Welcome back!
I hope you've had an opportunity to recharge this summer. The Board of Supervisors resumes session tomorrow, August 5th. On the agenda - a final review of updates to the county's Short Term Rental Ordinance. The Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrowers Association is also looking at ways to become more organized in promoting the region.
After a public meeting and a lot of discussion that came out of the first East Cliff Survey, we're asking for your feedback again. East Cliff Survey - Round 2 is now open and will directly inform public investments in the area.
In case you missed it, there were also lots of ribbon cuttings this summer including opening the Whale Bridge, finishing the pollinator garden at Floral park, and Live Oak School District's Field of Dreams organic farm.
Finally, I'll be hosting Office Hours this Wednesday from 1-3pm. Feel free to drop by if there's anything you'd like to discuss!
Best, |
Manu Koenig 1st District Supervisor, Santa Cruz County
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Highlights on Tomorrow's Board of Supervisors Meeting
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Image: Vacation Rental Property in Santa Cruz County. The Board will consider changes to the Vacation rental ordinance tomorrow. This is the final review for proposed amendments to the County's Short Term Rental Ordinance. The changes to Santa Cruz County Code (SCCC) Chapter 13.10 are the result of extensive work by the Short-Term Rental Ad-Hoc Subcommittee (composed of myself and Supervisor Cummings) to address regulatory concerns, housing protections, and neighborhood stability.
Key changes would include: - A countywide cap of 270 non-hosted rental permits and 184 hosted rental permits outside designated areas;
- New responsibilities and enforcement mechanisms for hosting platforms to ensure they only work with permitted listings;
- A one-permit-per-person and per-parcel limit;
- Tenant protections requiring six months' rent compensation in eviction cases;
- A short-term rental complaint hotline;
- Density and proximity limits for rentals; and
- Phased reduction of unused permits in designated areas.
The proposed amendments are based on stakeholder input and aim to balance the economic role of short-term rentals with long-term housing availability and quality of life for residents.
The proposed amendments have been reviewed once in concept by the Board of Supervisors, were reviewed and approved by the Planning Commission, and are now returning to the Board of Supervisors for final review and approval.
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Image: the Pergola at Regan Vineyards off of Green Valley Rd in South Santa Cruz County. Local wineries are considering forming an improvement district that can assist with promoting the Santa Cruz Mountain wine growing region. Photo courtesy of Regan Winery.
The Santa Cruz Mountains viticultural area has been attracting attention recently with write ups in the LA Times and New York Times. Local wineries are considering adding an adding an additional 1-2% tax on their own sales in order to juice up promotion further.
The Santa Cruz Mountains Wine Improvement District (SCMWID) is a proposed benefit assessment district aimed at generating approximately $575,000 annually to fund marketing, branding, and business improvement efforts for wineries in the Santa Cruz Mountains region. Covering wineries in select cities, towns, and unincorporated areas of Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, and San Mateo counties, the SCMWID would assess a 1% fee on direct-to-consumer sales, with potential increases up to 2% over its five-year term beginning November 1, 2025.
Managed by the Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrowers Association and collected by HdL Companies, funds will exclusively benefit California-based assessed wineries, with promotional efforts extending nationally to drive visitation. The formation process includes a series of public hearings, with the final decision set for September 23, 2025.
Read and comment on the full Board of Supervisors agenda here: https://santacruzcountyca.primegov.com/Portal/Meeting?meetingTemplateId=696
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Image: A possible re-striping option for East Cliff Parkway that fully separates bikes and pedestrians. Let us know which option you prefer by taking the survey below.
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Following a first round of extensive community feedback on East Cliff Parkway, we've revised options and considered some additional traffic safety tools. We would love your feedback on options for bike lanes, pedestrian access and traffic flow. Clink on the link below to take the survey. We will also be posting signs on East Cliff Dr to ensure we get feedback from people actively using the area.
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Chanticleer Pedestrian Overcrossing Ribbon-Cutting
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Image: Supervisor Koenig and other electeds and staff cut the ribbon on the new Whale Bridge. Photo Credit: CDI
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The time has finally arrived to celebrate the opening of the Whale Bridge! The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission, in partnership with Caltrans and the County of Santa Cruz, officially cut the ribbon last Wednesday evening on the new 14-foot-wide bicycle and pedestrian overcrossing at Chanticleer Avenue, completing the Highway 1 Auxiliary Lane and Bus-on-Shoulder Project between 41st Avenue and Soquel Drive.
This safe, well-lit crossing connects neighborhoods, schools, and parks, improving access and transportation equity. The broader project, including California’s first bus-on-shoulder facility and new auxiliary lanes, aims to reduce congestion, enhance transit reliability, and cut vehicle miles traveled. Funded by Measure D, RTC funds, and Senate Bill 1 grants, the $34 million project was built by Granite Construction.
Enjoy a ride on the new Whale Bridge today!
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Celebrate Floral Park's New Pollinator Garden!
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Recently I partnered with the County Parks Department and the Department of Community Development and Infrastructure to put together a video that highlights Floral Park and the recent improvements we made there with the help of our community volunteers. The video highlights the recent plantings in our new Floral Park Pollinator Garden as well as the great efforts of these dedicated volunteers. |
Image: Supervisor Koenig joins with Kelsey Perusse, Director of Nutrition Services for Live Oak School District, and Ramesses, Del Mar Elementary School student, to celebrate the opening of the Field of Dreams organic farm.
This past Friday, I participated in the ribbon-cutting and celebration for the new Field of Dreams at Del Mar Elementary School. The Live Oak School District has transformed an unused softball field at Del Mar into an organic farm that grows vegetables for all school district cafeterias. This innovative project will also serve as an educational hub, hosting field trips, a summer Food & Farm Camp, and inspiring environmentally conscious, healthy eaters for generations. The Farm aims to be self-sustainable, reducing budgetary demands for free and reduced-lunch while helping kids become healthier in a district where 60% of students are socioeconomically disadvantaged. You can help support the farm project by: Spreading the Word - Tell people in your community circles about this project. Participate - You can attend volunteer day opportunities for planting and maintenance, help with student activities before and after school, or even join the fund-raising sub-committee - email Mariann Rodriguez at mariannr2018@gmail.com. Invest - An anonymous donor gave $125,000 and aims to match it with community support to fund tools, equipment and infrastructure. Donations can be made via the Santa Cruz County Community Foundation here:
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Photo: Board Chambers at 701 Ocean Street
Tue, August 5 - Board of Supervisors Meeting starting at 9:00 AM. The meeting will be held via Zoom and in person at the Board Chambers at 701 Ocean Street, Rm 525.
Wed, August 6 - Office Hours from 1 PM to 3 PM. Come visit me at the Sheriff's Center, 5200 Soquel Ave, Santa Cruz CA 95062. Bring your questions and meet with me one-on-one. As always, first come first served.
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