What Would Improve Watsonville's Image?

Parts of Watsonville could get a facelift, and city leaders promise it won't take any extra money out of homeowners' pockets.

The Watsonville City Council will consider during Tuesday's meeting the plans and fiscal impact to step up maintenance and lighting specific areas of the city. The areas include: the Gonzalez Street alleyway, Bay Breeze Subdivision and Vista Montana Subdivision.

The cost for yearly maintenance for just the Vista Montana Subdivision is expected to be close to $67,000, according to a staff report. The proposal suggests it won't be necessary to increase annual property tax assessments to pay for the project, however.

Tuesday's agenda item precedes a public hearing on the matter, which could be scheduled for May 28.

Tuesday's meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. and goes immediately into closed session. The meeting follows a busy day of city leaders who will tour the Water Resources Center with UC Santa Cruz staff around lunchtime. Later in the afternoon, city leaders will also hear about the TEC Program (Tecnologia-Educacion-Comunidad) and see what inspiring minds are creating during the science workshop.