Santa Cruz County supervisors are disagreeing with most of the findings of a civil grand jury report on the poor condition of county roads, but say they plan to implement some of the group’s recommendations for better transparency and more robust funding of road repairs.
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Posted inPolitics & Policy
Measure Q: Water and wildfire protection tax has one surprising opponent — county fire chiefs
The Water and Wildfire Protection Initiative, on the ballot in Santa Cruz County this November as Measure Q, would introduce a parcel tax of $87 to be collected annually and distributed across the county for a wide range of projects from managing public lands and reducing wildfire risks to protecting drinking water sources. The only group to register official opposition to the tax is the Santa Cruz County Fire Chiefs Association. It believes that the measure does not offer enough specifics on how it will reduce wildfire risk and does not adequately fund fire districts.
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In Bonny Doon meeting, state says help on home insurance is coming
State Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara told 140 attendees of an online event organized by the Rural Bonny Doon Association on Wednesday night that his overhaul of the state insurance market is expected to be ready for implementation by December. Other insurance experts spoke of ways homeowners could improve their chances of finding coverage in a market situation made dire by the threat of wildfires in Santa Cruz County.
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Citing housing crisis, Santa Cruz County supervisors take aim at vacation rentals
Santa Cruz County is cracking down on vacation rentals owned by absentee landlords and investors, aiming to curb their proliferation and free up housing supply. A new subcommittee will propose regulations to limit the number of unhosted rentals and rental permits, while the county demands platforms including Airbnb and Vrbo remove listings that don’t have county permits. This move comes amid growing concerns about housing affordability in the area.
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Dramatic shift in homeless from Santa Cruz to Watsonville has officials scrambling to provide services
A dramatic shift in Santa Cruz County’s homeless population, with more being counted in Watsonville this year than the city of Santa Cruz, has officials scrambling to provide more shelter beds and services in the southern part of the county. Watsonville will consider a tiny home village project at its city council meeting on Tuesday, and is convening a community meeting on the broader issue of action to confront homelessness on Oct. 5.
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Carmageddon: RTC provides options for mobile homes in way of rail trail, but says it won’t pay for relocation
The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission has completed a first draft of an analysis of mobile homes encroaching on the right of way for a new rail trail project along a section of the Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line in Live Oak. Residents have been told that their homes need to be shifted or relocated by June 2025. Officials with the commission said they’re not sure who will be responsible for paying, but it won’t be the RTC.
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UCSC faculty join statewide unfair labor claim over handling of Gaza protests
The UC Santa Cruz Faculty Association, the union representing UCSC faculty, filed an unfair labor practice charge Thursday alongside other University of California faculty groups against UC administrators with the California Public Employee Relations Board. They’re accusing the university of violating faculty rights related to how it handled Gaza solidarity protests in the spring.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Santa Cruz County labor union prepares for a strike as contract expires
Tensions are rising between the Santa Cruz County government and its largest labor union. SEIU Local 521, representing over 1,800 county employees, is threatening to strike for the first time in decades. The union is demanding significant wage increases, improved benefits and better working conditions. While negotiations continue, the county is preparing for a potential strike that could disrupt essential services.
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Aptos power outages, PG&E response are frustrating residents
Power outages in Aptos have been an issue for years, and have become more frequent in the past year. Residents have grown frustrated with the lack of communication from PG&E about outage causes and why they continue to happen. Part of the issue is how at-risk Aptos is for wildfires and how that triggers an automatic shut-off system when fire dangers are detected.
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Santa Cruz e-bike surge worries many, but hasn’t led to serious crashes
While concerns with e-bikes have been rising as their popularity has increased over the past several years, especially among young adults, Santa Cruz County law enforcement and transportation officials say they think awareness campaigns have worked to keep the number of incidents low.