FEATURED COLUMNIST
New Road Rules with Countywide Impact: 36 Days to Comment By Bruce McPherson, Supervisor, Fifth District
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s our community continues its neighborhoods is shaped by topography. recovery from last summer’s CZU Our ability to make wider roads or make Lightning Complex fire, a new new through-connections between dead-end concern has emerged. Proposed changes to roads is limited, and therefore a one-size-fitsall approach does not fire safe regulations by make any allowances the Board of Forestry Proposed changes to fire for that. and Fire Protection safe regulations by the Santa Cruz could directly impact Board of Forestry and County supports numerous properties the current process throughout Santa Fire Protection could Cruz County, not just directly impact numerous that allows local fire departments, together in the burn zone. properties throughout with local govOn March 22, Santa Cruz County, not ernment, to identify even after my office just in the burn zone. alternative means and and other County methods for meeting Supervisors and residents from around California expressed safety standards when site-specific condiour concerns to the Forestry Board, a tions require it. Retaining our ability to do majority of its members voted to publish that is essential. And rebuilding after the the proposed rulemaking, which until then fire will not be possible for many families had been less formally under discussion unless disaster rebuilds are exempt from for months. The vote officially began a the minimum standards. In our formal comments to the For45-day window to receive public estry Board, we will stress the importance comment, which many who spoke of applying the proposed exemption for to the Forestry Board that day had primary residences and accessory dwelling sought to delay in order to provide units to all portions of the code, as well more time for shaping the as the importance of maintaining regulations. our ability to address site-specific The changes, which issues through local agencies. include new road, access I appreciate all of the and turnaround restricconstituents who have contions, could make it much tacted my office about this more difficult to build or rebuild issue, and we will continue in our rural and mountainous to monitor it closely. areas. We recognize that we have a We are seeing a lot of critical need to improve safety and progress in the initial stages reduce risk for our residents and our of our rebuilding process with first responders. However, we also Four Leaf, the highly experineed to support our community’s ability enced firm hired by the County to rebuild and recover after the fire while to operate its Rebuilding Permit maintaining some local control over how Center. As more properties we address safety concerns through altercomplete the debris removal native means. This is not a challenge that began processes, rebuilding permits are coming overnight. Our mountainous areas in. And along with Supervisor Ryan began developing in the 1800s, and the Coonerty, whose district was also impacted road network that supports our rural by the fire, my office received approval by
22 / April 2021 / Scotts Valley Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com
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the Board to request a temporary suspension of local rules to allow timber operations on the weekend in an effort to speed up the clearing of dead and damaged trees on timberland. Meanwhile, the economy is opening up more as our COVID-19 indicators continue to improve, with our County expected to move into the Orange Tier (moderate spread) this week and then the Yellow Tier (minimal spread) several weeks later. As of March 29, more than 149,000 County residents have received at least one Thomas Higgins of Grey Bears waits on a customer recycling cans dose of the vaccine, at the Ben Lomond transfer center, which paid out $306,000 in and of the more than redemption value in 12 months. 70,000 doses of vaccine received by the County, all but about 8 tell the story. For the 12-month period percent has been distributed with the rest ending in February, the operation yielded more than $306,000 in redemption value allocated for future use. All residents over the age of 50 will be paid to customers. More than 3,600 undueligible April 1 and then anyone over 16 will plicated customers were served across be eligible April 15. We know it has been nearly 7,100 transactions, and the weight difficult for many residents to schedule of redeemed materials exceeded 419,000 an appointment with their healthcare pro- pounds. Many thanks go to Grey Bears and vider or other vaccine distributors, but we anticipate more vaccine will be available in the Department of Public Works for their collaboration on making this a successful coming weeks. For more information on how to schedule venture. n ••• an appointment, visit the County’s COVID-19 As always, if District 5 residents have website at santacruzhealth.org/coronavirus and any comments or questions, please contact me click on the Vaccine section. Lastly, I’d like to close with some at bruce.mcpherson@santacruzcounty.us or great news. We were fortunate in 2019 831-454-2200. Editor’s note: Public comments to reopen the California Redemption Value center at the Ben Lomond Transfer regarding Board of Forestry and Fire Station with a new partner, Grey Bears. Protection matters or actions should be The most recent participation numbers submitted to publiccomments@bof.ca.gov.
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