As 2025 comes to a close, I want to take a moment to reflect on the year we’ve shared as a community. This year has brought its challenges, triumphs, and countless moments that remind us how resilient and caring our neighbors are. From supporting local agriculture to protecting our beautiful coastline, and from strengthening our communities to celebrating our rich local culture, it has been a year of progress and connection.
I am deeply grateful for the trust you place in me to represent District 2 and for the ways you engage in our community. Your voices, your energy, and your commitment to one another make our district a wonderful place to live and grow.
As we welcome 2026, I hope it brings you joy, health, and opportunities to connect with the people and places that matter most. Let’s continue working together to make District 2 a thriving, inclusive, and vibrant community for all.
Warmest wishes,
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Kimberly De Serpa
Second District Supervisor
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The National Weather Service forecast is improving, with expected rainfall and timing currently below flooding thresholds. While widespread flooding is not anticipated, saturated ground could still cause isolated slope failures or downed trees that may temporarily affect roads. County road crews have increased on-call staffing and are prepared to respond.
Rainfall: Forecast totals range from about 4 inches in Watsonville to nearly 10 inches in the mountains, with the heaviest rain expected Tuesday evening and another system possible Wednesday night into Thursday morning.
Flooding: No rivers are currently forecast to reach monitor or flood stage, and gauges will continue to be closely monitored.
Wind: Strongest winds are expected Tuesday night into Wednesday morning and again early Thursday, which could lead to isolated power outages. PG&E has activated its local Emergency Operations Center and is positioning resources locally. Updates will be shared if conditions change.
For real-time storm alerts, please sign up for the County's alert system: CruzAware.Org
SAFER (information about power outages, traffic, weather and more): SAFER LINK
Please follow local news or official Santa Cruz County media accounts at www.twitter.com/sccounty or www.facebook.com/countyofsantacruz for updates and additional information. |
In the past year, here’s what staying connected really looked like:
🏛️ 16 town halls, community meetings, and office hours 🤝 271 meetings with community and county organizations 📋 132 board and commission meetings
(for example: Board of Supervisors, Regional Transportation Commission, SCC Sanitation District, Behavioral Health Advisory Board, Area Agency on Aging Advisory Council, Pajaro River Flood Management Agency, Mid-County Groundwater Agency, Monterey Bay Air Resources District Board, Santa Cruz-Monterey-Merced Managed Medical Care Commission, Pajaro Valley Prevention and Student Assistance) 🎤 222 public events and speaking engagements representing District 2 👥 98 one-on-one constituent meetings 🧩 226 complex constituent cases navigated from start to finish 📧📞 Hundreds of emails and phone calls received, reviewed and returned
Every meeting, conversation, and case reflects a simple commitment: listen closely, show up consistently, and keep working for our community. |
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Supervisor De Serpa at December's Aptos Chamber luncheon |
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As always, my priority is making sure District 2 gets its fair share of attention and investment, even as Santa Cruz County continues to operate with fewer resources than most counties our size. Proposition 13 and shifts in sales tax revenue limit what counties can collect, yet we are still responsible for delivering critical health, safety, and community services. I remain focused on using every dollar wisely and advocating for our residents at the regional and state levels.
Transportation and Infrastructure: Real Progress We’re making significant progress on long-standing transportation and safety priorities. The buffered bike lane on Soquel Drive, between La Fonda and State Park Drive, is now complete, and construction has begun on the Mar Vista bike and pedestrian overcrossing. In a historic win, the County secured a $128.7 million multimodal grant to fund Highway 1 improvements, build Interim Trail segments 9–11, enhance bike and pedestrian crossings, and implement critical safety upgrades along Soquel Drive from State Park Drive to Freedom Boulevard.
Rail Trail Update: What the Interim Trail Means Many residents have asked whether the interim rail trail signals a shift in priorities. The interim trail reflects a focus on what we can realistically deliver now. It provides immediate safety, connectivity, and quality-of-life benefits for people biking and walking, using available funding. While the rail corridor remains protected under current agreements, future passenger rail would require significant funding, ridership, and feasibility hurdles to be resolved. The interim trail allows the County to make productive use of the corridor today, rather than waiting indefinitely on an uncertain rail project. |
Public Health and Safety Protecting community health remains a top concern. Our office's ordinance banned the recreational sale and use of nitrous oxide (“whippets”) in unincorporated areas, and I will continue to push for stronger action around kratom. We are also working to strengthen healthcare access through hospitals, primary care, and progress toward a UCSC medical school—while planning responsibly for federal policy and funding changes that could affect local health services. A new youth crisis center, Hope Rising/Esperanza Adelante, is expected to open in winter 2026.
Utilities and Power Reliability Many of you have shared concerns about power outages and reliability. In response to those concerns, I hosted a town hall with PG&E and will continue to push for accountability. A follow-up meeting is scheduled for late spring 2026. In addition, we are moving forward with regulations for battery energy storage systems to ensure we retain local oversight; this item will be heard at the January 13th Board meeting.
We are also staying vigilant against offshore oil and gas drilling threats to protect our coast and environment. I joined Supervisor Justin Cummings and his office to lobby and fight oil drilling in Monterey Bay. A friendly reminder: public comments on offshore drilling are open until January 23, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. EST. You can share your thoughts here: www.SaveMyCoast.org.
Connectivity and Emergency Communications Reliable connectivity is essential for emergency response, remote work and schooling, and everyday life. To address these needs, the County collected resident feedback through a broadband survey, continued lobbying to maintain land lines in our rural areas (for now), and invested in the Regional Interoperable Next Generation (RING) radio system to strengthen emergency communications across the region.
Supporting a Strong Local Economy A strong local economy benefits every part of our community. That’s why we focus on attracting and supporting businesses, encouraging residents to shop local, and expanding housing so workers can live near where they work. We’re partnering with Visit Santa Cruz to promote tourism for next year’s Super Bowl LIX and FIFA World Cup, and we’re planning a small business workshop this spring. Every time you shop locally, you’re investing in the heart of our community; thank you for supporting our local businesses!
Measure Q: First Investments are in District 2 The first $875,000 in Measure Q funding has been allocated. I am happy to announce the first allocations are within District 2: $720,000 for Freedom Lake restoration and $75,000 for Corralitos Creek watershed flood modeling and forecasting. These investments support environmental health and flood preparedness in our region.
Upcoming Events District 2 Office Hours January 29, 6:00 pm Aptos Library, Betty Leonard Community Room, Aptos
District 2 Strategic Plan Town Hall
Thursday, February 26, 6:30 pm
Aptos Library, Betty Leonard Community Room |
Big changes are happening with the bike lane delineators along Soquel Drive and Soquel Avenue. Here’s an update from the RTC Bicycle Committee:
Improved spacing & design:
The delineators have been lowered by 16 inches to reduce visual obstruction and improve sightlines. They’ve been removed in narrow sections where close spacing made passing difficult. Many delineators at the start and end of runs have been taken out, and now every other delineator has been removed. This means the total number of delineators has gone from over ~1,000 down to about 360 making more room for safe passing and easier ongoing maintenance.
Different delineators are planned for the future:
Santa Cruz County Public Works will be using a different delineator when they extend the bike path to Freedom Blvd next year. Even with fewer posts, the bike lanes continue to offer clear guidance to both cyclists and drivers, helping reinforce the space dedicated to active transportation.
“Protected or separated bike lanes, including those with physical delineators such as flexible posts, are proven to significantly improve safety. Research by the Federal Highway Administration shows that converting traditional bicycle lanes into separated lanes with flexible posts can reduce bicycle–vehicle crashes by about 50 %.”
— Federal Highway Administration, Developing Crash Modification Factors for Separated Bicycle Lanes (FHWA-HRT-23-078): https://highways.fhwa.dot.gov/sites/fhwa.dot.gov/files/Bicycle%20L
These updates are part of ongoing efforts to balance safety, mobility, and practical upkeep, all while keeping cycling comfortable and protected in our community. Let’s keep moving toward safer streets for everyone. |
The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission has released the Draft 2050 Regional Transportation Plan for public review and comment. The comment period runs from December 15, 2025 through January 30, 2026.
The 2050 Regional Transportation Plan is a 25-year plan that identifies current and future transportation needs across Santa Cruz County. It sets priorities for the transportation system, estimates available funding, and guides applications for federal, state, and local transportation dollars. The plan is updated every four to five years to reflect new trends, regulations, and community priorities.
A public hearing on the Draft Plan will be held during the RTC meeting on Thursday, January 15, 2026 at 6:30 p.m.
Public comments are welcome through January 30, 2026. Comments may be submitted at the public hearing or by email to info@sccrtc.org
To learn more or review the Draft 2050 Regional Transportation Plan, visit www.sccrtc.org/funding-planning/long-range-plans/ |
At the Aptos Chamber this month, Santa Cruz Area California Highway Patrol Public Information Officer Israel Murillo shared encouraging news: local e-bike crashes are down 41%. That is a meaningful improvement for our community.
This progress is due in large part to CHP’s Operation Safe Pedal, launched last year in response to a sharp rise in e-bike collisions. The effort has been hands-on and proactive, with officers visiting schools and community spaces, talking directly with kids and families, and reinforcing the basic rules of the road.
If you are looking for ways to help keep young riders safer, CHP offers helpful bike and pedestrian safety resources here:
https://www.chp.ca.gov/Programs-Services/Services-Information/Bike-and-Ped-Safety
You can also share this online course with the e-bike riders in your life:
Electric Bicycle Safety and Training | Rise 360
I am grateful to CHP for their continued commitment to safety in our community, especially for our kids, and to Officer Murillo for leading this important work. |
Important Update from the RTC Bike Commission:
Caltrans has officially confirmed a set of safety improvements for the McGregor Road construction area: - Improved signage: “Bicycles Share the Road” signs are already in place on both sides of the construction zone to alert drivers.
- New pavement markings: A formal change order has been approved to add bicycle sharrows directly on the roadway.
- Approved detour: The County approved a bicycle detour via Mar Vista Drive and Sea Ridge Drive on December 3.
Next steps: The contractor is fabricating the new signs and scheduling striping to install the sharrows.
A Safer Path Ahead Caltrans will continue to monitor the installation to ensure the route remains clear, predictable, and safer for people traveling by bike. |
The County's Behavioral Health Division invites community members and partners to share their perspectives and lived experiences to help guide the future of local behavioral health services. Your input truly matters, and the Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA) community survey is an easy way to make your voice heard.
Please take a few minutes to complete the survey by January 9, 2026:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/59GFPRW
Thank you for helping strengthen and improve behavioral health services in our community. |
Good news for wildfire preparedness in our community.
CAL FIRE has awarded $771,858 through its statewide Wildfire Prevention Grant Program to the Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County for the Valencia Shaded Fuel Break project. Working in partnership with Big Creek Lumber, the RCD will move forward over the coming year to implement a 100-acre shaded fuel break across Bear Valley Ranch and the Valencia Creek Forest, a CAL FIRE–designated priority area.
This shovel-ready project will reduce hazardous fuels, improve emergency access and evacuation routes, and help protect nearby communities, strengthening regional wildfire resilience. |
Seascape Golf Course turns 100 years in 2026 - this is quite a milestone. Locally owned and managed, everyone is invited to start the celebration on New Year's Eve with your friends and neighbors. Happy to celebrate this local landmark and our community as we say goodbye to 2025 and welcome in the new year! |
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