Hernandez elected board chair, Martinez vice chair; supervisors appoint Fabian Leonor to Santa Cruz Metro and approve APAC code update; consent agenda passes

The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Jan. 14 selected Supervisor Felipe Hernandez to serve as board chair for 2025 and Supervisor Monica Martinez to serve as vice chair, approved a nominations-based appointment to the Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District (Metro) Board, and approved a code update and bylaws for the Agricultural Policy Advisory Commission (APAC).

Chair and vice chair: The rotation recommendation that Hernandez move into the chair role and Martinez into the vice chair role was adopted by motion and roll-call vote. Supervisor Rosa Koenig moved the nomination and Supervisor Monica DeCerpa seconded; the board voted 5–0 to appoint Hernandez chair and Martinez vice chair. After the vote, Chair Hernandez presided over the remainder of the meeting.

Metro Board appointment: Supervisors considered three nominees for the at‑large Metro Board seat: Darren Caddis, Larry Pagler and Fabian Leonor. Supervisors and members of the public spoke for and against candidates. After deliberation Supervisor DeCerpa moved to appoint Fabian Leonor as the at‑large general community representative; Supervisor Martinez seconded. The board voted unanimously to appoint Fabian Leonor to the Santa Cruz Metro Board of Directors. Supporters cited Leonor’s Watsonville roots, regular use of Metro services and work with people with developmental disabilities as reasons he would bring a rider and South County perspective to the board. Other supervisors praised incumbent Larry Pagler’s transit management experience and urged continued service or other opportunities for him.

APAC ordinance and bylaws: The board heard a staff presentation from Sheila McDaniel, principal planner, proposing updates to Santa Cruz County Code Chapter 2.82 to align the Agricultural Policy Advisory Commission’s bylaws with the county’s 2024 commissions ordinance (Chapter 2.38) and with Brown Act requirements. Changes include permitting a supervisor to nominate an alternate to serve when a regular member is absent, updating department references to the merged Community Development and Infrastructure Department, clarifying the Agricultural Commissioner and APAC secretary responsibilities, and adding compensation language to be set annually by the board. Staff said the proposed ordinance is not a CEQA project under statutory definitions. The board voted unanimously to approve the ordinance in concept and to schedule second reading and final adoption for Jan. 28, 2025.

Consent agenda and pulled items: After public comment and questions, the board moved the consent agenda. Supervisor Hernandez moved and Supervisor Koenig seconded the motion to approve consent items. Supervisor DeCerpa said she would abstain on item 13 (a letter regarding SB 329 and the Housing Choice Voucher Program) because of a potential financial interest: her husband receives income from a condominium enrolled in the Section 8 program. The motion to adopt the consent agenda with that abstention carried; the clerk recorded the roll call and the consent agenda moved forward with the abstention noted.

Other discussion highlighted during consent: Supervisor DeCerpa asked county behavioral health staff about a contract (consent item 20) with Los Gatos Therapy Center for eating-disorder services. Karen Kern, Deputy Director of the Behavioral Health Division, and other behavioral health staff explained the county’s 50/50 cost‑share arrangements with managed-care plans for Medi‑Cal/Medicare populations and said invoices are reconciled monthly; staff said they would return to the board if the contract needed additional appropriations.

Formal actions taken at the meeting included the chair/vice‑chair appointments, the Metro Board appointment, approval of the APAC ordinance for second reading, and approval of the consent agenda (with DeCerpa’s abstention on item 13).