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News from the City of Carlsbad | Dec. 19, 2024

Many of you have asked if this weekly update would continue once I became your City Manager. Well, today was my first official day, and this evening I am pleased to share my very first City Manager’s Update.

Things are winding down as we approach next week’s holidays. Our next City Council meeting is scheduled for Jan. 14. Meetings of our boards, commissions and committees will resume the week of Jan. 6.

• You can find the City Council meeting calendar for 2025 on our website or sign up to be notified about upcoming meetings.

I will continue to include a list of upcoming topics for City Council meetings in these weekly updates and report out on the major decisions and actions from those meetings. Today’s update includes some of our other regular topics:

• “News you can use” like safety tips and how to keep your plumbing pipes clear
• Employee spotlights and stories that take you behind the scenes of city operations
• Practical information like where construction is planned and the city’s holiday hours
• Exploring Carlsbad’s trails and nature
• Upcoming city events and activities

In the coming weeks, I will also plan to cover other regular topics like city finances, the local economy and support for Carlsbad businesses, environmental sustainability, legislation affecting Carlsbad and updates on the status of major city projects. If there are other topics you’d like me to include, please let me know. I want to make sure this newsletter continues to be a way for community members to keep up with their local government and find out about the events, services and programs we offer.

I also want to encourage your feedback. Please tell me what you like and what you think would make the services we provide even better. If there is something that doesn’t make sense that you read about in these updates or something you heard about in your neighborhood, let me know. If you think I’ve messed something up, I want to know that too (although hopefully with just one day under my belt, that list will be short, for now).

So, with all that in mind, here we go …

Carlsbad in the news

First, I want to acknowledge recent media reports alleging that a Carlsbad resident has ties to the person who carried out Monday’s tragic school shooting in Wisconsin.

As with most ongoing investigations, few details are being shared, which can lead to rumors and misinformation. That’s why I wanted to assure you that although Carlsbad is not the lead agency on this investigation, our Police Department remains in communication with other law enforcement agencies and does not believe there to be a threat to our city.

We will continue to monitor this closely, and as more information is released, we will be sure to share it.

Finally, we are keeping those whose family and other loved ones have been affected by Monday’s tragedy in our thoughts. What a terrible loss. 

Safer Streets Together for the holidays 

I would like to ask for everyone’s help protecting their loved ones and the loved ones of others, as we enter peak holiday season. Since we declared a local emergency on traffic safety in 2022, injury collisions have gone down in Carlsbad. Still, keeping our streets safe for everyone requires a daily commitment, especially around the holidays. Kids are out of school, we have more visitors and people are busier than normal. There are also office parties, family get-togethers and other gatherings where people may be drinking. 

3 traffic safety essentials for the holidays

In addition to the usual safety tips, here are three specific ways you can help:

1. Slow down. Speed is the number one cause of injury collisions in Carlsbad. Driving slower gives you more time to react and reduces the severity of injuries if you are involved in a collision.
2. Avoid distractions. Even though there is a lot to coordinate this time of year, put your phone out of sight and out of reach when you are driving. If you want to look at holiday lights and decorations, pull over so you’re not distracted while driving or blocking the street.
3. Be visible and predictable. When walking or biking at night, wear something bright or reflective. Use a flashlight or the light on your phone when walking after dark. If you’re biking, lights are required on the front and back of your bike when it’s dark outside. Cross the street at crosswalks when possible, and avoid sudden changes in direction.

A special note about teen drivers

If you’re like me and have a young driver at home, please consider some additional reminders. During our traffic safety emergency, we worked with the California Office of Traffic Safety to learn how they go about reaching teens. Their research found that messages about safety can be more effective when they’re paired with information about the financial consequences of collisions (insurance, repairs, fines). This doesn’t mean teens don’t care about safety; it just means that they can tend to feel invincible at that age, so providing additional motivation can help. I thought that was an interesting and helpful point. 

Carlsbad behind the scenes: Protecting our pipelines

From time to time, you may notice city workers in your neighborhood removing covers on the sewer access holes. They are mostly likely inspecting the pipes, something we do on a regular basis throughout Carlsbad. 

Pedro (left) and Todd (right) work for our Utilities Department. Each has more than 15 years of experience in the field and focuses on inspecting the city’s wastewater pipes to identify anything that might need attention.

• The city maintains about 270 miles of wastewater pipelines.
• Laid end to end, that’s enough pipe to reach all the way from Carlsbad to Las Vegas.
• The goal is to inspect each segment every five years.
• So, just as our crews inspect the final segment of pipe, it’s time to start all over again. (This reminds me of a story I heard about painting the Golden Gate Bridge.)

Inspecting the City of Carlsbad’s wastewater pipes helps us identify where repairs are needed before expensive and inconvenient emergencies can arise.

• Pedro and Todd describe the inspection process as a cross between playing a video game and tracking a Roomba.
• They lower a remote-controlled robot into the sewer pipe (usually under a city street).
• The robot has a camera, kind of like a GoPro.
• They “drive” it through the pipes using what looks like a video game controller.
• The camera sends a live video feed to screens in the truck, where special inspection software documents what it sees.
• Todd and Pedro make anywhere from 10 to 30 stops a day to repeat this process.

How you can help

One of the things we look for is a buildup of grease. If people wash cooking oil or grease down their sinks, it eventually hardens (even if the water was hot and even if a detergent made for grease is used). Over time, these clumps of grease stick to each other and get bigger and bigger, sometimes as big as a car, and block sewage from flowing through the pipe. The industry term for these large clumps is a “fatberg,” sort of like an iceberg.

“Flushable” wipes are also a problem. They might flush, but they don’t break down like toilet paper. Over time, they can stick together and also create blockages.

Many thanks to Todd and Pedro for the work they do every day to keep our wastewater system in good condition. 

City construction the next two weeks

Whether it’s maintaining one of our sewer pipes, road repaving or some other type of infrastructure work, there are times when city projects can temporarily affect traffic. You can always check our weekly construction map to see where our work is planned.

We also do our best to avoid construction during holidays and other peak times of year. For example, we plan work needed around schools during the summer months when we can, and work along the beach in the winter.

With that in mind, you shouldn’t see any major construction affecting traffic the next two weeks, although our crews remain hard at work handling smaller projects and projects that don’t affect local streets.

Winter species spotlight: A holly look-alike in Carlsbad

This Saturday marks the first day of winter, and while we may not have snow here in Carlsbad, we do have our own variation of holly. The Heteromeles arbutifolia plant is more commonly called toyon (pronounced like a toy + the word on), from a Native American term. It’s also called Christmas berry and California holly for the bright red, berry-like fruit that ripens in December. It has white flowers in the spring and summer.

Some people believe that Hollywood got its name from the plant, which can also be found in the local hills of L.A. This is apparently an area of some debate. It is, however, the official plant of L.A. (Carlsbad does not have an official plant, just an official flower, the Bird of Paradise.)

Where to see toyon in Carlsbad

You can find toyon along many city trails, making it easy to enjoy this plant in its natural environment. Here are two areas you can visit, one in the north and one in the south:

• Lake Calavera Preserve
• Rancho La Costa Preserve

Avoid package theft with tips from our Police Department

Our Police Department steps up neighborhood patrols this time of year, on the lookout for would-be package thieves. They also recommend that residents take steps to reduce opportunities for this kind of crime:

• Be mindful of delivery dates. Try to schedule deliveries for times when you or someone you trust will be at home to receive them.
• Track your deliveries. Utilize tracking services provided by the shipping company to monitor the delivery status of your packages.
• Sign up to receive notifications or alerts when a package is delivered.
• Bring the package inside immediately once it has arrived.
• Request that a signature be required for delivery. This ensures a package isn’t left outside.
• Use delivery lockboxes or lockers. Some companies and communities offer lockboxes or lockers where packages can be securely stored until you retrieve them.
• If possible, have packages sent to your workplace or a trusted neighbor who can receive them if you're not home.
• Install security cameras, which can act as a deterrent. Thieves may think twice before stealing packages if they know they're being recorded.
• If you can’t arrange delivery for a time when you are home, opt for in-store pickup. Some retailers allow you to pick up your orders in-store or at designated pickup points, instead of having them delivered to your home.
• Inform your neighbors when you're expecting a package, so they can help keep an eye out for any suspicious activity.
• Be the eyes and ears of your neighborhood. Report suspicious activity and crime - 24/7, by calling 442-339-2197.

The Police Department has important tips for reducing other types of crime as well. I encourage you to review this information.

Keeping Carlsbad safe and secure requires teamwork. Thank you for doing your part.

Upcoming events

With a few exceptions (noted under holiday schedule below) our city libraries will be open normal hours over the next couple of weeks. You can see the calendar of events on our website and be sure to use the filtering feature if you’re looking for specific kinds of activities.

Holiday city services schedule

* Alga Norte Aquatic Center is closed for renovations and repairs.

Closing thoughts

I want to close today by saying how honored I am to serve the City of Carlsbad in this new role. Before I joined the city five years ago, I had already gotten to know Carlsbad, thanks in part to spending many years as the ultimate “soccer dad.” My younger daughter, who clearly inherited my wife’s energy and coordination, has played at the club level since she was 9, but spent many winters and summers at Carlsbad’s soccer camps and later played some of her favorite games on Carlsbad fields during her club season.

Not to be outdone, my eldest daughter, who is in her second year of college, is a competitor of a different sort. And because of that, I am pretty confident that the Patnoe family holds the record for swapping out the most puzzles from the Cole or Dove Libraries, about five a week, every week. My daughter is a nationally ranked speed puzzler, and it’s a fun hobby she continues to work on each day. She will be competing in the USA Jigsaw Nationals in Washington, D.C., next April. If you aren’t familiar with the puzzle swapping stations at Cole and Dove libraries, I highly recommend exploring them.

Like most parents, I still think of my girls as they were in the center photo. The reality is, with one in college and one graduating from high school next year, it will soon just be me, my wife and Charlie, who you can see in the photo on the left.

In other words, I look forward to diving into this new role, making sure Carlsbad provides the very best level of service possible to those just starting out, our many young families, empty nesters, retirees and everyone else who calls Carlsbad home.

That brings my first edition to a close. I hope this information was useful, and I look forward to hearing your ideas and feedback.

Next week I will provide more holiday-related information, including how to recycle your Christmas tree, what to do with old electronics and how to make sure your kids know the rules of the road if they were lucky enough to get a new e-bike.

I wish you and your families a very happy holiday.

Geoff Patnoe

City Manager

P.S. I am seeing a chance of rain next Tuesday, so please leave extra time to get where you are going. Otherwise, it looks like we are in for a couple of weeks of “sweater weather,” low 60s during the days and high 40s at night.