Grand Jury Attn: Civil Grand Jury Response (Honoring Commitments to the Public) Emeline Nguyen Mon, Dec 4, 2023 at

The 2022-2023 Grand Jury reviewed responses to five of the 2019-2020 reports and found that, in general, commitments were kept. _X_ AGREE __ PARTIALLY DISAGREE __ DISAGREE Response explanation (required for a response other than Agree):

The evident coordination of responses from agencies leaves the public without independent contributions across agencies. __ AGREE __ PARTIALLY DISAGREE _X_ DISAGREE Response explanation (required for a response other than Agree): When an agency agrees with the response of another agency or coordinates with another agency, the positive interpretation of that could be that there is synchronization and agreement of content – be that approach, subject matter expertise, next steps, etc. This alignment can be viewed as a good thing. Should the City have a partial disagreement with another agency’s response or need to clarify portions, the City would note that and do so.

The City of Santa Cruz delayed the timeline rather than proceeding as outlined in their 2020 response to the Grand Jury. Instead, the City budgeted for a more comprehensive assessment of system-wide facilities and a capital investment plan to be completed in 2023. __ AGREE __ PARTIALLY DISAGREE _X_ DISAGREE Response explanation (required for a response other than Agree): The Parks & Recreation Department has evaluated the condition of the driving range/cart barn and requested capital investment program (CIP) funding in the City’s Fiscal Year 2023 budget. The Department received funding through the City’s budget process, has made initial structural and safety improvements to the facilities, and will lead a more complete, full-scale renovation of the facilities with the appropriated funding in Fiscal Year 2024. It is accurate that the Parks & Recreation Department’s broader Facility Condition Assessment has been delayed. It will be implemented in Fiscal Year 2024. However, that study will look at all Department-operated facilities to establish an understanding of broader CIP needs and lead to prioritization for funding and investment in facilities with deferred maintenance. The customer-facing facilities at DeLaveaga Golf Course have been assessed, and the Parks & Recreation Department has funding, appropriated through the City’s budget process, to make necessary improvements.

The adoption of multi-year plans by both the City and County of Santa Cruz offer the public some assurance that locations can be found within the County where homeless services will be provided. _X_ AGREE __ PARTIALLY DISAGREE __ DISAGREE Response explanation (required for a response other than Agree):

The master plan for Coral Street being worked by the City of Santa Cruz includes consideration of limiting vehicle access to Coral Street, but the grants received by the City and the plan to build 120 units of supportive housing preempt the original Grand Jury recommendation to consider closing it. __ AGREE _X_ PARTIALLY DISAGREE __ DISAGREE Response explanation (required for a response other than Agree): A variety of uses exist on Coral Street. Vehicular access is needed to/from many of those residences and businesses, not just the 120 units of supportive housing. A number of enhancements are considered to the streetscape as part of the Visioning Report. See pages 39-40 and 48-49 at https://www.cityofsantacruz.com/home/showpublisheddocument/94159/63822268902 6170000. Staff will continue to consider options for how to improve the Coral Street right-of-way as development and uses along Coral Street evolve.

Staffing shortages made automating the process for updating the website of the City of Santa Cruz and redesigning the website of the City of Scotts Valley more difficult. __ AGREE _X_ PARTIALLY DISAGREE __ DISAGREE Response explanation (required for a response other than Agree): For the City of Santa Cruz, significant progress has been made in addressing staffing shortages within the IT Department, and continuous efforts are underway to enhance the City's website update procedures. These initiatives involve integrating third-party tools to bolster auditing and analytics capabilities, facilitating in-depth content analysis for departmental review and action. Moreover, the IT Department has recently enlisted a dedicated temporary resource to address content deficiencies and resolve numerous issues related to broken links on the website. Lastly, the City of Santa Cruz has allocated funds for an extensive website redesign project, set to occur in the latter part of Fiscal Year 2024 or the early stages of Fiscal Year 2025.