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News from the City of Carlsbad | Oct. 30, 2025

With Halloween tomorrow and Daylight Saving Time ending Sunday, there will be more people out and about after dark. Please slow down, stay alert and watch for trick-or-treaters on our roads. These safety tips can help make sure everyone has a safe, enjoyable evening.

And if you make it to the end of today’s update, there’s a fun Halloween throwback I hope brings a smile to your face. 



Now, here’s the full lineup:

• Terramar sidewalk and street improvements
• Halloween species spotlight: Bats
• Give your pumpkin a second life
• Congratulations to our 2025 Citizens Academy graduates
• Winter classes and upcoming community events
• Voting sites and street faire road closures
• What’s on the agenda for your next City Council meeting
• Recognizing our first responders

Terramar sidewalk and street improvements

The Terramar area along Carlsbad Boulevard and Cannon Road will undergo a series of street improvements including new sidewalks and street resurfacing, under a revised street improvements project the City Council approved Tuesday.

The project previously planned for the area included:

• A roundabout at Carlsbad Boulevard and Cannon Road
• Lane reductions on Cannon Road west of the railroad tracks
• A traffic signal at Cerezo Drive

Following recent community feedback regarding roundabouts, I brought this item forward to give the City Council an opportunity to re-evaluate the project’s scope.

During Tuesday’s meeting, the City Council approved a smaller scale project, which does not include a roundabout or lane reductions, but will repave and restripe the project area and add sidewalks on Carlsbad Boulevard.

Next steps

Following the City Council’s approval of the smaller-scale project, staff will:

• Work with the community to refine the project details, including whether a sidewalk is needed on both sides of the street or the west side only
• Return to the City Council with a conceptual design for consideration in spring 2026
• Conduct environmental review and permitting and final engineering design consistent with the City Council-approved design option
• Return to the City Council at a future date for adoption of plans and specifications and request authorization to bid for construction

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Halloween species spotlight: Bats

The Halloween season is the perfect time to spotlight one of nature’s most misunderstood creatures: bats. Often portrayed as mysterious in movies and folklore, bats actually play a vital role in keeping our environment healthy.

Here in Carlsbad, species such as the canyon bat (Pipistrellus hesperus) and the Mexican free-tailed bat (Tadarida brasiliensis) share our skies, helping control insect populations and support natural habitats.

Bat facts:

• A single bat can eat up to 1,000 mosquitoes in one hour
• The Mexican free-tailed bat can fly more than 100 miles per hour, making it one of the fastest animals on Earth
• San Diego County is home to at least 22 bat species, while California is home to 45 species in total
• Some species pollinate plants and spread seeds that help new growth

Bats face challenges from habitat loss, pesticide use and misinformation. Residents can help by installing a bat box—a wooden shelter that provides safe, dry roosting space for bats—reducing outdoor lighting and avoiding pesticides.

If you visit Lake Calavera Preserve at dusk, you may see bats in action as they help keep our local environment in balance. Through the city’s Habitat Management Plan, Carlsbad continues to preserve and protect natural spaces that support native wildlife, including bats and other species that help our environment thrive.

Give your pumpkin a second life

Across the country, more than one billion pounds of pumpkins are sent to landfills each year.

Once your Halloween pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns have done their duty, don’t let them haunt the landfill. Give them a second life by reusing or composting them instead.

When food waste breaks down in landfills, it doesn’t just disappear — it produces methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. Composting keeps organic materials out of landfills and turns them into useful compost and mulch for local parks, yards and gardens.

If your pumpkin is carved, remove candles and decorations and place it in your green organics cart. Painted pumpkins can be composted only after paint is removed. Wash off water-based, non-toxic paint with water or vegetable oil. If the paint is thick or not biodegradable, put the pumpkin in your gray landfill cart.

If your pumpkin is uncarved and in good condition, reuse it for the rest of the season:

• Roast the seeds for a crunchy snack
• Make or freeze puree for future recipes
• Use it as natural fall décor for the rest of the season

Efforts like composting support the city’s Climate Action Plan goals and contribute to a sustainable Carlsbad. The city’s Climate Action Plan dashboard tracks progress toward reducing emissions and building a more sustainable Carlsbad. It’s one of several dashboards available on the city’s website for anyone who wants to follow progress on city goals.

Congratulations to our 2025 Citizens Academy graduates

Last week, participants in this year’s Citizens Academy celebrated the end of the seven-week program that gives residents an inside look at how city government works. Each session focused on a different part of city operations, with presentations, facility tours and opportunities to meet the staff who help keep Carlsbad running smoothly.

Congratulations to this year’s graduates for their commitment to learning more about our community and how our local government serves all who live, work and play here every day. If you’re interested in joining a future academy, you can submit an online application to be added to the waitlist for the 2026 program. 

Winter classes and upcoming community events

Check out our recently updated online catalogue for a sneak peek at the wide range of winter recreation classes and programs before the sign-up window opens Nov. 12.



Meanwhile, here are some community events happening soon:

• Cinema Club Friday, "Nosferatu" – Friday, Oct. 31, 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., Dove Library
• Haunted Halloween Bash – Friday, Oct. 31, 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., Pine Avenue Community Center
• Saturdays in the Courtyard - *Special Día de los Muertos Event* Jarabe Mexicano – Saturday, Nov. 1, 5 p.m., Dove Library
• Carlsbad Cruisers Walking Club (Adults 50+) – Tuesdays, 9 to 10:15 a.m., Carlsbad Village; Thursdays, 9 to 10:15 p.m., Batiquitos Lagoon
• Reel Wednesday, “The Menu" – Wednesday, Nov. 5, 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., Dove Library

Find more activities and information in our city calendar, the Senior Center’s Seaside Insider newsletter and our Fall Community Services Guide.

Voting sites and street faire road closures

• There are only a few days left to vote in California’s Nov. 4 special election. You can drop your ballot at any Carlsbad City Library location or vote at any voting center in the county.
• If you’re going to be in the downtown Village this weekend, be aware that several streets will be closed Sunday, Nov. 2, from 4 a.m. to 8 p.m. for the Carlsbad Village Street Faire. See the full list of street closures. 

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

The next City Council meeting is Tuesday, Nov. 4, at 5 p.m. in the City Council Chamber. Topics on the agenda include:

• An agreement for the use of mapping and data visualization software to inform the city’s decision-making
• Purchasing an uninterruptible power supply for the city’s Emergency Operations Center so that it will have power during any outages
• The contract to install a new heating, ventilation and air conditioning system at the Heritage Hall auditorium at the city’s Harding Center
• The contract for the final phase of the El Camino Real widening work, which will widen El Camino Real between Camino Vida Roble and Poinsettia Lane, with a third northbound lane and new sidewalks
• Buying a housing unit originally sold by a developer as affordable housing so it can then be resold to an eligible lower-income buyer as part of the city’s efforts to increase the amount of affordable housing in Carlsbad
• Updating the Carlsbad Municipal Code to reflect recent changes in California’s building and fire codes

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)

Next week, several city commissions are also scheduled to meet including the Arts Commission, Planning Commission and Traffic Safety & Mobility Commission.

The week of meetings begins Monday with the Traffic Safety & Mobility Commission meeting. The agenda includes an item regarding parking in the Barrio.

• At the meeting, staff will present an assessment of parking opportunities on Madison Street and Chestnut Avenue, near Pine Avenue Community Park. 
• The staff report, along with other agenda items, will be posted on the commission page by end of day Friday.
• You can attend the meeting in person or provide comments to traffic@carsbadca.gov.

Board and commission meetings are also livestreamed on the city’s website and available to watch afterward. You can see the full meeting schedule on our city calendar.

Recognizing our first responders

Tuesday was National First Responders Day, a great reminder of how fortunate we are to have amazing Police, Fire and Public Works professionals in Carlsbad, who always answer the call and go above and beyond to help keep our community safe. Thank you to all our first responders for everything you do.

Our first responders are our true superheroes and I suspect we will see a lot of young people (and those young at heart) tomorrow night in our neighborhoods dressed as superheroes for Halloween. Even City Managers have been known to dress up from time to time as well. My mom texted me this photo last night of her favorite City Manager…

Have a great weekend.

Geoff Patnoe

City Manager