The most recent storms have pushed damages in the County to more than $30 million in damage to our local roads and infrastructure, causing some of the most significant challenges in recent memory. The Board of Supervisors declared a third emergency in as many months and has submitted requests to the state and federal government [...]
Some 1,100 private well owners in the Santa Margarita Groundwater Basin are being notified to let them know about a groundwater management process this is getting underway, including a public meeting on Feb. 22. The basin, which extends from Upper Branciforte Creek to Boulder Creek, is in a state of overdraft, resulting in lowered groundwater [...]
Image: Monterey Herald Registration for the County’s new cannabis cultivation program closed on November 6. This registration process is voluntary; however, we anticipate that only the owners of registered cannabis cultivation sites will be eligible to apply for a local license when they become available. The goal is to allow existing growers to register, receive [...]
A one-half cent sales tax to fund everything from filing potholes to Highway 1 transportation improvements will be on the November ballot. The “Safety, Pothole Repair, Traffic Relief, Transit Improvement Measure” is proposed to pay for a desperately needed mix of projects across transportation modes and geographic areas of Santa Cruz County, including $10 million for Highway 9. [...]
In San Lorenzo Valley, we depend on Highway 9. It’s the backbone for people and goods moving through Felton, Ben Lomond, Brookdale and Boulder Creek. It connects us to Santa Cruz and the Bay Area, both for recreational tourism and commuters. This winding mountain road is used by more than 21,000 vehicles a day, bulging with tourism [...]
Time and again, I am asked how and when our rural communities will have better access to wired high-speed internet service. The county has a Broadband Master Plan developed with help from local independent providers as well as ATT and Comcast. The next step to implementation is formation of a Fiber Initiative Team of public/private [...]