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City manager previews two‑year strategic plan, community survey results and pool needs assessment RFP
Summary
City Manager Michael Ramirez and staff summarized recruitments, community engagement for a new two‑year strategic plan, posted RFP for a community pool facility needs assessment, progress on a street sweeper repair, and a Southern California Edison community resource center for anticipated power shutoffs.
City Manager Michael Ramirez and department staff briefed the council on administrative recruitments, community outreach for a revised two‑year strategic plan and several operational matters, and announced a request for proposals for a community pool facility needs assessment.
Ramirez listed pending recruitments and tentative start dates for several city positions, including a chief building inspector/plans examiner (tentative Jan. 27 start), a management assistant (tentative Jan. 21), a parks/facilities attendant and program manager hires in various stages, and the part‑time literacy coordinator discussed earlier in the meeting.
Ramirez said the annual work plan is being transitioned to a two‑year strategic plan covering FY 2025‑26 and 2026‑27 and aligned with the election cycle; city outreach included a bilingual community survey (246 responses as of Jan. 10) and three community workshops (56 participants). A city council public retreat was scheduled Jan. 18, a public meeting to guide council goals and priorities.
Staff posted a community pool facility needs assessment RFP on Jan. 2; the RFP was set to close Jan. 26 and will ask consultants to provide a prioritized menu of repairs, phased options and long‑term replacement alternatives. Ramirez said the assessment would inform budgeting and possible fundraising or grant strategies.
Other operational notes: the city’s street sweeper resumed service after a maintenance outage; Southern California Edison established a community resource center to assist residents during an anticipated wind event and potential public‑safety power shutoffs (SCE’s outage map was provided as a public resource); and the city will continue coordination with the Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management on alerts and evacuation communication.
Council members asked for the pool assessment to include options and cost ranges for staged repairs and for staff to return with funding proposals and donor‑engagement ideas if significant work is identified. Ramirez said staff would present budget implications and, if needed, recruitment and grant‑seeking recommendations during the budget cycle.
