Tag archives: Butch Arnoldi

The Montecito Association held its monthly Board meeting March 12th in person at the Montecito Library and via zoom.  Community Reports began with Police Chief Lt. Ugo Peter “Butch” Arnoldi on the resolution of investigations and reported crime in the area. Montecito Fire Chief David Neels reported on the last storm, stating the area did […]

The Montecito Association (MA) held its monthly Board meeting February 13 in person at the Rosewood Miramar Beach. Executive Director Houghton Hyatt acknowledged the donation of the board room by the hotel to the MA. There was one public comment from a representative of the Neighborhood Group living next to the Rosewood Miramar Beach. His […]

At a quiet, in-person Montecito Association Board of Directors meeting earlier this week, the Board heard from community leaders on various happenings in Montecito. Nick Turner with Montecito Water District reported on the ongoing potential of a recycled water project, which recently received $1M in grant funding from the State. The funds will be received […]

In last week’s edition we briefly reported on the proposed plans by the Rosewood Miramar Resort to expand its offerings. Reps of the property, owned by Rick Caruso, were due to be in front of the Montecito Association Board of Directors earlier this week, but had to cancel due to illness.  A brief conversation was […]

Pat McElroy was at the Montecito Association Board of Directors on Tuesday, giving a report on the six steel debris flow nets that were placed in the canyons above Montecito in 2018. Recently, the citizen-led group that spearheaded the installation of the nets, The Project for Resilient Communities, filed an application with the County of […]

At this month’s Montecito Association Board of Directors meeting, the Board had a lively discussion regarding retail chains in Montecito’s Upper Village. Spurred by the impending opening of RH (i.e. Restoration Hardware) in the Old Firehouse, a discussion ensued as to whether the MA board should be at the forefront of a future ordinance regulating […]

At Tuesday’s Montecito Association Board of Directors meeting, Montecito Fire Chief David Neels announced that a new temporary fire station south of the freeway is opening in Montecito this week, in response to the community-wide traffic congestion currently occurring.  “We are concerned about emergency access due to construction, and we are augmenting our emergency response […]

The permits have been filed, and installation is on the way. Montecito will host four new Flock Automated License Plate Readers. We first covered this in September of 2022, when the sheriffs came to our Montecito Association Board meeting to show us the new readers, and request help from our community with placing them. These […]

At a quiet Montecito Association Board of Directors meeting earlier this week, Montecito Water District general manager Nick Turner reported several happenings at MWD, including an upcoming town hall meeting next week to review and discuss a final draft of Montecito’s Groundwater Sustainability Plan.  Since the Montecito Groundwater Sustainability Agency was founded in 2018, data […]

At a rescheduled board meeting last Wednesday, April 22, the Montecito Association Board of Directors met to discuss the upcoming Board of Supervisors meeting in which the Board will consider two appeals of the widening of Highway 101 related to the removal of sound walls from the project.  The Montecito Association Board voted to send […]

Montecito Journal, thank you for printing the letter I wrote on the surveillance cameras placed at the Montecito Hot Springs and nearby. Unfortunately, changes were made to what I submitted, greatly confusing the matter. First, the quote from Lieutenant Ugo “Butch” Arnoldi’s February 21 email was altered. It’s not proper to alter quotes from people […]

As a neighborhood association, we receive lots of questions, and some can be difficult to sort, particularly if they cross multiple jurisdictional lines. We encounter this often with Hands Across Montecito, when we work the area around the Hot Springs exit. In just a few steps on the tracks, you’re moving back and forth between […]

On Feb. 16, 2023, a camera was placed facing a newly restored pool at the Montecito Hot Springs. The camera bore a tag that had printed on it “County of Santa Barbara, Public Works, Trail and Creek Monitoring in Progress, Do Not Tamper or Remove, Enforced by County Sheriff.”  The Dept. of Public Works wasn’t […]

After receiving a report of five cameras being placed around the Montecito Hot Springs areas and several agencies unaware of their presence, Montecito Journal reached out to local authorities for answers regarding the cameras. The response received was concerned with the current mandatory closure of the local forests, trails, and recreation areas to the public, […]

Montecito Association’s Annual Meeting was postponed last week because of the storm and evacuation, instead meeting on Wednesday, January 11. The Board of Directors and attendees were briefed on evacuations and flood damage by Montecito Fire Chief Kevin Taylor, Santa Barbara County Sheriff Commander Brad Welch, and Lieutenant Butch Arnoldi.  Chief Taylor thanked the Board […]

It’s the height of autumn now, with cold nights, falling leaves, pumpkins everywhere, and the most heartwarming of holidays this week. As we look back over this past year, we have a tremendous amount to be grateful for here in Montecito. Yes, the weather and scenery are lovely, and it’s fun to visit the villages […]

At this month’s Montecito Association Board meeting earlier this week, Lieutenant Butch Arnoldi reported on two storm related issues in Montecito: a washed-up sailboat at Channel Drive and a downed oak tree on East Mountain Drive. As of press time, the storm earlier this week produced three inches of rain in the foothills and one […]

During community reports at this week’s MA meeting, Montecito Union School’s Anthony Ranii said the school’s largest fundraiser, the MUS Carnival, is slated for October 22. The fundraiser for the MUS Foundation raises funds to enhance the school’s academic, athletic, and arts programs; enrich the student experience with technology, curriculum, and improved classroom resources; and […]

At this month’s Montecito Association Board meeting, Santa Barbara County Sheriff Lieutenant Butch Arnoldi reported on the crime highlights in Montecito for the last month, which include a washed up panga boat on Butterfly Beach; $10,000 of vandalism by a well-known guest at the Rosewood Miramar Resort; assault at a juvenile party on Middle Road; […]

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office will install automated license plate readers to aid in law enforcement investigations as part of a one-year trial. The trial is part of the National Policing Institute’s Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) study. ALPRs are helpful in crimes where a vehicle was used.  The purpose of the study is […]