The Soquel Creek Water District has been working on a Community Action Plan to achieve water supply sustainability by 2040. The Community Action Plan focuses on: seawater intrusion and contamination at the coastline, meeting the state mandate of water basin sustainability by 2040, addressing stricter water quality standards, and future climate change impacts like sea level rise and groundwater recharge.
    They have formulated a three-pronged approach to achieving their goals, which includes:

• Water Conservation and Zero-Impact Development
• Pro-active Groundwater Management
• Securing Supplemental Water Supply

Finding new water sources is a challenging task, but the Soquel Creek Water District has come up with some creative solutions. Currently these new water sources include:1. Pure Water Soquel – Water Reuse

• This project involves recycling already-treated wastewater, purifying it through a multi-step process, and then replenishing the groundwater basin using recharge wells.
  • Status: The project is currently undergoing environmental review and a draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is anticipated to be released in early 2018. Public outreach on project component locations, public perception, and water quality is on-going during project evaluation.
  • Estimated cost: $60-70 million

2. River Water Transfer/Purchase

• These projects would take treated winter river water (from Santa Cruz North Coast Water Supplies and potentially the San Lorenzo River) and deliver it to the District system which would allow the District to reduce groundwater pumping (also known as in-lieu).
  • Status: A short-term pilot project is being developed to monitor the effects of blending surface water and groundwater.

3. Desalination

• This project would involve purchasing water from Deep Water Desal, LLC (DWD), a private company currently evaluating the development of a desalination facility in Moss Landing.
  • Status: The project is currently undergoing environmental review and a draft EIR is anticipated to be released in late 2017

4. Capturing Storm Water

• Capturing available storm water may provide some water to aid in recharging the groundwater basin.
  • Status: The District is examining this option by exploring potential sites and technologies for stormwater recharge.  The District is investigating geological factors, rainfall runoff patterns, and potential water quality concerns. Once potential locations are identified, the District will investigate what methods and technologies would be most appropriate to facilitate the clean-up of stormwater to recharge the aquifer.

In an informational meeting between Soquel Creek Water District and the Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce, Rebecca Gold Rubin, the Public Outreach Coordinator and Melanie Mow Schumacher, the Associate Manager for Special Projects offered some insight into the public opinion on these projects and helped answer some questions.
How can the use of recycled water, like in the project proposal for Pure Soquel, benefit the community?

• “The use of recycled water is cost-effective, it really helps us to think locally. We are fortunate enough not to have to purchase water from far-away sources, like Orange County Water District. We can be sustainable by not importing water and using, then re-using the natural resources we have access to here.”

How has the Soquel Creek Water District included the opinions and concerns of the community into the decision-making process?

• “Through phone lines and online surveys we have reached out to the community and found that timeliness, water quality, and reliability are most important to our customers, when speaking about water supply projects.” During initial calls, 59% of people voiced support with no prior knowledge or background information for the Pure Soquel water project. SqCrWD has also hosted medical peer review panels to try and dispel the concerns of using recycled water. Currently the district will be conducting research for a revised Environmental Impact Report and the scoping meeting is open to the public and will be held on Wednesday, July 12, from 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm at Twin Lakes Church, Bldg 700 in Aptos, CA.

For more information on the Community Action Plan and all ongoing projects visit the Soquel Creek Water District Open House on July 20th, at the district headquarters from 4:30-7:00pm. Or visit them online at: http://www.soquelcreekwater.org/cwp
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• One of the most intently discussed policy issues at both the federal and state level is health care. On the federal level, President Trump is seeking to rapidly repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act signed into law by former President Obama that greatly expanded health care access for many Americans. The California legislature is making a great deal of noise with its most recent health care bill proposal, Senate Bill 562, also known as the Healthy California Act.
  
• SB 562, authored by California Senators Lara and Atkins, calls for a single payer health care system in California; one that would provide comprehensive medical care coverage for all 39 million of California residents, thus eliminating private health insurance costs in California, and placing the responsibility of health insurance in the hands of the California government.
  
• This bill would eliminate private insurance co-pays and deductibles and likely gain its funding from increased taxes- it recently passed its first major legislative test moving through the Senate Health Committee with a vote of 5-2. and passed through the Senate Appropriations Committee where the cost of legislation was determined. The $300 + billion dollar price tag did not detour the Democratic controlled committee from approving the bill on a 5-2 vote.  The cost of the legislation is double the state budget.
  
• There is a great deal of excitement and grassroots momentum surrounding the Healthy California Act, it has received major backing from the California Nurses Association, the California Teachers Association and the California Labor Federation, but there remains major questions about its fundamental reliance upon increased taxes. Critics, such as Governor Brown, question not only whether voters will embrace more tax hikes (having recently approved the largest gas hike in state history, see our previous Newsletter for details), but whether such a plan would balloon through the state budget of $124 billion, pointing to the budgetary flaws of previous, failed single-payer health care proposals in states such as Vermont and California.  
  
• Despite questions regarding SB 562’s budget and funding, the Santa Cruz City Council has recently declared its full support for the Healthy California Act, issuing a resolution of Support on May 9, 2017.
  
• While there are still major legislative obstacles, if this bill is passed it would have enormous economic implications. California’s health care system relies upon roughly $230 billion in spending per year, and the burden of funding a single-payer health care system would likely fall upon taxpayers. SB 562 has faced intense opposition from private insurance companies, as well as the California Chamber of Commerce, who identify this health care proposal not only as expensive and unsustainable, but as a job killer that would hurt business by eliminating private insurance companies and penalizing employers and employees alike with further tax hikes. The California Chamber argues that this proposed new tax burden will not only hurt consumers and businesses already located in California, but will discourage businesses from establishing themselves in California, and will further cause job loss, as businesses will be forced to ease their increased financial burden with layoffs.
  
• While there is both intense support for, and opposition against SB 562, much remains unknown, as the authors of the bill have yet to present a specific budget proposal for the bill, and there is plenty of room for amendments and changes as it moves towards legislative review.
  
• We will keep you updated with further details as this bill continues to the Senate Appropriations Committee.   Santa Cruz Area Chamber has not taken a position on this legislation.
  

For more information please see the following links:

• https://advocacy.calchamber.com/2017/04/26/senate-health-committee-to-hear-single-payer-job-killer-today/
  
• http://www.healthycaliforniaact.org
  
• http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article141617074.html
  
• http://sd33.senate.ca.gov/news/2017-04-26-healthy-california-act-wins-support-senate-committee-push-universal-healthcare
  
• http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/04/26/californias-healthcare-for-all-bill-passes-first-committee/
  
• http://capitalandmain.com/california-once-again-considers-a-single-payer-health-care-system-0427
  
• http://scsire.cityofsantacruz.com/sirepub/mtgviewer.aspx?meetid=843&doctype=AGENDA

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• On April 25th, 2017, the Santa Cruz City Council addressed UC Santa Cruz’s Long Range Development Plan and adopted a recommendation to direct the Mayor to forward the Council’s recommendations to Chancellor Blumenthal.
• The existing UC Santa Cruz Long Range Development Plan (LRDP), which sets forth the standards of growth that the UC campus must adhere to by 2020, is of great importance to the Santa Cruz community, as the expansion of the university must be limited and within reason, due to the university’s direct impact upon key areas of transportation, housing and water usage.
• While the university is beneficial to the Santa Cruz community in many ways, promoting economic growth and a vibrant learning environment, the increasing university student body, and it’s role in driving up housing costs and traffic congestion, makes the communities considerations and involvement in the next LRDP to be of utmost importance.
• In regards to the next LRDP, which would enter into place after 2020, the City Council requests that the previous LRDP student population limit of 19,500 remain as the maximum population, and that no more student body growth be allowed, due to the strain that this already high population places on community resources.
• The City Council also requests that a Community Impact Committee be created in order to advise and educate the next LRDP about the Santa Cruz community’s needs and concerns in regards to the university's growth.
• Lastly the City Council recommends that the Mayor write a letter directly to UC Santa Cruz Chancellor Blumenthal, regarding the integration of the above concerns into the LRDP.

 
 
The information in this write up is based in a Santa Cruz City Council Agenda Report set forth on April 25th, 2017. For details and more information please see the following City Council Agenda Report.
http://scsire.cityofsantacruz.com/sirepub/mtgviewer.aspx?meetid=856&doctype=AGENDA