May 16, 2023 City Council Meeting

[00:00:01]

5:00, I'M CALLING TONIGHT'S MEETING TO ORDER.

[CALL TO ORDER]

CITY COUNCIL IS SERVING AS THE CARLSBAD MUNICIPAL WATER DISTRICT BOARD OF DIRECTORS ON CONSENT CALENDAR ITEM NUMBER THREE.

[ANNOUNCEMENT OF CONCURRENT MEETINGS]

MISS BHAT-PATEL, WOULD YOU PLEASE LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE? YES, PUT YOUR RIGHT HAND OVER YOUR HEART.

READY? BEGIN.

OF ALLEGIANCE] NEXT IS APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.

[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]

MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL MEETING HELD MAY 9TH, 2023.

MOVE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES AS RECITED BY THE MAYOR.

SECOND. PLEASE VOTE.

PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

NEXT IS PRESENTATIONS.

[PRESENTATIONS]

THANK YOU, AND I'M REALLY PLEASED TO BE ABLE TO READ THIS AS I DO IDENTIFY AS ASIAN AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER, AND SO JUST REALLY GLAD TO BE HERE , AND I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE JOSHUA SAVINI AS WELL, WHO IS A CUSTODIAN FOR OUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, AND I'LL READ OUR PROCLAMATION, AND THEN I'D LIKE TO BE ABLE TO PASS IT OFF TO JOSHUA TO SAY A FEW WORDS AS WELL.

THIS DEFINITELY MEANS A LOT TO ME.

I KNOW THAT WE'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY HONOR OUR ASIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY IN A DIFFERENT WAY THIS YEAR.

I KNOW THAT WE HAD A SO-CAL ASIAN PACIFIC ISLANDER FESTIVAL THAT WAS HERE IN OCEANSIDE AND NORTH COUNTY, AND SO THAT WAS REALLY EXCITING TO BE ABLE TO JUST HIGHLIGHT AND SEE THE DIFFERENT CULTURES ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY AND, YOU KNOW, JUST BEING ABLE TO SEE THE FOLKS WITHIN OUR OWN STAFF THAT BRING THAT DIVERSITY TO THE TABLE IS ALWAYS REALLY EXCITING.

SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO BEING ABLE TO HONOR AND CELEBRATE OUR CULTURE.

SO WHEREAS ASIAN AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER HERITAGE IN THE UNITED STATES WAS CELEBRATED BEGINNING IN 1978 AND WAS MADE INTO A MONTH LONG EVENT IN 1992 TO HONOR AND RECOGNIZE THE VIBRANT CULTURES OF ASIAN AMERICANS, NATIVE HAWAIIANS AND PACIFIC ISLANDERS, AND WHEREAS, FOR MORE THAN A CENTURY, ASIAN AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER PEOPLE HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO ALL AREAS OF LIFE, INCLUDING GOVERNMENT, BUSINESS, ARTS AND SCIENCES, MEDICINE, EDUCATION, LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THE MILITARY, AND WHEREAS, ASIAN AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER COMMUNITIES HAVE SHARED THEIR TRADITIONS WHILE REPRESENTING THEIR COMMUNITIES THROUGH PUBLIC SERVICE AND ADVOCACY, AND WHEREAS, THE CITY OF CARLSBAD IS COMMITTED TO CELEBRATING THE IMPORTANCE OF INCLUSION AND WELCOMING TO ALL PEOPLE AND TO COMMEMORATE THE ESSENTIAL CONTRIBUTIONS, SACRIFICES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT ASIAN AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDERS HAVE MADE.

NOW I MAYOR PRO-TEM PRIYA BHAT-PATEL, ON BEHALF OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL, HEREBY PROCLAIM THE MONTH OF MAY 2023 AS ASIAN AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER HERITAGE MONTH IN THE CITY OF CARLSBAD AND WITH THAT, I'LL GO AHEAD AND INTRODUCE MR. [INAUDIBLE]. THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM BHAT-PATEL AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.

ASIAN AMERICAN PACIFIC ISLANDER HERITAGE MONTH IS A VERY SPECIAL AND IMPORTANT TIME DEDICATED TO RECOGNIZE AND CELEBRATE THE BEAUTY, COLOR AND DIVERSITY THE ASIAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER PEOPLE BRING NOT ONLY TO OUR CITY, BUT TO OUR STATE AND THE NATION AS A WHOLE.

THIS MONTH STANDS OUT TO ME PERSONALLY BECAUSE I AM A NATIVE OF AMERICAN SAMOA, BUT IT'S NOT ABOUT ME, BUT WE AS A PEOPLE.

MAY WAS CHOSEN TO COMMEMORATE THE IMMIGRANTS OF THE FIRST TO COMMEMORATE THE MIGRATION OF THE FIRST IMMIGRANTS FROM JAPAN TO THE UNITED STATES ON MAY 7TH, 1843, AND TO RECOGNIZE OVER 20,000 ASIAN IMMIGRANTS WHO WORKED TO COMPLETE THE TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD ON MAY 10TH, 1869. THE FIRST ASIAN IMMIGRANTS ARRIVED IN 1587 WHEN FILIPINOS MIGRATED TO CALIFORNIA.

IMMIGRANTS FROM THE ASIAN CONTINENT AND THE PACIFIC ISLANDS CONTINUED TO COME THROUGH 1920, WHEN THE FIRST SAMOANS WERE DOCUMENTED IN HAWAII AS A SAMOAN AMERICAN.

I AM DELIGHTED TO SHARE THAT MY FATHER, THE LATE REVEREND [INAUDIBLE], WAS ABLE TO SERVE IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY AND FOUGHT IN THE VIETNAM WAR.

HE TRULY PAVED THE WAY FOR MY SIBLINGS AND I TO BASK IN THE FREEDOM WE ENJOY HERE IN AMERICA.

WHILE I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN CARSON, CALIFORNIA, HE WAS ABLE TO INSTILL THE VALUES OF OUR CULTURE IN US AND HELP MY SIBLINGS AND I UNDERSTAND THE BEAUTY OF DIVERSITY.

HE HELPED US TO ACCEPT THE FACT THAT EVERYONE WAS DIFFERENT AND TAUGHT US HOW TO LOVE EVERYONE REGARDLESS OF THEIR SKIN COLOR, BACKGROUND OR BELIEFS.

[00:05:05]

IN CONCLUSION, LET US NOT TAKE THIS MONTH FOR GRANTED.

LET US USE IT TO CELEBRATE AND REMEMBER WHERE WE ARE, ALL OF US HAVE COME FROM AND WHERE WE ARE HEADED TODAY TOGETHER AS A PEOPLE.

ALTHOUGH WE MAY FACE CHALLENGES FROM TIME TO TIME, LET US CONTINUE TO PUSH FOR THE CONTINUED ACCEPTANCE OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION FOR ALL PEOPLE. ON BEHALF OF THE ASIAN AND AMERICAN PACIFIC ISLANDER COMMUNITY, I ACCEPT THIS PROCLAMATION WITH A HEART FULL OF THANKFULNESS.

THANK YOU.

NEXT IS THE PROCLAMATION IN RECOGNITION OF NATIONAL BIKE MONTH AND THAT'LL BE PRESENTED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ACOSTA.

THANK YOU. YES, I'D LIKE TO READ THIS PROCLAMATION.

I WILL BE INTRODUCING NATHAN SCHMIDT, OUR TRANSPORTATION PLANNING AND MOBILITY MANAGER, TO ACCEPT THIS.

YOU'RE WELCOME TO COME UP TO THE PODIUM WHILE I READ THE PROCLAMATION.

I'M EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO READ THIS ON BEHALF OF OUR CITY COUNCIL.

THIS IS A PROCLAMATION PROCLAIMING NATIONAL BICYCLE MONTH, MAY 2023 AND I'LL READ THE WHEREASES.

WHEREAS THE MONTH OF MAY HAS BEEN DESIGNATED AS NATIONAL BICYCLE MONTH FOR 65 YEARS TO SHOWCASE THE MANY BENEFITS AND ENCOURAGE MORE PEOPLE TO TRY BICYCLING AND WHEREAS, CREATING BICYCLE FRIENDLY COMMUNITIES HAS BEEN SHOWN TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE, BOOST COMMUNITY SPIRIT, IMPROVE TRAFFIC SAFETY AND REDUCE POLLUTION AND CONGESTION, AND WHEREAS, EDUCATION OF ALL ROAD USERS TO THE PROPER AND SAFE USE OF BICYCLES IS IMPORTANT TO ENSURE THE SAFETY AND COMFORT FOR ALL OUR RESIDENTS, AND WHEREAS, THE CITY OF CARLSBAD IS PROMOTING BIKE ACTIVITIES, BIKING AS A HEALTHY COMMUTE CHOICE AND BIKE SAFETY AS A PART OF THE CITY'S SAFER STREETS TOGETHER INITIATIVE AND VISION ZERO COMMITMENT.

NOW, THEREFORE, I COUNCIL MEMBER TERESA ACOSTA ON BEHALF OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM THE MONTH OF MAY 2023 AS NATIONAL BICYCLE MONTH IN THE CITY OF CARLSBAD.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. COUNCIL MEMBER ACOSTA MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL, MAYOR, CITY MANAGER AS WELL.

WE ARE VERY GRATEFUL OF EVERYTHING THE COUNCIL HAS DONE, ESPECIALLY THIS YEAR, TO ADDRESS BICYCLE SAFETY AND REALLY TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO GET OUT ON BIKES AND ENJOY OUR CITY FROM THAT BICYCLE EYE VIEW WHERE YOU CAN REALLY ENJOY THE GREAT FEATURES OF OUR COMMUNITY.

SO WITH THAT SAID, WE REALLY APPRECIATE ALL YOUR EFFORTS FROM YOUR ADOPTION OF THE VISION ZERO PROGRAM.

FIRST TIME WE'VE ADOPTED VISION ZERO IN THE CITY OF CARLSBAD, OUR SAFER STREETS TOGETHER THAT WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT LATER TONIGHT AND THE VARIOUS PROGRAMS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE SEEING THROUGHOUT THE YEAR INTENDED TO REALLY ENHANCE BIKE SAFETY THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY.

SO WITH THAT, GREAT.

THANKS. I JUST WANT TO PLUG THAT.

IT IS BIKE MONTH. AS YOU SAID, THIS YEAR, THERE'S A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT APPROACH TO BIKE MONTH.

SO IN YEARS PAST IT'S BEEN CALLED BIKE TO WORK DAY, BUT NOW WE'RE CALLING IT BIKE ANYWHERE DAY, WHICH IS REALLY INTENDED TO FOCUS ON EVERYONE.

SO THAT'S FROM STUDENTS COMMUTING TO SCHOOL, FAMILIES COMMUTING THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY AND PEOPLE COMMUTING TO WORK.

SO BIKE ANYWHERE DAY, IT TAKES PLACE THIS THURSDAY, MAY 18TH, FROM 6 TO 9 A.M.

IN THE MORNING. WE HAVE A FEW PIT STOPS LOCATED THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF CARLSBAD, BUT IT IS A COUNTYWIDE PROGRAM, SO THERE'S PIT STOPS LOCATED ALL THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.

THE CITY IS HOSTING A PIT STOP AT THE ISLANDS AT CARLSBAD, JUST OFF OF FARADAY, NEAR THE FARADAY CENTER, AND WE'LL BE OUT THERE HAVING SOME BREAKFAST BURRITOS, HAVING A GOOD TIME, HAVING SOME GAMES. SO.

SO WE'D LIKE TO SEE EVERYBODY OUT THERE THIS THURSDAY ON BIKE ANYWHERE DAY.

AGAIN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE THIS YEAR.

THANK YOU. GREAT JOB, AND SIR, IF YOU'LL WAIT AROUND FOR A FEW MOMENTS, WHEN WE'RE FINISHED WITH THIS NEXT PROCLAMATION, WE'LL INVITE YOU UP TO DO A GROUP PICTURE.

NEXT PROCLAMATION IS IN RECOGNITION OF FOOD ALLERGY AWARENESS AND COUNCIL MEMBER LUNA WILL PRESENT THAT.

YES. I'D LIKE TO INVITE ONE OF OUR CITIZENS, MISS STEPHANIE WELLS.

YOU CAN COME ON AND STEP UP TO THE PODIUM WHILE WE GO AHEAD AND MAKE OUR PROCLAMATION.

OH, I SEE YOU HAVE YOUR ARMY WITH YOU.

OKAY. OKAY, WHEREAS FOOD ALLERGIES ARE A LIFE CHANGING, SERIOUS AND INCREASINGLY PREVALENT DISEASE THAT AFFECTS MORE THAN 33 MILLION AMERICANS, WHEREAS SYMPTOMS OF FOOD ALLERGY REACTION CAN RANGE FROM MILD TO SEVERE, SUCH AS ANAPHYLAXIS, AND WHEREAS, EACH YEAR, AN ESTIMATED 3.3

[00:10:04]

NOW THEREFORE, I COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN LUNA, ON BEHALF OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM THE WEEK OF MAY 14TH THROUGH 20TH 2023 AS FOOD ALLERGY AWARENESS WEEK IN THE CITY OF CARLSBAD.

THANK YOU. I WANT TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE FOR THIS PROCLAMATION AS A FOOD ALLERGY MOM.

MY MISSION IS TO RAISE AWARENESS AND ADVOCATE FOR SAFE, INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENTS.

THIS IS MY SON, EJ.

HE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH LIFE THREATENING FOOD ALLERGIES AT NINE MONTHS OLD.

HE'S CURRENTLY ALLERGIC TO WHEAT, MILK, EGGS, ALL NUTS, PEAS AND A HANDFUL OF OTHER FOODS.

I'D ALSO LIKE TO INTRODUCE GRACIE AND HER MOM, NICOLE.

GRACIE WAS ALSO DIAGNOSED WITH LIFE THREATENING FOOD ALLERGIES WHEN SHE WAS UNDER A YEAR OLD.

SHE'S CURRENTLY ALLERGIC TO MILK, EGGS, ALL NUTS AND ACTUAL BEES AS WELL.

I'M REALLY HAPPY THEY'RE WITH ME HERE TONIGHT.

BEING A FOOD ALLERGY PARENT HAS A STEEP LEARNING CURVE.

WE BECOME FOOD LABEL DETECTIVES, EPIPEN CARRIERS AND SAFE RECIPE HUNTERS.

ON TOP OF ALL THE OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES WE CARRY AS PARENTS.

HAVING FOOD ALLERGIES CAN BE ISOLATING, BUT THERE ARE WAYS YOU CAN BE SUPPORTIVE AND UNDERSTANDING.

EDUCATE YOURSELF ON FOOD ALLERGIES AND ANAPHYLAXIS AND HOW TO USE AN EPIPEN BECAUSE IT'S NOT HOW IT LOOKS IN THE MOVIES.

PROVIDE INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENTS AT SCHOOLS AND SOCIAL GATHERINGS, INCLUDING HAVE SAFE FOOD OPTIONS FOR PEOPLE.

IF YOU AREN'T SURE WHAT WE NEED, ASK AND PUSH FOR RESTAURANTS TO ADOPT SAFER FOOD POLICIES BY OFFERING FOOD ALLERGY MENU ITEMS AND TRAINING THEIR STAFF ON CROSS-CONTAMINATION AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, BE KIND.

THANK YOU FOR RAISING AWARENESS AND SUPPORTING THOSE WITH FOOD ALLERGIES.

WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THIS ISSUE.

THANKS. I INVITE YOU TO MEET WITH US RIGHT HERE AT THE FRONT OF THE PODIUM, AND WE'LL MEET YOU THERE AND WE'LL DO A GROUP PICTURE AND THEN WE'LL DO THE OTHER RECIPIENTS AS WELL.

[00:16:12]

[PUBLIC COMMENT (Part 1 of 2)]

PLEASE TREAT OTHERS WITH COURTESY, CIVILITY AND RESPECT.

MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC MAY PARTICIPATE IN THE MEETING BY PROVIDING COMMENTS AS PROVIDED ON THE FRONT PAGE OF THIS AGENDA.

THE CITY COUNCIL RECEIVED COMMENTS AS REQUESTED UP TO A TOTAL OF 15 MINUTES AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING.

ALL OTHER NON-AGENDA PUBLIC COMMENTS WILL BE HEARD AT THE END OF THE MEETING IN CONFORMANCE WITH THE BROWN ACT.

NO ACTION CAN OCCUR ON ANY OF THESE ITEMS. WE WELCOME CLAPPING DURING THE CEREMONIAL PRESENTATIONS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING, HOWEVER, WE ASK THAT YOU REFRAIN FROM CLAPPING DURING THE BUSINESS SECTION OF THE MEETING, STARTING WITH THE NON-AGENDA PUBLIC COMMENTS.

THIS WILL HELP MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE'S BUSINESS CAN BE CONDUCTED EFFICIENTLY AND THAT THIS CHAMBER IS A PLACE WHERE ALL POINTS OF VIEW ARE WELCOMED AND RESPECTED.

WHEN YOU HEAR YOUR NAME, YOU'LL BE CALLED UP TO THE PODIUM.

YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.

AFTER 2.5 MINUTES, YOU'LL GET A WARNING BECAUSE THE LIGHT WILL TURN YELLOW, AND I'VE ASKED THE CLERK TO TURN OFF THE MICROPHONE AT THE END OF THREE MINUTES.

THAT WAY, EVERYBODY, IT'S FAIR TO EVERYONE. THEY ALL GET THE EXACT SAME AMOUNT OF TIME TO SPEAK.

PLEASE CALL THE FIRST SPEAKERS.

TRINA PRIEST, FOLLOWED BY DON CHRISTIANSEN.

GOOD EVENING. CARLSBAD CITY COUNCIL AND MAYOR KEITH BLACKBURN.

I AM A MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER AND PARENT OF THREE TEENS.

I HAVE COME TONIGHT TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON AN IMPORTANT PROPOSED LEGISLATION, AB 1207, WHICH IS AUTHORED BY ASSEMBLY MEMBER ERWIN, ENTITLED CANNABIS CANDY CHILD PROTECTION ACT, CALIFORNIA STATE PTA AND SAN DIEGO ALLIANCE FOR DRUG FREE YOUTH ARE SUPPORTING AB 1207 BECAUSE IT PROVIDES YOUTH PROTECTION MEASURES AGAINST HIGH THC CONTENT MARIJUANA PRODUCTS.

THE CITIES OF DEL MAR, SOLANA BEACH AND ENCINITAS HAVE ALL SENT LETTERS OF SUPPORT FOR AB 1207.

I WILL BE SHARING TONIGHT WITH YOU DEL MAR'S LETTER.

IT IS THE HOPE OF CARLSBAD PARENTS THAT OUR CITY WILL JOIN THE OTHER NORTH COASTAL CITIES AND SEND A LETTER OF SUPPORT.

AB 1207 WILL CLARIFY THE REGULATIONS AND DEFINITION OF WHAT IS CONSIDERED ATTRACTIVE TO CHILDREN, ESPECIALLY SINCE PROP 64 PROMISED US THAT MARIJUANA PRODUCTS COULD NOT BE DESIGNED TO BE APPEALING TO CHILDREN.

THE STATE HAS FAILED TO PUT INTO PLACE SYSTEMS TO ASSESS AND PREVENT MARIJUANA PRODUCTS FROM BEING ATTRACTIVE TO CHILDREN OR TO RESEMBLE CONVENTIONAL CANDY OR FOOD TYPICALLY MARKETED TO KIDS.

FOR EXAMPLE, AT A RECENT RADY CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL PRESS CONFERENCE HERE IN SAN DIEGO, DOCTORS ANNOUNCED THAT FOR CHILDREN UNDER AGE TEN, TESTING POSITIVE FOR THC HAD QUADRUPLED SINCE 2016, MOSTLY FROM EDIBLES OF WHICH THREE QUARTERS WERE FROM CANDIES OR GUMMIES.

HALF LED TO HOSPITALIZATION AND 1 IN 10 TO INTENSIVE CARE.

THE CANNABIS CANDY CHILD PROTECTION ACT WILL HONOR THE PROMISE AND INTENT OF PROP 64 TO KEEP CANNABIS AND ITS PRODUCTS OUT OF THE HANDS AND BODIES OF OUR CHILDREN. IT IS THE HOPE OF SAN DIEGO ALLIANCE PTA PARENTS AND EDUCATORS THAT THE CITY COUNCIL WOULD REVIEW AB 1207 AND CONSIDER SENDING A LETTER OF SUPPORT TO ASSEMBLY MEMBER ERWIN.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION AND THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO YOU ON SUCH A HEARTFELT TOPIC, AND I'M GOING TO LEAVE LETTERS A COPY OF THE DEL MAR LETTER SO YOU CAN SEE.

[00:20:14]

GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR, COUNCIL, STAFF, FELLOW CITIZENS.

MY NAME IS DON CHRISTIANSEN.

I LIVE ON LONGVIEW AND AM A RESIDENT OF CARLSBAD.

EARLIER TODAY I EMAILED YOU A COPY OF AN ARTICLE THAT APPEARED IN SUNDAY'S UNION TRIBUNE FRONT PAGE EVEN.

I DOUBT IF YOU'VE HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT IT.

SO THIS EVENING I THOUGHT I'D JUST SHARE A FEW HIGHLIGHTS WITH YOU, READING DIRECTLY FROM THE ARTICLE WHICH READS.

REGION SEEKS BEST RENEWABLE POWER OPTION, THAT REGION BEING SAN DIEGO COUNTY.

THE REGION HAS ENOUGH SPACE WITHIN ITS BORDERS, FROM ROOFTOPS TO RURAL LANDSCAPES TO GENERATE ALL THE CLEAN POWER IT WILL NEED THROUGH MID-CENTURY.

A PROPOSED 145 MILE HIGH VOLTAGE TRANSMISSION LINE BETWEEN IMPERIAL VALLEY AND NORTHERN SAN DIEGO COUNTY, PROJECTED TO COST RATEPAYERS ABOUT $2.3 BILLION.

BILL POWERS CALCULATED THAT SUNRISE POWERLINK, WHICH IS THE LAST MAJOR TRANSMISSION LINE THAT'S COME INTO SAN DIEGO COUNTY, ADDS ROUGHLY $90 A MEGAWATT HOUR TO THE COST OF THE ENERGY IT DELIVERS, MAKING ROOFTOP SOLAR IN SAN DIEGO JUST AS VIABLE AS REMOTE INSTALLATIONS. SDG&E DECLINED TO COMMENT ON HOW MUCH BUILDING THE SUNRISE POWERLINK ADDED TO RATEPAYER COSTS.

THE $1.9 BILLION SUNRISE POWERLINK THAT WAS PROJECTED TO COST $700 MILLION WOUND UP COSTING $1.9 BILLION. THE STATE GUARANTEES A ROUGHLY 10% PROFIT MARGIN ON BUILDING LARGE TRANSMISSION LINES AND OTHER CAPITAL INVESTMENTS. THE REGION.

OKAY. PARKING LOTS.

PARKING LOTS CONSTITUTE ROUGHLY 40% OF THE PAVEMENT ACROSS A TYPICAL CITY.

FRANCE PASSED A LAW IN FEBRUARY REQUIRING SOLAR CANOPIES OVER LARGE PARKING LOTS, A MOVE EXPECTED TO GENERATE AS MUCH POWER AS TEN NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS. THE PANELS ARE EXPECTED TO PROVE ESPECIALLY USEFUL WHEN PAIRED WITH ELECTRIC CAR CHARGING PORTS.

THE COVER I SENT TO YOU THE LAST PARAGRAPH.

OUR SEVEN CITY CLEAN ENERGY ALLIANCE HAS MANY ACRES OF ROOFTOPS, PARKING LOTS AND SUITABLE LAND FOR SOLAR ELECTRIC PRODUCTS PROJECTS.

FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, WE RATE PAYING TAXPAYING CITIZENS WOULD BE BETTER SERVED BY FOCUSING ON LOCAL ELECTRIC PRODUCTION THAN PAYING FOR ANOTHER INVESTOR OWNED UTILITY MONOPOLY TRANSMISSION LINE THAT THE HIGHEST ELECTRIC RATES IN THE UNITED STATES.

PIERRE [INAUDIBLE] AND HOPE NELSON.

COUNCIL, DEAR MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR UPDATING THE CLIMATE ACTION PLAN OF 2015.

I AM HOPEFUL THE COUNCIL WILL BE SERIOUS ABOUT IT, NOT JUST PRETENDING TO HAVE A CLIMATE ACTION PLAN BECAUSE CALIFORNIA REQUIRES ONE. THE GOAL OF THE CAP IS TO REDUCE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS.

50% OF THESE EMISSIONS COME FROM TRANSPORTATION IN CALIFORNIA, BY FAR THE LARGEST SOURCE .

IN THE CAP, MEASURES ABOUT TRANSPORTATION ARE VERY FEW, WHICH IS NOT COHERENT WITH THE GOAL. REGARDING TRANSPORTATION, THE MOST URGENT AND EFFECTIVE MEASURE IS TO GET A REAL AND COMPETITIVE PUBLIC TRANSPORT SYSTEM LINKING CARLSBAD TO THE COUNTY AND SAN DIEGO, WHICH CAN ONLY BE ACHIEVED BY SANDAG.

AT SANDAG, MRS. BURKHOLDER, REPRESENTING CARLSBAD, VOTES DOWN ANYTHING FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT.

SO IN REALITY, THE REAL ACTION OF THE CITY DESTROYS THE MAJOR GOAL OF OUR CLIMATE ACTION PLAN IN TERM OF IMPACT. ANOTHER IMPORTANT ACTION IN THE CAP WAS TO BUILD ELECTRIC VEHICLE STATIONS.

THIS WAS NOT ACHIEVED BY THE CITY.

THE CITY'S FLEET WAS SUPPOSED TO BE REPLACED BY ELECTRIC VEHICLES.

[00:25:03]

THE OTHER MEASURES IN THE CAP ABOUT TRANSPORTATION HAVE A VERY MINOR IMPACT.

MORE GENERALLY, IT IS STRIKING THAT THE MEASURES WITHIN THE POWERS OF THE CITY WERE EITHER ABANDONED COUNTER-PUNCHED OR EXTREMELY MODEST.

EVEN LITTLE THINGS.

FOR INSTANCE, THE GOAL OF REPLACING 50% OF LIGHTING WITH LED LIGHT BULBS BEFORE 2035. OF COURSE, ALL CITY LIGHTS SHOULD BE LED ENERGY SAVING TODAY SINCE 2015, OBVIOUSLY.

MANY MEASURES ARE OBSOLETE, MOSTLY BECAUSE MORE AMBITIOUS CONDITIONS ARE NOW REQUIRED BY CALIFORNIA OR BECAUSE OF MODERN TECHNOLOGY EVOLUTIONS.

THE CAP ADVOCATES A LOT FOR COMMUNICATION.

THE INFORMATION ABOUT INCENTIVES CAN BE FOUND ON THE CITY WEBSITE UNDER THE DEPARTMENTS ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY.

THIS IS THE MOST REAL ACTION PROMISED IN THE CAP, BUT I THINK IT IS NOT SO EASY TO FIND AND COULD BE HIGHLIGHTED FROM THE FRONT PAGE OF THE CITY'S SITE.

IT'S A SUGGESTION.

PIERRE. PIERRE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SIR.

THE TIME IS EXPIRED.

THANK YOU.

MAYOR BLACKBURN COUNCIL MEMBERS AND STAFF.

MY NAME IS HOPE NELSON.

YOU KNOW WHO I AM.

BY NOW CAN YOU ALL CONFIRM THAT YOU HAVE RECEIVED AND READ MY LETTER OF LAST WEEK REGARDING CARLSBAD REPRESENTATION ON THE PALOMAR AIRPORT ADVISORY BOARD? I CERTAINLY HOPE SO, AND I IMPLORE YOU TO ACT WITH URGENCY.

WE FINALLY HAVE A CHANCE TO CHANGE THE MAKEUP OF THE PALOMAR AIRPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE, AND CARLSBAD IS NOT ACTING WITH URGENCY.

YOUR DELAY IN A DESIRE TO WAIT FOR DIRECTION FROM THE COUNTY IS A MISCALCULATION.

WE NEED TO PURSUE IDENTIFYING OUR CANDIDATES SO THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD.

VISTA DID JUST THAT LAST WEEK IN A RESOLUTION NAMING THE INDIVIDUAL THEY WANT APPOINTED TO FILL THEIR SEAT AND HAVE REPRESENTATION.

IT WAS A40 VOTE.

THE SIMPLE FACT THAT WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHICH SUPERVISOR WILL PRESENT OUR CANDIDATE IS THE COUNTY'S TO DETERMINE, BUT THEY WON'T BE ENCOURAGED TO MAKE A DETERMINATION UNTIL WE PRESENT OUR CANDIDATE AS THE HOST CITY TO PALOMAR AIRPORT AND THE MOST IMPACTED CITY, WE SHOULD BE LEADING ON THIS ISSUE. WE SHOULD BE MOVING FORWARD EVEN WHEN THE COUNTY HAS NOT GOTTEN THEIR JOB DONE.

IF YOU READ MY LETTER, YOU UNDERSTAND, AFTER ALL, THE ONE THING OF VALUE CARLSBAD GAINED IN THE MISERABLE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT CARLSBAD SIGNED WITH THE COUNTY IN 2019 IS THAT SEAT WE GOT ON THE PACK.

IF THIS REQUIRES COUNCIL TO DECIDE TO MOVE FORWARD, THEN I ASK YOU, I URGE YOU TO GET THIS ON A COUNCIL AGENDA AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

I'M SURE STAFF ALREADY HAS THE DETAIL TO MAKE A FACTUAL PRESENTATION TO COUNCIL.

PLEASE DO NOT LET THIS SEAT CONTINUE TO BE VACANT.

THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.

HOPE, WILL YOU PLEASE STAY IN THE AUDIENCE AFTER THE NEXT SPEAKER IS COMPLETED? THAT WILL BE OUR FIVE SPEAKERS AND THEN I'M GOING TO ASK STAFF TO ADDRESS YOUR QUESTION.

BE HAPPY TO. TERESA BARNES.

HELLO, MAYOR BLACKBURN CITY COUNCIL SCOTT CHADWICK AND COUNCIL MEMBERS AND CITY EMPLOYEES.

I APPLAUD YOU FOR ALL THE GREAT JOBS YOU'VE DONE IN KEEPING CARLSBAD A THRIVING COMMUNITY.

I'M TERESA BARNES, WHO LIVES IN BENTANCOR POINT NEIGHBORHOOD, WHICH I BELIEVE IS IN DISTRICT ONE AND PREVIOUSLY IN THE AVIARA NEIGHBORHOOD OVER A DECADE.

TODAY I AM HERE TO SEE IF THE CITY OF CARLSBAD WOULD LIKE TO BE INNOVATIVE BY FURTHERING THE VISIBILITY FOR THE 20% WITH HEARING LOSS, ACCORDING TO A JOHNS HOPKINS STUDY, TO INCREASE THE SAFETY FOR BIKE SAFETY MONTH FOR BETTER HEARING SPEECH MONTH, WHICH ALSO IS A MAY I LOVE THE PRESENTATION ON THE ISLANDERS. I LOVE THAT HISTORY, BUT ALSO TO PROVE THE SERVICES, SAFETY AND INCLUSION FOR BOTH THE AMERICAN VETS THAT CAME BACK WITH HEARING LOSS FROM AFGHANISTAN AND THE IRAQI WARS AND THOSE WHO ARE OVER 55 WITH HEARING LOSS, DISABILITY WHO ARE AT RISK WHEN THEY'RE BIKING, WHEN THEY'RE WALKING, OR EVEN ENJOYING OUR NEW

[00:30:01]

OKAY, SO JUST POP IT RIGHT ON YOUR BODY IF YOU'VE GOT IT.

SO HERE, HERE, HERE.

I GOT IN A NEAR FATAL ACCIDENT IN MAMMOTH MOUNTAIN.

THAT'S WHY THIS ALL STARTED, BECAUSE I GOT HIT FROM BEHIND TWICE ON ANOTHER INCIDENT.

SO I'M PART OF THE SAFER TOGETHER COMMUNITY PROGRAM AND THE AGING SERVICES COMMITTEE AT THE CARLSBAD CHAMBER.

I APPRECIATE THE CREATING, CREATING, HEARING FRIENDLY SPACES TRAINING.

THANK YOU FOR THAT, AND THAT THE CITY OF CARLSBAD AGREED TO THAT, AND I'M NOW HERE TO SEE HOW WE CAN EXPAND THE SAFETY FOR THE 23,000.

SO TAKING THAT EXTRAPOLATION, 1 IN 5 HAVE HEARING LOSS CITIZENS AGED 12 AND UP WHO MIGHT HAVE MILD HEARING LOSS AND NOT BE ABLE TO HEAR A WARNING SHOUT FROM BEHIND WHEN RIDING A BIKE OR A VETERAN WHO FEELS EXCLUDED OR UNSAFE TO HIKE ON TRAILS OR EVEN WALK DOWN BY OUR BEACH FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO HEAR WELL. SO HAS HEARING LOSS DECALS WILL RAISE THE AWARENESS OF THIS SOCIAL AND HEALTH DISEASE, AND I'D LIKE TO KNOW, I WAS TOLD BY THE CITY WHEN I GAVE MY TRAINING IN JUNE 5TH, 2022, THAT THERE WOULD BE A RESERVE SEATING SIGN FOR THOSE OF US WITH HEARING LOSS, JUST LIKE FOR THE DISABLED, YOU KNOW, FOR THE WHEELCHAIR DISABLED.

SO IT'S NOT HERE. I DON'T SEE IT, AND SO I'M AT RISK FOR BEING SUED.

I NEVER GOT SUED AS A FORMER EMERGENCY ROOM MANAGER.

SO I'D LIKE TO SEE IF THE EVERYONE UP HERE CAN MAYBE MOVE THIS FORWARD AND GET CARLSBAD TO BE A HEARING FRIENDLY CITY AND HELP US WITH HEARING LOSS, BECAUSE NO MATTER WHAT ELSE YOU'VE GOT GOING ON, IF YOU CAN'T HEAR, YOU CAN'T LISTEN AND THEREFORE YOU CAN'T MOVE LIFE FORWARD AND MANY OTHER VENUES.

LIEUTENANT DANIEL SMITH, SENIOR COUNCIL OF POST REGION TEN, TRAINING AND DELIVERY FOR COMPLIANCE BUREAUS.

WE'RE NEGOTIATING FOR DOING CLASSROOM.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

GOING BACK TO HOPE NELSON'S QUESTION.

CITY MANAGER. YEAH, AND I'M GOING TO INVITE JASON HABER UP.

JASON'S BEEN OUR POINT PERSON ON THIS MATTER, AND I BELIEVE HE'S ALSO BEEN WAITING FOR A RESPONSE BACK FROM SUPERVISOR DESMOND'S OFFICE, BUT GO AHEAD, JASON.

THANK YOU. CITY MANAGER, MAYOR, COUNCIL.

YES. IN EARLY FEBRUARY, THE CITY RECEIVED NOTICE FROM THE COUNTY THAT THE REPRESENTATIVE THAT WE HAD SITTING ON THE PALOMAR AIRPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE HAD RESIGNED HIS SEAT EFFECTIVE LATE JANUARY.

SINCE THAT TIME, WE'VE BEEN IN CONVERSATION WITH BOTH SUPERVISOR DESMOND'S OFFICE AND SUPERVISOR LAWSON-REMER'S OFFICE, TRYING TO DETERMINE AND UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS FOR IDENTIFYING A CARLSBAD RESIDENT TO FILL THAT VACANT SEAT ON THE PACK.

SINCE THAT TIME, WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED DEFINITIVE DIRECTION IN TERMS OF THE COUNTY'S PROCESS.

THE COUNTY, WITH THEIR REDISTRICTING AND INTEREST IN REVISING AND MAKING SOME POLICY CHANGES AROUND HOW THEY GO ABOUT DOING APPOINTMENTS TO THEIR COMMITTEES HAS BEEN UNABLE TO PROVIDE US CLEAR DIRECTION ON WHAT THE PROCESS WOULD BE.

THAT SAID, WE'VE REACHED OUT AS RECENTLY AS THIS WEEK TO SUPERVISOR DESMOND'S OFFICE TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO ENTERTAIN THE CITY'S IDENTIFICATION OF A NAME TO BE CONSIDERED FOR NOMINATION.

AGAIN, HAVEN'T HEARD BACK AT THIS TIME.

STAFF COULD PLACE AN ITEM AND INTENDS TO PLACE AN ITEM ON THE COUNCIL'S AGENDA TO HAVE A DISCUSSION, PRESENTATION AND A DISCUSSION WITH THE COUNCIL TO CONSIDER THIS ITEM AND RECEIVE YOUR DIRECTION IN TERMS OF GOING FORWARD AND IDENTIFYING OR SOLICITING INTEREST IN FROM RESIDENTS TO FILL THAT SEAT.

SO THAT'S STAFF'S INTENT AT THIS POINT, AND THAT'S THE UPDATE.

DO I RECALL THAT IT WAS AS SIMPLE LAST TIME AS A DISCUSSION FROM THE COUNCIL AND WE CHOSE WHO ARE REPRESENTED REPRESENTATIVE WOULD BE ANY IDEAS THAT MAYBE WE SHOULD JUST DO THAT AND THEN CALL THE COUNTY AND SAY, HERE'S OUR REPLACEMENT REPRESENTATIVE? TO A DEGREE, IT WAS THAT SIMPLE.

HOWEVER, LAST TIME WE DID THAT, THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT THEY FILLED THAT SEAT FOR THE COUNTY, AND WE ACTUALLY WENT THROUGH THE COUNTY PROCESS FOR SOLICITING INTEREST. THE COUNTY HAS THEIR APPLICATION FORM.

THEY REQUESTED THAT WE USE THEIR FORM.

THEY ADVERTISED THE VACANCY, SINCE IT'S A VACANCY ON A COUNTY COMMISSION, AND THEN THEY PROVIDED US WITH THE NAMES THAT THEY RECEIVED APPLICATIONS FROM FOR COUNCIL CONSIDERATION.

THAT SAID, IN THE ABSENCE OF CORRESPONDENCE FROM THE COUNTY AT THIS TIME, I THINK IT DOES MAKE SENSE PROBABLY TO BRING AN ITEM TO THE COUNCIL JUST TO MOVE THAT FORWARD MORE EXPEDITIOUSLY. OKAY THEN I WOULD ASK CITY MANAGER TO AGENDIZE THAT FOR THE NEAR FUTURE AT YOUR DISCRETION.

UNDERSTOOD, AND THAT IS OUR INTENT.

I CAN FEEL THE HOOK COMING BECAUSE THIS IS NOT NOTICED AT THIS TIME, AND WE'RE RESPONDING TO A NON AGENDA WHICH TYPICALLY WERE NOT TO BE DOING, BUT WE ALSO WANTED TO

[00:35:07]

THIS THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO BIRD DOG WITH THE COUNTY FOR WELL, SINCE THE VACANCY OCCURRED.

SO I JUST WANT TO THANK OUR RESIDENTS FOR CONTINUING TO HOLD BOTH US AS WELL AS THE COUNTY ACCOUNTABLE.

SO IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING WE'RE SENDING THEM HOME WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THIS WILL BE AGENDIZED IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

YES, RIGHT NOW WE'VE GOT A TENTATIVELY SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 13TH.

PERFECT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

NEXT IS THE CONSENT CALENDAR.

[CONSENT CALENDAR]

COUNCIL WANT TO PULL ANY OF THE CONSENT ITEMS. LOOKING FOR A MOTION FOR CONSENT CALENDAR ITEMS ONE THROUGH FOUR.

MOVE APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT ITEMS ONE THROUGH FOUR.

SECOND. PLEASE VOTE.

THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

NEXT ITEM IS ITEM NUMBER FIVE, BUT I WANT TO GIVE NOTICE THAT THE FINAL ITEM, ITEM NUMBER 12 IS GOING TO BE BROUGHT UP TO BE HEARD AFTER ITEM NUMBER FIVE. SO CITY MANAGER, ITEM NUMBER FIVE, PLEASE.

[5. AN APPEAL OF A PLANNING COMMISSION DECISION TO APPROVE A SITE DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR A 164,833 SQUARE-FOOT RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT BUILDING IN THE CARLSBAD OAKS NORTH BUSINESS PARK – Adoption of a resolution denying an appeal and upholding a decision of the Planning Commission to approve a site development plan for the development of a 164,833-square-foot, 48- foot-tall research and development building, a 21-foot-tall, three-level parking structure and a pedestrian bridge across Whiptail Loop for IONIS Pharmaceuticals, located on an 8.37-acre vacant site, on the north side of Whiptail Loop, comprising lots 21 and 22 (Assessor Parcel Numbers 209-120-23- 00 and 209-120-24-00 and within local Facilities Management Zone 16) of the Carlsbad Oaks North Specific Plan, SP 211(c). (Staff contact: Eric Lardy, Community Services Department) City Manager’s Recommendation: Take public input, close the public hearing, and adopt the resolution.]

HOWEVER, ITEM FIVE IS AN APPEAL OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION DECISION TO APPROVE A SITE DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR A 1640 OR 164,833 SQUARE FOOT RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT BUILDING IN THE CARLSBAD OAKS NORTH BUSINESS PARK.

MAKING OUR PRESENTATION TODAY IS THE CITY PLANNER, ERIC LARDY, ALONG WITH OUR SENIOR PLANNER, SHANNON HARKER.

GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.

THE PROJECT TONIGHT IS AN APPEAL OF THE DECISION BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION FOR A SITE DEVELOPMENT PLAN UNDER CARLSBAD MUNICIPAL CODE.

AN APPEAL OF A DECISION BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION IS CONSIDERED BY THE CITY COUNCIL AS AN APPEAL.

THERE ARE PROCEDURES ESTABLISHED FOR THE HEARING TO ALLOW ALL PARTIES OPPORTUNITIES FOR DUE PROCESS.

THIS IS A REVIEW OF THOSE PROCEDURES.

BOTH THE APPLICANT AND THE APPELLANT WILL BE GIVEN OPPORTUNITIES TO PRESENT TO THE CITY COUNCIL.

AS FOR BACKGROUND, THE PROJECT IS LOCATED WITHIN THE CARLSBAD OAKS NORTH BUSINESS PARK SPECIFIC PLAN.

AN EIR WAS PREPARED AND CERTIFIED BY THE CITY COUNCIL IN 2002 FOR DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THIS AREA.

THE PROPOSED PROJECT IS ON AN 8.37 ACRE SITE IN THE NORTHWEST AREA OF THIS DEVELOPMENT.

THE PROJECT IS FOR 164,833 SQUARE FOOT, 48FT TALL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT BUILDING A THREE STORY PARKING GARAGE AND A PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE ACROSS WHIPTAIL LOOP TO CONNECT TO THE EXISTING IONIS CAMPUS IN THIS COMMUNITY.

DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE BUILDING IS REQUESTING A 48 FOOT TALL BUILDING.

THE PROJECT WAS REQUIRED TO OBTAIN A SITE DEVELOPMENT PLAN FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION.

AS REQUIRED, THE BUILDING HAS INCREASED LANDSCAPE DESIGN, WHICH ENSURES THE INCREASED BUILDING HEIGHT WILL NOT ADVERSELY IMPACT THE ADJACENT PROPERTIES.

THIS RENDERING SHOWS THE SOUTH AND WEST ELEVATIONS AND THE RESPECTIVE HEIGHTS ON THE SITE.

THE 48 FOOT HEIGHT IS ONLY PROPOSED AT THE WEST END OF THE BUILDING AS THE EASTERN PARCEL IS 20FT HIGHER THAN THE OTHER BUILDING PAD.

ON MARCH 1ST, 2023, THE PLANNING COMMISSION APPROVED THE SITE DEVELOPMENT PLAN AT A PUBLIC HEARING AND MADE FINDINGS THAT THE PREVIOUSLY CERTIFIED PROGRAM ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT ADEQUATELY AND ANALYZED THE PROJECT AND THAT THE MITIGATION MEASURES COVER THE ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW.

NO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC COMMENTED AT THE HEARING, BUT TWO LETTERS WERE DISTRIBUTED TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION.

ON MARCH 13TH, A TIMELY APPEAL WAS FILED BY SUPPORTERS ALLIANCE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY RELATING TO THE CEQA IMPACTS.

THIS CONCLUDES OUR INTRODUCTION PRESENTATION.

AS FOR PROCEDURES, THE NEXT PRESENTATION WOULD BE FROM THE APPLICANT.

WE'RE ALSO AVAILABLE TO TAKE QUESTIONS.

QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL.

NO QUESTIONS.

APPLICANT PRESENTATION.

THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR.

MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL.

MY NAME IS JEFF CHINE.

I'M A LAWYER WITH ALLEN MATKINS, AND I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF THE APPLICANT.

THIS IS A SOMEWHAT DIFFICULT PRESENTATION TO MAKE BECAUSE WE SHOULDN'T BE HERE.

YOUR CITY HAS CERTAIN RULES ABOUT HOW AN APPEAL SHOULD PROCEED.

I'VE WRITTEN YOU A COUPLE OF LETTERS.

YOU GOT ONE THIS AFTERNOON, AND I APOLOGIZE FOR THE LATENESS OF IT, BUT I THINK YOU'LL UNDERSTAND WHY.

THE APPELLANT HERE WROTE A ONE PAGE LETTER TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION, AND THAT LETTER SAID, WE HAVE EVIDENCE THAT THIS

[00:40:09]

IT DIDN'T PROVIDE THE EVIDENCE.

IT JUST SAYS WE HAVE EVIDENCE THAT THIS PROJECT VIOLATES CEQA.

THEY DIDN'T BOTHER SHOWING UP TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION HEARING ITSELF.

THE PLANNING COMMISSION BASED ON THE EVIDENCE IT HAD APPROVED THE PROJECT, INCLUDING COMPLIANCE WITH CEQA.

THE APPELLANT THEN FILED AN APPEAL, AND GUESS WHAT THE APPEAL SAID? THE APPEAL SAID, WE HAVE EVIDENCE THAT THIS PROJECT VIOLATES CEQA.

PROVIDED NO EVIDENCE, YOUR RULES, YOUR MUNICIPAL CODE STATE THAT AN APPEAL FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO THE CITY COUNCIL CAN ONLY BE BASED ON THE EVIDENCE THAT'S PUT BEFORE THE PLANNING COMMISSION.

WHICH MAKES SENSE, RIGHT? THERE IS NO EVIDENCE.

LITERALLY, THERE IS NO EVIDENCE WHATSOEVER.

SO WHAT DID THE APPELLANT DO? WELL, A COUPLE OF WEEKS AFTER THE PLANNING COMMISSION HEARING, IT WENT OUT AND HIRED A CONSULTANT.

AN ASSET CONSULTANT TO FIND SOME EVIDENCE.

FIND SOME EVIDENCE FOR US.

THE CONSULTANT PRODUCED A REPORT IN THE MIDDLE OF MARCH.

ON FRIDAY.

THE APPELLANT SENT THAT REPORT.

TO THE CITY COUNCIL FRIDAY.

THE REPORTS DATED MID-MAY.

NOW THAT'S TOO LATE ANYWAY, BECAUSE THE REPORT WAS NOT PRESENTED TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION, BUT IT SENT IT TO US ON FRIDAY.

WE SCRAMBLED.

WE GOT OUR TECHNICAL CONSULTANT TO ADDRESS ALL THE POINTS AND I'VE SUBMITTED THOSE TO YOU.

WE DID THAT IN AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION.

THE LETTER THEY SUBMITTED UNDER YOUR OWN RULES, IT'S JUST NOT ADMISSIBLE.

IT'S TOO LATE.

YOU CAN'T DO IT. IT'S SANDBAGGING.

IT'S UNPROFESSIONAL.

I'M A LITTLE UPSET.

WHY? WE SHOULDN'T BE HERE.

THIS HAS NOW DELAYED THIS PROJECT.

THE COSTS OF THIS PROJECT HAVE GONE UP BECAUSE NOW LAWYERS HAVE TO BE HIRED.

CONSULTANTS HAVE TO WORK OVER THE WEEKEND TO ADDRESS THESE LATE SUBMITTALS, AND MOST OF ALL, YOUR TIME IS IMPORTANT.

YOUR STAFF'S TIME IS IMPORTANT.

WE SHOULD NOT BE HERE TONIGHT.

I URGE YOU NOT TO REWARD THIS KIND OF UNPROFESSIONAL CONDUCT BY CONSIDERING THE EVIDENCE.

NO COURT WOULD EVER.

YOUR CITY ATTORNEY IS AN EXPERT ON APPELLATE LAW, AND I WILL TELL YOU, IF SOMEBODY WENT TO THE COURT OF APPEAL AND SAID, OH, BY THE WAY, ON FRIDAY, I HIRED A CONSULTANT AND I'VE GOT SOME NEW EVIDENCE THAT DOESN'T FLY.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A LAWYER TO FIGURE THAT OUT.

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS READ CARLSBAD'S RULES.

SO EITHER THEY DIDN'T TAKE THE TIME TO READ YOUR RULES, OR WORSE, THEY READ YOUR RULES AND THEY DON'T CARE.

SO I SUSPECT SOMEBODY'S GOING TO STEP UP TO THIS MICROPHONE AND IT'S GOING TO TRY TO EXPLAIN THIS TO YOU, EXPLAIN WHY YOU SHOULD CONSIDER THIS EVIDENCE THAT WE GOT ON FRIDAY AND IT REALLY UPSETS ME.

THIS IS A WASTE OF TIME, AND I APOLOGIZE.

I URGE YOU TO NOT CONSIDER THE EVIDENCE.

I URGE YOU TO DENY THE APPEAL AND SEND THE MESSAGE THAT THIS IS NOT OKAY.

THIS BEHAVIOR IS NOT OKAY.

THANK YOU. PLEASE REMAIN REMAIN AT THE MICROPHONE FOR JUST A MOMENT.

JUST WANT TO SEE IF COUNCIL HAS ANY QUESTIONS.

NO QUESTIONS. OKAY.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SIR. NOW, THIS IS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE APPELLANT TO DO THEIR PRESENTATION.

THANK YOU AND GOOD EVENING.

MAYOR BLACKBURN, MAYOR PRO TEM BHAT-PATEL AND HONORABLE COUNCIL MEMBERS.

MY NAME IS NOAH GARRISON.

I'M APPEARING FOR THE LAW FIRM OF [INAUDIBLE] ON BEHALF OF SUPPORTERS ALLIANCE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY OR SAFER.

WE GREATLY APPRECIATE YOUR TAKING TIME TO HEAR OUR COMMENTS ON THE IONIS LOT 21 AND 22 PROJECT HERE, AND I DO APOLOGIZE FOR INCONVENIENCE THIS MAY HAVE CAUSED WITH THE SORT OF LATE SUBMISSION OF COMMENTS.

WE DID MOVE AS QUICKLY AS WE WERE ABLE, BUT I WOULD NOTE ALSO THAT UNDER CEQA GUIDELINES ITSELF, CEQA STATES THAT THE RECORD SHALL CONTAIN ALL WRITTEN COMMENTS RECEIVED IN RESPONSE TO OR IN CONNECTION WITH ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENTS PREPARED FOR THE PROJECT, INCLUDING RESPONSES TO THE NOTICE OF PREPARATION, AND SO AT LEAST UNDER CEQA, THIS IS PART OF THE RECORD AND PART OF THE DECISION THAT MUST BE MADE, AND YOU CAN CERTAINLY DISCUSS THAT WITH YOUR CITY COUNCIL, BUT I DO APPRECIATE YOUR TAKING TIME TO ALLOW US TO SPEAK TONIGHT AND APOLOGIZE FOR THE INCONVENIENCE THIS MAY HAVE CAUSED TO YOU.

ON THAT NOTE, WE ARE REQUESTING THAT YOU GRANT THE APPEAL BEFORE YOU TODAY AND FIND THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION ERRED IN ITS DECISION TO FORGO FURTHER ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW UNDER CEQA HERE, THIS PROJECT MUST REQUIRE EITHER AN EIR OR A NEGATIVE DECLARATION IN ORDER FOR IT TO MOVE FORWARD OR FOR YOU TO VOTE ON THAT.

[00:45:01]

THE OAKS PARK OR EXCUSE ME, THE OAKS NORTH SPECIFIC PLAN EIR SERVES A PROGRAM EIR FOR THE 414 ACRE OAKS NORTH BUSINESS PARK THAT THIS PROJECT WOULD BE SITUATED IN, AND THE CITY HAS COMPLETED AN EXEMPTION CHECKLIST FOR THE PROJECT THAT CONCLUDED THAT THE PROJECT IS WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THAT 2002 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT AND THEREFORE THAT NO FURTHER ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW OF THE PROJECT IS REQUIRED.

HOWEVER, THE CITY CAN ONLY EXEMPT THE PROJECT UNDER CEQA IF THE PROJECT IS WITHIN THAT SCOPE AND UNDER CEQA GUIDELINES, PARTICULARLY UNDER SECTION 15162 OF CEQA, IT BASICALLY HOLDS THAT WHERE MITIGATION MEASURES, WHICH ARE CONSIDERABLY DIFFERENT FROM THOSE ANALYZED IN THE PREVIOUS EIR, WOULD SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCE ONE OR MORE SIGNIFICANT EFFECTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT BUT THE PROJECT PROPONENTS DECLINED TO ADOPT THOSE MITIGATION MEASURES.

THIS CANNOT BE EXEMPT.

IT IS OUTSIDE THE SCOPE BY DEFINITION AND IN PARTICULAR THE 2002 EIR CONCLUDED THAT CONSTRUCTION EMISSIONS OF NOX AND PM10 AS WELL AS OPERATIONAL EMISSIONS OF CARBON MONOXIDE, NOX AND PM10 AMONG OTHER POLLUTANTS, WOULD BE SIGNIFICANT AND UNAVOIDABLE.

THE 2002 EIR ALSO CONCLUDED THAT CUMULATIVE AIR QUALITY IMPACTS ON THE REGION WOULD BE UNAVOIDABLE AND SIGNIFICANT.

FOR THOSE REASONS, THE 2002 PLAN REQUIRED TWO MITIGATION MEASURES ONE RELATED TO CLEARING, GRADING, EARTH MOVING AND EXCAVATION, WHICH EFFECTIVELY MOSTLY HAD TO DO WITH KEEPING EQUIPMENT IN PROPER TUNE AND USING WATER TRUCKS OR SPRINKLERS TO MITIGATE DUST AND OTHER HAZARDS, AND IT ALSO REQUIRED MEASURES FOR IMPLEMENTATION FOR THE SUBSEQUENT DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS THAT ARE FOCUSED AROUND SUPPORTING PUBLIC TRANSIT, BICYCLE AND SOME LOW ENERGY DEVICES, BUT EVEN THOUGH THE CITY'S EXEMPTION CHECKLIST ADMITS THAT THOSE MEASURES MAY NOT REDUCE THE PROJECT'S IMPACTS BELOW THE THRESHOLD OF SIGNIFICANCE, THE CHECKLIST CONCLUDES THAT THERE ARE NO FEASIBLE MITIGATION MEASURES OR ALTERNATIVES PREVIOUSLY FOUND NOT TO BE FEASIBLE THAT WOULD IN FACT BE FEASIBLE AND WOULD SUBSEQUENTLY REDUCE ONE OR MORE OF THE SIGNIFICANT EFFECTS OF THE PROJECT. THAT'S UNFORTUNATELY NOT THE LEGAL STANDARD.

THE QUESTION ISN'T WHETHER THERE WERE PREVIOUS MEASURES THAT THEY HAD IDENTIFIED THAT ARE STILL NOT FEASIBLE.

THE QUESTION IS, ARE THERE POTENTIALLY NEW OR IS THERE NEW INFORMATION SINCE CERTIFICATION OF THE EIR DEMONSTRATING AVAILABILITY OF CONSIDERABLY DIFFERENT MITIGATION MEASURES, AND THAT IS ABSOLUTELY THE CASE HERE.

AS OUR LETTER POINTED OUT, THE EPA HAS ADOPTED NEW TIERS OF EMISSION STANDARDS FOR ON-ROAD EQUIPMENT AND FOR CONSTRUCTION OR NON-ROAD EQUIPMENT, AND UNDER THE TIER FOUR STANDARDS ENGINE MANUFACTURERS PRODUCE NEW ENGINES WITH ADVANCED EMISSION CONTROL TECHNOLOGIES AND MAINTENANCE INTERVALS TO REDUCE DIESEL EXHAUST.

THOSE ARE NOT REQUIRED FOR THE PROJECT HERE.

SIMILARLY, THERE ARE REGULATIONS ADOPTED BY EPA IN 2004 PHASING IN PROGRESSIVELY HEIGHTENED EMISSION STANDARDS FOR HEAVY DUTY CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT, AGAIN AIMED AT REDUCING EMISSIONS OF NOX AND PARTICULATE MATTER, AND THE TIER FOUR STANDARDS FOR THAT TOOK PLACE OR WERE ENACTED IN 2008.

IN THOSE CASES, EVEN THOUGH THOSE MEASURES ARE NOW FEASIBLE, THE 2002 EIR OBVIOUSLY DIDN'T CONSIDER THEM.

THEY WERE ADOPTED AND PUT INTO PLACE LATER AND AS A RESULT THE PROJECT MUST CREATE ITS OWN EIR OR A NEGATIVE DECLARATION THAT INCLUDES THOSE MITIGATION MEASURES.

WE ALSO HAD CONSULTANTS FROM SWAPE OR SOIL WATER, AIR PROTECTION ENTERPRISES AS ALLUDED TO BY THE APPLICANT THAT FOUND A NUMBER OF OTHER POSSIBLE MITIGATION MEASURES, ALL OF WHICH BECOME FEASIBLE OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS, NONE OF WHICH WERE CONSIDERED IN 2002, AND AS A RESULT OF THOSE CONTROLS OR THOSE POTENTIAL CONTROLS, THE PROJECT MUST GO THROUGH FURTHER ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW, AND JUST AS A NOTE TO SHOW OR DEMONSTRATE THAT THOSE MITIGATION MEASURES WE'VE IDENTIFIED ARE FEASIBLE, THEY'RE ACTUALLY INCLUDED IN THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNMENTS OR SCAG'S OWN 2020 CONNECT SOCAL PROGRAM EIR.

THESE ARE BEING IMPLEMENTED ELSEWHERE IN CALIFORNIA.

IN ADDITION, WE NOTE THAT THE PRIOR EIR IN 2002 ADMITTED SIGNIFICANT UNAVOIDABLE IMPACTS , AND AS A RESULT, UNDER CEQA, A LATER PROJECT REQUIRES ITS OWN EIR AND A STATEMENT OF OVERRIDING CONSIDERATIONS IN ORDER FOR IT TO BE WITHIN THE SCOPE, AND WE ALSO NOTE THAT THE EXEMPTION CHECKLIST AND THE 2002 EIR DO NOT ADDRESS ENERGY USE IMPACTS IN ANY LEVEL OF DETAIL.

THE EXEMPTION CHECKLIST DOES NOT PROVIDE NECESSARY ANALYSIS TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE PROJECT WOULD RESULT IN WASTEFUL, INEFFICIENT OR UNNECESSARY CONSUMPTION OF ENERGY AND THEREFORE CANNOT BE RELIED UPON TO CONCLUDE THAT ENERGY IMPACTS ARE LESS THAN SIGNIFICANT UNDER CEQA.

[00:50:01]

WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.

DOES STAFF HAVE A RESPONSE TO THE APPELLANT'S PRESENTATION? YES. THANK YOU. FIRST, A FEW THINGS ABOUT THE PROCEDURES UNDER CARLSBAD MUNICIPAL CODE.

THE HEARING IS DE NOVO, MEANING THE CITY COUNCIL HAS THE ABILITY TO CONSIDER THE ISSUES AS NEW, BUT ONLY BASED ON THE INFORMATION PRESENTED TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION.

THE BURDEN OF PROOF IS ON THE APPELLANT.

GROUNDS FOR THE APPEAL ARE LIMITED TO IF THERE IS AN ERROR OR ABUSE IN DISCRETION ON THE PART OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION.

THE CITY COUNCIL CAN UPHOLD, MODIFY OR OVERTURN THE APPEAL, BUT THE CITY COUNCIL'S DECISION ON THE MATTER IS FINAL.

THE APPEAL STATES THAT THERE IS NEW INFORMATION SINCE THE EIR COMPLETED IN 2002.

HOWEVER, AT THE TIME THE APPEAL WAS SUBMITTED, NO NEW INFORMATION OR SUBSTANTIAL EVIDENCE WAS SUBMITTED AT THE TIME.

THE PROJECT WAS ANALYZED FOR CONSISTENCY WITH ALL REQUIRED CODES, POLICIES AND STANDARDS.

EIR 98-08 EXAMINED THE PROJECT IMPACTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE DEVELOPMENT, INCLUDING THE PROPOSED LOTS.

EXCUSE ME, SIR, YOU MAY TAKE YOUR SEAT.

THANK YOU. SORRY ABOUT THE INTERRUPTION.

THE PROPOSED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT BUILDING IS WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THE CERTIFIED EIR AND NO CHANGES ARE NECESSARY.

CEQA SECTIONS 15162 THROUGH 15168 ESTABLISH PROCEDURES FOR WHEN NEW ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENTS CAN BE REQUIRED AND THE PROJECT IS CONDITIONED TO COMPLY WITH ALL THE MITIGATION MEASURES INCLUDED IN THAT PREVIOUS EIR.

THESE FINDINGS WERE DOCUMENTED AS AN ATTACHMENT TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION IN ITS MARCH 1ST ACTION.

THE LETTER WAS RECEIVED ON MAY 12TH, 2023, WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND IS THE CITY CODE STATES THE CITY COUNCIL SHALL CONSIDER ONLY EVIDENCE PRESENTED TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION FOR CONSIDERATION AND THE DETERMINATION OF THE DECISION BEING APPEALED.

ADDITIONALLY, PURSUANT TO THESE GUIDELINES, ADDITIONAL MITIGATION MEASURES CAN ONLY BE REQUIRED IF THEY ARE CONSIDERABLY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY ANALYZED AND WOULD SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCE ONE OR MORE OF THE SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS FOR THIS PROJECT.

AN AIR QUALITY ASSESSMENT WAS COMPLETED AND FOUND THAT WITH THE MEASURES APPLIED AND OTHER EXISTING REGULATIONS AND THE WORK PROPOSED, THE LEVEL FOR THIS PROJECT COULD BE CONCLUDED AS LESS THAN SIGNIFICANT.

A CAP CHECKLIST WAS ALSO COMPLETED AND THE PROJECT IS CONDITIONED TO COMPLY WITH OUR LATEST GREENHOUSE GAS REQUIREMENTS.

THE APPLICANT'S CONSULTANT THAT PREPARED THIS ANALYSIS IS AVAILABLE TO RESPOND TO ANY QUESTIONS IF THE CITY COUNCIL HAS THEM.

AS SUCH, OUR RECOMMENDATION IS TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION DENYING THE APPEAL AND UPHOLDING A DECISION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO APPROVE A SITE DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT BUILDING, PARKING STRUCTURE AND PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE, AND THIS CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION, AND WE'RE AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU. WOULD THE APPLICANT LIKE TO RESPOND TO THE APPELLANT'S STATEMENTS? YOU DON'T HAVE TO, BUT YOU MAY.

THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. I JUST CAN'T HELP MYSELF.

NONE OF THE INFORMATION THAT YOU JUST HEARD WAS PROVIDED TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION.

NONE OF IT.

IT WAS SUBMITTED TO THE CITY ON FRIDAY.

APPARENTLY THE DESIRE TO HELP OUT THE ENVIRONMENT.

THEY DIDN'T HAVE THAT AT THE TIME OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION.

THIS IS A NEWLY FOUND CONCERN OF THEIRS.

THAT'S THE ONLY THING THAT I CAN THAT I CAN GATHER FROM THIS.

ALSO, THE NOTION THAT THERE'S A GET OUT OF JAIL FREE CARD UNDER CEQA THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO COMPLY WITH THE CITY'S RULES FOR APPEAL, BECAUSE CEQA JUST LET YOU DO IT ANYWAY, IS ABSOLUTELY NOT TRUE, AND SO WITH THAT, UNLESS YOU HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

CITY COUNCIL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OF STAFF? NO. THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING, SO I'M GOING TO OPEN THE PUBLIC TESTIMONY.

IS ANYBODY IN THE AUDIENCE HAVE ANY COMMENTS TO MAKE? SEEING NO ONE, I'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC TESTIMONY, AND MAY I INTERRUPT FOR A SECOND, PLEASE? CAN WE HAVE THE COUNCIL JUST STATE FOR THE RECORD WHETHER THEY HAVE ANY EX PARTE DISCLOSURES TO MAKE? MS. LUNA. I DO NOT.

MS. BURKHOLDER.

NO I HAVE NO DISCLOSURES.

MRS. BHAT-PATEL. NONE, AND NOR DO I.

THANK YOU FOR REMINDING US.

[00:55:03]

MS. LUNA I'M INTIMATELY FAMILIAR WITH PROCESSES AS THIS ABOUT THREE DECADES WORTH AND I DID READ THE COMMENTS FROM THE APPELLANT TO THE PC AND THE DATA THAT WAS SUBMITTED TODAY.

I AM NOT COMFORTABLE WITH EVALUATING.

I THINK OUR PLANNING COMMISSION AND OUR STAFF FOLLOWED EXACTLY WHAT THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO DO, AND UNLESS MY COLLEAGUES HAVE FURTHER DISCUSSION, I'D LIKE TO MOVE STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION.

SECOND, BEFORE WE VOTE, I WOULD LIKE THE ATTORNEY TO JUST GIVE US ONE MORE EXPLANATION OF WHAT WE'RE BASING OUR DECISION ON. SO YOU'RE BASING YOUR DECISION.

SO FIRST OFF, THIS IS AN EVIDENTIARY DECISION.

IT'S BASED ON SUBSTANTIAL EVIDENCE IN THE RECORD, AND YOU'RE BASING IT ON THE RECORD AS IT WAS PRESENTED TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION.

OF COURSE, THE APPELLANT'S APPEAL AND COMMENTS WILL BE PART OF THE RECORD BUT THE EVIDENCE THAT YOU'RE CONSIDERING IS THE EVIDENCE THAT WAS PRESENTED TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION.

CORRECT. OKAY, AND I JUST WANT TO CONFIRM THE MOTION.

WAS THE ADOPTION OF THE RESOLUTION DENYING THE APPEAL, IS THAT CORRECT? AND WE HAVE A SECOND. MS. BHAT-PATEL. PLEASE VOTE.

PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

THANK YOU ALL. ITEM NUMBER 12 CITY MANAGER.

[12. BUDGET WORKSHOP DISCUSSION – Consider a request from Council Member Burkholder to discuss and decide whether to schedule a budget workshop. (Staff contact: Sheila Cobian, City Manager’s Department) City Manager’s Recommendation: Consider the request and provide direction to staff.]

THANK YOU, CITY MANAGER.

THANK YOU, COUNCIL, FOR ALLOWING ME THIS TO BRING THIS UP.

I THINK THERE'S FOUR MAIN REASONS THAT I THINK IT'S INEVITABLE THAT WE NEED TO HAVE A BUDGET WORKSHOP.

ONE OF THE MAIN ONES OF COURSE, IS TRANSPARENCY.

WE CLAIM TO BE A TRANSPARENT CITY, MAKING THE DECISIONS ABOUT THE TAXPAYER DOLLARS IN A VERY OPEN AND CLEAR WAY AND THE BUDGET WORKSHOP NOT BEING SCHEDULED. THAT WOULD PRECLUDE US FROM DOING THAT OTHER THAN WHAT WE DO HERE ON THE DAIS, OF COURSE, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS IS WHEN WE HAD OUR APRIL 6TH MEETING, DURING MY BRIEFING, I ASKED STAFF TO BRING BACK SOME PRICE TAGS OF SOME THINGS THAT WE WERE PAYING FOR THAT WE DIDN'T KNOW HOW MUCH THEY COST, AND THEY DID, BUT IT WAS A SLIDE DECK PRESENTATION THAT WAS INCREDIBLY LONG AND VERY FAST, AND THERE WERE ABOUT 20 PAGES OF THINGS THAT WE PAY FOR THAT I FELT LIKE WE NEEDED A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME THAN 2 TO 3 SECONDS EACH TO MAKE ANY SORT OF REAL EDUCATED QUESTION OR DECISION ON AND I BROUGHT IT. SO YOU CAN SEE LIKE THERE'S TONS OF PAGES HERE OF THINGS THAT WE HAD NOT SEEN BEFORE THE COUNCIL MEETING.

SO THAT'S ANOTHER REASON I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TRANSPARENCY, BUT ALSO WE NEED TO MAKE REALLY COGENT DECISIONS ON THESE ISSUES.

IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE ECONOMY AND FOLLOWING ANY ECONOMIST, YOU'RE SEEING WHAT WHAT MY COLLEAGUES TALKED ABOUT LAST YEAR, IN FACT, THE DOWNTURN IN THE ECONOMY.

THERE'S ALSO THAT THE FACT THAT WE NOW HAVE THE STRATEGIC PLAN, WHICH IN THE COUNCIL PACKET, WE HAVE THIS MEMORANDUM THAT TALKS ABOUT HOW WE USED TO DO THE BUDGET, WHICH INCLUDED CITIZENS WORKSHOPS.

2008, 2009, 2010, ALL THE WAY UP TO 2018, WHEN THE SHIFT WAS FROM MORE OF A COLLABORATIVE COMMUNITY EFFORT TO THE STRATEGIC PLAN.

ADDITIONALLY, SOME OF MY CONSTITUENTS HAVE REACHED OUT TO ME AND SAID, I'M REALLY WORRIED ABOUT THE WAY THE BUDGET IS LOOKING AND WHAT WE'RE FACING IN THE FUTURE.

I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE A VOICE AT THE TABLE AND I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH THAT, AND FINALLY, THAT KIND OF SPEAKS TO THE PIECE OF COLLABORATION AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT.

I THINK WE HAVE A LOT OF SMART PEOPLE IN CARLSBAD AND THEY LIKE TO GIVE THEIR OPINIONS ABOUT THINGS, AND WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT KNOW A LOT ABOUT BUDGETS, SO I THINK WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO HEAR FROM THEM AND MAKE REASONABLE AND MARKET DECISIONS MOVING FORWARD.

I'M READING A BOOK CALLED THE PRICE OF GOVERNMENT RIGHT NOW, AND DAVID OSBORNE, WHO YOU MAY KNOW OR REMEMBER FROM THE CLINTON-GORE ADMINISTRATION, IS WRITING ABOUT THAT, AND IT'S GETTING THE RESULTS WE NEED IN AN AGE OF PERMANENT FISCAL CRISIS, AND WHILE WE MAY NOT BE FEELING THE EFFECTS OF THE INFLATION OR SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN THE ECONOMY RIGHT NOW, IN SIX MONTHS, WE WILL BE FEELING IT WORSE, AND I WANT TO PLAN AND PREPARE FOR THAT.

I KNOW LAST YEAR THE DISCUSSION WAS ABOUT LET'S PUT A PAUSE ON SOME THINGS, BUT IT DIDN'T SEEM TO REALLY HAPPEN.

SO I THINK WE NEED TO EXTRAPOLATE MORE, PULL MORE, PULL OUR BELTS A LITTLE TIGHTER AND MAKE THE CASE FOR WHY WE ARE SPENDING TAXPAYER DOLLARS AT THE RATE WE'RE SPENDING.

SO I APPRECIATE ANY COMMENTS THAT YOU ALL MIGHT HAVE.

[01:00:03]

I ALSO HAVE HAD SOME CONSTITUENTS THAT HAD SOME QUESTIONS AND HONESTLY, IT'S MORE BAD ON ME.

I COULDN'T ANSWER THEM BECAUSE OF THE PRESENTATION.

IT WAS PRETTY QUICK AND I WASN'T SURE HOW IT INTEGRATED WITH THE STRATEGIC PLAN, WHICH, YOU KNOW, IT'S SORT OF NOW GOVERNING US.

SO I WOULD FIND IT EXTREMELY HELPFUL TO GO AHEAD AND HAVE A BUDGET WORKSHOP.

MS. ACOSTA. THANK YOU.

I DIDN'T NEED TO BE SOLD.

I ACTUALLY THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA.

A LOT OF THE OTHER AGENCIES THAT I WORK WITH HAVE BUDGET WORKSHOPS, EXTRA OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE COMMUNITY TO HEAR WHAT IS HAPPENING AND TO PROVIDE INPUT, AND I SUPPORT THIS.

THANKS. MRS. BHAT-PATEL. I HAVE QUESTIONS FOR STAFF, IF I COULD START WITH THAT.

THANK YOU. SO HOW MANY TIMES HAVE WE DONE COMMUNITY OUTREACH WITH REGARDS TO THE BUDGET? ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THIS BUDGET? YES, AND THEN ALSO, JUST LIKE STRATEGIC PLANNING, SINCE THAT FEEDS INTO THE BUDGET.

FROM THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PERSPECTIVE, WE'VE DONE, I THINK, A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF OUTREACH.

I'D LIKE TO SEE IF TINA.

I'M LOOKING FOR TINA RAY.

OH, PERFECT. SHE CAN GO AHEAD AND DISCUSS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR OUTREACH EFFORTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE STRATEGIC PLAN, BECAUSE AGAIN, THAT WAS OVER A MULTI YEAR PERIOD.

SO I'LL GO AHEAD AND TURN IT OVER TO TINA.

TINA? THANK YOU.

GOOD EVENING, TINA RAY, COMMUNICATION AND ENGAGEMENT DIRECTOR.

SO FOR THIS STRATEGIC PLAN, WE HAVE A THREE-PRONGED PROCESS FOR GETTING INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY, AND THAT INCLUDED A VIRTUAL WORKSHOP AND ALSO WHAT WE CALL A VIRTUAL IDEAS BOARD, WHERE PEOPLE COULD PUT LIKE STICKY NOTES AND THAT SORT OF THING, AND THEN ALSO A MORE TRADITIONAL SURVEY.

SO WE HAD, GOSH, THOUSANDS OF COMMENTS THROUGH THAT PROCESS, AND THAT WAS THE YEAR WHEN WE DIDN'T DO SOMETHING SPECIFICALLY FOR THE BUDGET.

WE ENDED UP USING THAT INPUT TO ALSO INFORM THE BUDGET, EVEN THOUGH THE STRATEGIC PLAN WASN'T QUITE DONE.

OKAY, AND WHAT WOULD BE THE COST OF HAVING, BECAUSE I'M ASSUMING THIS WOULD BE A SPECIAL MEETING AND IT WOULD HAVE TO HAPPEN BETWEEN NOW AND JUNE 13TH, AND THAT WOULD BE CLARIFICATION THAT I WOULD BE SEEKING FROM COUNCIL.

IS THIS A CITY COUNCIL MEETING OR IS THIS THE CITIZENS BUDGET WORKSHOP THAT PREVIOUSLY WAS DONE PRIOR TO 2018? GOT IT. OKAY, AND THEN DURING THE PRELIMINARY BUDGET HEARING, WILL WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO WEIGH IN? AND WILL THE COMMUNITY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO WEIGH IN AND CHANGE THINGS BEFORE WE ADOPT THE BUDGET? THE COMMUNITY WOULD NOT.

THAT'S A DECISION OF COUNCIL.

SO THE WAY THIS TYPICALLY WORKS IS AND AGAIN, WE PROVIDED A DOCUMENT TO CITY COUNCIL ADDITIONAL MATERIALS THAT WAS DATED MAY 16TH.

I BELIEVE THERE ARE ALSO ADDITIONAL COPIES.

THE BACK OF THE ROOM WHERE WE PROVIDED THE OPERATING BUDGET PRESENTATION.

TYPICALLY THERE'S ABOUT THREE WEEKS BETWEEN WHEN WE INTRODUCE AND THEN WHEN WE ULTIMATELY ASK COUNCIL TO ADOPT.

DURING THAT THREE WEEK CYCLE, WE'RE ACCEPTING COMMENTS FROM OUR RESIDENTS, AND THEN THOSE COMMENTS WILL BE INCLUDED WHEN THE DOCUMENT GOES FOR FINAL ADOPTION THREE WEEKS LATER.

SO THE INTRODUCTION AGAIN, IT'S JUST INTRODUCING THE ITEM AND THEN THE PUBLIC AS WELL AS COUNCIL HAVE THREE WEEKS TO CONSIDER IT, AND THEN ULTIMATELY WHEN IT'S THE ADOPTION TIME, IN THE EVENT THE COUNCIL DESIRES TO MAKE MODIFICATIONS OR CHANGES, THEY CAN CERTAINLY DO SO AND AS THEIR REPRESENTATIVES, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO THAT? THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY, AND FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THE STRATEGIC PLAN IS SUPPOSED TO LAY OUT WHAT THE MARCHING ORDERS ARE FOR THE BUDGET.

WHEN WE TRANSITION TO THE STRATEGIC PLAN OR A STRATEGIC PLAN, AGAIN, THIS ENSURES THAT WE'RE ABLE TO STAY LASER FOCUSED ON THOSE PRIORITIES THAT COUNCIL HAS PROVIDED FOR US.

SO SAID ANOTHER WAY, YES.

THE PREVIOUS WAY WHERE WE WERE DOING GOAL SETTING, UNFORTUNATELY WE WERE OUT OF CYCLE.

SO WE WOULD DO OUR GOAL SETTING HEARING AND WE WOULD SEEK INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY THAT'S OCCURRING BASICALLY FEBRUARY, MARCH, APRIL TIME PERIOD BUT THEN WE HAVE TO INTRODUCE THE BUDGET.

SO TYPICALLY WE WERE STILL WORKING ON OUR GOAL SETTING BASICALLY WORK PLAN COME JUNE TIMEFRAME AND THEN WE'VE ALREADY ADOPTED THE BUDGET.

SO THE BUDGET WAS NEVER ABLE TO CATCH UP WITH THE GOALS WHERE WE WERE ABLE TO BASICALLY FEED THOSE.

SO THAT'S WHY WE FELT THE STRATEGIC PLAN KEEPS US MORE SINGULARLY FOCUSED ON THE GOALS THAT COUNCIL HAS IDENTIFIED, AND THEN WHAT WE DO IS CHECK INS WITH COUNCIL TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY NEED FOR TWEAKS OR MODIFICATIONS.

OKAY. YES, AND BASED ON THE ANSWERS THAT YOU'VE PROVIDED AND BASED ON KNOWING THAT, I CAN OBVIOUSLY TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION AND OBVIOUSLY OUTREACH WITH THE COMMUNITY, I FEEL COMFORTABLE NOT HAVING A WORKSHOP.

THANKS. WHEN YOU SAID, TELL ME THE NUMBER OF HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD INPUT.

[01:05:06]

I THINK WE HAD 16 TO 1800 PEOPLE, AND SOME OF THEM PARTICIPATED IN MULTIPLE WAYS.

SO TOTAL COMMENTS, I THINK 8000 OR SO.

HOW MANY OPPORTUNITIES WERE THERE? THIS WASN'T JUST ONE MEETING, HOW MANY MEETINGS OR OPPORTUNITIES, AND TELL ME HOW THAT WENT ABOUT.

YEAH, SO I THINK IT WAS THE FIRST TIME WE HAD DONE IT THIS WAY WHERE WE HAD SORT OF A FIVE MINUTE OPTION, A HALF AN HOUR OPTION AND A 90 MINUTE OPTION BASICALLY DEPENDING ON HOW MUCH TIME YOU WANTED TO SPEND.

SO I THINK THAT HELPED A LOT, GIVING SOMEONE A REALLY QUICK WAY TO GIVE INPUT, BUT AGAIN, THE QUESTIONS ON THAT WERE NOT SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO THE BUDGET.

IT WAS MORE WHAT ARE YOUR PRIORITIES BASED ON SOME OF THE AREAS THAT YOU HAD IDENTIFIED, GETTING A LITTLE MORE FEEDBACK ON THOSE SO THAT WE COULD THEN FEED BACK TO YOU AND END UP PUTTING THAT INTO THE STRATEGIC PLAN.

OKAY. LET'S FOCUS CLOSER TO OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE ACTUAL BUDGET, NOT NECESSARILY PRIORITIES, BUT THE NUMBERS.

HOW MANY OPPORTUNITIES DID THE PUBLIC HAVE TO WEIGH IN ON THAT OR TO BE EDUCATED ON IT AND THEN WEIGH IN ON IT? SO FOR THIS YEAR OR JUST? FOR THE CURRENT BUDGET, THE ONE WE'RE DISCUSSING RIGHT NOW? OKAY. YEAH. I'M SORRY, NOT CURRENT BUDGET, BUT THE ONE WE'RE GOING TO VOTE ON.

YES. YES.

SO WE HAVE NOT SCHEDULED ANY SPECIFIC BUDGET WORKSHOP.

THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WHEN WE SWITCHED OVER TO THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS, WE DECIDED NOT TO HOLD THE ADDITIONAL WORKSHOP WITH THE IDEA THAT WHEN IT'S PRESENTED THE PRELIMINARY, THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO LEARN ABOUT IT AND PROVIDE INPUT IN THIS FORMAT.

IN THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING FORMAT PREVIOUSLY, WE ALSO HAD, I THINK IT WAS USUALLY THAT THURSDAY.

SO IF IT'S TUESDAY, THEN THAT THURSDAY WE WOULD MEET OVER AT FARADAY AND BASICALLY GIVE THE SAME PRESENTATION AND GIVE PEOPLE AN ADDITIONAL CHANCE TO ASK QUESTIONS, AND SO THAT'S THE PART THAT WE HAVEN'T SCHEDULED.

THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE DROPPED IN FAVOR OF A MORE LONGER TERM PLANNING.

OKAY. SO MISS BURKHOLDER, I GUESS WHAT I'M TRYING TO NARROW DOWN WHAT IT IS EXACTLY YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.

DO YOU WANT JUST A MEETING LIKE AT THE FARADAY BUILDING WHERE THE PUBLIC CAN COME AND ASK SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT NUMBERS? YEAH. THANK YOU, MAYOR, FOR THAT.

I THINK THAT THE LINE OF QUESTIONING OF MY COLLEAGUES SORT OF SOLIDIFIES.

THE REASON I'M ASKING FOR THE BUDGET WORKSHOP IS SO THAT PEOPLE CAN UNDERSTAND THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND HOW THAT DIFFERS FROM WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST, AND MAYBE THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR STAFF TO EDUCATE THE POPULATION AND SAY THIS IS HOW WE DO IT NOW, AND SO THEY CAN PROVIDE YOU FEEDBACK TO WITH WHAT THEY WANT TO SEE TO GET THEIR INPUT.

SO I'M NOT IN ANY WAY SUGGESTING THAT EVERY BUDGET CYCLE WE NEED TO HAVE A BUDGET WORKSHOP LIKE THIS.

PERHAPS WE DO DEPENDING ON THE ECONOMY, BUT I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE BRING CITIZENS ALONG WITH US AND COLLABORATE WITH THEM AND THAT THEY KNOW WHAT THE PROCESS IS. THAT'S WHAT TRANSPARENCY IS, AND SO, YEAH, I'M ENVISIONING IT AS YOU'RE DESCRIBING THE HISTORY, THE PAST, WHAT WE'VE DONE AT THE FARADAY CENTER.

SO LET ME NARROW THIS DOWN A LITTLE BIT.

IN THE PAST, WE'VE HAD PUBLIC BUDGET DISCUSSIONS THAT WERE VERY DELUXE AND VERY EXPENSIVE WITH MANAGERS FROM EVERY DIVISION PRESENT AND THE COUNCIL PRESENT AND BE AN ALL DAY PRESENTATION.

WE'VE ALSO DONE SOME WHERE IT'S JUST STAFF AND IT'S MORE OF A EDUCATIONAL QUESTION, ANSWER OPPORTUNITY.

COULD YOU TELL ME WHAT IT IS YOU'RE LOOKING FOR? OPTION B, YEAH, I'M NOT LOOKING TO HAVE A BUFFET DINNER AND HAVE 150 EMPLOYEES OVER THERE TALKING ABOUT THIS.

IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO SAY, HELP ME UNDERSTAND WHY WE SPEND $100,000 AT URBAN CORE TO CLEAN UP ENCAMPMENTS OR WHATEVER THESE LINE ITEMS ARE THAT THEY HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT.

YOU KNOW, AND WE WILL HEAR THE PRESENTATION.

IT WILL BE A PUBLIC HEARING ON TUESDAY, BUT IF THEN THURSDAY IS OFFERED AT AN ALTERNATIVE TIME, PERHAPS THOSE FOLKS THAT COULDN'T BE HERE ON TUESDAY TO GIVE THEIR FEEDBACK CAN BE THERE ON THURSDAY. SO MY NEXT QUESTION IS CITY MANAGER.

IF COUNCIL WERE TO DIRECT US TO HAVE A INFORMAL OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PUBLIC TO COME AND NOT BE IN THIS KIND OF AN ENVIRONMENT, JUST A LESS FORMAL ENVIRONMENT, MAYBE AT THE FARADAY CENTER TO ASK SPECIFIC QUESTIONS, UNDERSTAND THE BUDGET BETTER.

WOULD WE HAVE TIME TO DO THAT BEFORE YOU ASK US TO VOTE ON THE BUDGET? WE WILL, AND SO AND THE REASON WHY, AS IF YOU LOOK AT THE SPREAD, TYPICALLY WE INTRODUCE ON AGAIN NEXT WEEK AND THEN WE'VE GOT AN ADDITIONAL THREE WEEKS.

SO THE PLAN FOR US GOING FORWARD ISN'T UNTIL I BELIEVE IT IS JUNE 13TH.

SO WE WOULD HAVE THAT TWO WEEK CYCLE TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.

WE COULD WORK ON SCHEDULING IT THE WEEK OF THE 29TH IF COUNCIL DESIRES THAT, OR WE POTENTIALLY COULD HAVE IT THE WEEK OF THE FIFTH, AND THEN WHAT WE COULD DO IS ALSO

[01:10:10]

ORIGINALLY, WHEN I WAS THINKING OF THIS, I WAS THINKING, NO, WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO PUT THIS TOGETHER.

IT WOULD BE A HUGE DRAG ON OUR PERSONNEL BECAUSE THE ONES I'M USED TO ARE ALL DAY AND A LOT OF STAFF MEMBERS, I UNDERSTAND CLEARER NOW THAT YOU'RE JUST LOOKING FOR AN INFORMAL OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PUBLIC TO BE MAYBE ASK SPECIFIC QUESTIONS OF STAFF, IT COULD BE A VERY MINIMAL NUMBER OF STAFF MEMBERS.

WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE MANAGERS FROM EVERY DEPARTMENT, AND THEN STAFF WOULD THEN BRING BACK TO US THE QUESTIONS AND THE FEEDBACK.

AM I CLOSER NOW? YEAH, I MEAN, IN FACT, WE'VE RECEIVED COMMUNICATION FROM PEOPLE THAT ARE ASKING THE QUESTIONS.

YOU KNOW, TALK TO US ABOUT A FUTURE TOT INCREASE.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN AND WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? SO I MEAN, I'VE ALREADY GOT SPECIFIC QUESTIONS FROM FOLKS.

SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A DISCUSSION AND NOT THREE MINUTES AT THE PODIUM WITHOUT FEEDBACK.

SO THAT'S MY GOAL, I GUESS, FOR YOUR CLARIFICATION.

THANKS FOR ASKING THE CLARIFYING QUESTIONS.

WITH THAT CLARIFICATION, I'D BE ABLE TO SUPPORT IT.

THANKS. EXCUSE ME.

THERE ARE SPEAKERS.

OKAY, THANKS.

SORRY. THANK YOU FOR KEEPING US IN LINE.

PLEASE CALL THE SPEAKERS.

[INAUDIBLE] SINCLAIR, FOLLOWED BY MARK PACKARD.

HELLO, EVERYBODY.

I SPOKE ABOUT THIS LAST APRIL.

I SPOKE ABOUT IT THIS RECENT APRIL, AND SINCE THE LAST TIME I SPOKE ABOUT IT, THE BUDGET SITUATION, IT LOOKS LIKE THE WE'VE CUT CONCERTS IN THE PARK DOWN BY ONE THIRD.

I ASSUME THAT'S A BUDGET PROBLEM, MONEY PROBLEM, BUT IT'S ALSO A VERY PUBLIC STATEMENT.

IT SAYS WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO DO WHAT WE USED TO DO, AND I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT RECTIFIED.

SO I'M ALL FOR THE BUDGET WORKSHOP.

THANK YOU.

HI, MARK PACKARD HERE, FOR THOSE WHO DON'T REMEMBER, BUT ANYWAY, I'M HERE, BECAUSE I'D LIKE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF HAVING A BUDGET BUDGET WORKSHOP BECAUSE THE COMMUNITY NEEDS TO HAVE A CHANCE TO REVIEW, AND I'M GOING TO I'M GOING TO ASK MAYBE A LITTLE TWEAK ON THIS THAT IT BE THAT THEY HAVE THE INFORMATION IN WRITING BEFOREHAND.

SO THOSE OF US THAT ARE NOT SO DIGITALLY EXPERT CAN CAN SEE IT AND HAVE A CHANCE TO REVIEW IT AND PONDER ON IT BEFORE WE HAVE TO MAKE A COMMENT RATHER THAN JUST HAVING I THINK I HEARD THE COMMENT ABOUT 20 OR 30S OF HAVING A CHANCE TO SEE IT AND THEN HAVING TO MAKE A MAKE A THOUGHT OR A DECISION SO QUICKLY.

I THINK IF WE HAVE INFORMATION BEFOREHAND HAVE A CHANCE TO TO CONSIDER BETTER DECISIONS CAN BE MADE.

SO I WOULD SUPPORT A BUDGET WORKSHOP.

THANK YOU. THERE ARE NO ADDITIONAL SPEAKERS.

THANK YOU. ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL? MS. BURKHOLDER? YEAH, JUST I WOULD SAY IN RESPONSE TO THAT, DR.

PACKARD, IT WAS 2 OR 3 SECONDS PER SLIDE THAT I HAD, BUT, ASKING FOR IT IN WRITING, I THINK THAT WE SHOULD JUST ASK PEOPLE TO CONTACT THE CITY IF THEY WANT IT IN WRITING THE DRAFT BUDGET BECAUSE IT'S A VERY LARGE DOCUMENT. THIS IS LAST YEAR'S.

SO YEAH, THAT WOULD BE VERY FEW PEOPLE I THINK AND THAT INFORMATION WILL BE POSTED ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE AND I BELIEVE WE'LL BE RELEASING IT ON THURSDAY.

OKAY. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? NOTHING. MRS. ACOSTA. I'M JUST WONDERING IF STAFF NEEDS ANY OTHER CLARIFICATION ABOUT WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE THAT WE NEED.

I'M LOOKING OVER TO LAURA OR ZACH.

FEEL COMFORTABLE? OKAY, GREAT. THANKS. MISS BURKHOLDER, WILL YOU PLEASE MAKE THE MOTION? I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM 12 ON THE AGENDA, A BUDGET WORKSHOP.

SECOND, PLEASE VOTE.

I'D LIKE TO SPEAK.

YOU DIDN'T OPEN IT UP FOR DISCUSSION AGAIN BEFORE YOU MOVED.

OKAY, PLEASE HOLD THE VOTE.

COULD WE HAVE A TIME SPECIFIC AND A DATE? I'M GOING TO ASK FOR US TO TAKE A FIVE MINUTE RECESS SO THAT WE CAN CONFER WITH STAFF.

[01:15:01]

WE'LL RESUME THE MEETING AT 6:20.

PERFECT. CALLING OUR MEETING BACK TO ORDER.

CITY MANAGER.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THE BIGGEST THING FOR US IS MAKING SURE WE ALWAYS RENT OUT THE ROOM AT FARADAY.

SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT ROOM IS AVAILABLE.

THE ROOM IS AVAILABLE AND SO WE'LL BE SCHEDULING IT FOR JUNE 1ST AT 5:30 P.M, AND WE'LL END UP DOING THE PRESENTATION THAT WE'LL GIVE ON THE 23RD, FOLLOWED BY STAFF WILL BE AVAILABLE TO RESPOND TO ANY QUESTIONS THAT OUR RESIDENTS HAVE, AND I WANT TO CONFIRM THAT THIS IS AN INFORMAL MEETING FOR PUBLIC TO ASK QUESTIONS AND THE COUNCIL WILL NOT BE PRESENT.

THAT'S CORRECT.

OKAY. THANK YOU. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.

PLEASE VOTE UNLESS SOMEBODY HAS A COMMENT.

OKAY. THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

THANK YOU ALL. ITEM NUMBER SIX.

[6. UPDATE ON THE CITY’S RESPONSE TO THE LOCAL TRAFFIC SAFETY EMERGENCY AND OPTION TO EXTEND THE EMERGENCY PROCLAMATION FOR AN ADDITIONAL 60 DAYS – 1) Receive a report on actions taken to date relating to a local traffic safety emergency proclaimed Aug. 23, 2022; 2) Adoption of a resolution extending the Proclamation of Bicycle, E-Bicycle and Motorized Mobility Device Safety Local Emergency in the City of Carlsbad until July 15, 2023, at 5 p.m., unless otherwise extended or terminated by the City Council. (Staff contact: Geoff Patnoe, City Manager’s Department) City Manager’s Recommendation: Receive the report and adopt the resolution.]

THANK YOU, SIR. ITEM NUMBER SIX IS AN UPDATE ON THE CITY'S RESPONSE TO THE LOCAL TRAFFIC SAFETY EMERGENCY AND AN OPTION TO EXTEND THE EMERGENCY PROCLAMATION FOR AN ADDITIONAL 60 DAYS. MAKING OUR PRESENTATION TODAY IS OUR ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, GEOFF PATNOE, ALONG WITH OUR TRANSPORTATION DIRECTOR, TOM FRANK.

THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING.

TONIGHT, WE'RE HERE TO REPORT OUT ON THE CITY'S ACTIONS IN RESPONSE TO THE LOCAL TRAFFIC EMERGENCY AND TO ASK YOU TO CONSIDER WHETHER THE EMERGENCY SHOULD BE EXTENDED.

TO START, I'D LIKE TO UPDATE THE CITY COUNCIL ON THE CITY'S RECENT ACTIONS IN RESPONSE TO THE EMERGENCY.

AS A REMINDER, THE CITY IS TAKING A THREE PRONGED APPROACH TO TRAFFIC SAFETY, WHICH WE CALL THE THREE E'S EDUCATION, ENGINEERING AND ENFORCEMENT.

LIKEWISE, WE'RE FOCUSING ON ALL MODES OF TRANSPORTATION BECAUSE SAFER STREETS REQUIRE THE COOPERATION OF EVERYONE WHO USES OUR ROADS.

ON SEPTEMBER 27TH, THE CITY COUNCIL AUTHORIZED SEVERAL NEW PROJECTS AND INITIATIVES TO AID IN OUR EMERGENCY RESPONSE EFFORTS.

I'M PLEASED TO REPORT THAT THE CITY IS MAKING PROGRESS ON ALL FRONTS.

STAFF CONTINUE TO INFORM THE COMMUNITY ABOUT TRAFFIC SAFETY AND ENCOURAGE SAFE ROADWAY BEHAVIORS.

SINCE OUR LAST UPDATE TO YOU IN MARCH, CITY STAFF HAVE DISTRIBUTED MATERIALS AT COMMUNITY EVENTS, INCLUDING THE CITY'S EARTH MONTH CELEBRATION, APRIL'S EGGSTRAVAGANZA AND THE CARLSBAD VILLAGE STREET FAIR.

WE'VE ALSO CONTINUED TO ENGAGE OUR BUSINESS PARTNERS MAKING PRESENTATIONS ABOUT TRAFFIC SAFETY PROJECTS AT THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE'S GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS COMMITTEE ON APRIL 5TH AND THE GREEN BUSINESS COMMITTEE ON MAY 9TH.

WE HAVE 350 BUSINESS PARTNERS HELPING TO SPREAD THE TRAFFIC SAFETY MESSAGE.

MORE THAN 1000 PEOPLE HAVE SIGNED THE PLEDGE AND 6000 WINDOW CLINGS HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTED TO PUT ON CARS AND OVER 2000 YARD SIGNS ARE BEING DISPLAYED THROUGHOUT THE CITY.

HERE'S WHAT THE DISTRIBUTION OF YARD SIGNS AND CAR STICKERS LOOK LIKE GEOGRAPHICALLY.

KEEPING IN MIND THESE ARE JUST THE ONES THAT HAVE BEEN REQUESTED.

PEOPLE HAVE ALSO PICKED UP THEIR OWN AT LIBRARIES, COMMUNITY CENTERS AND AT SCHOOLS.

WE ALSO HAVE SOME IN THE BACK THIS EVENING FOR ANYBODY WHO WOULD LIKE TO TAKE SOME HOME.

A MAJOR FOCUS OF OUR EFFORTS CONTINUE TO BE WORKING WITH ALL DISTRICTS AND SCHOOLS SERVING CARLSBAD.

SINCE OUR LAST UPDATE IN MARCH, CITY STAFF HAVE HELD ASSEMBLIES AT JEFFERSON ELEMENTARY, EL CAMINO CREEK ELEMENTARY, AVIARA OAKS MIDDLE SCHOOL, CARRILLO ELEMENTARY AND KELLY ELEMENTARY.

WE'VE ALSO HELD A MEDIA EVENT AT JEFFERSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TO PROMOTE BIKE TO SCHOOL DAY SAFETY, AND WE'VE HELD TWO HANDS ON CITY CYCLING CLASSES.

OUR NEXT ONE WILL TAKE PLACE IN SOUTH CARLSBAD ON JUNE 10TH.

THE CITY HAS PRODUCED SEVEN NEW VIDEO PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS SINCE OUR LAST UPDATE.

SOME OF THESE NEW VIDEOS FEATURE THE SAN DIEGO COUNTY BICYCLE COALITION AND FOCUS ON THE TOP CAUSES OF BIKE COLLISIONS.

THESE VIDEOS ARE SHARED ON SOCIAL MEDIA, THE CITY'S WEBSITE, OUR CABLE TV CHANNEL, AND THROUGH OUR PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS.

ON THE ENGINEERING FRONT, STAFF CONTINUES TO MAKE PROGRESS ON PROJECTS DESIGNED TO SLOW DOWN TRAFFIC AND MAKE MORE ROOM FOR WALKERS AND BICYCLISTS.

HERE'S A SNAPSHOT OF THESE ROADWAY IMPROVEMENTS.

SINCE OUR LAST UPDATE STAFF HAS IMPROVED IMPROVED BIKE LANES AT SEVERAL LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.

YOU CAN SEE IN THIS VIDEO, CREWS ARE ADDING GREEN PAINT TO BIKE LANES ON RANCHO SANTA FE ROAD A FEW WEEKS AGO.

STAFF HAVE ALSO RECENTLY COMPLETED RE-STRIPING ALONG SOUTH CARLSBAD BOULEVARD, WHICH IS A VERY BUSY AREA FOR ALL MODES OF TRAVEL.

THIS PROJECT HELPED ADDRESS SPEEDING WHILE CREATING MORE SPACE FOR PEDESTRIANS AND CYCLISTS ALONG THE COASTLINE.

[01:20:02]

HERE IS OUR COLLISION HEAT MAP SHOWING THE INITIAL IMPROVEMENTS THAT WERE COMPLETED IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE EMERGENCY.

THESE ARE THE AREAS IN GREEN.

THIS INCLUDES THINGS LIKE ENHANCED BIKE LANES, MORE VISIBLE CROSSWALKS, CHANGING THE WALK SIGNAL TIMING AND RESTRIPING PROJECTS.

THIS MAP ADDS THE LATEST ROUND OF PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN COMPLETED.

THOSE ARE IN BLUE, AND FINALLY HERE WE CAN SEE THE PROJECTS THAT ARE UPCOMING, WHICH ARE IN ORANGE.

SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THESE STREETS WILL BE RECONFIGURED, ADJUSTING THE NUMBER OF LANES AND LANE WIDTHS TO MANAGE SPEED AND IMPROVE VISIBILITY FOR BICYCLISTS AND PEDESTRIANS.

THE PROJECT WILL ALSO IMPROVE PAVEMENT CONDITION FOR EVERYONE WHO USES THE ROAD AND REDUCE THE CITY'S LONG TERM PAVEMENT MAINTENANCE COSTS.

NOW OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT CONTINUES TO MAKE CONTACT WITH ALL USERS OF THE ROAD, FOCUSING ON HIGH COLLISION AREAS, AREAS WHERE RESIDENTS HAVE REPORTED CONCERNS AND TIMES WHERE HEAVY TRAFFIC IS EXPECTED, SUCH AS HOLIDAYS.

WE ARE FOCUSING ON EDUCATION WHENEVER POSSIBLE RATHER THAN SIMPLY WRITING CITATIONS, ALTHOUGH WE ARE DOING THAT WHEN NEEDED AS WELL.

PURSUING SOLUTIONS AT THE STATE LEVEL WAS THE NUMBER ONE SUGGESTION WE HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY.

THE CITY IS CURRENTLY SUPPORTING TWO BILLS RELATED TO BIKE SAFETY IN SACRAMENTO STATE ASSEMBLY BILL 1188 BY ASSEMBLY MEMBER TASHA BOERNER WOULD DIRECT THE CALIFORNIA STATE TRANSPORTATION AGENCY TO DEVELOP AND DISTRIBUTE A BIKE SMART HANDBOOK, AND STATE SENATE BILL 381 BY STATE SENATOR DAVE MIN WOULD REQUIRE THE TRANSPORTATION INSTITUTE AT SAN JOSE STATE UNIVERSITY TO CONDUCT A STUDY ON E-BIKES TO INFORM EFFORTS TO IMPROVE SAFETY.

IN ADDITION, OUR FEDERAL ADVOCACY FOR SAFER STREETS FUNDING IS MAKING AN IMPACT.

AS CONGRESSMAN MIKE LEVIN AND US SENATORS FEINSTEIN AND PADILLA HAVE EACH SUBMITTED APPROPRIATIONS REQUESTS ON OUR BEHALF FOR SAFER ROUTE TO SCHOOL IMPROVEMENTS AND OTHER ROADWAY SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS.

STAFF ARE ALSO CONTINUING TO WORK WITH THE CITY'S GOVERNMENT RELATIONS CONSULTANTS TO EXPLORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR A STATEWIDE LICENSING AND TRAINING PROCESS FOR E-BIKES.

IN THE MEANTIME, OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT HAD BEEN WORKING WITH ALL DISTRICTS, WITH SCHOOLS IN CARLSBAD TO CREATE AN ON CAMPUS BIKE PERMIT PROGRAM THAT WOULD START NEXT FALL.

THIS SUMMER, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WILL ROLL OUT BIKE SAFETY TRAINING.

THAT IS PART OF THE NEW PROGRAM, AND PARENTS CAN LOOK FOR MORE INFORMATION THIS SUMMER IN ADVANCE OF NEXT FALL'S SCHOOL REGISTRATION.

LASTLY, WE'RE CONTINUING TO GATHER DATA AND TRACK RESULTS OF OUR EFFORTS.

AS OF OUR LAST REPORT, SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE EMERGENCY INJURY, COLLISIONS ARE DOWN 19% ACROSS ALL MODES OF TRAVEL.

I WANT TO POINT OUT THAT THE NUMBER OF COLLISIONS TEND TO GO UP OVER THE BUSY SUMMER MONTHS AND OTHER PEAK TIMES.

WHEN WE LOOK AT DATA TRENDS, WE NEED TO CONSIDER THESE SEASONAL FLUCTUATIONS.

WE ALSO ADJUST OUR OUTREACH AND ENFORCEMENT BASED ON THESE TRENDS.

WE WILL PROVIDE AN UPDATE TO THE CITY COUNCIL ONCE NEXT QUARTER'S DATA HAS BEEN FINALIZED SO YOU CAN CONTINUE TO EVALUATE THE RESULTS OF THE CITY'S EFFORTS.

THIS CONCLUDES STAFF'S PRESENTATION.

THE RECOMMENDED ACTION TODAY ARE TO ACCEPT THIS REPORT AND TO CONSIDER WHETHER YOU WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND OR END THE EMERGENCY.

THANK YOU, AND STAFF IS AVAILABLE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU. DO WE HAVE ANY SPEAKERS? YES, WE HAVE ONE.

DAVE BRIGGS.

MINE IS A SMALL DEPARTURE FROM WHAT'S BEEN MENTIONED HERE, BUT I COME ON BEHALF OF MY FAMILY: MY WIFE, MY SIX CHILDREN AND 13 GRANDCHILDREN , AND JUST SHORT OF FOUR YEARS AGO, MY WIFE ON HER BRAND NEW VESPA SCOOTER, WAS TRYING TO LEARN HOW TO DRIVE IT IN A CHURCH PARKING LOT AND IN HER EFFORTS TO LEARN HOW TO DRIVE IT, SHE CRASHED INTO A BRICK WALL.

I HEARD THE ENGINE ACCELERATE.

I HEARD THE CRASH.

SHE WAS OUT OF MY LINE OF SIGHT.

I RAN AROUND THE CHURCH BUILDING, THE SCOOTER, THE BRAND NEW SCOOTER WAS ON ITS SIDE.

SHE WAS LAYING JUST BEYOND THE SCOOTER, UNCONSCIOUS, NO RESPIRATORY ACTIVITY WHATSOEVER, AND ANYWAY, I WAS PANICKED, AND THANKS TO GOD, SHE BEGAN TO GASP FOR AIR, WHICH GAVE ME A MOMENT IN TIME TO CALL 9-1-1.

THE DISPATCHER IMMEDIATELY ANSWERED, ASKED THE LOCATION, WHICH WAS SHARED.

WITHIN SECONDS, FIRST RESPONDERS SIRENS WERE SURROUNDING ME ALL THROUGHOUT THE CITY, AND FIRST TO ARRIVE WAS THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, FOLLOWED QUICKLY BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE EMTS.

I WAS WONDERING WHERE THEY WERE GOING TO LAND THE HELICOPTER FOR A LIFE FLIGHT, BUT THE OFFICER SAID, I'M FAMILIAR WITH THIS

[01:25:08]

IT'LL BE MUCH QUICKER TO TAKE HER TO A TRAUMA CENTER BY AMBULANCE, AND, OF COURSE, I YIELDED TO THEIR EXPERTISE, AND I GOT THE BILL FROM THE CITY OF CARLSBAD, WHERE FROM THIS LOCATION, THIS CHURCH LOCATION, TO SCRIPPS MEMORIAL HOSPITAL IN LA JOLLA FROM POINT A TO POINT B, IT TOOK LESS THAN 13 MINUTES VIA AMBULANCE, BUT I AM HERE--AND THAT WAS ON A WEEKDAY AFTERNOON, I MIGHT ADD --BUT I'M FOUR YEARS TOO LATE TO THANK THE FIRST RESPONDERS OF THIS CITY FOR THE CITY REPRESENTATIVES, ELECTED AND APPOINTED AND I'M GRATEFUL TO LIVE IN THIS CITY THAT WAS SO WELL PREPARED TO SAVE MY WIFE'S LIFE.

HER NAME IS DEBBIE, AND SO I'M GRATEFUL TO THIS CITY AND THOSE WHO RUN THIS CITY, AND AGAIN, TO THE POLICE, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, THE EMTS.

THANK YOU.

ANY OTHER SPEAKERS? NO, THERE ARE NO ADDITIONAL SPEAKERS.

QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL.

NO.

COMMENTS, MS. LUNA.

NO. MISS BURKHOLDER.

I THINK GOING INTO THE SUMMER MONTHS IS GOING TO BE IMPORTANT, AND MY PERSONAL OPINION IS TO CONTINUE THE EMERGENCY SO THAT WE CAN GATHER ADDITIONAL DATA AND COMPARE IT TO WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE. SO I APPRECIATE THAT YOU BROUGHT IT BACK BEFORE US.

I THINK WE'LL HEAR IT AGAIN IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS.

RIGHT. OKAY, AND THANK YOU.

THAT'S ALL. MR. ACOSTA. YEAH.

THANK YOU. ACTUALLY, I WANT TO START BY THANKING OUR SPEAKER, MR. BRIGGS. THANK YOU FOR SHARING THE INFORMATION WITH US ABOUT YOUR WIFE'S INCIDENT, AND I'M GLAD THAT IT WAS TAKEN CARE OF AND SHE WAS ALL RIGHT.

WE DO TAKE THIS VERY SERIOUSLY, AND THAT'S WHY WE DECLARED THIS THIS EMERGENCY SITUATION , AND ESPECIALLY WHEN WE SAW KIDS GOING BACK TO SCHOOL AROUND OUR SCHOOLS IN AUGUST TIME.

WE DECLARED THIS EMERGENCY IN AUGUST, AND I AM STILL REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT YOUNG RIDERS OF E-BIKES BEING HEAVIER AND FASTER AND NOT HAVING LICENSES, NOT KNOWING THE RULES OF THE ROAD.

SO I'M STILL CONCERNED THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE AND MAYBE EVEN AFTER THIS IS OVER, AFTER THE DECLARATION, AFTER WE END THIS EMERGENCY STATE, MAYBE WE CAN CONTINUE TO HAVE SOME KIND OF PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS AS WE DO NOW TO EDUCATE THE STUDENTS.

I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SOMETHING MAYBE THAT'S A QUESTION FOR YOU.

I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN DISCUSSED, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WE DO A LOT WITH THE SCHOOLS JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THE STUDENTS I'VE HEARD THAT SOME SCHOOLS EVEN REQUIRE THEIR STUDENTS TO GO THROUGH A TRAINING PROGRAM AND GET A CERTIFICATE BEFORE THEY ALLOW THEIR STUDENTS TO LOCK THEIR BIKES AT THE SCHOOL.

THEY HAVE TO SHOW THAT THEY HAVE THIS PROOF OF HAVING GONE THROUGH THE EDUCATION PROGRAM.

SO IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT, KIND OF AN ONGOING TYPE OF PROGRAM THAT'S THAT PROGRAM YOU OUTLINED IS WHAT'S BEING DISCUSSED AMONGST ALL THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS WITHIN CARLSBAD.

SOME, YOU KNOW, VARIOUS FORMS OF REQUIREMENTS THAT WOULD PERMIT AND ALLOW STUDENTS TO PARK THEIR BIKES ON CAMPUS COME NEXT FALL.

IT'S REALLY UP TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS THEMSELVES TO COME UP WITH THEIR OWN PROGRAM.

THAT MAKES THE MOST SENSE, BUT OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT AND CITY STAFF ARE WITH THEM HAND IN HAND IN THESE MEETINGS TO HELP THEM COME UP WITH THE TRAINING AND EDUCATION THAT MIGHT BE NECESSARY TO CREATE THE PROGRAM THAT WOULD GIVE THEM THE GREEN LIGHT TO BE ABLE TO PARK ON CAMPUS AND WITH REGARD TO WHEN THIS EMERGENCY IS ULTIMATELY SUNSETTED, OUR ULTIMATE HOPE IS TO HAVE THIS SORT OF EMERGENCY AWARENESS FOOTING CONTINUE TO BE PART OF OUR CULTURE HERE AS AN ORGANIZATION AND CONTINUE TO WORK WITH ALL THE PARTIES WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH TO HELP MAKE THIS THIS CITY AS SAFE AS WE CAN FROM A MOBILE TRANSPORTATION STANDPOINT.

GREAT. THANK YOU. I KNOW THAT A LOT OF OTHER CITIES IN THE REGION AND IN THE STATE AND PROBABLY BEYOND ARE LOOKING AT WHAT WE'RE DOING AS A MODEL AND WANTING TO COPY WHAT WE'RE DOING IN TERMS OF OUR PARTNERSHIPS AND OUR THREE LEGGED EDUCATION ENFORCEMENT AND ENGINEERING APPROACH.

SO I'M REALLY PROUD OF WHAT WE'VE DONE, AND I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE COLLECT AS MUCH DATA AS WE CAN TO SHOW THE SUCCESS OF OUR PROGRAM, AND I DO THINK THAT A FULL YEAR OF DATA IS ACTUALLY REALLY IMPORTANT.

SO I SUPPORT THE EXTENSION OF THE EMERGENCY DECLARATION.

THANKS. MRS. BHAT-PATEL.

YES, THANK YOU, AND I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE SPEAKER FOR SHARING YOUR STORY, AND I'M GLAD THAT, YOU KNOW, OUR TEAM WAS ABLE TO HELP OUT IN THAT SITUATION, AND SO, YES, I THINK DEFINITELY I ALSO SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, EXTENDING THE EMERGENCY PROCLAMATION.

[01:30:03]

WE DIDN'T HAVE THE SUMMER MONTHS COMPLETELY LAST YEAR.

SO I THINK JUST BEING ABLE TO NOT ONLY FACTOR IN OBVIOUSLY OUR RESIDENTS, BUT HOW MANY TOURISTS WE END UP GETTING DURING THAT TIME IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO FACTOR IN AS WELL.

SO I'M SURE WE'LL BE ABLE TO SEE THAT FROM THE DATA AND WHAT THAT DOES IN TERMS OF PATTERNS, AND I JUST WANT TO SAY IN TERMS OF VISIBILITY OF LIKE THE BIKE LANES AND ALL THE DIFFERENT CHANGES THAT HAVE BEEN MADE THROUGHOUT THE CITY AS OBVIOUSLY SOMEBODY WHO DRIVES AROUND, BUT SOMEBODY WHO ALSO RUNS, WALKS, YOU KNOW, BIKES AROUND THE CITY.

I'VE SEEN IT, AND I CAN SAY THAT IT'S DEFINITELY MAKING A DIFFERENCE.

DO WE HAVE MORE WORK TO DO? YES, AND I THINK THAT'S WHY IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO EXTEND THIS.

THANK YOU, AND THANK YOU FOR SHARING THE STORY.

I NEVER GET TIRED OF HEARING COMPLIMENTS ON OUR POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT, BUT NOTHING YOU SAID SURPRISED ME.

WE REALLY DO HAVE AN EXCELLENT POLICE DEPARTMENT AND FIRE DEPARTMENT.

WITH THAT SAID, I ALSO SUPPORT THE RESOLUTION.

I NEED A MOTION, PLEASE.

YES. MOVE STAFF RECOMMENDATION AND ADOPT THE RESOLUTION TO EXTEND THE PROCLAMATION.

PLEASE VOTE. PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

THANK YOU. ITEM NUMBER SEVEN CITY MANAGER.

[7. AMBULANCE REVENUE AND BILLING – Receive a report describing ambulance billing methodology and recent changes in reimbursement and revenue. (Staff contact: Nathan Pearson, Fire Department) City Manager’s Recommendation: Receive the report.]

THE PRESENTATION TODAY IS OUR ASSISTANT FIRE CHIEF, NICK ORDILLE, ALONG WITH OUR FIRE DIVISION CHIEF NATE PEARSON.

GENTLEMEN. ALL RIGHT.

GOOD EVENING, MAYOR BLACKBURN AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.

AS MENTIONED, MY NAME IS NICK ORDILLE AND I'M THE ASSISTANT FIRE CHIEF.

TONIGHT, I'M JOINED BY DIVISION CHIEF NATE PEARSON, AND WE'LL BE PROVIDING AN OVERVIEW OF AMBULANCE BILLING AND REVENUE.

THIS INFORMATIONAL REPORT IS BEING PROVIDED FOLLOWING THE RECOMMENDATION FROM THE STANDARDS OF COVER STUDY PRESENTED IN 2021, WHERE IT WAS IDENTIFIED THAT AMBULANCE FEES SHOULD BE EVALUATED TO MAXIMIZE RECOVERY FROM PUBLIC AND COMMERCIAL INSURERS.

WE WILL ALSO DISCUSS THE HISTORY AND STRUCTURE OF EMS FEES, AS WELL AS RECENT CHANGES IN THE UNIVERSE OF MS REIMBURSEMENTS AND REVENUE.

THIS PRESENTATION WILL SERVE AS BACKGROUND FOR POSSIBLE UPCOMING CHANGES TO THE MASTER FEE SCHEDULE BASED ON FINDINGS OF THE AMBULANCE FEE STUDY.

IT IS IMPORTANT, AS WITH ANY FEE FOR SERVICE THAT THE CITY CHARGES FOR US TO CONSIDER PROP 26, WHICH ESTABLISHED ESTABLISHED THAT FEES COLLECTED FOR A SERVICE MUST NOT EXCEED THE TOTAL COST OF DELIVERING THAT SERVICE, OR ELSE IT MAY THEN BE CONSIDERED A NEW TAX.

IN ORDER TO ENSURE AND VALIDATE THAT THE CITY COMPLIES WITH PROP 26.

THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CONDITIONED OR COMMISSIONED AN AMBULANCE FEE STUDY.

THE AMBULANCE FEE STUDY IS BASED ON CURRENT INDUSTRY STANDARDS AND PRACTICES AND TAKES INTO ACCOUNT OUR LOCAL COUNTY AVERAGE TRANSPORT FEES.

THE STUDY WILL PROVIDE A SET OF PROP 26 COMPLIANT RECOMMENDATIONS.

HAVING THIS THIRD PARTY EXPERT EVALUATION WILL ASSIST COUNCIL IN MAKING AN INFORMED DECISION ON THIS COMPLEX AREA OF FEES.

TONIGHT'S ACTIONS ARE ONLY TO RECEIVE THIS INFORMATIVE REPORT.

THE INFORMATION PROVIDED WILL BE USEFUL IN CONSIDERING FUTURE CHANGES TO THE EMS FEES, WHICH, AS MENTIONED, WILL BE PRESENTED AS A COMPONENT OF THE MASTER FEE SCHEDULE UPDATE. AT THIS TIME, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO EMS AND TRAINING DIVISION CHIEF NATE PEARSON TO PROVIDE BACKGROUND ON OUR FEES AND FEE STRUCTURE.

THANK YOU AND GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.

THANKS AGAIN FOR HAVING US.

I'LL BEGIN WITH SOME BACKGROUND BEFORE WE GET INTO WHERE WE ARE TODAY.

THE CARLSBAD FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN THE PROVIDER OF AMBULANCE TRANSPORT SERVICES IN THE CITY OF CARLSBAD SINCE 1977.

IT IS A NATIONAL INDUSTRY STANDARD TO BILL FOR THESE SERVICES WHEN RENDERED, AND THE AUTHORITY TO DO SO IS ESTABLISHED IN THE SOCIAL SECURITY ACT AND THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS. OUR LOCAL ORDINANCE REGARDING FEES FOLLOWS SUIT WITH PROP 26 IN THIS REGARD.

FEDERALLY, THE CENTERS FOR MEDICARE SERVICES, OR CMS, ESTABLISHES BILLING STANDARDS AND RECOMMENDS THAT SERVICES ARE BUNDLED FOR THE PURPOSES OF BILLING.

THAT IS TO SAY THAT RATHER THAN CHARGING A LA CARTE FOR EACH ITEM USED IN THE COURSE OF PROVIDING TREATMENT AND TRANSPORT THAT SUPPLIES AND MEDICATIONS ARE BUNDLED TOGETHER TO PROVIDE BILLING LEVELS.

THE AVERAGE AMBULANCE TRANSPORT FEE IN CARLSBAD IS $1,200.

THE BUNDLE APPLIED TO ANY TRANSPORT IS DETERMINED BY THE BILLING CONTRACTOR DURING CASE REVIEW BASED ON THE TYPES AND TREATMENT OF MEDICATIONS DELIVERED DURING THE PATIENT ENCOUNTER. OXYGEN AND THE SUPPLIES NEEDED TO DELIVER IT ARE CHARGED AS A ONE TIME PER TRANSPORT FLAT RATE AND MILEAGE IS CHARGED PER MILE FROM THE LOCATION OF THE INCIDENT TO THE DESTINATION, WHICH ARE THE ALLOWABLE PRACTICES UNDER MEDICARE RULES.

[01:35:04]

OUR FEE STRUCTURE WAS INTRODUCED IN 2010 WITH ONLY MINOR UPDATES IN 2014.

ANNUAL ESCALATORS HAVE BEEN APPLIED BUT HAVE NOT KEPT PACE WITH INDUSTRY CHANGES COMPARED TO OTHER AGENCIES IN THE COUNTY THAT PROVIDE TRANSPORT SERVICES.

CARLSBAD'S AVERAGE FEE FOR SERVICE IS SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER.

THE AVERAGE OF ALL TRANSPORT AGENCIES EMPLOYING A SIMILAR FEE STRUCTURE IS JUST OVER $2,600.

CARLSBAD WOULD HAVE TO INCREASE ITS FEES BY 118% TO MATCH THE COUNTY AVERAGE AND BY ALMOST 300% TO BE THE HIGHEST.

BY COMPARISON, WE ARE CURRENTLY ONLY 5% ABOVE THE LOWEST FEES, GIVING US THE SECOND LOWEST FEES IN ALMOST EVERY CATEGORY.

WHEN EVALUATING OUR COSTS TO DELIVER SERVICES AS PART OF SUPPLEMENTAL REIMBURSEMENT IN FISCAL YEAR 2122.

IT WAS DETERMINED THAT OUR COSTS TO DELIVER TRANSPORT SERVICES WAS APPROXIMATELY $2,600 PER INCIDENT.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THIS COST REPORTING GIVES US A GENERAL AWARENESS OF COST PER TRANSPORT.

HOWEVER, THIS FIGURE TAKES INTO ACCOUNT PARAMETERS FOCUSED ON REIMBURSEMENT AND THE AMBULANCE FEE STUDY.

CALCULATIONS MAY DIFFER.

WE WILL DISCUSS THESE SUPPLEMENTAL PROGRAMS LATER IN THE PRESENTATION.

IT IS ALSO WORTH NOTING THAT THE COMMUNITIES AND COUNTY SERVICE AREA 17 OR CSA 17, INCLUDING ENCINITAS, SOLANA, BEACH, DEL MAR AND RANCHO SANTA FE, FOLLOW A DIFFERENT METHOD OF FUNDING EMS DELIVERY.

A PER PARCEL BENEFIT FEE IS ASSESSED TO EVERY RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY, REGARDLESS OF SERVICES USED, AND A PORTION OF THE PROPERTY TAX ASSESSMENT IS ALSO ALLOCATED TO EMS. TRANSPORT FEES FOR RESIDENTS ARE THEN CHARGED AT A MUCH LOWER RATE AT THE TIME OF SERVICE.

HISTORICALLY, AMBULANCE RATES ARE ADJUSTED ANNUALLY BY THE AMBULANCE INFLATION FACTOR OR AIF.

THIS ADJUSTMENT IS LINKED TO THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX AND IS SET FEDERALLY.

THE LAST TIME CARLSBAD'S RATES WERE ADJUSTED WAS 2019.

ADJUSTMENTS TO EMS FEES WERE PAUSED DURING THE COVID EMERGENCY AND NOW SHOULD BE REEVALUATED AND ADJUSTED TO MARKET RATES.

ANOTHER COMPONENT OF AMBULANCE REVENUE IS THE PAYOR MIX.

THIS IS THE BLEND OF PAYMENT SOURCES RECEIVED BY ANY MEDICAL SYSTEM.

THE PAYOR MIX IS AFFECTED BY DEMOGRAPHICS AND SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS AND WILL VARY BY COMMUNITY.

THE AMOUNT OF PAYMENT THAT IS ALLOWABLE PER THE DIFFERENT PAYER CLASSIFICATIONS VARIES WIDELY, AND THE LEVEL OF ADDITIONAL BALANCE THAT MAY BE BILLED IS CONTROLLED BY LAW FOR MEDICARE AND MEDI-CAL.

THIS IS THE BREAKDOWN OF CARLSBAD'S PAYOR MIX.

THIS REPRESENTS THE BLEND OF TYPES OF COVERAGE HELD BY THE PATIENTS TRANSPORTED BY CARLSBAD UNITS.

MEDICARE IS THE FEDERAL PROGRAM WHICH CARES FOR SENIORS.

MEDI-CAL PROVIDES COVERAGE TO LOW INCOME CALIFORNIANS WITHIN ALL DEMOGRAPHICS.

THE INSURANCE CATEGORY INCLUDES ALL THOSE WITH COMMERCIAL INSURANCE COVERAGE, INCLUDING COVERED CALIFORNIA AND AFFORDABLE CARE ACT PLANS.

SELF-PAY AND UNINSURED INCLUDES THOSE THAT DO NOT HAVE ANY OF THE COVERAGE TYPES ABOVE AND INCLUDES BOTH THOSE THAT CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY OUT OF POCKET FOR THEIR HEALTH CARE AND THOSE THAT CANNOT AFFORD INSURANCE COVERAGE.

SHOWN HERE IS THE BREAKDOWN OF HOW THESE DIFFERENT REVENUE SOURCES COMPRISE OUR TOTAL REVENUE.

THE BREAKDOWN OF PAYMENT LOOKS DIFFERENT BECAUSE THE REIMBURSEMENT RATES SET BY EACH OF THESE PROGRAMS. MEDICARE PAYMENTS CURRENTLY ACCOUNT FOR THE LARGEST PERCENTAGE OF OUR REVENUE, FOLLOWED BY PRIVATE INSURANCE COVERAGE.

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH CARE SERVICES OR DHCS BEGAN OPTIONAL SUPPLEMENTAL REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAMS FOR MEDI-CAL PATIENTS TRANSPORTED BY AMBULANCE WITH A PROGRAM CALLED GROUND EMERGENCY MEDICAL TRANSPORT, OR GEMT.

STAFF HAS PURSUED THESE ADDITIONAL REIMBURSEMENTS SINCE FISCAL YEAR 1819.

DUE TO IMPACTS OF THE COVID EMERGENCY PAYMENTS MADE TO PROVIDERS UNDER THESE PROGRAMS WERE POSTPONED.

CARLSBAD RECEIVED SUPPLEMENTAL REIMBURSEMENT FOR FOUR REPORTING PERIODS THIS YEAR, TOTALING APPROXIMATELY $969,000.

A NEW REVISED GROUND EMERGENCY MEDICAL TRANSPORT SUPPLEMENTAL PROGRAM TOOK EFFECT IN 2023 AND IS ANTICIPATED TO CONTINUE BRINGING IN APPROXIMATELY $375,000 ANNUALLY.

THIS FIGURE MAY VARY WITH CALL VOLUME AND PAYOR MIX.

THIS SLIDE HIGHLIGHTS THE COMPONENTS OF AMBULANCE REVENUE.

ESSENTIALLY, THE RATES SET BY POLICY COMBINED WITH THE PAYOR MIX AND ADDITIONAL SUPPLEMENTAL PROGRAMS DETERMINE THE LEVEL OF REIMBURSEMENT THAT IS AVAILABLE.

THIS MULTIPLIED BY OUR TOTAL NUMBER OF TRANSPORTS WILL EQUATE TO OUR TOTAL GROSS REVENUE.

AS PART OF THE COUNCIL GOAL TO BRING THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IN CONFORMANCE WITH THE STANDARD OF COVER STUDY.

TWO NEW AMBULANCES WERE PUT INTO SERVICE IN JANUARY 2022.

THESE NEW RESOURCES CAPTURED A GREATER NUMBER OF TRANSPORTS BY CARLSBAD UNITS.

A COMBINATION OF THE INCREASED INSURANCE COVERAGE, INCREASED SUPPLEMENTAL REIMBURSEMENT AND IMPROVED RECOVERY FROM OUR BILLING PROVIDER.

[01:40:03]

ILLUSTRATED HERE IS A COMPARISON BETWEEN AMBULANCE TRANSPORT RATES PER YEAR AND OUR ANNUAL REVENUE.

AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE IS A CLOSE CORRELATION BETWEEN NUMBER OF TRANSPORTS PERFORMED BY CARLSBAD AMBULANCES AND REVENUE GENERATED.

UPON THE ADDITION OF TWO NEW AMBULANCES IN MID FISCAL YEAR 21-22, WE REALIZED A SUBSTANTIAL UPTICK IN REVENUE.

BASED ON CURRENT CALL VOLUME AND TRANSPORTS TO DATE FOR FISCAL YEAR 22-23, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT PROJECTS THAT TRANSPORTS WILL CONTINUE TO TREND UPWARDS AND EXPECTS APPROXIMATELY 7000 TRANSPORTS FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR.

TOTAL REVENUE GENERATED IS MORE DIFFICULT TO PROJECT, BUT IS EXPECTED TO FOLLOW A SIMILAR TRAJECTORY.

AS RECOMMENDED IN THE SOC, CARLSBAD IS DUE FOR A REEVALUATION OF EMS FEES BY CONSIDERING THE CURRENT AVERAGE FEES WITHIN SAN DIEGO COUNTY.

CARLSBAD IS UNDER CHARGING FOR THESE SERVICES.

OTHER AGENCIES IN THE REGION ARE BEGINNING TO CONDUCT THEIR OWN STUDIES TO POTENTIALLY MAKE SIMILAR ADJUSTMENTS.

UPON CONCLUSION OF THE AMBULANCE FEE STUDY, THE FINDINGS WILL BE INCLUDED AS PART OF THE MASTER FEE SCHEDULE UPDATE AND REVISIONS TO EMS FEES TO BRING CARLSBAD MORE IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE COUNTY AVERAGE WILL BE PROVIDED FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO PROVIDING YOU MORE INFORMATION IN THE FUTURE AND ARE AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS.

DO WE HAVE ANY SPEAKERS? THERE ARE NO SPEAKERS.

QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL.

MS. LUNA. MISS BURKHOLDER.

MR. ACOSTA. MR. BHAT-PATEL. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THIS IS JUST A PRESENTATION, SO THERE'LL BE NO VOTE ON THIS.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

NEXT IS ITEM NUMBER EIGHT.

CITY MANAGER, PLEASE.

[8. ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL UPDATE FOR THE THIRD QUARTER OF FISCAL YEAR 2022-23 – Receive a report on the economic and financial update for the third quarter of fiscal year 2022-23 and provide direction as appropriate. (Staff contact: Zach Korach and Matt Sanford, Administrative Services Department) City Manager’s Recommendation: Receive the report and provide direction as appropriate.]

ITEM NUMBER EIGHT IS THE ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL UPDATE FOR THE THIRD QUARTER OF FISCAL YEAR 22-23.

MAKING OUR PRESENTATION IS OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, MATT SANFORD, ALONG WITH OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR, ZACH KORACH.

THANK YOU, CITY MANAGER.

GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.

MATT SANFORD, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MANAGER FOR THE CITY.

AS NOTED, WE ARE HERE TODAY TO GIVE THE QUARTERLY ECONOMIC SCAN AND FINANCIAL UPDATE.

THE ECONOMIC UPDATE REVIEWS THE THIRD QUARTER OF FISCAL YEAR 2022 AND 2023, WHICH WAS JANUARY THROUGH MARCH.

WE'LL LOOK AT MACRO TRENDS AND LOCAL IMPACTS.

SO NO NEWS HERE.

THE ECONOMIC CONDITIONS ARE ARE THE DISRUPTIONS, RATHER, ARE STILL INFLATION, HIGHER COST OF CAPITAL AND A TIGHT LABOR MARKET.

INFLATION DOES SEEM TO BE EASING A BIT, ALTHOUGH IT REMAINS ELEVATED EXCUSE ME, COMPARED TO THE TARGET RATE OF NEAR 2%.

WITH HIGHER INTEREST RATES AND TIGHTENING CREDIT, ACCESS TO CAPITAL IS A GROWING ISSUE FOR BUSINESSES.

THE LABOR MARKET ALSO REMAINS TIGHT AT ALL LEVELS, BUT IS ESPECIALLY CONSTRAINED IN OUR REGION.

ENERGY PRICES IN GENERAL ARE FALLING, ALTHOUGH ELECTRICITY IN OUR REGION REMAINS HIGH.

THE INFLATION RATE FOR ALL ITEMS IN THE SAN DIEGO REGION IS FALLING AS WELL, ALTHOUGH WE'RE UP 1% OVER THE PAST TWO MONTHS 5.3% OVER THE PAST YEAR.

HIGH HOME PRICES CONTINUE TO BE A FACTOR IN THE SAN DIEGO REGION.

IN GENERAL, INFLATION IS GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, ALTHOUGH WE ARE LIKELY TO SEE INTEREST RATES REMAIN HIGH UNTIL CLEAR INDICATIONS THAT INFLATION IS UNDER CONTROL.

WHILE GDP AND GRP EXPERIENCED SIGNIFICANT RECOVERY AND GROWTH IN 2022, THE OUTLOOK FOR 2023 IS LESS CERTAIN, AND WE MAY SEE A LEVELING OFF IN TERMS OF ECONOMIC GAINS.

FOR EXAMPLE, BUSINESSES THAT DID WELL DURING THE PANDEMIC MAKING TEST KITS ET CETERA, ARE STARTING TO SLOW.

WE HAD A NUMBER OF THOSE IN CARLSBAD.

CARLSBAD'S UNEMPLOYMENT RATE WAS 3.5% IN MARCH, DEMONSTRATING A SLIGHT LOOSENING IN THE LABOR FORCE.

HOWEVER, APRIL'S PRELIMINARY NUMBERS SHOWED AN IMPROVEMENT THAT WAS BETTER THAN EXPECTED.

SO WE'RE SEEING A BIT OF A WAFFLING THERE.

IT'S STILL THE TIGHTEST JOB TO LABOR RATIO WE'VE SEEN IN RECENT HISTORY, AND WE'RE LIKELY TO SEE UPS AND DOWNS IN THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE OVER THE COMING MONTHS AS THE ECONOMY MODERATES. THIS IS AN EXPECTED SCENARIO AND MAY ACTUALLY HELP EMPLOYERS WITH A LARGER POOL OF WORKERS AVAILABLE IN THE LONG RUN.

IN ANOTHER DEMONSTRATION THAT WE'RE SEEING IS SLOWING IN OUR ECONOMY.

WE NOW HAVE THE THIRD CONSECUTIVE QUARTER WITH A DECREASE IN JOB POSTINGS IN CARLSBAD.

THERE WERE 750 FEWER JOBS POSTED THIS QUARTER COMPARED WITH LAST QUARTER.

AVERAGE SALARY FOR THE POSTED JOBS JUMPED ABOUT $5,000 OVER THE LAST QUARTER, DEMONSTRATING THAT EMPLOYERS ARE NEEDING TO PAY MORE TO ATTRACT WORKERS.

[01:45:08]

THE IMPACTS OF INFLATION AND A POTENTIAL RECESSION COULD HAMPER TOURISM GLOBALLY.

CARLSBAD IS WELL POSITIONED AS A DESTINATION THAT COULD SEE STRONG TOURISM THROUGH A RECESSION WHERE, YOU KNOW, FOLKS THAT MAY HAVE TRAVELED INTERNATIONALLY WOULD MAYBE RESET THEIR EXPECTATIONS AND COME TO A PLACE LIKE CARLSBAD.

CARLSBAD'S AVERAGE DAILY ROOM RATE CONTINUES TO EXCEED HISTORIC NORMS. ADR AVERAGED $195.63 IN THE THIRD QUARTER, COMPARED TO $179.98 FOR THE SAME QUARTER IN 2022.

BECAUSE OF THE ELEVATED OCCUPANCY RATE AND HIGHER ADR, TOURISM IS ON TRACK TO FINISH THE FISCAL YEAR AHEAD OF PROJECTIONS.

VACANCY RATES REMAINED RELATIVELY STEADY IN COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE, BUT DID TICK UP SLIGHTLY IN OFFICE AND INDUSTRIAL PROPERTIES.

WE HAVE HEARD FROM COMMERCIAL DEVELOPERS THAT THEY ARE LARGELY HOLDING OFF ON NEW DEVELOPMENTS AND OFFICE SPACE ELSEWHERE IN THE REGION AND THE COUNTRY IS SEEING A CONSIDERABLE RISE IN VACANCY AND A DROP IN VALUE, AN INDICATOR OF INSTABILITY.

THIS TREND IS PREDICTED TO CONTINUE, ESPECIALLY AS CAPITAL FOR COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT BECOMES HARDER TO ACCESS.

THE MEDIAN HOME PRICE IN CARLSBAD FELL $98,000 IN THE LAST QUARTER.

MEDIAN HOME PRICES ROSE CONSISTENTLY IN CARLSBAD BETWEEN MARCH OF 2019 AND JULY OF 2022 AND HAVE SINCE BEEN FALLING.

THE CURRENT MEDIAN HOME PRICE IS $1.34 MILLION, WHICH IS ROUGHLY EQUIVALENT TO THE MEDIAN HOME PRICE IN DECEMBER OF 2021.

SO WE HAD A PRETTY SUBSTANTIAL RISE AND A BIT OF A TAPERING OFF THERE.

THERE WERE A TOTAL OF 2940 BUSINESS LICENSES ISSUED LAST QUARTER, INCLUDING 1165 NON RESIDENTIAL 817 RESIDENTIAL AND 958 OUTSIDE THE CITY LICENSES.

THAT'S AN INCREASE OF 130 TOTAL BUSINESSES OVER THE SAME QUARTER OF 2022.

COMMERCIAL PERMITS ISSUED AT 83 CONTINUED A SLOWING TREND IN COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT OVER THE LAST FOUR QUARTERS, WHICH MATCHES PROJECTIONS OF A SLOWDOWN IN COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE.

SO KEY TAKEAWAYS.

WE ARE SEEING A SOFTENING IN THE ECONOMY.

PRICES MAY BE STABILIZING, BUT INFLATION STILL REMAINS A CONCERN.

WE HEARD A PRESENTATION ON WHETHER THERE WAS AN EXPECTATION THAT INTEREST RATES WOULD COME DOWN DRAMATICALLY AND SEEMINGLY THERE'S SOME OPINION THAT THEY'RE LIKELY TO STAY ELEVATED FOR SOME TIME BEFORE THEY MAY START TO BE REDUCED.

UNEMPLOYMENT RATE WILL LIKELY INCREASE SLIGHTLY AS THE ECONOMY MODERATES, BUT AGAIN, WE'LL LIKELY SEE A BIT OF UP AND DOWN THERE.

THE JOBS TO LABOR RATIO REMAINS EXTREMELY TIGHT, WHICH CAUSES WAGES TO RISE, AND THE SLOWING IN COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT IS LIKELY TO CONTINUE, AND NOW I'LL TURN IT OVER TO ZACH KORACH TO GIVE THE FINANCIAL UPDATE.

THANKS. PERFECT.

THANK YOU, MR. SANFORD.

GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.

ZACH KORACH, FINANCE DIRECTOR.

WE WILL BE JUMPING INTO THE GENERAL FUND REVENUES.

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE IS A BAR CHART WITH THE VARIOUS REVENUE CATEGORIES WITHIN THE GENERAL FUND.

JUST FOR REFERENCE, THE FIRST ORANGE COLUMN REPRESENTS THE FIRST THREE QUARTERS OF THE PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR 21-22.

THE SECOND GREEN COLUMN REPRESENTS WHAT WAS EXPECTED TO BE RECEIVED THROUGH THE FIRST THREE QUARTERS OF THIS CURRENT FISCAL YEAR AND THEN LASTLY, THE BLUE COLUMN REPRESENTS WHAT WE ACTUALLY BROUGHT IN OR RECEIVED THROUGH THE FIRST THREE QUARTERS OF THE FISCAL YEAR.

OVERALL, THE GENERAL FUND REVENUES THROUGH THE FIRST THREE QUARTERS OF THE FISCAL YEAR HAVE EXCEEDED LAST YEAR'S ACTUALS AS WELL AS OUR CURRENT YEAR EXPECTATIONS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF OTHER TAXES, AND AS HAS BEEN THE CASE IN PREVIOUS QUARTERLY REPORTS, THIS IS DUE TO BUSINESS LICENSE TAXES BEING A ONE TIME ANOMALY.

THERE WAS ADDITIONAL PENALTIES ASSESSED FOR LATE PAYMENTS AND THAT WAS DRIVEN BY COVID-19, SOMETHING THAT WAS EXPERIENCED LAST YEAR, NOT EXPERIENCED THIS YEAR.

LOOKING AT THE GENERAL FUND REVENUES, NUMERICALLY, WE CAN SEE IN FOCUSING ON SOME OF THE LARGER REVENUE SOURCES WITHIN THE GENERAL FUND, PROPERTY TAX, SALES TAX, TRANSIENT OCCUPANCY TAX.

WE DO FOCUS ON THESE BECAUSE TOGETHER THEY COMPRISE ABOUT 80% OF THE TOTAL GENERAL FUND REVENUES FOR PROPERTY TAX.

WE'RE SEEING CONTINUED POSITIVE PERFORMANCE ABOUT 4.1 MILLION OR 8% HIGHER THAN LAST YEAR, AGAIN, MOSTLY DUE TO AN INCREASE IN ASSESSED VALUES.

WANT TO KEEP IN MIND, THOUGH, THAT WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT PROPERTY TAX REVENUES, THESE ARE CALCULATED IN ARREARS AND BASED ON THE COUNTY ASSESSOR'S ROLL, WHICH IS RELEASED OR

[01:50:04]

SO ANY CHANGES IN PROPERTY VALUES LIKE MR. SANFORD HAD SPOKEN ABOUT THE RECENT DROP IN ASSESSED VALUES OF 98,000, WE WOULDN'T BE SEEING THAT FOR SOME TIME INTO THE FUTURE.

MOVING DOWN TO SALES TAX, THAT'S UP 3.5 MILLION OR 9% WHEN COMPARED TO THE PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR.

INCREASES ARE MOSTLY ATTRIBUTABLE TO NEW AUTO SALES.

THE LARGEST ECONOMIC SEGMENTS WITHIN THIS CATEGORY INCLUDE AUTO DEALERS AS WELL AS GENERAL RETAIL STORES AND RESTAURANTS.

TRANSIENT OCCUPANCY TAX ALSO UP SIGNIFICANTLY 20% OR $4.4 MILLION.

MR. SANFORD TALKED ABOUT THE AVERAGE OCCUPANCY RATE BEING UP COMPARED TO THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR.

COMPARISON OF 71% VERSUS 64%.

THAT COUPLED WITH THE AVERAGE DAILY RATE BEING INCREASED, IS CONTRIBUTING TO THOSE THOSE INCREASES.

I TALKED ABOUT THE ONLY REVENUE CATEGORY THAT IS DOWN OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR BEING OTHER TAXES, BUT JUST TAKING A STEP BACK AND LOOKING AT THIS, IN TOTAL, WE ARE SEEING A DIFFERENCE YEAR OVER YEAR OF ABOUT ALMOST $15 MILLION OR 11% WHEN THE FISCAL YEAR 22-23 BUDGET AND THE REVENUE ESTIMATIONS OR PROJECTIONS WERE DEVELOPED, THE CITY DID TAKE A CONSERVATIVE APPROACH TRYING TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT AND FACTOR THE HIGH INFLATION THAT WAS BEING EXPERIENCED.

IT WAS ESTIMATED THAT OR PROJECTED THAT THE HIGH INFLATION WOULD BEGIN TO HAVE ADVERSE IMPACTS ON SOME OF THESE MORE ECONOMICALLY SENSITIVE REVENUE CATEGORIES, AS HAS BEEN THE CASE IN PREVIOUS QUARTERLY FINANCIAL REPORTS.

THAT'S NOT ACTUALLY WHAT WE'VE BEEN EXPERIENCING.

THE PERFORMANCE HAS THE HIGH INFLATION RATES HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN BOOSTING PERFORMANCE, AND THAT IS WHILE INFLATION DOES GENERALLY DECREASE DEMAND AND ONE MIGHT THINK THAT WE'RE GOING TO SEE SOME DECREASES IN THESE CATEGORIES THROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC.

THERE IS A BELIEF THAT PERSONAL SAVINGS HAS BEEN ACCUMULATED AND BEEN ABLE TO ABSORB A LOT OF THE ADDITIONAL INFLATIONARY INCREASES.

THE CONCERN, HOWEVER, IS THAT THE AMOUNT OF PERSONAL SAVINGS IS BEING DEPLETED AND WITH INFLATIONARY LEVELS, ALTHOUGH THEY'RE COMING DOWN STILL AT RELATIVELY SIGNIFICANT LEVELS AT 5.3% IN THE MOST RECENT RELEASE, THAT, YOU KNOW, APPLYING PRUDENT OR CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATES INTO THE FUTURE IS RECOMMENDED.

SWITCHING OVER TO THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET SIDE, THE ADOPTED BUDGET JUST ABOUT THE SAME TIME LAST YEAR CAME IN AT $198.4 MILLION.

CURRENTLY HAVE A WORKING BUDGET WITHIN THE GENERAL FUND OF $228.2 MILLION.

THERE ARE A LOT OF FACTORS THAT GO INTO THIS INCREASE, MOST NOTABLY THE CARRY FORWARD REPORT THAT'S USUALLY BROUGHT TO CITY COUNCIL DURING THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER FOLLOWING THE FIRST QUARTER OF THE FISCAL YEAR GENERALLY BRINGS RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ONE TIME USE OF THE PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR'S BUDGET SAVINGS AND BUDGET SURPLUS.

THERE WERE ONE TIME TRANSFERS THAT WERE APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL.

THAT COUPLED WITH THE BIKE SAFETY EMERGENCY AND A FEW OTHER COUNCIL COUNCIL ACTION ITEMS THROUGHOUT THE FISCAL YEAR CONTRIBUTED TO THAT INCREASE TO ARRIVE AT THE WORKING BUDGET AS OF MARCH 31ST, 2023, THERE IS A REMAINING BUDGET OF $62.9 MILLION OR 27%. THIS INCLUDES THE ACTUAL EXPENDITURES THAT HAVE BEEN INCURRED AS WELL AS ANY OPEN PURCHASE ORDER COMMITMENTS OR WHAT WE COMMONLY REFER TO AS ENCUMBRANCES.

AT THE END OF THE DAY WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THE EXPENDITURES AND COMPARING THEM WITH THE PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR, WE ARE ON TRACK AND ESTIMATE TO END THE FISCAL YEAR UNDER BUDGET. THIS SLIDE SHOWS A SIMILAR, SIMILAR PRESENTATION AS WE HAD LOOKED AT FOR THE GENERAL FUND REVENUES.

LOOKING AT GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES, THE FISCAL YEAR 22-23 ADOPTED BUDGET COMPARED TO THE FIRST THREE QUARTERS OF SPENDING LAST YEAR, AS WELL AS THE FIRST THREE QUARTERS OF SPENDING THIS YEAR, AND AS WE CAN SEE AS EXPECTED, SOME RELATIVELY SLIGHT INCREASES IN THE VARIOUS CATEGORIES OF PERSONNEL, MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS.

TRANSFERS OUT TENDS TO FLUCTUATE FROM YEAR TO YEAR.

A LOT OF THAT IN THIS INSTANCE IS DRIVEN BY THE ONE TIME TRANSFERS THAT WERE APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL BACK IN SEPTEMBER OF 2022.

AS I HAD MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, BUT OTHERWISE, AGAIN, ANOTHER INDICATOR THAT WE'RE ON TRACK TO END THE FISCAL YEAR WITHOUT, OF COURSE, EXCEEDING THE BUDGET.

THIS IS ONE FINAL LOOK AT THE EXPENDITURES AND ENCUMBRANCES.

NUMERICALLY, WE CAN SEE THEM BROKEN OUT HERE.

SO IF WE'RE NOT FACTORING IN ANY OF THOSE OUTSTANDING COMMITMENTS TO PURCHASE OR THE ENCUMBRANCES, ACTUAL EXPENDITURES HAVE ONLY REACHED A LEVEL OF 66% OF THE TOTAL WORKING BUDGET ONCE AGAIN, AND LASTLY, ANOTHER INDICATOR THAT GENERAL FUND SPENDING IS ON TRACK.

[01:55:04]

COMPARED TO PRIOR PERIOD OR PRIOR YEAR THROUGH THE FIRST THREE QUARTERS, WATER OPERATING REVENUES ARE DOWN ABOUT 6% AND EXPENSES ARE UP 2.5%.

ON THE REVENUE SIDE, THERE WERE, OF COURSE, WATER RATE INCREASES THAT WENT INTO EFFECT IN JANUARY 2023, BUT THAT INCREASE WAS SLIGHTLY OFFSET WITH A 4.6% DECREASE IN WATER VOLUME SALES.

A LOT OF THAT IS DRIVEN BY THE CITY AND THE REGION EXPERIENCING HIGHER LEVELS OF RAIN COMPARED TO THE PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR.

LOOKING AT THE WASTEWATER FUND, A 20% INCREASE IN WASTEWATER RATES THAT WENT INTO EFFECT IN JANUARY OF 2023 IS CONTRIBUTING TO THE POSITIVE PERFORMANCE.

ON THE OPERATING REVENUE SIDE, EXPENSES ARE DOWN JUST UNDER 6%.

A LOT OF THIS HAS TO DO WITH TIMING FROM ENCINA OPERATIONS AND THE BILLINGS TO THE CITY HAVE CHANGED FROM A QUARTERLY BILLING PROCESS TO THE ESTIMATED INVOICES THAT ARE SUBMITTED TO THE CITY AND THEN A FINAL TRUE UP.

SO WE WOULD ANTICIPATE BY THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR THE NUMBERS TO ALIGN YEAR OVER YEAR , AND THEN LASTLY, LOOKING AT THE GOLF COURSE, NET INCOME THROUGH THE FIRST THREE QUARTERS WAS ABOUT $240,000 HIGHER THAN THE PREVIOUS YEAR , AND AGAIN, STILL EXPERIENCING POSITIVE PERFORMANCE OR INCREASE IN PRIVATE EVENTS, AS WELL AS FOOD AND BEVERAGE SALES OFFSET BY A SLIGHT DECREASE IN GOLF REVENUES.

AGAIN, A LOT OF THIS IS DRIVEN BY THE ADDITIONAL RAIN THAT'S BEEN RECEIVED, PARTICULARLY DURING THE LAST QUARTER, AND AS MENTIONED IN PREVIOUS PRESENTATIONS AND AS A REMINDER TO THE CITY COUNCIL AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AS WELL AS PART OF THE PRELIMINARY BUDGET SCHEDULED FOR MAY 23RD, WE'LL BE BRINGING A GOLF COURSE RESERVE POLICY, AS HAS BEEN PRESENTED IN THE PAST, TO PRIORITIZE GOLF COURSE OPERATIONS, CAPITAL MAINTENANCE, AS WELL AS A POTENTIAL REPAYMENT TO THE GENERAL FUND FOR FUTURE YEARS.

AS FOR THE NEXT STEPS, STAFF WILL OF COURSE CONTINUE TO MONITOR REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES THROUGHOUT ALL OF THE CITY FUNDS.

WE'LL BE PUBLISHING THE ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL STATUS REPORTS ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE.

WE'LL AGAIN BE RETURNING JUST NEXT WEEK TO PRESENT THE FISCAL YEAR 23-24 PRELIMINARY BUDGET, AND THEN AS IT RELATES TO THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR, WILL NEXT BE BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL IN SEPTEMBER FOR THE YEAR END AND CARRY FORWARD REPORT.

THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION AND WE'LL BE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE ANY.

DO WE HAVE ANY SPEAKERS? THERE ARE NO SPEAKERS.

QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL. MISS LUNA.

MISS BURKHOLDER.

MISS ACOSTA.

MISS BHAT-PATEL? YES, JUST A FEW.

JUST QUICKLY.

THIS WAS JUST OUT OF CURIOSITY.

THE AVERAGE SALARY THAT YOU MENTIONED WAS AROUND 51,100.

IS THAT LOOKING AT ALL EMPLOYERS REGARDLESS OF SIZE AND THEN WHEN YOU SAY AVERAGE, ARE YOU SAYING MEDIAN OR MEAN? THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION. SO OF THE 12,258 JOBS THAT WERE POSTED BY ALL EMPLOYERS IN CARLSBAD FROM JANUARY TO MARCH, THE AVERAGE SALARY FOR THOSE POSTED JOBS WAS $51,100.

OKAY. GOT IT, AND IN TERMS OF I KNOW WE MENTIONED AS OF MARCH 31ST, WE HAVE ABOUT $62.9 MILLION AVAILABLE OF THE ADOPTED BUDGET FROM THIS YEAR AND SO JUST CURIOUS, DO YOU HAVE PROJECTIONS ON HOW MUCH WE PLAN TO END WITH OR WE WOULDN'T WANT TO--I'M ASSUMING WE DON'T WANT TO GIVE IT A NUMBER JUST BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT COULD HAPPEN BETWEEN NOW AND THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR.

WE DO HAVE ESTIMATIONS.

YOU DO? WE DO.

IT WILL BE PART OF THE PRELIMINARY 23-24 BUDGET.

SO ONCE IT'S POSTED, I BELIEVE THURSDAY, WE'LL HAVE THAT INFORMATION AVAILABLE.

OKAY, PERFECT, AND THEN, YEAH, I THINK THAT'S IT.

THOSE WERE JUST MY TWO QUESTIONS THAT I HAD.

THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION.

THANK YOU. ANY STATEMENTS.

MS. LUNA. MS. BURKHOLDER. MS. ACOSTA YES, THANK YOU.

I WAS REALLY PLEASED TO ATTEND THE ECONOMIC FORECAST THAT'S PUT ON BY THE SAN DIEGO NORTH EDC, AND I AM JUST REALLY GLAD THAT OUR CITY TAKES INTO ACCOUNT THE REALLY BIG PICTURE AND LOOKS AT EVERYTHING FROM WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH INTEREST RATES AND NATIONALLY AND GLOBALLY ALL THE WAY DOWN TO WHAT'S HAPPENING, HAPPENING SPECIFICALLY WITH THE ADJUSTMENTS IN SALARY AND OFFICE SUPPLIES.

SO I THINK THAT WE DO A REALLY GREAT JOB.

I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING MORE EXPOSURE TO THE COMMUNITY OF HOW GREAT OUR STAFF.

[02:00:07]

MRS. BHAT-PATEL AND I HAVE NOTHING.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

NEXT IS ITEM NUMBER NINE CITY MANAGER, PLEASE.

[9. $2.2 MILLION FORGIVABLE LOAN FROM HOUSING FUNDS TO CATHOLIC CHARITIES DIOCESE OF SAN DIEGO FOR THE EXPANSION OF LA POSADA DE GUADALUPE HOMELESS SHELTER – Adoption of a resolution authorizing a commitment of a $2,200,000 forgivable loan ($1,470,621 from the City of Carlsbad Housing Trust Fund and $729,379 from the Permanent Local Housing Allocation Fund) to Catholic Charities Diocese of San Diego for the expansion of La Posada de Guadalupe homeless shelter. (Staff contact: Mandy Mills, Community Services Department) City Manager’s Recommendation: Adopt the resolution.]

ITEM NUMBER NINE IS A 2.2 MILLION FORGIVABLE LOAN FROM THE HOUSING FUNDS TO CATHOLIC CHARITIES DIOCESE OF SAN DIEGO FOR THE EXPANSION OF LA POSADA DE GUADALUPE HOMELESS SHELTER MAKING.

OUR PRESENTATION TONIGHT IS OUR HOUSING SERVICES MANAGER, CHRISTIAN GUTIERREZ, AS WELL AS OUR HOUSING AND HOMELESS SERVICES DIRECTOR MANDY MILLS.

GOOD EVENING, MAYOR. MAYOR PRO TEM CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.

MY NAME IS CHRISTIAN GUTIERREZ, HOUSING SERVICES MANAGER.

THIS EVENING THIS EVENING'S PRESENTATION WILL GIVE AN OVERVIEW OF THE LA POSADA EXPANSION PROJECT AND CITY COUNCIL'S IDENTIFIED PRIORITY OF EXPANSION OF SHELTER TO SERVE MORE INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, INCLUDING SPACE FOR WOMEN AND FAMILIES.

CITY STAFF ARE PROPOSING A $2.2 MILLION FORGIVABLE LOAN SOURCED FROM BOTH THE CITY'S HOUSING TRUST FUND AND STATE PERMANENT LOCAL HOUSING ALLOCATION FUND.

THIS FUNDING WILL HELP BRING THE PROJECT CLOSER TO CONSTRUCTION AND WILL ALSO MAKE IT ELIGIBLE FOR MATCHING FUNDINGS FROM THE STATE LOCAL HOUSING TRUST FUND, WHICH IS ITEM TEN TONIGHT. LA POSADA DE GUADALUPE SHELTERS LOCATED AT 2478 IMPALA DRIVE AND IS THE ONLY SHELTER AVAILABLE FOR HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS IN THE CITY OF CARLSBAD.

IT WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1992 IN RESPONSE TO CONCERNS ABOUT MIGRANT WORKERS RESIDING IN ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE AREAS IN THE CITY.

INITIALLY, THE SHELTER WAS COMPRISED OF TEMPORARY STRUCTURES.

IN 2013, THE CITY HELPED CATHOLIC CHARITIES TO PURCHASE THE LAND CONSTRUCT A PERMANENT FACILITY FUNDED BY $2 MILLION CONTRIBUTION FROM THE AGRICULTURAL CONVERSION MITIGATION FEE FUND AND THE FARMWORKER HOUSING GRANT FUNDING FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.

THE CURRENT CAMPUS INCLUDES THREE PRIMARY STRUCTURES A DINING HALL, A NORTH DORMITORY ACCOMMODATING 50 HOMELESS MEN AND A SOUTH DORMITORY THAT INCLUDES SEMI-PRIVATE SLEEPING QUARTERS FOR ABOUT 50 MALE FARMWORKERS, IN ADDITION TO SOME STAFF OFFICES.

EXPANDING LA POSADA SHELTER TO ACCOMMODATE A LARGER NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, INCLUDING PROVISIONS FOR WOMEN AND FAMILIES, HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED AS A PRIORITY PROJECT IN THE CARLSBAD CITY COUNCIL'S STRATEGIC PLAN, HOUSING ELEMENT AND HOMELESS ACTION PLAN.

CITY STAFF HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH CATHOLIC CHARITIES PURSUANT TO THOSE OBJECTIVES WITHIN THESE THREE CITY COUNCIL DIRECTED PRIORITIES.

CATHOLIC CHARITIES IN THE CITY OF CARLSBAD, AS WE'VE DISCUSSED, HAVE HAD A COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIP SINCE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF LA POSADA.

DURING THE SEPTEMBER 28TH, 2021, CITY COUNCIL MEETING, THE CITY COUNCIL SHOWED SUPPORT FOR A POTENTIAL EXPANSION, AND THE CITY STAFF HAVE BEEN WORKING ALONGSIDE CATHOLIC CHARITIES TO ACHIEVE THIS GOAL.

THE CITY HAD PREVIOUSLY FUNDED 183,000 IN FUNDING FROM THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT TO CATHOLIC CHARITIES TO COVER ARCHITECTURAL AND ENGINEERING EXPENSES TO ASSESS THE FEASIBILITY AND INCREASING THE BUILDING'S TOTAL SQUARE FOOTAGE.

IN ADDITION, THE CITY HAS BEEN AWARDED A GRANT OF $2 MILLION FROM THE COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO FOR THE EXPANSION OF LA POSADA THROUGH THE CAPITAL EMERGENCY HOUSING SOLUTIONS GRANT PROGRAM. THESE FUNDS ARE RESTRICTED TO CAPITAL EXPENDITURES.

CURRENTLY, A PRELIMINARY DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION OF THE POTENTIAL PROJECT HAS BEEN SUBMITTED TO THE CITY AND IS CURRENTLY UNDER REVIEW.

SO STAFF ARE REQUESTING THAT THE CITY COUNCIL AUTHORIZE A COMMITMENT OF $1.4 MILLION FROM THE HOUSING TRUST FUND AND $729,000 FROM THE CITY'S PERMANENT LOCAL HOUSING ALLOCATION FUND. PERMANENT LOCAL HOUSING ALLOCATION ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES OF ASSISTING PERSONS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS OR AT RISK OF BECOMING HOMELESS ALLOW FOR THE CAPITAL NEEDS OF THE LA POSADA EXPANSION.

THE COMMITMENT OF $1.4 MILLION FROM THE HOUSING TRUST FUND WAS DETERMINED BASED ON THE STATE LOCAL HOUSING TRUST FUND GRANT APPLICATION SCORING CRITERIA.

THE COMBINED COMMITMENT OF PERMANENT LOCAL HOUSING ALLOCATION FUND, HOUSING TRUST FUND AND COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO FUNDS MAXIMIZE FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR THE LA POSADA EXPANSION AND THE HOUSING TRUST FUND COMMITMENT IN PARTICULAR HELPS OUR STATE APPLICATION SCORING AND POTENTIAL TO ACHIEVE A MATCHING GRANT.

THE CITY WOULD BE REQUESTING 1.050 MILLION IN STATE FUNDS TO MATCH THE 1.4 MILLION FROM THE HOUSING TRUST FUND, WHICH WILL BE COVERED AGAIN IN

[02:05:07]

THE CITY OF CARLSBAD CREATED THE HOUSING TRUST FUND TO ENSURE THAT FEES COLLECTED FOR THE INCLUSIONARY HOUSING OR AFFORDABLE HOUSING CREDITS ARE USED EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE HOUSING NEEDS OF LOWER INCOME HOUSEHOLDS.

IN ADDITION TO THESE FEES, THE HOUSING TRUST FUND ALSO RECEIVES REVENUE FROM VARIOUS SOURCES AS LOAN INTEREST.

HOUSING IMPACT FEES AND INTEREST EARNED ON THE FUND BALANCE.

IN ADDITION TO ITS PURPOSE OF HOUSING THE NEEDS OF LOW INCOME HOUSEHOLDS THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE HOUSING TRUST FUND, AS OUTLINED IN THE CITY COUNCIL POLICY NUMBER 90, ESTABLISHES SIX HOUSING PRIORITIES.

AMONG THESE PRIORITIES, THE FOURTH FOCUS IS ON HOMELESSNESS PROGRAMS, INCLUDING SHORT TERM SHELTERS, DEEMING THE HOUSING TRUST FUND A SUITABLE SOURCE TO ALLOCATE FUNDING TOWARDS EXPANDING SHELTER FACILITIES.

THE PERMANENT LOCAL HOUSING ALLOCATION PROGRAM WAS CREATED IN 2017 TO FUND AFFORDABLE HOUSING THROUGH A $75 FEE ON A SPECIFIC REAL ESTATE TRANSACTION.

IT PROVIDES ONGOING REVENUE FOR JURISDICTIONS IN THE STATE.

ON OCTOBER 18TH, 2022, CARLSBAD CITY COUNCIL APPROVED THE PERMANENT LOCAL HOUSING ALLOCATION PROGRAM FUNDING PLAN, ALLOCATING ALL FUNDS TO ASSIST INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING OR AT RISK OF HOMELESSNESS.

CITY STAFF RECOMMENDS USING APPROXIMATELY TWO YEARS OF PERMANENT LOCAL HOUSING ALLOCATION FUNDING FOR THE CAPITAL NEEDS OF THE LA POSADA EXPANSION.

THE PROPOSED EXPANSION HAS AN ESTIMATED COST RANGING BETWEEN 10 MILLION TO 11 MILLION.

TO DATE, THE CAPITAL CONTRIBUTION AMOUNT STANDS AT 5.25 MILLION BETWEEN APPROVED AND RECOMMENDED SOURCES, NONE OF WHICH COME FROM THE CITY'S GENERAL FUND.

CITY STAFF, AS WELL AS CATHOLIC CHARITIES, ARE EXPLORING EXTERNAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES TO REDUCE THIS CAPITAL THAT'S NEEDED.

THE PROPOSED EXPANSION PROJECT HAS TWO POTENTIAL PHASES.

PHASE ONE COULD POTENTIALLY PROVIDE SHELTER BEDS FOR 100 MEN AND 45 BEDS FOR WOMEN AND FAMILIES, BRINGING A TOTAL OF 145.

PHASE TWO COULD POTENTIALLY ADD ANOTHER 54 BEDS FOR MEN FOR A TOTAL OCCUPANCY OF 199.

SO THIS PROPOSED EXPANSION WILL ENABLE THE CITY OF CARLSBAD TO PROVIDE MORE SUPPORT FOR WOMEN, FAMILIES AND MEN EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS AND THOSE AT RISK OF BECOMING HOMELES.

IF THE $2.2 MILLION COMMITMENT IS APPROVED TONIGHT, THE CITY STAFF WILL SUBMIT THE APPLICATION FOR THE STATE LOCAL HOUSING TRUST FUND GRANT ON MAY 17TH.

THE NEXT STEPS IN THE PROCESS INVOLVE CATHOLIC CHARITIES SEEKING BOARD APPROVAL FOR A SIGNIFICANT CAPITAL CAMPAIGN TO RAISE FUNDS BEFORE CONSTRUCTION CAN COMMENCE.

IN COLLABORATION WITH CITY STAFF, CATHOLIC CHARITIES WILL ACTIVELY PURSUE AND IDENTIFY ADDITIONAL FUNDING SOURCES FOR ADDITIONAL COMMITMENTS.

ONCE A COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL PLAN IS SOLIDIFIED, CITY STAFF WILL RETURN TO CITY COUNCIL WITH A PRESENTATION OF A FINANCIAL PACKAGE CONSISTING OF COMMITTED AND APPROVED CAPITAL FUNDING. STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS TONIGHT IS YOUR ADOPTION OF THE RESOLUTION APPROVING THE COMMITMENT OF 2.2 MILLION FOR A FORGIVABLE LOAN TO CATHOLIC CHARITIES DIOCESE OF SAN DIEGO FOR THE EXPANSION OF THE LA POSADA DE GUADALUPE HOMELESS SHELTER.

THAT CONCLUDES TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION.

CITY STAFF, AS WELL AS CATHOLIC CHARITIES REPRESENTATIVES, ARE AVAILABLE TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.

DO WE HAVE ANY SPEAKERS? YES, WE HAVE ONE.

TRACY CARMICHAEL.

GOOD EVENING. COUNCIL. MY NAME IS TRACY CARMICHAEL.

THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.

THIS ITEM BRINGS GREAT CONCERN TO ME.

THERE'S A LOT OF MONEY BEING PASSED THROUGH THE CITY OF CARLSBAD, AND WHAT I STARTED DOING, I STARTED LOOKING AT THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES AND WHAT YOU'RE HOPING TO ACHIEVE IN DOING THIS BUT WHEN YOU ARE PARTNERING WITH OTHERS THAT MIGHT NOT HAVE THE SAME INTERESTS THAT YOU DO, IT IS CONCERNING.

ONE OF WHICH WHEN I GOOGLED IT, IT CAME UP THAT THE ARCHDIOCESE OF SAN DIEGO MAY BE UNDERTAKING A BANKRUPTCY BANKRUPTCY IN THE FUTURE, AND THAT WAS DATED ON FEBRUARY 10TH OF 2023.

SO WHEN IT CAME UP, THE FIRST $2 MILLION, I WAS LIKE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO WHEN THAT PASSED THROUGH.

SO NOW WE'RE UP AGAINST A $2.2 MILLION, BUT THEN TODAY, AS I WAS COMING OVER HERE, I GOT A PRESS RELEASE THAT CAME FROM A SOURCE THAT SAID THAT THE FRIENDS OF LA POSADA IS NOW CHANGING FROM FRIENDS OF LA POSADA, THEN WENT TO RAPID REHOUSING SOLUTIONS AND NOW THEY'VE DISSOLVED THEIR ORGANIZATION.

THOSE TWO THINGS HAVE BEEN ACTIVE FOR 33 YEARS IN PARTNERING WITH THE CITY OF CARLSBAD.

IT'S A GREAT CONCERN WHEN ONE OF YOUR PARTNERS OF 33 YEARS IS NO LONGER OPERATIONAL AND THEY'RE HANDING IT OFF TO AN UNKNOWN, AND THE

[02:10:07]

WHAT'S THE RISKS OF THE LIABILITY THAT YOU'RE GOING INTO A PARTNERSHIP WITH SOMEONE WHO MIGHT BECOME BANKRUPT? I HAVE GREAT CONCERNS. WE HAVE A LIMITED AMOUNT OF RESOURCES AND HOPEFULLY THROUGH DISCUSSION TONIGHT, IT WILL GIVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO WEIGH IN TO THOSE.

THANK YOU.

ANY OTHER SPEAKERS? NO. MAY I ASK STAFF TO ADDRESS MS. CARMICHAEL'S QUESTIONS? WILL THE BANKRUPTCY AFFECT THIS IN ANY WAY? SHE MENTIONED THAT FRIENDS OF LA POSADA WILL BE ASSUMED BY A DIFFERENT ORGANIZATION, OR AT LEAST A DIFFERENT NAME AND THE MONITORING OF THE FUNDS.

SURE, MY NAME IS MANDY MILLS.

I'M THE DIRECTOR OF HOUSING AND HOMELESS SERVICES FOR THE CITY OF CARLSBAD.

ON THE FIRST QUESTION REGARDING BANKRUPTCY, SO CATHOLIC CHARITIES DIOCESE OF SAN DIEGO IS A SEPARATE LEGAL ENTITY THAN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF SAN DIEGO OR THE CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF SAN DIEGO.

SO IT'S ACTUALLY A SEPARATE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION.

SO IT IS NOT IMPACTED BY ANY BANKRUPTCY.

SO THEY ARE SEPARATE ENTITIES.

REGARDING THE FRIENDS OF LA POSADA THAT THE GROUP HAS BEEN INACTIVE FOR SOME TIME, THERE IS ANOTHER GROUP THAT FORMED AND THEY WERE IT WAS SOME OF THE SAME INDIVIDUALS AND THEY HAD FORMED UNDER A NEW NAME, AND I WOULD SAY SOME OF THE ORIGINAL FRIENDS OF LA POSADA ACTUALLY ARE BOARD MEMBERS OF CATHOLIC CHARITIES DIOCESE OF SAN DIEGO.

SO THEY'RE SUPPORTING IN THAT CAPACITY.

SO I THINK THE FRIENDS OF LA POSADA, I GUESS THE NEW ORGANIZATION, THE RAPID REHOUSING ORGANIZATION, THEY DON'T HAVE A LOT OF INTERACTION WITH CATHOLIC CHARITIES DIOCESE AND THE ACTUAL LA POSADA PROJECT, AND IF SOMEBODY FROM CATHOLIC CHARITIES NEEDS TO RESPOND, I KNOW THAT THE DIRECTOR IS HERE IN CASE HE NEEDS TO RESPOND FURTHER.

HOW DO WE MONITOR THE FUNDS AND BE SURE THAT IT'S USED AS IT'S INTENDED? SO WE HAVE, AS WAS MENTIONED, THERE'S A NUMBER OF PASS THROUGH FUNDS.

SO FOR EXAMPLE, THE COUNTY FUNDS AS WELL AS IF WE WERE SUCCESSFUL IN ACHIEVING THE STATE FUNDS, THOSE WOULD ALL BE COMING THROUGH THE CITY AS PASS THROUGH GRANTS.

SO THEN IN TURN, THOSE ARE ACTUALLY EXECUTED AS LOAN DOCUMENTS ON THE PROJECT.

SO THEY WOULD HAVE THEIR OWN SET OF LOAN DOCUMENTS, AND IN TERMS OF THE FUNDING WOULD BE REIMBURSED TO CATHOLIC CHARITIES AS OPPOSED TO, YOU KNOW, ANY UPFRONT AMOUNT AWARD OF MONEY.

SO BASICALLY THROUGH THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS, BASICALLY WE GO THROUGH CONSTRUCTION DRAWS AND THOSE COME TO THE CITY STAFF FOR REQUEST AND THEN WE REIMBURSE THE CONSTRUCTION DRAW PROCESS, AND THEN IN TERMS SO WE SEE ALL THE SOURCES OF FUNDING THAT GO THROUGH THAT CONSTRUCTION PROCESS , AND THEN THOSE LOANS STAY RECORDED AGAINST THE PROPERTY FOR VARIOUS NUMBER OF YEARS, DEPENDING ON THE FUNDING SOURCE REQUIREMENT.

SO, FOR EXAMPLE, THE COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO'S REQUIRED A NUMBER OF YEARS OF OPERATIONS IS LESS THAN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA'S.

SO THEY JUST WOULD HAVE DIFFERENT TERMS. IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT FRIENDS OF LA POSADA WAS MORE OF A FUND RAISING ARM OF LA POSADA.

IS THAT ACCURATE OR DID THEY ACTUALLY RUN IT AS A BOARD OF DIRECTORS? NO, MY UNDERSTANDING IS IT IS A FUNDRAISING ARM.

OKAY, AND WHAT WILL BE THE ROLE OF RAPID HOUSING IN THIS? I HAVE TO ASK CATHOLIC CHARITIES TO COME SPEAK ON THAT.

OKAY. IS THERE A REPRESENTATIVE WHO COULD JUST ANSWER THAT ONE QUESTION? THANK YOU, SIR. PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF.

I'M VINO PAJANOR, THE CEO OF CATHOLIC CHARITIES.

REGARDING RAPID REHOUSING NONPROFIT, THEY WERE THE FRIENDS OF LA POSADA, AND I GOT AN EMAIL TODAY FROM THE PRESIDENT THERE WHO MENTIONED THAT THEY ARE WINDING DOWN AND TRANSFERRING ALL OF THEIR FUNDS TO ANOTHER NONPROFIT IN NORTH COUNTY.

SO THAT'S WHAT IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.

THANK YOU, SIR. QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL.

MS. BURKHOLDER.

I GUESS THE QUESTION IS WHEN I WAS THERE TOURING AND I'VE BEEN THERE VOLUNTEERING BEFORE IN THE PAST, BUT I NOTICED NOT ALL THE BEDS WERE FULL.

[02:15:03]

SO HELP ME FIGURE THAT OUT.

YEAH, SO LET ME EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE EXISTING BEDS AND IF NEED BE, I CAN CALL UPON CATHOLIC CHARITIES TO CORRECT ME IF I MISSPEAK ON ANYTHING.

SO RIGHT NOW THERE ARE 100 BEDS AND THOSE ARE SPLIT UNDER TWO CONTRACTS.

SO THERE ARE REGULATORY AGREEMENTS IN PLACE AGAINST THAT BASED ON STATE FUNDING AS WELL AS LOCAL HOUSING TRUST FUND AND THE AG MITIGATION FUNDS.

SO 50 OF THE BEDS ARE REQUIRED TO BE USED FOR FARMWORKER HOUSING, AND SO THAT'S WHY I THINK IN CERTAIN TIMES OF THE YEAR WHEN IT'S A LOW SEASON FOR AGRICULTURE, THOSE BEDS DEFINITELY HAVE LESS USE.

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE HOUSE, THE NORTH DORMITORY IS GENERALLY FOR GENERAL HOMELESS MEN.

RIGHT NOW THAT OCCUPANCY IS FULL.

SO WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, GET PEOPLE IN THERE AND WE CATHOLIC CHARITIES HAS BEEN A PARTNER OF OURS FOR A VERY LONG TIME, AND THEY WILL LET US KNOW IF SOMEBODY IS, YOU KNOW, GOING TO BE VACATING AND A BED MIGHT BE COMING AVAILABLE BECAUSE OUR POLICE HOMELESS OUTREACH TEAM AND OUR SOCIAL WORKERS AND OUR HOMELESS SERVICES TEAM ARE IN COMMUNICATION DAILY TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY AVAILABLE BEDS THAT WE COULD REFER SOME OF OUR CLIENTELE TO.

SO IN TERMS OF THE COUNTY DOES NOT HAVE ANY SAY IN TERMS OF APPOINTING FOLKS TO BEDS.

SO THAT ALL COMES THROUGH THE INTAKE PROCESS AT CATHOLIC CHARITIES.

SO IT IS LOCAL.

SO AM I UNDERSTANDING YOU TO SAY THAT ALL THE PEOPLE THAT ARE AT LA POSADA RIGHT NOW THAT ARE IN THE 50 SHELTER BEDS, NOT THE FARM BEDS, THEY'RE CARLSBAD HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS? NOT NECESSARILY.

SO THE PRIORITY IS DEFINITELY GIVEN TO CARLSBAD.

SO CATHOLIC CHARITIES WILL INFORM US ON A DAILY BASIS IF THERE ARE ANY BEDS AVAILABLE.

SO IF OUR HOMELESS OUTREACH TEAM OR OUR SOCIAL WORKERS OR OUR STAFF HAVE ANYBODY WHO IS LIKE CURRENTLY AT THAT POINT OF BEING READY FOR A BED OR LOOKING FOR A BED, THEN THOSE CLIENTS ARE SENT OVER FOR INTAKE.

I UNDERSTOOD. I JUST I GUESS MY POINT IS THIS FACILITY IS LOCATED IN CARLSBAD.

WE HAD 117 PEOPLE IDENTIFIED AS HOMELESS AT A POINT IN TIME COUNT.

IF THERE'S 50 BEDS THAT ARE THERE, IT'S IN CARLSBAD.

SO WHAT PREVENTS THOSE FOLKS FROM BEING IN THOSE BEDS? WHAT PREVENTS THE FOLKS WITHIN--THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN CARLSBAD, YEAH.

SO WHY WOULD THEY TAKE PEOPLE FROM OTHER AREAS WHEN WE CLEARLY HAVE THE NEED HERE IN CARLSBAD? YEAH, IT'S FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE BASIS.

SO OUR TEAMS DEFINITELY HAVE FIRST PRIORITY.

IF THERE'S SOMEBODY WHO'S AVAILABLE AND LOOKING FOR A BED AT THAT POINT IN TIME.

KEEP IN MIND, NOT ALL OF THE INDIVIDUALS IN CARLSBAD ARE SINGLE MEN.

SO SOME PEOPLE ARE FAMILIES, SOME PEOPLE ARE WOMEN, AND SO THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO UTILIZE THOSE SERVICES.

I THINK 33 WERE WERE WOMEN OR NOT SINGLE MEN AT THE LAST COUNT, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

YEAH, SO, FOR EXAMPLE, WE ACTUALLY LOOK FOR BED SPACE IN OTHER CITIES AS WELL FOR FOR RESIDENTS.

SO YOU KNOW, WE FIND BED SPACE IN OCEANSIDE, VISTA, ESCONDIDO, YOU KNOW, ETCETERA.

SO WE ALSO ARE TRYING TO FIND SPACE AVAILABLE AS WELL.

NO FURTHER QUESTIONS, JUST COMMENTS.

MRS. ACOSTA. YEAH, THANK YOU.

JUST A FOLLOW UP QUESTION ON THAT.

SO IF YOU COULD JUST REMIND US WHAT HAPPENS WHEN OUR HOT TEAM ENCOUNTERS A WOMAN OR WOMAN AND CHILD RIGHT NOW SINCE WE ONLY HAVE A MEN'S SHELTER? YEAH, THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.

SO RIGHT NOW WE WORK WITH OUR SOCIAL WORKERS, AND OUR HOMELESS SERVICES TEAM WILL WORK WITH OTHER PROVIDERS WHO HAVE OCCUPANCY AVAILABLE FOR WOMEN OR FAMILIES.

THOSE ARE IN OTHER CITIES AND RIGHT NOW THERE IS A WAITING LIST.

SO I THINK THE LAST TIME I HEARD WAS ABOUT POTENTIALLY A MONTH WAITING LIST FOR THOSE TYPES OF BEDS FOR THOSE OCCUPANCY.

GREAT. YEAH, I KNOW THAT WE DO HAVE A NEED, AND COULD YOU ALSO REMIND US ABOUT, LIKE, CAN WE REMOVE FOLKS FROM THE STREET IF WE DON'T HAVE A BED FOR THEM? COULD YOU REMIND US HOW THAT WORKS? BECAUSE I REMEMBER A LOT OF TALK A FEW YEARS AGO ABOUT THE BOISE CASE.

RIGHT. CAN YOU REMIND US WHAT THAT IS AND WHAT THAT'S ABOUT? OF COURSE, SO THE BOISE CASE HAS KIND OF A CONDITION OF ENFORCEMENT FOR NO CAMPING ORDINANCES.

SO BASICALLY, IF SOMEBODY WERE HOMELESS ON THE STREET UNSHELTERED AND THERE WAS NOT BED SPACE AVAILABLE, YOU CANNOT NECESSARILY CITE THEM FOR SLEEPING OUT IN PUBLIC BECAUSE THERE WAS NOT ANYTHING AVAILABLE FOR THEM TO SLEEP

[02:20:05]

SO THAT'S GENERALLY THE RULE OF THUMB, AND SO, FOR EXAMPLE, WE DO HAVE A NO CAMPING ORDINANCE HERE IN THE CITY, AND SO OUR HOMELESS OUTREACH TEAM IS VERY AWARE OF THE LAW AND HOW TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE OFFERING BED SPACE FOR TRYING TO FIND BED SPACE AND WHEN TO WARN FOLKS AND WHEN TO ENFORCE.

GREAT. OKAY. LAST QUESTION.

SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NOT HAVING WOMEN AND CHILDREN BED SPACES IN CARLSBAD RIGHT NOW, AND THEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE NEED FOR THEM.

WE KNOW THAT WE'VE GOT THE NEED, AND THAT WE CAN'T REMOVE ANY ENCAMPMENTS THAT HAVE THAT ARE FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN.

WE DO HAVE HOTEL VOUCHERS, THOUGH, OVERNIGHT HOTEL STAY VOUCHERS LIMITED, AND THEN SO WE KNOW WE NEED FACILITIES FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN.

THERE'S A NEED. WHAT KIND OF TIMELINE ARE WE LOOKING AT AGAIN, I KNOW IT WAS MENTIONED IN THE PRESENTATION, BUT IT WAS QUICK.

SO IF YOU COULD JUST REMIND US AGAIN WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.

I KNOW WE'RE JUST IN THE FEASIBILITY STUDY AND WE'RE TRYING TO GET THE FUNDING TOGETHER AND WE'RE TRYING TO HELP CATHOLIC CHARITIES AND THEY'VE GOT THEIR OWN FUNDRAISING AND CAPITAL CAMPAIGN TO DO, BUT WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT? I'M NOT SURE IF THAT'S A QUESTION FOR CATHOLIC CHARITIES OR FOR OUR STAFF.

TIMELINE FOR THE BEDS ACTUALLY BECOMING AVAILABLE.

OKAY. SO RIGHT NOW, THE DESIGN IS ACTUALLY IN PRELIMINARY REVIEW.

SO WE'RE GOING TO BE GETTING FEEDBACK FROM OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, AND SO THE ARCHITECTS AND ENGINEERS WILL GO BACK AND TRY TO REDESIGN IF THERE ARE COMMENTS ON THAT, AND OF COURSE, CATHOLIC CHARITIES BOARD, YOU KNOW, HAS TO MAKE CERTAIN DECISIONS ON CAPITAL CAMPAIGNS.

WE ANTICIPATE COMING BACK AT THE END TOWARDS THE END OF THIS YEAR, THE CALENDAR YEAR, TO DISCUSS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS, BECAUSE REALISTICALLY, IN ORDER TO START CONSTRUCTION, YOU WOULD REALLY NEED TO IDENTIFY ALL OF YOUR FUNDING SOURCES.

SO WE ARE NOT GOING TO BE HEARING FROM THE STATE AWARD PROBABLY TILL AUGUST POTENTIALLY.

THAT'S THE EARLIEST.

SO REALISTICALLY, WE THINK LATER THIS CALENDAR YEAR WE WOULD COME FORWARD WITH KIND OF LIKE WHAT IS THE FINANCING PACKAGE AND WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE TO SEE IF WE WOULD BE READY TO START CONSTRUCTION? IF THAT WERE THE CASE, WE ANTICIPATE IT COULD START CONSTRUCTION AS EARLY AS THE SPRING OF 24 AND POTENTIALLY HAVE, YOU KNOW, LIKE A 20 MONTH, SAY, BUILD OUT.

GREAT. THAT'S ALL MY QUESTIONS.

THANKS, MS. BHAT-PATEL. YES, THANK YOU.

THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION, AND JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.

I KNOW WE MENTIONED SOME APPROXIMATIONS IN TERMS OF NUMBER OF BEDS THAT WE WOULD WANT TO POTENTIALLY ADD ON FOR MEN AND WOMEN.

I WAS JUST CURIOUS, I'M ASSUMING THAT'S BASED ON THE DATA OF THE BREAKDOWN FOR THOSE THAT ARE SEEKING SPACE AS WE THINK ABOUT THE BREAKDOWN OF HOW MANY BEDS WOULD BE FOR WOMEN AND THEN HOW MANY WOULD BE ADDED ON FOR MEN.

THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. SO IN YEAR OVER YEAR, GENERALLY, THE NUMBERS DO LOOK LIKE ABOUT TWO THIRDS OF OUR POPULATION ARE GENERALLY SINGLE MEN. SO THAT'S KIND OF WHY YOU SEE THE BREAKDOWN THE WAY IT IS, AND KEEPING IN MIND WE STILL HAVE THE 50 FARMWORKER BEDS.

SO IN A WAY, WE DON'T REALLY CONSIDER THAT PART OF THE GENERAL SHELTER POPULATION.

SO THAT 199, IF YOU TAKE OUT THE 50 FARMWORKER, IT IS ABOUT THAT TWO THIRDS, ONE THIRD RATIO.

OKAY. THANK YOU, AND I KNOW YOU MENTIONED THAT THERE'S SOME FLUCTUATION IN THOSE BEDS SPECIFICALLY FOR THE FARMWORKERS IN TERMS OF OCCUPANCY.

THIS IS JUST OUT OF CURIOSITY BASED ON THE DATA THAT YOU SEE OR COLLECT ON THE PATTERN IS IT POSSIBLE I MEAN, I KNOW IT'S THE REQUIREMENT.

IS IT POSSIBLE FOR YOU ALL TO HOUSE OTHERS IN THOSE SPACES IN ORDER TO MAYBE AND I'M JUST CURIOUS BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOW DO WE MAKE SURE WE'RE GETTING FOLKS OFF THE STREET AND GETTING THEM SOME SPACE.

SO JUST WONDERING WHAT THAT CLAUSE IS THAT REQUIRES THAT AND IF THERE'S A WAY FOR ANY FLEXIBILITY WHERE IF YOU HAVE THAT AVAILABILITY, IF YOU CAN OFFER IT UP TO SOMEONE ELSE.

AND IF I COULD DEFER TO CATHOLIC CHARITIES TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION.

THANKS. ONCE AGAIN, VINO PAJANOR OF CATHOLIC CHARITIES.

SO THERE ARE TWO WINGS RIGHT NOW IN LA POSADA.

ONE IS FOR THE HOMELESS MEN AND ANOTHER IS FOR THE FARM WORKERS.

BY REGULATORY AGREEMENT WITH THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, THE 50 BEDS ARE RESTRICTED FOR THE FARM WORKERS.

WHEN IT WAS FIRST BUILT, THE NUMBERS WERE THERE.

NOW, YOU ALL KNOW BETTER THAN ME IS THAT THE NUMBERS HAVE GONE DOWN OVER THESE YEARS.

SO RIGHT ON THE 22ND OF MAY, WE WILL BE RECEIVING ABOUT 20 NEW FARM WORKERS WHO ARE COMING IN ONE OF THE LOCAL FARM.

FARM OWNERS HAVE SAID THAT THEY'RE BRINGING 20 NEW FARM WORKERS, BUT IT'S NOT AT THE 50 LEVEL.

[02:25:01]

THAT WHEN YOU DO THAT, THOSE INDIVIDUALS ARE TREATED AS THEY ARE RENTING A UNIT WITH US, EVEN IF THEY DON'T PAY ANY FEES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, THEY DON'T DO ANYTHING. THEY ARE CONSIDERED AS HOUSED.

SO WHEN THEY HAVE TO GET TO A PERMANENT HOUSING OR OTHERS WITHIN THE COUNTY, THEY ARE NOT COUNTED WITHIN THAT, AND BECAUSE OF ALSO THE NUMBER OF BEDS THAT CATHOLIC CHARITIES IS IDENTIFIED WITHIN THE TOTAL COUNTY COUNT OF BEDS, WE ARE ONLY COUNTED AS 50.

SO IF THERE IS ADDITIONAL BEDS THAT COMES IN, THEY SAID YOU ARE ONLY ALLOWED 50 BEDS.

WHERE IS THIS ADDITIONAL BEDS YOU'RE VIOLATING YOUR ALLOWED NUMBER OF BEDS.

SO ALL OF THESE INTRICACIES ARE THERE.

SO BUT WE ARE LIKE AND THE BED IS OPEN.

WE ARE OPENING UP FOR FOLKS WHO NEED THE BED AND THERE IS AN OVERFLOW.

CURRENTLY THERE ARE 50 BEDS ON THE HOMELESS SIDE TO HAVE BEEN RESTRICTED FOR COVID POSITIVE AND 48 BEDS AS OF TODAY, I THINK ALL THE 48 BEDS ARE OCCUPIED.

ONE MORE CLARIFICATION.

OUR FIRST PRIORITY IS FOR SAN DIEGO.

I MEAN, NOT SAN DIEGO. CITY OF CARLSBAD, HOT TEAM AND THE HOMELESS OUTREACH TEAMS OUT THERE BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE THE FIRST DIBS AS TO ANY BEDS THAT ARE OPEN. AND WHEN PEOPLE COME IN, THEY ARE ALSO COMING IN WITH THE IDEA OF WHAT IS THERE AT LA POSADA, BECAUSE WHEN THEY COME IN AND THEY SAY, I CAN COME IN AND START DOING WHATEVER I NEED TO DO, IT'S NOT POSSIBLE OVER THERE.

SO THAT'S WHERE THERE IS ALSO THAT KIND OF THERE IS A REFERRAL AND THERE IS AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE UNHOUSED PERSON, THE HOMELESS PERSON TO UNDERSTAND.

I'M HERE AT CARLSBAD.

I CAN'T BE DOING WHAT I THINK I CAN DO IN A SHELTER THAT COULD BE LIKE REGARDED AS A LOW BARRIER SHELTER OR WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE.

OKAY. THANK YOU, AND THAT'S VERY INTERESTING CONTEXT.

I DON'T THINK MOST OF US MIGHT HAVE KNOWN THAT'S HOW IT'S DESIGNATED.

YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU WERE SAYING WITH REGARDS TO HOW THE COUNTY VIEWS IT OR WHAT THE STATE DESIGNATES IT.

I THINK AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER THIS, BUT AND THIS MIGHT BE A FOLLOW UP AT SOME POINT, BUT I'D BE CURIOUS TO KNOW HOW WE COULD HELP ADVOCATE TO CHANGE THAT IN SOME WAY, BECAUSE IF WE DO HAVE A NEED OTHERWISE, I JUST THINK IT MAKES SENSE FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE.

I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE HELPING AND SUPPORTING OUR FARM WORKERS WHEN IT'S NEEDED, AND OF COURSE, IF THERE'S IF WE AREN'T SEEING THOSE NUMBERS, IF WE HAVE A NEED OTHERWISE, IT MAKES SO MUCH SENSE TO MAKE SURE WE IF THOSE BEDS ARE AVAILABLE, WHY AREN'T WE OCCUPYING THEM? SO I'M JUST PUTTING THAT OUT THERE.

NO ANSWERS NEEDED TONIGHT, BUT JUST, YOU KNOW, IF YOU ALL CAN THINK ABOUT IT AND LET US KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE OUR LEGISLATIVE SUBCOMMITTEE.

I'M SURE AT SOME POINT, IF THERE'S SOME WAY FOR US TO ADVOCATE TO THE DIFFERENT LEVELS, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT WAY FOR US TO BE USEFUL.

SO THANK YOU.

I THINK ONE OTHER QUICK QUESTION I HAD.

RIGHT HERE, AND THIS MIGHT YOU MIGHT NOT WANT TO SIT DOWN, VINO, BECAUSE I THINK THIS ONE'S FOR YOU TOO, IS AROUND I KNOW, AND THIS ISN'T REALLY SPECIFICALLY AROUND THE ACTUAL EXPANSION OF THE, YOU KNOW, THE PHYSICAL EXPANSION, BUT CURIOUS THE INSIDE OF THAT YOU ALL WOULD OBVIOUSLY BE ABLE TO THEN ALSO PROVIDE I KNOW YOU HAD MENTIONED WHEN I THINK WE'VE ALL DONE THAT TOUR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES TO FOLKS COMING IN.

YES. SO THANKS TO THIS YOU ALL OVER HERE AND FOR THE CITY, WE NEVER USED TO HAVE CLINICIANS AT THE LOCATION UNTIL LAST YEAR. SO WE GOT THE FUNDING AND NOW WE HAVE TWO INDIVIDUALS, TWO HALF TIMES WHO ARE ABLE TO COME IN AND PROVIDE THE BEHAVIORAL AND SOCIAL WORK LICENSE CLINICIAN WORK SERVICES OVER THERE.

SORRY, I'M LOSING MY VOICE OVER THE WEEKEND, AND SO WHAT WE ARE SEEING IS THERE'S A HIGHER NEED AND ESPECIALLY WITH WOMEN AND CHILDREN WHO ARE COMING IN, MAYBE THEY'RE COMING FROM OTHER TRAUMA THAT COULD BE ADDRESSED AT LA POSADA.

SO WE'RE TRYING TO RECREATE THIS HOLISTIC APPROACH AS TO CARE, JUST NOT A BED ALONE, BUT ALSO EMPOWER THEM TO MOVE ON TO SUSTAIN THEMSELVES INTO PERMANENT HOUSING HERE IN CARLSBAD OR AROUND THE COUNTY OR ELSEWHERE.

THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.

GREAT. THANK YOU. THOSE ARE ALL MY QUESTIONS, AND I JUST HAVE COMMENTS.

I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, BUT I'LL START WITH THE COMMENTS.

FOR MANY. WELL, WHEN WE WHEN LA POSADA BECAME A LOW BARRIER, WHICH WAS WITHIN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, I'VE REMAINED A CRITIC OF THAT. BUT WITH THAT SAID, LA POSADA HAS PROVEN THAT THEY'RE EXCELLENT NEIGHBORS.

THEY'RE AN EXCELLENT RESOURCE.

THEY'RE FILLING A NEED IN OUR COMMUNITY, A GREAT NEED IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND FOR ALL THOSE REASONS, I'M GOING TO SUPPORT THE RESOLUTION

[02:30:04]

I LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING IT AND THANKS FOR ALL THE WORK ON IT.

MS. ACOSTA. THANK YOU.

I THINK IN MY LINE OF QUESTIONING, I ALREADY KIND OF TALKED A BIT ABOUT HOW I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS A NEED FOR THIS.

SO I AM REALLY PLEASED TO BE ABLE TO SEE THIS MOVE ALONG.

THE ONE THING THAT I HAVE BEEN A CRITIC OF IN THE PAST WAS JUST KIND OF MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE MOVING THINGS ALONG.

SO I WANT TO JUST PUT THAT PLUG IN AS WELL THAT THINGS MOVE ALONG IN AN EXPEDIENT WAY.

THANK YOU, MS. BURKHOLDER. THANK YOU.

I SEE HOW THE VOTE IS SHAPING UP HERE, BUT I CAN'T NOT EXPRESS THE THOUGHT PROCESS HERE.

I JUST THINK THAT WE HAVE A FACILITY AT CHESTNUT AND HARDING THAT'S A SOLUTIONS FOR CHANGE FACILITY THAT DOES THAT COULD HOUSE WOMEN AND CHILDREN RIGHT NOW TODAY WITH AN ACCOUNTABILITY PROGRAM IN PLACE THAT IF THEY WERE HANDED A CHECK FOR $2.2 MILLION DOLLARS, COULD DO SO MUCH INCREDIBLE GOOD STUFF IN THE COMMUNITY.

AND THAT'S NOT THAT I DON'T LIKE CATHOLIC CHARITIES BECAUSE I DO.

I'VE VOLUNTEERED OVER THERE AND EVERYTHING ELSE.

IT'S JUST A MODEL, RIGHT? SO IT'S HARD FOR ME TO COME AROUND TO SUPPORT BECAUSE THIS IS TAXPAYER MONEY THAT WE'RE USING, AND EVERY DAY I GET AN EMAIL OR A TEXT OR A PHONE CALL FROM SOMEONE IN MY DISTRICT THAT SAYS, WHAT ARE WE DOING ABOUT THE HOMELESS? SO WHEN WE HAVE PROGRAMS THAT WORK AND WE NEGLECT THEM, NOT TO SAY YOUR PROGRAM DOESN'T WORK, BUT IT'S A DIFFERENT MODEL AND WE PUT HARD EARNED TAXPAYER DOLLARS INTO SOMETHING LIKE THIS.

IT CONCERNS ME.

SO. THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY AND HOPEFULLY IT WILL GET BUILT AND WE WILL BE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THOSE BEDS FOR THE WOMEN AND CHILDREN.

THAT'S ANOTHER AREA OF CONCERN THAT THERE'S NO WE'RE NOT READY.

WE'RE GIVING MONEY, ESSENTIALLY SEED MONEY.

SO THAT IS MY REASON WHY I'M NOT SUPPORTING THIS TONIGHT.

THANKS. MS. LUNA.

I ECHO YOUR SENTIMENTS, MR. MAYOR. LOOKING FOR A MOTION FOR THE RESOLUTION? YES. MOVE STAFF RECOMMENDATION UNDER AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 9.

PLEASE VOTE. PASSES 4 TO 1, NOTING MS. BURKHOLDER STATEMENTS.

ITEM NUMBER 10 CITY MANAGER, PLEASE.

[10. STATE OF CALIFORNIA LOCAL HOUSING TRUST FUND APPLICATION – Adoption of a resolution authorizing the submittal of a Local Housing Trust Fund application to the State of California Department of Housing and Community Development in the amount of $1,770,000. (Staff contact: Nicole Piano-Jones, Community Services Department) City Manager’s Recommendation: Adopt the resolution.]

AND MAKING OUR PRESENTATION IS OUR SENIOR PROGRAM MANAGER, NICOLE PIANO-JONES, ALONG WITH OUR HOUSING AND HOMELESS SERVICES DIRECTOR MANDY MILLS.

THANK YOU AND GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.

I'LL BE PRESENTING ITEM 10 TONIGHT, WHICH IS AN APPLICATION TO THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA FOR THE LOCAL HOUSING TRUST FUND PROGRAM.

SORRY FORCE OF HABIT.

I'LL JUST PROVIDE A BRIEF OVERVIEW AND BACKGROUND ON THE STATE PROGRAM.

SO FUNDS FOR THIS PROGRAM WERE APPROVED BACK IN 2018 BY CALIFORNIA VOTERS AS PROPOSITION ONE, WHICH WAS THE VETERANS AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING BOND ACT. THE PROGRAM IS ADMINISTERED BY THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR CREATING THE GUIDELINES AND ISSUING THE NOTICES OF FUNDING AVAILABILITY.

ONE SUCH NOTICE WAS RELEASED IN MARCH OF THIS YEAR, AUTHORIZING UP TO 53 MILLION IN COMPETITIVE FUNDS, AND WHAT THIS PROGRAM DOES IS IT MATCHES LOCAL HOUSING INVESTMENTS FOR THE CREATION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND SHELTERS, AND A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE REQUIREMENTS AND WHAT MAKES THE CITY OF CARLSBAD ELIGIBLE FOR THESE FUNDS.

SO THE PRIMARY ANSWER IS THE CITY'S HOUSING TRUST FUND, WHICH WE HEARD A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IN THE PREVIOUS PRESENTATION.

THE CITY'S HOUSING ORDINANCE REQUIRES THAT RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT CONTRIBUTE TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING VIA NEW DEVELOPMENT OR AND THROUGH THE COLLECTION OF FEES AND CREDIT PURCHASES.

THE CITY'S HOUSING TRUST FUND WAS ESTABLISHED IN ORDER TO COLLECT THOSE FEES AND IN TURN MAKES THE FUNDING AVAILABLE FOR CREATION OF NEW OR PRESERVATION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND SHELTER.

OTHER QUALIFICATION FACTORS INCLUDE COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSING ELEMENT, STATE LAW, ELIGIBLE PROJECTS THAT PROVIDE NEW AFFORDABLE RENTAL HOUSING AND SHELTER FOR PERSONS

[02:35:08]

SO OUR APPLICATION CONSISTS OF MATCHING FUNDS FOR FOUR PROJECTS, INCLUDING THREE AFFORDABLE APARTMENT PROJECTS AND AN EMERGENCY SHELTER EXPANSION PROJECT.

THE THREE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS WERE PREVIOUSLY AWARDED CARLSBAD HOUSING TRUST FUNDS TOTALING 5.31 MILLION AND WILL RESULT IN THE CREATION OF 159 NEW AFFORDABLE RENTAL UNITS.

THIS APPLICATION THE CITY IS REQUESTING A LITTLE OVER $700,000 IN MATCHING FUNDS FROM THE STATE TO SUPPORT THESE THREE PROJECTS FILL FINANCING GAPS. THE FOURTH PROJECT FOR WHICH THE CITY IS SEEKING MATCHING STATE FUNDS IS THE EXPANSION OF OUR EMERGENCY SHELTER, LA POSADA DE GUADALUPE, WHICH WE HEARD IN THE PREVIOUS PRESENTATION.

THE TOTAL MATCHING FUNDS REQUESTED IS JUST OVER 1.7 MILLION, WITH A 10,000 FOR ADMINISTRATION.

THE REQUESTED AMOUNTS FOR EACH PROJECT WERE CAREFULLY CONSIDERED BASED UPON THE PROGRAM SCORING CRITERIA, AND THE AMOUNTS THAT ARE REFLECTED HERE WERE ABLE TO GENERATE THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE POINTS AVAILABLE WHILE SERVING THE INDIVIDUAL NEEDS OF EACH PROJECT.

SO AS FAR AS NEXT STEPS, STAFF WILL SUBMIT THE APPLICATION TO THE STATE HCD AND IF AWARDED, THOSE FUNDS WOULD BE SECURED THROUGH TO EACH PROJECT ACCORDINGLY, FOLLOWED BY COMPLETION OF CONSTRUCTION, AND ADDITIONALLY, THESE FUNDS WILL HELP GROW THE FUTURE FUND BALANCE OF THE CITY'S HOUSING TRUST FUND.

SINCE THE LOAN REPAYMENTS FROM THE MATCHING FUNDS WILL COME DIRECTLY TO THE CITY'S LOCAL HOUSING TRUST FUND, AND OUR RECOMMENDATION THIS EVENING IS ADOPTION OF A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE SUBMITTAL OF THE LOCAL HOUSING TRUST FUND APPLICATION TO THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA FOR 1.17 MILLION, AND THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION.

WE'RE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE.

DO WE HAVE ANY SPEAKERS? THERE ARE NO SPEAKERS.

QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL.

I'LL START ON THIS END. MRS. BHAT-PATEL, MS. ACOSTA, MS. BURKHOLDER, MS. LUNA ANY STATEMENTS, AND LOOKING FOR A MOTION.

MOVE STAFF RECOMMENDATION ON ITEM NUMBER 10.

SECOND, PLEASE VOTE.

PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

THANK YOU. ITEM 11 CITY MANAGER.

[11. CONSIDER APPROVAL OF A CITY COUNCIL POLICY STATEMENT – INVOCATION AT CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS – Adoption of a resolution approving City Council Policy Statement – Invocation at City Council Meetings. (Staff contact: Sheila Cobian, City Manager’s Department) City Manager’s Recommendation: Adopt the resolution.]

ITEM NUMBER 11 IS CONSIDER APPROVAL OF A CITY COUNCIL POLICY STATEMENT INVOCATION AND CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS MAKING OUR PRESENTATION TONIGHT IS OUR LEGISLATIVE AND CONSTITUENT SERVICES DIRECTOR, SHELIA COBIAN.

GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.

THE ITEM BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING IS TO CONSIDER THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A CITY COUNCIL POLICY STATEMENT THAT WILL SET GUIDELINES FOR THE DELIVERY OF INVOCATIONS AT CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS. THE CARLSBAD MUNICIPAL CODE GOVERNS THE ORDER OF BUSINESS OF CITY COUNCIL MEETING AGENDAS.

ACCORDING TO THE CODE, THE INVOCATION IS LISTED IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND PRIOR TO THE NON-AGENDA PUBLIC COMMENT.

EVEN THOUGH AN INVOCATION HAS BEEN A PART OF OUR CITY COUNCIL AGENDAS DATING AS FAR BACK AS 1958, FOR THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, WE HAVE NOT HAD ANYONE REQUEST TO DELIVER THE INVOCATION.

IN FACT, THE LAST ONE WAS IN JULY OF 2018.

RECENTLY THERE WAS A REQUEST TO HAVE AN INVOCATION ON AN UPCOMING MEETING AGENDA, AND THE CITY ATTORNEY SUGGESTED THAT STAFF DEVELOP A POLICY ESTABLISHING GUIDELINES PRIOR TO GRANTING THE REQUEST.

STAFF BEGAN BY SURVEYING THE CITIES IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY AND FOUND THAT 10 CITIES DO ALLOW FOR AN INVOCATION, EVEN THOUGH MANY DO NOT HAVE THEM ON A ROUTINE BASIS, AND ONLY THE CITY OF VISTA HAS A WRITTEN POLICY WHICH WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1983.

WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, STAFF WAS ABLE TO OBTAIN THE INVOCATION POLICIES OF NEWPORT BEACH, COOLIDGE, ARIZONA, PENSACOLA, FLORIDA, AND THE KENAI PENINSULA IN ALASKA.

THOSE POLICIES WERE ATTACHED TO THE STAFF REPORT AS PART OF EXHIBIT TWO.

BASED ON THE SURVEY AND THE SAMPLE POLICIES, STAFF IS RECOMMENDING THAT THE INVITATION TO DELIVER AN INVOCATION BE HANDLED SIMILARLY TO THE ADVERTISEMENT OF SCHEDULED

[02:40:03]

ADDITIONALLY, STAFF IS RECOMMENDING THAT THE POLICY ONLY ALLOW A RESPONDENT TO SCHEDULE ONE INVOCATION AT A TIME AND THAT THEY CANNOT SCHEDULE A SECOND INVOCATION UNTIL AFTER THE PREVIOUSLY SCHEDULED INVOCATION HAS PASSED.

TO MAKE SURE A VARIETY OF SPEAKERS ARE GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE THE INVOCATION, STAFF IS ALSO RECOMMENDING THAT NO INVOCATION LEADER SHALL BE SCHEDULED TO OFFER THE INVOCATION AT CONSECUTIVE MEETINGS AND THAT HE OR SHE COULD ONLY GIVE UP TO FOUR INVOCATIONS IN A CALENDAR YEAR.

STAFF IS ALSO RECOMMENDING A DISCLAIMER ON THE AGENDA, STATING ANY INVOCATION THAT MAY BE OFFERED AT THE BEGINNING OF A COUNCIL MEETING SHALL BE A VOLUNTARY OFFERING OF A PRIVATE PERSON TO AND FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE CITY COUNCIL, AND NO MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY IS REQUIRED TO ATTEND OR PARTICIPATE IN THE INVOCATION.

THE PROPOSED POLICY, WHICH WILL BE PROVIDED TO ANYONE WISHING TO GIVE AN INVOCATION, WOULD ALSO REQUIRE THAT THE INVOCATION LEADER ADDRESS THE COUNCIL AND NOT THE AUDIENCE.

AVOID MAKING POLITICAL STATEMENT OR DISCUSSING LOCAL POLICIES OR OFFICIALS.

REFRAIN FROM DISPARAGING OTHER FAITHS.

AVOID ADVERTISING THEIR OWN PLACE OF WORSHIP, INCLUDING TIME AND PLACE OF MEETINGS AND REMARKS WOULD BE LIMITED TO TWO MINUTES.

IN A WAY OF OPTIONS FOR THIS TOPIC, STAFF RECOMMENDS EITHER ADOPTING THE RESOLUTION, APPROVING THE POLICY, OR DIRECTING STAFF TO RETURN TO COUNCIL AT A LATER DATE TO AMEND THE MUNICIPAL CODE TO REMOVE THE INVOCATION FROM THE CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ORDER OF BUSINESS.

THE RECOMMENDED ACTION THIS EVENING IS IF YOU WISH TO HAVE AN INVOCATION ON THE CITY COUNCIL AGENDA WOULD BE TO APPROVE THE POLICY, AND AS A REMINDER, APPROVAL OF A CITY COUNCIL POLICY DOES REQUIRE A 4/5 VOTE OF THE CITY COUNCIL.

THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION AND I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

WOULD YOU GO BACK TO THE SLIDE RIGHT BEFORE THE ONE WE'RE ON CURRENTLY? WHAT OUR CHOICES ARE.

THANK YOU. SPEAKERS, PLEASE.

WE HAVE SIX SPEAKERS, MAYOR.

THE FIRST SPEAKER, PIERRE [INAUDIBLE] VANAUGH, FOLLOWED BY JAN SINCLAIR.

THE SEPARATION OF RELIGION AND GOVERNMENT IS A CORE PRINCIPLE OF OUR COUNTRY.

THE FIRST AMENDMENT CLEARLY LINKS THE FREEDOM OF RELIGION, WHICH IS ALSO TO BELIEVE IN GOD OR NOT, WITH THE NEUTRALITY OF THE STATE.

WE ARE A FREE AND SECULAR REPUBLIC AND NOT A THEOCRACY.

EVEN IF A PARTIZAN SUPREME COURT IS UNDERMINING THIS VALUE.

FREEDOM OF RELIGION ONLY EXISTS IN A SECULAR STATE.

RELIGIOUS BELIEFS ARE PRIVATE MATTERS.

GOVERNMENT AT ALL LEVELS SHOULD STAY OUT OF OUR SOULS, OF OUR BODIES AND OUT OF OUR BEDROOMS. NEXT, IF WE CONTINUE ON THIS PATH, WE'LL HAVE PRAYERS IN SCHOOLS AND ON SPORTS PREMISES, WHICH TIME ALL OF THIS EXERTS A PRESSURE OF RELIGIOUS CONFORMITY.

A CITY COUNCIL IS NOT A PLACE FOR RELIGIOUS MISSIONARIES.

IT IS A PLACE TO BE A CITIZEN, NOT A WORSHIPER.

A FEW CITIES, I INSIST A FEW CITIES IN THE COUNTY HAVE THESE RELIGIOUS INVOCATIONS.

IT IS VERY JARRING TO SEE PASTORS EXPOSE THEIR IDEOLOGIES IN CITY HALLS AND NOT AN EXAMPLE TO FOLLOW.

AND WHAT PURPOSE DOES IT SERVE IN A NATIONAL CONTEXT OF EXTREME POLARIZATION TO DIVIDE THE PEOPLE OF CARLSBAD? DO WE NEED THAT? AGNOSTICS DON'T HAVE THE NEED TO PREACH A CREED TO OTHERS BUT DON'T WANT TO BE PREACHED EITHER, ESPECIALLY IN A PUBLIC HOUSE OF CITIZENSHIP. I URGE YOU TO VOTE DOWN THIS INVOCATION.

VOTE FOR OPTION TWO AND KEEP THE PEACE IN OUR COMMUNITY.

PEOPLE ARE FREE TO GO TO THEIR CHURCHES AND LISTEN TO SERMONS.

DON'T SHOVE RELIGION DOWN OUR THROATS AT EVERY TURN.

THANK YOU.

[02:45:02]

I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING HE SAID, BUT MY MAIN REASON FOR OBJECTING TO IT IS THAT IT'S VERY DIVISIVE.

IF YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THE SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS AND STUFF LATELY, A LOT OF CITIZENS ARE GETTING VERY RILED UP ABOUT THINGS, AND RELIGION IS ONE OF THOSE TOUCH POINTS THAT REALLY GET PEOPLE GOING.

THERE ARE OVER 200 RELIGIONS IN THIS COUNTRY.

THERE'S ABOUT 36 COUNCIL MEETINGS IN A YEAR.

SO I DON'T THINK YOU'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET TO ALL OF THEM.

SO SOMEBODY'S GOING TO BE FEELING LEFT OUT OR LIKE THEIR RELIGION WASN'T INCLUDED.

SO I JUST SEE IT AS SOMETHING THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE VERY HELPFUL.

THANK YOU. DAVE BRIGGS, FOLLOWED BY ADOLPH SING.

I FAILED TO RECOGNIZE AND EXPRESS APPRECIATION TO OUR CITY COUNCIL, OUR MAYOR AND THE CITY ADMINISTRATION AND STAFF.

THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO FOR OUR CITY.

I'M NOT ONLY A MAN OF FAITH, I'M A MAN OF BELIEF, A BELIEF THAT PEOPLE ARE ENTITLED TO WHAT THEY FEEL THEY CAN DO AND CONTRIBUTE TO MAKE HOMES, NEIGHBORHOODS AND CITIES BETTER, AND I DON'T SEE IT WRITTEN WHERE INVOCATION NECESSARILY DICTATES A RELIGIOUS CONTEXT. I DO BELIEVE IT CONNOTATES A CONTEXT OF BELIEF, A BETTER CITY, BETTER FAMILIES, BETTER HOMES, AND I BELIEVE IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THIS CITY BE INTRODUCED TO THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN THOSE THINGS THAT COULD BE DONE BETTER.

WE'VE COVERED A LOT.

YOU HAVE COVERED RESPECTFULLY COVERED A LOT OF BUSINESS TONIGHT, A LOT OF FACTS, A LOT OF FIGURES.

I'M AN INTERNATIONAL SALES EXECUTIVE.

MY HEADQUARTERS IS IN NEW YORK CITY.

I GO BACK THERE FREQUENTLY, BUT WE CHOOSE MY WIFE AND I, AND WHEN WE HAD CHILDREN AT HOME, WE CHOSE TO LIVE HERE IN CARLSBAD.

WHY? BECAUSE THERE'S DIVERSITY.

THERE'S RESPECT.

THERE'S A UNIFYING FEELING IN THIS CITY THAT WE HAVE FOUND NOWHERE ELSE.

THIS IS OUR THIRD HOME WE HAVE PURCHASED HERE IN CARLSBAD.

WE COULD LIVE OTHER PLACES, BUT WE HAVE CHOSEN CARLSBAD BECAUSE OF THE DIVERSITY AND THE PEOPLE THAT WE KNOW.

I MENTIONED I'M A MAN OF FAITH.

I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT NOT ALL OF MY FRIENDS ARE MEMBERS OF THE SAME FAITH TO WHICH I BELONG.

THEY'RE WIDE AND VARIED ALL THE WAY FROM LA COSTA TO OLD TOWN.

AND I WOULD ASK YOUR CONSIDERATION OF OPTION ONE, BECAUSE THIS CITY IS COMPOSED OF GREAT BELIEVERS, PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE IN THINGS THAT CAN BE DONE BETTER, AND IT'S AN ADDITIONAL DIMENSION THAT I THINK WOULD BE A WONDERFUL WAY TO BEGIN EACH AND EVERY CITY COUNCIL MEETING.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

COUNCIL MEMBERS.

MY NAME IS ADOLPH SEEING.

I HAVE LIVED IN CARLSBAD FOR OVER 40 YEARS.

I OWN A HOME HERE.

MY FIVE CHILDREN GREW UP HERE.

THEY ALL ATTENDED HOPE SCHOOL, VALLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL AND CARLSBAD HIGH SCHOOL.

I HAVE A VESTED INTEREST IN ENSURING THAT MY CITY IS A WONDERFUL PLACE TO LIVE IN.

TODAY, I STAND BEFORE YOU TO DISCUSS THE IMPORTANCE AND BENEFITS OF STARTING OUR CITY COUNCILS WITH A PRAYER. WHILE PRAYER IS A PERSONAL AND DIVERSE PRACTICE, IT HOLDS THE POTENTIAL TO BRING TOGETHER AND CREATE AN ATMOSPHERE OF UNITY, RESPECT AND REFLECTION.

THE CITY COUNCIL IS EMPOWERED TO MAKE OUR CITY A GREAT PLACE TO RESIDE IN.

YOU CAN SAY THAT DECISIONS MADE HERE CAN LEAVE A PERMANENT MARK ON OUR CITY FOR YEARS TO COME.

WE KNOW THAT COUNCIL MEETINGS CAN AT TIMES BECOME CHALLENGING WITH DISAGREEMENTS AND DIFFERING POINTS OF VIEWS AND IDEAS.

THAT'S OKAY.

IT'S A NECESSARY PROCESS.

A PRAYER AT THE START OF A COUNCIL MEETING CAN HELP SET THE PROPER TONE AND A COMMON GROUND OF HARMONY.

STARTING YOUR COUNCIL MEETING WITH A PRAYER ALSO ACKNOWLEDGES THE DIVERSITY OF BELIEFS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.

BY ALLOWING INDIVIDUALS FROM VARIOUS FAITHS TO OFFER PRAYER WE DEMONSTRATE INCLUSIVITY AND RESPECT FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM.

[02:50:10]

THANK YOU. HEIDI WILLIS, FOLLOWED BY MARK PACKARD.

HI COUNCIL AND I'M TERRIFIED.

SORRY, AND STAFF AND MAYOR, I'VE HAD A MILLION THOUGHTS IN THE PAST FEW DAYS ABOUT, OH MY GOSH, THIS IS GOING TO DISCOUNT EVERYTHING I SAY, RIGHT? THE WEEPY WOMAN.

I'M GRATEFUL FOR ALL THE WORK THAT STAFF DOES.

WILL YOU RELAY THAT? BECAUSE THEY'VE ALL LEFT NOW, BUT AND I'M OVERWHELMED AS I SIT HERE TODAY IN THE DIFFERENT TIMES I'VE BEEN AT CITY COUNCIL HOW MUCH YOU NEED PRAYER.

MY SON IS NOT A BELIEVER, A PERSON OF FAITH, BUT THAT DOES NOT STOP ME FROM PRAYING FOR HIM LIKE CRAZY AND TRYING TO EVOKE WHATEVER BLESSINGS I THINK I CAN ON HIS BEHALF, AND THEN HE GETS TO ACCEPT THOSE OR NOT.

OR BELIEVE THOSE OR NOT, AND AS I'VE KNOWN, THIS WAS GOING TO BE A TOPIC I'VE THEN DONE SOME RESEARCH THE HISTORY OF OUR NATION, THE ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF GOD, AND THEN THE PATTERN THAT WE'VE HAD OF PRAYER UNTIL A FEW YEARS AGO AND THEIR INVOCATION IN HERE.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE READ IS OR SOME OF THE THINGS THAT SAID THE PURPOSE THAT IT SOLEMNIZES THE WORK THAT YOU DO, AND JUST LISTENING TODAY, THINGS MATTER. SEWERS MATTER AND HOMELESSNESS MATTERS, AND IT DOESN'T MATTER TO HAVE WHATEVER HELP WE CAN ASK FOR, TO ME.

WHY WOULDN'T WE IN THIS CRAZY WORLD? IT HIGHLIGHTS THE COMMONALITIES.

EVEN WHEN IT IS DIVISIVE AND WE'RE DIFFERENT.

I SPENT A COUPLE OF YEARS IN KOREA WITH EASTERN RELIGIONS AND THE [INAUDIBLE] LANGUAGE AND I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT AND FELT BRIDGES AND COMMONALITY EVEN WHEN THERE WERE SO MANY DIFFERENCES, AND I THINK THIS CAN BE PART OF THAT EXPOSURE TO THAT, AND I LOVE THAT YOU CAN.

HOW MUCH TIME THAT YOU CAN SIGN UP FOR IT.

ON THE WAY HERE, I WAS SERIOUSLY THINKING, I WISH I WAS A PASTOR SO THAT I COULD COME PRAY FOR YOU PUBLICLY IN YOUR WORK, AND I NEED YOU TO KNOW THAT I PRAY FOR YOU PERSONALLY, WHETHER OR NOT YOU WANT IT IN YOUR WORK.

FOR ME AND MY FAMILY AND MY COMMUNITY, I'M GOING TO SKIP TO A REALLY SWEET STORY.

MY DAUGHTER IN LAW WAS ON A CHEF INTERNSHIP AT THIS REALLY EXCLUSIVE CHATEAU IN FRANCE.

THE OBAMA FAMILY WAS THERE.

MY SON WAS HERE TAKING THE BOARDS AND STUDYING FOR DENTAL SCHOOL, AND SHE WAS THERE FOR A FEW MONTHS.

MICHELLE OBAMA WAS MEETING THESE GIRLS WHO WERE THEIR COOKS AND SAID, YOU KNOW, TELL ME ABOUT YOU, AND SHE, YOU KNOW, AND MY DAUGHTER IN LAW SAID, I'M NEWLY MARRIED AND, OH, WHERE'S YOUR HUSBAND? AND HE'S STUDYING FOR THE BOARDS.

IN FACT, HE'S TAKING THEM TOMORROW, AND SHE SAID, WE WILL PRAY FOR HIM.

WHAT IS YOUR HUSBAND'S NAME? BARACK AND I WILL PRAY FOR HIM BY NAME.

I BELIEVE THERE'S POWER.

I BELIEVE AS A BELIEVER, THAT THERE'S POWER IN ME PRAYING.

I BELIEVE THERE'S POWER IN KNOWING THAT YOU'RE BEING PRAYED FOR, THAT THERE'S THAT KIND OF.

MARK PACKARD. AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SPEAK.

I WANTED TO JUST ADDRESS A COUPLE OF POINTS THAT HAVE NOT PREVIOUSLY BEEN MENTIONED.

I READ MOST OF THE COMMENTS FROM PEOPLE THAT SUBMITTED, WRITTEN COMMENTS.

I WANTED TO ADDRESS ONE PARTICULAR POINT.

THE MOST COMMON THEME OF THOSE THAT ARE OPPOSED TO I'LL USE THE TERM LEGISLATIVE INVOCATION IS THEY BELIEVE IT'S A VIOLATION, A CONSTITUTIONAL VIOLATION OF CHURCH AND STATE, AND I WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN TESTED IN THE COURTS QUITE SIGNIFICANTLY, AND THE SUPREME COURT AND THE OTHER COURTS HAVE ALREADY RULED THAT IT IS NOT A VIOLATION OF THE SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE, AND IN FACT, THEY SUPPORTED AND UPHELD CONGRESS.

OUR OWN NATIONAL CONGRESS STARTS EVERY LEGISLATIVE SESSION WITH AN INVOCATION.

I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT AND KNOW THAT HISTORY.

SECOND POINT.

IT WAS SOME HAVE SAID THAT THIS WOULD BE A NEW INTRODUCTION, A NEW CONCEPT IN CARLSBAD.

[02:55:07]

AND IT WAS JUST RECENTLY THAT IT WAS ENDED, AND SO WHAT IS BEING REQUESTED IS A REINSTATEMENT OF THE PAST POLICIES OR A RETURN TO THE PAST PRACTICE OF PRAYING.

THE OTHER SPEAKERS HAVE ALREADY MENTIONED ALL THE BENEFITS THAT COME FROM THAT.

I FELT I WANTED TO TAKE A MINUTE TO POINT OUT AND RESOLVE AND ANSWER SOME OF THE CONCERNS AND QUESTIONS THAT SOME HAVE ALLEGED THAT IT WOULD BE A CONSTITUTIONAL VIOLATION THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN TESTED IN THE COURTS AND FOUND NOT TO BE THE CASE, AND SO THIS WOULD BE A RETURN TO THE GOOD VALUES THAT WE HAVE HAD FOR SO LONG IN CARLSBAD THAT MADE CARLSBAD A GREAT COMMUNITY, AND WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE CARLSBAD THE PLACE THAT EVERYBODY WANTS TO BE.

SO THANK YOU. THAT CONCLUDES OUR SPEAKERS.

THANK YOU. QUESTIONS ONLY, MISS LUNA.

MS. BURKHOLDER. MS. ACOSTA. MRS. BHAT-PATEL. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION, AND JUST JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AND THEN DEFINITELY HAVE COMMENTS.

CAN YOU REMIND US THE LAST TIME THIS WAS DONE WAS IN 2018? SUMMER OF 2018.

OKAY, AND THEN HOW ARE WE ADVERTISING THIS AGAIN? WELL, PREVIOUSLY, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN WAS THE EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO THE CITY COUNCIL WOULD PUT OUT A EMAIL TO DIFFERENT RELIGIOUS LEADERS. SHE WOULD HAVE A DATABASE, SO TO SPEAK, AND INVITE PEOPLE TO COME AND DO THE INVOCATION, THE PRAYER, BASED ON SOME INPUT FROM OUR PREVIOUS CITY ATTORNEY.

SHE WAS DIRECTED NOT TO DO THAT SO MUCH AND JUST WAIT FOR PEOPLE TO COME, AND IF THEY WISH TO DO AN INVOCATION, THEN WE WOULD ACCEPT IT, BUT WE WOULDN'T GO OUT ADVERTISING OR ASKING PEOPLE.

FOR ONE THING, IT WAS DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN THE DATABASE AS WELL.

THERE WAS A CONSTANT TURNOVER AND SO THE CONTACT INFORMATION OFTEN WASN'T ALWAYS ACCURATE.

SO BASED ON DIRECTION FROM OUR PREVIOUS CITY ATTORNEY, WE STOPPED REACHING OUT TO THE RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES AND INVITING THEM, BUT IF THEY DID REACH OUT TO US, WE WOULD ARRANGE FOR THEM TO BE PLACED ON THE AGENDA.

OKAY, AND DO WE HAPPEN TO KNOW HOW MANY RELIGIONS ARE IN OUR CITY? I HAVE NO IDEA.

I REALLY DO. YEAH, I WAS JUST CURIOUS ABOUT THAT AND HOW WE WOULD ENSURE THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO REPRESENT ALL OF THEM.

LIKE I SAID, I FELT THAT IN DEVELOPING THIS POLICY, THE BEST APPROACH WOULD BE SIMILAR TO THE ADVERTISEMENT FOR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS BECAUSE THEN EVERYBODY WOULD HAVE THE SAME OPPORTUNITY TO VIEW, YOU KNOW, THE SOLICITATION, AND IF THEY WISH TO REACH OUT TO US AND ARRANGE TO GIVE AN INVOCATION, THAT TO ME SEEMED THE BEST APPROACH MOVING FORWARD.

THANK YOU. I JUST HAVE COMMENTS.

I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, BUT I'LL BEGIN WITH THE COMMENTS.

THANK YOU, MR. PACKARD, FOR BRINGING FORWARD THAT.

IT'S NOT A VIOLATION TO HAVE AN INVOCATION.

IF IT WERE, WE WOULDN'T BE DISCUSSING THIS.

OUR ATTORNEY WOULDN'T ALLOW US TO, BUT I'LL JUST COMMENT THAT CITY GOVERNMENT WAS ESTABLISHED TO FORM TO PROVIDE TWO THINGS INFRASTRUCTURE, WHICH WOULD BE SAFETY, WATER, ROADS, THINGS LIKE THAT, AND SAFETY, POLICE AND FIRE.

OUR COUNCIL MEETINGS ARE BUSINESS MEETINGS TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES, INFRASTRUCTURE, SAFETY AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

RIGHT NOW WE'RE WRESTLING WITH A LOT OF ISSUES HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING, TRAFFIC SAFETY, THE BUDGET, CRIME, THINGS LIKE THAT.

I FIND WHEN I FIRST HEARD THAT INVOCATIONS WERE BEING PRESENTED AT COUNCIL MEETINGS, IT ACTUALLY SURPRISED ME BECAUSE I ORIGINALLY MY NAÏVE THOUGHT WAS, ISN'T THIS DIVISIVE? AND THEN LATER I STARTED THINKING, IS THIS THE PLACE AT A BUSINESS MEETING THAT THIS IS WHAT WE SHOULD FIND TIME FOR? NOW I FIND THAT WE'RE ASKING OUR STAFF TO REDIRECT THEIR TIME ADDRESSING INVOCATIONS, AND IN A WEEK OR TWO WE'RE ASKING OUR STAFF TO READDRESS THEIR TIME TO DECIDE WHAT FLAGS WE'RE GOING TO FLY ABOVE OUR BUILDING.

I THINK WE'RE GETTING STARTING TO GET A LITTLE DISTRACTED FROM THE INTENT OF THESE MEETINGS, THESE BUSINESS MEETINGS, EVERYTHING THAT SPEAKERS SAID WHO WERE IN SUPPORT OF INVOCATIONS. I ABSOLUTELY AGREE WITH, THEY'RE UNIFYING, RESPECTFUL.

[03:00:05]

YET WE STILL WERE ABLE TO BE UNIFIED, RESPECTFUL AND A WONDERFUL CITY.

SO THESE ARE MY THOUGHTS AND WHY I'M GOING TO SUPPORT OPTION NUMBER TWO.

AND PLEASE DON'T TAKE THAT AS ANY DISRESPECT FOR ANY RELIGION OR ANY THOUGHTS.

I HAVE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF RESPECT FOR THE PEOPLE WHO SPOKE ON BOTH SIDES.

THANK YOU.

MS. BHAT-PATEL. SURE.

THANK YOU, AND THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION AND FOR THE OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO DISCUSS THIS .

FROM MY BACKGROUND I COME FROM A RELIGIOUS HOUSEHOLD AND SO DEFINITELY WE PRAYED GROWING UP AND DEFINITELY PRAY, YOU KNOW, ON HOLIDAYS AND OTHERWISE, AND SO IT IS SOMETHING THAT'S PART OF MY HOUSEHOLD AND OTHERS THAT WHETHER I ASSOCIATE, YOU KNOW, FRIENDS AND FAMILY MEMBERS AS WELL, BUT DEFINITELY I ALSO KNOW FOLKS THAT DON'T PRACTICE, AND SO FOR ME AS A PUBLIC ENTITY AND REALLY GETTING TO THE CORE OF THE SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE, I KNOW IT'S BEEN LITIGATED, UPHELD AND EVERYTHING, BUT SIMILAR TO WHAT THE MAYOR MENTIONED, IT IS A PLACE OF BUSINESS.

IT'S A PUBLIC ENTITY, NOT A PRIVATE ENTITY.

I WOULDN'T WANT TO IMPOSE MY RELIGIOUS BELIEFS ON OTHERS.

I DON'T FEEL THAT IT WOULD BE INCLUSIVE.

I KNOW THAT WE ARE OPENING IT UP TO EVERY SINGLE RELIGION.

HOWEVER, JUST FROM THE STANDPOINT OF OUTREACH TO ALL OF THOSE COMMUNITIES, I CAN TELL YOU NOT EVERYONE WILL KNOW THAT IS SOMETHING THAT EXISTS REGARDLESS OF WHAT BACKGROUND, AND THERE MIGHT BE SOME THAT WILL KNOW AND THEY WILL SHOW UP, AND I FEEL LIKE AGAIN, I THINK A SPEAKER MENTIONED IT MIGHT BE TOO EXCLUSIVE. I THINK I ALSO SUPPORT OPTION NUMBER TWO, REMOVING THE POLICY AND THAT'S WHERE I STAND.

THANK YOU. MS. ACOSTA. THANK YOU.

I STRUGGLED WITH FINDING THE RIGHT WORDS TO ARTICULATE HOW I FEEL ON THIS BECAUSE I DO COME FROM A VERY STRONG COMMUNITY OF FAITH.

I WENT TO CATHOLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.

CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL BELONGED TO A PARISH HERE IN CARLSBAD, CATHOLIC PARISH.

MY GRANDFATHER WAS A PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER.

I HAVE A LOT OF RELIGIONS AND RELIGIOUS INFLUENCES IN MY LIFE AND I CARRY THAT WITH ME AS THE FRAMEWORK THAT THROUGH WHICH I SEE THE WORLD, AND THE REASON I WANT TO HELP PEOPLE AN THE COMPASSION AND YET I KNOW PEOPLE HAVE DIFFERENT FRAMEWORKS THAT ARE BUILT ON DIFFERENT THINGS. THERE ARE DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES AND THEIR HOUSEHOLDS AND HOW THEY WERE BROUGHT UP , AND I THINK THAT WE CAN'T GENERALIZE THAT EVERYBODY'S THE SAME.

NOT EVERYONE HERE IS CATHOLIC WENT TO CATHOLIC SCHOOL.

NOT EVERYONE HERE IS, YOU KNOW, ONE COLOR OR NOT EVERYONE HERE IS, YOU KNOW, ONE GENDER.

YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALL SO DIFFERENT, AND I DO THINK THAT HAVING THIS ROTATING SCHEDULE, AS MUCH AS WE WANT TO TRY TO EQUALIZE THINGS AND MAKE SURE THAT WE GET PEOPLE WE CAN'T DICTATE WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO SAY.

THE PEOPLE WHO COME UP HERE FROM VARIOUS DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES OF FAITH MAY SAY THINGS THAT ARE OFFENSIVE, THAT ARE OFF PUTTING, OFF, PUTTING FOR PEOPLE. FAITH IS DEEPLY PERSONAL.

I FEEL LIKE I'M SHARING WITH YOU SOMETHING DEEPLY PERSONAL ABOUT ME.

I DON'T TALK A LOT ABOUT IT.

I PRAY. I PRAY FOR OTHERS TOO, AND I APPRECIATE PRAYERS, BUT I DON'T TALK ABOUT IT UNLESS SOMEONE ASKS ME.

SO I DON'T I WOULDN'T WANT TO IMPOSE THAT ON OTHERS, AND I FEEL LIKE HAVING AN INVOCATION AT THE BEGINNING COULD IMPOSE OTHER PEOPLE'S RELIGIOUS FAITHS ON OUR PUBLIC, AND I ALSO FEEL LIKE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT MIGHT BE SAID THAT IS INSULTING OR OFFENSIVE TO OTHERS BECAUSE WE CAN'T, IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE PROVIDING TALKING POINTS OR GIVING THAT PERSON WHAT THEY NEED TO SAY.

SO ANYWAY, I TRIED TO SHORTEN HOW I WHAT I WANTED TO SAY ABOUT ABOUT MY THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS ON THIS MATTER, AND FOR ALL THOSE REASONS I WILL BE SUPPORTING OPTION TWO. THANK YOU.

MS. BURKHOLDER ONCE AGAIN, I FIND MYSELF IN HOW I CAN SEE THIS VOTE LAYING OUT, BUT DO NOT BE ANXIOUS ABOUT ANYTHING, BUT IN EVERY SITUATION, BY PRAYER AND PETITION WITH THANKSGIVING, PRESENT YOUR REQUESTS TO GOD.

I SEE NOTHING WRONG WITH LIKE THAT FINE YOUNG WOMAN PRAYING FOR US AND HAVING AN INVOCATION BEFORE A MEETING.

I THINK PEOPLE GET THEIR HAIR A LITTLE ON FIRE ABOUT A LOT OF THINGS THESE DAYS, AND I THINK WE CAN BE RESPECTFUL OF EVERYONE'S PERSPECTIVE.

I WOULD HOPE THAT'S HOW WE OPERATE IN THE CITY OF CARLSBAD WITH RESPECT AND MUTUAL RESPECT AND DIGNITY.

SO WHILE I DON'T SEE ANYTHING WRONG WITH HAVING AN INVOCATION, I UNDERSTAND MY COLLEAGUES ARE GOING TO SAY YES TO NUMBER TWO.

[03:05:06]

[LAUGHTER] THANKS.

MISS LUNA. SO I'VE THOUGHT ABOUT THIS QUITE A BIT, AND I DO KNOW FOUR, MAYBE FIVE DO WORSHIP REGULARLY.

SO THEY ARE CONSCIOUS OF THAT PORTION OF OUR LIVES, BUT AS I'VE THOUGHT ABOUT IT, I THINK I'M GOING ALONG WITH SORT OF THE MAYOR'S PRESENTATION ANALYSIS, AND SO WHAT I HAD THOUGHT WAS THAT, YOU KNOW, IN THE INTEREST OF EFFECTIVE GOVERNANCE AND THAT'S WHAT I THINK WE ARE HERE FOR IS EFFECTIVE GOVERNANCE.

IT'S APPROPRIATE THAT OUR COUNCIL MEETINGS BE DEVOTED TO FOCUSING ON MATTERS ENABLING US TO EVALUATE OUR AGENDA ITEMS SO THAT MATERIAL THAT DOES COME TO US AS A BUSINESS AND OUR BUSINESS AS THE CITY COUNCIL IS TO HAVE INFORMATION CONVEYED TO US THAT HELP US MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS ON OUR AGENDA ITEMS. SO THEREFORE I WOULD BE SUPPORTING OPTION TWO.

LOOKING FOR A MOTION FOR THE RESOLUTION? YES, I WOULD LIKE TO.

ACTUALLY, YOU DON'T WANT TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION BECAUSE THE RESOLUTION IS APPROVING THE COUNCIL POLICY.

SO IT BE A MOTION TO DIRECT STAFF TO RETURN WITH AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE CODE.

SO MOVED.

SECOND, PLEASE VOTE.

PASSES 4 TO 1 WITH NOTING MS. BURKHOLDER'S STATEMENTS.

AND THAT BRINGS US TO THE END OF THE AGENDA.

I THINK WE STILL HAVE ONE NON-AGENDA SPEAKER REMAINING.

[PUBLIC COMMENT (Part 2 of 2)]

CAN YOU HEAR ME? GOOD EVENING.

I GUESS WE SAVED THE BEST FOR LAST, AND I DON'T REALLY QUITE KNOW WHAT TO SAY AT THIS JUNCTURE OTHER THAN I WOULD REALLY LIKE FOR YOU TO CONSIDER ALLOWING ALL PUBLIC SPEAKERS TO SPEAK UNDER THE PUBLIC NON-COMMUNICATION AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING.

LAST WEEK WE HAD A YOUNG MAN WHO SAT HERE FOR SEVERAL HOURS, AND NOW I'M SITTING HERE DOING THE SAME THING JUST TO HAVE MY COMMENTS MADE PRIOR TO YOUR MEETING, WHICH MAY HAVE AFFECTED THE OUTCOME OF WHAT YOU HAD TO SAY AND DO TODAY.

SO UNDER THAT, I'D LIKE FOR YOU TO CONSIDER DOING THAT.

I'M THE ONLY ONE LEFT.

IN DOING SO, I ALSO WANT TO ADDRESS THE REASON WHY I WANTED TO COME AND TALK.

HAVE LOTS OF PAGES OF NOTES.

I GUESS THE CITY COUNCIL OF CARLSBAD IN 2010 ENGAGED IN A COMMUNITY IN A PROCESS CALLED ENVISION CARLSBAD.

IT WAS A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT TO IDENTIFY COMMUNITY'S VISION AND TO HELP GUIDE THIS COUNCIL IN DECISION MAKING.

IT ALSO INCLUDED YOUR GOAL SETTING, AND I KNOW THAT YOU'VE GONE UNDER THE STRATEGIC PLAN, BUT WHAT I ALSO LOOK AT IS YOU HAVE TWO BRAND NEW, ONE BRAND NEW COUNCILMEMBER, ONE APPOINTED AND A NEW MAYOR, AND THAT'S THREE ESSENTIALLY NEW PEOPLE IN NEW POSITIONS, AND I GIVE KUDOS TO COUNCIL MEMBER ACOSTA AND DR.

BHAT-PATEL FOR YOUR WORK HERE AS WELL, BUT WHAT THIS I'M TRYING TO GET MY POINT ACROSS IN SAYING IS, DO THE GOAL SETTING.

YOU HAVE A WHOLE NEW FACE OF A COUNCIL SITTING UP HERE.

GO BACK AND GO TO GOAL SETTING, AND IT KIND OF WORKED THROUGH THAT WAY, MAYBE IN THE BUDGET PROCESS, BUT I STILL THINK THAT LISTENING ABOUT THE STRATEGIC PLAN THAT WAS SEVERAL YEARS AGO, YOU HAVE BRAND NEW COMMUNITY HERE TOO, IN DISTRICT ONE.

IT HAS A HIGH PROPENSITY OF TURNOVER RATE YEAR TO YEAR, SO YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE NEW PEOPLE COMING IN.

SO I KNOW THAT YOUR STRATEGIC PLAN IS GOING TO BE FOR THE NEXT LITTLE BIT, BUT YOU HAVE NEW COUNCILMEMBERS AND YOU HAVE A NEW MAYOR.

SO MY ASK FOR YOU TONIGHT IS THAT YOU CONSIDER REVISITING YOUR COUNCIL GOALS AND GOING BACK TO THAT AND ENGAGING IN THE COMMUNITY.

ASK FOR OUR OPINION.

I THINK ONE OF THE COUNCILMEMBERS TODAY SAID THERE'S A LOT OF INTEREST IN OUR COMMUNITY.

WE CARE. WE WANT TO HAVE A PLACE AT THE TABLE.

WE WANT TO BE PART OF THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS AND NOT THE OPPOSITION COMING TO YOU AND SPEAKING AT THE END OF THE COUNCIL MEETING.

THANK YOU. ANY OTHER SPEAKERS? THERE ARE NO SPEAKERS.

THANK YOU. CLOSING STATEMENTS.

MS. LUNA. MS.

[COUNCIL COMMENTARY AND REQUESTS FOR CONSIDERATION OF MATTERS]

[03:10:01]

SO YOU GUYS COME ON OVER THERE BRIGHT AND EARLY AND JOIN ME.

THIS IS A SANDAG EFFORT, SO I FELT LIKE I HAD TO GO AHEAD AND ADVERTISE IT.

MRS. ACOSTA. THANK YOU.

JUST BRIEFLY.

RIGHT NOW, THE CARLSBAD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, WHERE I'M THE LIAISON MAINLY IS ON FROM THE CITY COUNCIL.

THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HAS BEEN GIVING OUT AWARDS FOR RISING STAR STUDENT OF THE MONTH, AND THEN THIS MORNING THEY HAD THEIR BIG RISING STAR STUDENT OF THE YEAR EVENT WHERE THEY TOOK THE TOP ONES OF ALL THE MONTHS AND THEY GAVE SCHOLARSHIPS AND SPECIAL AWARDS TO ABOUT EIGHT STUDENTS THIS MORNING FROM ALL OVER CARLSBAD.

SO THAT WAS FANTASTIC.

THE SAN DIEGO COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY IS ALSO GOING THROUGH ITS BUDGET PROCESS, AND I WAS AT THEIR ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING FOR MUCH OF THE DAY TODAY, AND I HAVE ANOTHER BUDGET MEETING THERE ON THURSDAY FOR MOST OF THE DAY.

THEN ON FRIDAY, CAL CCA, WHICH IS THE COMMUNITY CHOICE AGGREGATE ASSOCIATION, IS HAVING THEIR CONFERENCE IN SAN DIEGO FOR THE WHOLE STATE. SO I'LL BE ATTENDING ON FRIDAY, AND THEN I JUST WANT TO MENTION IT LOOKS LIKE MISS CARMICHAEL HAS ALREADY LEFT, BUT I WANTED TO MENTION THAT I'VE GOT OFFICE HOURS AND I KNOW THAT MANY OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS HERE OFFERS, EITHER OFFICE HOURS OR JUST THE ABILITY TO CONTACT US, EMAIL US OR CALL US.

ALL OF OUR INFORMATION IS ON THE CITY WEBSITE.

AND I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE TRY TO MAKE OURSELVES AVAILABLE, AND I APPLAUD MY COLLEAGUES FOR DOING THAT.

I KNOW IT'S A REAL EFFORT FOR ALL OF US, BUT WE THINK IT'S IMPORTANT.

SO THANK YOU. MS. BHAT-PATEL. YES, THANK YOU.

WE HAD THE LEAGUE OF CALIFORNIA CITIES DIVISION MEETING LAST MONDAY AND THE FIRST ANNUAL CARLSBAD GREEN BUSINESS RECOGNITION MIXER, WHICH I KNOW A MAJORITY OF US WERE AT, AND IT WAS REALLY GREAT TO BE ABLE TO ATTEND.

I KNOW WE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THE ECONOMIC SUMMIT AND THERE WAS ALSO A SHARK TANK COMPETITION AT PACIFIC RIDGE SCHOOL, WHICH WAS REALLY FUN TO BE A PART OF WITH SOME OF THE OTHER LEGISLATORS TEAMS AND THEN THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE CEO JUST TO HEAR SOME IDEAS FROM OUR YOUNG TALENT THAT WE'RE GROWING HERE IN CARLSBAD.

AND THEN LASTLY, THIS WEEK I WILL HAVE NCTD, OF COURSE, OFFICE HOURS AND THEN CAL CCA ALONG WITH COUNCIL MEMBER ACOSTA, AND HOPEFULLY FOR ALL THE MOMS OUT THERE, I HOPE YOU HAD A RESTFUL MOTHER'S DAY.

I DON'T HAVE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR TONIGHT.

CITY MANAGER. CITY ATTORNEY.

[CITY ATTORNEY COMMENTS]

SO I WILL BE ATTENDING THAT FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK, AND I WILL ALSO BE HOSTING A GATHERING OF COASTAL CITIES AT THAT TIME.

WHILE I'M OUT, YOU CAN GET ASSISTANCE IN OUR OFFICE FROM SENIOR ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY RON KEMP OR ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY ALLEGRA FROST.

CITY CLERK. WE'RE ADJOURNED.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.