potential for sudden future detections in and around commercial groves in Santa Barbara County.

Public Notification:

Residents of affected properties shall be invited to a public meeting or contacted directly by CDFA staff.

Residents are notified in writing at least 48 hours in advance of any treatment in accordance with the Food and Agricultural Code sections 5771-5779 and 5421-5436.

For any questions related to this program, please contact the CDFA toll-free telephone number at 800-491-1899 for assistance. This telephone number is also listed on all treatment notices.

For more information, and to read the full proclamation and the surveillance and treatment plan for the ACP infestation, click here.

Back to School Safety

The start of the school year is busy, but before your kids head out the door, please take a moment to make sure they understand some important safety tips.

You can start by watching this informative Back to School Safety Video Message from Community Resource Deputy George Hedricks.

Here are some other important tips for parents and children to help keep everyone safe during the new school year:

Walking to School

  • Leave early enough to arrive at school at least 10 minutes prior to the start of school.
  • Always use public sidewalks and streets when walking to school. If there is no sidewalk, walk as far to the edge of the road as possible, facing traffic.
  • We all learned as kids to “look both ways before crossing the street”. This remains important advice, for both children and adults.
  • When crossing, make eye contact with drivers and always cross the street at intersections or in crosswalks.
  • Teach your children to recognize and obey traffic signals, signs, and pavement markings.

Biking to School

  • Obey the rules of the road; the rules are the same for all vehicles, including bicycles.
  • Always stay on the right-hand side of the road and ride in the same direction as traffic.
  • Be sure your child know and uses all of the appropriate hand signals.
  • Ride single file on the right side of the road, with the flow of traffic. Stop at all stop signs, walk bikes across the street and always, ALWAYS, wear a properly fitted helmet.
  • In the event of an accident, helmets reduce the risk of head injury by as much as 85 percent.

Driving to School

  • When driving your child to school, stay alert and never drive while distracted.
  • Always obey school zone speed limits and watch for children crossing the street. Remember, the area 10 feet around a school bus is most dangerous for children.
  • NEVER pass a bus loading or unloading children. It is also important to learn and follow your school’s drop-off and pick-up procedures.
  • Washing your car can be an easily overlooked task, but driving toward the morning sun with a dirty windshield can be blinding. To make certain you can see children walking and riding to school, make sure your windshield is clean, especially during morning school drop-off hours.

The City of Goleta wishes parents, students, school staff, and the community a safe and happy school year.

Help Keep Our Creeks Clean

September 3, 9:00 – 11: 30 a.m.

Are you looking for a fun and easy way to give back to Goleta? Participate in the Maria Ygnacio Creek Cleanup this Saturday, September 3rd from 9:00 – 11:30 a.m. The City of Goleta is excited to announce it has partnered with the Environmental Defense Center (EDC) and Santa Barbara Urban Creeks Council for six creek cleanups this fall. These are the first organized creek cleanups since the COVID pandemic began.

Apart from providing clean drinking water, Goleta’s creeks are vital wildlife habitats that support rare species. These creaks are important for recreation and can provide local students and residents with opportunities to get out in nature and learn about the environment. The last creek cleanup that was done at Maria Ygnacio Creek, volunteers collected more than 300 pounds of trash! Join us there again on Saturday, September 3, from 9:00 a.m. – 11: 30 a.m.

To participate, please RSVP to Brian Trautwein at btrautwein@environmentaldefensecenter.org. Participants will meet at the corner of Ribera Drive and Matorral Way (where the Maria Ygnacio Bike Path crosses under Highway 101). Remember to wear a hat, sunscreen, and closed-toe shoes; bring water in a reusable container and work gloves if you have them (latex gloves provided).

If you can’t make it this Saturday, don’t worry, there are more cleanups from now through mid-November that you can participate in. Below is the schedule, all cleanups begin at 9:00 a.m.

  • September 3, Maria Ygnacio Creek
  • September 17, San Jose Creek
  • October 8, Glen Annie Creek
  • October 22, Devereux Creek
  • November 5, San Pedro/Las Vegas Creeks
  • November 19, Atascadero Creek

For more information, please visit www.EnvironmentalDefenseCenter.org or call the EDC at 805-963-1622.

Thank you for helping us keep Goleta healthy and beautiful!