Business, Cultural, Education, Government, Health, Local, News

Santa Barbara First District Supervisor Das Williams — Thanksgiving Reflections, COVID Update, Racial Equity Hearing, and More!

by  •  • Comments Off on Santa Barbara First District Supervisor Das Williams — Thanksgiving Reflections, COVID Update, Racial Equity Hearing, and More!
Happy Thanksgiving.

What do you feel seeing those words? Angry? Sad? Hopeful? Or a combination of all three? I thought it would be good to go back to when the national holiday was established – back in a time when Americans were grappling with political divisions greater than any before, the legacy of racism, and experiencing death and economic hardship unlike any time in our history.

The year is 1863 and we are in the middle of the Civil War. Hundreds of thousands have perished (by the end of the war 2% of the population), two-thirds by disease. President Abraham Lincoln establishes the national holiday with this resolution penned by Secretary of State William Seward:

“The year that is drawing towards its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary nature… “

Thankful in 1863? I guess my thought is that, if they could be thankful for what they had during that unprecedented period of history, maybe we shouldn’t be cynical about the times we live in. We should have hope, and endeavor to do all we can to save each other’s lives, jobs, businesses and kids ability to go to school. We must wrestle with the continued effects rooted in our nation’s original sin of slavery, a reckoning with racism, as was done insufficiently after the Civil War was over and Reconstruction ended with Jim Crow laws replacing the physical bonds of slavery. And we should be thankful for all that we have persevered through this year and the inevitable growth that has happened because of it all. Our nation has persevered in darker times, and remained thankful for what we have. So can we.
COVID-19 Update
Our adjusted case rate is 7.3 per 100,000 residents and we have a 3.2% test positivity rate, with an average of 416 tests per day, while the state median is 272.41.
Screenshot 2020-11-24 150736.jpg
The County, along with the rest of the country and the world, are facing one of the most challenging and critical junctures of this pandemic, and while hospitalizations have increased over the past few weeks, they have fortunately not increased as drastically as we had feared. Last week the state issued a new stay-at-home order for the hours of 10pm to 5am. I know many are experiencing COVID-19 fatigue and were disheartened by this news, but this action will keep everyone safe and help our businesses open in a greater capacity soon. Please continue to support local businesses by ordering out, and support each other by reaching out to loved ones by phone or by zoom.
Holiday Guidance
Screenshot 2020-11-23 165707.jpg
A safe Thanksgiving during the COVID-19 pandemic will look and feel a little different this year. Traditionally, Thanksgiving is a time when many families travel long distances to celebrate together. Travel increases the chance of getting and spreading the virus that causes COVID-19. State guidance on travel can be found here. If people must travel, it is important to know of the risks involved.

Staying home and avoiding travel is the best way to protect yourself and others. Santa Barbara County Public Health would like to share information on how to take part in this holiday in a manner that reduces the risk of spreading COVID-19.

Regardless of how you choose to celebrate the holidays it is important to keep the following in mind:

  1. Correctly wear a cloth face covering to prevent disease spread when outside your home and around others that are not part of your household.
  2. Avoid confined spaces – Actively stay away from indoor spaces that don’t allow for easy distancing of at least 6ft between you and others.
  3. Avoid close contact – Stay at least 6 feet away from all other people who are not part of your own household, especially while talking, eating and drinking.
  4. Remain outdoors as much as possible when socializing with people not in your household.
  5. Wash or sanitize your hands often.
  6. Clean frequently touched items regularly.
  7. If you are sick, or you have been in contact with someone who is sick with COVID-19 or has symptoms of COVID-19 stay home, away from others, and get tested.
Criminal Justice System Changes and Advancing Racial Equity and Inclusion in Santa Barbara County
On Tuesday, December 1st at 1:30 pm we will be holding another special hearing on racial equity and the criminal justice system. This will be the third time that Chair Gregg Hart and I have brought this item before the Board to continue taking action to address racial equity, particularly in the criminal justice system. At our last hearing in July, we heard recommendations from our criminal justice partners on actions the County as a whole can take to keep the population of our jail at its current low (40% less than pre-COVID times) and I made a motion that was supported by my colleagues to support efforts to expand misdemeanor diversion and to create a new felony diversion program through the use of restorative justice to route more cases out of the criminal justice system.

On the 1st, we will receive an update on the status of these efforts and hear more about the work being done to address systemic racism throughout the County system.

You can watch the hearing live or recorded at the County’s Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/CSBTV20

If you wish to make comment, you can do so through email at sbcob@countyofsb.org or by phone by calling 805-568-2240 before 1:30pm on December 1st and saying you wish to speak during public comment.
One Climate Initiative
1climate.jpg
The One Climate Initiative (One Climate) is a new countywide initiative led by the County of Santa Barbara to reaffirm its commitment to address climate change. It will serve as a unifying brand and messaging platform for several major efforts launching in 2020 and beyond. The County invites the public to learn more and engage by visiting countyofsb.org/oneclimate, where they can also sign up for the County’s monthly sustainability e-newsletter to receive updates. For more information, the public may contact Garrett Wong at gwong@countyofsb.org or call (805) 390-2983.

Additionally, the County is hosting interacting One Climate Virtual Community Workshops on December 9th, 2020 @ 12:00 PM-1:30 PM or 6:00 PM-7:30 PM. Register here.

Real-Time Spanish Interpretation of Board of Supervisor Meetings is Now Available
The County of Santa Barbara has begun providing Spanish interpretation of Board of Supervisors meetings in real-time. Interpretation will increase access to government processes and increase opportunities for public participation.

Requests for interpretation are no longer required to watch a meeting, although advance requests are still needed to interpret public comment originating in Spanish. For information about public participation during the pandemic, go to www.countyofsb.org/ceo/cob.sbc.
Central Coast Community Energy Virtual Public Forum
3CE.jpg
Virtual Ribbon Cutting for Lookout Park Renovation
We’re hosting a virtual ribbon cutting ceremony to commemorate the completion of the newly renovated east end of Lookout Park in Summerland. The ceremony will be held via Zoom at 11 a.m. Tuesday, December 1.

To join the ceremony, please use the Zoom link.

(Meeting ID: 860 6002 7553; Passcode: 8052640559)

The east end of Lookout Park was renovated to include trails, seating areas, picnic spaces with BBQs, concrete ping pong tables and a bocce ball court. Additional upgrades include drought tolerant plantings, a natural rock drainage system, and a refurbished parking lot.

This project is the result of years of community involvement and advocacy and has been a priority of my office since I was elected Supervisor. I am thrilled to see the dream of so many brought to completion, and excited for the many milestones this area will be used to celebrate in the future of its public use.