Third District Winter 2020 E-Newsletter

Santa Barbara County's Third District Supervisor

Winter 2020

Dear ,

It is hard to believe that it has been more than three years since I was sworn into office. It remains my great honor to serve you and represent the Third District of our County. Below, you will find several updates about County business and events in the Third District. I hope that you enjoy this newsletter and find it informative.

As always, I appreciate your engagement. Please feel free to reach out at any time.

My warmest regards,

News and Upcoming Events

Highway 154 - 24 Hour Closure Begins Tomorrow Evening (2/12)

Highway 154 will be closed for 24 hours - starting at 7:00 pm Wednesday, 2/12 until 7:00 pm Thursday, 2/13 . The closure will allow a work crew to install a new overflow culvert in the Maria Ygnacio Creek drainage, where the road, drainage, and vegetation was damaged by the Cave Fire last November.

Access onto Highway 154, beyond the HWY 154 and 246 roundabout in Santa Ynez and beyond the intersection of HWY 154 and 192 in Santa Barbara, will be granted only for local residents with identification during the closure. Motorists may detour around the closed area using HWY 101 or 246.

For the latest Cal Trans update click here.

County Leading Regional Effort to

Improve Parks, Trails, and Outdoor Resources

I am proud to lead a countywide Recreation Master Plan effort to guide park and trail improvements. This project will provide a strategic planning program for parks, trails, and recreation facilities. The Master Plan will assess existing facilities, address unmet recreation needs, identify a range of recreation improvements, and foster coordination between County, cities, and non-profit & private recreation service providers.

The Master Plan will allow the County and participating agencies to more easily qualify for grant funding, including from Proposition 68, and to streamline the environmental review process.

For more information click here or join a mailing list to receive updates about opportunities to participate.

County Receives $6 Million Grant for Jail Diversion and Supportive Services Program

In early February, the County Board of Supervisors accepted a $6 million grant from the State to fund new programs that seek to divert individuals with serious mental illness or substance abuse challenges from jail into supportive services and housing.

This is one of a host of recent new initiatives focused on diversion, by providing mental health and homeless services as well as increasing available shelter beds in our County. The program also includes funding for a new sobering center and additional Co-Response Crisis Intervention teams. These new programs could save the County money by reducing the jail population and providing treatment to vulnerable individuals. I am grateful to the Public Defender's office and the Behavioral Wellness Department for seeking out this funding and developing these programs.

Click Here to Read the County's Press Release

Farmstay Ordinance Community Meetings

W.E.Watch organized and hosted two recent community meetings about Agricultural Tourism. These meetings in the Santa Ynez Valley were moderated by Third District Planning Commissioner John Parke.

The meetings were well-attended by local residents, farmers, ranchers, vintners, and individuals from the tourism industry. Discussions included community feedback regarding desired characteristics of a countywide Farmstay Ordinance, as well as other topics relating to Agricultural Tourism. Mr. Parke is now forming an Agricultural Tourism Advisory Committee, which will aid in development of a draft Farmstay Ordinance.

Supervisor Hartmann and the Board of Supervisors have prioritized the development of this Farmstay Ordinance by hiring a consultant to work with the Planning and Development department to craft the ordinance.

To learn more about the Agricultural Tourism Advisory Committee, e-mail John Parke .

Updated Isla Vista Bluff Policy to Bolster Public Safety

In an effort to bolster public safety in Isla Vista, the County Building & Safety Division updated its Isla Vista Bluff Policy. The policy was originally established in 2004 to mitigate hazards posed by bluff erosion that could harm people and property on oceanside Del Playa Drive (DP) and provides a reasonable threshold of setbacks in the event of a bluff collapse. Click here for a link to a summary of the new policy. Many factors contribute to bluff erosion, but rising sea-level and increased storm intensity have accelerated the pace of erosion in Isla Vista and along all of California’s coast.

This policy update prioritizes tenant and resident safety . In January 2017, the largest observed bluff collapse occurred on DP, a single-event exceeding 10 feet of cliff failure. As such, the updated policy will within the next six months require 11 oceanside DP properties that have foundations within 10-15 feet of the bluff face to conduct site-by-site geo-technical studies to more accurately establish a potential maximum failure estimate of the bluff upon which their property sits. After review of the studies, property owners may need to establish an abatement plan.

What does this mean for tenants? This policy change means that some property owners will have to hire specialists to study the stability of the bluff and there may be different outcomes for different properties. Some properties may not need to take immediate action, some properties may have to cut back patios and some properties may have to cut back more. The results of the geo-technical studies will determine future actions.

Click here for a KEYT News Story on the Updated Policy.

Community Survey for Guadalupe Residents

Resilience-Guadalupe is a joint planning effort of the City of Guadalupe and the Rural Community Development Corporation of California to develop a community-driven road map for creating a more resilient city.

As part of this effort, the City seeks residents to provide survey feedback about the needs of the community. The survey, along with further information about Resilience-Guadalupe can be found here .

The results of this survey will be included in the Resilience-Guadalupe Plan , which should be ready for community review and public comment by June 2020.

To complete survey in English, click here

Para completar la encuestra en Español, haga clic aquí

If you have any questions please contact Sonia Rios-Ventura at (805)356-3906.

Please complete this survey no later than March 31, 2020

POLL WORKERS NEEDED FOR THE MARCH 3, 2020 PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY

Santa Barbara County Elections is recruiting for paid poll worker positions for upcoming March 3rd election. Participation as a poll worker benefits the entire community and fosters a sense of pride in our electoral process. To learn more click here.

There is also an opportunity for students, aged 16 and above, to fill special paid poll worker positions.

Click here to learn more about student poll worker opportunities .

SAVE THE DATE:

Public Workshop on March 4, 2020

I n partnership with the Community Services Department, Parks Division, Public Works Department, Resource Recovery & Waste Management Division, I have begun the process to develop a Master Plan for Baron Ranch on the Gaviota Coast. A new trail at Baron Ranch will soon open to the public providing coast-to-crest hiking opportunities and breathtaking views. The proposed objectives of this Master Plan are to:

Maintain the functionality of Baron Ranch as a buffer and mitigation site for the County;
Ensure protection of environmental resources;
Identify options for increased public recreational opportunities; and
Ensure that all activities are fiscally sustainable.

The next Public Workshop will be on March 4th , where options for potential future uses of Baron Ranch will be presented and feedback from the public and interested parties will be solicited. This workshop will be held from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Goleta Valley Community Cente r, located at 5679 Hollister Avenue in Goleta. If you have any questions, please contact Alan Nakashima at (805) 882-3616 or Joddi Leipner at (805) 882-3614.

Noteworthy Board of Supervisors Agenda Items

(Dates are subject to change)

Renew '22 Update - 2/25

Electric Vehicle Update - 2/25

Cannabis Cultivation Land Use Permit Appeals - 3/10 & 3/17

Planning and Development Long Range Workplan Update - 3/24

Commission for Women's 2020 Women's History Month Service Award Presentation - 3/24

Click for the Current Board of Supervisors Calendar

County on Your Corner

The Third District is geographically the largest and most diverse district in the county, including UCSB, Isla Vista, the Gaviota Coast, the Santa Ynez Valley, Burton Mesa, Vandenberg Village, and Guadalupe. We hold regular office hours throughout the district that are open to Third District residents. Here is where we will be next:

Mission Hills/Vandenberg Village

Sunday, February 23, from 10 am - 2 pm at the Route One Farmers Market at 3745 Constellation Road.

Out and About in Our Community

Leading the Pledge of Allegiance with

Arellanos Junior High Students in Tanglewood

Improving Coastal Access at Camino Pescadero Stairwell

Convening with Assemblymember Limon, Mayors Sierra and Toussaint, Supervisor Hart, CalTrans, SBCAG, and

CHP to Discuss Safety on HWY 154

Attending the Cave Fire Press Conference

Chairing the HWY 154 Safety Task Force Community Meeting in Solvang

Tree Planting at Central Park in Guadalupe with Mayor Julian, Lourdes Ramirez, Angelita Peyrera-Leon, Norma Bribiesca, Alicia & Tommy Solis, Jesse, Lourdes, Socorro & César Ramirez, and

the Police Department Explorers

Recognizing Co-Response Crisis Intervention Officer James McKarrell and Bradley Crable from Behavioral Wellness at The Independent’s Local Heroes Awards