Santa Maria Sun / Community

Citizen's Alert

Political Watch - 5.16.13

Santa Barbara County Agricultural Commissioner Cathy Fisher will be the featured speaker at the next monthly meeting of the Democratic Club of Santa Maria Valley on May 16 at the International House of Pancakes, 202 Nicholson Ave., in Santa Maria. She’ll discuss how the county and USDA are addressing the Asian citrus psyllid and Haunglongbing disease, and what backyard citrus growers can do to help eliminate this fruit-tree killer. Fisher, who also oversees weights and measures, will finish by explaining how shoppers can stop being overcharged for items at the checkout register. The program begins at 7 p.m. and is free and open to the public. The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors appointed Fisher to her current position in August 2010. Before that, she served as the chief deputy agricultural commissioner/sealer of weights and measures of Contra Costa County. She has 25 years of experience working in the agricultural field and has a master’s degree in public administration. The Democratic Club meets the third Thursday of every month at the IHOP. A no-host social begins at 5:30 p.m. with an optional dinner beginning at 6 p.m. Reservations are requested for the dinner and can be made by contacting the Democratic Club Headquarters, 327 E. Plaza Drive, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday. For more information and to make reservations, call 349-2708.

U.S. Rep. Lois Capps (D-Santa Barbara) sent a letter to the House Subcommittee on Homeland Security asking for an appropriation to fully fund Operation Stonegarden at $50 million in the next fiscal year to help offset the costs incurred by Central Coast law enforcement as they combat panga smuggling off the coastline. “Panga smuggling remains a significant law enforcement concern on the Central Coast. Aside from the obvious potential impact on public safety, combating panga smuggling is expensive and puts additional strain on already tight local budgets,” Capps said in a statement. Operation Stonegarden is one of three programs in the Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Grant Program designed to increase coordination between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, increase preparedness at the local level, and help offset the costs incurred by local law enforcement as they conduct homeland and border security related operations. For example, Operation Stonegarden reimburses local law enforcement for vehicle maintenance and overtime costs incurred as they work on panga smuggling investigations. Last summer, Capps conducted a briefing in Santa Barbara to connect local and federal law enforcement agencies. As a result of this briefing, county law enforcement is now included in the distribution of California’s Operation Stonegarden funding.

Community Notebook 5.16.13

TUESDAY, MAY 21

• The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors has its regular meeting at 9 a.m. in the Board of Supervisors Hearing Room, 105 E. Anapamu St., Santa Barbara. Agendas are available at santabarbara.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx#current.

• The Guadalupe Planning Commission has its regular meeting at 6 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, City Hall, 918 Obispo St., Guadalupe.

• The Santa Maria City Council has its regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, City Hall, 110 E. Cook St., Santa Maria. Agendas are available at ci.santa-maria.ca.us. 

• The Lompoc City Council has its regular meeting at 7 p.m. in the Council Chambers at 100 Civic Center Plaza, Lompoc. Agendas are available at ci.lompoc.ca.us.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 22

• The Nipomo Community Services District has its regular meeting at 9 a.m. in the NCSD Boardroom at 148 S. Wilson St., Nipomo.

• The Lompoc Planning Commission has its regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. in the Lompoc City Hall Council Chambers, 100 Civic Center Plaza, Lompoc

THURSDAY, MAY 23

• The Santa Maria Joint Union High School District Measure C 2004 Bond Oversight Committee has its regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. in the board room of the Support Services Center, 2560 Skyway Drive, Santa Maria.

• The Santa Maria Airport Board has its regular meeting at 7 p.m. in the airport boardroom in the administration building, 3217 Terminal Drive, Santa Maria.