A federal judge could dissolve an injunction keeping the city of Santa Cruz from clearing a homeless encampment in the San Lorenzo Benchlands at a June 29 hearing set Thursday.
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 County Planning Commission OKs major Dominican Hospital renovation, expansion
A proposal that includes an 85,000-square-foot addition on Dominican’s Soquel Drive campus and a 409-spot parking structure nearby got unanimous approval Wednesday from the Santa Cruz County Planning Commission.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
County agrees to delay 25-cent charge for disposable cups. What it all means for you
The ordinance — first approved in late 2019 but delayed amid the pandemic — would require restaurants and stores in unincorporated parts of Santa Cruz County that sell beverages in single-use cups to charge an additional 25 cents for each cup.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
TOLO out, CSSO in: Santa Cruz City Council gives first OK to new homeless camping law
The new ordinance, which needs two approvals to become law, is more cut-and-dried than the TOLO, and more restrictive. If approved, the ordinance would ban outdoor sleeping everywhere in Santa Cruz except at sites specifically designated by the city for overnight camping.
Posted inHousing & Development
From TOLO to CSSO: Revamped camping ordinance heads to Santa Cruz council Tuesday, so what’s changed?
Among the biggest changes of the revised law: Whereas previously proposed rules would’ve left areas with certain zoning open to overnight camping on public property, the updated ordinance essentially prohibits daytime and nighttime camping citywide once certain conditions are met.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Rail Trail to be discussed again Thursday. Here’s what might — or might not — happen
The controversial project is back on the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission agenda Thursday, and there could be fireworks — or crickets.
Posted inLatest News
Experts on policing, including one from Chauvin trial, weigh in on video of deputy-involved shooting in Aptos
“I think there are a lot of unanswered questions here,” said Seth Stoughton, a law professor at the University of South Carolina and a former Florida police officer who testified as a use-of-force expert in the Derek Chauvin trial.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Emergency sheltering for homeless could get a much-needed extension thanks to new federal funding
To date Santa Cruz County has funding secured through September for a 275-unit emergency shelter program that reserves hotel and motel rooms for people experiencing homelessness. Additional federal funding that could soon come the county’s way should help officials keep about 100 units operational for another three months.
Posted inUncategorized
Rail Trail coming to a head: Supporters make big push to keep rail on track heading into Thursday RTC meeting
In a last-ditch effort to get the rail momentum back on track, proponents of having rail and trail down the coast of Santa Cruz County rallied Wednesday in Aptos, forming a human train along the tracks to show public support for the project.
Posted inLatest News
In their own words: Maddy Middleton’s family, community members sound off on Adrian Gonzalez’s sentence
Inside court and out, people had strong reactions to Gonzalez’s sentence. Here’s a look at what they said.