SANTA CRUZ — Before the Santa Cruz County supervisors set their out-of-office email responses and take a break from their civic duties for the next month, they voted on key items during their Tuesday meeting — there were 85 items on the consent agenda alone.
After County Parks Director Jeff Gaffney presented his proposal for amendments to the Santa Cruz County Code regarding parkland dedication or park-in-lieu fees, park impact fees and trail and coastal access at a loaded meeting earlier this month, the board officially approved the changes through a unanimous movement of consent.
Much of the language introduced, Gaffney explained, was meant to bring the county’s ordinance up to date with state law and make it so that no one resident was paying more for parks than another. Previously, data showed that the areas in the county with the lowest income were paying the highest park dedication — or park in-lieu — fees.
The fees are, across the board, higher than they were to reflect the increased cost of acquiring parkland and constructing community assets on that land. Still, they are lower in comparison to neighboring jurisdictions, Gaffney’s slides showed at the time. They had not been raised in more than 20 years.
Additionally, the five supervisors approved staff’s second update on American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding that included a happy surprise — the U.S. Treasury Department allocated $80,000 more to Santa Cruz County than the expected $52.9 million. Interim final rules from the Treasury forbid the use of the funds to directly replenish operating reserves, which the leaders have discussed with staff is a key component to the county’s own recovery. Because of this, the county will eliminate the use of ARPA funds for reserves and instead use them to offset the cost of eliminating the county furlough.
American Rescue Plan funds will also be used to secure an internet provider to establish, operate and run an affordable broadband internet network.
“I’ve heard in the first district from folks that are using their Cruzio DSL service, and in fact, we have a correspondence to that effect today … if the pandemic has taught us one thing it’s that internet is now a vital service,” Supervisor Manu Koenig said.
A Request for Proposals is in the works for that element, in addition to first steps to building apprenticeship preparation programs and woman and minority-owned business development initiatives.
When the board returns in August, its meeting will be hybrid. Given Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Executive Order N-08-21 signed June 11 that rolls back specific provisions of previous COVID-19 executive orders, the county is now authorized to hold public meetings with participation in person and through teleconference.
“The hybrid format was our first response to the pandemic while also trying to allow for continued physical public participation at Board meetings,” County Administrative Officer Carlos J. Palacios said in the item report. “With the current trends in positive cases declining and vaccines administration increasing within the County, the threat of the pandemic and disease transmission is lessened, though not eradicated.”
From March 2020 to January 2021, meetings were hybrid with a maximum of 12 members of the public allowed in Board Chambers due to COVID-19 social distancing protocols. When cases rose early this year, all in-person participation was suspended with the intention of protecting the public.
Since cases have dropped, the county will prepare a revised hybrid format that will allow for the public to come into chambers again starting Aug. 10. Participants will not have to wear a mask if they can self-attest that they are vaccinated; there will be no overflow use of the Community Room as there was before because of the Fire Recovery Permit Center operations. Zoom links will continue to be offered to those uncomfortable with returning to the chambers.
“I’m looking forward to seeing people in person,” concluded Supervisor Greg Caput.
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Santa Cruz supervisors vote on huge consent calendar ahead of break - Santa Cruz Sentinel
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