It’s important for everyone to know their rights if approached by an immigration (ICE) agent as well as how families can best prepare for something happening. Immigrant Legal Resource Center provides practical tips for things immigrant families can do now to prepare as well as information on rights everyone has in the United States, regardless of immigration status.

• Know Your Rights is a tutorial video in seven languages to help prepare you for encounters with Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE): https://www.wehaverights.us/
• A know-your-rights handout in Spanish to help families prepare for a possible interaction with ICE: https://www.ilrc.org/sites/default/files/resources/spanish_kyr_two_pager_v2.pdf

The Carpinteria City Council will hold its next regular meeting on Monday, Jan. 27 at 5:30 p.m. Members of the public may attend the meeting at City Hall, 5775 Carpinteria Ave., or view the meeting live at https://carpinteriaca.gov/, on Government Access Television Channel 21 or by logging into the Zoom webinar.

The following topics are highlights of the agenda. Additional details and numerous ways for the public to provide comments can be found at https://bit.ly/3CkLeAe.

• A proclamation declaring February 2025 as “211 Community Day Celebration Month” and Honoring CommUnify for its contributions to the Carpinteria community.
• Consideration of appointments to the Planning Commission, Architectural Review Board, Mobile Home Rent Stabilization Board, Carpinteria Open Space Management Advisory Board, Tree Advisory Board, Downtown “T” Business Advisory Board, Integrated Pest Management Committee, Environmental Review Committee, Community Development Block Grant Committee, the Santa Barbara Mosquito and Vector Management District, Community Media Access Center and County Library Advisory Committee.
• Code Compliance Quarterly Report Q4, 2024.
• Closeout of Former Venoco Oil Pipeline #0470 Abandonment Project.
• Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for the Fiscal Year that ended June 30, 2024.
• Ad Hoc Harbor Seal Advisory Committee recommendations.
• Discussion and Potential Action to grant consent to the County of Santa Barbara to establish the Santa Barbara County Wine Improvement District and include the City of Carpinteria in the Established Wine Improvement District.
• Receive an update on the City’s Live Entertainment Licensing program and provide direction to staff.

Santa Barbara MTD has kicked off a public outreach process seeking input from the public on a proposed adjustment to MTD’s bus fare structure. MTD’s fares have been unchanged for the past 16 years, but rising operational costs have necessitated an update to keep bus service sustainable and dependable in the future.

In coming weeks, MTD will host several open house style public meetings to discuss details and take input from community members. These meetings will have English-Spanish interpretation available. A Carpinteria meeting will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 5 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave.

The outreach and survey period will run through mid-February, and the public is invited to visit https://sbmtd.gov/farechange to review the proposed alternatives and to complete a short survey. The survey is available in English and Spanish, and will also be available in paper form at the Transit Center and onboard MTD buses.

The Less is More 2025 Calendar is now available at City Hall! Discover Santa Barbara County’s ultimate guide to waste reduction and recycling, now in an exciting new format! Each month highlights a unique topic while keeping essential resources at your fingertips. Pick up your free copy at City Hall, 5775 Carpinteria Ave., while supplies last or download it at https://cosantabarbara.app.box.com/s/izi37b5k6wc2fk8s2p6xu0vp54rgvlvz

Today, we honor the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  Let us use this day to reflect on Dr. King’s teachings and to recommit ourselves to the ongoing work of building a community where everyone feels valued, respected, and included.

Preparedness goes a long way in protecting your home and your family from fire. Are you ready?

Read and complete the Ready, Set, Go! guides in English or Spanish to ensure that you are prepared in the case of a fire.

English: https://sbcfire.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/ready_set_go.pdf

Spanish: https://sbcfire.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/ready_set_go-PDF_Spanish.pdf

At Silent Night Book Club, you’re invited to cozy up with a book of your choice and read side by side with company. The free event will take place on Friday, Jan. 24 at 5:30 p.m. at Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. Cocoa and hot tea will be available, and all forms of reading are acceptable: e-books, audiobooks, textbooks, whatever! Described as “a book club for the socially awkward,” the club is open to teens and adults.

The Carpinteria City Council designated January 2025 as Human Trafficking Awareness Month to raise awareness around the heinous crime that is more prevalent in Santa Barbara County than most residents realize.

Tiffany Carty, Victim Witness Program Supervisor with the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office, accepted a proclamation from the City Council and noted that, “People often think about human trafficking being something that happens out there in larger cities without realizing that our neighbors, friends, students and at risk youth in our own backyards are frequently exposed to the pain of this trauma.”

Human trafficking is a form of modern slavery that occurs in every state. Victims are forced to work in various forms of labor exploitation including, but not limited to, commercial sex acts and other services that are induced through force, fraud or coercion.

Members of the public are invited to participate in the Vigil for Survivors on Wednesday, Jan. 29 at 5:30 p.m. at De La Guerra Plaza in Santa Barbara.

Residents in the City of Carpinteria are strongly encouraged to register for the countywide ReadySBC Alerts system at https://member.everbridge.net/892807736723794/new.

This system is managed by Santa Barbara County’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) in partnership with local cities, including Carpinteria.

Some residents have inquired about the creation of a separate, Carpinteria-specific alert system. While the City understands the desire for direct communication, we recommend that residents sign up for ReadySBC Alerts to ensure they receive timely and accurate information during emergencies.

The City is committed to enhancing emergency communication efforts through additional channels, such as social media updates, website alerts, and others, but creating a separate emergency alert system would require significant resources, ongoing maintenance, and coordination to ensure accuracy during critical events. Given the effectiveness and existing infrastructure of ReadySBC, it is more efficient to direct residents to the County’s system, which already serves Carpinteria.