• The city of Santa Maria is accepting applications for residents who want to serve on the All-American City Committee, the Landmark Committee, the Measure U2012 Citizen’s Oversight Committee, the Planning Commission, the Recreation and Parks Commission, and the Santa Maria Community Television Committee. Applications will be accepted until Jan. 2, 2015, and the appointments will be made by the City Council on Jan. 20.
• State Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) held a hearing on Nov. 7 in Santa Barbara examining what state agencies and local governments are doing to prepare for the potential impacts of climate change and discuss what more needs to be done. The hearing of the Joint Legislative Committee on Emergency Management, which Jackson chairs, examined how climate change is impacting California and what’s being done to prepare for extreme climate events such as sea-level rise, hotter and drier summers, and a longer fire season. The discussion also examined how climate change will impact the state’s water, energy, communications, transportation, and public safety infrastructure. Speakers included Mark Ghilarducci, director of the state’s Office of Emergency Services, and representatives from the Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management. “It isn’t a question any more of whether climate change is happening. We know it’s happening right now. And not only do we need to fight climate change with policies to reduce carbon emissions, we also need to plan and prepare for how it is going to impact our communities over the coming years,” Jackson said in a press release. “California is facing a new normal as a result of climate change that we’re just beginning to get a glimpse of with this year’s very severe drought.”
This article appears in Nov 13-20, 2014.