It’s looking more and more like the peak of COVID-19 spread in this latest wave is behind us, although interpreting data can still be challenging for us laypersons. I’ll share what I know, plus this other news of the week:
- What’s going on with our new trash hauler
- New way to combat catalytic converter thefts
- Update on El Camino Real construction
- More progress reported on managing traffic
- Do you like outdoor dining in the Village and Barrio?
- City Council meeting summary
- How to get rid of e-waste
- Upcoming public meetings
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COVID-19 update
Monday, the World Health Organization marked two years since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, just as we begin to see signs that the latest wave has peaked.
Someone emailed me last week frustrated that COVID-19 data seem to vary so much from source to source. For example, the CDC’s COVID tracker shows different numbers for San Diego County than the county itself reports. Depending on the measure, the state’s COVID tracker can also differ from the CDC and county numbers.
- The short explanation for this is different methodologies used and different timeframes reported.
- The date a case is reported is often different than the date the illness began.
Even within the county’s data, there can be different takeaways. For example, the COVID-19 watch shows all indicators getting better:
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But the triggers dashboard, which captures a different time period, shows some key measures actually got worse since last week:
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I can see how this would cause people to throw their hands up or start to just not trust any of the data. Unless you’re an epidemiologist (and, seeing as how this email goes out to over 10,000 people, some of you may very well be epidemiologists!), it would be hard to parse out and make sense of the differences in data.
The good news is that we now have much more data to work with. But to fully understand what’s going on, you really need to read the fine print to see how the data was compiled.
Case rates
The other challenge with interpreting COVID data is that the importance of certain indicators changes as the pandemic progresses. I still find case rates interesting, but I also know that the percentage of people experiencing severe symptoms is lower now due to vaccinations and natural immunity (so many people have had COVID by now). As a result, health officials say high case numbers aren’t as big of a concern as they first were.
Countywide and here in Carlsbad, we are finally seeing a decrease in new cases. Hospitalizations lag new case reports by a few weeks, so local hospitals are still worried about capacity.
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One reason health officials are feeling more confident the latest wave is subsiding is something called the “R-effective.” This number refers to how many other people each infected person is expected to infect. When it’s lower than one, the total number of cases will go down over time.
These charts and other updates are included in the county’s latest COVID-19 Watch newsletter.
Mask update
A lot of you are asking about how to get free N95 masks from the federal government. Unfortunately, the city doesn’t have any inside information on this. I have seen reports that they are being shipped to CVS and Walgreens stores as well as county health clinics, but nothing definitive yet on when and how distribution will be handled.
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Update on the city’s new trash hauler
You may be aware that come July, the company responsible for picking up your trash and recycling will transition from Waste Management to Republic Services. The city contracts out for this service and solicits new bids every 10 years or so. In the latest bidding process, Republic Services was selected.
Republic provides services to other cities in our county, and its workers in San Diego and Chula Vista recently went on strike. This has raised questions among some Carlsbad residents about our upcoming transition.
Representatives from Republic Services presented an update to the City Council on Tuesday. Here are some takeaways:
- Republic’s workers in Carlsbad have a different union than the one representing its workers in San Diego and Chula Vista. Our agreement with Republic is also different than the agreements in other cities.
- Representatives said because the Carlsbad crew will be much smaller – around 40 workers – compared to San Diego and Chula Vista, with about 260, Republic could more easily backfill from other areas if a similar situation happened here. The size of the workforce down south combined with illnesses due to the Omicron surge prevented Republic from continuing service during the recent strike.
- Carlsbad’s agreement with Republic gives the city more legal protection if service fails to meet the terms.
The City of Carlsbad has always prided itself on providing a very high level of service, whether delivered directly by city employees or our contractors. It’s one of the things that makes Carlsbad such a great place to live.
You should expect nothing less when it comes to trash, recycling, and soon the new food and organics recycling service. Staff will be closely monitoring performance to make sure that happens.
Keep an eye out for updates on how the transition is going. The same company that delivers your new trash carts will take away your old ones, and that will happen this spring to be ready for the July 1 start date.
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Carlsbad finds new way to crack down on catalytic converter theft
Carlsbad is about to become the first city in the county to require proof of ownership for anyone in possession of a catalytic converter not attached to a vehicle. This might sound obscure, but let me tell you why it will be a game changer.
- In San Diego County, there were 393 reports of thefts of catalytic converters in 2020. In 2021, the number increased 423%, to 2,056 – and those were only the thefts that were reported.
- Catalytic converters are a key part of a gas-powered car’s emissions system and help reduce the amount of harmful pollution going out the tailpipe.
- They contain expensive precious metals including platinum, palladium and rhodium. Rhodium currently costs over $11,000 per ounce. As the price of these metals has increased, so have catalytic converter thefts.
- It can be hard to prosecute these cases unless someone gets caught in the act. Otherwise, there is no way to prove it was stolen.
- The new Carlsbad law makes it illegal to possess any catalytic converter that isn’t attached to a vehicle unless the person has valid proof that they own the device.
- Proof means having the license plate number and VIN from the car from which the catalytic converter was removed; the address, phone number and signature of the vehicle owner authorizing the catalytic converter’s removal; and the address and signature of the current owner.
I’d like to thank our Police Department and City Attorney’s Office for finding a way to address this problem. Violating the law is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 and/or up to six months in jail.
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More improvements coming to El Camino Real and Cannon Road
I’m glad to report that work will begin soon on the final phase of improvements to the El Camino Real and Cannon Road intersection, a key project designed to improve pedestrian safety and help traffic flow more smoothly along one of Carlsbad’s busiest roads.
- On Tuesday, the City Council approved a $288,491 construction contract for Phase 2 of the project.
- This work will realign the median and re-stripe northbound El Camino Real to provide a third northbound lane near the intersection and add a dedicated bike lane heading northbound.
- Construction is expected to begin soon and be completed by summer 2022.
Meanwhile, Phase 1 of the project – which focused on improving pedestrian safety over Agua Hedionda Creek near the intersection – is nearly complete.
- Railings and sidewalks have been installed, along with footings for a new grade-level pedestrian bridge over the creek that was constructed off-site.
- The bridge should be installed in mid-February, followed by construction of a short wall along the sidewalk and the removal of overhead poles owned by SDG&E.
- This work is expected to be complete by mid-March.
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Semiannual transportation report
The El Camino Real improvements are just one of the many projects and milestones highlighted in the city’s semiannual transportation report that was presented to the City Council on Tuesday. The report shows just how much work the city is doing to help drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians move safely and more easily through Carlsbad.
There are too many projects to list, but one of the most exciting is that we’re continuing to work on coordinating traffic signal timing, using new technology so traffic flows more smoothly, especially during peak times.
You can read the full report here.
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See draft City Council district maps with new online viewer
You can now review the draft maps in an interactive online map viewer, where you can toggle among the different options, overlay a neighborhood map, zoom in and more.
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Outdoor dining survey
Have you noticed more outdoor dining in the Village and Barrio? The city relaxed standards during COVID to allow more businesses in the area to expand outdoors.
Now, we’re evaluating how the city should consider these outdoor dining areas moving forward. The City Council asked us to get feedback from residents and businesses before deciding. Do you like these changes? Has it affected parking? You can answer these and other questions in this survey.
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New law on compensation
In other news from this week’s meeting, the City Council conducted its annual compensation review based on a law passed by voters in 2020. The City Council put the measure on the ballot to set parameters around how and when current and future City Councils can increase their own compensation. Here’s what the law does:
- Prohibits City Council members’ compensation adjustments from exceeding the amount established by the San Diego Regional Consumer Price Index
- Requires the City Council to either make or waive a compensation adjustment in January of each year
- Prohibits the council from enacting retroactive increases for years in which the City Council waived a compensation adjustment
The City Council voted to take the increase after not increasing compensation since 2015. The Mayor’s current annual salary is $25,826; City Council member salaries are $24,626 a year. (They also get stipends for certain meetings. You can see the details here.) Based on the CPI, the increase will be 6.6%, which will increase the overall city budget by about $9,300 annually.
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Easy ways to recycle your electronics
If you upgraded any of your electronic gadgets over the holidays, it’s probably time to dispose of the old ones. Just remember, you should never put e-waste in the regular trash. E-waste includes electronics near or at the end of useful life such as cellphones, batteries, televisions, tablets, computers, printers and Bluetooth speakers. If dumped in a landfill, e-waste can leak toxic materials into soil and water supplies.
The city offers several convenient ways to recycle your e-waste, which helps protect the environment and keeps your data safe.
- Recycle batteries and unwanted cellphones by placing them in a clear plastic storage bag on top of your regular recycle cart on your normally scheduled trash day.
- Recycle larger electronic items through curbside pickup by calling 760-929-9400.
- Recycle batteries and electronic devices by dropping them off for free at Waste Management Buyback Center, 5960 El Camino Real, Carlsbad. Hours: Tuesday through Saturday from 8 a.m.-noon and 12:40-4 p.m.
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Get involved: Upcoming meetings
The next Carlsbad City Council meeting is Feb. 8. The agenda will be posted on the city's website by the Friday before the meeting. In the meantime, these city meetings are happening next week:
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Feb. 1, 6 p.m. – Virtual public workshop: Carlsbad in 5 years (Please consider attending. We’re going to have an interesting discussion that will help inform the City Council’s 5-Year Strategic Plan.)
- Feb. 3, 6 p.m. – Arts Commission
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Thanks, again to those of you who made it to the end! I appreciate your interest in all things City of Carlsbad. I also appreciate your feedback, so please keep it coming!
Until next week … stay safe and, as always, #Care4Carlsbad.
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