WATSONVILLE >> The city of Watsonville has the stamp of approval from the City Council to request funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for community development projects over the next five years.

The council approved a consolidated Community Development Block Grant plan through 2030 and an action plan for the 2025-26 fiscal year with requested funds going toward staffing at the Gene Hoularis and Waldo Rodriguez Youth Center, the all-inclusive playground at Ramsay Park and a housing rehabilitation program for low-income homeowners, among other projects.

The Community Development Block Grant is a program the Housing and Urban Development Department has administered since 1974 to provide a formal allocation of funds to municipalities to assist people with low to moderate incomes. Watsonville became an entitlement jurisdiction in 1994, which has allowed it to receive federal funding, said Housing Manager Carlos Landaverry.

As part of the Community Development Block Grant program, Watsonville is required to have a five-year consolidated plan — which carries out goals for annual action plans — to qualify for funding. Watsonville’s previous consolidated plan went into effect in 2020 and expired July 1 of this year.

The five-year plan, Landaverry said, is “an assessment of the housing and community development needs for the city” as well as a strategic plan for addressing those needs. For the 2025-2030 consolidated plan, the priorities addressed by the city were affordable housing, economic development, public services and public facilities.

The consolidated plan also requires an annual action plan that expires June 30 every year. The priorities and proposed funding allocations for the 2025-26 action plan are:

• Funding for Parks and Community Services staff at the youth center on Maple Avenue, which provides recreational services to approximately 100 youth per day. Estimated cost: $98,220.

• A code enforcement program to “address and inspect illegal and unsafe construction, substandard housing and property maintenance issues” throughout the city, per the meeting agenda’s staff report. Estimated cost: $150,000.

• Housing rehabilitation for income-qualified homeowners, with eligible improvements including roofing, plumbing, electrical systems, windows and other code compliance repairs. Estimated cost: $75,000.

• Planning administration and management of the Community Block Development Grant program, including reporting, expenditure tracking, Integrated Disbursement and Information System entry, action plan development, monitoring, contract management and more. Estimated cost: $130,481.

• Funding for the El Pajaro Community Development Corporation, a nonprofit which would manage the Plaza Vigil Business Incubator program to provide technical assistance to small businesses. Funding would also support the Incubator Without Walls program that provides training and assistance to local business startups and entrepreneurs. Estimated cost: $50,000.

• Funding for the all-inclusive playground at Ramsay Park, aimed at ages 5 to 12. The project is expected to be completed in 2026. Estimated cost: $200,000.

The city is proposing an overall allocation of $703,701 for these projects. The council voted 4-1 to approve the consolidated and action plans and direct City Manager Tamara Vides to submit the plans to the Housing and Urban Development Department for federal approval. Councilman Casey Clark voted against, Councilwoman Ari Parker was not present for this item and Mayor Maria Orozco was absent from the meeting altogether.

In other business, the council voted 4-1 for the first reading of an ordinance to approve a 5% salary increase for council members. This increase would bring the councilmembers’ monthly salary rates to $1,679.50, which include a $10 per month contribution by the city to provide a life insurance policy for all councilmembers including the mayor. These increases will be voted on at the council’s next meeting in August, and if approved, would go into effect Dec. 20. Clark was the sole dissenting vote, and Parker was also not present for this item.

The council also voted 4-2 against appointing Georgia Acosta to the Planning Commission with only Clark and Parker voting in favor. Parker, who nominated Acosta, said she was highly qualified, citing her service as a Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Education trustee and business lecturer at California State University Monterey Bay. However, Councilwoman Vanessa Quiroz-Carter raised concerns over Acosta’s handling of the short-lived firing of then-Superintendent Michelle Rodriguez when she was president of the school board, and Mayor Pro Tempore Kristal Salcido felt appointments to the Planning Commission should be voted on with the full council present. The District 7 commission seat remains vacant following the July 1 resignation of Ed Acosta.