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W E D N E S DA Y, J U LY 14 , 2 0 21
SBCC superintendent/president resigns By ANNELISE HANSHAW NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
RAFAEL MALDONADO / NEWS-PRESS
Santa Barbara City College Superintendent/President Dr. Utpal K. Goswami resigned Monday, effective immediately.
Santa Barbara City College Superintendent/President Dr. Utpal K. Goswami resigned during a special meeting of the Board of Trustees Monday. The resignation was effective immediately. The meeting’s only agenda item was a short closed-session discussion titled “Public Employee Discipline/Dismissal/ Release.”
The board then announced the resignation of Dr. Goswami. He will continue to work for the school as a consultant, earning a portion of his pay from his initial employment contract. Most of the trustees voted in favor of the closed session action, with Veronica Gallardo voting “no” and Dr. Anna Everett abstaining. Dr. Goswami began the role of Superintendent/President Jan. 1, 2020. He previously served as president at
Metropolitan Community College in Kansas City. Before that, he held positions at College of the Redwoods. Dr. Kathleen Scott, interim executive vice president of educational programs, is the acting Superintendent/President until the Board of Trustees appoint an interim position. “It has been an honor and privilege to serve as Superintendent/President of SBCC,” Dr. Goswami said in a news release.
Calls for conservation By GRAYCE MCCORMICK NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
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By ANNELISE HANSHAW NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
RAFAEL MALDONADO / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS
High temperatures, wildfires and the drought have raised concerns about electrical grid reliability in Northern California.
On Monday, California Independent System Operator called a third Flex Alert in less than a week, asking Californians to conserve energy to reduce strain on the electrical grid.
The peak hours of energy consumption in the state are 4 to 9 p.m., so many guidelines from electrical companies are for that fivehour period. Before 4 p.m., companies like SoCal Edison recommend: “precooling” homes or lowering air-conditioning thermostats; charging electric vehicles; charging mobile devices and laptops; running dishwashers, washing machines and other major appliances; and setting pool pumps to run early in the morning or late at night. Ben Gallagher, a spokesperson for SoCal Edison, told the News-Press that it can be little things that save a lot of energy too, such as trying to open and reopen the refrigerator less often. He added that plugging electronics into power strips and then turning the power strip off when it’s not being used is another little thing that could go a long way. “Between those hours of 4 and 9 p.m. … everybody is starting to use a lot of energy at that time, so the more that we can reduce that — especially during a period when it’s really
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hot out — the more it reduces stress on the grid and allows us to have enough supply to meet the increasing demand,” Mr. Gallagher said. Ms. Hosn said PG&E customers can sign up for a time-of-year rate plan, which incentivizes shifting and reducing energy usage during the peak hours. PG&E also offers personalized rate plans that allow consumers to compare rates. However, she said that as the drought, fire and summer seasons all bring their consequences with them to California, the best thing residents can do is be prepared. “That’s probably one of the best pieces of advice, and not just for peak summer days, but to be prepared for an emergency,” the PG&E spokesperson said. “Make sure that you have flashlights, working batteries, that you’ve developed a plan and are prepared before any circumstance … We encourage people to have a plan for heat, and above all else, stay safe.” email: gmccormick@newspress.com
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the Budget Act of 2021 on Monday, representing a majority of the state’s $262.6 billion operating budget. Lawmakers foresee additional trailer bills getting signed this week before the legislature breaks for the summer. The fiscal year began July 1, a would-be deadline for the budget. But lawmakers passed a placeholder budget mid-June, anticipating a long discussion process. Part of Monday’s action includes a $100 billion economic recovery package known as the “California Comeback Plan.” And yes, that includes stimulus checks. The stimulus extends $600 checks to taxpayers making between $30k-$75k a year. (A previous payment reached those earning below $30k.) Families with children will receive an additional $500. Community members should be excited for more than the stimulus checks, Assembly Member Steve Bennett (D-Ventura) told the News-Press. The bill also establishes $8.1 billion in tax cuts to Californians with income of up to $75,000. It also supports small businesses with $1.5 billion in grants (in addition to $2.5 billion from the Budget Act) and $2 billion in unemployment insurance tax payments (to be paid in 2023). It expands a rent relief program, investing $5.2 billion to pay 100% of back rent and $2 billion for utility bills. “Harnessing the largest surplus in state history, we’re making transformative investments across the board that will help bring all our communities roaring back from the pandemic — and pay dividends for generations
NEWS-PRESS FILE PHOTO
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a handful of budget bills Monday, including the California Comeback Plan.
to come,” Gov. Newsom said in a news release. “Through this comprehensive plan, the state is taking on the inequities laid bare by the pandemic, expanding our support for Californians facing the greatest hardships, increasing opportunity for every child, confronting homelessness headon and doubling down on our work to build resilience against the climate change impacts that threaten California’s future.” The Comeback Plan dedicates $12 billion over two years to address homelessness statewide. Almost half of that will be used to create 42,000 housing units through Homekey, a program rehabilitating hotel rooms and apartments into homeless housing. The plan also allocates $3 billion to build low-income housing. The governor also publicized an agreement with lawmakers Monday dedicating $6 billion to expand the state’s broadband fiber. The change would bring resources to areas where internet connectivity is limited. Assembly Member Bennett expects the bill, SB-156, to be signed Thursday. “The proposal will increase connectivity and affordability for all by making it easier for more internet providers to provide faster, cheaper service throughout the state and create opportunities for more entities to build last-mile infrastructure in more places, improving service, speeds, and network resilience,” he said. He anticipates packages addressing wildfire, drought and climate change later this summer. Despite what seems like a high price tag, the budget includes putting $25.2 billion into General Fund reserves. Of that, $15.9 billion will go in the Rainy Day Fund. Assembly Member Bennett is proud of legislation community members should see at the local level, such as $3 million in funding for farmworker resource centers. A total of $300 million will go to the state’s food banks. He learned from the Foodbank of Santa Barbara that staff are looking to replenish reserves that were depleted during the pandemic. The state budget also includes $300,000 for the construction of pedestrian crosswalks in Goleta, $3 million to Santa Barbara County for the Foothills Forever project and just over $1 million for the cleanup of the abandoned Venoco pipeline off the coast of Carpinteria. email: ahanshaw@newspress.com
LOTTERY
i n s i de Classified.............. B4 Life..................... B1-2 Obituaries............. A4
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email: ahanshaw@newspress.com
Newsom signs budget, launches stimulus payments
Third Flex Alert issued in less than a week As of Tuesday, the state’s electrical grid status was “normal,” according to the California Independent System Operator’s website. The electrical demand on Tuesday sat around 30,000 to 35,000 megawatts, and the available capacity of the grid was around 50,000 megawatts. That being said, on Monday, CAISO called a third Flex Alert in less than a week, asking Californians to conserve energy to reduce strain on the electrical grid. The organization said the high temperatures on the West Coast, along with the Bootleg Fire burns in Oregon, have the potential to strain the system. The fastmoving fire tripped off transmission lines last Friday and again on Saturday, limiting electricity flow from the Pacific Northwest to California and other states, according to a news release from CAISO. Power supplies to the CAISO territory — 80% of the state — have been reduced by as much as 3,500 MW because of the fire. Suzanne Hosn, a spokesperson for Pacific Gas and Electric Co., told the News-Press that many grid operators are monitoring this fire because it threatens the California Oregon Intertie, otherwise known as Path 66. The intertie is a corridor of three parallel 500kV power lines that connect the power grids of Oregon and California. The three lines are owned by PG&E, along with PacifiCorp, the Western Area Power Administration and the Transmission Agency of Northern California. PG&E officials activated the utility’s Emergency Operations Center to monitor the situation and manage any eventualities, according to national media reports. “We are optimizing our hydroelectric generation this summer to be able to generate when it’s most needed during peak hours,” Ms. Hosn said. “We are also increasing the efficiency of our natural gas unit to increase output on the hottest days.” On top of the high fire season, Californians have been turning up their air conditioners to weather the heat wave. In Santa Barbara, the forecast shows a slight dip in temperatures, with highs in the mid- to low 70s, for the rest of the week. But temperatures are predicted to climb again after the weekend, back into the high 70s and low 80s. The Santa Ynez Valley’s temperatures are nearing the 90s as well as the mid- to high 80s. “We should stay relatively seasonal for the most part, at least through the weekend, with a little bit of heat up by late in the weekend. Next week will start warming up,” Joe Sirard, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Oxnard, told the News-Press. In addition, he said conditions will remain “fairly muggy and fairly sticky” into the weekend, but humidities will lower toward the end of the weekend. While residents may want to beat the mugginess with their A/C units, during a Flex Alert, electric companies ask customers to set their thermostat to 78 degrees when they are home and 85 degrees or “off” when they’re away. Other tips to keep cool amid a Flex Alert include cooking with a grill outside or microwave, shutting off lights when leaving a room and closing blinds.
“I wish the best for SBCC, and I look forward to hearing about the great strides that the institution will make.” Dr. Peter Haslund, Board of Trustees president, said, ““The Board of Trustees extends thanks to Dr. Goswami for his service to SBCC and the substantial contributions he has made to the success of the College. We wish him well in his future endeavors.”
Sudoku................. B3 Weather................ A4
Saturday’s SUPER LOTTO: 9-11-15-27-30 Mega: 25
Tuesday’s DAILY 4: 8-7-7-3
Tuesday’s MEGA MILLIONS: 3-10-17-26-55 Mega: 24
Tuesday’s FANTASY 5: 6-8-14-23-34
Tuesday’s DAILY DERBY: 04-09-01 Time: 1:42.75
Tuesday’s POWERBALL: 1-5-29-54-62 Meganumber: 3
Tuesday’s DAILY 3: 5-2-9 / Midday 5-7-8