Lookout PM: Live Oak superintendent resigns amid more layoffs, Capitola City Council delays mall rezoning vote, Watsonville City Council considering extending term limits

Welcome to Tuesday night’s Lookout PM.

Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz

Live Oak superintendent resigns, school board approves cutting 6 teachers, mental health clinician, more staff

By Hillary Ojeda

Live Oak School District’s superintendent announced his resignation effective June 30 as the school board approved nearly 11 staff reductions — including six teachers and a mental health clinician — to address a structural budget deficit driven by declining enrollment and rising costs.

Capitola City Council pushes mall zoning code vote to March

By Max Chun

The Capitola City Council delayed a vote on zoning code updates for the Capitola Mall site to March in order to wade through last-minute information and new requests from the mall’s owner. The vote is currently scheduled for March 16.

Watsonville City Council to consider proposal to extend term limits

By Tania Ortiz

Watsonville City Councilmember Eduardo Montesino plans to propose extending current term limits for city councilmembers, who currently are termed out after two consecutive four-year stints.

UCSC explores making changes to its unique college system model

By Hillary Ojeda

UC Santa Cruz administrators are exploring potential changes to the campus’ distinctive residential college system — modeled after Oxford and Cambridge universities — as part of a yearlong review aimed at evaluating how to ensure the colleges best serve students.

OPINION: Let’s design streets for people, not cars – Vision Zero can’t wait, too many in Santa Cruz County are dying

By Kevin Norton

After losing his 19-year-old friend in a crash — and surviving one himself — local activist Kevin Norton argues that traffic deaths aren’t accidents, but the result of street design prioritizing cars over people. In Santa Cruz County, deaths and serious injuries happen every two days, yet real safety fixes like protected bike lanes crawl forward. Santa Cruz County has the deadliest streets for cycling in the state, according to the California Office of Traffic Safety. The uncomfortable truth, writes Norton, is that saving lives will be inconvenient for drivers, will remove parking and anger some. But he believes protecting feelings matters less than protecting lives. He calls on both elected leaders and the community to move faster on Vision Zero.

Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr. / CalMatters

Governor’s office to hold webinar on statewide appointments

By Ashley Palma-Jimenez

The California governor’s office is hosting a webinar this week on statewide appointments, hosted by Gov. Gavin Newsom’s appointments secretary, Morgan Carvajal.

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