Goleta City Council
September 15, 2026

Agenda Item C.3

DISCUSSION/ACTION
Meeting Date: September 15, 2026
TO: Mayor and Councilmembers
SUBMITTED BY: Matthew R. Fore, General Services Director SUBJECT: Operations Plan for the Goleta Train Station
RECOMMENDATION:

Receive a presentation on the Operations Plan for the Goleta Train Station and provide input or direction on the proposed plan.

BACKGROUND:

Construction o f the Goleta Train Station Project (CIP No. 9079) began in September 2024. The project constructs a new multi -modal train station adjacent to the existing Amtrak platform at South La Patera Lane. The newly constructed full -service station improves connections to bus transit, University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), and adds new bicycle and pedestrian facilities.

The Goleta Train Station (Station) includes a rentable meeting room, a bike storage room and exterior bicycle racks, an undeveloped space for café concessions, spacious outdoor plazas, ample parking, including electric vehicle (EV) charging, and a solar generating roof. Other amenities include free Wi-Fi, device charging stations, tables and chairs, and food and beverage vending along with a bottle -filling station. On April 21, 2026, Council adopted nine (9) policies to guide the operation of the Station.

DISCUSSION:

Much of the information presented to Council to date has focused on the design and construction of the Station. As construction nears completion, staff are focusing heavily on a multitude of variables and considerations related to the operation of the Station. The purpose of this staff report is to share the approach that staff have developed to safely and effectively operate the City’s newest facility in regard to staffing, operating hours (and after-hours response), public information, operational budget, and revenue -generating potential.

Operating a train station is a new venture for the City of Goleta. Staff developed the initial approach outlined below on significant research and available information and will no 1 Meeting Date: September 15, 2026

doubt evolve as staff gain experience operating the facility in the coming years. This approach also balances service needs with budgetary constraints.

Staffing and Facility Oversight
The Goleta Train Station, by design, is a largely automated facility . Patrons purchase tickets online or by smartphone and embark and disembark trains as directed by Amtrak- operated arrival/departure boards and audible announcements. As such, neither Amtrak personnel nor City staff will provide direct service to patrons. Rather than maintaining a permanent staff presence, oversight of the facility will be accomplished through a variety of means. For example, various staff (e.g. General Services, Neighborhood Services, Sheriff) will work from a small office located in the facility . Staff are exploring options to subdivide this office space in the future for use by homeless services providers.

Besides the periodic presence of City staff in the office, t hird-party janitorial staff, acting in a Day Porter capacity, will visit the Station periodically to provide cleaning servi ces, walk the perimeter of the property, and report to City staff on any conditions that need attention. In addition, three (3) parking spaces have been marked and reserved for City vehicles to accommodate staff who regularly visit the site to maintain and manage the building, landscaping, parking lot, plazas, and the meeting space. Staff who visit the site provide another layer of oversight of the Station.

Staff anticipate that operation of the Station will require a greater level of monitoring and timely response to facility, safety, and property -management issues , including misconduct, than other City-owned facilities, given the Station’s anticipated high level of use and passenger activity, extended accessibility of the site, and availability of p ublic amenities such as Wi -Fi, device charging ports, restrooms, and a climate-controlled indoor space.

While the Station will not have dedicated on-site security personnel, several security and monitoring measures have been incorporated into its operatio n. Access controls will automatically unlock and secure the facility according to established operating hours, and the Station will be equipped with closed -circuit television (CCTV) cameras that City staff can remotely access for monitoring and incident review. The facility will also be protected by an intrusion alarm system to identify and provide notification of unauthorized access when the building is closed. These automated systems, coupled with periodic visits by City staff, janitorial and maintenance personnel, and Sheriff personnel, will provide multiple layers oversight without requiring the addition of new staff or the addition of permanent on-site security personnel.

Staff will closely monitor conditions during the initial period of operation and coordinate responses among General Services, Neighborhood Services, Public Works, the Sheriff’s Office, janitorial and maintenance contractors, and other appropriate service providers.

Experience during the first year of operation will allow staff to identify recurring issues and trends, evaluate the effectiveness of existing security and monitoring measures, and to determine whether additional resources or staff positions are necessary to safely and effectively operate the Station.
2 Meeting Date: September 15, 2026

Hours of Operation
Staff proposes that the Station be open to the public from 7am – 7pm seven days per week. The facility (building including restrooms and internal bike lockers) would be completely closed during City -recognized holidays. These business hours capture the majority of train service , align with the anticipated hours of planned food and beverage service at the site, and strike an appropriate balance between service and operational costs, which rise quickly beyond the proposed hours of operation. While train service runs beyond these proposed hours, it is important to note that entry into the Station is not necessary to purchase tickets or to embark or disembark trains from the platform.

Moreover, restrooms are available on the trains for early morning, late night, and holiday patrons who arrive or depart the facility outside of operating hours.

Public Information
Information about the Station and train services will be available from several sources.

An informational web page for the Station on the City of Goleta website is under development. The site will include links to ticketing information and train schedules, a button to report maintenance issues, a link to the community room reservation system, Council-adopted policies for the Station, and frequently asked questions. Besides the website, wayfinding signage and other signage for reporting issues to both the City and Amtrak are installed throughout the Station. Finally, several public information kiosks are located inside the facility and in the outdoor plazas. Information on City events, initiatives, and other relevant information will be periodically rotated through the kiosks.

Parking
Ample parking is available at the Station, including 1 3 EV charging stations (11 in the main lot and two Americans with Disabilities Act stalls on the south side of the facility) , provided by PowerFlex, similar to the EV stations located at City Hall. On August 19, 2026, the Council Energy and Green Issues Standing Committee unanimously supported setting the following EV charging rates for all City-owned EV charging stations, including those located at C ity Hall (except the Beam Charger) and the Station: $.35 per kilowatt hour (kWh) during non-peak hours and $.45/k Wh during peak hours (4pm -9pm daily).

The proposed rates are designed to cover the “all -in” cost of EV service including electricity charges, maintenance, and future equipment replacement when the chargers reach their end of life. The proposed rate structure will also shift the financial burden from the General Fun d to the users of the charging stations through the accumulation of reserve funds for equipment and maintenance . The proposed rates will be brought to Council for consideration in the near future.

Staff also plan to implement a paid parking system to generate revenue to defray a portion of the significant expenses associated with operating and maintaining the Station. The City Manager’s Office recently solicited proposals from qualified consultants to devise a Parking Management System (PMS), solicit proposals from vendors to operate it , and oversee its construction and implementation. The intent is for the operator to provide turn- key service including operation and maintenance of the PMS, collection of patron payments and remittance of revenue to the City, and enforcement of paid parking at the Station. Proposals were received and staff recently signed a professional services 3 Meeting Date: September 15, 2026

agreement and is onboarding the selected consultant to begin developing the PMS. The timeline for selection and implementation of the system is not yet known.

Fiscal Year 2026-27 Budget
The Fiscal Year 2026 -27 budget includes $426,200 for the first year of operation and maintenance of the facility (Table 1).

Table 1 - Fiscal Year 2026-27 Operation and Maintenance Budget Goleta Train Station
Category Cost
Safety and Security Monitoring $ 17,500 Facility and Grounds Maintenance $ 85,000 Janitorial (Routine and Urgent) $ 100,000 Day Porter $ 100,000
Utilities $ 53,100
Insurance Premiums $ 6,100
Leases $ 40,000
Information Technology $ 18,000
Public Information $ 5,000
Permits $ 1,500
Total $ 426,200

As stated above, the Station will be open to the public seven days per week, excluding City-recognized holidays. One of the currently unbudgete d and potentially significant unknown costs is responding to after -hours mai ntenance issues (e.g., clogged or overflowing toilets, support related to community room usage, etc.).

The City already provides Standby Pay to a team of staff who are charged with responding to urgent after -hours issues. According to the City’s personnel rules, any after-hours response, including answering phone calls and traveling to a location, by non-exempt employees, initiates a minimum of two hours of overtime. Therefore, staff is evaluating an after-hours answering service to ensure that only urgent calls are passed on to after- hours staff, thereby limiting overtime costs.

Other Revenue-Generating Potential
Besides paid parking discussed above, staff are evaluating and pursuing several options for generating revenue at the station including food and beverage concessions and advertising opportunities.

While the Station includes an undeveloped café space, building out the space and recruiting a long-term concessionaire will take significant time to complete. In the interim, the Station will feature self-serve snack and beverage vending and the General Services Department is currently soliciting proposals for coffee service (e.g., coffee cart, trailer, kiosk, etc.). Proposals are due in late September. Under the resulting concessionaire 4 Meeting Date: September 15, 2026

agreement, the selected vendor will remit a yet to be determined percentage of gross sales revenue to the City.

The term of the proposed coffee service concessionaire agreement is one year, with two additional one-year extensions. During this period, staff will solicit proposals for a long - term lease with a concessionaire to operate the café space. It is imperative that the resulting long-term lease reflects the actual opera tional realities of the Station, thereby mitigating financial risk for potential tenants and ensuring a compatible business model.

The interim coffee service agreement will allow prospective tenants and the City to accurately evaluate the environment, obse rve foot traffic, and assess the overall facility atmosphere before making a long -term and significant investment toward tenant improvements and other startup costs.

Finally, similar to the Santa Barbara Airport Terminal, the City Manager’s Office is evaluating opportunities to sell advertising space in select areas of the Station akin to what is done in airports and other transportation hubs.

GOLETA STRATEGIC PLAN:

City-Wide Initiative: 1. Support Environmental Vitality Strategic Goal: 1.1. Promote renewable energy, energy conservation and local energy resiliency

City-Wide Initiative: 5. Strengthen Infrastructure
Strategic Goals:
 5.1. Strengthen Citywide infrastructure including roads and traffic circulation, including bicycle lanes, paths, and sidewalks
 5.2. Encourage use of alternative transportation methods that reduce vehicle miles traveled

FISCAL IMPACT:

The Adopted FY 2026-27 Budget includes $426,200 for the operation and maintenance of the Station, as summarized in Table 1. No additional appropriation is requested with this item. The proposed initial operating approach relies on existing City staff, contracted services, and automated building systems.

Actual operating costs will depend on the timing of the Station’s opening, facility usage, operating hours, and maintenance and security needs. Potential additional costs include City staff overtime for after -hours response, an answeri ng service, and adjustments to staff or contracted services based on operating experience. The full cost of these needs has not yet been determined. Because the Station will operate only for a portion of FY 2026-27, savings from the shorter operating perio d may allow initial overtime and other unbudgeted operating costs to be absorbed within the existing budget. However, this potential capacity does not establish that ongoing costs can be accommodated within the same annual budget. Staff will monitor expend itures and service demands and 5 Meeting Date: September 15, 2026

incorporate updated estimates into future budget development. Any additional appropriations needed to implement Council direction or address operational needs will be brought forward for Council consideration.

Implementation of paid parking, food and beverage concessions, advertising, and other amenities may involve additional startup and ongoing costs that will be evaluated as specific proposals are developed. Parking charges, EV charging fees, community room rentals, conce ssions, vending, and advertisements may offset a portion of Station expenses. However, the timing and amount of these revenues remain uncertain and will depend on applicable approvals, implementation schedules, utilization, and agreement terms. Future proposals will identify anticipated costs, revenues, funding sources and any required budget adjustments.

LEGAL REVIEW BY: Isaac Rosen, City Attorney

APPROVED BY: Robert Nisbet, City Manager

ATTACHMENT:

1. Operations Plan for Goleta Train Station Presentation

6 ATTACHMENT 1
Operations Plan for Goleta Train Station Presentation

7 Operations Plan for the
Goleta Train Station
City Council
September 15, 2026

2September 15, 2026, City Council

3 September 15, 2026, City Council
Image taken on September 9, 2026, at 12:12 pm
Background
• Construction on the Goleta Train Station began in September 2024
• Full-Service Station
 Rentable meeting room
 Bicycle storage – interior and exterior
 Ample parking
 Undeveloped café space
 Wi-Fi and device charging
 Outdoor plazas
September 15, 2026, City Council 4
Operational Considerations
• Station is expected to open by the end of Calendar Year 2026 • Focus shifting from construction to operations
 For example, Council adopted 9 policies in April 2026 • Factors Influencing the Operations Plan

1. Need to balance service needs with costs/budget constraints

2. New venture for the City
 Staff research and available information
 Plan will evolve with experience
September 15, 2026, City Council 5
Staffing and Facility Oversight
• Station is largely automated
 Online ticketing
 Electronic arrival and departure boards
 No direct service by Amtrak personnel or City staff
• No permanent staff presence
 Drop-in office and reserved parking for City staff
 Third-party Day Porter
 Video monitoring
 Access control and burglar alarm
September 15, 2026, City Council 6
Hours of Operation
• 7am – 7pm Monday through Friday
 Closed on City-recognized holidays
• Entry into the Station is not required to:
 Purchase tickets
 Board or exit trains
 Restrooms available on trains for early departures and late arrivals September 15, 2026, City Council 7
Parking
• 13 EV charging stations
 PowerFlex chargers (standard across all City facilities)  Standardized EV charging rates: unanimously supported by Energy and Green Issues Standing Committee (August 2026)
• Paid Parking
 Consultant to design and oversee solicitation of proposals from parking vendors for turn-key service
o Operation and maintenance
o Customer payments and remittance to City
o Parking enforcement
September 15, 2026, City Council 8
Public Information
• Wayfinding signage
• Dedicated Webpage:
http://www.cityofgoleta.org/your-city/goleta-train-
station
 Links to Amtrak
 Station Policies
 Reporting Issues
 Community Room Reservations
• Public information kiosks throughout
facility and outdoor plazas
September 15, 2026, City Council 9

Revenue-Generating Potential
• Near Term
 Self-serve Vending
 Coffee service (1-3 years)
 Advertising space
• Long Term
 Café Concessionaire
o Market dynamics
o Solicitation
o Build-out
o Long-term lease
September 15, 2026, City Council 10

Fiscal Year 2026-27 Budget
Category Cost
Safety and Security Monitoring $ 17,500
Facility and Grounds Maintenance $85,000
Janitorial (Routine & Urgent) $100,000
Day Porter $100,000
Utilities $53,100
Insurance Premiums $6,100
Leases $40,000
Information Technology $18,000
Public Information $5,000
Permits $1,500
Total $426,200
September 15, 2026, City Council 11
Controlling Overtime Costs
• Highly activated facility, 7 days per week
• After-hours response is a significant budget concern
 No overtime costs included in the operational budget
• Two-pronged Approach

1. Answering service to differentiate urgent response from all else

2. City Response: dispatch existing after-hours “standby team” to address urgent issues
September 15, 2026, City Council 12
Recommendation
Receive a presentation on the Operations Plan for the
Goleta Train Station and provide input or direction on the proposed plan
September 15, 2026, City Council 13
Questions?
14September 15, 2026, City Council