On December 1, 2015, the City of Goleta approved and adopted the Draft 2015 City of Goleta Coastal Hazards Vulnerability Assessment and Fiscal Impact Report (prepared by the City of Goleta with Assistance from Revell Coastal, Santa Cruz, CA., December 2015). This unanimous vote to adopt by the Mayor and the City Council should be interpreted as a sign of the City’s commitment to take into account, in its formulation of a new Local Coast Program, the risks it is predicted to face as a result of climate change.

In support of this interpretation, it should be noted that the recommendation to approve from the City’s Planning and Environmental Review Director stated that “(c)limate change is upon us, affecting almost every facet of California’s natural and built environment.” In addition, each clause of the resolution adopting the report reflected a concern for such risks. For example, the initial clause read: “(T)he risk of coastal hazards is significant for people living on the south coast of Santa Barbara County, including the City of Goleta, due to the potential loss of life, property damage, and potential loss of natural and cultural resources.”