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News from the City of Carlsbad | Oct. 15, 2026

If you’re a regular reader of these updates, you’ve heard about the work underway to stabilize the bluff on south Carlsbad Boulevard, north of the bridge at Las Encinas Creek. Today, I’ll bring you up to speed on options we’re exploring to realign the road away from the bluffs.

I’ll also give you a behind-the-scenes look at how the city regularly inspects underground pipes, and why that work is especially important ahead of a potentially strong El Niño season.

Here’s the full lineup:

• Exploring long-term options for south Carlsbad Boulevard
• Underground pipe inspections at the touch of a button
• New electric truck helps power homeless outreach
• Trail volunteer event next Wednesday
• Community events and activities 
• What’s on the agenda for your next City Council meeting
• Update on Tamarack State Beach parking lot 

Exploring long-term options for south Carlsbad Boulevard



The city is working swiftly to stabilize the bluff on south Carlsbad Boulevard, north of the bridge at Las Encinas Creek, following a geotechnical report that recommended emergency stabilization measures. We declared a local emergency to expedite this work, which will help protect the road and keep the community safe ahead of potentially strong El Niño conditions. 

Today, I want to give you an update on a potential long-term project in the area, including action I took recently and shared with the City Council in a memo.

There has been a lot of interest in the section of Carlsbad Boulevard between Solamar Drive and Island Way, which might be under threat from rising sea levels in future years. Several years ago, the city received information that identified a potential solution involving moving a portion of the road east and away from the ocean.

• The City Council identified the project as a priority in its 5-Year Strategic Plan.
• In June 2023, the City Council directed staff to advance a concept with one lane in each direction. The dollar figure to complete the project at the time was estimated at $280 million. That is a big number.
• In 2024, the City Council allocated additional money to fund preliminary engineering and permitting.
• The city has been looking at funding options and applying for grants, while also keeping an eye on environmental changes as well to determine if or when this might be a significant threat.

While this may still be many years off, I felt we have the responsibility to investigate this matter further and prepare should this challenge land on our desk much sooner than had been anticipated.

I am interested to learn if there might be less costly options that would accomplish the same goals of protecting the roadway, maintaining coastal access and addressing anticipated coastal hazards. The city is working now to explore options and get updated cost estimates.

We anticipate completing the analysis in late 2027, when staff will share report findings and discuss alternatives with the City Council.

This initial step will help the city understand its options so we are prepared in case action is needed sooner, and so the City Council can decide whether and how to move forward with the project.

Underground pipe inspections at the touch of a button

While City of Carlsbad staff members are proactively preparing for El Niño, regularly scheduled sewer pipe inspections can also be helpful in making sure the city’s sewer system is prepared for storms.

The inspections involve a piece of equipment that is strikingly similar to a video game controller.

But instead of commanding a character in a video game, this controller’s joysticks and buttons are guiding a closed-circuit camera that traverses city pipes.

While one staff member gives the camera slack through a cable, another drives the camera forward, back and side to side, watching on a monitor and documenting any defects to make sure they’re fixed before they become a problem for the community. I recently went out with the team on an inspection and got to witness this work, and you can do the same by watching this behind-the-scenes video.

• The city checks the sewer pipelines on a rolling basis to identify pipes that need to be fixed and include them in the city’s Capital Improvement Program.
• This will help make sure the pipes are ready for additional flow, reduce the likelihood of sewer spills and reduce the load on infrastructure and the wastewater plant that serves the city.

With some pipes in Carlsbad over 100 years old, this proactive approach has already paid dividends twice this year, in the Ponto area and near the Agua Hedionda Lagoon. In both instances, the city found cracked or partially collapsed sewer pipes and declared states of emergency, allowing the city to expedite repairs before the pipes impacted the community.

Carlsbad Municipal Water District and the City of Carlsbad provide top quality drinking water, recycled water and wastewater services to more than 30,000 homes and businesses in Carlsbad. Properties in the southern portion of the city are served by the Olivenhain Municipal Water District and Vallecitos Water District. You can view this map to see which water district serves your area.

New electric truck helps power homeless outreach

The next time you’re out and about in Carlsbad, you may see the city’s first new all-electric Police Homeless Outreach Team pickup truck on patrol. The Police Homeless Outreach Team consists of six officers and one sergeant who are out in the community seven days a week working to reduce homelessness and the impact on the community.

This is the 11th Ford Lightning to be deployed in the city’s fleet and the second Ford Lightning assigned to Police Operations (the other is the white Lightning assigned to the Ranger Team). The new electric truck is one of 177 EV or hybrid city vehicles.

This is just one way we are continuing to advance actions identified in our updated Climate Action Plan and support sustainability goals in the City Council’s 5-Year Strategic Plan.

All-electric vehicles that can also perform the tough demands of a police vehicle are unique, and I’m glad we’re able to put them to good use in our city.

You can help our Homeless Outreach Team by reporting homelessness issues through the city’s Carlsbad Connects app or calling 442-339-2249.

Trail volunteer event next Wednesday 


Our next trail volunteer event is Wednesday, Oct. 21, at the Melrose 55 Filoli Circle Trail in the La Costa Oaks North area.

Trail volunteer event

Wednesday, Oct. 21

8:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Melrose 55 Filoli Circle Trail

Filoli Circle near Corintia Street   

• The city provides all the tools you need, plus training.
• Wear closed-toe shoes and long pants to protect against bugs and branches.
• Bring water, sunscreen and gloves. (If you don’t have gloves, we can provide them.)

Weather permitting, work will include clearing vegetation, cleaning out drainage ditches and smoothing the trail surface with decomposed granite.

Public parking is available along Filoli Circle and Corintia Street, near the entrance to the Vallecitos Water District Treatment Plant, 7941 Corintia St.



If you can’t make it to this event, there will be another opportunity to volunteer in November.

Community events and activities

Here are some more events and activities coming up soon at our libraries, community centers and the Carlsbad Senior Center:

• Creative Crafting – Friday, Oct. 16, 1 to 3 p.m., Carlsbad Senior Center
• Cinema Club Friday: “Helvetica” – Friday, Oct. 16, 4 and 7 p.m., Dove Library
• How Tai Chi Can Change Your Life – Friday, Oct. 16, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., Carlsbad Senior Center
• Pumpkin Plunge – Saturday, Oct. 17, 5 to 8 p.m., Alga Norte Aquatic Center
• Saturdays in the Courtyard - Frank Lazzaro and the Middle-Earth Ensemble – Saturday, Oct. 24, 5 to 6 p.m., Dove Library



If you’re interested in exploring your family history, Cole Library is home to one of the largest genealogy collections in Southern California. One of our genealogy series is set to begin next Tuesday, Oct. 20. Rotating monthly topics cover how to use the library’s genealogy databases and other resources.

What's on the agenda?



The next City Council meeting will be on Tuesday, Oct. 20, starting at 5 p.m. in the City Council Chamber. Topics include:

• Accepting a donation of three automated external defibrillator units from City Soccer Club-Carlsbad
• Expanding authority previously delegated to the City Manager to execute North County Transit District right-of-way permits and agreements
• Accepting grant funds from the California Office of Traffic Safety for fiscal year 2026-27
• Awarding a construction contract for stairs replacement at Leo Carrillo Ranch Historic Park
• Continuing the declaration of a local emergency to address bluff erosion north of Encinas Creek
• Appointing two members to the Arts Commission
• A public hearing to consider approving the fiscal year 2027-28 draft Community Development Block Grant Funding Plan and authorizing the release of a Notice of Funding Availability for fiscal year 2027-28 projects

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

Three 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 or comment virtually

… and three 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 Senior Commission is also scheduled to meet next week. Board and commission meetings are livestreamed on the city’s website and available to watch afterward. See the full meeting schedule on our city calendar. 

Update on Tamarack State Beach parking lot and weathering the weekend storm

I thought I’d end today’s update with a bit of news regarding the Tamarack State Beach parking lot, which has been closed to vehicles since early September due to damage and erosion from recent high tides and storms. Over the weekend, the State Parks staff fenced off their parking lot and property, so pedestrians can no longer access the area as well. 

However, I am pleased to share the State Parks staff has let us know that they hired a coastal engineer to plan repairs and State Parks hopes to have work completed by the end of December. 

If you’re wondering why the state is taking the lead, it’s because State Parks owns and manages six of the seven miles of coastline in Carlsbad, including Tamarack State Beach and parking lot. The city only controls approximately one mile of beach, from just north of Oak Avenue to the Oceanside border, and a small section of Terramar between Cerezo Drive and Cannon Road. 

Because Tamarack is a state beach and property, we simply do not have the authority to take the lead or start making repairs. I explained more details in this recent update on Carlsbad beaches we posted on the city’s website. 

I will continue to keep you posted on developments as they come in and share with you other storm-related information.

Speaking of that, the city fared quite well in the series of storms last weekend. We briefly closed one road that connects to Oceanside along the lagoon, however, the road was open quickly. Still, we know more wet weather is in the forecast for next week, so if you see a flooded road or a flooded road sign, please never attempt to cross. Your safety is not worth the risk. 

Have a great weekend, and I'll keep you posted on next steps from the state.

Geoff Patnoe

City Manager