Author Archives: Jaime Shaw

Mexican Independence Day Festival in Old Town on September 16

You’re invited to a cultural celebration on Saturday, September 16 from 1:00 – 8:00 p.m. in the heart of Old Town Goleta (298 Pine Avenue)! Come celebrate Mexican Independence Day while supporting the local businesses that make Old Town Goleta unique. 

The event was so fun last year on a small scale that the Greater Santa Barbara Hispanic Chamber of Commerce expanded the celebration this year to a full community block party. 

Here is what you can look forward to: 

  • Children’s Bounce Houses 
  • HEART & SOUL Band 
  • Music with Mariachi Fiesta Mexicana
  • Ballet Folklorico Patria Mexicana 
  • GRUPO RADIANTE de Fausto Cruz 
  • Car and Bike Show
  • Consul of Mexico Ricardo Santana

Please note that Pine Avenue will be partially closed off for the Car and Bike Show. We encourage you to walk or bike to the event. We’ll see you there!

 

 

Another Dam Good Time at Goleta’s Dam Dinner

Watch Video and View Photo Album

More than 400 people enjoyed the #BestDamDinner they ever had at beautiful Lake Los Carneros in Goleta on Saturday, August 19, 2023. Despite the impending storm, the sun was shining bright, and the lake was at the fullest it has been in more than a decade. The dinner started an hour earlier this year at 4:00 p.m. and went till 7:00 p.m. allowing more people to come and go, or for many, to stay and enjoy the event the entire time. 

View a video recap of the event here:  https://youtu.be/yTf2lNod5Ag. Check out all the great photos here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/VZwwx9TN7oKgSxhJ6.

Mayor Paula Perotte said, “We were delighted at the turnout of friends and neighbors for Goleta’s Annual Dam Dinner. I think all that attended would agree that we had a dam good time!”

Whether they brought their own picnic dinner or purchased food, attendees found a spot at the long community table decorated with yellow and blue checkered tablecloths. A welcome addition this year was the complimentary Plastic Free Goleta reusable cutlery sets placed at each seat at the table to promote the City’s recent plastic reduction ordinance. Another highlight this year was the understated speakers placed throughout the event that allowed everyone to enjoy the sounds of the live bluegrass music from the Salt Martians.

As always, people enjoyed capturing the moment by taking a photo with the traditional Dam Dinner frame that has been around since the event started in 2013. Stay tuned for a photo album and a video recap of the event later this week.

Thanks to everyone who took time to attend the event, including our Goleta City Council, Assemblymember Gregg Hart and Santa Barbara County Supervisors Joan Hartmann and Laura Capps.

Despite the simplicity of this event, it would not have been possible without the collaboration of some key partners. A big thanks to the Goleta Valley Historical Society for partnering with the City of Goleta again to put on the event. A special thanks to Pete Wolf with Big Hammer Lures for helping to plan, set up and clean-up the event, and for creating the yearly Dam Dinner t-shirts once again.

We also want to express our appreciation to Santa Cruz Market for donating succulents for the tables and to the Devereux Greenhouse Group for creating and delivering the arrangements to the event for all to enjoy and for some to take home as well. Thanks to Creekside Restaurant and the Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce for sharing their tablecloths. As always, thanks to MarBorg for donating the bathrooms and handwashing stations.

Thanks to everyone who was a part of making this event so memorable every year. We are already looking forward to the 2024 Dam Dinner and hope to see you there.

Pictured: Event photos by Rob Hoffman:


Group photo


Santa Barbara County Supervisor Laura Capps, Mayor Paula Perotte and District 1 Councilmember Luz Reyes-Martín


The Salt Martians performing


Assemblymember Gregg Hart and Councilmember Stuart Kasdin


Santa Barbara County Supervisors Laura Capps and Joan Hartmann, Mayor Pro Tempore Kyle Richards and District 1 Councilmember Luz Reyes-Martín (photo by Kelly Hoover)

Join Us for Coffee & Community on October 7

The City of Goleta is holding its next Café y Comunidad / Coffee & Community event on Saturday, October 7th from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the Multipurpose Room at Ellwood School (7686 Hollister Avenue). Live Spanish interpretation will be provided at this bilingual event. Bring your friends and neighbors, and join Mayor Paula Perotte, City Councilmember Stuart Kasdin, and Goleta staff members for coffee and conversation.

This event is a great opportunity to:

  • Meet your neighbors
  • Connect with the City
  • Get updated on projects in store for Ellwood
  • Ask questions to City Staff
  • Share ideas and concerns about your neighborhood
  • Get to know the City better

The goal of our Café y Comunidad / Coffee & Community events are for Goleta residents to get to know each other and connect with the city. It’s a great opportunity for residents to be able to present their questions, concerns, and topics important to their neighborhood in a comfortable and informal setting.

Opening remarks followed by a time for questions begins at 9:30 a.m.

Watch a recap of our first ever Café y Comunidad / Coffee & Community event in January 2023 here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgvzF8w5IpI.

We look forward to seeing you there!

2022-2023 Pavement Rehab Project Nearing Completion

The 2022-2023 Pavement Rehabilitation Project (Project) is almost complete. The Project began in November 2022 and is anticipated to be completed this month (September 2023). The Project is part of the City’s ongoing effort to maintain and improve roads including restoring the street segments and new asphalt road surface pavement. The Project also includes rehabilitation methods from grind and overlays to full-depth reconstruction, concrete curbs & gutter construction, American Disability Act (ADA) ramps updated to compliance, and traffic striping. The road segments rehabilitated are the following:  

  • Cannon Green Neighborhood 
  • Convington Neighborhood 
  • Hillsboro Way (Hillsboro Street to Cul-De-Sac)
  • Lowell Way (Hollister Avenue to Lowell Way and West End Cul-De-Sac to East End Cul-De-Sac) 
  • Los Carneros Way (Calle Real to Cathedral Oaks Road)  
  • Storke Road (Bollay Drive to Hollister Avenue) 
  • Cathedral Oaks Road (Evergreen Drive to Alameda Avenue) 

With the Project wrapping up, the City is looking ahead at the 2023 Pavement Rehabilitation Project, which is in the final design phase. The City is slated to go to City Council in the coming weeks for approval of the plans & specifications and to receive authorization to issue a notice inviting construction bids for the 2023 Pavement Rehabilitation Project. In addition, The City will present the three-year priority street list (2024, 2025, and 2026) to the City Council.  

The City uses the Pavement Management Program (PMP) as a planning tool that facilitates the identification of the proposed list of priority roadways to be included in the City’s annual pavement rehabilitation projects. The PMP tracks the pavement condition and develops periodic pavement maintenance activities and projects based on the conditions. In conjunction with the PMP recommendations, the City also considers the public’s input and staff’s experience and understanding of the roadway network when developing a priority roadway list.

The Annual Pavement Rehabilitation Project has many long-term benefits for our community. By continuing to reinvest in rehabilitating our roadways, we are improving road safety and network efficiency. If you have any questions on the Annual Pavement Projects, contact Daniel Virgen Jr, Assistant Engineer, at dvirgen@cityofgoleta.org. 

Pictured: Newly paved Cathedral Oaks Road at Evergreen Drive

Last Chance to Weigh In On CDBG Year-End Report

Public Review Period Open through September 8

Every year the City of Goleta looks forward to helping those in our community in need using funds from the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. This past year, over 6,000 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 2022-2023 CDBG Action Plan. The draft CAPER can be viewed at the following link: www.CityofGoleta.org/Grants. 

Comments on the draft CAPER are being accepted during a 15-day public review period from August 24 – September 8, 2023, at 12:00 p.m. 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 5, 2023, at their regular Council meeting which begins at 5:30 p.m. An agenda will be available ahead of time at https://www.cityofgoleta.org/meetings-agendas.

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.

Revised Housing Element Submitted to State

The City of Goleta’s draft Revised Adopted Housing Element 2023-2031 is now in the hands of the State for review. Goleta’s Housing Element establishes City policies and programs for maintaining and improving existing housing as well as identifies sites adequate to accommodate development of new housing to meet the City’s assigned share of housing needs under the State-required Regional Housing Needs Assessment.

Submitted on August 18, 2023 the State has 60 days to review Goleta’s draft Revised Adopted Housing Element 2023-2031. The community can view the document on the City’s website at https://cityofgoleta.org/HousingElement. Once the City receives comments from the State, City staff will present the draft document with proposed revisions to the Planning Commission and Council at future public hearings for adoption.

The 60-day review period follows a 7-day public review from August 10 – 17, 2023 on the revised document. The City held three study sessions in July 2023 with the City Council and Planning Commission to consider possible housing sites for rezoning as part of the Housing Element 2023-2031 in response to comments received on March 20, 2023 from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) after the City submitted its adopted Housing Element 2023-2031 to the State for review in January 2023. HCD issued a letter requesting that the City revise its Housing Element to address comments and meet the State’s required Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA).

For more information on the City’s Housing Element Update project, go to https://cityofgoleta.org/HousingElement. If you have any questions about the project, please email City staff at HousingElement@cityofgoleta.org. For inquiries in Spanish, please contact Marcos Martinez, Spanish Engagement Specialist, at (805) 562-5500 or mmartinez@cityofgoleta.org.

Back to School Safety Tips

Watch Video Message

With the new school year having just begun, the City of Goleta would like to remind you of some important safety tips for parents and kids. Start by checking out this informative Back to School Safety Video Message from Goleta’s Community Resource Deputy George Hedricks that includes information on establishing routes to school, avoiding strangers, and teaching children about safely using social media and the internet.

Below are some additional tips 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 child to recognize and obey traffic signals, signs, and pavement markings.

Biking to School

  • ALWAYS wear a properly fitted helmet.
  • 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 knows 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 and walk bikes across the street.

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 everyone a safe and successful school year!

Go Plastic Free Goleta – Watch New Video to Learn How

Making the transition to a plastic-free life is not easy, but it is important for the future of Goleta and our planet. Learn how you can be part of helping Goleta go plastic free – watch this video: https://youtu.be/riwTyWkGwdw. The video is also available to watch in Spanish at https://youtu.be/XpCJZ1mt6oQ.

Passed by the Goleta City Council in September 2022, the comprehensive plastic pollution reduction policy went into effect earlier this summer on June 1, 2023. The regulations are part of the City’s efforts to reduce waste by prohibiting the sale and distribution of a variety of common single-use plastic items.

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. Less single-use plastics being distributed and sold in our community will reduce plastic pollution litter in Goleta’s neighborhoods, waterways, and beaches.

The policy includes regulations to reduce the sale and distribution of: 

  • Disposable single-use plastic cutlery and straws 
  • Polystyrene foodware  
  • Polystyrene packing materials and coolers 
  • Polystyrene egg cartons, meat trays, and produce trays 
  • Mylar® or foil balloons and the release of any balloons

Learn more about Plastic Free Goleta on our website at www.CityofGoleta.org/PlasticFreeGoleta.

Thank you for helping to protect our environment.

Pictured: City of Goleta Sustainability Manager Dana Murray

Beautify Goleta – Captains and Sponsors Needed!

Watch a Video Recap

Want to see Beautify Goleta grow? Get involved by becoming a team captain or a sponsor. The citywide community cleanup and bulky item drop off program is really making a difference in our community. Need evidence? Just watch this recap video of our Beautify Goleta July event and see for yourself how the community came together to help reduce trash pollution.

Thank you to Beautify Goleta Captain Roger Aceves, Cheryl Washburn-Lander, Goleta Rotary, and Home Depot for all your ongoing support and participation.

Get involved today! Sign up now to be a Beautify Goleta volunteer or even to step up as a Team Captain or sponsor – go to www.CityofGoleta.org/BeautifyGoleta or email EnvironmentalServices@CityofGoleta.org to learn more.

Pictured: Beautify Goleta Captain Roger Aceves (right) with other volunteers

U.S. HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge Visits

It’s not often that we have a U.S. Secretary come to town, which is why August 25 was a particularly exciting day. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Marcia L. Fudge came to Santa Barbara County for the day and packed a lot into her visit. Here is a short video recap: https://youtu.be/8j7oSEizRPs.

Her day started with a press conference, followed by a quarterly meeting with Santa Barbara County mayors and city managers to discuss affordable housing and homelessness. Her visit ended with a tour of two HUD assisted community sites (one in Goleta and the other in Santa Barbara). The Secretary was joined by U.S. Representative Salud Carbajal, California Secretary of Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency Lourdes Castro Ramirez, the Santa Barbara County CEO Mona Miyasato, Supervisors Das Williams and Joan Hartmann along with eight city mayors and city managers, housing officials and other local leaders from across Santa Barbara County. 

The press conference held at Direct Relief in Santa Barbara was where the Secretary announced that $115 million of federal funding would be allocated to the State of California to address the storms of 2023. She said, “We know you have been hit hard, many times. We know that you are very resilient, but we also know that we have a responsibility to help as much as we can.” View the press conference here: https://youtu.be/oW5UXs6dwzA.

Following the press conference, the Secretary attended a roundtable discussion at a quarterly meeting with Santa Barbara County mayors, city managers and other local leaders, to talk about the housing issues facing Santa Barbara County and the work being done to help those experiencing homelessness and those searching for affordable housing. Since the meeting this quarter was hosted by the City of Goleta, Mayor Paula Perotte had the honor of introducing Secretary Fudge to the group. She said, “This is an important discussion today because we are all struggling with the concerns and impacts of housing insecurity and homelessness, and the lack of affordable options for our workforces. We are all working to alleviate and address the impacts of homelessness and maximize affordable housing.” The meeting was moderated by former City of Santa Barbara Mayor Helene Schneider who is the Senior Regional Advisor for the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness.

The next stop was a short drive down the road to the Buena Tierra Permanent Supportive Housing development in the 6000 block of Hollister Avenue in Old Town Goleta scheduled to open this fall. Buena Tierra is a 60-unit permanent supportive housing development for people experiencing chronic homelessness, homelessness and homeless youth or youth at risk of homelessness. Director of Housing Development at the Housing Authority of the County of Santa Barbara, John Polansky took Secretary Fudge on a tour of the facility under construction and showed all it will have to offer. 

Following that tour, the Secretary went to the Gardens on Hope affordable senior housing project for very low- and low-income seniors in Santa Barbara. All tenants receive HUD housing vouchers. Rob Fredericks, Executive Director/CEO Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara, led the tour of the 89-unit housing community. Afterwards, Secretary Fudge met with several residents there.

We thank Secretary Fudge for coming to visit Santa Barbara County and for her commitment to help address and find solutions to the housing crisis in our country.

About Secretary Marcia L. Fudge:

Secretary Fudge is the 18th Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Throughout her career, Secretary Fudge has worked to help low-income families, seniors, and communities across the country.  She has served as U.S. Representative for the 11th Congressional District of Ohio. She was a member of several Congressional Caucuses and past Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. She was the first female and first African American mayor of Warrensville Heights, Ohio.

Secretary Fudge’s career in public service began in the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office, rising to the rank of Director of Budget and Finance. She earned her bachelor’s degree in business from The Ohio State University and law degree from the Cleveland State University Cleveland-Marshall School of Law. She is a Past National President of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and a member of its Greater Cleveland Alumnae Chapter.

About HUD:

HUD’s mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. More information about HUD and its programs is available at www.hud.gov.

You can also connect with HUD on social media and follow Secretary Fudge on Twitter and Facebook or sign up for news alerts on HUD’s Email List. 

Pictured above: Secretary Fudge speaking at the press conference held at Direct Relief


Press Conference attendees listen to Secretary Fudge


City of Goleta Mayor Paula Perotte introduces Secretary Fudge at Santa Barbara County mayors and city managers meeting


Group photo of Secretary Fudge with Santa Barbara County mayors, city managers and other leaders


John Polansky, Director of Housing Development at the Housing Authority of the County of Santa Barbara, gives Secretary Fudge a tour of Buena Tierra permanent supportive housing project


Secretary Fudge with Goleta City Council and staff


Secretary Fudge meets with residents at Gardens on Hope