Mayor Fields Public Questions in Emergency Council Meeting

In response to the two record-breaking floods in recent days, the Capitola City Council called an emergency meeting Sunday afternoon to create a public forum so anyone affected by the disaster could speak with officials.

The Council Chambers at City Hall were packed past capacity, with easily 150 residents in attendance.

Among the chief agenda items for the meeting was an emergency proclamation for the city.

“The city of Capitola is declaring that an emergency condition exists and continues to exist … pertaining to the Noble Gulch pipeline failure and subsequent flooding of the Pacific Cove Mobile Home Park, City Hall and Capitola Village,” City Manager Jamie Goldstein said.

Along with the emergency proclamation, Mayor Dennis Norton said the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors will officially declare the affected zone a “disaster area” in a closed session Tuesday.

“At that point, we’re asking for assistance from FEMA and federal money,” Norton said. “So, we are working toward getting financial aid into the community, both for our residents and merchants, as well as the city itself and its infrastructure.“

Police Chief Michael Card followed the mayor’s statement by assuring residents that local relief efforts will continue, despite the need to move the police station to temporary modular units in the Pacific Cove parking lot.

“The police department remains fully active and committed to providing the best level of safety.” he said. “Our level of service has not diminished in any way, shape or form, nor will it. … We operated in this last venture as a truly cohesive, committed unit, able to deal with the situations as they arose. I did not see anything that we could not respond to, evaluate or rescue.”

Repairs on the police station are expected to be completed within a month.

Residents and business owners who stepped up to the microphone at the meeting had a diverse range of viewpoints regarding how the floods were handled and how the clean-up should proceed.

Some, like Lavroma owner Scott Stein, were unhappy with the city’s immediate response to the flooding.

“Nobody from the city, nobody from the county, nobody came and warned us,” Stein said. “It was all pretty much after the fact. I know that this was a pretty rushed thing that happened, but we weren’t notified.”

With the extensive damage to both his store’s products and building, Stein told the disappointed crowd that he could say “with almost 100 percent certainty, [Lavroma] will not return to the city of Capitola.”

Mayor Norton was sympathetic to Stein’s predicament but remained steadfast in the city’s response to the flood.

“We also wish that we had more warning,” Norton said. “We had 3 inches of rain in four hours, and to an area that has never failed before. We did what we could in a short period of time with the amount of services that we had available to us.”

Others who spoke were more satisfied with how clean-up had gone thus far.

“There was amazing response from a lot of the city officials as well as the fire department,” said Kelly Brady, owner of Capitola Suites.

Brady estimated that her business suffered $50,ooo-$60,000 in damage and asked the City Council for help in keeping Capitola Avenue clear of foot and automobile traffic while buildings continue clearing out damaged materials.

Several Pacific Cove Mobile Home Park residents addressed the council, including a woman who feared the city might do away with the park because of its extensive damage.

“Please don’t tear it down," she said. "It’s so important for us as human beings to all work together. I want this to all come back to the way it was. I know that it’s going to take a long time, but work with us. … Do whatever you have to do, but work with us, not against us.”

The council gave no indication as to what the eventual fate of the park may be.

Before concluding the meeting, a resolution was passed to allow only permitted parking on the metered section of Capitola Avenue so businesses could effectively clean up. According to a release from the city, permits will be issued to “merchants, contractors and those directly assisting with clean-up efforts.”

If the weather holds up as predicted, repairs on the broken pipe that caused both floods should be completed within a week.