City of Capitola Government News

The City of Capitola announced Friday that Capt. Sarah Ryan has been named the next Police Chief.

A mix of tax breaks, fee waivers and other incentives could invigorate a potential redevelopment of the Capitola Mall, a consultant said Thursday at a Capitola City Council meeting. It remains unclear whether the mall’s owner would be open to such measures.

Several thousand people showed up for the reopening ceremony of the Capitola Wharf on September 25, celebrating its survival after it was cleaved in two by heavy storms.

Capitola’s new and improved wharf is only days away from reopening, a year after reconstruction began. The grand reopening festival will be held Sept. 25 at 2:30pm, with food vendors, live music, a beer garden, and guest speakers, including Capitola Mayor Kristen Brown, who will celebrate the wharf’s new chapter.

Capitola voters will decide whether to raise the city’s sales tax to 9.25% from 9% in the Nov. 5 election.

The Capitola City Council on July 25 advanced a plan to turn most of Noble Gulch Park into a fenced, off-leash dog area with drinking water stations.

A recent straw poll of Capitola residents ahead of the Nov. 5 election showed a need for traffic flow improvements, increased bike safety and better transparency in local government.

The Capitola City Council on May 30 adopted a balanced budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1, but city staff warned of growing pension costs and long-term budget shortfalls.

Local governments across Santa Cruz County are crafting their budgets for the coming fiscal year, with some due at the end of June.

The Wharf House Restaurant and the Boat and Bait Shop on the Capitola Wharf were torn down and toted away over the past few weeks as part of major repair and rebuilding of the historic landmark.

Santa Cruz Local now provides direct comparisons of candidates’ positions on key issues. Plus, news on the Capitola Wharf.

Capitola city staff want to spur development of the Capitola Mall by allowing taller buildings. But hundreds of required affordable homes make the project financially infeasible, a developer said this month.