Dear District 5 Resident,
Want to watch your local government in action? Join us for the next Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, October 21, taking place right here in our own district! Due to ongoing renovations of the Board Chambers at the County building, this meeting will be held at the Scotts Valley City Council Chambers (1 Civic Center Drive). Rotating meeting locations comes with logistical and financial challenges, so I deeply appreciate the City of Scotts Valley for hosting us — and I hope District 5 residents will take advantage of this rare opportunity to attend a Board meeting close to home. I wanted to highlight two items on the meeting agenda that may interest you: - Measure Q Implementation Update (# 9) – The Board will hear a report on the Safe Drinking Water, Clean Beaches, Wildfire Risk Reduction, and Wildlife Protection Act (Measure Q), which funds local projects addressing environmental and land management priorities. The update will cover progress on the Vision Plan and the timeline for selecting and funding projects.
- Planning and Permitting Process Improvements (# 14) – In the afternoon, the Board will receive an update on efforts to streamline development planning and permitting in Santa Cruz County. Per my request, this report will include a detailed analysis of the CZU rebuild process and recommendations for improvements.
If you would like to share your thoughts on these items or any others, you can join in-person, by phone, or zoom. The meeting begins at 9:00 a.m. If you can’t attend, public comments can also be submitted in writing by email or US mail. See public participation guidelines for more information. Beyond board and commission meetings, I had a handful of opportunities to get out and visit the community over these past few weeks – celebrating with our Firewise communities, talking with constituents in the summit area, and supporting queer youth. On Monday, I will participate in a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the opening of a new mobile health unit in Ben Lomond that will expand behavioral health and substance use disorder services in SLV. For more information on these events and other news read more below. Stay tuned for a detailed event announcement next week on my State of the Roads Town Hall on November 13.
In community, |
Santa Cruz County Supervisor, District 5 |
Photo: Anthony Rodriguez, LMFT, Site Behavioral health Director and Behavioral Health Provider; Mila Shank, LCSW PPSC, Chief Behavioral Health Officer; and Esme Soto-Mauricio, MPH, Behavioral Health Operations Manager, Santa Cruz Community Health |
Next week, I will participate in a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday, October 20 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. to celebrate Santa Cruz Mountain Health Center's new mobile health unit, which is dedicated to serving the San Lorenzo Valley. The mobile health unit is part of a larger grant awarded to Santa Cruz Community Health from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to strengthen and expand behavioral health services in our community. The mobile health unit, stationed outside the Santa Cruz Mountain Health Center in Ben Lomond on Main Street, is expanding access to behavioral health and offering new substance use disorder (SUD) services — including treatment with medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD). By dedicating the mobile health unit to behavioral health, these services are now available five days a week (instead of three days). The clinic also has more space available to serve primary care patients. This effort fills a critical gap in care for residents in our mountain communities. A peer recovery specialist will also be on-site to connect with patients, reduce stigma, and offer compassionate, community-based support. Other staff include five behavioral health providers, two case managers, and a SUDs counselor. I want to thank Santa Cruz Community Health for investing in this important resource and helping bring essential care closer to home for the San Lorenzo Valley. If you would like to join me at the ribbon-cutting ceremony and celebrate this important moment in our community, please RSVP here. The public, community partners, and local leaders are invited to attend. To receive care at the mobile health unit, community members must establish a primary care provider at Santa Cruz Mountain Health Center, which offers a wide range of health services including family practice, pediatrics, mental health services, CalFresh and insurance enrollment, referrals to specialty care, substance use disorder treatment, and women’s health. For more information, call Santa Cruz Community Health at 831-427-3500.
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Photo: Sheriff Chris Clark; Assemblymember Gail Pellerin; County Supervisors Koenig, Martinez, Cummings; and Sanjay Khandelwal, President, Loma Prieta Community Foundation |
I was pleased to attend the “Summit on the Summit” event hosted by the Loma Prieta Community Foundation. It was a great opportunity to hear from residents about the issues they care about the most. Not surprisingly, we heard a lot about public safety, roads, and utilities. It was an important dialogue among residents, local elected officials, and other leaders. I remain focused on doing what I can to help support the needs of our mountain communities, including those near the summit.
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Recently, I joined neighbors, local leaders, elected officials, and fire safety advocates to celebrate a big milestone – 108 Firewise® USA communities (77,000 households) in Santa Cruz County! This incredible accomplishment is due to the hard work of volunteers and grassroots organizers, and I want to acknowledge those residents who are working together to strengthen our community’s wildfire resilience. See the map of current Firewise communities. Interested in learning more? Contact Firewise.
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I was honored to speak at the annual Fall Fabu, a celebration of LGBTQ+ identity and diversity at Pacific Collegiate Charter School. During the schoolwide assembly, I shared reflections on my journey to public service and discussed the importance of behavioral health services in our local queer community. I also recently joined queer youth, allies, and family members at Watsonville High School to kick off the Rainbow Conference. It is inspiring to see so many youths working together to create safer schools in their communities.
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In honor of Suicide Prevention Month, I participated in Assemblymember Gail Pellerin’s annual community event and resource fair called Care Fair. It was an important day dedicated to mental wellness, connection, and healing. Twelve members of the community were honored as local mental health heroes. It is essential that we continue to work together to destigmatize mental illness and ensure access to critical services.
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Santa Cruz County, in partnership with local cities and special districts, has released a draft update of the Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (MJHMP) for public review and comment. The MJHMP is a comprehensive roadmap for reducing risks from natural hazards, including floods, wildfires, earthquakes, coastal hazards, drought, and landslides. If you haven’t had a chance to review and provide input, please consider doing so by October 20.
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Given the connectivity challenges we often face in our mountainous areas, I hope you will take a few minutes to fill out this important County survey on broadband and phone service coverage. The purpose of the survey is to gather input on service availability, reliability, and gaps in coverage. The survey results will be used to help guide future infrastructure investments and grant applications for high-speed internet to underserved areas, and improve planning for reliable community systems during disasters and emergencies.
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Were you renting or a previous homeowner in Santa Cruz County during the 2023 flood events? If so, you may qualify for the ReCoverCA Homebuyer Assistance Program, which offers up to $300,000 in forgivable home loan assistance. You can learn more at a workshop on October 20 at 7:00 p.m. at the Boulder Creek Rec Center.
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To help reduce gun violence in our community, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office is hosting a Gun Buyback Program on Saturday, October 18 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. No questions asked when participating. See flyer for more details. Let’s make Santa Cruz safer for everyone.
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Interested in upgrading your woodstove? The Monterey Bay Air Resources District (MBARD) is offering cash incentives to replace old wood-burning heating devices with cleaner alternatives. To learn more about eligibility and incentives, visit MBARD’s website (apply here).
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To reduce wait time, we are utilizing a reservation system. Click here to reserve a 15 minute time-slot in advance. Drop-in visitors are still welcome, and will be seen in order of arrival as time allows between or after reservations. - October 27 from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. (Scotts Valley Library Community Room, 251 Kings Village Road, Scotts Valley)
- November 19 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. (Felton Office, 6062 Graham Hill Road, Suite A & B, Felton)
- December 17 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. (Highlands Park Senior & Community Center, 8500 Highway 9, Ben Lomond)
The purpose of In-District Office Hours is to provide a convenient way for me to hear from you. However, if you have a problem that will require more than 15 minutes to discuss, or you cannot come during the times listed above, my office is happy to work with you to schedule another time meet. Contact my staff at fifth.district@santacruzcountyca.gov or call 831-454-2200.
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Read meeting agendas here as they become available. Upcoming meetings will take place at 9 a.m. until their conclusion on: - November 4 (Watsonville City Council Chambers, 275 Main Street, Watsonville)
- November 18 (County Government Center Community Room, 701 Ocean Street, Santa Cruz)
- December 9 (Capitola City Council Chambers, 720 Capitola Avenue, Capitola)
- December 16 (County Government Center Community Room, 701 Ocean Street, Santa Cruz)
See the Fall 2025 Board of Supervisor Meeting Schedule for more information. |
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