Savor Santa Barbara

I received the following goodness in my mailbox this morning. epicure.sb hits town this October!

The Dish
The Santa Barbara Conference & Visitors Bureau and Film Commission (SBCVB&FC) and the Santa Barbara Downtown Organization (DO) joined forces to develop epicure.sb: a month to savor santa barbara. Making its debut October 2009, epicure.sb is designed to celebrate Santa Barbara’s abundant and diverse epicurean offerings. The new annual promotion builds off of established foodie-friendly community events that take place in October—Harbor & Seafood Festival, California Lemon Festival, California Avocado Festival and Celebration of Harvest—while offering additional programming that showcases regional cuisine, libations and culture. Special midweek menus, educational seminars, mixology demonstrations, farmers’ market tours, cooking classes, micro-brew tastings, book signings, winemaker dinners and much more will fill the month up with tasty opportunities for both LOCALS and VISITORS to sip and savor the uniquely local flavors of Santa Barbara County. This month-long promotional platform is designed to stimulate business and introduce new customers to restaurants, retailers, attractions and events that highlight Santa Barbara’s bountiful harvest. It will entice visitors to plan a trip to Santa Barbara and extend their stay, while providing locals with something new to experience and driving business downtown in off-peak periods.

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Rules and regulations

Two things I read today that caused me to sit up and take notice:

1. This post at Savvy Wallet regarding the new regulations to be placed on credit card companies. Frustrating that the regs do not go into effect until July 2010, but I’m glad to know they have been passed.

(Here’s a WSJ article on the matter.)

2. The latest newsletter from the Santa Barbara Downtown Organization. (Here’s a pdf.) An article on page 2 totally disturbed me. Santa Barbara drivers, be( a)ware.

New Parking Enforcement Tool
Don’t think you can get away with the 75 minute shuffle! In February the Santa Barbara Police Department (SBPD) began utilizing an electronic chalking system to monitor parking enforcement. The “autoChalk” system uses photographic, laser and GPS orientation to identify parking violators. This system is currently installed on one of ten parking enforcement vehicles used by the SBPD.

The autoChalk system uses color photographs to provide proof of an offense. These photographs are coupled with the system’s unique technology to determine vehicle length, vehicle color and survey quality GPS positioning.

The information determines the length of time a vehicle has been parked at a specific location. AutoChalk prompts the Parking Enforcement Officer that a violator has been identified so the officer can issue a citation. This system can be operated in inclement weather which further enhances the efficiency of parking enforcement.

In 2007 the SBPD requested proposals from vendors utilizing this and similar technology in an on-going effort to reduce serious and repetitive stress injuries associated with traditional tire chalking methods. The autoChalk system permits Parking Enforcement Officers to electronically identify violators from the safety of their vehicle while traveling with the flow of traffic.

The autoChalk system also possesses license plate reading technology to identify habitual parking offenders and stolen vehicles through the California Law Enforcement Terminal System (CLETS). The autoChalk system costs $60,000 and was paid for partially through auto theft grant funds as well as salary savings from unfilled positions in the Parking Enforcement Unit. The SBPD will still continue to use traditional chalking methods as well.

The Santa Barbara Police department is committed to providing a safe environment for its employees while continuing to provide efficient and effective parking enforcement for the community. If anyone has further questions on the autoChalk system feel to contact Sergeant Lorenzo Duarte at 897-2332 or lduarte@sbpd.com.

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