Some progress on issues in 2012
Every new year brings renewed hope for the future — hope for cleaner air and water, free public trails for hiking, biking and riding horses, homes that working people can afford to live in, transportation alternatives that do not pollute the air or clog our highways, equal opportunities for all members of the community to attain an excellent education and participate fully in meaningful employment.
During 2012, Santa Barbara County Action Network (SB CAN) looks forward to continue working with residents to make further progress on the issues vital to a healthy, vibrant community.
SB CAN invites you to join us at our new HOT (Housing, Open Space and Transportation) Committee meetings, held on the second Thursday of each month at Café Noir, 1555 S. Broadway in Santa Maria. Our next meeting will be Jan. 12, from 6 to 8 p.m. This is the place to make connections with others and work together on pressing community issues.
Bring information about any groups you may be involved in, or bring individual issues you would like help with, or come to find out how you can help others with the projects they are working on.
January is also the time the county will look at unmet transit needs, and determine how money is allocated to meet those needs. We need to give our input to make sure the money is used to expand bus services, ride-share opportunities, and safe routes for pedestrians and bicyclists.
The Coalition for Sustainable Transportation (COAST) leads the effort to make sure the county and cities spend state transit money on transit rather than other issues. Visit coast-santabarbara.org for more information.
The Board of Supervisors will be addressing issues relating to the Rice Ranch development in Orcutt. One of those is how to develop public trails on 306 acres the county has just accepted from the developers. The Santa Maria Valley Open Space Partnership has taken a lead role in providing input to the county. Find them at www.orcutttrails.org or on Facebook.
The supervisors also will decide whether to uphold the Planning Commission’s denial of a request to allow homes to be built in an area reserved for open space in the Solomon foothills just south of Clark Avenue and west of Highway 101. The developer is asking for an additional 125 homes to be permitted on Keysite 3.
Elections are also on the horizon. SB CAN will hold forums on the issues and with candidates for office. We will continue to work with farmers, environmentalists and other community members on keeping farming sustainable into the future through the Ag Futures Alliance.
The group will conclude its “Agriculture in Santa Barbara County: The Farm to Fork Series” early in the year with panel discussions at the Santa Maria and Santa Barbara public libraries.
Discussions will focus on the consumption of local agricultural products and the various health benefits associated with eating fresh and healthy food. Panels will be free to the public.
SB CAN also will continue to monitor and inform the community on the oil industry’s hydraulic fracturing procedures, and the county’s efforts to address its potential impacts, especially from the chemicals used to extract oil and gas.
We invite you to join us to make Santa Barbara County the best place it can be for all members of the community. For more information, visit our website at www.sbcan.org, like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/SBCANORG, or call us at 563-0463.
Joyce Howerton is executive director of SB CAN. She can be reached at joyce.howerton@gmail.com. Looking Forward runs every Friday, providing a progressive viewpoint on local issues.
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Date:
23 Dec 2011 - 12:00am