Greetings! Tuesday, Aug. 25, has arrived, and we’re warming up a little around Santa Cruz County – highs are forecast to reach the mid-90s in the mountains, and our beaches could hit 80 after a foggy morning.
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With a strong El Niño climate pattern expected this winter, officials responsible for protecting communities along the Pajaro River are taking unusually aggressive steps to prepare an aging levee system that they know remains vulnerable to flooding, Tania Ortiz reports. That includes removing vegetation from certain areas of the Pajaro River levee and clearing sediment from Salsipuedes Creek, says the director of the Pajaro Regional Flood Management Agency.
Tania also previews Tuesday’s meeting of the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors, which continues to deal with the state of financial distress the county finds itself in. Supervisors will consider changing how they determine their own salaries, with staff recommending that the five-member board “delink” its salaries from those of Superior Court judges and consider tying future pay increases to factors such as the cost of living.
The debate over Flock Safety cameras continues in Lookout’s Community Voices opinion section, with retired engineer and local landlord Darius Mohsenin writing that the debate over Flock and license plate recognition often pits privacy against public safety, but that framing misses those who might benefit most – including lower-income, immigrant and other vulnerable communities, for whom a stolen car or unresolved burglary can threaten a family’s livelihood.
To the headlines …
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Strong El Niño could bring a wet winter: Pajaro flood officials are taking extra precautions
Officials at the Pajaro Regional Flood Management Agency say they are making “more aggressive” winter preparations as climate experts are forecasting a strong El Niño. Read more here from Tania Ortiz.
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Santa Cruz County supervisors consider changing how they set their own salaries amid financial distress
Santa Cruz County supervisors will consider changing how their salaries are determined, just weeks after declaring the county in financial distress and putting a half-cent sales tax on the November ballot. What to expect at Tuesday’s meeting.
DAILY DIGEST
Lookout’s coverage is rolling right along into another Tuesday, and among what’s still on the menu is a heaping helping of news and notes from Santa Cruz County’s culinary scene via Lily Belli on Food – one of the many free newsletters and breaking news alerts you can sign up for here. Breaking news notifications are just one of the many features of the Lookout Santa Cruz app – head to the Apple App Store or Google Play Store to download it to your trusty smartphone. And if you’d like to keep up with it all on social media, follow Lookout on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram and/or Threads.
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Have a super Tuesday – thank you for reading.
Will McCahill