Hitting the Ground Running for District 5

Dear Friends,

It's been an exciting first month as your County Supervisor for the Fifth District. After being officially sworn in on December 23rd by our State Assemblymember, Gail Pellerin, I took office on January 6th.

Since then, my team and I have gotten to work, diving right in on the enormous array of complex local issues facing the County, including responding to community concerns regarding the recent fire at a battery storage facility in northern Monterey County and the federal administration’s policies targeting the LGBTQ+ community, women’s reproductive rights, and diversity programs. (Please see more about those two important issues below).

My Staff and I Are Here to Serve You

I am pleased to announce that I have been able to count on the assistance of Rae Spencer-Hill and J.M. Brown as I step into this new role. J.M. has served District 5 as a County analyst for nearly seven years, and the institutional knowledge he is able to provide in these initial months has helped ensure that unresolved constituent problems don't fall through the cracks during the transition. Rae brings to the office her professional experience as a litigation paralegal and her volunteer experience as a community organizer. She is fluent in Spanish and grew up in the San Lorenzo Valley.

Together, my team and I are committed to being responsive and approachable as we set up our office and roll out key initiatives. As promised, I will be holding regular in-district office hours. To kick things off, I welcome you to come share your thoughts at the following times:

March 3 from 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. at my Felton Office, located at 6062 Graham Hill Road Suite A & B
March 17 from 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. at the Boulder Creek Sheriff’s Substation, located at 13210 Central Avenue
April 14 from 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. at the Scotts Valley Library Community Room, 251 Kings Village Road.

And please remember, you can always contact our office by email or by calling (831)454-2200.

January 28th Board of Supervisors Meeting

Resolution on Protections for LGBTQ+ and Women

Amid the enactment of harmful federal policies and proposals, I brought forward a request to reaffirm the County’s commitment to protect women and LGBTQ+ individuals, and to direct the County Administrative Officer (CAO) to propose solutions to ensure that these community members continue to be served. At the January 28th meeting, the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to approve this resolution, which authorizes calling a special meeting of the Board if swift responsive action is needed.

Specifically, the Board-approved resolution directs the CAO “to work with County departments and community partners to identify opportunities and resources to ensure LGBTQ+ individuals and women continued access to the services they need to lead healthy, happy lives, free of fear of retaliation or discrimination” and to identify any state or federal policies that would interfere or jeopardize related funding.

The Board’s action comes as the President has issued executive orders targeting members of the transgender, non-binary, and immigrant communities, and has sought to defund diversity education and training programs.

The County has established a webpage dedicated to providing information and resources for communities directly impacted by recent federal policy actions and statements.

Battery Storage Fire

Also on January 28th, the Board of Supervisors received a report from our County staff, representatives of Monterey County, and Vistra Corp., which is the company that operates the battery storage operation that caught on fire on January 16th. After receiving details about the response and recovery efforts underway, our Board unanimously voted to request an independent investigation by the California Public Utilities Commission and an evaluation of similar storage projects in the state.

Measure Q Advisory Board

The Board also discussed and approved a process for appointing members of the new Citizens Oversight Advisory Board (COAB) related to the Water, Wildfire, and Wildlife Protection Act, which County voters passed as "Measure Q" last November. Although the formation of the COAB is limited by the language in the Act, I recommended an appointment process designed to result in a more well-balanced oversight board. To do this, each member of the Board will nominate up to three candidates to be shared at the March 11th Board of Supervisors meeting. With the benefit of knowing who else might be on the COAB, Supervisors will then choose one of their nominees and submit their final appointments for approval at the March 25th meeting.

Would you be a good COAB member? To review the qualifications and apply, visit the County’s Measure Q page by February 24.

The Water, Wildfire, and Wildlife Protection Act levies a countywide parcel tax of $87 per year, and is anticipated to raise $7 million annually for natural resource-related projects. In addition to the five seats appointed by the Board of Supervisors, the cities of Santa Cruz, Capitola, Scotts Valley, and Watsonville will each appoint one member to the advisory board, which will take public input on a vision plan and eventual projects.

Calling All Artists

Juvenile Hall Public Art Project

An artist will be selected to create site-specific public artwork for new and renovated components at the Juvenile Hall Facility, which is located in District 5 at 3650 Graham Hill Road. The Multi-Use Recreation and Program Facility will provide a state-required all-weather exercise and training facility for Juvenile Hall youth while the renovation and upgrades project will provide critical improvements to the aging facility as well as improvements to implement a new Seed-To-Table educational program.

A “Call to Artists,” which includes detailed information about the RFP process, as well as plans/elevations and sample contract, are available on the County Parks website. The deadline for submitting a proposal is February 21.

Watch for Work Being Done in District 5

If you have encountered one-way traffic along Highway 9, now you know why! This week Caltrans began vegetation control work on the entire length of Highway 9 in Santa Cruz County in support of California’s Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan to manage vegetation and reduce wildfire risk along the state highway system. The objective of this work is to disrupt fuels continuity by removing dead/dying brush and ladder fuels.

Travelers can expect one-way traffic control on Highway 9, Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. During the first two weeks of this operation work will be focused on Highway 9 between Santa Cruz and Felton. This project is expected to be completed by mid-March.

Travelers can expect delays of up to 15 minutes and are encouraged to please be alert for flaggers and all highway workers and drive slowly within the project work zones. Caltrans crews deserve to get home safely too.

The contractor for this $500K fuel reduction plan is C.T.L. Forest Management, Inc. of Cameron Park, CA. Road information and updates can also be found on Caltrans District 5 Social Media platforms:

Twitter at: @CaltransD5

Facebook at: Caltrans Central Coast (District 5)

Instagram/Threads at: @Caltrans_D5.

CHP Traffic Incident Information Page: http://cad.chp.ca.gov

Traveler information at: https://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/

Coming Up!

Upcoming Board Meeting Dates:
February 11
February 25
March 11
March 25
Read meeting agendas here as they become available.

Upcoming County Closures:
February 17 – President’s Day
March 31 – Cesar Chavez Day

January 28th Board of Supervisors Meeting

Calling All Artists

Watch for Work Being Done in District 5

Coming Up!

Office Locations & Contact Information