First published in the Daily Nexus on October 20, 2022.
The Isla Vista Community Services District (IVCSD) is a local government body dedicated to serving the I.V. community by improving quality of life and addressing local infrastructural issues. IVCSD was formed with the intention of introducing self-governance to I.V. — an unincorporated part of Santa Barbara County.
Brandt, who is currently board president, and Freeman were both actively involved in helping create IVCSD and then became two of the original board directors. Since then, the Nexus believes the pair has served the community through their respective positions for approximately six years with dedication and productive outcomes.
Those advocating for the formation of IVCSD in its inception, specifically former board director Father Jone-Stephen Hedges, came up with the representative maxim, “No more about us without us,” to bring power to the people of I.V.
This is the work that Brandt and Freeman, alongside their colleagues on the Board of Directors, have undertaken to improve the environment and quality of life in I.V.