AUGUST PUBLIC POLICY COMMITTEE UPDATE

At last month’s Public Policy Committee meeting, the committee welcomed guest speaker Bryan Fernandez with Santa Barbara County Firefighters. Fernandez spoke about the upcoming Santa Barbara County contract for emergency services and County Fire’s interest in taking over the contract with a new approach that focused on local reinvestment.

The committee also welcomed guest speaker Goleta Councilmember James Kyriaco. Councilmember Kyriaco met with the committee to discuss possible options for formalizing increased business outreach through the City of Goleta. Potential options included at least one seat of Goleta’s Community Engagement Commission being dedicated to business.

The committee heard from guest speaker Sharon Byrne with the Montecito Association regarding the Governor’s 100-day challenge to reduce homelessness, upcoming efforts to address encampments in the transportation corridors of our region, and how the business community and Chamber could lend further support to these efforts. Byrne also shared details of the Homeless Hiring Tax Credit with the group.