Promising news for tourism Rebuilding their lives Fire and police commission holds its first meeting

By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

The new Santa Barbara Fire and Police Oversight Commission received a quick course in “Fire Department 101” and other training during its first meeting Thursday.

Commissioner Lizzie Rodriguez served as acting chair during the meeting at the city council chambers.

The chair and vice-chair will be nominated and appointed at the next meeting in February, when all commissioners are present.

All commissioners received their oath of office before beginning work on Thursday afternoon, through the city clerk’s office. In addition to Ms. Rodriguez, the commissioners are Linda Esparza Dozer, Daniel Herlinger, Ana Alicia Zepeda and Gary Jon Hill.

During the meeting, Barbara Andersen, senior assistant to the city administrator, reviewed the new duties and authorities assigned to the Fire and Police Commission. She also addressed components of the new orientation and training program. The Fire and Police commission is established by city charter section 816. The commission operates in an

Gaviota couple Taylor Graves and Zachary Briones were only able to retrieve some clothes and house decorations after they lost their Gaviota home to a mudslide.

To donate to help them, go to gofundme.com/f/naturaldisaster-relief-mudslide-inthe-home?member=24650 003&sharetype=teams&ut m_campaign=p_na+sharesheet&utm_medium=copy_ link&utm_source=customer, You can also donate by Zelle: 586-747-1879 for Taylor Graves.

By KATHERINE ZEHNDER

NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

Mud burst through a wall loudly on Jan. 9 — the day that Taylor Graves and her boyfriend Zachary Briones lost their Gaviota home to mudslides.

But Ms. Graves and Mr. Briones are working on finding a new residence. And they appreciate the help they’ve received from others after becoming two of the many residents impacted by the recent storms.

Ms. Graves is originally from Michigan and moved to Santa Barbara in September 2021. Her boyfriend Zachary is a Goleta native. They moved to their home in Gaviota together in March 2022 and had lived there less than a year when a disaster struck.

“On Jan. 9, when we woke up at 7 a.m., our driveway was washed out, and we had to shelter in place due to two mudslides on the driveway and two mudslides up by the house,” Ms. Graves told the News-Press. “There was a high velocity of water flowing down and creating ruts through the driveway; water tunneled underneath and into the field. The driveway is still unstable.”

Ms. Graves described the day in more detail.

“We were hanging out in the house all day, and about 5 p.m., we were watching a movie and heard what sounded like pebbles