Group Laments Lost Grant
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BY N I C K W E L S H he Santa Barbara City Council approved grants of $1.4 million to 51 different nonprofit organizations, $236,000 of which was earmarked for programs directly serving the homeless. Of that, the Casa Esperanza homeless shelter received nearly half. This year’s dramatic tug-of-war involved the Independent Living Resource Center (ILRC), which got zero dollars after having qualified for Human Services Commission awards for the past 30 years. ILRC supporters showed up in strength but expressed their concerns with muted grace. They argued they hadn’t been given adequate opportunity to address misconceptions held by the volunteer members of the Human Services Commission. ILRC representatives pointed out that none of the grant funds applied for would go to pay raises as some commissioners thought. ILRC employees haven’t had a pay increase in eight years, but insurance costs have, in fact, increased. Although the group wowed many coun-
NO DOUGH: For the first time in 30 years, the Independent Living Resource Center got zero grant money from City Hall’s Human Services Commission. And after 25 years at the helm, ILRC director Jo Black (pictured) is retiring.
cilmembers with their style, only councilmembers Gregg Hart and Bendy White were inclined to provide a token amount of funding — $2,500 — to help ILRC leverage private donations, never the organization’s strong suit. “Here we are in a time in history when the safety net is fraying,” argued White. “It breaks my heart.” Mayor Helene Schneider disagreed, arguing that the city’s vetting process needs to be respected. But she did offer to help ILRC — which helps people with a range of developmental challenges achieve independence — with its fundraising efforts in her capacity as a private citizen. The group will clearly need it. Its executive director of the past 25 years, Jo Black, is retiring this year, and next year, ILRC’s five-year grant cycle — worth $80,000 a year in federal-stimulus funds — runs out. Councilmembers urged the ILRC, which runs programs out of four offices in three counties, ■ to reapply next year.
Botanic Garden cont’d from page 15 phase will now cost about $14 million rather than the $24 million estimated in the original plan. Of that number, $3 million will go to the gardens, $6 million will be for the building, $3 million will go to the endowment, and $2 million is already being used on the sewage and infrastructure improvements. So far, $9 million has been raised, in donations both massive and tiny, leaving $5 million to go. That news has former Botanic Garden watchdog Christine Riesenfeld most enthused. “I’m pleased with the progress they’re making, particularly from a financial perspective,” said Riesenfeld, a longtime volunteer who led a volunteer strike during the tumultuous times but returned with the hiring of Windhager, like many others. “They’re focused on fiscal responsibility and getting back to native plants. That’s what it’s all about.” She’s also pleased with changes to the board and staff and reports, “The volunteers seem to be quite happy.” So are the neighbors, according to attorney Marc Chytilo, a Mission Canyon resident himself who represented the neighborhood during the county hearings.“Steve has been a breath of fresh air when compared to the previous admin-
istration, and the community has enjoyed a very positive, productive relationship with him,” said Chytilo, though he is quick to note that this is just phase one, and there could be more debates in the future. In fact, on Monday of this week, Windhager sent Chytilo and others an email with a list of changes he’d like to make to the existing restrictions, including such things as the number of events and how attendance is counted. “Those are issues that the community may have some real concerns about,” said Chytilo. “We’ve understood Steve’s concerns, and I think he understands our concerns, and what we’ve been able to do in the past is find common ground. I have no reason to think we won’t be able to work it out again.” That’s a whole different tone than a few years ago. “More than just being a good communicator, I’ve tried to be a good listener,” said Windhager, in the sunshine, with a smile.“Everybody that was opposed to us before — they’re on board now.” For those who just love the garden, he promises a very exciting time to come.“Over the next five years,” he said toward the end of the tour, “there’s going to be constantly something ■ new at the garden.”
El Encanto Parking Wars
PAU L WELLM AN F I LE PHOTO
CONT’D PAU L WELLM AN
News of theWeek
Lit Major Frozen
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BY K E L S E Y B R U G G E R iterary enthusiasts who got their start at UCSB’s College of Creative Studies (CCS) are in an uproar this month after officials announced a temporary admissions freeze for CCS’s literature major. The action by the Academic Senate Undergraduate Council followed an unforgiving panel review, which stated CCS lacked faculty leadership and relationships with associated departments. But dedicated alumni and faculty have vehemently objected, some arguing that a frozen program at UCSB has never been restored. Though the “college within a college” only has about 70 literature majors each year, quite a few alumni have spoken up about their unique undergraduate experience. Established in 1967 by the late fiction writer Marvin Mudrick, the small academic community is often considered a graduate school for undergraduates. In its nonpunitive grading system, students can fully devote themselves to one class and withdraw from another. Further, several sources explained the CCS literature program emphasizes a deep study of the classics and shies away from contemporary requirements — such as historical criticism and statistical analysis of text — typically found in English departments. “They aren’t being fed a program; they are pursuing knowledge, overcoming their own
ignorance, and doing it with an avidity that will do far more than compulsion ever can,” said alum Kia Penso in an email, adding CCS students are free to take classes for credit in any department. Reading a statement before the Academic Senate earlier this month, Professor Michael O’Connell — who has taught in CCS for five years and retired from the English Department in 2010 — asked that the “precipitous” moratorium be deferred. He called the leadership dilemma a “catch-22”: The program had “pleaded” for leadership after the previous program head retired in 2009, but CCS management has failed to take action. English Professor Shirley Lim had previously served as program head but was “alienated” and “forced out” in 2011, his statement went on. Other CCS majors — biology, chemistry, art, computer science, and more — will not have their admissions suspended. CCS Dean Bruce Tiffney said the freeze on admissions was a response to concerns about the “mechanical sustainability” of the program and reiterated that the suspension is temporary.“No program continues unchanged,” he said.“What we need to accomplish is to ensure an uninterrupted flow of ladder faculty participation and leadership emanating from a range of departments ■ and disciplines from across campus.”
TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING? The success of the recently refurbished El Encanto has some neighbors grumbling about loss of on-street parking at the hands of hotel employees.
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BY N I C K W E L S H t was a year ago last week that the dramatically remodeled El Encanto reopened its doors for business, and the high-end destination hotel and restaurant has had an immediate impact on city coffers. City bed taxes have jumped 14 percent in the last eight months, and city administrators estimate that half of that is due to guests and customers at what’s recently been renamed “Belmond El Encanto.” For some of the hotel’s immediate neighbors, however, the blessings have been mixed. Nicole Fuller, who has lived kitty-corner to the hotel for the past eight years, is leading a signature-gathering effort to ensure that hotel employees don’t park on surrounding streets. The number of spaces for residents is already extremely limited, she said, pointing out that the hotel’s conditions of approval require El Encanto to provide employee parking. Fuller, who said she collected 25 signatures in two hours, estimated as many as 30 parking spaces have been taken over by hotel workers.
El Encanto’s Laura McIver took exception to this claim, explaining that hotel security staff — when patrolling nearby streets for employee cars — typically find between zero and three. She acknowledged there were problems initially but that the hotel has responded and the number of complaints has fallen off dramatically. McIver noted the hotel has 98 parking spaces on a site with 92 rooms, a restaurant, a spa, and a ballroom. She added that 30 spaces are set aside for managers and carpoolers. The hotel also rents out 40 parking spaces for its employees from a church on Constance Avenue and operates a nonstop shuttle to and from beginning at 5:40 a.m. Typically, she said, there are 5-10 cars in the lot, with a maximum of 20. Acting Community Development Director Bettie Weiss said “good work has been done” by the hotel to solve the problem but that more is required. “It is our intention to continue to work with the hotel to resolve this issue, and we do believe it needs attention,” she said. ■ march 27, 2014
THE INDEPENDENt
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