We are excited to kick off the return of TGIF Concerts in the Parks this Friday, following a two year break due to the COVID pandemic. Get all the details, plus updates about these stories below:
- Temporary coastal fire station moving forward
- Monroe Pool on November ballot
- Free kitchen caddy for composting
- Art in the Village
- Carlsbad teen wins $5K scholarship
- Honoring (and joining) Team Carlsbad
- Upcoming meetings
- Carlsbad beaches make the honor roll
|
|
TGIF Concerts kick off
Our 2022 TGIF Concerts in the Parks summer series kicks off Friday at Stagecoach Park, featuring the country-rock band Back Pocket Whiskey Fellas & the Bayou Brothers. We are expecting big crowds this year, so please plan ahead if you’re planning to attend. These events are the highlight of the year for our community, and we’ve got a great lineup in store.
Details
- Field will open at 4 p.m. Concert starts at 6 p.m.
-
Free parking at La Costa Canyon High School across the street and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which is just down the road from the park on Camino de los Coches.
- No shuttle service for concerts at Stagecoach because we have parking close by.
- Even so, please consider getting dropped off or carpooling to ease traffic.
- Don’t forget to pack a picnic – no food and drink vendors this season.
- Please leave your furry friends at home.
- It never hurts to bring bug spray just in case.
See all the tips in the video linked below:
|
|
Temporary coastal fire station moving forward
The City of Carlsbad will have a fully staffed and equipped temporary fire station on the coast as soon as January 2023 thanks to an agreement approved by the City Council Tuesday. The project is part of a City Council goal to improve emergency response times and ensure fire and emergency medical services are ready to meet the community’s needs as the city’s demographics and population change.
- This would also be the city’s first fire station west of Interstate 5 and the railroad tracks, two major transportation corridors that could be impacted in the event of a wide-scale emergency or natural disaster.
- The $194,052 6-year lease with NRG Inc. will allow the city to build a temporary fire station on part of the old Encina power plant site. The agreement could be extended for up to two additional years.
- The city will reuse some of the temporary buildings now being used while Fire Station 2 in La Costa is rebuilt.
-
Construction on Fire Station 2 is set to wrap up in the next few months, and the temporary buildings will move from the Dove Library parking lot to the NRG site.
Why it’s important
In May 2021, the Fire Department completed a “Standards of Cover” evaluation, looking at current and future emergency response needs based on Carlsbad’s size, demographics and other factors. The evaluation found that to meet industry standards, the Fire Department needed a seventh fire station, ideally west of I-5 and the railroad tracks, as well as more ambulances and personnel.
|
|
Voters to decide on spending for Monroe Street Pool improvements
Carlsbad voters will decide during this November’s election whether or not to authorize the City of Carlsbad to spend up to $24 million of existing city funds to renovate and expand the Monroe Street Pool, located next to Carlsbad High School in northern Carlsbad. The approved question that will appear on the ballot is:
“Do the voters of the City of Carlsbad approve spending existing city funds from various sources, including the General Fund, in an amount to exceed $1 million for the Monroe Street Pool Renovation/Replacement project located at 3401 Monroe Street for an estimated cost range of $22 million up to $24 million, adjusted annually by the percentage increase in the regional construction cost index?”
- The ballot measure is needed because of a Carlsbad-specific law that requires voter approval for certain construction projects that cost more than $1 million in general city funds, even if the city already has the money on hand.
- Carlsbad voters passed this requirement in 1982 to have more direct oversight of city spending.
|
|
Free kitchen caddies available for new composting program
Starting June 25, Carlsbad residents can pick up a free kitchen caddy to make food scrap recycling a little easier. These small, plastic bins can be used to store leftover food scraps in the kitchen before putting them in the green compost bin along with other green or “organic” waste, like plants and food-soiled paper.
|
|
New food waste collection
Under a new state law, on July 1, Carlsbad residents and businesses will begin disposing of their food scraps, food soiled paper and yard waste in their green compost container. This organic waste will be collected by Republic Services and composted at a special compost facility. (City staff took a tour of this massive composting operation recently. Here is a video so you can see too.)
What goes in the kitchen caddy?
Any residential food waste, such as meat, fish, bones, eggshells, old bread, tea bags, coffee grounds, produce, leftovers, expired foods and soiled paper products. Plastic, plastic bags and plastic packaging can’t be placed in the green compost cart, so they should not be placed in the kitchen caddy.
Where will kitchen caddies be available?
Republic Services is making them available at city libraries, community centers and other community locations between June 25 and July 30. The full schedule is on the Republic website.
|
|
Art in the Village
The City of Carlsbad is inviting residents to get outdoors and exercise their creativity by participating in a Pop Up Art event Sunday, June 26, at the 24th annual Art in the Village festival.
Sunday, June 26
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
State Street and Grand Avenue
- Organized by the Carlsbad Village Association, Art in the Village is an open-air art show that features original works by artists from all over the region, as well as live music, performance art and interactive art activities.
-
Carlsbad city staff will host a Pop Up Art activity giving people a chance to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the city’s popular TGIF Concerts in the Parks by creating a drawing that reminds them of their favorite music.
- Each drawing will be on a card with the dates and locations of the concerts in this year’s TGIF series – a reminder of the summer fun yet to come.
- The Pop Up Art event is free and open to people of all ages. All materials are provided.
|
|
Carlsbad teen wins Don Diego award
Congratulations to Carlsbad resident and recent San Dieguito Academy graduate Kyra Chen who was just awarded a $5,000 scholarship from the Don Diego Scholarship Foundation, an organization that honors high-achieving students of great promise who have participated in activities at the Del Mar Fairgrounds.
Kyra is heading to Duke University in the fall where she plans to conduct research contributing to the development of new medicines. (She’s already worked as an intern for a local pharmaceutical company.) If that’s not impressive enough, she’s also an award-wining figure skater, a published artist, a fluent Mandarin speaker, a musician and a member of her school’s California Native Plant Club. Congratulations, Kyra!
|
|
Team Carlsbad recognition
Here’s a great example of a city employee who exemplifies the dedication, perseverance and heart of Team Carlsbad. Cristina Rangel, a senior office specialist in our Public Works Department was recently featured in MiraCosta College’s Transforming Lives newsletter.
Cristina had always wanted to go to college, but she entered the workforce at a young age and started a family. Over the years, her responsibilities grew, but her dream of attending college never faded.
|
|
When she talked about her higher-education dream with her supervisor, Public Works Superintendent Brian Bacardi, he told her he saw her as someone destined to be a leader. Encouraged and determined, she enrolled last year at MiraCosta College.
Now Cristina is a full-time student pursuing liberal arts and ethnic studies, while balancing her responsibilities as a full-time city employee and mom. When she has extra time, she volunteers helping victims of human trafficking in North County.
After completing her studies at MiraCosta and earning her degree, Cristina plans to use her education and job experience to better serve the community through public works.
We’re so proud of Cristina and thrilled that she’s a part of our team.
City jobs
Speaking of working at the City of Carlsbad, I would be remiss if I didn’t put a plug in for considering a career in public service. Cities like ours need talented people from a wide variety of different professional disciplines, from engineering to HR, accounting, auto mechanics, IT specialists and more.
Available positions are always posted on our website. I know a lot of people don’t think of local government as a career option, but I encourage you to explore it. The sense of pride and satisfaction that comes from public service is very rewarding, and Carlsbad is a great place to work!
|
|
Get involved: Upcoming meetings
The next City Council meeting will take place Tuesday, July 12, at 5 p.m. in the City Council chamber. The agenda will be posted on the city’s website the Friday before the meeting.
No other city meetings are scheduled for next week.
|
|
Carlsbad beaches make the honor roll
Finally, we got word yesterday that Carlsbad beaches have once again made the “honor roll” in Heal the Bay’s annual beach report card. This is a statewide ranking the organization releases each summer reporting on water quality. The City of Carlsbad invests significant resources into preventing runoff and other sources of pollution that can get into our gutters and storm drain system, where they travel, untreated, to our lagoons and the ocean.
I’ll be back next week – the last day of June, if you can believe it. Until then, enjoy our beautiful weather and this amazing community.
Scott Chadwick
|
|
Fun things to do
Quick Links
|
|
|
|
CarlsbadConnects app is an easy way to report things that need repair or attention around town, like potholes, sidewalk cracks, traffic light outages, graffiti and code enforcement issues. Submit service requests anonymously or create a free account where you can track progress and see what other people have reported.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
