Pleas for Safety Fall On Deaf Ears, Climate Action Goals At Risk, and Tightening Screws on Unhoused
đ¨ Aloha Shirts, But No Action?
Encinitas City Council returned from summer break with leis around their necksâbut left urgency at the door.
đş While Council showed up in Hawaiian shirts, 15 speakersâincluding the grieving parents of Emery Chelakianâshowed up in yellow demanding action. Emery was just 12 when she was killed in a crosswalk by a red-light runner. Hers is the 4th pedestrian/cyclist death in Encinitas this year.
Despite a unanimous vote on June 25 to agendize a traffic state of emergency at this meeting, it was nowhere on this meetingâs docketâor the next. The silence was deafening. đ
đ Does this Council prioritize cars over lives? Over climate? Over community safety?
Councilmember Jim OâHara proposed a trio of stricter laws targeting public camping and vehicle dwelling:
- â Passed: Removed âat nightâ clause from camping on private property.
- â Failed: No action on changing RV parking hoursânot even a motion from Jim himself.
- â ď¸ Modified: Sleeping in vehicles banned from 8 PMâ6 AM (was 10 PMâ6 AM), rather than the âdusk to dawnâ period proposed. Lyndes voted no, advocating for services over stricter bans.
đ Are these the safety priorities we need in a city reeling from pedestrian deaths?
Council delayed re-adopting our local reach codesâkey existing building rules that support our Climate Action Planâdespite expert advice and an October 1 deadline.
Instead of acting, they questioned proven standards (like EV chargers) and floated unsupported ideas, risking the loss of years of climate progress.
đ Are we walking back from our award-winning climate leadership? đđĽ
đłď¸ Youth Commission Alternates: A 1-Hour Debate
Council spent nearly an hour debating whether to add two alternates to the Youth Commission⌠and unanimously agreed to refer it back to the Youth commission for their feedback.
đAn hour for alternates, but zero minutes for Emery? Priorities feel out of sync. âď¸
đş No Booze at 7-11
Council upheld the Planning Commissionâs decision to block alcohol sales at Village Park 7-11. Cheers to⌠zoning? đ
