The city of Goleta has scheduled two neighborhood meetings to brief residents on how to prepare for the rainy season and what the city of Goleta and the Santa Barbara County Flood Control District are doing to reduce the threat of flooding associated with the Gap Fire burn area.

“We face an unknown situation this year, but what we do know is that the Gap Fire burned 9,500 acres in the watersheds directly above the city of Goleta,” Mayor Michael Bennett said. “Our community, which is no stranger to floods, must be prepared this winter.”

The meetings will feature presentations by the Goleta Community Services Director Steve Wagner and county Flood Control Director Tom Fayram on what the city and the county are doing to prepare for the possibility of flooding. In addition, the director of the Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Services, Michael Harris, will be available to give an overview of emergency preparations.

“It is essential that our community participates in these neighborhood meetings so they can get the latest information on the potential flood impact this winter,” Wagner said.

The first meeting will be from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Goleta Valley Junior High School Theatre, 6100 Stow Canyon Road. This meeting will be taped and replayed on Goleta TV Channel 19 at 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays.

The second meeting will be from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Oct. 2 at the Goleta Valley Community Center, 5679 Hollister Ave. Spanish translation will be provided at this meeting.

A third meeting will be from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 9 at City Hall in the Council Chambers for businesses that are located in the flood plain.

The same material will be covered at each meeting.

The city is sending out targeted mailers to property owners, residents and businesses that are located in potential flood inundation areas to notify them about the upcoming meetings as well as to provide them with key city and county information as well as other resources that may be of assistance as they prepare for the rainy weather.

Kirsten Deshler is a public information officer for the city of Goleta.