Month: August 2025

Briana Mathaw

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KION-TV) – The controversy over political artwork on public streets is fueling a new federal safety push aimed at keeping roadways free of what officials call distractions.

One piece of art at the center of this debate is the Black Lives Matter mural outside Santa Cruz City Hall.

The U.S. Department of Transportation is calling for a crackdown on what it refers to as “political artwork” painted on roads and intersections.

That includes murals like the one in Santa Cruz, which has been repainted, restored, and celebrated by the community since 2020.

B”eing a part of something. The Black people come together. At last. We come together into something positive in that this mural on the street just gave me strength,” Curtis Reliford said. Curtis Reliford is a Santa Cruz resident.

Now, with a new federal directive in place, street murals could soon be scrutinized or removed if deemed noncompliant. But local advocates say that framing the art as a safety hazard misses the point entirely.

“This cannot be seen as a distraction. And the only question that we should be asking is who is it distracting and what is it distracting from, and what is it distracting towards,” Ayo Banjo said. Ayo Banjo is the Project Director of The Village Project, Inc.

According to the Department of Transportation, intersections and crosswalks should be free from political or distracting messages of any kind.

That has raised concerns about whether the Santa Cruz mural might eventually be ordered to come down.

“How is a painting on the road? On the street is a distraction, a low 25mph living within a 25mph street? I think it’s a 15mph street in front of the courthouse. How, how are we distracting,” Curtis Reliford said. Curtis Reliford is a Santa Cruz resident.

“I don’t think that it’s a distraction. I think by being a good driver and paying attention to what you’re supposed to be paying attention to,” Glynnes Speaks said. Glynnes Speaks lives in Soquel.

Critics of the new federal directive argue that the effort has more to do with silencing political expression than with preventing accidents.

“I think taking away our ability to express ourselves through art and through statements in public places is an infringement on our rights,” Glynnes Speaks said. Glynnes Speaks lives in Soquel.

States now have 60 days to submit lists of roadway markings the federal government considers noncompliant, including murals with political messages.

That has community leaders urging swift action to protect public art.

“Every single community leader must be standing up and fighting in solidarity with protecting this type of expression,” Ayo Banjo said. Ayo Banjo is the Project Director of The Village Project, Inc.

Federal officials point to more than 39,000 traffic deaths last year as a reason to implement stricter guidelines for roadway safety. But so far, they’ve released no data connecting any of those fatalities to painted murals.

“Safety should never be used as camouflage for censorship. Right. The Black Lives Matter mural in front of Santa Cruz City Hall isn’t a distraction. It’s a declaration. A declaration that this city refuses to ignore injustice, refuses to erase history, and refuses to let visibility be treated like a threat,” Ayo Banjo said. Ayo Banjo is the Project Director of The Village Project, Inc.

When asked if the Santa Cruz mural could be directly affected, the city said they are currently unaware of any impact at this time.

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Briana Mathaw

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KION-TV) – You can now legally run a food business straight from your own home kitchen in Santa Cruz County, thanks to a new two-year pilot program known as Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operations (MEHKO).

Approved by the County Board of Supervisors, this initiative opens the door for residents to cook and sell food directly from their private kitchens, once they meet health and safety requirements and obtain a permit from the county’s Health Services Agency.

The goal of the program is to help home cooks in low-income or underserved communities get started without needing a full commercial kitchen.

“A program, adopted through the state, in 2018, to primarily assist, start up, people to start up into the retail food industry without a lot of overhead expense associated with developing a full restaurant or a market or what have you,” Andrew Strader said.

Under the MEHKO guidelines, home-based food businesses can serve up to 30 meals per day and a total of 90 meals per week.

The program officially launched on January 1, 2025, and so far, only eight permits have been issued. Still, for many local entrepreneurs, especially those juggling caregiving responsibilities or trying to minimize costs, this is seen as a big opportunity.

However, the rollout hasn’t been without challenges. Fewer people applied than anticipated, and a key source of federal funding tied to DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) initiatives was cut during the Trump administration.

Fortunately, the county was able to reallocate funds to keep the program moving forward.

Since 2019, California law has given cities and counties the authority to allow MEHKOs. Santa Cruz County only recently adopted it, making this pilot program a first for the area.

“I think this sort of thing is going to allow a lot more entrepreneurs to start up,” Sean Burau said.

Burau, the owner and founder of Cliffside Coffee, spent the past year building a mobile coffee bar in his garage.

“So this is the coffee start I’ve been building for the past year. I designed it myself,” Sean Burau said.

His custom cart is powered by golf cart batteries and features a gas-fueled espresso machine, designed to operate completely off-grid.

“I’m going to be deploying this, basically spots that don’t have any power at all. So it has to be totally off grid,” Sean Burau said.

After meeting all necessary health regulations and getting his MEHKO permit, Burau is ready to bring his mobile coffee bar to the streets.

“I think this sort of thing is going to allow a lot more entrepreneurs to start up because the cost of living is already so high here,” Sean Burau said.

For him, it’s not just about business, it’s about passion.

“All I’m looking to do. Make coffee? She’ll buy the ocean,” Sean Burau said.

But there are limitations. MEHKO businesses are not allowed to publicly advertise their home locations.

“Part of the Meeko permit is that you can’t advertise at the spot, so they don’t want you running something where, like, yeah, I guess, like, people are, like, showing up, because they saw a sign in your yard or anything like that,” Sean Burau said.

Even with restrictions, mobility has its perks.

“It’s just very flexible if I’m not having, like, a lot of business at that spot on a certain day. I can go somewhere else. I go to a farmer’s market. I can book a private event. Yeah. I mean, I think the mobile stuff is a good way to work around a lot of the bureaucracy and lock in that you find in a lot of businesses in Santa Cruz,” Sean Burau said.

He’s banking on the steady foot traffic at Pleasure Point, a popular local surf spot, to bring in business.

“I’m hoping to be getting lots of customers every day at that point. It’s a really popular surf spot. Lots of people walk there already, usually with coffees from other locations. So I’m hoping that I can provide something that’s a little more convenient, right at the spot,” Sean Burau said.

Still, starting a small business can be daunting.

“If I could give any message to the city, it would be that, the process right now to start a business is very, very unfriendly. Individually, everyone that I dealt with was professional and nice, but the system as a whole is really, really dysfunctional,” Sean Burau said.

Within MEHKO regulations, Burau is limited in what and how much he can serve.

“There are limits on the amount you can do, because I think they don’t want you to be, like, operating a full size, like, ghost kitchen out of your house or whatever. But fill out the packet, give them your, like, menu. So for me, it’s just like coffee, tea, cold foam, that kind of thing,” Sean Burau said.

The pilot will run through the end of 2026, with a report from the county expected at the end of 2025 and another upon the program’s conclusion.

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