Gregg Hart is a Santa Barbara County Supervisor, representing the 2nd Supervisorial District. He grew up in Santa Barbara, attended local public schools, and graduated from SBCC and UCSB. Gregg’s dedication to public service was inspired by his parents, who spent their lives working for the community: His mother worked as an elementary school teacher, and his father was the Library Director for the City and County of Santa Barbara.
Santa Barbara enjoys a strong economy but we must do more to provide better opportunities for working families. We have an opportunity to create a city economy that supports local business and entrepreneurship. I am pleased to have worked with local organizations such as Women’s Economic Ventures to encourage and support local start-up businesses. As we face a national shift from traditional retail markets I look forward to working with all stakeholders on a long-term plan to revitalize State Street and our other shopping districts. To do this we must focus on sustainable investment and infrastructure improvements, while welcoming and expanding economic development and job opportunities in all sectors.
Like many of our neighboring cities, Santa Barbara has a need for additional affordable housing. I support looking at all options to find solutions that will expand our portfolio of housing options for all economic levels. This includes mixed-use development, urban infill and responsible growth within the City. We must prioritize housing options that encourage the use of alternative transportation and are located within close proximity to local employers and businesses.
While we are thankful for the rain received this winter, Santa Barbara must be a responsible steward of our precious water resources. I am pleased with the success we have had in diversifying our local water portfolio and with the efforts of our residents to conserve water. We must continue to look to the future and ensure that we have a safety net in place so that our city can continue to thrive while ensuring water security and environmental responsibility.
Our long-term regional goal must be to find permanent housing for the unhoused local residents in our community. The impacts of homelessness can be felt in many ways, including economic, and developing long-term solutions must be a top priority. I look forward to working with all involved stakeholders, including advocates and care providers, law enforcement, businesses, and government partners to identify resources that will provide housing and support services for our chronically homeless residents.
Santa Barbara is a leader in providing alternative transportation, and I am pleased by the engagement of our community to continue to develop additional safe, efficient and environmentally friendly options for local and regional transportation. In addition to working with employers to implement ride-sharing and other incentive programs, the introduction of zero-emission buses and safe pedestrian options, I led the City’s effort to secure a nearly $7 million state grant to implement additional bike lanes in the immediate future.
Santa Barbara is truly a unique city in large part because of our amazing environmental resources. From our pristine beaches and beautiful coastline, to our outdoor recreation facilities and close mountain trails, Santa Barbara is filled with natural treasures for all to enjoy, especially those of us that live here. I am proud that we have preserved areas like the Douglas Preserve and the Arroyo Burro Open Space for public enjoyment, and I continue to advocate for expanding fields, equipment, and opportunities for youth and adult recreation. We must advance our environmental protection policies to keep our beaches, creeks and public places clean, safe and accessible for all. I have also been a vocal advocate for increasing our rate of diverting trash to recycling, providing green energy and setting a 100% renewable energy goal for the City in the near future.