County supervisors schedule hearing around a local vacation rental policy

SANTA CRUZ >> The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved its consent agenda with modifications and additional direction Tuesday.

Mixed in with other items was the scheduling of a public hearing about the county vacation rental policy and the approval of beginning the search for a designer for a Sheriff’s Office forensic DNA laboratory.

Protection and consideration

According to a staff report, the California Coastal Commission is expected to amend the county’s vacation rental ordinance at its meeting Wednesday. Because of this expectation, the Board of Supervisors voted to accept the modifications proposed by the commission so that the ordinance can become fully effective if passed.

The ordinance was originally adopted at the county level Sept. 15 and amended various sections of the Santa Cruz County Code on the Local Coastal Program. In the same agenda item in September, the board adopted a resolution stating that the proposed amendments are exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act finding that they were consistent with the California Coastal Act. From there, the amendments went to the Coastal Commission for review.

The motion also involved scheduling a virtual meeting for 9 a.m. Jan. 26 to host a public hearing on accessory structures, home occupations, temporary uses and structures and hosted rentals all addressed through the ordinance. County staff will advertise a public notice through the Sentinel and send notices in the mail to all public agencies and individuals with an interest in the Local Coastal Program.

According to the staff report, the amendments follow the County Strategic Plan element “Local Businesses” by advancing the “Dynamic Economy” focus through amendments that, supervisors and staff feel, allow greater flexibility. The flexibility around accessory structures will help with the economic recovery needed to rectify damage done during the COVID-19 pandemic and the CZU Lightning Complex Fire. For instance, a report by the commission for the meeting 24 hours later shows, cargo containers may be sited and used as accessory structures outside of the urban and rural services lines in all zone districts unless a coastal development permit is required per the county code.

“Taken together… these policies protect visual and scenic resources; allow for industrial type uses on properties designated for industrial uses and broadly recognize the importance of protecting coastal resources while also considering the greater social and economic context of the county,” a commission staff member concluded.

Looking at a lab

The Santa Cruz County General Services Department can now find and negotiate with a qualified designer to create a Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office forensic DNA laboratory.

According to the staff report on the item, the purpose of the project would be to amp up the capabilities of the agency by bringing forensic testing home.

“Forensic DNA analysis has evolved significantly over the past 20 years, has become a staple of criminal investigations, and is more sensitive than ever before,” the report reads. “The Santa Cruz County Sheriff

Coroner’s Office currently outsources DNA analysis to the California Department of Justice’s DNA Laboratory and to other private forensic laboratories.”

Though it’s not uncommon to outsource forensics, high demand for lab services has created “unreasonable” queues and even longer wait times for results. These delays can even extend to more than two years, according to Sheriff’s Office data. That’s why the department is interested in partnering with a consultant to build a new lab within 1,700 square feet of open space in the Sciences Building at the Sheriff’s Headquarters at 5200 Soquel Ave.

The lab will only be used for criminal investigations, such as examining and collecting biological evidence, performing DNA analysis and reporting on the results.

The design phase is not estimated to set the county back as it will be funded through an independent trust fund, the agenda item report reads. The total project estimated cost for design and construction is $3.7 million.

The project falls under the County Strategic Plan Elements of “Comprehensive Health & Safety” and “Operational Excellence.”