I am sure the Modoc road narrowing/bike lane project could have easily funded restoration of Franceschi house. Perhaps the City Council will instead raze the structure and build a homeless shelter, low income housing or a solar battery backup facility. It is not a matter of money but rather of vision and priorities.
Regarding your stating that the “City Council” could have funded the restoration of the Franceschi house, the Modoc Road multi-use project was funded by the County of Santa Barbara ($1.1 million) and the remaining amount by the State of California.
Calle de los Amigos is the transition point where the County segment ends and the City segment begins. The figures listed above apply only to the City’s portion of the path.
Thank you for clarifying the source of the wasted funds. The point of course was that this city wastes so much money of foolish projects and bloated staff with bloated payroll that there is surely the money to restore Franceschi but it is lower in priority than other projects of dubious merit.
However, almost 30% of SB County income is derived from the residents within the City of Santa Barbara. The project cost about $6+ million in total I believe...with funds(tax dollars) coming from the federal government as well. Clearly, the citizens of Santa Barbara have made a significant contribution to that Modoc tree project.
Perhaps the $500,000 (tax dollars) the City of Santa Barbara unilaterally gave to the illegal alien community could've gone to one of the other previously mentioned projects...or help offset the enormous cost of having SB City employees take 2+ weeks paid vacation at Christmas/New Year's.
Deferring maintenance is the oldest trick in the local government playbook: starve infrastructure for years, let buildings visibly crumble, then roll out the horror stories “unsafe classrooms! leaking roofs! mold everywhere!” They use it to scare voters into approving massive bonds. Santa Barbara City College ran this playbook to perfection with Measure P. Zero meaningful spending on upkeep, maximum drama on the ballot and at board meetings. Calculated extortion dressed up as urgency. Voters pay the bill multiple times through years of deterioration and again at the ballot box. Then they use the bond money for other purposes.
To maintain and restore SB, it’s time to clean house. You’ve exposed them Bonnie. Now it’s time for action. Our City is totally mismanaged, broke, emergency reserves are near depletion, the Democrat Council robs established designated funds — like the Housing Trust — to gift NGOs including 805Undocumented (to further protect illegal residents).
Yep, there’s a leadership void! Yet, no fiscally strong proven business pros have surfaced willing to run for Council. The GOOD NEWS: the City identified “essential workers” during the extensive December City closure to enable all others — including six Council members — to be removed from payroll. Top 40% of City compensation packages are outrageous, their whining inexcusable when public sector employment provides lifetime security with no risk, and their costly unwanted failures a burden to taxpayers.
Excellent example of who has the power. The self-identified servants of the people are now the richly rewarded masters of the people. If the people demanded timely maintenance of all public property, the city response would be another tax increase. City employee numbers, salaries and lifetime benefits are sacrosanct. District voting ensures socialist councils. Absolute Democratic party controls over the electorate ensure that nothing will get better soon.
Can I just say the Parks & Rec director, Jill Zachary is awful. Honestly, she should retire from her job.
Did you see the council meeting last week with all the public comments about Lobster Jo's Summer camps being cancelled? It was amazing to see so many regular locals show up to a council meeting. Jill Zachary is the person they were sending messages to. There is a bottom line here, I think it's her.
She was behind evicting the long term cafe owners of East Beach Grill and bringing in a high end restaurant (which has no appeal to me). For decades we've loved the bike friendly outdoor patio. Yes the bathrooms were sketchy, but the beach vibe was better back then.
Bonnie, thank you for your research and analysis. What about that other city involved residence, Bellosguardo? Does SB City have a financial stake in this property or is it purely private (administered by the Bellosguardo Foundation)?
The way I remember the story Dr Franschesi planted his acres around the house with the most fabulous collection of plant specimens ever seen in the West Coast. Thanks to our perfect climate he experimented with what would grow here, and successfully encouraged the "Tree City" variety of street trees that were subsequently planted throughout the City. The plantings were separated into hemisphere location, and walking through the gardens was a popular attraction. The city taking after control of the property allowed the gardens to be plundered, not maintained, and now they are a mere memory. If people still go there it is to enjoy the view, and gaze up at the closed house. Soon, if the Council has their way, it will just be a patch of dirt with a cemented pathway and one bench to sit on. A betrayal of the history of a great man who contributed so much to the beauty that WAS Santa Barbara.
I used to go up there early on Saturday mornings to drink my coffee and enjoy the views. One year, I think 2015 I was walking on the north side of the house and I noticed a large tree with small bluish colored flowers. I've never seen one. I took some photos and sent them to Randy Baldwin at San Marcos Growers. He responded with the name and locations in town of a few other specimens. It turned out to be very rare.
I mention this because I saw a copy of the current SB Independent and Randy is on the cover, sadly, San Marcos Growers is closing. As is the Franceschi house.
San Marcos Growers is a huge loss to the community. The property is going to be low value housing, just like the La Sumida acres. The most fertile land in the valley in the most perfect climate in the nation will be paved over for crackerbox tax subsidized tenements.
There are many comments about failed design and wasted spending at all levels.
How about $4.3 million for Cliff Dr. / Las Positas when the Council stated not more than 1 penny over $650K, then there are the indefensible numbers for Bulbouts at between $50K to $150K+ per corner, $6 million for Olive Mill / Coast Village road when Staff admitted a can of pain would fix it, $11 million to destroy Caltrans emergency underpass at State / Freeway, Millions for Shoreline narrowing when a civil engineer stated he could fix what they wanted for $600K, literally $millions for bike paths and street narrowing that have failed for well over 25 years to increase bike use, and reduce car use?????????????
The stated SOCIAL RECONFIGURATION of society, just for failed road designs, does not seem to have any effect on this council.
The metro link commuter rail was cancelled. The MTD "Last Mile" failed. Sacramento just admitted failure of E-Bikes that now have to have registration and licenses.
Donovan pulls back the "inconvenient truth" with this one item. It is a combination of arrogance and ignoring what works. It is about continuing the process with an end game that floats and "we'll fix it" but what is the fix?
As long as “progressive“ liberal Democrats have control it will always be “rules/laws for thee, not for me“. Just like, keep your kids home to remote learn ,while I send mine to private school.(kneepad Newsom.) or you must stay home masked ,while I and my friends dine at the French laundry unmasked.(glitter Gavin again). I’m sick of it! It seems the useful idiots of the left will not figure this out until the machine comes for them. We can only hope that is sooner rather than later.
“If the City can afford $6 million a year to police the private rental market, why couldn’t that money have been used to save our Structure of Merit — the second house ever built on the Riviera?”
— because the latter won’t get you the votes to maintain your power and leverage of funds that the former will. Sheeple of SB will never get this, and they’ll keep voting to keep the feel good party going.
""it further explained that it does not track operating expenses by location. """"
Then how does it maintain operational parks throughout the City?
Do they track the salaries of park maintenance personnel? Do they track paint upkeep for tables?
Do they do they do they do they????? Getting it?
It is a 3 shell game.... where is the pea? The taxpayers are being what upon?
The past 15 years of Council voting has only accelerated mismanagement.
When I get emails (and they are frequent) with statements like "we did not realize what we voted for""" and I respond so what are you going to do to to solve the problem the silence is deafening.
Remember you voted for them. The city as an operating entity is crumbling. The only answer the failures you voted into office is "We'll get the money. If necessary we will raise taxes."
Hold on the tix is on the way...just a little bit more. "Fix?" isn't that a street adjective for an out of control addict who wants more drugs? As has been said, it it the "PROCESS" not a definitive answer that once achieved will stop the insanity?
This is a well written piece of information for local residents. How the City Council plans and makes decisions that suits their own or political interests. The Franceschi House should be maintained and not be demolished.
Oh yeah, great piece as usual again, Bonnie! It’s as if you have a never ending source of pointing out government, waste, and abuse of its constituency. Keep up the good work.
Very similar to a unique and beautiful home on a rare piece of coastline frontage property in Shell Beach that was left to the City of Pismo Beach...along with $800K to maintain its care...the majority of which was spent (rumored to be on the order of $650K) to convert bathrooms and walkways to comply with ADA mandate(s)...and now the City declares it does not the budget capacity to maintain it.
I am sure the Modoc road narrowing/bike lane project could have easily funded restoration of Franceschi house. Perhaps the City Council will instead raze the structure and build a homeless shelter, low income housing or a solar battery backup facility. It is not a matter of money but rather of vision and priorities.
JB,
Regarding your stating that the “City Council” could have funded the restoration of the Franceschi house, the Modoc Road multi-use project was funded by the County of Santa Barbara ($1.1 million) and the remaining amount by the State of California.
Peter: Exact Funding Breakdown
State of California
Active Transportation Program (ATP): $9,137,005
City of Santa Barbara – Local Match
Measure C funds: $6,362,995
Total = $15,500,000
This matches:
The final ATP “EAC – Estimate at Completion” listing for the project
The City’s Measure C Schedule of Sources & Uses across FY 2020–21, FY 2021–22, and FY 2022–23
The City’s stated “local match” requirement for the ATP grant
What This Means (Plain English)
The City’s share was not symbolic — Measure C paid just over $6.36 million for this bike path.
That is about 41% of the entire project cost.
No County funds were used for this City segment.
No separately identified federal grant was used — the funding is booked as State ATP + local Measure C.
Bonnie, you are a gift from God.
I will be able to ride my bike from bridge club to the creekside for a beer. Money well spent.
Calle de los Amigos is the transition point where the County segment ends and the City segment begins. The figures listed above apply only to the City’s portion of the path.
Thank you for clarifying the source of the wasted funds. The point of course was that this city wastes so much money of foolish projects and bloated staff with bloated payroll that there is surely the money to restore Franceschi but it is lower in priority than other projects of dubious merit.
However, almost 30% of SB County income is derived from the residents within the City of Santa Barbara. The project cost about $6+ million in total I believe...with funds(tax dollars) coming from the federal government as well. Clearly, the citizens of Santa Barbara have made a significant contribution to that Modoc tree project.
Perhaps the $500,000 (tax dollars) the City of Santa Barbara unilaterally gave to the illegal alien community could've gone to one of the other previously mentioned projects...or help offset the enormous cost of having SB City employees take 2+ weeks paid vacation at Christmas/New Year's.
Deferring maintenance is the oldest trick in the local government playbook: starve infrastructure for years, let buildings visibly crumble, then roll out the horror stories “unsafe classrooms! leaking roofs! mold everywhere!” They use it to scare voters into approving massive bonds. Santa Barbara City College ran this playbook to perfection with Measure P. Zero meaningful spending on upkeep, maximum drama on the ballot and at board meetings. Calculated extortion dressed up as urgency. Voters pay the bill multiple times through years of deterioration and again at the ballot box. Then they use the bond money for other purposes.
To maintain and restore SB, it’s time to clean house. You’ve exposed them Bonnie. Now it’s time for action. Our City is totally mismanaged, broke, emergency reserves are near depletion, the Democrat Council robs established designated funds — like the Housing Trust — to gift NGOs including 805Undocumented (to further protect illegal residents).
Yep, there’s a leadership void! Yet, no fiscally strong proven business pros have surfaced willing to run for Council. The GOOD NEWS: the City identified “essential workers” during the extensive December City closure to enable all others — including six Council members — to be removed from payroll. Top 40% of City compensation packages are outrageous, their whining inexcusable when public sector employment provides lifetime security with no risk, and their costly unwanted failures a burden to taxpayers.
YOWZA! It’s amazing what a good writer, a long story format and a Public Records Request can accomplish. Bonnie, THANK YOU!
Excellent example of who has the power. The self-identified servants of the people are now the richly rewarded masters of the people. If the people demanded timely maintenance of all public property, the city response would be another tax increase. City employee numbers, salaries and lifetime benefits are sacrosanct. District voting ensures socialist councils. Absolute Democratic party controls over the electorate ensure that nothing will get better soon.
They all need to be flushed out. I want to hear that flushing sound.
Thanks Bonnie, another great post.
Can I just say the Parks & Rec director, Jill Zachary is awful. Honestly, she should retire from her job.
Did you see the council meeting last week with all the public comments about Lobster Jo's Summer camps being cancelled? It was amazing to see so many regular locals show up to a council meeting. Jill Zachary is the person they were sending messages to. There is a bottom line here, I think it's her.
She was behind evicting the long term cafe owners of East Beach Grill and bringing in a high end restaurant (which has no appeal to me). For decades we've loved the bike friendly outdoor patio. Yes the bathrooms were sketchy, but the beach vibe was better back then.
I could go on.
Bonnie, thank you for your research and analysis. What about that other city involved residence, Bellosguardo? Does SB City have a financial stake in this property or is it purely private (administered by the Bellosguardo Foundation)?
The way I remember the story Dr Franschesi planted his acres around the house with the most fabulous collection of plant specimens ever seen in the West Coast. Thanks to our perfect climate he experimented with what would grow here, and successfully encouraged the "Tree City" variety of street trees that were subsequently planted throughout the City. The plantings were separated into hemisphere location, and walking through the gardens was a popular attraction. The city taking after control of the property allowed the gardens to be plundered, not maintained, and now they are a mere memory. If people still go there it is to enjoy the view, and gaze up at the closed house. Soon, if the Council has their way, it will just be a patch of dirt with a cemented pathway and one bench to sit on. A betrayal of the history of a great man who contributed so much to the beauty that WAS Santa Barbara.
I used to go up there early on Saturday mornings to drink my coffee and enjoy the views. One year, I think 2015 I was walking on the north side of the house and I noticed a large tree with small bluish colored flowers. I've never seen one. I took some photos and sent them to Randy Baldwin at San Marcos Growers. He responded with the name and locations in town of a few other specimens. It turned out to be very rare.
I mention this because I saw a copy of the current SB Independent and Randy is on the cover, sadly, San Marcos Growers is closing. As is the Franceschi house.
San Marcos Growers is a huge loss to the community. The property is going to be low value housing, just like the La Sumida acres. The most fertile land in the valley in the most perfect climate in the nation will be paved over for crackerbox tax subsidized tenements.
There are many comments about failed design and wasted spending at all levels.
How about $4.3 million for Cliff Dr. / Las Positas when the Council stated not more than 1 penny over $650K, then there are the indefensible numbers for Bulbouts at between $50K to $150K+ per corner, $6 million for Olive Mill / Coast Village road when Staff admitted a can of pain would fix it, $11 million to destroy Caltrans emergency underpass at State / Freeway, Millions for Shoreline narrowing when a civil engineer stated he could fix what they wanted for $600K, literally $millions for bike paths and street narrowing that have failed for well over 25 years to increase bike use, and reduce car use?????????????
The stated SOCIAL RECONFIGURATION of society, just for failed road designs, does not seem to have any effect on this council.
The metro link commuter rail was cancelled. The MTD "Last Mile" failed. Sacramento just admitted failure of E-Bikes that now have to have registration and licenses.
Donovan pulls back the "inconvenient truth" with this one item. It is a combination of arrogance and ignoring what works. It is about continuing the process with an end game that floats and "we'll fix it" but what is the fix?
As long as “progressive“ liberal Democrats have control it will always be “rules/laws for thee, not for me“. Just like, keep your kids home to remote learn ,while I send mine to private school.(kneepad Newsom.) or you must stay home masked ,while I and my friends dine at the French laundry unmasked.(glitter Gavin again). I’m sick of it! It seems the useful idiots of the left will not figure this out until the machine comes for them. We can only hope that is sooner rather than later.
“If the City can afford $6 million a year to police the private rental market, why couldn’t that money have been used to save our Structure of Merit — the second house ever built on the Riviera?”
— because the latter won’t get you the votes to maintain your power and leverage of funds that the former will. Sheeple of SB will never get this, and they’ll keep voting to keep the feel good party going.
""it further explained that it does not track operating expenses by location. """"
Then how does it maintain operational parks throughout the City?
Do they track the salaries of park maintenance personnel? Do they track paint upkeep for tables?
Do they do they do they do they????? Getting it?
It is a 3 shell game.... where is the pea? The taxpayers are being what upon?
The past 15 years of Council voting has only accelerated mismanagement.
When I get emails (and they are frequent) with statements like "we did not realize what we voted for""" and I respond so what are you going to do to to solve the problem the silence is deafening.
Remember you voted for them. The city as an operating entity is crumbling. The only answer the failures you voted into office is "We'll get the money. If necessary we will raise taxes."
Hold on the tix is on the way...just a little bit more. "Fix?" isn't that a street adjective for an out of control addict who wants more drugs? As has been said, it it the "PROCESS" not a definitive answer that once achieved will stop the insanity?
HUH?
This is a well written piece of information for local residents. How the City Council plans and makes decisions that suits their own or political interests. The Franceschi House should be maintained and not be demolished.
Bonnie does it again! Would love to see same analysis on $millions of deferred maintenance for our crumbling roadways…
Oh yeah, great piece as usual again, Bonnie! It’s as if you have a never ending source of pointing out government, waste, and abuse of its constituency. Keep up the good work.
Very similar to a unique and beautiful home on a rare piece of coastline frontage property in Shell Beach that was left to the City of Pismo Beach...along with $800K to maintain its care...the majority of which was spent (rumored to be on the order of $650K) to convert bathrooms and walkways to comply with ADA mandate(s)...and now the City declares it does not the budget capacity to maintain it.