In six months on the job as director of Santa Cruz County’s new Housing for Health division, Dr. Robert Ratner has seen plenty of interest and passion in the community around housing but perhaps not enough ways to channel engagement and elevate positive solutions.
Patrick Riley
Follow Patrick Riley on: Twitter. Patrick Riley is Lookout Santa Cruz’s county government accountability reporter. He comes to Lookout from Florida, where he covered Collier County government for the Naples Daily News. Before that, he covered breaking news, cops, courts and the city of Bonita Springs, also for the Daily News.He can be reached at patrick@lookoutlocal.com.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Santa Cruz sites honoring London Nelson will get correct spelling in time for Juneteenth
Although updating existing signage from Louden to London will take time, the downtown community center will officially be recognized by its new name Saturday and celebrated with a Juneteenth event at neighboring Laurel Park that day.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
SEEDS of hope: How a $25 investment in every Santa Cruz County newborn is a giant leap for equity
A new program opens a free college savings account for every newborn in Santa Cruz County, and though the initial amounts deposited are relatively small — $25 for every child, regardless of family income, and $50 if the baby comes from a low-income household — just having an account offers a myriad of benefits for child and parents, advocates say.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
RTC greenlights studying ‘interim trail’ options along 2 rail corridor segments
The 12-member Regional Transportation Commission board voted on two items that effectively will allow officials to study the new alternative along at least two stretches of the corridor, evaluating a potential interim trail that would create a path for bikers and pedestrians while more permanent options continue to be weighed.
Posted inHousing & Development
ADU changes head to County supervisors after planning commission OKs, with tweaks — what that means for you
With a few suggestions, the five-member planning commission voted unanimously Wednesday to recommend that county supervisors adopt the proposed ordinance on accessory dwelling units, which aims to address issues including the number of ADUs allowed on a single property, coastal parking requirements and owner occupancy.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
‘We’re 60 years behind the curve’: Pajaro River levee project on its way to combatting future disasters
Federal, state and local officials signed off Monday on a $7.1 million deal that allows engineers to start designing improvements to deficient levees along the Pajaro River and Salsipuedes Creek, marking a major milestone for the $400 million project and plotting a path to keep the communities of Watsonville and Pajaro safe from future disasters and to begin righting a longstanding injustice.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
EXPLAINER: Why the county is looking to ride low interest rates to big savings on refinancing pension debt
Santa Cruz County’s annual debt payments to state benefits agency CalPERS could reach $66.4 million by the end of this decade. To lessen the burden, county officials are looking to refinance some of it by borrowing about $121 million, a move they say could yield close to $70 million in much-needed long-term savings.
Posted inHousing & Development
The continuing push to streamline Santa Cruz County’s ADU regulations: Here’s what you need to know
Santa Cruz County is mulling changes to its regulations for accessory dwelling units, sometimes called “granny flats.” Seen by some as a tool to build up the housing stock, the proposed tweaks to the rules aim to further streamline ADU development and align the county with changes in state law.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Last Chance’s best chance? County program takes less-restrictive approach to rebuild for CZU Fire victims
Santa Cruz County is relaxing building codes to help ease the burden on residents of the remote community between Big Basin and Davenport ravaged by last summer’s wildfires.
Posted inHousing & Development
What makes neighborhoods ‘distinctively Santa Cruz’? City solicits input on new development standards
The city of Santa Cruz is asking residents to weigh in on specific standards and scope for new housing developments — and is dangling gift cards for those who respond to a survey.