One of the major issues now confronting the City of Santa Cruz, and residents outside the city limits, too, is whether or not the City should partner with the Soquel Creek Water District to construct a $100 million dollar desalination plant to meet the need for water during drought periods in the City of Santa Cruz water service area, and to help relieve the threat of groundwater overdraft in the Soquel Creek Water District.

An initiative measure is being proposed in the City of Santa Cruz, that would amend the Santa Cruz City Charter to provide City voters with an opportunity to vote on desalination before it is approved, permitted, or funded. The idea is to let the voters make the final decision.

A kickoff party for the Right to Vote On Desalination initiative will be held on Sunday, February 12th, at 418 Front Street in Santa Cruz starting at 2pm. It will be catered by India Joze, with music and painting by Rus Brutsché, and will feature Adam Scow, from Food and Water Watch, speaking on “How We Won the Right to Vote on Desal in Marin” and Barbara Sprenger, co-organizer of Felton Friends of Locally Owned Water (FLOW). Felton FLOW successfully wrested ownership of their local water system from multinational giant, CAL-Am Water.

Read more, including the Text of the Charter Amendment | See also: Felton Prevails in Six-Year Fight to Acquire Water System from Cal-Am and RWE || Desalination and the Alternatives: It's Up to the Community || Plan B: The Alternative to Desalination || Invitation-Only Meeting Held to Promote a Desalination Plant in Santa Cruz || Decision Day for City Council on Desalination