Community Matters

Watsonville City officials kept many City Councilmembers in the dark regarding Monterey County's $8million grant-funded plan to bus homeless to a low-barrier shelter in parking lot of a Watsonville neighborhood, allowing the Community Action Board to run it with no experience in doing so.  The neighbors united, and appealed.  Only two Council members, Ari Parker and Casey Clarke, felt staff's lack of transparency and honesty regarding the zoning problems mattered and should be addressed.  Why?

Hour One: Gillian Greensite discusses why Santa Cruz City's Workforce Housing Solutions Act initiative makes claims that local workers would have preference for affordable housing but the City of Santa Cruz cannot verify such a claim could be upheld because the Grand Jury "Housing for Whom?" investigative report showed the City fails to track who gets affordable housing now, and keeps no data as to how much is given to UCSC students.  The Oversight Committee would only have one member of the public, chosen by the City Council.

Hour Two: Kris Kirby sold her business and  moved out of California, leaving behind decades of connections to re-root in Grants Pass, Oregon.  What was that process like for her?  What would she do differently? How has she made new connections?  Any regrets??  Local elected officials there are willing to meet....and actively listen. 

Here, Santa Cruz County Supervisors continue to bury their heads in the sand on the Moss Landing Battery Fire...and refuse to hold town hall meetings about the battery storage projects planned for Santa Cruz County...grassroots activism is afoot.

Hour One: CalFire/Santa Cruz County Fire Chief Jed Wilson and Chief Sam Filson discuss emergency response in unincorporated areas, CSA 48, proposed reorganization, proposed Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) facility for Watsonville, and lessons from LA Fires.

Hour Two: Elaine Johnson and Bruce Van Allen discuss Workforce Housing Solutions Act initiative in the City of Santa Cruz.  $96/parcel annually and a tiered property sale transfer tax for 20 years to fund affordable housing and prevent homelessness in the City.

Hour One: Initial difficulty with technology precluded Assemblymember Addis interview but discussion with Mr. Phillip Carranco, Regulation Policy Expert Phillip Carranco re: need for County Urgency Ordinance and lithium battery energy storage system (BESS) moratorium until Technical Advisory Committee can convene so that Ordinance is not bought and paid for by the battery industry.

Hour Two: Watsonville activist Mr. Ilea Buliach describes the shadowy actions of the City of Watsonville to establish a covert school called Ceiba, with City Councilmembers acting as school board directors, and enabling the City to qualify for State Education funding to purchase 20-30 acres of industrial area to redevelop.  Litigation filed will shed light on unscrupulous actions by City officials (Santa Cruz County Superior Court Case 23CV00800)

Hour One: Santa Cruz City's Biggest Expansion Plans and Environmental Comment; Review of Feb. 14 Presentation at UCSC by Moss Landing Marine Lab Prof. Ivano Aiello showing significantly elevated levels of nickel, cobalt and manganese in soil samples of Hester Slough after the Moss Landing Vistra battery fire at Moss 300.

Hour Two: Continued conversation with listeners about the Moss Landing Fire, local response, implications on ag; three BESS projects planned for Santa Cruz County?  Citizen action alert to stop lithium-ion BESS.

Hour One: Interview with Tonya Rivera, "Never Again Moss Landing" about the Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) Fire and grassroots action.

Hour Two: Interview with Kris Kirby and discussion about moving out of California...what to consider and how to do it.

Hour One: Update on "Never Again Moss Landing" group actions re: Moss Landing Vistra Fire, update on proposed Seahawk Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project at 90 Minto Road in Watsonville, update on Santa Cruz County Fire Dept. Advisory Group formation.

Hour Two:Rick Longinotti and Frank Barron discuss Santa Cruz City Downtown Expansion Plan Draft EIR inadequacies re: analysis of water, unlimited building height, affordable housing, traffic and how to make effective comments.

First Hour: Barry Branin with Citizens for Estero Bay Preservation and fight against a BESS in Morro Bay.

Second Hour: Phillip Carranco, Regulation Policy Expert and how local government can make more restrictive regulations for BESS projects in Santa Cruz County and at Moss Landing.

Hopefully, this version is clear and complete!

Guests Kristen Colishaw and Kris Kirby,  longtime Santa Cruz County residents,  both moved out of California in 2024.  Both are fourth or fifth generation Californians.  Why did they leave?  Neither has regrets..find out why.