[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6478475,"mediaKeyId","5708941-49dc41556a247d2c51d11158536bad93","parentId",5708941,"title","Goleta council approves first reading of amended tenant protections ordinance, shortens withdrawal window to five years","audioSeconds",2285,"startMs",1973000,"endMs",4258000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5708941-49dc41556a247d2c51d11158536bad93&start=1973&end=4258","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5708941-49dc41556a247d2c51d11158536bad93/thumbnail_1973000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6478475/Goleta/Santa-Barbara-County/California/Goleta-council-approves-first-reading-of-amended-tenant-protections-ordinance-shortens-withdrawal-window-to-five-years","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6478475-98c649f4a9caa6bf4dc6f0d61c61b35e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770505167&Signature=D1YOBnnMubYQUTGtdwjFYycbVdgOWtK-moPLIIRrcxpuYxq5EgD1mIoe4lJrQH1yx2P4brs2PcN4TGhi8ZwkDfmJXa49L-vMxOkTZPWnIi05ay6Oe9NFS-s5q~i7e6MJ7zFI9zhtnvLMBfe6vxy8HryRRbXyL0kJu1zcGW-13RchzBBpGGPC6vbTeN68bRfjSWl~GzvhstuSunqbogEowowv1e9FMot8jSAROZYn~6BS70ag~N3KXISI4EGGcfl95k82VfR5xZNFq5QaKXp-7LEpYpj~uoLg6Oqng3hGaOlT2WBa0myqLMhtnjvFLcbYY6f2bC5pW5sVjY1PI7Vj7w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Goleta, CA","date","2025-09-03T03:44:38.767Z","article","Goleta — The Goleta City Council on Sept. 2 introduced and conducted first reading of an amended tenant protections ordinance (Chapter 8.19 of the Goleta Municipal Code), voting unanimously to send the measure on for a second reading with one substantive change: the council reduced the draft’s proposed rebuttable presumption period for units withdrawn from the rental market from 10 years to 5 years.

The ordinance package, presented by Senior Housing Analyst Lucy Graham, would convert an existing urgency ordinance adopted in December 2023 into a permanent regulation and adds or clarifies several tenant protections, including an enhanced early-alert notice, stricter definitions and remedies for tenant harassment, a documented petition procedure for landlords seeking rent increases following a “substantial remodel,” and a required city-provided relocation information handout to accompany no-fault termination notices.

Why it matters: The changes aim to reduce displacement and unexpected homelessness by giving renters more notice, clearer remedies for harassment, and more predictable relocation assistance while preserving landlord rights under state law. The measure drew sustained public comment from tenants, tenant advocates and landlords; council members debated the balance between discouraging bad-faith withdrawals and not unduly restricting legitimate changes of use.

Key provisions and figures

- Relocation assistance: Staff recommended and the ordinance text proposes that relocation payments for no-fault terminations be equal to two months of the tenant’s current rent or $8,000, whichever is greater. As Lucy Graham told the council, “Staff is recommending that relocation payments be equal to 2 months of the tenant's current rent or $8,000 whichever is greater.”

- Early-alert notice: The draft creates an “early alert tenant notice” option that gives tenants an additional 60 days (120 days total when combined with the existing no-fault notice) and allows landlords who provide the early notice to pay half the relocation assistance at notice and half at move-out.

- Withdrawal from the rental market: The ordinance clarifies the city’s expectation that permanent withdrawal should be for a multi-year period; the council replaced a proposed 10-year rebuttable presumption (that a re‑rental within that window suggests the withdrawal was not permanent) with a 5-year period in tonight’s motion.

- Substantial-remodel petition: The draft creates a formal petition process by which a landlord can apply to the Planning & Environmental Review department for permission to raise rent above ordinance caps after a qualifying, substantial remodel; the director’s decision would be appealable to the Planning Commission.

- Harassment remedies: The draft enumerates tenant‑harassment behaviors (reducing services, delaying repairs, threats, retaliation) and lists potential remedies including actual damages, a $1,000 minimum per violation, and civil penalties up to $10,000, noting these would be civil remedies available through the courts rather than city‑administered fines.

Council and public reaction

Council members generally praised staff and the ordinance committee for the research and outreach. Several council members urged clearer public education about how the ordinance works; one councilmember said the city should publish plain-language handouts and short videos to reduce confusion.

Public comment illustrated the spectrum of views. Tenants and tenant advocates urged stronger protections, short-term per diem assistance when relocations last fewer than 30 days, and a transparent petition standard. Several landlords and realtors warned that too-large relocation payments or overly long withdrawal presumptions could drive owners to sell or remove units from the long-term rental market.

Vote and next steps

The council voted unanimously to introduce the ordinance and conduct first reading, as amended to replace the 10-year withdrawal presumption with 5 years and to correct a clerical typo in the staff report. The ordinance returns for a second reading and final adoption; staff indicated any additional refinements (for example, formalizing petition forms and outreach materials) will be brought back before final adoption.

Quotes

Lucy Graham, Goleta senior housing analyst: “Staff is recommending that relocation payments be equal to 2 months of the tenant’s current rent or $8,000 whichever is greater.”

Ed Belcher, tenant and member of Santa Barbara Tenants Union: “Do not include the proposed substantial remodel rent petition in the code…there’s no reason to have a higher rate than 10% on return of what [the tenant] was paying before.”

Anna Arce, policy advocate, CAUSE: “Provide a clear petition process…require that any rent increase requests be supported by verifiable, transparent financial documentation.”

Ending

The council’s decision to proceed with a first reading — and to shorten the withdrawal presumption to five years — moves Goleta closer to a permanent tenant protections framework. Staff will return with any required ordinance refinements and the formal petition materials before the second reading and final adoption.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City of Goleta - City Council Meeting of September 2, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Goleta — The Goleta City Council on Sept. 2 introduced and conducted first reading of an amended tenant protections ordinance (Chapter 8.19 of the Goleta Municipal Code), voting unanimously to send the measure on for a second reading with one substantive change: the council reduced the draft’s proposed rebuttable presumption period for units withdrawn from the rental market from 10 years to 5 years.","taxTitle","Goleta, Santa Barbara County, California","taxId",57867,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6478464,"Goleta approves construction award for San Jose Creek multipurpose path after bids come in under estimate",252,864000,1116000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5708941-49dc41556a247d2c51d11158536bad93&start=864&end=1116","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5708941-49dc41556a247d2c51d11158536bad93/thumbnail_864000.jpg","/articles/6478464/Goleta/Santa-Barbara-County/California/Goleta-approves-construction-award-for-San-Jose-Creek-multipurpose-path-after-bids-come-in-under-estimate","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6478464-396efdfa8cd40d139c171df73ae50bda/orig.mp4?Expires=1770505167&Signature=Wav7JmO~qfq4DyTxhPiWIpgoFhZNoBOvWrj7ISmdmuqNbuNiC-mOBmER~TPtPKj~fprOmPCGWJjWq0Sn8VbnFoxlkYIAizR7NmNIdGyg9Gcm6INA21yWEPL~ZaHyhn3ST8RsDDSuJ1hUachzO6q4uF1WRYONucpqsSJc6790v162HIs9oeSbEo7hoysnhD7~u3ol5nLXBQTTKIkTz7U1R-KqvUt4~rj~JFNoTD181fnjHZGWWIiU93mOUEujTckemTkkNReF1qwV~9-bJQ6MifeyczINSMwZKRYFpyOe3mH8S65RjO7G3bLFln9HDKZOBd5ilS6BSoJCDCUWBhZyDQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Goleta — The City Council on Sept. 2 approved the award of a construction contract for the San Jose Creek multipurpose path project, a nearly 2‑mile pedestrian and bicycle connection that will cross U.S. 101 and the UPRR and link Old Town Goleta with regional trails.

Project status and cost

Public Works staff reported that the competitive bid opening yielded a bidder whose price was roughly $4 million below the original engineer’s estimate, a result staff attributed to current market competition and the project design. Staff also noted that portions of the project that involved the UPRR segment were removed from this contract and will be handled separately.

Construction timing and scope

Staff said construction is expected to begin toward the end of the year and to take about 18 months to complete. The approved contract covers the phases and alignment included on the plans and specifications presented to council; the staff report contains the full project accounting and any contingency amounts, including recommended change order authorization language (staff corrected a clerical comma/period typo in the change-order figure during council discussion).

Public and council comments

Council members pressed on the schedule, project scope and how the low bid compared with the engineer’s estimate. Staff credited the design team and market conditions for the competitive result. There were no public speakers who opposed the award; the item had been pulled from the consent calendar for council comment and then returned to the consent calendar for approval as amended.

Vote and next steps

Council approved the contract award as part of the consent calendar with an amended change‑order authorization figure clarified on the record; the vote was unanimous. Staff will proceed to finalize contract documents and schedule mobilization.

Quote

Project staff: “We were successful in our bid opening and it did come in 4,000,000 under our engineer's estimate,” (staff presentation).

Ending

With the unanimous approval, the city will finalize contract execution and mobilize construction later this year; staff will return with standard construction updates and any amendments if needed.

","Goleta — The City Council on Sept. 2 approved the award of a construction contract for the San Jose Creek multipurpose path, a nearly 2‑mile pedestrian and bicycle connection linking Old Town Goleta to regional trails, after bids came in approximately $4 million under the engineer’s estimate.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6478469,"Council approves removing Stow Grove caretaker cottage and relocating restroom near playground",1735,9111000,10846000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5708941-49dc41556a247d2c51d11158536bad93&start=9111&end=10846","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5708941-49dc41556a247d2c51d11158536bad93/thumbnail_9111000.jpg","/articles/6478469/Goleta/Santa-Barbara-County/California/Council-approves-removing-Stow-Grove-caretaker-cottage-and-relocating-restroom-near-playground","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6478469-d4720717de6ead2b72a333f94df952d6/orig.mp4?Expires=1770505167&Signature=DrlTtIx9-IXCZ~noWjewG8eVe4-qrcziiXUHSrY6ey7WULPOem6lZLuAd6s39E8gFpnUpeey4Ufmd9KoqoHfFFtLXvnrcUATByv9FgXzhd~vm2x9xJjmmjI-GiB8VjPRRai7CMurCSJ~iocK9k3lxU~oeNWSkqW9db3fXvQIuhQX0C0LsYTaZCl~QgGzSDrxisrwwuo8QbK6dxk~PJT4dz~lDdH0B6-P5ZgR2W8aQc1PkVlbu76A9BejzHbiGTNN9HKezdTZJdwnDQsPgb-PywfUWhThh2z4hebdmTTqKvBXyOZNo~WY1B9jdf4vZ8zAg3Pl5~catnH4BquB2GVHrg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Goleta — The City Council on Sept. 2 authorized staff to include demolition of the long-unused caretaker cottage in Phase 1 of the Stow Grove Park master plan and approved relocating the new prefabricated restroom to the southern part of the park near the planned universal playground.

Staff said the cottage is not an original park structure and that a Rincon historic resources evaluation found the building ineligible for listing on the National Register, the California Register of Historical Resources or as a local landmark. The staff report said the Park’s deed required a caretaker historically but the city no longer needs an on-site caretaker and has no current plan or funding to refurbish the building.

The restroom move followed a community workshop in which most participants preferred a location near the playground and maintenance yard fence over the restroom’s prior conceptual placement, which staff said would have obstructed views of the Redwood Grove.

Environmental and design considerations

- Historic review: Rincon’s technical review recommended the park itself be considered a point of historical interest for the period 1919–1940 but found the caretaker cottage and garage individually ineligible as historic landmarks.

- ESHA buffer and biology: The preferred restroom site falls inside the formal 100-foot ESHA (environmentally sensitive habitat area) drip-line buffer. Staff proposed situating the facility just outside a reduced 50-foot buffer in the existing developed footprint near the maintenance yard and using a prefabricated building delivered to the site to limit on-site construction a disturbance. Staff also said the project would follow required biological monitoring for bird and monarch butterfly activity and other CEQA‑required mitigations prior to construction.

- Timing and grants: Staff indicated the construction documents are in progress and that the project team plans to run plan review and the biological study concurrently; the grant tied to the project has an expiration of December 2026 and staff said the timeline aims for the park to open to the public roughly three months before that expiration, with bid and construction scheduling to follow.

Council and public reaction

Council members and commissioners who reviewed the matter said the city conducted a deliberative outreach process that included a public workshop, Parks & Recreation Commission review and a Historic Preservation Commission consultation. Several council members asked that the city acknowledge the park’s history through interpretive signage; staff said they would work with the Stowe family and the Historic Preservation Commission on interpretive elements.

Vote and next steps

Council voted unanimously to include removal of the caretaker cottage in Phase 1 and to relocate the restroom as described. Staff will prepare any necessary follow-up CEQA materials, finalize the biological study and proceed with construction documents, bidding and permit review.

Quotes

Project staff: “The structure was not an original structure at Stow Grove Park,” and “The city of Goleta put a member of their maintenance team in that cottage until 02/2016,” (staff presentation summarizing the Rincon report).

Ending

With council direction, staff will finalize the design and environmental studies for the revised Phase 1 scope and return as needed with any required CEQA follow-up before proceeding to bid.

","After public outreach and a historic resources review, the Goleta City Council approved removing the vacant caretaker cottage as part of Phase 1 of the Stow Grove Park master plan and to locate a prefabricated ADA restroom near the southern playground area, within a reduced ESHA buffer footprint, with measures to limit biological impacts.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Goleta council approves first reading of amended tenant protections ordinance, shortens withdrawal window to five years

Goleta approves construction award for San Jose Creek multipurpose path after bids come in under estimate

Council approves removing Stow Grove caretaker cottage and relocating restroom near playground