Economic Development Strategic Plan Situation Assessment — Goleta City Council, December 20, 2022

Agenda Item F.1

DISCUSSION/ACTION ITEM
Meeting Date: December 20, 2022
____________________________________________________________ TO: Mayor and Councilmembers
FROM: Robert Nisbet, City Manager
CONTACT: Ryan Kintz, Assistant to the City Manager
SUBJECT: Economic Development Strategic Plan Situation Assessment RECOMMENDATION:

Receive and file a presentation and provide feedback to staff on the draft Situation Assessment.

BACKGROUND:

On December 21, 2021, City Council authorize d the City Manager to execute a Professional Services Agreement with Coraggio Group, Inc. in the amount not-to-exceed $219,055, for the development of an Economic Development Strategic Plan (Plan) with a term beginning January 1, 2022 , and expiring June 30, 2023 . The City Council also approved a contingency amount of $50,000 in the event any change orders are required over the course of the project.

Following the execution of the agreement, Coraggio Group acted upon their strategy for completing the City’s Economic Development Strategic Plan which consists of three phases: Get Clear, Get Focused, and Get Moving. The Get Clear phase of the project commenced in February of 2022 and consisted of the discovery phase, where Coraggio and staff prioritized stakeholder engagement by gathering input from residents and key leaders in the community , conducted research and analysis, identified Visitor Profiles , and Potential Visitor Surveys specific to th e Goleta community and developed a draft version of the comprehensive Situation Assessment, which will serve as the current context for planning and developing the Plan. The following list provides a summary of the work efforts completed as part of the Get Clear phase of this project:
 Immersion Session – Project Kick-off on February 17, 2022  Visitor Profile and Tourism Impact Analysis
o Wave 1 Survey – Completed March 9-13 and April 14-17 of 2022 o Wave 2 Survey – Completed August 10-14 and August 18-21 of 2022  Survey of Potential Visitors – Completed online survey from May 4-10 of 2022  Local and Regional Economic Analysis – April through June, 2022  Program Benchmarking – May through July, 2022
1 Meeting Date: December 20, 2022

Page 2 of 5 ends

 Stakeholder Interviews – Completed June and July, 2022  Focus Groups
o Community Development Group – Completed July 27, 2022 o Hospitality, Events and Activities Group – Completed August 15, 2022 o Business, Tech and Business Advocacy Group – Completed August 19, 2022
 Economic Development Strategic Plan Community Survey – August 22 to September 9, 2022
 Presentation of the Situation Assessment to the Economic Development and Revitalization Committee – October 20, 2022.

On October 20, 2022 , the Economic Development and Revitalization Committee provided feedback and comments on the Situation Assessment and recommended this item be presented to the City Council for review and feedback.

With the presentation of the Situation Assessment to the City Council, staff and the consultant are poised to complete the “Get Clear” phase of the project . Staff is recommending the Council receive and file the presentation on the draft Situation Assessment, provided in Attachment 1, and provide feedback to staff and the consultant.

This report will also provide an update on the timeline of the development of the Economic Development Strategic Plan and will review next steps.

DISCUSSION:

Situation Assessment

The purpose of the Get Clear and stakeholder engagement phase of the project was to gather insights on economic development opportunities and challenges, community priorities, and potential strategic initiatives and actions as the City prepares to develop a new 5-Year Economic Development Strategy. During the Get Clear and stakeholder engagement process , ten key themes emerged, which include the following and are discussed in greater detail in the attached Situation Assessment report:

1. The City of Goleta has the opportunity to align stakeholders and residents around a shared community-driven economic vision.

2. Overwhelmingly, stakeholders are worried about the rising cost of living and would like to see Goleta address housing and childcare availability and affordability.

3. Investing in Goleta’s infrastructure will be key to community livability, economic growth, and destination development.

4. A focus on placemaking and downtown redevelopment is needed to help create a sense of place, enhance local amenities, and improve Goleta’s visitor experience.

5. Goleta does not have a strong tourism identity and lacks the necessary support structures to position itself as a true visitor destination.

6. The business community in Goleta does not feel supported, especially small 2 Meeting Date: December 20, 2022

Page 3 of 5 ends

business owners and entrepreneurs.

7. The lack of industry diversification and middle-wage jobs are a potential threat to Goleta’s long-term economic resilience.

8. Residents are worried that Goleta’s growth will impact their quality of life and change the City’s unique character.

9. The University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) has the potential to be a major economic driver and should be further leveraged to help grow the local economy beyond the tourism industry and its impact on hotel occupancy.

10. The City’s Economic Development Strategy should continue to prioritize historically disadvantaged communities to ensure equitable growth and shared prosperity.

During this presentation of the draft Situation Assessment, Coraggio will facilitate a discussion to explore and clarify the themes listed above and will lead a conversation around implications of the findings to set the stage for the development of the City’s Economic Development Strategic Plan.

Project Timeline and Next Steps

Following the presentation of the Situation Assessment to the City Council, the Get Focused phase of the project begins (early January 2023), where staff and consultant will work with the Cor e Planning Team and Advisory Team to develop the City’s Economic Development Strategic Plan including strategic clarity elements such as the development of a vision to the more strategic action components such as over -arching priorities, metrics/goals/objectives, and initiatives or strategies . The Core Planning Team consists of carefully curated community stakeholders and leaders and will be tasked with drafting the Plan . It should be noted that the Advisory Team consists of the City’s Economic Development and Revitalization Committee members and additional key community stakeholders. The Advisory Team will receive regular check -ins on the progress of the development of the Plan to provide guidance and to ensure the Core Planning Team stays on track.

In th e Get Moving phase Coraggio will prioritize the work ahead, organize for implementation, help with implementation, and focus on organizational needs and capacity. The Get Moving phase will begin in May of 2023 where staff and consultant will begin organizing for implementation of the Plan and will begin addressing important organizational effectiveness needs. Figure 1 below provides a visual summary of the work efforts completed to date and the project next ste ps. Figure 2 below provides a detailed view of the project timeline

3 Meeting Date: December 20, 2022

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Figure 1: Project Phases Progress

Figure 2: Updated Project Timeline

4 Meeting Date: December 20, 2022

Page 5 of 5 ends

FISCAL IMPACTS:

There are no new costs associated with the development and presentation of the Situation Assessment. This work effort is covered by the approved contract amount.

During the Get Clear phase of the project, two change orders were issued which included an additional survey to gather the needed survey responses as part of the Visitor Profile Survey at a cost of $15,000 and the Economic Development and Revitalization Committee requested to add a Potential Visitor Survey at a cost of $22,000. These change orders did not require an additional appropria tion as the contingency amount of $50,000 was used to cover this work. There is $13,000 remaining in contingency for this project.

ALTERNATIVES:

The City Council may not approve of the letter.

Reviewed By: Legal Review By: Approved By:

___________________ ___________________ _________________ Kristine Schmidt Megan Garibaldi Robert Nisbet
Assistant City Manager City Attorney City Manager

ATTACHMENTS:

1. Economic Development Strategic Plan Situation Assessment

2. Situation Assessment Presentation
5 Attachment 1

Economic Development Strategic Plan Situation Assessment 6 City of Goleta
Economic Development Strategy
December 2022
Prepared by Coraggio Group
503.493.1452 | coraggiogroup.com
Situation Assessment
7 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment2
Table of Contents
Methodology 06
Introduction 04
Assessment Themes
Theme One
Theme Two
Theme Three
Theme Four
Theme Five
Theme Six
Theme Seven
Theme Eight
Theme Nine
Theme Ten
12 14
18 22
26 30
34 38
42 46
50 8
Appendix 1: Stakeholder Engagement by Coraggio Group
Appendix 2: Economic Trends and Data Analysis by Coraggio Group Table of Contents
Appendix 5: Potential Visitor Analysis by Destination Analysts 74 96
55 Appendix 4: Visitor Profile and Tourism Impact Analysis by Destination Analysts92 Appendix 3: Program Benchmarking by Coraggio Group82
9 Introduction
10 5 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment
As communities across the U.S. emerge from the immediate impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is renewed interest in redirecting and refocusing economic development priorities to create greater economic stability in the long-term. The City of Goleta is no different. Goleta, like most other cities, is navigating new and emerging economic trends, such as:
•
Per
sistent inflation and an increase in the cost of consumer goods. • Rapi
dly-rising housing prices driven by undersupply.
• Wor
kforce shortages and a cooling job market.
• A lac
k of accessible middle-wage jobs and an increase in economic disparities. • The r
estructuring of industries and businesses in response to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Dim
inishing natural resources and an increase in natural disasters resulting from climate change.

Without a doubt, these are challenging times. To place these trends in context, Coraggio Group, in partnership with Destination Analysts, engaged in Goleta-specific analysis to better understand local economic development and tourism industry dynamics. For purposes of this Situation Assessment, the local analysis included: 1) a survey of potential visitors, 2) local and regional economic data analysis, 3) competitive set economic development and tourism promotion program benchmarking, and 4) stakeholder engagement (online survey, focus groups, and one-on-one interviews). Collectively, the purpose of these efforts was to gather insights on economic development opportunities and challenges, community priorities, and potential strategic initiatives and actions as the City prepares to develop a new 5-Year Economic Development Strategy. Ten key themes emerged:

1. The C
ity of Goleta has the opportunity to align stakeholders and residents around a shared community-driven economic vision.

2. Ove
rwhelmingly, stakeholders are worried about the rising cost of living and would like to see Goleta address housing and childcare availability and affordability.

3. Inv
esting in Goleta’s infrastructure will be key to community livability, economic growth, and destination development.

4. A foc
us on placemaking and downtown redevelopment is needed to help create a sense of place, enhance local amenities, and improve Goleta’s visitor experience.

5. Gol
eta does not have a strong tourism identity and lacks the necessary support structures to position itself as a true visitor destination.

6. The b
usiness community in Goleta does not feel supported, especially small business owners and entrepreneurs.

7. The l
ack of industry diversification and middle-wage jobs are a potential threat to Goleta’s long-term economic resilience.

8. Resi
dents are worried that Goleta’s growth will impact their quality of life and change the city’s unique character.

9. The U
niversity of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) has the potential to be a major economic driver and should be further leveraged to help grow the local economy beyond the tourism industry and its impact on hotel occupancy.

10. The C
ity’s Economic Development Strategy should continue to prioritize historically disadvantaged communities to ensure equitable growth and shared prosperity.

It is within this context that Goleta has made the important decision to engage in a strategic planning process not only to identify their long-term economic vision and direction, but to identify core actions, areas of investment, and strategic initiatives, given limited resources. Strategic planning within this environment will be as much about focus and prioritization as it will be about identifying innovative new services to meet evolving community needs.
11 Methodology
12 7 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment
This report is a synthesis of the data collection and stakeholder engagement efforts conducted by Coraggio Group and Destination Analysts on behalf of the City of Goleta. The purpose of this effort was to gather insights on current sentiment and the opportunities and challenges facing the City as it prepares to develop a new Economic Development Strategic Plan.

Data collection and stakeholder perspectives were captured through the following efforts and research:
•
Sta
keholder and Community Engagement (survey, one-on-one interviews, focus groups) • Eco
nomic Trends and Data Analysis
• Comp
etitive Set Program Benchmarking
• Pot
ential Visitor Analysis
• Visi
tor Profile and Tourism Impact Analysis
Findings and insights from the summation of the stakeholder engagement and data analysis efforts are presented as key Situation Assessment themes in the report. A theme is an opportunity or challenge that Coraggio identified based on data analysis or heard through multiple engagement channels. Themes point to consistent findings across different studies and research methods and could be described as areas in which we found “heat.” Each theme in this report is supported and justified by insights that draw from relevant data and quotations based on any of the five data collection and stakeholder engagement efforts mentioned above.

To be certain that stakeholder perspectives are as relevant and valuable as possible, care was taken to ensure insights refer to data that does not include residents where appropriate. For example, when discussing the experience of the business community in Goleta, our insights refer to data that omitted residents where we believed they could not contribute an informed perspective.

Throughout this report, we use the following terminology:
•
Stak
eholders refer to all participants in the stakeholder engagement efforts, including survey respondents, interviewees, and focus group participants. • Surv
ey respondents refer to everyone who took the stakeholder engagement survey. • Econ
omic development stakeholders are non-resident stakeholders who took the stakeholder engagement survey. This group includes business and industry, community development, and tourism stakeholders.
• Int
erview and focus group respondents or [survey] open-ended responses are direct or paraphrased quotes from the corresponding source.
• Visi
tors refer to the data collected in Destination Analysts’ Visitor Profile and Tourism Impact analysis.
• Pot
ential visitors are those who responded to the potential visitor survey carried out by Destination Analysts.
13 Stakeholder & Community Engagement
Stakeholder and community perspectives were captured through one-on-one interviews and focus groups with a range of representatives from community partners, elected officials, government staff, local business owners, industry leaders, and tourism and hospitality stakeholders. This included:
•
Thre
e focus groups—Community Development Partners, Business & Industry Stakeholders, and Tourism & Hospitality Stakeholders—representing the perspectives of more than 30 participants. • 12 one
-on-one interviews with Goleta community partners, industry leaders, and elected officials.

An online survey designed for business, industry, and tourism stakeholders also ran from August 22, 2022 to September 12, 2022 to gather stakeholder opinions and sentiment. The City of Goleta decided to include an option for residents to respond, as the survey was sent out through channels that would reach residents. To improve community accessibility, this survey was available in English and Spanish. The survey received 399 total respondents from the following demographic groups:

Figure 1 – All Survey Respondents’ Affiliation with Goleta City Affiliation to the City of Goleta
73%
8% 7%
4% 3% 2% 2% 1% 1%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
Resident Government Small Business
Owner/
Entrepreneur
Community
Development
Partner
Larger Business/
Corporate
Stakeholder
(non-Tourism)
Tourism and
Hospitality
Industry
Stakeholder
Resident in
adjacent
community
Workforce
Development or
Education
Partner
Other
Percentage of Respondents
All survey respondents
N = 399
Figure 1 – All Survey Respondents’ Affiliation with Goleta City N=399 Affiliation to the City of Goleta
City of Goleta | Situation Assessment8
14 9 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment
Figure 3 - Race/Ethnicity
White or
Caucasian
66%
Prefer not to
answer
19%
Hispanic or
Latino/a/x
8%
Two or more
races
4%
BIPOC (non-
Hispanic, non-
Latinx)
4%
What is your race/ethnicity? All survey respondents
N = 182
White or
Caucasian
66%
Prefer not to
answer
11%
Hispanic or
Latino/a/x
11%
Two or more
races
4%
BIPOC (non-
Hispanic, non-
Latinx)
8%
Economic development
stakeholders
N = 53
Figure 2 – Economic Development Stakeholder Affiliation with Goleta City Please choose the affiliation category below that best describes your organization or relationship with Goleta
28%
26%
16%
9% 8%
4%
9%
0%
0%
10%
20%
30%
Government Small Business
Owner/
Entrepreneur
Community
Development
Partner
Larger Business/
Corporate
Stakeholder (non-
Tourism)
Tourism and
Hospitality Industry
Stakeholder
Workforce
Development or
Education Partner
Other Resident
Percentage of Respondents
Economic development
stakeholders
N = 107
Figure 3 – Race/Ethnicity
What is your race/ethnicity?
Figure 2 – Economic Development Stakeholder Affiliation with Goleta City N=107 Please choose the affiliation category below that best describes your organization or relationship with Goleta
15 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment10
Economic Trends and Data Analysis
The economic trends and data analysis consisted of both:
• Mac
roeconomic Trends Analysis
• Loc
al and Regional Economic Analysis
The macroeconomic trends analysis consisted of a review of some of the macroscopic conditions–both strictly economic and otherwise–that Coraggio believes could impact Goleta’s economic development. This section gives a snapshot of current conditions surrounding inflation, public health, the overall and leisure & hospitality labor markets, consumer spending and saving choices, and housing supply and demand. Data was pulled from Trading Economics, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED), as well as other economic data sources.

The local and regional economic analysis was designed to provide context to Goleta’s population demographics and economic profile to inform the Situation Assessment and supplement the stakeholder engagement efforts performed by Coraggio Group and Destination Analysts. Coraggio extracted and analyzed publicly available data from the United States Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and the State of California’s Employment Development Department (EDD). Key areas of analysis included Demographics and Community, Employment and Occupations, and Business and Industry. Descriptive data analysis was performed using category means, ratios, percentages, and trends. To identify more specific economic opportunities, Coraggio used the raw data extracted to calculate industry location quotients, industry shift-share, and Hachman Index scores.

Figure 4 - Gender
Female
45%
Male
40%
Prefer not to
answer
15%
Non-binary
1%
What gender do you most identify as currently?
All survey respondents
N = 184
Female
55%
Male
38%
Prefer not to
answer
8%
Economic development
stakeholders
N = 53
Figure 4 – Gender
What gender do you most identify as currently?
Survey analysis was done with both quantitative and qualitative methods. Quantitative questions were analyzed using category means, percentage rates, and frequencies. Qualitative, open-ended questions were analyzed by assigning themes influenced by response content and Coraggio’s interpretation of those responses.

Please note that stakeholder engagement data presented in this report may combine specific groups and communities that had only a handful of responses into a larger group to protect respondent confidentiality and prevent them from being identified.
16 11 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment
Competitive Set Program Benchmarking
The program benchmarking effort was designed to compare economic development priorities and programs and tourism promotion services offered by Goleta to five competitive set communities in California: West Hollywood, Dana Point, Morro Bay, Paso Robles, and Monterey. These five benchmark communities were selected by the City of Goleta based on having a similar population size, complimentary resources (budget and human capital), and a location along the California coast.

The benchmarking approach consisted of two steps. The first step was centered around desk research, reviewing community websites, strategic plans, and reports to get an initial sense of priorities and areas of investment. Following this research, Coraggio Group interviewed ten different leaders—an economic development and a tourism representative from each of the five communities to learn more about their priorities, programs, and services.

City of Goleta Visitor Profile Study
This research presents findings of a comprehensive Visitor Profile and Tourism Impact Analysis conducted by Destination Analysts on behalf of the City of Goleta. Findings are based on an in-person intercept survey of Goleta visitors. Survey respondents had to reside outside of Goleta in order to be considered a visitor.

A total of 850 completed intercept surveys were collected in March, April, and August 2022. Destination Analysts’ survey team worked at nine locations around the City of Goleta to randomly select and interview visitors.

The data presented for all visitors is weighted based on the relative proportion of hotel visitors, home sharing visitors, VFR visitors, and day trip visitors observed in survey locations outside hotel properties.

Secondary inputs such as total hotel room inventory and average occupancy were also used in calculating these weights.

Goleta Potential Visitor Survey
This research was designed to explore and understand what would motivate travelers to visit the City of Goleta. Destination Analysts worked closely with the City of Goleta to create an online survey targeting California residents who had no visitor experience in Goleta in the past three years.

A total of 400 surveys were collected from May 4 to May 10, 2022. 17 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment12
Assessment Themes
18 13 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment
The themes of this report (below) represent key findings that stakeholders identified as being critical or that arose from the various quantitative analysis activities and were considered strategically significant in Coraggio’s analysis.
1 The City of Goleta has the opportunity to align stakeholders and residents around a shared community-driven economic vision.
2 Overwhelmingly, stakeholders are worried about the rising cost of living and would like to see Goleta address housing and childcare availability and affordability. 3 Investing in Goleta’s infrastructure will be key to community livability, economic growth, and destination development.
4 A focus on placemaking and downtown redevelopment is needed to help create a sense of place, enhance local amenities, and improve Goleta’s visitor experience. 5 Goleta does not have a strong tourism identity and lacks the necessary support structures to position itself as a true visitor destination.
6 The business community in Goleta does not feel supported, especially small business owners and entrepreneurs.
7 The lack of industry diversification and middle-wage jobs are a potential threat to Goleta’s long-term economic resilience.
8 Residents are worried that Goleta’s growth will impact their quality of life and change the city’s unique character.
9 The University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) has the potential to be a major economic driver and should be further leveraged to help grow the local economy beyond the tourism industry and its impact on hotel occupancy. 10 The City’s Economic Development Strategy should continue to prioritize historically disadvantaged communities to ensure equitable growth and shared prosperity. 19 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment14
Figure 5 - Economic Vision Descriptors
What three words would you like to see reflected in the economic vision for Goleta? sustainable
local
communitysafe
growth
innovative
environmentaffordable
equitable
inclusive
housing
stable
smallclean
jobs
friendly
conservation
family
balanced
technologydiversequality
vibrant
healthy
responsible
green
preservation
parking
infrastructure
beautiful
business
water
variety
supportive
slow
walkable
investment
solvent
fair
roads
modern
smart
thrive
traffic
education
non-government
reduce tax
entrepreneurship
vitality
equal
flexible
relief
transparency
accessible
resilient
responsibility
shopping
open
service
less growth
rent control
non-profit
support
police
careful
workforce renewal
workers
life
spaciousplanned
savings
strategic
prosperous
thinking
upgrade
helpful
quiet
strong
efficient
positivetransportation
future
proactive
change
robust
entrepreneurial
care
space
prosperity
efficiency
success
varied
densifying
execution
rent-control
beautification conscious
words promote
All survey respondents
N = 226
Insights
• Survey respondents would like the City of Goleta to develop an economic development strategy that is “
sustainable” and “local,” with a focus on “community,” “environment,” and “growth” (see Figure 5). • By a co
nsiderable margin, survey respondents’ top two desired economic development priorities are improved infrastructure and city or downtown beautification, followed by an increase in livable wage jobs and better support for small businesses, all outcomes that will directly impact perceptions related to sustainability and community-centric growth (see Figure 6). •
Whe
n asked to indicate their “top three” pre-determined options, many survey respondents chose the ‘Other’ response and provided alternative ideas. This indicates that Goleta’s community cares about a wide variety of issues, ideas, challenges, and opportunities, further reinforcing the need for a shared economic vision.
•
The t
arget audience for the stakeholder survey was community development, economic development, and tourism stakeholders, with an option available should some residents provide feedback. However, despite multiple efforts by the City and partners to engage industry stakeholders, the results returned with residents comprising 73% of survey respondent. (see Appendix 1.1). To develop a shared economic vision, input from both business and industry stakeholders—as well as residents—will be important.
•
COV
ID-19 impacted service delivery and community engagement. Many interview and focus group participants expressed a desire for the City to better engage with them and respond to their needs and ideas.

The City of Goleta has the opportunity to align
stakeholders and residents around a shared
community-driven economic vision.

Theme One
Figure 5 – Economic Vision Descriptors N=226
What three words would you like to see reflected in the economic vision for Goleta? 20 15 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment
Figure 6 - Ideal Outcomes from Economic Development Efforts 52%
45%
31%
29%
23%
22%
18%
18%
15%
11%
10%
7%
6%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
Improved infrastructure
City or downtown beautification/improvements
Increase in livable wage jobs
Better support for small businesses and entrepreneurs
Reduction in economic disparities for historically disadvantaged communities Increase in community amenities
Improving Goleta’s reputation as a place to visit
Improving Goleta’s reputation as a place to do business Increase in local innovation and research & development Workforce training and skill development
An increase in tax revenue to support community services Other: Affordable housing
Industry diversification
Percentage of Respondents
What are the three most important outcomes you would like to see from Goleta's economic development efforts?
All survey respondents
N = 188
Figure 6 – Ideal Outcomes from Economic Development Efforts N=188 What are the three most important outcomes you would like to see from Goleta’s economic development efforts?
21 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment16
“Real progress involves a partnership, with the City
recognizing how business benefits the community
as a whole. [Too often], as economic development
has happened TO the city of Goleta IN SPITE of the
city of Goleta.”
What we heard
“I detect a strained relationship between the
City Council and the Chamber of Commerce. I
would hope that these two groups could work
together to aid the economic development of
Goleta.”
“Goleta doubled its business license fee
without notification or input from stakeholders.”
“We need to live in a sustainable community
that accepts limits to growth. Development
and inappropriate growth can often lead to
a deterioration in the quality of life and the
destruction of community coherence.”
“Get input from people that have lived here for
decades, not new government people who don’t
know our history and nice values.”
“The City is not making themselves available
enough to businesses.”
“The City must create an Economic
Development Commission that includes all
sectors and is culturally diverse, like the
commission Santa Barbara County had. It could
help at a smaller scale, and it brought good
ideas.”
“Goleta leaders have the chance to have an
outsized impact on the region’s approach
to livable locations by creating a balanced,
thriving, supportive community of residents
that have great jobs in a truly unique location,
with innovation and lifestyle welded together so
that commerce, industry, education, and non-
profit community support organizations thrive.

It does not need to be a zero-sum game of
trade-offs. The various groups help each other
thrive, and I hope Goleta can approach their
charter to support the community with a goal
for mutual thriving.”
“We have a nice community to live in. It’s been
significantly impacted over the past few years
with growth, which makes it a lot less desirable.

The City did not do a good job managing
growth and we are all feeling it.”
“The Council is not particularly business-
friendly and seems to be unmotivated to work
with the largest business organization on
the South Coast, the Chamber of Commerce.

Additionally, Goleta’s regulations create
barriers to doing business and creating housing
for employees (take the Heritage Ridge project,
for example).”
“Consider impact on environment. Balance all
competing interests with care.”
22 17 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment
23 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment18
Insights
• Rising costs are a major concern. Economic development stakeholders believe that the lack of ho
using and childcare availability and affordability are among the top three challenges to Goleta’s economic development (see Figure 7).
• In al
most every interview or focus group, participants highlighted the value of affordable childcare to Goleta’s economic growth, particularly for small business owners and marginalized populations.

Many believe addressing the housing issue will be key to improving childcare accessibility and affordability.
•
Surv
ey respondents believe that Goleta does not currently have accessible and affordable housing, rating it the weakest economic development driver by a large margin (see Figure 8). • Aff
ordability of housing is an important economic outcome for every stakeholder. While “affordable housing” was not an option for survey respondents to select when presented with a list of potential economic development outcomes, many respondents selected ‘other’ and manually entered affordable housing as their answer. This indicates that Goleta’s lack of affordable housing is a front- of-mind issue for local stakeholders (see Appendix 1.17). •
Sim
ilarly, “limited workforce housing” was identified as a top challenge to operating a business that survey respondents manually entered, also showing how this issue is a top concern for all stakeholders (see Appendix 1.16).
•
89% o
f economic development stakeholders (compared to 70% of all survey respondents) believe that the current cost and lack of available housing is a primary challenge or issue impacting economic development in Goleta. The difference suggests that those with more intimate knowledge of the issue consider it even more critical than it appears to be (see Appendix 1.15). •
The m
edian gross rent in the City of Goleta is $1,955 per month or $23,460 per year.1 This puts the average rental out of reach of 24.2% of Goleta’s households that earn $49,999 or less and barely affordable to an additional 14.5% of households that earn between $50,000 and $74,999. 2,3 This
adds up to nearly 40% of households in Goleta that are unable or struggling to afford the average rent for a home. Interview and focus group participants also highlighted that even on an income of $60,000, it is difficult to reside in Goleta (see Appendix 2.12). •
Som
e interview participants and survey respondents expressed concerns that multi-unit housing developments could impact Goleta’s small-town feel and quality of life, representing a potential barrier to increasing Goleta’s affordable housing stock. Survey respondents also commented that UCSB’s lack of housing stock puts upward price pressures on non-university-affiliated housing in Goleta.

Overwhelmingly, stakeholders are worried about the
rising cost of living and would like to see Goleta address housing and childcare availability and affordability.

Theme Two
1 B25031: MEDIAN GROSS RENT BY BEDROOMS - Census Bureau Table 2 Assuming an income of at least 2.5 times monthly rent is required to qualify for a lease 3 US1901: Census Bureau Table
24 19 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment
Figure 8 - Economic Development Drivers
Please rate your perception of the quality of the following economic development drivers:

3.50 3.46

3.38 3.26

3.22 3.17

3.12 3.08

3.03 2.90

2.84 2.80

1.92 1 2 3 4 5
Availability of skilled workers and talent
Available community amenities
Available commercial space
Community infrastructure
Resources to support innovation and research & development Broadband and access to high-speed internet
Government support and a business-friendly environment
Access to capital for businesses
Available industrial land
Available arts and cultural amenities
Job opportunities with livable wages
Support services for small business and entrepreneurs
Accessible and affordable housing
ExcellentVery poor
All survey respondents
N = 201
Figure 7 - Challenges to Goleta's Economic Development
What do you believe are the top three biggest challenges or issues related to the economic development of Goleta?
89%
41%
37%
30% 28%
24%
15% 15% 13% 6%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Availability and
cost of housing
Growth
impacting
quality of life
and/or
environment
Limited access
to affordable
childcare
Ability of
employers to
hire qualified
employees
Growth
impacting City
character and
identity
Finding enough
land or space
for new or
growing
businesses
Quality of
employment
opportunities
(e.g. consistent,
sufficient work;
wages)
Inequitable
growth or
persistent
disparities
Lack of local
places to shop,
find
entertainment
Other: Water
shortages
Percentage of Respondents
Economic development
stakeholders
N = 54
Figure 7 – Challenges to Goleta’s Economic Development N=54 What do you believe are the top three biggest challenges or issues related to the economic development of Goleta?
Figure 8 – Economic Development Drivers N=201
Please rate your perception of the quality of the following economic development drivers:
25 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment20
What we heard
“Love Goleta overall and commend your work.

I’m sad that I will have to leave due to not being
able to find and afford half-decent housing.”
“Incredible natural beauty, but expensive,
especially in terms of housing and childcare
costs.”
“Unless the business is doing a remote only
workforce, it would be too difficult to attract
and retain the skilled workforce necessary
to competitively do business in Goleta, as
indicated by Goleta’s commitment to stay
primarily a single-family home city. It is
incredibly unlikely that Goleta will make the
necessary choices to reduce housing costs
by allowing more diverse residences to be
constructed in a reasonable time frame.”
“We need more single-family homes to attract
high tech workers. They don’t want to live in
apartments.”
“Increasingly it’s for the very rich, squeezing
out the young and old. UCSB is impacting our
housing affordability by not building their own.”
“Housing crunch [caused] by UCSB limits living
options.”
“The City of Goleta must ensure that childcare
workers are able to make a living wage so that
the broader economic activity is sustainable.

For childcare workers to make a living wage,
more housing must be built so that housing
costs do not outpace inflation.”
“Affordability of housing and childcare are big
challenges. The cost of childcare in Goleta is
the same as paying for an education at UCSB
for one year for the first five years of the child’s
life.”
“Issue with childcare is not having childcare
workforce. Everyone is trying to hire. If we don’t
have housing for childcare workforce, we can’t
hire and can’t provide childcare, which makes it
harder for people to work.”
“Because housing is so expensive, recent
graduates are unable to stay in the area and
have an enjoyable, even if they were to get a
well-compensating entry-level job in the area.”
“Workforce participation and business
development for women (who were impacted
harder by pandemic) could be higher with better
childcare options.”
“Childcare is the second most expensive item
for most families. There needs to be interest at
the City level to make change. It would have a
large impact on our ability to attract people to
our city and on affordability.”
“Rental and home ownership has become too
expensive. People need an affordable place to
live first and foremost.”
“It’s way too expensive for employees to live
here. Requires long commutes.”
“My employer cannot hire anybody because
nobody can afford to live here.”
26 21 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment
“I think that more affordable housing is among the
most valuable growth factors. It will allow more
workers to be in Goleta, attract a wider diversity of
residents, increase overall morale, and increase
local business support. All the new housing
developments are well out of the price range for
many people, even those with a six-figure income.

Personally, this has been driving many people I
know to move to places like Ventura or Oxnard,
which are currently far more affordable, even though
many of them strongly would like to remain in
Goleta.”
27 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment22
Insights
• Survey respondents ranked infrastructure investment as the most important economic development ac
tivity, but the City’s current effectiveness as much lower, representing the greatest gap between importance and effectiveness amongst the economic development activities presented (see Figure 9).
•
Surv
ey respondents perceive the quality of Goleta’s broadband and high-speed internet as average and would like to see prioritized investment in this area going forward (see Appendix 1.8). • The c
ity’s infrastructure is seen as a challenge to operating a business in Goleta by economic development stakeholders (see Appendix 1.16).
• Eco
nomic development stakeholders believe the quality of Goleta’s in-bound and in-market transportation infrastructure—essential for a positive visitor experience—as low (see Figure 10 ). • Sta
keholders also expressed frustration with the levels of traffic in Goleta, pointing to a need to improve upon existing transportation infrastructure specifically.4 • Stakeholders suggested that Goleta invest more in improving infrastructure that supports reduced ve
hicle usage, such as better public transport and bike/pedestrian paths. • Amo
ng potential visitors to Goleta, only 61.3% say Goleta is “good’ or “very good” with regards to being easy to get to, but 72.8% rate this attribute as “important” or “very important” in a destination (see Appendix 5, slide 31).
•
Cur
rent water shortages were identified as a challenge to the growth and development of Goleta’s economy.
• Sim
ilarly, some focus group participants expressed concerns with the community’s current electricity supply and reliability.
• Man
y survey respondents believe that Goleta will need to first address these infrastructure needs before focusing on economic growth. (see Appendix 1.15) Investing in Goleta’s infrastructure will be key
to community livability, economic growth, and
destination development.

Theme Three
4 https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/B080ACS006083
28 23 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment
Figure 9 - Economic Development Activities
Please rank how important and effective the following economic development activities are in Goleta:

4.69 4.47

4.16 3.98

3.75 3.66 3.61 3.60

2.79 2.78

3.22 3.40

3.16 3.28

Figure 10 - Tourism Support Structures
Please rate your perception of the quality of the tourism support structures in Goleta:

2.92 2.89

2.73 2.72

2.30 2.17 2.16 2.11 2.04

Unconstrained building while in a drought is
poor governance.”
“I’ve been requesting for nine years to have my
street repaved and the potholes repaired. Still
waiting…”
“High-speed internet is available but not
affordable.”
“I have lived in Goleta for 30 years—car-free
for 25 of those and car-lite for the others.

For a visitor without a car, for example most
international travelers, Goleta isn’t an easy
place.”
“New residential, commercial, and industrial
site developments are unquestionably
dependent on access to new sources of
locally controlled water, which require first the
investment and planning for the development
of 1) New storm water/rainwater reservoirs, 2)
new storm water/rainwater capture facilities
scaled to include industrial, commercial, &
residential, and 3) other technologies such as
desalination.”
“Start [desalination] now. Affordable housing.

Improve infrastructure. Complete streets
program in commercial areas, Vision Zero plan,
improve pedestrian and bicycle access and
options.”
“If there is an energy shutdown, there
should be a list of businesses that need 24/7
energy to prioritize/plan for. GIS heat map of
manufacturing infrastructure/zip code density
of these businesses to inform decisions on
lobbying.”
“I would like to see the City dramatically
invest in alternative transportation, especially
public and bike transportation; support green
energy with rooftop solar requirements for all
new residential and commercial construction;
provide expedited and low-cost permitting for
solar installations and electric vehicle chargers
on existing structures; invest heavily in planting
new and maintaining new and existing street
trees; and expand sidewalks and accessibility
throughout the city.”
“Water is key. There is not enough now, so how
can you increase development without more?
Broadband access is holding Goleta back.”
“Goleta needs improved infrastructure, affordable
housing, and mobility solutions supporting reduced
vehicle usage.”
30 25 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment
31 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment26
Insights
• Survey respondents rank placemaking, district planning, and city beautification as some of the most imp
ortant activities for Goleta to focus on in its economic development strategy but perceive the City’s effectiveness in these activities to be much lower (see Figure 11). • Cit
y or downtown beautification/improvements was identified as the second most important economic development outcome by survey respondents (see Figure 12). • Surv
ey respondents rated the quality of Goleta’s food and beverage, retail and shopping, and nightlife and entertainment as average to poor. The lack of in-town amenities and entertainment experiences negatively impacts Goleta residents’ quality of life and the visitor experience (see Appendix 1.9).
•
Int
erview and focus group participants and survey respondents mentioned the current lack of a city center or focal point for Goleta. Many suggested that redeveloping Old Town/Hollister Avenue into a welcoming, pedestrian-friendly destination could meaningfully boost tourism and enhance local amenities for residents.
•
Sta
keholders suggested that a redeveloped city center could double as a hub for small businesses and a space for city events.
• Gol
eta only generates 4.2% of its direct visitor spending through activities, museums, sightseeing, and tours (see Appendix 4, slide 14). Potential visitors scored Goleta the lowest among a set of five peer cities for “sightseeing,” reiterating that they are unlikely to travel with the purpose of seeing the city itself (see Appendix 5, slide 26).
•
74% o
f potential visitors to Goleta identified restaurants and dining as an important destination attribute, and 41.5% identified shopping as an important attribute (see Appendix 5, slide 21). • Res
ults of the Program Benchmarking identified a place-based business district, economic center, or neighborhood redevelopment and beautification efforts a top economic development priority for Goleta’s competitive set cities (see Competitive Set Benchmarking, Appendix 3).

A focus on placemaking and downtown
redevelopment is needed to help create a sense of
place, enhance local amenities, and improve Goleta’s
visitor experience
Theme Four
32 27 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment
Figure 11 - Economic Development Activities
Please rank how important and effective the following economic development activities are in Goleta:

4.69 4.47

4.16 3.98

3.75 3.66 3.61 3.60

2.79 2.78

3.22 3.40

3.16 3.28

Figure 12 - Ideal Outcomes from Economic Development Efforts 52%
45%
31%
29%
23%
22%
18%
18%
15%
11%
10%
7%
6%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
Improved infrastructure
City or downtown beautification/improvements
Increase in livable wage jobs
Better support for small businesses and entrepreneurs
Reduction in economic disparities for historically disadvantaged communities Increase in community amenities
Improving Goleta’s reputation as a place to visit
Improving Goleta’s reputation as a place to do business Increase in local innovation and research & development Workforce training and skill development
An increase in tax revenue to support community services Other: Affordable housing
Industry diversification
Percentage of Respondents
What are the three most important outcomes you would like to see from Goleta's economic development efforts?
All survey respondents
N = 188
Figure 12 – Ideal Outcomes from Economic Development Efforts N=188 What are the three most important outcomes you would like to see from Goleta’s economic development efforts?
33 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment28
What we heard
“Old town Goleta is a disaster as is the
surrounding area. [It is] filthy and lacks diverse
stores to attract new customers…”
“It is sad that our business cores are
unattractive strip malls and/or big box stores.

Goleta is not represented. And our more local
and authentic downtown - Old Town Goleta - is
totally neglected. Why is there no plan to make
this area more vibrant, more desirable, yet still
local - such as a Goleta version of the Funk
Zone (but with better parking options built
in)?”
“Downtown Goleta desperately needs
some serious stimulation and creative
planning. There are many small towns that
have weekly farmer and/or art and craft
markets like Higuera Street in San Luis
Obispo.”
“More beautification efforts and promotion
of businesses in Old Town would help bring
more locals there and, eventually, tourists. I
have a Bed & Breakfast, but I don’t often send
guests to Old Town because it looks a little run
down in many areas. I would love to, because
there are many charming features, but minor
improvements like planters and artwork would
add so much more interest.”
“Goleta doesn’t have the cool vibe it needs.

Downtown needs to be renovated to be an “old
town’ type atmosphere with upgraded street
signs, upgraded business signs. It looks like
an old dying town.”
“I think that planting more trees and the
beautification of Old Town are important for
Goleta.”
“There isn’t a central focus to Goleta.

Downtown Goleta is not an interesting place
to go, and Camino Marketplace is all big box
stores.”
“There isn’t a central walkable downtown, or
an “area” where something is always going on
like other small communities.”
“Goleta is sort of three different places—Old
Town, Calle Real/Fairview area, and Big Box
area (Camino Real/Target, etc.), but they’re not
conveniently and safely connected, especially
without a car.”
“It would be great if Old Town had a sense of place,
a funkiness about it that attracted visitors rather than repelled them.”
34 29 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment
35 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment30
Insights
• Goleta’s tourism industry generated an economic impact of $682.9 million during the 2022 fiscal ye
ar, contributing over $11 million of the City’s $33 million budget.5 However, only 29% of visitors to Goleta came specifically to visit the City of Goleta (see Appendix 4, slide 65). In contrast, 41% of Goleta’s visitors indicate that their primary destination is Santa Barbara (see Figure 13). Visitors are also more likely to travel to Goleta for business or to visit friends or relatives than to vacation there (see Appendix 4, slide 19).
•
In pl
anning their trip, more Goleta visitors use Visit Santa Barbara’s social media or official tourism website (44.7%) than Goleta’s official tourism website or official travel guide (35.4%), implying that many Goleta visitors primarily planned to spend time in Santa Barbara (see Appendix 4, slide 22).

For out-of-of state visitors, an even higher proportion of visitors (62.1%) used one of these two Santa Barbara platforms, illustrating that Goleta’s brand as an independent tourism destination significantly weakens outside of California.
•
Gol
eta also lacks the identity as a destination that some of its peer communities possess. Among a competitive set of five similar destinations, California leisure travelers reported Goleta as the lowest- likelihood destination they would visit (see Appendix 5, slide 24). Their top deterrents to visiting Goleta are, “I never hear anything about it” and “I don’t know anything about it” (see Appendix 5, slide 28), demonstrating that Goleta’s lack of recognition negatively impacts tourism volumes. •
Gol
eta has a handful of above average tourism drivers, such as the University of California, Santa Barbara, and nearby outdoor & recreational activities, but many other drivers were rated low by survey respondents (see Appendix 1.9).
•
Ove
r half (55.3%) of potential leisure travelers surveyed have not heard of any of the six top Goleta tourism attractions (see Appendix 5, slide 34), reflecting that Goleta’s independent brand is weak.

Interview and focus group participants have the opinion that Goleta is not currently a destination of its own and instead relies on its proximity to Santa Barbara and UC-Santa Barbara to attract visitors. •
Eco
nomic development stakeholders rated the quality of tourism support structures as poor, in particular highlighting the need for improved tourism funding and better support from tourism partners, investors, and stakeholders (see Figure 14).
•
Surv
ey respondents considered destination marketing and the development of tourism products to be the City’s least important economic development activities, indicating that tourism is not their most important economic development priority (see Appendix 1.7).

Goleta does not have a strong tourism identity and
lacks the necessary support structures to position
itself as a true visitor destination.

Theme Five
5 City of Goleta (2022). Two-Year Budget Plan FY 2021/22 and 2022/23. Retrieved https://www.cityofgoleta.org/home/showdocument?id=26501&t=637847461492869213 36 31 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment
Figure 13 – Primary Destination of Trip
Which of these communities was the primary destination for this trip? Source: Destination Analysts (2022). 2022 Goleta Visitor Profile Study, slide 65.

Visitor survey
N = 838
Figure 24 – Primary Destination of Trip N=838
Which of these communities was the primary destination for this trip? Source: Destination Analysts (2022). 2022 Goleta Visitor Profile Study, slide 65.

Figure 14 - Tourism Support Structures
Please rate your perception of the quality of the tourism support structures in Goleta:

2.92 2.89

2.73 2.72

2.30 2.17 2.16 2.11 2.04

Read the reviews on TripAdvisor about Goleta’s
hotels and restaurants.”
“We don’t have much nightlife here. We have
some very cool museums and historical
resources, but more needs to be done to make
some of them more attractive to visitors. So
many new restaurants, but more food diversity
could really set us apart. We have some great
local festivals and community events.”
“Goleta’s natural attractions and wildlife
do not seem to be as highly valued as more
businesses [come] and development [occurs].”
“A significantly large portion of Goleta
residents are extremely concerned about
paying their monthly rent, utilities, food, gas,
etc., and if they will be able to continue living in
Goleta. The quality of the tourism drivers? Not
a relevant concern.”
“The City clearly emphasizes support for the
hospitality industry. Other businesses are on
their own.”
“Lack of identity for Goleta, downtown is
tacky, Goleta Center is run-down, too many
code violations are never addressed, creating
sprawling ugly neighborhoods, no pride in
Goleta Beautiful.”
“Goleta is right next to the ocean, but it is
difficult to visit.”
“Goleta has an unbelievable resource in the
Elwood-Mesa reserve. However, it is being
neglected. Trails are not well developed and
maintained. Can be great attraction for visitors
and asset for residents.”
“Some people say we should focus on tourism
because we get bed taxes, but I think we should
focus on improving our natural beauty. I am not
so much into thinking that Goleta is a destination
experience. I think people come here because they
can’t get a room in Santa Barbara.”
38 33 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment
39 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment34
Insights
• Survey respondents describe Goleta’s current ability to support local entrepreneurs, businesses, an
d industries as “expensive,” “bureaucratic,” “limited,” “unknown,” “slow,” and “poor” (see Figure 15). Respondents would like to see the City evolve into being “supportive.” “innovative,” “affordable,” “sustainable,” and “flexible” (see Appendix 1.4).
• Surv
ey respondents are unlikely to recommend Goleta as a place to do business as demonstrated by a negative Net Promoter Score (NPS) (see Figure 16). There is slightly better sentiment around promoting Goleta as a place to live and work, with survey respondents indicating a good NPS of 15 (see Appendix 1.6). However, small business owners still report a negative NPS when asked if they would recommend Goleta as a place to live and work (see Appendix 1.6a). •
The l
ower-than-anticipated response rate to the stakeholder survey by the business community (see Appendix 1.1), suggests that despite multiple targeted efforts, current engagement is low and the City’s relationship with its business and economic development stakeholders has room to improve. •
28% o
f economic development stakeholders who responded to the survey would like to see Goleta’s economic development efforts result in better support for small businesses and entrepreneurs (see Appendix 1.17). The perception of lacking support for small businesses is especially strong for entrepreneurs and business owners from historically disadvantaged communities (see Appendix

1.13).
•
Ent
repreneurship and small business support and government permitting for new/expanding businesses are both considered very important for economic growth, but economic development stakeholders do not rate the City highly in its ability to deliver these services (see Appendix

1.7). Results of the Program Benchmarking identified local business permitting and concierge/ ombudsmen services, as well as small business and entrepreneurship support, as top economic development priorities for Goleta’s competitive set cities (see Competitive Set Benchmarking, Appendix 3).
•
Eco
nomic development stakeholders identified talent attraction and retention, tax rates and business costs, and government bureaucracy as the biggest challenges to operating a business in Goleta (see Appendix 1.16). Small business owner and entrepreneur survey respondents disproportionately perceive tax rates and business costs to be a burden (see Appendix 1.16a).

The business community in Goleta does not feel
supported, especially small business owners and
entrepreneurs.

Theme Six
40 35 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment
Figure 15 - Current Reputation of City’s Support for Businesses What three words do you believe best describe Goleta's current ability to support local entrepreneurs, businesses, and industries?
expensive
limited
slowfair
well
bureaucratic
support
aspirational
adequate
business
friendly
lacking
inflexible
difficult unaffordable
trying
intentioned
welcoming
meaning
responsibility
status quoUCSB
lower
taxes
unfriendly chain
stores
okay
inadequatepoor
openspace
digital
fragmented
distant
unfunded
spotty
unknown
ambitious
disdain
semi
favorable
prepared
minimal
community
educated
expedite
moderate
approachable
flexibile
unique
weak
frustrating
location
agreeable
unfocused
focused
inconsistent
dysfunctional
unclear
willing
permitting
accommodate
shortsighted
third
party
discount
cold
mismanaged
silent
partnersnational
evolving
connected
modest
vacancies
rates
uninvolved
disconnected
silo
minimum
positive redtape
local
effective
appropriate
vision
cheap
irresponsible
improve
respectable
potential
nimby
absent
byzantine
tourism
progressive
unplanned
tailored
challenging
scrappy
Economic development
stakeholders
N = 62
Figure 15 – Current Reputation of City’s Support for Businesses N=62 What three words do you believe best describe Goleta’s current ability to support local entrepreneurs, businesses, and industries?
The NPS measures stakeholder perception
of Goleta as a place to do business.

Score ranges from -100 to 100 with a score
of -100 to 0 considered poor, 0 to 10 fair, 10
to 30 good, 30 to 50 excellent and 50+ world
class.
% of Promoters (9s and 10s) - % of Detractors (0s to 6s) = NPS Figure 16 - NPS: Business Environment
How likely is it that you would recommend Goleta as a place to do business? 44%
31%
26%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
Detractors Neutral Promoters
Percentage of Respondents
-18
Poor
Economic development
stakeholders
N = 62
Figure 16 – NPS: Business Environment N=62
How likely is it that you would recommend Goleta as a place to do business? 41 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment36
What we heard
“Money should be spent on making life
more enjoyable for the residents. Too much
time and energy are spent on keeping big
$$ business happy rather than small, local
businesses happy.”
“Ensure economic strategic plan includes a
roadmap for making/supporting businesses
being open post-COVID-19.”
“Navigating the systems and awareness of
what is required to start a business/take
advantage of programs. Ensure resources
available in all languages and formats
necessary.”
“There could be initiatives and funds to help
small businesses.”
“Permitting necessary development or
remodels is challenging. The jobs/housing
fee is crazy limiting.”
“Revenue neutrality agreement can
significantly inhibit support of businesses,
housing options.”
“It is much more expensive to get a business
license in Goleta than the City of Santa
Barbara.”
“Need more support for local (non-chain)
businesses and affordable housing, and
transportation to support them.”
“The local government does not seem
especially supportive [to business].”
“Business is dominated by big box stores.”
“[Goleta] favors big box stores and brands.”
“The Council is not particularly business-friendly
and seems to be unmotivated to work with the
largest business organization on the South Coast,
the Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, Goleta’s
regulations create barriers to doing business and
creating housing for employees.”
42 37 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment
43 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment38
Insights
• Santa Barbara County scores low on the Hachman Index, referenced against the state of California (se
e Figure 17). This indicates a relative lack of industry diversification and may leave the local economy susceptible to industry-specific downturns.
• Surv
ey respondents believe that one of the challenges to Goleta’s economic development is the quality of employment opportunities, such as consistent, sufficient work, and improved wages (see Figure 18).
•
Man
y open-ended survey responses suggest that respondents believe City leaders primarily associate economic growth with tourism growth, creating tension as the City is perceived to overemphasize tourism growth at the cost of not providing enough support to other sectors in the economy.
•
Man
y sectors in Santa Barbara County that have grown faster than California as a whole are those with high wages, such as Management of Companies and Enterprises (296% of the County’s average wage), or low wages such as Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, and Farming (75% of the County’s average wage), Administrative and Waste Services (64% of the County’s average wage), and Accommodation and Food Services (57% of the County’s average wage) (see Appendix

2.14b). These sectors are also projected to grow faster than overall employment in the County (see Appendix 2.9 and Appendix 2.15).
•
The
re were some exceptions to that trend, such as the Health Care and Social Assistance (108% of the County’s average wage) sector, which already represents 12.2% of County employment, and Manufacturing (138% of the County’s average wage) sectors (see Appendix 2.9b). Both typically have a higher proportion of middle-wage jobs, but both are projected to grow at a faster rate than overall employment in Santa Barbara County
The lack of industry diversification and middle-
wage jobs is a potential threat to Goleta’s long-term
economic resilience.

Theme Seven
44 39 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment
Figure 18 – Top 10 Challenges to Goleta's Economic Development What do you believe are the top three biggest challenges or issues related to the economic development of Goleta?
70%
50%
40%
25%
22%
20%
16% 16% 15%
4%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Availability and
cost of housing
Growth
impacting
quality of life
and/or
environment
Growth
impacting City
character and
identity
Ability of
employers to
hire qualified
employees
Limited access
to affordable
childcare
Lack of local
places to shop,
find
entertainment
Quality of
employment
opportunities
(e.g. consistent,
sufficient work;
wages)
Inequitable
growth or
persistent
disparities
Finding enough
land or space
for new or
growing
businesses
Other: Water
shortages
Percentage of Respondents
All survey respondents
N = 189
Figure 17 – Santa Barbara County Hachman Index
The Hachman Index measures the relative mix of industries present in a target area (Santa Barbara County) compared to a reference area (California State). Index scores range from 0 to 1, with higher scores indicating a more diverse mix of industries.

0.1829 0.1867
0 0.2

0.4 0.6

0.8 1
2011 2021
Hachman Index
Figure 17 – Santa Barbara County Hachman Index
The Hachman Index measures the relative mix of industries present in a target area (Santa Barbara County) compared to a reference area (California State). Index scores range from 0 to 1, with higher scores indicating a more diverse mix of industries.

Figure 18 – Top 10 Challenges to Goleta’s Economic Development N=189 What do you believe are the top three biggest challenges or issues related to the economic development of Goleta?
45 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment40
What we heard
“Ensure Goleta remains a world-class
innovation center/technology business hub
to drive good growth, as coastal California
communities on the whole are becoming more
tourism and retirement based. Preserving
and encouraging these industries will drive
high-paying jobs, leading to the moderate and
predictable good growth they want to keep
providing.”
“Foster increasingly close connection between
UCSB and the business community (as well as
local high schools for manufacturing centers in
particular).”
“Goleta is attracting business of several
industries and already has a good mix of
high wage jobs. Capitalize on differentiating
advantage of relationship to UCSB and work to
retain existing industry diversity.”
“Better facilities to support growth potential
of healthcare industry; healthcare having huge
potential, especially due to proximity to the
university.”
“The City clearly emphasizes support for the
hospitality industry. Other businesses are on
their own.”
“Goleta is more welcoming of some businesses
than others, and inconsistent in programs and
plans.”
“Not having a mechanism to limit big brands
and box stores is a challenge.”
“Goleta needs more high paying jobs; there are
too many busser & hotel janitorial jobs.”
“Too much time and energy are spent on
keeping big business happy rather than small,
local businesses happy.”
“Great place for a worker to be near Santa Barbara
with less foot traffic and similar weather. That is the main thing we have right now. But businesses don’t
necessarily want to be here. Hence why even the
big dogs like Amazon and Google only have very
small teams here. The investment even to them
doesn’t make sense for our city.”
46 41 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment
47 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment42
Insights
• Survey respondents feel that growth is impacting resident quality of life and Goleta’s character an
d identity, a potential barrier to economic development. Currently, residents are very hesitant to residential, commercial, and industrial growth, while economic development stakeholders are more receptive, especially to residential growth (see Figure 19). •
A lac
k of resident support for tourism growth is a major challenge to Goleta’s economy (see Figure 20). Interview and focus group participants also expressed value in keeping the small-town feel of Goleta intact. Many open-ended responses express concern about growth, particularly concern that the growth of the local tourism industry will negatively impact Goleta’s identity. •
The l
ack of resident amenities, such as local places to shop, eat, and find entertainment, is also reducing the appeal that Goleta has to the local community (see Appendix 1.15). • Som
e survey respondents believe that recent developments in Goleta have been short-sighted and unfocused. They suggest that Goleta should be more selective in the development and growth opportunities it pursues and thoroughly consider each one’s potential impacts on the community. •
Surv
ey respondents are very keen to see an increase in livable wage jobs to provide financial means for residents to maintain their quality of life amidst rising prices and a housing shortage (see Appendix 1.17).

Residents are worried that Goleta’s growth will
impact their quality of life and change the city’s
unique character.

Theme Eight
48 43 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment
Figure 20 - Tourism Support Structures
Please rate your perception of the quality of the tourism support structures in Goleta:

2.92 2.89

2.73 2.72

2.30 2.17 2.16 2.11 2.04

1.75 1.75
1 2
3 4
5 Inbound
transportation
options
Public health
policies and
regulation
Public
infrastructure
Wayfinding Resident
support
In-market
transportation
options
Government
support
International
tourism
readiness
Pro-tourism
policies and
regulation
Invest or/
stakeholder/
partner support
Tourism
funding
ExcellentVery Poor
Economic development
stakeholders
N = 53
Figure 19 – Growth and Change Perceptions N=190
How do you feel about growth and change in Goleta?
Figure 20 – Tourism Support Structures N=53
Please rate your perception of the quality of the tourism support structures in Goleta:
49 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment44
“We have a nice community to live in. It’s been
significantly impacted over the past few years with
growth, which makes it a lot less desirable. The City
did not do a good job managing growth and we are
all feeling it.”
What we heard
“Stop building so much! Quality of life is
suffering because you are too concerned about
business and not people. Stop the madness!”
“Pros and cons of Goleta are that it’s a small
town. It nice because it’s a small town. It can be
hard to live here cause it’s a small town (limited
resources, retail, etc.).”
“A great place to live but don’t want any more
people moving here. It is too crowded now.”
“Lack of city planning means growth
impacts are negatively affecting the quality
of life. We can’t fit everyone and every large
development.”
“Goleta is first our home and not a [tourism]
‘industry product’.”
“I would prefer a no/slow growth policy, geared
towards redevelopment of existing developed
areas (no development of current open spaces),
with the aim of smaller, higher paid industries
(small high-tech companies).”
“Goleta is known for its mountains and
beaches. Overdevelopment with monstrous
buildings that do not even have enough water to
support them is not what Goleta is about.”
“All your concern seems to be about
development rather than quality of life.

People need a better quality of life, not more
businesses that just take and feel no obligation
to give in return!”
“The city is growing at a rate that hurts existing
residents and only attracts out of town potential
residents. We are being squeezed out of our
own community. There needs to be more
serious thought to the long-term repercussions,
instead of seemingly focusing on short term
benefits.”
“Maintain the character of Goleta. Say no to
unbridled growth, it ruins community.”
50 45 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment
51 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment46
Insights
• Survey respondents rated the presence of local universities/higher education as the top tourism dr
iver (see Figure 21), and there is evidence that a good portion of Goleta’s tourism may be a byproduct of its proximity to the City of Santa Barbara or non-leisure travel such as business or school-related travel (see Appendix 4, slide 65 and 67). •
The u
niversity itself is already a driver of tourism. 9.8% of visitors to Goleta indicated that they toured UCSB while on a recent trip (see Appendix 4, slide 76), and 11.5% of high-likelihood potential travelers to Goleta list touring UCSB as a driver of their visit (see Appendix 5, slide 47). •
A sig
nificant number of interview and focus group participants are seeking closer connection to UCSB and see the university as the major economic development driver for Goleta, particularly as it relates to access to skilled workers and investments in local innovation and research & development. •
Des
pite having an excellent university within city limits, Goleta’s economic development stakeholders are finding it challenging to recruit skilled workers and find resources to support innovation, research, & development (see Figure 22).
•
Som
e stakeholders believe that Goleta has an opportunity to strengthen its economy due to the Santa Barbara’s current development constraints, by positioning the city as a location for future industry development and spin-off activity coming out of UCSB. •
Sta
keholders indicated that Goleta’s proximity to UCSB is particularly advantageous to growing a robust high tech industry if the relationship is cultivated appropriately.

The University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB)
has the potential to be a major economic driver and
should be further leveraged to help grow the local
economy beyond the tourism industry and its impact
on hotel occupancy.

Theme Nine
52 47 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment
Figure 22 - Economic Development Drivers
Please rate your perception of the quality of the following economic development drivers:

3.62 3.46

3.43 3.42

3.41 3.31

3.30 3.16

2.93 2.87

2.84 2.79

4.32 3.79

3.39 3.33

3.19 3.13

2.69 2.60

2.20 2.05 1.98

1.36 1
2 3
4 5
Local
Universities/
Higher Education
Outdoor &
Recreational
Activities
Food &
Beverage
Lodging &
Accommodations
Retail &
Shopping
Events &
Festivals
Attractions Arts, Culture &
Heritage
Experiences
Nightlife &
Entertainment
Conventions,
Conferences &
Meetings
Destination
Information
Hotel Loyalty
Programs and/ or
Credi t Card
Points
ExcellentVery poor
All survey respondents
N = 191
Figure 21 – Tourism Drivers N=191
Please rate your perception of the quality of the tourism drivers of Goleta:

Figure 22 – Economic Development Drivers N=58
Please rate your perception of the quality of the following economic development drivers:
53 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment48
“The university is a big resource and will be a
bigger one in the future, especially from the tech
perspective. A lot of the technology of the future is
being developed there. We can provide valuable
business infrastructure in the area.”
What we heard
“Goleta is a great place to do business, a small
town but also well connected to the university
and other large businesses.”
“Collaboration with UCSB might improve R&D
opportunities. Prefer this to tourism, which
impacts already stressed infrastructure. Also
hope mixed use agriculture can continue.”
“UCSB will provide the necessary talent
attraction if the graduates were able to afford
to stay in the area. But for that to happen, more
housing is necessary.”
“For the Santa Barbara region, [Goleta] has a
distinct advantage of commercial and industrial
land when compared to SB and Carpentaria.

Goleta is the best bet to grow/expand in region.

Adjacency to the university and airport is an
advantage as well. Larger employers are in
Goleta and Carpentaria, not Santa Barbara. A
handful of high-tech firms are in Goleta.”
“Concentration of 20,000 students at UCSB,
with parents/friends coming to visit. We need
to capture these visitors. Need to leverage the
university as the key economic driver.”
“Helping students stay in town more. Many
of us leave for college and don’t come back
because of the jobs. Again, goes back to being
a place people are proud to be from. Not just to
retire.”
“Goleta can encourage development of small
businesses/startups from the university.”
“USCB should be a strong partnership, but it’s
not and I’m not sure which side is to blame.

There is a history of trying really hard to get the
City, the Chamber, and UCSB to work together
on an entrepreneurial program.”
“Focus on relationships with UCSB – Nano
tech, engineering, environmental, etc. The
university should be the center of the City’s
economic development efforts.”
“The City has a program that we participate
in with UCSB, Goleta Entrepreneurial Magnet
(GEM). We abandoned that 4-5 years ago. There
should be a way to make that more functional.”
54 49 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment
55 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment50
Insights
• Survey respondents would like to see Goleta make more effort to address economic disparities, en
courage shared prosperity regardless of socio-economic status or demographics, and support entrepreneurs and business owners from historically disadvantaged backgrounds (see Figure 23). • Whil
e Goleta has a lower poverty rate than California as a whole, there are significant racial disparities. A much higher percentage of Goleta residents who identify as Asian, some other race, or two or more races sit below the poverty line than residents who identify as White/Caucasian (see Appendix 2.20).
•
Wor
ds such as “inclusive” and “equitable” were used by survey respondents to describe their ideal economic vision for Goleta (see Appendix 1.2).
• Surv
ey respondents identified inequitable growth and persistent disparities as a challenge to local economic development (see Appendix 1.15). Similarly, there is a desire to see a reduction in economic disparities for historically disadvantaged communities (see Appendix 1.17). •
Lim
ited access to affordable childcare disproportionately impacts non-Latino BIPOC communities and people who identify as women (see Figure 24).
• His
panic/Latino/a/x respondents rated the quality of Goleta’s economic development drivers lower overall, with an especially large gap for broadband access, available arts and cultural amenities, access to capital for business, and job opportunities with livable wages (see Appendix 1.8a). Yet, the Hispanic/Latino/a/x community was the only racial/ethnic group likely to recommend Goleta as a place to do business, with a positive NPS of 21 (see Appendix 1.5a).

The City’s Economic Development Strategy should
continue to prioritize historically disadvantaged
communities to ensure equitable growth and shared
prosperity.

Theme Ten
56 51 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment
Figure 23 - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Please select your level of agreement with each statement:

3.36 3.11

2.50 2.49

1.62 1
2 3
4 5
Goleta is welcoming to people
from a diversity of backgrounds
and communities
Goleta is seen as racially and
ethnically diverse
Goleta is a community that
authentically seeks to address
economic disparities
Goleta’s economic development
priorities are designed to
encourage shared prosperity
regardless of socio-economic
status or demographics
Goleta effectively supports
entrepreneurs and business
owners from historically
disadvantaged communities
Strongly agreeStrongly disagree
All survey respondents
N = 190
Figure 23 – Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion N=190
Please select your level of agreement with each statement:

Figure 24 – Challenge: Limited Access to Affordable Childcare N=189 Percentage of respondents from the corresponding group who indicated one of the top three biggest challenges or issues related to the economic development of Goleta is Limited Access to Affordable Childcare
57 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment52
“Goleta is growing and changing both culturally and
financially. Goleta is attracting a diverse community
and workforce that want to have a safe place to live,
work, and raise a family. The community dynamics
are changing for the better. It’s good to see.”
What we heard
“Goleta’s multi-ethnic heritage and history have
very limited support from local government
and most nonprofits. These are overlooked or
under-valued attractions, in my opinion.”
“For the Latino community, ensure that
development is done in an inclusive way
that involves all voices and that ensures
Hispanic Chambers receive the same funding
and respect when participating in economic
development. Often, it feels like development
is just thrown at us, but we want the same
equitable funding that regional chambers
receive.”
Navigating the systems and awareness of what
is required to start a business/take advantage
of programs. Ensure resources available in all
languages and formats necessary.”
“The challenge is how do we maintain a diverse
community so that more people can live where
they work and grow up where they live.”
“The City must dictate through rulings who
can come here and how businesses that come
here can attract the people that will come to
live here. The City needs to entice smaller
businesses and focus on increasing the
diversity of who lives here.”
58 53 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment
59 Appendices
60 55 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment
Appendix 1.1 - Affiliation with the City of Goleta
Please choose the affiliation category below that best describes your organization or relationship with Goleta
73%
8% 7%
4% 3% 2% 2% 1% 1%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
Resident Government Small Business
Owner/
Entrepreneur
Community
Development
Partner
Larger Business/
Corporate
Stakeholder
(non-Tourism)
Tourism and
Hospitality
Industry
Stakeholder
Resident in
adjacent
community
Workforce
Development or
Education
Partner
Other
Percentage of Respondents
All survey respondents
N = 399
Appendix 1.1a - Affiliation with the City of Goleta
Please choose the affiliation category below that best describes your organization or relationship with Goleta
28%
26%
16%
9% 8%
4%
9%
0%
0%
10%
20%
30%
Government Small Business
Owner/
Entrepreneur
Community
Development
Partner
Larger Business/
Corporate
Stakeholder (non-
Tourism)
Tourism and
Hospitality Industry
Stakeholder
Workforce
Development or
Education Partner
Other Resident
Percentage of Respondents
Economic development
stakeholders
N = 107
Appendix 1.1 – Affiliation with the City of Goleta N=399 Please choose the affiliation category below that best describes your organization or relationship with Goleta
Appendix 1.1a – Affiliation with the City of Goleta N=107 Please choose the affiliation category below that best describes your organization or relationship with Goleta
Appendix 1: Stakeholder Engagement
by Coraggio Group
61 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment56
Appendix 1.2 - Economic Vision Descriptors
What three words would you like to see reflected in the economic vision for Goleta? sustainable
local
communitysafe
growth
innovative
environmentaffordable
equitable
inclusive
housing
stable
smallclean
jobs
friendly
conservation
family
balanced
technologydiversequality
vibrant
healthy
responsible
green
preservation
parking
infrastructure
beautiful
business
water
variety
supportive
slow
walkable
investment
solvent
fair
roads
modern
smart
thrive
traffic
education
non-government
reduce tax
entrepreneurship
vitality
equal
flexible
relief
transparency
accessible
resilient
responsibility
shopping
open
service
less growth
rent control
non-profit
support
police
careful
workforce renewal
workers
life
spaciousplanned
savings
strategic
prosperous
thinking
upgrade
helpful
quiet
strong
efficient
positivetransportation
future
proactive
change
robust
entrepreneurial
care
space
prosperity
efficiency
success
varied
densifying
execution
rent-control
beautification conscious
words promote
All survey respondents
N = 226
Appendix 1.2a - Economic Vision Descriptors
What three words would you like to see reflected in the economic vision for Goleta? sustainable
innovative
communitygrowth
parking
inclusive
equitable
stable
diverse
vibrant
local
safe
friendly
business
clean
police
safety
housing
flexible
environment
smart
thrive
responsiblemodern
healthy
thinking
upgrade
helpful
equity
responsibility
future
entrepreneurship
proactive
change
resilient
jobs
service
supportive
support
beautification
investment
fair
promote
serve
workforce
resiliency
nimble
workers
vitality
resident
oriented
merit
preservation
benefit
conservation
museum
beautiful
santa
peaceful
focused
traditional
quality
prosperous
futuristic
accessible
roads
streets
pedestrian
comprehensive
healthcareproductive
trust
assist
activities
residents
creative
forward
tourism
effort
safer
uplift barbara
successful
quaint
planned
moderate
small
balanced
pollution
slow
positive
green
robust
reparations
head
household
experiential
entrepreneurial
style
unity
Economic development
stakeholders
N = 64
Appendix 1.2 – Economic Vision Descriptors N=226
What three words would you like to see reflected in the economic vision for Goleta? Appendix 1.2a – Economic Vision Descriptors N=64
What three words would you like to see reflected in the economic vision for Goleta? 62 57 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment
Appendix 1.3 - Current Reputation of City’s Support for Businesses What three words do you believe best describe Goleta's current ability to support local entrepreneurs, businesses, and industries?
expensive
limited
slowsupportive
bureaucratic
adequate
poorcommunity
friendly
unknown
fair
business
lacking
inadequate
responsible
environmental
difficult
housing
focused
good
well
UCSB free parkinglittlereasonable
unclear
welcoming
available
aspirational
thoughtful
educated
location
willing
trying
infrastructure
helpful
okay
well-intentioned
old
taxes
political
constrained
moderate
insufficient
average
unplanned
residents
strong
irresponsible
regulation
inflexible
sparse
weak
inconsistent
small
existent
tourism
cumbersome
car
vacancies
people
biasshortsighted
unbalanced
interested
positive greedy
progressive
appropriate
open
biased
outdated
optimistic
meaning
open space
chain stores
uncertain unfriendly
variable
possible
tradition
problematic
attention
accessible
carefulinviting
affordable
traffic
inexpensive
digital
fragmented
distant
unfunded
spotty
coreless
prioritized
horrible
excessive
ambitious
disdain
All survey respondents
N = 179
Appendix 1.3a - Current Reputation of City’s Support for Businesses What three words do you believe best describe Goleta's current ability to support local entrepreneurs, businesses, and industries?
expensive
limited
slowfair
well
bureaucratic
support
aspirational
adequate
business
friendly
lacking
inflexible
difficult unaffordable
trying
intentioned
welcoming
meaning
responsibility
status quoUCSB
lower
taxes
unfriendly chain
stores
okay
inadequatepoor
openspace
digital
fragmented
distant
unfunded
spotty
unknown
ambitious
disdain
semi
favorable
prepared
minimal
community
educated
expedite
moderate
approachable
flexibile
unique
weak
frustrating
location
agreeable
unfocused
focused
inconsistent
dysfunctional
unclear
willing
permitting
accommodate
shortsighted
third
party
discount
cold
mismanaged
silent
partnersnational
evolving
connected
modest
vacancies
rates
uninvolved
disconnected
silo
minimum
positive redtape
local
effective
appropriate
vision
cheap
irresponsible
improve
respectable
potential
nimby
absent
byzantine
tourism
progressive
unplanned
tailored
challenging
scrappy
Economic development
stakeholders
N = 62
Appendix 1.3 – Current Reputation of City’s Support for Businesses N=179 What three words do you believe best describe Goleta’s current ability to support local entrepreneurs, businesses, and industries?
Appendix 1.3a – Current Reputation of City’s Support for Businesses N=62 What three words do you believe best describe Goleta’s current ability to support local entrepreneurs, businesses, and industries?
63 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment58
Appendix 1.4 - Ideal Reputation of City’s Support for Businesses What three words would you like to use to describe Goleta's ability to support local entrepreneurs, businesses, and industries in the future? supportive
innovative
flexiblesustainableaffordable
helpful
collaborative
community
fair
efficient
local
creative
limited
growth partnership
inclusive
progressive
deregulate
effective
housing
diversesuccessful openfriendly
encouraging
balanced
accessible
equitable
responsive
rent control
focused
business
parking
water
inviting
partner
clean
small
responsibility
transportation
tax
inspired
hopeful
careful
attractive
environmental
connected
commitment
unknown
funding
dynamic
necessary
independent
engaged welcoming
infrastructure
unbiased
environmentally
aware
new
hands
timely
build
brand
strategic
enabling educated
quality
pro
change
think
willing
informative
transparency
efficiency
organic
zoning
prosperous
visionary
repave streets
teamwork
permitting
low clear
cooperative
bipartisan
boutique
incentives
thoughtful
doubtful
coordinated
sufficient
space
hire
vitality
great
digital
thriving
hip
unified
All survey respondents
N = 179
Appendix 1.4a - Ideal Reputation of City’sSupport for Businesses What three words would you like to use to describe Goleta's ability to support local entrepreneurs, businesses, and industries in the future? supportive
innovative
flexibleaffordable
collaborative
helpful
creativeefficient
effective
progressive
housing
partnership
responsibility
inclusive
hopeful
inviting
connected
community
dynamic
hands
diversebrand open
thinkaccessible
informative
responsive
sustainable
repavestreetsbusiness
friendly
boutique
incentives
parking
encouraging
space
partner
unified
clean
taxrelief
fair
limited
thinking
excellent
streamlining
present
practive
tourism
faster
necessary
robust
homeless
enable
push
nurturing
highincomejobs
local
security
happy
build
big
childcare
involved
message
sprawl
committed deregulate
appropriate
attractive
speed
market
inspire
opportunity
cooperation
important
welcoming
successful
crime
green
industrial
equitablelighting
theme
police
proactive
transportation
healthy
intentional
accountability
consultation
communityminded
smart
motivate
growth
efficiency
traffic
aware
timeline
service
prosperous
Economic development
stakeholders
N = 60
Appendix 1.4 – Ideal Reputation of City’s Support for Businesses N=179 What three words would you like to see reflected in the economic vision for Goleta? Appendix 1.4a – Ideal Reputation of City’s Support for Businesses N=60 What three words would you like to use to describe Goleta’s ability to support local entrepreneurs, businesses, and industries in the future?
64 59 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment
The NPS measures stakeholder perception of
Goleta as a place to do business.

Score ranges from -100 to 100 with a score
of -100 to 0 considered poor, 0 to 10 fair, 10
to 30 good, 30 to 50 excellent and 50+ world
class.
% of Promoters (9s and 10s) - % of Detractors (0s to 6s) = NPS Appendix 1.6 - NPS: Live and work in Goleta
27%
31%
42%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
Detractors Neutral Promoters
Percentage of Respondents
How likely is it that you would recommend Goleta as an ideal place to live and work? 15 Good
All survey respondents
N = 234
Appendix 1.5b – NPS: Live and Work in Goleta by Race/Ethnicity N=219 How likely is it that you would recommend Goleta as an ideal place to live and work? Score ranges from -100 to 100 with a score of -100 to 0 considered poor, 0 to 10 considered fair, 10 to 30 good, 30 to 50 excellent and 50+ world class.

Appendix 1.6 – NPS: Live and work in Goleta N=234
How likely is it that you would recommend Goleta as an ideal place to live and work? 66 61 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment
The NPS measures stakeholder perception
of Goleta as a place to live and work.

Score ranges from -100 to 100 with a score
of -100 to 0 considered poor, 0 to 10 fair, 10
to 30 good, 30 to 50 excellent and 50+ world
class.
% of Promoters (9s and 10s) - % of Detractors (0s to 6s) = NPS Appendix 1.6a - NPS: Live and work in Goleta
31% 32%
37%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
Detractors Neutral Promoters
Percentage of Respondents
How likely is it that you would recommend Goleta as an ideal place to live and work? 6 Fair
Economic development
stakeholders
N = 62
Appendix 1.6a – NPS: Live and work in Goleta N=62
How likely is it that you would recommend Goleta as an ideal place to live and work? Appendix 1.6b – NPS: Live and Work in Goleta by Affiliation N=234 How likely is it that you would recommend Goleta as an ideal place to live and work? Score ranges from -100 to 100 with a score of -100 to 0 considered poor, 0 to 10 considered fair, 10 to 30 good, 30 to 50 excellent and 50+ world class. 67 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment62
Appendix 1.7 – Economic Development Activities
Please rank how important and effective the following economic development activities are in Goleta:VeryNot at all

4.69 4.47

4.16 3.98 3.75 3.66 3.61 3.60

2.79 2.78

3.22 3.40 3.16 3.28

2.97 2.98 3.05 2.91 2.79 2.75
1 2
3 4
5 Important Effective

4.71 4.39 4.36 4.11 4.21 3.98 3.86 3.89

3.44 3.263.27 3.51

3.22 3.33

2.95 2.86

3.28 2.97 2.86 2.97
1 2
3 4
5 Infrastructure
investment
Resi dent amenities
and quality of life
improvements
Entrepreneurship
and small business
support
Placemaking,
district planning,
and city
beautification efforts
Government
permitting for
new/expanding
businesses
Workforce
development and
talent attraction
Investments in
innovation and
research &
development
Business
recruitment,
retention, and
expansion
Des tination
marketing and
visitor attraction
Dev elopment of
tourism attractions,
events, and other
industry products
Important Effective Economic development stakeholders
N = 57
All survey respondents
N = 197
VeryNot at all
Appendix 1.7 – Economic Development Activities
Please rank how important and effective the following economic development activities are in Goleta:

Appendix 1.8 - Economic Development Drivers
Please rate your perception of the quality of the following economic development drivers:

Very poor Excellent
All survey respondents
N = 201
Economic development stakeholders
N = 58

3.50 3.46

3.38 3.26

3.22 3.17

3.12 3.08

3.03 2.90

2.84 2.80

1.92 1 2 3 4 5
Availability of skilled workers and talent
Available community amenities (dining, retail, etc.)
Available commercial space
Community infrastructure (public transit, roads,…
Resources to support innovation and research &…
Broadband and access to high-speed internet
Government support and a business-friendly…
Access to capital for businesses
Available industrial land
Available arts and cultural amenities (museums,…
Job opportunities with livable wages
Support services for small business and…
Accessible and affordable housing

3.42 3.62

3.41 3.46

3.30 3.43

3.16 3.31

2.93 2.79

2.87 2.84

1.70 1 2 3 4 5
Very poor Excellent
Appendix 1.8 – Economic Development Drivers
Please rate your perception of the quality of the following economic development drivers:
68 63 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment
Appendix 1.8b - Economic Development Drivers by Race/Ethnicity Please rate your perception of the quality of the following economic development drivers:

3.50 3.46

3.38 3.26

3.22 3.17

3.12 3.08

3.03 2.90

2.84 2.80

1.92 3.45

3.14 2.90

3.00 3.25

2.58 3.09

2.56 2.80

2.29 2.33

2.45 2.07
1 2 3 4 5
Availability of skilled workers and talent
Available community amenities
Available commercial space
Community infrastructure
Resources to support innovation and research & development Broadband and access to high-speed internet
Government support and a business-friendly environment
Access to capital for businesses
Available industrial land
Available arts and cultural amenities
Job opportunities with livable wages
Support services for small business and entrepreneurs
Accessible and affordable housing
Average Rating Hispanic/Latino/a/x
ExcellentVery poor
All survey respondents
N = 201
Appendix 1.8b – Economic Development Activities N=201 Please rank how important and effective the following economic development activities are in Goleta:

Appendix 1.9 - Tourism Drivers
Please rate your perception of the quality of the tourism drivers of Goleta:

4.32 3.79

3.39 3.33 3.19 3.13

2.69 2.60

2.20 2.05 1.98 1.36
1 2
3 4
5 Local
Universities/
Higher Education
Outdoor &
Recreational
Activities
Food &
Beverage
Lodging &
Accommodations
Retail &
Shopping
Events &
Festivals
Attractions Arts, Culture &
Heritage
Experiences
Nightlife &
Entertainment
Conventions,
Conferences &
Meetings
Destination
Information
Hotel Loyalty
Programs and/ or
Credi t Card
Points
ExcellentVery poor

4.44 3.98

3.54 3.73

3.24 3.09

2.67 2.75

2.33 2.39 2.25 2.09
1 2
3 4
5 Local
Universities/
Higher Education
Outdoor &
Recreational
Activities
Food & Beverage Lodging &
Accommodations
Retail &
Shopping
Events &
Festivals
Attractions Arts, Culture &
Heritage
Experiences
Nightlife &
Entertainment
Conventions,
Conferences &
Meetings
Destination
Information
Hotel Loyalty
Programs and/or
Credi t Card
Points
Excellent Very poor
All survey respondents
N = 191
Economic development stakeholders
N = 55
Appendix 1.9 – Tourism Drivers
Please rate your perception of the quality of the tourism drivers of Goleta:
69 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment64
Appendix 1.10 - Tourism Support Structures
Please rate your perception of the quality of the tourism support structures in Goleta:

ExcellentVery poor Excellent Very poor

2.64 2.55 2.53 2.47

2.15 1.61 1.59 1.59 1.47 1.11 1.09
1 2
3 4
5 Wayfinding Inbound
transportation
options
Public health
policies and
regulation
Public
infrastructure
Resident
support
In-market
transportation
options
Pro-tourism
policies and
regulation
Government
support
International
tourism
readiness
Tourism
funding
Invest or/
stakeholder/
partner support

2.72 2.92 2.89 2.73

2.30 2.17 2.04 2.16 2.11

1.75 1.75
1 2
3 4
5 Wayfinding Inbound
transportation
options
Public health
policies and
regulation
Public
infrastructure
Resident
support
In-market
transportation
options
Pro-tourism
policies and
regulation
Government
support
International
tourism
readiness
Tourism
funding
Invest or/
stakeholder/
partner support
All survey respondents
N = 183
Economic development stakeholders
N = 53
Appendix 1.10 – Tourism Support Structures
Please rate your perception of the quality of the tourism support structures in Goleta:

Appendix 1.11 – Visitor Attraction Development
How promising would development of the following visitor attractions be in Goleta? 70 65 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment
Appendix 1.12 - Challenges in developing Goleta as a site for outdoor/farm weddings Very easyVery difficult
Please rate the level of difficulty encountered due to each of the following challenges in developing Goleta as a site for outdoor/farm weddings:

1.74 1.71 1.51

1.33 1.31 1.17 1.16
1 2
3 4
5 1.96 1.80 1.80 1.48 1.62 1.24 1.35
1 2
3 4
5 Insufficient hotel space Inadequate outdoor
sites for weddings
Excessive competition
from the Santa Ynez
area and the cities of
Santa Barbara and
Montecito
Lack of a dedicated web
page
Insufficient outreach
and publicity
Lack of a central point
of connection for
couples, wedding
planners, and local
businesses
Inadequate staffing
Very easyVery difficult
All survey respondents
N = 181
Economic development stakeholders
N = 51
Appendix 1.12 – Challenges in developing Goleta as a site for outdoor/farm weddings Please rate the level of difficulty encountered due to each of the following challenges in developing Goleta as a site for outdoor/farm weddings:

Appendix 1.13 – Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Please select your level of agreement with each statement:

Strongly
disagree
Strongly
agree

3.36 3.11

2.50 2.49

1.62 1
2 3
4 5

3.53 3.05 2.87 2.65

2.15 1
2 3
4 5
Goleta is welcoming to people
from a diversity of backgrounds
and communities
Goleta is seen as racially and
ethnically diverse
Goleta is a community that
authentically seeks to address
economic disparities
Goleta’s economic development
priorities are designed to
encourage shared prosperity
regardless of socio-economic
status or demographics
Goleta effectively supports
entrepreneurs and business
owners from historically
disadvantaged communities
Strongly
disagree
Strongly
agree
All survey respondents
N = 190
Economic development stakeholders
N = 55
Appendix 1.13 – Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Please select your level of agreement with each statement:
71 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment66
Appendix 1.14 – Growth and Change Perceptions
How do you feel about growth and change in Goleta?Very positiveVery negativeVery positiveVery negative

2.73 2.71 2.45
1 2
3 4
5 Commercial growth (e.g. more land zoned commercial,
more commercial businesses
Residential growth (e.g. increased population, more
housing
Industrial growth (e.g. more industrial zoned land, more manufacturing

3.04 3.33

2.88 1
2 3
4 5
Commercial growth (e.g. more land zoned commercial,
more commercial businesses
Residential growth (e.g. increased population, more
housing
Industrial growth (e.g. more industrial zoned land, more manufacturing
All survey respondents
N = 190
Economic development stakeholders
N = 54
Appendix 1.14 – Growth and Change Perceptions
How do you feel about growth and change in Goleta?
Appendix 1.14a – Growth and Change Perceptions N=190
Please select your level of agreement with each statement:
72 67 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment
Appendix 1.15 – Challenges to Goleta's Economic Development What do you believe are the top three biggest challenges or issues related to the economic development of Goleta? 70%
50%
40%
25% 22% 20% 16% 16% 15% 4%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Percentage of
Respondents
89%
41%
28% 30% 37%
13% 15% 15% 24% 6%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Availability and
cost of housing
Growth
impacting
quality of life
and/or
environment
Growth
impacting City
character and
identity
Ability of
employers to
hire qualified
employees
Limited access
to affordable
childcare
Lack of local
places to shop,
find
entertainment
Quality of
employment
opportunities
(e.g. consistent,
sufficient work;
wages)
Inequitable
growth or
persistent
disparities
Finding enough
land or space
for new or
growing
businesses
Other: Water
shortages
Percentage of Respondents
Economic development stakeholders
N = 55
All survey respondents
N = 189
Appendix 1.15 – Challenges to Goleta’s Economic Development What do you believe are the top three biggest challenges or issues related to the economic development of Goleta?
Appendix 1.15a – Limited Access to Affordable Childcare N=189 Percentage of respondents from the corresponding group who indicated one of the top three biggest challenges or issues related to the economic development of Goleta is Limited Access to Affordable Childcare
73 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment68
Appendix 1.16 – Challenges to Operating a Business
Please indicate what you believe are the top three challenges to operating a business in Goleta:
48%
43%
34% 31% 31%
17% 14% 10% 7%
6% 5%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%Percentage of Respondents
58%
42%
46%
37%
29%
25%
12% 8%
6% 6%
2%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Finding and
keeping the
right people
High tax rates
and/or
business cost s
Onerous or
slow
government
processes
Finding the
right office
space or
available land
Infrastructure Lack of
business
support
services
Access to
financing
Finding
business
partners and
relationships
Lack of
networking/
support among
local business
Lack of City
promotion
Other: Limited
workforce
housing
Percentage of Respondents
All survey respondents
N = 162
Economic development stakeholders
N = 52
Appendix 1.16 – Challenges to Operating a Business
Please indicate what you believe are the top three challenges to operating a business in Goleta:

Appendix 1.16a - Challenges to Operating a Business
Please indicate what you believe are the top three challenges to operating a business in Goleta:
80%
33%
53%
40%
27%
47%
73%
47%
33%
20%
33% 33% 33%
56%
22%
57%
33%
56%
22%
44%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Finding and keeping the right
people
High tax rates and/or business
costs
Onerous or slow government
processes
Finding the right office space or
available land
Infrastructure
Percentage of Respondents
Government (elected official/ city staff) Small Business Owner/ Entrepreneur Community Development Partner Other stakeholders All survey respondents
N = 162
Appendix 1.16a – Challenges to Operating a Business N=162 Please indicate what you believe are the top three challenges to operating a business in Goleta:
74 69 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment
Appendix 1.18 - Race/Ethnicity
White or
Caucasian
66%
Prefer not to
answer
19%
Hispanic or
Latino/a/x
8%
Two or more
races
4%
BIPOC (non-
Hispanic, non-
Latinx)
4%
What is your race/ethnicity? All survey respondents
N = 182
White or
Caucasian
66%
Prefer not to
answer
11%
Hispanic or
Latino/a/x
11%
Two or more
races
4%
BIPOC (non-
Hispanic, non-
Latinx)
8%
Economic development stakeholders
N = 53
Appendix 1.17 - Ideal Outcomes from Economic Development Efforts What are the three most important outcomes you would like to see from Goleta's economic development efforts? All survey respondents
N = 188
Economic development stakeholders
N = 54
52%
45%
31%
29%
23%
22%
18%
18%
15%
11%
10%
7%
6%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
Improved infrastructure
City or downtown beautification/improvements
Increase in livable wage jobs
Better support for small businesses and…
Reduction in economic disparities for historically…
Increase in community amenities
Improving Goleta’s reputation as a place to visit
Improving Goleta’s reputation as a place to do …
Increase in local innovation and research &…
Workforce training and skill development
An increase in tax revenue to support community…
Other: Affordable housing
Industry diversification
Percentage of Respondents
41%
37%
31%
28%
24%
19%
22%
28%
15%
7%
11%
15%
6%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
Percentage of Respondents
Appendix 1.17 – Ideal Outcomes from Economic Development Efforts What are the three most important outcomes you would like to see from Goleta’s economic development efforts?
Appendix 1.18 – Race/Ethnicity
What is your race/ethnicity?
75 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment70
Appendix 1.19 - Gender
Female
45%
Male
40%
Prefer not to
answer
15%
Non-binary
1%
What gender do you most identify as currently?
All survey respondents
N = 184
Female
55%
Male
38%
Prefer not to
answer
8%
Economic development stakeholders
N = 53
Appendix 1.19 – Gender
What gender do you most identify as currently?
76 71 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment
77 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment72
78 73 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment
79 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment74
Appendix 2: Economic Trends and Data
Analysis by Coraggio Group
Macroeconomic Trends
Persistent Inflation
Because there have been two consecutive quarters of negative GDP growth, with 1.6% and 0.6% contraction in Q1 and Q2, respectively–the U.S. is currently in a recession when using traditional definitions.
6 Still, economists at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)–who more open- endedly define a recession as a “significant decline in economic activity spread across the economy that lasts more than a few months”–are hesitant to officially declare a recession. 7 Recession or not, inflation
remains high. While overall inflation has decreased from its June and July figures of 9.1% and 8.5% respectively, it remained stubbornly high at 8.3% in August, 8.2% in September, and 7.7% in October. 8 Inflation’s cooling from its summer peak is occurring at different rates for different indices. The energy index inflation rate has decreased month-over-month for the last four months, from 32.9% in July to 17.6% in October.
9 Retail gasoline prices have declined steadily in the last four months as well.10 However, other sub-indices paint a more troubling picture of the future of consumer spending and reveal potential economic headwinds in the longer term. Core inflation, which many economists view as a more useful measure of inflation due to its exclusion of volatile food and energy prices, increased from 5.9% in July to 6.3% in August and 6.6% in September, and has only slightly moderated to 6.3% in October. 11 Even though certain
important inflation indices have trended downward, high core inflation indicates that there are still broad upward price pressures.

Public Health
Coronavirus cases have steadily declined for the last couple of months, with the rolling 7-day average of new cases sitting above 100,000 during the entire month of July but remaining well below 100,000 for all of September and October.
12 At the start of September, the CDC also recommended a new booster shot for the highly contagious BA.5 subvariant to adults and teens.13 While coronavirus cases remain low relative to the peaks of the past couple years and other infectious diseases entering the news cycle have yet to significantly impact economic activity, the recent trend of increased reporting on public health crises– infectious diseases in particular–may continue to impact which activities different groups perceive as safe. 6 Bureau of Economic Analysis (2022). Gross Domestic Product.

Retrieved from https://www.bea.gov/data/gdp/gross-domestic-product 7 Forbes Advisor (2022). Recession Tracker: Are We In a Recession? Updated November 2, 2022.

Retrieved from https://www.bea.gov/data/gdp/gross-domestic-product 8 Trading Economics (2022). United States Inflation Rate: October 2022 Data.

Retrieved from https://tradingeconomics.com/united-states/inflation-cpi 9 Trading Economics (2022). United States Inflation Rate: October 2022 Data.

Retrieved from https://tradingeconomics.com/united-states/inflation-cpi 10 US Energy Information Administration (2022). US All Grades All Formulations Retail Gasoline Prices.

Retrieved from https://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=pet&s=emm_epm0_pte_nus_dpg&f=m 11 Trading Economics (2022). United States Inflation Rate: October 2022 Data.

Retrieved from https://tradingeconomics.com/united-states/inflation-cpi 12 The New York Times (2022). Coronavirus in the US: Latest Map and Case Count. Updated November 4th, 2022.

Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/us/covid-cases.html 13 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2022). CDC Recommends the First Updated COVID-19 Booster. Updated September 1, 2022.

Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2022/s0901-covid-19-booster.html 80 75 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment
Workforce Shortages but a Cooling Job Market
The job market remains strong. The economy added 585,000 new jobs in July,14 a key reason NBER economists have refrained from declaring a recession. However, the still-hot overall job market may be beginning to cool, with the August, September, and October new jobs figures coming in at 315,000,15 263,000,16 and 261,00017 respectively. The national unemployment rate has fluctuated between 3.5 and 3.7% over the last four months.18
One of the sectors most affected by the “Great Resignation” has been leisure and hospitality. Nearly 1 in 12 labor positions in the industry remain unfilled, one of the greatest employment gaps in any industry. 19 While private sector nominal wages rose 5% between September 2021 and September 2022, leisure and hospitality wages rose 8%, reflecting the scarcity of those willing to work in the industry and the increased costs to employers of hiring and retaining workers.
20 These shortages continue to cause lower levels of
service across different occupations within the leisure and hospitality industry.

However, there is some evidence that the leisure and hospitality labor market is cooling relative to the job market as a whole. The share of leisure and hospitality job openings out of total job postings has decreased in the last four months, suggesting that workers see leisure and hospitality positions as comparatively more appealing than a few months prior.
21 Therefore, while staffing shortages will likely remain an economy-wide trend for some time, the leisure and hospitality industry may start to behave more closely to the rest of the labor market.

Lower Savings Rates
With high inflation being a likely contributing factor, personal savings rates in the U.S. have continued to decline month-over-month over the course of the year, with personal savings as a percentage of personal disposable income (PDI) sitting at 3.5% as of October 2022. 22 While this savings rate indicates that
spending levels are relatively healthy as of now (despite the slight contraction in GDP), consumers may find themselves with insufficient savings in the future and lower their spending, which could deepen or lengthen an ongoing or future recession. All else equal, since personal savings contribute to investment, a lower savings rate results in a lower level of invested capital over time, which could ultimately reduce future private sector growth across a variety of industries.
14 US Bureau of Labor Statistics (2022). The Employment Situation – July 2022.

Retrieved from https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.htm 15 US Bureau of Labor Statistics (2022). The Employment Situation – August 2022.

Retrieved from https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.htm 16 US Bureau of Labor Statistics (2022). The Employment Situation – September 2022.

Retrieved from https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.htm 17 US Bureau of Labor Statistics (2022). The Employment Situation – October 2022.

Retrieved from https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.htm 18 US Bureau of Labor Statistics (2022). The Employment Situation – October 2022.

Retrieved from https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.htm 19 US Travel Association (2022). Leisure and Hospitality Employment Update - October 2022 Update.

Retrieved from https://www.ustravel.org/sites/default/files/2022-10/leisure-hospitality-employment_october-update.pdf 20 US Travel Association (2022). Leisure and Hospitality Employment Update - October 2022 Update.

Retrieved from https://www.ustravel.org/sites/default/files/2022-10/leisure-hospitality-employment_october-update.pdf 21 US Travel Association (2022). Leisure and Hospitality Employment Update - October 2022 Update.

Retrieved from https://www.ustravel.org/sites/default/files/2022-10/leisure-hospitality-employment_october-update.pdf 22 Federal Reserve Economic Data (2022). Personal Saving Rate, Seasonal Adjusted Annual Rate. Updated October 28, 2022.

Retrieved from https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/PSAVERT 81 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment76
Rapidly Rising Housing Prices Driven by Undersupply
Because demand for housing continues to outstrip supply across both single-family and multi-family homes, rents and mortgages continue to rise substantially faster than inflation. The National Association of Realtors reported that 80% of home markets showed double-digit price appreciation—with a median price rise of

14.2% year-over-year from July 2021 to July 2022—and that the average home nationwide now exceeds $400,000 for the first time in history.
23 At the same time, rising interest rates have continued to drive up mortgage rates. Renters also face price increases that outpace overall inflation. Asking rents increased

12.6% year-over-year, with the National Multifamily Housing Council estimating that the U.S. needs 4.3 million new units built through 2035 to meet demand.
24 These trends demonstrate that producing enough
affordable housing to match demand will prove a challenge for many communities.

Local and Regional Economic Analysis
Demographics and Community
Santa Barbara County has a population of 448,229 as of 2020, with 32,690 residents residing within the City of Goleta, according to the 2020 Decennial Census.25 Goleta grew at an annualized rate of 0.90% between 2010 and 2020, which was considerably faster than both Santa Barbara County and California as a whole.26 Of Goleta’s residents, 46.1% identify as white, 35.3% identify as Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% identify as Asian,

4.4% identify as belonging to two or more races, and all other groups compose the remaining 2% of the population
27 (see Appendix 2.1).

Goleta has a higher-than-average proportion of young adult residents, with 18.5% of its population between ages 20 and 29 compared to 14.8% in California as a whole. It also has a higher proportion of seniors ages 65 and older, 16.3% in Goleta vs. 13.9% of those in California as a whole. 28 Goleta has a highly educated
population, with 47.7% of residents possessing a bachelor’s degree or higher compared to 35.0% for Santa Barbara County and 34.7% for California as a whole. 29 Reflecting the presence of the University of
California, Santa Barbara, younger populations are also well-educated, with 77% of 18-24-year-olds having at least some college, compared to 74% of those in Santa Barbara County and 68% of California as a whole.
30 23 National Association of Realtors (2022). Economists Outlook: Single-Family Home Prices Display Double-Digit Increase in 80% of 185 Metro Areas in 2022 Q2, August 11, 2022. Retrieved from https://www.nar.realtor/blogs/economists-outlook/single-family-home-prices-display-double-digit-increase-in-80-of- 185-metro-areas-in-2022-q2#:~:text=Prices%20continued%20to%20rise%2C%20with,to%20%241%2C213%20a%20year%20ago. 24 Yardi Matrix (2022). National Multifamily Report – July 2022. Retrieved from https://www.yardimatrix.com/publications/download/file/2531- MatrixMultifamilyNationalReport-July2022?signup=false&utm_source=WhatCountsEmail&utm_medium=Matrix%20Media%20-%20Multifamily&utm_ campaign=080922_PR_Matrix_MF_National_July_17594
25 United States Census Bureau (2020). P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race: ACS 2020 5-Year Estimates Subject Tables. DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171). Retrieved from https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=race%20and%20 ethnicity&g=0100000US_0400000US06_0500000US06083_1600000US0630378&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2 26 United States Census Bureau (2020). P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race: ACS 2020 5-Year Estimates Subject Tables. DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171). Retrieved from https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=race%20and%20 ethnicity&g=0100000US_0400000US06_0500000US06083_1600000US0630378&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2 27 United States Census Bureau (2020). P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race: ACS 2020 5-Year Estimates Subject Tables. DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171). Retrieved from https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=race%20and%20 ethnicity&g=0100000US_0400000US06_0500000US06083_1600000US0630378&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2 28 United States Census Bureau (2020). S0101 Age and Sex: ACS 5-Year Estimates Subject Tables. Retrieved from https://data.census.gov/cedsci/ table?q=race%20and%20ethnicity&g=0100000US_0400000US06_0500000US06083_1600000US0630378&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2 29 United States Census Bureau (2020). S01501 Educational Attainment: 2020 ACS 5-Year Estimates Subject Tables. Retrieved from https://data.census.gov/ cedsci/table?q=highest%20education&g=0400000US06_0500000US06083_1600000US0630378&tid=ACSST5Y2020.S1501 30 United States Census Bureau (2020). S01501 Educational Attainment: 2020 ACS 5-Year Estimates Subject Tables. Retrieved from https://data.census.gov/ cedsci/table?q=highest%20education&g=0400000US06_0500000US06083_1600000US0630378&tid=ACSST5Y2020.S1501 82 77 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment
Employment and Occupations
Goleta has a strong upper middle class, with 48.9% of households earning over $100,000 per year compared to 39.3% of those in Santa Barbara County and 39.8% of California households (see Appendix

2.12). In Goleta, 24.2% of households earn under $50,000 per year, and the overall poverty rate is 9.6%, which is lower than both California and Santa Barbara County. 31 However, wages in Santa Barbara County
have been growing more slowly than in California as a whole, at annualized rates of 3.17% vs. 4.92%.32 Santa Barbara County wages lag behind those of California across all industry groups to varying degrees, with the largest gaps present in Information, Financial Activities, and Natural Resources and Mining. 33 The
median gross rent in Goleta is $1,955 per month or $23,460 per year.34 Unemployment levels tend to move with levels in Santa Barbara County, but are typically 2-4% lower than the county overall.35 Business and Industry
Overall employment in Santa Barbara County grew from 192,000 to 205,000 from 2011 to 2021 and is expected to grow at an annualized rate of 0.82% between 2018 and 2028, roughly equal to the annualized rate of 0.81% for California as a whole.
36 Top sectors in 2021 include Farm Work (12.2% of workforce), Healthcare & Social Assistance (12.2% of workforce), Retail Trade (8.5% of workforce), Administrative and Support and Waste Services (8.5% of workforce), and Accommodation and Food Services (9.9%) 37 (see
Appendix 2.13).

Occupations with a high location quotient in Santa Barbara County relative to California overall include Farm Work, Mining and Logging, and Accommodation and Food Services. 38 Farm Work is expected to continue
to grow at roughly the rate of California employment through 2028, while Mining and Logging is projected to lose jobs. Information and Health Care & Social Assistance are expected to outpace California employment growth.
39 31 United States Census Bureau (2020). S1901 Income in the Past 12 Months: 2019 American Community Survey 5-year Estimates. Retrieved from https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=Income%20%28Households,%20Families,%20 Individuals%29&g=0100000US_0400000US06_0500000US06083_1600000US0630378&tid=ACSST5Y2019.S1901 32 State of California Employment Development Department (2022). Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS). Retrieved from https://data.edd.ca.gov/ Labor-Force-and-Unemployment-Rates/Local-Area-Unemployment-Statistics-LAUS-/e6gw-gvii/data 33 State of California Employment Development Department (2022). Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) Major Industry Level: California -- Statewide. Retrieved from https://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/qcew/CEW-Major_NAICS.asp 33 State of California Employment Development Department (2022). Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) Major Industry Level: Santa Barbara County, California. Retrieved from https://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/qcew/CEW-Major_NAICS.asp 34 United States Census Bureau (2020). B2503 Median Gross Rent by Bedrooms: 2020 American Community Survey 5-year Estimates. Retrieved from https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=Renter%20Costs&g=1600000US0630378&tid=ACSDT5Y2020.B25031 35 State of California Employment Development Department (2022). Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS). Retrieved from https://data.edd.ca.gov/ Labor-Force-and-Unemployment-Rates/Local-Area-Unemployment-Statistics-LAUS-/e6gw-gvii/data 36 UState of California Employment Development Department (2022). Employment by Industry Data. Retrieved from https://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/ qcew/CEW-Major_NAICS.asp
37 Source: State of California Employment Development Department (2022). Employment by Industry Data. Retrieved from https://www.labormarketinfo.edd. ca.gov/qcew/CEW-Major_NAICS.asp
38 Source: State of California Employment Development Department (2022). Employment by Industry Data. Retrieved from https://www.labormarketinfo.edd. ca.gov/qcew/CEW-Major_NAICS.asp
39 Source: State of California Employment Development Department (2022). 2018-2028 Employment Projections. Retrieved from https://www.labormarketinfo. edd.ca.gov/data/employment-projections.html
83 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment78
Business and Industry
Occupations that have lower location quotients but have become more concentrated in the county in the last 10 years include Management of Companies and Enterprises (1.3% of workforce), Administrative and Support and Waste Services (8.5%), and Wholesale Trade (2.5% of workforce). 40 Of these, only
Administrative and Support and Waste Services is expected to grow faster than employment in Santa Barbara County overall through 2028
41 (see Appendix 2.15).

Shift-share analysis is one method to deconstruct the growth in an industry’s employment in a region over time into 1) the growth one would expect in that industry in that region based on a larger reference economy’s overall employment growth rate, 2) the growth one would expect in that industry in that region either above or below that growth based on that industry’s growth rate in the larger reference economy, and 3) the unique competitive effect of the industry in that region based on the difference between the sum of the two prior effects and the actual industry growth rate in the region. Based on this analysis, occupations that gained regional competitiveness and presence in Goleta between 2011 and 2021 include the aforementioned occupations of Farm Work, Wholesale Trade, Management of Companies and Enterprises, Administrative and Support and Waste Services, and Accommodation and Food Services. 42 The Hachman index, a measure of economic diversity, is relatively low in Goleta. The index measures the diversity of industry employment in a particular region relative to a well-diversified reference region. It is calculated as the reciprocal of the sum of each industry’s location quotients weighted by the industry’s shares of employment across the study area, across all industries measured. The index ranges from 0 (entirely homogenous employment) to 1 (diversity matching the reference region perfectly). Santa Barbara County’s Hachman Index improved slightly from 0.1829 in 2011 to 0.1867 in 2021 yet remains low in absolute terms.
40 Source: State of California Employment Development Department (2022). Employment by Industry Data. Retrieved from https://www.labormarketinfo.edd. ca.gov/qcew/CEW-Major_NAICS.asp
41 Source: State of California Employment Development Department (2022). 2018-2028 Employment Projections. Retrieved from https://www.labormarketinfo. edd.ca.gov/data/employment-projections.html
42 Source: State of California Employment Development Department (2022). Employment by Industry Data. Retrieved from https://www.labormarketinfo.edd. ca.gov/qcew/CEW-Major_NAICS.asp
84 79 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment
Appendix 2.1 - Racial Breakdown of Goleta City, Santa Barbara County, and California

34.70%

41.20%

46.10%

39.40%

47.00%

35.30%

15.10%

5.70%

12.00%
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
California
Santa
Barbara
County
Goleta City
Percent of Population
White alone Hispanic or Latino
Asian alone Population of two or more races:

Black or African American alone Some Other Race alone
American Indian and Alaska Native alone Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone Source: United States Census Bureau (2020). P2 Hispanic or Latino, and not Hispanic and Latino: 2020 DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) Retrieved from: https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=race%20and%20ethnicity&g=0100000US_0400000US06_0500000US06083_1600000US0630378&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2 Appendix 2.2 – Population Distribution by Age of Goleta City, Santa Barbara County, and California
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
Under 5
years
5 to 9
years
10 to 14
years
15 to 19
years
20 to 24
years
25 to 29
years
30 to 34
years
35 to 39
years
40 to 44
years
45 to 49
years
50 to 54
years
55 to 59
years
60 to 64
years
65 to 69
years
70 to 74
years
75 to 79
years
80 to 84
years
85 years
and over
Percentage of Population
Goleta City Santa Barbara County California
Source: United States Census Bureau (2020). S0101 Age and Sex: ACS 2020 5-Year Estimates Subject Tables.

Retrieved from https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=race%20and%20ethnicity&g=0100000US_0400000US06_0500000US06083_1600000US0630378&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2 Appendix 2.1 – Racial Breakdown of Goleta City, Santa Barbara County, and California Source: United States Census Bureau (2020). P2 Hispanic or Latino, and not Hispanic and Latino: 2020 DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171)
Retrieved from: https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=race%20and%20 ethnicity&g=0100000US_0400000US06_0500000US06083_1600000US0630378&tid=DECENNIALPL202 Appendix 2.2 – Population Distribution by Age of Goleta City, Santa Barbara County, and California Source: United States Census Bureau (2020). S0101 Age and Sex: ACS 2020 5-Year Estimates Subject Tables.

Retrieved from https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=race%20and%20 ethnicity&g=0100000US_0400000US06_0500000US06083_1600000US0630378&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2 85 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment80
Appendix 2.2 – Population Distribution by Age of Goleta City, Santa Barbara County, and California

5.4%

5.6%

5.8%

6.2%

11.1%

7.4%

7.5%

5.6%

6.7%

5.6%

5.8%

6.3%

4.8%

3.7%

3.0%

2.3%

2.5%
Under 5 years
5 to 9 years
10 to 14 years
15 to 19 years
20 to 24 years
25 to 29 years
30 to 34 years
35 to 39 years
40 to 44 years
45 to 49 years
50 to 54 years
55 to 59 years
60 to 64 years
65 to 69 years
70 to 74 years
75 to 79 years
80 to 84 years
85 years and …

6.3%

6.2%

8.4%

11.0%

7.1%

6.2%

5.7%

5.6%

5.4%

5.6%

5.9%

5.4%

4.5%

3.6%

2.6%

1.9%

2.3%
Goleta City Santa Barbara County

5.4%

5.6%

5.8%

6.2%

11.1%

7.4%

7.5%

5.6%

6.7%

5.6%

5.8%

6.3%

4.8%

3.7%

3.0%

2.3%

6.2%

6.3%

6.6%

6.5%

7.0%

7.8%

7.4%

6.8%

6.4%

6.5%

6.3%

5.7%

4.6%

3.4%

2.4%

1.7%

1.8%
Goleta City California
Source: United States Census Bureau (2020). S0101 Age and Sex: ACS 5-Year Estimates Subject Tables.

Retrieved from https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=race%20and%20ethnicity&g=0100000US_0400000US06_0500000US06083_1600000US0630378&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2

0.60%

0.56%

0.90%

0.0%

0.1%

0.2%

0.3%

0.4%

0.5%

0.6%

0.7%

0.8%

0.9%

1.0%
California Santa Barbara County Goleta City
Annual Growth Rate
Appendix 2.3 – Annualized Population Growth Rates, 2010 - 2020 Source: United States Census Bureau (2020). P2 Hispanic or Latino, and not Hispanic and Latino: 2020 DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) Retrieved from: https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=race%20and%20ethnicity&g=0100000US_0400000US06_0500000US06083_1600000US0630378&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2 Source: United States Census Bureau (2020). P2 Hispanic or Latino, and not Hispanic and Latino: 2010 DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) Retrieved from: https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=race%20and%20ethnicity&g=0100000US_0400000US06_0500000US06083_1600000US0630378&tid=DECENNIALCD1162010.P2 Appendix 2.2 – Population Distribution by Age of Goleta City, Santa Barbara County, and California Source: United States Census Bureau (2020). S0101 Age and Sex: ACS 5-Year Estimates Subject Tables.

Retrieved from https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=race%20and%20 ethnicity&g=0100000US_0400000US06_0500000US06083_1600000US0630378&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2 Appendix 2.3 – Annualized Population Growth Rates, 2010 - 2020 Source: United States Census Bureau (2020). P2 Hispanic or Latino, and not Hispanic and Latino: 2020 DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171)
Retrieved from: https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=race%20and%20 ethnicity&g=0100000US_0400000US06_0500000US06083_1600000US0630378&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2 Source: United States Census Bureau (2020). P2 Hispanic or Latino, and not Hispanic and Latino: 2010 DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171)
Retrieved from: https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=race%20and%20 ethnicity&g=0100000US_0400000US06_0500000US06083_1600000US0630378&tid=DECENNIALCD1162010.P2 86 81 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment
Appendix 2.4 – Highest Educational Attainment

8.9%

7.2%

20.4% 20.9%

8.0%

21.6%

13.1%

11.7%

6.4%

16.9%

21.6%

8.2%

20.8%

14.1%

6.1%

5.1%

12.8%

19.3%

8.8%

26.7%

21.2%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
Less than 9th grade 9th to 12th grade, no
diploma
High school graduate
or equivalent
Some college, no
degree
Associate's degree Bachelor's degree Graduate or
professional degree
Percent of Population
California Santa Barbara County Goleta City
Source: United States Census Bureau (2020). S01501 Educational Attainment: 2020 ACS 5-Year Estimates Subject Tables.

Retrieved from https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=highest%20education&g=0400000US06_0500000US06083_1600000US0630378&tid=ACSST5Y2020.S1501 Appendix 2.5 – Highest Educational Attainment Under 25 Years Old

10.3%

41.3%

47.0%

11.5%

8.4%

21.0%

60.8%

9.8%3.5%

19.5%

52.6%

24.4%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Less than high school graduate High school graduate (includes equivalency)
Some college or associate's degree Bachelor's degree or higher Percent of Population
California Santa Barbara County Goleta City
Source: United States Census Bureau (2020). S01501 Educational Attainment: 2020 ACS 5-Year Estimates Subject Tables.

Retrieved from https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=highest%20education&g=0400000US06_0500000US06083_1600000US0630378&tid=ACSST5Y2020.S1501 Appendix 2.4 – Highest Educational Attainment
Source: United States Census Bureau (2020). S01501 Educational Attainment: 2020 ACS 5-Year Estimates Subject Tables
Retrieved from https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=highest%20 education&g=0400000US06_0500000US06083_1600000US0630378&tid=ACSST5Y2020.S1501 Appendix 2.5 – Highest Educational Attainment Under 25 Years Old Source: United States Census Bureau (2020). S01501 Educational Attainment: 2020 ACS 5-Year Estimates Subject Tables.

Retrieved from https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=highest%20 education&g=0400000US06_0500000US06083_1600000US0630378&tid=ACSST5Y2020.S1501 87 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment82
Appendix 2.6 – Poverty Rates by Age Group

16.8%

13.8%

10.1% 10.3%

14.4%

20.3%

8.5%

7.3%

9.3%

15.3%

6.1%

6.9%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
Under 18 years 18 to 34 years 35 to 64 years 65 years and over Percent of Population
California Santa Barbara County Goleta City
Source: United States Census Bureau (2020). S1701 Poverty Status in the Past 12 Months: 2020 American Community Survey 5-year Estimates. Retrieved from https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=poverty%20in%20Goleta%20city,%20California&tid=ACSST5Y2020.S1701 Appendix 2.7 – Unemployment Rates
0%
1%
2%
3%
4%
5%
6%
7%
8%
9%
10%
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 Unemployment Rate
Santa Barbara County Goleta City
Source: State of California Employment Development Department (2022). Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) Retrieved from https://data.edd.ca.gov/Labor-Force-and-Unemployment-Rates/Local-Area-Unemployment-Statistics-LAUS-/e6gw-gvii/data Appendix 2.6 – Poverty Rates by Age Group
SSource: United States Census Bureau (2020). S1701 Poverty Status in the Past 12 Months: 2020 American Community Survey 5-year Estimates.

Retrieved from https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=poverty%20in%20Goleta%20city,%20California&tid=ACSST5Y2020.S1701 Appendix 2.7 – Unemployment Rates
Source: State of California Employment Development Department (2022). Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS)
Retrieved from https://data.edd.ca.gov/Labor-Force-and-Unemployment-Rates/Local-Area-Unemployment-Statistics-LAUS-/e6gw-gvii/data 88 83 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment
Appendix 2.8 – Average Weekly Income
$882.00 $930.00 $936.00 $973.00 $995.00 $1,026.00 $1,091.00 $1,103.00 $1,125.00 $1,178.00 $1,202.00 $1,260.00 $1,312.00 $1,368.00 $1,533.00 $1,582.00
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Average Weekly Wages
SB County Avg Weekly Wage CA Avg weekly wage Projected Annual Growth:

4.29%
Projected Annual Growth:

3.17%
Note: To obtain the average yearly salaries for California and Santa Barbara County referenced in the report; these weekly wages were multiplied by 52 weeks/year
Source: State of California Employment Development Department (2022). Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) Major Industry Level: Santa Barbara County, California Retrieved from https://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/qcew/CEW-Major_NAICS.asp Source: State of California Employment Development Department (2022). Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) Major Industry Level: California -- Statewide Retrieved from https://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/qcew/CEW-Major_NAICS.asp Appendix 2.9 – Average Weekly Pay by Sector Group
$824
$1,828
$1,244
$1,525
$1,503
$789
$1,097
$2,035
$2,049
$1,051
$2,041
$3,270
$709
$1,008
$1,189
$633
$627
$842
$829
$1,776
$1,503
$2,044
$1,720
$889
$1,327
$4,599
$3,030
$1,474
$2,784
$2,867
$1,060
$1,235
$1,178
$1,154
$643
$948
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
$4,500
$5,000
Agriculture ,
Fores try,
Fis hi n g, an d
Fa rmi ng
Mining an d
Lo gging
C on stru cti on Manu facturing Who lesale
Tra de
R eta il Trad e Tran sp ortation ,
Wareh ousing,
an d Ut ilities
Info rm ati on Fin a nc e &
Ins ur an ce
R ea l E state &
Re ntal &
L ea si ng
Pro fessio nal,
Sc ienti fic &
Techn ical
Services
Mana gemen t of
Co mpa nies &
Enterp rises
Administrative &
Supp ort &
Wa ste S er vic es
Educat ion al
Services
He alth Ca re &
So ci al
As sis tance
Ar ts ,
En te rtai nm en t &
R ec re atio n
Ac co mm od ati on
an d Fo od
Services
Oth er S erv ice s
Average Weekly Wage
California Santa Barbara County Santa Barbara County Average Wage California Average Wage California Average Weekly Wage: $1582
Santa Barbara County Average Weekly Wage: $1103
Source: State of California Employment Development Department (2022). Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) Major Industry Level: Santa Barbara County, California Retrieved from https://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/qcew/CEW-Major_NAICS.asp Source: State of California Employment Development Department (2022). Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) Major Industry Level: California -- Statewide Retrieved from https://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/qcew/CEW-Major_NAICS.asp Appendix 2.8 – Average Weekly Income
Source: State of California Employment Development Department (2022). Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) Major Industry Level: Santa Barbara County, California Retrieved from https://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/qcew/CEW-Major_NAICS.asp Source: State of California Employment Development Department (2022). Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) Major Industry Level: California -- Statewide Retrieved from https://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/qcew/CEW-Major_NAICS.asp Appendix 2.9 – Average Weekly Pay by Sector Group
Source: State of California Employment Development Department (2022). Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) Major Industry Level: Santa Barbara County, California Retrieved from https://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/qcew/CEW-Major_NAICS.asp Source: State of California Employment Development Department (2022). Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) Major Industry Level: California -- Statewide Retrieved from https://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/qcew/CEW-Major_NAICS.asp 89 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment84
Appendix 2.9a – Average 2021 Weekly Pay vs. Growth Rate by Sector in Santa Barbara County 2011-2021
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, and Farming $ 824
Mining and Logging, $1,828
Construction, $1,244 Manufacturing, $1,525
Wholesale Trade, $1,503
Retail Trade, $789
Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities,
$1,097
Information, $2,035
Finance & Insurance, $2,049
Real Estate & Rental & Leasing, $1,051
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services,
$2,041
Management of Companies & Enterprises,
$3,270
Administrative & Support & Waste Services,
$709
Educational Services, $1,008
Health Care & Social Assistance, $1,189
Arts, Entertainment & Recreation, $633
Accommodation and Food Services, $627
Other Services, $842
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
-50% -30% -10% 10% 30% 50% 70% 90%
Average Weekly Wage
2011-2021 Growth Rate
Source: State of California Employment Development Department (2022). Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) Major Industry Level: Santa Barbara County, California. Retrieved from https://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/qcew/CEW-Major_NAICS.asp Source: State of California Employment Development Department (2022). Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) Major Industry Level: California – Statewide. Retrieved from https://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/qcew/CEW-Major_NAICS.asp Source: State of California Employment Development Department (2022). Employment by Industry Data. Retrieved from https://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/qcew/CEW-Major_NAICS.asp Appendix 2.10 – Wages of Full-time Workers
2%
3%
10%
14%
17%
14%
7%
12%
23%
2%
2%
12%
16%
19%
14%
6%
11%
19%
1% 0%
10%
13%
17%
14%
6%
14%
23%
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
16%
18%
20%
22%
24%
$1 to $9,999 or
less
$10,000 to
$14,999
$15,000 to
$24,999
$25,000 to
$34,999
$35,000 to
$49,999
$50,000 to
$64,999
$65,000 to
$74,999
$75,000 to
$99,999
$100,000 or more
Percent of Population
California Santa Barbara County Goleta City
Source: United States Census Bureau (2020). S2001 Earnings in the Past 12 Months: 2018 American Community Survey 5-year Estimates. Retrieved from https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=wages&g=0100000US_0400000US06_0500000US06083_1600000US0630378 Appendix 2.9a – Average 2021 Weekly Pay vs. Growth Rate by Sector in Santa Barbara County 2011- 2021
Source: State of California Employment Development Department (2022). Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) Major Industry Level: Santa Barbara County, California.

Retrieved from https://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/qcew/CEW-Major_NAICS.asp Source: State of California Employment Development Department (2022). Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) Major Industry Level: California – Statewide.

Retrieved from https://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/qcew/CEW-Major_NAICS.asp Source: State of California Employment Development Department (2022). Employment by Industry Data.

Retrieved from https://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/qcew/CEW-Major_NAICS.asp Appendix 2.10 – Wages of Full-time Workers
Source: United States Census Bureau (2020). S2001
Ear
nings in t
he Past 12 Months: 2018 Am
erican
Community Survey 5-year Estimates.

Retrieved from htt ps://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=wages&g=0100000US_0400000US06_0500000US06083_1600000US0630378 90 85 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment
Appendix 2.11 – Median and Mean Earnings
$54,119
$49,752
$56,245
$78,252
$70,541
$73,829
$0
$10,000
$20,000
$30,000
$40,000
$50,000
$60,000
$70,000
$80,000
$90,000
California Santa Barbara County Goleta City
Annual Earnungs
Median Earnings for Full-Time Workers Mean Earnings for Full-Time Workers Source: United States Census Bureau (2020). S2001 Earnings in the Past 12 Months: 2018 American Community Survey 5-year Estimates. Retrieved from https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=wages&g=0100000US_0400000US06_0500000US06083_1600000US0630378 Appendix 2.11 – Median and Mean Earnings
Source: United States Census Bureau (2020). S2001 Ear
nings in t
he Past 12 Months: 2018 Am
erican
Community Survey 5-year Estimates.

Retrieved from htt ps://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=wages&g=0100000US_0400000US06_0500000US06083_1600000US0630378 Appendix 2.12 – Household Income
5%
4%
7% 7%
10%
15%
12%
17%
9%
13%
5%
3%
6% 6%
12%
16%
13%
17%
9%
13%
5%
3% 3% 4%
10%
15%
12%
23%
12%
14%
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
16%
18%
20%
22%
24%
Less than $10,000 $10,000 to
$14,999
$15,000 to
$24,999
$25,000 to
$34,999
$35,000 to
$49,999
$50,000 to
$74,999
$75,000 to
$99,999
$100,000 to
$149,999
$150,000 to
$199,999
$200,000 or more
Percentage of Population
California Santa Barbara County Goleta
Source: United States Census Bureau (2020). S1901 Income in the Past 12 Months: 2019 American Community Survey 5-year Estimates. Retrieved from https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=Income%20%28Households,%20Families,%20Individuals%29&g=0100000US_0400000US06_0500000US06083_1600000US0630378&tid=ACSST5Y2019 .S1901 Appendix 2.12 – Household Income
Source: United States Census Bureau (2020). S1901 Income in the Past 12 Months: 2019 American Community Survey 5-year Estimates.

Retrieved from https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=Income%20%28Households,%20Families,%20 Individuals%29&g=0100000US_0400000US06_0500000US06083_1600000US0630378&tid=ACSST5Y2019.S1901 91 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment86
Appendix 2.13 – 2021 Employment in Santa Barbara County by Sector Total Farm, 12.2%
Construction, 4.3%
Manufacturing, 5.6%
Wholesale Trade,

2.5%
Retail Trade, 8.5%
Transportatio
n,
Warehousing
& Utilities,

1.8%
Information,

1.9%
Finance &
Insurance,

1.7%
Professional, Scientific &
Technical Services, 5.6%
Administrative & Support &
Waste Services, 8.5%
Educationa
l Services,

1.2%
Health Care & Social Assistance, 12.2%
Accommodation & Food Services, 9.9%
Other Services,

2.7%
Public Administration, 16.7%
Mining …
Real
Estate &
Rental &
Leasing,

1.5%
Managemen
t of
Companies
&
Enterprises,

1.3%
Arts,
Entertainm
ent &
Recreation
, 1.5%
Source: State of California Employment Development Department (2022). Employment by Industry Data. Retrieved from https://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/qcew/CEW-Major_NAICS.asp Appendix 2.13 – 2021 Employment in Santa Barbara County by Sector Source: State of California Employment Development Department (2022). Employment by Industry Data.

Retrieved from https://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/qcew/CEW-Major_NAICS.asp Appendix 2.14 – Santa Barbara County Employment Growth Rates by Sector 2011-2021

42.6%
-47.0%

34.2%

2.5%

34.6%

1.1%

35.7%

12.8% 1.1% 7.5% 6.6%

73.1%

84.9%

1.0%

24.7%

7.1% 9.9% 11.3%

16.7%
-50%
-30%
-10%
10%
30%
50%
70%
90%
Total Farm
Mining and Logging
ConstructionManufacturingWholesale Trade
Retail Trade
Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities
Information
Finance & Insurance
Real Estate & Rental & Leasing
Professional, Scientific & Technical ServicesManagement of Companies & EnterprisesAdministrative & Support & Waste Services Educational Services
Health Care & Social AssistanceArts, Entertainment & RecreationAccommodation and Food Services Other Services
Public Administration
Employment Growth (2011-2021)
Individual sectors Total employment growth (6.9%)
Source: State of California Employment Development Department (2022). Employment by Industry Data. Retrieved from https://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/qcew/CEW-Major_NAICS.asp Appendix 2.14 – Santa Barbara County Employment Growth Rates by Sector 2011-2021 Source: State of California Employment Development Department (2022). Employment by Industry Data.

Retrieved from https://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/qcew/CEW-Major_NAICS.asp 92 87 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment
Appendix 2.16 – Shift-Share Index Sample Calculation
Shift-share is a standard model for regional economic analysis that attempts to determine how much of a region’s growth in a given industry or sector can be attributed to national economic growth trends and how much can be attributed to unique regional growth factors. It assumes that over a specific period of time for a specific community, employment growth can be determined by three things • The state or national economic growth rate over that period • The industry’s state or national growth rate over that period • The regional competitive effect in that industry’s local employment This is expressed by the shift-share formula below
Actual Growth = National Growth + Industry Mix + Regional Shift Consider the following table on Total Farm employment in California.

CA Employment Growth
Rate
CA Total
Farm
Employme
nt 2011
CA Total Farm
Employment
2021
CA Increase in
Total Farm
Employment
Growth Rate of
Total Farm
Employment in
CA
SB County Total
Farm
Employment
2011
SB County Total
Farm
Employment
2021
SB County
Increase in Total
Farm
Employment
Growth Rate of
Total Farm
Employment in
SB County

15.46% 389,621 407,479 17,858 4.58% 18,225 25,992 7,767 42.62% If Santa Barbara County farming grew at the same rate as employment in California, we would expect to see 18,225 * 15.46% = 2 817 new farming jobs in Santa Barbara County from 2011 to 2021. This is the National/State Growth effect. However, if we expected Santa Barbara County farming to grow at the same rate as farming in all of California, we would expect to see 18,225 * 4.58% = 835 new workers. Therefore, the industry mix–the difference between job growth expected if the industry grew at the rate of California employment as a whole vs. job growth if it grows at its expected industry growth rate –is negative, at 835-2817 = -1982. However, the County actually saw 7,767 new farm jobs. We can then use the above formula to identify the regional shift Regional Shift = Actual Growth - National/State Growth – Industry Mix Regional Shift = 7,767 – 2817 + 1982 = 6931
Since the regional shift is positive, we know that Santa Barbara County saw an increased concentration of farm workers relative to what would be expected based on California’s overall employment growth rate and the industry’s growth rate in California. This is one indication of farming having become more competitive in the region.

Appendix 2.16 – Shift-Share Index Sample Calculation
Appendix 2.15 – Santa Barbara County Projected Employment Growth Rates by Sector 2018- 2028

8.3%
-20.0%

13.6%

5.4% 5.9%
-2.1%

5.9%

17.5%
-8.1%

3.3%

13.4%

7.4%

9.1%

10.3%

15.5%

13.9%

11.0%

6.5%

8.2%
-20%
-15%
-10%
-5%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
Total Fatm
Mining and Loggi ng
ConstructionManufact uringWholesale Trade
Ret ail Trade
Transportation, War ehousing, and Utilities
Information
Finance & Insur ance
Real E state & Rent al & Leasing
Professional, Scientific & Technical ServicesManagem ent of Companies & Enter pri sesAdministrative & Support & Waste Servi ces Educat ional S ervices
Health Care & Social AssistanceArts , Entertainment & RecreationAccommodation and Food Services Ot her Servic es
Publ ic Adm inistrati on
Projected Employment Growth
Individual sectors Projected total employment growth (8.5%) Source: State of California Employment Development Department (2022). 2018-2028 Local Employment Projections Highlights.

Retrieved from https://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/data/employment-projections.html Appendix 2.15 – Santa Barbara County Projected Employment Growth Rates by Sector 2018-2028 Source: State of California Employment Development Department (2022). 2018-2028 Local Employment Projections Highlights.

Retrieved from https://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/data/employment-projections.html 93 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment88
Appendix 2.17b – Santa Barbara County Hachman Index Calculation Hachman Index =
!
∑!
"#$%& '( )*&%$++ ,'-./0 123+'02&./ !. 4.5-6/%0 !
"#$%& '( )*&%$++ "/$/& 123+'02&./ !. 4.5-6/%0 ! ∗$%&'( )* +,('&-- .)/012 345-)24(01 60 708/91'2 6) The Hachman Index is a measure of economic diversity in employment, quantifying the diversity of industry employment present in a particular region relative to a well-diversified reference region.

The above equation shows that the Hachman index is calculated as the inverse of the sum of each industry’s share of employment in Santa Barbara County divided by that industry’s share of employment in the larger reference economy, California, times the share of that industry’s employment in the county. In other words, it is the reciprocal of the weighted average of the location quotients for each industry measured in Santa Barbara County, where the location quotient for industry
i is defined below.

Location Quotient of Industry i = !"#$% &' ()%$#** +&,-./ 012*&/1%-.3- 4-5,6.$/ 3 !"#$% &' ()%$#** !.#.% 012*&/1%-.3- 4-5,6.$/ 3
Appendix 2.17 – Santa Barbara County Hachman Index
The Hachman Index measures the relative mix of industries present in a target area (Santa Barbara County) compared to a reference area (California State). Index scores range from 0 to 1, with higher scores indicating a more diverse mix of industries.

0.1829 0.1867
0 0.2

0.4 0.6

0.8 1
2011 2021
Hachman Index
Source: State of California Employment Development Department (2022). Employment by Industry Data. Retrieved from https://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/qcew/CEW-Major_NAICS.asp Appendix 2.17 – Santa Barbara County Hachman Index
Source: State of California Employment Development Department (2022). Employment by Industry Data.

Retrieved from https://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/qcew/CEW-Major_NAICS.asp Appendix 2.17b – Santa Barbara County Hachman Index Calculation 94 89 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment
Appendix 2.18 – Santa Barbara County Sector Location Quotients 2011-2021

3.78 3.42

0.98 0.75

0.50 0.93

0.47 0.67 0.58

0.94 0.86

0.62 0.89

0.68 0.91 0.96

1.20 0.86

1.27 5.14

2.54 0.84 0.76 0.67

0.91 0.39

0.57 0.56

0.87 0.72

0.95 1.30

0.60 0.85

1.06 1.22

0.94 1.16
0 1
2 3
4 5
6 Total Farm
Mining and Logg ing
Con structionManuf acturingWholesale Tra de
Reta il Trade
Transportation , Wareho using, and Utilities
Information
Finance & Insurance
Rea l Estate & Re ntal & Leasing
Prof essional, Scientific & Technical…
Manag ement of Companies & EnterprisesAdministrative & Supp ort & Waste Services Educational Services
Hea lth Care & Social AssistanceArts, Entertainment & RecreationAccommodation and Food Services Other Se rvices
Public Administration
Location Quotient Value
2011 2021
Source: State of California Employment Development Department (2022). Employment by Industry Data. Retrieved from https://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/qcew/CEW-Major_NAICS.asp Appendix 2.18 – Santa Barbara County Sector Location Quotients 2011-2021 Source: State of California Employment Development Department (2022). Employment by Industry Data.

Retrieved from https://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/qcew/CEW-Major_NAICS.asp Appendix 2.19 – Santa Barbara County Sector Regional Shifts 2011-2021 Occupation Change due to CA trends Industrial Mix Regional Shift TOTAL Total Farm 2,817 -1,982 6,931 7,767
Mining and Logging 175 -500 -208 -533
Construction 1,051 2,810 -1,536 2,325
Manufacturing 1,806 -1,635 120 292
Wholesale Trade 611 -596 1,352 1,367
Retail Trade 2,758 -2,128 -438 192
Transportation, Warehousing, and
Utilities 429 1,405 -842 992
Information 551 569 -662 458
Finance & Insurance 567 -407 -118 42
Real Estate & Rental & Leasing 444 2 -230 217
Professional, Scientific & Technical
Services 1,732 1,469 -2,460 742
Management of Companies &
Enterprises 254 -37 984 1,200
Administrative & Support & Waste
Services 1,508 1,081 5,694 8,283
Educational Services 3,625 3,385 -1,835 5,175
Health Care & Social Assistance 3,221 3,526 -1,597 5,150 Arts, Entertainment & Recreation 451 -555 312 208
Accommodation & Food Services 2973 -1399 235 1808
Other Services 808 -723 507 592
Public Administration 5385 -4848 -3353 -2367
Source: State of California Employment Development Department (2022). Employment by Industry Data. Retrieved from https://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/qcew/CEW-Major_NAICS.asp Appendix 2.19 – Santa Barbara County Sector Regional Shifts 2011-2021 Source: State of California Employment Development Department (2022). Employment by Industry Data.

Retrieved from https://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/qcew/CEW-Major_NAICS.asp 95 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment90
Appendix 2.19b – Shift-Share Index Sample Calculation
Shift-share is a standard model for regional economic analysis that attempts to determine how much of a region’s growth in a given industry can be attributed to national economic growth trends and how much can be attributed to unique regional growth factors. It assumes that over a spe cific period of time for a specific community, employment growth can be determined by three things • The state or national economic growth rate over that period • The industry’s state or national growth rate over that period • The regional competitive effect in that industry’s local employment This is expressed by the shift-share formula below
Actual Growth = National/State Growth + Industry Mix + Regional Shift Consider the following table on farm workers in California CA Employment
Growth Rate
CA Farm
Workers
2011
CA Farm
Workers 2021
CA Increase in
Farm Workers
Growth Rate of
Farm Workers
in CA
SB County
Farm Workers
2011
SB County
Farm Workers
2021
SB County
Increase in
Farm Workers
Growth Rate of
Farm Workers
CA County

15.46% 389,621
407,479 17,858 4.58% 18,225 25,992 7,767 42.62%
If Santa Barbara County farming grew at the same rate as employment in California, we would expect to see 18,225 * 15.46% = 2 817 new farming jobs in Santa Barbara County from 2011 to 2021. This is the National/State Growth effect. However, if we expected Santa Barbara County farming to grow at the same rate as farming in all of California, we would expect to see 18,225 * 4.58% = 835 new workers. Therefore, the industry mix–the difference between job growth expected if the industry grew at the rate of California as a whole vs. job growth if it grows at its expected industry growth rate –is negative, at 835-2817 = -1982. However, the county actually saw 7,767 new farm jobs. We can then use the above formula to identify the regional shift Regional Shift = Actual Growth - National/State Growth – Industry Mix Regional Shift = 7,767 – 2817 + 1982 = 6931
Since the regional shift is positive, we know that Santa Barbara County saw an increased concentration of farm workers relative to what would be expected based on California’s overall employment growth rate and the industry’s growth rate in California. This is one indication of farming having become more competitive in the region.

Appendix 2.19b – Shift-Share Index Sample Calculation
Appendix 2.20 – Incidence of Poverty by Race in Goleta City, California

6.7%

8.0%

13.8%

19.2%

17.1%

12.3%
Poverty Rate

9.6%
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
16%
18%
20%
White alone Black or African American
alone
Asian alone Some other race alone Two or more races Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race)
Percent of Population
Source: United States Census Bureau (2020). S1701 Poverty Status in the Past 12 Months: 2020 American Community Survey 5-year Estimates. Retrieved from https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=poverty%20in%20Goleta%20city,%20California&tid=ACSST5Y2020.S1701 Appendix 2.20 – Incidence of Poverty by Race in Goleta City, California Source: United States Census Bureau (2020). S1701 Poverty Status in the Past 12 Months: 2020 American Community Survey 5-year Estimates.

Retrieved from https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=poverty%20in%20Goleta%20city,%20California&tid=ACSST5Y2020.S1701 96 91 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment
97 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment92
Appendix 3: Program
Benchmarking by
Coraggio Group
98 93 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment
Purpose
The program benchmarking effort was designed to identify the economic development and tourism promotion program priorities of five competitive set communities: West Hollywood, Dana Point, Morro Bay, Paso Robles, and Monterey. Along with findings from the stakeholder engagement activities (survey, interviews, and focus groups), local/regional economic analysis, and visitor and tourism impact analysis, the primary purpose of program benchmarking is to learn how other communities prioritize their economic development and tourism resources and inform potential actions or areas of focus for Goleta in the development of their new Economic Development Strategy.

Overview of Approach
The five benchmark communities were selected by the City of Goleta based on having a similar population size, complimentary resources (budget and human capital), and a location near the California coast. In other words, an analysis of communities similar to Goleta. The benchmarking approach consisted of two steps.

The first step focused on desk research: reviewing community websites, strategic plans, and reports to get an initial sense of priorities and areas of investment. Following this research, we interviewed ten different leaders—one economic development and one tourism representative from each of the five communities— to learn more about their priorities, programs, and services. Information gathered from the research and interviews was considered in the development of the Situation Assessment themes and will be a basis of discussion during the development of Goleta’s Economic Development Strategy.

Summary Findings
Economic Development
In general, Goleta, along with the five competitive set communities, have very similar approaches to economic development and complimentary levels of resources. None of the six communities place a premium on, or dedicate significant local resources toward, business attraction or associated relocation subsidies and incentives. Business attraction efforts are primarily led by the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (Go-Biz) or regional partners. Similarly, key functions such as business lending or global trade services are usually led by partner organizations at the regional, state, or federal level, such as Ibank CA, the U.S. Small Business Administration, Cal Coastal, or Southland EDC.

1. Loc
al business permitting and concierge/ombudsmen services

2. Smal
l business and entrepreneurship support

3. Pla
ce-based business district, economic center, or neighborhood redevelopment and beautification opportunities
The main takeaway from the program benchmarking analysis is Goleta is on par with, and offers complimentary programs to, the five competitive set communities. No significant deviations or gaps were identified based on our interviews and research. That being said, each benchmark community offers Goleta examples of programs or services they could consider in the development and implementation of their upcoming Economic Development Strategy (see below for summaries). 99 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment94
Summary Table: Economic Development Programs or Services by Community Economic Development
Activity Goleta W.

Hollywood Dana Point Morro Bay Paso
Robles Monterey
Recruitment, Retention &
Expansion X, Z X, Z X, Z X, Z X, Z X, Z
Trade Promotion Z Z Z Z Z Z
Small Business Lending /
Finance Z Z Z Z Z Z
Small Business &
Entrepreneurship Support X X X X X X
Infrastructure, Land, and Real
Estate X, Z Z Z X, Z X, Z X, Z
Mainstreet and Neighborhood
Vitality X X X X X
X = local program or service available
Z = access state or federal programs and resources
Examples of notable economic development programs specific to Goleta include:

In general, Goleta, along with the five competitive set communities, have very similar approaches to economic development and complimentary levels of resources. None of the six communities place a premium on, or dedicate significant local resources toward, business attraction or associated relocation subsidies and incentives. Business attraction efforts are primarily led by the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (Go-Biz) or regional partners. Similarly, key functions such as business lending or global trade services are usually led by partner organizations at the regional, state, or federal level, such as Ibank CA, the U.S. Small Business Administration, Cal Coastal, or Southland EDC.

While specific programs or resources vary by community, all six cities, either through direct services or in partnership with a local organization such as a chamber of commerce, are primarily focused on three types of economic development activities:
•
Gol
eta Entrepreneurial Magnet (GEM): A collaboration between the City of Goleta and the University of California, Santa Barbara. The Mission of GEM is to strengthen the local economy by supporting new and growing technology entrepreneurs. GEM seeks to be recognized as a world- class regional center of excellence for entrepreneurial technology development and growth for technology-focused startups.
•
Gif
t Bar Program (GoodLandGoodShopping): Originally launched to assist with economic recovery post-COVID-19, the program is a digital gift card marketplace designed to encourage local spending and support small businesses, particularly main street establishments in retail and dining. •
COV
ID-19 Economic Recovery Plan: A summary of action taken by the City to address near-term economic challenges faced by local businesses, nonprofits, and individuals as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
100
95 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment
• Old Town Goleta Revitalization (see p 22): The Old Town area, including Hollister Avenue, is rec
ognized as the historic center of town. Strategic efforts to restore this area include enhancing the physical and economic environment, improving the bicycle and pedestrian experience, managing traffic, and minimizing impacts on residential areas, all the while preserving the unique character of the area.
•
Comm
unity Development Block Grants (CDBG): The City of Goleta oversees two grant programs.

The CDBG program works to ensure decent affordable housing, to provide services to the most vulnerable individuals in communities and to create jobs through the expansion and retention of businesses. This program is administered with funds provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The City of Goleta awards grants through the City of Goleta Grant Program of up to $5,000 for civic services, community projects, and public services that are of benefit to the residents of the City of Goleta.

Dana Point
Supporting small businesses and entrepreneurs remains the primary focus of Dana Point’s non-tourism economic development activities. The scope of these services is centered on being a concierge or ombudsmen for local businesses, including acting as a convener related to industry events or networking opportunities. Beyond small business services, Dana Point is also engaged in various redevelopment and community vitality efforts, such as their work with the County and private partners at the Dana Point Harbor or their efforts to implement the Town Center Plan.

Notable economic development programs, services and projects Dana Point include:
•
Busi
ness Registration Program: The program is voluntary, but participation allows the City to communicate with the business community and help gain insight on the local business climate. • Smal
l Business Development Center: In partnership with Orange County and the local Chamber of Commerce, Dana Point provides support services through the local Small Business Development Center.
•
Per
mit Guide for Business Creation and Expansion: This resource is intended to provide accurate information about business permits issued by various government agencies. Its target audience is new business owners, as well as other business owners already located in Dana Point that may plan on a change of service or expansion.
•
Util
ity Box Art Program: The Arts & Culture Commission selects local student artists for the Utility Box Public Art Program to help beautify utility boxes located throughout the city. Utility boxes are transformed with artwork chosen for its cultural diversity, historic heritage, or key activities of the area.
101
City of Goleta | Situation Assessment96
Monterey
Currently, Monterey does not have a dedicated economic development office or staff, nor do they directly provide significant economic development services. The primary focus of Monterey’s economic development activities is to: 1) grow and enhance the local tourism and hospitality industry (see tourism program benchmarking section), 2) support its sizable non-profit, educational, and medical/hospital employers, 3) ensure the community remains a center for the defense/military sector, and 4) grow the green energy industry.

Notable economic development programs, services, and projects in Monterey include:
•
Gree
n Energy Plan: The City offers several green energy programs, including rebates to help conserve water and integrate energy efficient lighting, appliances, and equipment. • 504 L
oan Program: In partnership with California Coastal and the U.S. Small Business Administration, Monterey provides affordable long-term, fixed-rate financing to help healthy, expanding small and medium sized businesses grow.
• For
t Ord Property Development: The City’s financial/business objective for the former Fort Ord Base is to maximize the land value through a lease of the property zoned for open space uses and fee-simple purchase of the property zoned for business park, light industrial, and/or research and development uses.
•
Busi
ness Resource Connection Center: In partnership with the Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce, there is access to no-fee business resource partners such as the local Small Business Development Center (SBDC), Cal Coastal, El Pajaro, and Women’s Business Center, among other providers.
•
Wom
en’s Business Center Network: full-service, technical assistance and training resource for entrepreneurs of all stages. Special focus is directed to underserved, low-to-moderate income minority women.

Morro Bay
Currently Morro Bay does not have a dedicated economic development office or staff. Local economic development efforts, particularly business retention and recruitment, are primarily outsourced to the Morro Bay Chamber of Commerce. Where the City does take the lead is on major or catalytic redevelopment and infrastructure projects. Collectively, the City and Chamber are focused on the following economic development priorities: 1) the redevelopment and beautification of four key economic centers, 2) supporting the local tourism and hospitality industry (see tourism program benchmarking section), 3) growing the emerging renewable energy sector, and 4) small business and main street business support.

Notable economic development programs, services, and projects in Morro Bay include:
•
Econ
omic Development Roadmap: Development and place-based strategies to enhance Downtown, Embarcadero, North Plain, and Quintana economic centers. • Dow
ntown Waterfront Strategic Plan: A redevelopment roadmap and resources to improve the downtown and waterfront areas, which comprise the social, economic, and cultural heart of the community.
• Mor
ro Bay Small Business Grant Program: One-time grant funding for local businesses in Morro Bay to help meet immediate funding needs due to COVID-19 impacts. • Smal
local-A Small Business Collaborative: A new “buy-local” advocacy program for community small businesses.
• Wom
en’s Business Center Network: Full-service, technical assistance and training resource for entrepreneurs of all stages. Special focus is directed to underserved low-to-moderate income minority women.
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97 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment
Paso Robles
Historically, the focus of Paso Robles economic development activities has been to support their primary economic pillars of wine and tourism (see tourism program benchmarking section). Spurred by the City’s recent decision to create a permanent economic development director position, the community is also prioritizing the following: 1) diversifying the local economy beyond wine and tourism toward the AgTech, Medical, Software, and Advanced Manufacturing sectors, 2) attracting employers offering living/higher wage jobs, and 3) ensuring shared prosperity throughout the community and among its diverse populations.

Notable economic development programs, services, and projects in Paso Robles include:
•
Pas
o Fiber Connect: A City effort to extend a fiber optic network throughout its Downtown core and west side, which is a federal Opportunity Zone, and to five additional commercial and industrial job centers in the eastern and southern portions of the city (Gateway, Commerce, Creston, Wisteria, Union areas).
•
Opp
ortunity Zone: census tracts that are economically distressed communities where new investments may, under certain conditions, be eligible for preferential federal tax treatment or preferential consideration for federal grants and programs. •
Bus
iness Startup and Business Relocation Guides: In partnership with the Paso Robles Chamber of Commerce, consolidated resources to support businesses looking to invest in Paso Robles and entrepreneurs seeking to launch a small business.
•
805
Projects (see p 16): Intended to be a hybrid between an accelerator, incubator, and venture capital firm, 805 Projects is a place where AgTech entrepreneurs can access tools, resources, capital, and mentors.
•
Pas
o Robles Airport SpacePort and Tech Corridor: In partnership with the Paso Robles Airport Commission and the Cal Poly Digital Transformation Hub, a development strategy and operations plan to launch spaceport and adjacent tech corridor.
•
Rur
al Innovation Initiative: In partnership with the Center on Rural Innovation and the Paso Robles Hispanic Business Association, an effort to build a digital economy ecosystem and development strategy.
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City of Goleta | Situation Assessment98
West Hollywood
Recently, West Hollywood re-established their economic development department after years of operating without a centralized team. Major economic development priorities for the community include the retention of key businesses and broad investments in infrastructure and business district improvements.

Given the attraction of West Hollywood as a business location within the greater Los Angeles area, the community does not focus heavily on business recruitment. While West Hollywood doesn’t offer many direct programs focused on businesses, their economic development staff does invest in concierge and ombudsmen services related to permitting, local ordinances impacting business, fees, parking credits and requirements, COVID-19 restrictions, etc.

In addition to business services, the City has also prioritized mixed-use infill development in partnership with developers to expand housing, retail, and visitor accommodations. Tourism (see tourism program benchmarking section) also remains an important driver of West Hollywood’s economic development activities.

Notable economic development programs, services, and projects West Hollywood include:
•
WeH
o Works Career Resource Center: workforce development, career mentoring and training, and job placement services.
• Busi
ness Improvement Districts: three separate special assessment districts focused on local improvements such as street cleaning, marketing, and other services. • Art
s Grant Program: funding support to eligible artists and nonprofit arts organizations for the production, performance, or presentation of art projects • Pro
perty Assessed Clean Energy Program (PACE): Financing that enables individuals and businesses to defer the upfront costs of eligible improvements, which is a common barrier to energy efficiency, renewable energy, and seismic measures. • Can
nabis Business License Program: Merit based selection program for eligible cannabis-related business and delivery services.

Tourism Marketing & Development
Tourism programs were evaluated across four groupings:
• Tou
rism Marketing & Public Relations
• Grou
p Sales
• Busi
ness Support
• Tou
rism Infrastructure
The communities in the benchmark set have broadly similar approaches to tourism marketing and development, though specifics of how the programs are funded and implemented vary by location. The greatest difference appears in the Business Support and Tourism Infrastructure sections, where large gaps exist for most communities in the sample set.

For example, only one of the benchmark destinations provides ambassador training for frontline workers, a service Goleta receives through Visit Santa Barbara. Of the destination organizations interviewed, only Dana Point runs their own visitor centers. In other destinations where visitor centers exist, entities other than the destination organization run these centers. Dana Point likewise is the only destination in the set that directly works on tourism amenity and asset development. 104
99 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment
Two of the destinations reviewed—Morro Bay and Paso Robles—are within San Luis Obispo County, and therefore sit nested within an additional Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID). Visit SLO CAL provides combined services to the area further up the “sales funnel,” promoting these destinations to a larger audience than they would be able to reach alone and offering services (such as destination data) that they wouldn’t be able to provide on their own. This is similar, in some ways, to the arrangement Goleta has with Visit Santa Barbara, where being promoted as part of a larger area enables a higher profile and greater services than a standalone Goleta destination organization would currently be able to accomplish. However, these communities also have their own local TBIDs that provide destination-specific marketing, whereas Goleta does not.

Some communities have a stronger group sales program and have the community assets to support group business, such as Dana Point, while others allow for another entity to provide the group sales work, and/or have few assets to support group business, such as Morro Bay.

Organizationally, the benchmark organizations are standalone non-profits funded through TBID dollars. Until recently, Morro Bay was promoted by a city agency, but a standalone TBID was created within the past two years.
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Summary Table – Tourism Marketing & Development Programs by Community Dana
Point Monterey Morro
Bay
Paso
Robles
West
Holly-
wood
Goleta via
Visit SB
Goleta
Chanber
of Comm
Tourism, Marketing & PR
Trade Shows
Advert ising
Web/Online/Organic/PPC
Social Media
Email Marketing
PR Familiarization Tours
PR Communications
Event Marketing
Group Sales
Leads Through Bookings
Trade Shows
Sales Missions
Familiarization Tours
Sponsorships
Business Support
Online Presence Support
Ambassador Training
Tourism Infrastructure
Wayfinding & Signage
Visitor Centers
Tourism Amenity Dev
Asset Dev & Maintenance
Shared Event Calendar
Event & Festival Grants
Visitor Management
Tourism Impact Reduction
Strategic Tourism Marketing & Development questions to be considered as part of the planning process:
• Wha
t Business Support and Tourism Infrastructure activities might be the most productive to enhance Goleta’s visitor experience and support the local visitor economy? • In wh
at ways can Goleta’s visitor economy be leveraged to meet the City’s broader economic development goals?
• If t
here is a desire for a more defined tourism brand for Goleta, is that supported by a comprehensive visitor experience?
• Wou
ld a more comprehensive standalone Goleta destination brand produce ROI, and on what timeline?
• Are th
ere opportunities to gain greater value from the partnership with Visit Santa Barbara? 106
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Appendix 4: Visitor Profile and
Tourism Impact Analysis by
Destination Analysts
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103 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment
Link to full report and slides
Research Overview & Methodology
This research presents findings of a comprehensive visitor profile study conducted by Destination Analysts on behalf of the City of Goleta. This research is based on an in-person intercept survey of Goleta visitors.

Survey respondents had to reside outside of Goleta in order to be considered a visitor. A total of 850 completed intercept surveys were collected in March, April, and August 2022. Destination Analysts’ survey team worked at nine locations around the city of Goleta to randomly select and interview visitors.

Economic Impact Analysis
The following presents a summary of key findings related to the economic impact of tourism to the City of Goleta for Fiscal Year 2021 – 2022 (July 1, 2021 – June 23, 2022). Over that period, the city had a total of 853 thousand visitors and an estimated 367 thousand hotel room nights generated. Direct visitor spending hit $487.5 million and supported 6,372 jobs with an estimated combined. payroll of $271 million. The visitor economy— comprised of direct visitor spending and indirect and induced effects— generated a total of $682.9 million in economic impact and $17.2 million in tax revenues for governmental entities.

Summary Findings
Outside of the City of Goleta, travelers to Santa Barbara County also visited the City of Santa Barbara (61.9%), Montecito (17.5%), and Isla Vista (14.2%). Over two-in-five (40.5%) visitors surveyed reported that the city of Santa Barbara was their primary destination, while about three-in-ten (29.4%) stated that Goleta was their primary trip destination in the region. The majority of respondents surveyed (65.9%) are return visitors to the Goleta. These visitors have taken approximately 5.2 prior visits to the city. Those visiting for just the day have the highest rates of past visitation, averaging 6.6 past trips. One quarter (25.0%) of visitors to Goleta came to visit friends or relatives. This is followed by business travel (21.6%) and vacation (21.0%).

Among those in the destination primarily for non-leisure purposes, just one-in-ten (11.6%) extended their stay in the city to accommodate leisure activities. About three-in-ten (30.0%) visitors stayed in a hotel, motel, inn, B&B, or hostel within Goleta, while one quarter (25.9%) were regional residents on a daytrip to the area. Additionally, one fifth (21.2%) of visitors stayed in a paid or private accommodation outside the City of Goleta.

On average, those who stayed in a hotel or rental property during their stay had approximately 2.3 guests sharing the accommodation. Overnight visitors to Goleta stayed approximately 4.7 days in the destination.

Overnight visitors stayed approximately 4.2 nights. Those staying in hotels or motels were in the destination slightly longer, averaging 4.4 nights. Over two-in-five (45.5%) visitors who came to the destination just for the day stated that they were staying elsewhere close to Goleta. The top reasons for not staying overnight within the city were living close to Goleta (16.3%), and not having enough time (14.9%).

Visitors primarily arrived via commercial airline (56.0%). This is followed by personal vehicle (28.4%), rental vehicle (6.1%), and shuttle bus (2.7%). The typical travel party was comprised of 2.6 people and approximately 13% of travel parties included children under 18. Visiting the beach, dining, shopping, and bars or nightlife were the top activities visitors participated in on their trip to the City of Goleta. A second tier set of activities includes outdoor experiences, such as hiking, biking, and wine tasting, and touring the UCSB campus. The top Goleta attractions visited were Camino Real Marketplace (56.0%), Old Town (38.1%), and the Goleta Farmers Market (25.8%). The average travel party to the City of Goleta typically spends $380.31 per day in-market.
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City of Goleta | Situation Assessment104
When asked if there was anything else the respondent would like to share about their Goleta visitor experiences, travelers mostly mentioned the great weather, friendly people (9.2%), and nice area (7.8%).

In line with Wave 1 data collection (March and April 2022), affordability (13.8%), more diverse food and shopping experiences (8.2%), and better public accessibility and transportation (7.9%) continue to be the top suggested improvements that would influence visitors to extend the length of their Goleta trip. Just under one-third (31.0%) said nothing would motivate them to stay longer in market.

Visitors typically began planning their Goleta trip nearly eight weeks prior to arrival, relying on the opinions of friends/family to help plan their trip, followed by general travel websites and the hotel website/concierge.

Of the official City of Goleta and Visit Santa Barbara resources tested, visitors most often used digital resources to plan their trips such as GoGoleta.com (23.2%), Visit Santa Barbara’s social media (22.3%), and SantaBarbaraCA.com (21.8%).

Visitors to the City of Goleta are highly satisfied with their trip experiences (93.6% Top 2 Box Score). As indicated by their high levels of satisfaction, nearly all respondents report a likelihood to return to the city (93.0%). These visitors have a high likelihood to recommend Goleta as a place to visit to other travelers.

In fact, 85.6% gave the destination a Top 3 Box Score, with 46.5% saying they are certain to recommend Goleta.

Respondent Demographics & Point of Origin
Survey respondents skewed slightly female. In total, 50.4% of visitors surveyed identified as female, while

45.0% identified as male. Goleta visitors’ average age is reported to be 44.5 years. Visitors to Goleta tend to be affluent, averaging a household income of $118,109. Nearly half of Goleta visitors surveyed are married or partnered (46.2%), while a little over a third (37.0%) are single. In total, 13.6 percent of survey respondents have children under the age of 18. Visitors to Goleta primarily identify as white (58.7%). The largest non-white visitor groups were Latino/Hispanic (11.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (9.3%). In total, 74.2 percent of visitors surveyed identify as heterosexual and 4.3 percent identify as LGBTQ+.

Nine-in-ten (90.0%) visitors were domestic residents and 10% were international visitors. The top international markets represented in the survey sample include China (2.0%), Germany (1.8%), and Mexico (1.4%). Two-fifths of domestic visitors surveyed were California residents (42.5%), while nearly three-in- five (57.5%) were out-of-state visitors with top representation from Washington (6.8%), Arizona (6.8%), and Colorado (5.6%). The top in-state visitor markets for Goleta were San Francisco (9.6%), Los Angeles (6.9%), and Ventura (4.6%). The top out-of-state visitor markets reflected in the survey sample were Phoenix (6.9%) and Seattle (4.3%).
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Appendix 5: Potential
Visitor Analysis by
Destination Analysts
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107 City of Goleta | Situation Assessment
Link to full report and slides
Research Objectives & Methodology
This research was designed to explore and understand what would motivate travelers to visit the City of Goleta. Working closely with the city of Goleta, Destination Analysts—a travel and tourism market research firm and collaborator with Coraggio—created a questionnaire to meet several research objectives, including:
•
Ins
piration/motivations for leisure travel
• Perc
eptions of the City of Goleta
• Det
errents to visiting Goleta
• Wha
t could motivate them to visit Goleta
• Perc
eptions/opinions on Goleta’s competitive destinations
• Tra
vel planning resources used
• Trav
el behaviors
This research was designed to speak to California residents who had no visitor experience in Goleta in the past three years. To qualify for the survey, respondents were required to:
•
Resi
de in California
• Liv
e more than 50 miles from Goleta
• Hav
e taken an overnight leisure trip 50 miles away from their home in the past two years • Be pl
anning to take an overnight leisure trip 50 miles away from their home in the next 12 months • Hav
e not visited Goleta in the past 3 years
A total of 400 surveys were collected from May 4 to May 10, 2022. Detailed data tables and graphs can be found at this link.

The City of Goleta’s Competitive Situation
Working closely with the City of Goleta, Destination Analysts chose four competitive California destinations that were similar in product offering and size: San Luis Obispo, Solvang, Santa Maria, and Santa Ynez.

Looking at these competitive markets, nearly half of California leisure travelers surveyed (49.3%) said they are “very likely” or “likely” to visit San Luis Obispo in the next three years. In comparison, just under a quarter (24.0%) report some likelihood to visit Goleta in this timeframe, the lowest among the five competitive set communities. Among the five California destinations tested, leisure travelers are least familiar with Goleta, which trails slightly behind Santa Ynez. One-in-five respondents report being “very familiar” or “familiar” with Goleta as a leisure destination. Although leisure travelers report low levels of familiarity with Goleta, the city was given its highest ranking in outdoor adventure experiences. 113
City of Goleta | Situation Assessment108
The City of Goleta’s Destination Brand
On average, leisure travelers gave Goleta a score of 6.3 on a ten-point scale in terms of appeal as a place to visit for leisure. Similarly, leisure travelers report an average score of 6.1 out of ten in terms of their excitement to visit Goleta. Over half (55.3%) of leisure travelers surveyed have not heard of any of the six Goleta attractions tested—Goleta Beach, Sandpiper Golf Course, Haskell’s Beach, Lake Los Carneros, Stow House, and Ellwood Open Space—highlighting the need to educate travelers on Goleta’s offerings.

Travelers rate wineries, off-the-beaten-path ambiance, and outdoor activities as good or very good in Goleta but Goleta is not perceived as a particularly affordable destination.

There are three main types of deterrents to visiting Goleta, according to survey responses. The first ss Awareness, with respondents mentioning they never hear anything about the City of Goleta or they don’t know enough about it. There are also Product-based Deterrents to visiting, such as not fitting into the types of travel experiences respondents are seeking or the feeling that the destination is too expensive or difficult to travel to. The third type of deterrent to visiting is Personal Deterrents, for example not having friends or family in the area or not having enough vacation time.

The Ideal City of Goleta Trip
To better understand travelers’ desires around a potential Goleta trip experience, respondents were asked to share key details about their ideal trip to the destination. In terms of seasonality, leisure travelers are more inclined to visit Goleta during the summer months of June, July, and August on their ideal trip. Most potential visitors expect to travel to Goleta via their personal car or RV, train/Amtrak, or a rental car or RV. As for length of stay in market, the average California traveler would plan a visit to Goleta for a long weekend of

2.7 days and 2.0 nights. Over three-quarters (77.0%) of leisure travelers would potentially stay overnight in Goleta during their trip. Of respondents who would stay overnight, hotel or motel is the top accommodation.

A majority of leisure travelers would visit Goleta with a spouse or significant other, highlighting an opportunity to market Goleta as a couple’s romantic getaway. Just under a third would visit with children under 18 and a quarter would visit with friends. Lastly, leisure travelers expect to spend an average of $352 per day while in Goleta.
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116
Attachment 2

Economic Development Strategic Plan Situation Assessment Staff Presentation
117
Coraggio Group
503.493.1452 | coraggiogroup.com
Presentation of Situation Assessment
Goleta City Council
December 20, 2022
2 Today’s Agenda

1. Provide overview of project and approach

2. Present draft Situation Assessment themes

3. Discussion: Q&A; additional input and feedback

4. Next Steps
3 Table of Contents
3 Project Overview
Draft Themes
Appendices
4 7
46 Project Overview
Project Phases

GET CLEAR GET FOCUSED GET MOVING
• Immersion Session
• Potential Visitor Analysis
• Visitor Profile & Tourism Impact
Analysis
• Local & Regional Economic
Analysis
• Program Benchmarking
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Survey
• Interviews (15)
• Focus Groups (3)
• Situation Assessment
• Core Planning Team Work
Sessions (6-Half Day)
Strategic Clarity
• Competitive Position & Hard
Truths
• Economic Vision
Strategic Focus & Action
• Strategic Priorities
• Success Metrics
• Initiatives
• Advisory Committee Check-ins (2)
• Community Forum
• Adoption of 5-Year Economic
Development Strategy
• Strategy to Action Planning
• Implementation Coaching
• Implementation Roadmap
5 Project Timeline
6 Draft Themes
8 Introduction
This presentation is a summary of the Situation Assessment presented to the City of Goleta by Coraggio Group. The purpose of this effort was to gather insights on current sentiment and the opportunities and challenges facing the City as it prepares t he develop a new Economic Development Strategic Plan.

Coraggio Group collected data and captured stakeholder perspectives through the following efforts and research:
• Stakeholder and Community Engagement (survey, one- on-one interviews, focus groups) • Economic Trends and Data Analysis
• Competitive Set Program Benchmarking
• Potential Visitor Analysis
• Visitor Profile and Tourism Impact Analysis
Findings and insights from these efforts are presented as key Situation Assessment themes in the report. A theme is an opportunity or challenge that Coraggio identified based on data analysis or heard through multiple engagement channels.

Themes point to consistent findings across different studies and research methods and could be described as areas in which we found “heat”. Each theme in this report is supported and justified by insights that draw from relevant data and quotations ba sed on any of the five data collection and stakeholder engagement efforts mentioned above. 9 399 Survey Respondents
Stakeholder and Community Engagement
Stakeholder and community perspectives were captured through one-on-one interviews and focus groups with a range of representatives from community partners, elected officials, government staff, local business owners, industry leaders, and tourism and hospitality stakeholders. This included:
• Three focus groups – Community Development Partners, Business & Industry Stakeholders, and Tourism & Hospitality Stakeholders – representing the perspectives of more than 30 participants. • 12 one-on-one interviews with Goleta community partners, industry leaders and elected officials.

To be certain that stakeholder perspectives are as relevant and valuable as possible, care was taken to ensure insights refer to data that does not include residents were appropriate. For example, when discussing the experience of the business community in Goleta, our insights refer to data that omitted residents where we believed they could not contribute an informed perspective. 30+ Focus Group Participants
12 One-on-one interviews
10 Throughout this report, we use the following terminology:
• Stakeholders refer to all participants in the stakeholder engagement efforts, including survey respondents, interviewees, and focus group participants. • Survey respondents refer to everyone who took the stakeholder engagement survey. • Economic development stakeholders are non-resident stakeholders who took the stakeholder engagement survey. This group includes business and industry, community development, and tourism stakeholders.
• Interview and focus group respondents or [survey] open-ended responses are direct or paraphrased quotes from the corresponding source.
• Visitors refer to the data collected in Destination Analysts’ Visitor Profile and Tourism Impact analysis.
• Potential visitors are those who responded to the potential visitor survey carried out by Destination Analysts.

Definitions
and
Terminology
Figure 1 – All Survey Respondents’ Affiliation with Goleta City Affiliation to the City of Goleta
73%
8% 7%
4% 3% 2% 2% 1% 1%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
Resident Government Small Business
Owner/
Entrepreneur
Community
Development
Partner
Larger Business/
Corporate
Stakeholder
(non-Tourism)
Tourism and
Hospitality
Industry
Stakeholder
Resident in
adjacent
community
Workforce
Development or
Education
Partner
Other
Percentage of Respondents
All survey respondents
N = 399
Figure 2 – Economic Development Stakeholder Affiliation with Goleta City Please choose the affiliation category below that best describes your organization or relationship with Goleta
28%
26%
16%
9% 8%
4%
9%
0%
0%
10%
20%
30%
Government Small Business
Owner/
Entrepreneur
Community
Development
Partner
Larger Business/
Corporate
Stakeholder (non-
Tourism)
Tourism and
Hospitality Industry
Stakeholder
Workforce
Development or
Education Partner
Other Resident
Percentage of Respondents
Economic development
stakeholders
N = 107
Figure 3 - Race/Ethnicity
White or
Caucasian
66%
Prefer not to
answer
19%
Hispanic or
Latino/a/x
8%
Two or more
races
4%
BIPOC (non-
Hispanic, non-
Latinx)
4%
What is your race/ethnicity? All survey respondents
N = 182
White or
Caucasian
66%
Prefer not to
answer
11%
Hispanic or
Latino/a/x
11%
Two or more
races
4%
BIPOC (non-
Hispanic, non-
Latinx)
8%
Economic development
stakeholders
N = 53
Figure 4 - Gender
Female
45%
Male
40%
Prefer not to
answer
15%
Non-binary
1%
What gender do you most identify as currently?
All survey respondents
N = 184
Female
55%
Male
38%
Prefer not to
answer
8%
Economic development
stakeholders
N = 53
15 1. The City of Goleta has the opportunity to align stakeholders and residents around a shared community-driven economic vision. (Link)

2. Overwhelmingly, stakeholders are worried about the rising cost of living and would like to see Goleta address housing and childcare availability and affordability. (Link)

3. Investing in Goleta’s infrastructure will be key to community livability, economic growth, and destination development. (Link)

4. A focus on placemaking and downtown redevelopment is needed to help create a sense of place, enhance local amenities, and improve Goleta’s visitor experience. (Link)

5. Goleta does not have a strong tourism identity and lacks the necessary support structures to position itself as a true visitor destination. (Link)

6. The business community in Goleta does not feel supported, especially small business owners and entrepreneurs. (Link)

7. The lack of industry diversification and middle-wage jobs is a potential threat to Goleta’s long-term economic resilience. (Link)

8. Residents are worried that Goleta’s growth will impact their quality of life and change the city’s unique character. (Link)

10. The City’s Economic Development Strategy should continue to prioritize historically disadvantaged communities to ensure equitable growth and shared prosperity. (Link )Themes
16 1
The City of Goleta has the opportunity to align stakeholders and residents around a shared community-driven economic vision. • Survey respondents would like the City of Goleta to develop an economic development strategy that is “sustainable” and “local,” with a focus on “community,” “environment,” and “growth” (see Figure 5).
• By a considerable margin, survey respondents’ top two desired economic development priorities are improved infrastructure and city or downtown beautification, followed by an increase in livable wage jobs and better support for small businesses, all outcomes that will directly impact perceptions related to sustainability and community-centric growth (see Appendix

1.17).
• When asked to indicate their “top three” pre-determined options, many survey respondents chose the ‘Other’ response and provided alternative ideas. This indicates that Goleta’s community cares about a wide variety of issues, ideas,
challenges, and opportunities, further reinforcing the need for a shared economic vision.
• The target audience for the stakeholder survey was community development, economic development, and tourism
stakeholders, with an option available should some residents provide feedback. However, despite multiple efforts by the City and partners to engage industry stakeholders, the results returned with residents comprising 73% of survey respondent. (see Appendix 1.1). To develop a shared economic vision, input from both business and industry stakeholders— as well as residents—will be important.
• COVID-19 impacted service delivery and community
engagement. Many interview and focus group participants expressed a desire for the City to better engage with them and respond to their needs and ideas.

Insights
Figure 5 - Economic Vision Descriptors
What three words would you like to see reflected in the economic vision for Goleta? sustainable
local
communitysafe
growth
innovative
environmentaffordable
equitable
inclusive
housing
stable
smallclean
jobs
friendly
conservation
family
balanced
technologydiversequality
vibrant
healthy
responsible
green
preservation
parking
infrastructure
beautiful
business
water
variety
supportive
slow
walkable
investment
solvent
fair
roads
modern
smart
thrive
traffic
education
non-government
reduce tax
entrepreneurship
vitality
equal
flexible
relief
transparency
accessible
resilient
responsibility
shopping
open
service
less growth
rent control
non-profit
support
police
careful
workforce renewal
workers
life
spaciousplanned
savings
strategic
prosperous
thinking
upgrade
helpful
quiet
strong
efficient
positivetransportation
future
proactive
change
robust
entrepreneurial
care
space
prosperity
efficiency
success
varied
densifying
execution
rent-control
beautification conscious
words promote
All survey respondents
N = 226
18 18
“I detect a strained relationship between the City Council and the Chamber of Commerce. I would hope that these two groups could work together to aid the economic development of Goleta.” “Goleta doubled its business license fee without notification or input from stakeholders.”
“We need to live in a sustainable community that accepts limits to growth. Development and inappropriate growth can often lead to a deterioration in the quality of life and the destruction of community coherence.”
“Get input from people that have lived here for decades, not new government people who don’t know our history and nice values.” “The City is not making themselves available enough to
businesses.”
“The City must create an Economic Development Commission that includes all sectors and is culturally diverse, like the commission Santa Barbara County had. It could help at a smaller scale, and it brought good ideas.”
“Goleta leaders have the chance to have an outsized impact on the region's approach to livable locations by creating a balanced, thriving, supportive community of residents that have great jobs in a truly unique location, with innovation and lifestyle welded together so that commerce, industry, education, and non-profit community support organizations thrive. It does not need to be a zero-sum game of trade-offs. The various groups help each other thrive, and I hope Goleta can approach their charter to support the community with a goal for mutual thriving.”
“Real progress involves a partnership, with the City recognizing how business benefits the community as a whole. [Too often], as economic development has happened TO the city of Goleta IN SPITE of the city of Goleta.”
“We have a nice community to live in. It's been significantly impacted over the past few years with growth, which makes it a lot less desirable. The City did not do a good job managing growth and we are all feeling it.”
“The Council is not particularly business-friendly and seems to be unmotivated to work with the largest business organization on the South Coast, the Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, Goleta's regulations create barriers to doing business and creating housing for employees (take the Heritage Ridge project, for example).” “Consider impact on environment. Balance all competing interests with care.”
Theme 1: The City of Goleta has the opportunity to align stakeholders and residents around a shared community-driven economic vision. 19 2
Overwhelmingly, stakeholders are worried about the rising cost of living and would like to see Goleta address housing and childcare availability and affordability. • Rising costs are a major concern. Economic development stakeholders believe that the lack of housing and childcare availability and affordability are among the top three challenges to Goleta’s economic development (see Figure 6). • In almost every interview or focus group, participants highlighted the value of affordable childcare to Goleta’s economic growth, particularly for small business owners and marginalized populations. Many believe addressing the housing issue will be key to improving childcare accessibility and affordability. • Survey respondents believe that Goleta does not currently have accessible and affordable housing, rating it the weakest economic development driver by a large margin (see Appendix 1.8
).
• Affordability of housing is an important economic outcome for every stakeholder.

While “affordable housing” was not an option for survey respondents to select when presented with a list of potential economic development outcomes, many respondents selected ‘other’ and manually entered affordable housing as their answer. This indicates that Goleta’s lack of affordable housing is a front-of-mind issue for local stakeholders (see Appendix 1.17
).
• Similarly, “limited workforce housing” was identified as a top challenge to operating a business that survey respondents manually entered, also showing how this issue is a top concern for all stakeholders (see Appendix 1.16 ).
• 89% of economic development stakeholders (compared to 70% of all survey respondents) believe that the current cost and lack of available housing is a primary challenge or issue impacting economic development in Goleta. The difference suggests that those with more intimate knowledge of the issue consider it even more critical than it appears to be (see Appendix 1.15 ).
• The median gross rent in the City of Goleta is $1,955 per month or $23,460 per year. This puts the average rental out of reach of 24.2% of Goleta’s households that earn $49,999 or less and barely affordable to an additional 14.5% of households that earn between $50,000 and $74,999. This adds up to nearly 40% of households in Goleta that are unable or struggling to afford the average rent for a home. Interview and focus group participants also highlighted that even on an income of $60,000, it is difficult to reside in Goleta (see Appendix 2.12 ).
• Some interview participants and survey respondents expressed concerns that multi-unit housing developments could impact Goleta’s small-town feel and quality of life, representing a potential barrier to increasing Goleta’s affordable housing stock. Survey respondents also commented that UCSB’s lack of housing stock puts upward price pressures on non-university-affiliated housing in Goleta.

Insights
Figure 6 - Challenges to Goleta's Economic Development
What do you believe are the top three biggest challenges or issues related to the economic development of Goleta?
89%
41%
37%
30% 28%
24%
15% 15% 13% 6%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Availability and
cost of housing
Growth
impacting
quality of life
and/or
environment
Limited access
to affordable
childcare
Ability of
employers to
hire qualified
employees
Growth
impacting City
character and
identity
Finding enough
land or space
for new or
growing
businesses
Quality of
employment
opportunities
(e.g. consistent,
sufficient work;
wages)
Inequitable
growth or
persistent
disparities
Lack of local
places to shop,
find
entertainment
Other: Water
shortages
Percentage of Respondents
Economic development
stakeholders
N = 54
21 21
“Love Goleta overall and commend your work. I'm sad that I will have to leave due to not being able to find and afford half-decent housing.” “I think that more affordable housing is among the most valuable growth factors. It will allow more workers to be in Goleta, attract a wider diversity of residents, increase overall morale, and increase local business support. All the new housing developments are well out of the price range for many people, even those with a six-figure income. Personally, this has been driving many people I know to move to places like Ventura or Oxnard, which are currently far more affordable, even though many of them strongly would like to remain in Goleta.”
“Incredible natural beauty, but expensive, especially in terms of housing and childcare costs.”
“Unless the business is doing a remote only workforce, it would be too difficult to attract and retain the skilled workforce necessary to competitively do business in Goleta, as indicated by Goleta's commitment to stay primarily a single-family home city. It is incredibly unlikely that Goleta will make the necessary choices to reduce housing costs by allowing more diverse residences to be constructed in a reasonable time frame.” “We need more single-family homes to attract high tech workers. They don't want to live in apartments.”
“Increasingly it's for the very rich, squeezing out the young and old. UCSB is impacting our housing affordability by not building their own.” “Housing crunch [caused] by UCSB limits living options.” “The City of Goleta must ensure that childcare workers are able to make a living wage so that the broader economic activity is sustainable. For childcare workers to make a living wage, more housing must be built so that housing costs do not outpace inflation.”
“Affordability of housing and childcare are big challenges. The cost of childcare in Goleta is the same as paying for an education at UCSB for one year for the first five years of the child’s life.”
“Issue with childcare is not having childcare workforce. Everyone is trying to hire. If we don’t have housing for childcare workforce, we can’t hire and can’t provide childcare, which makes it harder for people to work.” “Because housing is so expensive, recent graduates are unable to stay in the area and have an enjoyable, even if they were to get a well-compensating entry-level job in the area.”
“Workforce participation and business development for women (who were impacted harder by pandemic) could be higher with better childcare options.” “Childcare is the second most expensive item for most families. There needs to be interest at the City level to make change. It would have a large impact on our ability to attract people to our city and on affordability.” “Rental and home ownership has become too expensive. People need an affordable place to live first and foremost.”
“It's way too expensive for employees to live here. Requires long commutes.” “My employer cannot hire anybody because nobody can afford to live here.” Theme 2: Overwhelmingly, stakeholders are worried about the rising cost of living and would like to see Goleta address housing and childcare availability and affordability. .
22 3
Investing in Goleta’s infrastructure will be key to community livability, economic growth, and destination development.
• Survey respondents ranked infrastructure investment as the most important economic development activity, but the City’s current effectiveness as much lower, representing the greatest gap between importance and effectiveness amongst the
economic development activities presented (see Figure 7 ).
• Survey respondents perceive the quality of Goleta’s broadband and high-speed internet as average and would like to see prioritized investment in this area going forward (see
Appendix

1.8).
• The city’s infrastructure is seen as a challenge to operating a business in Goleta by economic development stakeholders (see Appendix 1.16).
• Economic development stakeholders believe the quality of Goleta’s in-bound and in-market transportation infrastructure— essential for a positive visitor experience—as low (see Appendix

1.10).
• Stakeholders also expressed frustration with the levels of traffic in Goleta, pointing to a need to improve upon existing
transportation infrastructure specifically.
• Stakeholders suggested that Goleta invest more in improving infrastructure that supports reduced vehicle usage, such as better public transport and bike/pedestrian paths.
• Among potential visitors to Goleta, only 61.3% say Goleta is “good’ or “very good” with regards to being easy to get to, but

72.8% rate this attribute as “important” or “very important” in a destination (see Potential Visitor Analysis
, slide 31).
• Current water shortages were identified as a challenge to the growth and development of Goleta’s economy.
• Similarly, some focus group participants expressed concerns with the community’s current electricity supply and reliability. • Many survey respondents believe that Goleta will need to first address these infrastructure needs before focusing on economic growth. (see Appendix 1.15
).

Insights
Figure 7 - Economic Development Activities
Please rank how important and effective the following economic development activities are in Goleta:

4.69 4.47

4.16 3.98

3.75 3.66 3.61 3.60

2.79 2.78

3.22 3.40

3.16 3.28

2.97 2.98 3.05 2.91 2.79 2.75
1 2
3 4
5 Infrastructure
investment
Resident
amenities and
quality of life
improvements
Entrepreneurship
and small
business support
Placemaking,
district planning,
and city
beautification
efforts
Government
permitting for
new/ expanding
businesses
Workforce
development and
talent attraction
Investments in
innovation and
research &
development
Business
recruitment,
retention, and
expansion
Destination
marketing and
visitor attraction
Development of
tourism
attractions,
events, and
other industry
products
Important Effective
VeryNot at all
All survey respondents
N = 197
24 24
“Goleta needs improved infrastructure, affordable housing, and mobility solutions supporting reduced vehicle usage.”
“Power and water utilities are poorly managed. Unconstrained building while in a drought is poor governance.”
“I’ve been requesting for nine years to have my street repaved and the potholes repaired. Still waiting…”
“High-speed internet is available but not affordable.”
“I have lived in Goleta for 30 years—car -free for 25 of those and car- lite for the others. For a visitor without a car, for example most international travelers, Goleta isn’t an easy place.”
“New residential, commercial, and industrial site developments are unquestionably dependent on access to new sources of locally controlled water, which require first the investment and planning for the development of 1) New storm water/rainwater reservoirs, 2) new storm water/rainwater capture facilities scaled to include industrial, commercial, & residential, and 3) other technologies such as desalination.”
“Start [desalination] now. Affordable housing. Improve
infrastructure. Complete streets program in commercial areas, Vision Zero plan, improve pedestrian and bicycle access and options.”
“If there is an energy shutdown, there should be a list of businesses that need 24/7 energy to prioritize/plan for. GIS heat map of manufacturing infrastructure/zip code density of these businesses to inform decisions on lobbying.”
“I would like to see the City dramatically invest in alternative transportation, especially public and bike transportation; support green energy with rooftop solar requirements for all new residential and commercial construction; provide expedited and low-cost permitting for solar installations and electric vehicle chargers on existing structures; invest heavily in planting new and maintaining new and existing street trees; and expand sidewalks and accessibility throughout the city.”
“Water is key. There is not enough now, so how can you increase development without more? Broadband access is holding Goleta back.”
Theme 3: Investing in Goleta’s infrastructure will be key to community livability, economic growth, and destination development. 25 4
A focus on placemaking and downtown redevelopment is needed to help create a sense of place, enhance local amenities, and improve Goleta’s visitor experience. • Survey respondents rank placemaking, district planning, and city beautification as some of the most important activities for Goleta to focus on in its economic development strategy but perceive the City’s effectiveness in these activities to be much lower (see Appendix 1.7 ).
• City or downtown beautification/improvements was identified as the second most important economic development outcome by survey respondents (see Figure 8).
• Survey respondents rated the quality of Goleta’s food and beverage, retail and shopping, and nightlife and entertainment as average to poor. The lack of in-town amenities and entertainment experiences negatively impacts Goleta residents’ quality of life and the visitor experience (see Appendix 1.9
).
• Interview and focus group participants and survey respondents mentioned the current lack of a city center or focal point for Goleta.

Many suggested that redeveloping Old Town/Hollister Avenue into a welcoming, pedestrian-friendly destination could meaningfully boost tourism and enhance local amenities for residents.
• Stakeholders suggested that a redeveloped city center could double as a hub for small businesses and a space for city events. • Goleta only generates 4.2% of its direct visitor spending through activities, museums, sightseeing, and tours (see
Visitor Profile and
Tourism Impact Analysis, slide 14). Potential visitors scored Goleta the lowest among a set of five peer cities for “sightseeing,” reiterating that they are unlikely to travel with the purpose of seeing the city itself (see Potential Visitor Analysis
, slide 26).
• 74% of potential visitors to Goleta identified restaurants and dining as an important destination attribute, and 41.5% identified shopping as an important attribute (see Potential Visitor Analysis
, slide 21).
• Results of the Program Benchmarking identified a place-based business district, economic center, or neighborhood redevelopment and beautification efforts a top economic development priority for Goleta’s competitive set cities (see Competitive Set Benchmarking).

Insights
Figure 8 - Ideal Outcomes from Economic Development Efforts 52%
45%
31%
29%
23%
22%
18%
18%
15%
11%
10%
7%
6%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
Improved infrastructure
City or downtown beautification/improvements
Increase in livable wage jobs
Better support for small businesses and entrepreneurs
Reduction in economic disparities for historically disadvantaged communities Increase in community amenities
Improving Goleta’s reputation as a place to visit
Improving Goleta’s reputation as a place to do business Increase in local innovation and research & development Workforce training and skill development
An increase in tax revenue to support community services Other: Affordable housing
Industry diversification
Percentage of Respondents
What are the three most important outcomes you would like to see from Goleta's economic development efforts?
All survey respondents
N = 188
27 27
“Old town Goleta is a disaster as is the surrounding area. [It is] filthy and lacks diverse stores to attract new customers …”
“It is sad that our business cores are unattractive strip malls and/or big box stores. Goleta is not represented. And our more local and authentic downtown - Old Town Goleta - is totally neglected. Why is there no plan to make this area more vibrant, more desirable, yet still local - such as a Goleta version of the Funk Zone (but with better parking options built in)?”
“Downtown Goleta desperately needs some serious stimulation and creative planning. There are many small towns that have weekly farmer and/or art and craft markets like Higuera Street in San Luis Obispo.”
“More beautification efforts and promotion of businesses in Old Town would help bring more locals there and, eventually, tourists. I have a Bed & Breakfast, but I don't often send guests to Old Town because it looks a little run down in many areas. I would love to, because there are many charming features, but minor improvements like planters and artwork would add so much more interest.” “It would be great if Old Town had a sense of place, a funkiness about it that attracted visitors rather than repelled them.” “Goleta doesn't have the cool vibe it needs. Downtown needs to be renovated to be an "old town' type atmosphere with upgraded street signs, upgraded business signs. It looks like an old dying town.” “I think that planting more trees and the beautification of Old Town are important for Goleta.”
“There isn’t a central focus to Goleta. Downtown Goleta is not an interesting place to go, and Camino Marketplace is all big box stores.”
“There isn’t a central walkable downtown, or an “area” where something is always going on like other small communities.” “Goleta is sort of three different places—Old Town, Calle Real/Fairview area, and Big Box area (Camino Real/Target, etc.), but they’re not conveniently and safely connected, especially without a car.”
Theme 4: A focus on placemaking and downtown redevelopment is needed to help create a sense of place, enhance local amenities, and improve Goleta’s visitor experience. 28 5
Goleta does not have a strong tourism identity and lacks the necessary support structures to position itself as a true visitor destination. • Goleta’s tourism industry generated an economic impact of $682.9 million during the 2022 fiscal year, contributing over $11 million of the City’s $33 million budget.

However, only 29% of visitors to Goleta came specifically to visit the City of Goleta (see Visitor Profile and Tourism Impact Analysis, slide 65). In contrast, 41% of Goleta’s visitors indicate that their primary destination is Santa Barbara (see Figure 9). Visitors are also more likely to travel to Goleta for business or to visit friends or relatives than to vacation there (see Visitor Profile and Tourism Impact Analysis, slide 19).
• In planning their trip, more Goleta visitors use Visit Santa Barbara’s social media or official tourism website (44.7%) than Goleta’s official tourism website or official travel guide (35.4%), implying that many Goleta visitors primarily planned to spend time in Santa Barbara (see Visitor Profile and Tourism Impact Analysis, slide 22). For out-of-of state visitors, an even higher proportion of visitors (62.1%) used one of these two Santa Barbara platforms, illustrating that Goleta’s brand as an independent tourism destination significantly weakens outside of California.
• Goleta also lacks the identity as a destination that some of its peer communities possess. Among a competitive set of five similar destinations, California leisure travelers reported Goleta as the lowest-likelihood destination they would visit (see Potential Visitor Analysis
, slide 24). Their top deterrents to visiting Goleta
are, “I never hear anything about it” and “I don’t know anything about it” (see Potential Visitor Analysis, slide 28), demonstrating that Goleta’s lack of recognition negatively impacts tourism volumes.
• Goleta has a handful of above average tourism drivers, such as the University of California, Santa Barbara, and nearby outdoor & recreational activities, but many other drivers were rated low by survey respondents (see Appendix 1.9 ).
• Over half (55.3%) of potential leisure travelers surveyed have not heard of any of the six top Goleta tourism attractions (see Potential Visitor Analysis, slide 34), reflecting that Goleta’s independent brand is weak. Interview and focus group participants have the opinion that Goleta is not currently a destination of its own and instead relies on its proximity to Santa Barbara and UC-Santa Barbara to attract visitors.
• Economic development stakeholders rated the quality of tourism support structures as poor, in particular highlighting the need for improved tourism funding and better support from tourism partners, investors, and stakeholders (see Appendix 1.10
).
• Survey respondents considered destination marketing and the development of tourism products to be the City’s least important economic development activities, indicating that tourism is not their most important economic development priority (see Appendix 1.7
).

Insights
Figure 9 – Primary Destination of Trip
Which of these communities was the primary destination for this trip? Source: Destination Analysts (2022). 2022 Goleta Visitor Profile Study, slide 65.

Visitor survey
N = 838
30 30
“Some people say we should focus on tourism because we get bed taxes. but I think we should focus on improving our natural beauty. I am not so much into thinking that Goleta is a destination experience. I think people come here because they can’t get a room in Santa Barbara.”
“We don't have any upscale shopping or eateries in Goleta, so people must drive to Santa Barbara regularly. People with good jobs do not want to eat at fast food restaurants. Read the reviews on TripAdvisor about Goleta's hotels and restaurants.”
“We don't have much nightlife here. We have some very cool museums and historical resources, but more needs to be done to make some of them more attractive to visitors. So many new restaurants, but more food diversity could really set us apart. We have some great local festivals and community events.”
“Goleta's natural attractions and wildlife do not seem to be as highly valued as more businesses [come] and development [occurs].” “A significantly large portion of Goleta residents are extremely concerned about paying their monthly rent, utilities, food, gas, etc., and if they will be able to continue living in Goleta. The quality of the tourism drivers? Not a relevant concern.”
“The City clearly emphasizes support for the hospitality industry.

Other businesses are on their own.”
“Lack of identity for Goleta, downtown is tacky, Goleta Center is run- down, too many code violations are never addressed, creating sprawling ugly neighborhoods, no pride in Goleta Beautiful.” “Goleta is right next to the ocean, but it is difficult to visit.” “Goleta has an unbelievable resource in the Elwood-Mesa reserve.

However, it is being neglected. Trails are not well developed and maintained. Can be great attraction for visitors and asset for residents.”
Theme 5: Goleta does not have a strong tourism identity and lacks the necessary support structures to position itself as a true visitor destination. 31 6
The business community in Goleta does not feel supported, especially small business owners and entrepreneurs.
• Survey respondents describe Goleta’s current ability to support local entrepreneurs, businesses, and industries as “expensive,” “bureaucratic,” “limited,” “unknown,” “slow,” and “poor” (see Appendix 1.3a ). Respondents
would like to see the City evolve into being “supportive.” “innovative,” “affordable,” “sustainable,” and “flexible” (see Appendix 1.4 ).
• Survey respondents are unlikely to recommend Goleta as a place to do business as demonstrated by a negative Net Promoter Score (NPS) (see Figure 10
). There is slightly better sentiment around promoting Goleta as a place to live and work, with survey respondents indicating a good NPS of 15 (see Appendix 1.6
). However, small business owners still report a negative NPS when asked if they would recommend Goleta as a place to live and work (see Appendix 1.6a
).
• The lower-than-anticipated response rate to the stakeholder survey by the business community (see Appendix 1.1), suggests that despite multiple targeted efforts, current engagement is low and the City’s relationship with its business and economic development stakeholders has room to improve. • 28% of economic development stakeholders who responded to the survey would like to see Goleta’s economic development efforts result in better support for small businesses and entrepreneurs (see Appendix 1.17 ). The
perception of lacking support for small businesses is especially strong for entrepreneurs and business owners from historically disadvantaged communities (see Appendix 1.13
).
• Entrepreneurship and small business support and government permitting for new/expanding businesses are both considered very important for economic growth, but economic development stakeholders do not rate the City highly in its ability to deliver these services (see Appendix 1.7 ). Results of the
Program Benchmarking identified local business permitting and concierge/ombudsmen services, as well as small business and entrepreneurship support, as top economic development priorities for Goleta’s competitive set cities (see Competitive Set Benchmarking). • Economic development stakeholders identified talent attraction and retention, tax rates and business costs, and government bureaucracy as the biggest challenges to operating a business in Goleta (see Appendix 1.16 ).

Small business owner and entrepreneur survey respondents disproportionately perceive tax rates and business costs to be a burden (see Appendix 1.16a
).

Insights
The NPS measures stakeholder perception
of Goleta as a place to do business.

Score ranges from -100 to 100 with a score
of -100 to 0 considered poor, 0 to 10 fair, 10
to 30 good, 30 to 50 excellent and 50+ world
class.
% of Promoters (9s and 10s) - % of Detractors (0s to 6s) = NPS Figure 10 - NPS: Business Environment
How likely is it that you would recommend Goleta as a place to do business? 44%
31%
26%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
Detractors Neutral Promoters
Percentage of Respondents
-18
Poor
Economic development
stakeholders
N = 62
33 33
“The Council is not particularly business-friendly and seems to be unmotivated to work with the largest business organization on the South Coast, the Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, Goleta's regulations create barriers to doing business and creating housing for employees.”
“Money should be spent on making life more enjoyable for the residents. Too much time and energy are spent on keeping big $$ business happy rather than small, local businesses happy.” “Ensure economic strategic plan includes a roadmap for
making/supporting businesses being open post-COVID-19.” “Navigating the systems and awareness of what is required to start a business/take advantage of programs. Ensure resources available in all languages and formats necessary.”
“There could be initiatives and funds to help small businesses.” “Permitting necessary development or remodels is challenging. The jobs/housing fee is crazy limiting.”
“Revenue neutrality agreement can significantly inhibit support of businesses, housing options.”
“It is much more expensive to get a business license in Goleta than the City of Santa Barbara.”
“Need more support for local (non-chain) businesses and affordable housing, and transportation to support them.”
“The local government does not seem especially supportive [to business].”
“Business is dominated by big box stores.”
“[Goleta] favors big box stores and brands.”
Theme 6: The business community in Goleta does not feel supported, especially small business owners and entrepreneurs.
34 7
The lack of industry diversification and middle-wage jobs is a potential threat to Goleta’s long-term economic resilience.
• Santa Barbara County scores low on the Hachman Index, referenced against the state of California (see Figure 11). This indicates a relative lack of industry diversification and may leave the local economy susceptible to industry-specific downturns. • Survey respondents believe that one of the challenges to Goleta’s economic development is the quality of employment opportunities, such as consistent, sufficient work, and improved wages (see Appendix 1.15
).
• Many open-ended survey responses suggest that respondents believe City leaders primarily associate economic growth with tourism growth, creating tension as the City is perceived to overemphasize tourism growth at the cost of not providing enough support to other sectors in the economy.
• Many sectors in Santa Barbara County that have grown faster than California as a whole are those with high wages, such as Management of Companies and Enterprises (296% of the
County’s average wage), or low wages such as Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, and Farming (75% of the County’s average wage), Administrative and Waste Services (64% of the County’s average wage), and Accommodation and Food Services (57% of the County’s average wage) (see Appendix 2.14
). These sectors
are also projected to grow faster than overall employment in the County (see Appendix 2.9
and Appendix 2.15).
• There were some exceptions to that trend, such as the Health Care and Social Assistance (108% of the County’s average wage) sector, which already represents 12.2% of County employment, and Manufacturing (138% of the County’s average wage) sectors (see Appendix 2.9b
). Both typically have a higher proportion of
middle-wage jobs, but both are projected to grow at a faster rate than overall employment in Santa Barbara County.

Insights
Figure 11 – Santa Barbara County Hachman Index
The Hachman Index measures the relative mix of industries present in a target area (Santa Barbara County) compared to a reference area (California State). Index scores range from 0 to 1, with higher scores indicating a more diverse mix of industries.

0.1829 0.1867
0 0.2

0.4 0.6

0.8 1
2011 2021
Hachman Index
36 36
“Great place for a worker to be near Santa Barbara with less foot traffic and similar weather. That is the main thing we have right now.

But businesses don’t necessarily want to be here. Hence why even the big dogs like Amazon and Google only have very small teams here. The investment even to them doesn’t make sense for our city.” “Ensure Goleta remains a world-class innovation center/technology business hub to drive good growth, as coastal California communities on the whole are becoming more tourism and
retirement based. Preserving and encouraging these industries will drive high-paying jobs, leading to the moderate and predictable good growth they want to keep providing.”
“Foster increasingly close connection between UCSB and the business community (as well as local high schools for
manufacturing centers in particular).”
“Goleta is attracting business of several industries and already has a good mix of high wage jobs. Capitalize on differentiating advantage of relationship to UCSB and work to retain existing industry diversity.”
“Better facilities to support growth potential of healthcare industry; healthcare having huge potential, especially due to proximity to the university.”
“The City clearly emphasizes support for the hospitality industry.

Other businesses are on their own.”
“Goleta is more welcoming of some businesses than others, and inconsistent in programs and plans.”
“Not having a mechanism to limit big brands and box stores is a challenge.”
“Goleta needs more high paying jobs; there are too many busser & hotel janitorial jobs.”
“Too much time and energy are spent on keeping big business happy rather than small, local businesses happy.”
Theme 8: The lack of industry diversification and middle-wage jobs is a potential threat to Goleta’s long-term economic resilience. 37 8
Residents are worried that Goleta’s growth will impact their quality of life and change the city’s unique character.
• Survey respondents feel that growth is impacting resident quality of life and Goleta’s character and identity, a potential barrier to economic development. Currently, residents are very hesitant to residential, commercial, and industrial growth, while economic development stakeholders are more
receptive, especially to residential growth (see Figure 12). • A lack of resident support for tourism growth is a major challenge to Goleta’s economy (see Appendix 1.10
).

Interview and focus group participants also expressed value in keeping the small-town feel of Goleta intact. Many open- ended responses express concern about growth, particularly concern that the growth of the local tourism industry will negatively impact Goleta’s identity.
• The lack of resident amenities, such as local places to shop, eat, and find entertainment, is also reducing the appeal that Goleta has to the local community (see Appendix 1.15
).
• Some survey respondents believe that recent developments in Goleta have been short-sighted and unfocused. They
suggest that Goleta should be more selective in the
development and growth opportunities it pursues and
thoroughly consider each one’s potential impacts on the community.
• Survey respondents are very keen to see an increase in livable wage jobs to provide financial means for residents to maintain their quality of life amidst rising prices and a housing shortage (see Appendix 1.17).

Insights
Figure 12 -Growth and Change PerceptionsHow do you feel about growth and change in Goleta?Very positiveVery negative

3.33 3.04 2.88

2.44 2.59 2.26
1 2
3 4
5 Residential growth (e.g. increased population, morehousingCommercial growth (e.g. more land zoned commercial,more commercial businessesIndustrial growth (e.g. more industrial zoned land, moremanufacturing Non-resident StakeholdersResidentsAll survey respondentsN =190 39 39
“Stop building so much! Quality of life is suffering because you are too concerned about business and not people. Stop the madness!” “Pros and cons of Goleta are that it’s a small town. It nice because it’s a small town. It can be hard to live here cause it’s a small town (limited resources, retail, etc.).”
“A great place to live but don't want any more people moving here. It is too crowded now.”
“We have a nice community to live in. It's been significantly impacted over the past few years with growth, which makes it a lot less desirable. The City did not do a good job managing growth and we are all feeling it.”
“Lack of city planning means growth impacts are negatively affecting the quality of life. We can’t fit everyone and every large development.”
“Goleta is first our home and not a [tourism] ‘industry product’.” “I would prefer a no/slow growth policy, geared towards redevelopment of existing developed areas (no development of current open spaces), with the aim of smaller, higher paid industries (small high-tech companies).”
“Goleta is known for its mountains and beaches. Overdevelopment with monstrous buildings that do not even have enough water to support them is not what Goleta is about.”
“All your concern seems to be about development rather than quality of life. People need a better quality of life, not more businesses that just take and feel no obligation to give in return!” “The city is growing at a rate that hurts existing residents and only attracts out of town potential residents. We are being squeezed out of our own community. There needs to be more serious thought to the long-term repercussions, instead of seemingly focusing on short term benefits.”
“Maintain the character of Goleta. Say no to unbridled growth, it ruins community.”
Theme 8: Residents are worried that Goleta’s growth will impact their quality of life and change the city’s unique character. 40 9
The University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) has the potential to be a major economic driver and should be further leveraged to help grow the local economy beyond the tourism industry and its impact on hotel occupancy. • Survey respondents rated the presence of local
universities/higher education as the top tourism driver (see Appendix 1.9), and there is evidence that a good portion of Goleta’s tourism may be a byproduct of its proximity to the City of Santa Barbara or non-leisure travel such as business or school-related travel (see
Visitor Profile and Tourism Impact
Analysis, slide 65 and 67).
• The university itself is already a driver of tourism. 9.8% of visitors to Goleta indicated that they toured UCSB while on a recent trip (see Visitor Profile and Tourism Impact Analysis, slide 76), and 11.5% of high-likelihood potential travelers to Goleta list touring UCSB as a driver of their visit (see Potential Visitor Analysis, slide 47).
• A significant number of interview and focus group participants are seeking closer connection to UCSB and see the university as the major economic development driver for Goleta,
particularly as it relates to access to skilled workers and investments in local innovation and research & development. • Despite having an excellent university within city limits, Goleta’s economic development stakeholders are finding it challenging to recruit skilled workers and find resources to support innovation, research, & development (see Figure 22). • Some stakeholders believe that Goleta has an opportunity to strengthen its economy due to the Santa Barbara’s current development constraints, by positioning the city as a location for future industry development and spin-off activity coming out of UCSB.
• Stakeholders indicated that Goleta's proximity to UCSB is particularly advantageous to growing a robust high-tech industry if the relationship is cultivated appropriately.

Insights
Figure 13 - Economic Development Drivers
Please rate your perception of the quality of the following economic development drivers:

3.62 3.46

3.43 3.42

3.41 3.31

3.30 3.16

2.93 2.87

2.84 2.79

1.70 1 2 3 4 5
Available community amenities (dining, retail, etc.)
Community infrastructure (public transit, roads, utilities,… Broadband and access to high-speed internet
Availability of skilled workers and talent
Available commercial space
Access to capital for businesses
Resources to support innovation and research & development Government support and a business-friendly environment
Available industrial land
Job opportunities with livable wages
Support services for small business and entrepreneurs
Available arts and cultural amenities (museums, theater,… Accessible and affordable housing
ExcellentVery poor
Economic development
stakeholders
N = 58
42 42
“Goleta is a great place to do business, a small town but also well connected to the university and other large businesses.” “Collaboration with UCSB might improve R&D opportunities. Prefer this to tourism, which impacts already stressed infrastructure. Also hope mixed use agriculture can continue.”
“UCSB will provide the necessary talent attraction if the graduates were able to afford to stay in the area. But for that to happen, more housing is necessary.”
“For the Santa Barbara region, [Goleta] has a distinct advantage of commercial and industrial land when compared to SB and
Carpentaria. Goleta is the best bet to grow/expand in region.

Adjacency to the university and airport is an advantage as well.

Larger employers are in Goleta and Carpentaria, not Santa Barbara.

A handful of high-tech firms are in Goleta.”
“Concentration of 20,000 students at UCSB, with parents/friends coming to visit. We need to capture these visitors. Need to leverage the university as the key economic driver.”
“Helping students stay in town more. Many of us leave for college and don’t come back because of the jobs. Again, goes back to being a place people are proud to be from. Not just to retire.” “Goleta can encourage development of small businesses/startups from the university.”
“The university is a big resource and will be a bigger one in the future, especially from the tech perspective. A lot of the technology of the future is being developed there. We can provide valuable business infrastructure in the area.”
“USCB should be a strong partnership, but it’s not and I’m not sure which side is to blame. There is a history of trying really hard to get the City, the Chamber, and UCSB to work together on an
entrepreneurial program.”
“Focus on relationships with UCSB – Nano tech, engineering, environmental, etc. The university should be the center of the City’s economic development efforts.”
“The City has a program that we participate in with UCSB, Goleta Entrepreneurial Magnet (GEM). We abandoned that 4-5 years ago.

There should be a way to make that more functional.”
Theme 9: The University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) has the potential to be a major economic driver and should be further leveraged to help grow the local economy beyond the tourism industry and its impact on hotel occupancy. .
43 10
The City’s Economic Development Strategy should continue to prioritize historically disadvantaged communities to ensure equitable growth and shared prosperity.
• Survey respondents would like to see Goleta make more effort to address economic disparities, encourage shared prosperity regardless of socio-economic status or demographics, and support entrepreneurs and business owners from historically disadvantaged backgrounds (see Figure 14
).
• While Goleta has a lower poverty rate than California as a whole, there are significant racial disparities. A much higher percentage of Goleta residents who identify as Asian, some other race, or two or more races sit below the poverty line than residents who identify as White/Caucasian (see Appendix 2.20
).
• Words such as “inclusive” and “equitable” were used by survey respondents to describe their ideal economic vision for Goleta (see Appendix 1.2
).
• Survey respondents identified inequitable growth and persistent disparities as a challenge to local economic development (see Appendix

1.15). Similarly, there is a desire to see a reduction in economic disparities for historically disadvantaged communities (see Appendix

1.17).
• Limited access to affordable childcare disproportionately impacts non- Latino BIPOC communities and people who identify as women (see Appendix 1.15a
).
• Hispanic/Latino/a/x respondents rated the quality of Goleta’s economic development drivers lower overall, with an especially large gap for broadband access, available arts and cultural amenities, access to capital for business, and job opportunities with livable wages (see Appendix 1.8a
). Yet, the Hispanic/Latino/a/x community was the only
racial/ethnic group likely to recommend Goleta as a place to do business, with a positive NPS of 21 (see Appendix 1.5b
).

Insights
Figure 14 - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Please select your level of agreement with each statement:

3.36 3.11

2.50 2.49

1.62 1
2 3
4 5
Goleta is welcoming to people
from a diversity of backgrounds
and communities
Goleta is seen as racially and
ethnically diverse
Goleta is a community that
authentically seeks to address
economic disparities
Goleta’s economic development
priorities are designed to
encourage shared prosperity
regardless of socio-economic
status or demographics
Goleta effectively supports
entrepreneurs and business
owners from historically
disadvantaged communities
Strongly agreeStrongly disagree
All survey respondents
N = 190
45 45
“Goleta is growing and changing both culturally and financially.

Goleta is attracting a diverse community and workforce that want to have a safe place to live, work, and raise a family. The community dynamics are changing for the better. It’s good to see.” “Goleta's multi-ethnic heritage and history have very limited support from local government and most nonprofits. These are overlooked or under-valued attractions, in my opinion.”
“For the Latino community, ensure that development is done in an inclusive way that involves all voices and that ensures Hispanic Chambers receive the same funding and respect when participating in economic development. Often, it feels like development is just thrown at us, but we want the same equitable funding that regional chambers receive.”
“Navigating the systems and awareness of what is required to start a business/take advantage of programs. Ensure resources available in all languages and formats necessary.”
“The challenge is how do we maintain a diverse community so that more people can live where they work and grow up where they live.” “The City must dictate through rulings who can come here and how businesses that come here can attract the people that will come to live here. The City needs to entice smaller businesses and focus on increasing the diversity of who lives here.”
Theme 10: The City’s Economic Development Strategy should continue to prioritize historically disadvantaged communities to ensure equitable growth and shared prosperity. 46 Appendices
46 See final Situation Assessment Report for referenced appendices, tables, and graphs.

Goleta City CouncilDecember 20, 2022

Goleta City Council
December 20, 2022