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News from the City of Carlsbad | March 19, 2026

The first day of spring may be Friday, but with this heat it feels like we’ve skipped right to summer. Today, I’ll share some ways to stay cool, including how you can participate in the Pirate Plunge event this Saturday.

I’m also sharing this heartwarming video showing some of our youngest community members enjoying our recently reopened Sculpture Garden, which now features seven musical instruments to help people of all ages make music and unwind.



Here’s the full lineup:

• Celebrating the Sculpture Garden’s new beat
• Tips to beat the heat
• Cool off at our annual Pirate Plunge
• An update on Carlsbad’s habitat protection efforts
• Clean Energy Alliance approves electric bill rate relief
• Nominate a business that’s leading in sustainability
• FireSafe Carlsbad workshop for commercial kitchens
• Community events and activities
• What’s on the agenda for your next City Council meeting
• New e-bike rules and a spring break safety reminder

Celebrating the Sculpture Garden’s new beat

Dozens of children tapped, chimed and drummed their way through new percussion play instruments at the Carlsbad Sculpture Garden on Wednesday morning to celebrate its official reopening.

The Percussion Play Project features seven easy to use musical sculptures designed for hands-on exploration, thanks to the generosity of the Carlsbad Library and Arts Foundation. The instruments are part of the city’s ongoing efforts to create welcoming spaces that invite creativity, exploration and play for all ages.

During the event, a librarian from Georgina Cole Library read stories about music before the kids got to make some music of their own. You can see and hear how much fun they had in this video.

If you haven’t had a chance to visit the Sculpture Garden lately, I encourage you to stop by. Besides enjoying the new exhibit, it’s a great place to relax in the shade.

Carlsbad Sculpture Garden

2955 Elmwood St.

Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m.

Tips to beat the heat

With a heat advisory in effect this week, it’s important to take extra precautions to stay cool, especially for older adults, young children and others who may be more vulnerable to heat-related illness. Here are some easy ways to protect yourself:

• Plan activities for cooler times of day. Try to be most physically active early in the morning or later in the evening when temperatures are lower. Take frequent breaks and pace yourself.
• Drink plenty of fluids. Even if you don’t feel thirsty, staying hydrated helps your body regulate temperature.
• Watch for signs of heat illness. If you feel dizzy, nauseous, unusually tired or otherwise unwell, contact your physician or seek medical care.
• Never leave children or pets in vehicles. Temperatures inside a parked car can quickly reach dangerous levels — even if the windows are cracked and the outside temperature doesn’t feel extreme.
• Keep pets comfortable. Make sure pets have access to shade and plenty of fresh water throughout the day.
• Cool off at the air-conditioned Carlsbad City Library on Dove Lane.

Carlsbad City Library on Dove Lane

1775 Dove Lane

Monday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m.

Remember to check on neighbors, family members and friends, especially those who live alone or may be more vulnerable to a heat-related illness. A quick call or visit can help make sure they are staying cool, hydrated and safe.

Cool off at our annual Pirate Plunge

Another great way stay cool during the heat is by joining us at the City of Carlsbad’s annual Pirate Plunge on Saturday evening at Alga Norte Aquatic Center.

Bring the whole family and enjoy some fun pirate-themed activities like diving for treasure, a scavenger hunt, walking the plank and a ship raider race. The Splash Pad will also be open for the little ones.

Pirate Plunge

Saturday, March 21

5 to 8 p.m.

Alga Norte Aquatic Center

6565 Alicante Road

Tickets: $15

Kids 3 and under are free, but still need to register

Register now

Online presales end at 5 p.m. Friday. Tickets may also be available for purchase at the event, but only if we don’t sell out. Save time and avoid lines by registering early and picking up wristbands in advance during regular business hours at Alga Norte Aquatics Center.

An update on Carlsbad’s habitat protection efforts

The city recently held its annual Habitat Management Plan public meeting, where staff and land managers shared updates on how Carlsbad’s preserve system is being managed and monitored.

Highlights from this year’s presentations include:

• Since the plan’s adoption, approximately 6,235 acres of habitat have been conserved within Carlsbad’s preserve system.
• Biologists conducted site inspections in 23 preserves to identify threats such as invasive plants, trash and unauthorized access, as well as opportunities for habitat restoration.
• The city is providing funds to remove invasive plants and improve conditions at the Poinsettia Station Vernal Pool Preserve, which provides habitat for unique plants and wildlife found nowhere else.
• Monitoring and treatment efforts continue for Ward’s weed, an invasive plant that can spread quickly and increase wildfire risk.

While the plan supports habitat conservation, the city recognizes the need to balance this with strategies to prevent wildfires.

The full Habitat Management Plan annual report, meeting presentations and a recording of the meeting are available on the city’s website.

Clean Energy Alliance approves electric bill rate relief 

Speaking of protecting the environment, the Clean Energy Alliance board recently approved a temporary rate-relief measure to help ensure customers continue to receive affordable rates while supporting local clean energy.

• The alliance provides power to Carlsbad residents and businesses, purchasing electricity with a higher share of renewable sources.
• SDG&E still delivers the power and maintains the grid, but the program allows communities like Carlsbad to choose cleaner energy while supporting local climate goals.

The California Public Utilities Commission recently approved increases to a fee SDG&E charges customers served by community choice energy programs like the Clean Energy Alliance. To offset the increase, the Clean Energy Alliance board approved a temporary bill credit so the average residential and commercial customer will pay the same or less than they would with SDG&E. The credit will appear on bills through the end of 2026.

Carlsbad, Del Mar and Solana Beach were the founding cities of the Clean Energy Alliance in November 2019.

Nominate a business that’s leading in sustainability 

The City of Carlsbad is accepting nominations for the Business Environmental Stewardship Award, which recognizes local businesses that reduce waste, conserve resources and make sustainability part of their day-to-day operations. The award is presented twice a year.

Examples of sustainability practices may include:

• Reducing waste or packaging materials
• Improving energy efficiency
• Conserving water or other natural resources
• Offering environmentally responsible products or services
• Supporting sustainability initiatives in the community

Selected businesses receive:

• An engraved award made from sustainable materials
• Recognition from the City of Carlsbad, including a photo presentation with city representatives
• A $500 credit on their solid waste services bill or a Republic Services Lunch & Learn

Applications are accepted year-round. Submit nominations by Friday, April 3, to be considered in the next selection cycle.

FireSafe Carlsbad workshop for businesses

If you or someone you know owns a business with a commercial kitchen, join the Carlsbad Fire Department and the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce for a workshop about a program that can help commercial kitchens prevent fires and protect their businesses.

Through the program, called FireSafe Carlsbad, businesses receive cost-free fire safety education, inspections and hands-on fire extinguisher training. Benefits include:

• Reducing the risk of fires and injuries
• Protecting your business from costly incidents
• Strengthening staff awareness of kitchen hazards

FireSafe Carlsbad

Monday, March 23

2 to 3 p.m.

Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce

5934 Priestly Drive

Register here

Community events and activities

Here are a few more fun activities happening in the next several days at our city libraries and the Carlsbad Senior Center:

• Cinema Club Friday: "Julie & Julia" – Friday, March 20, 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., Dove Library
• Landscape Art workshop – Saturday, March 21, 10 to 11:30 a.m., Carlsbad Senior Center
• Genealogy Open House – Saturday, March 21, 10:30 a.m. to noon, Cole Library
• Reel Wednesday: "Song Sung Blue" – Wednesday, March 25, 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., Dove Library

What’s on the agenda for your next City Council meeting

The next City Council meeting will be Tuesday, March 24, starting at 5 p.m. in the City Council Chamber. Topics include: 

• Adding additional sites to a project to upgrade the system the city uses to monitor and control its water and wastewater infrastructure
• Authorizing bidding on a project to upgrade sewer access holes in the Ponto area 
• An agreement with the City of Vista to study capacity improvements to a sewer line and a wastewater pump station shared by Vista and Carlsbad 
• Accepting a donation from the Friends of Carrillo Ranch that will support the California History & Art Field Trip Program at the Leo Carrillo Ranch Historic Park 
• The annual progress report on housing in Carlsbad required by the state 
• Declaring weeds and refuse on certain private properties around the city to be public nuisances so they can be removed as potential hazards 
• Authorizing agreements with the County of San Diego to place ballot drop boxes at city facilities for the 2026 elections and subsequent elections 
• Appointing two members to the Arts Commission
• An ordinance that would allow the city to impose citations and fines for fireworks violations 
• Adopting an ordinance to add stop signs on Madison Street at Grand Avenue, creating three additional parking spaces 
• The annual plan for the city’s Housing Agency, which works to make more housing available to people with lower incomes
• A proposal to create a community-oriented policing and problem-solving team in the Police Department to address quality-of-life public safety issues 

The agenda and staff reports are available on the city’s website.

3 easy ways to participate

1. Sign up to get agendas and staff reports emailed to you directly
2. Provide feedback via email to clerk@carlsbadca.gov by 2 p.m. the day of the meeting 
3. Sign up to speak at the meeting

… and 3 ways to watch

1. Follow the meeting live on the city's website 
2. Watch the meeting live on the city’s cable channel: Spectrum channel 24 or AT&T U-verse channel 99
3. Watch a recording of the meeting afterward (online or on our channel)

The city’s Library Board of Trustees is also scheduled to meet next week. Just like City Council meetings, board and commission meetings are open to the public, livestreamed on the city’s website and available to watch afterward. See the full meeting schedule on our city calendar.

New e-bike rules and a spring break safety reminder

As I close, I want to give you a heads up that new e-bike rules will officially take effect in Carlsbad next Thursday, March 26, starting with a 60-day warning period. If you have an e-bike at home, I encourage you to review the new rules now and discuss them with your family, especially younger riders. The updated rules include a ban of e-bikes at Poinsettia and Pine Avenue community parks.

Next week also marks the start of spring break for some schools in parts of Carlsbad. That means you might be seeing more people out biking and walking. Please take care and look out for each other on the road.

Geoff Patnoe

City Manager