Author Archives: Jaime Shaw

No Cost to Compost!

Approximately 37% of Santa Barbara County’s waste stream is comprised of organic materials like food scraps and yard waste. Naturally, organic waste releases beneficial nutrients into the soil when it breaks down. However, when organic waste ends up in the landfill, it takes up valuable space and releases methane gas which is 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas. By composting food scraps and yard waste in your backyard, you can keep organics out of the landfill and build healthy soil in your garden – it’s a win win!

In partnership with the City of Goleta, MarBorg Industries is pleased to offer Goleta residents* up to two free Earth Machine compost bins per household. The Earth Machine is an aerobic composting system – no worms are required to generate compost, just the presence of oxygen. The simple two-piece assembly, durability, and ease of use make the Earth Machine compost bin a practical solution for anyone with a bit of outdoor space. Call MarBorg at 805-963-1852 to order your compost bin. For more information about backyard composting, check out Santa Barbara County’s online resources.

*Compost bins for apartments or condos must be ordered by the property owner or Management Company.

Have a Say – Join a City of Goleta Board or Commission

Looking to be more involved in what happens in your community? The City of Goleta has vacancies on four Boards and Commissions and is looking for dedicated community members to apply for the Design Review Board, Parks and Recreation Commission, Planning Commission and the Public Tree Advisory Commission.

Those with an eye for design are encouraged to apply for the Design Review Board (DRB). This seven-member body encourages development that uses the best professional design practices to enhance the visual aesthetics of the community and prevent poor quality of design. Vacancies are for one (1) Professionally Licensed Landscape Architect or Landscape Contractor and two (2) At-large Members (must reside within City Limits). Members are appointed to a three-year term. The Design Review Board shall hold a minimum of one regular meeting each month with compensation of $50/meeting.

City of Goleta residents interested in the needs, opportunities and current offerings of parks and recreation activities should apply for one of the three (3) vacancies on the Parks and Recreation Commission. The Commission advises the City Council on all issues related to parks and recreational opportunities in Goleta. The term ends January 1, 2023. The Parks and Recreation Commission will schedule six regular meetings per year and may hold such additional meetings as deemed necessary or expedient. Compensation is $50/meeting.

Residents of the City of Goleta with an interest in land use issues will want to apply for the Planning Commission. The Commission’s role is to review and take appropriate action on discretionary development applications and to make recommendations to the City Council regarding any proposed legislative actions, including the General Plan and its implementation, as required by law. Members are appointed to a four-year term. The Planning Commission shall hold at least one regular meeting each month. Compensation is $100/meeting.

Do you have an interest in and/or experience in urban forestry or landscaping? Then apply for the Public Tree Advisory Commission. The Commission provides advice to staff and the City Council in developing plans and goals for the Goleta Urban Forest, represents the interests of the community and informs the community of the Urban Forestry program as directed by the City Council. Meetings are held on an as-needed basis and compensation is $50/meeting. Applicants must live in the City of Goleta.

Applications for all open Boards and Commissions may be submitted online at https://tinyurl.com/goletaboards-commissions. Additional information can be provided by emailing cityclerkgroup@cityofgoleta.org. Applications for the Parks & Recreation and Public Tree Advisory Commissions must be received no later than December 10, 2018, at 5:00 p.m. The deadline for Design Review Board and Planning Commission applicants is January 2, 2019, at 5:00 p.m.

Goleta’s Biking and Walking Future

Over the last two years the City has undertaken a Bicycle Pedestrian Master Plan (BPMP).  This was developed with input from the community, project consultant, Technical Advisory Committee, City Commissions and Council. The City Council adopted this plan on October 16, 2018, and this document will provide the City with a roadmap for the next 10-20 years.

The BPMP will make it easier to bike and walk around town by encouraging the development of an integrated bicycle and pedestrian system throughout the City of Goleta with connections to other regional bike systems. The BPMP also promotes public health by encouraging more people to bike and walk, reducing automobile usage and fuel consumption, and promoting transportation equity.

The BPMP outlines a broad range of improvements within public rights-of-way that will be developed and constructed when Council directs project funding and prioritization. These improvements will occur over the next ten to twenty years and coordinate with the existing Capital Improvement Program (CIP). The BPMP is also considered a “living document” that Council can update as needed in future years when new programs and projects are identified.

Learn more at http://tinyurl.com/GoletaBPMP and click here to read the Staff Report and final plan presented to Council on October 16, 2018.

Get Ready to Play at Goleta’s Newest Park

Construction is in progress on the City of Goleta’s newest community park! The park is located on four acres in Old Town at Hollister and Kellogg Avenues. Check out our behind-the-scenes videos (November 2, September 18 and August 8) to see the progress on this park. We anticipate it being open to the public in early spring 2019.

At the City Council meeting on October 16, 2018, the park was given the name Jonny D. Wallis Neighborhood Park. Named after one of one of the City of Goleta’s founders and an advocate of Old Town, parks and open space, Goleta’s newest park will be an asset for all members of the community. Its wide range of amenities will appeal to all ages. Those amenities include a multi-purpose field, basketball court, handball court, concrete ping-pong table, bocce ball court, pickleball court, playground area, perimeter walking path, fitness nodes with exercise equipment, picnic areas and skateboard plaza. Follow us on Facebook for more behind-the-scenes videos! Click here for more information on the park.

Santa Barbara County Wants You to Know Ready, Set, Go!

Ready, Set, Go is Santa Barbara County’s storm readiness program. Be storm ready – know and follow the three steps below. If at any time you feel unsafe, take immediate action and do not wait for a notification to evacuate. Please remember that sometimes a storm can quickly develop and cause a flash flood and debris flow with little or no warning. Officials may only be able to alert the public with just a few minutes notice or none at all. Get more information at ReadySBC.org and view the Ready, Set, Go! flyer here.

Ready – Be Alert and Aware.
A weather ADVISORY will be issued 72 to 48 hours before the storm. The County Office of Emergency Management will alert the community to an upcoming storm of a certain duration and intensity that may pose a possible risk to life or property. Community members should closely monitor the situation, have a plan, and prepare their home.

Set – Prepare to Leave.
Should the need exist, an evacuation WARNING will be issued 48 to 24 hours before the storm. Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office will warn all in the affected area that there is a high possibility of an evacuation due to an incoming storm with a certain duration or intensity that may pose a risk to life or property. Arrange transportation, gather your items and be ready to leave. People with access and functional needs or large animals should take action as needed.

Go – Leave Now!
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office will order those in the affected area to leave immediately if the incoming storm poses an extreme risk for loss of life and property. Persons who refuse to comply with an evacuation order will not be forcibly removed from their home. However, they should not expect rescue or other lifesaving assistance after the onset of the emergency event.

Winter Storm Preparedness

With the warm weather outside, it’s tough to think about the possibility of upcoming winter storms. However, the City wants to make sure our residents are planning ahead. Do you have flood insurance? Is your emergency kit ready to go? Do you know where in the City you can pick up free sandbags? Click here to find out the answer to those questions and more.

If you are not already signed up to receive emergency alerts from the Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management, we encourage you to do so at www.ReadySBC.org.

The City provides emergency information, but the alerts are sent by the Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management, Santa Barbara County Fire or the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office. Sign up here to receive email and/or text messages with emergency information from the City of Goleta. We also post information on Facebook and Twitter which feed to our website. In rare instances, we send recorded phone messages. To register for Goleta emergency information via phone call, please email pio@cityofgoleta.org or call 805-961-7508 and provide your phone number (specifying if it is a landline or cell phone) and address, as well as your preferred language (English or Spanish).

Platform Holly and Piers 421 Town Hall Meeting

The California State Lands Commission (CSLC) is holding a Town Hall Meeting to provide updates on the status of Platform Holly and Piers 421 on Thursday, November 15 from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at Goleta City Hall Council Chambers (130 Cremona Drive, Suite B). At the Town Hall, CSLC staff will update the community about the well plug and abandonment work at Piers 421 and Platform Holly after Venoco, LLC quitclaimed its interest in Platform Holly and the Ellwood Beach Pier leases last year. Since then, the CSLC has been working to ensure that the facilities are secured, safe, and do not pose a risk to public health and safety and the environment. 

Click here to view the flyer. The Town Hall meeting is family-friendly. Feel free to bring your kids to play in the Fun Zone.

Fire is Everyone’s Fight

Wildfires tend to be the first thing that come to mind when we hear the word “fire.” The U.S. Fire Administration is working to remind people of the fire dangers in our own homes. On a regular basis we will be bringing you tips on how to prevent fires from starting in the home. We are starting with cooking, the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries.

  • Keep an eye on what you fry. If your pan catches on fire, keep it where it is – do not move it! Slide the pan lid or a cookie sheet on top of the pan to take away the air. Turn off the heat and keep the lid on the pan until it is cool. Never try to stop a grease or oil fire with water.
  • Be prepared when cooking. Make the cooking area safe by keeping children and pets at least three feet from a hot stove; clear the area around the stove before you turn it on; turn pot handles towards the back of the stove; keep a pan lid or cookie sheet nearby to cover the pan if it catches fire; move things that can burn away from the stove such as dishtowels, bags, paper, etc.
  • Oven and microwave fires. Turn the oven off and keep the door closed. Call 9-1-1 for firefighters to check that fire did not get into the walls. Keep the microwave door closed and unplug it if you can.

Learn more about fire prevention from the U.S. Fire Administration at www.usfa.fema.gov/prevention. 

ShakeOut Day is Coming!

At 10:18 a.m. on October 18, 2018, millions of people will drop, cover and hold on in the largest earthquake drill ever: ShakeOut! International ShakeOut Day is organized to inspire us to get ready for big earthquakes, and to prevent disasters from becoming catastrophes. What we do to prepare now, before the next big earthquake, will determine how well we can survive and recover. You can participate in ShakeOut anywhere you are: home, school, work or public spaces. Staff at the City of Goleta will be participating. Will you? Register and learn more at www.shakeout.org.  

Here are some tips for what to do during an earthquake:

  • Drop, cover and hold on. Drop to your knees, cover your head and neck with your arms. Hold on to any sturdy furniture until the shaking stops. Crawl only if you can reach better cover without going through an area with more debris.
  • If in bed, stay there and cover your head and neck with a pillow. In advance of an earthquake, you should secure items such as televisions and objects that hang on walls. Store heavy and breakable objects on low shelves.
  • If inside, stay there until the shaking stops. Do not run outside.
  • If in a vehicle, stop in a clear area away from buildings, trees, overpasses, underpasses, or utility wires.

Plastic Bags are Trash

It may seem counterintuitive, but plastic bags and film plastics (i.e. plastic wrapping, saran wrap and small plastic pouches) are no longer recyclable. Several years ago, residents were taught to recycle plastic with a number 3-7. However, there is no longer a market for plastic bags and film plastics mixed in with commingled recyclables. In addition to there being no market, plastic bags are also problematic for our blue mixed recycling bins because they get tangled up with other material. It is difficult to keep plastic bags free of contaminants and to pull them out of the recycling without snagging something else along with them.

Santa Barbara County residents are now being asked to place dirty plastic bags and other film plastics in the trash. Clean plastic bags should be taken back to the grocery store. Learn more at www.lessismore.org. Watch a video here.