Important Community Issues being Discussed at the September 15 Virtual City Council Meeting

Topics Include Updates on Regional Housing Needs and Affordable Housing Status, Draft Homelessness Strategic Plan, and a Fiscal Year 2019/20 Fourth Quarter Financial Review

We hope you will join us for Tuesday’s September 15 virtual Goleta City Council meeting at 5:30 p.m. Closed session begins at 4:45 p.m. The meeting can be accessed via webinar; instructions on how to participate in open session are available below. There are several important items that City Council will be considering, including:

• City Council will receive a presentation regarding the Regional Housing Needs Allocation and how it is expected to affect Goleta. The Housing Element is one of the State-mandated elements of local General Plans and establishes City policies and programs for maintaining and improving existing housing, addressing the needs of persons and households of all income levels and those with disabilities or other special needs, and facilitating development of new housing for anticipated future residents of all economic levels. The process by which cities are allocated a share of housing needs is the Regional Housing Needs Allocation, or RHNA. The State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) determines the housing need for each region for the planning period and the region apportions this housing need across local jurisdictions within the region. In Santa Barbara County, the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG) fulfills this role. Goleta’s current Housing Element covers the 2015-2023 planning period, which is also referred to as the “5th planning cycle”. The 6th Housing Element cycle will cover the planning period of February 2023 to February 2031. View the full staff report here: https://tinyurl.com/y3zumj9b.
  
  
• City Council will receive a presentation regarding the current status of affordable housing units and agreements within the City of Goleta and provide feedback to staff. The City of Goleta recognizes the importance of creating, maintaining and preserving the supply of affordable housing units in the community. The City of Goleta’s Housing Element (HE) includes policies supporting the creation, maintenance and preservation of affordable housing in the city. Staff will be sharing the results of an analysis of at-risk existing affordable housing stock and affordable housing agreements and presenting various affordable housing preservation strategy options. In addition, staff will highlight the need for funding to implement these strategies. The full staff report can be read here: https://tinyurl.com/y58gg3q6.
  
  
• Council will receive a presentation and discussion on the Draft Homelessness Strategic Plan and provide input to staff. The City’s Neighborhood Services & Public Safety Department (NSPS) staff has been working on the City’s first Homelessness Strategic Plan (Plan) over the past year. The City Council expressed a desire to adopt such a Plan to help prioritize and guide City funding efforts in the area of homelessness. NSPS staff last presented an update on the Plan to the City Council on March 3, 2020. At that time, staff presented draft goals and objectives for City Council review and input. Staff also introduced the idea of creating a new Homelessness Issues Standing Committee (Committee) and Council approved a resolution establishing this Committee. The next steps in this process include staff incorporating the City Council’s comments and input, and then releasing the Draft Plan for a 30-day public review period. Staff’s goal is to present the Final Plan to the City Council in early December. Read the staff report and view a draft plan of the City’s first Homelessness Strategic Plan here: https://tinyurl.com/y2t9ao6w.
  
  
• Council will consider a resolution amending the City of Goleta’s operating and Capital Improvement Project (CIP) budget for Fiscal Year 2019/20. Council will receive a financial update on the City through the fourth quarter of FY 2019/20. The report recommends various adjustments to the FY 2019/20 budget as it relates to closing out year-end activity. The staff report is available here: https://tinyurl.com/y2cn326x.

For the complete September 15, 2020, City Council agenda, please go to https://tinyurl.com/y2zhpgwq.    

How to Participate

OPEN SESSION PARTICIPATION (5:30 P.M.) VIA WEBINAR

Join Meeting Electronically at at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4335890428657667339 
WEBINAR ID: 650-918-403

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. You will be connected to audio using your computer’s microphone and speakers (VoIP). A headset is recommended. You can also select the option to use your telephone, but you must use the GoToWebinar software to interact with the meeting. Select “Use Telephone” after joining the webinar in order to use your telephone. Oral comments during a meeting may be made by electronic participation only. If you have technical questions about the webinar, please go to: https://support.goto.com/webinar.

Speaking at the Meeting - Submit an email prior to noon on the Monday of the City Council meeting to cityclerkgroup@cityofgoleta.org and include the item you wish to speak on and provide your name, email and phone number. When asking who wishes to speak, the City Clerk will ask that you utilize the “raise hand” feature of the GoToWebinar app (see image below), this lets the Clerk know you wish to speak and will call your name when public comment is taken.

Additional Public Participation Alternatives:

• Distribution to the City Council - Submit your comment via email prior to 12:00 p.m. on the Monday prior to the City Council meeting. Please submit your comment to the City Clerk at: cityclerkgroup@cityofgoleta.org. Your comment will be placed into the record and distributed appropriately.
• Read into the record at the meeting - Submit your comment via email to the Clerk at: cityclerkgroup@cityofgoleta.org prior to the close of an agenda item. Reading shall not exceed three (3) minutes, or such other time as Council may impose. Please state in your email that you would like this "read into the record.” Comments received after an agenda item will be placed into the record and distributed appropriately.

Please see the agenda for information on closed session participation via phone only.

Watch the City Council Meeting Live
We encourage you to watch City Council meetings live on Channel 19 or live on our website at www.CityofGoleta.org/GoletaMeetings. If you miss the meeting, it is rebroadcast on Channel 19 Wednesdays and Saturdays at 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., and is available to watch at any time on the City website.  Sign up to receive an agenda sent to you via email or text here: https://tinyurl.com/y36ervg4.

Goleta City Council Photo:
Seated left to right: Councilmember Roger Aceves, Mayor Paula Perotte
Standing left to right: Councilmember Stuart Kasdin, Councilmember James Kyriaco, Mayor Pro Tempore Kyle Richards