Author: Lea Boyd

To safely manage an increase in travelers around the Thanksgiving holiday, reservations will be required on Pacific Surfliner trains traveling between San Diego and San Luis Obispo on Nov. 24-29. Additionally, the Rail 2 Rail program will be suspended during this period, which means that monthly Metrolink and COASTER passes will not be accepted onboard Pacific Surfliner trains on these dates. Amtrak monthly and 10-ride passes may still be used. However, multi-ride ticket holders will be required to confirm each trip (train and date) in advance through the Amtrak RideReserve program on Amtrak.com, the Amtrak app, or an Amtrak agent prior to traveling during the reservation period.

Additional train cars are being added when possible to increase the number of available seats on select trains. However, customers are strongly encouraged to plan ahead and book early to guarantee available tickets. A number of safety and cleaning measures have been implemented on stations and on trains. Per federal law and Amtrak policy, face coverings must still be worn while onboard trains and in stations. Details are available at https://bit.ly/3kxeXtn

On Nov. 15, the City of Carpinteria will begin accepting affordable housing lottery applications for a four-bedroom home priced for the above-moderate income category. The home is located at 5110 Ogan Road on a property currently being developed as The Cottages. A lottery for the $674,100 home will be held in February, and applications for the lottery must be received by Jan. 21 at 5 p.m. Preference points will be awarded to applicants who are 1) employed in a critical workforce job, 2) employed in the City of Carpinteria, and 3) live in the City of Carpinteria. Learn more and apply through TheCottagesCarpinteria.com

After 26 years of employment with the City of Carpinteria, Ann Meyer will retire from her position as Management Assistant in the Parks, Recreation and Public Facilities Department at the end of this week. Among her many accomplishments, Ann coordinated the annual Carpinteria Triathlon for more than 20 years, designed many of the park signs and created the annual Parks & Recreation Guide. She received a commendation from the Carpinteria City Council and was celebrated at a barbecue with City staff at Monte Vista Park. “We’re happy for you and at the same time as an organization we know that we’ll miss you greatly,” said City Manager Dave Durflinger. “We want to thank you on behalf of the entire City organization for your contributions to the city, for representing us well to the public and serving the community for all these years. Thank you very much.”

The Carpinteria Holiday Spirit Parade and Rods & Roses Car Show will return to Linden Avenue on Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021. The car show, which was postponed from July due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and the parade will begin at 4 p.m. At its Nov. 8 meeting, the Carpinteria City Council approved a special event permit application for the two events.

An unmet transit needs listening session will take place on Wednesday, Dec. 1 from 4 to 6 p.m., via Zoom Webinar hosted by the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG). The public is encouraged to stop by anytime during the two-hour virtual listening session to share comments or concerns about bus systems, dial-a-ride and paratransit services in Santa Barbara County, or express needs for new or expanded services in the county. Spanish language interpretation services will be available during the listening session. See flyer in English or Spanish for Zoom details. Anyone who is unable to attend the listening session can take an online survey in English at http://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SBCAG_TNA or in Spanish at http://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TNA_ESP through Friday, Dec. 3. The public can also submit comments in writing to SBCAG at 260 North San Antonio Road, Suite B, Santa Barbara, CA 93110, or by email to comment@sbcag.org.

At its next meeting, the Carpinteria Architectural Review Board will review a proposal to construct a new Class I bike and pedestrian path connecting the west end of Carpinteria Avenue to Santa Claus Lane in unincorporated Santa Barbara County. The meeting will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 10 at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall, 5775 Carpinteria Ave. The new bike path would be 0.8-mile long and 12-foot wide and is proposed to be located between the southbound travel lanes of US Highway 101 and the Union Pacific Railroad corridor. For the Carpinteria Avenue segment of the bike path, the new path would replace the existing sidewalk on the south (ocean) side of the 4100 block of Carpinteria Avenue, tying into existing Class II bike path improvements at the Carpinteria Avenue/Estero Way intersection. To learn more about the project or ways to participate in the meeting, visit https://bit.ly/3bXSgK8.

Understanding the obstacles to mental health services is key to ensuring that Carpinterians receive the services they need. As part of a multi-agency grant, Carpinteria Children’s Project is asking community members to take part in a short survey designed to better understand thoughts and beliefs about mental health wellness and the obstacles that may exist for access. Survey results will be used to identify mental health needs in our community, make recommendations for how resources should be allocated and what programs are needed. Take the survey in English at https://bit.ly/3ocTwyQ or in Spanish at https://bit.ly/2Yr1GLc.

The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department has extended a Health Officer Order which requires the use of masks in indoor public settings. This order requires all individuals, regardless of vaccination status, to wear face coverings when indoors in public settings, with limited exceptions. The order is effective until Dec. 4, 2021 or until it is extended, rescinded, superseded, or amended. Read the full County press release in English at https://bit.ly/3CQNtpW and in Spanish at https://bit.ly/3qd4lUi.

A public hearing will be held on Monday, Nov. 8 to discuss the mapping of City Council districts. Starting with the November 2022 City Council election, Carpinteria residents will elect one representative to the City Council from within their district. Five districts are now being mapped, and public input is key to the process. The hearing on Nov. 8 will be part of the City Council meeting scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. in the Carpinteria City Council Chamber at City Hall, 5775 Carpinteria Ave. The meeting will include a presentation to the City Council of the principles of redistricting; the opportunity for pre-map public input on communities of interest; presentation from the public of any maps identifying communities, and discussion of preferences of neighborhoods, geographic or other features that should be considered in the drawing of public plans. The full agenda and staff report will be available on Nov. 4 on the City’s website at https://carpinteria.ca.us/city-hall/agendas-meetings/.