The Goodland is now Leta
Amplifying her experiences through art
Goleta hotel changes its name - A2
Marie schoeff’s creations now on display at Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art - B1
Our 166th Year
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Planning for parks
Mask mandate ends, COVID-19 cases down
Board of Supervisors moves ahead with Countywide Recreation Master Plan
By KAITLYN SCHALLHORN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
Calling it a “tremendous opportunity” to increase financial opportunities for both the county and private landowners, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors unanimously agreed to move forward with its Countywide Recreation Master Plan on Tuesday. The board agreed to provide direction as to the expansion of the community plan and potential zoning ordinances. The supervisors also allocated $490,000 for expanded public outreach, planning development and environmental review. The development of the master plan, which the board first approved in 2019, is to identify existing and potential recreational needs across Santa Barbara County and allow for the building and planning of more parks, facilities and trails through 2045. “This has been something the entire board has appreciated, especially during the time of COVID-19,” Chair Joan Hartmann said. “We have a tremendous Please see PARKS on A4
By KAITLYN SCHALLHORN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS
A squirrel is seen along the Nojoqui Falls Trail in Solvang. The Nojoqui Falls Park is among those operated by Santa Barbara County, whose Board of Supervisors decided Tuesday to move forward with its Countywide Recreation Master Plan.
As Santa Barbara County and California prepare to drop mask mandates today for vaccinated individuals in most indoor public settings, county health officials noted COVID-19 cases are dropping. The county reported 143 new cases Monday, down 53% from the previous week, according to a presentation from the county Public Health Department’s presentation Tuesday afternoon before the Board of Supervisors Tuesday afternoon. Active cases on Monday were 1,186, a 49% decrease from the previous week. Numbers were lower in the health department’s latest statistics Tuesday afternoon. On Tuesday, the health department reported 78 new cases and a total of 1,111 active cases. Tuesday was the final day for the statewide indoor mask mandate for vaccinated individuals. Santa Barbara, Ventura and San Luis Obispo
MORE INSIDE For the latest breakdown in local COVID-19 numbers, see A2.
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Dr. Van Do-Reynoso, the Santa Barbara County public health director, said there’s now less uncertainty about the omicron variant.
counties also lifted their mandates in tandem with the state. However, masks are still required in certain settings such as schools, healthcare facilities, prisons and long-term care facilities. Health officials recommended a “layered approach” as the mask mandate lapses, which included avoiding large gatherings if community transmission is high and getting booster vaccines when eligible. And health officials still “strongly recommend” masks for Please see COVID on A3
County sets March 8 for ExxonMobil hearing By KAITLYN SCHALLHORN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
At left, Santa Barbara County parks include the popular San Marcos Foothills Preserve. At right, visitors enjoy the Pacific Ocean at Rancho Guadalupe Dunes, another part of county parks.
SB City Council picks Bjork as city administrator By KAITLYN SCHALLHORN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
The Santa Barbara City Council opened its meeting Tuesday with an announcement: Council members unanimously selected Rebecca Bjork to serve as the city administrator. Ms. Bjork was appointed interim city administrator in August 2021. She has worked with the city of Santa Barbara for more than 33 years, including as the public works director and the interim community development director. She succeeded Paul Casey, who stepped down as city administrator in September. “Her performance in the interim capacity has been accomplished and progressive, and we have every confidence that her experience, management skills and dedication will continue to be an asset to the city of Santa Barbara,” Mayor Randy Rowse said. Additionally Tuesday, the council heard an update from the Community Formation Commission on its work regarding a civilian police oversight group in Santa Barbara. CFC representatives said they plan to come back to the council with a full recommendation in April and asked for an extension of its contract with the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement, a nonprofit.
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No action was needed by the council, and CFC representatives said they will come back to members at a later date with cost details. The council also defeated Tuesday a proposal to change the time of public comment from three minutes per person to two minutes. That proposal would have also moved the consent calendar to before public comment. Mayor Rowse was the only member of the council to vote for the measure. He said the idea was not to restrict public comment but to give more people an opportunity to speak during the 30 minutes allotted for public comment. As for the changes to the calendar, Mr. Rowse had said it would save taxpayer resources by allowing staff needed for the consent calendar to go about other businesses earlier. The Santa Barbara City Council was also tasked Tuesday with considering options for regulating multi-unit housing density and building sizes as well as providing direction on interim methods to incentivize smaller housing units. One of the goals for the general plan presented Tuesday is to “encourage” smaller rental units to be available closer to transit as well as within walking or biking distance to commercial services and recreational options. email: kschallhorn@newspress.com
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email: kschallhorn@newspress.com
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i n s i de Classified.............. B4 Life..................... B1-2 Obituaries............. A4
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Rebecca Bjork was officially named the Santa Barbara city administrator Tuesday. She has been serving as the interim administrator since Paul Casey stepped down.
The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors will hold a March 8 hearing to consider ExxonMobil’s plan for interim trucking of crude oil on area highways. A modified project plan includes interim trucking of crude oil to the Santa Maria Pump Station until its estimated shutdown in 2023. The plan will then pivot to the Pentland Terminal either for seven years or until a pipeline becomes available, according to the county. Up to 78 trucks per day could travel between an onshore processing facility at Las Flores Canyon to the Santa Maria Pump Station and the Pentland Terminal with an annual limit set at 24,820 trucks. ExxonMobil’s current permit for the Las Flores Canyon facility stipulates that oil transportation can only be done by pipeline unless the entitlement is changed. Approval of the plan would help ExxonMobil restart three drilling platforms off the Santa Barbara coast, but the planning commission voted 3-2 in November to recommend denial of the proposal. The commission recommended denial because of projected impacts to biological, water and cultural resources in the event of an oil spill, as well as
the proposed trucking’s impacts on health, safety, comfort, convenience and general welfare. According to findings for denial submitted to the board, the project could “create significant but mitigable impacts” to traffic safety along Calle Real, Highway 101 and State Route 166 with the additional tanker truck trips. But ExxonMobil has said the plan would bring additional revenue and trucking jobs to the area. Representatives also said the plan would be a more environmentally friendly choice because it would reduce the amount of oil shipped into the U.S. from foreign countries. Bryan Anderson, the asset manager for Exxon’s Santa Ynez Unit, previously told commissioners the proposal could bring in $4 million for schools and $2 million for public safety. As previously reported, data from the California Highway Patrol collected between 2015-2021 found 258 trucking accidents along the route resulting in 10 deaths and 110 injuries. In March 2020, a tanker truck crash off State Route 166 spilled more than 4,500 gallons of oil into the Cuyama River above the Twitchell Reservoir. The March 8 hearing is expected to last two hours.
Sudoku................. B3 Weather................ A4
Saturday’s SUPER LOTTO: 2-10-23-42-44 Mega: 10
Tuesday’s DAILY 4: 6-5-4-5
Tuesday’s MEGA MILLIONS: 2-4-15-21-63 Mega: 19
Tuesday’s FANTASY 5: 7-21-26-27-30
Tuesday’s DAILY DERBY: 09-03-06 Time: 1:49.50
Saturday’s POWERBALL: 8-10-21-41-62 Meganumber: 7
Tuesday’s DAILY 3: 0-8-3 / Midday 8-1-8