Edhat Staff
Update by the edhat staff
July 28, 2022
The Santa Barbara City Council received an update from the State Street Advisory Committee on Tuesday evening and agreed to hire a consultant.
The council unanimously approved a $709,156 contract, plus expenditures up to $70,915 to cover any cost increases that may result from contract change orders, with MIG, Inc. for consulting services on the State Street Master Plan.
MIG, Inc., which has also worked with the cities of Berkeley and Pasadena, plans to include a community engagement plan; technical studies on transportation, stormwater management, and utilities; an urban design framework; and an implementation plan with cost estimates, phasing, ongoing maintenance, and operations.
The State Street Master Plan is a long-term visioning document for the next 30 to 50 years for the revitalization of downtown from Anacapa to Chapala Streets and State Street from Sola Street to the Highway 101 underpass.
Last July the City Council appointed seventeen members to the State Street Advisory Committee to provide input and recommendations on key design elements, potential areas of concern, the engagement plan, and make a recommendation to City Council. The State Street Advisory Committee will continue to hold regularly scheduled public meetings in addition to participating in community engagement efforts.
“Following a robust review and competitive interview process, staff believes that this team provided the most in-depth understanding of the issues that the State Street Master Plan aims to address; a proven track record of successful planning and engagement projects; a team with wide-ranging technical expertise, including local knowledge; clear understanding of the importance of public engagement; and a passion for the community and project,” the report states.
Members of the public will participate in shaping the State Street Master Plan’s goals and urban design framework through workshops, public meetings, events, and charrettes. Opportunities for engagement will exist in a number of venues including public meeting spaces, locations on State Street, at community events, in neighborhood meetings, and online.
The contract identifies completing the State Street Master Plan within 16 to 18 months of the project kickoff, with an anticipated completion date of December 2023 – March 2024.
The full report can be viewed here.
Upcoming State Street Master Plan Contract Council Hearing
Source: City of Santa Barbara
July 25, 2022
On July 26, 2022 City Council will hold a hearing to receive an update on the work of the State Street Advisory Committee and the State Street Master Plan consultant selection process; and consider awarding a contract to MIG, Inc. for consulting services that include a community engagement plan; technical studies on transportation, stormwater management, and utilities; an urban design framework; and an implementation plan with cost estimates, phasing, ongoing maintenance, and operations.
City Council Hearing
Tuesday July 26, 2022
Meeting starts at 2:00 p.m.
City Hall Council Chambers
735 Anacapa Street
The agenda and staff report are available at https://santabarbaraca.gov/CAP. Public comment may be given in person at the meeting or remotely via Zoom. Members of the public who wish to give public comment remotely may do so by completing the Zoom registration link on the City Council agenda. Written comments should be addressed to City Council via email to Clerk@SantaBarbaraCA.gov.
Has there even been a vote by the public if State Street is to be modified or not? I don’t remember that ever happening. And it should before too much money is squandered on “consultants”.
FLEECING. Looks like we’re all in agreement here. Absolute waste of our taxpayers dollars. Where are all the status quo SB supporters? I won’t call anyone out, you should know who you are. Haven’t heard from them.
The SB city players (employees) in charge of this specific stuff are – just like everyone above has said – blowing it. Pass the buck, collect a big paycheck, try and bring in more taxpayer dollars while you go and get a $4 coffee everyday.
When will the SB voters get it??
What an odd way of doing things. Imagine if you got a desk job and you hired someone else to do it for more using the company account because you aren’t qualified. Then you ask your employer (the people) who that person should be. The public sector is ludicrous sometimes.
Because there is no accountability, no culpability and no responsibility if you outsource your job and duties to a consultant. So we pay “market rate” for “professionals”, and those “professionals” outsource their jobs, their duties and our monies. Its a perfect situation for people who have no spine, no ambition and no idea how to manage anything…
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In other words: The average city employee who is paid well above average to do a well below average job and never ever ever worry about being fired or demoted.. .
The city is spending somewhere near $1.2 million per year on salaries alone just for State Street. This conversation has been happening for decades. And EVERY PERSON HIRED does nothing but kick the can due to “complexity and scope”. So where is the wunderkind Jason Harris with his $190k yearly salary? Where is his magical economic report he was hired to provide? He’s received nearly $500k in two years and nothing but crickets. What about Tess Harris and her team of staff? What do these people do? Oh don’t be mean they are good people. So what! Now they are estimating upwards of $1.2 million in consulting fees but want to keep it around $800k? So they’ll start the project and run out of funds? For what! 30 years ago city staff was comparing what State Street might look like if it emulated Boulder Colorado. This IS NOT NEW. They then go hire Mr. Santa Monica that also has a promenade and….. NOTHING. Now off to Seattle for more of the same. How so many citizens don’t see the looting taking place is mind boggling. Hire people that can make decisions? Never! Just consult the dollars away to cover liabilities, come up with excuses, watch the homeless fill the void and pretend that the pension plan looting system is normal. How many here have a job for a small business or corporation and get a pension? Oh you don’t? Nobody does? Because they were phased out 30 years ago and replaced with 401ks? Oh yeah. Except for the lucky few that get city/county/govt jobs? And if you question it, well, don’t ask because you just don’t understand the complexity. BS! It’s time this nonsense stops.
When you’re the Fox and the Henhouse is stocked, and restocked and restocked again and again, you keep eating and you keep getting fatter. Then you call all your friends and your friend’s friends, and they come to town to eat the hens too… why not? There’s no one watching the farm!
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Public employee unions are a parasite on our society. They steal from your grandkids to enrich themselves. Laws have long since usurped the need for public employee unions. They are now 100% unnecessary. Public employee unions are parasites on their host – essentially a cancer as they’re literally sucking the life out of their host for their own selfish benefit.
Government is no longer “of the people, by the people, for the people” as Lincoln stated.
It’s a massive self-propagating entity for career politicians and entrenched bureaucrats to further their careers enabled by those with sufficient time and money to lobby them.
We voters/taxpayers only pay the bills.
I would not let the Santa Barbara City Coucil approve the rebuilding of my pool shed ! This is probably the least qualified group of long term, out of the box thinkers who this city has ever been saddled with. Look at what has hapopend to State Street under their watch! Feces, urine turmoil, empty stores, no public toilets, crime and danger. They have helped make State Street the toixic dump it has become. It can’t all be bleamed on Covid. There is only one business person on the entire council, the rest are hangers on!
How obvious it seems, more money wasted on consultants paid for by our taxes, while the built environment degrades and the quality of life for the citizens declines. We are but a microcosm of what is happening across the country, as those in elected and non-elected power form an elite class above us.
SBO, city employees are not paid “well above average”. Well, other than first responders and administration.
They should change their title to;
“Promenade Czar” in order to justify the expense.
So let’s see…overpaid public employees, out of control public sector unions, do nothing, lazy, self absorbing politicians and a crippling out of control unfunded pension liability to over a Billion at the County level.
Wait…what? The party which has dominated every political office at every level for over a hundred years….yep, the Dems!
I know, I know (yawn) I’ll wait patiently while some ignoramus accuses Fox News and evil Orange Man!
This is what corruption looks like.
Cmon Randy, now’s your time time step up bud. Be a leader and get things going in the right direction. This is a joke, and you’re the one ‘on watch’ if I’m not mistaken. At least start calling people out, get upset, and show us that you’re on the side of us – the public, the local businesses – not the side of the SB City desk jockeys that are failing hard and collecting major taxpayer dollars.