Good afternoon! This week’s news includes updates about COVID-19 and the Southern California oil spill response, plus background on a topic of great interest to our community – the future use of Carlsbad’s coastline. |
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COVID-19 update
On Tuesday, the County of San Diego announced a major milestone in the region’s vaccination efforts: 80% of those eligible in San Diego County are now fully vaccinated. By comparison, Los Angeles County is at 70%, and the statewide average is 72%.
As a result, yesterday the county announced that it has no plans to require proof of vaccination to enter shops, restaurants and other indoor businesses. Los Angeles County recently implemented this requirement. Talk of vaccine mandates continues at the national level, but nothing has been put in place at this time.
The county’s COVID Watch report released yesterday shows how this latest surge has disproportionately affected those who are not fully vaccinated. For example, for those not fully vaccinated:
- New cases are three times higher
- Hospitalization are 29 times higher
- Deaths are six times higher
Active cases in Carlsbad
After a small uptick last week, active COVID-19 cases in Carlsbad are headed down again, but still much higher than they were six months ago and this time last year. Countywide, new cases are also trending down.
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Status of boosters and vaccines for kids
When it comes to boosters, here is latest status:
Pfizer
A Pfizer booster shot is now available for those who completed their second shot at least six months ago AND are:
People who have compromised immune systems
A third dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine is recommend 28 days after the second dose for those with compromised immune systems. This is not technically considered a booster shot, rather a third shot in the series.
Moderna and Johnson & Johnson
The FDA’s vaccine advisory committee met today to review the latest data and decided to recommend a booster shot for those who got the Moderna vaccine (same criteria as the Pfizer booster in terms of age, etc.). The committee is expected to review the Johnson & Johnson data Friday.
Vaccines for those 5 through 11
- An FDA advisory committee will meet Oct. 26 to review the Pfizer vaccine and determine whether or not to recommend emergency use authorization for this age group
- If recommended, the CDC would then review and make a final recommendation. Nov. 2 and 3 have tentatively been set aside for this review.
The CDC website has all the latest information about vaccines.
Flu shots more important this year
San Diego County put out a call yesterday for everyone to get their flu shots as we head into winter. So far, the county has logged more flu cases this year than the average of the last five years. As we have all learned in the past two years, catching a virus early makes all the difference when it comes to spread. If we can limit flu infections now, it will ensure our health care system does not become overwhelmed with a combination of flu and COVID-19 patients come winter.
US borders open to land crossing for nonessential travel
For the first time since last March, our borders with Mexico and Canada will open in early November for nonessential land crossing for those with proof of being fully vaccinated. This applies to people entering the United States who are not from here.
Mexico does not have COVID-19 entry restrictions for people coming from the U.S. Canada only allows border crossing from the U.S. by land if you are fully vaccinated and have proof of a negative COVID-19 test conducted within the past 72 hours.
The travel restrictions into the U.S., which were implemented in March 2020, have not applied to commercial traffic, returning U.S. citizens or students.
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Trick or Treating okay this year
With many people over the age of 12 now vaccinated and trick-or-treating a mostly outdoor activity – CDC officials have given the green light to let your little ghosts and goblins enjoy this holiday tradition.
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Oil spill response continues
Since my last update, the city has worked with the team responding to the Orange County oil spill to install protective barriers in the Agua Hedionda and Batiquitos lagoons. The Buena Vista Lagoon was evaluated, and the team determined that due to configuration of the mouth of that lagoon, a barrier was not needed at this time.
There is still no immediate threat to public health or the environment in Carlsbad, but shoreline assessment and cleanup teams are monitoring the lagoons 24 hours a day. The response team is also sending experts to clean up tar balls and do air, water and soil testing throughout San Diego County. You might have seen them at work along Carlsbad’s coastline (wearing white jumpsuits and/or yellow reflective vests).
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Luckily no wildlife has been found in San Diego County with oil on them, and all beaches have remained open. High winds and waves caused more tar balls to wash up on our shore in recent days. If you see oil or tar balls on the beach or near lagoons, please report them via this email: tarballreports@wildlife.ca.gov. In the email, include:
- Date and time the tar/oil was observed
- Specific location where the oil was observed. Provide GPS coordinates if you can
- Descriptive photos of the oil (Please do not touch it)
- A short visual/physical description of the oil
- Estimated quantity
- Your contact information for follow-up
If you see wildlife affected by oil, please call 877-UCD-OWCN (1-877-823-6926). Please do not attempt to touch or move the wildlife.
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Coastal plan generates important discussion
During a public hearing on the city’s updated coastal land use plan Tuesday, city staff cleared up questions from the community and City Council members about what development is and is not allowed, why the plan doesn’t result in changes to land use and next steps for increasing coastal park space south of Palomar Airport Road.
Land use planning is one of the most important ways a city can protect the quality of life and overall health of the community. It is also a very complex undertaking, especially for coastal cities in California, which are subject to an added layer of scrutiny. As a result, updating land use plans usually take years and involves a lot of community conversation.
Tuesday’s City Council action to approve the updated Local Coastal Program Land Use Plan means it will now proceed to the next step in the process, which is going before the California Coastal Commission. The goal of this update was to make sure the coastal plan was consistent with the city’s General Plan, which was approved in 2015 following several years of public input and technical work.
In the meantime, the City Council has already directed staff to work with the community to create a vision for how to use about 60 acres of coastal land owned by the city south of Palomar Airport Road. This process will kick off in early 2022.
- Future use of the power plant site (combination of open space and visitor serving commercial uses)
- Future use of the strawberry fields (this use has not changed since 2006 when Carlsbad voters approved keeping most of the site as open space but allowing visitor serving commercial development along the freeway)
- Clearing up the reason for changing the name of the “Tourism Recreation” land use designation to “Visitor Commercial.” Some people thought this changed what would be allowed, but the intent of the designation is the same. Only the name changed.
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City to pursue downtown district promoting creativity, arts and culture
The City Council directed city staff on Tuesday to start the process of designating Carlsbad’s Village and Barrio areas as a special district promoting creativity, arts and culture.
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Creating the district won’t alter any planning regulations in the area but will recognize the city’s historic center as a creative and cultural hub, furthering the goals of the city’s overall arts and culture plan.
- The next step is for staff to return with an implementation plan and cost by next June. In the meantime, there is already so much to enjoy in Carlsbad’s oldest neighborhoods, including live theater, “pop up” art and galleries galore.
- One cool thing about the way we’re approaching this new district is that it will also highlight the many “creative sector” businesses, from glass blowing to the new Warner Bros. gaming studio.
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City receives awards for excellence, innovation
The City of Carlsbad recently received three awards recognizing city programs and initiatives that boost economic development and use technology to work more efficiently.
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Carlsbad earned a Silver Award in the special-purpose website category from the International Economic Development Council’s annual Excellence in Economic Development Awards. The honor was for Carlsbad’s Life in Action website, which helps current and future Carlsbad residents find local jobs through a regional jobs board and a newly launched Life in Action Recruiter app.
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The city also received a shared Gold Award from IEDC for Innovate78, a collaboration between Carlsbad and its partner cities of Oceanside, Vista, San Marcos and Escondido. The program helps build North County’s brand as key destination for employers, educational institutions and programs that support the region’s long-term economic growth.
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Finally, Carlsbad’s new ACTION System was also recently recognized with an award. In this case, it was the 2021 Innovation Award from the Municipal Information Systems Association of California. The ACTION (Automation, Compliance, Tracking, Inspection and Owner Notification) System is a comprehensive data management platform created by city staff to streamline and improve how the city manages its storm water protection program.
Learn more about the awards and the programs behind them. This kind of recognition is not just a morale boost for Team Carlsbad, but helps us attract top notch talent and gives the entire community (even more) bragging rights!
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No rail service between Oceanside and San Diego this weekend
Please be aware there will be no Coaster or Amtrak rail service between Oceanside and San Diego this weekend, Oct. 16-17. This is a scheduled shutdown, one of several planned throughout the year to give crews safe access to do work that’s needed along the rail line. You can find a full list of planned weekend closures on this schedule from the North County Transit District.
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Get involved: Upcoming meetings
Topics scheduled to be discussed at next Tuesday’s City Council meeting include:
- A contract for a police and fire headquarters renovation project
- A contract to create standardized permit-ready plans for adding on an accessory dwelling unit
- A new contract with the company that trains the city’s police dogs
- Zoning changes for a hotel to be built on the city’s border with Oceanside, near the Shoppes at Carlsbad mall
- A study on the costs of providing water, recycled water and wastewater services and setting a public hearing date to consider rate increases
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Hiring a consultant and forming a committee to update the language of the existing design standards for multifamily housing in the Village and Barrio so they are considered objective under state law
- Deciding whether to continue virtual public meetings for the next 30 days based on COVID-19 spread
- A proposed policy to better coordinate, use and safeguard the data the city collects
- The latest city crime statistics
- A discussion about rented scooters, e-bikes and other shared mobility devices in Carlsbad
- A possible city program that would grant property tax reductions to the owners of historic properties under certain circumstances
These other city meetings are also happening next week:
- Oct. 18, 4 p.m. – Economic Development Subcommittee
- Oct. 20, 3 p.m. – Planning Commission
Remember, all city meetings are still virtual. Learn more here about how to watch meetings, comment and view agendas and staff reports.
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