Author Archives: Jaime Shaw

Beautify Goleta Does Earth Day Proud

Check Out Photos from the Event

The City of Goleta is pleased to report that a record number of volunteers participated in the first Earth Day edition of Beautify Goleta on Saturday, April 22. Between the three cleanup locations (Stow Grove Park, Lake Los Carneros and Ellwood Bluffs) and the self-guided participants, 115 volunteers picked up 330 pounds of trash!

The Beautify Goleta event also included a bulky item drop off that had great participation. There were forty-one drop-offs, filling two large roll-off containers and collecting over 80 cubic yards of bulky items.

Thank you to everyone who volunteered and made this a successful event. Check out our photo album here of the Beautify Goleta Earth Day edition. We also want to thank our partners at MarBorg Industries, Big Green Cleaning, and the Caltrans Clean California program for their ongoing support.

Here is a breakdown from the event:

Spotlight Cleanup Location: Stow Grove Park

  • 44 Volunteers
  • 142 pounds of trash collected

Cleanup Location: Lake Los Carneros

  • 34 Volunteers
  • 32 pounds of trash collected

Cleanup Location: Ellwood Bluffs

  • 33 Volunteers
  • 141 pounds of trash collected

Self-Guided Cleanups

  • 4 Volunteers
  • 15 pounds of trash collected

Bulky Item Drop Off Event

  • 41 Vehicle Drop Offs
  • 81 Cubic Yards of bulky items collected

We have two more Beautify Goleta events scheduled this year from 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. on July 22 (“Put A Smile On Your Place”) and September 23 (“Coastal Cleanup Day”). We hope you will join us as a volunteer or captain. For more information about the program and how to be a captain or host a cleanup in your neighborhood, go to www.CityofGoleta.org/BeautifyGoleta.

Pictured at top: Volunteer Lucinda Anderson picking up trash at Ellwood Bluffs


Goleta Rotary and Community West Bank hosts Stow Grove Park spotlight cleanup location


Two volunteers help clean up Lake Los Carneros


The Donahoe Family weighs in as a team at Ellwood Bluffs

South Coast Chamber State of the Cities Wrap-Up

The South Coast Chamber hosted the second annual State of the Cities on April 20, 2023, at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort with over 400 attendees. This unique luncheon showcased the vision and leadership of the Mayors and City Managers from Goleta, Santa Barbara, and Carpinteria, who presented informative and engaging presentations.

The Mayors and City Managers spoke with one voice on the critical need for affordable and available housing in their respective communities. They emphasized the lack of affordable housing not only hinders recruitment and retention of workers but also exacerbates the plight of the homeless population. The speakers shared their perspectives on how their cities are addressing housing and the importance of affordable and available housing was clearly demonstrated as a pressing and urgent issue for the entire region. Read about the Chamber’s Roadmap to Recovery – The Road Home.

The Chamber also unveiled its latest project that celebrates our local technology and manufacturing industry, highlighting the cutting-edge technology we are fostering on the South Coast and showcase the opportunities in our area. This is TechTopia! Watch the video here.

Pictured: Mayor Paula Perotte speaking at the event

Goleta Community State of the City Wrap-Up

Check out Photos and Videos from the Event

Thanks to everyone who attended the 6th Annual Goleta Community State of the City on April 10, 2023, at the Santa Barbara Elks Lodge located at 150 N. Kellogg Avenue. We were pleased with the great turnout of around 200 people, beginning when doors opened at 5:00 p.m., continuing to the formal program at 6:00 p.m. and through the live question and answer panel to close the evening. We hope everyone left feeling more informed and connected with the City. To see firsthand what a memorable night this was, check out the following:

The main part of the program was the Mayor’s 2023 State of the City Address. During her speech Mayor Paula Perotte spoke about the City’s recent accomplishments and challenges ahead. She said, “The overall goal we must pursue will be to do everything we can to preserve the unique and essential character and traditions of this corner of the universe that we call Goleta. I want to ask for your help in making sure that next year we can report that the changes we will have made have also made Goleta stronger, more vital, and an even better place to live, work and play.”

Following the State of the City Address, City Manager Robert Nisbet provided an update on the City’s finances. During his presentation he said, “The good news is that this past November this community passed a one cent sales tax, Measure B. This says a lot about the value the community places on local government and the trust they have in their council and staff.”

During the final segment of the program, City staff answered questions submitted from the audience on various topics ranging from housing, pavement concerns, homelessness, future construction plans and more.

We again want to thank everyone who attended and helped to make this event one to remember.

Stay informed by following us on our social media (@cityofgoleta), signing up for City notifications via email and/or text messages at tinyurl.com/GoletaSubscriptions, and reading our monthly e-newsletter The Monarch Press.


Mayor Paula Perotte giving her 2023 State of the City Address


City Manager Robert Nisbet giving the City’s financial update


Staff member talking to a community member at a City information table


Council and City Manager (pictured left-to-right): District 2 Councilmember James Kyriaco, Mayor Pro Tempore Kyle Richards, City Manager Robert Nisbet, Mayor Paula Perotte, District 1 Councilmember Luz Reyes-Martín, and Councilmember Stuart Kasdin


Electeds and Stakeholders (left-to-right): District 1 Councilmember Luz Reyes-Martín, Congressman Salud Carbajal, Mayor Paula Perotte, 2nd District Supervisor Laura Capps, and Santa Barbara Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Hilda Maldonado


City of Goleta staff

GCC Strategic Plan Adopted

The City of Goleta now has a Strategic Plan for our historic Goleta Community Center (GCC). For many years, the beloved building, nearing 100 years old, has been an important gathering place for the community. The City of Goleta is in the process of restoring and preserving this important resource, and on April 18, 2023, adopted a strategic plan for the future of the GCC which includes input from community members and stakeholders on how to best utilize the facility and make it a more vibrant and inviting gathering place. Before adopting the plan, City staff led the Mayor and Council on a walking tour of the GCC during a site visit.

The plan establishes a vision for the GCC and its purpose and role in the community over the short- and long-term. The plan outlines specific steps that will be taken to reach identified goals to achieve that vision. It also sets the expectations for future management of the Community Center, defining operational strategies and tactics, aligned with established City policies and procedures.

In approving the GCC strategic plan, the City Council adopted a vision that “The Goleta Community Center is a welcoming, safe, inclusive, and accessible place where everyone can go to gather, learn and play,” and a mission that “The Goleta Community Center provides programs, services, activities, and a safe space for social, cultural, educational, and recreational offerings in an inclusive and welcoming way.”

Furthermore, the strategic plan identifies five overarching goals to achieve the vision and mission. The five goals have a total of 14 objectives, 25 strategies, and 98 tactics which guide specific actions that will be implemented over a three- to five-year period. Upon completion of all seismic and ADA construction and when the GCC is fully reopened, it is expected that the operator would then begin to carry out elements of the plan over the following three- to five-year period. To view the five goals and corresponding objectives, strategies and tactics, or to read the strategic plan in its entirety here.

Soon the City Council will discuss management options for the GCC and will provide direction on whether they would like to explore management of the GCC by a non-profit, or by City staff. In the meantime, the seismic retrofit construction activities are moving forward, and the main building at the GCC will soon be closed for several months. However, operations in the auxiliary buildings, including the CommUnify/Head Start programs, Rainbow School, Kevin Long Training and the Boys and Girls Club, will continue as usual.

Following the seismic retrofit, the building will undergo disability access improvements to sidewalks, paths of travel, the bathrooms and sewer lines in the main building required under the ADA. These projects are largely funded by federal grants from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and a federal Community Project Funding grant secured for the project through the efforts of Representative Salud Carbajal. The goal is to re-open the facility for community use by late 2023, at which time smaller construction projects will continue. Once all construction is complete, it is anticipated that the operator of the GCC will begin to implement elements of the strategic plan.

To stay up to date on happenings at the GCC, please visit the City’s website at www.CityofGoleta.org/GCC.

Pictured: Goleta City Council in front of the GCC (left-to-right): Councilmember Stuart Kasdin, District 1 Councilmember Luz Reyes-Martín, Mayor Paula Perotte, Mayor Pro Tempore Kyle Richards, and District 2 Councilmember James Kyriaco

Provide Input on MTD Service Changes

Take Survey and Attend Public Meetings

Santa Barbara MTD is hosting a set of public outreach meetings this April, and is inviting the public to take a brief survey giving feedback on proposed service changes to local bus service. These meetings are held annually in the spring to receive input on the proposed changes that would go into effect on August 14, 2023.

Proposed changes include:

  • New peak hour Line 19x (Carpinteria/SBCC Express) serving Carpinteria, Santa Barbara’s Eastside, and SBCC
  • Restoration of Line 28 (UCSB Shuttle) service
  • Lines 23 (El Encanto Heights) & 25 (Ellwood/Winchester Canyon) endpoint connection
  • New microtransit service in Goleta and Isla Vista

MTD invites the public to learn more and to give feedback via an online survey that explains all the proposed changes at www.sbmtd.gov/servicechanges. The survey is available in English and Spanish.

Community meetings will be held at the following locations and times, and Spanish/English interpretation will be provided:

Tuesday, April 11th at 6pm
Downtown Library, Faulkner Gallery
40 E. Anapamu St, Santa Barbara

Wednesday, April 12th at 12pm
Virtual Meeting- Zoom Webinar
Click here to register.

Tuesday, April 18th at 6pm
Carpinteria Library
5141 Carpinteria Ave, Carpinteria

Wednesday, April 26th at 6pm
Goleta City Hall, Council Chambers
130 Cremona Dr, Goleta

In addition to the four meetings listed above, a presentation on the proposed changes will be given at the April 25th meeting of the Isla Vista Community Services District Board of Directors. The meeting begins at 6:00pm.

For questions on proposed service changes, the public may contact Santa Barbara MTD at 805-963-3364 or email info@sbmtd.gov.

County Submits Housing Element to State

After reviewing public comment and incorporating new sites

Santa Barbara County submitted its Draft Housing Element Update for 2023-2031 to the State on March 31, 2023.  A copy of it can be found here. Completion of the Housing Element comes after the County presented the draft to the public on January 30, 2023, kicking off a 30-day public comment period.  During that time more than 430 comment letters were received.  The County diligently worked through the comments and updated the County’s Housing Element.

The public comment process was beneficial and provided several changes to the County’s Housing Element. These include new programs and approximately 19 additional sites that the Board of Supervisor’s can consider for rezones/future housing, seven of these new additions are County owned sites. An interactive map showing all of the proposed sites can be found at https://sbcopad.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=9375e0705e864eada0ff535c23ba99ac. 

“Our team combed through all of the public comments and we were encouraged to find several additional sites to add to the Housing Element.  Everything from employee housing opportunities in Montecito to affordable housing opportunities on County owned property was added during this review period.  The County has worked hard to find sites that meet the State’s guidelines to ensure that the County has identified viable sites that can be built during this 8-year cycle and add the much-needed housing the people working in this county so desperately need,” said Director of Planning and Development Lisa Plowman.

The Housing Element Update is one of the mandated components of a General Plan.  It directs local governments to plan for the existing and projected housing needs of all economic segments of the community.

For this cycle, the State of California Department of Housing and Community Development (State HCD) requires that Santa Barbara County identify sites to accommodate 5,664 new housing units in unincorporated portions of Santa Barbara County between 2023 and 2031.  This is an 8-fold increase from the last cycle. That housing needs allocation, the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA), is further broken down to require 4,142 units in the South Coast region and 1,522 units in North County.

The State requires the County’s Housing Element to accommodate 2,818 very low, low and moderate income units.  The new public and private sites following the public comment period added nearly 1,200 units in these categories.  

Once the State finds the Housing Element to be generally in compliance, the updated Housing Element will be adopted.  The second step in the process includes refinement of the rezone sites and the preparation of a Program Environmental Impact Report (PEIR) assessing potential impacts associated with the proposed rezones needed to meet the County’s RHNA.  The next opportunities for public participation are 1) at the Board of Supervisors hearing on April 4, 2023 where Planning and Development will update the Board on the changes made to the Draft Housing Element and 2) during the public comment period on the Draft PEIR. The Department will hold two public comment hearings; one in north county and one in south county.   The rezones are required to be completed by February 15, 2024.

The Housing Element Update is anticipated to be adopted by the Board of Supervisors later in 2023.

We’re Hiring! Join #TeamGoleta

The City of Goleta is hiring! If you are looking for a rewarding job where you can use your talents, give back to the community and work with other great people, there are several unique opportunities. Learn more and apply today at www.CityofGoleta.org/Jobs.

Current job openings include (in alphabetical order):

  • Custodian – Part-time (Goleta Community Center)
  • Planning Commission Clerk
  • Senior Engineer

Learn more about our open positions here. Job availability subject to change.

General Plan Now Available to Download

The City’s General Plan/Coastal Land Use Plan (General Plan) is now available as a single downloadable document for the first time.

The General Plan serves as a blueprint for the future, prescribing policy goals and objectives to shape and guide the physical development of the City. The General Plan contains the following seven, State-required elements and two optional elements as follows: Land Use Element, Open Space Element, Conservation Element, Safety Element, Visual and Historic Resources Element, Transportation Element, Public Facilities Element, Noise Element, and Housing Element.

Historically, the City has made the document available online in parts, with each element and figure downloadable separately. Now, in addition, the General Plan, including all Elements and Figures, is available as a single PDF on the City’s General Plan webpage here: https://www.cityofgoleta.org/your-city/planning-and-environmental-review/general-plan. The PDF has a bookmarks bar and the Table of Contents has clickable likes to all Elements, policies, figures, and tables. This single document now allows a user to search the entire General Plan for a word or phrase. All figures are also embedded in the PDF in the appropriate locations in the elements. The City will update this document (along with any single Element, Figure, etc.) on that webpage when any General Plan Amendments occur.

El Día de los Niños/El Día de los Libros

El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children’s Day/Book Day), commonly known as Día, is a celebration every day of children, families, and reading that culminates yearly on April 30. The celebration emphasizes the importance of literacy for children of all linguistic and cultural backgrounds.

In 1996 author Pat Mora became inspired by the Mexican holiday, Día de los niños, and thought to combine the holiday with literacy for children. A year later, Día de los Niños/Día de los Libros was born in the United States and Mora soon found support from across the country.

Día is now a nationally recognized initiative that emphasizes the importance of literacy for all children from all backgrounds. It is a daily commitment to linking children and their families to diverse books, languages and cultures. The common goals of all Día programming are to:

  • Celebrate children and connect them to the world of learning through books, stories and libraries.
  • Nurture cognitive and literacy development in ways that honor and embrace a child’s home language and culture.
  • Introduce families to community resources that provide opportunities for learning through multiple literacies.
  • Recognize and respect culture, heritage and language as powerful tools for strengthening families and communities.

Make sure you visit the Goleta Valley Library to check out their great selection of diverse books so you can celebrate Día de los Libros year-round!

Goleta’s TV Production Specialist Retires

After 36 years of service to City TV production, Tony Ruggieri has announced his well-earned retirement.

Tony first came to Santa Barbara in 1984 to attend the Brooks Institute of Photography. It did not take long for him to fall in love with the community and decide to make it his permanent home. He would go on to marry his wife Julie, a Santa Barbara local, and raise two children here.

Tony has worked with Santa Barbara City TV for 36 years and has been providing consulting services to the City of Goleta since 2005. When Tony first began to work with the City, the Council meetings were held in two different locations. Tony’s team had to work quickly to keep up with the Goleta City Council’s unique needs.

“The afternoon session was held at the Goleta Valley Community Center and the evening session was held at the Goleta Union School District” said Tony. “After the first session, Council would take a quick dinner break so we would take the equipment down and move it over to the school district and set it up to finish the next meeting at the school district.” 

As the City TV Production Supervisor for the City of Santa Barbara, Tony was responsible for televising all meetings for the City on Cox Communications Channel 18 as well as manage all video production. “From information videos to PSA’s and documentaries, we were doing it all” says Tony.

Tony held a demanding and important job with the City of Goleta, in a position that required a unique skillset which few possess. The managing of the equipment and Control Room in the City Hall Chambers is imperative for the City in providing direct and easy to find access to all of the meetings, boards, and commissions that are televised. His hard work and expertise helped the City mitigate the challenges faced during the COVID-19 closures and remote meetings.

Tony’s last day was on March 24, 2023. He plans on take a few months off to simply enjoy life, and then return to volunteer and consulting work.

Congratulations Tony and thank you for your many years of dedicated service!


Tony Ruggieri in the control room at Goleta City Council Chambers


Tony in Council Chambers