County of Santa Cruz

The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted unanimously to join a State rent relief program that makes more than $16 million in federal funds available to local renters unable to pay their rent and utilities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, $25 billion is available nationwide for emergency rent support. Under that program, approximately $16.8 million in funding will be available to low-income renters within Santa... Cruz county to pay for rent, utilities and home energy costs, rent and utilities arrears, and related housing costs of the eligible tenant. Renters in all cities and unincorporated areas of Santa Cruz County are eligible for the program, which is expected to launch next month. An application portal will be available through the State’s HousingIsKey.com website. Eligible applicants are renters with household income at or below 80 percent of area median income, with preference for households at or below 50 percent of area median income. Renter households must also include at least one individual who qualifies for unemployment or has experienced a reduction in household income, incurred significant costs, or experienced a financial hardship due to COVID-19, or demonstrates a risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability. Rental assistance may not be duplicative of any other rental assistance programs. Landlords agreeing to participate may receive payment of 80 percent of rental arrears incurred by their program-eligible tenants during the period between April 1, 2020 and March 31, 2021, and must accept the amount as payment in full. Tenants with landlords declining to participate are still eligible to receive up to 25 percent of back rent owed. The County previously allocated $1.1 million of its federal CARES Act funds for a similar rental program for residents impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

***PLEASE NOTE***: Comments made here will not be included in the public record and may not be seen by the Board of Supervisors. To ensure your comment is included in the public record, please visit http:;//santacruzcountyca.iqm2.com/Citizens/Default.aspx and follow the directions near the top of the page.

When you encounter a stop sign, resist the California stop for safety's sake. Read more in English and Spanish: www.cityofsantacruz.com//traffic-en/safety-tip-of-the-week #StreetSmarts

Mañana: ¡Aprenda sobre las vacunas COVID-19 y obtenga respuestas a sus preguntas por expertos!

Santa Cruz County now ranks 7th in the state in COVID-19 per capita vaccinations, and 2nd for counties over 250k. Coronavirus vaccines are safe and effective. For more, go to https://www.santacruzhealth.org//CoronavirusH/Vaccine.aspx.

COUNTY SEEKS RENTAL ASSISTANCE ON BEHALF OF RESIDENTS The County of Santa Cruz has applied for funding through the federal Emergency Rental Assistance Program, designed to assist households that are unable to pay their rent and utilities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Authorized through the Consolidated Appropriations Act, $25 billion is being provided nationally for emergency rent support. The County’s grant amount has not yet been confirmed by the Treasury, but is estimated... at approximately $8 million. Funds may be used to pay for rent, utilities and home energy costs, rent and utilities arrears, and related housing costs of the eligible tenant. Renters in all cities and unincorporated areas will be eligible, with application details to be released following award confirmation, the issuance of federal guidance and input from local stakeholders. To qualify for this program, renter households must include at least one individual who meets the following criteria: Qualifies for unemployment or has experienced a reduction in household income, incurred significant costs, or experienced a financial hardship due to COVID-19 Demonstrates a risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability Has a household income at or below 80 percent of the area median income Under the legislation, households with individuals unemployed for 90 days prior to application and households with income at or below 50 percent of the area median will be prioritized. Rental assistance provided to an eligible household may not be duplicative of any other federally funded rental assistance provided to such household. The County previously allocated $1.1 million of its federal CARES Act funds for a similar rental program for residents impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

Never turn your back on the ocean!

Video of today's Health Care Leadership Press Conference discussing current outbreaks, vaccines, the Stay at Home Order and more. #wearamask

Sabemos que existen muchas preguntas sobre la vacuna COVID-19 y varios de ustedes están ansiosos por aprender más. Hemos creado una lista de las preguntas frecu...entes y continuaremos respondiendo a sus preguntas a medida que téngamos más información disponible. Para obtener más información, visite la pagina de vacunas de nuestro sitio web sobre el Coronavirus: www.santacruzsalud.org/coronavirusvaccine See more

You are now eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine if you are 65 years or older AND live in the following zip codes: 95076, 95077, 95019. To schedule an appoin...tment, call the Watsonville Senior Center at 831-768-3279. There are available appointments this Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Ñ: Nueva información de la Ciudad de Watsonville: Es elegible para obtener una vacuna contra el COVID-19 si tiene 65 años o más y vive en los siguientes códigos postales: 95076, 95077, 95019. Para programar una cita, llame al Centro para Personas Mayores al 831-768-3279. Hay citas disponibles este sábado, domingo y lunes.

Due to low ICU capacity, the Bay Area remains under the Regional Stay-at-Home Order. The California Department of Public Health will reevaluate our capacity this week. See https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/OPA/Pages/NR21-011.aspx for more. The County's COVID-19 positivity rate remains high as we move through our holiday surge, and we are working to protect the local health care system through an order restricting elective surgeries in alignment with a similar statewide order. If you are interested in getting a COVID-19 test, go to https://www.santacruzhealth.org//SAVELivesS/GetTested.aspx

From Caltrans: SANTA CRUZ COUNTY Multiple on and off ramps along Highway 1 in Santa Cruz County will be subject to intermittent closures. Daytime closures to install pavement markings will continue Monday through Friday, from 9 am to 3 pm, through the end of the month, weather permitting.... Both the northbound and southbound on and off ramps of Highway 1 at the following interchanges will be subject to closure. These include: State Park Dr. Park Ave. Bay/Porter, 41st Ave. Soquel Ave. Morrissey Blvd. Other ramps which are impacted include: Southbound Ocean St. off ramp Northbound Ocean St. on ramp Southbound Plymouth St. on ramp Northbound Emeline Ave. off ramp No more than two ramps will be closed in any direction at the same time. The closures of these on and off ramps are necessary to permit installation of thermoplastic pavement markings. Temperatures at night are too cold to work with these materials which necessitates these daytime closures. The above closures are scheduled to continue this Monday Jan. 11 and continue through the end of the month. Cooperative weather may shorten this time frame. Motorists are advised to expect delays of up to 10 minutes. Message and directional signs will be in place to assist motorists traveling in the area. Caltrans reminds motorists to move over and slow down when driving through highway work zones. For traffic updates on other state highways in Santa Cruz County, travelers may contact Caltrans District 5 Public Affairs at 805-549-3318 or can visit the District 5 website at: https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-5

Today, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the state would adopt new CDC recommendations and make residents aged 65 and over eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. This is great news for the 48,000 Santa Cruz County residents who meet this criteria, and the County is committed to making sure as many people as possible have access to the vaccine as soon as they become available. We are working with local health care providers to plan for mass vaccination site North and South Count...y, and we hope to make a formal announcement soon. However, Gov. Newsom directed that Phase 1A frontline health care workers and highly vulnerable populations are still the priority, and we are currently focused on that population. The County has provided vaccine for initial doses for more than 5,300 people, with an estimated 14,700 local Phase 1A workers, which will require close to 30,000 doses to fully vaccinate (current vaccines require two doses). We are committed to getting vaccines out to the community within 10 days of delivery. There are four ways vaccine can get to you: the Federal Pharmacy Program which is supplying vaccines to local congregate care facilities; delivery through large health plans such as Kaiser and Sutter (which is how most residents will receive the vaccine); smaller health care providers enrolled in the CalVax program; and the Santa Cruz County Public Health Division. We want to make vaccination opportunities available to you as soon as possible, since this can be a life or death scenario for vulnerable residents. Unfortunately, supplies are highly limited at this time, and the County is only scheduled to receive another 200 doses next week. Fortunately, more vaccines are on the way, including a possible single-dose vaccine from Johnson & Johnson. We just cannot be sure when that might be. We will make further announcements when we are able. Until then, please visit our vaccine page for more information: https://www.santacruzhealth.org//CoronavirusH/Vaccine.aspx If you have questions about when a vaccine might be available to you, we urge you to reach out to your primary care physician. Until then, continue staying home if possible, wearing a mask if you must go out, maintain social distancing and, please, do not gather with others outside your household. There may be light at the end of the tunnel, but local case counts are at an all-time high. Be careful. Take care of yourself, and your loved ones. Help is on the way.

COVID-19 is devastating to local families. Case counts and test positivity rates are at an all-time high. Stay home. Wear a mask in public. And do not gather with those outside your household. We likely have several weeks before thing begin to turn around. https://lookout.co//santa-cruz-covid-19-pandemic-salinas-c

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NEuLZ2iN0w&t=17s

The County of Santa Cruz urges residents living in potential debris flow evacuations zones to complete the online emergency contact form by Wednesday, Dec. 16. Available at https://arcg.is/15T5GP1, the survey asks residents for contact information and to identify specific needs should any debris flow event occur in or near the CZU Lightning Fire burn scar. Residents are encouraged to enter their home address in the map section in addition to answer a series of questions. Res...idents need only answer questions relevant to their situation. The survey was provided to residents by Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) volunteers who visited potentially impacted homes, but residents who were unavailable at the time may also fill out the survey online. To determine whether you are in a debris flow evacuation zone, go to community.zonehaven.com. To sign up for CodeRed alerts, go to https://www.scr911.org//sign-reverse-9-1-1-notifications-c.

This month, we say goodbye to longtime Water Resources Manager John Ricker. In a region with water challenges, John has been a go-to resource for everything from groundwater management to inter-agency coordination to water quality issues. His expertise has been invaluable to everyone in the County and he will be greatly missed. We wish you well in retirement, John!

COVID-19 VACCINE PLAN SUBMITTED The Santa Cruz County Public Health Division is pleased to announce the submission of a COVID-19 Vaccine Plan to the California Department of Public Health. The document details logistical plans to manage and distribute COVID-19 vaccines locally, in coordination with the local health care delivery system. Vaccine priorities will follow recommendations of The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, the federal Advisory Committ...ee on Immunization Practices, and California Department of Public Health (CDPH). The County’s goal is to provide safe and effective COVID-19 immunizations to as many residents as want one. Vaccinations will help reduce COVID-19-related illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths and to help restore societal functioning. A limited initial delivery of COVID-19 vaccine may occur as early as next week, with distribution reserved for local hospitals. The Public Health Division cautions the public that widespread distribution may not occur for several months, and urges everyone to continue wearing face coverings and practicing social distancing. Distribution to the general public will occur in coordination with the local health care delivery system through primary care providers, clinics, pharmacies and the County. Potential mass vaccination strategies include community drive-through points-of-distribution (PODs) and other pop-up facilities. No locations have been finalized at this time. Using a phased and tiered approach, initial distribution will be offered to high-risk health care workers and first responders, following CDPH allocation guidance ranked order prioritization if supplies are limited. CDPH allocation guidance can be found at this link: https://www.cdph.ca.gov//CDPH-Allocation-Guidelines-for-CO

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY MOVED TO ORANGE TIER Based on improved test positivity and case rates, the California Department of Public Health has moved Santa Cruz County into the Orange Tier in its Blueprint for a Safer Economy. Beginning today, previously opened sectors such as restaurants, places of worship, movie theaters and museums may increase indoor operations to 50 percent of capacity. Retail establishments may now open at full capacity. Please refer to sector-specific guidance... at https://covid19.ca.gov/safer-economy for information on safe operations for staff and members of the public. Bars, breweries and distilleries may resume outdoor operations, wineries may resume indoor operations at 25 percent capacity or 100 people (whichever is fewer), and gyms and fitness centers may increase indoor capacity from 10 percent to 25 percent. Previously restricted sectors such as amusement parks, family entertainment centers, non-essential offices and live-audience sports may open with modifications. Please refer to sector-specific guidance for details. Although movement to the Orange Tier is a sign of reduced disease transmission in the community, COVID-19 cases are rising nationally and are expected to increase locally as we move into the winter. Residents are advised to continue wearing face coverings, practicing social distancing and avoiding gathering in large groups. For more information on the State framework, visit https://covid19.ca.gov/safer-economy. For local information on COVID-19, go to www.santacruzhealth.org/coronavirus, call 211 or text COVID19 to 211211. Residents may also call (831) 454-4242 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

If you are a property owner who was impacted by the CZU Lightning Complex fires and are trying to figure out your property taxes, here is some helpful information. Property owners may receive several mailings regarding their bill. The following covers the re-assessment and supplemental tax bill process and timeline. 1. Original Property Tax Bill: The annual bill is based upon the property values established on January 1, 2020. The 2020-21 tax bills have already begun arriving... in taxpayer mailboxes. If a mortgage company pays the tax bill directly, the taxpayer will instead receive a Notice to Assessee this week alerting them that their mortgage company received the bill. 2. Supplemental Assessment letters: The Assessor’s Office is currently processing reductions for all properties damaged in the fire. After the reduction is processed, they will mail the taxpayer a Notice of Supplemental Assessment letter. Many of these letters have been issued and it is anticipated reductions and notification letters will be completed by October 30, 2020. 3. Notice of Negative Supplemental Taxes: The Auditor-Controller will mail out a notice of the revised lower tax amount after the Assessor re-assessed the property value. This week, 745 notices will be mailed to homeowners and the remaining approximately 160 revised bills will be issued as re-assessment work is completed. These notices do not get mailed to mortgage companies. If a mortgage company pays the original larger tax amount from a mortgage impound account, the negative supplemental tax notice provides instructions on how the property owner can have the difference refunded. Additional items .. Property owners can review the Frequently Asked Questions provided on the Assessor’s website: http://www.co.santa-cruz.ca.us//Ass/DisasterReliefFAQ.aspx Applications for Calamity Relief and/or Deferral of Regular Secured Taxes are listed below. Application must be filed with the Assessor before December 10, 2020. Please use the following Quick-links also found on the Assessor's website: Application for Calamity Relief and/or Deferral of Regular Secured Taxes o Fillable .pdf version (http://www.co.santa-cruz.ca.us//C/asr/forms/taxform11.pdf) o DocuSign version (https://powerforms.docusign.net/556ce3e4-eb43-45a0-88a4-bab) Change of Address Form o Fillable .pdf version (http://www.co.santa-cruz.ca.us//C/asr/forms/taxform15.pdf) o DocuSign version (https://powerforms.docusign.net/2333dc09-5866-412a-81b6-0d7)

https://www.latimes.com//santa-cruz-mountains-fire-mud-sli

Today we said goodbye to our ace County Clerk Gail Pellerin, right, who oversaw everything from elections to marriage licenses (aka, "The Office of Democracy and Love"). As we big Gail adieu, we welcome newly appointed County Clerk Tricia Webber, left. Tricia has big boots to fill. We know she will do so ably. Good luck in your future endeavors, Gail!

With the wind event having subsided, PG&E crews are inspecting equipment for damage and determining when power can be restored for local residents impacted by the Public Safety Power Shutoff. Residents should see power restored by noon tomorrow, if not sooner. For more information on restoration progress, visit www.pge.com/psps.

Santa Cruz County is included in a large-scale Public Safety Power Shutoff event, which is scheduled to begin tonight at approximately 8 p.m. and impact nearly 14,000 PG&E customers in mountainous areas of the county, particularly in the San Lorenzo Valley. While conditions could change, the underlying wind event is expected to be one of the most severe of the last 25 years, with more than 1 million people in 38 counties potentially impacted by power shutoffs in order to pre...vent wildfires. To see if you will be impacted, look up your address at https://pgealerts.alerts.pge.com/addresslookup. The County is establishing an emergency call-out center at Lee and Associates, 14670 Highway 9, Boulder Creek. To be open at 8 pm Sunday and throughout the duration of the PSPS, the center will be staffed by emergency ham radio operators and allow those who lose communications during the power shutoff to reach emergency first responders. Staff will be on hand to assist residents 24/7. PG&E is establishing four Community Resource Centers at St. Michael's Church in Boulder Creek, Highlands Park in Ben Lomond, Enterprise Technology Center in Scotts Valley and Costco in Santa Cruz (near the gas station). The centers will allow residents to charge powered medical devices, cell phones and more. For those who rely on powered medical devices and need assistance, please contact the Central Coast Center for Independent Living at cccil.org. The event is expected to last into Tuesday morning, with full power restoration expected later that afternoon.

A few tips to help keep pedestrians safe. En español: www.youtube.com/watch?v=59p8n42qVC4&feature=youtu.be

More than 400,000 PG&E customers could lose power in a #PublicSafetyPowerShutoff event that begins Sunday night (10/25) and lasts until Tuesday (10/27). This includes 14,319 customers in Santa Cruz County. Affected communities are primarily in mountainous areas including Boulder Creek, Brookdale, Ben Lomond, Felton, Zayante, Lompico, Bonny Doon, the Summit area and upper Corralitos. To find out if you may be impacted, use the PG&E address lookup tool here: https://pgealerts.a...lerts.pge.com/updates/ Four Community Resource Center will open Sunday for water and charging services for powered medical equipment, cell phones and other devices: St. Michael's (Boulder Creek), Highlands Park (Ben Lomond), Enterprise Tech Center (Scotts Valley) and Costco (Santa Cruz). If you rely on powered medical equipment and don't have a plan, or need to move and have mobility issues, contact the Central Coast Center for Independent Living, http://cccil.org.

The FEMA deadline for assistance with the #CZULightningComplex is Nov. 21. Whether you lost property or were displaced, there are several ways to get started: Online at http://disasterassistance.gov; Via the @FEMA app, or Call 800-621-3362 (TTY: 800-462-7585)

***PLEASE NOTE***: Comments made here will not be included in the public record and may not be seen by the Board of Supervisors. To ensure your comment is included in the public record, please visit http://santacruzcountyca.iqm2.com/Citizens/Default.aspx and follow the directions near the top of the page.

#santacruzstrong #scmstrong #SLVStrong

Stopping at the limit line is critical for traffic safety. See more in this week's Street Smarts video. En español: www.youtube.com/watch?v=iF8D2rmvmsM&feature=youtu.be #StreetSmarts

TODAY IS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO BE COUNTED FOR THE 2020 CENSUS! Census counts inform everything from political representation to funding for local schools, roads, hospitals and more. Filling out the Census is easy, and confidential! Internet - http://my2020census.gov. Phone - English (844-330-2020) or Spanish (844-468-2020). Paper responses must be postmarked by October 15, 2020.