Friends of the Santa Cruz Public Libraries raised $394,000 to help fill the gap between the funds from voter-approved Measure S and the actual costs of building the new Aptos Branch Library. With nine branches soon to be completed, the Friends' next campaign will focus on the new Downtown Branch Library.
The County is 2.5 years into our three-year plan to address homelessness. The good news is that the recent Point in Time Count of people experiencing homelessness was the lowest it's ever been since counting started. Homelessness declined 22% compared to 2022. The strategic plan's goal was an overall reduction in homelessness of 25%. This was made possible by the distribution of over 600 emergency housing vouchers. Our county distributed so many vouchers so efficiently that the federal government took notice and reallocated vouchers to us from communities where they weren't being used.
The bad news is that we're seeing more evidence of homelessness being driven by the economy and natural disasters. 48% of people experiencing homelessness were sleeping in their cars, 44% are Latino (a new record), and the City of Watsonville saw a 15% increase in homelessness (despite the countywide decrease).
The next cycle of state funding to address this issue, the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) Grant, requires coordinated planning between the County and cities. This is a great opportunity to strengthen collaboration between jurisdictions as we update our plan to make greater gains.
The County is considering the purchase of a 38.5-acre organic farm adjacent to the County Fairgrounds. The land would be used as a county park. It has space for soccer fields, hiking trails, and organic farmland that could be leased to a non-profit partner who wants to farm for the public good. The location next to the fairgrounds (owned and operated by the State) has strategic value in terms of access and capacity for disaster response.
To read and comment on the full agenda, click below: http://santacruzcountyca.iqm2.com/Citizens/Detail_Meeting.aspx?ID=1986
|
Photo of Lahaina looking towards the harbor. Credit Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2023
The terrible destruction in Lahaina is a reminder that no area is safe from wildfire. This natural disaster took place right around the three-year anniversary of our own CZU Fire, and right as we see the same kind of tropical lightning storms that caused the CZU Fire once again brush our coastline.
In light of this, the Santa Cruz County Office of Response, Recovery, and Resilience (OR3) has this important safety information to share with you:
We live in a natural area. Under certain adverse conditions such as those seen in Paradise, CA, or Maui, there is little firefighters can do to stop a raging fire. This means we should all be prepared for potential evacuations, including developing a GO-BAG. Everyone. You too.
Because the path of a wildfire is unpredictable, residents should familiarize themselves with various exit routes from their neighborhood in all directions. As many residents already know, customary routes can become blocked or inaccessible, and alternative routes of evacuation will be necessary. Learn them, especially new residents of our community.
Prepare your home. The Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County (RCD) has published an updated living with wildfire guide, available here.
Fuel management is important. For those of you in the woods, the RCD also provides chipping and forest management assistance.
Should a wildfire occur, the County recognizes the value of early communication. Please follow local media, the County, and first responder social media accounts and sign up for CruzAware or make sure your CruzAware profile is up-to-date. The Office of Response, Recovery, and Resilience recommends using your CruzAware profile to include critical weather-related hazard notifications from the National Weather Service for Fire Weather Watch, Red Flag Warnings, Extreme Fire Danger, Tsunamis, and Thunderstorms.
During threatening events such as a Red Flag Warning, Public Safety Power Shutoff, or high wind/high fire risk events, the County’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) will likely be activated to a Level 1 and begin coordination with local first responders.
Communication from the EOC ahead of these weather events will alert the community and provide ongoing communication during the event as needed. Check the news, check your social media feeds, and check CruzAware.
As we head into fire season, the time to create a plan is now. Nothing is more important than your safety, and should an event occur, you work you do now to prepare could save lives.
Please visit the Office of Response, Recovery, and Resilience website for more information.
|
Photo of a bench overlooking Moran Lake County Park.
County Parks has been busy making repairs after last winter's destructive atmospheric river storms. Recently completed fixes include the Heart of Soquel Park, where tons of mud were removed, and several beach access stairs, including 26th Ave, 20th Ave, and 12th Ave. This year, more repairs are still in the works for the 38th Ave stairs, coastal access stairs along Geoffroy Dr, the walkway at Moran Lake, and many more.
Moran Lake has been the topic of many conversations lately. I sat down with constituents of the group Save Pleasure Pt to talk about the park's heavy usage over the July 4th weekend and needed operational improvements. I've also spoken with residents about the need for greater environmental restoration efforts here. The park supports the second largest population of wintering Monarchs in Santa Cruz County (20% of the county-wide wintering population), and a considerable portion of the state-wide wintering population (5%). A draft of an updated Restoration and Public Access Plan will be released this fall, a plan which seeks to balance public use and environmental preservation. The County page dedicated to the project is available here.
I've begun looking at ways to fund the improvements envisioned in this plan with next year's county budget, which begins in July 2024. Some local residents have already gotten started by fundraising for a new flashing crosswalk at the beach. They've raised $6,480 of the $20,000 needed for the improved cross-walk. If the funds are donated we won't have to wait till next year's County budget to begin the work. Many thanks to Vanessa Young for spearheading this effort. For more comments or questions about Moran Lake or other County Parks, feel free to reach out to my office at first.district@santacruzcounty.us
|
Photo: Press conference announcing the County's partnership with SolarApp+.
The County of Santa Cruz has partnered with SolarApp+ to overcome a major obstacle to solar growth in our region. Starting this September, the Building Department will integrate with SolarApp+ to provide cutting-edge, automated permit review technologies. Permit approvals will be instantaneous, reducing the average processing time from 22 to 0 days. This means homeowners will be able to expect cost savings ranging from $1,200 to $2,600 for solar systems and $2,300 to $5,100 for solar systems with battery storage.
The County is seeing unprecedented growth in solar, with 108 new applications for solar panels last month alone in the unincorporated area.
Best of all SolarApp+ was developed by the federal government through the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and it is generously provided to the County at NO COST!
|
Photo: Emergency repair on Main Street in Soquel during the Winter 2023 storms.
The County of Santa Cruz Department of Community Development and Infrastructure has commenced construction on the emergency storm damage repair of the culvert at Bates Creek on Main Street in Soquel. Work is expected to last until the end of December 2023. This site will be subject to a lane closure and traffic delays between the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. One lane will be closed, and traffic will be controlled using stop signs, and flaggers.
These lane closures and delays are necessary for the construction of a concrete culvert with headwalls and wingwall, as well as roadway improvements. The Division of Public Works would like the motoring public to avoid this area if possible or be prepared for delays. Up-to-date information on County maintained roads in Santa Cruz County is available online.
Contacts for the project are Katie Beach, County of Santa Cruz, (831) 454-3925, katie.beach@santacruzcounty.us and Bryan Adames, Granite Construction, (408) 616-9610, Bryan.Adames@gcinc.com.
|
I recently hosted a transit town hall with staff from the Santa Cruz METRO. We did a deep dive on all the exciting moves the transit agency is making, including the current Reimagine METRO initiative to bring more frequent service to more county residents. Check out the recording here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ME_HF4ZomGw
|
Image: Graduates of the Young Supervisors Academy speak at the August 8th Board of Supervisors Meeting.
At our last Board of Supervisors meeting, we celebrated the first graduates of the Young Supervisors Academy (pictured above). 4th District Supervisor Felipe Hernandez started this great initiative, and I look forward to finding opportunities to expand it in the future.
Right now, my office has an opening for a Legislative Intern! We're looking for a motivated, hard-working student seeking a career in the public sector. This position requires flexibility, strong organizational and communication skills, critical thinking skills, poise & professional conduct.
|
Photo: Aerial view of the 1st District.
Tuesday, August 22nd - Board of Supervisors Meeting. Begins at 9 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, August 22nd - For Summit Residents - Mountain Residents Night Out. The Loma Prieta Community Foundation (LPCF), along with the Counties of Santa Clara and Santa Cruz, are hosting an event for Summit residents to learn how the two counties are working together to support the Summit community during weather and other emergencies. From 6 PM to 8 PM at the Loma Prieta North Campus and Playfield Amphitheater, 23845 Summit Rd, Los Gatos, CA 95033.
Wednesday, September 6 - Office Hours. From 1 PM to 3 PM at the First District Office at the Sheriff Center, 5200 Soquel Ave, ground floor.
|
|
