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Author talks about ‘My Crazy Italian Family’
Dodgers legend Tommy Lasorda’s widow dies, surrounded by family - A4
Santa Barbara resident Kay Lemke grew up in a tiny Italian village - B1
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Public Health reports decreasing case rates in county By MADISON HIRNEISEN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
COURTESY PHOTO
Dr. Van Do-Reynoso, the county’s Public Health Director, provided the Board of Supervisors with an update on the state of the COVID19 pandemic in the county during Tuesday’s meeting.
Santa Barbara County Public Health officials reported Tuesday that COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are decreasing in the region following an uptick in case rates associated with the highly transmissible delta variant. Over the last two weeks, the county’s case rate has decreased by about 35% over the last two weeks and now hovers around 16 cases per 100,000, Dr. Van DoReynoso, the county’s public health director, told the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday. According to the county’s metrics, hospitalizations were down from a two-week average
of 61 people hospitalized to 45 people hospitalized on Monday. In addition, new daily cases were down from a two-week average of 105 cases per day to 76 cases on Monday. While the latest trends indicate that case rates are declining in the region, Dr. Do-Reynoso told supervisors that the Public Health Department is continuing to expand its testing capacity by deploying a new testing bus next Monday at Direct Relief in Goleta. The bus has the ability to offer 168 tests per day and will be operating from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Appointments will be available at the Public Health Department’s website at publichealthsbc.org/testing. During Tuesday’s meeting, Dr.
Do-Reynoso also emphasized the importance of getting the flu vaccine this season as the county continues to combat challenges associated with COVID-19. Flu season officially begins this month, though activity typically peaks between December and February, the public health director said. It’s for this reason that the department is encouraging people to get their flu shot early this year to prevent severe illness and hospitalization. “Flu vaccination will be very important because we still are in a pandemic,” Dr. Do-Reynoso said Tuesday. “Getting the flu vaccine is an essential part of protecting our health and our family’s health.”
Some color in the gray
She added that the county had a very “unique” flu season last year due to COVID-19 restrictions, such as stay-at-home orders, masking and social distancing, which kept flu cases low. But now that most people have resumed some sense of normalcy and operate under fewer restrictions, Dr. DoReynoso said it’s important to take proper precautions to avoid an overwhelming flu season. In addition to the update from the Public Health Department, Supervisors received a brief presentation from the county’s Human Resources Department about the state of the county’s testing or vaccination requirement for county employees. The board voted to instate a
vaccine or testing requirement for all county employees during their regular meeting Aug. 31. Under the requirement, all county employees must be vaccinated by Sept. 30 or undergo weekly testing. As of Monday, about 72% of county employees are fully vaccinated and verified, and about 28% are either unvaccinated or partially vaccinated, according to HR Director Maria Elena De Guevara. She told supervisors Tuesday that these numbers will likely shift before the end of the month, as some employees included in the 28% are either awaiting a second shot or awaiting fully vaccinated status (which Please see COVID on A4
Housing Authority to begin development on Carrillo lot By ANNELISE HANSHAW NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
The Santa Barbara City Council approved a contract with the Housing Authoring to create a 60-unit development on the Carrillo commuter lot, 400 W. Carrillo Street, during its meeting Tuesday. The project is designed to house the “missing middle,” Rob Fredericks, executive director of the Housing Authority said. He plans for most of the units to suit moderate-income levels, or 80-120% of the area’s median income. But the Housing Authority may “sprinkle in” middle-income units to secure investors. Based on current income levels, a studio apartment rented for moderate-income individuals would be priced at $1,600. Mr. Fredericks says moderate-income housing, often called “workforce housing,” is needed in the city. Only four moderate-income units were built in the city between 2015 and 2020, according to the latest Regional Housing Needs Assessment. The assessment said that 820 units were needed. During that same period, 84 low-income units were constructed (out of the 701 needed) and 1,211 above-moderate units were built (of 1,617 needed). He also presented RHNA data that shows needs will intensify, particularly for low-income
and very low-income housing, in the next study cycle (2023-2031). He highlighted, though, a 75% increase in demand for moderate-income units. Councilmember Mike Jordan asked him about the projected increase in need of very lowincome housing. A calculation was incorrect, diminishing the income bracket. “Housing Authority, being the affordable housing operating arm of the city, we will never lose our primary mission of serving the low and very low income households in this community. They are the ones that are burdened the most,” Mr. Fredericks said. and “We will always push forward on that, but we want to partner on this development for making this moderate income work.” A backup plan for the project is to create all low-income housing. Initial talks with City Council and neighbors to the Carrillo lot steered toward moderate income, Mr. Fredericks said. Public comments and City Council questions favored the current plan of workforce housing. Jesse Ebadi, district representative for Rep. Salud Carbajal, called on behalf of the congressman in support of the contract. “Middle-income individuals who often do not qualify for assistance can still find themselves unable to find affordable housing in highcost living areas like ours. We need to work to fill that gap,” he said. “The congressman agrees with the housing authority that in Please see DEVELOPMENT on A2
Board of Supervisors hears presentation on broadband development By MADISON HIRNEISEN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS
Bicyclists pass by the Chromatic Gate on Cabrillo Boulevard in Santa Barbara during heavy coastal fog Tuesday.
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The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors heard a presentation from the Broadband Consortium of the Pacific Coast (BCPC) on Tuesday regarding the development of a broadband strategic plan that would increase connectivity across the county. Broadband, in the simplest terms, refers to the data transmission process that enables highspeed internet. According to the 2020 California Broadband Infrastructure Report Card, Santa Barbara County scored a D-, meaning that the county “meets the minimum service standard” determined by the Central Coast Broadband Consortium and the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership. As a result of the county’s low broadband infrastructure rating, the BCPC proposed Tuesday that the Board of Supervisors utilize American Rescue Plan Act funding to pay for the development of a strategic plan, which would outline ways to expand broadband infrastructure in the county. Bill Simmons, the representative from BCPC who is leading the strategic plan development, told Supervisors Tuesday that the plan would build upon a broadband project that is underway in North County. Currently, the Santa Ynez Valley Band of
Chumash Indians is in the process of acquiring grants to expand the North County fiber ring, which would use fiber-optic cables to expand connectivity from the South County up through the North County and the Chumash reservation. The development of this plan came after the Chumash completed a broadband strategy and feasibility study in Santa Ynez in July 2021, which was funded by the U.S. Department of the Interior. According to Mr. Simmons, creating a fiber ring is one of the “best practices” for broadband expansion, and deploying this method would increase connectivity in the Chumash reservation and the Santa Ynez Valley. “Having the redundant fiber from the North (county) and the South (county) is really imperative,” Mr. Simmons told the Board Tuesday. “What is really required is to take this kind of thinking, this kind of dialogue and regionalize it — not make this a pocket, but really make this a county-wide initiative, a county-wide conversation and a county-wide undertaking.” To develop the strategic plan, officials from BCPC say they will spearhead efforts to communicate with stakeholders and community partners about what should be included in the strategic plan. By communicating with Please see BOARD on A4
Sudoku................. B3 Weather................ A4
Saturday’s SUPER LOTTO: 3-5-20-36-45 Mega: 25
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Tuesday’s DAILY 3: 3-4-8 / Midday 5-6-7