By Lael Wageneck

for SBC Public Works

Per California’s new state law, SB 1383, Santa Barbara County businesses and residents are required to recycle green waste and food waste beginning this month. Fortunately, the county’s long-standing organics recycling programs and new ReSource Center will ensure that our community achieves compliance with the new requirements.

Commercial and residential waste that is thrown into a trash cart or bin in Buellton, Goleta, Santa Barbara, Solvang, and the unincorporated areas of the Cuyama Valley, Santa Ynez Valley and South Coast is processed at the county’s newly opened ReSource Center. 

Recyclable materials are recovered and sold and organics (including food waste) are separated from trash and transformed into compost and energy that powers up to 3,000 homes per year. With this new facility, approximately 60% of additional waste from our trash cans is diverted from the landfill, bringing our region’s diversion rate to above 85% while significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This means that residents who live or work in these areas are following the new state law by continuing to throw their waste into the same bins as you are today.

In addition to the ReSource Center, the county offers other ways for the community to recover and recycle organics.

Yard waste collection: Yard waste collected in your green container is converted into mulch. The county produces over 40,000 tons of high-quality mulch every year, which goes back to the community and local agriculture. Please do not mix food scraps with your yard waste, as it interferes with the mulching process. Visit www.LessIsMore.org/mulch to learn more about the county’s Mulch Program.

Backyard composting: The county’s Backyard Composting Program makes it easy to compost where you live. Visit www.LessIsMore.org/compost to access a free “Composting ABC’s” booklet and learn about the discounted composting bin program. Within months, you can have finished compost for your garden.

Commercial food scraps collection and processing: The county’s Commercial Food Scraps Collection Program is available to large food scraps generators, such as schools, restaurants and grocery stores. The collected food scraps are processed at the ReSource Center, increasing the overall quality of the finished compost.

As a reminder, for those living in the ReSource Center “wasteshed,” there’s no change in how you need to manage your waste. Residents should continue using their green waste, recycling and trash containers in the same way they always have. Please contact the County Public Works Department with any questions at 805-882-3600 or recycling@countyofsb.org.

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Santa Ynez Valley Star

Fires have plagued Santa Barbara County in 2017, and local residents need to begin thinking immediately about the danger of flooding in the rainy season, according to Santa Barbara County Public Works officials.

The Whittier Fire burned a broad swath through the Santa Ynez Mountains in July, and the Thomas Fire along the front country of Santa Barbara and Ventura counties is on track to become the largest fire in California history.

The risk of flooding is highest for those in burned areas and downhill or downstream from them, but everyone should pause now to consider flooding issues.

“We don’t know how to model this because the burn area is so big. We are doing what we can to prepare drainage basins and clear creeks, but we urge residents to be prepared to be evacuated again or shelter in place if they become trapped,” said Tom Fayram, the county’s deputy public works director for water resources.

Normally vegetation absorbs rainfall and reduces the amount of runoff, but large wildfires alter the terrain. By denuding slopes and leaving a layer of crust on top of the soil, fires set up conditions for hazardous flash flooding. With violent run-off can come debris and ash that form mudflows.

“The time is now to make sure your flood insurance is up to date, as it can take up to 30 days to activate,” Fayram said.

Fayram also urges homeowners to have evacuation routes or plans to shelter in place, and to prepare their properties before the rainy season.

“There isn’t time (for officials) to go individually and assess what property owners need to do, but prepare for the worst-case scenario,” he advised.

The Whittier Fire burned more than 18,000 acres between the coastal area west of Goleta and Lake Cachuma. Fayram said the  only urban area affected was the Embarcadero community in western Goleta.

“We completed our routine channel work and added some emergency clearing above Embarcadero. There are no basins there. However, a debris rack exists above Highway 101,” he said.

Highway 154 could also be affected on the Santa Ynez Valley side of the ridge, but that is in Caltrans jurisdiction, Fayram noted.

The Thomas Fire has burned a broad swath of the front country above Carpinteria and Montecito, as well as the watershed behind Jamison and Gibraltar reservoirs.

“The watersheds above Carpinteria and Montecito are indeed a concern and should be taken seriously. We do have debris basins on many creeks in the area and are now actively working to bring those facilities up to post-fire readiness. Keep in mind these basin are in place and active, however they were built for fires and as such they are now being brought up to ‘fire ready’ condition. We expect that work to be completed soon,” he added.

Public Works also has sandbags available at its facility at 4568 County Road off Calle Real between Santa Barbara and Goleta for those who want to stock up early, with a limit of 25 bags per person. The sand bags are not prefilled.

For more information, log onto www.countyofsb.org/pwd.

Evaluate risks, prepare for flooding

•  How close is your house or outbuilding to the closest stream, seasonal draw or valley bottom?
• Could your home become inaccessible? Do you have a bridge or culvert, stream or drainage crossing that could be destroyed by a flash flood?
• Remove debris in or near culverts and drains. This includes rocks, grass clippings, decking, structures, vegetation, fences, etc.
• When walking your property, look for items that may potentially plug stream channels and/or culverts, particularly at road crossings.
• Remember that runoff may cause channels to shift, creating additional stream bank erosion.

The post After the inferno, prepare for mud and flood appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

“The project went out to bid and we will update the public when work will begin,” said Lael Wageneck, Public Engagement Specialist with the Public Works Department.

The damage to Alisal Road was related to the recent storms this past winter and spring which caused erosion and the culvert to collapse holding up the road. No through traffic has been allowed to pass, and even though it’s a country road it is highly used by local and tourist traffic getting from Solvang to Nojoqui Falls Park and vice versa.

Those who want to travel to the park from the Santa Ynez Valley must now drive to Buellton and then Highway 101 south and exit on Old Coast Highway.

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The Lund family of Solvang is circulating a petition to restore the memorial site for Emma Bejstrup Lund, who passed away July 19, 2015 from an automobile accident when her vehicle struck a tree on Ballard Canyon Road near Buellton.

“We were just devastated when we went to visit Emma’s tree and there was a sign posted telling us to remove her memorial site within 15 days. Last Sunday we went as a family to remove everything and hopefully we can get it put back,” said her father Finn Lund.

The Lunds moved to the Santa Ynez Valley from Copenhagen, Denmark and she had a twin sister, Maggie, and an older sister, Stephanie.

The 19-year-old Lund died of her injuries that fateful night and her passenger, Jacob Edwards, 22, of Los Olivos, was transported to Marian Regional Medical Center with moderate injuries.

According to Santa Barbara County Public Works the decoration on the tree became too much of a distraction and when they received a letter of complaint about the tree, it triggered the process to remove the memorial.

“We certainly empathize with the Lund family but it is an illegal encroachment and had to be removed,” said Chris Sneddon of public works.

He added the department is researching the possibility of having signs that could be dedicated to people after situations such as these, to remind people to use caution, but nothing has been defined as of yet.

“I miss my sister incredibly, and it just hurts that someone would think the memorial is a distraction instead of seeing all the love she had. If anything the memorial calls more attention to that curve which is quite sharp. There was even a sign telling people to slow down because of what happened to Emma,” Stephanie said.

Her father said the people that own the property across from that tree offered to put in a parking spot on the hill above it so they could come park anytime and look down at the memorial site.

“I even asked the county if we could move the memorial site behind the tree and I was still told no,” he added.

After Lund’s death friends and family would leave flowers and little tokens of remembrance, and it was also decorated with the Danish flag.

The memorial site has been moved to the Lund’s residence in Solvang where they say dozens of people come by regularly to pay respects.

“We have already compiled more than 700 signatures to restore the memorial site. It is just crazy to us that other sites along Highway 246 aren’t being told to take down their flowers and signs, but we are,” Finn Lund said.

Sneddon said the other memorials along Highway 246 are in Caltrans jurisdiction.

To see the petition log onto www.ipetitions.com/petition/emma-bejstrup-lund-memorial-site/?utm_medium=social.

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