We hope you'll join us for SB CAN's 10th annual Oscar Viewing Gala at the home of Susan Rose and Allan Ghitterman in Santa Barbara on Sunday, March 2, 2014 at 5 p.m.

1.  HIGHWAY 101 HOV LANES

As has been widely reported, the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG) Board of Directors on Thursday, January 16, in an 11-2 vote, acted to keep the Highway 101 High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane on track. Retention of the left-hand on and off ramps was rejected.

Last August, when SBCAG adopted the Regional Transportation Plan (RTP), SB CAN supported adoption of the plan, but urged the SBCAG board not to shorten the HOV lane as some SBCAG board members had suggested in May. We let them know if they shortened the HOV lane, that would have triggered a new RTP and jeopardized the project. We also would have withdrawn our support of the project. Many others joined us in calling for retention of the entire HOV lane.

 Santa Barbara County Action Network

ACTION ALERT

1.  FRACKING: Following up on our earlier message, please know that a major public hearing about fracking regulations is happening Monday, January 13 at the Betteravia Government Center from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. 

Some of our colleagues have planned the following protest to begin at 2 p.m.  SB CAN encourages its members and friends to attend both events and speak your minds.

At our H.O.T meetings last week, we agreed that a major focus of our comments should be on water: the potential to pollute our groundwater and the surety that fracking--if allowed in California and in Santa Barbara County--will send millions of gallons of precious water far below the surface of the Earth, never to be recovered.

Monday, January 13
Santa Barbara County Supervisors Hearing Room
511 East Lakeside Parkway
Santa Maria, CA 93455

Fracking Protest: 2 p.m.-3 p.m.
Public Hearing on Proposed DOGGR Regulations: 3 p.m.-7 p.m.

We hope you enjoyed the holidays.

We’re ready for an exciting 2014 and would like to hear from you. Please join us at a H.O.T. Committee meeting near you:

Thursday, January 9, 2014 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
North County H.O.T. Committee Meeting
Rabobank
1554 S. Broadway, Santa Maria (on the corner of Broadway and Battles Road)

Friday, January 10, 2014 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
South County H.O.T. Committee Meeting
Union Bank’s Santa Barbara Community Partners Center
11 E. Carrillo, Santa Barbara

Our Housing, Open space and Transportation (H.O.T.) Committee meetings are open to all, and all who come are welcome to comment about issues of concern to them.

The issues we'd like your input on are HOV lanes, County Oil Production Tax and proposed DOGGR Fracking Regulations:

Tuesday, November 12 at 1:30 p.m.
(Note the new time; it is time-certain and estimated to run 3 hours).
Public Hearing on the Appeal of the County Planning Commission's Approval of the Santa Maria Energy Project
Board of Supervisors Hearing Room,  511 E. Lakeside Parkway, Santa Maria.
Remote testimony from Santa Barbara Board of Supervisors Hearing Room, 105 E. Anapamu St.

1.
Wednesday, November 6 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Affordable Care Act -- Free Forum
Betteravia Government Center, 511 E. Lakeside Parkway, Santa Maria

2.
Thursday, November 7 at 6 p.m.
SB CAN's North County Housing, Open Space and Transportation (H.O.T.) Committee Meeting
Rabobank, corner of Battles Road and South Broadway, Santa Maria

3.
Friday, November 8 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
SB CAN's South County Housing, Open Space and Transportation (H.O.T.) Committee Meeting
Union Bank's Community Partners Center, 15 East Carrillo Street, Santa Barbara

4.
Sunday, November 10 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Central Coast Green Team Edible Landscaping Demonstration Garden Work Day
Santa Maria Community Garden, 910 S. Oakwood Drive, Santa Maria

5.
Tuesday, November 12 at 9 a.m.
Public Hearing on the Appeal of the County Planning Commission's Approval of the Santa Maria Energy Project
Board of Supervisors Hearing Room,  511 E. Lakeside Parkway, Santa Maria.

SB CAN ACTION ALERT

October 8, 2013

1. SB CAN North County H.O.T. Committee meeting, Thursday, October 10 in Santa Maria
2. Edible Landscaping Demonstration Garden Work Day, October 20 in Santa Maria
3. Open Streets, Saturday, November 2 in Santa Barbara

SB CAN ACTION ALERT

September 17, 2013

1.    Solstice Fall Green Mixer: A fundraiser for the Santa Maria Natural History Museum, co-sponsored by SB CAN, September 19.

2.   “March to Drop the Keystone XL Pipeline and Accelerate Clean Energy," September 21 in Santa Barbara.

3.    Edible Landscaping Demonstration Garden Work Day, September 21 in Santa Maria.

4.    Green Team Program Meeting: Water Issues in the Santa Maria Valley presented by Santa Maria City Councilman Jack Boysen, September 23.

5.    Public Hearing on Santa Maria Energy Project, September 25.

6.    SB CAN writes editorials once a month for the Santa Maria Times and every other month for the Lompoc Record. Links below.

7.    Offshore wind-energy survey: We provide a link to a survey by UCSB students.