As we head into September, I'd like to take this time to wish all a happy Labor Day. I am looking forward to a family wedding this weekend and time spent with loved ones. I hope you've enjoyed our relatively cool summer, and I look forward to the Autumn, my favorite season.
I want to share a few updates from around District 2: from winter storm preparation and Highway 1 construction to coastal protection, and the County’s financial outlook moving forward. Our staff has been hard at work on your behalf if you see them around town or at events please say hello. Regina and Maureen are a positive force for District 2 and I thank them.
It is a true pleasure to represent District 2, and what makes it amazing are the people that make up our special area. Thank you as always for your engagement and well wishes.
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Kimberly De Serpa
Second District Supervisor
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Please join us for a community meeting on Monday, September 28, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Twin Lakes Church (2701 Cabrillo College Drive, Aptos).
We know there are questions about the proposed housing site on the former Par 3 golf course next to Highway1, on the 13-acre parcel behind the Seacliff Inn. We want to provide answers to some of your questions.
We will share what the preliminary, unfinalized plans are beginning to look like, provide background on the County’s Housing Element, how this site fits into it, and explain what is known.
In brief, the state requires a Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) as part of their State Housing Law and ours runs from 2023-2031. It was approved by the former board of Supervisors in 2023. The county in the unincorporated area is required to provide 4,364 units in this timeframe. To date, developers in the unincorporated area have produced only about 300 units of housing. The vast majority of housing being developed is in District 1, with six planned projects. Right now, the Par 3 project is the only development planned in District 2. (The Cabrillo College/ UCSC housing project does not count in the housing element because it is on a campus.) The county's direct role is not to construct housing but rather to ensure adequate opportunities exist for housing development through zoning and reducing barriers to development.
Why would the state be interested in creating more housing? The existing unhoused populations statewide show the difficulty people have faced in securing housing. With the growing population of seniors in our county facing tremendous financial pressures, we are seeing more and more seniors living in their cars. Housing is extremely expensive and the reasons for this are complicated, but we know that our county hasn't developed the housing stock to meet the needs of our populations. The state has mandated that all counties do something about this.
Representatives from Soquel Creek Water District, Central Fire Protection District, and County Planning will also be there to answer questions about water, fire protection, planning requirements, and other aspects of the proposal.
The purpose of the meeting is to share information and answer questions.
Respectful dialogue is welcome. Let us know if you can make it. |
NOAA says El Niño is strengthening, with a greater than 90% chance of a very strong event this fall and winter.
That doesn’t tell us exactly how much rain Santa Cruz County will receive, but we know from experience that heavy rain, wind and large surf can create serious challenges. The work to prepare is happening now.
What the County is doing
County Roads & Drainage crews are preparing roads, culverts, drainage systems and equipment for winter. This year’s preparation includes: - Preparing more than 40,000 sandbags for residents and emergency response.
- Inspecting more than 160 bridges and large culvert crossings.
- Clearing culverts, ditches and high-priority drainage systems.
- Testing stormwater pumps, generators and backup power.
- Staging heavy equipment throughout the County for faster response.
- Training more than 70 Roads, Drainage and Fleet employees for winter emergencies.
- Increasing after-hours road and drainage response during the winter.
- When storms arrive, crews patrol known trouble spots and respond to flooding, downed trees, slides, blocked drainage and damaged roads.
Preparing for known trouble spots in District 2
Rio Del Mar Flats is one of the County’s high-priority drainage areas. Crews are also preparing along Corralitos Creek and around Pinto Lake and inspecting culverts, drainage channels and previous storm-damage sites.
Our rural roads are a particular concern. In Corralitos and the Aptos Hills, a slide, downed tree or failed culvert can quickly become an emergency-access issue.
Capitola Village can also be particularly vulnerable when heavy rain and Soquel Creek flows combine with high tides and large surf. While Capitola maintains its own infrastructure, storms don’t recognize city and County boundaries. I want our emergency teams coordinating before major storms, not during them.
And at the southern end of District 2, Pajaro Dunes and the Pajaro River must be part of the conversation. Flood protection in the Pajaro Valley is regional, requiring coordination among the County, Pajaro Regional Flood Management Agency, Watsonville and other partners.
I’ll continue checking in with our Roads & Drainage and emergency teams as we get closer to winter, particularly on these known problem areas. |
What You Can Do Now: - Sign up for CruzAware. It’s the County’s emergency alert system. If you’re already signed up, make sure your contact information and address are current.
- Know your evacuation zone and more than one way out. That’s especially important if you live on a rural road or somewhere with limited access.
- Take a look around your property before the rain starts. Clear gutters and drainage areas, remove leaves and debris, secure outdoor items and get sandbags early if you live somewhere that floods. Help your neighbors, too.
- Never drive through flooded roads or around barricades. Water can be deeper and moving faster than it looks, and the roadway underneath may be damaged.
- Volunteer to help during a disaster: Emergency Response Volunteer Sign Up or call 831-427-5070.
The County has an El Niño preparedness page with preparedness information, CruzAware, evacuation resources, sandbag locations, road closures and other information you may need this winter.
We can’t control the weather, but we can control how prepared we are. |
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Construction continues to make steady progress across several areas of the Highway 1 Corridor Project. Here’s the latest update from the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission:
Park Avenue Southbound Onramp The southbound onramp at Park Avenue has been completely reconstructed over the past several months. Crews have rebuilt the ramp from the ground up, completed extensive drainage improvements, and reused suitable materials from the median excavation as part of the reconstruction.
Work is now focused on placing the aggregate base in preparation for asphalt paving, which is expected to begin in the coming weeks.
Drainage Improvements Drainage work is underway at multiple locations throughout the project corridor. To minimize traffic impacts, crews have been working both day and night, with overnight work taking place when lane closures can occur with the least disruption. Both crews are expected to transition to daytime operations at the time of this newsletter being sent.
Mar Vista Pedestrian Overcrossing Significant progress has been made on the new Mar Vista Pedestrian Overcrossing. The bridge supports and deck are complete, and crews are now finishing the bridge surface.
The pedestrian steel railings have been fabricated, are currently being painted, and are expected to arrive on site shortly. Installing the railings will be one of the first highly visible signs that the bridge is nearing completion.
Once the railings are installed, crews will begin removing the temporary falsework beneath the bridge, which will require periodic lane closures.
Bay Avenue and Porter Street Ramps Ramp improvements are now underway following the scheduled closures that began in early August.
Work is starting at the Bay Avenue southbound offramp and includes electrical upgrades, drainage improvements, and ramp reconfiguration to accommodate the new auxiliary lanes and Bus on Shoulder improvements. This phase is expected to continue for approximately four months.
During that time, the Porter Street northbound onramp and northbound offramp will also close sequentially for several weeks each while similar improvements are completed.
Auxiliary Lane Construction Crews continue widening the existing highway shoulders between Bay Avenue/Porter Street and State Park Drive to create the new auxiliary lanes. This work has been ongoing for several months and is an important step toward improving traffic flow and reducing congestion along the corridor.
For more information, please see the RTC website: Highway 1 Construction Project Updates - SCCRTC |
Seacliff neighbors have reached out with concerns about some of the ideas being considered for the future of Seacliff State Beach. The oceanfront of Seacliff Beach was destroyed in the 2023 winter storms and after a resiliency study it has been determined that the beachfront can no longer sustain RV camping.
California State Parks is continuing to gather community input as part of Phase 3 of the Seacliff and New Brighton State Beaches Recovery Process. The project is looking at how to adapt coastal facilities to sea-level rise, erosion, flooding and severe storms while maintaining beach access for the public. It also includes planning to replace some of the RV camping areas. This is an ongoing planning process, with continuing opportunities for community input. The information will be analyzed and is anticipated in Winter 2026 or Spring 2027. State Parks will share the results of the surveys with the community.
Although this is a State Parks project and not under the county's jurisdiction, I understand people's concerns about the placement of these facilities. I, too, was a Seacliff neighbor and feel an affinity to the area. To date, I have had two briefing meetings and have attended community meetings with State Parks staff and am reassured that no decision has been concluded. The process that the State Parks are engaged in has to take all options into account for diligent planning purposes. Ultimately the decisions about the projects lie with State Parks. I am, however, advocating with our State Parks and will continue to share the concerns of our neighbors. Please if you have an opinion on this matter use the link below to provide your feedback.
The survey presents a range of possibilities. Please take a few minutes to review the options and share your input:
Complete the Seacliff Resilience Phase 3 survey |
AT&T is again seeking to phase out traditional landline service in parts of California, potentially beginning as early as June 2027.
I recently met with AT&T representatives to discuss what this could mean for Santa Cruz County.
I’m particularly concerned about rural communities where cell service can be spotty or nonexistent. For many residents, a landline isn’t an outdated convenience. It can be a lifeline during wildfires, power outages and other emergencies.
AT&T representatives told me that there are currently no plans or timeline to discontinue landline service in District 2. They indicated that two to three reliable alternatives would need to be available before landline service could be discontinued in our area.
I’ll continue advocating that any changes to landline service do not leave our rural communities without a reliable way to stay connected, particularly during emergencies. |
You may have heard that Santa Cruz County has “healthy reserves.” However, I respectfully disagree with this statement.
The County does have some reserves, but they are only about a third of the level held by similar counties. At the same time, we face a significant budget shortfall next year, with changes in federal funding expected to put additional pressure on County services.
Disasters add another layer of uncertainty. The 2017 and 2023 storms demonstrated how quickly repair costs can reach millions of dollars and how long FEMA reimbursements can take. The County is still awaiting 50 million dollars from previous disasters.
With another potentially challenging winter ahead, now is not the time to view our reserves as money available to spend.
I’m glad we were able to get through this year’s budget without the level of service cuts originally proposed. But that does not mean our financial challenges are over.
Difficult decisions remain ahead. We need to be responsible with the resources we have while protecting our ability to respond when our community needs us most.
The county eliminated 63 positions in a cost cutting measure, instituted a hiring freeze for non-essential positions and cut travel. We are tightening the belt. You may also know that the supervisors heard an item about a salary increase for the board. I was not in favor of this.
On a brighter note, Supervisor Manu Koenig and I provided discretionary monies to save services at some of our parks as well as saving most of the funding for Arts in our community. I was proud to bring Arts Counsel Executive Director, Jim Brown, on a tour in Aptos Village last week, to encourage a focus on mid-county in their planning for arts programming. |
Measure E on the November Ballot
County voters will also have the ability to decide Measure E on November 3. Measure E is a proposed County sales and use tax measure intended to generate additional local revenue for County services.
The measure is being considered as Santa Cruz County faces significant ongoing financial pressures, due to HR 1 implementation starting this July. Our county faces a crisis-like all counties in the state-about $200 million lost in health care and social services funding to our local healthcare and safety net programs. The measure is temporary, expiring after 5 years and excludes purchases like groceries and prescription drugs.
Residents can review the official ballot language, impartial analysis, fiscal information and arguments for and against Measure E through the County Elections Office before deciding how they wish to vote.
Regardless of the outcome of Measure E, the County will continue to face difficult budget decisions. |
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Local officials standing together at Monterey Aquarium in protest of proposed Federal measures to begin offshore oil drilling and deep-sea mining in Monterey Bay |
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Santa Cruz County’s coastline is one of our community’s greatest resources. There are several coastal policy developments and opportunities for residents to learn more and participate. I was pleased to provide discretionary monies to support the initiatives to enhance the "Blue Wall" along with my colleague Supervisor Justin Cummings who is leading the effort with Save our Shores. The federal administration has indicated that they are planning oil drilling and sea bed mining off our coast and all of California.
November ballot measure
The Board of Supervisors recently voted to place an updated “Blue Wall” measure on the November ballot. If passed, Measure D would strengthen the County’s protections against offshore oil infrastructure and address emerging offshore activities such as deep-sea mining. Voters will decide the measure on November 3.
California offshore oil and gas legislation
AB 1448, the California Coastal Protection Act, is awaiting action by Governor Newsom and addresses offshore oil and gas development, including existing infrastructure and state oil and gas leases.
Residents interested in these issues can review government information, attend public meetings, submit comments, and contact their elected representatives.
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Many of you have probably seen the incredible video of 16-year-old State Parks lifeguard Ryder Williams rescuing a 10-year-old boy from the pounding surf at Seabright State Beach.
Ryder is in his first year as a lifeguard. He saw the boy in trouble, called for backup, and went straight into extremely dangerous conditions to reach him. Another lifeguard, Aaron Bohnen, joined the rescue and helped get them safely back to shore.
Then they both went back to work.
It’s an extraordinary story and a reminder that lifeguards are first responders. They train for emergencies, make split-second decisions and sometimes put their own lives at risk to save others.
I was thinking about that when I attended National Night Out at Pinto Lake County Park. It was wonderful to see families connecting with law enforcement officers, firefighters and other public safety professionals.
So, thank you to our lifeguards, firefighters, law enforcement officers, paramedics, dispatchers and everyone who works every day to keep our communities safe.
And a special thank you to Ryder and Aaron. On a day when a young boy needed help, you were there, and your courage and training brought him safely home. Our community is incredibly grateful and we are so proud of you. |
Welcoming Our Fall Intern and Youth Commissioner
In late August, we welcomed Fall Intern Micol Dann-Black and Youth Commissioner Danna Perez-Garcia, a junior at Pajaro Valley High School. I’m grateful to have young people bringing their ideas, energy and perspective to our work.
Keeping Our Roads Moving
County crews continue working on road maintenance and improvements throughout District 2. As we head into winter, Roads & Drainage is also preparing for the rain, with particular attention to known trouble spots in the Aptos Hills, Corralitos and Rio Del Mar.
Connecting with Our Community
My office is here to help residents navigate County services, report problems and connect with the right department or agency. If there’s an issue affecting your neighborhood that you think my office should know about, please reach out. |
I’m pleased to recognize Doreen O’Donovan as District 2’s Person of Distinction for her outstanding commitment to education, equity and community service through her leadership with AAUW Santa Cruz County Branch.
Doreen has been a dedicated advocate for women and girls, advancing scholarships, educational programs and initiatives that help empower future leaders. Her leadership, generosity and commitment to service have made a lasting impact on our community, making her truly deserving of this recognition.
For more information about AAUW Santa Cruz County, click here. |
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Supervisor De Serpa celebrating former Director of Elderday, Lois Sones |
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Elderday Serves Our Aging Community Do you have someone in your life suffering from dementia or cognitive decline? Elderday is a day program that helps older adults, veterans and people with disabilities in a setting with daytime care, meals, fun activities, health support from nurses, PT and OT and caregiver respite. Space is currently available in the program, with free transportation. If your loved one is eligible for Medi-Cal coverage or is a veteran, the program is free for participants. Elderday can also work out a sliding scale. The first step is calling and taking a tour. Participants can go 5 days a week or just 2 or 3 days.
Elderday is located at 501 Main Street in Watsonville. To learn more or schedule a site tour, call 831-458-3481 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., Monday through Friday or visit Elderday's website.
The photo above is the Executive Director Lois Sones last day of work before she retired. I was so pleased to present her with a proclamation thanking her for her many years at the helm of the Elderday Program.
Soquel Creek Water District Assistance Having trouble with your water bill? Soquel Creek Water District offers income-based financial assistance programs for eligible customers. The County does not set water rates, but residents who are struggling should contact the District at 831-475-8500 to discuss available options.
Information about those programs, including eligibility requirements and how to apply, is available on the District’s website: SqCWD Income Assistance Programs.
Abandoned Vehicle Abatement Program The County Sheriff’s Office investigates reports of abandoned vehicles and coordinates their removal. Removal can sometimes take time due to tow and storage availability.
Report an abandoned vehicle online or call (831) 454-7602. Be prepared to report the following information about the vehicle you are reporting: - Location
- Color
- Make and model
- License plate number
- How long it has been since it was last moved, if know
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