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Supporting Economic Development in Santa Cruz County

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Robert Singleton

New Intern At SCCBC, Courtesy of MBInterns.org

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The Santa Cruz County Business Council would like to welcome our new administrative assistant intern Katerina Schreck. Currently Katerina is a 4th year student at UC Santa Cruz double majoring in Politics and Legal Studies. Previously, Ms. Schreck was a legal research intern for Rising International, a nonprofit organization focused on ending world poverty as well as an assistant for a criminal defense attorney in Oakland, California. In 2012 Ms. Schreck received her Associate in Science, Biology and in 2013 her Associate in Science, Natural Sciences from Diablo Valley College (DVC). During her tenure at Diablo Valley College she served as the President of the Associated Students of Diablo Valley College, representing over 23,000 undergraduate students.

What makes Katerina even more special is that she was recruited through mbinterns.org, the brand new regional internship website that was created by a coalition of community partners, including the Santa Cruz County Business Council, the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership, the Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County. Cabrillo College, and UC Santa Cruz. Within days of the website’s launch the SCCBC received many qualified and exceptional resumes from local college students, but in the end Katerina proved to be the most qualified and capable person for the job.

Learn more about mbinterns.org here.

 

SCCBC Sponsors Cruz Cares: A Pitch Contest for Social Change

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The Santa Cruz County Business Council is proud to sponsor the second annual Cruz Cares: A Pitch Contest for Social Change, which challenges 6 local social or environmentally focused startups and/or nonprofits to pitch their new ideas for cash and prizes.

When/Where/Who:

April 6, 2016
​Cruz Cares: Pitch Contest for Social Ventures
6:00 – 9:00pm
Del Mar Theater
 
Pitch Contestants Announced!
The following startups have been selected for Round 2 of the Cruz Cares selection process. 
 
Pitch time
There will also be a moderated panel to discuss the importance of using innovative methods to make real and lasting impact for our communities and the world, and Santa Cruz’s role in making that happen. SCCBC’s own Policy Analyst Robert Singleton will serve as the moderator.
Social Good, Technology, Community (1)

Congratulations to Watsonville Coast Produce

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Congratulations to Business Council member Watsonville Coast Produce on winning $100,000 to makeover their warehouse!

“Erica Manfre, Watsonville Coast Produce sales and marketing manager, said he’s glad the cat is out of the bag.

Months ago, she applied for the contest, which was inspired by TV show surprise home makeovers. As part of contest rules, both the application and the news of the win were kept confidential from all but a few employees.”

To read more, click here.

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY BUSINESS COUNCIL ENDORSES TRANSPORTATION INVESTMENT PLAN

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The Santa Cruz County Business Council has voted to formally endorse the half cent transportation sales tax measure being considered by the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission.

February 5th (Santa Cruz, CA) The Santa Cruz County Business Council (SCCBC) took a formal vote to endorse the expenditure plan that was adopted by the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) for a countywide half cent sales tax measure that would be used to fund local transportation projects. The expenditure (investment) plan outlines five core project areas: Neighborhood Projects, Highway Corridors, Mobility Access, Rail Corridor, and Coastal Rail Trail. With the formal endorsement of the spending plan the SCCBC joins a growing number of organizations in the County who have come out in support of the measure.

“Our members recognize the dire need for additional transportation funds in the County”, says Sid Slatter, President of Slatter Construction and Chair of the SCCBC. “Not only is our current transportation system making it harder to move goods and services around, it severely impacts the quality of life for our employees and their families in Santa Cruz County.”

With state and federal revenues available for transportation projects in Santa Cruz County diminishing and unreliable, the RTC adopted a funding strategy as part of their Regional Transportation Plan to meet more of the region’s transportation needs. Included in the adopted plan is the pursuit of a local funding mechanisms that establishes Santa Cruz County as a “self help” county where local, independent, secure revenue is used for local projects and programs and cannot be taken by the state. These local funds can also be used to leverage additional state and federal funding, when available. Since approval of the long range transportation plan in June 2014, the RTC has taken steps to place a half cent sales tax transportation ballot measure on the November 2016 presidential ballot. A super (2/3) majority of voters in Santa Cruz County must approve the transportation measure.

The Santa Cruz County Business Council has taken an active role in helping to move a potential measure toward the ballot. SCCBC members contributed funds for polling of likely voters last May, provided extensive input to RTC staff and board members, and have spoken in favor of the measure at public meetings. SCCBC members and staff have also engaged in critical discussions with other organizations likely to support the measure, including Friends of the Rail Trail, Ecology Action, the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County, and the Santa Cruz Area Chamber of Commerce; in an effort to build a broad coalition of business and environmental interests.

“It comes down to a matter of fairness”, says SCCBC Executive Director Casey Beyer. “The lower income residents, senior citizens, and the disabled rely on a more efficient transportation network and all residents of the county will benefit from this investment plan.” Mr. Beyer further states the measure is essential to the future of transportation in Santa Cruz, telling members that even though you favor one spending option over others, the whole package gives the county the best opportunity to fund our transportation needs into the future.

Transportation Sales Tax Measure Draft Expenditure Plan Dec. 2015

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The following are the most recently adopted spending priorities by the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission, which is pursuing a half-cent sales tax measure in 2016. The sales tax measure is expected to generate close to $450 million over 30 years before it sunsets automatically. Currently Sana Cruz County is one of only 10 Counties in California that does not have a similar measure in place. These so called “self-help” Counties have both more local money to spend, and are also much more competitive in seeking additional state and federal transportation funding.

  • Neighborhood Projects 30% (~$135 Million) – Funding to cities and county for their high priority eligible projects such as repair and maintenance of local streets and roads; school traffic safety and safe routes to school; bicycle and pedestrian facilities; and other safety improvement projects. Also included are Highway 9 projects in the San Lorenzo Valley; and the Highway 17 Wildlife Undercrossing to improve safety for wildlife and motorists.
  • Highway Corridors 25% (~$112.5 Million) – Funding for the three auxiliary lane projects on Highway 1 including 41st Ave to Soquel Dr, Bay/Porter to Park Ave, and Park Ave to State Park; two bicycle/pedestrian highway crossings; transportation systems management programs to inform travelers of real-time traffic conditions and encourage carpool/vanpooling; and Safe on 17 programs and Freeway Service Patrol to help reduce congestion and collisions.
  • Mobility Access 16% (~$72 Million) – Funding primarily for specialized transportation services to meet the needs of the area’s aging and disabled populations including Santa Cruz METRO’s paratransit and Community Bridges transportation service.
  • Coastal Rail Trail 15% (~$67.5 Million)– Funding to construct, operate and maintain sections of the Monterey Bay Sanctuary Scenic Trail.
  • Rail Corridor 14% (~$63 Million) – Funding to maintain the track and bridge infrastructure; environmental analysis of passenger rail transit options; Watsonville/Pajaro Valley Train Station connection with the Capital Corridor and Coast Daylight train services; improvement, upgrade and installation of signals at railroad crossings; and underground conduit and/or pipes to facilitate utilities including Internet service.

Resources on Housing

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The following are three sets of materials taken from separate education “tours” of housing within the City limits of Santa Cruz, compared to the City’s finalized Housing Element, which guides all development over the next seven years.

The first item is a copy of the presentation that was given by representatives of UC Santa Cruz to a series of local elected officials and representatives from the real estate and building industries. This presentation is a comprehensive overview of everything related to housing at UCSC, including the number and type of beds, the larger plans and frameworks for providing housing in general, multiple case studies of recent remodels of existing facilities, and an overview of the challenges faced by the University in providing housing.

The second set of materials was taken from a tour of all of the affordable housing projects in the City of Santa Cruz. Totaling 21 projects in total, these housing units have been built specifically to meet the needs of lower income and special needs residents (seniors, veterans, etc.). They vary widely in location, housing type, and architecture, as well as financing models. The materials provide an overview, but by new means a comprehensive view of affordable housing. Any further questions related to this topic should be addressed to the City’s Economic Development Department who led the tour. You can also read a post that talks about the flow of the tour here.

The last item is a link to the City of Santa Cruz’s finalized Housing Element, which provides a comprehensive overview and strategy for addressing the housing needs of the City for the next seven years. It also provides a series of suggested policy changes for helping to more effectively meet these needs.

Click here to read the housing element.

Welcome New Member Lakeside Organic Gardens!

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lakeside

The Santa Cruz County Business Council is proud to welcome new member Lakeside Organic Gardens. Located in Watsonville, Lakeside Organics is a nationally recognized, 100% organic, family owned and operated company with long time roots in South Santa Cruz County. Having switched over to being completely organic in 1996, they have since grown their distribution from serving just cities locally and in the Bay Area, to areas as far away as Western Canada. Their growing operation operates 365 days a year and produces over 45 types of organic vegetables.

To learn more about Lakeside Organic Gardens Visit their website here.

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