Santa Cruz City Council 10/27/2026

The Santa Cruz City Council meeting on October 27, 2026, approved several transportation, housing, and downtown business measures, and authorized major water-infrastructure work. On item 12, the council adopted updates to parking and transportation rules, including a move toward full cost recovery for residential permit parking, more flexible authority over meter rates, and revised processes and standards. On item 13, it approved housing-related code changes with amendments deferring the $2,000 lot-consolidation fee until the first certificate of occupancy or final inspection, and directed staff to present implementation options for discretionary housing-element actions. On item 14, the council approved the Graham Hill Water Treatment Plant Facility Improvement Project package, including phase 2 and change order 10 to the existing design-build contractor, a construction-management contract, and an owner-controlled insurance program arrangement. The project is intended to modernize the city’s primary drinking-water facility while it remains in operation; contract amounts were not discernible in the transcript.

On item 15, the council approved amendments to the commercial-vacancy “Vibrancy Ordinance” and related funding actions, including a window-covering grant program funded through the Economic Development Trust Fund, budgeted at approximately $76,000 and offering reimbursement of up to $2,000 per property for about 35 properties. The council also approved 20 additional building-permit fee removals for qualifying downtown businesses. Council members discussed extending the vacancy program in phases and increasing the registry fee to better reflect staff costs. Item 16 resulted in council direction on multifamily housing design priorities, affordability, commercial-space continuity, and use of existing area plans; no procurement action was identified for that item. Votes passed on the substantive items described above; Council Member Bruner recused herself from item 15.