Tag archives: Montecito Sanitary District
Going Around That intersection at Coast Village-Olive Mill-North Jameson looks so good, but the intersection just requires manners to navigate. And the collision stats are not at all negative. If the southbound entrance to the 101 near Cabrillo Blvd. was never blocked in the first place (and will be for many more years), the traffic […]
On June 7, 2019 the Montecito Sanitary District Board voted 3 to 2 and approved the expenditure of $4,621,486 for the construction of a new office building. Two ratepayers were present, and both asked the board to vote against the new building. Your elected directors, Dana Newquist and I, voted against the new building. The […]
Next Monday, August 12, the Santa Barbara Architectural Board of Review (ABR) and Montecito Board of Architectural Review (MBAR) will hold a joint hearing to review the design of the Coast Village Road/Olive Mill Roundabout; members of the community are encouraged to attend to see the proposed plans and share their thoughts or concerns. The […]
After meeting on Tuesday, July 2, the joint committee of the Montecito Water and Sanitary Districts continues to move forward on several viable water reuse projects. Water reuse options being pursued involve different treatment levels and different end-uses, including landscape irrigation (purple pipe), which involves treating wastewater for use in irrigation for large-scale commercial and […]
Local State Farm insurance agent Paul Cashman has expanded his business to Montecito, taking over Buzz Faull’s State Farm office on Coast Village Road. “I’m really looking forward to this new phase of my career,” Cashman told us last week. “Helping the community of Montecito gives me great satisfaction,” he said, adding that Faull had […]
Throughout history men have made some bad choices by unwittingly clinging to the past, rather than recognizing and embracing an uncertain future. Here are a few memorable misjudgments: In 1903, the President of the Michigan Savings Bank warned Henry Ford’s lawyer, Horace Rackham, to protect his money. “The horse is here to stay but the […]
Let’s Percolate Several questions come into the Montecito Sanitary District (MSD) that need and deserve answers. So, let’s start. Q. My plumber told me that the Sanitary District no longer offers financial aid for private sewer lateral replacement/repair (pipe between house and the main sewer line). Is that true? A. The District does offer a […]
The Santa Barbara County Chapter of the California Special Districts Association (SBCCSDA) honored Chip Hickman and Toni McDonald at their meeting last week, held at Root 246 Restaurant in Solvang. Montecito Fire Chief Chip Hickman received the 2018 General Manager of the year Award. Chief Hickman has been the Fire Chief for the past seven […]
After a wet November, a damp December, and a soggy January, February, and March, the good news is that Montecito water bills have never been lower. Seventeen storms have dropped 32 inches of water drenching our community. The heavy downpours in Montecito have temporarily eliminated our “extreme drought” designation but have raised a number of […]
At this month’s Montecito Association monthly board meeting, SB County Water Resources Deputy Director Tom Fayram reported on Montecito’s debris basins following the strong storms over the last several weeks. “We’ve been going full throttle since January,” Fayram said, adding that hundreds of trucks have been in Montecito clearing debris basins, sometimes 24 hours a […]
In this community, business-as-usual is no longer an option. Separate silos for water and sanitary decisions are as dated as hula hoops. Why? Water in all forms is one of our most fundamental resources. Increasingly, communities are realizing a need for districts to work together on water solutions that deliver more efficient use, integrated management […]
Last week our cover story shared the soft opening of the Rosewood Miramar Beach Hotel & Resort, which opened its doors nearly 20 years after the closure of the original Miramar closed in 2000. As part of the new Miramar project, developer Rick Caruso was required to fund and construct a new sewer lift station […]
It is more than obvious that 2018 was a pivotal year for Montecito and its residents. The first week of the year, we were recovering from the Thomas Fire, which weeks earlier had suffocated Montecito and Santa Barbara in smoke and ash while scorching nearly 282,000 acres from Ventura to Santa Barbara, including ten structures […]
Also at last week’s MA meeting, Montecito Fire’s Division chief of operations Kevin Taylor urged the audience to register for our local notification system, Aware & Prepare, following the release of discouraging notification statistics from the County Office of Emergency Management. According to the County, only 12 percent of residents countywide are signed up for […]
Your choice for the Water and Sanitary District (MSD) candidates in the Tuesday, November 6, election will decide what kind of Montecito will be rebuilt from the debris and destruction nine months ago. A few months ago, I spoke to the Montecito Association at “public comment” time about the need for unity while the community […]
If the Committee for Montecito Water Security fulfills their promises, you can expect your water bills to increase by about one-third. They raised $80,000 in campaign money two years ago and were successful in having their two candidates elected to the Water District Board. There are only five Water Board directors, and it takes just […]
With less than two weeks before the November elections, pollsters, and most media pundits are telling us who will be the next governor of California. Gavin Newsom, former mayor of San Francisco and current lieutenant governor, is their anointed winner. According to articles from some newspapers, Newsom preferred to run against John Cox, the leading […]
Montecito voters will have a rare opportunity to elect two of five Montecito Sanitary District (MSD) Board members this year in a classic contest between appointed incumbents who have already held their board seats for up to 12 years and an exceptionally competent team of challengers who offer new ideas and a solid plan for […]
Last week, Montecito Sanitary District announced a vacancy on its Board of Directors, after it was announced that director Warner Owens would be stepping down from the board after moving out of the District. The District is inviting interested parties to submit their written resumes for the position by Wednesday, October 31, before 4 pm. […]
by Ken Coates, Cori Hayman, Brian Goebel (candidates for Board of Directors, Montecito Water District) Dana Newquist, and Woody Barrett (candidates for Board of Directors, Montecito Sanitary District) When it comes to water and the environment, voters in Montecito face a stark choice on the November ballot: Change versus the status quo. The case for […]
