Agenda Highlights for Tomorrow's

Board of Supervisors Meeting

Image: Depiction of a near miss between an e-bike and a pedestrian on the sidewalk generated by ChatGPT. 

Item 9. Consider adopting in concept an "Ordinance of the Board of Supervisors ... Relating to the Regulation of Motorized Bicycles, Motorized Scooters, and Electric Bicycles" ...

This proposed county law would make it illegal to ride an e-bike on the sidewalk, except in cases where there is not a bike lane, and no pedestrians are present. It would also make it illegal to ride an e-bike on paths in county parks, unless signage is posted specifically allowing e-bikes or the route is a bikeway.

This proposal is a response to the numerous concerns my office has heard about dangerous e-bike riding and collisions with pedestrians. While the huge increase in e-bike adoption is ultimately a good thing, we must encourage safe use.

Ultimately, the County has few legal tools to address e-bike usage because they are defined as personal property rather than a vehicle in the California Vehicle Code. State law would need to be changed in order to require licensing for e-bikes or the ability to impound someone's e-bike as punishment for mis-use. This leaves identifying what County facilities are appropriate or inappropriate for e-bike usage as the County's only legal way to encourage safe use.

Image: Ultimate Trail design (top) and Interim Trail design (below).

Item 10. Public hearing to consider Environmental Impact Report (EIR) ... approve the project, permits, and the agreement with Caltrans, for the Coastal Rail Trail Segments 10/11 project ...

This is a massive report on the environmental impacts and updated costs of the Rail Trail segments that go from 17th Ave in Live Oak to State Park Dr in Aptos, a 4.5-mile stretch. The County is the project lead for these segments so it's coming to the Board of Supervisors first and will be reviewed by the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) next.

The report finds that building a trail alongside the tracks (the Ultimate Trail) would require cutting down 803 trees, including 584 recognized as significant trees. Building the trail on top of the tracks (the Interim Trail) would require removal of 288 trees. This tree removal is so significant that the effect on scenic vistas would be inconsistent with County General Plan Policies 5.10.3 and 5.18.8 and Capitola General Plan Policy OSC-6.9, which aims to protect public vistas and scenic resources including trees. Cutting down this many trees is also inconsistent with the County Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP) Natural/Working Lands strategies including enhancing carbon sequestration through conservation of natural habitats and increasing the urban tree canopy (Strategies 17 and 18). 

The report also finds that building the Ultimate Trail in these segments will run $27-28 million over budget, even after factoring in a $67.6 million State Active Transportation Program grant. This grant was unprecedented in size and the largest of its kind in state history. The cost overruns are due to major scope increases including the addition of a viaduct at the Oak Trail in New Brighton State Park, additional retaining walls, and a more complex drainage system needed to accommodate both the trail and a future rail line. They bring the total estimated cost for the Ultimate Trail to $111.7 million or $24.8 million per mile.

County staff recommends asking the RTC to fund the additional $27-28 million in costs for the Ultimate Trail out of the Measure D (2016) Trail Fund. However, once maintenance is accounted for, this fund has just $38 million in remaining capacity. In addition, the trail segments from the Boardwalk to 17th Avenue (Segments 8 and 9) are rumored to be running $10-15 million over budget as well. If approved, these combined over-runs would drain remaining capacity and halt trail construction south of Rio Del Mar Blvd - meaning Seascape, La Selva and Watsonville would not get a trail unless voters approved an additional tax measure.

The alternative is to build the Interim Trail, which costs roughly 1/2 as much as the Ultimate Trail. In order to proceed with this option, the rail corridor would need to be rail banked. Roaring Camp protests this option because they would be "cut off" from the rest of the country's rail network. However, they are already effectively cut off as the rail line is out of service due to dangerous conditions. While some Measure D money is available for rail line maintenance, fully restoring it to connect Roaring Camp would exceed available funds.

Despite the challenges, County Staff recommends that the Board of Supervisors approve the Environmental Impact Report for Segments 10 and 11 and request that the Regional Transportation Commission fully fund the project.

Photo: pallet shelters at the Housing Matters Campus (credit Lookout Santa Cruz). A similar project is moving forward in Watsonville.

Item 12. Conduct study session on Housing for a Healthy Santa Cruz Strategic Framework, approve Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Program, Round 5 grant funding, ratify MOU with County of Monterey for State Encampment Resolution project, and take related actions

This is the regular six month update about addressing homelessness that the Board of Supervisors receives. It is significant in that it marks the end of the current three year plan and the beginning of the next three year plan.

This update includes a request to ratify a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Monterey County to develop a new low-barrier, service-enriched shelter in Watsonville that uses tiny homes. It also includes a request to conceptually approve appropriating $1 million per year of newly passed Measure K sales tax revenue beginning in FY 2024-25. Finally, it would direct staff to bring the Board options for designating a portion of CORE Investments funding beginning in FY 2025-26 to provide consistent funding for operations of three geographically distributed shelter programs within the county.

Photo: Highway 17 and sign.

Photo: Corey Aldridge, new Santa Cruz METRO CEO.

Photo: Home in the forest. 

Homeowners can apply to receive up to $50,0000 of ReCoverCA Owner-Occupied Wildfire Mitigation Retrofit funds for defensible space and home hardening needs on their property. Homeowners do not need to have been affected by the CZU Fire to qualify. Visit https://www.hcd.ca.gov/grants-and-funding/recoverca for more information and to access the online application.

Photo: Cleanup Day poster. 

Photo: Live Oak Town Hall flyer. 

Image: A rendering of the new Capitola Ave Overcrossing. It will include widened sidewalks and a bike lane. The current bridge over the highway will be demolished this month to begin construction.

Tuesday, March 26th - Board of Supervisors Meeting starting at 9:00 AM. The agenda is found here. The meeting will be held via Zoom and in person at the Board Chambers at 701 Ocean Street, Rm 525.

Tuesday, March 26th - Sheriff's Live Oak Town Hall from 6 PM to 7:30 PM at the Sheriff's Office Community Room at 5200 Soquel Ave, ground floor. This is an in person meeting. 

Wednesday, March 27th - A Cannabis Policy Listening Session from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM at the Sheriff’s Office Community Room, 5200 Soquel Ave, Santa Cruz 95062 and on Zoom. This meeting is organized by the County of Santa Cruz Cannabis Licensing Office.

Wednesday, April 3rd - 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.

Tuesday, April 9th - 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.