A section of the Santa Cruz Wharf collapsed Monday, plunging three construction workers into 25-foot swells. At least nine people were rescued countywide as authorities evacuated parts of Capitola Village and Rio Del Mar for flooding and closed several beaches because of dangerous conditions.
Santa Cruz
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Remembrance: Bruce Bratton was always part of the Santa Cruz conversation
Santa Cruz gadfly and film lover Bruce Bratton, who died Dec. 11, was always in the arena and always ready to offer his opinion, be it on the latest movie or the latest move by the political establishment.
Posted inHousing & Development
New-look Clocktower Center is half the height, but still out of scale for some residents
The Clocktower Center proposal in downtown Santa Cruz has been downsized, but tensions remain. While some praise its potential to address a housing shortage, critics argue it’s still too tall, too disruptive, and woefully lacking in parking.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Santa Cruz’s stipend program is a step forward for representation and equity
Santa Cruz’s new opt-in stipend program, voted into effect on Aug. 27, will begin in January. This will mean people serving on city boards and advisory boards will get paid $75 for each meeting they attend. The initiative will cost the city up to $50,000, depending on the opt-in rate. Councilmembers Sonja Brunner, Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson and Martine Watkins say it is a needed step to make sure more people participate in local government. Here, they offer details and explain how to apply for the rolling deadlines.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Measure Z, Santa Cruz’s mold-breaking soda tax, passes despite expensive attack from beverage industry
Santa Cruz’s Measure Z, the first soda tax passed in the U.S. since 2018, delivers a rebuke to the beverage industry’s $1.7 million opposition campaign. With legal battles looming, the measure’s success could signal a turning point in using such taxes as a tactic for public health advocacy.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
With Measure Z poised to pass, Santa Cruz jolts national debate around soda taxes as legal battle looms
Santa Cruz’s Measure Z is poised for victory despite a $1.7 million campaign by the beverage industry. The apparent triumph has signaled a potential revival of soda tax initiatives nationwide and challenges to Big Soda’s influence.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Santa Cruz group to propose dual parcel, home sale tax housing bond in 2025
Santa Cruz civic leaders unveiled an ambitious dual-tax proposal to fund affordable housing, blending a $99 annual parcel tax with a progressive real estate transfer tax. Aiming for the November 2025 ballot, the plan hopes to generate $5 million annually for the city.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
‘Like we’re in the Hunger Games’: County process to fund nonprofits leaves few satisfied, again
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.
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 inLatest News
Carmageddon: SCPD eyes traffic, bike, pedestrian safety programs with new grant funding
Two grants the Santa Cruz Police Department has received since the beginning of November will be brought to the Santa Cruz City Council in December for direction and clarity around next steps. Both are going to be put toward various programs and activities to promote traffic, bicycle and pedestrian safety.