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Santa Cruz County rail corridor options to be narrowed

In the coming months, the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission is expected to choose one of four transit options for the Watsonville-to-Santa Cruz rail line:
  • a bus
  • an autonomous train on wheels, similar to a bus
  • an electric commuter train
  • an electric light rail
The public can weigh in at an open house in October. Santa Cruz Local explains what you need to know. 📰 Read Jerimiah Oetting’s story.
 

CZU Lightning Complex Fire update

 
Thousands of people remained evacuated Monday, as fire crews continued to battle the wildfire in the San Lorenzo Valley and the North Coast. 
  • As of Monday morning, the fire had burned 135 square miles and was 76% contained, according to Cal Fire.
  • Fire crews dealt with “critical fire weather,” according to Cal Fire. Highs in the San Lorenzo Valley and the North Coast exceeded 100 degrees Monday, with low humidity. A red flag warning — forecasted weather that increases risk of fire danger — has been issued in the area through 8 a.m. Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.
  • Areas of Boulder Creek, Ben Lomond, Brookdale, Bonny Doon, Big Basin Way, and areas on the fire’s eastern edge have been downgraded from evacuation orders to warnings. 
  • For resources, including lists of shelter availability, how to register for assistance including emergency cash, and safety checklists for returning evacuees, visit Santa Cruz Local’s frequently-updated Wildfire Resources page
Yellow shading shows areas where evacuation orders have been reduced to warnings. Click on image for updated map. (County of Santa Cruz) Visit the Santa Cruz Local Wildfire Resources page for fire, damage and other maps.

Santa Cruz City Council
1:30 p.m Tuesday, Sept. 8
Online or by phone 

Council to consider approval of Parks Master Plan 2030
The city’s Parks Master Plan 2030 guides goals, policies and improvements for city parks and open spaces for the next 10 years. Based on public input, the draft document has been years in the making. Tuesday, the city council is scheduled to consider the final plan, as well as its environmental review.
Goals outlined in the plan include: 
  • Protect the City’s natural resources, wildlife habitat, and environment.  
  • Maintain a safe, clean, and comfortable environment for all park users. 
  • Provide an integrated parks system with clean, convenient access to parks, open spaces and the coastline.
A list of the recommended park improvements is here.   
 
Emergency law to prohibit price gouging in wake of CZU Lightning Complex Fire
Tuesday, the council will consider a proposed law that would make it illegal to sell or rent the following for more than 10% above the price charged prior to Aug. 18, when Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a statewide emergency due to wildfires:
  • Hotel rooms, vacation rental or any other residential unit 
  • Food, goods or services related to the emergency such as housing, transportation, freight or gasoline
  • Repairs or construction services
The proposed law would allow people to charge more than 10% if they can prove their costs have increased by that amount. The proposed law would also make it illegal to evict a tenant, then raise rent by more than 10%.
 
Violations would be a misdemeanor punishable by jail time of up to one year or a fine of up to $1,000, or both.
 

Watsonville City Council
5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 8
Online or by phone

More tenant protections to be considered
The council will consider allocating $100,000 from the city’s general fund to the Emergency Rental Assistance Program. City staff plans to model the program on another recent tenant protection program in collaboration with the Community Action Board. 
 
Potentially eligible Watsonville tenants must have:
  • been sick with COVID-19 or cared for a household member or family member with COVID or cared for a “home-bound school-age child”
  • been laid off or lost work hours because of COVID
  • had to comply with “a government agency to stay home, self-quarantine, or avoid congregating with others during the state of emergency”
  • had to miss work to care for a family member at high risk of severe illness from COVID.

 Capitola City Council
7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10
Online or by phone

Update to the city budget
Though Capitola's budget remains in worse shape than previous years due to COVID-related losses, the outlook is better than the city staff's forecast. 
  • The city’s general fund balance for the fiscal year that ended June 30 was approximately $679,000. That’s up from the original forecast of $151,000, partly due to better-than-expected sales and hotel tax revenue from April through June.
  • The city received about $125,000 of federal CARES Act funding. City staff want to use that money for public safety salaries and benefits.
  • City staff also propose keeping many of the major cuts previously approved by the council, such as a freeze on nine vacant positions.

 Santa Cruz Local's updated Wildfire Resources page has:

  • Updates on how to get your mail
  • How to register for emergency cash assistance
  • Where to find help with your FEMA assistance application
  • How to register for Small Business Administration loans
  • How to register online for hotel vouchers, voucher renewals
  • Home safety checklists for returning evacuees
  • Tips for cleaning ash
And more. We update this page frequently.
Visit the Santa Cruz Local Wildfire Resources page

Santa Cruz Local is here to help

Tell us what wildfire information and resources you need

 
We’ll respond to you by text or email and post answers to frequently-asked questions on our Wildfire Resources page
 
👉  Click here to tell us what you need

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What do you want local candidates to talk about as they compete for your vote in November?

Santa Cruz resident and Five Branches University student Ursula Ehrhart, 47, would like to hear Santa Cruz City Council candidates' plans for more emergency homeless shelter capacity. (William Duncan – Santa Cruz Local)

Stay tuned for Santa Cruz Local's elections coverage.

 
We are your go-to source for local elections coverage. We are focusing on the races for Santa Cruz, Watsonville, Scotts Valley and Capitola city councils and District 1 county supervisor. 

Our questions for the candidates will be based on the priorities we heard from you, in our online survey and hundreds of interviews.

Visit Santa Cruz Local's Elections 2020 page to see the list of candidates.

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Kara Meyberg Guzman, Stephen Baxter & Natalya Dreszer
Santa Cruz Local
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