By Manu Koenig, Supervisor, First District
Over the last month we have been busy working on issues that affect you! Issues like Bike Lane Safety, Relief for Renters, Wildfire Prep, and more. Here are a few highlights from the 1st District office:
Bike Lane Safety Demo Starts June 25
Since taking office in January, we have consistently heard from residents who would like to see safety improvements for bicyclists and pedestrians, and we have been working diligently to bring some improvements to the 1st District.
The pop-up provides an opportunity for the community to try out the streetscape and provide feedback. The pop-up will also help to position the County for future funding, and help ensure that the Community Vision for the Pleasure Point Corridor becomes a reality. More information is available at: Pop-up infrastructure FAQs. For questions regarding the Pleasure Point Study implementation, contact Annie Murphy at Annie.Murphy@santacruzcounty.us, and for information on the pop-up installation contact Ecology Action’s Amelia Conlen: aconlen@ecoact.org
Relief for County Renters
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused financial hardships for many in our County, but there is assistance available! California’s Housing is Key program has made more than $16 million available in rent relief to Santa Cruz County residents. Both landlords and tenants are eligible to apply, and the application can be found here.
If you need help applying for the program, call our County’s hotline at 454-2332. Several community organizations can help you apply, including Communities Organized for Power in Action (COPA), Community Bridges, the United Way, Families in Transition, and the Community Action Board. Fill out this form to let these organizations know that you need help with the process.
Prepare for Wildfire
In May we met with Fire Chief Ian Larkin to talk about the impending fire season. According to Chief Larkin, moisture levels are already a month and a half ahead of schedule, meaning it’s as dry today as it would normally be in mid-July. He assured us that while it’s likely to be a challenging season, the County is as prepared as we’ve ever been.
To assist in the County’s efforts, the Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County has begun its Summer 2021 Chipping Program.
Available to County residents within the Wildland-Urban Interface area (map), the RCD’s Community Chipping Program will chip, at no-cost to residents, up to three piles of cleared vegetation that originated within 100 feet of occupied structures or 10 feet on either side of a private road.
The goal of the chipping program is to incentivize the creation of defensible space around homes in high wildfire risk areas, but regardless of where you live in the county, creating defensible space around our homes is the best way we can each reduce the risk of a catastrophic fire.
FAA and Jet Noise
In May I met with Congressman Jimmy Panetta to discuss the FAA flight path issue. Congressman Panetta reassured me that the Select Committee’s recommendation to move the flight path is still the guiding directive, and he and Congresswoman Eshoo reinforced that with the FAA Director when they met a few weeks prior.
He attributed lack of progress so far to turnover in FAA leadership, communication issues within the FAA itself, and the general challenges of working with the previous administration.
We are expecting an update from the new FAA Director soon, and will promptly share any new information.
As always, we welcome your feedback on these issues and others, and invite you to email us at first.district@santacruzcounty.us. We also welcome you to join us for constituent meetings, held every Monday evening prior to Board of Supervisor’s meetings. Please visit District 1 (co.santa-cruz.ca.us) for a complete list of upcoming constituent meetings.