This past June, the Town of Patagonia, the City of Nogales, Santa Cruz County, and South32, collectively the “Signatories,” continued advancing both the Early Actions Community Investment Agreement and planning efforts for the broader Community Protection & Benefit Agreement (CPBA). Work focused on moving priority community investment projects toward implementation, reviewing protections and monitoring measures, strengthening community engagement processes, and refining the shared framework for the next phase of the CPBA.
What We Worked On
Early Actions Community Investment Agreement
Most projects are now in process, moving through scoping, costing, bidding, legal review, or approval steps before funding and implementation.
Several Early Action projects advanced, including:
- Protections Roadmap (Countywide) — In progress
- Independent Emergency Services Audit (Countywide) — RFQ draft completed and scheduled for approval on July 1st
- Fire and EMS Infrastructure Expansion (Nogales) — Scope endorsed for Patagonia and in drafting phase for Nogales
- Design for Patagonia Law Enforcement Office Space (Patagonia) — Scope endorsed. Scopes have been completed and are pending review
- Patagonia Flood Control Study – Phase II (Patagonia) — In progress
- Mariposa Mobile Clinic Support (Countywide) — In progress
- County Mobile Health Vehicle / Clinic (Countywide) — In progress
- Mariposa Residency Housing Study & Design (Countywide) — In progress and working on costing
- Mariposa Clinic Transportation Vehicle (Countywide) — In progress and working on costing
- Clinic Expansion Design (Patagonia) — In drafting phase. Study and design are being completed, with scope work expected to continue after additional input
- Countywide Strategic Childcare Plan (Countywide) — Planned
- Patagonia Daycare Design (Birth–5) (Patagonia) — Scope endorsed and pending review by civil and infrastructure design
- Parks, Recreation & Open Space Master Plan (Countywide) — In drafting phase, with work underway on countywide asset mapping and engagement planning
- Nature Based Economy (Countywide) — In drafting phase. Action items and the implementation plan still need to be developed
- Affordable Housing Project – Design and Engineering (Patagonia) — RFQ draft completed and scheduled for approval on July 1st
- Update of the Santa Cruz County Housing Strategy (2022–2027) (Countywide) — In progress and expected to be sent to RFQ
- Sewer & Water Engineering Study Reimbursement (Nogales) — On hold pending further discussion
These projects reflect shared priorities identified through community engagement and Signatory collaboration. They are intended to address critical community needs while supporting long-term resilience, infrastructure readiness, and quality of life across Santa Cruz County.
Protections, Monitoring, and CPBA Planning
South32 presented a summary of mitigation and monitoring measures documented in the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS), as well as additional protections being conducted beyond FEIS requirements. The Signatories discussed further revisions to two CPBA summary graphics intended to help communicate these protections more clearly, below.
Schedule and Shared Objectives
The Signatories agreed to extend the expected schedule for signing the CPBA to January 2027. This adjustment is intended to allow more time for engagement and to avoid relying heavily on the year-end holiday period for important community and Signatory review.
Community Engagement and Website Updates
The County Stakeholder Input for Protections Form updates were finalized, and the form is now posted on: https://cpba-hermosa.org/survey/
The Signatories also agreed on a process for reviewing comments received through the website. Comments will be reviewed and categorized, including whether they relate to the CPBA and whether a response is needed. For comments requiring a response, the Signatories agreed to provide a response within approximately 30 to 45 days. A notice will also be posted on the website to let commenters know that their submissions will be reviewed.
Related Technical Updates
The University of Arizona Health Impact Assessment team provided an update on its progress and remains on target to deliver the Health Impact Assessment by October.
The Spheros Protection Roadmap team also provided an update and remains on target to deliver monitoring program recommendations by October.
Community Input
June Website Submissions
- 1 Survey Submission
- 3 Comments/Messages
Comments, questions and other feedback received on this website continue to be reviewed and considered by the Signatories as part of ongoing community engagement. Community feedback remains an important part of the CPBA process and helps inform priorities, investments, protections, and future agreement development.
