UnGovr Transcript
iHow this transcript is madeUnGovr transcribes the official recording with automated speech-to-text, separates speakers by voice, and matches voices to the seated roster. Names and attributions are AI estimates and may contain errors.Verify any quote yourself: click anywhere in the transcript and the official video jumps to that exact moment, so you can check any quote against the recording.0:19 – 0:3730 turns
Okay, good morning everybody. Welcome to the October 15th meeting of the Santa Barbara County Associations of Government. I'm Board Chair Bob Nelson. Madam Clerk can we please call the roll?
Roll call, called by Unidentified speaker 2
Show transcript
Director Julian? Director Julian? Did
you say Julian? I'm sorry. I am here.
Director Lee, here. Director Mosby absent. Director Patino, here. Director Pierotti, here and Director Ross.
All right, this is the time of our meeting that we're going to write into public comment. Madam Clerk do we have any members of the public like to speak today in general public comment?
We have one request to speak for general public comment, Jeff Bard. And if there are any attendees on Zoom who wish to speak to the general public comment please use the raise hand feature and I will call upon you.
Welcome back Jeff.
Good morning. You'll have to excuse me. I only just now read about Petra Lohan passed away. She was a saint an icon to the disability community So I just found out she was wonderful. She did a lot to help me get my issues dealt with post-war PTSD, Honduras and she helped a lot of other people. She's one of the finest people I've ever met in this community or anywhere else.
She was one of the or she was the director I'm a member of the Independent Living Center. I referred many people to her with physical and other disabilities also served on the county homeless advisory board with her and she was always an ally thoughtful didn't jump to conclusions never took issues personally. So it was a privilege to serve Coastal access, which is a resource for the whole county all the way up to the slow border.
And Isla Vista in particular has three beach access stairs that have been quite problematic. I don't have particular expertise. I used to be a lowly employee of the US Weather Bureau. And my dad was a Navy meteorologist. So I've been following climate change for many, many years when we had the Climate Action Plan about 15 years ago. I spoke a lot here and in slow in favor of the Climate Action Plan that said just giving you a heads up to please be alert to opportunities for interagency collaboration and funding and coordination with regard to the problematized stairs. The Camino Pescadero Beach Access Stairs have been out now for quite a while, I don't see that there's a funding source lined up yet but we did invest $600,000 in 2019 and there are probably 40 foot pylons going down very far so a little bit of additional investment will go a long way to help Thank you and have a good day.
Thank you, Mister Bard.
There is an additional speaker on zoom Francis Romero if you can please unmute yourself.
Okay at this time I'll close public comment for additional general comment of public speakers.
Well good morning Chair Nelson directors staff and members of the public. My name is Francis Romero. I live in Guadalupe I'm here today to talk about one of the topics that was talked about at the North County Subregional meeting yesterday, and that's Highway 166 on the western portion. That portion is between Guadalupe and Santa Maria. And I just want the rest of the directors to hear some of what was discussed in regard to concerns.
That is a nine-mile stretch, and it should generally take 12 to 14 minutes to travel. If you leave Guadalupe at the wrong time of the afternoon heading to Santa Maria, it can take up to 55 minutes. Now some people will say well just take a workaround. Well if you take Highway 1 to Willow to 101 that's a 30 mile trip now instead of 9 miles and that takes 40 to 50 minutes depending on traffic and that doesn't count the construction on the bridge at the north end of Guadalupe If you take Guadalupe, if you go from Guadalupe to Santa Maria via Bed Arabia that's 9.6 miles but it experiences the same backups that 166 experiences in the afternoon and it can be backed up as far as Black Road.
There are not a lot of options for getting out of Guadaluable. I hope that any director that's sitting here takes the time to come to Guadaloope on a workday And make that drive from Guadalupe to Santa Maria at three, 3.30 four o'clock in the afternoon to experience it firsthand and while the discussion yesterday was centered on the cost of such a of doing improvements to either widen or do something about this and that there was maybe not a cost benefit and it would be a long term project I just want to remind everybody It's not just about the added time That's lost, it's not about the inconvenience. It is somewhat about the people that get really impatient and do crazy things to cross on the double yellow to pass on the shoulder.
It's also the ag equipment that's wider than the lane width that makes it unsafe to just drive in general. But what about the person in Guadalupe that has a heart attack or a stroke at the wrong time of the day? An ambulance may be able to get to Guadalupe in 10 or 15 minutes, but then they too are faced with the same traffic to exit the community. And I'm sure that our mayor can attest to this. There isn't a special emergency vehicle lane and that first hour after you have a stroke or a heart attack makes the difference between life and death. So I really hope that in the coming years when this situation is considered that some urgency And some creative thinking will be applied to it because you've got countless people that not only live in Guadalupe, but then the hundreds of people that come from Santa Maria to work in Guadalupe.
This is not just a Guadaluable resident issue. It's not that the residents of Guadalipe are doing a mass exodus of town in the afternoon. Those are people that come to Guadaloope area to work that are going home to Santa Maria So this is, I think a lot larger problem than some people have been willing to acknowledge. And I certainly hope that your board in the future will really look at the impact. It's not just the 8500 people in Guadalupe.
Should I not be able to be here for the festivities later? I just wanna say happy anniversary to everybody who has worked very hard to bring many fabulous transportation projects to the community and looking forward to another 60 years. So take some time to reflect on the great things, and don't forget those of us that still need your help for services. Thank you.
All right thank you Mr. Romero. And that concludes general public comment All right. At this time, I'm going to just make a public announcement. It's 10-15 on Thursday, October 15th and this is the time that it's celebrated as the great shakeout. And I'm going to spare our congressmen and my colleagues from having to crawl underneath our tables right now. But this is a time of year that we all think about emergency preparedness And earthquakes, it's really important for the public to identify hazards in your home or workspace and secure items that could fall or cause injury.
We remind everybody to create an emergency plan including how you would communicate with family members if separated. Organize emergency supplies in a place that is accessible after disaster. Reduce potential financial impacts by securing important documents reinforcing your home and considering earthquake insurance. If you feel a shaking or receive an alert, take action immediately. Practice drop cover and hold on or lock your wheels cover and hold on for anyone using mobility devices. And so just want to remind everybody that there are apps that you can download. There's an emergency system available Emergency early warning systems as well as make sure that you subscribe to ReadySBC.org where you can get alerts from Santa Barbara County when there are emergencies, so just wanted to take the opportunity to make this public announcement with all of you guys in the room.
So with that we'll go ahead and move on to the business of SBCAG this morning and we'll start off with our consent calendar. Are there any items that are being pulled by the public? Madam Clerk
We have an announcement for the consent calendar first. There it for item 4 G state route one 35 comprehensive quarter study stakeholder advisory committee appointments at October 14th 2026 North County subregional planning committee meeting action was taken to recommend that as the S P K board appoint 12 members to the I'm going to call upon you to raise your hand for a moment of silence.
I will add that written public comment was received from Kimberly Kiefer, General Manager of the Isla Vista Recreation and Park District and Jonathan Abboud, General Manager for Isla Vista Community Services District. For item 4E Measure A Safe Routes to School Bicycle and Pedestrian Program Cycle 6 Amendment. The comment was distributed to the board and uploaded to the staff report.
Okay, so I think we'll take 4G separately to make sure that we have the appropriate motion. So I'm going to pull back from that. Are there any other items that are being pulled by the public or by any of my colleagues up here? Okay, I'm not seeing anything being pulled. So go ahead and take a motion to approve items for A through J with exception of item G, 4G. So
moved.
Moved by Patino.
Second.
Seconded by Brown. Any further discussion? And we're not remote today so we can do a voice vote, is that correct?
Correct.
All right. Seeing no opposition or any further discussion all in favor signify by saying aye. Aye. Opposed? Motion passes unanimously. All right let's go ahead and formally read item 4G into the record so we can make the appropriate motion for and have a discussion
Item 4G, State Route 135 Comprehensive Corridor Study Stakeholder Advisory Committee Appointments. Appoint 11 members to the State Route 135 Comprehensive Corridor Study Stakeholder Advisory Committee as recommended by the North County Subregional Planning Committee on October 14th, 2026. I
want to confirm that there's no public commenters on this item?
If there are any members of the public on Zoom who wish to speak to item 4G please use the raise hand feature and I will call upon you And there are no responses and there are no paper requests to speak for
us. Okay, great so I'll go ahead and close public comment on 4G and back to the board. I'll go ahead and take the opportunity as a North County Subregional Representative Vice Chair as well as on the Ad Hoc Committee with Director Patino and Director Julian. We came up with a slate of candidates. There was 51 people who applied I just want to say thank you to the Board of Directors for the Highway 135 Advisory Committee, a very robust group. We're really proud of that number.
All 51 were excellent candidates and we had to decide originally on 11. We ended up deciding on 12 and we brought that to the Subregional Board yesterday and that got unanimous approval from the North County region. And so I would ask for And make a motion to adopt the slate with the amendment of adding a fourth ad hoc member. So instead of three ad hoc or sorry, fourth at large members that have three at-large members so for a total of 12 and my understanding in the record is the list of the twelve that are being nominated from the North County Subregional and with that would be my motion to get us started and then we can have further discussion on that.
Julian second.
Okay second from Director Julian any discussion on The ad hoc or the committee. All right, we had a fairly robust discussion at the subregional yesterday so if you're curious about that you can go and tune into that meeting. Thank you for the City of Buellton for hosting us Mayor Silva and with that I'll go ahead and see no further discussion on this item. We'll do a roll call or we'll do a voice vote all in favor signify by saying aye.
Aye. Opposed? Motion passed unanimously. Alright so done with the work Now on to the fund. Go ahead and go, Madam Clerk will you please read item number 5A into the record?
Item 5A SBCAG 60th anniversary recognition recommended action receive a presentation regarding the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments 60th anniversary.
Director Kern
Thank you so much. Good morning before we begin I just want to say how thankful I am to look around this room and see the many people who have been part of SBCAG's evolution, our current board members, our former directors, our federal state and partners, former executive directors, our member agencies, the staff, and many of the people who helped this organization move forward over the many years When I came to SBCAG, I was in the interview and I think it was Al Clark who asked me how the heck are you going to get the 101 gun?
And I answered very slowly. At the time we didn't have SB1. We didn't have all the funding that we needed to get it done and we knew we had to break it up into small fundable pieces and keep working at it and being patient We learned very quickly, what I learned very quickly is that this organization as a region was willing to do that. You were dedicated to a goal and you worked tirelessly to make that happen.
You gave the agency big problems to solve and you were part of that solution. And you gave us the tools and the trust to make it happen. So I want to thank everyone in this room because you were all a part of that decision-making process. You are all part of that dedication and it takes a village to make it happen, and that's what we're here to celebrate today.
Over the past decade I've had the privilege of watching SPCAG continue to grow and evolve while staying focused on getting things done. But one of the best things I've learned over the past decade is SPCAG's story is much bigger than the 101, and much bigger than any one project. One project or the board or executive director. It's a story about people choosing to work together across our communities, across our agencies, generations of leadership to solve problems none of us could solve alone.
Our 60th anniversary we wanted to do something a little different so rather than retell our 60 years of history in a video we focused on an idea of why regional partnership matters What has made it possible and what it asks of us as we look into the future. You'll hear from me on this video and from Director Lavagnino, our longest serving board member who brings a unique perspective on SBCAG and how the regional partnership has evolved over time.
We hope this gives you a sense of what has carried SBCAG through its first 60 years and hopefully carries it through the next 60 years so with that can we watch our video?
0:37 – 0:4214 turns
Santa Barbara County is many communities. Cities, towns, rural places, coastlines and valleys. We live in different places. We have different needs. But every day our lives cross the lines on a map. We travel between communities to work, learn, visit family, friends and experience the places we call home. 60 years ago Santa Barbara County was changing Communities were growing, people were moving between them and more of the challenges they faced crossed the lines on a map. Local leaders recognized something important some challenges don't stop at a city limit and by planning together communities could unlock new opportunities for federal funding to address shared needs So in 1966, five cities and Santa Barbara County came together around an idea that still guides us today.
We can accomplish more when we work together. And the partnership grew.
As new cities were incorporated they joined the regional table.
Today, every city in Santa Barbara County and the county itself has a voice. From our smallest cities to our largest communities each brings different needs priorities and perspectives one county one regional table I just
didn't want this moment to pass either without pointing out your leadership all of SPCAG Like you said, it's the biggest project ever done.
For generations of local leaders sitting at that regional table has meant looking beyond the boundaries of the communities they were elected to represent.
I think when you get elected that's not your first thought is SPCAG but you soon realize it's one of the most important things that you're doing because you're spending hundreds of millions of dollars on regional transportation projects and then you get there and you realize hey we're all part of the same county And we're going to get a lot more done working together. You also have to celebrate those times when somebody outside your area gets that funding because the reality is the people you're representing aren't just sitting in your city, they're driving throughout the county and they're gonna see and benefit from everything that we do.
Every day, thousands of people cross community boundaries without giving them a second thought. We travel to work, to school, to appointments, to see the people we love. And nowhere is that more visible than transportation.
It really just takes somebody raising their hand and saying hey, we have a problem here that we need to solve. At SPCAG our goal is to solve problems. I say that we're a small agency that does big things. A lot of folks don't know about SVCAG, but we're behind the scenes bringing people together and making things happen.
Santa Barbara County Association of Governments helps communities plan for those connections, secure funding and make long-term investments that are difficult to accomplish alone. Some of those investments have required communities to look beyond their own priorities and work toward a shared goal.
That's what's great about SPCAG is we accomplish a huge project like the 101, which wouldn't have been done without everybody pulling on the same end of the rope. And it finally got everybody on the same page. A lot of that has to go to SPCAG staff and for the folks who got elected to be able to go you know what there's something bigger than me. It's hey this is going to benefit all of us it's the right thing to do
Throughout my career, I've done a lot of projects and as soon as the project is done people forget what it was like. But there's going to be somebody out there that says there was a problem here and they solved it and we're very thankful that they did. It takes tenacity. It takes patience and foresight to make it happen.
And when communities speak with a regional voice local investment can become something much bigger. Attracting state and federal funding, and moving projects from plans to reality. And that same regional approach reaches far beyond a single project. From highways and local roads to buses, passenger rail, bicycle and pedestrian connections the goal is bigger than any single project helping people get where they need to go across one connected county.
For 60 years that has been the work of the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments, SBCAG. Sixty years of regional cooperation has changed how communities plan, invest and work together.
Travel alert, final funding needed to complete construction of the Santa Barbara Corridor of Highway 101 is now secure. California Transportation Commission presented a $134 million check to Caltrans and the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments.
But an anniversary isn't only about looking back.
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My hope is that Sixty years from now, they'll look back and say how did SBCAG members act? How did they work together so that they saw a greater good. Whatever it is, it's going to take everybody working together so that everybody regionally can benefit.
Somebody around 60 years ago was thinking about our futures and I have to do the same thing for the next generation. And the work isn't finished. We have to come together and saying, hey this is going to be a problem in 5, 15, 20 years. We have to work on it now so the future generation can say thank you.
60 years ago local leaders believed our communities could accomplish more together. 60 years later we know they were right and what we build together today will carry that legacy forward for generations to come.
So this video gives us the why SBCAG exists. Now we'd like to take you for a few moments through our history and what brought us here today so with that I'm going to turn it over to Lauren and she'll take it from here.
Thank You Margie. I want to bring this up a little bit, I'm in heels today. It's good to see everyone thank you on this special day and I'm gonna see if this Slide show works here. Great, perfect. So as we prepared for this anniversary, we spent quite a bit of time going back through and asking about SPCAG's history and its timeline. And what struck me was how familiar it all felt.
And this organization has certainly grown and evolved over 60 years but many of the reasons our communities came together in the first place are still at the heart of what we do today. Now for some fun history. Our story begins in 1966 when five cities, Carpinteria, Santa Barbara, Lompoc, Santa Maria and Guadalupe and the county itself came together to form the County Cities Area Planning Council But why 1966?
What was happening that made regional planning necessary? To understand the why, it helps to look at what was changing across the country. The interstate highway system was transforming how communities were connected. The federal policy was increasingly requiring metropolitan areas to plan across jurisdictional boundaries. By 1965, the federal funding was tied to what was called a continuing comprehensive and cooperative regional planning process.
And here's an interesting coincidence. President Johnson signed the law creating the U.S. Department of Transportation on what day? October 15, 1966. So happy birthday US Department of Transportation! Just two days before the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors authorized the agreement that created the Area Planning Council. Here at home, these changes had practical implications. County officials were working with the State Department of Housing and Community Development on funding for proposed parks. Rincon, Arroyo Borough, Isla Vista Beach Park, Tucker's Grove. Regional planning requirements could affect whether those projects qualified for outside federal funding.
At the same time, local leaders wanted to preserve local decision making. The answer was not another level of government. It was an advisory council where cities and county retained authority over their own decisions and while gaining a place to work together on issues that crossed jurisdictional boundaries and coordinate on applications for outside funding.
One newspaper headline at the time captured the possibility, new regional planning rule may spur unity within the county. And nine days after the agreement was authorized, representatives of the county and the five cities met at the Solving Justice Court that put the idea into practice. That's now the Veterans Memorial Hall by the way. A Lompoc council member Robert McClure was elected the first chair and Carpinteria Mayor Alan Coates Jr became the first vice chair. County Administrative Analyst Ace Southern Gill became what we understand as the first executive officer And when we talk about SBCAG's beginnings, it really was a small operation.
Southern Gale took on the Area Planning Council as an additional responsibility and relied on existing county clerical staff for support. There wasn't a dedicated regional agency that we see today and know today there is essentially a table representatives from member agencies and an idea Some things are worth working on together and that small coordinating council very quickly found itself being asked to do much more.
While this new council was getting established here at home, transportation planning was changing dramatically across California and the country. In 1972 the Area Planning Council took on a state transportation role as the Santa Barbara County's Regional Transportation Planning Agency that brought on new responsibilities for transportation planning and funding California was changing too. The state created Caltrans in 1973 and established a stronger regional framework for transportation planning.
At about the same time, the federal government was establishing the Modern Metropolitan Planning Organization or as we know MPO framework. Our area planning council became the region's MPO coordinating long-range transportation planning and helping program federal transportation funds. By 1975 the Area Planning Council was looking at transportation as a regional system, highways transit and connections between communities. In less than 10 years the Small Coordinating Council we just saw have become part of both the state and federal transportation planning system But it was still primarily planning. The next major change would give the region something it hadn't had before, its own transportation funding.
For much of the first two decades, the Area Planning Council's transportation role was largely about planning, coordinating and programming state and federal funds. Then came another major turning point. In 1989, Santa Barbara County voters approved Measure D, the county's first half-cent transportation sales tax. And more specifically it was the first sales tax countywide Santa Barbara County had seen.
That changed the organization in a very important way. The Area Planning Council became the local transportation authority and for the first time, the region had locally controlled source of transportation funding. The organization that had been created to plan together could now invest together and those dollars became projects Measure D helped fund major improvements on Highway 154, including new connections to Highway 101 near Santa Barbara and Los Olivos.
Improvements to the La Cumbra and Glen Annie Stork Interchanges on the South Coast and new or rebuilt interchanges at Stoll, Donovan and Bettaravia in Santa Maria. That investment continued with Measure A. In 2008, Santa Barbara County voters overwhelmingly approved Measure A, extending the half-cent transportation sales tax for another 30 years generating approximately $1 billion for locally controlled transportation funding. We've been able to leverage additional state and federal funding. Something that has become increasingly more So Measure D didn't just fund projects, it established local investment that Measure A continues today. And managing this new local funding responsibility also changed the organization itself.
In 1990, following the passage of Measure D, the Area Planning Council formed a separate independent public agency, The Santa Barbara County Association of Governments or SBCAG. But this wasn't a new organization. SBCAG carried forward the same partnership that had begun in 1966 along with the transportation responsibilities it had taken over in the past two decades And now its new role, managing locally controlled transportation funding. The name changed the regional partnership did not and the regional table itself grew. When the Area Planning Council was formed in 1966, it included Santa Barbara County, The Five Cities, Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, Lompoc, Carpinteria and Guadalupe. Solvang joined in 1985, Buelton followed in 1992 And Goleta, when it became a city, it joined SBCAG in 2002.
There is also a really cool cake picture right above this article by Tom Schultz who's here in the audience today. I just didn't fit in the slide but the historic articles are quite impressive. Bringing together Santa Barbara County and all the eight incorporated cities. By the early 2000s, the regional table we recognize today was in place And so rather than keeping on moving year to year because I know you love that through this timeline, I'm going to turn it back to Margie Kern to talk us through some of what regional partnership has meant throughout the last few decades. Thank you for the opportunity to be here
today. So I have to take this moment too to celebrate the accomplishments we've had recently. So some of the work we're celebrating took decades to plan, fund and deliver. And it took a village like I said earlier and I'm really thankful to the people in the audience who help us get to this point. We are happy to share a few of our major accomplishments through this slideshow.
So 101 may be the best example. In 2006 101 in motion laid out the regional path for improving highways on one the highway on 101 Measure D helped turn that plan into early progress including improvements from Milpas to Hot Springs in 2012 and Muscle Shoals to Carpentaria in 2015. It's a pattern you'll see throughout our history are we plan together, we find the funding, we build it, we get it done.
With Measure A, that momentum continued across the county. In 2013 the Union Valley Parkway over crossing opened in Santa Maria Valley one of Measure A's early major accomplishments and early projects and I'm really happy that was able to be accomplished so quickly. And the projects keep coming. In 2014, the Santa Maria Bridge was completed. Amazing how quickly that happened and expanding the 101 to six lanes and adding a bike path across the river. The fun fact in the upper photo features Lavagnino times two. We had two directors at that time named Lavagnino both Steve Lavagnino and his father Larry Lavagnino served together on the SBCAG board and I'm sure that was an honor to have.
And then in 2017 happened, something happened that dramatically changed what was possible. California adopted Senate Bill 1 creating a new opportunities for major state transportation investments and that changed the game. And because Santa Barbara had Measure A, we were ready to go. We were shovel-ready to make things happen and it was all because of the dedication of SPCAG and this board and our previous members.
And complete we did. In 2018, we secured $184 million in SB1 funding for 101. We also launched an early morning Pacific Surfliner route between Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. This was our lane-in-the-train promise that was included in the Measure A 101 in motion. And from there you could really see, begin to see the corridor taking shape. In 2021 construction moved into Padaro adding a carpool lane and rebuilding our bridges ramps and local connections along the way part of the larger effort to eliminate the two-lane bottleneck on 101.
But the investment wasn't only on 101 in 2022 The Clean Air Express debuted at its first battery powered electric bus serving riders in North County and provide riders in North County going to the South Coast. And on 101, we completed improvements began to come online in 2022. The Carpinteria new carpool lane opened along with rebuilding the bridges ramps and other improvements throughout the community.
In 2023, another major funding milestone. SBCAC secured another $132.4 million in SB1 funding, funding the Highway 1 improvements between Montecito and the southern portion of Santa Barbara. Once again Measure A helped us compete for and bring home major state investments. And those in the corridor, those corridor improvements were delivering more than again more than highway improvements. In 2023 the Santa Claus Lane bike lane opened and creating a new connection between Santa Barbara and Santa Claus Lane and it's easier to get to Santa Claus Lane from Carpentria on bike versus driving and taking the long way around.
Measure A was also helping deliver other local priorities elsewhere in the county too. In Goleta, Project Connect broke ground with measure A funding helping improve local streets, bicycle pedestrian connections and access around 217. And I love the roundabouts by the way. And it's another example of regional dollars helping our local partners deliver projects in their communities.
And in North County, another regional priority was also being delivered. At 166 and Black Road a new traffic signal and roadway improvements were completed improved safety and traffic operations between Guadalupe and Santa Maria. And by 2025 years of construction were becoming complete improvements. Seven miles of the new carpool lanes open through Pradaro and Summerland through six new bridges and improved ramps. The Highway 101 bottleneck was getting shorter, and in 2025 we reached another major funding milestone Decades in the making. SB CAC secured the final $134 million needed to fund the 101 improvements through Santa Barbara and altogether every local dollar has had to attract another dollar and a half of outside funding, more than $760 million so far.
But our work isn't only about finishing the projects that came before us, it's also about planning for what comes next. So today we're working with our partners and communities on the State Route 166 that you heard earlier, the State Route 135 with the Advisory Committee and identifying future safety and mobility improvements throughout our county. Just as a one-on-one in motion began with the plan this is where we begin our next generation of projects.
And while I've highlighted some of the major projects, much of the work happens through our partnerships. We help our cities, the county transit providers bring regional state and federal dollars back to their communities supporting local streets and roads, transit bicycle and pedestrian improvements in major regional transportation projects. Sometimes SBCAG leads Sometimes we're a partner and sometimes our role is just to be behind trying to make it happen. And none of that happens because one person or one agency, it takes our board staff member agencies partnership partners working together sometimes years, sometimes decades to move these priorities forward. To everyone in this room has been a part of the work over the past 60 years thank you.
It has been a privilege to be part of this organization. I hope I don't cry. The work that we've done, the quality of staff that we have at SBCAG makes me proud to be an employee of SBCAG. We are small agency that does big things and I'm excited about what we're about to accomplish in the next 60 years ahead. With that Chair Nelson, I'll turn it back to you. Thank you.
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All right thank you Director Kern. So we're going to go ahead and at this time hear from some of our friends, some of our former colleagues, some of our dignitaries here that are joining us to celebrate this special occasion. So with that Madam Clerk do we have any public commenters?
Yes we have several requests to speak forms. Our first speaker is Congressman Salud Carbajal followed by Patricia Horton office of U.S. Senator Schiff
Former Director Carbajal, welcome.
Thank you Chairman Nelson and Directors. Having served on the Board of Supervisors for 12 years and having the privilege to be part of SBCAG during those years along with a representative oftentimes or most oftentimes the mayors of all of the eight cities in our county was one of the highlights of my service in local government. Why is that so? It's because when we come together as SBCAG, as you come together, you put your partisanship even though local offices are nonpartisan. We know that always seeps in a little but we put that aside for the best interests of our county.
Regional planning what's in the best interest for all our residents cities counties working together regional planning safety and I think that Recollection for me is what makes me feel warm and fuzzy about my work in local government. When I think of SBCAG, I think of SBCAG as the hub of all the spokes. The hub of federal funding, state funding and local funding.
You're the ones that make it all happen. And when you consider what SBCAG does, it's not just transportation, regional transportation planning. You're also the Airport Planning Commission to make sure that we take into consideration certain criteria when airports expand or when they go about their business. You're also responsible for the Taxing Authority, Measure D now Measure A You're responsible for housing, regional housing planning, allocating the RHNA numbers.
And I think sometimes people forget that even though transportation is front and center as the number one thing you do, you really do so much more for the best interest of our county from a regional standpoint. Serving now in Congress, I got to tell you having served in local government was one of the best things that I've ever done for informing what I do now in Congress.
So when we talk about federal funding, that flows to the states or local governments, I understand it because I served in your shoes and I wonder sometimes how my colleagues wrap their heads around S-TIP, R-TIPs, MPOs, what does all that mean? With all these tips you know where's the French dip is a tip. But certainly funding comes from the federal government. I was privileged to have helped with out of the 52 projects or so that I was able to bring to Santa Barbara County in terms of funding investments, the largest one was for the 101, the $7 million that I was able to get allocated for the 101 project and certainly it's just a small piece I want to say thank you to the Board of Directors for all of the work that they've done in terms of the overall funding.
We had measure D in the past and measure A, I was here when that happened and it required partnerships. Everybody working together coming up with a plan of investments so that we could all galvanize together and have our community come With such a huge margin, it reminds you of how committed they are to regional planning and improving their communities. And at the end of the day what do you do?
You provide for the mobility of people trying to get to work, schools, hospitals, recreation and at the end of the day that's about our economy. Mobility is about our economy and making sure that we have a thriving local community, thriving economy. And a public that moves around in the safest way possible. So let me just say that I am grateful for having served on SBCAG. Congratulations on 60 years of extraordinary work and thank you to each and every one of you For stepping up, for doing what's right for our county. We're working through the divisions coming together to make our county the best place that it is and you all have played and continue to play a vital role.
And not just you, the staffs that have made SBCAG operate and run and have the trains run and everything work day in and day out. Margie Kern Jerry Lauren, Jim Kemp who is here as well. That's as far back as I can remember maybe there was more executive directors and all the staff and council everybody who's a part of this we ought to be very proud of SBCAG and the work that it's done for over 60 years. Congratulations SBCAG congratulations Santa Barbara County thank you I you know, you always miss a beat. I have a plaque from the United States Congress to Margie Mr. Chairman. Can you come up? I'd love to have all of you up. Come on. Let's do it together. Oh no. All right. She's I'll take that.
Thank you.
1:08 – 1:135 turns
Our next speaker is Patricia Horton, Office of U.S. Senator Schiff.
Good morning. My name is Patricia I serve as a representative to Santa Barbara County for our senator Adam Schiff and I am so thrilled to be here in person. I watch your meetings virtually most of the time it's nice to see some of you again See some of you for the first time. And he has a certificate honoring the 60th anniversary so happy anniversary and happy birthday to the Department of Transportation as well.
But I have to say having traveled up and down the state with the senator for almost 25 years now 58 counties, the SPCAG is such an inspiration and such a great example Working together deciding to collaborate bringing all of the information from your cities, from your regional county residents together to make things happen. And it is truly impressive and you are really a bright example for the rest of the counties of California. I could not be more thrilled to represent this area in California so I just want to say thank you from my heart and from the senator's heart And happy anniversary to past members, current board members.
And I'll read this from him. Congratulations on 60 years of service to the residents of the County of Santa Barbara through innovation and collaboration you have made historic improvements in transportation infrastructure investments land use and quality of life for the Californians who call this beautiful region home Thank you so much, Senator Adam Schiff. So I just want to say thank you.
Our
next speaker is Carson Link, Senate President Pro Tempore Monique Limon and Gunnar Langenheisen on behalf of Assemblymember Greg Hart.
Hello. Congratulations, guys. This is always a fun one. We get to sing a little Kumbaya and just pat each other on the back. I'm Carson. This is Gunnar. Obviously, I represent the Pro Tem. He represents Assemblymember He's letting me speak because I also serve as a member of the Measure A Citizens Oversight Committee. And so over the last couple of years, I have grown very, very attached to SB CAG and the work that you guys do. You know, I thought I was going to have such an original point but the Congressman kind of took it in that this is a place...
This is a place where I think government still works and it is a great example of what happens when we put aside ideology, when we put aside jurisdictions and try to do what's best on behalf of all of our residents. And so I think in this day and age you know unfortunately SBCAG is probably one of the county's best kept secrets but I think if more people knew about what happens here and the work that you all do as a board they might feel a little hope again in government The other side of that though is the staff and you know elected officials come and go, but the staff of SBCAG is what makes it truly special. And I've gotten to see that while being a board member of the Measure A committee. And so Margie, Lauren, Sarkis, Fred Luna, and all the rest Without them, maybe we wouldn't be singing such kumbaya about you all today.
They are truly what makes this agency special and they really are a small agency doing a billion dollar projects and it is really impressive to see the work they've been able to do in leveraging funds to get more money. I mean, I think they have more than doubled And so I think that's what we want. I think that's effective government at work and so all I think we can say is thank you guys so much for keeping the show rolling. Thank you to the staff, and here's to 60 more years of partnership between all these different levels of government. So thank you guys so much. And we have a very fancy resolution from the state of California from the pro tem and the assembly member congratulating you all. Thank you guys.
1:13 – 1:189 turns
All right, thank you Carson and Gunnar.
Our next speaker is Joe Irwin, Caltrans District 5 followed by Holly Sierra former Director.
You're up Joe.
Chair and Directors I'm Joe Irwin Office Chief for Project Management with Caltrans District 5. There we go, that's much better. On behalf of Caltrans District 5 I would like to extend our sincere congratulations to the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments on the occasion of its 60th anniversary. For six decades SBCAG has demonstrated outstanding leadership in regional transportation planning collaboration delivering on projects and public service Through its commitment to partnership and long range vision, SPCAG has helped improve mobility, strengthen communities and enhance the quality of life for the residents and travelers throughout Santa Barbara County.
Milestone anniversaries such as this provide an opportunity to reflect on the many accomplishments achieved through cooperation amongst local, regional, state and federal partners. Our work together on Highway 101 has been an example of the great work that we're capable of. And I think that it paves the way for future success throughout the rest of the county as well.
We're proud of our long-standing partnership with SPCAG and appreciate the agency's dedication to addressing the transplantation needs of the region while also preparing for future challenges, but mostly those opportunities that present themselves. Congratulations on 60 years of service, leadership and achievement. We at Caltrans District 5 wish SPCAG continued success in the years ahead and look forward to many more years working together to serve the public. Thank you.
Our next speaker is Holly Sierra, former SPCAG Director followed by Jim Richardson, former SPCAG Director.
Hello Directors and staff, Margie, Bill. I was a council member in the City of Buelton for 14 years and for 12 of those years I had the honor of being a director on SPCAG. You know, when you're on your city council you think your town is the end all be all and you want to do everything you can for your town. I got a totally different perspective when I came to SPCAG.
Here are all these supervisors and other mayors and we're all working for different goals outside our cities for the county It was where we plan our budget in the millions of dollars. I'm in Washington D.C. asking for hundreds of millions of dollars for funding. I am just really, really proud of the staff of SBCAG. I've been through two executive directors and I just, the staff, the directors they treat, they treated everybody so well and so welcoming.
And it was just an incredible experience. I've made friends. I've opened my eyes to what can be done when different agencies work together. And I just wanted to come and say happy anniversary. I'm glad I was a part of it and I'm so glad I got to meet all of you. Thank you.
Thank you Holly.
Our next speaker is Jim Richardson former SBCAG director followed by Doss Williams former SBCAG director.
It's good to see you all up there. I want to congratulate us and I say yes because I'm a former member of the 60 years of SBCAG and I want to say more but Salud stole all my words But what on my last day on the board, I recited the names of the people I had served with. I don't know if you recall that some of those names have disappeared into history but many are still around and it was a pleasure to serve with those folks and when it would be a pleasure to serve with you again. It was a wonderful time in my life.
I served eight or nine years on the board I served as chair one time and I served with your dad. That was something else. And salute, the guys are troublemakers. So anyway thanks very much and congratulations on 60 years.
1:19 – 1:265 turns
Our next speaker is Doss Williams, former SPCEG Director followed by Jerry Estrada, MTD General Manager.
Mr. Chair and Directors it's a pleasure to be here with you today on this auspicious occasion. You know I want to particularly Thank you. All of the accomplishments were well highlighted, but on behalf of the different folks that I represented over the years in public service, I want to especially thank you for the work on the 154 which is a lot safer than it used to be.
The part of the 101 in Carpentaria. We like to complain a lot about freeway work, but we also are living in a better situation than we used to be and I can even say that as the person who had the pile driver almost in his backyard for three years at 5 AM. But what you're accomplishing out there is better transportation systems, traffic reduction strategies, planning practices that take courage that make sure people can live closer to jobs and maybe even have a chance at affordability in the long run. Those are really important issues and it doesn't just happen with one person it starts with with numbers based, data driven and courageous staff recommendations.
And then it goes to having elected officials who are willing to look at data-driven solutions and consider and make decisions based on those. And the public to support Those improvements to support short term pain for a long-term gain, which to me is what SBCAG is all about. And I hope that you will continue that work because it's one place where we have to look at the long run and what's best for our community in the long run. Thank you so much.
Jerry Estrada, MTD General Manager followed by Brian D'Amour, City of Santa Barbara.
Chair Nelson, Directors on behalf of Santa Barbara MTD congratulations on reaching this milestone being with the district over 30 years I've seen the staff has done a magnificent job not just currently but in the past to bring us to a point where we can collaborate work together not always easily there are challenges But we've always gotten there and I think one achievement, I really wanted to take this opportunity to highlight which has been mentioned was the renewal of Measure D which resulted in Measure A. That process took time to evolve and Mr. Camp, Director Camp at that time and his team really worked It was impressive to watch them work, adapt to the challenges. The Public Works Directors, MPD and others to recognize and put together a process that took into account the stakeholders needs, the communities needs really listened Thank you.
Thank you.
Good morning, Chair Nelson and Directors. Brian DeMoore Public Works Director for City of Santa Barbara. And yeah I had some thoughts based on what I've been hearing a little different than what I was planning to talk about but I've been with the city of Santa Barbara for almost 20 years so I started as Measure D was winding down and work was being put forth on Measure A and I had come from parts of the country where it wasn't as well known to for citizens to text themselves.
So, I thought surely this is not going to pass why would people People want to tax themselves and to my surprise, not only did it pass but it passed pretty comfortably. And I would say that in the ensuing almost 20 years, I've seen why it passed. SPCAG with the great people that they have in the organization, their care for the community, their carefully crafted plans on how to deploy projects from small things to big things.
People saw that before I got here, that great work. I've seen it since I've been here but really they're putting the dollars to work and that's gained trust from the community and I think that's the biggest testament to the success of the organization. I've been in different roles. I started out as a project engineer and I made my way up now to public works director, so I've seen the variety of projects that we've been able Like I said, it's a wide range of things and they're all necessary. They're all little pieces of the puzzle that helps make our organization work and fit in within the overall community.
So there's little things like the Measure A grant program that helps us do tiny projects like a sidewalk infill project in a neighborhood where we otherwise wouldn't have a funding source for that. And then all of the other grant funded programs that they help support working with in partnership with Caltrans. The highway bridge program, the active transportation program, Highway Safety Improvement Program there's all these different grant funds funding sources that we rely on in order to I'm really appreciative of the work that they do within this community. And just thinking about like what do I see on a daily basis?
Due to youth sports, I also drive around a lot. So I see the work that happens, the completed projects wherever I go and that inspires me to keep going, keep working in partnership with Not only SBCAG, but the other directors within the county. And I'm really excited about what lies ahead. Obviously the 101 is a big project that is thankfully winding down. I think right now maybe not everybody's a fan of the project because of the construction impacts, but I think everybody recognizes the benefit that's gonna bring to the overall community. So I'm excited about what lies ahead and have complete faith and trust in SBCAG Helping lead that thank you. Thank you
1:26 – 1:324 turns
Our next speaker is Move Santa Barbara County followed by Ernesto Paredes, EasyLift SBCTAC member.
Hi Sarah Iannarone. I am the Executive Director of Move Santa Barbara County. I know my last name is hard to pronounce so I just start with the organization. I am relatively new to this space but I do want to offer my congratulations and thanks. This feels like a homecoming for many people but for me it's a wonderful introduction behind this beautiful place that I am now fortunate to call home.
SBCAG may be a secret but the fruits of your labor are not, it's what makes this an absolutely glorious place to live work and play. And it's incredible that you were able to accomplish what you did with the proceeds from Measure A. But as we look at the renewal We have to think about what's next. As we finish 101, the next 60 years lies ahead and we need to maintain the trust of a public that's increasingly challenged by new tax measures. We need to be able to communicate our successes and the remarkable work it takes to coordinate across jurisdictional boundaries and partisan lines. And I think we also need to think about how we are continuously integrating the work It's not just transportation planning. Transportation may be the circulatory system, but our families are struggling to reach their education.
They're struggling to meet their household costs. They're struggling to pay rent and all of the things we do here together in partnership across the private sector, the public sector, the non-profit sectors is what's gonna make this a great place whether you live in Montecito or Santa Maria. So thank you for your hard work. Thank you for your partnership with Move Santa Barbara County And thank you for the good work that lies ahead for the next 60 years.
Our next speaker is Ernesto Paredes, Santa Barbara County Transit Advisory Committee member and EZ-Lift. And for those members of the public on Zoom who wish to speak would you please use the raise hand feature? We'll call upon you shortly. Thank you.
Good morning. Happy anniversary, happy birthday. I was born in 1966 so this is kind of a special year for me unfortunately SBCAG has more hair than I do mostly right? It's been again such a pleasure. I got hired on in 1991 right after the passage of the ADA and it was mentioned earlier about Petra It's been a pleasure to be working with Easylift, mostly in South Santa Barbara County.
For that for this many years. Also, we want to acknowledge I just want to pick out a few people. I'm sorry to do that but Director Patino, Lavanino and Rouse your I've watched you all for so in your father before during all those years and with such respect and admiration. I appreciate all the hard work you all put in all of you do not just those three but those in particular also the staff unbelievable early on my career. I wasn't sure if SB keg was a good guy or bad guy And I'll be honest with you, the temperament and the culture is not what it is today. It was tough North County South County we've always heard those.
The culture has shifted and we all have learned to trust one another now we're not perfect nothing's perfect but it's so much better than I ever see in my whole career right now that's when we can do great things. I'm so appreciative of Measure A, I'm sorry Measure D originally because Easy Lift I know was very part of that early campaign And then shifting to Measure A, but I will say this.
How important advocacy still is because in the original draft specialized transport was not part of measure a and we have to acknowledge we have to remember that so when comes down to specialized transportation and we had to fight for it quite a bit. I wish would have asked for double at the time because as you all know, and you've heard the silver tsunami and he's seen how Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank thank you. Thank you. Thanks so much. Thank During the disaster that we've all experienced, especially in South Coast South County rather.
When there's a disaster I get two phone calls immediately Aaron SP keg and Jerry at MTD always checking how easy lift is what do we need? And again it's because of the culture you have all created that we're all working together. So thank you so much happy anniversary as a pleasure.
1:32 – 1:439 turns
And our next speaker is Jim Kemp. And again, if there are any attendees on Zoom who wish to speak please use the raise hand feature and I will call upon you.
Good morning members. Jim Kemp, the former Executive Director of Santa Barbara County Association of Governments. It's a pleasure to see you. I recognize many of you. You haven't changed a bit. I was also thinking that in a few short years SBCAG will be eligible for Medicare which is nice to know It's really been a pleasure to hear some of the retrospective of what SBCAG has accomplished.
And it's a lot, we used to think and say to each other when I was working for SBCAG that we did punch above our weight as a county When it came to getting things done, working with state and federal government partners. We're a small county here and we had to fight for much of what was accomplished here. I know that SBCAG is about much more than ribbon cuttings and groundbreakings and plaques in Highway 101.
And it's really about affecting the mobility and the quality of life for the residents and the visitors of Santa Barbara County. You touch people's lives in ways that even they don't realize, and the work that you do is important. It's nice to be able to celebrate it but there's a lot of hard work that has gone into this and there is more hard work ahead I can't overemphasize the importance of the local funding that First Measure D and Measure A provided for this county. There are many improvement projects around the county that would not exist if SB CAG had not delivered progress as promised, which was our slogan under Measure D and Measure A.
I know that you've begun looking to the future for what happens when Measure A sunsets. It does have a date when it will expire, but that money is still needed and I encourage you and encourage those that you touch your partner agencies It's hard to convince people to tax themselves for their own benefit. But in this case, I think SB CAG has really delivered its on that promise and I congratulate you on 60 years of great work and I'm looking forward to seeing many more years of success. Thank you.
And also that concludes public comment.
All right, well thank you all past directors, past staff, community members, co-agencies for your kind words and appreciation for the work that we're doing. Again we stand on the shoulders of past directors and ultimately we stand on the shoulders of the taxpayers of Santa Barbara County who fund these things and who that we fight so hard to bring their tax dollars back to our areas. I'm gonna go ahead and open it up to the board for comments but i'm going to start with our longest serving director Thank you.
Thank you, Mister chair. It's really cool to look out in the audience and see so many folks have either served with or worked alongside his staff. Sbk is successful mostly because of the we've had great leadership at Amazing and to see the new kind of core, the younger core coming in amazing work just doing really good stuff. Just as impressed with you I want to give a shout out too to our funding partners and a lot of them are here today to kind of hand out kudos but we appreciate them much more when they're handing out checks it helps having the Senate Pro Tem be From Santa Barbara, that helps.
Greg Hart a former staffer for SPCAG he knows what he's talking about and then to have Salud sitting on the Transportation Committee it's like it's a perfect situation. I also want to give a big shout out to our lobbyists Gus Corey in California and Don Gilchrist sorry Don if you're watching. I'm getting older, Don Gilchrist. I think for a lot of us our highlight is our DC trip and going in really sitting with the staff and I got to say in those DC trips found out a lot more about Lauren and how her depth of knowledge on all these issues was very impressive sitting inside these offices with our you know United States Senate staff and our congressional staffs and her knowing these programs down to the last detail really helped us Just talking just for a second on the camaraderie.
I think we finally got rid of our last little North-South. I will bring up, I don't know how many people remember this but we excluded the first district supervisor from our North County Subregional for a while because of redistricting South County Supervisor now represented part in North County with Quiama and there was a little bit of hesitation. Glad to see that got buried and now Roy It's really cool.
I wouldn't wanted to leave with that mess still behind us just finally just on measure a the genius of measure a to me was that there was a list of projects and so People are just tired of empty promises at government, at all levels. Especially at the federal level it's just if you look at polling right now people just don't believe what their representatives are telling them and so for us to go out and try to come up with another tax was gonna be really difficult unless we had that here's what we offered you this is what we told you were going to do with Measure A and we can look and just cross every single one of those off and said Promise made, promise kept. I don't think there's going to be any problem passing this next whatever son of Measure A is going to be and if you need me, I'll be out there championing it as well But this has been, and for my dad if you talk to him even probably more so.
Well I don't know being mayor of Santa Maria was pretty cool thing right? But he loved his time at SBCAG back then they had a really really tight group some of you served with them and I remember Dick DeWeese, Lupe Alvarez, Joni Gray they really had they had a good time back then. I'm not sure how much they got done but But this has been a highlight of my career as well, is working with all of you and we get a lot done. So happy birthday and finding out that I'm older in SBCAG is very depressing.
But Medicare's around the corner right Jim? Yeah.
Thank you Director Labadino. Other directors? Director Harbin?
Well it's a great day We live in an era where there's a lack of trust in almost every institution in our society. And I get up every day and think, well what can I do in my life to help restore trust? And I think SBCAG by delivering on its promises really does do that. I think there is another aspect though to the trust and that is this organization is extremely good At working with communities to figure out what they need and what they want. I started on the board with the corridor study of the Santa Ynez Valley looking at the 154, the 101, the 246.
We had some issues that had preceded with the tribe and with just a divided community. And so this was one of the first things we did where we all got on the bus together and we identified places We thought needed some attention and that was a really important community building, trust building process. And I see that on the other corridor studies that SBCAG is involved in we had the 154 safety committee that worked came out of that quarter study and that has been really important for The community to be able to reach into government and say these are things we care about, and having SBCAG being there to help direct and channel that.
I think it's been really important to me the broadband and that we're not just in the same old, same old. We're willing to use this regional partnership to tackle new areas that are really important And I think of the San Ynez River Trail where SPCAG has taken up a critical role. So, then I think about the relationships that we have here and because we're kind of in in the trenches together. So we build a camaraderie and that holds for other projects outside of SBK. So if I'm worried about pop-up restaurants, I can call Randy and we can commiserate and figure out what to do. So it really is a core hub in so many different ways. And I really hadn't thought about it until the 60th anniversary celebration. So I'm so glad we've had this as an opportunity to really reflect
Thank you Supervisor Hartman, or sorry Director Hartman. Director Brown?
Thank you Chairman Nelson. Just real quick I want to congratulate SCAG for all the things that they've done but I want to go back and acknowledge some people like people that are mentors to me when when I come on. I'm one of the no tenure here it's been a short-lived endeavor but I couldn't be here without great trailblazers like Jim Richardson and Holly Sierra, and the years that they've been on the board and previous board members. Right away I learned with regard to SCAG The ability to leverage our funding and abilities to leverage our relationships and create a group of peers and folks that you can rely on and be candid with.
And it's been great, but the trust that our predecessors have generated not only with the public but with this particular I just want to say thank you to all of the board members and staff for working so hard on this.
1:44 – 1:528 turns
Thank you chair. I want to be respectful of everybody's time so I won't go on and on and on because I agree with everything that's been said, I echo. I'm not hearing anything negative it's all good. I will say that it was a real privilege Good morning, everyone. My name is Barbara. I'm the chair of the Board of Directors. of the City of Goleta to sit at the workshops as a stakeholder in Measure A and it was for the California State Parent Teacher Association. And we, I represented South County so I sat on the South County Measure A workshops and I tell you they listened. I found out really quickly that SBCAG listens And they listened to the parents concerns about pedestrian and bike safety safe routes to school. And we're getting a lot of things done because of that, and I really think that helped get Measure A passed because it had a line item where before there was never a line item for bike.
I'm going to start by saying thank you to all of our board members who have worked tirelessly to make sure that we have safe routes of school or pedestrian and bicycle safety and now we have that. it's been a pleasure working with everybody, I think director Kern in your fabulous staff for always being available as a newbie when I started out I had a lot of questions I still continue to That's not the case. We are getting things done because we are working together and we're representing each of our regions in our cities and counties and looking at how we can all work together and for me, I really appreciate that so thank you for all that you've done.
Thank You Director Prodi. Director Rouse
Yeah, thank you. There's been some mention about the north-south thing I feel like in the period of reconstruction all over again but it is true that and I'm very happy to say that all the focus has been for last 15 years in the south getting them one on one done. It's been a fabulous partnership great partnership with Caltrans in so many ways to get their work done working together with this board When it comes to shifting their focus to the north and the 135 in the projects up there, it makes total sense. To me is much of our staff including our two public safety chiefs live in North County so transit and the roads and all the infrastructure takes to move people around Make nothing but sense that it's one county and we all work together, we work together well.
Really enjoyed my trips back to D.C., when I was on the Executive Committee and it's true between Margie and Lauren, we were just the arm candy they had all the facts so they fortunately guided us through all those meetings very successfully. Got to go up to Sacramento pick up a big check with Sarkis and turns out that Sarkis is kind of a rock star in the circles in Sacramento That was fun being able to hang out with him as well. So, but once again it's been a very good ride and very functional group I have some issues in my own group back in my building at home. But SBCAG has been a pleasure to work with including the executive team so thank you.
Well thank you Director Rousen. It's a pleasure to have you as well. Director Pajino?
Thank you. You know when we, when Measure D first came out I was not a proponent and I'm sure I didn't vote for it. By 2008 I became a convert. When you see all of these good things that are happening that you paid for and that's fine if you pay for it but they're really happening and because why would we ever trust government to do what they say they're going to do?
It's sort of like having a fundraiser. We all belong to organizations where we go out and raise money for whatever cause it is, but this is sort of a fundraiser that we have to charge people for and we have to have certainty and the consistency that we needed. So to me it was really really different when we did the Measure A and I went out and worked for it and certainly advocated for it When I come to SBCAG meetings, it's really nice because they're like my friends. We may disagree on things but it doesn't matter we can go to lunch afterwards and they're friends that you can talk about anything and I think it's really important because not only do we have different needs in North County as South County does, we respect each other's needs and there's things that we want to do differently up there than they do in South County.
We may not understand why they want to do them but that's all right We want to do them a little differently in North County. But being on SPCAG has been a real privilege and working with the staff Thank you Margie, very much. I can call anyone when I need them. A lot of times if I'm going someplace or I have to give a speech, I need information at the last minute as you're driving down the road and putting on your lipstick and maybe running a red light. You need to get to that speech so you can call somebody and say hey when did we do this? Or how much was this gonna cost?
So I think this finishing up with 101 is gonna be exciting. I never thought UVP was gonna get done A lot of people up there in North County never thought UVP was going to get done. And they also had the feeling about 101 and here we are, we've got the money and we're just ready to go so it's just like I said a real privilege to have served with all of you. Thank you.
All right thank you Director Patino. Director Julian?
Yeah, you mentioned 60 years. I graduated 60 years ago so it's been a while. I wanted to bring to the attention of everybody that's here that it's not the glue that puts us together, it's the honey that puts us together in terms of the trade-offs that we get from Caltrans for the staff. Guadalupe is 87 miles from here, little town as we all know There's complaints about nails in the road. You know Caltrans has these flags that they, on the road that they mark the streets and there's complaints about the road but the nails so I said well look at looking two or three years what's going to happen for the city of Guadalupe and in and around Santa Maria and Guadalupe but I wanted really to highlight the staff The staff and also the directors here.
You know, I appreciate Randy because he doesn't wear a tie and I wish that had not come with the time but it's very, but he's here and he cares. But the staff, when we have an issue regardless of what it is a nail or the center of their bridge. The staff, SPCAG staff and the Caltrans put that honey together to say this is what's going on. When we have people tap on our shoulders saying what's going on with Caltrans? What's going on with SPCAG? We'll find out from staff what's going And right away we know what's going on. And there's explanations that are really detailed because people in Guadalupe just don't, you know, we don't get out that often because of the roads maybe but I really appreciate the staff and the honey that spread around with everybody that's here.
Isn't it nice to have positive thinking support from everybody who was here and like the comments that we heard both off on the public and also here? You know, we have the again the supervisors on this board plus the city, the mayors. That's a great resource for us to have for this community not only for Santa Barbara County but for the whole state and I wish everybody could mirror what's going on here today and with the staff so thank you staff. Thank you everybody that's realizing the 60 years of progress that's made here. So thank you.
Director Clark?
1:52 – 2:0315 turns
Thank you Mr. Chair, I don't remember asking Margie that question how the heck are you going to get one-on-one done but it was coming to work with SPCAG as other people have mentioned this is just was a real eye opener being exposed all these smart people who you know with different perspectives and making that work. And it seemed like for all the smart people, the staff and SBCAG board members we did everything we could and it didn't look like it was going to ever happen. I think part of the equation is it's not really It really shouldn't be part of the equation, but it is. This is the unexpected or you know you have some news that you're not expecting and so when we get news that all sudden there's a big bucket of money and we're going to get it.
You can't take advantage of that if you haven't done the planning, you don't have the goal And you don't have everything in place and you don't have the connections and all the government that you need. I mean, when you look at what SPCAG does it's this huge network. And when it's really functioning well, you can take advantage of those surprises that come along. So we've been fortunate but we've been able to take advantage of it. Thank you.
Thank you Director Clark. Director Silva?
I'll be efficient for the sake of being a token millennial on this one. I was born when Measure D was passed and I feel like we'll wait for the groan there but what that really kind of explained with me is that this is transportation requires long-term planning and it has to be done by people who are willing to benefit from a plan that they will not enjoy And that what took place in 1989 and then 2008 is a testament to the fact that these are never easy solutions that can be solved in a year, in a decade. It takes people who are saying this is the time to make sure that future generations don't have to deal with these problems and I really appreciate that level of empathy from a generational perspective bleeds into a board like SBCAG where it doesn't matter if we're trying to solve a problem for where our voters are located or where the people we are designated to represent are located.
It's about solving for a Santa Barbara County and that what helps someone in Lompoc or Santa Maria or Buelton, that benefits everybody. Buelton is the tiniest jurisdiction and SBCAG has allowed us to have so many investments take place when we talk about the River Trail, when we talk about solving our problems I love the fact that when I brought to our staff, how do we get medical transportation solved? The SPCAG staff said let's figure that out and workshop that. And that attitude of how can we solve a problem is something that I think government needs to further showcase and transportation is where no one knows when those decisions are made but they feel it every day. And so I really think that when we think about what SPCAG can do, it's a reminder that this is a job of service and if we always have to pull back to that No one enjoys traffic.
No one enjoys construction, but it's a pain we all feel now so that future generations have a better experience that we keep the economic vitality that we deal with the economic migration that we all experience. So I just really want to thank the fact that for some of you who might have been here when Measure D was voted on the first time in 1989. I'm not sure. I can't really figure out this AARP joke, but what I want to say is that Thank you to everyone before us who got us where we are, and I think as long as we keep thinking about this longitudinally that let's make decisions now so that 30 years from now the people are thanking us for the same choices.
That's really our call to that it cannot be a convenient decision it has to be the right decision and I really appreciate that this has a legacy of making those decisions and I appreciate what we do going forward. So thank you all for being here for that.
Great, thank you Vice Chair Soba great words and I'll just wrap it up with saying that you know this is a really unique body that we have here. I get a chance as on the Board of Supervisors to sit on some statewide boards with other counties and not every county has an SPCAG many of the other counties have Multiple counties that joined together as their MPOs and they may only have one or two supervisors or one, two cities sit on that. And so what we have here in Santa Barbara County with SBCAG all 13 of us on here all five districts all eight cities having representation is unique. I think it's unique here is that we are a self-help county, that the taxpayers as has been mentioned today have trusted us. That we have that trust that's among that and I guess is partly because all 13 of us sit here that everybody in our county feels like they have a voice you know those north and south relationships The reason why we can get along is because we know that everybody's at the table and that's what really helps make this organization work.
But trust is fragile, and I think it's something that we always got to come to remind ourselves that we've made of this 60 years but we won't be able to make a next 60 without continuing to cash in on those promises that we've made so with that thank you everybody for coming to celebrate this day with us. This is a huge momentous occasion and with that we'll go ahead and wrap up this item Wrap up with the last couple of things that the directors report I think
at this time. I'm going to pass so
let's move on to item 7.
All right, so that go with that. Let's go ahead and go move right over to Caltrans for a quick update quick update
I'll keep it brief. Good morning Chair Nelson, Directors, Rana Kulzama Branch Chief of Regional Planning on behalf of Caltrans District Director Scott Eades. First congratulations on your 60th anniversary wonderful work on behalf of SBCAG and the board I do have a brief item to note is that Caltrans call for applications for sustainable transportation grant program has closed. The district received 20 applications from various agencies throughout the district and we look forward to making some of those award announcements come the spring of 2027 so some I'm happy to take any questions that the board may have.
All right. Board members will have questions after the meeting. So we'll go ahead and delay that here committee reports. Director Prodi, do you have a LOSAN report?
Yes I do have one. I'll be quick. I attended the LOSAN agency meeting on September 21st and Director Lee who is my alternate for that board also attended and it was provided public comment regarding the Ortega siding project The board's primary action that day was approved approval of a one-year $73 million Amtrak operating contract for the Pacific Surfliner service through September of 2027. The contract maintains current service schedule including the expanded service to Goleta and San Luis Obispo, and that began in May with support from SB CAG. The board also received updates on marketing, rail safety and coastal erosion continues along the San Clemente area.
It remains a concern with the potential for service disruption during the fall and winter. Closer to home, Losan staff provided an update on the Ortega siting project following completion of the tree study. The project team is considering an alternate location that could reduce impacts along Padera Lane. A virtual community workshop, unfortunately I wasn't able to attend but was held October the 12th. Shared the information and received public input on this alternative.
The next Losan meeting will be October 19th but on a local rail update the city of Goleta, are we ready? Scheduled a ribbon-cutting for our train depot for December the 16th. It's done! So I hope you can all make it and bring your train whistles and hats and enjoy the fun.
All right, thank you Director Prodi. Director Patino do you have an update for us on CALCOG?
Sure do! I participated in the CALCOG Board of Directors meeting on September 29th and CALCOG is hosting a three-part virtual series for the California Housing Law and Policy Update on October 29th November 12th and November 17th and these are really good so Margie will register you on her Friday update. It'll be on there. CALCOG's Executive Director Bill Higgins is stepping down from his role and is looking to hand over the responsibilities to Sabrina Bradbury, Deputy Executive Director.
The board also discussed coordination on SB 375 reforms including the SB 1087 that was passed by Governor Newsom. While it doesn't include all the things we were hoping for, it does improve the sustainable communities process that SPCAG and other MPOs must undertake with their regional transportation plans. And finally I will be attending November 5th and 6th the board meeting in San Gabriel Valley.
Thank you. Thank You Director Patino and I'll just briefly report on Cal sorry Cal Vans, I've been keeping everybody up to date on. We're looking for additional funding as part of our Prop 4 dollars that we were allocated in that measure. That was with a kind of Herculean effort of lobbying on behalf of SBCAG and other statewide partners. We were able to get those funds into this year's budget I'm happy to report that all the workers Good job.
With that I believe we will go ahead and adjourn this meeting to November 19th in Santa Maria and then we will kind of stick around for a slight reception.
Yeah, we have cake
so please take some cake.