- Fred Keeley – Mayor, not running for re-election in 2026
Email fkeeley@santacruzca.gov
- Gabriela Trigueiro – Council Member District 1
Email gtrigueiro@santacruzca.gov
- Sonja Brunner – Council Member District 2
Email sbrunner@santacruzca.gov
- Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson – Council Member District 3
Email skalantari-johnson@santacruzca.gov
- Scott Newsome – Council Member District 4, up for re-election in 2026
Email snewsome@santacruzca.gov
- Susie O’Hara – Council Member District 5
Email sohara@santacruzca.gov
- Renée Golder – Council Member District 6, up for re-election in 2026
Email rgolder@santacruzca.gov
Click on the following link to go to a map where you can enter your address and see what City District you are in:
Renee Golder’s Response – Feb 2, 2026
Dear Community Members and Petition Supporters,
Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to sign this petition and share your concerns about the proposed Affordable Housing Overlay District. I want you to know that your voices have been heard. The fact that this item was removed from the January 27 City Council agenda reflects the impact of community engagement and the importance of slowing down to listen.
I share many of the values expressed in this petition: meaningful public participation, protection of Santa Cruz’s natural and historic resources, and thoughtful planning that reflects the character and capacity of our neighborhoods. Public hearings have long played an important role in improving projects and ensuring transparency, and it is understandable that the prospect of losing that forum feels alarming.
At the same time, I want to be candid about the challenging landscape we are operating within. Over the past several years, California housing laws including SB 35 and SB 423 have significantly limited local discretion when jurisdictions are required to meet state housing production targets. These laws increasingly mandate ministerial, “by-right” approvals for certain housing projects, even in cities like Santa Cruz that have worked hard to meet their Regional Housing Needs Allocation across all income categories.
That tension between state mandates and local control is very real. I believe cities that meet their housing obligations should be granted more flexibility to tailor implementation to local conditions, infrastructure limits, environmental constraints, and community priorities. I will continue to advocate for that approach at the regional and state level as I represent the Monterey Bay Region on The California League of Cities Board of Directors.
Your concerns about the size of the proposed overlay district, the loss of public hearings, the treatment of heritage trees, and the definition of “affordable” including the lack of a cap on moderate-income units are substantive and deserve careful consideration. These are not minor issues, and they merit further discussion before any policy moves forward.
As we await a new Council hearing date, I remain committed to continued public dialogue and to finding a path that balances the urgent need for housing with democratic process, environmental stewardship, and neighborhood livability. I encourage you to stay engaged, continue providing feedback, and participate in upcoming discussions once they are scheduled.
Thank you again for caring deeply about Santa Cruz and for taking part in our local civic process. While we may not agree on every solution, I believe we all share the goal of a community that remains livable, inclusive, and responsive to the people who call it home.
All my best,
Renée Golder
City of Santa Cruz | Councilmember District 6
NoOverlayDistrict.org response to City Council Member Renee Golder – Feb 6, 2026
Dear Council Member Golder:
Thank you for your thoughtful response. Your acknowledgement of the concerns of residents is appreciated. As you say, “the tension between State mandates and local control is very real.” For that reason, in the few instances where local control remains an option, such control should be exercised. The Overlay District is one of those instances.
The State of California is NOT requiring the City of Santa Cruz to create a Ministerial Approval Overlay District. The Planning Department proposal sidesteps that fact. The proposal sacrifices rather than protects local control.
Specifically, the staff-proposed “Affordable Housing Ministerial Approval Overlay District,” which eliminates public hearings at the Planning Commission and City Council, would give the City Planning Department sole authority to approve 100 percent affordable developments in the Overlay District. This area consists of the entire land in the City zoned as mixed use and multi-family, practically without exception.
The proposed Overlay District eliminates current heritage tree protection and can mandate removal of heritage trees adjacent to a development, even if located on the property of others. This is not a State mandate for Overlay Districts.
We look to you to support the community by rejecting any Overlay District proposed for the City of Santa Cruz.
Sincerely,
NoOverlayDistrict.org
NoOverlayDistrict.org 