2/18/26 council meeting recap
Last Wednesday’s Encinitas City Council meeting featured a packed agenda, a packed room, and plenty of heat inside council chambers.
Encinitas mother Meenal Patel spoke movingly during Oral Communications about her deep disappointment in the lack of civility from our current City Council. Citing the example they set for kids, she challenged councilmembers to address and improve their decorum, transparency, and behavior on the dais.
Patel also thanked Councilmember Joy Lyndes for her grace and professionalism in the midst of the disrespectful atmosphere.
Here’s a snapshot of what else went down at Wednesday’s Regular Council Meeting:
🏖️ Best Restored Beach Award: Encinitas and Solana Beach snagged a national award for rebuilding 1.5 miles of coastline — powered by $30M in federal funding. Big win for storm resilience and public access.
🎤 Oral Communications
· Appointee controversy: Three residents demanded removal of newly appointed UFAC Committee Member Steve Houbeck over a Facebook post about a Black History Month event — calling it “racially charged,” “reductive,” and damaging to community trust.
· Free speech vs. bad laws: A resident blasted the city’s sign ordinance as unconstitutional and outdated, saying it criminalizes normal political expression. An example is the “Love Your Neighbors” fence sign controversy (see the postscript at the end of this newsletter.)
· Civility and training: One resident asked the city to adopt a formal code of conduct— noting other cities (Del Mar, Carlsbad) already have one.
· 🌮 Food For Thought (FFT): With public trust cracking, will the council strengthen accountability — or just hope tensions fade?
🗳️ Consent Calendar: Two items were removed from the agenda
· ✔️ Public art donation approved: “Luminous Wave” stays permanently in Cardiff.
· ✔️ Economic Plan consultant tabled: Council wants a community-driven approach before spending $128K.
🚗 Parking Ordinance Clean-Up: Council updated the code to match state law: renovating a single-family home can’t trigger new parking requirements. ADUs still follow separate state rules.
🧭 City’s Legislative Program: After a community outcry (great job, Encinitas residents!), council unanimously restored priorities on:
· 🔫 Gun violence prevention
· 💚 Mental health
· 🧠 Suicide prevention
Council insisted the language is “non-political” — but the message is clear: public safety matters.
· 🌮 FFT: If community pushback reshaped this document, will council continue listening?
🏛️ City Manager Report: Jennifer Campbell shared these updates:
· 💵 Rep. Mike Levin secured $1M for N. Coast Hwy 101 drainage upgrades.
· 🤝 Encinitas Community Grant applications due March 6.
· 🌧️ Public Works praised for storm response; sandbags still available.
🏛️San Dieguito Water District Meeting
💰 Mid-Year Budget Check: All Systems Go. The district is sitting on a solid financial footing at the FY26 halfway mark — revenues on target, spending disciplined, and no red flags on the horizon.
🏦 Reserve Funds: Strong Start, Strategic Gaps: Three reserve categories, three different stories:
· ✅ Operating Reserve — fully funded (90 days of expenses)
· ⚠️ Capital Improvement — short by $4.2M
· ⚠️ Rate Stabilization — short by $3.3M
These gaps were intentional to avoid steeper rate hikes last year. A consultant is now reviewing how to rebuild reserves smartly — especially with big-ticket items like Lake Hodges Dam looming.
🌊 Lake Hodges Spillway Update: San Diego began releasing water from Lake Hodges on February 18 after storms pushed levels to 278.5 feet — just shy of the state-mandated 280-foot limit, imposed due to the instability of the 108-year-old dam. Water releases will continue into next week, depending on rainfall.
· 🌮 FFT: With big infrastructure costs ahead — from aging dams to system upgrades — how long can SDWD keep reserves intentionally under-funded without forcing sharp rate hikes later?
P.S.
