Montecito Association Welcomes New Faces
At this month’s Montecito Association (MA) Board meeting, three new faces joined the organization, including new executive director Sharon Byrne. Outgoing executive director Allison Marcillac, hired in November, lost her home in the mudslide in January, and has decided to resign in order to focus her time and effort on rebuilding her home. “I have to personally thank her for staying on with us for the last six months, because it has not been an easy ride. She is in the midst of rebuilding her entire life,” said board president Charlene Nagel. Marcillac’s last day will be Friday, August 24; Byrne will begin her tenure on Tuesday, September 4.
Byrne joins the Association after her most recent role as the executive director of the Coast Village Association. “You’ve done great things for the CVA, and I’m looking forward to seeing you do great things for the Montecito Association,” Nagel told Byrne, adding that she was instrumental at disseminating information to the community during the Thomas Fire and mudslide.
Two new MA board members were also voted in: Sandy Stahl and Robert Kemp, both longtime Montecito residents and local realtors who are heavily involved in the community.
During community reports, Dr. Anthony Ranii from MUS and Dr. Amy Alzina from Cold Spring School, reported to the board that both campuses are getting ready for the start of the school year. Diane Gabriel from Montecito Sanitary District reported that the sewer main project on South Jameson is finished, and the lift station is still in progress, expected to be done at the end of October. Miramar Resort developer Rick Caruso is funding the work, which will cost $4 million.
During the Conference Agenda, Silvia Easton from the Montecito Fire Protection District Board of Directors reported that an ad hoc committee was formed to discuss additional signage during critical fire weather. Wildland Fire specialist Maeve Jaurez showed the board an example of an A-frame sign that will be put up during red-flag warnings, in addition to the eight already existing locations at local trailheads. The new signs will be placed at Alston at Hot Springs; Manning Park at San Ysidro Road; the junction of N. Jameson, Ortega Ridge, and Sheffield; and Olive Mill near Casa Dorinda. Jaurez reported that the criteria to trigger a red-flag warning occurred three times in 2017, and two times in 2016. “These signs will not be out often,” Jaurez said. “When they go up, they are to remind residents and visitors to avoid activities that can spark a fire.” Those activities including lawn mowing, weed whipping, and smoking. The MA Board gave their support for the additional signage.
The board members also voted unanimously to send a letter to the County’s Transportation Department, asking the County to open the temporary bridge on Ashley Road at Cold Springs Creek during high fire events. “With the recent explosive fire in Goleta, ignited from a downed power line in a neighborhood, similar in size and density to Montecito, it has come to our attention that there is no clear westerly evacuation route from the west side of Montecito,” reads the draft letter. The board is formally requesting that the County immediately take whatever actions are necessary to allow the temporary bridge to be open and available to the public during Red Flag Events.
Save the Date for a Governance Forum hosted by the MA on Monday, September 10. We’ll have more about the forum in next week’s edition.
The next Montecito Association Board meeting is on Tuesday, September 11, at 4 pm.
