Councilmember Jennifer Smith Holds Her First Coffee and Community at Home Plate Grill

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GOLETA, CA, May 5, 2025 – About 40 community members know our newest Councilmember Jennifer Smith better after attending her first Coffee and Community/ Café y Comunidad event at Home Plate Grill (7398 Calle Real) this past Saturday, May 3, 2025. The City holds these events throughout the year in each district, but this is the first one led by newly elected 3^rd District Councilmember Smith who chose to have it at a location she frequents herself. Attendees, many of whom live in the western Goleta neighborhood, turned out to meet their Council representative, to support a local restaurant and ask questions. Check out photos from the event here.

Councilmember Jennifer Smith said, “What a great way to spend a Saturday morning. I really enjoyed meeting fellow neighbors and hearing their concerns. It’s wonderful to see first-hand how much our residents care about our city.”

The front patio at Home Plate Grill was the perfect gathering spot to mingle, grab a free cup of local Green Star Coffee or a pastry courtesy of owner Ken Johnston. Some chose to order off the menu and try out the restaurant’s popular Chilaquiles dish. 

While the event was mostly casual, Councilmember Smith took the opportunity to officially welcome everyone and personally share what drew her to Goleta and get involved in local government. Like many, she was introduced to the area and fell in love with Goleta when she attended UCSB. She moved away, obtained her law degree and moved back to Goleta 12 years ago. She is currently the Executive Director of the Legal Aid Foundation of Santa Barbara County. Councilmember Smith first got involved with the City as a Planning Commissioner, a position she served for eight years before running for Council.

Following her introduction, there was time for questions from attendees which included topics related to speed limits, safe routes to schools, trash, e-bike safety and more.

Thanks to Santa Barbara County 3^rd District Supervisor Joan Hartmann, Community Resource Deputy Connor Worden and a cross section of City staff for attending including City Manager Robert Nisbet, Assistant City Manager Jaime Valdez, Public Works Director Nina Buelna, Planning and Environmental Review Director Peter Imhof and the City’s communication team (Kelly Hoover, Jaime Shaw and Marcos Martinez). Also, thanks to our Spanish interpreter Regina Santos for being there.

If you missed the Coffee and Community event, don’t worry we will have another one coming up soon. Stay tuned for details!