Dear District 5 Residents,
I hope you are enjoying these warm summer days. As the temperatures rise and we hear about devastating impacts from extreme weather events in other parts of the country, many of us here in the Santa Cruz Mountains are focused on reducing fire risk and staying prepared. I know that maintaining defensible space can be expensive—and I’ve heard your concerns. That’s why I took action to secure funding for free yard waste disposal days this August for District 5 residents. Starting Saturday, August 3, and continuing each Saturday through August, residents of the San Lorenzo Valley and unincorporated Scotts Valley can drop off yard waste for free at the Ben Lomond Transfer Station. This limited-term program is one way we’re working together to reduce wildfire fuels and protect our homes. You’ll find full details and links to additional resources below. In addition to this program, I will be hosting another Fire Preparedness Town Hall in partnership with the Santa Cruz County’s Sheriff’s Office, the Office of Response, Recovery & Resilience, Zayante Fire Protection District, and CAL FIRE. This second town hall will take place on August 23 and is intended for residents of Zayante and Lompico who were unable to attend the last event. The program will cover emergency communication tools, evacuation planning, and more. Finally, if you’d like to connect with me one-on-one, I’m holding In-District Office Hours on the following dates: - July 16 in Boulder Creek (11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.)
- August 12 in Ben Lomond (4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.)
- August 25 in Scotts Valley (1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.)
- September 16 in Felton (9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.)
Visit my website to reserve a 15-minute time slot—I’d love to hear from you. Thank you for all you do to keep our community safe and resilient.
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To help facilitate community home hardening and wildfire fuel reduction efforts, I am excited to offer a no-cost yard waste disposal program for residents of the San Lorenzo Valley and unincorporated areas of Scotts Valley. Every Saturday during the month of August, eligible residents will be able to dispose of yard waste at no cost at the Ben Lomond Transfer Station. You don’t need an appointment! If you are hauling your own yard waste, just be prepared to show proof of residency (such as driver’s license or utility bill) when you arrive at the Ben Lomond Transfer Station. If someone else will be delivering your yard waste, you'll need to provide a signed affidavit confirming they are hauling on your behalf. Transfer Station staff will collect and verify affidavits at the gate. A separate affidavit is required for each load. An affidavit is available for download here or you can request a printed version from my office. Each load is limited to two tons. Standard yard waste size and material restrictions apply. For more details on program requirements, please visit the program webpage and check out the FAQs. This program is offered in collaboration with Santa Cruz County Community Development & Infrastructure. Due to limited funding, this is a short-term program—but I’ll be closely tracking participation and community feedback to help inform future efforts. In the meantime, I strongly encourage District 5 residents to take advantage of this opportunity to safely and affordably dispose of yard waste while helping reduce wildfire fuel in your neighborhoods. If you have any questions, please reach out to my office at fifth.district@santacruzcountyca.gov.
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The County of Santa Cruz launched a new pilot program featuring the Camino Online Permit Guide. The Camino Guide is an interactive user-friendly tool designed to identify key regulatory requirements that may affect a project, as well as simplify and clarify the residential permit process by providing clear, step-by-step guidance tailored to the specifics of the project.
Whether planning a new home, an accessory dwelling unit (ADU), or a remodel of an existing residence, Camino provides the information needed to get started. All applicants for residential development projects will be required to utilize the Camino Guide prior to the County accepting an application for processing. This requirement applies to all residential development applications except those eligible for EZ or over-the-counter processing. For more information, see the County’s press release.
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The Monterey Bay Air Resources District (MBARD) launched the Fiscal Year 2025-26 Electric Vehicle Incentive Program (EVIP) on July 1, 2025, to offer residents in Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz counties an incentive to purchase or lease a new or used fully electric, plug-in hybrid electric, or hydrogen fueled vehicle. To be eligible, a vehicle must be purchased or leased on or after July 1, 2025. The program also offers double the incentive amounts for qualifying low-income applicants. For more information see MBARD’s press release.
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In case you missed the June town hall, I am hosting a second town hall on August 23, 2025 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. for Zayante and Lompico residents on emergency communications and evacuations. The town hall will include a panel of experts from local and state agencies including the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office, the Office of Response, Recovery & Resilience, Zayante Fire Protection District, and CAL FIRE. This event is intended for those who were unable to attend the town hall held on June 21, 2025. The program and materials will be the same. The town hall is focused on Zayante and Lompico because these canyons have been identified as particularly challenging areas to evacuate. If you are a resident of these areas, I highly encourage you to attend so you are informed and ready to evacuate if needed. For more details and to share with others, download the event flyer. Plan on attending? You can attend without registering, but doing so helps us with planning. Click here to register. Event Details Date: Saturday, August 23, 2025 Time: 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Place: Zayante Fire House (7700 East Zayante Road, Felton)
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Join me this Saturday (July 19) for the fifth annual Santa Cruz Mountains Classic Car Show at the Brookdale Lodge. I am excited to be on the panel of judges for class awards beginning at 2 p.m. This is a family-friendly event with over 50 amazing classic cars, activities for kids, live music, and BBQ. This fun-filled event is also a fundraiser for our local fire departments. Hope to see you there!
Event Details
Date: Saturday, July 19, 2025 Time: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Place: Brookdale Lodge (11570 Highway 9, Brookdale)
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Thank you to those who joined me for the July 4th parade in Boulder Creek. As always, the parade reminds me of what a special community we live in. All of you bring so much mountain spirit and pride, it truly was a special day. I was also happy to attend the Alba School House’s 129th July 4th annual fundraiser. Since 1895, the Alba Road community has been coming together on this day to celebrate Independence Day. This year, funds raised will support rebuilding efforts after the CZU fire including cleaning up of the parcel, repairs, and possibly a few picnic benches.
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To reduce wait time, we are now 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. - July 16, 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (Boulder Creek Sheriff's Substation, 13210 Central Avenue, Boulder Creek)
- August 12, 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. (Highlands Park Senior and Community Center, 8500 Highway 9, Ben Lomond)
- August 25, 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. (Scotts Valley Library Community Room, 251 Kings Village Road, Scotts Valley)
- September 16, 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. (Felton Office, 6062 Graham Hill Road, Suite A & B, Felton)
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: August 5
August 19
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