Santa Cruz County supervisors were divided amid public criticism on Tuesday over the selection process behind an allocation of $4.3 million in tax revenue to support local nonprofits. The county received more than 100 proposals totaling $15 million and turned to a 60-member anonymous panel to judge the proposals. Critics called for a more transparent process.
Government
Posted inHousing & Development
A made-over proposal for 831 Water Street has emerged and is seeking input
At 831 Water Street, a revamped proposal for 140 income-restricted units has reignited a debate over local control that has become all too familiar in the city of Santa Cruz.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Santa Cruz County agriculture commissioner defends against criticisms over pesticide regulation
David Sanford, Santa Cruz County’s agricultural commissioner, is defending his agency after local activists and the county’s civil grand jury criticized how it exercises control over regulating pesticide application and communication with local agencies and residents in South County.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Watsonville forming task force to tackle homelessness
The City of Watsonville is calling for community members to participate in a task force designed to focus on the city’s homelessness issue. The task force will replace the series of community meetings held earlier this year to brainstorm solutions.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Proposed legislation on widely used pesticide falls short, activists warn
Activists from Safe Ag Safe Schools, Future Leaders of Change and Californians for Pesticide Regulation told a news conference in Watsonville on Friday evening that proposed legislation from the state related to 1, 3-dichloropropene, a pesticide regularly used in Santa Cruz County, does not do enough to protect farmworkers and other residents from harmful exposure.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Thousands of uncounted ballots are holding up county races. We still know little about them.
In Santa Cruz County, most election results are in, but two critical races — Measure Z’s soda tax and the District 2 supervisor seat — remain unresolved. Thousands of same-day registration ballots hold the key, but resource constraints and certification priorities have slowed their processing at the county clerk’s office.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Coastal Commission says Santa Cruz can move forward with Westside street sweeping program
A new Santa Cruz street sweeping pilot program that threatens to tow cars violating its parking restrictions can move forward following a unanimous vote from the California Coastal Commission.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Activists, grand jury want Santa Cruz County to get more involved in how pesticides are used
Local activists and Santa Cruz County’s civil grand jury are pressuring county officials to exercise more control over regulating pesticide applications, in addition to having better communication with South County officials and residents.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Laird plans to defend California against ‘smarter’ President Trump
California State Sen. John Laird, reelected to a second term, faces a complex landscape as former President Donald Trump returns to office. Drawing on his past experiences resisting first-Trump-term environmental policies, Laird anticipates new challenges for California, from federal tensions over climate initiatives to potential impacts on immigration and education policy.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Santa Cruz’s street sweeping was challenged by homeless advocates. Now the state will decide.
Santa Cruz’s plans to enforce strict parking restrictions to facilitate street sweeping face scrutiny from the California Coastal Commission on Thursday amid claims it unfairly affects those living in their vehicles. Proponents argue it’s a crucial environmental measure; critics warn it enacts “hostile architecture” against the unhoused.