Hello hello. It’s Wednesday, July 1, and though we’ve turned the page to a new month, the Santa Cruz County forecast is still pretty June gloom – clouds lingering into the afternoon in many spots and temps topping out in the mid-70s even in the warmest mountain areas.
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The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors put the stops on a local ordinance governing battery storage Tuesday, Tania Ortiz reports, after the developer of a proposed project outside Watsonville elected to seek state, rather than local, approval. The county will push the state energy commission to consider a draft local ordinance in its approval process; an environmental review that could have cost the cash-strapped county $500,000 is also now off the table.
Hillary Ojeda dug into a civil grand jury report that criticizes the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission for its handling of the county’s branch rail line. The volunteer-led watchdog argues that officials spent years pushing unviable options because they failed to accurately evaluate costs and engineering challenges.
Hillary was also on hand Tuesday in Live Oak as nurses, staff and supporters rallied outside Dominican Hospital to protest proposed cuts. Layoffs and reductions to part-time status affecting 22 nurse educators, monitor technicians and unit coordinators would undermine patient safety and place additional burdens on front-line nurses, they say.
The hump-day headlines also include a look at what you’ll have to pay if you want to attend Wednesday evening’s World Cup knockout match in Santa Clara featuring the U.S. men’s team, the latest in local food & drink from Lily Belli and plenty more. Onward.
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Supervisors shelve battery storage ordinance after Watsonville project moves to state
The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to shelve a local ordinance regulating battery storage systems following a decision by the developer of a project proposed for outside Watsonville to seek approval through the state. Tania Ortiz has the latest.
Civil grand jury faults Santa Cruz transportation commission for decades of flawed rail planning
A new civil grand jury report faults the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission for decades of flawed planning on the coastal rail corridor. It says officials advanced proposals without adequately accounting for engineering, legal and financial realities, and recommends that the commission adopt stronger project evaluation and strategic planning processes. Details here from Hillary Ojeda.
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Thanks for reading, and have an excellent Wednesday.
Will McCahill