Starting this week, Carpinteria Woman’s Club and Compassionate Care of Carpinteria will hold a free two-part series entitled Advance Care Planning: Time to get it Done. Led by Jeanne West of Hospice of Santa Barbara, the series will cover the practical tips for starting a health care wishes conversation, the process for choosing a health care agent and completion of a “My Care” Advance Health Care Directive. The two sessions take place on the next two Thursdays, June 9 and 16, at 4 p.m. at Carpinteria Woman’s Club, 1059 Vallecito Road. RSVP to jwest@hospiceofsb.org. Learn more HERE.

The City of Carpinteria Planning Commission will meet on Monday, June 6, at 5:30 p.m. to discuss the 2023-2031 update to the Housing Element of the Carpinteria General Plan. The Housing Element is a component of the City’s General Plan and includes analysis of the community’s housing needs, opportunities and constraints, impediments to fair housing, as well as policies and programs to facilitate the construction, rehabilitation and preservation of housing for all economic segments of the community and persons with special needs. All jurisdictions in Santa Barbara County are required by State law to prepare an updated Housing Element for the 2023-2031 planning period.

Members of the public may attend the meeting at City Hall, 5775 Carpinteria Ave., or view the meeting live at www.carpinteria.ca.us, on Government Access Television Channel 21 or by logging into the Zoom webinar. Additional details and numerous ways for the public to provide comments will be available through the meeting agenda at https://bit.ly/3meCkZc.

At a special meeting scheduled for Monday, June 6, the Carpinteria City Council will consider a pay increase for part-time, temporary, and seasonal hourly-rated employees, which includes pool and beach lifeguards. The pay increase should allow the City to compete with other agencies who hire for similar positions ahead of the summer season. Hourly pay for Junior Lifeguard instructors would increase from $15.91 to $20.10.

The June 6 City Council meeting begins at 4 p.m. Members of the public may attend the meeting at City Hall, 5775 Carpinteria Ave. or view the meeting live at www.carpinteria.ca.us, on Government Access Television Channel 21 or by logging into the Zoom webinar. Additional details and numerous ways for the public to provide comments will be available through the meeting agenda at https://bit.ly/3PYLiHE. Comments posted on social media will not be provided to council members.

The City of Carpinteria is looking for a new Concessions Manager for the Beach Store and kayak rentals. The position includes a variety of tasks and requires an average of 20 hours per week. Details and how to apply can be found at https://carpinteria.applicantpro.com/jobs/2375980.html.

The City of Carpinteria is embarking on the Downtown Design Overlay Program, and we want your ideas to inform the outcome! The Program will include objective design standards that focus on the quality and design of future development in the Downtown while providing opportunities for additional affordable housing and smaller units to serve the Carpinteria community. We are asking residents to complete a community questionnaire to gather feedback on community preferences, needs, issues and opportunities for the Downtown Overlay area. Please complete the quick questionnaire at https://bit.ly/3t9S9o8 prior to June 30. Thank you for participating!

The Carpinteria City Council designated June 2022 as Pride Month to honor the history of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) liberation movement and to support the rights of all citizens to experience equality and freedom from discrimination. A unanimously approved proclamation states that Pride Month influences awareness and provides support and advocacy for the LGBTQ community and is an opportunity to take action and engage in dialogue to strengthen alliances, build acceptance and advance equal rights. Read the full proclamation at https://bit.ly/3LOhBpz.

What is broadband and how would improved broadband infrastructure benefit our community? These and many other questions will be considered during the Santa Barbara County Broadband Strategy Development Project Public Information Meeting on Wednesday, June 1. The meeting will feature speakers and panelists that include Carpinteria Mayor Wade Nomura, 1st District County Supervisor Das Williams, Carpinteria Children’s Project Executive Director Teresa Alvarez and many others. Members of the public should consider attending this important meeting, which will take place from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in the Carpinteria Children’s Project Auditorium at 5201 8th St. Learn more HERE.

As California continues to experience a year-round fire season, Southern California Edison is working to ensure communities are informed and prepared throughout the implementation of the SCE’s Wildlife Mitigation Plan. Santa Barbara County residents are invited to an online streaming Community Safety Meeting on Tuesday, June 7 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. to receive information about SCE’s Public Safety Power Shutoff protocol. Participants will hear about how to prepare for emergencies and get an overview of SCE’s customer programs and services. There will be an opportunity to ask questions and hear from emergency preparedness experts. Register at https://www.sce.com/wildfire/Community-Safety-Events.

Carpinteria City Hall is closed today, May 30, in observance of the Memorial Day holiday. On this day, in particular, we honor those who have given their lives for our country and our freedom.

Are you interested in joining the Harbor Seal Advisory Committee? This committee, which was formed to learn more about the local harbor seal population and make recommendations to support it, has a vacancy that the City of Carpinteria is looking to fill. Committee members meet periodically to develop an understanding of the local harbor seal population, including causes of recent trends in births and haul-out numbers, and to develop recommendations to the City Council for specific actions to mitigate habitat degradation and seal disturbances. An application can be found at https://bit.ly/3nTym8L. Completed applications should be submitted to brianb@ci.carpinteria.ca.us or to: City of Carpinteria, Attn: City Clerk, 5775 Carpinteria Avenue, Carpinteria, CA 93013. For more information about the Harbor Seal Advisory Committee, contact Erin Maker at erinm@ci.carpinteria.ca.us.