By Zach Friend
As I begin each new year as your County Supervisor, I like to report back in this column on some of the things we’ve accomplished because of your partnership and communication of priorities.
Here is a very small overview of what we accomplished in 2019.
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Community Meetings
In 2019, we’ve held over 75 open office hours in Aptos, Corralitos, La Selva Beach, Seascape and Watsonville and held or attended nearly 50 community and neighborhood meetings in Seacliff, La Selva, Rio Del Mar, Watsonville, Capitola and Corralitos.
In addition, I’ve written just under 50 columns in local papers and neighborhood newsletters to communicate with our district about county happenings. Additionally, we maintain a social media presence to share information about our district.
Local Roads
Measure D work continued this year in Rio Del Mar. La Selva and Rio Del Mar have received work with Seacliff slated for this year.
I worked at the Regional Transportation Commission to have local road funds allocated on a formula basis and away from a competitive basis.
This opened up new funding for our district and is bringing in money that we approved at the end of 2019 to go toward work in Corralitos on Varni. Corralitos, like much of our district, desperately needs road funding and this infusion for Varni will make a big difference.
Additionally, we worked on a state funding application for significant bike and pedestrian improvements on Soquel Drive between State Park and Park. We anticipate learning soon about that request and if approved will begin those improvements this year.
Storm damage repairs have continued, but not at the pace we had hoped due to federal permitting delays. Some major needs (like upper Valencia) have received approval for funding and once final environmental permits from the state and federal government come through should be under construction this summer.
Affordable Housing and Homelessness
The Board focused extensively this year on making the construction of affordable housing easier and addressing the unsheltered homeless issues in our community.
These two issues go hand-in-hand as housing affordability has a strong correlation to the number of unsheltered homeless in a community.
The Board continued to reduce the burdens for constructing Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). We continued a program I proposed that waives all County fees associated with small ADU construction and provided additional permit streamlining.
A new 57-unit affordable housing development was approved by the Board in Live Oak (which includes two health center components). For homeless funding the Board began the process toward implementing a systemwide diversion practice to reduce the number of people entering homelessness.
This includes flexible funding for who are experiencing homelessness to help them self-identify a housing solution, such as finding a shared housing situation and also working to ensure that those that are housing insecure don’t fall into homelessness in the first place.
Additionally we are looking at building capacity at emergency shelters to provide more housing-focused services and supports to increase the rate at which people leave emergency shelters for housing.
Parks
Significant investments in our parks continued. As part of a private/public partnership new skate feature, restrooms, shade structures and more are underway at Seacliff Village Park.
With local benefactors working on matching funds we have begun the process of updating Hidden Beach Park (work is anticipated to begin in early this year).
In late 2018 and into early 2019 a new pump track opened at Pinto Lake Park becoming the first pump track in south county. While not in the district, LEO’s Haven, the county’s first all-inclusive park is expected to open in a few weeks ensuring that kids of all abilities have a safe place to play in our community.
Public Safety
Additional Sheriff’s deputies were hired placing more front line staff on the streets in our district.
With the passage of Measure G in November the Sheriff’s Office will be creating a new directed enforcement team with Behavioral Health staff to address individuals that are high impact (meaning they consume a lot of resources) but also refuse services.
This will allow the Sheriff’s Office to address these individuals in a new way. As a note, overall crime rates in the unincorporated area are at some of their lowest levels compared to the last forty years.
Economic Vitality and Reserves
The Board again continued to increase our reserves, something that we have done the last few years, which has led to improved bond ratings and lower borrowing costs. The reserves will also help provide some protection of services during a recession should one come in the next few years.
Moving Forward
The above is just a partial list of what we’ve done this year and I know there is a lot more to do on all of these issues in 2020.
We made significant progress on libraries (including securing over a million dollars in additional funding for the Aptos Library remodel and finalizing design and contracts for the La Selva Beach Branch). The Board implemented a two-year budget and strategic plan that allows for better data collection and programmatic review of our funding and programs and much more.
This past year we estimate that as an office we received over 20,000 emails and calls from constituents and the community at large many with requests for service to our office on transportation and road issues, neighborhood public safety concerns, storm damage, environmental issues, health and human services, technology services and more.
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We’d love to continue to hear from you to prioritize what we do. Call us at 454-2200 or visit me in open office hours in Aptos, Corralitos, Watsonville or Seascape. www.zachfriend.com