NO BESS
The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors failed their duty to protect the safety of first responders and the general public on June 30 with their decision to not move forward with codifying a battery energy storage system (BESS) ordinance. They also failed to uphold the will of the voters to protect our County’s precious farmland, as is mandated under Measure J.
The Draft BESS Ordinance does not even contain elements approved by the Board on January 13, 2026 to require a 3:1 ag land conservation to mitigate loss of land at the 90 Minto Road Seahawk BESS project, and ensure the County can prevent “bad actors’ from operating flammable, explosive projects adjacent to working-class residential subdivisions.
The Board chose not to complete their as promised that would be publicly reviewed by the Planning Commission and Agricultural Policy Advisory Commission, claiming no funding to complete environmental review, when the action to approve the Ordinance itself is exempt from CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act), established by the City of Vacaville and other jurisdictions,
The California Energy Commission is now reviewing the Seahawk BESS project for possible permitting. The Board of Supervisors could have required non-flammable battery technology and prohibited conversion of farmland for an industrial BESS use, but chose not to do so.
Instead, our Supervisors caved in to the persistent demand of the CEO to focus on getting big bucks from the developer.
Contact your Supervisor and insist the Board reverse course. 831-454-2200 or bo*@***************ca.gov
Becky Steinbrunner | Aptos
SICK TRAIL
I’m not sure where or how this might show up, but I feel this information/awareness needs to be brought to the GOOD TIMES! It’s been going on far too long! And those who are supposed to be supervising it do not seem to have a clue about what’s really happening. I’ve written several letters to the city of SC, and nothing has changed. The devastation keeps happening! I understand there is not much funding for maintaining the parks, but there are much better ways to maintain trails! I myself did trail maintenance as a teen, working for the Youth Conservation Corps, a fabulous program that was engaging, educational and of great service. Perhaps we could get something like this going in Santa Cruz?
PLEASE do something to bring awareness to this issue. DeLaveaga is not a happy/healthy forest, with run off from the golf course and invasive English Ivy and Sticky Eupatory (just to name a few) totally taking over. Big trees are falling down all over the place, and someone is raping the trails in the name of “maintenance”
Thanks, heartbroken and furious!
Ruselle Revenaugh
MORE DIRT
I am furious about the “trail work” being done at Delaveaga Park! The La Corona trail has been raped!! Whose “GOOD IDEA” was it to clear cut the native Thimble Berries and beautiful native ferns? It is the scene of a plant massacre! The dirt on the uphill side is raked bare… it will all slide down in the next rain! All the brush they raked off the trail lays ON TOP of the brush on the downhill side, creating an unsightly mess and a massive fire risk! And still all the poison oak grows happily into the trail. SO WRONG! who is doing this work? it is NOT in service to the park!! is it for the bike races?
Whoever is doing this unnecessary and unskilled “maintenance” must stop! PLEASE!!
ONLINE COMMENTS
WHAT’S UP DOC?
It’s becoming difficult for seniors who move here to find a doctor who will take Medicare. I’m grateful that I’ve lived here since I was a child so have had continuous access to healthcare as I reach Medicare age.
Kathleen Richards | GoodTimes.SC
