Resending this with one additional item under the list of topics that will be addressed by the City Council next Tuesday.
As we head into a beautiful, summer-like weekend, it’s hard to believe we are in mid-November – one of many reasons living in Carlsbad is so amazing!
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Today I will be checking in on the latest COVID-19 data, including booster recommendations and the upcoming holidays. Other updates include:
- Improving safety on Carlsbad streets
- The latest on redistricting in Carlsbad and beyond
- Another top-quality art exhibit opens in our city gallery
- A new opportunity to walk in nature
- Fire station construction coming right along
- Lantern festival connects our community
- Upcoming opportunities to get involved with your city government
- Recognizing my fellow veterans
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COVID-19 update
Two main themes seem to be dominating the COVID-19 news this week: booster shots and speculation about what the holiday season has in store.
- The CDC recommends boosters for those 18 and older who got the J&J vaccine at least two months ago
- For those who got Moderna and Pfizer, the CDC recommends boosters for those 65 and older or who are at a higher risk
Pfizer and Moderna are now seeking approval to offer boosters to anyone 18 and older, however this could be a formality since California’s top health official this week urged anyone who wants a booster to get one now, before the holidays. The state of Colorado has taken a similar stand.
California’s rationale behind the recommendation to deviate from CDC guidance is threefold:
- For those who got vaccinated when vaccines first became widely available, immunity could already be lower, right as the holidays begin.
- The holidays traditionally involve lots of indoor gatherings, after which we saw steep increases in COVID-19 cases last year.
- The current criteria for getting the vaccine can be widely interpreted and is based on the honor system, meaning many people already are getting the boosters.
My best advice, as always, is to check with your own health care provider to determine whether (and when) you should get a booster shot.
COVID-19 case update
Active cases in Carlsbad increased by three this week, but we seem to be generally tracking the curve we are seeing across the county. In Carlsbad and regionally, we are lower than the summer surge, but not back to where we were last spring.
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Other measures
Cumulatively, Carlsbad has among the lowest rates of hospitalization, ICU admissions and deaths in the region and much lower than the county average.
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You can see all the latest data in the county’s weekly COVID-19 watch.
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Making Carlsbad’s streets safer
The city’s Police Department was recently awarded a $108,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety. The money will help support the department’s ongoing work to reduce deaths and injuries on Carlsbad’s roadways through:
- Community education programs on distracted driving, California’s hands-free cell phone law and pedestrian and bicycle safety
- Preventing alcohol and drug-impaired driving
- Collision prevention programs focused on speed, failure to yield, failure to stop and improper turning/lane changes
- Collaborative traffic safety priorities with neighboring agencies
- Officer training and certifications for roadway safety testing
Learn more the department’s traffic-safety work here.
Key school intersection work starting
In northern Carlsbad, we have been exploring ways to improve pedestrian safety at a key intersection near Valley Middle School and Magnolia Elementary School.
I am very happy to report that crews will begin reconfiguring the crosswalk at Valley and Tamarack next week, taking advantage of upcoming school holidays to reduce inconveniences during the three-month construction schedule.
We have also worked with both schools to adjust work hours to avoid drop off and pick up times.
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Redistricting public hearing on Saturday
The City of Carlsbad Independent Redistricting Commission will hold the second of four public hearings this Saturday, Nov. 13, at 10 a.m. The virtual hearing will focus on the following topics, but you’re free to offer any input you feel the commission should consider:
- What groups, neighborhoods and other "communities of interest" should be kept together for the purpose of electing a City Council member?
- How would you define the geographic boundaries of your neighborhood? This could be streets, the beach, railroad tracks, nearby open space or other physical borders. Would your neighbors agree? Why or why not?
- What do you like about how the current districts are laid out? What don't you like? Why?
- What other considerations should the commission make when choosing a map?
In addition to the public hearing, the commission will hear a presentation about the current City Council district map and how it was chosen. Learn how to join and participate in the meeting here.
Other agencies are also in the process of redistricting, including:
State redistricting (includes State Assembly, State Senate, State Board of Equalization and U.S. House of Representatives)
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New exhibition at Cannon Art Gallery
Five local artists whose work ranges from mixed-media collage and embroidery to landscape painting will be featured in the 2021 Cannon Invitational Exhibition that kicks off this week at the city’s Cannon Art Gallery.
- An opening reception will be held Saturday, Nov. 13, from 5 to 7 p.m., in the courtyard. The event is sponsored by the Carlsbad Friends of the Arts. Admission is free.
- This is the Cannon Art Gallery’s ninth invitational exhibition. An invitational exhibition means artists are invited to exhibit their work by the show organizer or curator.
- The William D. Cannon Art Gallery is open Tuesdays through Thursdays, from noon to 7 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays, from noon to 5 p.m.
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Botanical walking tours
Guided botanical walking tours returned to Leo Carrillo Ranch Historic Park at 9:30 this morning and will repeat the second Friday of every month.
- Botanical experts Pat Linton and Mike Blanco will lead the tours and talk about the rich diversity of plant life at the ranch.
- Learn all about the native plants in the park and what makes them so special.
- These 90-minute tours are free, and reservations are not required.
- For visitors who prefer a shorter introduction, the city provides self-guided botanical tours brochures available in English and Spanish.
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Progress on Fire Station 2 reconstruction
Crews are making good progress on the reconstruction of Fire Station 2 in La Costa. Here’s a clip of the foundation being poured.
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- The new energy-efficient building will house up to five emergency service vehicles including a 60-foot ladder truck, a fire engine and an ambulance.
- The original station was built 1969 for one full-time firefighter and a yearly call volume of less than 250.
- The station now has five full-time firefighters and responds to approximately 4,000 calls a year.
- It should be done next summer.
Learn more about the project here.
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Community shines at lantern festival
More than 300 people attended last Saturday’s Festival of Lanterns at Alga Norte Aquatic Center in honor of National Gratitude Month. It was moving to see the pool illuminated with so many hand-decorated tributes and thankful messages. Events like these always remind me how grateful I am that Carlsbad is such a close knit and caring community.
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Get involved: Upcoming meetings
The next City Council meeting is Nov. 16 at 3 p.m. The agenda will be posted on the city's website later today along with instructions on how to participate virtually. Here is what is currently scheduled:
- A presentation recognizing Small Business Saturday
- Annual report on city investments
- Allowing the developer of a storage facility to move a driveway
- Granting SDG&E an easement so it can deliver electricity to apartment complexes being built on Harding Street and Oak Avenue
- A City Council policy on ex parte communication and a City Council code of ethics
- Bids for a storm drain on Magnolia Avenue
- Approving consulting agreements to support public works projects on an as needed basis
- Updating city code to comply with state regulations on reducing solid waste and organic waste
- Approving stop signs for Cerezo Drive at Los Robles Drive
- Amending the city’s ordinance on shared mobility devices, such as rented electric scooters, to align with state law
- Approving tax exempt state bonds for a recycling facility
- An appeal of the Planning Commission’s approval of plans for four homes on Adams Street
- Deciding whether to continue virtual public City Council meetings or return to in-person meetings
- Potential amendments to the Village and Barrio Master Plan
- An update on efforts to build a trail on SDG&E property on the south shore of the Agua Hedionda Lagoon
We also have two commission meetings next week:
- Nov. 15, 7 p.m. – Parks and Recreation Commission
- Nov. 17, 4 p.m. – Independent Redistricting Commission
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Saluting our veterans
Signing off today, I wanted to take a moment to honor all of those who have served and continue to serve our country in the U.S. Armed Forces. I’m proud to say that many of our city staff and their family members are veterans. On behalf of the City of Carlsbad, and from one veteran to another, thank you to all of those who have served and continue to serve. We salute you.
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Fun things to do
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