Tag archives: Butch Arnoldi

At this month’s Montecito Association board meeting, Montecito Fire Chief Kevin Taylor thanked attendees of the Fire District’s emergency preparation meeting, which took place last week at Westmont College.  The meeting had various presenters, including Wildland Fire Specialist and Fire Behavior Analyst Nic Elmquist, who reported that 90% of the western United States is in […]

At last week’s Montecito Association (MA) meeting, the Board discussed what has become a hot topic in many communities across the country: fractional home ownership via Pacaso, a Bay Area-based company that buys homes and then sells fractional interests in them to second-home buyers. After the sale – in which the company makes a profit […]

At this month’s Montecito Association Board meeting, Montecito Water District (MWD) General Manager Nick Turner presented an overview of drought conditions and a summary of the District’s 5-year Strategic Plan, which was adopted earlier this year.  The District has been in existence for the last 100 years, and its mission statement is to provide an […]

Bob Hazard’s recent piece, “Should the Montecito Water and Sanitary Districts Consolidate?” needs a host of corrections, out of respect for the intelligence (and ratepayer costs) of the citizens of Montecito, particularly Water District customers. As part of the “Montecito Water Security Team,” Hazard praises a number of studies – MORE STUDIES – on studies […]

At this month’s Montecito Association meeting, Santa Barbara County Sheriff Lieutenant Butch Arnoldi reported on the most recent crime events in Montecito.  Arnoldi noted an abandoned rental car on East Mountain Drive; vandalism at Hot Springs trailhead; mailbox destroyed on Buena Vista; intoxicated subject breaking into vehicle on Lilac Drive; embezzlement scam on School House […]

Safety Tips From Your Montecito Association and Santa Barbara County Sheriffs We discuss Montecito crime statistics at every board meeting, the second Tuesday of every month at 4 pm. Lt. Arnoldi from the Sheriff’s Office watches trends and keeps us up to date. He also offers the latest tips for how to best protect your […]

At a quiet Montecito Association meeting earlier this week, Santa Barbara County Sheriff Lieutenant Butch Arnoldi reported on crime in Montecito over the last month.  There have been several residential burglaries including near the Polo Fields, on Romero Canyon, Tiburon Bay Lane, School House Lane, East Mountain Drive, and on Ortega Ridge. Lt. Arnoldi said […]

Last week at a well-attended Montecito community meeting regarding the 101 freeway widening project through Montecito, reps from the project reported that sound walls that had been proposed in the Montecito portion have been removed due to flooding concerns.  The project is in initial planning review with the County of Santa Barbara as part of […]

The Montecito Association (MA) Board of Directors held its annual meeting this week, appointing new board members and saying goodbye to several retiring board members, as well as reviewing the Association’s activities in 2021.  Association president Megan Orloff and executive director Sharon Byrne reported on Association activities for the past year, which included extensive pandemic […]

Last week was an exciting moment for the Montecito Trails Foundation as well as the community at large: the last of the bridges to be damaged or destroyed in the 1/9 Debris Flow was replaced, a project nearly four years in the making. “In order to create the best access for the public, we needed […]

At this month’s Montecito Association Board of Directors meeting, Santa Barbara County Sheriff Lieutenant Butch Arnoldi reported that Pierre Lafond Market in the Upper Village was broken into earlier this week, in a similar fashion as a burglary that occurred in July. Both glass doors were broken, and suspects removed cash registers and quickly fled […]

At this month’s Montecito Association Board Meeting, the Board of Directors touched on many community topics, including fires, crimes, transportation, the holidays, and more.  During community reports, Montecito Fire Chief Kevin Taylor, reporting from the front lines of the Alisal Fire, said the 13,000-acre fire (as of press time) was a good reminder for everyone […]

Each month during the community reports segment of the Montecito Association Board of Directors meeting, Santa Barbara County Sheriff Lieutenant Butch Arnoldi rattles off about a dozen crimes that happen each month in our area. These almost always include vehicle break-ins at trailheads; stolen mail or packages; maybe a residential burglary or two. Last week, […]

At this month’s Montecito Association Board Meeting, the board heard from Jon Frye of Santa Barbara County Flood Control, who gave a photographic update on the Randall Road Debris Basin, which began construction in May.  Following the Thomas Fire and 1/9 Debris Flow in 2018, the debris basin project was proposed along Randall Road in […]

Also at the MA meeting, Santa Barbara County Sheriff Lieutenant Butch Arnoldi reported on a plethora of crimes that occurred in the area this summer, including a theft from an unlocked vehicle on Butterfly Lane, vehicle broken into on San Leandro Lane, construction trailer broken into on Woodley Road, residential burglary on Cota Lane, vandalism […]

It was a meaty agenda at this month’s Montecito Association Board of Directors meeting, which featured updates on the Highway 101 expansion through Montecito, the beginning of Smart Meter technology at Montecito Water District, and updates on proposed state housing bills that could have a significant effect on Montecito.  Kirsten Ayars with the 101 widening […]

At this month’s Montecito Association Board of Directors meeting on Tuesday, April 13, executive director Sharon Byrne gave an update on several housing bills at the State level which the Association is watching; Byrne wrote about the issue in last week’s Montecito Journal.  The MA has hired former state senator Hannah-Beth Jackson as a legislative […]