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This week I am going to share a story about a search for justice 36 years in the making. You might have seen it in the news earlier this week, but if not, be sure to read to the end of today’s update, where I’ll give you the backstory.

Other news of the week includes:

• New dashboard highlights progress on community priorities
• Reducing traffic congestion on city streets
• Renew, repair, reuse: Popular Fixit Clinic returns
• TGIF Insider: What to know as concerts move to Calavera Hills Park
• Mark your calendars for the State of the City community event
• Citizens Academy now accepting applications for fall
• Upcoming meetings 

New dashboard highlights strategic plan implementation progress

High performing organizations, whether in the private sector or a public agency like Carlsbad, start with having a solid plan and a way to measure results. Last October, the City Council approved a 5-Year Strategic Plan, which is already creating momentum around important City Council priorities.

One of the goals of that plan is to be a model for effective and efficient local government. On Tuesday, that theme was evident in several items before the City Council, from using technology to make our traffic signals smarter (more on that below), a recent award highlighting our use of data, and a recognition of our city IT Department for its work transforming old government systems into a modern digital infrastructure network.

Progress on these and other projects and initiatives are included on a new 5-Year Strategic Plan dashboard rolled out this week. This new tool shows the progress being made on each of the strategic plan objectives as well as other performance measures for city services.

I would especially appreciate your feedback on this new dashboard. It is meant to not only be a tool for city staff but a way the public can see what their city is up to. 

Reducing traffic congestion on city streets 

This week, we provided the City Council with an update on a project to reduce red-light wait times.

If this sounds familiar, it’s probably because we have been working on this for many years.



• In 2011, Carlsbad became one of the first in the region to implement a system of smart traffic signals.
•  It was a huge leap forward, allowing our traffic engineers to monitor and control signal timing (how long between green and red lights) from a central “traffic management center.”

Without getting into too many details, as signal technology continued to improve over the years, so did the amount of data that needed to be transmitted back and forth. The wireless system limited our ability to further optimize our traffic signals because there was not enough bandwidth.

In 2017, the city had an opportunity to partner with Crown Castle, which was installing a high-speed fiber network throughout Carlsbad. We negotiated a public-private partnership that gave us access to a portion of this high-speed network.

Fast forward to today and about 95% of city traffic signals have been connected to this new digital network; the remaining 5% are in the works. As a result, we continue to lead the region in traffic signal technology and will soon be able to add even more advanced features like emergency pre-emption programming (keeping signals coordinated after they are interrupted to give emergency vehicles the right of way).

Managing expectations

Even the most advanced technology won’t keep you from waiting at a red light longer than you may want to from time to time. For example, during certain times of day, like rush hour, we need to prioritize the busier streets. If you are on a side street, this means you might wait longer.

If you would like to know more about the timing of a certain intersection or just have questions about this program, we have a dedicated phone number you can call, 442-339-5331. City staff welcome your feedback.

Renew, repair, reuse: Popular Fixit Clinic returns

Our popular Fixit Clinic is coming back to Cole Library on Saturday, Aug. 12. Appointments are limited, so please act now if you want to give it a try. Once we begin promoting it more widely next week, I expect it will fill up quickly.

The Fixit Clinic is one part of a broad program aimed at making Carlsbad more sustainable, which is one of the main goals in our City Council 5-Year Strategic Plan.

As its name implies, the clinic will help you repair or refurbish old items so they can be reused instead of discarded.

Among other things, this clinic will feature experts who can help get families ready for back to school:

• Craft an upcycled pencil case out of fabric scraps (10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.)
• Fix your bike before the school commute kicks in
• Get help repairing a ripped backpack or lunch bag

Saturday, Aug. 12

10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Cole Library

1250 Carlsbad Village Drive

TGIF Insider: What to know as concerts move to Calavera Hills Park

We're headed to Calavera Hills Park for this week’s TGIF Concerts in the Parks. Jungle Fire will take the stage at 6 p.m. performing a mix of Afro-beat, Latin grooves and funk.

This year’s concerts have been as popular as ever, which means crowds and traffic.



• If you can, arrange for someone to drop you off and pick you up, or use a rideshare service.
• If you’re close enough, ride your bike and use our free bike valet service.
• If you need to drive, park at Sage Creek High School, 3900 Cannon Road, and take our free shuttle.

Thanks for taking care to make TGIF concerts enjoyable for everyone, including neighbors who live near the parks. 

Save the date: State of the City community event Aug. 15

On Tuesday, Aug. 15, we will be hosting our annual State of the City community event, which is an opportunity to hear about recent and upcoming projects, initiatives and issues. After brief remarks from City Council members, we’ll show this year’s video and then adjourn to the courtyard for an informal reception. 

Tuesday, Aug. 15, 6 p.m. 

Ruby G. Schulman Auditorium 

Carlsbad City Library 

1775 Dove Lane 

Please consider joining us. I would love to meet you.

Sign up for fall Citizens Academy

We still have a few spots available for the fall 2023 Citizens Academy. This popular program always fills up, often with waiting lists, so if you’re interested, let us know right away.

Citizens Academy is a free, six-week program providing a unique behind the scenes look at your local government. 



• Meet City Council members, department heads and staff
• Learn how decisions are made, how funds are allocated and how departments operate
• Find out how to get more involved in city issues, programs and events
• Tour city facilities, see public safety demonstrations and meet work crews

The fall session meets weekly, on Thursday evenings, from Sept. 14 through Oct. 19, with one daytime bus tour.

Applications are available online. 

Get involved: Upcoming meetings

The next City Council meeting will take place Tuesday, Aug. 22, starting at 5 p.m. in the City Council Chamber. A link to the full agenda and staff reports will be available on the city’s website no later than Friday, Aug. 18.

These city meetings are scheduled for next week:



• Aug. 1, 11 a.m. - Beach Preservation Commission
• Aug. 3, 6 p.m. - Arts Commission

Kudos for a job well done

Before signing off I want to share a story of perseverance, collaboration and commitment that led this week to the sentencing of the man responsible for the murder of a young woman in Carlsbad back in 1987.

County District Attorney Summer Stephan announced Tuesday that a 57-year-old Poway man has been sentenced to 25 years-to-life for the murder and rape of Julia Hernandez-Santiago, whose body was found on an ivy-covered embankment on Alga Road on Oct. 10, 1987. She was killed while walking home from a doctor’s appointment and was 26 years old at the time.

The crime occurred before DNA technology was available. Our police investigated, but the trail went cold. Several years later, when revisiting cold cases, our detectives were able to extract DNA from the evidence collected at the scene. Unfortunately, there were no hits, and the case went cold again. Then, in 2020, Sheriff’s deputies arrested a man in Poway for drug and weapons violations. The felony arrest meant the suspect had to supply a DNA sample. That provided a hit for the 1987 case, and the District Attorney’s office was able to successfully prosecute that crime.

I am so impressed at the level of tenacity shown by everyone involved and hope this provides some amount of closure to Julia’s family and other loved ones.

While on the topic of public safety, next Tuesday, Aug. 1, city fire and police personnel will be out in the community for National Night Out, an opportunity for residents to connect with our first responders and learn tips to make our community as safe as it can be. I am pleased to report that after sharing this with you a few weeks ago, we now have a full schedule of neighborhood block parties to attend. I’ll share photos and safety tips next week along with other news of the week.

Scott Chadwick