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May is shaping up to be a busy month. We have a lot to share this week, including updates on the city’s new e-bike safety laws, a recap of this week’s City Council special meeting and what the statewide drought situation means for Carlsbad. I’ll cover all this and more in today’s update.
- New e-bike safety laws taking effect
- City Council special meeting recap
- More water conservation urged
- Free home energy assessment programs
- Wildfire preparedness tips
- A carnival and classic car show
- Create your own sculpture event
- Our Happy Trails newsletter
- Upcoming public meetings
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E-bike safety laws
Starting today, new city laws take effect that make it easier to enforce the safe and considerate use of e-bikes, motorized scooters and other similar ways of getting around town. This means that police can now issue citations if people violate the laws or can offer certain violators the option of taking a safety course instead of receiving a citation.
What are the laws?
Specifically, the updated ordinance says riders:
- Have a duty to always ride with care and to reduce speed when needed for safety
- Can’t have passengers on handlebars, floorboard or other areas of a bicycle, e-bike or similar motorized device that aren’t specifically made for additional riders
- Can’t attach a bicycle, e-bike or similar motorized device to any moving vehicle or motorized or non-motorized wheeled device
- Can’t operate or ride a bicycle, e-bike or similar motorized device on sidewalks, public drainage facilities, culverts, ditches, channels, or any public athletic or sports court or gymnasium in the city
- Must get off their bicycle, e-bike or similar motorized device on trails less than 5 feet wide when they’re within 50 feet of a pedestrian or horseback rider
The ordinance doesn’t apply to the type of mobility devices that people with disabilities use to get around.
More e-bike safety efforts
The City of Carlsbad and Carlsbad Police have implemented several other initiatives in the past few years to enhance e-bike safety, including several that are ongoing.
Looking ahead, the city and Carlsbad Unified School District are hosting a bicycle and e-bike safety and education workshop for parents and students on Tuesday, May 24, from 6-7 p.m. at Pine Avenue Community Center. To attend, you can RSVP to reshelman@carlsbadusd.net.
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City Council special meeting recap
On Tuesday, the City Council held a special meeting to finish its discussion about major “capital improvement” projects planned for the next five years to ensure they are in alignment with the goals of its five-year strategic plan, which is scheduled to be completed this summer. Capital improvement projects typically refer to those that involve building, or improving property or a major city asset, like water pipes.
You can see the list of projects the City Council discussed in the staff report (they did not go over projects like sewer improvements and other infrastructure projects already under construction, although there is a list of those in the staff report too). At this time, all of the projects on the list (55 in all) are approved and moving forward.
The City Council directed staff to make changes to accelerate the timeline for the following projects on the list.
Village and Barrio projects
- Village and Barrio Traffic Circles. This project would create traffic circles or traffic-calming measures at eight locations in the Village and Barrio.
- Barrio Street Lighting. This project would add new pedestrian lighting in the Barrio along four street corridors: Harding, Madison, Roosevelt and Magnolia.
- Village Decorative Lighting. This project would enhance safety and visibility and create a more inviting environment in the Village.
- Tyler Street Traffic Circulation Study. This project, which hasn’t started yet, would look at how to address traffic flow on Tyler Street in the city’s Barrio neighborhood.
Monroe Street Pool improvements
Staff has prioritized maintenance repairs on the Monroe Street Pool within the current budget year and recently addressed several maintenance requests that had been highlighted by pool users. In June, the City Council will consider whether to put the Monroe Street Pool on the November 2022 ballot for voters to consider whether to approve spending more than $1 million in general fund money on further Monroe Street Pool renovations. You can learn more about the project on the city’s website.
Lowering the railroad tracks
The City Council also said a project to lower the railroad tracks through the downtown area remains a top priority. The project is part of the San Diego Association of Government’s long-range plan to double-track the rail line through Carlsbad to plan ahead for increased train traffic, which is expected to double by 2035.
Because it isn’t a city-led project, council members asked staff to remove it from the city’s list of projects. Instead, the City Council directed staff to work with regional agencies to prioritize the work and to help seek state and federal funding for needed studies to move it along as quickly as possible.
Next steps
In May, city staff will come back to the City Council with a preliminary operating budget for the next fiscal year. Then in June, city staff will present the portion of the preliminary budget that covers capital improvement projects. At that time, staff will present information and options on what it would take to accelerate the projects the City Council identified.
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You may have seen in the news some water agencies in Southern California are moving forward with water use restrictions in response to drought conditions across the state. I want to share the latest on the drought situation and how things are looking as we head into the warmest and driest months of the year.
Climatologists have reported California has logged the driest first three months of a year in the state’s recorded history.
On March 28, Governor Newsom issued an executive order asking Californians to increase water conservation, while recognizing what local agencies like the San Diego County Water Authority and its members – including the Carlsbad Municipal Water District – have already done to conserve water and develop local water supplies.
Although we’re not yet sure what exactly will be required, the State Water Resources Control Board is expected to adopt emergency regulations by May 25, 2022. The governor’s order directs the board to make changes that will require water agencies to:
- Implement level 2 of their drought contingency plans, which is designed to reduce water usage by up to 20%. (The City of Carlsbad is now at level 1, which is voluntary with a goal to reduce water usage by 10%.); and
- Implement a ban on watering decorative grass at businesses and commercial sites. (The ban wouldn’t affect residential lawns or grass used for recreation, such as school fields, sports fields and parks and should not affect Carlsbad businesses using recycled water.)
Carlsbad residents have done a great job conserving water, which has reduced the amount of water per capita used by almost 48% since 2008.
Later this month, the City Council will consider declaring a drought response level 2 to comply with the anticipated emergency regulations from the state. This would require some additional water conservation actions for Carlsbad Municipal Water District customers. I’ll share more on what that means for our residents and businesses in the coming weeks.
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Free home energy assessment
As the city prioritizes environmental sustainability, there are some simple actions that residents can also take to help care for Carlsbad and create a more sustainable community. One of those actions is taking advantage of the city’s free, customized assessment to measure their home’s energy use.
This Home Energy Score Assessment Program is one of the original Climate Action Plan programs and is a great opportunity for homeowners to do their part to conserve energy, improve their indoor air quality and comfort and save money along the way.
Appointments with a city-certified home energy score assessor are first come, first served.
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Wildfire Preparedness Week
It’s Wildfire Preparedness Week, and we’re sharing tips to help you protect your home and family. Here in Carlsbad, we’re fortunate to enjoy abundant natural open space all year long, but when nature is your neighbor, it's essential to take precautions against wildfire.
Be ember aware
Flying embers can travel miles in high winds during a wildfire. The City of Carlsbad Fire Department created this helpful handout with 10 tips to protect the most susceptible areas of your home.
Create defensible space
Creating defensible space around your home will help protect your property and provide a safety zone for firefighters to work if a fire threatens your home. Defensible space is the area around a structure where flammable foliage and materials that can spread fire have been cleared, reduced or replaced. This space acts as a barrier between a structure and an advancing fire and its embers.
You can find step-by-step instructions for creating defensible space, along with helpful safety videos on the city’s website.
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Hot Rods & Cool Treats
The City of Carlsbad is bringing back the past at our Hot Rods & Cool Treats carnival and classic car show from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 14 at Pine Avenue Community Park, 3333 Harding Street.
- Enjoy vintage carnival games like can-knock-down, ring toss, frog hopper and more
- Build your own sundae at the ice cream bar
- Vote on your favorite classic car
- Enjoy face painting, crafts, a fun zone, and live performances covering the oldies
- The Senior Center will be open for program demonstrations
The event is free, and carnival game tickets and food will be available for purchase, including hot dogs and root beer floats. No registration is required to attend the event.
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Create your own sculpture
If you’re looking for something fun to do on Saturday, check out our Pop Up Art event at the Carlsbad Sculpture Garden. You’ll create your own 3D standing mixed media sculpture inspired by the artwork that surrounds you at the sculpture garden.
Pop Up Art event
Free, all ages
May 7, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Carlsbad Sculpture Garden
2955 Elmwood Street
During the event, you will:
- Study the sculptures in the garden and learn about each artist
- Explore 3D design principles and art construction
- Use unique art materials to create an artist inspired three-dimensional sculpture
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Happy Trails newsletter
Love our trails and open spaces? Check out the new spring/summer issue of Happy Trails newsletter. You can learn about new volunteer opportunities and cleanups, and how to safely share our trails with wildlife like bees, snakes and coyotes.
Pick up your copy at one of our city community centers or view online.
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Get involved: Upcoming meetings
The next regular City Council meeting will be Tuesday, May 10, starting at 5 p.m. in the City Council chamber. Here are the topics scheduled to be discussed:
- An update on the city’s investments
- Workers’ compensation settlements for two city employees
- Appropriating an additional $100,000 for fuel for city vehicles due to higher fuel costs
- Authorizing a request for proposals for funding for restoration or environmental projects from the fees collected when coastal agricultural lands are developed
- Introducing three ordinances that would ban plastic bottles at city facilities and city-affiliated events, single-use plastic shopping bags and the intentional release of balloons in Carlsbad
- Adopting an ordinance that would amend the city’s plan for housing and another ordinance approving the Police Department’s use of military equipment, both to align city laws with state law
- The annual action plan for spending federal housing funds from the Community Development Block Grant program
- Renewing the contract for the city’s license plate readers and possibly expanding the law enforcement program
- Considering replacing the Police Department’s computer-assisted dispatching system, and whether to buy in-car cameras for police vehicles
- An update on state legislation and the city’s positions on proposed laws
- Whether to allow people to make public comments virtually as well as in person at City Council meetings and other city meetings
- A possible City Council policy on flags
A link to the full agenda and staff reports is available on the city’s website. You can watch the meeting live on the city’s website or cable TV channel.
These city meetings are also planned in the coming week:
- May 9, 3 p.m. – Economic Development Subcommittee
- May 9, 6 p.m. – Historic Preservation Commission
- May 10, 9 a.m. – Legislative Subcommittee
- May 12, 6 p.m. – Housing Commission
Thanks for reading, as always. Have a great weekend and I’ll see you back here next week!
Scott Chadwick
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Fun things to do
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