Agenda Item C.1
CPMS DISCUSSION/ACTION ITEM
Meeting Date: October 6, 2026
TO: Mayor and Councilmembers
SUBMITTED BY: Luz “Nina” Buelna, Public Works Director
Matthew R. Fore, General Services Director
JoAnne Plummer, Director of Neighborhood Services
PREPARED BY: Autumn Glaeser, Assistant Public Works Director Jason Levy, Emergency Services Manager
SUBJECT: 2026-27 Winter Weather - City Preparedness Presentation RECOMMENDATION:
Receive an update on 2026-27 Winter Weather - City Preparedness.
BACKGROUND:
Each year, the City of Goleta takes steps to prepare for the upcoming winter season. This year city staff are taking additional action based on the seasonal climate outlook for the season. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reports that a developing strong El Niño is expected to influence California’s weather pattern this winter.
This pattern often results in an increased likelihood of above average precipitation and more frequent Pacific storm activity.
In response to several jurisdictions and special districts requesting state level action to mitigate and prepare for potential f looding events, on September 21 , 2026, California Governor Newsom signed a Proclamation of a State of Emergency due to the developing 2026-2027 El Niño event. Though this State Proclamation does not provide financial resources for this event, it does make numerous state level changes to state priorities and activities that will enhance local projects and initiatives aimed at mitigating potential flooding. The emergency order includes:
1) Prioritize review by Coastal Commission, California Environmental Prote ction Agency and the California Natural Resources Agency, including boards, departments, and offices within those agencies for actions/activities that will prevent or mitigate impacts from anticipated or potential flooding, landslides, and mud and debris f lows, including local efforts to expedite levee and other flood management infrastructure repairs, vegetation management, debris removal, sediment management, bridge scour protection, and channel -capacity 1 Meeting Date: October 6, 2026
improvements. This includes a specific requirement that the Coastal Commission respond to all emergency permit requests within 24 hours. 2) State personnel and equipment pre-positioning, and planning efforts are underway to identify and coordinate specialized units and equipment from California National Guard, California Volunteers, and California Conservation Corps to support state and local preparedness, response, and recovery activities. 3) Increase state action to prioritize procurement of flood-fight supplies.
Lastly, note that state restrictions on p rice gouging, which are normally triggered automatically under an emergency proclamation, have been suspended.
DISCUSSION:
Winter Seasonal Climate Outlook
The National Weather Service continues to monitor above normal ocean temperatures.
The seasonal climate outlook assessment points toward a 90% likelihood of a strong El Niño this season. Record ocean warmth associated with El Niño is an important climate indicator, but the atmosphere must interact with that warm water for storm tracks to shift toward Southern California. El Niño helps shape the broader environmental pattern ov er time; however, it is not a storm and does not determine the timing, path, or strength of individual weather systems. A strong El Niño increases the likelihood of a wetter season overall, but it does not guarantee that any specific neighborhood or location will experience severe impacts. Although ocean temperatures are already above normal and expected to remain elevated through the winter, meaningful atmospheric coupling (the exchange of energy, water vapor, and momentum between the Earth’s surface and the atmosphere, which strongly influences weather patterns) has not yet been established.
Though there is no specific storm currently forecast, the City has begun taking proactive steps based on the seasonal climate outlook in anticipation of a potentially wetter winter season. These preparedness and mitigation activities require lead time; therefore, staff projects are already underway as described in this report.
Public Works Department
Public Works conducts pre-storm inspections and maintenance of the City’s stormwater system, including drainage inlets, catch basins, channels, culverts, and other City drainage facilities. Staff are prioritizing locations with known drainage, po nding, or localized flooding concerns, as well as areas damaged during prior storms, and are clearing accumulated debris and other obstructions where appropriate. Following significant storm events, staff will conduct post-storm inspections of known problem areas to determine whether additional repairs or maintenance are needed before the next storm.
Public Works performs an annual restriping project to maintain high visibility at night and during storm events.
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In addition to infrastructure maintenance, Pu blic Works is preparing its operational resources for storm response. This includes inspecting and preparing emergency equipment, confirming the availability of storm response materials and contractors, reviewing staffing and call -out response procedures, and coordinating with other City departments and regional response partners, such as the Santa Barbara County Flood Control District. As storms approach, staff will monitor forecasts , field conditions, adjust inspections, and stage equipment for potential response activities based on the anticipated severity and location of impacts.
The City maintains temporary fencing and extra signage at the Corporation Yard for quick deployment during storm events. The team has also established a Preventive Maintenance Program and stocked materials to perform minor repairs to small engines used in City equipment in-house before and during the storm season, as needed.
Public Works has also prioritized tree maintenance ahead of the winter storm season to reduce potential storm-related hazards. Staff and contractors have completed targeted trimming and removal of trees identified as dead, hazardous, or at increased risk of failure during high winds and saturated conditions. Work has also focused on maintaining clearance from roadways, sidewalks, drainage facilities, and other public infrastructure.
Public Works has expanded its tree maintenance resources to ensure sufficient contractor capacity for both preventative work and emergency tree response during and following significant storms.
These preparations will continue throughout the fall, with information gathered during storm events used to identify additional maintenance, repair, and capital improvement needs. These efforts are intended to reduce preventable storm -related impacts and position the City to respond quickly when significant rainfall occurs, while recognizing that proactive maintenance cannot eliminate flooding associated with major storms or existing drainage limitations. Public Works has maximized the avai lable operating budget for preventative work.
In addition to annual storm preparation and maintenance, the team plans, designs, and builds capital improvement projects that provide long -term benefits to the City’s infrastructure. Project Connect improvements to the San Jose Creek Channel are a long- term investment in flood protection. The improvements increase the channel’s capacity to convey storm flows and are designed to meet the 100-year storm standard. While they do not eliminate all flood risk, they will help reduce the potential for flooding during major storm events.
Recent projects address storm-related needs. Renovation of Mathilda Park was recently completed with drainage improvements designed to reduce standing water after rain events. The City has also awarded the construction contract for the Cathedral Oaks Crib Wall Phase 1 Project, which includes an allowance for winterization measures. This will allow the contractor to address changing site conditions and implement temporary measures, if needed, to protect the project area during significant rainfall and help protect the City’s investment while construction is underway.
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In addition to the City’s local storm preparation efforts, Public Works partnered with other local agencies on a letter to Governor Newsom requesting immediate State action to protect California communities ahead of the winter storm season. The Governor subsequently signed an emergency proclamation on September 21, 2026, addressing the anticipated impacts of the upcoming storm season.
General Services Department
General Services staff are diligently preparing City -owned facilities for the projected El Niño winter weather outlook and potential heavy rainstorms by clearing roofs and gutters of debris, testing downspouts to con firm proper drainage, and clearing obstructions as needed.
At the Goleta Community Center, staff are wrapping the dining room skylight and have hired a roofing contractor to caulk and seal conditions susceptible to water intrusion, inspect and seal rooftop penetrations, and install missing roof flashing on the CommUnify and Rainbow School classroom wings and the portable classrooms used by Rainbow School. General Services staff have also installed additional sump pumps in the portable classrooms, the cell ar of the Stow House, and the South Coast Railroad Museum to remove accumulated rainfall. Finally, staff are tarping the roofs of the Stow Grove Park Ranger House and the Hollister Business Condominiums (i.e., Mission Leasing property).
Staff is particul arly concerned about the South Coast Railroad Museum (Railroad Museum) as the wet weather season draws near. The Railroad Museum is located in a low spot, flush with grade (no raised foundation). The rain gutters on the facility are decorative and do not c hannel rainfall away from the structure. Moreover, drainage on the property from nearly all sides direct run-off toward the structure. Moderate rainfall from last year pooled under the building, water -logging the substructure and significantly damaging the joists and flooring above. General Services commissioned 19six Engineers (19six) to evaluate the moisture damage underneath the Railroad Museum. Based upon its preliminary observations, 19six expressed concern about the structural integrity of the substructure. The firm will provide a formal assessment of the structure, including the risk, if any, of allowing the public to occupy the building. Staff hopes to receive this analysis prior to the first rain.
Note that any work to shore and reinforce the sub structure to address current flooding damage will likely require prolonged closure of the facility. The cost for this work, yet to be determined, is completely unfunded. The Public Facilities and Building Maintenance Reserve is projected to have a balance of approximately $116,0001 after funding critical projects at Stow House, Goleta Community Center, and Goleta Train Station as described in Agenda Item A.4 of the September 1, 2026, City Council meeting2.
1 Does not include residual FY 2025-26 funding in Program 1810 to be transferred to the Public Facilities and Building Maintenance Reserve following year-end close. 2Agenda Item A.4 - https://goleta.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=8171335&GUID=4439CB7D- 35B5-42B2-9FFE-8BFCFB1B712A
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Staff plan to armor the Railroad Museum with sandbags and tarp areas that are susceptible to intrusion. Even with these measures, the Railroad Museum will likely need to be fenced to prevent public access and to ensure public safety. Staff have notified the members of the Train Museum Board of Directors and have asked to agendize this topic on the next board meeting.
Neighborhood Services Department
Parks and Recreation Division
The Parks and Recreation Division is undertaking several preparedness actions in advance of El Niño and potential winter storms. These efforts include both proactive facility preparedness and documentation of City assets.
The Parks and Recreation Division is conducting a comprehensive photo inventory of City parks, facilities, playgrounds, site amenities, and other p hysical assets to establish baseline conditions. Staff are also assessing parks and facilities to identify rental areas vulnerable to storm impacts, such as drainage issues, flooding -prone locations, access challenges, and other potential hazards. A detail ed review of the Goleta Community Center is underway to document existing or potential problem areas, including flooding or water intrusion risks, drainage concerns, and roof and gutter conditions. In collaboration with General Services, the division is id entifying locations at the Community Center and other facilities where sandbags or temporary flood protection measures may be needed, preparing for deployment if necessary.
Coordination with the General Services Department is ongoing to ensure gutters an d drainage systems at applicable facilities are properly maintained. Finally, the division is reviewing equipment, supplies, facility access, and operational needs to ensure staff are ready to respond quickly to storm -related issues and support citywide op erations, including serving as a shelter if needed.
Library Division
While the Library has been operating from Goleta Valley Library ( GVL) Express, the majority of programming has been provided offsite in the community. Weekly Friday storytimes currently occur at a rotation of parks and open spaces throughout the City and nearby County areas, including Stow Grove Park, Evergreen Park, Tucker’s Grove Park, and Goleta Beach Park. Through the Library’s ongoing partnership with the Parks and Recreation Division, back -up reservations have been made at the Goleta Community Center as a rain contingency so that these essential early literacy programs may continue to be provided indoors during inclement weather on their regular schedule.
The Goleta Valley Librar y Bookvan operates via an outreach -only service model, with regular stops scheduled five days a week on Tuesdays – Saturdays throughout Isla Vista, as well as on Friday mornings during storytime. Each of the Bookvan’s partner agencies have coordinated with the Library to provide an indoor setup option at each location for use during inclement weather, so that the Isla Vista community may continue to receive 20 hours of library services each week.
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Patrons will be notified of these alternate locations through the Library newsletter, online calendar, the Monarch Press, and program flyers so that if it is raining, attendees will be familiar with the routine of how to continue to access library programs and services indoors. During inclement weather, library services are particularly critical to maintaining community connection and providing free enrichment opportunities in safe and supportive environments. (Please note: extreme or unsafe road conditions may prevent library programs from occurring for the safet y of staff and patrons; in these instances, updates will be shared promptly online and in-person where feasible.)
Each of the library service points will serve as a source of reliable, current information for resources that become even more essential dur ing inclement weather, including local sandbag refill stations, warming centers, overnight shelters, food banks, and storm condition forecasts.
Lastly, libraries , including the GVL Express, Solvang, Buellton, Santa Ynez, and Los Olivos, themselves serve as reprieves from harsh winter conditions, offering dry and warm spaces that are open to all.
Homeless Services Division
The Homeless Services Division will ensure that shelter beds are available and provide daily updates to homeless service providers an d regional shelters. In addition, service providers will be directed to deploy outreach teams to canvas encampments located in potential flood zones.
Emergency Services Division
The City’s Advance Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Team conducted a functional exercise this fall. A functional exercise simulates specific aspects of emergency response, allowing Advance EOC team members to perform their roles in real -time scenarios without deploying actual resources. The simulated scenario for the exercise involved realistic weather threats the City has faced.
In addition to continuing efforts to train staff to support EOC functions, the Division participates in numerous coordination meetings with both internal and external partners.
These include twice-weekly briefings from the National Weather Service on current and upcoming weather conditions, as well as preparedness meetings with the Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management. The Division is also preparing winter weather readiness messaging for the community. This will help staff quickly share important updates in an efficient, effective manner while ensuring all communications meet state bilingual requirements.
Lastly, the Division is preparing winter weather readiness messaging for the community.
This includes Monarch Press articles that outline actions community members can take now to prepare for emergencies, with an emphasis on flood readiness such as hardening their homes to reduce flood risks and considering flood insurance. While flooding hazards receive much of the attention, the core preparedness principles, 1) have a plan, 2) keep supplies, and 3) stay informed, remain essential for strengthening our community’s 6 Meeting Date: October 6, 2026
resilience. In addition to these articles, staff are developing pre -drafted communications for incoming storms and safety reminders. These materials will help staff quickly distribute important updates in an efficient and effective manner while ensuring a ll messaging meets state bilingual requirements.
The City of Goleta will continue to evaluate existing conditions of our infrastructure, facilities, programs, resources and monitor forecasts related to El Niño activity to ensure that the community are positioned in the most effective manner.
GOLETA STRATEGIC PLAN:
City-Wide Initiative: 5. Strengthen Infrastructure
Strategic Goal: 5.4 Protect and maintain our City-owned facilities and critical operational assets (vehicles and computing infrastructure)
City-Wide Initiative: 7. Maintain a Safe and Healthy Community Strategic Goal: 7.1 Maintain robust community/emergency preparedness programs
7.2 Participate in regional public safety collaboration
FISCAL IMPACTS:
There are no additional appropriati ons being requested with this item. Routine winter preparedness activities described in this report are anticipated to be manageable within existing departmental resources and appropriations.
Potential structural repairs to the South Coast Railroad Museum are not currently funded.
The scope and estimated cost of these repairs will be determined following completion of the engineering assessment. Staff will return to the City Council with repair recommendations and a proposed funding plan, as needed.
Severe weather may also affect construction schedules and result in additional costs for active capital projects, including temporary site protection, repairs, or extended construction support.
If additional funding is needed , staff will first evaluate ex isting appropriations to identify uncommitted funds or planned expenditures that can be deferred and reprogrammed. If these sources are insufficient or immediate emergency needs require other funding, staff will evaluate the use of available unassigned fund balance and the Contingency Reserve.
Any necessary budget adjustments, additional appropriations, or use of reserves will be subject to applicable City policies and approval requirements.
LEGAL REVIEW BY: Isaac Rosen, City Attorney
APPROVED BY: Jaime A. Valdez, Assistant City Manager
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ATTACHMENTS:
1. 2026-27 Winter Weather City Preparedness Presentation
8 ATTACHMENT 1
2026-27 Winter Weather City Preparedness Presentation
9 2026-27
Winter Weather -
City Preparedness
City Council Presentation
October 6th 2026
Public Works Department
General Services Department
Neighborhood Services Department
10 Priorities
2025-2 7 Strategic Plan:
5.4.1 Implement a maintenance and repair schedule for
C
ity facilities
7.1.3 Engage City staff in regular Emergency Preparedness dr
ills and mock activation of the City’s Emergency
Operations Center (EOC)
7.2 Strategic Goal: Participate in regional public safety c
ollaboration
October 6, 2026 City Council 2
11 Winter Weather City Preparedness
3 El Niño Weather
Pattern
General Services
Activities
Public Works
Activities
Neighborhood
Services
Activities
Emergency Services
Division
Activities
October 6, 2026 City Council
12 Winter Weather &
El Niño Weather Pattern
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13 Climate Signals and Storm Forecasting
Seasonal Outlook
As of Aug. 24th, El Niño is strengthening, with a greater than 90% chance of a very strong event during the Northern
Hemisphere fall and winter 2026-27.
National Weather Service (NWS) Forecasts
Require high-r esolution, short-range numerical modeling and observational data for accuracy
NWS operational products focus on real-w orld probability distributions and actionable forecasts, based on reliable ensemble modeling.
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14 Public Works
Department
Activities
6 15
Parks and Open Space
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16 Streets
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17 General Services
Department
Activities
9 18
General Wet Weather Preparedness
10 • Preparing all facilities for potential heavy rainstorms oInspect & seal roofs
oClear roofs & gutters of debris
oPurchase sump pumps
oSandbags
oFlood control
oTarps
October 6, 2026 City Council
19 Goleta Community CenterSkylight
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20 Goleta Community Center
Classrooms
12 21
Goleta Community Center Classrooms
13 • Pooling water • Degradation
October 6, 2026 City Council
22 Stow Grove Park Ranger House
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23 5553 Hollister Ave. Hollister Condominiums
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24 Stow House
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25 Historic Train Depot
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26 Flooring
18 27
Substructure
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28 Wet Weather Preparation
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29 Wet Weather Preparation
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30 Emergency Services
Division
Activities
22 31
ESD Activities
Fall 2026 Emergency
Op
erations Center
Exercise
Twice weekly briefings
fr
om National Weather
Service
Coordination with
i
nternal and regional
partners
Continuity of Operations
Pl
anning Concepts
Disaster Service Worker
t
raining for staff
Winter Weather
Pr
eparedness Public
Messaging
Recovery Planning
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32 Neighborhood
Services Department
Activities
24 33
Neighborhood Services Department
Library
Relocate outdoor sto rytime to indoor at
the Goleta Community Center (GCC).
Utilize Indoor set up for bo okvan
locations
Continue to provide outreach and
c
ommunication material to the public
about resources for the community.
Parks and Recreation
Comprehensive photo inventory of parks,
r
ecreation facilities, playgrounds and site
amenities.
Assess vulnerable storm impacts at rental
s
ites such as drainage issues and flood
prone areas
Coordination between General Services and
P
arks and Recreation
25 Homeless Services
Ensure available beds at shelters
Provide update information to homeless service providers and regional shelters daily
Direct service providers to deploy outreach teams to canvas encampments to identified potential flood zones
October 6, 2026 City Council
34 Summary
El Niño (w armer ocean temperature) is here.
City staff activities are underway to prepare the city a
ssets, community infrastructure and community
programing for potentially powerful winter storms.
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35 Questions
27 36