Santa Cruz County District 2 voters will decide March 3 on their representative on the Board of Supervisors. Incumbent Zach Friend faces a challenge from Becky Steinbruner. Each candidate responded to questions from Times Publishing Group, Inc.
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Do you have a plan to resolve the traffic issue in District 2?
Friend: Much of the traffic issue is due to a housing-jobs imbalance created by planning decisions that put the countywide burden of housing disproportionately in the South County.
Over the last 30 years, most affordable housing was built in South County (or out of county) but job growth has occurred north — creating an imbalance that requires long commutes on unimproved infrastructure.
We need to change this imbalance — with highway and bus service improvements but also job center changes (having the largest employers such as the County and UC Santa Cruz create significant satellite operations in Watsonville) — reversing or eliminating commutes for many people.
Steinbruner: People need more options. I am tired of wasting millions of taxpayer dollars on endless studies, accomplishing nothing to provide relief for South County residents.
We need an inexpensive trail made of compacted roadbase, functional for cyclists, electric carts and pod cars. Build viaducts for constricted areas. Cooperate in a pilot electric cart rental program in the corridor with connector transit to major places of employment.
Fast-track the Mar Vista bicycle/pedestrian overpass project, but locate it adjacent to Cabrillo’s athletic fields for youth safety. Plan for a monorail in the Highway One corridor. Restore mountain train tunnels along Highway 17 corridor. Clean the bike lanes. Reinstate bus routes.
How to do you plan to handle the looming deficit in the county’s budget?
Steinbruner: By 2021, unfunded employee pensions could cause a $6 million-$9 million deficit. County supervisors are public servants, not corporate CEOs. I would cut my own salary by 30% and ask all Board members do the same.
I would rescind the automatic 4% annual cost of living increase the Board self-approved in 2018, and stop allowing supervisors to approve their own annual salary increases.
Require all nonprofits currently receiving county funding to produce cost/benefit analysis, proving effectiveness and efficiency, and drop those not showing measurable results promised in funding applications. Cut funding to any who break contracts or are under investigation.
Friend: In the last few years we’ve tripled our County’s reserves, reduced pension obligations and improved our bond rating to improve our financial standing. But with a recession predicted, we are preparing (through our new strategic plan) to focus on programs and services that are sustainable and effective even with a reduction in available funding.
Employee unions have worked with the County to significantly reduce health care costs and long-term pension obligations. An improved business climate (through policy changes and Board actions) is bringing in new revenues that will also reduce future deficits.
What is the most pressing issue facing District 2 and what changes would you implement?
Friend: Affordable housing is the linchpin where many other issues — traffic, homelessness, quality-of-life, are based. It takes over $70,000 a year to afford a two-bedroom apartment here and our kids and grandkids are moving away, unable to see a future with these housing costs.
We have to improve the affordable housing stock and one way I’ve done it is through the elimination of County fees on many accessory dwelling units, which has nearly doubled the number of permit requests.
We also need to prevent expiring deed restricted affordable housing by buying the units to ensure these vulnerable populations (like fixed income seniors) don’t lose the housing.
Steinbruner: Potential health, environmental risks and debt burden of the Soquel Creek Water District’s plan to inject millions of gallons of treated sewage water into the aquifer are nearly inconceivable.
In my opinion, the PureWater Soquel Project could cause irreversible damage due to contamination, physically altering the groundwater quality and flow behaviors, vastly increase energy demands, rely on imperfect technology, and needlessly burden ratepayers. We need regional management and consolidation.
The Board refuses to fund rural fire protection. Allocate 10% of the $18 million in Prop. 172 Public Safety annual sales tax money, rescind the new CSA 48 tax. Spend countywide Measure G sales tax on fire, as promised to voters.
Fix roads, prioritize fire evacuation corridors, clean bike lanes.
How would you address the homeless population in Santa Cruz County?
Steinbruner: Stop wasting money to enable unhealthy situations. Work with UC Santa Cruz and Cabrillo College for affordable on-campus housing to free up housing for permanent residents. Increase required inclusive affordable units to 20% for both for-sale and rental construction.
Give people a “hand up” not a “hand out.” Locate Tuff Shed transition cabins for temporary shelter near job training, addiction treatment, counseling and community gardens. Place tenants on self-determined goal timelines, expecting measurable progress toward recovery and rehabilitation, while regaining self-respect and control over their situations.
Organize cabins with tenants of similar backgrounds and issues, encourage peer counseling and community, doing community work, paid a stipend, coaching in money management, learning accountability to regain self dignity.
Friend: In the short-term, we should implement a system-wide diversion practice to reduce the number of new homeless. Small amounts of funding could allow people to find a shared housing situation or return to family, reducing the number of people that become homeless in the first place.
Additionally, we should build the capacity of emergency shelters to deliver housing-focused services. This increases the rate at which people leave emergency shelters for housing.
Over the long-term, we need more affordable housing and ensuring housing insecure individuals (due to changes in employment, seniors on fixed incomes, health changes etc) are protected with stable housing.