Author Archives: Jaime Shaw

Commercial and Residential Energy Opportunities

There are two energy savings related opportunities that we wanted to make sure that the Goleta community was aware of. The first is an upcoming webinar for homeowners hosted by 3C-REN discussing the benefits of home electrification and heat pumps, and the second is the County of Santa Barbara’s Energy Assurance Services program for commercial building owners. Please see the details below to learn more!

Calling all homeowners in the Tri-Counties!

Learn how you can implement affordable energy efficiency and electrification upgrades for a healthier, climate-friendly home. Register for 3C-REN’s regional forum “What is the Big Deal About Heat Pumps and Electrification?” on Wednesday, March 30th from 5:30-6:30pm. 

Attendees will learn about the value of electrification for their homes and how new technologies can help improve home health and comfort. There will be special focus on heating and cooling systems that utilize heat-pump technologies. Speakers will highlight the challenges and opportunities created by energy efficiency and electrification through case studies, testimonials, and state incentives. Those interested can register now.

County of Santa Barbara Offers Free (or No Cost) Energy Assurance Services

The County of Santa Barbara has launched an Energy Assurance Services (EAS) program to provide free technical assistance for commercial facility owners to increase energy efficiency and energy resilience on the Central Coast. Commercial building owners in Goleta interested in free energy benchmarking, audits, and resilience evaluation can qualify for assessment services that will help participants prepare for funding opportunities from utilities and state agencies. The County’s EAS program provides support with everything from surveying the risks of power loss to your operations to conducting technical assessments for solar and batteries.

Interested in improving your facilities’ resilience? Learn more about the program here.

Electrify Your Ride – Rebates Still Available

The City would like to commend and congratulate the Goleta community for its continued commitment to sustainability and to transitioning to an electric future. Since Central Coast Community Energy launched the Electrify Your Ride program in November 2021, the Goleta community has received more than $18,000 in rebates for electric vehicles and electric vehicle infrastructure. If you are interested in participating in Electrify Your Ride, incentives are still available.

As part of this program, rebates are available to CCCE customers for the purchase and lease of new and pre-owned electric vehicles (EVs), motorcycles, EV chargers, associated EV readiness electrical work, and electric bikes! Electrify Your Ride provides access to a one-stop-shop to apply for post-purchase incentives that will help save customers money and help residents and businesses make the switch to electric transportation. See tables below for pricing. The program is open now through September 30, 2022, or until all funds ($2.8 million) are used.

The Electrify Your Ride rebates not only reimburse a portion of the cost for electric-powered transportation but are also intended to cover costs associated with the purchase and installation of chargers to power up EVs at homes and workplaces – including the labor and related electric panel updates or replacement – which is part of a CCCE Energy Program “readiness” measure designed to prepare customers for more all-electric conversion such as appliances and water heaters. So, even if you may not be ready for a new vehicle, program funds can be leveraged now to start upgrading your electric panel for a cleaner future.

Transportation contributes to 60% of our local Central Coast greenhouse gas emissions. By powering cars with electricity instead of gasoline or diesel saves money and improves local air quality. Additionally, building more charging stations improves equitable access for residents and EV chargers add value to businesses. CCCE energy programs assist the Central Coast community with the switch from fossil fuels to clean-energy solutions.

Learn more about the program at https://3cenergy.org/electrify-your-ride-program/.

Join CCCE’s monthly eNewsletter here to stay informed about Electrify Your Ride and other CCCE programs. Still have questions? Contact CCCE at programs@3CE.org.

 

Single-Use Foodware Accessories Upon Request

Helpful Resources to Make the Switch to Reusables

As the City of Goleta prepares for state regulation on single-use foodware accessories and standard condiments, the City’s Sustainability Program would like to share resources to make this transition easier for our community’s business owners.

Signed by Governor Newsom in October 2021, Assembly Bill (AB) 1276* requires all food and beverage vendors to make single-use foodware accessories and condiments only available upon request by the consumer by June 1, 2022. This means online ordering sites will have the option to include things like utensils, condiment packets, and napkins in their orders.

The goal of the legislation is to reduce waste from food facilities. Goleta is already looking to reduce plastic use and waste in general, and one example of an organization that provides practical solutions to plastic pollution is Upstream.

Upstream is a nonprofit with the goal of reducing waste by promoting fully reusable systems for restaurants. Upstream’s studies show that reusable foodware “wins,” and saves restaurants money 100% of the time. Most items pay for themselves after just a few uses. For example, a 12oz ceramic mug is cheaper than disposable coffee cups after just 12 uses. That’s money saved, and 12 coffee cups saved from a landfill. Of course, switching to reusables also saves restaurants hundreds of pounds of waste a month, and improves the customers’ dine-in experience.

If you’re a business owner and ready to make the switch to reusable foodware, explore the following resources on the Upstream website.

  • Reuse saving calculator to see how much money your business will save after switching to reusable foodware. Simply enter the disposable item, how much and how often you purchase it, and some more information to get your savings, and the number of disposables saved!
  • A Reusable Foodware Catalog to help you pick out your new foodware! This catalog has options to fit any restaurant budget and aesthetic.
  • Check out Upstream’s social media toolkits so you can let your customers know you’ve made the switch. They include information about reducing waste, and keeping reusable foodware COVID-19 safe.

The City’s Sustainability Program is excited to share these resources for reducing waste and promoting a healthier community and environment.

*AB 1276 requires that the City, on or before June 1, 2022, authorize an enforcement agency to enforce these requirements. A city-wide ordinance in compliance with AB 1276 is forthcoming. All single-use foodware accessories and standard condiments as defined by state law will be made available upon request only.*

Goleta Neighborhood Restorative Justice Program Looking for Volunteers

A newly launched Neighborhood Restorative Justice Program (RPJ) in the Goleta Valley is in need of volunteers. The Neighborhood RJP is a community-driven, pre-filing diversion program designed to divert low-level misdemeanor offenses from entering into the criminal justice system.

Offenders in this program are given an opportunity to take responsibility and repair some of the harm they caused through a community-based process using restorative justice principles instead of a courtroom. The Neighborhood Restorative Justice Program addresses criminal violations that impact the quality of life in the community.

The District Attorney’s office is currently soliciting community panelists and facilitators who will be trained in restorative justice principles and participate in leading restorative justice proceedings (conferences).  The facilitators will be trained in leading the conference and guides participants through a step-by-step restorative process. The panelists play a supportive role in representing the community’s needs, interests and perspectives concerning the crime committed. Community volunteers should work or live in the Goleta Valley.

Requirements to become a volunteer facilitator or panelist: 

  • Complete the application
  • A Live-Scan fingerprinting and criminal record check (Immigrant status is irrelevant and will not be checked.)
  • No recent felonies or misdemeanors  
  • Complete volunteer facilitator and panelist training 
  • Have lived in Goleta Valley for 3 years (1 year if a student)
  • Two-year time commitment (1 year if students)
  • Bilingual/bicultural Spanish/English volunteers are highly encouraged

Community members are encouraged to apply and participate in developing an innovative and extremely successful program.

For more information and to apply as a volunteer, visit the District Attorney’s website at http://countyofsb.org/da/nrjp or email the program at SBDANeighborhoodRJP@co.santa-barbara.ca.us

Permanent Pickleball Courts Approved at the Goleta Community Center

The Goleta community is passionate about pickleball and will soon have permanent pickleball courts to use at the Goleta Community Center (GCC). The Goleta City Council approved the Goleta Valley Community Center (GVCC) organization’s proposal to convert the existing tennis court at the GCC into four pickleball courts at their March 1, 2022, meeting. The Council came to the decision following several public hearings which included a large volume of public input.   

In addition to resurfacing and renovation of the existing tennis court into four permanent pickleball courts, a fifth court will be striped to accommodate both basketball and temporary pickleball, serving two recreational uses. 

Council initially discussed this item at its January 18, 2022, City Council meeting, but asked staff to return to address concerns in three primary areas: 1) Access for all; 2) Costs to play; and, 3) Noise. These were areas of similar interest to the Parks and Recreation Commission when it reviewed the proposal at its November 18, 2021, special meeting.

Goleta Valley Community Center temporarily converted one of the courts at the GCC to a temporary pickleball court in the fall of 2019. In late spring of 2020, the popularity increased and the one court in high demand was expanded to four additional temporary courts in the existing tennis courts.

It is anticipated that the courts will be converted this spring and available for public use by this summer.

The community is encouraged to also take advantage of the other pickleball courts available in the Goleta area:

  • Jonny D. Wallis Neighborhood Park (permanent court, first-come, first-served)
  • Evergreen Park (lined for pickleball games, but users can either bring their own portable net or access a portable net stored onsite)
  • Kellogg Tennis Courts (recently renovated by the Santa Barbara County Parks Department to include the installation of three tennis and four pickleball courts in place of the previous four tennis courts)

Pictured: Pickleball players Mark Sabens, Jared Ingram, Vince Kosek, and Brandon Gregorio at the Goleta Community Center courts

Super 8 Supportive Housing Meeting Link

The Housing Authority of the County of Santa Barbara, in partnership with the County of Santa Barbara and City of Goleta, held a virtual community informational meeting on February 10 regarding the proposed permanent supportive housing development project at 6021 Hollister Avenue in Goleta. The site is currently a Super 8 motel. If you were unable to attend the meeting, a recording is available at https://youtu.be/vUESHDmIGec.  

The meeting provided information about the proposed development and answered questions from the community.

The Super 8 housing development project is proposed to include 59 permanent supportive housing units for people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness. One unit will house an onsite property manager, plus five existing units will be converted to support community space and a robust offering of services.

If grant funding is approved, more than $16 million of the approximately $20 million total project cost would be awarded through the State of California Homekey 2.0 Program. An additional $2 million is expected from the state for rental subsidy and operating costs. Generous additional funding has been reserved for this development by the County of Santa Barbara and City of Goleta. Under recent State law (AB 140 and AB 2162), supportive housing projects funded through the Homekey program are automatically deemed consistent and in conformity with local General Plan and zoning requirements and allowed by right as a permitted use.

Pictured: Super 8 Motel in Goleta

Goleta Community Center

City to Manage Goleta Community Center

The City of Goleta will assume management of the Goleta Community Center (GCC) on January 1, 2023. The Goleta City Council approved extending the lease of the non-profit Goleta Valley Community Center (GVCC) organization by an additional six months. The City acquired the GCC from the Goleta Union School District in 2013.

The change will allow the City to manage the GCC during the upcoming $8 million (or more) seismic and ADA improvements capital project and to develop a comprehensive Strategic Plan for the Community Center before determining the best long-term management model for the future. View the staff report from the special City Council meeting on February 24, 2022, here: https://tinyurl.com/24jmn25c.

Originally built in 1927, the GCC is located at 5679 Hollister Avenue in the heart of the City in Old Town and is an important gathering place for our community. In February of 2020 the City conducted a stakeholder and public outreach process to better understand the community’s desires for programming and uses at the GCC. One of the recommendations of the outreach process was that the City conduct a strategic planning process to guide future use and management of the GCC.

Mayor Paula Perotte said, “The City is looking forward to implementing a multi-phase plan to improve the Goleta Community Center so that it is a thriving facility for the next 95 years. We would like to thank the Goleta Valley Community Center (GVCC) organization for managing the GCC for many years.”

The City’s anticipates that the GVCC organization will continue to be involved in the GCC, including continuing to manage the Senior Center Program, and will help the City in the strategic planning process to decide the future of the Community Center.

City’s First Ever District Elections Map Selected

The City of Goleta has its first ever district elections map. The final map was chosen after a year-long process that involved a comprehensive #DrawGoleta public outreach campaign and consideration of more than 55 maps submitted by community members and five demographer maps. The City Council approved the City’s first district elections map at a special meeting on February 24, 2022, and approved a District Elections Ordinance on March 1,2022. The Ordinance establishes the district elections boundaries and adopts the sequencing of the elections. The second reading will take place at the March 15 City Council meeting.

Beginning this November, the City will be divided into four districts, and in sequenced elections voters in each district will elect a City Councilmember who lives in their district. The Mayor will continue to be elected by voters across Goleta.

Public participation was a critical part of the process to adopt a district elections map and included five public hearings. Ultimately, the City Council selected the renumbered Plan 701 (https://drawgoleta.org/plan-701-renumbered). The selected map was drafted by National Demographics Corporation (NDC) but derived from two plans submitted by members of the public. This plan was also one of four that were recommended by the City’s Public Engagement Commission.

Under Plan 701, the sequencing of elections would start with the two eastern districts (1 and 2) up for election in November 2022, and then would proceed to the two western districts (3 and 4) in November 2024.

Learn more about the City’s district elections process by visiting www.DrawGoleta.org.

City Returns to In-Person and Hybrid Meetings Beginning April 5

The City of Goleta is preparing to return to in-person/virtual hybrid meetings starting with the April 5, 2022, City Council meeting. City Council meetings will continue to be broadcast live on the City of Goleta website at www.CityofGoleta.org/GoletaMeetings and on Goleta TV Channel 19. The public can choose to participate in person at City Hall located at 130 Cremona Avenue or virtually via Zoom. Information on how to participate virtually is included in each meeting’s agenda.

The City re-opened in-person services on February 22, 2022. The in-person services include the front desk reception and public counters at Goleta City Hall (130 Cremona Drive, Suite B). Anyone entering a City building will need to comply with Santa Barbara County guidelines on face coverings indoors, which currently only apply to unvaccinated persons.

The Goleta, Buellton and Solvang library branches have resumed in-person service as well. While we are pleased to see members of the public in person again, we ask community members to please stay home if they have any potential COVID-19 symptoms or aren’t feeling well.

The front reception desk at City Hall is open Monday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Community members can come anytime during business hours or make an appointment to stop by. 

The Building and Safety Counter and the Planning and Zoning Counter are open for in-person consultation without an appointment on Monday and Wednesday mornings from 8:00 a.m. until noon. Virtual (video) appointments and consultation by telephone or email continue to be available throughout the week during regular business hours, Monday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and (Zoning only) Fridays 8:00 a.m. to noon. For public counter in-person service in the City’s Planning Department, walk-ins are welcome during counter hours, but appointments are highly encouraged and will be given priority as occupancy will be limited. 

Permit applications may be submitted electronically through the City’s Permit Tracking System Public Portal on the City’s website here: www.cityofgoleta.org/i-want-to/apply-for/permits. New self-service computer kiosks with access to both the Permit Tracking System Public Portal and the general “City Assist” resident service request system are available for your convenience at the City’s public counters during regular counter hours.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our counter staff via the contact information listed below:

The Goleta, Buellton and Solvang library branches hours of operation are Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The Bookvan will continue its regular schedule to provide services to the Isla Vista community. For questions, contact your local branch: Goleta Valley (805-964-7878), Buellton (805-688-3115) or Solvang (805-688-4214).

We look forward to seeing you! 

For more information on COVID-19, please visit https://publichealthsbc.org/ and http://cityofgoleta.org/covid19.

City Manager Transitions to Retirement

Michelle Greene, who has served as City Manager of Goleta since 2014, has announced she will begin a transition to retirement effective June 30, 2022. Ms. Greene has worked for the City of Goleta for almost 18 years and is credited with bringing a new level of professionalism and sophistication to the organization during her tenure as Goleta’s first female City Manager.

Family responsibilities require Ms. Greene to work remotely as she finishes out her tenure as City Manager. She will then transition to serving as a Special Advisor to support the City while a nationwide recruitment for a new City Manager is underway. The transition period will also allow Ms. Greene to continue to work on various ongoing projects that are still in progress.

“It has been an incredible honor and privilege to serve the Goleta community for the last 18 years, particularly during the last 8 years in the role of City Manager. It is with great sadness that I must now look to ending the successful partnership with the City Council, as a need to support elderly family in Vermont requires that I relocate for an indefinite period of time. But my heart will always be in Goleta. It is an incredibly special place, with an amazing City staff that it has be an honor to work alongside, so I know that I will leave the City in very good hands when the time comes. I wish the Goleta community all the best as the City enters the next phase of its evolution,” said Ms. Greene.

Significant milestones achieved by the City during Ms. Greene’s tenure as City Manager include:

  • Building an effective and innovative organization, including creating new departments, hiring stellar staff and cultivating a positive organizational culture that reflects the values of the Goleta community;
  • Completing the new Zoning Ordinance process and adoption of Title 17 of the City’s Municipal Code;
  • Creating a municipal library and taking on direct management of the Goleta, Solvang and Buellton Libraries;
  • Effecting the purchase of the City Hall facility at 130 Cremona Drive;
  • Acquiring the parcel for a community park in Old Town Goleta and constructing Jonny D. Wallis Neighborhood Park;
  • Obtaining $3.9 million in state funding for restoration of the monarch butterfly habitat on Ellwood Mesa;
  • Acquiring the former Direct Relief parcel on S. La Patera Lane and obtaining $13 million in TIRCIP Grant funding for the Goleta Train Depot project;
  • Creating a Public Engagement Commission to advise the City Council on issues related to transparent public participation and governance of the City;
  • Establishing the LEAD Academy to help community members learn about City operations, and how they can effectively participate in local governance;
  • Achieving a new level of professionalism and regional recognition with the City’s public engagement and communications efforts, including keeping the community highly informed during numerous emergency events, such as wildfires, closure of the 101 Highway due to an unprecedented debris flow event, heavy rains and flooding, and an oil spill that impacted the Goleta shoreline;
  • Creating, adopting and implementing the City’s first Homelessness Strategic Plan;
  • Constructing capacity and fish passage improvements in San Jose Creek and adopting a Creeks and Watershed Management Plan;
  • Establishing a robust Sustainability Program that reaches across several City departments and addresses climate change, recycling and reuse, efficient, clean and renewable energy in City facilities, streetlights, vehicles and in the community;
  • Approval of critical fiscal improvements, such as the City’s Investment Policy, a Section 115 Trust for pension obligations, the City’s first long-range financial forecast, and helping grow the General Fund’s unassigned fund balance to ensure increased budget stability;
  • The City’s response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, including maintaining critical services at all times, successfully addressing unprecedented fiscal ramifications, and assisting the local economy with the creation of an Economic Recovery Plan.

“The City Council feels so fortunate to have Michelle at the helm of this organization, and we are sorry to see her go, both professionally and personally. We are pleased, however, that she is willing to work with the City to transition to new management in a way that works best for the Council, the organization, and the community,” said Mayor Paula Perotte.

Ms. Greene began her career in Goleta as a Management Analyst, before being appointed to the position of Administrative Services Director and later Deputy City Manager. Prior to coming to Goleta, Ms. Greene served as the Assistant City Manager for the City of Escalon, and the City Clerk for Grover Beach.