Several City customer service changes are happening at once as we update our systems to make it easier to access services and manage accounts online. With new online portals launching and a temporary pause in payment processing underway, here’s a quick reminder of what you need to know.

Temporary Payment Service Interruption Through Oct. 4

Several City payment services are temporarily unavailable while the City transitions to a new payment system. This includes payment processing at the Planning Counter, Public Works Administration and Parking counters, Santa Cruz Police Department, Santa Cruz Municipal Utilities and the MyCityofSantaCruz online payment portal. Payment services will resume at 8 a.m. Monday, Oct. 5. Other City services will continue to operate unless otherwise noted. Learn more.

Utility Billing Changes Begin Oct. 5

Santa Cruz Municipal Utilities is also launching a new Utility Customer Portal on Oct. 5, bringing utility bill payments, water use information and service requests together in one place. Customers will receive a new account number and will need to register for the new portal. October bills will arrive by mail, and customers previously enrolled in autopay will need to re-enroll. Learn more.

Winter storms may still feel a ways off, but preparedness starts long before the rain begins to fall.

City crews are already working throughout Santa Cruz to reduce risks and prepare infrastructure for the rain, wind, flooding and coastal conditions winter can bring. City staff regularly clears storm drains and inlets and maintains creeks, levees, culverts and vegetation, while emergency response teams prepare equipment and coordinate with regional partners.

This year, El Niño is also drawing attention to the winter ahead. El Niño can influence winter weather and contribute to higher sea levels and larger swells, but it does not tell us when storms will arrive, how strong they will be or how much rain Santa Cruz will receive.

In his latest Mayor’s Message, Mayor Fred Keeley shares more about how Santa Cruz is preparing for winter and why taking steps now can help keep our community safe. Read his full message to learn more.

Residents can prepare now by signing up for CruzAware emergency alerts, knowing their evacuation zone, clearing gutters and drains, and gathering basic emergency supplies such as water, food, medications, flashlights and a way to charge phones. Visit the City’s emergency Preparedness Portal for resources to help you and your household get ready.

The Murray Street Bridge reopened to one-lane eastbound traffic on Sept. 28, marking a major milestone for the seismic retrofit and barrier replacement project and the end of its longest planned full closures.

Crews made significant progress during the summer closure, completing major bridge and sewer work, including critical work on the regional wastewater pipeline and seismic retrofit improvements.

Construction will continue as the project moves toward completion in January 2028. Two shorter full closures are anticipated in 2027, including one in February and another toward the end of 2027. The City will provide advance notice before each closure.

For now, eastbound vehicles can once again cross the bridge, while westbound traffic will continue to use the detour via 7th Avenue, Soquel Avenue and Seabright Avenue. Visit the Murray Street Bridge project page for the latest construction updates, traffic and detour information, and bicycle and pedestrian access.

Thank you to the Seabright community, local businesses and everyone traveling through the area for your continued patience as this important project moves forward.

Missed the Sept. 24 virtual community meeting on proposed water rates for 2027-2031? A recording is now available to watch.

The meeting provides an overview of the proposed rates, why changes are being considered and what they could mean for customers. Community questions focused on topics including the relationship between water rates and growth and development, and affordability programs for customers.

The proposed rates would fund water system operations, infrastructure replacement and long-term water supply projects. If approved by the City Council following a public hearing on Nov. 17, the new rates would take effect Jan. 1, 2027.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the Water Street Safety Project open house on Sept. 23 at Branciforte Middle School. We had a great turnout, with community members stopping by to review draft plans, ask questions and share input with the project team.

The project is being designed to improve safety for people walking, biking and driving along Water Street between North Branciforte Avenue and Poplar Avenue, with a focus on students traveling to and from Branciforte Middle School. Proposed improvements include repaving, ADA-accessible curb ramps and a physical barrier between the bike lane and motor vehicle lane.

The project will be reviewed by the Transportation and Public Works Commission on Oct. 19. Visit the Public Works Projects page to learn more and review the proposed striping plans.

The School Street stairs, which connect the Mission Plaza area with Downtown, are closed through Nov. 17 for a renovation project.

The project will repair the staircase and install slip-resistant aluminum nosings on the stair treads to improve pedestrian safety.

For questions, contact Public Works at 831-420-5160.

The Community Development Department has received an application from Parks and Recreation to construct wetland and flood management enhancements, a small pedestrian bridge, and an ADA-accessible public trail in the lower half of the Jessie Street Marsh. The trail would connect Lemos Avenue to East Cliff Drive.

The project requires approval of a Design Permit, which will be reviewed by City staff, and a Coastal Permit, which will be reviewed by the California Coastal Commission because the project is in an area where the State retains coastal permitting jurisdiction.

The City-led project is supported by NOAA’s Climate Resilience Regional Challenge, a grant awarded to a coalition of 21 partners working on climate resilience efforts in coastal communities throughout the Monterey Bay region.

How quickly could you reach safety if a wildfire threatened Santa Cruz? Find out at Race the Flame on Saturday, Oct. 17, a community run/walk and emergency preparedness event hosted by the City and UC Santa Cruz.

Participants will follow a route from UCSC’s East Field down Coolidge Drive while learning about wildfire risk and emergency preparedness along the way. The event begins at 8 a.m. and includes options for runners and walkers.

At the finish line, an emergency preparedness fair will bring together community organizations and resources focused on wildfire readiness, household preparedness and building community resilience. Registration is $20 for adults and $15 for children ages 12 and younger. Register today!

The interactive StoryMap for Santa Cruz’s 30-Year Shoreline Adaptation and Management Planning project is now available in Spanish, making it easier for more community members to explore the future of the coastline.

The StoryMap provides information about proposed adaptation strategies for West Cliff, Main and Cowell beaches, and East Cliff and Seabright. It also includes materials from recent Community Conversations and opportunities to share feedback on the proposed approaches.

Explore the StoryMap in Spanish to learn more about the project and the options being considered for Santa Cruz’s coastline.

As the City prepares to transition its internal Human Resources (HR) processes to Workday, a new system for managing employee information and HR tasks, Alex has taken a leading role in making sure employees have the tools, training and support they need to feel ready for the change.

Alex has done an exceptional job leading the development of Human Capital Management (HCM) job aids, training presentations and the broader training rollout, translating new Workday processes into clear, practical guidance for employees and supervisors. She has brought exactly the right pace and tone to this important work: proactive, enthusiastic, approachable and exceptionally easy to learn from.

Implementing a new system means learning new ways of completing many of our everyday HR tasks, and Alex’s thoughtful approach has helped make that change feel more manageable. From developing resources employees can reference after training to walking staff through new processes step by step, her work is helping build confidence ahead of go-live and setting employees up for success once Workday is in place.

Thank you, Alex, for the tremendous amount of work, care, and positive energy you’ve brought to this major Citywide transition!

Start spooky season at the free Halloween Mask Making Festival on Oct. 7 at the London Nelson Community Center. This family tradition features mask making, carnival games, Thriller performances and Nightmares: A Stage Spooktacular.

Then head to the Santa Cruz Wharf Oct. 19-31 for 13 Days of Halloween. Hunt for hidden pumpkins in Wharf businesses, snap a selfie at the giant photo frame, and check out sales and specials from participating businesses.

Catch Hocus Pocus at the Wharf Commons on Oct. 24 at 6:30 p.m., weather permitting, and enjoy Thriller performances on Oct. 24 at 4 p.m. and Oct. 31 at 3 p.m. Trick-or-treat along the Wharf on Halloween from 3-6 p.m.

Print a Wharf scavenger hunt card or pick one up at a Wharf business.

Work continues on the Headworks Rehabilitation Project at the Wastewater Treatment Facility. The Headworks, where wastewater first enters the facility, is more than 55 years old and is being rehabilitated to help maintain reliable wastewater treatment for more than 130,000 residents. The facility treats an average of 10 million gallons of wastewater each day.

Temporary infrastructure is being used to keep the facility operating during construction. Residents in the area may notice stronger-than-usual odors at times as a result. The current temporary setup is expected to wrap up in mid-October, after which odors are expected to return to normal day-to-day levels.

Rail Trail Segment 7 Phase 2 has been named the 2026 Outstanding Bikeways and Trails Project by the American Society of Civil Engineers San Francisco Section.

The project extended the Coastal Rail Trail from Bay and California streets to the Santa Cruz Wharf, creating a new separated path for people walking and biking and improving connections to West Cliff, the Beach Area and downtown.

The project team was recognized alongside major infrastructure projects from across the greater Bay Area. The new trail section has quickly become a popular route, averaging 650 trips each day.

The award celebrates an important addition to Santa Cruz’s growing network of paths and bikeways and the team that helped bring the project to life.

The Newell Creek Pipeline Replacement Project is nearing the finish line, with crews completing final connections, paving and roadway restoration along Graham Hill Road.

Through Oct. 9, drivers should expect intermittent one-lane closures and minor delays at locations along Graham Hill Road between Henry Cowell Drive and East Zayante Road as crews complete pipeline and paving work. Additional one-lane closures are planned Oct. 14–16 for utility box work and final traffic striping and markings.

These are expected to be the last traffic impacts associated with the project. Construction is scheduled for completion in December 2026, nearly three months ahead of schedule.

Join the Santa Cruz Police Department and UC Santa Cruz Police Department for coffee and conversation at Coffee With A Cop on Oct. 6 from 9-11 a.m. at Ivéta Westside, 2125 Delaware Ave.

Coffee With A Cop gives community members an opportunity to meet local law enforcement officers in an informal setting, ask questions and have conversations over coffee. Officers working in traffic, property and investigations will be available to chat.

Stop by, grab a cup of coffee and get to know the officers who serve the community.

City Manager Matt Huffaker has appointed Deputy Chief Jose Garcia to serve as Interim Police Chief following the retirement of Police Chief Bernie Escalante. Garcia will begin the role Oct. 31.

Garcia brings more than 25 years of experience with the Santa Cruz Police Department and has served as Deputy Chief since 2020. He began his career with the department as a police volunteer in 1996 and has served in a range of roles in patrol, investigations and department leadership. As Deputy Chief, he has helped oversee department operations, staffing, training, recruitment, crime reduction and community policing.

“Jose has dedicated his career to serving Santa Cruz and has earned the trust and respect of his colleagues and community partners throughout more than two decades of service,” said City Manager Matt Huffaker. “His deep knowledge of the department, commitment to our community, and extensive leadership experience will provide important continuity for SCPD during this transition.”

Garcia will serve in the interim role while the City determines next steps for the Police Chief position. Community meet-and-greets and listening sessions will be held in the coming months, with details to be announced.