The Santa Cruz City Council on Tuesday voted 5-2 to adopt a master plan to guide any potential expansion of the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf for the next two to three decades. The council also approved the accompanying environmental impact report.
About 15 community members called during public comment, mostly to oppose parts of the plan, such as the “Landmark building,” a proposed public building at the wharf’s end, and what they said was an excessive building height.
City staff said approval of the Wharf Master Plan opens more grant opportunities for repairs. An estimated $11.6 million of repairs are needed, according to an engineering report.
The plan calls for a roughly 2.5 acre expansion of the wharf that includes:
A new promenade on the wharf’s east side and a new walkway below the main level on the west side
Three new public buildings to total about 15,000 square feet
Santa Cruz police aim to improve transparency, racial equality with changes
The Santa Cruz City Council voted 6-0 to approve several changes to the Santa Cruz police department. Councilmember Katherine Beiers was absent.
Many of the changes are already in place. Some of the 23 changes included:
Release of videos of officer-involved shootings within 72 hours, as circumstances allow, Santa Cruz Police Chief Andy Mills said at the meeting.
Examination of hiring practices, such as the consideration of poor credit and the prohibition of branding, which is body art similar to a tattoo. Those hiring practices may unfairly limit eligibility of applicants of color, Mills said.
The collection and distribution of data on stops made by police
Improvement of diversity training for police and city staff
A study to understand why people of color are disproportionately represented in Santa Cruz County Jail.
Interim COVID-19 economic recovery plan adopted for the city of Santa Cruz
The Santa Cruz City Council unanimously approved a 12-18 month economic recovery plan written by consultant Management Partners with input from city staff and council members. It will guide decisions related to city budget. It lists three priorities:
Short- and long-term fiscal sustainability
Investment in downtown and other business sectors
Improvement and maintenance of infrastructure
The plan also calls for city staff to track metrics such as:
Number of business licenses issued and renewed and businesses closed
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Wishing you a safe and happy holiday.
Kara Meyberg Guzman, Stephen Baxter & Natalya Dreszer
Santa Cruz Local
