Take a quick dive with us into the latest economic forecast for California, then take a moment to learn more about how Carpinteria fits into these trends.

🔮 Sales Tax: We’re seeing some positive trends reflected in sales tax! Consumer goods are bouncing back, and those tax dollars matter.

⛽ Fuel Prices: Good news for your wallets! Gas prices are stabilizing, and you might just see a little dip at the pump soon.

🍽️ Dining Out: Restaurants are getting creative with value meals and offering items that are helpful to tight budgets.

🏡 Housing Market: The California housing market is still on the rise, with median home prices trending upwards.

💼 Employment: Job growth continues with more opportunities popping up across the state.

For quarterly updates about Carpinteria sales tax and economic drivers you can now visit our website. See the link in our bio. https://carpinteriaca.gov/city-hall/administrative-services-finance/  🎉

Come listen to kayak guide, freelance photographer and author Chuck Graham speak about his kayaking trips and conservation around Channel Islands National Park for the Carpinteria Community Library’s next installment of its Wild Things series.

Graham’s talk will be held on Thursday, Aug. 1 at 6 p.m. in the community room, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. Following the presentation, there will be a Q&A and a book signing for his latest book, “Paddling into a Natural Balance, Stories of Kayaking and Conservation around Channel Islands National Park.”

The Carpinteria City Council, Planning Commission and Architectural Review Board will hold a joint meeting on Wednesday, July 31 at 5:30 p.m. to receive training in in the land use planning process and the roles of each board. The presentation will be conducted by the City Attorney’s Office and Community Development Department and is for training purposes only and there is no related action item.

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.

Additional details and numerous ways for the public to provide comments can be found at https://bit.ly/4d1gPnn. Comments posted on social media will not be provided to council members.

Looking for a comfy spot to watch the Olympics for free? Look no further! Carpinteria Community Library is streaming the Olympic Games on the big screen in the community room any time that the room is not reserved for other programs.

On Tuesday, July 30, come by to watch the games all day aside from 1 to 2 p.m., and on Wednesday, July 31, the Olympics will be streamed from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and again from 3 to 6 p.m. The fun continues on Thursday, Aug. 1 from 1 to 6 p.m.

Call the library for more information at (805) 684-4314.

A new month means a new and exciting calendar of AgeWell programs that are FREE and available to anyone! In August our AgeWell team will hold Dessert Discussions and Compassionate Club meetings every other Wednesday at 1 p.m. at the Veterans Hall. There is also a Saturday Excursion to Santa Barbara Hives on Aug. 3 and a Dia de los Abuelos celebration on Aug. 28. Read all about what’s on tap for August in our newsletter, which can be found at https://carpinteriaca.gov/agewell/

At the July 22 Carpinteria City Council meeting, mayoral recognition was awarded to Coastal View News for receiving honors from the Association of Community Publishers. The City of Carpinteria commends and congratulates Coastal View News for being awarded the following 2024 Best of the Best Awards:

• Front Page Cover in Newsprint with Advertising (2nd Place)
• Entertaining Article Run in a Publication (2nd Place)
• General Excellence in an over 15% Editorial (1st Place)
• The Andrew E. Shapiro Cancer Foundation Cancer Awareness Award for Cancer Awareness Promo

Want to reserve a barbecue area, plan a party at the Veteran’s Hall or get on the Community Garden Park waitlist? Now you can do it online without any hassle!

The City of Carpinteria is now using the RecDesk platform for most of our reservations that used to require a visit to City Hall. Become an AgeWell member, sign up for programs at Carpinteria Community Pool, make a reservation for a picnic/BBQ area at Monte Vista, Memorial and El Carro parks by  visiting https://carpinteria.recdesk.com/Community/Home.

To start, please create an account in RecDesk. Please read below for some helpful notes on using the platform:

1. Payment must be made in full at the time of booking for BBQ/Picnic areas.
2. All Veterans Hall rentals must be approved by staff before moving on to the payment portion.
3. Payments and deposits made by Credit Card will be refunded via Credit Card, less the processing fee. We do not accept AMEX cards for payment of any kind.
4. BBQ/Picnic rentals may be made up to one month in advance, but no less than four days in advance.
5. No more paper applications needed!

Carpinteria is joining millions of communities nationwide in celebrating National Night Out on Tuesday, Aug. 6 from 5 to 7 p.m. This annual event fosters stronger ties between residents and law enforcement. Join the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, Girls Inc., and neighbors at the 800 block of Linden Avenue for a free community-building evening focused on safety and camaraderie. Pictured here, the Carpinteria City Council awards Deputy Bryan Dickey a proclamation for National Night Out at its July 22 meeting.

Lt. Rich Brittingham has been appointed as the new Chief of Police Services for the City of Carpinteria, effective immediately. A 21-year veteran of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, Brittingham brings extensive law enforcement experience to the role.

Brittingham is known for his strong leadership, community engagement and problem-solving skills. City Manager Michael Ramirez expressed confidence in Lt. Brittingham’s ability to meet the community’s expectations for effective policing.

Lt. Brittingham succeeds longtime Chief of Police Lt. Ugo “Butch” Arnoldi, who will be continuing his career as supervisor of the North County Operations Division, Northern Division. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Lt. Arnoldi for his years of dedicated service.

Save lives by donating at a Vitalant blood drive on Wednesday, Aug. 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at City Hall, 5775 Carpinteria Ave. Donors will receive a $10 grocery gift card and a chance to win a $10,000 gift card. Walk-ins are accepted, but appointments are preferred. Find out more or make an appointment at https://bit.ly/3y6fdts.