Vote in the November Election!

Make your voice heard in the November General Municipal Election! If you haven’t already, be sure to vote – this is your chance to have a say on a local and national level.

What’s On the Goleta Ballot

This is another historic election for the City of Goleta – do you know what district you live in? The City is divided into four districts and registered voters in Districts 3 and 4 will be voting for a Councilmember in their District for the first time. Voters in Districts 1 and 2 elected a Councilmember from their Districts in 2022. No matter which of the four districts you live in, ALL Goleta residents will vote on the Mayor’s seat (elected at-large) and on a City sponsored ballot measure (G2024).

If you don’t already know, find out what district you live in by putting your address in the interactive map at https://tinyurl.com/GoletaInteractiveMap.

Take a moment to learn more about the upcoming General Municipal Election in Goleta by watching this short video from veteran City Clerk Deborah Lopez. The video is also available in Spanish featuring the City’s Spanish Engagement Specialist.

For Goleta-related election information, please visit our website at www.cityofgoleta.org/elections

Ballot Return Options

Once the ballot is voted and the envelope is signed, the voter has several options for returning the ballot so that it can be counted.

  • Voters may choose to return their voted ballot by utilizing the United States Postal Service, no postage necessary. Ballots must be postmarked by Election Day, November 5.
  • The Elections Office provides several drop boxes located throughout Santa Barbara County that are available 24 hours a day until 8 p.m. on Election Day, November 5. To avoid concerns about postal delivery delays, voters are encouraged to utilize a drop box to return their ballot. There are two ballot drop box locations in the City of Goleta. A list of all drop box locations can be found here.
    • Goleta City Hall (130 Cremona Drive)
    • Goleta Community Center (5679 Hollister Ave)
  • Each of the three Elections Offices in Santa Barbara County also accepts voted ballots and can help with a full range of voter services including the option to vote in person, if a voter chooses.
  • Voters may also choose to return a voted ballot to a polling location on Election Day, November 5.

The Santa Barbara County Elections Office can be reached at www.sbcvote.com or by calling 800-722-8683.

You can track your ballot through the State of California’s “Where’s My Ballot” program.

Results

Election results are available after the polls close at 8:00 p.m. on election night, November 5. On election night and during the canvas period, follow Santa Barbara County’s semi-official results at https://www.countyofsb.org/3294/Election-Results. Statewide results can be found on the California Secretary of State’s website https://electionresults.sos.ca.gov/. Vote by mail and provisional ballots will continue to be processed through the canvas period, or the 30 days following the election, and the County and State will continue to post updated results during that timeframe. Results for the City of Goleta are expected to be certified at the December 17, 2024, City Council Meeting.

Goleta's District Elections Map
Goleta’s District Map


City Clerk Deborah Lopez at a ballot box in front of Goleta City Hall

Meetings at a Glance – November 2024

Keep updated with what is happening at the City of Goleta by attending or watching our Council, Board, Commission and/or Standing Committee meetings. Meetings are held at Goleta City Hall (130 Cremona Drive) and many can also be participated in via Zoom. Most meetings are also available to watch on Goleta TV Channel 19 and the City’s website.

View the calendar on our website. Please note, meetings can be added and cancelled. For the most up-to-date information, check the website.

Here’s what is coming up:

Positions Open with #TeamGoleta

Are you looking for a fulfilling career giving back to your community? Then check out the below job opportunities with the City of Goleta:

  • Emergency Services Coordinator
  • Planning Commission Clerk
  • Project Manager (General Services)
  • Supervising Library Technician (Solvang)

Learn more about each position and how to apply here. Check back regularly for new opportunities.

Help Restore Ellwood Mesa’s Monarch Butterfly Habitat

The City of Goleta and our restoration partners are calling for volunteers to help us restore critical habitat at Ellwood Mesa. The monarch butterfly grove at Ellwood Mesa is one of the most significant winter sites for migrating monarchs in the Western United States, but the grove has suffered damage over many years of drought and severe winter storms. Together we will plant thousands of trees and native plants to provide vital shelter and food for these iconic butterflies.

Upcoming Events

Tree Planting and Restoration with Your Children’s Trees
Saturdays in November: 2nd, 9th, 16th & 23rd, 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Join us as we prepare, plant, and care for 1200 new eucalyptus, 800 native trees, and several thousand flowering shrubs and wetland plants. Sign up for details.

Field Training for the Western Monarch Count
Sunday, November 17, 8:30 am – 10:30 am
Western Monarch Count regional coordinators Charis van der Heide and Kim Zembik are hosting a monarch counting field training on November 17th at 8:30-10:30 am. Meet at the Coronado Butterfly Preserve, Coronado Dr, Goleta, CA 93117 (view map) and walk to the Goleta Monarch Butterfly Grove. Please RSVP to kzsembik@gmail.com. Learn more about Xerces Society Western Monarch Count.

Tree Planting and Restoration with the Santa Barbara Bucket Brigade
Saturday, December 7, 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Join us as we transform a damaged ecosystem into a beautiful habitat restoration area for the butterflies and the whole community to enjoy together. Volunteers will meet at the Ellwood Mesa Beach Parking Lot (view map) and then walk to the volunteer staging area. We will have introductions, coffee and doughnuts and then we will head out into the butterfly preserve to plant trees! Sign up at Santa Barbara Bucket Brigade.

More Info

Learn more about the restoration project at CityofGoleta.org/ellwood and follow active projects and volunteer activities at CityofGoleta.org/ellwood-now.


Volunteers at Ellwood (photo credit: Melissa Fontaine)

City Accepting Applications for Preapproved ADU Plans

Submission Deadline November 18th and Design Review Board Hearing December 10th

The City of Goleta is accepting submissions from design professionals for Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) plans to be considered for preapproval. This is in accordance with Assembly Bill No. 1332 which requires each local agency to develop a program for the preapproval of ADU plans by January 1, 2025.

An ADU is an attached or a detached residential dwelling unit that provides complete, independent living facilities for one or more persons and is located on a lot with a proposed or existing primary residence. ADUs include permanent provisions for living, sleeping, eating, cooking, and sanitation on the same parcel as a single-unit or multi-family dwelling.

At this time, the City is accepting plans for detached ADUs that meet size and height restrictions per Goleta Municipal Code (GMC) §17.41.030(D)(1)(b) to be preapproved. The detached plans will need to be between 250 and 800 square feet in floor area and the height can be no greater than 16’ or up to 18’ or 20’, if located within one half-mile walking distance of a major transit stop or a high-quality transit corridor.

Design professionals interested in submitting detached ADU plans for consideration should submit one PDF with floor plans, elevations, and square footage meeting the City’s “Floor Area” definition per GMC §17.03.070, and indicating the maximum building height to scale on the plans. Plans will be accepted via email. Please send plans to: PreapprovedADU@cityofgoleta.org.

Submissions will be accepted until November 18th at noon. There are two fees for design professionals seeking preapproval. The first is for Design Review, which is $1,734. The second fee will be for Building Plan review, which is based on valuation of the project including the market rate for labor and materials.

City of Goleta’s Design Review Board (DRB) will hold a hearing on December 10, 2024 at 3:00 p.m. to review submissions of ADU plans for inclusion in the City’s Preapproved ADU Program. The meeting will be held in person at Goleta City Hall Council Chambers (130 Cremona Drive) and via the Zoom platform. A link can be found in the agenda, posted at least 72 hours in advance at http://cityofgoleta.org/goletameetings. The public may also view the meeting on the City’s website or Goleta TV Channel 19.

For community members interested in using one of the preapproved ADU plans, once available, this program allows proposed ADUs to move through the review process quickly and efficiently. The preapproved plans will be made available to view on the Planning and Environmental Review webpage, once approved. Site-specific information will be required for each location and homeowners will have to contact the design professional for costs associated with the use of the preapproved plans and the preparation of the required site plan and other documents (e.g., soils reports, etc.) and building permitting.

Following the Design Review Board hearing on December 10, 2024, the approved ADU plans will then move on to Building Permit plan review to ensure the plans meet the current triennial Building Standard Code rulemaking cycle. The preapproved ADU plans will be available on the Planning and Environmental Review page on the City’s website (www.CityofGoleta.org). 

Please direct any questions and/or comments to Kathy Allen, Supervising Senior Planner, at kallen@cityofgoleta.org or Christina McGuire, Associate Planner, at cmcguire@cityofgoleta.org.