Santa Cruz City Council Quick Compare

	Ashley Scontriano	Cynthia Hawthorne	Drew Glover	Donna Meyers	Dave Lane	Richelle Noroyan	Philip Crawford	Greg Larson	Justin Cummings	Paige Concannon
Occupation	Small Business Owner	Small Business Owner	Nonprofit Community Organizer	Owner/Environmental Consultant	Retired Auditor	City Councilmember	Community College Professor/Labor Attorney	Mgmt Consultant for Cities/Coastal Watershed Council Chair	Environmental Conservation Educator	(no answer)
Build Library w/Garage The city is proposing building a new downtown library in conjunction with a public parking garage. Should the city build a library in conjunction with the parking lot?	Position: U Wait for study data. I encourage alternatives to help with parking: phone apps and tally monitors as you enter parking garages.	Position: U Days ago City staff added more additional affordable housing to the project. The proposal is in the planning stages and there is no final plan to be for or against. There is time to advocate for more affordable housing and for more community input. We need to craft an incentive program for workers and visitors that encourage the use of Metro and Jump Bike and car pools that may reduce the need for parking. Lets work together on a final library plan that brings unity and a shared vision to our community.	Position: N While a new library would be “fantastic,” single-person vehicle trips should be reduced as much as possible and a parking garage will not do that. We must expand our bus system to accommodate more frequent trips to and from the downtown area with smaller buses, car-free housing in new downtown development and parking fees allocated to the garage should be leveraged as funding assistance for affordable housing construction.	Position: Y	Position: Y Supports it "if economically viable"	Position: Y Supports what she's seen so far.	Position: N I support finding a parking solution for our existing Library. I do not support the plan to build a new Library where proposed with multistory parking. We need to reduce cars downtown, not invite more. Libraries of the future will be virtual and we need to invest in giving folks access to our library from home."	Position: Y I support a new library in a new location, built to at least LEED Gold standards as I did as Los Gatos Town Manager for their new library. A new permanent home for the Farmers Market is also needed, preferably on the East Side of Downtown for closer access to the Riverwalk and East Side neighborhoods. Increased transportation demand management (bus passes, cycling infrastructure) must be pursued immediately while we work towards replacing unsightly and heat-island surface parking lots with more efficient mixed use structured parking, ideally with solar panels on the roof powering EV chargers. Current parking must be maintained and increases pursued if needed to keep Downtown healthy and strong.	Position: N City’s focus should be on reducing single vehicle trips rather than catering to more of them	Position: U Wait for study data, no clear current position.
Endorsements Organizations that endorse the candidate * = unverified	POA, Local1716 Fire	International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers*, Building & Construction Trades Council of Santa Cruz & Monterey Counties	Monterey Bay Central Labor Council, People’s Democratic Club, Santa Cruz for Bernie, National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW), Service Employees Int. Union (SEIU), Sierra Club	Democratic Central Committee, Building & Construction Trades Council of Santa Cruz & Monterey Counties	(no answer)	Democratic Central Committee	Fred Keeley*, Monterey/Santa Cruz Building and Construction Trades Council	Locally-Owned Business Alliance, Santa Cruz Police Officers Association*, Santa Cruz Firefighters Local 1716, Santa Cruz Police Management Association, Building & Construction Trades Council of Santa Cruz & Monterey Counties, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 234, BAYMEC, Carpenters Local 505, Northern California Carpenters Regional Council.	Monterey Bay Central Labor Council, National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW), People’s Democratic Club of Santa Cruz County, Santa Cruz for Bernie, Friends of San Lorenzo River Wildlife, Collective Liberation for the People (CLP), Sierra Club*	(no answer)
Reduce UCSC traffic impact ideas. What can the city do to help reduce traffic impacts from UCSC students, staff and faculty.	More buses on campus.	Raise parking fees on campus to subsidize free bus passes for staff/faculty.	Extend campus bus service and use parking fees to pay for it, and implement conflict reconciliation to work with UCSC and build a strong connection between the town and gown to stand together in resisting the proposed new students admissions.	The City can work with its own Transportation Management Program, Climate Program, the University TAPS, METRO, Ecology Action and other partners in understanding and planning for enhanced transportation options for USCS students, faculty and staff.	Give free bus passes to staff/faculty, encourage them to live on campus.	City doesn't have authority to address this. Try to discourage staff from driving.	More e-bikes on campus.	Several possibilities to explore or encourage include: 1) Increased bus and shuttle services; 2) Metro passes for faculty/staff as for students; 3) More student/faculty/staff housing ON campus to reduce traffic and neighborhood impacts; 4) New bike only access from Harvey West, possibly with high speed electric-assist bike chargers and a parking lot/drop off at the bottom; and 5) Traffic and speed controls on Western, High, King, Escalona and Laurent Streets.	Give free bus passes to staff/faculty.	It's "not the city's problem."
	Ashley Scontriano	Cynthia Hawthorne	Drew Glover	Donna Meyers	Dave Lane	Richelle Noroyan	Philip Crawford	Greg Larson	Justin Cummings	Paige Concannon
Widen Hwy 1 Would you support RTC widening Hwy 1 for 4 miles with auxiliary lanes?	Position: N But maybe for an HOV or Transit lane	Position: N Voters passed Measure D which included a portion of funds for Hwy 1. The RTC has the power to decide to use Measure D funds for bus lanes and HOV lanes as well as bike bridges. We need to mitigate this social justice issue for service workers who spend too much of their lives in traffic on Hwy 1. Here is the report: https://sccrtc.org/projects/multi-modal/unified-corridor-study/	Position: N If widening highways worked, LA wouldn't have any traffic.	Position: Y The voters approved Measure D in November 2016 and several projects are proposed to relieve the congestion on Highway 1 including new bike/pedestrian over crossings and auxiliary lanes as well as future projects currently in feasibility assessment. I support the voters intention to solve Highway One congestion for north-south travel.	Position: N Use alternatives.	Position: Y	Position: N It won't help congestion.	Position: Y Yes, but only as approved by the voters. We must prioritize bus, HOV, transit and cycling alternatives to alleviate traffic and pollution.	Position: N It won't help congestion.	Position: N Use alternatives.
Build Library w/Garage or Renovate? The city is debating building a new downtown library+parking garage+housing vs. renovating the current library. What do you think?	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)
Enlarge the police force via budget increase? Would you approve a budget increase for the police department to enlarge the police force?	Position: Y	Position: Y	Position: N	Position: Y	Position: N	Position: Y	Position: Y	Position: Y	Position: N	Position: Y
Keep tracks on rail corridor? Does candidate want to keep tracks on rail corridor to preserve rail option (vs. removing tracks to use for trail only).	Position: U Open to removing tracks to expedite building of trail.	Position: Y Keep tracks for passenger rail.	Position: Y Keep tracks for passenger rail.	Position: Y	Position: Y Keep tracks for passenger rail.	Position: Y Keep tracks for passenger rail.	Position: Y Keep tracks for passenger rail.	Position: Y The priority is to build the rail as quickly and as cheaply as possible, and to retain future transit options. The current rail trail plan endorsed by Bike Santa Cruz County, the Sierra Club, Ecology Action, the Land Trust and the cities of Santa Cruz and Watsonville provides that solution based on the best available information.	Position: Y Keep tracks for passenger rail.	Position: Y Keep tracks for passenger rail.
How to keep rail trail on track The initial city rail trail project has shrunk to 1.3 miles, and even so, was bid roughly 50% over available budget. How can we move this project forward with the funds available?	At this time I don't have enough information to comment	(no answer)	The City needs to be fiscally responsible and work diligently to identify other partners to complete the project within the original budget. If for some reason these partnerships are unavailable, the Council should instruct staff to explore, identify and submit applications for additional grant funding. What is important is that the tracks stay where they are, the trail is built as soon as possible and the project is completed with the use of union labor, prevailing wages and using local workers.	The project has been approved to be rebid.	(no answer)	The council asked staff to re-bid the project and cast a wider net to see if there are vendors that can come closer to providing work closer to the projected numbers. If we find that isn’t possible, there are grant opportunities to seek out. However if the state voters pass proposition 6, the measure to appeal the recent gas tax increase, finding funding will be very difficult. Please vote NO on Proposition 6.	We should move forward and increase funding. This should be a high priority. We need to pursue grants and industry partners to increase funding.	The City's rail trail has been unanimously supported by the City Council, Sierra Club, Bike Santa Cruz County, the Land Trust and Ecology Action. Unfortunately, construction was delayed in this over-heated market by a neighboring property owner. Nonetheless, the City is pursuing federal and state grants to cover most of the costs of this important project. We need the trail as soon as possible and must retain viable transit options for the future.	We should leave the tracks in place and begin developing the trail within the limits of the current funds available. If more funding becomes available over time, we can then reconsider what the development of the rail and further development of the trail will look like.	(no answer)
How to address unsafe biking/pedestrian conditions	Support vision zero. More separated bike facilities (e.g. rail trail).	Support vision zero. More education on safe routes to school, expand the use of green lanes and build the bike lanes on the rail trail ASAP.	Support Vision Zero. More driver education, bike caravans to school.	Support vision zero. The Street Smarts effort is a good start but the City should continue to work with Ecology Action, Bike Santa Cruz County, and statewide bike and pedestrian experts in lowering unsafe bike and pedestrian areas in Santa Cruz.	Fix places where many accidents occur, more biker education.	Support Vision Zero. Better road maintenance, do more to reduce injuries.	Support Vision Zero. Enforce bike laws.	Support Vision Zero. Improve bike lane conditions, more enforcement, support safe rides to school. Explore ways to fix or maintain the unsafe conrete/asphalt seam running down the middle of many bike lanes.	Support Vision Zero. Help families stay in SC to reduce commuting, more bike share, more separated bike facilities.	Don't know what to do
	Ashley Scontriano	Cynthia Hawthorne	Drew Glover	Donna Meyers	Dave Lane	Richelle Noroyan	Philip Crawford	Greg Larson	Justin Cummings	Paige Concannon
Addressing Homelessness How should the city address homelessness issues?	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)
Measure M: Rent Control Measure M is on the November ballot and proposes to enact rent control within the city of Santa Cruz. If passed, rent and eviction restrictions would apply to certain rental properties. The specific properties included depends on whether the state ballot measure to repeal Costa Hawkins is passed.	Position: N I was the first council candidate to educate the public on the measure as a former SCT board member	Position: N I was the first Council candidate to take a position against measure M even though I am a renter myself.	Position: Y	Position: N	Position: N It is too expensive, tramples property owners rights and may cause a loss of rental housing as owners decide to sell.	Position: N	Position: N	Position: N I opposed Measure M long before becoming a candidate for City Council and have actively campaigned against it because M is an extreme and expensive one-sided ballot measure that would require future costly and divisive public votes for any fixes or improvements.	Position: Y	Position: U
Affordable Housing Ideas How should the city address the issue of affordable housing.	Build current projects like Delaware Addition to include more housing.	Implement plans from the Housing Blue print including easing regs on ADU’s and approve more affordable housing in the downtown corridor or by partnering with the Faith community. Explore using re-purposing large homes as mute-generation shared housing especially if the owner is elderly and needs more support.	Vote yes on prop 1, 2, 10, G, H & M. Build more affordable housing.	The affordable housing issue is a countywide problem and the City should work both at the county level and the city level to secure adequate funding and develop and adopt projects that provide affordable and work force housing. The City must work with developers on private projects to meet inclusionary requirements and the city should pursue projects on City properties downtown to begin providing a mix of housing types.	Ease permitting reqs for granny units, build "tiny homes".	Build more affordable housing in the downtown and implement the proposals in the housing blueprint plan. For endorsements, please include Democratic Womens Club of Santa Cruz County, Santa Cruz Police Officer’s Association, SEIU, Monterey Bay Labor Council, United Health Care Workers and the Locally Owned Business Association.	Create gov't short term loans for rent, build property with price controls to limit appreciation.	I recommended approval of the last affordable housing and work/live projects in Santa Cruz back in 2007 (the Tannery Apartments and the Delaware Addition). We've waited to long to build more, and must approve State Propositions 1 and 2 and County Measures G and H to make up for lost redevelopment housing funds. In addition, we need to increase density Downtown and also scale down permitting costs and shorten timelines for ADU's and small units.	Vote yes on H, increase inclusionary housing percentage.	Unsure of what to do, but maybe build tiny houses.
Addressing public safety How should our community address public safety issues?	For too long the police department has been understaffed, in turn the community suffers. SCPD must maintain staffing levels that match the cities population.	Public safety and the integrity of our neighborhoods is the core issue for me as a candidate. We need to direct additional resources to continue to work on prevention and neighborhood collaboration with SCPD. We need to support neighbor to neighbor groups and improve communication between the City and neighbors. And we need to take a fresh look at actually solving our long standing problems associated with addiction and nuisance crimes that result from untreated mental illness in our City.	We should do more to address public safety. I have spoken to families in our community about how worried they are about their children being exposed to violence, drug use and disease. I have spoken to women about how uncomfortable many are going out at night alone. These are all symptoms of the larger issues facing Santa Cruz; disconnected neighborhoods, crisis-level poverty and profit-driven decision making by local leaders exacerbate issues of public safety because they do not invest in people, only enforcement. We need to expand community programs that keep youth out of the criminal justice system, in school and on a track for success. We need expanded community programs that work with people already in the criminal justice system to ensure a lower rate of recidivism and higher levels or reintegration into the community. Most of all, we need leaders with the courage and compassion required to have these difficult conversations and reprioritize the values of our local government and not just dump more money into the police department.	Yes, we need to continue to pursue and report on analytics regarding public safety in our community. I would like to see these statistics available and easily found through the Police Department. We need to continue to pursue through our current neighborhood policing efforts public safety issues and nuisance crimes, as well as violent crimes. We need to educate and train our community about the Online Police Reporting System and the Real Time Crime Maps available through the Police Department website. We need to engage neighborhoods more actively in public safety awareness, actions, and communications so that we develop more analytics regarding public safety issues.	(no answer)	I absolutely believe we need to do more to address public safety. Public safety is interwoven with several other issues. To solve a lot of the problems in our public and open spaces, we need more police officers, more outreach social workers, more mental health services and more opportunities for people to access addiction services. Mental health and addiction services are provided by the county as they are the level of local government tasked with health and human services. Fortunately I have seen more collaboration and a willingness by the county to step up and do more in the past year to increase services and spend more time working with individuals causing the most problems. I am more optimistic than I have been lately that our community can improve the situation.	Position: Y Yes, we should do more. We need a meaningful program of community policing that includes assignments and specific goals and measures. This will significantly increase crime clearance rates and reduce crime.	Position: Y Public safety is the City's #1 priority, and we must fill police vacancies, improve retention, increase patrol time, and even add positions. Similarly, we can improve crime prevention through neighborhood efforts and education focused on safe homes, shared watch, and smart use of emerging technologies.	Public safety is a multilayered issue, that is largely due to issues around poverty. We need to keep people in their homes and ensure that we are not increasing our homeless population. We need to reduce the levels of financial burden people with lower incomes are facing so that they do not resort to crimes to supplement their incomes. We need to increase the number of beds and services so that people who are addicted can get treatment rather than get thrown in jail and back onto the street. We also need to work with the county so that homelessness, mental health, and addiction services are equally distributed throughout the county. We then need to proactively address the heroine and meth epidemic Santa Cruz is facing, which would help reduce property theft in the city.	(no answer)
Inclusionary Housing In January the council voted 4-3 to increase the % of required inclusionary housing. Do you support this? What about in lieu payments?	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)
Prioritize enforcement of littering/property crime laws? This issue is associated with public safety and homelessness issues, and prioritization of enforcement reflects a candidate's perspective.	All laws need to be upheld. Property crimes are a violation of our safety and quality of life.	(no answer)	Position: Y It should be a high priority for city leaders, not just the police department. Property crime is a symptom of a larger problem facing the City, poverty and wealth inequity. As someone who has had my bike stolen while locked on my front porch and my car broken into I understand the concerns people have about their possessions. However, to truly and effectively address property crime we must look to prevention instead of enforcement. We need to invest in the people of our city to make sure they have what they need to thrive. Let's ensure that we have strong renter's protections and a living wage in Santa Cruz so people who work here can stay in their homes. Let's ensure there is access to fresh foods so residents can feel confident in their food security. If people have what they need, they do not need to turn to crime to support themselves. The same goes for addiction issues. If someone is dealing with an addiction, let us provide a secure space for them to be and offer the services necessary to treat that addiction instead of criminalization.	Existing laws should be upheld.	(no answer)	I would love nothing more than to enforce littering crimes, but they are very difficult to enforce. The official citing the offender must actually see someone drop and abandon their trash. Santa Cruz has one of the highest property crimes in the state. However state laws lowering theft of items less than $950 from a felony to a misdemeanor means there are little consequences for lower end property crimes. I believe a model of preventing property crime needs to be coupled with state law changes that allow district attorneys and judges to apply consequences that not only include jail.	Burglary and Grand Theft are property crimes, they should be a high priority. Littering should be enforced by community service officers.	Position: Y A higher priority, YES! Almost everyone I've talked to has had bikes or packages stolen or their cars ransacked; this is unacceptable. Littering of dangerous objects, such as needles, must also be enforced.	This requires a reassessment and evaluation with the police chief to determine what are the highest crimes in the area and try to determine the source. Without identifying the source of crimes you won't stop or deter the other crimes by happening.	(no answer)
	Ashley Scontriano	Cynthia Hawthorne	Drew Glover	Donna Meyers	Dave Lane	Richelle Noroyan	Philip Crawford	Greg Larson	Justin Cummings	Paige Concannon
Measure H: SC County Housing Bond Authorizes county to issue up to $140,000,000 in general obligation bonds to fund housing for populations such as households <=120 percent of area median income, veterans, seniors, persons with disabilities, persons with mental health disorders, and persons with substance abuse disorders.	Position: N	Position: Y A sustainable pot of money that the County can leverage for possible additional State funds to (Prop 1 and 2) to finally effectively treat mental Illness/ addiction and build affordable homes for those unsheltered and help teachers and firefighters buy their first homes.	Position: Y	Position: Y	Position: Y	Position: Y	Position: Y	Position: Y Absolutely, and will include it on my campaign materials. I wrote to the County Board of Supervisors asking them to place Measure H on the ballot.	Position: Y	Position: Y
Rent Control Position Should Santa Cruz have a rent control ordinance? If so, how should it compare to what Measure M proposed?	Allow the Measure M vote to stand on its own.	Keep current moratorium in place & direct staff to form working group with owners and renters with the mission to craft a win-win policy in 60 days. Both sides have stated that a win-win policy is possible. Have council agendize proposed policy for community input and possible adoption.	The City Council lost a valuable opportunity to be bridge-builders in the conversation of rent control. Instead of moderating between the two groups, the current Council decided to remain neutral, pitting community members against each other. If Measure M should fail in November, we must ensure that there are strong voices present on the City Council that are willing to work together with BOTH renters and "mom and pop" landlords to ensure adequate and sustainable renter protections. In the interim, the City Council must extend the rent freeze and temporary just-cause protections put in place February 2018 to ensure renters are protected through the deliberation process.	The City Council should also establish a community task force to work towards further defining the current rental market and include tenants and landlords in such a task force. The Council should also assess the outcome of Proposition 10.	(no answer)	The council should put temporary measures in place to preventing exorbitant rent increases and direct city staff to create a committee of landlords, property managers and renters to craft longer term tenant protection ordinances. The solutions must be tailored to the realities of the Santa Cruz rental market.	Rent control and rent stabilization	Convene residents who are tenants and rental property owners with a professional facilitator to jointly develop an initial rent relief/excessive rent increase proposal for public and Council consideration.	Position: Y The city council should keep the current rent and just cause for eviction freeze in place and work out another measure that is fair and protects renters, and ensures a fair return on investment for landlords.	(no answer)
Which other candidates do you support?	Pro Safety & No on M candidates	(no answer)	Justin Cummings	Declined to state	(no answer)	Declined to answer	I commend them all for running and none have asked for my support	I have not endorsed any other candidates but look forward to working collaboratively with whomever is elected, as well as continuing City Council members.	Drew Glover	(no answer)
The Recall Do you support the recall of councilmembers Glover and Krohn?	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)
Hwy 1's Future Should highway 1 expansion prioritize more car or transit capacity? Is a dedicated transit lane feasible?	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)
Bike/pedestrian safety? Our cities ranks poorly on biking/pedestrian safety? What should we do?	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)
	Ashley Scontriano	Cynthia Hawthorne	Drew Glover	Donna Meyers	Dave Lane	Richelle Noroyan	Philip Crawford	Greg Larson	Justin Cummings	Paige Concannon
Climate Change What does the City need to do to address climate change?	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)
West Cliff 50 Year Plan How should the city balance issues like private property vs public access, armoring vs strategic retreat, space for cars vs bikes/peds?	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)
Transit on rail corridor? Should the rail corridor include transit (e.g. train, bus, etc.)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)
Budget Shortfalls How would you address the City's budget shortfalls?	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)
Other Comments	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)	(no answer)
	Ashley Scontriano	Cynthia Hawthorne	Drew Glover	Donna Meyers	Dave Lane	Richelle Noroyan	Philip Crawford	Greg Larson	Justin Cummings	Paige Concannon

Santa Cruz City Council Candidate Comparison