Highlights on Tomorrow's Board of Supervisors Agenda
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Photo of Santa Cruz County Mosquito & Vector Control at Work. Finally, the rain has stopped, and the sun is out. What's the first spring cleaning you should do? Dump out buckets, pots, garbage cans, or other standing water on your property to prevent mosquitos!
Need some motivation? The Yellow Fever Mosquito (Aedes aegypti) was detected in Santa Cruz County for the first time last year. Unlike the mosquitos you're used to, these invasive mosquitos bite during the day. So far, they've been discovered in only one neighborhood in South County. County Mosquito Abatement immediately responded to the infested area with high-density trap deployment within a 250m radius of the initial detection site. They believe they have eliminated the infestation, but they remain vigilant.
Mosquito Abatement staff offer free public services ranging from mosquito fish delivery to tick identification to rodent inspections. Last year they completed over 500 service calls while maintaining almost 3,500 identified locations that breed mosquitoes throughout the County. You can contact them here for free services.
You can view and comment on tomorrow's full agenda here: https://santacruzcountyca.iqm2.com/Citizens/Detail_Meeting.aspx?ID=1977
You can also Zoom or call-in for Public Comment shortly after 9:00 am. Zoom Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89949240497, Telephone: +1 669 900 6833 Webinar ID: 899 4924 0497
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Safety in Santa Cruz Panel - Video Available
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A couple of weeks ago, I participated in a grassroots public safety panel that included many of the key people working to address public safety and homelessness in our region: Santa Cruz Mayor Fred Keeley, Santa Cruz County Supervisor Justin Cummings, Santa Cruz Police Chief Bernie Escalante and Sheriff’s Office Lt. Nick Baldrige, County Health Services Manager Danny Contreras, County Housing for Health Division Director Robert Ratner, Housing Matters CEO Phil Kramer, and Santa Cruz Deputy City Manager Lisa Murphy.
The panel provided a good overview of the daily challenges that service providers experience, how we got here, and the available solutions.
Bottom line: we can't solve homelessness without building more housing. High rates of homelessness are connected to areas with expensive housing. If homelessness were just related to addiction and mental health, places like West Virginia would have more homelessness than we do in Santa Cruz. If homelessness were just a factor of good weather, then Jackson, Mississippi and Miami, Florida would have higher rates of homelessness than Portland, Oregon (they don't). West Coast cities from Seattle to LA have not kept up with the need for housing. As a result, when people fall on hard times, they fall on the street, and housing is so scarce and expensive that it's not easy for them to get back in.
Of course, this is a multifaceted problem that will require a range of solutions. You can watch the video from the event here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47_fg2CwO5M
Thank you to Kaelin Wagnermarsh and Marvin Christie for organizing the event!
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You're probably aware of the disturbing rise in overdose deaths from Fentanyl. You may not realize that middle and high school children are at risk.
From 2020 to 2021, fatal overdoses in our county increased by 120%, from 19 to 42. In 2022, we were on pace to match or exceed the previous year, with 39 deaths through the end of September at the last public reporting. The number of deaths from opioids has also been skewing more toward younger age groups.
In February, a twelve-year-old girl overdosed on Fentanyl in Depot Park. Thankfully, emergency responders arrived quickly and revived her with Naloxone (NARCAN) nasal spray. Since then, at least one Soquel High student has overdosed as well. She was also saved with NARCAN. I promised that student's father I would help get the word out to spare more parents the pain he's been through.
Last year, as many as 22 suspected overdoses occurred for everyone that turned fatal. The success rate is primarily thanks to over 230 recorded administrations of NARCAN by emergency medical services through October 2022.
At the end of March, the FDA approved the sale of over-the-counter NARCAN; however, it is unclear how much it will cost. In the meantime, there are close to a dozen distribution sites in Santa Cruz County, many of them free: https://www.hipscc.org/naloxone
On April 22nd from 12-4 pm at Cabrillo College in Parking Lot R, you can pick up free NARCAN, get information about how to talk to youth about opioids, and connect with other resources.
If you have middle or high-school-age students, please talk to them about illegal drugs now. A "Let's Talk" handbook with tips and facts is available here. The County Health Services Agency will be releasing more information soon.
Santa Cruz County County Broadband Survey
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Be on the lookout for the County of Santa Cruz's Broadband Survey, which launched earlier today. Surveyors will be reaching out to inquire about the availability, cost, and speed of your local internet. If you see “Santa Cruz County” on your caller ID, please pick up!
The more participants we have, the greater understanding we the County will have about the broadband needs of your community and those across the County. This survey is a critical piece of the County's Broadband Master Plan. Click here to learn more about the Broadband Master Plan and how we plan to increase access to high-speed internet in Santa Cruz County.
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Photo: Aerial view of Santa Cruz County, 1st District.
Tuesday, April 11th - Board of Supervisors Meeting. Begins at 9 AM. The agenda is available here. The meeting will be held via Zoom and in person at the Board Chambers at 701 Ocean Street, Rm 525.
Thursday, April 20th - Live Oak Town Hall. From 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM. Hybrid Meeting: Sheriff's Headquarters, Community Room, 5200 Soquel Ave Ste 101, Santa Cruz, CA 95062, ground floor and on Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/96708318897
Wednesday, May 3rd - Office Hours. From 1 PM to 3 PM. Please visit me at the First District's Live Oak Office in the Sheriff's Center, 5200 Soquel Ave, Santa Cruz, CA 95062, ground floor. Friendly reminder, Office Hours are first come, first served.
Thursday, May 4th - Regional Transportation Commission Meeting. The meeting starts at 9 AM and will be held at the Capitola City Council Chambers & via Zoom. The agenda will be available on March 27th. For more information, click here.
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