Dishing Up Safety for Streets and Rails!
🏗️ Special Meeting: Progress Check!
✅ 65 of 76 city goals on track — the rest in progress, none delayed! 👏
Council celebrated strong momentum across all priorities — from the circulation element update to homeless services contractsand the native plant ordinance.
📊 The full FY 25–26 Work Plan is online and will soon reflect Q1 updates.
🏛️ Regular Meeting Highlights
🗺️ GIS 3D Model: City staff unveiled a futuristic visualization tool letting residents explore Encinitas in 3D — available now on the city website 👀.
🏅 Proclamations:
- Mayor Ehlers honored Public Works for National First Responders Day 🚧
- Veterans and American Legion Post 416 saluted Veterans Day (Nov 11) 🇺🇸 — festivities start at 11am!
🎙️ Open Communication Recap:
A Vietnam veteran 🎖️ publicly thanked Councilmember (and veteran) Shaffer… then bluntly told him to resign and seek help for “unbecoming behavior.”
- 💭 FFT (food for thought): Should Shaffer step down?
🧊 Other speakers slammed ICE operations in Encinitas and warned of intimidation ahead of the Nov 1–4 special election 🗳️.
- 💭 FFT: Is the city doing enough to protect residents from ICE activity?
🚦 Street Safety Updates
🚘 Clark Ave Stop Sign: Approved ✅ — though residents worry about construction traffic.
🔥 Quote of the night: Councilmember O’Hara called the Clark Apartments “a turd sandwich — and anything we add is just mustard, mayo, or pickles. But hey, that’s still better than a plain turd sandwich.” 💩🥪
🚴 CalTrans Safety Grants (HSIP): City applied for grants to improve 4 locations:
1️⃣ Bike lanes on Encinitas Blvd
2️⃣ El Camino Real & Santa Fe Dr. intersection
3️⃣ Hwy 101 crosswalk near Seaside Beach
4️⃣ Hwy 101 bike/ped safety north & south ends
Council directed staff to move forward on 1, 2 & 4, but hit pause on #3 to coordinate with Solana Beach on its Rail Trail plans 🚲.
- 💭 FFT: Should safety design follow expert advice or public complaints? 🤔Groups like Safe Streets Encinitas (pictured above) have been leading the charge on making streets safer for all.
🚆 Railroad Safety Grants
- Council voted unanimously to move forward! 🙌 with spending $77K to apply for 3 federal grants covering:🚸 At-grade crossings in Leucadia🤫 “Quiet Zone” across Encinitas (no horns!)🚇 Cardiff underpass (Verdi Rd.)
🎨 Public Art Gets a Refresh!
- Council unanimously updated the Sculpture Loan Program:
🕒 Standardized 3-year loan period
🔍 Regular review by the Arts Commission
🎭 Mission continues — uplifting, uniting, and celebrating Encinitas culture
⚖️ Looking Ahead
The City Manager & City Attorney confirmed: follow-up actions from the September ICE emergency meeting will return to Council November 12th. Stay tuned.