Thank you to everyone who attended the Wildfire Preparedness meeting. In case you missed it you can watch it here:

The Montecito Fire Department and Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management will conduct a test of the County of Santa Barbara‘s #ReadySBCAlerts emergency notification system across

the Montecito Fire District on July 21, 2022 at 11 a.m.

Click here to check if you live in the Montecito Fire District 

The purpose of the test is to update contact information for all Montecito residents and verify that opted-in community members receive ReadySBC Alerts without issue.

In order to receive the test alert, YOU MUST REGISTER at ReadySBC.org.

Details about the July 21 test of ReadySBC Alerts are here https://bit.ly/3OTgyXB

 Did you know you can register up to addresses within Santa Barbara County?

Those might be your…

 Home address

 Work address

 Address of your child’s school

 Address of a loved one who may need help during an emergency

APCD will prioritize applications proposing zero-emission or near-zero emission technology projects, along with projects in low-income and disadvantaged communities, as defined by this map: https://webmaps.arb.ca.gov/PriorityPopulations/.

Individuals, businesses, and nonprofits looking to replace old equipment with newer, cleaner technology, or transition to zero-emission or near-zero emission vehicles, equipment, and/or fueling infrastructure, are encouraged to apply. Successful projects will be eligible to receive a grant within a range from $10,000 to $250,000. Emission reductions from the project must be surplus to any rule or regulation.

Examples of eligible projects include:

On-Road Heavy-Duty Vehicles:

Heavy-duty trucks and buses

School buses

Solid waste collection vehicles

Transit fleet vehicles, including urban buses

Public agency and utility vehicles

Emergency vehicles

Alternative Fueling Infrastructure

Off-Road Equipment:

Tractors

Forklifts

Loaders and dozers

Excavators

Agricultural utility vehicles

Marine Vessels (regulated and non-regulated commercial vessels)

Agricultural Engines

For information, guidelines and applications, go towww.sbac.ca.gov/governmentgrants

Would you like to serve your community?

• Air Pollution Control District Community Advisory Council
• Mosquito and Vector Management District of Santa Barbara County
• Human Services Commission

For more information on each commission visit:

Santa Barbara County Boards and Commissions

Please contact Esme in my office if you have any questions on how to apply.

esestrada@countyofsb.org or (805)568-2155

Be sure to check out The Tri-County Regional Energy Network (3C-REN), which has partnered with our local libraries to bring you the Home Energy Savings DIY Toolkit!

They are available at the following libraries:

 Santa Barbara Public Library

Carpinteria Community Library

Goleta Library

LOMPOC Public Library System

Santa Maria Public Library

Ventura County Library

Last month we celebrated the substantial completion of the Laguna County Sanitation District Recycled Water Distribution Project. The project delivers recycled water over a 3.5-mile pipeline from the Wastewater Reclamation Facility to a 1 million gallon tank at Waller Park outside Santa Maria. Waller Park is owned and operated by the County and has 65 acres of irrigated turf that uses 84 million gallons of water each year. Connecting recycled water to the park will save water and money by reducing groundwater use from its well.

This is a more energy-friendly, environmentally friendly, and drought-resilient strategy. I hope this is not the last one we see in the next couple of years. I think people are becoming more aware that this is vital to making their communities drought resilient. And I think the County will lead the way to a more drought-resilient community.