Author Archives: Jaime Shaw

Community Hazardous Waste Collection Center 

The Community Hazardous Waste Collection Center (CHWCC) is actively working towards creating a cleaner and safer environment for the residents of Goleta. The CHWCC is managed by the County of Santa Barbara’s Resource Recovery and Waste Management Division of the Public Works Department. It is jointly sponsored by the County of Santa Barbara and the cities of Goleta and Santa Barbara. One of their important initiatives is the Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Program, which offers convenient and responsible disposal options for hazardous materials commonly found in households. This program aims to protect public health and the environment by ensuring the proper handling and disposal of potentially harmful waste. 

The HHW Program provides a valuable opportunity for Goleta residents to dispose of household hazardous waste in a safe and eco-friendly manner. Items such as household cleaners, batteries, paints, pesticides, and other harmful substances should never be tossed into regular trash bins due to their potential environmental and health risks. Instead, the HHW Program offers designated collection events and drop-off locations where trained staff members are available to accept and handle these materials responsibly. 

By participating in the HHW Program, Goleta residents actively contribute to the preservation of their local environment and the well-being of their community. Hazardous materials that are improperly disposed of can contaminate water sources, harm wildlife, and pose health hazards to humans. Through this program, residents can ensure that hazardous waste is managed appropriately and does not end up in landfills or pollute the surroundings. 

The HHW Program aligns with the principles of sustainability and responsible waste management. By offering a convenient and accessible disposal solution, it encourages residents to adopt environmentally conscious practices. The collected hazardous waste is transported to approved facilities, where it undergoes proper treatment, recycling, or disposal in compliance with strict environmental regulations. 

Goleta residents are encouraged to stay informed about the HHW Program and take advantage of its disposal options. The program’s drop-off location is situated at 20 David Love Place, Goleta, CA 93117. The collection facility is open on Saturdays from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Residents can visit the UCSB website or contact the program organizers at (805) 893-3743 to learn about upcoming collection events, accepted materials, and any specific guidelines or restrictions. By actively participating in the HHW Program, residents play an essential role in safeguarding their community and supporting sustainable waste management practices. 

The HHW Program serves as a vital resource for Goleta residents, offering a safe and responsible means of disposing of household hazardous waste. Through their participation, residents contribute to the protection of public health and the environment, ensuring that hazardous materials are appropriately managed. By staying informed and actively engaging in this program, Goleta residents can demonstrate their commitment to a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable community. 

Watch Our LEAD Goleta Video Recap

Relive our Spring 2023 LEAD Goleta Community Academy with us! LEAD stands for Learn, Empower, Advocate, and Discuss. For six weeks in April and May, 29 participants learned about how the City of Goleta is run hearing from various City Staff including the City Manager and City Council. Watch this video recap and and view photos here. This was the City’s first bilingual LEAD Goleta Academy and third overall.

We hope you will consider joining us for our next LEAD Goleta Community Academy. If you are interested in being notified when a new date is selected, please email jshaw@cityofgoleta.org.

Goleta Solid Waste Rate Increase Begins July 1

Starting in July, you will see your Solid Waste Collection Rates charged by MarBorg Industries for franchise residential and commercial waste collection services in the city of Goleta increase. Effective July 1, 2023, collection rates will go up 5.95%.

This is an annual increase due to:

  • Increases in the Consumer Price Index (CPI)
  • County of Santa Barbara’s tipping fees at the Tajiguas landfill and ReSource Center

Rate increases due to CPI and Santa Barbara County tipping fees are allowed as part of the City’s franchise agreement with MarBorg. The Goleta City Council approved the collection rate increase at its meeting on June 6, 2023. A recording of the meeting is available here: https://tinyurl.com/ybs8frww.

The rate increase allows MarBorg to continue providing efficient solid waste and recyclables collection services to the City of Goleta. In addition to solid waste collection, services include collection of green waste, recyclables, and commercial food waste, which are all recycled or reused. MarBorg services also include free residential household hazardous waste drop off, free bulky items pickups, textiles recycling, unlimited free electronics pickups and recycling, and many other programs. The revenue generated by the rate increase will help MarBorg to cover the increasing costs of collection, transport, processing, recycling, and disposal of materials.

The new rates are listed below and become effective on July 1, 2023. For the full rate sheet go to https://tinyurl.com/5n84yraa.

 

Monthly Maximum
Solid Waste Collection Rates for
July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024

Service Level

Current rates

5.95% Rate Increase

$ Change

35-gallon Single Family Residential Cart Service

$35.29

$37.39

$2.10

65-gallon Single Family Residential Cart Service

$39.53

$41.88

$2.35

95-gallon Single Family Residential Cart Service

$45.67

$48.39

$2.71

35-gallon Multi Family Residential Cart Service

$29.95

$31.73

$1.78

65-gallon Multi Family Residential Cart Service

$33.40

$35.38

$1.98

95-gallon Multi Family Residential Cart Service

$38.76

$41.07

$2.31

 

Job Opportunities with #TeamGoleta

Be a part of something rewarding– apply for a job at the City of Goleta. We are looking for people to fill the following positions:

  • Community Center Event Monitor/Building Attendant
  • Custodian – Community Center
  • Facilities & Fleet Coordinator
  • Library Technician (PT) – Goleta Valley Library
  • Management Analyst – Parks & Open Space
  • Office Specialist – Code Compliance
  • Principal Civil Engineer/Senior Engineer

More information about these positions is available here. 

Plastic Free July Expo on July 27

The 2nd Annual Plastic Free July Expo in Santa Barbara is coming up on July 27th! From 5:30 – 8:00 p.m. at 1219 State Street in Santa Barbara, you can learn all about reducing plastic waste and promoting sustainable living. It’s a great opportunity to explore eco-friendly alternatives to single-use plastics and discover ways to reduce your carbon footprint. At the Plastic Free July Expo, you’ll find a variety of exhibits showcasing products and services that can help you live a more sustainable lifestyle. You’ll also have the opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and organizations that share the same passion for environmental sustainability. Plastic Free July is a global movement that helps millions of people “be the solution to plastic pollution”. The movement, begun by one woman in Australia in 2011, has since reached over 100 million participants in 190 countries.

The event is sponsored by local nonprofits Community Environmental Council (CEC) and Santa Barbara Channelkeeper (SBCK), longtime advocates for Goleta’s own plastic reduction policy, known as Plastic Free Goleta. CEC and SBCK have successfully advocated for eight regional laws (including Goleta’s) reducing distribution of single use plastic items. Both groups also mentor students doing plastic reduction projects and continue to advocate for local regulations.

This Plastic Free July is particularly relevant, as Goleta’s own plastic policy came into full effect at the beginning of June. The policy requires single-use items like utensils and straws to be made from non-plastic materials to reduce the presence of plastic in our community and keep plastic out of our environment. Reusable foodware for dining onsite is required to further prevent the use of single-use plastic. It also prohibits polystyrene (also known as Styrofoam) products, which frequently make their way into marine habitat and cause harm to wildlife that mistake them for food, causing injury and death. Balloon releases are regulated for similar reasons – latex balloon and plastic ribbon can entangle wildlife on terrestrial and marine habitats. Mylar balloons are completely banned in Goleta to prevent harm to the environment and avoid damage to power lines.

We welcome the Goleta community to be a part of the solution to plastic pollution and celebrate this latest step in Goleta’s plastic free journey. We hope to see you at the Plastic Free July Expo Thursday July 27!

Platform Holly Town Hall Rebroadcast Available

Plans to decommission Platform Holly, an oil platform off the Goleta coast, remain in the works. It was a packed room for the Town Hall in City Council Chambers on June 7, hosted by the City of Goleta and California State Lands Commission. Attendees heard an update on the status and timeline to decommission Platform Holly. Mayor Pro Tempore Kyle Richards welcomed the audience and turned the meeting over to Jennifer Lucchesi, Executive Officer of the California State Lands Commission.

In addition to discussing the Platform Holly Decommissioning, the Town Hall also covered the Ellwood Onshore Oil and Gas Processing Facility Status Update, PRC 421 Decommissioning Project, Ellwood Marine Terminal Decommissioning, and Summerland Beach Legacy Wells. The Town Hall wrapped up with an open forum for attendees to provide comments and ask questions about the project.

If you were not able to attend, you can watch the Town Hall here: https://tinyurl.com/ybm5hju5. It is also being rebroadcast on Goleta TV Channel 19 Fridays at 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

Pictured top right: Town Hall audience


Pictured left-to-right California State Lands Commission staff: Seth Blackmon (Chief Counsel), Jennifer Lucchesi (Executive Officer) and Peter Regan (Assistant Chief of Marine Environmental Protection)

Oil Piers Removal Celebration

Watch Video

What a historic moment. Against the backdrop of the magnificent Pacific Ocean, the California State Lands Commission and state and local leaders showcased the successful removal of the last two oil production shorezone piers in California located at Haskell’s Beach on June 5, 2023, restoring the coastline and marking an enormous milestone in California’s transition away from fossil fuels. It was a special moment after many years of collaboration between the City of Goleta and the California State Lands Commission. Watch the momentous occasion here: https://youtu.be/75kUtN9fCG4.

“With the removal of the State Lease 421 wells, caissons, and piers, Haskell’s Beach as we stand here today looks more like 1923 than 2023,” said City of Goleta Mayor Paula Perotte. “The old oil and gas era legacy wells and piers from the 421 mineral lease are gone and no longer pose an oil spill threat. This is a significant accomplishment for the safety of our community and ocean environment.”

In the early 1900s, a large latticework of oil producing piers and onshore storage and processing facilities spanned the Santa Barbara coastline. The recently decommissioned oil piers and caissons, the last two remaining oil piers, were installed nearly a century ago to develop oil and gas from the Ellwood Oil Field. The deteriorating piers and caissons were a physical coastal obstruction and a potential public safety and environmental hazard.

The Commission embarked on the decommissioning project after Venoco filed for bankruptcy and relinquished its leases to the state. The State Lands Commission owns and manages millions of acres of public land, including tide and submerged lands and the beds of navigable rivers, streams, lakes, bays, estuaries, inlets, and straits. It also owns hundreds of thousands of acres of land, known as school lands, that are scattered across the desert and in northeastern California, and works to prevent oil spills at marine oil terminals and invasive species introductions from vessels arriving at California ports.

Information about the oil pier removal project is available on the Commission’s website.

Pictures from the celebration

 

Splash Pad and Community Garden Groundbreakings

The City of Goleta is on its way to having its first splash pad and community garden. Groundbreakings for both projects were held on June 12 starting with the community garden site at Armitos Park, followed by the splash pad location at neighboring Jonny D. Wallis Neighborhood Park. Watch a video recap of the event here: https://youtu.be/tWpP5eHnP-o.

Construction began June 20th and is anticipated to be completed in mid-October. Armitos Park will be closed to the public beginning June 20th through the remainder of the construction period. Jonny D. Wallis Neighborhood Park will have portions of the park open as long as it is safe for the public. The portions of the park that will be closed to the public beginning June 20th include the basketball court, parts of the parking lot, the bocce and Bankshot courts, one of the covered picnic shelters and the chess/checker tables. As an alternative, basketball players can use the court located behind the Goleta Community Center at 5679 Hollister Avenue.

The community garden will be constructed in the undeveloped area of Armitos Park, south of the playground. The design includes raised garden plots, a picnic area with a pizza oven, a gathering/education area, tool sheds and more. The playground will also receive a refresh that includes the addition of swings, sand features and music elements. In addition, the multi-purpose path adjacent to Jonny D. Wallis Neighborhood Park will be extended to Armitos Avenue. 

At neighboring Jonny D. Wallis Neighborhood Park, the City will be installing a splash pad and working on other upgrades to the park. The splash pad will nestle between the basketball court and one of the picnic shelters. The park will also receive additional fencing for basketball and pickleball, shade structures over the picnic areas by the soccer field and more. Once construction is complete, the basketball court will be resurfaced.

We know the community is looking forward to being able to use the community garden and splash pad. More information will be released later this summer about how you can secure a raised garden bed location.

Thank you for your patience as we bring these two exciting projects to Goleta.

Photos from the event:

Top right: Community Garden Groundbreaking, pictured left-to-right: District 1 Councilmember Luz Reyes-Martín, Mayor Pro Tempore Kyle Richards, District 2 Councilmember James Kyriaco, and Councilmember Stuart Kasdin


Group photo at the community garden groundbreaking at Armitos Park


Splash Pad Groundbreaking, pictured left-to-right: District 1 Councilmember Luz Reyes- Martín, District 2 Councilmember James Kyriaco, Councilmember Stuart Kasdin, Mayor Pro Tempore Kyle Richards, and Parks and Recreation Commission Chair Richard Jenkins


Group photo at the splash pad groundbreaking at Jonny D. Wallis Neighborhood Park

Economic Development Plan Approved

The City of Goleta now has a roadmap to guide the City’s efforts to support the business community and create a sustainable Goleta economy for all. At the June 27, 2023, Special City Council Meeting, the Council unanimously approved and adopted the City’s 5-year Economic Development Strategic Plan (Plan). The Plan was developed by key community and business leaders in response to a more than a yearlong robust community and stakeholder engagement process.

Mayor Paula Perotte said, “A great deal of thought and consideration went into the formulation of the City’s 5-Year Economic Development Strategic Plan. We appreciate all the great feedback we received from both the community and business leaders. This Plan is a shared blueprint for action and will play a vital role in advancing strategies that foster economic growth and resilience in the City of Goleta for the next five years. The City looks forward to working with all of our partners to make this Plan a reality and achieving the vision of the plan to make Goleta a place for all to thrive.”

The plan calls for six imperatives—broad areas of focus supported by a set of Strategies—initiatives or actions designed to achieve Plan goals—and Objectives that will help the City measure progress and success. The six Imperatives from the Plan are outlined below:

  • Amplify the reputation of Goleta as a world-class center of innovation and technology.
  • Improve access to economic opportunity by increasing the availability of livable-wage jobs and enhancing support for local BIPOC and women-owned small businesses and entrepreneurs.
  • Position Goleta as a local leader of high-quality, innovative affordable child-care and housing solutions.
  • Enhance the experience of Goleta for both residents and visitors by leveraging Old Town’s unique historical and cultural identity and investing in district placemaking.
  • Promote and advocate for smart investments in essential community infrastructure.
  • Improve City Government support of local businesses and relationships with economic development stakeholders.

The full Plan is available on the City’s Economic Development webpage and directly here: https://tinyurl.com/388fva8x.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Ryan Kintz, Assistant to the City Manager, at rkintz@cityofgoleta.org.

Put A Smile on Your Place with Beautify Goleta on July 22nd

Volunteer for the City’s Community Cleanup Program 

The City of Goleta’s community cleanup program, Beautify Goleta, has its next event on Saturday, July 22! This event will focus on Calle Real and the surrounding Winchester Canyon and Brandon neighborhoods. There will also be a FREE bulky item drop off from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at Goleta City Hall on Cremona Drive (130 Cremona Drive). Winchester II Open Space (Calle Real and Jenna Drive) will be the meeting place for a Community Cleanup from 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. that is open to anyone who wants to come help pick up litter.

On event day, Beautify Goleta Founder and former Councilmember Roger Aceves will host our Spotlight location at Winchester II Open Space. Please sign up here to join!

This year, the Beautify Goleta July event theme is “Put A Smile On Your Place”, Beautify Goleta’s slogan. All volunteers who participate will receive a Beautify Goleta volunteer t-shirt (now featuring kid sizes!). Additionally, all volunteers will be entered into a prize giveaway for waste reduction themed items including: 

  • Stainless steel bento boxes for lunch 
  • Bees wax produce wraps
  • Reusable produce bags
  • Reusable napkins 
  • Reusable silicone snack bags 

We hope you’ll enjoy these plastic-free alternatives to show our appreciation for helping keep Goleta clean and beautiful! 

The July event is part of Parks & Recreation Month, a full-month to enjoy the outdoors. The City has created a fun-filled calendar of outdoor activities for July, highlighting an activity or event (including Beautify Goleta) for each day of the month. Download the calendar in English or Spanish.

If you can’t make our July event, don’t worry, we are partnering with Explore Ecology on September 23 for a Coastal Cleanup Day Beautify Goleta event.

Thank you to MarBorg Industries, Big Green Cleaning, and Solid Waste Solutions for their continued support, our new and returning Captains, and to everyone who has helped #BeautifyGoleta.

We hope to see you on July 22. Please sign up here to participate and learn more about the program at www.CityofGoleta.org/BeautifyGoleta.