Santa Cruz is the Second City in California to Approve Historic Pay and Play Equity Resolution | |
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The Santa Cruz City Council unanimously approved a resolution and policy update to advance gender equity in sports competitions on City-owned land.
In collaboration with Surf Equity, the Santa Cruz Parks and Recreation Department conducted extensive research and engaged with local sports competition organizers to gather input on how best to implement a new policy for gender equity. The feedback received overwhelmingly supported the adoption of measures to ensure equitable conditions and prize purses for all participants. While Santa Cruz has a track record of fairness, this resolution reaffirms our commitment to equality, setting a powerful example for other public agencies statewide and beyond.
“I am absolutely thrilled,” said Sabrina Brennan the Executive Director and Founder of Surf Equity. “I hope that we see more cities throughout California adopt similar resolutions for equal pay and play. This is significant in Santa Cruz due to the number of events you have going on and I truly appreciate the work of staff, and particularly the Parks and Recreation Department.”
Key components of the resolution and policy update include:
- Equal playing time, location, and prize compensation for each gendered category at each participant level
- Guarantee for all prizes to be awarded
- Mandate for compliance with the resolution for all sports competition permits issued within the city
These changes align with the equity pillar of Health in All Policies and underscore the City's commitment to fostering equity in all aspects of community life.
Photo credit: Keanna Miller at Steamer Lane in November 2022 by @shmuelthaler
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The 2024 Summer Activity Guide is Here! Summer Registration Opens April 13 | |
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The 2024 Summer Activity Guide is now online. Registration opens on April 13. Registration opens online on Saturday, April 13, at 8:00 a.m. for City residents and 10:00 a.m. for nonresidents. View the guide online at www.cityofsantacruz.com/activityguide
Our Parks and Recreation Activity Guide is filled with fun and exciting classes, activities, summer camps, special events, trips, and more. It offers many family-friendly activities that will brighten your summer season.
REGISTER EARLY! Our programs can fill up on the first registration day, so we recommend registering early for our more popular children's programs.
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Successful Junior Guard Paddleboard Pilot
The Parks and Recreation Department was stoked to offer our first-ever paddleboarding course geared to further expand access to the junior guard program during the off-season.
A total of 14 participants were enrolled, ranging from 8-10 years old, with differing levels of experience. The five-week course capped with a roundtrip paddle out to the Santa Cruz Yacht Harbor and return to Cowell Beach.
Sign up for Summer Junior Guards on April 13, and check out the prerequisite here: www.cityofsantacruz.com/activityguide.
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GO Santa Cruz – FREE Transportation Resources for Downtown Workers
Our GO Santa Cruz program offers alternative transportation incentives to anyone who works in downtown Santa Cruz. These include FREE transit passes, bike locker credit, e-bike rebates, two free months of BCycle membership, education, encouragement, and rewards.
To continue promoting the GO Santa Cruz program, we've installed new signage at downtown parking facilities, including the Locust and River/ Front garages. In the coming week, we'll also add new materials to the Soquel/ Front garage!
April is Earth Month, so what better time to consider trying a new commute option? Share these resources with your coworkers and challenge yourself to switch up your commute.
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Pre-applications Received for 2020 North Pacific Avenue | |
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The Planning Department is reviewing two SB330 pre-applications submitted by Workbench for a project proposed at 2020 North Pacific Avenue. SB330 refers to a California state law, specifically Government Code Section 65941.1, signed into law in 2019, which aims to streamline the housing development process and increase the state's housing supply. Among other things, SB330 includes provisions that allow an applicant to submit a pre-application that includes a list of requirements in an effort to lock in development standards in place at the time it was submitted.
The applicant requested that the City only review compliance with SB330 criteria at this time. The project’s two proposed designs will be evaluated for consistency with City design and site development standards at a later time.
A community meeting, in line with the City's Community Outreach Policy for Planning Projects, will be held to present the project to the community and gather early feedback. Stay tuned for details.
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One design (photo above) proposes an eight-story mixed-use development encompassing approximately 120,932 square feet, including 174 residential apartment units, 8,184 square feet of commercial tenant space, and 29,884 square feet of on-site parking. | |  |
The other design (photo above) includes a sixteen-story mixed-use development encompassing approximately 279,480 square feet, including 260 residential apartment units, 11,126 square feet of commercial tenant space, and 29,884 square feet of onsite parking. | | |
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Importance of Street Sweeping
Did you know that debris left on our streets can eventually find its way to local creeks, rivers, and the ocean? That means that cigarette butts, heavy metals, motor oil, fertilizers, and other pollutants can all be washed down storm drains when it rains.
City crews clean most streets twice a month, with higher-traffic areas and bike paths receiving more frequent cleaning to ensure a cleaner and safer environment for everyone. Pictured here is our Resource Recovery Collections and Sweeping team doing a deep cleaning on McPherson Street, where temporary barricades were placed to limit parking and increase access for sweeper trucks.
You can help keep our streets clean, too!
- Rake up leaves and yard trimmings and place them in your green waste cart to prevent them from clogging storm drains.
- Trim bushes and trees near streets and gutters to ensure accessibility for pedestrians and street sweepers.
- Remove vehicles and obstructions from the street after garbage pick-up to facilitate effective street cleaning.
- Take trash and recycling carts off the street promptly after they are serviced.
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Provide Feedback on the Downtown Santa Cruz Farmers' Market!
The City of Santa Cruz Farmers’ Market is embarking on an exciting journey to enhance the downtown market experience and is inviting the community to voice their opinions through an online survey.
This initiative aims to gather valuable feedback to inform the development of a permanent downtown market, ensuring it meets the diverse needs and preferences of local residents and visitors alike.
The survey will remain open until April 24, 2024, and all responses will be kept confidential.
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Homelessness Response
Action Plan
The City of Santa Cruz is updating its three-year Homelessness Response Action Plan. The goal is to develop a plan that will guide our increased efforts in responding to homelessness. An important part of the plan is soliciting feedback from community members like you!
We invite you to complete this survey. It will take 10 minutes to complete, and all responses will be anonymous. Thank you for providing your important feedback.
Take the survey soon — it will close on April 10th.
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City of Santa Cruz
City Manager's Office
809 Center Street
Santa Cruz CA 95060
santacruzca.gov
831-420-5010
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