PUBLIC SAFETY & EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
STANDING COMMITTEE MEETING
Thursday February 5, 2026
12:30 – 1:30 PM
City Hall - Conference Room 1
130 Cremona Drive, Suite B
Goleta, California
Mayor Paula Perotte
Councilmember Luz Reyes-Martin
Robert Nisbet, City Manager
Jaime Valdez, Assistant City Manager
JoAnne Plummer, Neighborhood Services Director
Lieutenant Jarrett Morris
Jason Levy, Emergency Services Coordinator
Melissa Cure, Management Assistant
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AGENDA
I. Public Comment
II. Emergency Services Division Updates
III. Deltopia 2026 Parking Restrictions
IV. E-Bike Safety
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: February 5, 2026
TO: Public Safety & Emergency Preparedness Standing Committee FROM: JoAnne Plummer, Director of Neighborhood Services Jason Levy, Emergency Services Coordinator
SUBJECT: Public Safety & Emergency Preparedness Standing Committee Meeting Item I. Public Comment
Receive public comment.
Item II. Emergency Services Division Updates
The Emergency Services Division continues to make progress on several key projects.
These efforts focus on community outreach, internal staff training, emergency planning, infrastructure and collaboration with partner agencies.
Preparedness and Outreach Efforts
• In March 2026, Goleta will host the 25th class of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training. The course will equip participants with vital skills and confidence to support the community in times of disaster and emergency. The course will be offered over three consecutive Saturdays. • The Division continues to work closely with other City divisions on revitalizing the GOLETA CERT program. The Division developed a GOLETA CERT Policy and Procedures Manual for formalizing this volunteer engagement and strengthening it into a sustainable program of Disaster Service Worker – Volunteers (DSW-Vs). In collaboration with the Parks and Recreation, Library and Human Resources Divisions, a comprehensive volunteer management program is being developed. The GOLETA CERT program aims to re-engage past participants, enhance training opportunities, and expand community involvement in emergency preparedness. • The Division continues to build partnerships with local organizations and businesses to deliver Community Disaster Education (CDE) Workshop courses and expand community engagement. This past year (calendar year 2025), the Division served 200 community members with this program.
• This past September, the Division completed a revision to the website focusing on simplifying content for the community and ensuring inclusivity by implementing
Spanish-language translations. The Spanish page became the first Spanish direct page on emergency preparedness within the County.
Emergency Planning
• In January 2025, the Division initiated a comprehensive revision of the City’s Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) to ensure alignment with local ordinances, City and County protocols, and California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) best practices. A second draft has been completed and is under review by City department directors. With completion anticipated in fourth quarter of 2026, the updated EOP will serve as the cornerstone of the City’s emergency management program. In parallel, the Division is leading a citywide Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) initiative, with each department developing its own separate COOP to ensure operational resilience across the City. The City-wide COOP is scheduled for completion in Q4 2026.
Internal Training
• In December 2025, the Division conducted the first tabletop exercise for the City’s Advance Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Team, focusing on applying concepts introduced earlier in the year. This initiative aims to strengthen staff training and build bench depth, and will continue throughout the coming year. The concepts for this year will focus on the revisions that are incorporated in the new Emergency Operations Plan.
Infrastructure and Technology
• The Division continues to identify critical needs to enhance the city’s emergency preparedness. The Division will propose two new capital improvement projects that will focus on emergency communications and community energy resilience. Both of these require coordination across multiple departments. To strengthen emergency communications, the Division is partnering with the Public Works and General Services Departments to develop a Citywide Radio Communication System.
Additionally, the Division is evaluating upgrades to MarBorg Communication Trailers, including a proposal to retrofit these units with battery energy storage systems. This enhancement would allow the trailers to function as charging hubs during extended Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) or major disasters.
Support to Other Departments
• The Division continues to actively monitor upcoming events such as weather conditions, providing timely updates to City leadership and departments on potential impacts. It also coordinates assistance across jurisdictions and keeps the community informed of emerging issues.
Lastly, the Division continues to collaborate with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Cal OES to secure reimbursement for prior year declarations as well as more recent proclamations from the 2025/2026 Holiday Storms. In the prior 12 months, the City collected $1.041M in reimbursement from FEMA and Cal OES for four previously declared disasters. Further reimbursements are expected for these events and the Division continues to engage City Departments and federal and state partners to receive the funds.
Item III. Deltopia 2026
During Deltopia 2025, the City enacted parking restrictions from noon on Friday, April 4th through 7:00 AM on Sunday, April 6th. Within the parking restrictions zone, law enforcement wrote 14 parking citations mostly around Whittier and Whitman. At the DUI checkpoint in Goleta, 2,595 were contacted, three DUI drivers (all under 21 years of age) were detained, and 12 unlicensed drivers were identified. One thing that both law enforcement patrols and City staff did notice during the event was the parking restriction forced several vehicles to park north of Highway 101, off the side streets that run along Calle Real as well as further west in areas such as Santa Barbara Shores neighborhood. Law enforcement contacted several subjects hanging out whom noted they were waiting for Ubers to Isla Vista.
The Emergency Services Division received five-city assist tickets (four in 2025 and one in 2026) and emails from Goleta residents expressing frustration with the restriction program.
They reported an influx of travelers parking in their neighborhoods, citing the program's unintended consequences.
During the January 13, 2026, Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors meeting, the Board approved an amendment to the County’s Social Host Ordinance that extends the amplified music restriction hours to specifically target Deltopia. While the Santa Barbara County Sheriff Office expects the amendment to help reduce negative impacts, shifting the event’s culture will take time. Therefore, the recommendation from law enforcement is to continue the temporary parking restriction program based on the 2025 model for Goleta neighborhoods closest to Isla Vista. The dates for Deltopia 2026 are Friday April 3rd through Sunday, April 5th.
Item IV. E-Bike Safety
California Assembly Bill (AB) 544, effective January 1, 2026, contains new e-bike safety requirements. The Goleta City Council provided letters of support for AB 544 on two separate occasions to advocate for passage of this measure. These new regulations include that all e-bikes must be equipped with a red reflector or a flashing red light on the rear of the vehicle at all times, not just at night. Additionally, if a minor violates e-bike rules, such as failing to wear a helmet, both the minor and their parent may face a citation, depending on the circumstances. To support compliance at a state-wide level, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) is launching an online safety training program for minors cited for helmet violations while riding e-bikes. On the horizon and introduced January 2026, Assembly Bill 1557, would limit the motor power of electric bikes to 750 watts. E-bikes exceeding the 750- watt limit would be reclassified as motor-driven cycles, making them illegal on bike paths and requiring operators to obtain a motorcycle license.
Locally, Santa Barbara Sherrif Office (SBSO) and school administration have been working with Move Santa Barbara (MOVE SB). To start, Move SB has partnered with both Goleta Valley Junior High School (GVJH) and Dos Pueblos High School (DPHS) to conduct safety talks and distribute helmets and other bike-related items to students. In addition to these efforts and during the current academic year, the schools have shown safety videos to the student body on campus and shared information with parents through ParentSquare.
Building on these measures, the SBSO Community Resources Deputy (CRD) and DPHS Administration are planning to implement a program requiring students register their e-bikes with the school office, similar to the process for student cars that park on campus. Currently, students provide the make, model, and license plate number of their car, which is kept on file. Under the new program, students would submit their e-bike’s make, model, and serial number (instead of a license plate).
Furthermore, regarding a mandatory course for all bike riders as a prerequisite to bringing a bike to school, SBSO believes this would need to be initiated by the school district rather than by an individual school site. As an alternative approach, CRD Hedricks and DPHS Administration are considering offering a free bike safety class during winter or summer breaks, which parents could register their students for. CRD Hedricks has already discussed this option with DPHS Administration, and it is likely to be implemented in the future.