Santa Cruz Local

In January, we interviewed more than 200 voters from Santa Cruz, Live Oak, Aptos, La Selva Beach, Corralitos, Soquel, the Summit, Capitola and the surrounding areas. Our goal: Listen to ordinary people's priorities for the upcoming March 3 local election. We tried to find voices that you don't normally hear in city council or board of supervisors meetings. We share with you what we learned from ou...

This is part six of our series about us and our company. We take you behind the scenes of our local news startup and show you how we make decisions. In this episode, you meet Natalya Dreszer, our community engagement intern. Natalya shares how she came to Santa Cruz Local and why she’s doing this work. Plus, we share how and why we want your help to create stories that are meaningful and valuable...

We answer your questions on how to vote in Santa Cruz County. Then we break down what's on your ballot in the March 3 primary election. And we explain our approach to reporting on the local elections. Spoiler alert: It's all about you. We're hosting a dozen community events in the next two weeks. Meet us in person and tell us what you want the local candidates to talk about. www.santacruzlocal.org...

Happy holidays! Santa Cruz Local co-hosts Kara Meyberg Guzman and Stephen Baxter update you on what Santa Cruz Local has been up to last few weeks. We let you in on our plans for covering the March 2020 local election. And we reflect on our first few months as a membership-driven local news organization. Thank you to all our listeners, readers and members for helping us build this organization and...

Tuesday's Santa Cruz City Council meeting was the last with Martine Watkins as mayor. In a ceremony, the city council swore in Justin Cummings as the new mayor for 2020. Donna Meyers will be vice mayor. Cummings is Santa Cruz’s first black male mayor. It was a difficult year for the city council — accusations of disrespectful behavior between councilmembers, an investigation into workplace miscond...

Much of Santa Cruz’s affordable housing development is dependent on market-rate developers. In December, the Santa Cruz City Council will consider an increase in the number of affordable housing units that developers are required to build. It’s called an inclusionary rate, and the city council may raise it from 15% of new units to 20%. The city needs to set the rate high enough that it forces the...

There's a flip side to Santa Cruz's housing shortage. Wages here are relatively low. That's a big reason why many can't afford to rent or buy homes. We hear about trends in jobs in our county. And we hear from Hector Juarez and Cynthia Chase, two Santa Cruz residents with similar dreams, and how our local economy has shaped their lives.

Tenants in Santa Cruz will see new protection from arbitrary evictions. The Santa Cruz City Council passed an emergency eviction law Tuesday that enacts part of a new state law immediately. Also, the council may change the number of affordable units that developers are required to build. It's called an inclusionary rate, and the city's looking at increasing it from 15% of units in new development...

After much debate, the Santa Cruz City Council approves 190 W. Cliff, an 89-unit condominium project across the street from the Dream Inn. In other news, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors allows rural landowners to vote on a tax for increased fire and medical service. Plus, more news from around the county.

After the Loma Prieta earthquake destroyed much of downtown Santa Cruz in 1989, city leaders and residents came together to rebuild the downtown in a deliberate way. A 36-member committee formed a plan for development which continues today. On the quake’s 30th anniversary, Santa Cruz Local talks to some of the key players and explains how Pacific Avenue came to be. Editor's note: The Loma Prieta e...

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a raft of bills in the past week aimed at solving the housing crisis in California. Several of the new laws try to streamline new housing projects and make it harder for cities to block new development. Santa Cruz Local looks at how the new laws might play out in the City of Santa Cruz. Editor's note: This episode has been updated to correct a description of the types of h...

We start with what you need to know about planned power outages in Santa Cruz County. Then we update you on Tuesday's Santa Cruz City Council and the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors meetings. The council rejects a censure of Councilmembers Chris Krohn and Drew Glover for violating a city respectful conduct policy. We update you on plans for a new Kaiser Permanente medical clinic downtown. P...

The Community Advisory Committee on Homelessness is a group that will advise the Santa Cruz City Council on its homeless policies. It's focusing on health, transitional campgrounds and public outreach. We report on its Tuesday meeting and potential solutions. Plus, an update on the push toward district elections in Santa Cruz.

An effort failed Tuesday to formally reprimand Councilmembers Chris Krohn and Drew Glover for workplace misconduct. In an emotional meeting, the council took steps toward a new ethics policy and mediation among councilmembers. The council also took on new rules for marijuana dispensaries and syringe waste bins. Editor's note: The title of this episode has been updated. The previous title, 'Santa C...

Santa Cruz Local co-founders Kara Meyberg Guzman and Stephen Baxter recap the launch party and the membership drive. We share some feedback from members. Then we take you behind the scenes, as we discuss the direction of our company.

Two state housing bills, AB411 and SB330, are poised to impact Santa Cruz. AB411 would bring $16 million to the city to fund affordable housing projects. SB330 may foil the city council's effort to prevent higher density on Soquel Avenue, Mission Street and Ocean Street. The two bills are on the governor's desk, awaiting his decision. We break down what you need to know about these and other notew...

In the past few weeks, a homeless camp has grown to about 30 tents on Santa Cruz's Main Beach. But it's not good for tourism. The beach, between the boardwalk and the wharf, is a big tourist draw for the city, and tourism is a lifeblood of the local economy. The Santa Cruz City Council was compelled to install a curfew. But no one is satisfied. The curfew doesn't begin to provide a long-term solut...

Santa Cruz is one of dozens of cities across California that's received a threat of a lawsuit if it doesn't shift its city council to district elections. We break down the pros and cons of district elections. We talk with a state group that’s behind this push for district elections. We hear about the Santa Cruz City school board that just went through the process. And we hear about some maps of ho...

There are six major development projects in early stages of planning in downtown Santa Cruz. If they're built, it would mark the biggest boom of housing development in downtown Santa Cruz in decades. Where did this surge come from? We talk to developers, shop owners and city leaders about affordable housing and smart planning. (Interviews include: Jessie Bristow and Jon Lee of Swenson, Santa Cruz...

The Santa Cruz City Council keeps the Louden Nelson Community Center's bathrooms locked to outsiders. Staff say it's safer and cleaner. Hear why some say it's unfair to homeless people. Also, the "Corridor Plan," which would allow denser housing along major roads in the city, is killed on Tuesday. It was on hold because it was too controversial. Hear why some councilmembers object. Warning: This e...

We explain the results of an unprecedented workplace misconduct investigation involving four Santa Cruz City Council members: two accusers and two accused. We talk to Councilmembers Drew Glover, Donna Meyers, Chris Krohn and Mayor Martine Watkins. We also correct some misinformation that's been spread on social media.

It's the eve of Santa Cruz Local's first membership drive. We share with you the survey results on what our listeners like and what they think we could improve about Santa Cruz Local. We hear from one of our few younger listeners about why he wants to get involved in local civics. Finally, we answer your questions about how membership works and how you can join. For more info, visit www.santacruzl...

A controversial development at 190 West Cliff Drive advances. We hear from some of the 200-plus people who packed Santa Cruz City Hall on Thursday for the planning commission meeting. We update you on plans for the intersection of Bay Street and West Cliff Drive. And we get into the nitty-gritty of state and local policy that shapes the balance of affordable and market rate housing development.

The City of Santa Cruz wants to create an online survey of landlords and tenants. It's an attempt to get reliable data on rents, evictions, housing types and other elements of the city's rental market. The city council majority wants to make the survey mandatory. We share with with you what landlords and tenants make of it. Plus: an update on the city's corridor plan, a push toward district electi...

California is getting into the heart of wildfire season. We learn that parts of the Santa Cruz Mountains have a higher potential of wildfire than did Paradise, where last year we saw the deadliest wildfire in state history. We want to draw on some lessons from the Camp Fire. We talk to several people who live in Bonny Doon and San Lorenzo Valley. We hear what they’ve been doing to prepare for a po...