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W E DN E SDAY, JA N UA RY 12 , 2 02 2
Murillo passes the gavel to Rowse
Supervisors hear COVID-19 report during first meeting of 2022
New mayor to lead Santa Barbara after amicable ceremony
Hartmann takes over as chair
By ANNELISE HANSHAW
By FORREST MCFARLAND
NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
Tuesday’s swearing-in of Santa Barbara Mayor Randy Rowse and recognition of former mayor Cathy Murillo set aside party affiliation — or lack thereof — for a smilefilled ceremony outside of City Hall. Ms. Murillo, adorned in a 10year pin signifying her decade of public service, passed a gavel to Mr. Rowse as he starts his governance — a word he emphasized in his speech instead of “politics.” Mr. Rowse ran unaffiliated though gained popularity among republican voters. He, in turn, presented the outgoing mayor with a bouquet of roses. The two posed and hugged, like one might embrace a distant relative, as Ms. Murillo grinned at the crowd. Mayor Rowse was welcomed to the podium for his speech with hoots and whistles. One heckler disturbed the otherwise smooth ceremony, who Mr. Rowse and Ms. Murillo both called out by name. “It’s good to be back,” Mr. Rowse said. He reiterated his belief in service-based government and described Sacramento as a place of “rancor” and “divisiveness.” “No one should be marginalized, and, districts notwithstanding, each one of us answers to every one of you,” he said. He plans to prioritize business owners, first cleaning up and lighting city property around storefronts. “Our children should be allowed to grow up and thrive in an environment of clean parks and beaches, safe and stimulating public libraries and free from unwanted exposure to substance use and abuse,” he said. It has been two years since he last served on City Council, and councilmembers Alejandra Gutirrez and Mike Jordan the only two who are working with him for the first time. Ms. Gutierrez told the News-Press she is “excited” to serve with him, though sad to see Ms. Murillo transition. Reelected councilmembers Eric Friedman, Kristen Sneddon and Meagan Harmon (who participated via Zoom) had kind words for the new mayor. Ms. Harmon, who was appointed
NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT
Supervisor Joan Hartmann stepped into her new role as chair and heard a COVID-19 update during the Board of Supervisors’ first meeting of the year. Passing along the literal and metaphorical gavel, Supervisor Bob Nelson thanked the Board for never having to use it. “This Board has not been a partisan Board,” Supervisor
ANNELISE HANSHAW / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS
Outgoing mayor of Santa Barbara Cathy Murillo finishes her speech Tuesday by handing a gavel to Mayor Randy Rowse. She wore a pin to celebrate her 10 years of service to the city.
mayor pro tempore, said she “learned so much” from Mr. Rowse during his time on council and was happy to “continue debating” him. Mr. Rowse is not afraid to have the dissenting opinion, as Ms. Sneddon referred to him as “the grumpy walrus” in her speech. Mr. Friedman likened the new mayor to Mr. Kotter from the sitcom “Welcome Back, Kotter,” a show where the teacher (Mr. Kotter) must use wit to rally his remedial students. “Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back,” Mr. Friedman said, quoting the theme song. “You probably have the most impeccable timing of any human being when you sold your restaurant, retired from city council. And six weeks later, a multi-year, global pandemic hit the world,” he said. He said there are “many great
Mayor Randy Rowse and reelected councilmembers Eric Friedman and Kristen Sneddon take their oaths in front of Santa Barbara City Hall. Meagan Harmon, who recently welcomed a son to her family, pledged via Zoom.
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Mayor Randy Rowse, newly sworn in, says he intends to prioritize business owners in the community.
challenges ahead” for the City Council. Mr. Friedman, chair of the Finance Committee, often alludes to constraints. His remarks, much like a standup routine to recognize Mayor Rowse, were sentimental for Ms. Murillo. “These past four years with you as mayor were significantly challenging due to the pandemic, natural disasters and just a host of issues that are out there,” he said, naming legislation passed by Ms. Murillo, including environmental protections, increased rental housing and the creation of the State Street promenade. “These are all accomplishments and many more that you can be proud of forever, and they’ve really changed our city.” Oscar Gutierrez, who served as mayor pro tempore during her term, presented Ms. Murillo with a plaque. “No one can take away the fact that you made history on several levels,” he said. “The work you’ve done with uplifting the youth in our community and also protecting them by advocating for a stop to violence, the work you
did protecting our environment and also enhancing it will be appreciated for generations to come. And all the work you did to support people of color and minorities in our community.” He called her a “role model” and “mentor.” Ms. Harmon said Ms. Murillo has inspired women, particularly women of color, to leadership. “We all owe you a debt of gratitude for the work that you’ve done to pave the way for all of us,” she said. “You’ve been a champion for working people in this city and your heart and vision on that score will be your legacy.” Ms. Murillo said she was grateful for the “opportunity of a lifetime.” “You have the best people in leadership here at the City of Santa Barbara, our staff and the people standing here to me today,” she said. After the ceremony, the council met in City Hall and approved a consent agenda and claimed boards and commissions to serve as liaison. email: ahanshaw@newspress.com
KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS
TK-12 public school students should receive iHealth COVID-19 antigen rapid test kits soon.
COVID-19 test kit distribution begins for TK-12 students By ANNELISE HANSHAW NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
The Santa Barbara County Education Office began distributing its 56,700 COVID19 test kits Tuesday among the county’s TK-12 public schools. The allotment comes from the State of California — part of a program Gov. Gavin Newsom introduced in December to cope with the Omicron variant’s toll. The tests arrived at the County Education Office on Monday evening, although the state intended for the tests to be used prior to the return from winter break. “We have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of our allotment of at-home test kits,” Dr. Susan Salcido, Santa
Barbara County superintendent of schools, said in a news release. “They provide needed relief to our students and families and are a critical tool for helping our schools mitigate the spread of the virus. “We greatly appreciate this and any support our schools receive that helps keep our students, staff, and families safe and healthy.” The iHealth COVID-19 antigen rapid test kits include two tests per pack and are administered via nasal swab. Results are displayed in 15 minutes. SBCEO plans to request tests for private schools, preschools, school employees and additional deliveries for students. email: ahanshaw@newspress.com
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Nelson said in the meeting. “As the world around us gets more divided, we have done a good job at staying united and focusing on the goal of delivering local government to our constituents.” Accepting the position as Chair for 2022, Supervisor Hartmann additionally thanked the Board for their decorum throughout a challenging year. “It’s been a very demanding year. However, a number of Please see BOARD on A2
Sudoku................. B3 Weather................ A4
Saturday’s SUPER LOTTO: 2-13-25-41-42 Mega: 27
Tuesday’s DAILY 4: 5-9-4-7
Tuesday’s MEGA MILLIONS: 2-3-19-52-58 Mega: 16
Tuesday’s FANTASY 5: 8-13-15-22-33
Tuesday’s DAILY DERBY: 02-07-12 Time: 1:45.83
Saturday’s POWERBALL: 20-21-36-60-65 Meganumber: 13
Tuesday’s DAILY 3: 3-6-4 / Midday 5-1-7