Government in Action

Nov. 27-Dec. 3

By staff writers SALLY CAPPON, LESLIE DINABERG, DAVID DOWNS and NATHAN WELTON

SBCAG

Feds review transit planning An opportunity for the public to comment to the Feds about the Santa Barbara County transportation planning process turned out to be more of a “rag on SBCAG” session than a substantive review and evaluation of the county’s process, as the Dec.2 gathering was billed.

Only five people showed up to address representatives from the Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration, and most comments dealt with the need to increase public participation in transportation planning.

The public has until Jan. 5 to submit comments or questions about the SBCAG transportation planning process via email to sbcagcert@fhwa.dot.gov, or by mail to Donna Turchie, Federal Transit Administration, 201 Mission St., Suite 2210, San Francisco, CA 94105. — L.D.

SB City Council

Rittenhouse places seventh The certified final numbers for the Santa Barbara City Council race are in, with no real surprises. As projected, Helene Schneider took first place, followed by Das Williams and Brian Barnwell. They will take office Jan. 6.

Write-in candidate Bruce Rittenhouse’s final vote tally was 2,638, placing him seventh behind Schneider’s 8,597; Williams’ 8,169; and Barnwell’s 7,955 votes; and well as fourth-place finisher Babatunde Folayemi’s 6,933 votes; Scott Burns’ 6,622; and Michael Magne’s 6,557. Rittenhouse ended up ahead of Carlos Quintero’s 1,337 votes; Bob Hansen’s 1,011; and Robert Cawley’s 721 votes. — L.D.