Anonymous
Source: Office of Supervisor Janet Wolf
One week from today I will end my last term as your Second District County Supervisor. I want to take a moment to thank you for these past twelve years — my constituents, colleagues, friends, advocates and staff for the honor of allowing me to serve, and for helping me navigate and create positive change along the way. Because of the passion and engagement of County residents, changes and challenges will continue, and I have confidence that my successor, Supervisor-Elect Hart, will be a responsible steward of the Second District.
As a community, I am proud of what we have accomplished during my three terms. We have tackled several long-standing issues while incorporating some new and important assets to our community.
We finally completed the Eastern Goleta Valley Community Plan, which serves as a blueprint for balanced growth to preserve our valued and limited agricultural sites while allowing a couple areas of housing growth. The process began in 2008, when I initiated the Planning Advisory Committee of dedicated citizens to guide us through the process. In 2015 the Plan was adopted by the Board of Supervisors, then certified by the Coastal Commission in 2016!
As you know, emergency planning has always been a priority for me and during my time on the Board, we unfortunately experienced many destructive wildfires, the Plains oil spill, and of course, the devastating 1/9 debris flow. Early in my tenure on the Board, I advocated for and urged my fellow Board members’ support of a state-of-the-art Emergency Operations Center (EOC) that would serve the South Coast for years to come. The EOC was finally built in 2011 and has been an invaluable resource to the entire County.
The adult and juvenile criminal justice systems have undergone many changes in California over the past ten years. It has been my honor to serve as the Board’s liaison on two County commissions advocating for continued reforms such as supervised pretrial release, alternatives to detention, enhanced resources for mentally ill offenders, and much more.
The Second District is full of beautiful parks and open spaces that enhance our quality of life and physical environment — from the trails and views of the San Marcos Foothills to the amenities at Arroyo Burro (Hendry’s) Beach County Park. It has only been with your input and the help of County staff and our Parks Commissioners that we have been able to institute improvements in park and open space staffing, add off-leash dog parks, and preserve the special place that is Goleta Beach Park.
I have also advocated for our “human infrastructure” — those in need of social services, medical care, and mental health access with a focus on the most vulnerable….our children, disabled, and aging population.
Thankfully, while we have our challenges, our County Government is healthy and robust. We have a bright, passionate, and strong CEO, Mona Miyasato, who manages a team of professionals dedicated to public service and finding solutions to a myriad of issues and challenges. Additionally, I can say without hesitation that my colleagues on the Board of Supervisors are hard-working, intelligent, and passionate about the state of our County. I have been blessed to work with such an outstanding group of leaders.
Finally, I want to thank my Second District team, Mary, Naomi, and Hilda, whom many of you have come to know because of their outstanding community service and response to your needs and concerns. They are an awesome power team in the Second District.
While I am retiring, I will remain a passionate and informed Second District resident, and I look forward to running into many of you while out and about. Again, thank you for the honor to serve, and all my best for a very happy New Year! Greetings and Wishes to All for a Happy and Healthy New Year!
It was time to go, Janet. Handing the job off to buddy Gregg Hart for more of the same fiscal irresponsibility however, is not good. Hart should be charged for the special election the city of Santa Barbara now faces after his abrupt departure for greener pastures at the county- huge pay increase and fewer duties since most of the county is categorical spending.
GOOD BYE!
Thank you for all you’ve accomplished on our behalf!
Dear Janet: As one among many who enjoys recreating legally off-leash with dogs, I would like to thank you for your wisdom and support in helping Santa Barbara legalize off-leash space for dogwalkers and their furry companions. Back in 1996 who knew that dog ownership and demand for off-leash space would increase to such a degree? Apparently DogPAC, SB had an inkling and luckily those of us who were advocates for off-leash had you to lend a hand. Thank you so very much.
Janet will be missed. For some of us who live in the 4th district, she was the one we could go to. She was the voice of reason against the aggressive and well-funded oil industry.
The bar is set fairly low if off-leash dog space is the biggest accomplishment. What did she accomplish related to the homeless problem, the blight of state street or the gross expansion of housing during the drought?
I wonder what the retirement pay is for a 12 year “career”?
She made the best informed, considered decisions she could and willingly made whatever changes were necessary and admitted she’d been wrong. That’s an incredibly rare quality among public figures. Had opportunity, time and health permitted, she’d have brought sanity, honesty, intelligence and “playing well with others” to higher office. That would’ve been a blessing for everyone since those qualities are in dangerous short supply nationally and globally.
Thank you for your service, Janet. You did well and you will be missed.
What Sup Wold was best at was avoiding big County issues that must be addressed; and failing to push back on required CA State one-size-fits-all mandates that are destroying the County and Second District. She was not an advocate for the working an middle class that as her created, false image as per spin. Money which determines destiney is her weakness. She likes to spend it, as in tax and spend. She’s done nothing to work to limit the massive growth of UCSB, it’s water and infrastructure use, and huge cost to County taxpayers. County taxpayers should not pay for free Fire , EMT, and sheriff protection to UCSB. Every student and staff should be assessed a $100/ semester tax to go to the County as per one of many proposals Wolf refused to put on the table. As an active Board watcher , I’d give her a 1 on a scale of 5. Incoming Gary Hart who ran unopposed will be worse. Second District voters either simply don’t care or lack monied leadership to back informed, capable candidates to run for office. What Sup Wolf and Wolf have in common is they are nice, passive aggressive: they smile. He delays.
Supervisor Wolf was costing taxpayers nearly $145,000 a year. Any wonder this county is so deeply in long-term debt?
She was a constant supporter of County staff no matter what they did. We brought numerous examples of shelter staff misdeeds to her attention to no avail. Wasn’t the $2M embezzlement done under her watch with no accountability for any manager? As for dog parks, where is the dog park for the small dogs? There isn’t one. Almost every other jurisdiction has them. I was very disappointed in her performance.
Don’t forget the government is the largest employer in Santa Barbara county – in some form or another. Public sector employees always vote as a solid block for one of their own. Wolf delivered the goods for the government employee union and there are now enough of them living high in this district to keep Second District solidly in the county employee union hands. Gregg Hart’s scandalous demand that now all city Measure C construction contracts must use union labor was his final nail in the coffin the the city he claimed he wanted to serve. Past is prologue. County of SB – you have been warned. Shocking that pay to play is now the operating norm in our fair county, but we have passed a tipping point – more voters now depend on continued taxpayer handouts, than on productive private labor in this county. Those are your Second District voters.