What are the top issues for the 2nd district?
The main focus for my candidacy is to hold county officials accountable.
Our democracy requires a robust media that is willing to challenge the system and hold people accountable.
Infrastructure — Our roads are horrible. This has been the case as long as I can remember. This is an essential service of government and our local government has clearly dropped the ball.
Our taxes are supposed to provide for this basic service yet we are relying on state and federal grants to make up for years of neglect.
Our roads are the lifeline of our economy and need to become a priority. I think that the rail and trail is a wonderful futuristic solution but we should not entertain the idea until we have solved other, more critical issues.
What thoughts do you have on boosting affordable housing, finding real solutions for homelessness and the daily traffic jams on highway 1?
Affordable Housing — This is clearly a priority, however, the avenue by which we achieve the goal needs to be reimagined.
Building housing is a for-profit endeavor so the problem and process starts with a dichotomy that is hard to overcome when private interests are involved.
As a mortgage professional, I know from experience that once the units exist, it is hard to navigate the system and then it is difficult to qualify those in need.
The Measure O and Measure J systems need to be revamped which probably requires more personnel. ADUs are a hot topic but they are currently cost-prohibitive for most homeowners.
There are some interesting offers in the market but they are sketchy.
Homelessness — This is a very broad term with many nuances.
Solving the problem for those that have fallen on hard times and just need a hand up to get a fresh start has a separate solution than the chronically homeless that suffer from mental illness or drug addiction which often go hand-in-hand.
Thank you Captain Obvious! The former can be resolved through additional affordable housing efficiently placed near the commercial centers where the jobs exist.
Short-term financial support or housing supplements would be necessary with a robust monitoring system. These systems already exist but those in charge of the programs must also be monitored and held to a high standard. This flows into traffic and public transportation.
Traffic — It is my opinion that the traffic we are experiencing is the result of poor long-term urban planning. Widening the freeway without a plan for sustainable growth will just be a temporary fix.
The current solutions of free public transportation and safe and sane bike paths are great, but we live in a society built on roads and cars. We have become creatures of convenience and instant gratification. A paradigm shift is required to really make a difference. A public/private campaign focusing on incentives is worth looking at.
Can you talk about your housing situation? Homeowner or renter? How does that help you relate to 2nd District constituents?
I have been a homeowner since 1997.
As a contractor, I have relied on sweat equity to put me in my current situation. I do not envy those in our district who need to rent. It is a high bar. Given my personal experience in my neighborhood, I worry about the rights of homeowners who have worked hard to live in this expensive area.
There are those that will infringe on these rights and then throw the term NIMBY around like it is a universally bad position. It is the right of homeowners to protect their interests and probably the biggest investment they have ever made.
In many cases, it is the most determining factor in retiring comfortably.
Can you describe your family situation? Married/single? Children/pets?
Married for 27 years, 4 kids (34, 23, 18 and 18), 2 dogs
Your favorite spot in the 2nd district? You spend your free time doing what?
My favorite spots are my home and the beach.
My free time is used for projects around the house, doing things with my wife and kids (mainly sports/working out), riding my e-bike, and hanging with friends
How long have you lived in Santa Cruz County? What brought you here?
I have lived here for 41 years, and the Santa Cruz lifestyle is what brought me.
What prompted you to run?
In 2017, County and Encompass officials purchased a house in my residential neighborhood using a grant funded by the State of California (California Health Facilities Finance Authority).
The sole purpose of the grant funds ($1,126,000) was to purchase a property that could accommodate an 8 “bed” facility where “guests” experiencing a mental health crisis could “respite” for no more than 2 weeks at a time.
Residential zoning does not allow a facility where more than 6 “persons” “reside.”
At a public meeting on Aug. 21, 2017 with County and Encompass officials and our neighborhood in attendance, the question was asked: When would the mandatory increase to 8 “beds” occur?
Officials said:
- There was no plan to increase capacity to 8 “beds” at that time.
- No licensing for the program was required.
- They had a 2-year extension to complete the implementation.
We made a FOIA request for all emails between the County and Encompass for several months before the purchase of the property to months after. These internal emails contradict statements made by officials at the public meeting.
There was a directive to expand to 8 “beds.”
Here are the emails:
June 29, 2017: Senior Health Services manager Christine Sippl emails: Erik Riera’s direction on this is to complete the purchase and move a max of 6 people into the house over time during the first year, without a big public announcement, and to use that first year to establish good relationship with neighbors, establish trust and a track record and then go through the process with Planning and Licensing to then convert the house to a Social Rehab for 8 residents during the second year… Monica and Erik plan to meet with Zach Friend soon and this will further inform our approach for working with neighbors.”
July 14, 2017: Director of Adult Services Pam Rogers-Wyman emails: “We have a hard date with CHFFA regarding the date for license of the end of December 2017. In my discussion with Erik today, I advised him that was not enough time to get licensed He said he had a very difficult time getting CHFFA to agree to that delay so we don’t have any wiggle room. We will need to proceed with the licensing process asap. We can advise CHFFA after we are underway that we are making a good faith effort that we are making every attempt to get licensed as soon as possible, …I know we are losing the ability to move into the neighborhood and not alert neighbors to the program by moving forward with the licensing process but we don’t have a choice.”
(Editor’s note: Erik Riera was Santa Cruz County’s director of mental health services.)
Will you push back against the state demands for more housing, as the state auditor says those numbers were based on unsupported assumptions? See www.auditor.ca.gov/pdfs/reports/2021-125.pdf
Yes, I will push back due to that very reason.
For example, at the community meeting for the Cabrillo housing proposal they tried to hide the fact that the Environmental Impact Report they are using was from 1999!! Only when I pushed the issue did they fess up.
Somehow this has been legally justified.
This is an example of the foreseeable disaster of the state mandate.
People in this district feel we are running out of room for new residents. Not enough water, not enough electricity — PG&E brownouts — and potholes instead of well-maintained roads. What do you say?
Yes, I agree whole-heartedly. The once charming little hamlet of Santa Cruz is becoming something that is unrecognizable and unsustainable. Poor planning!
If I wanted to live in San Diego or LA Beach towns, I’d move there. Is that the vision for Santa Cruz? No thanks!
In this district, legal cannabis entrepreneurs have been restricted, and the industry has found other counties more welcoming, bring them more sales tax revenue.
What’s your position on legal cannabis businesses, growing and selling?
I am a proponent of legal cannabis for a few reasons, safety and economics to start.
I urge my kids to avoid it because, from personal experience, recreational use is a waste of time.
Growing and selling has been going on here for generations. Why would we change that and send our revenue elsewhere?
