Santa Cruz County Supervisor, District 5

Photo: Community-based organizations, partner agencies, and County departments gather to discuss the local impacts of federal budget and policy changes and how to take collective action to support those most in need.

As we get closer to the start of the new year, the County is bracing for more disruptions in essential services from the federal budget reconciliation bill (H.R.1). We are also still reeling from the longest government shutdown in history, which ended on November 12 and led to economic damage, financial hardship, and stalled safety net programs. During this time, over 5 million Californians (35,000 in Santa Cruz County) suffered from delays and a temporary halt of CalFresh, which provides food assistance benefits.

In response, the Board of Supervisors declared a local emergency and allocated up to $500,000 to support the Second Harvest Food Bank and other food distribution efforts to help meet the increased need for food assistance in our County.

Although CalFresh funding has been restored, there is still much fear, uncertainty, and unmet need in our community. Also, many of the local organizations we rely on to help those most in need, like the Second Harvest Food Bank, are also suffering from cuts in funding. With big changes on the horizon from H.R. 1 in terms of who will be eligible to receive food benefits and who will pay for them, the County is anticipating additional need in the coming months – and possibly years – ahead.

To help prepare for this need, I worked with the County’s Executive Office to convene a group of local, community-based organizations, partner agencies, and County departments across a wide range of sectors, including Community Bridges, Second Harvest Food Bank, Salud Para La Gente, Housing Matters and many others. Together, we examined the local impacts of recent federal budget and policy changes and how these changes are affecting residents.

This meeting was the first of many in what we hope will be a longstanding partnership that will lead to coordinated and collective action to strengthen the safety net for those who need it most.

Do you (or someone you know) need food assistance? If so, here is where you can find a list of local food pantries and food assistance programs in District 5, most of which offer free food services.

Photo: Supervisor Martinez and staff from Santa Cruz Mountain Health Center perform ribbon-cutting to celebrate the new mobile health unit.

I was pleased to join the Santa Cruz Mountain Health Center at a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate a new mobile health unit, which is dedicated to serving the San Lorenzo Valley. The mobile health unit will be stationed in Ben Lomond on Main Street and is expanding access to behavioral health and offering new substance use disorder services. With the mobile health unit in place, the clinic has more space available to serve primary care patients in the clinic.

This effort fills a critical gap in care for residents in our mountain communities, especially as we are facing deep cuts to Medi-Cal, which will greatly restrict health care access for those most at risk. For more information on how to get care at Santa Cruz Mountain Health Center call 831-427-3500.

For four decades, the Mountain Affair has raised funds to ensure that local children, families, and seniors can access food, counseling, housing navigation assistance, and crisis support through Mountain Community Resources (MCR).

At this year’s annual fundraiser, I was honored to announce the winner of the 2025 Green Heart Award, Tonje Switzer. The Green Heart Award recognizes the priceless contributions of the MCR community coming together to ensure vital resources remain available in the Valley. Tonje played an important role in helping her community recover from the CZU Fire –  even after losing her own home. Read here to learn more about her leadership, resilience, and unwavering dedication to helping others in their most difficult moments.

If you missed my District 5 State of the Roads Town Hall, don’t worry, you can still watch the event and access the tools and resources shared with participants.

The event brought together local, county, and state transportation and public safety partners to share updates on major road projects, storm recovery work, and upcoming priorities in District 5. It was an important opportunity for residents like you to learn directly from the agencies maintaining our roads and improving safety across our communities.

To learn more, check out the event materials and key resources below that include practical day-to-day tools for checking travel alerts, reporting road conditions, and tips for emergency planning.

Event Materials:

• Event Recording
• Slide Deck
• Panelists & Key Resources
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Caltrans: San Lorenzo Valley Area Projects

Last week, I hosted a town hall about efforts to stabilize Big Basin Water Company (BBWC) with Nicholas Jaber, the court-appointed receiver assigned to oversee the operation of BBWC two years ago after the CZU fire destroyed much of its infrastructure.

After many challenges over the past few years, water demand is now being met, and the system has undergone about $700,000 of critical upgrades funded by a grant from the California Department of Water Resources. This is great news for the Boulder Creek residents that rely on Big Basin Water. I want to thank our partners for their good work and especially the neighbors for their patience in this process.

Moving forward, the focus will be on expanding the system’s capacity and finding a suitable buyer to continue to operate BBWC. For more information, watch the event recording.

Every three years, the State of California updates its building standards, also known as the California Code of Regulations, Title 24. The current California Building Standards Code took effect in 2022. The 2025 edition will go into effect on January 1, 2026.

The County asks that applicants who wish to be permitted under the 2022 codes submit their applications by December 5. The County will make every effort possible to process permit applications submitted after December 5 by the end of the year. However, out of fairness to everyone, applications are processed in the order they are received and the Permitting staff is experiencing an end-of-cycle surge, so staff cannot guarantee that applications submitted after December 5 will be processed prior to the code update taking effect.  

If you have any questions, please contact the Santa Cruz County Community Development & Infrastructure Department, Planning/Unified Permit Center at 831-454-2580.

Image: SMGWA seeks Alternate Director on Agency Board.

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.

• 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 by calling 831-454-2200.

Supervisor Monica Martinez
Rae Spencer-Hill, Staff Analyst
J.M. Brown, Staff Analyst
Megan Renfrew, Staff Analyst

Contact us: fifth.district@santacruzcountyca.gov
or (831) 454-2200