CHARTER

GOLETA BEACH MASTER PLANNING PROCESS

WORKING GROUP

 

PREAMBLE

 

The County of Santa Barbara is developing a long-term master plan for Goleta Beach County Park. This process is being conducted at the direction of the Board of Supervisors. Supervisor Susan Rose’s office (2nd District) and the County Parks Department are collaborating with the County Parks Commission and the 2nd District Natural Resources Advisory Committee to develop a community-based master plan for Goleta Beach County Park. This project is funded in part by a grant from the California Coastal Conservancy. The first phase of the project was a community education and visioning process, which took place in September and October of 2003. The second phase of the project entails creation of a working group, which will develop a preferred project and one or more alternatives, which will be incorporated into a master plan for the future of Goleta Beach County Park.

 

 

PURPOSE

 

The purpose of the Goleta Beach Master Plan Working Group (Working Group) is to review relevant technical studies, information presented at previous community meetings and the ideas developed at the two community visioning sessions. The Working Group is being asked to recommend a plan and one or more alternatives for the long-term development of the park that will be forwarded to the Parks Commission and the Board of Supervisors. Following public hearing(s), the Board of Supervisors will endorse a plan for the purposes of environmental review.

 

 

GOALS

 

Using the best available information, the Working Group will collaborate to seek agreement on a recommendation to the County Parks Department regarding a preferred project for the Goleta Beach County Park and one or more alternate projects. Specific goals for the Working Group are to:

  1. Become educated on issues relevant to the park including coastal processes and beach erosion issues, natural resources in the area, possible technical solutions to address the erosion problem, recreational needs and priorities, and state and federal regulations affecting future options for the park and beach;

  2. Consider input received at previous community meetings and during the visioning process in order to develop alternatives and select a preferred plan for the future of the park and beach; and

  3. Provide recommendations to the County Parks Department with a preferred plan and alternatives, which will be forwarded to the Parks Commission and the Board of Supervisors at public meetings and then evaluated in an environmental document.
     

MEMBERSHIP

 

The Working Group is composed of representatives from:

  • Beachside Café (Primary lessee) -1

  • City of Goleta – 1

  • City of Santa Barbara – 1

  • Coalition to Save Goleta’s Beaches - 1

  • Friends of Goleta Beach – 1

  • Goleta Chamber of Commerce – 1

  • Goleta Slough Management Committee - 1

  • Surfrider - 1

  • UCSB – Administration – 1

  • Affected utilities (Goleta Water District, Goleta Sanitary District & Gas Co.) - 3

  • Natural Resources Advisory Committee - 1

  • County Parks Commission  - 2 (2nd and 3rd District Commissioners) and

  • Public members/users (e.g., picnickers, jet skiers, swimmers, birders, fishermen, cyclists) - 4.

  • Science Panel Liaison - 1 

The Working Group meetings will be facilitated by consultants hired by the County Parks Department. Each Working Group member is asked to designate an alternate if they cannot attend a meeting.

 

 

CONSENSUS BASED PROCESS

 

The Working Group strives to make its decisions by consensus. Consensus is a process used to reach the highest level of agreement without dividing the participants into factions. The areas of agreement reached by the Working Group represent the achievement of consensus. Working Group members can express their opinion on any issue that is being decided upon whether they agree with the consensus or not. In the event that a consensus cannot be reached, the Working Group will apply a different decision making process for that specific issue.

 

 

TIME FRAME

 

The Working Group is scheduled to begin the second week of December 2003 and will strive to provide its recommendation to the County Parks Department by March 2004.

 

To accomplish its work, the Working Group will meet on a regular schedule established by the Group. The meetings will be held 6-8 times, bi-monthly for approximately 3 months. Additional meetings will be scheduled if necessary to accomplish the goals established by the group.

 

 

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

 

Working Group members are responsible for attending and participating in the discussions of the Group and any subcommittees. The success of the Working Group depends on the input and participation from each member. Staff and technical consultants will provide assistance to the Working Group. Facilitators will create and maintain a safe environment, contain digression, keep the group focused, enforce ground rules and assist with process issues.

 

GROUND RULES

  • Be on time.

  • Everyone’s voice is of equal importance

  • Be brief when expressing ideas/opinions

  • Listen carefully when others are speaking. Suspend judgment.

  • Share all relevant information

  • Stay on the topic - focused.

  • Seek to understand ideas being expressed.

  • Look for common ground.

  • All points of view deserve respect and all will be recorded

  • Have fun and be creative.

  • Focus on interests and not positions.

  • Deal with differences as problems to solve, not battles to win.

 

Interested stakeholders and community members not on the Working Group will be informed about the process as it progresses. The meetings are open for the public. In order to allow the Working Group to conduct its business, there will be limited time at the beginning of each meeting to provide the opportunity for public comment.