Agenda Item C.2
CPMS DISCUSSION ACTION
Meeting Date: December 16, 2025
TO: Mayor and Councilmembers
SUBMITTED BY: Robert Nisbet, City Manager
PREPARED BY: Blake Markum, Management Analyst
SUBJECT: Resolution Opposing New Offshore Oil Leases in Federal Waters RECOMMENDATION:
Adopt Resolution No. 25 -__ entitled, “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Goleta, California, Opposing New Offshore Oil Leases in Federal Waters.” BACKGROUND:
California’s central coast has long been impacted by devastating offshore oil incidents. In January and February of 1969, Union Oil’s Platform A, an offshore oil facility in the Santa Barbara Channel , suffered a blowout. The spill released more than three (3) million gallons of crude oil into the Santa Barbara Channel, killing thousands of marine animals, and polluting the coastline from Goleta to Ventura and the Channel Islands, with lasting environmental and economic consequences.
On May 19, 2015, the Las Flores Pipeline System ruptured near Refugio State Beach releasing over 120,000 gallons of oil and damaging local fisheries, marine ecosystems, and coastal tourism.
Under Section 18 of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lands Act, the Secretary of the Interior is responsible for approving a schedule of OCS oil and gas lease sales for a five- year period. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is responsible for developing the National OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program, advising the Secretary, and administering the program once adopted.
On November 20, 2025, the Secretary of the Interior announced a first analysis and proposal for the current National OCS Program, which includes six (6) lease sales along the Pacific Coast with leases set to begin in 2027. There is a 60 -day comment period from November 24, 2025, to January 23, 2026, for this first analysis and proposal. There will be two more analysis and proposal periods for the proposed program before the final program is adopted by BOEM.
1 Meeting Date: December 16, 2025
The City of Goleta’s 2025 Legislative Platform Section 5 entitled “Environmental Quality,” includes a provision to oppose legislation that grants any new oil drilling, well leases, hydraulic fracturing, or any other high -intensity petroleum operations off the coast of California.
At the December 2, 2025, City Council Meeting, Councilmember Reyes -Martín sought concurrence to add a resolution opposing new offshore oil leases in federal waters to the City Council’s agenda. Councilmember Kyriaco concurred with this request.
DISCUSSION:
This item gives the City Council an opportunity to adopt a resolution to oppose new oil lease sales and gas activity in all offshore areas of California. If adopted by the City Council, staff will transmit a copy of the Resolution to the BOEM. See Attachment 1 for the proposed resolution.
FISCAL IMPACTS:
There is no direct fiscal impact associated with transmitting this resolution other than staff time.
ALTERNATIVES:
The City Council may wish to make alterations to the resolution before it is adopted or may choose not to adopt the resolution at this time.
LEGAL REVIEW BY: Isaac Rosen, City Attorney
APPROVED BY: Robert Nisbet, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Resolution No. 25-__ entitled “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Goleta, California, Opposing New Offshore Oil Leases in Federal Waters” 2 ATTACHMENT 1
Resolution No. 25-__ entitled, “A Resolution of the City Council of the City Goleta, California, Opposing New Offshore Oil Leases in Federal Waters” 3 Resolution No. 25-_ Opposing New Offshore Oil Leases in Federal Waters RESOLUTION NO. 25-__
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
GOLETA, CALIFORNIA, OPPOSING NEW OFFSHORE OIL
LEASES IN FEDERAL WATERS
WHEREAS, City of Goleta residents and visitors enjoy California’s beaches and the Pacific Ocean for recreational, commercial, and educational activities, all of which support our local economy; and
WHEREAS, our City’s residents value our state’s ocean and coastal waters, which provide habitat to a vast array of wildlife, including fish, whales, sea turtles, and birds that depend on a healthy and clean environment; and WHEREAS, offshore oil and gas drilling and exploration off the Pacific coast puts these coastal resources, and the communities and industries that depend on them, at risk from oil spills and other damage; and
WHEREAS, expanding offshore oil and gas drilling and exploration threatens coastal stakeholders, marine wildlife, human health and climate; and WHEREAS, a massive oil spill in 1969 off the coast of Santa Barbara fouled coastal waters and caused catastrophic economic and environmental damage; and
WHEREAS, in 2015 a pipeline servicing offshore oil platforms burst and fouled the same coastal areas, damaging wildlife and impacting recreational and commercial activities; and
WHEREAS, new federal offshore oil and gas leases have not been granted off the coast of California since 1984; and
WHEREAS, the state of California prohibited new oil and gas leasing in state waters due to the unacceptably high risk of damage and disruption to the marine environment; and
WHEREAS, opening new areas off the Pacific coast to offshore drilling will deepen the state’s dependence on fossil fuels and undermine its efforts to address climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and moving toward renewable energy.
4 Resolution No. 25-__ Opposing New Offshore Oil Leases in Federal Waters
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GOLETA, AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1.
The City Council of the City of Goleta joins with a broad coalition of local governments, state leaders, scientists, and residents in urging the Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to exclude all areas offshore California from new oil lease sales and gas activity.
SECTION 2.
The City Clerk shall certify to the passage and adoption of this resolution and enter it into the book of original resolutions.
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED this __ day of _____ 2025. __________________________
PAULA PEROTTE
MAYOR
ATTEST: APPROVED AS TO FORM:
_________________________ __________________________
DEBORAH S. LOPEZ ISAAC ROSEN
CITY CLERK CITY ATTORNEY
5 Resolution No. 25-__ Opposing New Offshore Oil Leases in Federal Waters
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF SANTA BARBARA ) ss.
CITY OF GOLETA )
I, DEBORAH S. LOPEZ, City Clerk of the City of Goleta, California, DO HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing Resolution No. 25-__ was duly adopted by the City Council of the City of Goleta a t a regular meeting held on the __ day of ______ 2025, by the following roll call vote of the Council:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
(SEAL)
_________________________
DEBORAH S. LOPEZ
CITY CLERK
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