On March 3, voters in Santa Cruz County District 2 will decide who will represent them on the Board of Supervisors. Incumbent Zach Friend faces a challenge from Becky Steinbruner. Each candidate responded to this question from Times Publishing Group, Inc.:
If you are re-elected/elected, what will the next four years look like in terms of change?
Zach Friend
In many respects, we are at a defining moment in our community. Will we meet the challenges that face our community in terms of housing affordability, homelessness, environmental protection and quality of life?
Zach Friend
The next few years, both in policy and approach, will set the stage either way.
I see some things, in large part because of a willingness to say yes to new approaches, getting much better. For example, there is becoming a community vibrancy, especially with local small businesses, in Aptos.
In the next four years, more new business owners will continue to create a local environment and heart (new restaurants, ice cream shops, boutique retail) that Aptos hasn’t seen before.
I also see improvements in affordable housing. Some of the policies that I’ve encouraged over the last few years are just now starting to show effects.
Elimination of fees on small accessory dwelling units (ADUs/granny units) has spurred applications for seniors wanting to age in place and others looking to provide new affordable units. Additionally, new deed-restricted affordable ADUs are being built by residents receiving forgivable loans from the county.
Connected to this, there will be improvements in homelessness in the next four years as we create as many as three new navigation centers in the cities and county (providing day services, health and mental health services and rapid re-housing options). We’ve approved the framework for it and have state funding supporting our efforts.
On the traffic and road condition side I also see improvements over the next 4 years. As the next phase of the highway is improved to 41st Avenue, the Mar Vista bike and pedestrian bridge is completed, buses run on the shoulder of Highway 1 and increased senior and paratransit services occur from Measure D funding.
Areas of Seacliff, Pleasant Valley, La Selva and Corralitos will receive road repairs as part of Measure D and, rural roads, including areas that haven’t seen repairs in decades, will receive new funding from work I did to move state and federal monies to a formula basis, ensuring our district a new infusion of funds. Lastly, major steps toward the Pajaro River levee reconstruction will occur in the next four years.
These improvements over the next four years are a result of my work ove r the last seven years. But they require an ability to say yes, work with other electeds to get the votes to make it happen, advocate at the state and federal level and non-stop persistence. I believe some good things are in store moving forward.
Becky Steinbruner
The State of California is increasingly issuing mandates that limit the power of local government, especially in land-use policy.
Becky Steinbruner
Because we face uncertain economic times and a tsunami of debt due to unfunded pension programs throughout the state, all local government representatives will face having to prioritize budget items and decide how best to serve the needs of the people who work hard to live here, raise their families, and have successful businesses.
If I am elected, the people will once again be treated equally and with respect. If they are given the honest facts and asked to be involved in developing a solution, they will, and the outcome will be positive for the future triple-bottom line.
If I am elected, the public process will improve such that people are involved in a meaningful way in issues that affect them, and I will be responsive to their concerns.
I will work to pass a flagging and staking ordinance for proposed developments to alert the public to projects early in the permit process so they are not caught by surprise and have no meaningful way to have their concerns and ideas addressed other than reactive legal action. Regular town hall meetings and constituent hours during evening and weekends will allow working people to participate.
I will work hard to ensure those who care about issues are apprised of their progress, even if the project is stalled, by initiating a database Distrct 2 to automatically send notice of project activity to anyone who expressed interest.
I will support increasing the inclusionary affordable housing to 20%, and require it apply to projects of rental units as well as for-sale units.
I will work hard to cooperatively support UC Santa Cruz building on-campus housing for increasing student enrollment and staff, as well as support land-use policy changes to allow Cabrillo College to provide limited on-campus student housing. This will bring relief to those who live here and struggle to find housing they can afford while reducing traffic congestion.
I will require cost/benefit analysis of all nonprofits funded by county taxpayers, and ensure any organizations under investigation are not funded. I will fund County Fire with 15% of the $18 million received annually in Proposition 172 public safety tax monies.
If I am elected, people can expect to see a Board of Supervisor public discussion of important issues, rather than countless unanimous votes with no questions asked of staff.