Inspector General Report, Urban Lot Splits, Cannabis Lounges, and More!

October 28th, 2024

Agenda Highlights on Tomorrow's Board of Supervisors Meeting

Photo: Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputies chat outside the South County Service Center on Green Valley Road. Credit: Tarmo Hannula via SC GoodTimes

7. Consider first annual report and presentation by the Office of the Inspector General

In 2022 the Board of Supervisors created the Office of the Inspector General to help provide oversight of the Sheriff’s Office and in 2023 hired OIR Group to perform its duties. The OIR Group consists of professionals who have provided independent review of numerous law enforcement agencies, including the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office, which is the largest sheriff’s office in the country.

This is the first public report from the Office of the Inspector General and details their work responding to, investigating, and auditing complaints, reviewing use of force investigations and in-custody deaths, their community outreach efforts, and direct communications with incarcerated individuals. It also includes information on policy changes implemented by the Sheriff’s Office as a result of work by the OIG and other recommendations for consideration.

It is notable that the Office of the Inspector General report emphasizes the cooperative efforts of the Sheriff’s Office in conducting the work and their receptivity to feedback.

image of two single family homes built from a lot split

Image: two narrow, single family homes of the type that could be built with an SB 9 lot split. Source: Find HOA Law

9. Hold public hearing to consider “An Ordinance … Allowing Two-Unit Residential Developments and Urban Lot Splits”... (SB 9 Implementing Ordinance)

Senate Bill (SB) 9 (Chapter 162, Statutes of 2021) requires approval of a housing development with no more than two primary units in a single-family zone, the subdivision of a parcel in a single-family zone into two parcels, or both. This facilitates the creation of up to four housing units in the lot area typically used for one single-family home. The Board of Supervisors is requested to hold a public hearing and adopt the proposed Ordinance, which would codify SB 9 provisions into the County Code to allow approval of consistent residential projects.

Image: CARE court graphic from California Health and Human Services. The County must begin CARE Court services this December.

10. Consider report on Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Act implementation

The County of Santa Cruz, in partnership with the Superior Court of Santa Cruz County, is required to implement CARE Act services starting December 1, 2024. CARE Act is a new State initiative serving a narrow population of people with schizophrenia spectrum or other psychotic disorders that meet specific criteria. The goal of CARE Act is to divert this population from more restrictive conservatorships and incarceration to be successfully stabilized and supported in the community.

The pathway through CARE Act consists of five milestones:

1. Referral, 2. Clinical Evaluation, 3. Care Plan, 4. Support, 5. Success

In 2023, eight counties piloted CARE Act services, including San Francisco, Orange, Riverside, Los Angeles, Glenn, San Diego, Stanislaus, and Tuolumne. The remaining counties are required to begin offering CARE Act services starting December 1, 2024.

Image: a cannabis farm tour in Humboldt County. The Board will consider an ordinance to allow cannabis farm tours at tomorrow's meeting. Source: HiBNB

Items 13 & 14. Consider proposed ordinance language to allow cannabis consumption at existing retailers, and ... to allow retail sales and cannabis consumption at existing farms ...

Item 13 would allow cannabis consumption lounges at existing dispensaries or next door. Item 14 would allow cannabis farm tours, similar to the vineyard and winery tours.

These changes are being considered as ways to support the Santa Cruz cannabis industry in creating a unique niche for itself. State legalization of cannabis has led to a plethora of problems including over-taxation, and inadequate state testing standards for pesticides and mold. These in turn have led to a thriving black market. Meanwhile the industry trend has been towards higher and higher concentrations of THC. At the same time delta-8 THC, that is derived from hemp, has become widely available - despite adverse event reports to the FDA.

In this uncertain market education is critical. People want to know what to use, how much to take, and how a variety of products will affect them. Furthermore, opportunities to rebuild trust in the source of cannabis products is key - particularly clean, organic growing conditions. These issues can be addressed with social use and farm tours. Santa Cruz has always been a guide in new modalities. Our small county will never lead in the quantity of cannabis produced, but we can offer a higher quality of product and experience.

Minimizing impacts is always a goal of the Board. Farm tours would be considered as part of a three-year pilot program. The pilot program is suggested as a means to allow for responsible operational changes while also aiding County staff in gathering information and feedback from the operators, neighbors and the general public on these operations. In regard to cannabis cafes/consumption lounges, they would be required to implement a designated cannabis smoking area and a ventilation system plan, developed by a licensed mechanical engineer. Many of the technical aspects of these plans have been modeled off the Environmental Health requirements that San Francisco has in place for cannabis consumption lounges.

Full agenda here:2024/10/29 09:00 AM Board of Supervisors Regular Meeting - Web Outline - Santa Cruz County, CA (iqm2.com)

Parks Planting Days

Photo: Succulents.

The Santa Cruz County Parks Department has some fun and meaningful volunteer events coming up that we would love your help!

Wednesday, Nov. 13 and Dec. from 11 3:00 to 5:00pm – The County Building at 701 Ocean St. Volunteers will be preparing the ground at the main entrance of the building and planting succulents.

Sign up here: https://forms.gle/LHtAJfRRXKxAE9mb7

Saturday, Nov. 16, and Dec 7 from 9:00 to noon – East Cliff Parkway – Look for volunteers near 38^th and East Cliff Parkway. Volunteers will be enhancing the sidewalk planters by planting succulents.

Sign up here: https://forms.gle/JZQDsFgsGyqEBR126

Saturday, Dec. 7 from 9:00 to noon – Moran Lake County Park – 22775 East Cliff Dr. Volunteers will help with planting native trees.

Sign up here: https://forms.gle/d188mof6LQg9E9cWA

Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter:

Free and Low-Cost Services for your Pets!

Photo: Cat and dog snuggling.

Planned Pethood Low-Cost Spay & Neuter Clinic in Live Oak, November 15th-17th

The Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter and Animal Balance will provide care to 100 cats and 100 dogs over this 3-day clinic taking place at 2260 7th Avenue.

Core vaccinations and a microchip will also be provided, at our affordable Planned Pethood rates: $300 for dogs; $150 for cats
Those on public assistance (Medi-Cal, CalFresh, SSDI, etc.) can show proof of that assistance and pay reduced fees: $150 for dogs; $75 for cats
Pets must be healthy, between 2 months and 8 years of age, and between 2 lbs and 80 lbs.
Pets with very short noses (pugs, French bulldogs, Persian cats, etc.) and those with medical issues need to be spayed/neutered at a full-service clinic.

Sign up for an appointment at https://bit.ly/SpayNeuterSC
If you need to pay in cash or need assistance getting signed up, please visit either of our shelter locations during business hours.

FREE Vaccine Clinics for Cats & Dogs for Limited Income Residents

Friday, November 22, 11am-2pm at VFW Post 7263, 2259 7th Avenue, Live Oak.

Road Work

Photo: road work.

County

Soquel Drive Buffered Bike Lane and Congestion Mitigation Project

Now through December 31, 2024, from 8:30 am - 4:30 pm, the City of Santa Cruz will begin work on the broader Soquel Drive Buffered Bike Lane and Congestion Mitigation Project. The work, impacted areas, and scope differ for each jurisdiction.

County of Santa Cruz jurisdiction (October 22, 2024 - December 31, 2024)
Locations:

Soquel Drive (from Soquel Avenue to State Park Drive)

Soquel Avenue (from La Fonda Ave to Soquel Drive)

Sections within the impacted area may be reduced to one lane in each direction. Impacts on traffic will be intermittent as work progresses at multiple sites.

Description of work: Improvements to sidewalk, street, drainage, and traffic signal system

City of Santa Cruz jurisdiction (November 14, 2024 - December 31, 2024)
Locations:

Soquel Avenue (from Seabright Ave to La Fonda Ave)

Seabright Avenue (from Water Steet to Soquel Ave)

Water Street from (N. Pacific Ave to Seabright Ave)

Sections within the impacted area may be reduced to one lane in each direction. Impacts on traffic will be intermittent as work progresses at multiple sites.

Description of work: Underground fiber optic installation, fiber optic pull box install/replacement in sidewalk

Starting Sunday, November 3 - Thursday, November 7 from 7 PM to 6 AM, night work will take place at the following locations:

Soquel Drive and Porter Street

Soquel Drive and Daubenbiss Avenue

Some parts of the road may be narrowed to one lane each way because crews will be installing new underground fiber optic cables.

Caltrans

Highway 1 Bus-On-Shoulder Project Between 41st And Soquel Continues with Daytime Ramp Closures

Construction continues on a project to add north and southbound auxiliary lanes and bus-on-shoulder improvements on Highway 1 between the 41st Avenue and Soquel Drive interchanges and to aid in construction of a new bicycle and pedestrian overcrossing at Chanticleer Avenue.

Daytime Ramp Closure at 41st Ave.

From Monday Oct. 28 thru Thursday Oct. 31, travelers will encounter a closure of

the northbound Hwy. 1 onramps at 41st Ave from 9 am to 3 pm. Only one northbound ramp will be closed at any one time.

Flagging for Vehicles and Pedestrian Detour on Soquel Ave.

Crews are continuing with construction on the sidewalk on Soquel Ave. between 17th Ave. and Chanticleer Ave. The sidewalk will be modified to provide access to the new Chanticleer Ave. bicycle/pedestrian overcrossing. Detour signage will direct pedestrians on Soquel Ave. around the work area via Rodriguez St.

Sidewalk construction will result in intermittent daytime flagging closures for vehicles on Soquel Ave., Monday through Friday, between 7 am to 3 pm. Sidewalk construction on Soquel Ave. is scheduled to take place through early December.

Bay Ave./Porter St. Onramp to Southbound Highway 1 In Aptos to Close Sept. 29 For Two Months

A project to construct north and southbound auxiliary lanes and bus-on-shoulder improvements on Hwy. 1 between the Bay Avenue/Porter Street and State Park Drive interchanges continues next week with a closure of the Bay/Porter onramp to southbound Highway 1.

Starting Sunday Sept. 29, travelers will encounter a two-month closure of the Bay Ave./Porter St. onramp to southbound Highway 1 in Aptos. This ramp closure will allow crews to reconstruct the pavement elevation to accommodate the permanent bus-on-shoulder feature. The Bay Ave./Porter St. onramp to southbound Highway 1 is expected to reopen Nov. 29.

A detour is available. Message and directional signs are in place to alert travelers in advance of the ramp closure and to guide travelers through the detour.

Travelers on Porter St. will be directed to Bay Ave. and to Park Ave. where they will be able to take the southbound Hwy. 1 onramp at Park Ave. Travelers on Bay Ave. will continue on Bay Ave./Porter St. to Soquel Dr. until they reach Park Ave. and rejoin southbound Hwy. 1 at the Park Avenue onramp.

This ramp closure will allow crews to partially excavate the existing onramp, correct the slope to accommodate the bus-on-shoulder feature, widen the mainline shoulder, as well as install drainage inlets, and complete electrical work and striping.

Calling All Civil Engineers!

Photo: Senior Civil Engineer job poster.

There is a current vacancy for a Senior Civil Engineer position in the Unified Permit Center, CDI - Planning Division, to oversee the Permit Engineering Group. This group is responsible for implementation of permitting requirements for private development infrastructure, including the areas of stormwater, roads / transportation, sanitation, subdivision mapping, grading, soils engineering and geology. The position generally consists of overseeing the staff who review permits for compliance with the Public Works Design Criteria and Subdivision Map Act; the County Grading, Erosion Control, and Geologic Hazards ordinances; and the geotechnical requirements of the California Building Code.

Click on the button below for the full job description and application.

To see more County job openings go here.

APPLY NOW

Upcoming Meetings, Community Events

& Office Hours

Photo: Board of Supervisors meeting in Board Chambers.

Tuesday, October 29th - 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.

Wednesday, November 6th - Office Hours from 1 PM to 3 PM. Meet with Supervisor Koenig at the 1st District Office in Live Oak at the Sheriff's Center, 5200 Soquel Ave, ground floor. Bring your questions and meet one-on-one. First come, first served.

Tuesday, November 12th - Summit Town Hall from 6 PM to 7:30 PM Loma Prieta School, The Forum, 23800 Summit Rd, Los Gatos, CA 95033 and on Zoom.

Tuesday, November 19th - 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.