Mayor addresses city’s lack of affordable housing

resourcefulness in fulfilling their commitment to public safety.”

The fire department, he said, had a brush engine, a patrol and extra rescue swimmers on duty, while the police department had up to 30 officers out in the field, he said.

Staff partnered with CityNet to conduct outreach to unsheltered populations, alerting them to the incoming storm. Outreach was made to those in areas in danger of flooding.

The city partnered with the American Red cross to set up an evacuation shelter that ultimately housed 30 residents during the storm.

All hands were on deck as the storms brought an historic swell to the waterfront, requiring 24/7 support from maintenance staff and Harbor Patrol. Staff made emergency repairs, which were critical in protecting the harbor commercial area.

While the mayor recognized the city’s public safety personnel for their “outstanding response,” he also highlighted field staff for the “commendable job they did keeping our city services functioning.”

He praised water treatment and operations staff for ensuring there were no water supply or treatment disruptions; field teams who checked on creek and storm drain systems, removed debris and ensured road and bridges remained clear and structurally sound, and who climbed on top of roofs “while the rain poured and the wind howled,” fixing leaks and clearing debris at city facilities to prevent major damage from occurring; forestry crews who worked around the clock to sandbag recreation facilities and close parks where trees were in danger of falling; and parks and tree crews who dug out mud from tennis courts and playgrounds and removed fallen trees.

He also praised staff for helping to provide help to businesses and residents with recovery efforts, and secure emergency harbor dredging within three weeks to get commercial fisheries up and back to work.

“It was a fantastic response by all,” he said. “And a timely one, too.”

The mayor spent the rest of his speech highlighting recent events and major improvements.

He talked about watching the USS Santa Barbara “sail through our waters” on its way to being commissioned. “I had the honor of presenting a proclamation to the ship’s captain at the ceremony.”

And he spoke about the rain replenishing the city’s water supply, positing the city “to meet our needs for at least the next three years - even if we find ourselves again facing extreme drought conditions.” He also praised Santa Barbara’s water conservation efforts.

The mayor also discussed the city’s strides with its environmental conservation efforts, including the creation of a new Sustainability and Resilience Department, a carbon neutrality action plan that sets a goal of carbon neutrality by 2035, Santa Barbara clean energy programs to decarbonize vehicles and buildings, and discounted EV permits to allow residents and businesses to park and charge their vehicles 24 hours a day.

Mayor Rowse cited a $9 million project to improve the Santa Barbara Public Library and its outdoor plaza. The library, he said, “benefits all of our community,” providing a wide range of services to families, students and job seekers.

He noted the city’s recently adopted five-year capital improvement program. “Because of Measure C funding we’ve been able to catch up on years of much-needed maintenance and infrastructure projects,” he said.

In addition to the library plaza, he mentioned the proposed De La Guerra Plaza renovation project and final design development on both the new police station and Dwight Murphy Field Renovation.

Turning to State Street, the mayor said “Our Downtown area is vibrant and humming as we collaborate with the community to Create State. Through this effort we will create a Master Plan for State Street providing an attractive place to shop, dine, stroll or roll.

“To enhance and clean, we’ve slurried State Street, and provided additional lighting, daily litter removal, and regular pressure washing and sanitizing keeps the State Street Promenade attractive and safe.”

Design standards for the appearance of the parklets are in place, and soon usage fees from State Street businesses will help fund ongoing maintenance, he said.

Citizen and authorized social service contractors and police work cooperatively to conduct outreach and regular neighborhood walks, talk to businesses, talk to citizens and maintain a constant presence, he said.

“We are the only city in the region to have expanded our homelessness outreach services from weekdays to evenings and weekends throughout the Downtown Corridor and Waterfront.”

And the Downtown Ambassadors work closely with police, business owners and nonprofit social service groups to provide hospitality services to locals and visitors as well as resources to the unhoused population.

He praised the police department’s proactive approach to community policing with its Volunteers in Policing program that puts more safety presence on the streets, and its commitment to using de-escalation tactics instead of the use of force.

The mayor also noted the creation and implementation of the new civilian oversight system of law enforcement.

Regarding Santa Barbara Airport, he said the city is in the last phase of the Airport Master Plan Update to plan facility improvement over the next 20 years that will satisfy aviation demands and remain environmentally responsible.

“The community will continue to be included at each step of the Master Plan Update development through workshops, public meetings and opportunities to comment,” he said.

The mayor also observed that the city has made improvements to its IT infrastructure, “including the launch of a website last summer that is easy to navigate with a clear, modern look and accessibility enhancements.”

Reporting potholes and graffiti, making service requests or getting the latest City news will soon get easier when the city launches its new mobile app next month, he said.

And “our Finance Department has launched an online business portal, streamlining the business tax payment process,” the mayor said. “And to increase transparency, the public can now view the city’s budget book online.”

Toward the end of his speech, Mayor Rowse addressed perhaps the city’s biggest problem: the lack of affordable housing. It’s an issue that affects locals trying to stay in their homes, and workers who have to commute daily to their jobs here.

“We’re leading the way on streamlining permitting on residential projects, including commercial,” he said. “Building OnDemand permits are issued immediately online. Applicants can get permits for things like underground gas and

YAF

Continued from Page A1 going to the ranch is that you (the future generations) get to see him (Mr. Reagan) for who he was. No hype, no pretenses… this is a very simple place, and our students are quite blown away by it,” Mr. Walker explained, when asked about how he hopes the Reagan Ranch will inspire tomorrow’s leaders within the YAF. want to reach more students, at younger ages, with an even better message.” water service, home electrical panel, water heater or HVAC replacements, and expedited battery energy storage.

Mr. Walker calls on the future generations to learn about Reagan’s legacy and spread their newfound information to their local communities with a focus on outreach and growth.

“We not only want to inspire the kids to go to the ranch, our hope is that they then go out into their communities, colleges and schools and pass it on to others,” he told the News-Press.

Mr. Walker understands the work he has to put into his organization, but is dedicated nonetheless.

“It’s not always what we say, but how we communicate,” he said.

The Young America’s Foundation has more than one million subscribers on their Youtube, and Mr. Walker wants to continue the nonprofit’s upward trend of outreach.

“More, younger, better,” Mr. Walker said, affirming his message.

The gala closed with an uplifting message from Mr. Walker addressing the crowd, affirming the work they need to do. The former governor thanked the attendees for their passion and left them with a message of hope and pride for the future.

“Our goal is to make things more expeditious, understandable and customer friendly for both businesses and residents.”

He also touted the city’s move to embrace accessory dwelling units.

“Providing enough affordable housing is a challenge for many cities right now,” he said. “As we continue toward varied solutions, we’ve become a leader in the state when it comes to ADUs.”

The City Council has adopted amendments to the ADU Ordinance to comply with changes in state law and adopt new standards to further facilitate production of ADUs.

As of February, 422 ADUs have been constructed, 237 have been issued a building permit, and 267 are pending permits.

“There’s more work to be done for sure, and we’re not stopping,” he said. “Future efforts include outreach to evaluate and implement procedural changes to further assist ADU applicants, including pre-approved plans and bilingual guidance for ADU applicants, and collaborations with nonprofit partners to provide ADUs as deed-restricted affordable housing.”

For residents interested in ADUs, information is a click away, he said.

“Our Community Development Department has a dedicated webpage that offers project guidance, FAQs, checklists and handouts, a map of pending and permitted ADUs. and the ability to schedule a free consultation with an ADU expert by Zoom or email.” email: nhartsteinnewspress.com

“Freedom and frugality, is what I call it,” Mr. Walker explained when asked to describe the Reagan Ranch.

“You learn that he didn’t really throw things away ... It shows you he was the real deal.”

Finally, Mr. Walker was asked about his future goals as the president of the Young America’s Foundation.

“My goals are simple. We email: klogan@newspress.com

“We can all do better.” Mr. Walker said.

The 25th Anniversary Gala of the Young America’s Foundation preservation of the Reagan Ranch took place with a goal to educate tomorrow’s leaders and help raise both spirits and leadership.