Council to hear review of SB water supply

By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

Santa Barbara’s available water supplies are sufficient to meet demands for at least the next three years, according to city officials.

That conclusion is part of an analysis included in an overview of the city’s water supplies to be presented by staff to the City Council today.

consent calendar, it will move through the rest of its agenda, including staff’s update regarding the city’s water supply.

The recent above-average rainfall in January has filled Gibraltar Reservoir to 100% capacity, staff said, adding that the reservoir began spilling over on Jan. 5. Lake Cachuma is also at capacity.

By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

In July 2021, the Goleta City Council voted to approve an LED Street Lighting Project. The project proposed the conversion of the city-owned street lights to LED lights; the purpose for the change was to reduce energy use and cost.

However, there are certain areas of Goleta which appear to have been neglected during the street lighting project.

According to a map included in the agenda item from the July 2021 council meeting, Nectarine Ave. has three lights which fell outside of the scope of the project. Alondra Dr. between Nectarine Ave. and Mallard Ave. has four street lights, two of which were proposed to be fitted with 70w lights. Mallard Ave., between Gato Ave. and Alondra Dr., has three lights, two of which were proposed to be fitted with 70w lights. According to another map under the agenda item showing the areas of Mallard Ave. and Mandarin Dr., the lights in those areas fell outside of the scope of the project.

During the July 2021 council meeting, the majority of the public comments expressed concern about the excessive brightness of the LED lights.

“I am concerned about the brightness of the proposed streetlight lamp replacements in lights on Cathedral Oaks between Winchester Canyon and

Calle Real. The proposed lights (84W, 8,500 lumen LED) are way too bright for this area - I live in Winchester Commons and the proposed lights will overlight the homes on Cathedral Oaks. A more appropriate lumination would be 22W Type B, LEDs with 2,600 lumens. And this goes for those lights on Winchester Canyon and Calle Real,” said Patrick Foster, resident of Winchester Commons and professor at SBCC, at the meeting.”There is no need for this increased brightness, it will cost more money to operate, and it violates the will of the people living in the area. If the city of Goleta cannot solve this homeowner issue, what good is city government?”

Included in the staff presentation were the results of a survey, known as the LED Street Lighting Project Pilot

After the water supply update, council members will be asked to approve and adopt the city’s Water Supply Management Report for the 2022 Water Year, finding that Santa Barbara’s water supplies are in long-term balance with the city’s Enhanced Urban Water Management Plan.

Council members will meet in chambers, 735 Anacapa St., starting at 2 p.m.

Before it gets to the water supply update, the council will vote on its consent calendar, which includes allocating $50,000 to Habitat for Humanity to operate a one-year pilot program for lowincome homeowners needing to make essential repairs to their homes.

The council’s Finance Committee unanimously endorsed the proposal. Its chair, Councilmember Eric Friedman, called it an “exciting opportunity” to assist some of the city’s most vulnerable residents, many of whom are seniors on fixed incomes, to make repairs — including new roofs, plumbing or electric upgrades and bathroom remodels — needed to allow them to remain in their homes.

The council also is being asked on its consent calendar to approve a new employment agreement between the city and City Administrator Rebecca Bjork.

The existing bi-weekly salary range for the position of city administrator is $10,897.89 - $13,164.66. Under the new agreement, annual salary adjustments may be made administratively within this range.

Once the council approves its

“The January storms have significantly improved the city’s water supply situation, eliminating the potential for a supply shortage for at least the next three years,” staff said.

Updates regarding the city’s water supply planning strategy are conservative to ensure water security for the community, staff said.

“This conservative planning approach allows staff to determine if the city has sufficient water to meet demands under three additional years of drought or during unanticipated supply interruptions due to equipment or infrastructure failure.

“The recent update to the city’s water supply planning strategy demonstrates that, even if drought conditions return next year or we experience supply interruptions, the city’s water demands can be met for at least the next three years (through WY 2025) using water from Lake Cachuma, Gibraltar Reservoir, Mission Tunnel infiltration, desalination, and recycled water.”

A full Gibraltar Reservoir and a nearly full Lake Cachuma mean the city can primarily rely on its surface water supplies over the next several years to meet community demands, staff said. However, conservatively assuming drought conditions return next year and persist for the next three years, the city should continue to embrace conservation as a way of life, staff said.

The analysis provided in the report is based on the city’s specific water supply conditions,

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