GOLETA WEST SANITARY DISTRICT

Information Sheet for Candidates

District Background

Goleta West Sanitary District (referred to as the “District”) was formed in 1954 under the Sanitary District Act of 1923 (California Health and Safety Code Sections 6400 et seq.).  It provides wastewater collection and treatment services to over 6,000 residential and non-residential customers within the District’s service area, which encompasses the western Goleta Valley and Isla Vista. The District’s wastewater collection system consists of approximately 63 miles of sewer lines and 2 pump stations, which convey customers’ wastewater to the regional treatment plant at Goleta Sanitary District (GSD). Several other public agencies - including the City of Santa Barbara (Airport), County of Santa Barbara, and UCSB - are also contractual users of the GSD treatment plant, and each has capacity rights in the plant for which they pay a pro rata share of capital improvement costs. Because the District has an approximately 41% capacity right in the GSD plant, it pays for roughly 41% of the capital improvement costs for GSD’s regional treatment plant.

Since 1963, the District has also provided award-winning street sweeping services, and has maintained an Industrial Waste Pretreatment Program to monitor and control the discharged wastes of industrial users to the public sewer system. The Industrial Waste Pretreatment Program, required by the Federal Clean Water Act, ensures the continued effective operation of the collection system, treatment plant, and the protection of collection system workers.

The District operates under the leadership of a General Manager, Superintendent, and seven staff, which includes four Operations Technicians, an Engineering Technician and an Office Manager. General Counsel services are provided by an outside law firm.

The District is an independent special district, meaning it functions separate and apart from any other local government (i.e., it is not part of the City of Goleta or the County of Santa Barbara) and its Board is independently elected by District customers and acts with a relatively high degree of autonomy. As an enterprise agency, the District is funded primarily through fees paid by customers.

Board of Directors

The District is governed by a five-member Board of Directors, each elected to a four-year term.  District elections, which are consolidated with the statewide election, are held every two years in November on even-numbered years. Terms are staggered, with two terms expiring in one even-numbered year, and three terms expiring the following even-numbered year. Three District terms will expire in 2026 and two expire in 2028.

The November 3, 2026 election will mark the second of two elections that will transition the District from an at-large to a by-district election system. The seats to be filled will represent new Districts 1, 3, and 5.

Candidates must be a United States Citizen, at least 18 years of age and reside within the boundaries of the Goleta West Sanitary District. Candidates must also reside within the district that they will represent. Election procedures and deadlines may be obtained from the Santa Barbara County Elections Division located at 4440-A Calle Real, Santa Barbara, California 93110.

As public servants, Board members must file certain financial disclosure forms that are public records, such as Fair Political Practices Commission Form 700. Officeholders and candidates for office must also complete a Form 470.

Board Member Expectations: Board Meetings and Other Commitments

The primary responsibilities of the Board include the formulation and evaluation of District policy as well as legal and fiduciary oversight of the District and its mission. Staff, on the other hand, is responsible for implementing the Board’s general direction. Expectations of Board Members include the following:

• Attend All Regular and Special Board Meetings. Board Members are expected to attend all regular and special Board meetings unless there is a good cause for absence. The Board meets on the first Tuesday of each month, and the third Tuesday of odd-numbered months. Board meetings begin at 5:30 pm at the District office located at UCSB, Parking Lot 32. Occasionally, these regularly scheduled meetings may be cancelled, while other special meetings may be called, sometimes on days and times that are not Tuesday at 5:30 pm.

• Participate in District Committees. In addition to Board meetings, Board Members are expected to serve on one or more of the District’s five standing committees, which meet regularly on an as-needed basis (Management Committee, Finance Committee, Public Relations Committee, Engineering Committee and Personnel Committee). Board Members may also be asked to serve on ad hoc committees that are created from time-to-time, depending on the needs of the District and the Board. Committee assignments are generally, but not always, made based on a Board Member’s subject matter expertise. Committees are composed of two Board Members, and review specialty subject matter and make appropriate recommendations to the entire Board. The current committee representative assignments are found

• Familiarity with District Business, Policies and Regulations. As representatives responsible for making important decisions on behalf of the District’s customers, such as ratemaking, Board members should strive to be informed about the issues facing the District and be prepared to ask relevant questions of staff and other board members and to provide pragmatic advice and comment. Board Members should also be familiar with the District’s various ordinances and resolutions, which are available here and serve as a tool for accountability, transparency, and communication with customers. The bulk of the District’s policies and regulations relate to providing and maintaining sewer facilities and service, as well as Board and employee rules.

• Represent the District at Meetings of Other Local Public Agencies. Board Members also act as a District representative at the meetings of other local agencies, with alternates assigned to act as a fill-in when the designated representative cannot attend a meeting. At the District’s Board meetings, Board Members must report out on matters of interest to the District that are discussed at the meetings of the other local agencies. The current District representative assignments are found

• Attend Mandatory Trainings. As public officials, State law mandates board members receive 2 hours of ethics (AB 1234) training no later than six months after their first day of service in public office, and biannually thereafter. The training encompasses laws relating to personal financial gain (e.g., prohibition on bribery, conflicts of interest when leaving office), perquisites of office (e.g., limitation on receiving gifts, honoraria ban), government transparency (e.g., Public Records Act), and fair process (e.g., common law bias, competitive bidding requirements for public contracts). Board members are also biannually required to attend a two-hour sexual harassment prevention training and a two-hour fiscal and financial training.

• Comply with Applicable Laws and Standards. Board members are expected to conduct themselves to the highest ethical standards both in their capacity as office holders and personally. Various state laws, including the Brown Act (“sunshine law”) and Political Reform Act, are designed to ensure that Board Members act in the best interests of the District and not for personal gain. Board Members should also review and be familiar with the Board Policy Handbook, which can be found