Updates from City Hall

Current Update

November 23, 2016

This column is intended to provide the community with updates about City of Capitola projects and activities of interest. If you have any suggestions for future topics, or feedback, please let me know at jgoldstein@ci.capitola.ca.us or by phone at 475-7300.

Capitola Welcomes Our New Police Chief

Capitola will swear in its new Chief of Police Terrence (Terry) McManus on Dec. 5. He joins us following a 30-year career with the San Diego Police Department, where he had a variety of specialized assignments in patrol, administration and investigations.  Most recently an Assistant Chief, he oversaw the centralized investigations division, which includes homicide, robbery, gangs, financial crimes, narcotics, domestic violence, and more.

Chief McManus was born and raised in a law enforcement family in Vallejo. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of San Francisco in 1984, where he also played collegiate baseball.  He is a 2011 graduate of the F.B.I. National Academy.   

Chief McManus brings his passion for community policing, transparency in law enforcement, and the development of law enforcement leaders to his new role. He is also keenly interested in youth development through charitable events and organizations. His hobbies include outdoor activities and vacationing in Lake Tahoe with his three adult sons.     

City Infrastructure Projects

Jade Street tennis courts: The tennis court resurfacing was completed earlier this month.  This project was made possible through a grant from the Rudolph Monte Foundation, coupled with City General Fund revenues. The new courts opened to play on November 10.  During winter the tennis courts are open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. 

Pavement Projects:  The City is wrapping up a number of major road paving projects.  Park Avenue, Kennedy Drive and Monterey Drive have been reconstructed using an innovative pavement recycling approach called “Cold Inplace Recycling” (CIR).  CIR is considered the most environmental-friendly and cost-effective method among the various in-place pavement recycling techniques.  In the CIR process, a portion of the existing asphalt is milled off, and the reclaimed material is mixed with recycling agents then spread and compacted to produce a base layer for the final new pavement.  The environmental benefits of CIR over traditional paving includes an estimated 62% savings in aggregate consumption, and a net savings in gas emissions, including 52% less carbon dioxide, 54% less nitric oxide/nitrogen dioxide, and 61% less sulfur dioxide.

Lastly, a project to repave a portion of Stockton Avenue in the Village was recently completed.  The paving completes the new pedestrian sidewalk improvements that we built this last Spring.  The final completed project included new sidewalks, additional street lighting, a landscaped curb extension and seating area. 

Updates from the Building Department

Building activity in the City continues to increase.  Over the last year the City has experienced an approximately 9-10% increase in building activity.  The City issued a total of 448 building permits in 2015 and is on pace to issue 480 by the end of the 2016 calendar year.  The vast majority of these permits are for residential remodels, commercial renovations, and other routine maintenance projects such as reroofs and water heaters. Of the roughly 450 permits issued so far this year, none have been for new homes on vacant lots and four have been issued for new homes on previously developed lots.

Capitola’s New Library Takes a Step Forward

Earlier this month the City of Capitola selected Noll and Tam Architects to design the new Capitola Library.  Noll and Tam have designed nine libraries in the region including the nearby libraries in Marina and Los Gatos.  Noll and Tam will be holding two community meetings in January to hear from the public on design options, programs, and services at the new library. Construction funding for the new library will come from the recently passed Measure S, a Countywide property tax, and funds the City has already saved to build the library. The new library is currently scheduled for construction in 2018.

Upcoming Community Events

Surfin’ Santa Friday, November 26, from 12 p.m. at Capitola Beach. By outrigger canoe and surfboard, Santa and the Reindeer will be making their way to the shores of Capitola for their annual visit.

Capitola Village Winter Festival, December 3 from 2 - 5:30 p.m. Bring the whole family to enjoy complimentary face painting, cookie decorating, and ornament making, as well as tasty bites and sweet treats from local restaurants. The event will culminate with a 20-foot tree lighting and grand prize giveaway in front of the Mercantile at 5:30 p.m.  Check out the Capitola-Soquel Chamber of Commerce website for more details on both of these community events.

And remember parking in the Village is free this time of year for holiday shopping, though the 3-hour limit is still enforced.

Capitola Election Results

Capitola has a long history of close elections and this year is no exception. The City has two seats on the City Council to fill and while candidate Kristen Petersen has a clear lead, the second spot has been a tighter race. We had three candidates listed on the ballot plus a fourth write-in candidate who went through the official process to qualify. Many voters do not realize that although they may write in any name on a ballot, only candidates who go through the qualification process are eligible to take office.

Unfortunately, the Santa Cruz County Elections website is not set up to break out write-in votes by the name the voter actually wrote down, making it difficult for interested community members to know how many of the write-in votes are for a specific candidate. The second City Council spot has shifted between Ed Bottorff and the total of all write-in votes, most but not all of which were cast for the qualified candidate Sam Storey. We will not know with certainty who has won the elections until results are certified by Santa Cruz County Elections. That deadline is Dec. 6.

Get Involved

Every year the City Council appoints individuals to serve on various committees and commissions.  Right now the City is advertising the opportunity to serve on the following committees and commissions for 2017:

•  Architectural and Site Review Committee
•  Art & Cultural Commission
•  Commission on the Environment
•  Library Advisory Committee
• Planning Commission

Click here or stop by City Hall to pick up an application to volunteer for one of these committees.

Jamie Goldstein

City Manager