Santa Cruz · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Santa Cruz public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Wastewater Treatment Facility Energy and Electrical Resiliency (Project WEER)
The council awarded a $5 million design contract to Royal Electric and added $1.5 million to harden the wastewater treatment plant's electrical system — keeping sewage treatment running during outages and storms.
Water rate increases for 2027-2031
The city is reworking water rates so fixed charges cover about 20% of revenue instead of 10%, scaled to meter size — meaning big jumps for 6-inch and larger meters serving apartments and commercial sites. The commission supported the underlying financial plan but the actual rate adoption comes later.
Water supply planning and future rates
The adopted water plans project only minor shortages in extreme modeled droughts, thanks to decades of conservation and planned supply projects. Councilmembers flagged that low water use will make the next rate study contentious.