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Today is National Pizza Day, and if you make it to the end of this week’s update, I will share a fun pizza-related fact about Carlsbad’s history. Here’s what you’ll learn along the way:
- How one local principal is saving lives, one e-bike rider at a time
- More traffic safety projects moving forward, and the questions they’re raising
- Special meeting next week on District 2 appointment to the City Council
- Update on programs to address homelessness
- Clean Energy Alliance has grown, rates 8% lower
- Preparing for an earthquake
- New sculptures ready for their close up
- Get involved: Upcoming meetings
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“Filling the heads of middle schoolers”
The city has been making an extra effort to reach middle schoolers and their parents about the importance of e-bike safety. This is because at that age kids haven’t had driver's ed, yet are operating bikes that go as fast as cars on city streets.
Aviara Oaks Principal Rose Flowers is one step ahead of us, doing individual safety checks every afternoon as students leave on their e-bikes and pedal bikes. Watch Rose in action and hear why she took our Safer Streets Together pledge:
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We were at Aviara Oaks Middle School this afternoon handing out yard signs and window clings as we promoted the pledge drive. If you haven’t taken the pledge yet, it’s very easy and here is the link. All you need to do is agree with this statement: | |
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P.S. If you HAVE taken the pledge and requested a yard sign and window cling, rest assured we have not forgotten about you. We were simply overwhelmed with the response! If you don’t want to wait, you can pick up these items at city libraries and the Farmer’s Market. Otherwise, they should be delivered to you shortly (along with a few extras you can share with friends and family).
Traffic safety fundamentals
The city’s new and newly accelerated projects to redesign city roads are spurring important conversations at the city’s Traffic & Mobility Commission and City Council meetings. Here’s a synopsis:
- Speed is one of the biggest factors in deaths and serious injuries from traffic collisions.
- Speed is largely a function of road design, not speed limits, as many people believe.
- People tend to drive as fast as conditions allow.
- By law, we can’t set the speed limit much lower than people actually drive or else it’s considered a speed trap.
- So, the way to slow down traffic is to first redesign the road so people naturally drive more slowly.
- Then, once we can establish people are driving more slowly, we can officially reduce the speed limit.
As we narrow more lanes of traffic, people are noticing it feels uncomfortable. So, hopefully this explains the rationale. We are using road design to change the way people drive. If you’re used to driving fast down a wide lane, you’re hopefully going to drive a little more slowly when the lane is narrowed. We’ve added some information about street design to our website, including examples of different ways street design works to change the behaviors of people who use our streets.
Some of the specific projects discussed this week include:
I’ll tell you more about these projects in the coming weeks, but in the meantime you can click on the links for details.
Not one size fits all
I know I’ve shared this before, but I want to emphasize that many, many different considerations go into redesigning streets.
- Some have expressed concerns that we are favoring bikes over cars.
- I can understand why people could think this – we have been focusing on bikes because of the dramatic increase in bike collisions, which was the impetus for our traffic emergency.
The overall plan for city streets, which the City Council approved in 2015, calls for rebalancing the use of our streets based on their locations and primary use.
- Streets like El Camino Real and Palomar Airport Road will always be heavily traveled by cars. Other streets, like Carlsbad Boulevard, should be designed for slower travel to encourage favorable conditions for driving, biking and walking.
- City staff shared the images below at this week’s Traffic & Mobility Commission meeting to show two different approaches to street design, based on the location and function of the road.
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Sidewalk improvements
Speaking of sidewalks, part of the City of Carlsbad’s commitment to safer streets is creating and maintaining sidewalks that help pedestrians move around the city safely. On Tuesday, the City Council awarded a project to build new sidewalks at three relatively busy locations where there are now gaps.
- The east side of Garfield Street, between Tamarack Avenue and Redwood Avenue
- The west side of Tamarack Avenue, from approximately 700 feet south of Kirkwall Avenue to 550 feet north of Edinburgh Drive
- The east side of Monroe Street, between Marron Road and the driveway entrance to The Shoppes at Carlsbad
These locations were identified in our Sustainable Mobility Plan, adopted by the City Council in January 2021.
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Carlsbad Boulevard resurfacing
We are continuing work to resurface southbound Carlsbad Boulevard from Manzano Drive to Island Way. We resurface streets on a regular basis to keep them in good shape and help extend their useful life.
Impacts Feb. 9 - 10
- North Ponto Beach parking lot, the dirt parking lot just south of Palomar Airport Road (known as Turnarounds) and parking just south of Solamar will be closed on Thursday and Friday.
- The shoulder and bike lane from Manzano Drive to Island Way will be closed to cyclists and walkers.
- Drivers and cyclists should use caution to share the road. Signs will direct traffic.
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Filling the District 2 vacancy
On Wednesday, Feb. 15, the City Council will hold a special meeting to consider applicants for the District 2 seat left vacant when Keith Blackburn was elected Mayor. The term ends in 2024.
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Eight residents submitted applications by the Feb. 2 deadline. The applications have been posted to the city’s website in the order they were submitted.
- Each applicant will be invited to make a four-minute oral presentation at Wednesday’s meeting, which starts at 3 p.m. District 2 residents were asked to submit topics by Feb. 8 that they wanted applicants to address.
- A simple majority (three of the four current City Council members) is required to make an appointment.
- The appointment must be made by Feb. 24. Otherwise, the seat would be filled by a special election on Nov. 7.
- Under the Carlsbad Municipal Code, the City Council had the initial option of holding a special election or using an appointment process to fill the seat.
- Had the City Council decided on a special election, it could not have been held until Nov. 7 at an estimated cost of $275,000 to $475,000.
- The code also specifies that a person appointed to a City Council position may not run for that same office until one year after the appointment ends.
If a new member is appointed at the meeting, the swearing-in would take place at the meeting. Once the full City Council is seated, the City Council may consider the other item on the agenda, regarding the organization of the City Council, including appointments to various regional agencies, boards and committees.
This meeting, like all City Council meetings, will be livestreamed on our cable channel and website. The agenda packet has the topic suggestions submitted by the public. You can find that on our meetings and agendas page of the website.
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New progress on efforts to reduce homelessness and its effects on the community
On Tuesday, the City Council approved actions that will continue the city’s progress on reducing homelessness and its effects on the local community. All support the city’s overall strategy of directing resources where they will have the biggest impact on Carlsbad while leveraging regional programs already in place.
The actions taken by the City Council Tuesday include:
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Approving an updated Homelessness Action Plan, which includes the programs and initiatives the city plans to carry out over the next five years and the measures that will be used to track success.
- Approving agreements to accept a $2 million grant the city secured from the County of San Diego to expand Carlsbad’s only homeless shelter to be able to serve women and families for the first time in the shelter’s 30-year history. The La Posada de Guadalupe emergency shelter is operated by the nonprofit Catholic Charities Diocese of San Diego through a long-running partnership with the City of Carlsbad.
What are we doing
If you’re not familiar with what the city has been doing to address the local effects of this regional, statewide and national problem, here’s a recap:
- In 2017, the City of Carlsbad was one of the first in the region to develop a plan to combat homelessness at the city level
- A specially trained Homeless Outreach Team in the Police Department is focused on compassionate enforcement
- Contracted social workers, benefits specialists, rapid rehousing specialists and other resources focus on transitioning people successfully into long-term housing and preventing new people from becoming homeless
- Expanding Carlsbad’s only homeless shelter will allow women and families to stay there for the first time
- Cleaning up encampments so they don’t pose a health and safety concern to the community
- Creating more affordable housing options can help prevent homelessness
- A special program with the Humane Society temporarily cares for the pets of people experiencing homelessness so they can qualify for short-term programs that may not allow pets
- Updates to the city’s municipal code address the quality-of-life impacts of homelessness for local residents and businesses
In the last fiscal year, the city successfully placed 62 people into permanent housing and 110 into temporary shelters where they could receive needed services.
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Energy prices and what’s happening in Carlsbad
I know energy prices have been top of mind, especially with the recent spike in natural gas. On the electricity front, we got some welcome news this week when the head of our community choice energy joint powers authority, the Clean Energy Alliance, gave an update to the City Council.
- Since May 2021, the Clean Energy Alliance has been providing local residents and businesses with the option of buying power from cleaner sources.
- Carlsbad, Del Mar and Solana Beach were the founding cities in November 2019. Since then, four more cities – Escondido, San Marcos, Vista and Oceanside – have joined.
- SDG&E still delivers the energy, but the alliance purchases the power first and builds in renewable energy sources to provide a minimum 50% renewable energy supply for customers.
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Through the program, we’ve reduced our greenhouse gas emissions by 50%.
- We’re also meeting our goal to provide competitive rates, saving customers an average of 2% on their power generation costs compared to SDG&E.
- In 2023, the savings will be even bigger. Carlsbad customers will pay about 8.7% less on their monthly energy bills than they would have under SDG&E.
- We don’t expect this kind of savings as a rule, but we are pleased to be on track to meet the 2% goal over the long run.
Learn more on the Clean Energy Alliance website.
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What to do with leftover paint
Another way the City of Carlsbad is caring for the environment and our natural resources, which is a key part of the City Council’s 5-Year Strategic Plan, is by making it easy to dispose of items safely.
This week I have tips on what to do with old paint. It might not seem like it, but paint is considered household hazardous waste, meaning that it cannot be placed in the trash. Luckily there are several easy recycling or disposal options available to you.
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The state offers a PaintCare program that accepts water and oil-based paints at many local paint retailers. Most paints come with a fee at purchase that pays for this program, so drop-off is at no additional cost. Find a location.
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Carlsbad residents can also drop off used paints at the CleanEarth Facility at no cost, or you may schedule a pickup for a $10 fee by calling 800-714-1195.
- Never put old paint in your trash can.
Learn more on our Reduce, Reuse, Recycle webpage or email us at reducereuserecycle@carlsbad.gov.
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Preparing for an earthquake
The photos coming out of Turkey following Monday’s earthquake are heartbreaking. And, they show how quickly a natural disaster can strike.
When we see something like this happen, it’s a good time to check our own emergency preparedness. The city has invested heavily in our emergency response capabilities. For our community to be truly prepared, we need residents to also get ready.
This page on the city’s website has links to a Carlsbad-specific emergency preparedness guide and a link to sign up your mobile phone for Alert San Diego, which is like a reverse 9-1-1- system that notifies you in case of an emergency. Another quick way to get prepared is to download the County of San Diego’s emergency app, also linked on that page.
Here is some information specific to earthquakes.
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New exhibition at Sculpture Garden
If you’d like to experience a little art this weekend, we have just installed a new exhibition at the Carlsbad Sculpture Garden.
Fusion: Geometric Garden
Tuesdays to Saturdays, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Carlsbad Sculpture Garden
2955 Elmwood St.
The new exhibit focuses attention on the beauty of angular lines, shapes and connectedness through geometric forms.
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Supporting the arts is one of the nine core values that make up Carlsbad’s Community Vision and an important component to community character, another key goal in the city’s new strategic plan I mentioned earlier.
Learn more.
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Get involved: Upcoming meetings
The next City Council meeting will take place Tuesday, Feb. 14, starting at 5 p.m. in the City Council chamber. Topics scheduled to be discussed include:
- An economic and financial update for the second quarter of the current fiscal year
- Approving a workers’ compensation settlement for a retired police sergeant
- Amending a construction agreement for improvements to our Police and Fire Headquarters building
- An agreement with other water districts that will enable the Carlsbad Municipal Water District to receive federal grants to help pay for water reclamation projects
- Adopting an ordinance that will make the rules governing the city’s Arts Commission consistent with those of the other commissions
- Updating the city’s list of fees to include a way for people to list their properties as historic buildings and receive a property tax break for restoring and maintaining a historic property
- The annual work plan for the city’s Housing Commission
- Amending an agreement to develop construction plans for the renovation of the Monroe Street Pool so an updated cost estimate can be completed
- Deciding whether to put a discussion on a future agenda about how projects in the Village and Barrio are approved
- Appointing a new member of the city’s Senior Commission
Here’s a link to the agenda and staff reports. You can watch the meeting live on the city’s website or cable TV channel.
In addition to the special City Council meeting happening next Wednesday, these city meetings are taking place next week:
Feb. 13, 3:30 p.m. – Economic Development Subcommittee
Feb. 14, 9 a.m. – Legislative Subcommittee
Tonight was our first safe driving virtual workshop, one of several we will be hosting for Carlsbad residents. You can sign up for future workshops on the city's website.
Finally, our new Citizens Police Academy still has a few open spots. The next session starts Feb. 23 and runs for seven weeks. The academy’s goal is to foster strong relationships with the community and is a great way to get a behind-the-scenes look at our city Police Department. Find out all of the dates and how to apply on the city’s website.
Before I sign off, just a quick traffic safety reminder for Super Bowl Sunday. Please be sure to plan ahead if you’re hosting or attending gatherings with alcohol. Our Police Department will have extra patrols out with a specific focus on drivers who may be under the influence. Designate a driver or take a ride-sharing service if you need to.
Okay, if you made it all the way to the end, here is my bit of Carlsbad history with a pizza connection: does anyone recognize this building?* Extra points if you can name the street (as it was named back then). Many thanks to our staff who manage the history collection at the library, who provided this photo.
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Have a great weekend.
Scott Chadwick
*This building, located on Carlsbad Village Drive (which used to be called Elm Avenue) is now home to Pizza Port.
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