The current Goleta City Council.
The current Goleta City Council, clockwise from top left: Stuart Kasdin, Mayor Paula Perotte, Roger Aceves, James Kyriaco and Kyle Richards. (City of Goleta photo)
  • The current Goleta City Council, clockwise from top left: Stuart Kasdin, Mayor Paula Perotte, Roger Aceves, James Kyriaco and Kyle Richards.
    The current Goleta City Council, clockwise from top left: Stuart Kasdin, Mayor Paula Perotte, Roger Aceves, James Kyriaco and Kyle Richards.
  • The first Goleta City Council, from left: Jonny Wallis, Jack Hawxhurst, Margaret Connell, Jean Blois and Cynthia Brock, pictured in 2002.
    The first Goleta City Council, from left: Jonny Wallis, Jack Hawxhurst, Margaret Connell, Jean Blois and Cynthia Brock, pictured in 2002.
  • Goleta celebrated the opening of an Old Town park in March 2019.
    Goleta celebrated the opening of an Old Town park in March 2019.
  • Goleta celebrated the opening of an Old Town park in March 2019.
    Goleta celebrated the opening of an Old Town park in March 2019.
  • Goleta’s Lemon Festival at Girsh Park is a popular community event with lots of lemon-flavored treats.
    Goleta’s Lemon Festival at Girsh Park is a popular community event with lots of lemon-flavored treats.
  • Goleta’s Lemon Festival at Girsh Park is a popular community event with lots of lemon-flavored treats.
    Goleta’s Lemon Festival at Girsh Park is a popular community event with lots of lemon-flavored treats.
  • The popular Fiesta Ranchera event at La Patera & Stow House is held as a Goleta celebration for Old Spanish Days.
    The popular Fiesta Ranchera event at La Patera & Stow House is held as a Goleta celebration for Old Spanish Days.
  • The city has a butterfly on its logo and has received grants for restoration work at the Ellwood Mesa butterfly grove, where monarchs visit during their winter migrations.
    The city has a butterfly on its logo and has received grants for restoration work at the Ellwood Mesa butterfly grove, where monarchs visit during their winter migrations.
  • The City of Goleta made its library independent in 2018 (with live music at the grand reopening, seen here) and now manages the Buellton and Solvang library branches. Its library also operates a book van in Isla Vista.
    The City of Goleta made its library independent in 2018 (with live music at the grand reopening, seen here) and now manages the Buellton and Solvang library branches. Its library also operates a book van in Isla Vista.
  • Goleta started holding community Dam Dinners at Lake Los Carneros in 2012.
    Goleta started holding community Dam Dinners at Lake Los Carneros in 2012.
  • Goleta residents gather at the 2019 Dam Dinner.
    Goleta residents gather at the 2019 Dam Dinner.
  • Goleta purchased its City Hall building at 130 Cremona Drive in 2019.
    Goleta purchased its City Hall building at 130 Cremona Drive in 2019.

This year, Goleta is celebrating 20 years since it incorporated as a city on Feb. 1, 2002.

From adopting its first General Plan in October 2006 and its first Strategic Plan in July 2007 to proposing a Historic Preservation Ordinance and joining the Central Coast Community Energy consortium, the city of Goleta has a lot to celebrate with its several current and completed projects.

“In Goleta’s second decade, the city has really come into its own, realizing the promise of its name — ‘the Goodland,’” Santa Barbara County Third District Supervisor Joan Hartmann said during the Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday. “Goleta really does care about transparency and public engagement, and they’re pioneering new ways of doing that. … I’m really looking forward to the innovations that we’ll see over the next decade.”

Both the Board of Supervisors and the Goleta City Council adopted proclamations on Tuesday acknowledging the city’s 20th anniversary.

“Every council, going forward [since first joining the City Council in December 2006], we always talk about how our city was able to do small things in big ways,” Councilman Roger Aceves said. “We’ll still be true to listening to our constituency, returning their phone calls and making sure their voices are heard.”

The first Goleta City Council.
The first Goleta City Council, from left: Jonny Wallis, Jack Hawxhurst, Margaret Connell, Jean Blois and Cynthia Brock, pictured in 2002. (City of Goleta photo)

The city was officially incorporated on Feb. 1, 2002, after voters passed Measure H2001 on the November 2001 ballot.

Goleta’s first City Council consisted of Mayor Margaret Connell and members Cynthia Brock, Jonny Wallis, Jean Blois and Jack Hawxhurst.

Today’s council includes Mayor Paula Perotte, Mayor Pro-Tempore Stuart Kasdin and Councilmen Roger Aceves, James Kyriaco and Kyle Richards. Perotte was the first person elected by voters as mayor in 2018 and was re-elected for a four-year term in 2020. Before 2018, Perotte was elected by City Council colleagues in 2010 and 2014.

The proclamations passed by the Board of Supervisors and the Goleta City Council on Tuesday highlighted some of the city’s work during the last 20 years, including the establishment of an Economic Development Strategic Plan, the continued management of the Goleta Library and the creation of the Public Engagement Commission in 2017.

Other accomplishments mentioned include the creation of a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiative, approved by the City Council in October 2020, and the adoption of a Homelessness Strategic Plan last April, among other work during the past two decades.

The front page of the now-defunct Goleta Valley Voice newspaper after the 2001 election in which voters approved incorporation—cityhood—for Goleta.
The front page of the now-defunct Goleta Valley Voice newspaper after the 2001 election in which voters approved incorporation — cityhood — for Goleta.  (Contributed photo)

Additionally, the Goleta City Council purchased City Hall, at 130 Cremona Drive, in September 2019. As part of its Strategic Energy Plan adopted in 2019, the City Council also approved the addition of solar photovoltaic panels and electric vehicle charging stations at City Hall.

Goleta’s Strategic Energy Plan is how the city is working toward its goal of using 100% renewable power by 2030 and having 50% of municipal facilities’ electricity use come from renewable sources by 2025.

Goleta celebrated the opening of an Old Town park in March 2019.
Goleta celebrated the opening of an Old Town park in March 2019.  (Noozhawk file photo)

To celebrate Goleta’s 20th birthday, city officials, along with the Goleta Valley Historical Society, will be hosting a free, community birthday celebration from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 5 at Rancho La Patera and Stow House, 304 N. Los Carneros Road. The event was originally scheduled for Feb. 5 but was postponed for a month because of COVID-19 concerns.

Festivities at the event will include the premiere of the city’s “20-Year Reflections” video, live music, birthday tributes and a toast with dessert, food, special performances, raffle prizes, train and tractor rides, and more.

Goleta also celebrated its 20th birthday Tuesday by posting a video of several past and current mayors and council members singing “Happy Birthday.”

“The tone that we tried to set in the first council was a shared responsibility and fairness and public participation, and I think that we were able to continue that,” former Mayor/Councilwoman Cynthia Brock said in the video.

— Noozhawk staff writer Serena Guentz can be reached at sguentz@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.

— Noozhawk staff writer Serena Guentz can be reached at sguentz@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.