Long night. Big votes. Real tension. Here’s what mattered.
💬 Quote of the Night: Immediately after a public comment supporting the redesign of Santa Fe Drive, there were some claps and some boos from the audience. Deputy Mayor O’Hara said:
“[I]f you want to cheer for the person who comes up because they agree with your opinion, great. Cheer for them. But we don’t boo in this chamber. We’re all Encinitans, and that’s just not called for. So [if you] want to cheer for somebody, cheer for them. If you want to boo, just keep it to yourself, please.”
Interesting that Jim seems to care about negative crowd reaction when the speaker is supporting his point of view, but he doesn’t admonish a booing audience when he disagrees with a speaker. Also, he’s apparently forgotten about a little thing known as the First Amendment – and that it’s Mayor Ehlers’ job to maintain order, not his.
Where’s O’Hara?
| In addition to lecturing the audience and playing mayor, Deputy Mayor Jim O’Hara has an annoying habit of showing up fashionably late to Encinitas City Council meetings. He earned yet another tardy slip at Wednesday’s meeting. |
Sheriff Update – Enforcement Up: Capt. Watts delivered the numbers — and they’re eye-opening:
· 📈 Arrests up 11%, Deputy-initiated activity up 50%
· 🚓 20,000+ proactive patrols
· 🚐 521 overnight RV citations
· 🚲 16 e-bikes seized (yes, sometimes tracked by helicopter 👀) and more e-bike enforcement ahead
· 🚗 DUI arrests up 7%; Two extra DUI cars added.
· 📉 Overall crime down significantly (assaults, theft, burglary all down)
· New 24/7 non-emergency line: 858-868-3200
· 🌮 Food For Thought (FFT): Do you think we are striking the right balance between public safety and over-enforcement — especially around homelessness and young e-bike riders?
Fire Department Update – Busy Year:
· 🔥 8,038 total incidents in 2025
· 🚑 72% medical calls
· ⏱️ 86% of responses under 8 minutes
· 📋 2,000+ permit reviews & 1,900+ inspections
· Training? Nearly 19,000 hours logged.
Santa Fe Drive Showdown: Council approved a $459K design contract to move forward with the Santa Fe redesign (Option B). What it does:
· 11-ft travel lanes
· Reverse-angle parking → parallel
· Buffered bike lane eastbound
Opposition said:
⚠️ It’s political
⚠️ It wastes up to $5M that could be used for other projects
⚠️ It removes protected lanes that reduce speeds
⚠️ There are bigger funding priorities (flooding, rail crossings, Safe Parking)
Supporters said:
🚨 Emergency access is compromised
🚗 Reverse-angle parking is confusing
📬 USPS refused delivery
⚖️ Liability risk is real
The vote was 4–1, with Councilmember Lyndes dissenting. A public meeting is now required before finalizing, when the redesign is 50% finished.
· 🌮 FFT: Is this a safety fix — or an expensive undoing of infrastructure that was just built by the previous council?
ewer Truck Shuffle: Council approved funding for sewer trucks after accounting questions surfaced. Translation: A vacuum truck meant for sewers was redirected to storm drains. Now the City needs another one — and the accounting is being spread over two fiscal years. Vote: Unanimous Yes
· 🌮 FFT: Why wasn’t the funding corrected when the truck use changed?
Sage Creek Appeal: The developer appealed the requirement to build frontage improvements (sidewalk + bike lane) on El Camino Real. Their argument:
The city didn’t meet the “specific adverse impact” legal standard. Residents who spoke nearly universally opposed the appeal. The developer hinted at possible litigation and even walking away from the project. Council vote: 5–0 to DENY the appeal and require the developer to build the improvements.
Chesterfield Signal Fix: The council unanimously approved smarter signal timing at Chesterfield & San Elijo to reduce congestion near the rail tracks.
🏛️Council & Staff Updates: Here are some gems from these reports:
· Federal Enforcement Coordination: The mayor, along with Congressman Mike Levin and the mayors of Oceanside, Carlsbad, Solana Beach and Del Mar, attended a meeting with with Customs & Border Patrol, Department of Homeland Security, and other federal enforcement teams. The goal: better communication to reduce fear during enforcement actions. The federal agencies agreed — in principle.
· 🌮 FFT: Will improved communication meaningfully reduce community anxiety — or are local leaders limited in what they can actually influence?
· 🌳 L-7 Park Workshop Coming: First community workshop for future L-7 Park on Quail Gardens Drive is coming soon. Mailers, social media, and outreach within 1,500 feet.