Rep. Salud Carbajal
On Friday, Rep. Salud Carbajal announced that $16,651,540 in direct federal funding for Santa Barbara County community projects is set to become law after passing both chambers of Congress this week.
Rep. Carbajal has been advocating for these federal funds since April 2022, and helped ensure they were included in the omnibus spending package crafted over the past six months and sent to President Joe Biden’s desk by the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday.
The funds secured by Rep. Carbajal will help fund expanding U.S. Highway 101 carpool lanes and support upgrades to public spaces in Santa Barbara, Lompoc and Santa Maria.
“As the Central Coast’s representative, my first and foremost responsibility is to deliver real results for our communities and its residents – and today I’m proud to do that again by delivering nearly $17 million for Santa Barbara county to support projects that will improve our quality of life,” said Rep. Carbajal. “With these funds, we will be able to make critical upgrades that will reduce traffic, renovate public spaces, and improve access to food and clean water across the Central Coast.”
Rep. Carbajal specifically requested and pushed for funding for these and other Central Coast projects through the House Appropriations Committee. In total, Rep. Carbajal has secured $22,466,540 for 14 projects across all three counties that he represents in Congress.
Projects funded for Santa Barbara County include:
– $7,000,000 to support construction of one of the two remaining sections of carpool lane expansion on U.S. Highway 101 between Santa Barbara and Ventura. Construction of the remaining HOV lane sections is expected to begin in March 2023 and be completed by summer 2026.
“We are incredibly grateful to Congressman Carbajal for including $7 million of federal funds for the Highway 101: Montecito project in the congressional budget process,” said Marjie Kirn, executive director of Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG)
– $2,000,000 to help fund the acquisition and retrofitting of a new building to serve as an upgrade location for the Orcutt Branch Library in Orcutt. The Orcutt branch is reliant on a leased facility, and the current space is no longer adequate to serve the growing community.
“Funding for a permanent library and community center will greatly benefit the residents in and around Orcutt,” said Bob Nelson, Fourth District Supervisor. “It’s been a pleasure working with Congressman Carbajal throughout this process, and thanks to his advocacy, coupled with the work of library staff, supporters and residents, the largest unincorporated area in the county has made major strides in establishing an educational and constructive home for our families and youth.”
– $1,500,000 to fund part of the total costs of the full-scale renovation of Dwight Murphy Field in Santa Barbara, including a brand new 36,000 square-foot playground. Costs of the project, for which construction is expected to begin as early as summer 2023, are shared by the city of Santa Barbara, the Gwendolyn Strong Foundation and private donors.
“The city of Santa Barbara is tremendously grateful for Congressman Carbajal’s support for the revitalization of Dwight Murphy Field. The new amenities – including the multi-sport field, youth baseball and community green space, outdoor fitness gym and inclusive playground – will bring vital upgrades to serve youth sports, recreation enthusiasts, neighborhood residents and families from all over Santa Barbara. Gwendolyn’s playground, Santa Barbara’s first inclusive play space, will ensure that all children, regardless of ability, will be able to play together,” said Jill Zachary, director of Parks and Rec.
– $1,500,000 to support the retrofitting of the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County’s new South County warehouse in Goleta. Once completed, the warehouse will have the capacity to store more than 750,000 pounds of food. Retrofitting on the facility is estimated to be completed in June 2023.
“The Foodbank of Santa Barbara County, our staff, Trustees, supporters and volunteers are thrilled with this vital grant that will allow us to complete key elements of our new Sharehouse – comprising both a warehouse and an education center – which will allow us to bring significantly increased amounts of food and food literacy education across the whole of Santa Barbara county,” said Erik Talkin, CEO of the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County. “Thanks so much to Representative Carbajal and his staff to working tirelessly to make this happen.”
– $1,384,040 to help Santa Barbara County stabilize roughly 975 feet of railing roadway on San Marcos Road. San Marcos Road is a key fire suppression and emergency access road during closures of State Route 154.
“The county greatly appreciates Representative Carbajal’s leadership on this project, which will protect a vital transportation link between the Eastern Goleta Valley and State Route 154 and the Santa Ynez Valley beyond,” said Scott D. McGolpin, director of the county Public Works Department. “…These much needed roadway improvements will not only protect access for those who use the road during detours of State Route 154, but also for the people who live in the area and rely on a safe roadway everyday.”
– $1,267,500 to fund renovations and upgrades for the city of Lompoc’s Pioneer Park, including the construction of a new playground and baseball fields. Federal funds secured by Rep. Carbajal would cover roughly a third of the expected cost, with additional funds provided by the city of Lompoc and Community Development Block Grants.
“I want to thank Congressman Carbajal for investing in Lompoc with this funding for Pioneer Park,” said Jenelle Osborne, Lompoc Mayor. “His support will make it possible for the city of Lompoc to move forward on a park long overdue for improvements….”
– $1,000,000 to support the construction and equipment needs of Marian Regional Medical Center’s Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB/GYN) Residency Program Clinic in Santa Maria. The funds will cover part of the costs associated with the construction of a new 8,700 square-foot clinic for the OB-GYN clinic.
“Marian Regional Medical Center is tremendously grateful to Congressman Carbajal for prioritizing the health of the Santa Maria community and for advocating to secure funding for the hospital’s much-needed OB/GYN Residency Program Clinic,” said Sue Andersen, President & CEO of Marian Regional Medical Center. “…This will allow Marian to expand its prenatal and postpartum care for the community’s underserved and medically-vulnerable OB/GYN patients.”
– $500,000 to support the construction of the Santa Maria Japanese Community Center to honor the original Japanese settlers to the Santa Maria valley. The 10,000 square foot facility would feature memorabilia documenting the lives of the Issei first generation immigrants, part of the 7-acre Smith-Enos History Farm House project supported by the city of Santa Maria and local community groups.
“We are excited about this additional funding for the future community center, which builds upon the $350,000 donation from the Santa Maria Japanese Community Center, and other funding. The structure and grounds will serve as a gathering spot for all cultures within our community, and honor the Issei generation and its contributions to the agricultural industry in the Santa Maria Valley,” said Alice Patino, Mayor of Santa Maria.
A full list of the projects can be found at https://carbajal.house.gov/constituent-services/fy23-community-project-funding.htm.
email: kzehnder@newspress.com
