In The News
Parking fines going up in city
Parking in City Plaza garage to be cheaper
Thursday March 26, 2009
After much debate and a split vote by the City Council Tuesday, the City of Watsonville will raise parking violation fines to the highest levels on the Monterey Bay.
Watsonville's fine for general parking violations will be $44, illegally parking in a handicapped spot will cost $296, fines for abandoned vehicles will cost $121 and late fees will cost $50. The rise will offset a $3 increase by the state that it receives from each parking fee, and will raise additional revenue as well.
City staff had requested a larger raise, lifting general parking violations to $50, which would have meant more than $200,000 more for the city on top of $30,000 for the state, but Councilmembers Greg Caput and Luis Alejo were against it.
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ALEJO NAMED TO WATSONVILLE'S VICE MAYOR
Sunday March 22, 2009
WATSONVILLE -- Luis Alejo, who lost out to Dale Skillicorn in a vote for vice mayor in December, was selected to replace the late councilman Friday.
The City Council, with Councilman Emilio Martinez absent, chose Alejo for the leadership post in a 4-1 vote.
"He's passionate. He's knowledgeable, and in the short time he's been on the council, it's clear he does the homework," said Councilwoman Kimberly Petersen. "He's very proactive and a good advocate for the city."
For his part, Alejo, a lawyer and community activist who was elected to the council in November, said it was a "big honor to be able to serve my city in this capacity," and vowed to carry on projects important to Skillicorn, such as a drive to bring green jobs to the city.
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City Council to pick member for District 7 seat Thursday
Luis Alejo tabbed vice mayor to fill Skillicorn's post; 'great advocate for the city,' Kimberly Petersen says
Saturday March 21, 2009
The decision was made Friday at a special City Council meeting held at the Civic Plaza . Also, Luis Alejo was also elected by his fellow councilmembers to fill the vice mayor position left vacant by Skillicorn's death.
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PASSING THE TORCH:
Watsonville activist Luis Alejo to receive inaugural Tony Hill Award
Wednesday February 11, 2009
Those who knew him best say that the late Santa Cruz community activist Tony Hill would have been elated to witness the election of the first African-American president in American history. But Hill, famously always focused on the local, may have been just as pleased at another development on Election Night 2008.
It was that night that lawyer and community activist Luis Alejo was elected to the Watsonville City Council.
Hill, who died of a heart attack in August 2007, had counseled Alejo in the art of community activism and agitation.
"I consider him a mentor, someone I try to emulate," said Alejo of Hill. "Very few people in north Santa Cruz County do what Tony did, to come down to South County, reach out to Watsonville, make relationships and always be around when needed. He was a bridge-builder."
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Watsonville City Councilman to receive inaugural Tony Hill Award at MLK Convocation on Feb. 12
Friday February 06, 2009
The inaugural Tony Hill Award will be given to attorney Luis Alejo at the 25th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Convocation on Thursday, February 12.
Alejo, who is a staff attorney with the Monterey County Superior Court and also a Watsonville City Councilman, will be presented with the award before the talk by the featured speaker, environmental activist Van Jones.
Hill, a prominent community activist and treasured mentor who died in 2007, had been involved in planning the convocation every year since its start.
In choosing among the 14 nominees for the award, the selection committee decided on someone who demonstrated the hallmarks of Hill's life: mentor, inspirational leader, gifted mediator, and bridge-builder in the community.
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SCHOOL DISTRICT SETTLES BROWN ACT LAWSUITS
PVUSD must pay upward of $9500; trustees must attend training
Friday December 12, 2008
The Pajaro Valley Unified School District has settled two lawsuits claiming it violated open-government laws, the attorney who filed the suits announced Thursday.
Luis Alejo, local attorney and newly elected Watsonville City Councilmember, filed the first lawsuit on Feb. 20, and the second on May 9. He said the PVUSD failed to share public information when it allegedly refused to share its response to a 2007 grand jury report in a timely manner. He also accused the district of approving four assistant superintendent contracts in a closed-session meeting.
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Alejo sworn into the Watsonville City Council
Thursday December 04, 2008
After new councilmembers Luis Alejo (District 1) and Emilio Martinez (District 6) were sworn in, four hands shot up when City Clerk Beatriz Vazquez Flores asked for nominations for mayor.
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City Council incumbents fare poorly on Election Day
Thursday November 06, 2008
Luis Alejo had a feeling that he would win by a good-sized margin, but even he was surprised by the final tally, which showed the 34-year-old attorney getting nearly four times as many votes as Joe Ortiz, a 64-year-old retired carpenter.
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Alejo holds early lead in Dist. 2 race
Wednesday November 05, 2008
Luis Alejo wasn't about to take it easy on Election Day.
Alejo, vying for the District 2 seat on the Watsonville City Council against Joe Ortiz, started his day at 6 a.m., waving political signs with supporters on the corner of Riverside Drive and Main Street.
Around 4 p.m., he held a rally along with District 1 incumbent Manuel Bersámin at the Watsonville Plaza. Later, he headed for Santa Cruz to do an interview on Community Television before wrapping up his day by returning to Watsonville for an election party at the Services Employees International Union's local office.
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Emilio Martinez, Luis Alejo claim victory on Watsonville City Council
Wednesday November 05, 2008
WATSONVILLE - Watsonville voters looked for change Tuesday, ousting Councilman Edward Din and giving the District 6 seat to Emilio Martinez.
District 1 challenger Gabriel Gonzalez was 21 votes ahead of incumbent Manuel Bersamin with an unknown number of absentee and provisional ballots to count. It was unknown early Wednesday how many District 1 voters cast ballots, but there are 910 registered voters and 445 ballots have been counted.
Lawyer Luis Alejo widened an early lead to trounce retired carpenter Joe Ortiz more than three votes to one in the contest to replace outgoing Councilman Oscar Rios.