______City Manager's Weekly Update
October 22, 2021
The following is provided as an update regarding programs, services and issues within the City.
Weekly Update Video
Community News & Updates
City Manager Appoints Mike Blood New Fire Chief
Former Coronado Fire Chief Mike Blood, who has been serving in an interim capacity since July, has been permanently appointed to the position, City Manager Tina Friend announced this week. Blood, who served Coronado for 28 years in all ranks of the organization, retired as Coronado’s fire chief in October 2017. He will return to active employment on Nov. 1. Although a professional search had been initiated to identify a permanent replacement following the retirement of former Fire Chief Jim Lydon, Friend said it was clear that Blood was the right person for the job. As Fire Chief, Blood will oversee a department of 41 full time employees from both Fire Services and the Beach Lifeguard Division, as well as up to 50 seasonal and part-time lifeguards. Blood will manage Coronado’s Disaster Preparedness, including the Emergency Operations Center and the coordination of the department’s public education programs. Prior to his position as chief, Blood served as a division chief primarily responsible for operations and training. He also served as fire captain, fire engineer and firefighter, starting in 1989. 
Police Arrest Residential Burglary Suspect
Just before 11 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 21, Coronado Police received a call from a resident, who was calling from out of town, stating that her neighbor, who is a relative, had noticed lights inside of the residence being turned on and off. Officers arrived and were given a spare key. However, officers noticed metal shavings on the ground and other metal pieces. The spare key didn’t fit the door, so officers checked the home and saw doors wide open, a fire in the fireplace and music playing. Officers requested Sheriff’s ASTREA helicopter and a K-9 unit. A person could be seen walking around on the second floor. No one was supposed to be there. K-9 units arrived, and officers called out to the suspect, who left the home and was taken into custody. The 43-year-old woman, who claimed the home was hers, was arrested on burglary charges. In this case, Police say the neighbor did everything right, called 911, did not enter the home and provided all the details she could. It’s always a good idea to let someone know you are away so they can do a check of the home.
Coronado Community Read 2022 Kicks Off
The City and Coronado Public Library invite readers to submit their nominations for the 2022 Coronado Community Read. Now in its sixth year, the Community Read is designed to unite the community through the shared reading of a single book. The program encourages discussion and participation in planned community-building events around the theme of the title, selected by the readers. Submit your nominations for the 2022 READ now through Nov. 5. The Coronado Community Read Selection Committee, comprised of Coronado Public Library staff, community partners and local book club members, consider all nominated titles, apply the established criteria to narrow the field down to 10 and then to 5 titles. Then the community will vote on the final five. To nominate a book, visit commentcoronado.org or find a ballot box at the Library, City Hall, Coronado Historical Association, or Bay Books.
'Halloween Happening' Events, Holiday Fun
Halloween is a week from Sunday. Visit commentcoronado.org to find out about all the City-sponsored “Halloween Happening” events for all ages that will take place on Friday, Oct. 29, at the Community Center, Spreckels Park, the Library and Spreckels Center. For more information on all these events, call (619) 522-7342. Additionally, the City will close down Margarita Avenue for Halloween and Coronado MainStreet is planning the return of "MainStreet Goes Ghostly" on the holiday from 3:30 to 5 p.m. This community event is supported by a grant from the City of Coronado Community Grant Program and includes droves of costumed goblins, princesses and super heroes trick-or-treating along Orange Avenue. PAWS of Coronado will get in the spirit with a pet costume contest fundraising event at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 27, at McP's Irish Pub & Grill.
Village Theatre Update
The Village Theatre reopened earlier this month but may soon be modifying its schedule due to the long-awaited arrival of new seating after many shipping delays. If the seating arrives as promised in early November, the theatre will close for a time. That schedule will be announced as soon as it is known. The work will not interfere with the schedule of the Coronado Island Film Festival. The theater will be the main location for screenings during the film festival. Ticket prices at the theater have changed for the first time in 10 years but are in line with other similar movie houses around San Diego County.
Police Department's Ride to Live Program Receives New Funding
The Coronado Police Department received grant funding from the California Office of Traffic Safety to step up motorcycle safety awareness with free, hands-on rider trainings. The $50,000 grant will pay for a series of free motorcycle safety classes that allows riders to practice braking, turning, steering, entering traffic and other skills that help avoid collisions and improve rider safety on the road. The City hopes riders take advantage of this free training course and the opportunity to improve their skills. Training is one of the best ways a rider can reduce their odds of being involved in a collision. The motorcycle training program will run through September 2022. New classes have been added. To register for a free training class, click the link below.
'Live' Hometown Heroes Ceremony Set for Nov. 6
The community is invited to the City's first “live” Hometown Heroes Banner ceremony in two years set for Saturday, Nov. 6. Thirteen Hometown Heroes will be honored with banners hung along the “Avenue of Heroes” on Third and Fourth streets from Orange Avenue to Naval Air Station North Island. The ceremony will begin at 10:30 a.m. at the Coronado High School Performing Arts Center, 650 D Ave. The City postponed the spring 2020 event and held the next two virtually. The City, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2422, the Third and Fourth Streets Neighborhood Association, the Hometown Banner Committee and the Coronado Historical Association developed the program in 2014 to recognize veterans or active duty service members who live or have lived in Coronado. The ceremony will be livestreamed on the City of Coronado YouTube channel and rebroadcast on Coronado TV. If you would like to nominate someone, get more details on the livestream or watch archived ceremonies, visit the City’s website or CommentCoronado.org.
$4M Available for Local Affordable Housing Projects
The City has notified owners of existing multi-family residential properties of the availability of up to $4 million in funding to help finance affordable housing projects. A letter was sent to those who may be eligible to receive funding in exchange for dedicating some or all of their housing units for lower income households. To qualify, property owners would be required to record a deed restriction over selected housing units to ensure they are rented exclusively to lower-income households for a minimum term of 55 years. Eligible projects also include the rehabilitation of existing multi-family affordable housing units and construction of new multi-family affordable housing units, among other projects. Those interested are encouraged to review the complete Notice of Funding Availability/Request for Proposals on the City’s website. Proposals must be received no later than 5 p.m. on Nov. 8. For more information, contact Rich Grunow at [email protected] or (619) 522-7338.
Third Climate Action Plan Workshop Set for Nov. 4
The City will hold its third Climate Action Plan workshop on Nov. 4 via Zoom. The Climate Action Plan is designed to be a strategic roadmap to help Coronado reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The City’s recently completed draft Climate Action Plan will be the topic of discussion. The workshop will begin at 5 p.m. and will be recorded and posted for public viewing. Visit the project webpage at Comment Coronado for more information on the Climate Action Plan process. Register in advance for this webinar. A confirmation email will provide details about joining the webinar. The City has held two previous workshops to gather public input and continues to accept public comments on the draft or they may be posted on Comment Coronado. Comments are due by Nov. 12. For questions, contact Associate Planner Howard Lee at (619) 522-2423 or [email protected].
Public Services & Engineering Projects
Tennis Court Lighting:  All tennis courts at the Coronado Tennis Center are scheduled to receive new energy-efficient LED lighting which will meet the International Tennis Federation Class II standard of play illumination. Neighborhood light trespass will be minimized by including light shields. In addition, the poles will be refreshed with corrosion-resistant epoxy paint. The work started at the Tennis Center last week with removal of the old shoebox light heads. Courts 1 and 2 are scheduled to be complete by the end of this week. Court 8 is scheduled to be complete by the end of October. To avoid practice and tournament disruption, work will commence at the high school and Library courts Nov. 1 once tennis season ends. A maximum of two courts at a time will be out of operation. A side benefit to the new LED lights is they turn on instantly; no more waiting for the lights to warm up.
Recreation & Golf Services Projects
Coronado Aquatics Notice of Upcoming Maintenance: Mark your calendars. The Coronado Aquatics Center, 1845 Strand Way, has its annual pool maintenance closure coming up. Beginning Saturday, Oct. 31, through Sunday, Nov. 14, the pool will be closed for cleaning and resurfacing. In addition to the expected maintenance, new energy efficient lighting will be installed. We thank you for your patience as we work to maintain this popular facility for your use. 
Community Meetings
Public Meeting Calendar
Tuesday, Oct. 26; 3 p.m.
Planning Commission
City Hall Council Chamber

Wednesday, Oct. 27; 3 p.m.
Design Review Commission
City Hall Council Chamber

Thursday, Oct. 28; 2 p.m.
Traffic Operations Commitee
City Hall Council Chamber

Thursday, Oct. 28; 3 p.m.
Special Mobility Commission
City Hall Council Chamber
City Council Actions
Among other items, at its Oct. 19 meeting:
  • The Council appointed Marcus Echols-Booth to the Cultural Arts Commission to serve the remainder of a term to expire Dec. 31, 2022;
  • The Council appointed Flavio Velez to the Street Tree Committee to serve a three (3) year term to expire Oct. 31, 2024;
  • The Council conducted the first reading and introduction of an ordinance regarding election to fill City Council vacancy;
  • The Council approved major and moderate special event requests for 2022, and directed staff to create guidelines to help shape future alcohol waiver requests;
  • The Council directed staff to engage a consultant to complete a study to determine the actual costs of providing applicable services and facilities, and to update the existing public facility impact fee and affordable housing in-lieu fee; and
  • The Council directed staff to prepare an ordinance for the Planning Commission to consider to implement Senate Bill 9 with an emphasis on controlling density, managing bulk and mass and potentially focusing on new units that are limited to one-story, 800 square feet and have parking requirements. 

The next City Council meeting is Nov. 2.
Community Programs & Events
Recreation & Golf Services
Tennis Center Jr. Programs Expanding: Coronado Tennis Director Joel Myers and his USPTA certified team are dedicated to appealing to more students. This fall, attendance is increasing more than ever with Junior Tennis players, from ages 4-18, working to improve their skills. The team of coaches have a structured junior pathway in place to help players develop from grassroots up to high level tennis. Their top priority is to help develop a passion for playing and having fun doing it. Junior Tennis Programs through Impact Activities run from 3:30 to 6 p.m. weekdays and 8:30 to 11 a.m. on Saturdays.
Armchair Travel Continues: The Armchair Travel program continues its 2021 schedule with a river journey through Myanmar on Oct. 26. Steeped in more than 2,000 years of Buddhist culture and dotted with pagodas and temples, this voyage through Myanmar will take participants 600 kilometers up the Irrawaddy River, passing through ancient cities and jungle villages. Krista Schagunn is an author and retired educator who has spent the past 30 years living in countries around the world. She has been able to indulge her love of travel through her work and hopes to continue her journeys through retirement. Refreshments will be served at 6 p.m. and the program begins at 6:30 p.m. Reservations are recommended. Cost is $6 for residents and $7 for nonresidents.


Recreation Youth Classes Have Begun: New classes started this week for youth at the Community Center. This fall, dance, art, music, jump rope and Lego engineering are offered. The dance teams and jump rope teams have volunteered to perform at the Halloween Happening event on Oct. 29 starting at 3 p.m. The Recreation Department encourages the community to come check out the talented teams that will perform.
Coronado Public Library
‘Portraits of Honor’ Project: Coronado resident Tom Rice is one of the veterans featured in the “World War II Portraits of Honor” project, a celebration of the Greatest Generation, which aims to capture the images and stories of veterans of the second World War. As we approach Veterans Day, the Library invites the community to celebrate all of Coronado's WWII veterans, learn about the project by photographer Jeffrey Rease, see a selection of Veteran portraits and join the Library for the unveiling of Coronado Hometown Hero Tom Rice's portrait. Following the dedication, the portraits will hang behind the reference desk, in the Library's exhibit hallway. Please register for the talk and photo unveiling, which will take place in the Winn Room on Thursday, Oct. 28, from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Art Film Screening: There will be a special screening and conversation with the creative team of the art movie “Maija Awi” (42 mins) in the Winn Room on Wednesday, Oct. 27, at 6:30 p.m. The screening is a result of a partnership with the Mexican Consulate in San Diego. The film captures landscapes of the Baja California desert accompanied by the music of Pepe Mogt, the celebrated Mexican electronic musician and founder of the Nortec Collective. The movie is inspired by the Yuman legend of the Maija Awi snake, the founding myth of the indigenous Kumiai people of the region. The screening will be followed by a discussion in Spanish and English. Refreshments will be provided.
Coronado Cultural Arts
Find out the four hottest upcoming arts and cultural events going on in Coronado with "Four on Friday," a feature brought to you by CoronadoARTS.com. Click on the Four On Friday Logo to view this week's edition.
Upcoming Events of Note
Sunday, Oct. 31: Halloween Street Closure on Margarita  -- Spans 600 and 700 blocks of Margarita from Sixth Street to Visalia Row from 5 to 9 p.m. 

Sunday, Oct. 31: MainStreet Goes Ghostly -- Trick or treating along the commercial corridor from 3:30 to 5 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 5:  Navy Chief Petty Officer Pride Day -- Silver Strand State Beach with 3,000 participants from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Thursday-Sunday, Nov. 10-14: Coronado Island Film Festival -- various locations around Coronado


Pepe, a 6-year-old Tuxedo cat, is this week’s Pet of the Week. Pepe is calm and quiet and looking for a peaceful and simple home environment. He’s sweet and gentle and requires a special diet. His adoption fee is $50. To find out more about Pepe, call PAWS of Coronado, which runs the City’s Animal Care Facility at (619) 522-7371.  

Boards, Commissions & Committees
Board, Commission, Committee Vacancies