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Image: CA Department of Insurance logo Residents throughout the County of Santa Cruz have received notices of non-renewal from their home insurance companies. The issue is not isolated to our region however as insurers are pulling back from the market across the state. Twelve Insurance companies hold the policies for 85% of all Californians and the majority have either paused or placed restrictions on carrying new policies. The California Department of Insurance has sent a representative to present on the changing insurance market for residents living in the wildland-urban interface. The presentation will provide the public with the opportunity to hear direction from the California Department of Insurance about ways you can obtain and maintain policies, understand your rights and what the State is doing to address this issue. There are two opportunities tomorrow to hear from the Insurance Commissioner’s office:
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Image: Cars charge at 701 Ocean St, the North County Government Center. As part of its Climate Action and Adaptation Plan the County will add 40 additional charging stations on its biggest campuses over the next two years. Item 16. Consider report on the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP) Accountability and Measurement System …This Year 1 progress report on the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan reviews some of the County’s top climate objectives as well as how progress will be measured towards meeting the State’s ambitious goals of a 40% reduction in emissions from 1990 levels by 2030 (SB 32) and net-zero emissions no later than 2045 (AB 1279). The CAAP GHG Emissions Inventory identifies 3 primary sectors contributing to total unincorporated County GHG emissions:
Greenhouse gas emissions from electricity are not being considered by the County because Central Coast Community Energy (CCCE) is driving the shift to renewable energy. CCCE is a local, publicly owned utility that procures the electricity for the area from Santa Cruz to Santa Barbara. CCCE is on a path to sourcing 100% clean and renewable energy by 2030. Because it has no investors or shareholders all revenues are re-invested into clean energy. For example, CCCE recently secured a $647.8 million bond to finance clean-energy supplies. This investment is projected to save CCCE customers nearly 11.4% in energy costs. Overall CCCE has invested $2.8 billion in renewable energy and energy storage projects including the largest compressed air storage project in the world. In this system, PG&E still handles billing and maintains the power lines as well as other parts of the distribution network. CCE's efforts leave the County free to work on addressing the other big sources of emissions. Some of the County's top climate action and adaptation objectives include: Obj #1 - Eliminate fossil fuel use in new buildings. A recent ruling by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal prevents local jurisdictions like the County and City of Santa Cruz from banning gas appliances in new construction. Therefore, the County will pursue policies that incentivize the use of all electric appliances in new construction instead. Obj #9 - Eliminate fossil fuel use from passenger and commercial vehicles. Year 1 results include the creation and funding of a plan to install 40 charging stations with 80 ports at county properties including at Westridge (the new South County Government Center), Emeline, and 701 Ocean St. This project is expected to break ground in Spring 2026. Obj #23 - Reduce at-risk communities from wildfire risk through improved forest health management. The Office of Response Recovery and Resilience is working through project scoping and permitting on a FEMA BRIC grant for $20M to support hazardous fuel reduction, home hardening and defensible space. You can review the other objectives and the rest of the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan report here. |
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Photo: emergency road repairs in the Santa Cruz Mountains during the 2023 winter storms (courtesy of KTVU). Santa Cruz County's Public Works Division has repaired more than 100 of the over 200 storm damage sites from 2023. A bond is needed to pay for these repairs while the County awaits over $100 million in FEMA payments. Item 17. Public hearing to consider … issuance of … Lease Revenue Bonds … in a not-to-exceed amount of $95,000,000 …The County has $125 million in outstanding claims to FEMA and State agencies to help pay for disasters including the 2017 Storms, COVID-19, 2020 CZU Fires, and the 2023 Storms. The County has had to pay upfront for disaster repair and response out of pocket. The long FEMA reimbursement timeline has put the County in a challenging financial position. On the positive side, the County’s advocacy efforts have yielded $21.5 million in new FEMA reimbursements since last November and the California Office of Emergency Services has given the County a “cash advance.” Nevertheless, a funding gap remains. That's why the County is considering issuing lease revenue bonds worth $95 million. Lease revenue bonds mean that County facilities including 701 Ocean St, Emeline and the Live Oak Library are put up as collateral for the bonds and the County “leases” the buildings back. Total costs for this financing include up to $24,185,000 in interest, $7,793,000 in capitalized interest, and $1,147,000 in fees and issuance costs. Interest costs could decrease to a projected $10,708,000 assuming a reasonable level of federal and State reimbursement over the next decade. The annual debt payments would be financed from Road Fund revenue sources up to $2 million annually with the remainder covered by the General Fund resources. Based on current projections, the General Fund annual contribution would begin in FY 2027-28 (see Table 4) up to $1.39 million. The Measure K ballot measure approved by voters on March 5, 2024, will be an important resource for this portion of the General Fund's future cost. You can view and comment on the full Board of Supervisors Agenda here: https://santacruzcountyca.iqm2.com//Citizens/detail_meeting.aspx?ID=2040 |
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Photo: Marine Flare Survey Logo Environmental Awareness Through Proper Marine Flare Disposal Survey Ever wondered about the true cost of marine safety equipment? It may surprise you that disposing of just one marine flare can tally up to $185, a stark contrast to its initial $13 purchase price. To aid in identifying the precise location of the boater in an emergency, federal law mandates that recreational boats carry visible distress signals authorized by the U.S. Coast Guard. Boaters have traditionally satisfied this need by using pyrotechnic maritime flares, but flares contain toxic metals and pollutants that render them hazardous reactive and explosive waste at end-of-life. In California alone, approximately 174,000 outdated flares are generated annually, posing a significant disposal challenge. Many of these flares end up either improperly discarded in landfills or, worse yet, find their way into our oceans, exacerbating marine pollution. This is a problem that requires our collective attention as stewards of our coastal landscapes. Join us in finding sustainable solutions to marine flare disposal. If you're a boater, sailor, or simply passionate about ocean conservation in Santa Cruz County, your input is invaluable. Share your insights anonymously by participating in our survey. |
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Photo: Creating Defensible Space poster. Tuesday, May 14th - Community Wildfire Preparedness Workshop from 6 - 8 PM at the Scotts Valley Community Center 251 Kings Village Rd, Scotts Valley, CA 95066. All are invited to the Community Wildfire Preparedness Workshop hosted by the Scotts Valley Chamber of Commerce and the City of Scotts Valley. A representative from California Insurance Commissioner Lara's office will discuss homeowner's insurance and answer questions. For more details and to register for the event, use this link: Community Wildfire Preparedness Workshop - Scotts Valley Chamber of Commerce Thursday, May 30th - Why Go Firewise? Community Event from 5:30 - 8 PM at the Seventh-Day Adventists Conference Center 1931 Soquel San Jose Rd, Soquel, CA 95073. Come join us for some ice cream! The Fire Safe Council of Santa Cruz County, along with local Firewise USA Recognized community leaders, are presenting a Why Go Firewise event. We will educate neighbors about the impact Firewise communities can make in reducing our risk to wildfire. After presentations from Central Fire and CalFire leaders, we will walk through the nuts and bolts of the program and leave time for Q&A. RSVP here Thursday, June 6th - Wildfire Resilience Summit from 2 - 6 PM at the Santa Cruz County Veterans Memorial Building, 846 Front St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060. The FireSafe Council of Santa Cruz County is putting on the Inaugural Santa Cruz County Wildfire Resilience Summit. This event is free to the public and pre-registration is appreciated at https://www.firesafesantacruz.org/wildfire-resilience-summit" The purpose of the Summit is to inform and inspire the citizens and presenting organizations of shovel in the ground and shovel ready wildfire resilience projects. There will be several presentations and a couple of panels as well. Pre-registration is appreciated. |
