Author Archives: Jaime Shaw

Do You Know About Public Works?

The work of the Public Works Department can be found throughout a community. They provide services from constructing, cleaning, repairing, and maintaining city streets and sidewalks to creating and maintaining the urban forest, parks and open spaces. Public Works also administers the Capital Improvement Program that creates needed infrastructure within the community. Learn more at www.cityofgoleta.org/city-hall/public-works.

In celebration of National Public Works Week, join us in celebrating the hard work of the Public Works Department on Thursday, May 25, from 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. at Camino Real Marketplace Famers’ Market (7004 Market Place Drive). Several other agencies including Goleta Water District, Goleta Sanitary District, Goleta West Sanitary District, MarBorg and Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District (SBMTD) will also be participating.

Bring the whole family and meet with representatives from each agency to learn more about what they do and upcoming projects.

Grab Your Gear

As part of CycleMAYnia, please join us on May 6 from 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. for a Walking and Biking Tour of Old Town Goleta. Participants should meet at the Goleta Valley Community Center (5679 Hollister Avenue). Share your ideas, concerns and visions for the future of walking and biking in Old Town. The walking group will travel 1 – 1.5 miles throughout Old Town and bicyclists will cover 4 – 5 miles. View the flyer in English or Spanish for more information and what to bring.

You’re Invited to Goleta’s State of the City

2017 is an exciting year for the City of Goleta. Join us in celebrating the City’s 15th birthday at the State of the City event to learn more about Goleta’s accomplishments, projects, and finances from Mayor Paula Perotte and City Manager Michelle Greene. Enjoy the “My Goleta” video and a presentation on housing. Taking place on Wednesday, May 31 from 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. at the Goleta Valley Community Center (5679 Hollister Avenue), this event is free and open to the public. Spanish translation is available.

The City will also be celebrating its 10th Annual State of the City sponsored by the Goleta Valley Chamber of Commerce on May 12. Both events will be rebroadcast on Goleta TV (channel 19/104.148) and will also be posted on the City’s website at www.cityofgoleta.org.  A broadcast schedule will be available after the event. To RSVP for Goleta’s State of the City on May 31 go to https://goletasotc2017.eventbrite.com. Your advance RSVP allows us provide the correct amount of seating and snacks for attendees. Thank you for your help.

New H2S Detector Purchased to Help Determine Source of Odors

In response to last year’s search for the mysterious release of hydrogen sulfide in western Goleta, the City of Goleta purchased a highly-sensitive H2S monitor for Fire Station 11 that will help first responders more quickly locate future sources of these potentially dangerous odors. For a recap of last October’s Hydrogen Sulfide incident, please read our Monarch Press article “What was that Smell?”

The new Jerome J605 H2S Detector is significantly more sensitive — over 6,000 times — at detecting Hydrogen Sulfide than what is currently used by the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, enabling firefighters to locate and address potential problems faster. The detector will be located at Fire Station 11 in western Goleta, and will be available for use countywide.  According to the fire department, the majority of nuisance odor complaints in Santa Barbara County occur in the western Goleta area. In 2015 county fire responded to 175 calls to investigate suspicious odors or steam, with 116 of those calls coming from Goleta, and 69 from western Goleta.

The detector was funded by the City of Goleta’s Public Safety Fund, which is funded entirely by Camino Real LLC (owner of Camino Real Marketplace). Camino Real LLC has contributed over $1,050,000 for Goleta public safety efforts since 2008. Contributions are used for funding public safety needs: operations and equipment purchases, public education and emergency preparedness effort, community emergency response training and certification, public outreach and communication – emergency notifications systems and/or other community projects mutually desired and agreed upon by Camino Real LLC and the City. 

Celebrating a Decade of State of the City on May 12

Come find out the state of your City at Goleta’s 10th annual State of the City on Friday, May 12th at Bacara Resort & Spa (8301 Hollister Avenue) from 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. The event will feature presentations by Mayor Paula Perotte and City Manager Michelle Greene. Click here to register.

Can’t make it? No problem. The event will be rebroadcast on Goleta TV (channel 19/104.148) and will also be posted on the City’s website at www.cityofgoleta.org.  A broadcast schedule will be available after the event.

Keep it Clean Goleta

Do you know about all of the FREE services available to you for disposing of items you no longer want or need? There are a number of resources for you to help keep your home and neighborhood looking good. MarBorg offers a FREE bulky-item pick-up for every household up to two times per year. This is a great way to get rid of that broken chair or old mattress you no longer want. Take advantage of this service, go to www.marborg.com for more information. Electronic waste (E-waste) can be dropped off directly at MarBorg’s recycling center (20 David Love Place).

Hazardous waste such as antifreeze, batteries, motor oil, oil filters, cleaners, paint, fluorescent lights, solvents, propane tanks, medications, pesticides and kitchen grease, cannot be thrown away in your trash can. Instead, please bring it to Santa Barbara County’s Community Hazardous Waste Collection Center at UCSB. The facility is open Saturday’s 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., Sunday’s 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. and by appointment. It is a FREE service for residents. Learn more here: www.marborg.com/ucsb-recycling-facility-santa-barbara. 

Operation Medicine Cabinet, run by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, is a FREE and safe way for residents to dispose of unwanted or unneeded medicine so that it does not harm the environment. Medicine can be dropped off at any one of the eight Sheriff stations in the County 24/7. http://tinyurl.com/hwz84vy

The City of Goleta also encourages residents to keep it clean by being sure to “Close the Poop Loop.” The City provides bags as a convenience for pet owners to pick up after their pet and place the used bag(s) into a trash can. Please carry your own bags as well and do not leave full bags on the ground.

City Supports Emergency Preparedness Partnership

The City of Goleta is proud to be a sponsor of the new Noozhawk Emergency Preparedness Special Section.  Santa Barbara County residents are all too familiar with disasters such as wildfires, flooding and more.  Noozhawk wants to make sure its readers are prepared for the next disaster, so it has launched this special section to provide tips, advice and resources to help prepare.  We encourage you to visit this resource at https://www.noozhawk.com/ emergency_preparedness_17.

Photo by Giana Magnioli with Noozhawk

MTD Wants to Talk

Please join MTD for a community meeting on April 4 at 6:00 p.m. at the Goleta Valley Community Center (5679 Hollister Avenue). MTD is planning for service changes to be implemented beginning August 21, 2017, and is seeking ideas for future transit improvements. There are minor schedule adjustments proposed for Lines 1, 2, 6, 11, 12x, 15x, 20, 21x, 23, 24x and 25. Click here for more information on these schedule changes. There is also the possibility of direct service between Carpinteria and Goleta during weekday commuter hours. Attend the community meeting to let MTD know your thoughts.

Will there be a New Park in Old Town?

In 2013 a big, beautiful sign went up in an empty lot near the corner of Hollister and Kellogg Avenues announcing an exciting new project — the future park in Old Town, but what has happened since that day the sign was erected?

The Parks & Recreation Commission has worked closely with staff and the community to design a facility to meet the needs of today and the future for the residents of Old Town. The park design is based on public input from various workshops and stakeholder meetings. It has evolved to contain a multitude of recreational amenities and landscaping, including a multi-purpose field, basketball court, handball court, concrete ping-pong table, bocce ball court, perimeter walking path, fitness nodes with exercise equipment, picnic areas, splash pad and a skateboard plaza. With so many great amenities, the Old Town Park will be a fantastic place for children, and adults, to play.

In September of 2015, a final design of Old Town Park was brought to the City Council for consideration. The City Council provided direction to staff for some modifications.  These changes included enlarging the bathrooms and adjusting the alignment of the San Jose Creek Bike Path to avoid impacts to Creekside habitat. Staff made the requested changes and the revised park design was taken back to the Parks and Recreation Commission in November 2016 incorporating the City Council feedback. The park design still needs to return to the City Council for final approval (expected in spring 2017).

The park has taken longer to build than anticipated for two reasons: 1) the design of the park went through several modifications to comply with new water restrictions imposed by the Goleta Water District due to the prolonged drought; and 2) ownership of the site needs to be resolved between the City and the Goleta Redevelopment Agency Successor Agency, which currently holds title to the property.  State law on how redevelopment agencies should dispose of property has evolved since 2011. The City has been attempting to acquire title to the property since that time. The City is currently working on developing the best path forward and hopes to be successful in that effort within the coming months.

In the meantime, staff will continue efforts on the final design so the project can move quickly upon successful title acquisition. This is the first park in Goleta’s history to be built by the citizens of the City of Goleta, which is exciting for all involved.

Please click here for more information on this project.

Parking Restrictions Return for Deltopia

Deltopia is planned for April 8, 2017, and the City is implementing temporary parking restrictions in affected areas in order to minimize the impact of this event on Goleta residents. Those who live in the neighborhoods known as University 1 and University 2 between Cannon Green Drive and Storke Road and from Hollister Avenue to the southern City limits along Whittier Drive will receive two parking permits in the mail by April 3.

Residents with valid permits will be able to park on the streets in this area from 7:00 p.m. on Friday, April 7th to 7:00 a.m. Saturday, April 8th and 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 8th to 7:00 a.m. Sunday, April 9th. Residents are encouraged to park in their garages and/or driveways as well. Vehicles without permits will be cited and towed at the owner’s expense.

A map and FAQs can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/goletatempparking.