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Articles by Matt Huffaker
A Lookout View: California’s rules for public office need a second look – especially on school boards
Quick Take California rightly does not treat every criminal conviction as a lifetime ban on public service. But the standards might need to be different when an elected position carries responsibility for children. The Pajaro Valley school board race has exposed gaps in both eligibility standards and candidate verification. Lookout’s editorial board believes AB 2691 should pass — and that lawmakers should keep working to get the balance right.
If nobody goes to downtown Santa Cruz, who are all these people?
Quick Take Downtown Santa Cruz isn't empty — and both the numbers and the visuals prove it, writes Matt Huffaker, the city manager. New businesses are opening, vacancies are falling and millions of people are showing up to shop, eat, study and spend time downtown. Maybe, he writes, it's time to stop asking what's wrong with downtown and start noticing what's working. Have something to say? Lookout welcomes letters to the editor, within our policies, from readers. Guidelines here.
Guest Commentary | Time right for Murray Street Bridge work
By Nathan Nguyen and Matt Huffaker In Santa Cruz, we’re known for our natural beauty, our vibrant neighborhoods and our strong sense of community. But what often goes unseen is the vital infrastructure that supports our daily lives, until it needs repair. As our team breaks ground on the Murray Street Bridge Retrofit, we want to acknowledge the questions and concerns from the community while sharing why this project is both necessary and exciting for our future.
County treasurer-tax collector hours changed in Watsonville, Santa Cruz soon to follow
The Santa Cruz County Treasurer-Tax Collector has changed the hours of operation for its Watsonville office and will change the hours of its Santa Cruz location next month.
Santa Cruz police to hold meeting about use of military-surplus equipment
The Santa Cruz Police Department will be holding a virtual community meeting next week to discuss the use of surplus military equipment by the department in accordance with Assembly Bill 481. AB 481 requires public meetings prior to police acquisition of military-surplus equipment in the interest of transparency and public scrutiny. It was one of eight police-reform measures signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2021 after the murder of George Floyd.
Staff of Life donates a half-ton of chicken to Second Harvest
For the fourth year, Santa Cruz County grocery store Staff of Life Natural Foods Market donated 1,000 pounds of chicken to Second Harvest Food Bank. The gift was made in partnership with American poultry company Smart Chicken. Through the Smart Chicken Smart Giving Program, the company donates humanely raised, air-chilled chicken to local food banks across the country.
Best 9: Top events for the week ahead in Santa Cruz County arts & entertainment, March 20-27
Here they are, nine necessary know-abouts for the week ahead. It’s the spring equinoxious B9: ➤ Brothers Jamie and Kellen Coffis are musicians, proud sons of the San Lorenzo Valley and, now, culture creators. That’s the mission of their annual two-day mini-festival called “Coffis Space,” at Moe’s Alley. For the third straight year, right after the spring equinox, the Coffis Brothers are hosting a weekend of music, comedy, food and fun.
Eastside / Live Oak Neighborhood Newsletter for Thursday, Mar. 20
Brought to you today by Event Santa Cruz Join us for an energizing and insightful day at the Santa Cruz Small Business Camp! This all-day event is crafted to inspire, educate, and empower local entrepreneurs. Get your tickets today! >> Good morning! It’s Mar. 20 — here’s what’s going on in your community today… Today will be partly sunny. There is a 1% chance of rain. The high will be 64 with a low of 41.
Morning Lookout: Sparks fly over realtors' housing measure; Trump cuts hit local schools, citizenship program
Good morning, folks. It is Thursday, March 20 – looking like a nice one around Santa Cruz County, with more sun than clouds and temperatures in the low 60s.
Thursday evening traffic: Eastside collision, Hwy 1 lane closure, roadworks
This post is updated throughout the day to reflect the latest incidents. It was last updated at 12:31 p.m.. Here’s what’s happening on the roads this evening… ▼︎ new incidents ▼︎ long-term incidents A traffic collision happened today between a blue Toyota Prius and a dark blue Jeep at 1212 17th Ave in the Eastside / Live Oak area. No injuries were reported. A lane on South Highway 1 at Soquel Drive in the Eastside/Live Oak area is closed for landscape work.
La congelación de fondos federales afecta al programa que ayuda a los residentes del condado de Santa Cruz a convertirse en ciudadanos
Un resumen El congelamiento de fondos federales del presidente Donald Trump está afectando las subvenciones a un programa de ciudadanía de larga data en el condado de Santa Cruz, amenazando servicios que han ayudado a cientos de inmigrantes a navegar el proceso de naturalización. Esta traducción fue generada utilizando inteligencia artificial y ha sido revisada por un hablante nativo de español; si bien nos esforzamos por lograr precisión, pueden ocurrir algunos errores de traducción.
Yes, new housing in the city of Santa Cruz is meeting goals - here’s the proof
Quick Take Santa Cruz City Manager Matt Huffaker and Economic Development and Housing Director Bonnie Lipscomb want to set the record straight on occupancy rates for affordable housing in Santa Cruz. They admit the city could do a better job reporting occupancy rates of new affordable housing units to the public, but insist the buildings are filling and the city is meeting its state reporting obligations.
Guest Commentary | Santa Cruz’s Downtown Plan expansion advances many community goals
By Matt Huffaker The city of Santa Cruz is excited to bring forward an updated vision for the future of our downtown. We are seeking to expand the boundaries of Downtown Santa Cruz to include the South of Laurel Area (SOLA), a key section between Laurel Street and Depot Park, to unlock new opportunities for housing, economic development, connections between the downtown and the beach, and new recreation and community amenities.
Monday, Dec. 9, playlist: Boulder Creek mourns Albert the peacock, Santa Cruz teens on big science stage, PVUSD board makeover
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Capitola / Soquel Neighborhood Roundup for Monday, Dec. 9
Brought to you today by Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship Your local trail nonprofit. Support parks & trails this holiday – all donations MATCHED through the end of the year! Donate Today https://act.santacruztrails.org/take-action/donate/ >> Good morning! It’s Dec. 9 — here’s what’s going on in your community today… Today will be sunny much of the time. The high will be 67 with a low of 43.
Bonny Doon / Davenport Neighborhood Roundup for Monday, Dec. 9
Brought to you today by Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship Your local trail nonprofit. Support parks & trails this holiday – all donations MATCHED through the end of the year! Donate Today https://act.santacruztrails.org/take-action/donate/ >> Good morning! It’s Dec. 9 — here’s what’s going on in your community today… Today will be mostly sunny. The high will be 63 with a low of 49.
Watsonville / Pajaro Neighborhood Roundup for Monday, Dec. 9
Brought to you today by Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship Your local trail nonprofit. Support parks & trails this holiday – all donations MATCHED through the end of the year! Donate Today https://act.santacruztrails.org/take-action/donate/ >> Good morning! It’s Dec. 9 — here’s what’s going on in your community today… Today will be sunny much of the time. The high will be 69 with a low of 35.
Aptos Neighborhood Roundup for Monday, Dec. 9
Brought to you today by Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship Your local trail nonprofit. Support parks & trails this holiday – all donations MATCHED through the end of the year! Donate Today https://act.santacruztrails.org/take-action/donate/ >> Good morning! It’s Dec. 9 — here’s what’s going on in your community today… Today will be sunny much of the time. The high will be 67 with a low of 42.
Eastside / Live Oak Neighborhood Roundup for Monday, Dec. 9
Brought to you today by Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship Your local trail nonprofit. Support parks & trails this holiday – all donations MATCHED through the end of the year! Donate Today https://act.santacruztrails.org/take-action/donate/ >> Good morning! It’s Dec. 9 — here’s what’s going on in your community today… Today will be sunny much of the time. The high will be 67 with a low of 43.
Westside / Downtown Neighborhood Roundup for Monday, Dec. 9
Brought to you today by Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship Your local trail nonprofit. Support parks & trails this holiday – all donations MATCHED through the end of the year! Donate Today https://act.santacruztrails.org/take-action/donate/ >> Good morning! It’s Dec. 9 — here’s what’s going on in your community today… Today will be mostly sunny. The high will be 68 with a low of 43.
West Cliff’s future depends on unity - surfers have a place in the discussion
Quick Take Surfers have always been an important partner in the City of Santa Cruz’s climate resiliency planning and have helped shape priorities for West Cliff Drive’s future, writes City Manager Matt Huffaker. He refutes a recent Community Voices piece by surfing community members and warns about the spread of false information that confuses the public and makes it difficult to implement needed change.
Santa Cruz remains committed to compassionate homeless solutions, despite Supreme Court decision
Quick Take The City of Santa Cruz is not changing its homeless policies in the wake of the Supreme Court’s Grants Pass decision and Gov. Gavin Newsom’s executive order to clear homeless encampments. Rather, it is moving forward with programs that increase affordable housing, offer shelter and provide outreach, writes City Manager Matt Huffaker. Here, Huffaker outlines the city’s programs, efforts and grants, which he says have led to a 36% decrease in homelessness in Santa Cruz over the past year.
Guest Commentary | Report on Santa Cruz homelessness action plan
By Matt Huffaker, Santa Cruz City Manager First of two parts: Reflecting on the past year through the lens of our Homelessness Response Action Plan, I am drawn back to earlier this year when we confronted intense winter storms. Those weeks of unrelenting rain and the accompanying infrastructure challenges were nothing short of daunting.
Guest Commentary | Why the multi-use library project is vital for Santa Cruz
By Matt Huffaker, Santa Cruz City Manager The Santa Cruz City Council recently received an update on changes to the proposed Downtown Library and Affordable Housing Project. This is an exciting project — nothing in the city’s recent history has provided an opportunity to address so many needs in our community or evolved so much as a result of public participation and years of community input. The project continues to take shape, so there is much news to share about recent changes.
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