Dear Friends,
Summer is here and the Board of Supervisors has one massive agenda left before the July break, when most public agencies do not meet.
The agenda includes a number items related to housing, including an update to our county ADU ordinance that would allow three ADUs per parcel. We'll also hear a report back on efforts to speed up permitting in the County Planning Department.
Tomorrow's agenda is a chance to say goodbye to two retiring department heads: our County Treasurer Edith Driscoll and Chief Probation Officer Fernando Giraldo. They join three other department heads, including County CEO Carlos Palacios, who are leaving. The turnover is a result of a generation aging into retirement and our area's high cost of living.
A ban on cigarette butts got closer to implementation recently when the City of Santa Cruz joined the County in passing an ordinance. One more city must sign on for it to go into effect.
GO BIKE Santa Cruz County is a new bike rebate program now available to low-income residents countywide.
North Rodeo Gulch Firewise is demonstrating community can-do spirit by removing over 6 tons of trash, and counting, from the Gulch. Join them next Saturday the 28th.
The Murray Street Harbor Bridge closes today to all traffic and will not reopen until February 2026. This is a City of Santa Cruz project.
Finally, if you are looking to get involved, we have a number of District 1 Commission Openings, and there is a community meeting about Moran Lake tomorrow/Tuesday night at Simpkins Swim Center.
Best, |
Manu Koenig 1st District Supervisor, Santa Cruz County
|
Highlights on next Tuesday's Board of Supervisors Meeting
|
Image: A beach-vibes ADU. There are two items related to ADUs on the Board agenda.
Regular Meeting - 9:00 AM State law SB9 (2021) facilitates the creation of up to four housing units in the lot area typically used for one single-family home. On December 10, 2024, the Board of Supervisors approved an SB 9 implementing ordinance and directed staff to submit the amendments to the California Coastal Commission for certification. The Commission suggested changes that exclude "Residential Beach" zoning from eligibility and requiring participating coastal lots to comply with 100 year setbacks without taking existing armoring into account.
Updates to the Santa Cruz County Code (SCCC) are proposed for the purpose of aligning the Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) regulations with recent updates to State law, resolving points of confusion in existing ADU regulations, and further streamlining ADU development in Santa Cruz County. Major changes include: eliminating owner occupancy requirements; allowing up to 3 ADUs on a single family lot - a conversion ADU, a new detached ADU, and a Junior ADU (attached to the primary dwelling); clarifying that existing nonconforming conditions cannot be required to be corrected unless there is a threat to public health and safety and they are affected by the construction of the ADU.
Scheduled Item -- 10:45 AM In response to ongoing concerns, the Board has prioritized improving the operational efficiency of the development review and the building permit approval process of the County of Santa Cruz (County). The County Executive Office (CEO) hired Baker Tilly to complete an Organizational Assessment of the Permit Center (Assessment). On March 25, 2025, the Board held a Study Session to hear the observations and recommendations from the Assessment. This report provides an update on the workplan.
Notably, the public permitting dashboard has been updated with metrics identified as relevant to customer experience including average numbers of review days by the county, average cost, and average number of review rounds, all by permit type based on the last two years of data. You can see it here. Once on the page click "Issued Building Permit Data."
|
Image: Retiring department heads from left to right, Auditor-Controller-Treasurer-Tax Collector Edith Driscoll, Chief Probation Officer Fernando Giraldo, County Executive Officer Carlos Palacios.
Scheduled Items -- 1:30 PM Item 15. D. Public employment appointment process pursuant to Government Code [...] County Executive OfficerCounty CEO Carlos Palacios announced that he will retire in December after 10 years in the job. The Board will discuss a recruitment process to hire a new County Executive Officer.
|
Image: The Santa Cruz Inn on Soquel Ave is being considered for conversion as a behavioral health bridge housing resource.
Consent Agenda The Human Services Department requests approval to support Housing Matters acquisition of the Santa Cruz Inn, located at 2950 Soquel Avenue in the unincorporated area, for use as a behavioral health bridge housing resource. The acquisition involves a collaboration between the City of Santa Cruz, the County of Santa Cruz, and Housing Matters and includes up to $2,000,000 in Encampment Resolution Funding (ERF) from the City of Santa Cruz, $500,000 of County Measure K funding, and at least $2,400,000 in private funds from Housing Matters. Pending Housing Matters acquisition of the property and preparation of the site, the property will serve as an emergency housing resource for unsheltered individuals with behavioral health conditions.
East Cliff Drive is a critical transportation corridor that intersects with three major coastal lagoons in mid-Santa Cruz County: Schwan, Corcoran, and Moran Lagoons. These areas are especially vulnerable to the impacts of sea level rise, including flooding, coastal erosion and damage to critical roadway and sewer infrastructure, reduction of coastal access, and habitat degradation. In response to this threat, the County is initiating a comprehensive planning effort to evaluate nature-based adaptation strategies that increase the resilience of these sites.
The scope of work includes technical analysis, hydrologic monitoring, conceptual modeling, and community engagement to develop preferred adaptation strategies at the three lagoon crossings. Funds to pay for the study are available through a Coastal Conservancy grant. No new County General Funds are needed.
To view the full regular agenda of the Board of Supervisors click here: https://santacruzcountyca.primegov.com/Portal/Meeting?meetingTemplateId=836
|
Where Have All the Department Heads Gone?
|
Image: The County Building and Courthouse at 701 Ocean St.
County CEO Carlos Palacios announced that he will retire in December after serving more than 10 years in the role (you can read a list of his many accomplishments here). His announcement caps off two months of significant change in County leadership. County Treasurer Edith Driscoll is retiring in July. Probation Chief Fernando Giraldo will also retire at the end of July. The County's Director of Health Services, Monica Morales, left at the beginning of June to take a similar position in Yolo County. And the County's Director of General Services Michael Beaton will leave in July to become Assistant CAO/CEO in Monterey County. All together this constitutes 30% department head turnover (5 of the County's 17 large departments).
What's going on? This significant change reflects two larger trends: the greying of Santa Cruz and the high cost of living in Santa Cruz.
Santa Cruz is the fastest aging county in California according to the U.S. Census. By 2030, 1 in 4 Californians is expected to be 65 or older; in Santa Cruz County, that number is expected to jump to 1 in 3. This trend directly impacts our local workforce, as evidenced by three major county department heads announcing their retirement in the last two months. These more prominent retirement announcements are indicative of many more employees retiring as well. In 2023, the Santa Cruz County's Workforce Development Board reported that more than 25% of the workforce in the transportation, water, housing, and energy sectors were over the age of 55.
Addressing the Silver Tsunami in Santa Cruz County is complicated by our high cost of living. It's incredibly difficult to recruit people to move into our community. Take Monica Morales for example, who recently resigned as the County's Health Services Agency Director. Monica grew up in Watsonville and is deeply committed to improving the health of county residents. But after three years in our top health role, she still couldn't find a home here suitable for her family. They've remained in the Sacramento region, where Morales worked for the State before taking the Santa Cruz job. Now Morales is moving back, accepting the Health Director role in Yolo County to work closer to home. The salary for the Santa Cruz County's Health Services Director ranges from $214K - $287K, but she still couldn't afford a suitable home.
Her experience is not unique. Santa Cruz METRO's new CEO, Core Aldridge, hasn't been able to purchase a home since being hired over a year ago. He makes just over $300,000 per year. He moved out from Missoula, Montana where the average home value is around $560,000 according to Zillow. In Santa Cruz the average home value is $1.34M. That means that with a 20% down payment ($270K) and considering the 30% debt to income ratio required for a conventional mortgage, you'd need a $334,000 a year income to qualify. Aldridge remains committed to Santa Cruz, but retaining him over the long haul could require the agency to increase compensation.
If the top paid public officials can't afford to live in Santa Cruz, you can only imagine how people actually fixing your water pipes, repairing your streets, and responding to mental health crises feel.
General Services Director Michael Beaton will be getting a raise when he heads to Monterey County. His current range is $176 - $236K. The salary range for an Assistant CAO in Monterey County is $191,795 to $261,814. Our neighboring counties tend to be our stiffest competitors when recruiting talent. Beaton is not the first employee Santa Cruz has lost to Monterey County. Even more former county employees have gone to Santa Clara County, which is much better funded due to state property tax formulas.
The rush to build more housing is a rush to keep our community working. We desperately need more housing if Santa Cruz County is going to continue to attract and retain talent for it's basic functioning. Our deepest appreciation to all of the departing department heads. They've done an incredible job serving our community and we will miss them.
|
City of Santa Cruz Follows in County's Footsteps and Moves to Ban Filtered Tobacco Products
|
Image: A cigarette butt drips chemicals including arsenic and lead. Credit: The Cigarette Surfboard
The City of Santa Cruz has joined the County as one of the first municipalities to ban the sale of filtered tobacco products, aiming to reduce plastic pollution and safeguard public health. Cigarette butts are the most littered item on the planet, they provide absolutely no health benefit to smokers, and they are toxic to the environment. They are made of plastic that persists in our environment for millennia and they leach the toxins contained in cigarette smoke including arsenic and lead. Given this, I along with Supervisor Justin Cummings brought forth an ordinance last October to ban the sale of filtered cigarettes in the unincorporated parts of Santa Cruz County. The ordinance was approved unanimously by the Board, and the County became the first municipality in the world to ban filtered tobacco products. However, in order to go into effect, two of the County's four incorporated cities must pass a similar ban. The City of Santa Cruz has joined in and passed an ordinance banning filtered cigarette sales within the city. This new policy follows years of education, outreach, and support from local coalitions. It’s worth noting, too, that the City spends over $2 million annually cleaning up tobacco litter. A final vote on the City ordinance is scheduled for June 24, 2025. The Capitola City Council asked their staff to draft an ordinance banning filtered cigarette sales as well. It is expected on an upcoming agenda. If the City of Capitola passes a "ban the butt" ordinance, than the County's law would go into effect January 1, 2027. The significant lead time is intended to give retailers the opportunity to educate customers and sell-off existing stock.
|
Image: RTC Bike Incentive Program
|
GO Santa Cruz has been a popular program that provides e-bike rebates for people who work in Downtown Santa Cruz.
Now, the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission is rolling out GO BIKE! Santa Cruz County, a program of the that provides e-bike rebates to low-income residents county-wide
GO BIKE! provides eligible applicants with vouchers ranging from $300 - $1,200. Incentives include $300 for a traditional (non-electric) bike, $800 for a standard e-bike, $1,200 for a cargo or adaptive e-bike and a subsidized annual BCycle membership ($245 value). Vouchers are redeemed at the time of sale and purchase price will be reduced by the amount of the voucher. There are two ways to demonstrate the program's income requirements: Option 1: Provide proof of income: Your household's income must be 300% or less of the 2025 Federal Poverty Level (FPL). You can verify your income by submitting a copy of your 2024 Tax Return Transcript. These transcripts partially mask your personal information to protect you, while still showing the financial data needed for income verification. Alternatively, you can provide a copy of your latest tax return, with sensitive information like your Social Security number partially masked.
Option 2: Participate in a public assistance program: You or someone in your household must be enrolled in a public assistance program. Providing your award letter from any of these programs can help us process your application faster.
Learn more and apply at: gosantacruzcounty.org/go-bike.
|
Cleaning up North Rodeo Gulch with NRG Firewise
|
Image: Members of the North Rodeo Gulch Firewise community clean up the gulch along with Supervisor Manu Koenig.
The North Rodeo Gulch Firewise community has been hard at work cleaning up abandoned homeless encampments in the gulch between the Santa Cruz Gardens neighborhood and North Rodeo Gulch. One of these encampments was the site of a fire in 2021. Another was the site of a fire just last fall (Oct. 2024). My office has assisted by providing a dumpster, facilitating encroachment permits, and contributing a little man (and woman) power. We'll continue to assist with long-term planning efforts that can reduce risk and deter camping. Susan Tatsui-D’Arcy, leader of the prominent North Rodeo Gulch Firewise group, is in the midst of implementing four clean up days organized during the current month of June. Beginning on Saturday, June 7, a team of about twenty neighbors have spent the better part of their weekends this month cleaning up old mattresses, bicycle parts, discarded clothing, hibachi grills and various other discarded items. To date, they’ve collected and discarded almost 6 tons of trash, with expectations of collecting several more tons before the month is done. The NRG Firewise Group will meet once more on Saturday June 28th from 9am - 1pm. Let Susan Tatsui-Darcy of North Rodeo Gulch Firewise know if you’ll join: susan@meritworld.com Can’t volunteer? You can still help by donating to help hire strong laborers for heavy lifting: www.nrgfirewise.com
More broadly, Firewise USA is a program that empowers communities to become more resilient to wildfires by reducing their vulnerability to fire hazards. It's a voluntary, national program administered by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). The program helps neighbors work together to assess risks, develop action plans, and implement mitigation strategies to protect their homes and communities from wildfires.
|
Image: Aerial shot of the Murray Street Bridge, pre-construction. Credit: City of Santa Cruz Beginning the week of June 23, 2025, both the westbound and eastbound lanes of the Murray Street Bridge will be closed for vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians to facilitate demolition and construction activities on the Seismic Retrofit and Barrier Replacement Project. These measures ensure public safety during potentially dangerous working conditions.
The full bridge closure is scheduled to last roughly seven and a half months and will reopen to eastbound vehicle and bicycle traffic in February 2026. The westbound lane will remain closed until the project is completed in January 2028. Two-way pedestrian access across the bridge will reopen in February 2026. Please note that these dates may change depending on project needs and utility work by PG&E and Comcast.
Vehicles will be detoured around the bridge closure through Soquel Ave. via Seabright Ave. and 7th Ave. Bicycles will be detoured across Arana Gulch/Broadway via Seabright Ave. and 7th Ave. Pedestrians will be detoured around the north harbor. View the detour map for full details and learn more here. |
Additionally, we are seeking someone to represent the district as part of the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission's SCCRTC Elderly and Disabled Transportation Advisory Committee (E&D TAC). For more information, visit the website here:https://www.sccrtc.org/meetings/elderly-disabled/ and reach out to our office if you're interested in applying.
|
Photo: An overwintering Monarch Butterfly. Tomorrow/Tuesday the Parks Dept. is hosting an update on the Moran Lake Monarch Habitat Management Plan.
Tue, June 24 - 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.
Tue, June 24 - County Parks Moran Lake Meeting, 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM, Simpkins Family Swim Center, 979 17th Ave, Santa Cruz, CA 95062. County Parks recently completed a wind study for the Moran Lake monarch habitat. The results of the study will be presented at this meeting and staff will share information about how the study fits into the monarch habitat management plan.
Wed, July 2 - 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.
|
|
