October 24

PAJARO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT CANCELLED BUS TRANSPORTATION 

How can kids get to school if their bus is cancelled?  The answer is simple…someone drives them if there is a vehicle and driver available, or they just don’t go.  How can the Pajaro Valley Unified School District allow this to happen?

Pajaro Valley Unified School District cancels bus routes Monday

SOQUEL CREEK WATER DISTRICT TOP DOGS GET FREE TRIP TO DENMARK…BUT WHY?

Why would the Danish Government Consulate provide Soquel Creek Water District General Manager Ron Duncan and Board President Tom LaHue an all-expenses-paid vacation to Denmark? Buried in last Tuesday’s Soquel Creek Water District Board packet, the claim is that it will be a “fact finding and knowledge exchange mission regarding water resources” and will be a week-long trip (November 12-19, 2022).  The General Manager and the Board President will be participating on behalf of the District and provide an update in a future meeting.

I asked at the Board meeting for public discussion of what knowledge the two District representatives might hope to gain and when the public might learn about this beneficial exchange?  NO answer.  None of the Directors asked either.  Hmmm….

see page 36 of packet

ARE COUNTY SUPERVISORS DOUBLE-DIPPING WITH PAID SERVICE ON COMMISSIONS?

In the recent edition of the Aptos Times, County Supervisor Zach Friend featured a list of all the public commissions on which he serves.

See page 30

All of the Supervisors serve on all sorts of Commissions, but how much do they really know about the subject matter?  They do get paid for being on some of them;  the Santa Cruz Metro Commission and Regional Transportation Commission being some examples.

Take a look here for a partial list: ‘zachariah friend’ search results | Transparent California

I don’t think these public servants should be paid twice for their work, do you?  All of these Commission meetings happen during business hours.

PUBLIC HEARING FOR ELECTRIC RAIL TRANSIT CONNECTING WATSONVILLE AND APTOS

I happened to see an ad in the Sentinel that a Public Hearing will happen on  November 3 at 9am for the Santa Cruz Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) to consider environmental and design analysis for electric rail transit and trail for Segments 13-20, connecting Watsonville with Aptos.  Wow.

The Public Hearing also includes Rail and Trail Segment 12 in Aptos Village, Highway One Bus-on-shoulder/auxiliary lanes between State Park Drive and Freedom Boulevard, as well as San Lorenzo Valley and Boulder Creek Complete Streets considerations.

The Hearing will be part of the RTC hybrid meeting, held in the County Board of Supervisor Chambers (5th floor of the County Gov’t Bldg. at 701 Ocean Street).

There is nothing on the RTC website to alert people to this important Public Hearing, but you can find the virtual access information for the Commission meeting here:

Commission Meeting (2022-11-03)

This is a big step to get things moving for relief to South County commuters.  It involves changing two train overcrossings in the Aptos Village area as well as constructing the pedestrian overcrossing at Mar Vista Drive.

Make sure you participate in this important Public Hearing and make your thoughts known.

CONNECTING THE DOTS

At the October 6 Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) approved revised plans, specifications, and Engineer’s estimates for the Pajaro River Bridge Rehabilitation Project. The Pajaro River Bridge at Mile Post (MP) 1.06 connects the track portion of the Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line in Watsonville active with freight to the main line in Pajaro, providing freight customers access to the national rail network.

In May, the Commission rejected a construction bid for the Pajaro River Bridge Rehabilitation Project as unreasonable.

Staff developed a revised scope of work for the Project, which will now be advertised in mid-October 2022.

This project, as I understand it, would help support connected passenger rail in the County to the main rail line…maybe someday, a CalTrain station in Pajaro?  Wouldn’t that be nice?

In 2016, when the RTC was deliberating how to place the new Measure D sales tax on the ballot, dividing the money pot, renovation of the Pajaro Train Station was included.  However, with a mysteriously quick change of plans, that project was dropped in favor of giving more money to Metro and ParaCruz.  I remember being amazed that Fourth District Supervisor Greg Caput seemed absolutely unconcerned and not surprised at the action that obviously deprived benefit to his constituents.

I later asked him if he knew that change was going to happen?  “Yes” he said.

So much for the Brown Act prohibition of back door meetings.

A LANDSCAPE BUILT TO BURN

The Santa Cruz Public Libraries are offering some interesting programs this month, focusing on fire issues.  This Thursday, 5:30pm-6:30pm at the Felton Library Community Room, Mr. Tim Hyland will speak about the impacts of the CZU Fire and the future of State Parks.  He is the Natural Resource Program Manager for the Santa Cruz District of California State Parks.

Attend if you can.  Request the program be recorded: (831) 427-7708

6121 Gushee St.
Felton, CA

DRILLING A SYSTEM OF NINE NEW MONITORING WELLS TO CHECK GROUNDWATER LEVELS

This week, crews are working at Aptos Village Park to drill and develop a new 80′ deep groundwater monitoring well that will provide information about groundwater levels for the MidCounty Groundwater Agency into the future.  The crew had planned to drill down to 150′, but was suddenly asked to change to a more shallow monitoring well.

Another similar monitoring well has been installed near Spreckels Drive and Highway One, and there are others along upper Soquel Creek.

The monitoring wells will be equipped with electronic devices to send information on groundwater depths near streams to correlate data between stream flows and groundwater status.

Here is a map of the geologic structuring in our area.  The crew working at Aptos Village Park said the 80′ deep well can help monitor the F layer of the Purisima Aquifer.

The soil samples taken at various boring depths are laid out on the tarp in the fore ground.  I was surprised that the contractor had not been told the site is an archaeologically sensitive site, and in fact, a potential Native American gravesite.  All of the Aptos Village Project is also a known archaeologic site.

SOQUEL CREEK WATER DISTRICT PROJECT CHANGES THE LAUREL STREET BRIDGE

Take a look at how the Laurel Street Bridge has been altered, in order to accommodate the 14″ blue pipe and 6″ purple pipe the Soquel Creek Water District plans to attach as part of the PureWater Soquel Project.
Here is what the light post attachments looked like before.
		And here is what they look like now.
Notice that the lower concrete pillars of the light posts have been removed in order to make space for a 14″ blue PVC pipe with purple tape spirals do denote recycled water, and a 6″ pipe that could be either purple or green, depending on how Soquel Creek Water District decides to claim the concentrated contaminated “brine” really is.
You can see here just how much of the thick concrete element was removed from beneath all light posts on both sides of the Laurel Street Bridge.

According to the Soquel Creek Water District PureWater Soquel Project update for the week;

Laurel Street Bridge
“Crews are now laying out anchor points, conducting rebar scan, drilling anchors, and installing back framing and supports. It’s anticipated that this work will continue through November 3, with pipe installation on the bridge expected to start on November 4. Overall work on the bridge is expected to continue into December.”

None of this major concrete removal work was ever analyzed or even mentioned in the Project EIR, certified December 18, 2018.  The plan then was to tunnel under the San Lorenzo River but the District changed course when the State Regional Water Quality Control Board denied the permit application, but contingent upon the District providing further information.  Instead, the District decided to attach the pipes to the Laurel Street Bridge, and somehow, that mollified the Water Board.

But where was the legally-required collaboration with California Dept. of Fish & Wildlife?  That agency, according to Public Records Act requests, was never consulted.

It was only due to the good work of private citizen Ms. Jane Mio that the work was delayed over the summer  so as not to harm the Cliff Swallows who fly here all the way from Argentina to build mud nests on that bridge and raise their young.    Good work, Citizen Jane!

THREE Santa Cruz COUNTY FAIR BOARD DIRECTORS NOW GONE

Three of the nine Directors of the Santa Cruz County Fair Board are now gone, following the termination of former Fair Manager Dave Kegebein by the Board on October 4.  In my opinion, this is an improvement and here is why.

Last week, former Directors Ms. Loretta Estrada and Ms. Jody Belgard received notice from the Governor’s Office that their appointments to the 14th District Agricultural Association (DAA) would not be renewed.  Also, former Director Bill Barton is no longer included in the Fair Board of Directors information:

Santa Cruz County Fair Board of Directors

These three Directors had chronically failed to do their jobs to provide oversight of the Fairgrounds financial operations and Livestock Committee operations, which included oversight of the Fairgrounds Manager, Dave Kegebein.  Director Barton and Director Belgard chaired the Financial Oversight Committee, but never presented a report of their oversight work…because there was none.

Director Barton publicly admitted he never bothered to look at the financial reports that Manager Kegebein included in the Fair Board packets, and never even checked to see if there were receipts to verify Mr. Kegebein’s claimed expenses.  Director Belgard was always silent.

Had these two professionals taken the time to examine checks being written, they might have questioned Mr. Kegebein’s untethered use of the 14th DAA credit and debit card for personal gasoline, food and unexplained personal purchases over the course of many years.

They could have, and should have questioned Mr. Kegebein’s contracts, especially the one he made with the Ocean Speedway race track on fairgrounds property, wherein he required the race track owner to pay nearly half of the contract rental amount directly to the Fairgrounds Foundation, a non-profit run by Jeannie Kegebein, and thereby directed rental money away from the 14th DAA bank accounts.

They could have, and most certainly should have questioned why the Fairgrounds Foundation suddenly took over all beer sales at all events at the fairgrounds, including at the race track, even though it violated Fairgrounds Policy.  This is a very lucrative matter, yet the Fairgrounds Foundation failed to report their profits to the Board, and did not pay the required commission to the 14th DAA.

But Directors Barton and Belgard questioned nothing.

Director Estrada served on the Livestock Committee, along with Director Stephanie Fontana.  Both were well-aware of the fact that Fairgrounds Manager Dave Kegebein directed volunteers to make major structural changes to the two livestock barns, using $33,000 funding given by the Fairgrounds Foundation (run by Jeannie Kegebein) but never brought before the Fair Board of Directors for approval or public discussion of the design.  The State requires all building improvement and demolition plans to be reviewed by the California Construction Authority (CCA) prior to action.

Director Estrada was well aware of Mr. Kegebein’s actions, but responded to members of the public questions about the structural integrity only with anger that we would dare question anything that Mr. Kegebein would do.  Mr. Kegebein was equally arrogant, and chose to not answer questions if asked.

That left the public no choice but to file Public Records Act requests in order to learn the truth.  Sometimes those answers took over a year to get, but it was that level of public questioning that caused the California Dept. of Food & Agriculture (CDFA) legal staff to pay closer attention to the red flags raised.

Mr. Kegebein’s cavalier actions, funded by the Fairgrounds Foundation without Fair Board review,  resulted in the CCA declaring the two livestock barns “Unstable and Unsafe” in early 2022, only after allowing use of the barns for the 2021 Fair with special conditions.  Mr. Kegebein failed to share the special conditions with any of the youth, their project leaders, the Board, or the public in advance of the 2021 Fair.  One of those special conditions was to evacuate the barns if it became windy.

He failed to take timely action as directed by the CCA to correct the structural problems before the 2022 Fair arrived, thereby causing the goat and sheep exhibits to be under large, very expensive tents.

For over six months, high-level State officials have been driving from Sacramento to attend the Santa Cruz County Fair Board meetings, participating in Closed Session with the Board each time.  The Board would receive instructions as to what improvements were necessary, and how to accomplish them.

With the exception of Director Don Dietrich, none of the Directors seemed to make any effort to improve, and continued their failure to question Mr. Kegebein about anything.

Early this year, the CDFA conducted a Performance Audit of the 14th DAA operational procedures and finances for years 2017-2019.  The results were shocking, and led to the State requesting the Board call a meeting on October 4, after the Performance Audit became public. The CDFA Legal staff sent the Final Audit to all Fair Board Directors on September 30.

At the October 4 Board meeting, it was very clear that none of them, except Director /President Dietrich, even opened their Fair Board e-mails in advance of the meeting, but argued anyway that they had not seen the Final Audit.

You can read it here.

During Closed Session, after reviewing the Final Audit, the Board voted to terminate Mr. Kegebein as 14th DAA Fairgrounds Manager.  The vote was 7:2, with Director Estrada and Director Belgard voting no.

Read about what happened here: Aptos Times: October 15, 2022 — Times Publishing Group, Inc.

After President Dietrich announced the Closed Session action upon reconvening,  these two were overheard amongst the crowd later to angrily state they would resign.

However, they did not.  It was said they “wanted to stay on and fight.”  Fight?  Not work to improve things?  Not acknowledge that Mr. Kegebein had acted improperly and that they had not performed their responsibilities to see that and right the ship before it crashed? Not work to recover the more than $200,000 in public funds the Final Audit found in question?

1. Nothing of the sort.

That is why, in my opinion,  it was a good thing that last week the Governor’s Office notified Loretta Estrada and Jody Belgard that their appointments to the 14th DAA were terminated.

State fires two Santa Cruz County Fair Board members – The Pajaronian

It was necessary.  Maybe there should be more relieved of their appointments, but it remains to be seen what will happen.

With President Don Dietrich now acting as Interim Fairgrounds Manager of the 14th DAA, I am confident that this valuable community resource is in good hands. The Fair Board meets Tuesday,  October 25, and will discuss many things, including recruitment of a new Fairgrounds Manager.

Things are already improving, with the Board packet inclusion of complete public correspondence.  That has not been happening for a long time.

Some Community members have questioned the involvement of the State in this matter.  The Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds is actually owned by the State, along with about 57 others throughout California:

List of State-Designated Fairs

WHERE IS THE CALIFORNIA STATE FLAG AT THE COURT AND COUNTY BUILDING IN SANTA CRUZ?

For several months, I have asked the Board of Supervisors to explain why the flag of the State of California no longer flies in front of the County’s State Superior Courthouse and the County Government Building?  NO answer.

Last week, I decided to try asking General Services Dept., which oversees the operation and maintenance of the facility.  Staff there sent me to State Senator Laird’s office, down a few doors, in the collection of offices for state and federal representatives, as well as LAFCO.  Even though well after the lunch hour, all doors were closed, and no one responded to my knock on their door.

However, Mr. Emmanuel Garcia, an analyst for Congressman Panetta happened to exit his office, so I asked him why there continues to be no California State flag flying, having recently been replaced with the black Prisoner of War flag.

He told me that after the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision, people protested in front of the County Courthouse.  Some decided to cut down the flag pole ropes, and shred the flags.  Mr. Garcia said that when the angry mob moved over to begin spray painting “All Cops Are Pigs” on the Courthouse, he ran down from his office to retrieve the shredded flags.  He told me he surrendered them to the District Attorney, who may be prosecuting some of the protesters for the vandalism and injury to one man who tried to stop them.

I wrote to Senator Laird about replacing the California State flag on this pole.  No answer yet, but maybe you can write him, too.  Contact him here.

Flag pole in front of California Superior Court in Santa Cruz County last week…the California Stat Flag has not flown for months.

What about the black and white POW/MIA flag now flying there?  You may be interested to know this: “President Donald J. Trump expanded where and when the POW/MIA flag would fly by signing new legislation into law in November of 2019. Before 2019, the flag was flown only at select federal sites or on certain days like Veteran’s Day, Memorial Day, or POW/MIA Remembrance Day.

But the 2019 law expanded the continuous flying of the POW/MIA Flag at a majority of federal sites, including VA hospitals, post offices, cemeteries, and national parks.

Veterans groups across the country backed the bipartisan measure. “This is a historic victory for every man and woman who courageously defended this nation and remain unaccounted for,” said VFW National Commander William “Doc” Schmitz at the time of the signing.”

The history and meaning behind the POW/MIA flag

SAVE THE HERITAGE TREES DOWNTOWN

Please share with your friends and neighbors who are registered to vote in the City of Santa Cruz that they need to tune in this Thursday at 7pm to hear the TRUTH about Measure O and how it will SAVE THE HERITAGE TREES in Lot 4 if passed.

The Santa Cruz Sentinel committed an outrageous mistake on the front page of last Sunday’s paper by erroneously claiming under the photo of a heritage  tree that if Measure O passes, the heritage trees in Lot 4 will be cut down.  The truth is exactly OPPOSITE!  Although the new Editor Thomas Wright, responded that the online paper was corrected, and Monday’s Sentinel featured a correction on page A1, it was an unacceptable and gross error that potentially influenced voters.

Please share the information below, and ask the Sentinel to feature a Notice of this event, as well as a front page story about it as a follow-up:

Editor Thomas Wright twright@santacruzsentinel.com

SAVE THE HERITAGE TREES DOWNTOWN

Thursday, October 27, 7pm
London Nelson Center, room 3
301 Center Street
Or Zoom!

MAKE ONE CALL. WRITE ONE LETTER. GO TO A POLITICAL FORUM AND LEARN MORE ABOUT CANDIDATES AND ISSUES BEFORE YOU VOTE. VOTE IN PERSON, BUT VOTE.

JUST DO SOMETHING THIS WEEK AND MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE.

Cheers, Becky

MEASURE D ADJUSTMENTS TO LOCAL TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS

Last week, I attended the Elderly & Disabled Transportation Advisory Committee (E&D TAC) meeting, affiliated with the County’s Regional Transportation Commission (RTC).  This is a great group of people who are independent, astute, and want to work together in a cooperative way to improve the transportation options and public safety in our County for everyone, but especially those who are blind, low-vision, or with mobility challenges.  They are kind, reasonable, respectful, and have a wonderful sense of humor.

The Committee had a full agenda, including the review of how the Measure D sales tax money will be spent.

Here are my notes:

Spend about 1/4 of money on Highway 9 in Boulder Creek to improve sidewalks Anna Eshoo got the County $3.4 million in federal money.

PAGE 148:   Agenda-October

Highway Corridors get 25% of revenues.

Continue implementation of previously approved projects. Includes funding and financing plans approved by the RTC in Spring 2022 to leverage federal, state, and other grants. The proposed Highway Corridors 5-Year Plan updates include:

• Highway 1 – 41st Ave to Soquel Ave Auxiliary Lanes & Bus on Shoulder and Chanticleer Bike/Pedestrian Overcrossing. Update funding based on actual expenditures in prior years and shift previously approved funds between years and based on the current project schedule. In September the RTC programmed an additional $1.8 million Measure D based on construction bid amount.

Total Measure D programmed: $5 million

• Highway 1 – State Park Drive to Bay/Porter St Auxiliary Lanes & Bus on Shoulder, reconstruction of Capitola Avenue Overcrossing and Bicycle/Pedestrian Overcrossing at Mar Vista Drive. Update funding based on actuals and shift previously approved funds between years and based on the current project schedule.

Total Measure D programmed: $18 million

• Highway 1 – Freedom to State Park/Coastal Rail Trail Segment 12 Project: Add $33 million in Measure D based on updated cost estimates over amount programmed by RTC in May 2022. These funds are being used for preconstruction and to serve as the local match for upcoming competitive grant applications for the Auxiliary Lanes & Bus on Shoulders, widening of the bridge over Aptos Creek/Spreckels Drive, 2 new Hwy 1 bicycle and pedestrian overcrossings, 2 new Soquel Drive bicycle and pedestrian overcrossings as part of Segment 12 of the Coastal Rail Trail through Aptos Village. (also partially funded by Measure D-Active Transportation/Trail)

Total Measure D programmed: $123 million

The RTC is applying for a $100 million grant and will know next spring if they get it.

PAGE 149:

Active Transportation/MBSST-Coastal Rail Trail (17% of revenues)

• Electric Rail Transit & Trail Project: Add funds (exact amount to be determined following receipt of top qualified consultant’s cost proposal) to partially fund preconstruction phases of Segments 13-20 as part of the Electric Rail Transit & Trail Project for professional services, project management, and community outreach. This funding will also serve as the local match to leverage state and federal grants.

Work on passenger rail transit will be funded by Measure D-Rail category funding.

In another item on the E&D TAC, a fellow from AMBAG wanted suggestions for funding pedestrian-friendly projects that would connect dense housing areas.  I suggested the Kaiser Medical Project area that currently has no public transportation and no sidewalks.

WHY DID OVER $12,000 IN MEASURE D FUNDS GET SPENT TO HELP SWENSON IN APTOS VILLAGE?

Last July, County Public Works abruptly closed Soquel Drive in Aptos Village without notifying the business owners or public.  Why?  Because someone high up in Dept. of Public Works made a decision to help Swenson again by using Measure D funds to pay for slurry seal on Soquel Drive and paint new markings to accommodate Swenson’s Parade Street entrance to the Aptos Village Project, but the slurry contractor was ready to go back home to Sacramento.

Poof!  Close the main road and coat the road.

I filed a Public Records Act request to find out how much this favor to Swenson cost the taxpayers.  I learned that the rapid decision came at the last minute, using about $12,000 in Measure D Resurfacing funds that had not been approved publicly by the Board of Supervisors or budgeted.

Take a look at these responsive public documents

I have been able to successfully open and review them.

However, it is still unclear who caused Mr. Nguyen to issue the initial Change Work Order in early June to Mr. Orozco (not Ms. Duran) for the Measure D re-surfacing to include the area of Soquel Drive accommodating Phase 2A for Swenson Builders.

This work cost the taxpayers nearly $11,000 and caused a closure on Soquel Drive that was not properly noticed to the local merchants or the public.

I have written the County to ask for those pieces of correspondence, but have received no response.

This reminds me of what former County Public Works Dept. Traffic Engineer Jack Sohriakoff told me about the Aptos Village Project agreements….”There are written agreements, and there are unwritten agreements.”

That definitely seems to be the case.

IMPROVING OCEAN STREET…TO BENEFIT DEVELOPERS?

City of Santa Cruz staff announced at last week’s RTC Elderly & Disabled Transportation Advisory Committee meeting that next year, it will spend $1.5 million to improve Ocean Street with resurfacing and pedestrian safety improvements between Water Street and Plymouth Avenue, near Highway One. (SEE PAGE 167): https://sccrtc.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/01_Agenda-October.pdf  It struck me that this is the same general location of a mammoth development at 908 Ocean Street.  Sure enough, the Project is under pre-application review with a new developer applying.  908 Ocean Street *New Pre-Application | City of Santa Cruz

When I inquired about why the City would spend $1.5 million to improve Ocean Street and quickly have the developer’s construction tear it up, the staff replied, somewhat irritated, that “we don’t know when this project will be built, but the City has a grant for $1.5 million that has to be spent now to improve Ocean Street. The developer will be required to restore any damage caused during construction, but most of the utility work will happen on May Avenue, not Ocean Street.”

Hmmm… a developer would normally be required to improve the streets impacted by their development.  So, why is the City of Santa Cruz using public grant money to do it for this large 908 Ocean Street developer?

When I phoned the Planner reviewing the Pre-Application, I learned the new developer is High No. Cal Development, Inc., with the parent company of Trammell Crow

Here is what Trammell Crow has asked to do, even before the property transaction is complete:

Pre-application for the demolition of commercial and residential buildings, the combination of 20 parcels and the construction of a mixed-use development with 351 dwelling units (requesting a 35% density bonus from a base density project of 260 units) and 7,850 square feet of commercial space.

Is the City Public Works Dept. working to accommodate this new developer?  Ask Curtis Busenhart 420-5175

WHY WASN’T THE DRAFT COUNTYWIDE FIRE CODE INCLUDED IN CENTRAL FIRE DISTRICT BOARD AGENDA PACKET?

Last Thursday’s Central Fire Board Meeting agenda packet failed to include a copy of the Draft Fire Code of Santa Cruz County, which will update regulations Countywide in a uniform manner, seemingly with no oversight or review by individual fire agencies.  Fire Marshal DeMars explained this year, things are being done differently, and only the County Board of Supervisors will have jurisdiction on the approval of the updated Fire Code.

The curious thing is that Fire Marshal DeMars did not include the Draft Countywide Fire Code in the Central Fire Board agenda packet in Item 11, the final item on the agenda.  There is only a one-page vague timeline of approvals on page 210 (the last page) but with the definite date of January 1, 2023 when the new rules take affect.

Fire Marshal DeMars did say that the Draft Countywide Fire Code will be reviewed and possibly adopted by the Board of Supervisors on November 15.

The Board did not seem interested in this, even when I spoke up that the public will not know of these potentially sweeping and strict regulations until 72 hours before the Board of Supervisor meeting to consider the matter.  The Board did not seem to care that the Draft regulations were not included in their agenda packet for them to see.

“You can find it in our packet from last month,” said one Director.  I had to remind him that last month’s document for the item was incomplete, including only the final page of what was obviously a larger document.

‘Oh.  Well, you know more about this than I do.” the Director said.  YIKES!

Fire Marshal DeMars reminded me that he had handed me a hard copy of the Draft at the last Board meeting, when the matter had been postponed for the Board to review Central Fire District’s Fire Code updates for 2023.  That document was clearly a work in progress, and he had informed the Board that the Fire Code Committee was going to review it the following day.

“There were no changes to that document,” he assured me, as I stood in front of the Fire Board asking for more public transparency of the proposed rules.

I left the meeting feeling very troubled, and at the same time incredulous, that the Central Fire Board members seemed so uninterested in such a potentially influential document that will affect the entire County, and did not seem bothered that they were not allowed to see it.

A kind staff member followed me out into the parking lot, and informed me that there was a Draft hard copy of the Santa Cruz County Fire Code in the lobby.  It is 21 pages of serious stuff.  She kindly made a copy upon my request.

I have scanned and attached it to this Blog, because I feel the public needs time to read this and contact your Supervisor.  It seems the fire agencies are now completely out of the loop, as is the County Fire Dept. Advisory Commission, a liaison to the Board.

There are significant changes to regulations relating to buildings, roads (Chapter 7.92.503 adds “Fire Apparatus Access Roads”), bridges, abatement and enforcement.  Of note is the amended creation of the “Board of Appeals”.  (Chapter 7.93.111.1) This will change the composition to include members of the various fire jurisdiction boards to serve as the Appeal Board.  Currently, the Board of Supervisors holds that power for the County.  However, it used to be a Committee of local industry people that would consider all such fire and building appeals, but then-CAO Susan Mauriello changed the rules to do away with that in about 2009, essentially stripping any hope of a reasonable or fair hearing away from the people aggrieved.

At the time of this writing, the document is still not provided on the Central Fire Dept. website, however, upon a call to Central Fire District (685-6690), I am assured it will be soon found on   the Community Risk Reduction webpage for the District.

Please read all 21 pages carefully and contact your County Supervisor with your thoughts.  They will review this document on November 15.

SEND FIREFIGHTERS HOME FOR LACK OF HAVING ENGINES FOR RESPONSE?

Another shocking bit of news came from last Thursday’s Central Fire District Board meeting in that it was revealed the City of Santa Cruz Fire Dept. has had to borrow a fire engine from Central Fire District because there weren’t enough to cover shift personnel needs.

Central Fire Board approved a first-ever policy to charge rental fees on borrowed equipment after three days.   Staff regretted having to charge the City of Santa Cruz for what would usually be a Good Neighbor agreement, but it has become clear that the City has long-term problems with its equipment.

At one point, Chief Nee stated, the City Fire Dept. had five engines out of service.

The 2021 Santa Cruz County LAFCO Countywide Service and Sphere Review had this to report about Santa Cruz City Fire Dept.:

2. The Department has financial constraints. SCCFD has ended with an annual deficit during the last six years. As of June 30, 2020, the City is operating with a net position of approximately $54 million. LAFCO believes that this negative trend will continue unless total revenue is increased in order to cover annual costs.

Fire MSR Staff Report

Here is a link to the newly-approved Central Fire District’s Fee Assessment Schedule and  Agreement, Item 10.9, beginning on page 197

Does this worry you, too?

Contact the City Council <citycouncil@cityofsantacruz.com>

GRAND JURY INVESTIGATIONS NEED YOU

The Santa Cruz County Civil Grand Jury has been doing some excellent investigations and publishing reports that are meaningful.  Although they have no enforcement power, the Grand Jury can bring to light findings, based on their unlimited ability to interview people and view documents.

I encourage you to file a Complaint with the Grand Jury if you feel there is really something amiss in local government.  One good example might be this:  Why didn’t Santa Cruz County Fire Dept. or CalFire conduct an After Action Review of the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex Fire and include the volunteers in the process that will improve planning and response for the next disaster?

To date, the County Fire Dept. volunteers have not been involved in anything except dismissals because they stayed to defend their neighborhoods and witnessed questionable back-burns and non-response.

Grand Jury

THIS COULD BE YOU

Think about this a moment:  What have we learned in the last few years about fire defensible space, home hardening and what to do if a wildland fire happens?  Can rural residents depend on emergency responders showing up?  Maybe not.  Do people still want to live in the rural areas?  Yes.

Fire knows no jurisdictional boundaries, and people living in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) know that and have to accept the risk, while meanwhile appreciating and thriving in the peace of the rural communities, shared by deer, wild turkeys, bob cats, mountain lions and many, many birds and insects, breathing  clean air amidst the woodland shade.  Forcing these people to live in a 400SF “affordable by design” box in a concrete/pavement-ladened city is a recipe for unhappiness and an empty soul.

Opinion: Climate change puts these readers’ rural towns at risk. Why they want to rebuild

Many thanks to the leaders of two very active FireWise Communities for working together with local officials to recognized the issues of rural and semi-rural living:

Your local Firewise groups invite you to a Town Hall Community Meeting on fire and emergency preparedness Tuesday, October 18, from 6:30pm to 8:00pm at DeLaveaga Elementary School.

Prospect Heights Firewise and Highland Firewise are hosting this event with the vision of creating a constructive dialogue with our public leaders on these important issues. We have invited City and County elected representatives and agency heads to give us status reports on the issues of fire preparedness, improved communications, homelessness response, and evacuation planning.

There will be time for questions and problem-solving about our shared concerns at the conclusion of the presentations.

Speakers will include: City Councilmembers Kalantari-Johnson, Meyers, Watkins,

First District Supervisor Manu Koenig, as well as representatives from the City Fire

Department, Police Department, Parks and Recreation, Office of Homelessness

Response, and local faith communities.

This is an opportunity to hear some encouraging updates, learn about the difficulties we face, and find ways to work on solutions together in an atmosphere of mutual respect. We thank City Councilmember Kalantari-Johnson for partnering with us in planning this event. This is an in-person meeting, however a recording will be available after the event for viewing online. For more information contact:

abby.young@firesafessantacruzcounty.org or info@highlandfirewise.org

JUST SAY NO TO MEASURE K & L – HERE IS WHY

How many additional taxes can any one property owner on a fixed income manage to pay, and still have money for food and water? Santa Cruz City School District is coming back for more…and more.. and more, without really making good on what they promised the voters they would do with the previous taxes.

I remember helping campaign for the last round of those school bonds, Measure A and Measure B.  Our homeschool was promised nice permanent structures to replace the rotting wooden portables we could stick our finger through with ease.  We all worked hard, and the Measures passed. Did our school get what was promised?  NO.  The bulk of the money went to Bayview Elementary, and to what turned out to be a needless excavation around Branciforte Grammar School for drainage when simply fixing a roof drain pipe would have fixed the lower level flooding problem.

The homeschoolers got more portables, and lost the school garden and many beloved trees in the process.

As parents, and former parents, we all know that saying NO is important to help kids learn many things.  Likewise, saying NO to Measures K and L will be fiscally responsible for those who are barely making ends meet now, and to teach those in charge of the school budgets that they have to be accountable and responsible for how they spend public tax dollars, and to stop being so ridiculously wasteful.

Measure K Argument Against
Measure K Argument For Rebuttal
Measure L Argument Against
Measure L Argument For Rebuttal

WRITE ONE LETTER.  MAKE ONE CALL.  VOTE IN PERSON, BUT VOTE.  

MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE THIS WEEK BY JUST DOING SOMETHING.

Cheers, Becky

October 10

COUNTY DROUGHT PLAN THAT INCLUDES POTENTIAL CONSOLIDATIONS FOR SMALL WATER SYSTEMS AND PRIVATE WELL OWNERS IS OPEN FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ONLY THIS WEEK

Last week, the County Water Advisory Commission approved the County’s Draft Drought Response and Outreach Plan that could affect many small water systems and private domestic wells.  Public Comment will close THIS Friday, October 14.

DRAFT Santa Cruz County Drought Response and Outreach Plan for Domestic Wells and Small Water Systems

This has come about in response to the State law, known as SB 552 that requires all counties to submit a plan for drought preparedness, and includes recommendations for consolidations and metering requirements.

 The Plan must include a discussion of the following: 

1. Consolidations for existing water systems and domestic wells. 
2. Domestic well drinking water mitigation programs. 
3. Provision of emergency and interim drinking water solutions. 
4. An analysis of the steps necessary to implement the plan. 
5. An analysis of local, state, and federal funding sources available to implement the plan

Oddly, the video recordings of the Working Group meetings, wherein the good discussions of what the recommendations should be, have all been removed from the SB 552 Working Group website.

I had asked for the recordings to be posted for public benefit.  They were.  But now are gone.

The Draft Plan has some issues that concern me.

I really worry about the County forcing consolidations of small water systems that do not meet the State’s criteria for “troubled” to mean not having a lot of cash banked ahead in reserves.  The Working Group discussed this issue thoroughly, but the Draft DROP plan does not really address it.

The Working Group’s frank discussion that the State SB 552 one-size-fits-all requirements does not fit Santa Cruz County is missing from the recommendations.  Also missing is language reflecting the repeated request by some of the Working Group members and small water system operators who participated that consolidation of small water systems and private domestic wells is not a goal here or to be necessarily encouraged.

And now that the video recordings have been removed from the Working Group’s website, no one can know what really was said or recommended for this final Plan.

The map on page 11, showing areas of the county most vulnerable to wells going dry or suffering contamination during drought includes Bonny Doon, Summit, Harmon Gulch, Lockhart Gulch and Casserly Road areas, although there is no source given for this information.  The map does not show areas of Soquel Creek Water District where there are problems with toxic Chromium 6 and 1, 2, 3 -TCP, or the ammonia contamination in the Soquel area’s O’Neill Ranch Well.

The figure on page 13 showing indicators of Disadvantaged Communities that would be most adversely affected by long-term drought is impossible to read, however, the accompanying text on the preceding page explains:

” …the staff referenced DWR maps (2018) showing locations of Disadvantaged Communities (DACs) within the County. DACs are defined in Water Code 79505.5 as a community with an annual median household income (MHI) that is less than 80% of the statewide annual median household income, or $56,982. A severely disadvantaged community is defined by MHI below 60% of the statewide average, or $43,737 (2022). As shown in Figure 3, the DAC communities that are dependent on domestic wells are mostly in South County, including many of the areas surrounding the City of Watsonville such as Interlaken, Freedom, Corralitos, La Selva Beach, Larkin Valley and other rural neighborhoods. These areas also coincide with areas of high risk to water supply and water quality impacts (Due to high risk of impacts to water supply and water quality, and socioeconomic vulnerability, these communities are likely among the most vulnerable to drought-related impacts to domestic wells in Santa Cruz County. “

I really don’t understand how anyone could consider Larkin Valley a Disadvantaged Community, with all the large mansions and horse farms there, and this does not exactly comport with the State Water Quality Control Board’s designation of Disadvantage Communities, issued on January 29, 2021:

The list of Santa Cruz Disadvantaged Communities listed in Item 7, Attachment #1.

Santa Cruz County Specific Census Tract or Block Group Areas:

• Amesti
• Capitola
• Davenport
• Santa Cruz
• Soquel
• Twin Lakes
• Watsonville

It also differs from information presented in documentation for the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board on the Agenda for this Friday, October 14 regarding the Pajaro Basin

Senate Bill 552 Compliance

Please read the Draft Plan that will affect many small water systems and private domestic wells in the County, and submit your comments by 5PM on October 14th. Comments can be sent to Denice Barnes Denice.Barnes@santacruzcounty.us

HELICOPTER FLIGHTS NEXT MONTH TO ASSESS GROUNDWATER LEVELS

Last week’s County Water Advisory Commission learned that the State-funded helicopter flight surveys to determine groundwater levels will happen in this area next month.  The study will include the Pajaro Valley Basin, Mid County Basin and the Santa Margarita Basin, but will not fly over residential areas.

It will be very interesting to see how the groundwater levels have changed in the Mid

County Basin since 2017, when the MidCounty Groundwater Agency hired the Danish Rambol consultants to do this work.

Curious about this technology and the State’s program?  Take a look here and keep your eye to the skies next month.

SANTA CRUZ CITY WATER PROJECTS

Last Monday (10/3), the Santa Cruz City Water Commission heard a lengthy report about drought and the economics of possible supply sources.  I was shocked to hear potential revenues of over $1million due to penalties the City would impose for using more water than allotted and for customers who might not be able to pay their water bills.

See the documentation beginning on page 13 of the Agenda Packet, item #3.  The public was not allowed to speak until the very end of the two and a half hour item in which multiple consultants presented information.  Commissioners were allowed to ask questions and posit comments without any restriction, after which the consultants were excused and logged off the meeting.

There were only two members of the public who waited and wanted to speak.  I was one of them, and quickly used up my 3 minutes with many more questions unanswered.  No extra time allowed.

Of interest was the presenter who lumped desalination project data along with direct potable reuse DPR) data.  The other public member who waited about 150 minutes to ask one question wanted to know what “DPR” meant and why it was combined with Desal?  Water Director Ms. Menard answered the question because the consultant who had presented the information was long gone.  She said it was because the two use similar technology: Desal has to remove salt and DPR has to remove many contaminants found in the sewage water that is the supply source.

Take a look at the Agenda Packet and let me know your thoughts.

Unfortunately, none of the slide presentations used by the many consultants is posted on the City Water Commission website.

Please write and ask that they be posted this week.  The Commission will meet again on the first Monday of November via Zoom.  Wouldn’t it be nice if all slide presentations on the continued topic of City Water Supply projects were posted in advance of that meeting?  Contact Katy Fitzgerald<kfitzgerald@cityofsantacruz.com>

GOOD NEWS FOR COHO SALMON IN LOCAL CREEKS

Staff members from Santa Cruz City Water Dept.  who attended last week’s County Water Advisory Commission stated that recently, young Coho Salmon fry have been found in Laguna Creek (for the third year) and surprisingly, in Majors Creek.  These two North Coast Santa Cruz County streams are doing well, even in the drought.  Hooray!

CENTRAL FIRE HAS FIRST-EVER DISTRICT-BASED ELECTIONS

Earlier this year, Central Fire District Board voted to change over to district-based elections, having always had at-large Board elections before. The newly-created District 5 includes everyone on the ocean-side of Highway One from New Brighton Beach to south of La Selva Beach.  Here is the map for the new District #5, currently up for election with two candidates

Watch for a Candidate Forum for Denise Miller and Michael Hushaw.

What do they think about vegetation management projects in their areas to reduce fire risks?  What about the AMR contract and staffing problems?

WHERE DO YOU THINK CHARGING STATIONS SHOULD BE?

Do you drive an electric car and have thoughts about where charging stations are needed? Weigh in with your thoughts here. I would like to see some in the Aptos Village Project, and the Aptos Post Office.

REMOVING THE MILL CREEK DAM IN SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS

One of the oldest dams in the Santa Cruz Mountains was removed, with consent of CEMEX, and perhaps Lockheed Martin.  After the CZU Fire destroyed the water supply line on Mills Creek, CEMEX agreed to pay for restoring the water line, and agreed to allow the Sempervirens Fund to remove the historic Mills Creek Dam.

Sempervirens got a $550,000 grant to demolish the dam, and it was done last year.

Now, the area will be managed by five California tribes, with a $3.6 million state grant.  According to Yahoo News:

“The tribes will rely on their traditional knowledge to protect more than 200 miles of coastline in the state, as climate change and human activity have impacted the vast area.

Some of the tribes’ work will include monitoring salmon after the removal of a century-old defunct dam in the redwood forests in the Santa Cruz Mountains and testing for toxins in shellfish, while also educating future generations on traditional practices.”

California tribes will manage, protect state coastal areas Five California tribes will reclaim their right to manage coastal land significant to their history under a first-in-the-nation program backed with $3.6 million in state money.

The dam has already been removed: NEWS: Mill Creek Dam Removed in Santa Cruz Mountains – Sempervirens Fund

Here is a link to the 1889 dam’s information, showing Lockheed-Martin’s involvement

What lingers in my mind is the Sempervirens Fund push in 2015 for “The Great Park”.  At the time, private land was circled in red.  Now, following the CZU Fire, whose boundaries closely match that of the CZU Fire, many whose homes were destroyed are being told by CalFire and the County that they will never be allowed to rebuild.

It seems the Sempervirens Fund group is getting their Great Park after all.

CLEARING MORE IN LAST CHANCE FOR FIRE PROTECTION

This Wednesday, the Santa Cruz County Resource Conservation District (RCD) will likely approve a contract for $398,585.09 with Steve Barnes Excavation for implementation of the Last Chance Road Forest Health Project.

Residents struggling to rebuild after the CZU Fire tore through their community are delighted that Steve Barnes got this contract to do work on the lands to improve forest rehabilitation while mindfully not ruining the fragile Last Chance Road.

Board Meeting Documents | RCD of Santa Cruz County There is a public meeting of the Board of Directors on the second Wednesday of each month at 6:30 pm, unless otherwise posted.

Tune in this Wednesday evening and ask!

October 12, 2022

6:30pm – 8:00pm

Location: Online. Launch web meeting.
By phone 1-(669)-900-6833 US (San Jose)
Meeting ID: 708-386-048, Meeting Password: 599600

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE CALIFORNIA HOUSING MARKET TRENDS?  BUILD, BABY, BUILD.

Here are two interesting pieces of information:

• The State is dumping millions of dollars into fast-tracking housing booms.
• Yet, housing market data trends show there may be no one able to buy the units.

Infrastructure?  What infrastructure?

WRITE ONE LETTER.  MAKE ONE CALL.  TAKE A HEALTHY MEAL AND FLOWERS TO SOMEONE WHO REALLY WORRIES WHETHER OR NOT WE WILL HAVE A NUCLEAR WAR ON OUR HANDS.

MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE THIS WEEK AND JUST DO SOMETHING.

Cheers, Becky

NEW UV TREATMENT FOR SANTA CRUZ CITY SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT SHOULD HELP THE HEALTH OF OUR OCEAN AND SURFERS

I happened to see that the Santa Cruz City Council accepted a Report of Completion for the new Ultra Violet (UV) Treatment facility at the sewage treatment plant at 110 California Street, next to Neary Lagoon.  That is really good news.  The Regional Water Quality Control Board had been waving a stick at the City for problems with the old UV disinfection system, leading to higher than allowed contamination levels dumping into the Pacific Ocean outfall pipe (which has a leak).

The project cost?

FISCAL IMPACT: The total project cost was $3,597,524. This project was funded a Capital Investment Program (CIP) project (WWTF – Ultraviolet Disinfection System Replacement (c401504). There is no impact to the General Fund.

This was all presented in the September 13, 2022 Santa Cruz City Council Consent Agenda Item #23

CITY OF SANTA CRUZ WILL STUDY RECYCLED WATER FEASIBILITY AS PART OF WATER SUPPLY PROJECT PLAN COMING IN NOVEMBER

The drought has revived discussion about water supplies, and I hear desalination mentioned more.  The Santa Cruz City Council received an update on the blueprint for projects to fund that will address the City’s water needs on September 13, approving a fourth change order to the analysis being done by Kennedy Jenks consultants to help steer the City’s efforts and money toward what will be the best water supply sources for the future.

What might they consider?  Desalination is still on the board, but not a priority.

Stay tuned for this November when the Council will hear the final version of the Water Future Initiative, currently being vetted by the City Water Commission, setting the foundation for long-term water supply projects to get started and comply with the citizen-based Water Supply Advisory Committee (WSAC) recommendations made in 2014 after the people just said NO to desalination’s energy hog technology in favor of focused conservation and water sharing with neighboring water agencies.

WHAT WENT WRONG AND WHY?

There are still so many unanswered questions about how  and why the CZU Lightning Complex Fire went awry to destroy over 900 homes, claim a life, and forever traumatize thousands of people in our County, and now the County refusing to issue permits and barring the majority of these people any ability to rebuild.

CalFire refused to do an After Action Review to examine anything, or benefit by recognizing mistakes as well as successes that would help improve training and operations for the next disaster.

This is not the only case of a large government agency that is broken and dysfunctional but refuses to address actions in disasters that did not work for the benefit of the people and the environment.  Take a look at this recent 60-Minutes interview regarding the Caldor Fire:

Evidence shows U.S. Forest Service mismanagement contributed to California wildfire | 60 Minutes

Why are these large government agencies refusing to be accountable?  Their actions are arguably criminal.

What is an After Action Review? Take a look at what the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) has to say

In this reference listed, the author includes Tips for Conducting Effective After Action Reviews, defining it as a “simple powerful tool enabling them [emergency response agencies] to continuously learn from their daily experiences”.  At the conclusion of the article, there are Tips for Conducting AARS (After Action Reviews).

The question remains: Why has CalFire refused to do this and rejected any involvement by the well-trained and competent Santa Cruz County Fire Department volunteers who possess valuable local knowledge?  At this point, our only hope for an effective Review and improved emergency response is the County Civil Grand Jury.

 Please contact them.

MAJOR CHANGES TO COUNTY LAND USE POLICIES SCHEDULED NOVEMBER 15 FOR BOARD OF SUPERVISOR CONSIDERATION

Coming our way on November 15, the Board of Supervisors will take a first look at the major land use policies and County General Plan Update that will guide what our communities look and feel like for decades to come.

The County Planning Commissioners were under pressure to work feverishly and complete their review of the County Sustainability Update, General Plan Update, and the Draft EIR for it all.  They crossed that finish line on September 21, but we have yet to see their many recommendations in print. You can listen to the audio recording of that long meeting here, and have some idea, although staff had discretion on a number of items.

This is a big deal.

Please take time to listen to the September 21 Planning Commission recording.  Contact the Supervisors with your thoughts at: boardofsupervisors@santacruzcounty.us

 You can find the original documents here.

Choose a topic that interests you most and read it.  Talk with your friends and neighbors about their thoughts.

We cannot be silent on this critical issue that will affect us all for generations to come.

This is a current photo of downtown Santa Cruz, but would be common in Pleasure Point under the current proposed County General Plan Update to allow 45-80 units / acre.

GRAND JURY INVESTIGATION AND THE LIVE OAK “LIBRARY” ANNEX

The Grand Jury released some excellent reports, including results of investigating misrepresentation and use of Measure S Library funds: “How a Community Center Became a Library”. 2022-3 Measure S Report

“The Annex (currently being constructed) is about one mile from the existing Live Oak Branch Library. The Annex is, in essence, a collection of study and education spaces with publicly available computers and internet that will be managed by County Parks staff. Santa Cruz Public Libraries (SCPL) will not have librarians or books for loan at this location.“

The Grand Jury has concluded that the Annex is an expansion of the Live Oak Community Center and not an expansion of the Live Oak Branch Library. Following the State’s elimination of redevelopment agencies, County Parks was left without a ready source of capital funds needed to complete the vision of the Community Center. Measure S filled the void. The Grand Jury recommends that the County Board of Supervisors reassess its decision to use Measure S funds to improve the Live Oak Community Center and restore the voters’ trust.

Remember this problem as you consider how to vote on bond measures this November.

Here are some photos of the “Library” construction happening right now to enlarge the Simpkins Swim Center Community Center:
The entrance to Simpkins Swim Center.	Entrance to existing Community Center and construction of new “Library” that will have no books or library staff.

WILL THESE STRUCTURES BE SAFE FOR THOSE WHO LIVE AND WORK THERE?

Great progress has been made at the 1500 Capitola Road Dientes and Medical Clinics, and now the multiple three-story apartments are under construction where 57 affordable units will be.  The question is:  Will the Vapor Intrusion Mitigation System (VIMS) that requires constant pressure at the foundation and utility ports work when the electricity goes out, or in a seismic disaster?

  Will the tenants even know about all this?

The County does not seem to care, and did not want to do any real remediation to remove the source of the PCE contamination at the former dry cleaning business adjacent.  The plume of contamination is also in the groundwater and should be at least monitored…but is it?  Nope.

Take a look at the photos below.  Note the large fan in operation with an open door, after all work crews had left the site.  This is likely necessary for the safety of the workers.
This photo is taken from the highly-contaminated side of the parcel, showing Dientes Clinic and apartments under construction.	Here is the other side of that Dientes Clinic and the quad where three interpretive panels will go, recognizing the historic Merriman House and Robert Merriman’s importance as the key character in ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’ by Ernest Hemingway.
This high-volume fan was operating at high speed with the door ajar, long after crews had left.	The Community Garden space on the side of the parcel opposite the PCE contamination.  Will it be healthy for kids and their families to grow food here?

FREE WATER FOR 50 YEARS WHILE COUNTY PARKS LAWNS ARE BROWN

The Soquel Creek Water District ratepayers are gifting FREE water for 50 years to irrigate athletic fields at Twin Lakes Baptist Church in Aptos, where the District Manager is a member of the congregation. Meanwhile, Anna Jean Cummings Park play areas are parched and brown because the water is just too expensive.

Is Soquel Creek Water District planning to provide any irrigation uses for the recycled water project currently under construction?  NOPE.

Does any of this seem right to you?

The photo on the right: Crews are working to significantly expand the Twin Lakes Baptist Church private school athletic fields that will benefit by having FREE water for 50 years, thanks to Soquel Creek Water District ratepayers and public tax monies building the PureWater Soquel Project.

MOVING AHEAD TO ATTACH LARGE PRESSURIZED PIPES OF CONTAMINATED EFFLUENT

The Soquel Creek Water District has resumed work on the Laurel Street Bridge crossing the San Lorenzo River to attach a 14″ pipe that will contain pressurized treated sewage water that will have high levels of chloramine, toxic to all aquatic life.  There will also be a 6″ pipe attached that will contain pressurized concentrated waste “brine” returning from the PureWater Soquel treatment plant in Live Oak, and will contain toxic disinfection byproducts in addition to the contaminants removed from the treated sewage water.

The work was delayed last spring, thanks to the excellent work by Ms. Jane Mio, who pointed out to California Fish & Wildlife biologists that the construction on the Laurel Street Bridge would disrupt the migratory Cliff Swallows nesting there.  Thankfully, the District had to halt their work.  None of this was ever evaluated in the Project EIR certified by the District in December, 2018 or addressed in either the 2020 or 2021 Environmental Addendums, neither of which was released for public comment.

MAKE ONE CALL.  WRITE ONE LETTER.  LISTEN TO THE COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION HEARINGS ABOUT THE GENERAL PLAN UPDATES.  ATTEND A CANDIDATE FORUM.

MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE THIS WEEK BY JUST DOING SOMETHING.

Cheers, Becky

September 26

DESTROYING THE PLEASURE POINT COMMUNITY WITH ULTRA-DENSE RE-ZONING 

Last Wednesday (9/21), the County Planning Commission met virtually to continue review of the County Draft Sustainability Plan, Draft General Plan Update, and Draft EIR.  A few members of the public were in attendance.  Several people spoke out to protest and question why Pleasure Point has been targeted to have all of the new Ultra High Flex (UHF) zoning that would allow 45-80 units/acre all on Portola Drive.

See page 253-254

Commissioner Shepherd revealed that Planning Staff had answered her question about what appeals might cost for zoning appeals to the Planning Commission…$199/hour with a likely minimum of 10 staff hours…and up.  That means any of the business owners who will be obliterated with this dense 45-80 units/acre in the concentrated area will have to pay over $2000 to appeal and try to save their businesses.

Commissioners Rachel Dann and Allyson Violante (both are analyst aides to County Supervisors) had worked together to present a comprehensive list of questions for staff.  Some questioned why public notice was being reduced or eliminated for project applications in their rural neighborhoods and why notices would be sent out for a vacation rental permit application, no notice would be sent for a B&B that could host up to 25 guests.

Commissioner Lazenby felt that projects in neighborhoods with small parcels should get a higher level of review when project heights are a consideration.  Bravo. Hopefully this will be reflected in how staff amends Code 13.10.323(F)(6)(a) regarding noticing.

Commissioners also discussed Code Chapter 18.10 and 18.62 regarding on-site notice posting and insisted such notices are clearly accessible and visible to the average person.  [I wanted to tell them the story of Barry Swenson posting the Aptos Village Project change hearing notices that were mostly hidden behind the chain link fencing and a portable toilet.]

Commissioner Shepherd agreed that there should be good public notice of all such projects because it would “save misery if the neighbors know what’s happening.”  Bravo.  Hopefully, their suggested changes will show up in the Board’s copy of Code Section 13.10.322 and chapter BE-24 in the Sustainable Plan Guidelines.

Commissioner Dann felt the Draft Plan to reduce the amount of open space required for large dense developments from 15% down to 10% area was not a good idea.  She felt all units should have decks that could be counted as Open Space.   Commissioner Shepherd agreed, stating that corridors within a building should not be allowed to be counted as “Common Open Space”.  Bravo, again!

Well, all that good discussion took nearly three hours, and continued into the afternoon following a lunch break.  I could not stay to listen, but am grateful that  the recording for the Sept. 21, 2022 meeting is available here

It appears the Commission completed their assigned task of reviewing the entire massive documentation that will create new land use policies and truly change the quality of life in our County

The next opportunity for public participation will be the Board of Supervisors and likely soon.  I encourage you to listen to the Planning Commission discussion recordings, read what you can about what you care most about, and contact your Supervisor.

This is a big deal.

NEW BIKE LANES FOR WATSONVILLE WILL CONNECT TO FAIRGROUNDS AREA AND LIKELY HELP THE PROPOSED NEW COUNTY PARK ADJACENT

Watsonville City Council approved partnering with CalTrans to reconfigure Main Street and Highway 152 through the City, beginning at Highway One and traveling out past the County Fairgrounds to within 0.5 mile of Carlton Road, adding sidewalks and Class 4 protected bike lanes within the City Limits.

Focusing on “Re-imagining Downtown”, the project will reduce the number of traffic lanes within the downtown areas (termed a “road diet”) and add bulb-out sidewalk planters to slow traffic, hopefully reducing the existing pedestrian hazards.

CalTrans will pay 100% of the project costs.

Mayor Ari Parker and Councilwoman Rebecca Garcia expressed their thanks to CalTrans for the financial help but relayed constituent concerns about how putting the downtown thoroughfare on a diet would cause bloated congestion on auxiliary neighborhood routes.  Staff assured them the traffic will be monitored and flexible for change to accommodate problems.  One mitigation could be converting two-way traffic to one-way travel.

You can review the documents and listen to the Council audio recording of this Sept. 13 item 8a in New Business, Complete Streets:

INTEGRATING COMPLETE STREETS INFRASTRUCTURE & COMPONENTS ALONG STATE ROUTE 152 WITHIN THE CITY (Recommended by Public Works & Utilities Director Di Renzo) – City Council Meeting – September 13, 2022

Take a look at the span of the project, due to begin construction in 2031

Will the sections of Highway 152 in the County Unincorporated Area also include a Class 4 protected bike land and sidewalks?  I hope so.    Besides improving safety for Lakeview Middle School and St. Francis High School students and staff, this would significantly aid safe public access to the proposed new County Park at 188 Whiting Road, for which the County has secured a Purchase Agreement to buy and plans a new sports complex.

No County staff has yet responded to my message inquiries regarding what the bike lanes and sidewalks will look like along Highway 152 in the Unincorporated Area.  I was surprised to learn that the Watsonville City Limits in that area do not include or even come near the major Holohan Road intersection. Take a look! 

Contact County Public Works to find out about the portions of this large project in the Unincorporated Area, and ask for Class 4 Protected Bike Lanes and sidewalks.   831-454-2160 or Director Matt Machadomatt.machado@santacruzcounty.us

UGLY RENDERING OF PROPOSED NEW DOWNTOWN LIBRARY BURIED IN PARKING TO BENEFIT OTHER DEVELOPERS

Take a look at the slide presentation renderings for the proposed new Downtown Library.  Boy, is it ever ugly!

What gets buried in all this, in addition to a library suffering misrepresentational use of Measure S funds, is that the parking garage will greatly benefit other large developers who may not want to have to build parking for their towers.  Think about that.  It is all coming our way soon but could be halted with a YES vote on Measure O this November.

COUNTY COMMISSIONS REALLY NEED WORK

The Commissions appointed by County Supervisors are supposed to be advisory groups acting as liaisons between the public and the Board.  However, some are so dysfunctional, they are worthless.

One example is the County Fire Advisory Commission (FDAC).  This group’s purpose is to make recommendations to the Board on matters related to wildland fire and emergency response in the areas of the County not served by any other fire district.  Here is their Mission, taken from the website:

The County Fire Department Advisory Commission exercises the following responsibilities in its efforts to ensure that the interests of the County Fire Department, career and volunteer fire companies, and citizens residing within the County Fire Department jurisdiction are protected and promoted by monitoring, studying, and advising the County Fire Chief and Board of Supervisors on the following:

• The preparation and implementation of the County Fire Department Master Plan; and
• Methods for improving the cost effectiveness and delivery of the County’s fire protection, as well as its rescue and emergency medical services programs; and
• County Fire Department’s budget priorities and specific budget recommendations; and
• The changing role or mission of each of the volunteer fire companies and the resulting changes in their requirements; and
• Such other matters relating to the county’s fire protection, rescue and emergency medical services program, as the committee desires to bring to the attention of the Fire Chief and Board of Supervisors.
• Agendas and related documents will be posted in accordance with the
  Ralph M. Brown Act (Gov. Code 54950 et seq. | Understanding the Ralph M. Brown Act

FDAC

However, last Wednesday’s FDAC agenda packet did not include any of the five e-mails I had sent to the Commission as input on important fire-related issues affecting residents in the Wildland Urban Interface.   That is a Brown Act violation.

Because many people, including myself, were unable to join the July 20 FDAC hybrid meeting due to the inaccurate remote access information on the website, I decided to attend last week’s meeting in person.

“The draft minutes for the July 20 meeting are not accurate.  They are missing the presentation by Commissioner Pico…I was there in person at that meeting.”  Said the only other member of the public attending in person.

“You can’t speak!” barked Chair Aumack.  “You’ll get your chance during Public Comment!”  The Board proceeded to approve the Draft Minutes that failed to include documentation that a significant report had been presented about the imminent consolidations being driven by LAFCO and also failed to record any members of the public having attended the meeting.

When I asked why NONE of my correspondence had been included in the agenda packet, Chairman Aumack did not answer, but Administrative Clerk Scalia admitted that she had contacted County Counsel to ask if she should include my correspondence?  Counsel told her it was up to the FDAC Chair.  “Yes,” said Chair Aumack, “I own the agenda.”

“How can I get my correspondence included on the FDAC Agenda?” I asked.

“Write me.” he said.

“I did that, and it was not included.” I responded.

Clerk Scalia replied, “Well, I didn’t have permission to include it.”

At that point, Chair Aumack said he would have to go back and look at things, and proceeded with the agenda.

Never again were members of the public allowed to speak during the meeting.  Period.

The FDAC is not the only dysfunctional citizen advisory Commission.  I have likewise heard similar stories from people who left the County Parks & Recreation Commission meetings because the Director Jeff Gaffney instructed the Commissioners that members of the public could only speak on an issue after the vote had been taken on the issue.  Imagine that being compliant with the Brown Act requirements!

The County Arts Commission also fails to post their agendas on the website for public access.

Please contact the County Board of Supervisors and request a County Commission Policy Handbook be developed and approved so that these well-meaning appointees understand what they should be doing and make our Commissions meaningful.

Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisorsboardofsupervisors@santacruzcounty.us and contact the Chair of the Board Manu Koenigmanu.koenig@santacruzcounty.us   831-454-2200.

SOON THERE MUST BE AN IN-PERSON QUORUM

Come January 1, 2023, all governing agencies, including special districts, must have a quorum in-person at meetings, and members will only be allowed a limited number of teleconference appearances. This comes along with the Governor signing AB 2449 into law.

Do you think that will mean Second District County Supervisors Zach Friend and Ryan Coonerty will actually have to show up in the Board chambers?  NO one has actually seen them at a meeting since the pandemic began two and a half years ago.

At least this year, they have made their images public during important Board meetings and budget hearings, rather than a blank screen with a voice that may or may not have been theirs making decisions affecting the communities throughout the County.

Governor Signs AB 2449: The Latest Development to the Brown Act in a Post-Pandemic World

LIVE OAK SENIOR CENTER CLOSING?

Last Tuesday, a member of the public let it be known that the Live Oak School District intends to close down the Live Oak Senior Center at 1777 Capitola Road by the end of this year.  He was very concerned about what the Board could do to help the senior citizens who have relied on this facility for a number of services.  No one answered him or directed him to any staff that could help him.

[(Public Comment…man in lime green shirt at about minute 16:00)]

The parcel of land on which the Live Oak Senior Center sits is indeed owned by the Live Oak School District, according to the County Assessor database: Home Page

The Live Oak Senior Center was established in 1974 by a group of Live Oak residents committed to providing a place for resources for seniors. Today many of the original non-profits continue to provide services to seniors in the Santa Cruz community….but apparently not at 1777 Capitola Road. It seems the phone has been disconnected.

The question is…what will be built there instead?  Maybe work force housing?

Contact Supervisor Manu Koenig and ask: 454-2200 or Manu Koenig manu.koenig@santacruzcounty.us The Live Oak School District website is difficult to access for researching the School Board meeting agenda documents.

A POWERFUL PAPER MICROSCOPE?

A  Stanford University student reportedly got tired of lugging heavy and expensive microscopes into the field for research, and developed this amazing paper microscope that costs about 50 cents.  Wow.  Let’s hope they are recyclable!

MAKE ONE CALL.  WRITE ONE LETTER.  LISTEN TO ONE COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION RECORDING AND LEARN ONE MORE THING ABOUT WHAT THE COUNTY GENERAL PLAN CHANGE WILL DO IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.  

JUST DO ONE THING THIS WEEK, AND MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE.

Cheers, and Happy Autumn,

Becky

September 19

WHAT IS THIS?

There are a couple of interesting and unusual local sights causing people to wonder about that are both connected with monitoring natural events.  One is the glaringly large white globe now on top of the County Sheriff Center and Emergency Center on Soquel Avenue.  This is a new monitoring system that, once calibrated, will shoot microwave beams of energy with a radius of 30 miles to monitor potential storms, and will connect data with other similar Bay Area systems to provide quicker, supposedly more accurate, storm data.  The hope is to also include potential wildfire smoke columns in the data.

The X-Band radar equipment housed inside the large white fiberglass globe will spin very quickly.  The installation weighs about a ton and is on the roof.

I wonder if the roof was re-enforced for that weight, and if the vibration the spinning radar mechanism will create will affect the integrity of the building and the comfort of the people who work inside?  The County taxpayers have already had to fund expensive repairs of that building that included multiple structural repairs of cracking plaster, poorly-sealed windows that leaked, and drainage problems adversely affecting the foundation.

The County initially bought the building from Swenson Builders when construction was complete.

What’s that giant orb in Live Oak?

What’s that giant orb in Live Oak?

The facility is not, as some have playfully speculated on neighborhood social media sites such as Nextdoor,  a public art project funded by traffic fines, the bottom ball of a snowman, the ball for an oversized game of pingpong, an outdoor shower ball or the potential canvas for a giant beach ball painting.

The second unusual sight is across the Bay in Marina where some observant folks wondered about a large array of antennas going up on the Fort Ord Natural Reserve.

When one of them asked about the purpose of the array, here was the answer:

“The installation that you see at the UCSC Fort Ord Natural Reserve is known as a Transportable Dynasonde System (TDS). The physicist who is
working on the research is from University of Colorado, Boulder. and selected the site in Marina because of its proximity and clear path to the ocean (and also because it’s hard to find places that let you put up a tower like that! But that’s our business as a reserve that supports research!). 

Dr. Nick Zabotin develops remote sensing techniques for the ionosphere and studies of wave processes in the atmosphere. The 100 foot tower and delta antenna send pulses of varying frequencies every two minutes or so, and the dipole array receives reflected signal.

The scientific goal of this deployment is to study long-term correlation between the infragravity waves in the Pacific Ocean and the gravity waves in the thermosphere. North-East Pacific is considered a location of the strongest infragravity wave sources on the Earth and the data obtained in that region would provide a powerful argument for an important role the oceans play in generation of atmospheric gravity waves. 

Another benefit from this mission obtains a dataset for studying connections between the ground-level infrasound (both ocean-produced microbaroms and man-made noise) and the ionospheric km-scale irregularities. There are no other Dynasonde-capable instruments on the west coast, so this is an important development for the research.

Here is the research lab information page

Dr. Zabotin has put together a webpage that shows readings from the system. The following page has the latest Dynasonde-style ionogram from TDS that is updated automatically

Using that page one can watch the current state of the ionosphere over California and of the system itself. Comparison of the ionogram date and time with the current date and time shown in the top right corner of the page allows one to judge about an operational state of the system. Usually the difference is just the few minutes taken for automated processing.

Dr. Zabotin monitors the transmissions remotely, but visits the reserve from time to time. 

For now, the installation is scheduled to remain for 6 months, but there may be an extension in the works. It is definitely not permanent. As you can imagine: permitting, funding, and agreements to use university land like this are not always predictable.”

What is an “infragravity wave” and why study it?

“Infragravity waves are surface gravity waves with frequencies lower than the wind waves – consisting of both wind sea and swell – thus corresponding with the part of the wave spectrum lower than the frequencies directly generated by forcing through the wind.

Infragravity waves generated along the Pacific coast of North America have been observed to propagate transoceanically to Antarctica and there to impinge on the Ross Ice Shelf. Their frequencies more closely couple with the ice shelf natural frequencies and they produce a larger amplitude ice shelf movement than the normal ocean swell of gravity waves. Further, they are not damped by sea ice as normal ocean swell is. As a result, they flex floating ice shelves such as the Ross Ice Shelf; this flexure contributes significantly to the breakup on the ice shelf.”

[Wikipedia: Infragravity Wave]

NEW COUNTY SEPTIC SYSTEM ORDINANCE WOULD CAUSE 40% OF RURAL OWNERS TO INSTALL EXPENSIVE $50,000 – $80,000 SYSTEMS

Last Tuesday’s (9/13) County Board of Supervisors changed course a bit, due to outcry from local realtors, to reconsider their former approval of the new Septic System Ordinance.  The matter was actually pulled from the Consent Agenda for public discussion, and followed Regular Agenda item #10.

At issue was the required point-of-sale inspection requirement to convert roughly 40% of the County’s rural properties to expensive alternative mound treatment systems.  Supervisor Bruce McPherson admitted it will affect about 700 CZU Fire rebuild projects.

The other hardship the realtors presented was the very quick rollout date of January 1, 2023…just a few months away.  They asked for a one-year delay to give all parties a chance to comply, pointing out that the new requirements would demand expert services that are just not readily available for the short timeframe the County had proposed.

That problem had been discussed at the previous Board meeting, but County Health Director Dr. Marilyn Underwood said that when the demand increased here for the experts, they would come (somehow) from elsewhere.  The Supervisors did not question the likely financial hardship on such a desperate market at the mercy of a limited number of “experts”.

I pointed out the hardship this new Ordinance would impose on the CZU Fire Survivors, and asked that their rebuild applications be exempted and grandfathered-in to support their recovery.  “NOPE”, said County Counsel, because the State would not agree.

 You can watch the Board’s discussion of this important rural property and environmental issue at about minute 2:05:00 here

The amended new Septic Ordinance, known as the Local Area Mitigation Plan (LAMP) will return to the Board in the near future.   Contact the Supervisors with your thoughts:

Board of Supervisors boardofsupervisors@santacruzcounty.us

SHOULD WE BE DOING THIS AT ALL?

Kudos to Supervisor Ryan Coonerty who had the courage to question the County Administrative Officer (CAO) Mr. Carlos Palacios’ effectiveness about the County Strategic Plan status update.  Staff admitted that after four years of great efforts and expense collecting various data and holding many meetings with all County Dept. staff, PRIMO! has yielded nothing productive.

“Should we really be continuing this?”  asked Supervisor Coonerty.  Bravo.  This is the sentiment I have heard expressed by County staff and the SEIU Shop Steward when speaking to the Board on various issues related to personnel.  Some have boldly called it “a stupid waste of time.”

If you ask me, the “customer experience”, as is stated in reference to the public service aspect of the Strategic Plan work, has degraded.  Mr. Palacios saw to it that members of the public who take time to participate in these 9am Tuesday Board meetings are barred from pulling Consent Agenda items for public discussion and questioning, and instead must beg a Supervisor to do so (which very rarely gets granted).  The public comment time on all matters has been reduced by over 30%, and those who participate remotely are no longer able to send written comments on non-agenda issues during open communication during the meeting and have them be read or included in the record.

Take a look here and see what you think about the County Strategic Plan debacle and waste of money

You can listen to the CAO staff presentation and Supervisors’ comments at minute 48:17 in Item #9

IS THE GOAL TO ELIMINATE RURAL RESIDENTS IN THE WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE?

Last Wednesday’s (9/14) County Planning Commission public hearing for the County General Plan Update and Draft Sustainability Plan was nearly day-long. There were a number of County CAO staff participating who weighed in to support the Plan in general.

Mr. Dave Reid, Director of the County’s Office of Response, Recovery & Resilience (OR3) said “this will regulate building and prevent people seeking cheaper housing in the wildland urban interface”.   Well, there you have it…the County really wants to discourage people from living in the rural areas and is taking steps to regulate and discourage those who are.  Rural living is becoming gentrified, via increased regulations that lead to required expensive actions that only the rich can afford to do.

The Planning Commission meeting went well into the afternoon, with Commissioners asking staff questions.  I was very happy to hear Second District Commissioner (and County Supervisor Analyst) Ms. Allyson Violante ask such thoughtful and important questions.  She obviously had taken time to read the documents and had many excellent questions that staff promised to “review and get back” to her with answers.

Maybe that happened later in the all-day meeting, but I could not stay in the Zoom, due to other commitments.

The push is on from staff to approve this massive document before it heads to the Board of Supervisors in November.   I am glad to see Continued Public Hearings before the Planning Commission will occur this Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 9:30am

 and the following Wednesday, Sept. 28

Please review the material that interests you most and participate.  These land use policy changes will drastically change what our County is like for decades to come.  I am grateful the Planning staff for adding the virtual access information directly on the Commission agendas to encourage and support public participation.

What I want to know is why all the new Ultra-High Density zoning to promote 45 units/acre (maybe more!) would be located in Pleasure Point, not on a major transportation corridor like the rail line or Highway One???

BRANCIFORTE FIRE BOARD PRESSURED TO RE-EXAMINE SPENDING $50,000 FOR STUDY TO RAISE TAXES

Last Wednesday, Santa Cruz County LAFCO led a virtual public information workshop for Happy Valley residents to provide the status of the merger with Scotts Valley Fire District and to answer questions about the potentially very high new and additional tax to fund their fire station.  None of the Fire District Directors was allowed to speak.

The following evening, Branciforte Fire District Board met and discussed the merger status, and were pressured to re-visit their previous decision not to spend $50,000 on a study that will most certainly lead to a weighted vote for a new additional tax for staffing.  Amazingly, Board Chair Pat O’Connell would not allow public comment, even though asked to do so.

You can now listen to the audio recordings of the District’s Zoom meetings and better understand WHY the Board voted against spending that whopping $50,000 in July.

The matter will be on the October 20 virtual Board agenda.  LAFCO is scheduling an in-person informational workshop tentatively on October 1.

If you or someone you know lives in the Branciforte Fire District area, please make sure they know about this important information.  In my opinion, the Board should wait for the results of the LAFCO-funded study by AP Triton consultants of Countywide fire protection issues and merger feasibilities, due by the end of this year.

The demand by Scotts Valley Fire to make only the Branciforte Fire property owners pay to keep a station open that would be of mutual benefit to the entire region is wrong.  This is just one more nail to drive out low and fixed income people from the rural areas.

Contact the Board with your thoughts and copy County Supervisor Manu Koenig, 831-454-2022  manu.koenig@santacruzcounty.us

COULD BRACKISH WELLS PROVIDE POTABLE WATER USING LESS ENERGY AND WITHOUT THE UNKNOWN CONTAMINANTS IN RECYCLED SEWAGE WATER?

The Soquel Creek Water District failed to consider many good alternatives to their budget-bloating PureWater Soquel Project that will inject treated sewage water into the pristine groundwater the MidCounty area residents rely upon for clean drinking water.

The Board feverishly made the rash decision based on a $50 million funding avenue available, made known to them after one of many expensive staff junkets to Washington, D.C, because competition was less intense.

As a result, the Board voted to streamline the Project, without benefit of much-needed environmental information or alternatives, such as potentially using reverse osmosis to treat brackish well water in the areas of the County where chloride levels may be high, such as Seascape and La Selva Beach.

Had they considered this, the construction and operational costs would be much lower, and with much less damage to the environment and, potentially to the public’s health associated with long-term unknown effects of unregulated contaminants in the sewage water-infused drinking water.

Although the State Water boards and Coastal Commission have made it extremely difficult to extract sea water directly, desalination of inland brackish well water offers a reasonable alternative because it eliminates the environmental marine damage, and costs much less energy to operate.

Read about the technology here

and here

Further new developments in using graphene electrodes for treating brackish water is encouraging:

Graphene electrodes in capacitive deionisation of brackish water

“Capacitive Deionisation (CDI) is a low energy process for brackish water desalination. A novel graphene electrode has been developed that increases salt removal efficiency. Improved electrode properties include high specific area, high electrical conductivity, electrochemical stability. and low scaling & fouling propensity.”

MAJOR NIGHT TIME WORK ON SOQUEL DRIVE IN APTOS WILL CLOSE THE ROAD

Beginning this Wednesday (9/21), PG&E will close Soquel Drive in the 9000 block between 10pm and 6am to de-activate a natural gas station node.  The work area is next to Freedom Tattoo at 9032 Soquel Drive, and will require replacement of a short section of the natural gas line. I learned about this by calling the PG&E number provided in the Sentinel’s ‘Coast Lines’ on Sept. 19.

Questions?  Call 408-472-2845.

MAJOR STATE PARK WORK ON APTOS CREEK ROAD BUT WHY?

My friend, Al, let me know he saw State Parks crews installing a large culvert under Aptos Creek Road recently, and wondered why.  I wonder, too.   There are confusing signs posted at the site claiming delays this week are related to street light work, but the new large culvert looks to attach to an existing stormwater sewer that dumps into Aptos Creek, not related to any street light.  The only street light in that area is located near the Village Glen condominium mail boxes and is non-functional since that HOA voted to stop paying the electric bill.

	Culvert installed under Aptos Creek Road, and leads to existing stormwater drain…is this for Swenson’s Phase 2 Aptos Village Project parking lot drainage???
How does this comport with a new culvert installation?
	The leftover culvert pipe shows this is meant to handle considerable surface stormwater drainage.
Here is Swenson’s chain-link fencing encroaching in the roadway of Aptos Creek Road, creating a public hazard.

Write State Parks Operations Superintendent Joe Waltersjoe.walters@parks.ca.gov and ask.

You can also try contacting Second District County Supervisor Zach Friend zach.friend@santacruzcounty.us to ask…but don’t hold your breath waiting for a reply. He is generally unresponsive…unless you work for Swenson.

MAKE ONE CALL.  WRITE ONE LETTER.  PARTICIPATE IN THE COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION PUBLIC HEARINGS ON THE COUNTY GENERAL PLAN UPDATE THAT WILL RADICALLY CHANGE HOW OUR COMMUNITIES LOOK AND FEEL.

DO ONE THING THIS WEEK AND MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE.

Cheers, Becky

September 12

THE COUNTY GENERAL PLAN UPDATE IN BITE-SIZED CHAPTERS WILL HELP YOU PARTICIPATE IN WEDNESDAY’S PLANNING COMMISSION FINAL PUBLIC HEARING

What’s Included

Submit your comments to the Planning Commission via Stephanie Hansen stephanie.hansen@santacruzcounty.us and copy Michael Lam michael.lam@santacruzcounty.us

or general comments here:  Get Involved

WHAT WOULD PROPOSED COUNTYWIDE FIRE CODES INCLUDE THAT WOULD BE STRICTER THAN STATE REQUIREMENTS?

Last Thursday, the Central Fire District Board met and considered adopting three resolutions, all relating to updating the District’s Fire Codes, one of which would make them more restrictive than the State’s codes.  However, there was no Strike-Out and Underline copy of the proposed more-restrictive Fire Codes included in the agenda.

At the hybrid meeting, Fire Marshal Mike DeMars announced that the Countywide Fire Prevention Officers had met the day previous and determined that there should instead be comprehensive Countywide Fire Codes developed to make the restrictions uniform throughout the County, rather than different codes in various fire jurisdictions.  He requested that all agenda items (10.3 through and including item 10.5) relating to this issue be tabled. He stated he had submitted a Strike-Out and Underline version of the proposed document, but it was not in the agenda packet.

Item 10.5 troubled me most…making local Fire Codes more restrictive than what the State requires, but no real explanation of what that would involve.  See pages 113-114 of the agenda

Keep your eye on this in your own local fire jurisdiction…more restrictive Fire Codes applied countywide could mean rural dwellers in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) might have new requirements if remodeling and the CZU Fire survivors may find it even more difficult to rebuild than before.

BRANCIFORTE FIRE DISTRICT SURVEY PROVIDES NO INFORMATION BUT WIELDS A LOT OF INFLUENCE

How can the Branciforte Fire District property owners make an informed decision, responding to a Survey asking if they want to spend $50,000 on a financial study, ostensibly necessary to keep their fire station open, when they have no information, or explanation why their Board voted to reject doing so on July 28, 2022?

Strange but true.

The audio recordings promised by County LAFCO Director Joe Serrano to post on the District website are not there.

This Wednesday at 6pm, County LAFCO is holding a virtual-only informational workshop that might help, if people know it is happening.  That workshop is on the eve of the Thursday scheduled Board of Director meeting, when LAFCO’s time line presented at the Sept. 1 Special Board meeting indicates the Board “will adopt the SCI Consultant contract”.  If that approval happens, the District will be on a fast-moving roller coaster to have a Special Benefit Assessment Ballot procedure happen…and the rest will be history.

An online Survey is now posted on the Branciforte Fire District website, asking:

“The Branciforte Fire Protection District (FPD) is faced with insurmountable financial and operational challenges. After due diligence, the Board of Directors has determined that a reorganization with the Scotts Valley FPD is the best way to ensure continued fire and emergency services. 

Survey Question: Should the Branciforte Fire District Board approve a $50,000 study to determine the amount each parcel owner would be assessed, subject to a vote of the parcel owners at a later date, to keep the fire station open?” 

Insurmountable financial and operational challenges???  All this is hinged on the 2021 Santa Cruz County LAFCO Countywide Fire District Report that did not include the second station that serves the farthest-reaching rural areas in the District where trained volunteers are located.

It is notable that the current evaluations by LAFCO do not even mention the volunteers. Even more curious is the fact that the Branciforte Fire District property owners have not been given any opportunity to vote on whether or not they want to merge with Scotts Valley Fire District.

On October 13, 2021, LAFCO approved the Countywide Fire Agency Sphere and Service Review that examined all 13 fire agencies and adopted recommendation that LAFCO:

2022. Reaffirm the existing spheres of influence for Ben Lomond FPD, Boulder Creek FPD, Branciforte FPD, Felton FPD, Pajaro Valley FPD, Scotts Valley FPD, and Zayante FPD with the following condition: The fire protection districts shall coordinate with LAFCO to determine each affected district’s future service area. These discussions should occur by August 2022. LAFCO will consider amending the sphere boundaries based on these discussions no later than December 2022;

(SEE Item 5)

You can find the comprehensive Review beginning on page 12, with Branciforte Fire District’s evaluation on page 86 of the Review, on page 109 of the agenda packet.

Please participate in the September 14 virtual Public Information Workshop at 6pm:

branciforte-fire.com/    and the Thursday, September 15 Regular Board virtual meeting at 6pm.

Please share this information with anyone in the Happy Valley and Scotts Valley area.

MORE HELP FOR FIRE SURVIVORS?

The Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC) included this potential good news for fire survivors.  Let’s hope that these Senators will be persistent advocates for those like the CZU Fire survivors who are hitting nothing but brick walls with the County Planning Dept. and Permit Recovery Center…supposedly streamlining their permitting process.  Many of these folks have run out of time with their insurance companies and may now be facing having to sell their land.

Padilla, Feinstein to FEMA: Provide Update on Reforms to Disaster Assistance Program

U.S. Senators Feinstein, Padilla to FEMA: Provide update on reforms to disaster assistance program.

INSURANCE COMMISSIONER AIMS TO LOWER FIRE INSURANCE COSTS

Here is another potentially good bit of news for all rural Californians.

FIRE EVACUATION DECISION….GO OR STAY AND PROTECT YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

After the debacle of the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex Fire, with no After Action Review by CalFire or the Santa Cruz County Fire Department, many like myself feel that next time, we might not be so quick to pack up and evacuate when told.  Here is a good discussion from the New Yorker about that…interviewing local resident LizAnne Jensen.

Here is what I think is golden and local fire officials and the County Board of Supervisors need to take action upon:

Stasiewicz believes that people should be provided with guidance on surviving, as a last resort, in their homes or at refuge points, such as local baseball fields or store parking lots. Some ranching communities in the intermountain West have organized their own volunteer firefighting services, in cooperation with state and federal agencies that provide training and radios.

STATE WATER USE DECLINES 10.6% DUE TO CONSERVATION

Here is some encouraging news…we can now all expect rates to increase because of lowered volumetric revenues.  Hmmm…there must be a better way.

Water use drops 10% in July as California deals with drought

COMMENT ABOUT ELKHORN SLOUGH BIO-LOADING 

If you live near the Elkhorn Slough, or near a slough at all, try to participate in this important Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board public hearing about stormwater runoff issues.  It is a virtual hearing on Monday, September 26.

Notice of Public Workshop and CEQA Scoping Meeting

FINANCIAL TRUTHS BEHIND LIBRARY GARAGE…VOTE YES ON MEASURE O

‘John Hall’ via OurDowntown  ourdowntown@googlegroups.com 

Tue, Sep 6 at 8:42 PM

Rick Longinotti and I were on KSQD at 5 this evening, with Measure O opponents Don Lane and Marty Gomez. It will be archived.

The $2.9 million/year is financing for the parking structure if I’m not mistaken. That requires parking district revenue or it falls to the City to make up the shortfall.

The proposed library is $17 short of funding out of a $42.5 million projected cost [so far]. On that point, even new-library advocate Gomez agreed. That’s more than a third over available funds.

As for the affordable housing, so far, the City has committed $6 million. At least $45 million remains unfunded to date.

The Lot 4 project is anything but “well on its way”!

APTOS LIBRARY GOING UP…COMPLETION DATE JULY 2023

The walls are going up at the new Aptos Library.  I am told the completion date has been set for July, 2023.

Below are the crews using horizontal drilling to minimize road damage.

MAKE ONE CALL.  WRITE ONE LETTER.   ATTEND THE PLANNING COMMISION HEARING THAT WILL SHAPE TTHIS COUNTY’S LAND USE POLICY FOR DECADES.

JUST DO ONE THING THIS WEEK…AND MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE.

Cheers, Becky

September 5

THE PLAN TO WIDEN HIGHWAY ONE

Over the years, there have been multiple legal battles over widening Highway One, but here it is…happening before our very eyes.  

Highway 1 widening project advances in Santa Cruz County [Santa Cruz Local]  

Thanks to Rick Longinotti and the Sustainable Transportation group, the Courts agreed that there were problems with simply adding lanes and expecting public transit buses to benefit.  No, that is not the same as a dedicated “bus on shoulder” lane that would really encourage people to take the bus rather than sit in congested traffic. 

Caltrans must revise highway 1 impact report after court ruling. [Sentinel article, paywall]

This is important to speak up about at the upcoming County General Plan Update public hearing at the Wednesday September 14 Planning Commission meeting.  See more about this below.  So, should the future development in the County continue to further clog the surface streets, or be focused along the rail corridor to support passenger rail use alternatives to Highway One?

FINAL EIR FOR COUNTY GENERAL PLAN UPDATE

There is so much to read and understand right now in terms of County government actions, but by far, the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) for the County Sustainability Update (aka General Plan and Code Update) is the most important because it will shape the future of this County for the next 20-30 years.  Think about that and dive in, going first to the single issue that you care about most.

Look at the proposed mitigations for impacts that Dudek consultants have deemed “potentially significant” and send in your comments.  For example, on page 26, (page I-20 of the Report) the high-density growth developments are considered “significant” and Dudek claims there are no mitigations possible, with a declaration of “insignificant and unavoidable”.  Do you agree with that?  What mitigations would you feel should be implemented to help reduce the significant impact this dense in-fill development would have on the local water supplies?

Here’s another example, also on page I-20: Do you agree that adding all this dense in-fill development will not cause any problem for our County’s trash collection and disposal infrastructure?  Dudek consultants rated this impact as “Insignificant”.  Do you agree with that?

How can that be when the landfills are already burgeoning and scheduled to close in the near future, and will necessitate shipping our trash somewhere else?  What mitigations can you think of that would lessen the amount of trash our County might have to export?

Send your written thoughts to Stephanie Hansen and copy the Board of Supervisors  or call your Supervisor 831-454-2200.

A printed copy of the Final EIR may be reviewed at the County of Santa Cruz Planning Counter (701 Ocean Street, 4 th Floor, in Santa Cruz) between 8:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, or other times by appointment. Please email CEQA-NEPA@santacruzcounty.us or call (831) 454-2580 to schedule an appointment. 

A printed copy of the Final EIR is also available at the libraries below:

• Felton, located at 6121 Gushee Street, in Felton
• Downtown, located at 224 Church Street, in Santa Cruz
• Watsonville, located at 275 Main Street, Suite 100, in Watsonville

COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION SPECIAL MEETING IMPORTANT PUBLIC HEARING LAST WEDNESDAY CANCELLED DUE TO TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES

Many members of the public organized our day to be able to participate in last Wednesday’s important Special Planning Commission meeting with focus on the County’s Draft General Plan update.  We logged into the virtual-only meeting and waited…and waited, and waited, with no staff announcement explaining the delay.  We sent e-mails to multiple staff responsible, with no response other, however my alert to the Director of Planning who oversees the General Plan discussions, Ms. Stephanie Hansen, got an auto-response that she was “Out of the Office Until September 6.” After 20 minutes, I phoned the Planning Dept. to report the difficulty and was told the meeting had been cancelled, due to a technical problem.  

Wow.  

This Special meeting was called at the request of the Planning Commissioners at the conclusion of their August 24 meeting because they felt there was just too much to review and properly address.  Staff all agreed on the date, including Ms. Hansen.

What was on that September 1 agenda?  Among other things, zoning changes on many parcels, including the four in Pleasure Point to allow a new “Ultra-High Density” of 45 units/acre multi-story development.  

Staff informed me there will be no meeting until September 14.  That agenda is already posted and is packed, with an apparent expectation that the Commission must approve the massive document that includes many changes to the County Codes and re-zones several areas, and the massive Final EIR analyzing the impacts of it all

Read through the 79 pages of public comment that have been thus far submitted on the General Plan Update

Amazingly, staff reported there had only been 14 comments submitted on the Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR).

The FEIR will be considered by the Planning Commission on August 24, 2022 and September 14, 2022, at 9:30 a.m. and by the Board of Supervisors on dates tentatively scheduled for October and November 2022.  

Why the rush??? I wonder if it could be that the County may lose critical funding or local control if the General Plan Update is not completed by this year?  That is what happened to the County regarding the sluggish update of the County septic system ordinance.

The County Board of Supervisors approved all of this, in concept, in 2015.  The Planning Department hosted public meetings in all five Districts (dragging their heels on setting one up for Watsonville-area District 4), then sat on it all.  Finally, in 2019, the Board of Supervisors hired Dudek consultants to take the job of pushing the Santa Cruz Sustainable Plan, aka General Plan Update, through with the necessary EIR.  The contract was hundreds of thousands of dollars, with a couple of extensions and cost increases granted. 

The Scoping Meeting happened two years ago

You can take a look at the voluminous documents regarding the EIR here, and wonder, as I do, how in the world the Planning Department and Board of Supervisors expect the Planning Commissioners and public to be able to review and provide thoughtful comment on a document that will change the County dramatically??? 

Even though the County received only 14 comments on the Draft EIR, there are 20 pages of changes as a result

Write your Supervisor and Ms. Stephanie Hansen to ask that the matter be extended for better public comment, and not pressure the Planning Commissioners to approve the Draft General Plan Update at the September 14 public hearing.  

To email all five members of the Board of Supervisors at once,
please use BoardOfSupervisors@santacruzcounty.us

To contact the Planning Commission, write Stephanie Hansen stephanie.hansen@santacruzcounty.us and Jocelyn Drakejocelyn.drake@santacruzcounty.us

PUBLIC DATA NOW AVAILABLE TO MONITOR GROUNDWATER LEVELS AND RIVER FLOWS COUNTYWIDE

What is the data being collected show about the status of the local water supplies in the County?  You now can find that information here:

Countywide Data Viewer

My old computer system will not open some of the tools, but try searching the data by contaminants for example, carcinogenic 1,2,3-TCP.  Does it show that Soquel Creek Water District has a problem with that?  It should.  That is why the District is building a new treatment plant in the residential area on Baltrusol Avenue in Rio del Mar.  

Does the search for contamination by tetra or trichloroethene that has shown up in the known plume contaminating the groundwater in the Live Oak area where the Dientes and 57 affordable housing units are being built at 1500 Capitola Road that will require a positive vapor pressure system to keep the volatile carcinogenic fumes from wafting into the buildings?

Please let the County Water Advisory Commission know your thoughts on this new tool, posted by the two local groundwater sustainability agencies.  

Sierra Ryansierra.ryan@santacruzcounty.us is the County Water Resources Dept. staff person in charge of the County Water Advisory Commission, and also is chair of the Santa Cruz City Water Commission as well as serving as the point-person for both the MidCounty and Santa Margarita Groundwater Agencies.  

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP RECHARGE LOCAL AQUIFERS?  TUNE IN SEPTEMBER 7

Learn what can be done locally to support natural recharge of the aquifers, especially in the San Lorenzo Valley area, by participating in the free Workshop this Wednesday at 2:30pm.

SMGWA MAR Workshop | Santa Cruz Mid-County Groundwater Agency

There must be a better way to recharge aquifers than injecting treated sewage water, such as what Soquel Creek Water District wants to do in the MidCounty, don’t you think?  

PUSH BY LAFCO TO CONSOLIDATE BRANCIFORTE FIRE DISTRICT AND SCOTTS VALLEY FIRE JUST DOESN’T SMELL GOOD

The meeting was recorded, and the Board voted (for the second time) to make the recordings available on the website.  Mr. Joe Serrano, LAFCO Director, agreed to post the recordings this week.

To date, no recordings are posted, and there are no minutes posted since May 19, 2022. Board Agenda and Minutes | Branciforte Fire

Here is a summary of what happened:

Mr. Landon did an excellent job in pointing out the lack of transparency and information available to the public on this matter.  LAFCO Director Joe Serrano volunteered to post the Board meeting recordings on the website, after the Board approved doing so for the second time in the last two month.

Ultimately, the Board voted 3-2 to approve sending out a post card to all Branciforte Fire District property owners that includes a one-sentence Yes/No survey about approving the $50,000 engineer’s report that most assuredly sets into motion the ballot process for the new tax that will likely be $1200 – $1700/parcel annually, and to let them know about a study session to discuss the matter, at an undisclosed date and platform (in-person, hybrid, or virtual).  

The Board did not discuss those details before President O’Connell asked to adjourn the meeting.

Clearly, LAFCO Director Joe Serrano is running this show, and is causing a feverish and compressed timeline to make it happen.

Look at the timeline he divulged having created (Page 6)

A public study session that will happen in the next 10 days that will be notified by a mailed post card that he said he can send out in the next few days?  

The Board will vote on the SCI contract for the engineer’s consultant report at the next Regular Board Meeting on September 15?

How can people complete a Yes/No survey when they have no information to help them make an informed decision?

Amazingly, LAFCO Director Serrano insisted the Survey is only to improve transparency, and to provide the public with the opportunity to engage.  He stressed it is not a binding directive to the Board, and that the Board can choose to ignore the Survey results. 

Mr. Landon protested that such Survey results would indeed influence the Board’s vote on a matter that it already has rejected on July 28.

It was pretty shocking to listen to this meeting.  Many members of the public who spoke are happy with their fire station and level of service, and are worried about the cost of a potential new tax on top of what they are already paying.

Chair O’Connell did not answer my question about why he cancelled the August 18 Regular Board meeting, scheduled the September 1 Special Meeting, and refused to include any minutes of the July 28 Board meeting to provide information to the public about why the Board rejected spending $50,000 on the SCI engineer’s consultant study.  

I suggested that the Board reject the lone SCI consultant bid and re-issue the call for an RFP, just as what Mr. Serrano had recommended LAFCO do earlier this year, in order to get three proposals rather than accepting the one and only they had received for the CSA 4 consolidation with Pajaro Fire District and CSA 48:

Here is the initial recommendation to send out Requests for Proposals on March 2, 2022 with a deadline of April 15, 2022

See Minutes of May 4, 2022 meeting, Item 2b to extend the deadline because only one proposal had been received

See August 3, 2022 agenda Item 7b wherein Mr. Serrano presented a weighted selection of THREE proposals for the study

Re-issuing the call for proposals caused only a three-month delay in initiating the consultant study, and the delay included the one-month vacation the Commission took in July.

The Branciforte Fire Board could do the same and cause unreasonable delay while bringing a better selection of consultants to the table.

Please share this information with anyone you know who lives in the Happy Valley area…it appears LAFCO is shoving the property owners to the edge of a significant new-tax cliff that would not allow any senior exemptions. 

PAVING THIS WEEK ON APTOS CREEK ROAD INTO NISENE MARKS STATE PARK

My friend, Al, who lives on Aptos Creek Road, saw some animated County staff discussions happening at the “End of County Maintenance” (ECM) marker on Aptos Creek Road last week.  It was followed by pavement markings…Hmmmm…

The good news is that it appears State Parks may be paving 1800 linear feet of the deeply-potholed and narrow Aptos Creek Road as soon as Monday, September 12.  

There are no signs posted yet to notify any of the Aptos Creek Road residents or Nisene Marks State Park visitors yet, but I hope there will be soon.  

APTOS VILLAGE PROJECT FIRE HAZARD PARTIALLY ABATED

Swenson Builders allows fire hazards to go unchecked in the Aptos Village Project area, causing a real threat to the safety of the residents nearby as well as Nisene Marks State Park.  I wrote the Central Fire District Board and Fire Marshal about my concerns, especially after listening to the  August 11, 2022 Board meeting (recording available on the website during the Operations Report) 

 I was concerned to hear the Operations Report that included the incidence of five spot fires in recent weeks on the Wingspread Property near New Brighton State Beach.  

Upon questioning by Director Darbro, staff reported the likely cause of the fires was due to an up-tick in homeless camps in that area.    I have noticed a similar up-tic of homeless near the Aptos Village Project.

I am glad to see that the very tall dry grass on the hillside (“Park Parcel”) that had been a real fire risk has been cut, there are still large piles of dry brush under the trees at the base of Mattison Lane neighborhood and the Aptos Creek Canyon.  See photo below:

And the gates continue to be left wide open to the Phase 2 construction area where piles of historic Hihn Apple Barn wood are stored amongst tall dry weeds and long-idled construction equipment.  Maybe Swenson is hoping for a fire to get insurance money to help the financially troubled subdivision?

Contact the Central Fire District Board with your thoughts:  Central Fire District Board and copy Ms. Sarah Melton

The Board will meet this Thursday, September 8 at 9am (hybrid meeting) so you can address the Board directly in Item #4.  I encourage you to participate in the Budget Hearing that will occur right before that item.   

WHERE ARE THE YOUNG FARMERS?

Last week’s Bratton Online columnist Grey Hayes discussed the importance of preserving agricultural land, and lamented that much is either being lost or lying fallow.  I have noticed fields in Watsonville that used to have you-pick berries and other crops but that are now empty.  This photo is from an area near the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds.  What can we do to encourage young farmers to put ag land back into production?  Please send me your thoughts.

GO TO THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY FAIR SEPTEMBER 14-18!

Plan to visit the County Fair and see the bounty of our wonderful area.  “A County Fair with Ocean Air” will feature fun and educational exhibits and demonstrations.  Because the swine and goat/sheep barns were deemed “unstable and unsafe” by the State (due to cavalier actions of the CEO), those barns will be fenced-off and the goats and sheep youth exhibitors will have their animals under large tents adjacent.  Let’s hope the cool ocean air is able to waft in and keep everyone cool while being safe and sound.  Chances are, you will see folks there you haven’t seen in a while…and knit the Community together with this great event.

WRITE ONE LETTER.  MAKE ONE CALL.  READ ONE CHAPTER OF THE DRAFT COUNTY GENERAL PLAN UPDATE THAT MATTERS MOST TO YOU AND SEND ONE WRITTEN COMMENT TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION.

MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE THIS WEEK BY JUST DOING SOMETHING.

Cheers, Becky

COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS HELD SPECIAL MEETING TO APPROVE FIVE BRIDGE LOANS LEADING TO WATSONVILLE HOSPITAL BUYOUT

Last Tuesday (8/23), County CAO Carlos Palacios was beaming with an announcement that Kaiser had just pledged $4.5 million more to help with the Watsonville Hospital buy-out, still leaving a $3 million “ask” of Supervisors.

Santa Cruz County
CA Agenda Item DOC-2022-737

An earlier feverish  $20 millions have had all been approved during a Special Board Meeting the previous week, wherein Supervisors accepted unanticipated revenue of $5 million each from the City of Santa Cruz, City of Capitola, City of Watsonville, Santa Cruz Community Foundation and Salud Para La Gente (which receives financial assistance from the County’s CORE Investment Program every year

County of Santa Cruz Board of Supervisors
SPECIAL MEETING 8/16/2022

Award Recommendations by Strategic Plan

There was no discussion to address the recent significant nursing staff protest over losing nearly all but 18 part-time positions. Watsonville nurses object to full-time status push.

There was no discussion as to why the County discouraged Kaiser from buying the Watsonville Hospital last fall.

There was no discussion about whether the State would assume operation of the Watsonville Hospital to maintain required emergency medical facility levels for the high number of Medicare and medical patient load in the area, and that the Hospital would NOT close if the buyout did not happen:

“Forty-three percent of the hospital’s gross revenue comes from the state Medi-Cal program, and 30 percent of its gross revenue comes from the federal Medicare program serving the elderly and disabled.”

Press release: Bill to protect health care access for Pajaro Valley residents passes the state senate and heads to Governor Newsom

The $25 million in state funding of SB 418 Urgency bill reflects a $10 million request from Assembly member Rivas and a $15 million request from Senator Laird in the state budget process.

No one asked any questions about the State’s “drafting error” that supposedly occurred to delay that State funding and hence, caused CAO Palacios to go asking multiple jurisdictions, including Salud Para La Gente, for $5 million loans.

There was no discussion about the impending new tax on every single parcel within the new Pajaro Valley Hospital Assessment Zone, already defined in Senator John Laird’s SB 418, and that will very likely be required to fund operational costs:

COUNTY PARK’S EXPENSIVE BRIDGE TO NOWHERE

A number of years ago, County Parks Director Jeff Gaffney and then-County Supervisor John Leopold announced to an angry group of Soquel neighbors that the reason a large crane had plopped, unannounced, multiple sections of a monstrous and ugly bridge  in their backyards was because “the County got a good deal on it.”  The bridge still sits in their backyard, rusting and deteriorating, and has been a source of public nuisance and fire risk.

It has become known as “The Bridge to Nowhere” and neighbors are still upset that this behemoth of a bridge is not at all what they were promised would link the two sections of The Farm Park…a pedestrian bridge.

Take a look at this “pedestrian bridge on steroids”, which is wide enough to accommodate a large vehicle:

In 2018, County voters were tricked into approving Measure G, a countywide half-cent sales tax meant to fund “critical unmet needs” for 12 years.  Funding this “Bridge to Nowhere” Project was among many promises to use the money to fund “fire” , road repairs and other infrastructure needs (which have NOT been funded to date and led to a Grand Jury investigation)

Here is what the County Board of Supervisors approved and promised the voters would happen:

The Farm Park
To provide matching funds of $235,000 and unlock $460,000 in secured grants and other funding to replace the pedestrian bridge between Tee Street and the Farm Park and make other improvements. This project would also improve Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility, safety lighting and neighborhood connectivity throughout the park.

[Santa Cruz County CA Agenda Item DOC-2018-697]

Do you think this will ever happen?  Do the Tee Street and Hardin Way neighbors want this to happen?  NO.

There is already a big problem with drug dealing and other illicit activity on the other side of the dry creek, as well as minors having alcoholic raves under the “Bridge to Nowhere” and surrounding brush that leave piles of trash and pose a real fire hazard to the community.

Contact Supervisor Manu Koenig to ask why this “Bridge to Nowhere” sits rusting in peoples’ backyards and creating a public nuisance….and wasting taxpayer money already spent.

Manu Koenig at 454-2200  manu.koenig@santacruzcounty.us and copy his analysts:
Jamie Sehorn jamie.sehorn@santacruzcounty.us
Shane McKeithen shane.mckeithen@santacruzcounty.us
Kristina Glavis kristina.glavis@santacruzcounty.us

Don’t you think it might be better to use this “good deal” bridge to help create an emergency fire evacuation route for kids and staff at Valencia Elementary School?  Or maybe an alternate route to Aptos Creek Road for pedestrians and cyclists to visit Nisene Marks State Park?

I’ll bet you have better ideas that would put this expensive “Bridge to Nowhere” to good use.  Please let Supervisor Koenig know about them.

Here is what one iteration of the Farm Park is supposed to become…with a “pedestrian bridge” connecting the two areas.

The Farm Park & Community Center

I used to work as a gardener at the unique farm and restaurant known as The Greenhouse Restaurant at The Farm that was all demolished to make room for this new park over 20 years ago..  The small cafe that now bears the name near Cabrillo College really lacks the rustic charm and greenhouse dining of the original place, but their fresh fruit tarts and homemade breads are still pretty tasty…

GETTING SERIOUS ABOUT WATER CONSERVATION IN SOUTHERN CA

Turning in your neighbor for wasting water is becoming somewhat fashionable in southern California and water companies are installing flow restrictors on customer services connections when they feel the customer is using too much water. Water Agency Cracks Down On Water Use In Southern California [Daily Wire]

I think it would be better to incentivize conservation, rather than such a Big Brother and divisive plan.

What do you think?

WILL STATE PARK REIMAGINING BIG BASIN INCLUDE RE-ESTABLISHING EMERGENCY EVACUATION ROUTES?

As California State Parks Dept. moves ahead to open limited areas of char remnants of Big Basin State Park, the elephant in the room remains…will there be secondary access routes re-established for emergency evacuation?

Don’t forget that the one death in the CZU Fire occurred because State Parks blocked the emergency access for the Last Chance Community.  That cannot be tolerated as the Park opens.

You might appreciate browsing through the Recovery Plan for that area. [Compendium of Big Basin Recovery Plan (see page 52 for public comments submitted)]

:

Here is an interesting Sempervirens narrative about redwood tree recovery.

COUNTY CONTINUES TO BAIL OUT SWENSON AT APTOS VILLAGE PROJECT

Here is the expensive deal the County signed to help keep Swenson afloat by leasing the space for a Sheriff Center that is never open for public use and has yet to hold any significant educational events that were promised.

Note that the County taxpayers gifted Swenson (the “Lessor”) almost $300,000 to finish the interior so that County Sheriff deputies, probation officers, the DA, and Supervisor Zach Friend could all have cozy offices. (See page 5 of the Lease Agreement and Exhibit B)

WILL THIS BIKE LANE IN APTOS VILLAGE BE SAFE?

The new lane demarcation work on Soquel Drive is slowly creeping along.  It will be interesting to see if this all works as well on the pavement as it must have looked on paper.  Does it seem like a good idea to you to have an abrupt curb extend to the very edge of the bike lane?
	It looks like an accident waiting to happen…
Will traffic waiting to make that new left turn cause big back-ups on Soquel Drive?

NEW APTOS LIBRARY CONSTUCTION CONTINUES…..GOING UP!

Take a look at the progress (still no response from the Project Manager Damon Adlao about the pile of dirt covered with plastic.)

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF PUBLIC INPUT?

Here are some gems recently sent out by a very astute and involved public member, Judi G., working a lot on this.

When leaders refer to extensive public engagement, often “it is a mechanism to wrap a veneer of legitimacy around the large policy objectives of influential people.”

“Residents may not be experts, but we know how the built environment makes us feel, and how we would like to feel.”

MAKE ONE CALL.  WRITE ONE LETTER.  ATTEND ONE PUBLIC HEARING AND SPEAK UP.

MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE THIS WEEK BY JUST DOING SOMETHING.

Cheers, Becky

Becky will be back next week.