The Isla Vista Community Services District was introduced to the new Isla Vista Foot Patrol Lieutenant, Thomas Green, and heard reports from various programs at its May 26 meeting.
Because of the “success” of Soltopia, Green stated there will likely be a smaller law enforcement footprint during Deltopia weekend next year. Shengyu Zhang / Daily Nexus
Green, a UC Santa Barbara alum, began his current position with the Isla Vista Foot Patrol (IVFP) in March when former Lieutenant Joe Schmidt was promoted to commander. Because of recent county budget cuts, Green said his position would be cut at the end of June and policing in I.V. would be managed from the Goleta Valley Bureau from that point on.
“We’re still gonna come. So you’re still gonna have officers from UC Police Department [(UCPD)] and the Sheriff’s Office and the Highway Patrol. So we’re all around here,” Green said. “This is gonna be an ebb and flow as we go and see what works and what doesn’t work, and we’ll adjust it on the fly as necessary. It’s always how we’ve been doing.”
IVCSD Director and third-year political science and environmental studies double major Kylan Hobart asked how sexual assaults in I.V. would be handled going forward given multiple law enforcement agencies present in I.V. She requested clarification around different agencies’ jurisdictions in light of the recent rape and strangulation on campus property.
Green explained that nothing is changing in that regard and the location a crime takes place determines the investigative agency with jurisdiction. In the case of the recent attack, because it occurred on campus property, UCPD is tasked with the investigation.
“If we have a sexual assault victim — or any victim, no matter what that is — and an officer comes in — whether it be from us, whether it be from the Sheriff, or the UC Police Department — they’re going to first make sure that they take care of the victim, address the victim’s needs to the best of our ability, [with] whatever resources we need. And then you start that investigation,” Green said. “If that investigation then changes hands because the jurisdictional boundaries are such, then we want to make sure that’s a smooth transition to the actual agency.”
IVCSD Director Spencer Brandt asked if the Sheriff’s Office would be able to reduce the law enforcement presence during Deltopia weekend and redirect funds into regular patrols. Because of the “success” of Soltopia, IVCSD’s sanctioned event, Green stated there will likely be a smaller law enforcement footprint next year but that the funds can’t necessarily be moved around. He noted that they continue to monitor “chatter” from social media about Deltopia to ensure that they can “address anything that does take place.”
Next, Edible Campus Program (ECP) members and the University United Methodist Church in I.V. (UMeIV), presented the I.V. Community Garden Annual Report. In Spring 2018, IVCSD, ECP and UMeIV partnered to create a community garden program that manages gardens at the UMeIV and the IVCSD Community Center. Additionally, ECP staffs four other gardens around I.V. at St. Michael’s University Church Community Garden, Greenhouse and Garden Project, Storke Family Student Housing Garden and Family Student Housing West Campus Garden.
According to their report, ECP has engaged 3,340 community members in workshops, volunteer events and block parties, mobilized 1,028 volunteers, reached 617 non-student community members in workshops and hosted 267 events over the last year. ECP has also partnered with Madre a Madre, Pescadero Lofts, Friendship Manor and the Associated Students’ I.V. Green Project to host various workshops and have worked to integrate compost from IVCSD’s Compost Collective program into their gardens.
“I love that you are able to make such great use of volunteers and just the desire that people in the community have to want to get back to [it], want to learn about gardening, learn about sustainable practices,” Brandt said. “I’m really thankful to [the] partnership from the faith community for putting up these spaces and letting the community use it as a blank canvas — really activating it — bringing people into the spaces.”
According to ECP Student Sustainability Initiatives Director Katie Maynard, IVCSD allocated $30,000 for the program last year despite their request for $35,000. Their budget for next year has therefore been kept at $30,000.
The board then heard the Rental Housing Mediation and Legal Advice Annual Report from IVCSD staff and program representatives Arno Jaffe, Cesar Rueda and Sydney Castaneda. The program provides mediation and legal guidance for both renters and landlords, aiming to support housing stability in I.V.
According to the report, the program received 88 total requests in 2025, a 137.84% increase from the previous year; of those, 77 involved legal advice requests and 35 requested mediation support, with seven reaching agreements.
Castaneda said the program’s goal moving forward is to increase its utilization within long-term tenants and families while continuing to provide accessible services for the broader I.V. community.
Brandt questioned what housing issues appeared most frequently in mediation and legal consultations. Jaffe mentioned that mold and pests continue to be the most persistent concern I.V. tenants face, alongside landlord response times.
“Response time from landlords seems to be very frustrating for a lot of students,” Jaffe said. “There are some landlords that we’ve seen are particularly difficult to deal with. Others are extremely collegial and positive. But again, I think knowing that there’s a place that they can go to begin to get some constructive advice and then to be able to follow it up … is very positive.”
Jaffe also mentioned that many tenants are unaware of the leverage they already have under housing law.
“Students don’t realize the power that they have. The tenants don’t realize the power that they have,” Jaffe said. “Being able to inform them of options that they can deal with and ways in which they can advocate for themselves with their landlords is something that’s been very positive.”
The Rental Housing Mediation Program also successfully completed its goal of expanding the program to include free legal advice and Spanish-language access, with both Jaffe and Rueda being bilingual in Spanish. However, no Spanish interpretation requests were made last year.
The board then received the Community Programs and Engagement Annual Report from Community Programs and Engagement Director Myah Mashhadialireza, who described the team as a “small department with big tasks.”
According to the report, IVCSD community spaces hosted 850 total events in the 2025-26 year, including 212 paid events, increasing the total number of paid reservations by 58% from previous years. This increase subsequently led to a 60% overall revenue increase, going up to $41,032.
Mashhadialireza also highlighted how the major engagement growth was tied to Soltopia. The report noted a 281% increase in email subscribers connected to outreach surrounding the event.
She also discussed changes to the district’s vending machine program, which saw a decline in use after Plan B, the emergency contraception, was removed because of federal funding cuts. According to the report, vending machine transactions dropped from 1,158 to 934 following the Plan B discontinuation. Board members Brandt and Director Katherine Carmichael voiced support in adding funding to the vending machines to reintroduce the emergency contraceptive.
“I’m here for it, I did tabling at the beginning of the year, partly advertising this vending machine, and that’s what people were most excited about every single time. Especially because they’re asking if this vending machine [is] open at 4 a.m.,” Carmichael said.
The report also highlighted continued growth in the Civic Leadership Initiative and Community Ambassador Program, as well as expanded communications and outreach efforts across the district. During board comment, Carmichael praised the Community Programs and Engagement department’s work and staffing capacity.
