October Data Dashboard
The Chamber released the October Data Dashboard. The monthly dashboard showcases data trends related to real estate, workforce, sales tax, tourism, cannabis revenue, crime, homelessness, poverty, and COVID-19 throughout Santa Barbara County and the South Coast.
Click here for the entire October 2022 South Coast Data Dashboard. Please reach out to Dustin@SBSCChamber.com with questions and/or suggestions.
Childcare Roundtable Recap
Last week the Chamber held a Childcare Roundtable with U.S. Congressman Salud Carbajal and State Senator Monique Limón.
The Roundtable brought together businesses with an interest and/or experience in providing childcare benefits to their employees, as well as some of the great local organizations working on solutions to the shortage of affordable childcare in our region.
The focus of discussions was on potential State and Federal solutions to the barriers faced by businesses and local organizations as they work to address childcare issues from multiple angles.
A huge thank you to Congressman Carbajal and Senator Limón for their engaged dialogue and willingness to continue this important conversation as a means of exploring legislative solutions at both the federal and state levels.
Goleta Moving Forward with Old Town Restriping
The Chamber applauds the Goleta City Council for moving forward with the Hollister Avenue Old Town Interim Striping Project, which will begin in the summer of 2023.
This project will reduce Hollister Avenue from four lanes to two in Old Town, allowing for increased parking, increased bicyclist safety, and increased walkability. All these changes are critical to creating a sense of place in Goleta’s downtown, which will benefit local residents and businesses alike.
This restriping project is an important first step in Goleta’s long-term vision for Old Town, which the Chamber has supported for many years.
Public Policy Committee Update
At the October Public Policy Committee meeting, the committee welcomed guest speaker Brittany Zajic with Keep the Funk, a Santa Barbara Funk Zone-based organization focused on preserving the character of the Funk Zone.
Zajic spoke to the group regarding the SoMo Funk development project and the potential impacts of the project on the area, as well as concerns regarding possible effects the project could have on businesses in the Funk Zone.
The committee also welcomed guest speaker Jackson Washburn regarding the Solomon Hills project just south of Orcutt.
The project proposes a resilient community and large-scale residential development that can be a substantial part of the solution to increasing Santa Barbara County’s housing stock.
The combination of Solomon Hill’s scale, location, sustainability goals, and focus on community partnerships to meet housing needs differentiate it from many other proposed projects.
