County Budget, Live Oak Farmers Market, Rail Trail, and More

April 8th, 2024

Agenda Highlights

Pictured: The South County Government Center opens this summer at 500 West Ridge, highlighting the County's ability to make progress even during challenging budget times.

Item 7. Hold public hearing to consider, accept and file the County's Fiscal Year 2024-25 Proposed Budget ...

This is the first look at the County's proposed 2024-25 budget. The County's budget year runs from July 1st through June 30th.

The Proposed 2024-25 Budget is $1.126 billion. Most revenues come from state or federal contributions ($477 million) that pay for mandated programs. The next largest source of revenue is the charge for services that county staff provide ($285 million), such as health services billed to Medi-Cal. The Board of Supervisors has the most discretion over the $183 million in local tax revenue that goes into the General Fund.

Our budget has been significantly impacted by seven federally declared disasters since 2017, with $144 million in unreimbursed costs. These are mostly claims we have submitted to FEMA that have not been paid out. They include claims going all the way back to the 2016/17 storms, the CZU Fires, and COVID, as well as the 2023 storms. While we wait for reimbursement, we will need to borrow an estimated $85 million to maintain cash balances and cover the cost of repairs that have already been completed. FEMA will not cover the interest payments that we will have to pay on this debt. The proposed budget recommends not taking on any new capital projects that require General Fund contributions this year.

Another significant impact on the County's budget are the many state-mandated programs. All the State's efforts to reform our behavioral health care system require the County to pick up the bill. These include CARE Court and SB 43, which expand options for treatment programs and conservatorship; reforms to Medi-Cal that allow more types of services to be billed but have reduced the dollar amount that service providers can charge for any particular service; reductions in the number of people that the County can send from jail to state hospitals for being incompetent to stand trial; and the recently passed Proposition 1, which reduces the funding the County has to provide behavioral health services by roughly 1/3.

Despite the challenges, the County can celebrate a number of recent and upcoming successes. The South County Government Center will open this summer, allowing South County residents to access government services without suffering their way through Highway 1 traffic. The facility will also eliminate a commute for several hundred county employees. The Recovery Center (a.k.a. Sobering Center) was recently reopened near the County Jail. The Sheriff's Office will also open its DNA Lab this year to speed up evidence processing and help resolve cases faster. A groundbreaking on the new Children’s Crisis Stabilization Center will happen this year. Finally, the County is moving forward with plans for three service-enriched shelters for people experiencing homelessness.

The first budget hearing will be tomorrow. The hearings will continue on May 21st, and will conclude on June 4th. To learn more about the 2024-25 Proposed Budget, visit the County’s award-winning budget website at: https://www.santacruzcounty.us/VisionSantaCruz/Budget.aspx

Item 9. Consider approving in concept "Ordinance ... Regarding Alcoholic Beverage Retail Outlet Nuisance Abatement Program" ...

Alcoholic Beverage Retail Outlet Nuisance Abatement Program was established by the Board of Supervisors in 2017 as an abatement program designed to prevent and respond to any adverse impacts related to the sale of alcohol. In 2017, there were 1066 DUI-related arrests, and 40% of people booked into county jail were for alcohol-related issues.

That same year, there were 283 alcoholic beverage retail outlets located in the unincorporated area. Currently, this is down to 221. Over the past five years, the Sheriff’s Alcohol Compliance Unit has completed approximately 448 annual inspections of retail outlets, conducted 176 Decoy Operations, and issued 58 citations.

The Sheriff is proposing several updates to the ordinance, including the addition of a definition for “Higher-Risk Alcohol Outlet," giving the Sheriff's Office the ability to inspect a retail outlet without a call for service, and changing the way certification fees are calculated.

Item 36. Approve agreement ... for ... Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operation Assistance Program Grant funding ...

Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operations (MEHKOs) provide a legal pathway for small home food enterprises to operate their business. On September 19, 2023, the Board of Supervisors directed the Environmental Health Department to explore the development of a pilot MEHKO program. This agenda item accepts $58,296 in state grant funding to support Santa Cruz MEHKO program development and implementation. Environmental Health is expected to propose an ordinance enabling MEHKOs by September 10, 2024.

Full agenda: 2024/04/09 09:00 AM Board of Supervisors Regular Meeting - Web Outline - Santa Cruz County, CA (iqm2.com)

Live Oak Farmer's Market Update

I've received a lot of concerned emails since Lookout's March 28th article titled: "Sunday marks Live Oak farmers market's last day at East Cliff Village after lease talks fail." After the story broke, Swenson, who owns the East Cliff Village shopping center, extended the Farmers Market's lease another 30 days. The market was bustling yesterday, strawberries face paint and all.

While the County doesn't have a direct role to play in negotiating a lease between two private entities, I have done everything I can to support talks. I have worked to dispel mis-understandings on both sides and signed and delivered a petition from 221 residents and counting, urging Swenson to continue renting the parking lot to the market. I have also assisted the Farmers Market in exploring alternative locations nearby should that be necessary.

There are also many rumors, mostly untrue, about Swenson's plans to immediately develop the East Cliff Shopping Center. Here's what's going on. A couple of years ago they were considering a mixed-use development that included apartments. That design was put on hold and Swenson is now only considering a "refresh." They submitted an application to the County Planning Department last year for a:

"Proposal to remodel and repair the existing East Cliff Village Shopping Center to include repairs and renovations of the existing buildings, roofs, covered walkways, and commercial shopfronts; creation of new patio seating areas including a Beer Garden, upgraded landscaping, regrading, repaving and restriping of the parking area, and expansion of the existing truck access. The project also includes an updated Master Occupancy Program."

However, this permit application was withdrawn in September 2023. As of today there are only two active building permits issued for re-roofing.

I know how important the Farmers' Market is as a celebration of community and as a way for people of all income levels to access fresh, healthy food. The market is also personally important to me as I've spent countless hours there with my family. That's why I will do everything in my power to support the Live Oak Farmers Market.

Rail Trail Update

On March 26th the Board of Supervisors voted 3-1 to approve the Environmental Impact Report for Segments 10 and 11 of the Coastal Rail Trail. However, we did not take action on other recommendations including signing a baseline agreement with Caltrans stating that we have all of the necessary funding and submitting it to the California Transportation Commission (CTC). The primary reason we paused on these actions is that the project is projected to be $27-28 million over-budget.

The concern is that if the mid-county segments of trail go $27-$44 million over budget, as currently anticipated, there won’t be any money left over for the Seascape, La Selva and Watsonville segments (the pink area in the above map). That means no money for planning these segments, no matching money to win grants, and all of the money for the 30 year revenue measure spent. When you consider that grants usually match local money 4:1, this could deprive south county of $220 million of investment. Staff has said that other funding sources may be available to fill the gap, but they are by no means guaranteed.

This pause drew all kinds of accusations that we were going to miss deadlines and jeopardize the state active transportation grant of $67.6 million that we have been awarded for the project. That's not true. Mitch Weiss, our Interim Executive Director of the Regional Transportation Commission, who also happens to be the Former Executive Director of the California Transportation Commission, explained at last week's RTC meeting that:

"The CTC approved 18 time extensions for active transportation projects at it's June meeting last year. I do not envision a short time extension jeopardizing this project. Everyone wants this project to succeed and a little more time is not going to stop it."

The Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) will discuss how to budget for the mid-county rail trail segments and other future segments at its Transportation Policy Workshop meeting on April 18th.

East Cliff Planters

Photo: New planting on East Cliff Parkway.

Work has started on beautifying East Cliff Parkway! Last month volunteers from The Nature Lodge got to work on planting and enhancing the parkway.

More volunteer days are planned for May 25th and July 27th from 9 AM to 12 PM. You can sign up below to participate.

Please bring your own tools and succulent cuttings from your yard if you have them.

You can email Margaret Ingraham, Volunteer Coordinator for the Santa Cruz County Parks Department at: margaret.ingraham@santacruzcountyca.gov with any questions.

Sign Up to Beautify East Cliff Parkway!

3rd Annual Live Oak Jack Rabbit Run and Student Art Contest, Sunday, April 14th

Photo: Participants at the Jack Rabbit run courtesy of the Sentinel.

The 3rd Annual Live Oak Jack Rabbit event is happening Sunday, April 14 from 8am to 1pm at Shoreline Middle School.

This event is coordinated by the Live Oak Education Foundation and all funds raised will be directed towards Live Oak School District TK-8th grade student arts programming. In addition to the run and art contest there will be live music, tasty food, and a marketplace.

Get all the details about the event here.

Civil Grand Jury Opportunity

Photo: Lady Justice image.

Are you interested in serving in an important role as a member of the Civil Grand Jury? The Superior Court will be hosting three informational meetings on the Civil Grand Jury. Attendees will have the opportunity to speak with current jurors about the opportunity and how their work impacts Santa Cruz County.

Meeting schedule is below:

• April 11th at 1 P.M. On Zoom. Join the meeting using the following Zoom address: https://santacruzcourt-org.zoomgov.com/j/1614719264?pwd=YVBja083NWNDbGFWZHk0Tjg0Sm5wUT09

• April 17th at 11 A.M. at the Watsonville Courthouse-Assembly Room

• April 18th at 1:30 P.M. at the Santa Cruz Courthouse-Jury Trailer

Candidates for the grand jury must be United States citizens, at least 18 years of age, have a working knowledge of the English language, and have resided in the county for at least one year. The Superior Court of Santa Cruz County is seeking a volunteer pool that represents the ethnic and cultural diversity of communities within the county. All qualified citizens interested in serving on the 2023-2024 Civil Grand Jury are invited to apply to the Superior Court for consideration. For applications and more information, please visit the Court’s website using the following link.

All applications must be received by April 29, 2024.

Upcoming Meetings & Office Hours

Photo: Board of Supervisors meeting in Board Chambers.

Tuesday, April 9th - Board of Supervisors Meeting starting at 9:00 AM. The agenda is here. The meeting will be held via Zoom and in person at the Board Chambers at 701 Ocean Street, Rm 525.

Tuesday, April 30th - Board of Supervisors Meeting starting at 9:00 AM. The agenda is pending. The meeting will be held via Zoom and in person at the Board Chambers at 701 Ocean Street, Rm 525.

Wednesday, May 1st - Office Hours from 1 PM to 3 PM. Come visit me at the 1st District Office in Live Oak at the Sheriff's Center, 5200 Soquel Ave, ground floor. Bring your questions and we will meet one-on-one. First come, first served.

Saturday, May 11th - Santa Cruz County Clean Up Day. Go here to learn more and sign up to participate.

Office Location

701 Ocean Street
Room 500
Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Unsubscribe | Share on Facebook | Share on Twitter