The nearest hospital for thousands of North Monterey County residents returned to public ownership in 2022, and as part of that deal, the governing board that manages it must be divided into zones in 2026.
The Pajaro Valley Health Care District, which took over ownership of Watsonville Community Hospital following a massive effort by state and local officials to stave off its closure, is now seeking public input on how the district’s zones should be drawn, which extends from North Monterey County into Santa Cruz County.
Currently, the five members of the district’s board are elected at large, where voters in the entire jurisdiction choose each member. To comply with Senate Bill 418, which created the district, it must move to a by-zone election system, where voters will elect a board member who resides in their zone and will be their representative.
The public is invited to draw their own maps by Oct. 17 at 5pm.
A public hearing takes place Wednesday, Sept. 24 at 5:15pm at the Pajaro Valley Health Trust Community Room, 85 Nielson St. in Watsonville.
Draft maps are scheduled to be released on Oct. 22, with further public hearings to follow. The final map could be selected on Nov. 19 or Jan. 28, according to a timeline by the PVHCD.
For information, visit drawpajaro.org.