• Background Information: The California Energy Commission is the central energy management and energy planning organization of California, and is in charge of implementing energy efficient systems and technologies in California buildings and architectural design.
•  On February 28th, 2017, the Santa Cruz City Council adopted a resolution that authorized the Santa Cruz City Manager to apply for a grant from the California Energy Commission that would offer $400,000 to be put towards increasing energy efficiency and energy management in municipal buildings such as the Police Station, City Hall and City Hall Annex.
• This grant application is of great importance to the City’s future goals of increasing energy efficiency, and could play a key role in achieving the Santa Cruz Climate Action Milestone goal to lessen municipal building energy use by 40% in 2020.
  

The information in this write up is based in a Santa Cruz City Council Agenda Report set forth on February 28th, 2017. For details and more information please see the following City Council Agenda Report. 

• In response to severe storm induced infrastructure damage to roads and water supply lines throughout January and February of 2017, The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors initially declared a local state of emergency on February 7th, 2017.
• Due to continuous rainfall and resulting rain damage late into February, the County has responded by adopting a resolution proposing that this local state of emergency be continued.
• This is an essential procedural step necessary to recovering from the serious damage inflicted by local storms, as the approval of this resolution will enable additional State and Federal funding to be given to the county, as Santa Cruz County suffered some of the most extensive storm damage in all of California. 

The information in this write up is based in a Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors Council Agenda Item set forth on February 28th, 2017. For details and more information please see the following Board of Supervisors Agenda Item.

• As of February 14th, 2017, the Santa Cruz City Council took an essential first step towards instituting a public bike share system, as it authorized a Request for Proposal (REP) for a bike share system in the City of Santa Cruz.
• A bike share system is a network of public bicycle stations that offer bicycles to be used for short-term convenience, for purposes of work as well as errands.
• While bike share networks have traditionally been seen as far too expensive outside of major cities, the City is motivated to explore models and strategies that will reduce these costs in order to achieve the Santa Cruz General Climate Action Plan, which aims to expand bicycle use to take up to 12% of commuter transportation.
• This motion could be a key step towards establishing a system of transportation that reduces city automobile traffic and encourages short distance, non-polluting methods of transportation.

The information in this write up is based in a City Council Agenda Report set forth on February 14th, 2017. For details and more information please follow the link to the City Council Agenda.

• One of the most crucial issues that California currently faces is an extreme housing crisis, characterized by a huge demand for California housing, which has led to average home and rental prices that are some of the highest in the nation. The Santa Cruz region is no exception to this crisis and is not only one of the most expensive regions in the state, but in the country as a whole. According to a recent report in December of 2016, The Santa Cruz region is ranked as the 3rd least affordable region in the U.S., with the average Santa Cruz home price sitting at $805,000.
• In order to address this crisis, which is tied to not only to housing but issues of poverty, access to education and economic growth, as of February 28th, 2017, the Santa Cruz City Council has recommended the authorization of staff assistance, in order to engage with, and actively seek solutions to the Santa Cruz Housing Crisis.
• This motion is expected to launch in March of 2017 and requires an estimated budget of $10,000.
• This agenda will establish the staff needed to explore potential funding relief, affordable housing strategies, potential changes to the City’s zoning and development codes, and will further establish non-counsel related forums that will bring together housing experts, developers, financiers and representatives from vulnerable communities in the Santa Cruz region.

The information in this write up is based in a City Council Agenda Report set forth on February 28th, 2017. For details and more information please see the following article at the City Council Agenda site.