In a story about the overall employment rate for Santa Cruz County, the Santa Cruz Sentinel is reporting that the unemployment rate in Aptos was just 2.9% in October 2013, with only 200 people unemployed.
News
Soquel Creek Water District looks for alternatives to desal plant
The Santa Cruz Sentinel is reporting that the Soquel Creek Water District – which supplies much of Aptos with water – has decided to move funds from the proposed desalination plant, and use some of that money to hire a consultant on that project to look for alternatives.
The consultant – San Francisco-based Kennedy/Jenks – has already been paid $1.6 million since 2008 for work on the desalination project. They will receive an additional $25,000 to continue to look for alternatives. These funds will come from the three-year rate increase approved in February. The District had set aside nearly $950,000 for the desalination project in the 2013-2014 fiscal year alone.
The District is especially interested in using recycled water, and considers it a key component to planning for the future of the water supply. Kennedy/Jenks is said to have expertise in recycled water.
See also Peakwater.org for more info on Santa Cruz desalination
Sanctuary Trail Plan
Santa Cruz county transportation officials have given the green light to a 50-mile, $126.7 million countywide network of trials, primarily following the 31 mile Branch Rail line.