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News from the City of Carlsbad | Sept. 24, 2026

El Niño storm preparations are well underway in Carlsbad, so I’m beginning this week’s update with a behind-the-scenes video of crews clearing a drainage channel near Kelly and Park drives to protect the road from potential flooding. Lower down, I’ll share more about that work and additional preparations across the city.

I’ll also highlight a couple of ways you can get involved and give back in Carlsbad, from tutoring adult learners to helping care for our trails.

Here’s the full lineup:

• Behind the scenes: El Niño preparations
• Carlsbad City Library programs help build literacy
• Volunteer as a reading and writing tutor 
• Celebrate National Public Lands Day at Carlsbad trail event
• Community events and activities 
• What’s on the agenda for your next City Council meeting
• Veterans Memorial Park ad hoc subcommittee meeting

Behind the scenes: El Niño preparations

If you’ve driven by Kelly and Park drives this week, you’ve likely noticed crews in the area where the road meets the trail system that leads to the Agua Hedionda Lagoon.

They’ve been working to clear the culvert, a box-shaped drainage channel under the road, to help prevent flooding during the upcoming El Niño. This video takes you behind the scenes of the work.

The city maintains the channel that leads to the Agua Hedionda Lagoon quarterly and removes the built-up sediment as needed. Clearing the sediment will allow excess water to flow directly into the creek that leads to the lagoon, instead of backing up and flooding city streets.

Thank you to our city staff for being on top of this project ahead of the rainy season. The city, meanwhile, is taking a multi-pronged approach to prepare for the rainy season.

More preparation work

As El Niño approaches, the city is closely coordinating with federal, state and local first responders, emergency managers and weather agencies. We’re also:

• Reviewing emergency action plans for the Calavera, Maerkle and Mahr dams
• Ensuring our Public Works crews and Emergency Operations Center are ready
• Coordinating the availability and distribution of sandbags for the community
• Inspecting and clearing storm drains and other drainage channels, trimming trees, and preparing for potential mud and debris flows
• Checking all water and wastewater pumps, and reviewing and replacing batteries and backup generators at the Maerkle Reservoir and wastewater lift stations

Here’s a look at some of our specially trained fire personnel preparing swift water and Urban Search & Rescue resources for potential emergency response.

City staff are also making necessary infrastructure repairs, actively monitoring potential road and coastal erosion concerns and maintaining streets to help reduce the risk of flooding and storm damage.

In January 2026, the city expedited repairs to storm drain infrastructure in the coastal bluffs near Carlsbad Boulevard and Solamar Drive damaged by previous storms.

You can find specific information on what you can do to prepare for El Niño, heavy rain and flooding on the city's website.

Carlsbad City Library programs help build literacy

September is National Literacy Month, created to highlight the importance of reading, writing and lifelong learning. The Carlsbad City Library promotes literacy all year long with free programs and resources to support readers of all ages in our community.

• For younger readers, the library builds early reading skills through interactive story times and challenges like 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten. 
• At the Carlsbad City Library Learning Center, the library offers confidential literacy tutoring, English as a Second Language (ESL) classes and an online pathway to earn a high school diploma.
• To encourage a love of reading, the library also hosts a variety of book clubs, including a youth book club for grades 1 to 3, a teen book club for grades 7 to 12 and several book clubs for adults.
• The library also promotes literacy and a love of reading through annual community-wide events like the In-N-Out Reading Program, Winter Reading Challenge, Carlsbad Reads Together and the Summer Reading Adventure.

Volunteer as a reading and writing tutor 



While we’re talking literacy, the Library Learning Center is always looking for volunteer tutors for its adult literacy program. Volunteer tutors work one-on-one with adult learners, helping them build skills and confidence they can use in everyday life.

No experience is necessary. Schedules are flexible and the Learning Center provides all the training. In this video, a literacy tutor shares how rewarding the experience can be.

If you’re interested in becoming a tutor, call 442-339-2878 or email literacy@carlsbadca.gov.

Celebrate National Public Lands Day at Carlsbad trail event

 

If you’re interested in getting outdoors and giving back to our community, our next trail volunteer event is Saturday at Rancho Carrillo West Trail, in honor of National Public Lands Day.

National Public Lands Day is organized annually and led by the National Environmental Education Foundation, in partnership with the National Park Service and other federal agencies. Each year, hundreds of thousands of volunteers come together to help care for and protect public lands across the country.

At Carlsbad’s event:

• The city will provide a work plan and safety training, along with tools and water.
• Please wear proper protective clothing, such as closed-toe shoes and gloves. 
• Volunteers will remove vegetation and help with surface grading and erosion control.

National Public Lands Day volunteer event

Rancho Carrillo West Trail 

Saturday, Sept. 26

8:30 to 11:30 a.m. 

Carrillo Elementary School parking lot

2875 Poinsettia Lane 

Community events and activities

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

• Cinema Club Friday: “I Dream in Another Language” – Friday, Sept. 25, 4 and 7 p.m., Dove Library
• Front Row Saturday – Patti Zlaket – Saturday, Sept. 26, 5 to 6 p.m., Dove Library
• Art of Belonging – Monday, Sept. 28, 1 to 2:30 p.m., Carlsbad Senior Center
• Reel Wednesday: “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” – Wednesday, Sept. 30, 4 and 7 p.m., Dove Library
• Public Safety Open House – Saturday, Oct. 3, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Carlsbad Safety Training Center
• Author event: John Thill – Saturday, Oct. 3, 10 to 11:30 a.m., Cole Library

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

The next City Council meeting will be on Tuesday, Sept. 29, starting at 5 p.m. in the City Council Chamber. Topics include:

• An annual update on how the city’s investments are performing
• Declaring a piece of vacant city-owned land near College Boulevard and Palomar Point Way as exempt surplus land
• Accepting the Fiscal Year 2025 Operation Stonegarden Grant
• Permanently retaining fallen police officer memorial signs installed in the city right-of-way
• Awarding a contract for improvements to the Chinquapin Lift Station wastewater pumping system
• Continuing the declaration of a local emergency to address bluff erosion north of Encinas Creek on the west side of Carlsbad Blvd
• Appointing five members to the Agricultural Conversion Mitigation Fee Citizens’ Advisory Committee
• Considering approval of a traffic calming plan for Anillo Way, La Gran Via and Madrilena Way and introduction of an ordinance for traffic calming improvements in the neighborhood
• A public hearing about the Rincon Roosevelt mixed-use project proposed in the Village
• Approval of fiscal year 2025-26 budget carryforward requests to fiscal year 2026-27

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)

Veterans Memorial Park ad hoc subcommittee meeting

Also next week, the City Council's Ad Hoc Veterans Memorial Park Veterans Recognition Subcommittee will hold its final of three meetings on Wednesday, Sept. 30, at 5 p.m. in the City Council Chamber. The City Council formed this subcommittee to gather input from veterans, nonprofit veteran organizations and community members on additional ways to recognize veterans at the future park.

At next week's meeting, the subcommittee will review ideas and concepts developed by staff based on feedback from the subcommittee and community members. They’ll then consider final recommendations to bring to the full City Council for consideration.

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. 

Have a great weekend!

Geoff Patnoe

City Manager