The Pacific View Arts Center (PVAC) is officially the artsy heartbeat of Encinitas. In just 10 months:
- 509 programs, 805 classes, 1,589 enrollees
- $181K revenue on $551K expenses (with late start + one-time costs)
- 75% of attendees are local. Adult-heavy, but youth programs growing fast!
💬 Artists + residents say: It’s not about profit—it’s about connection.
📣 “PVAC is like a public park: open to all, even if not all use it.” — Cardiff artist Rosemary KimBal
🧑⚖️ Council Reaction:
- 🟢 Lyndes + Shaffer: Want more marketing to get folks through the doors
- 🔴 O’Hara: “Are we going to keep losing money on this?”
- 🎵 Commission says: Arts centers aren’t profit centers. They’re participation hubs.
🎤 Oral Communications – Got Personal
- 🗣️ Deputy Mayor Lyndes defended residents: “You and your voices are all that matters.” She rejected claims from last week’s meeting that local safety advocates are “paid actors.”
- 🚲 Judy Berlfein (BikeWalk Encinitas Chair) responded to Councilmember O’Hara’s accusation: She pays for flyers out of pocket and shares civic updates because… she cares.
🇺🇸 “Seeing neighbors become engaged citizens? That’s what democracy looks like.” - 🏠 Homeless Services Contract
APPROVED. Encinitas contracts with San Diego Rescue Mission for full-time street outreach + housing navigation ($343K). Public was 100% supportive. SDRM committed to weekly reports, data systems, and a relational care model.
🚸 Solana Beach Ped Crossing Standoff
Grant ACCEPTED. Final Design Deferred: Encinitas secured $349K HSIP grant for a crossing near Solana Beach, but hit a design wall:
🟥 Solana Beach wants Alternative A (lane diet + flashing beacon)
🟡 Encinitas leans B or C (signal options, NO lane diet)
🧠 Council approved a substitute motion to:
Keep the grant 💰
Return with design plans for Alternatives B & C
📌 Stay tuned—engineering sketches + joint coordination next.
🛂 ICE Operations Response
MOU APPROVED Encinitas advances response actions:
📝 Draft MOU with ICE moving forward
🏥 Hospitals added as “safe zones”
🚔 Uniforms must clearly show “police/federal agent”
📋 MOU will track what happens to detained individuals
👏 Approved unanimously. Council wants safety + dignity for all Encinitans.
🚒 Olivenhain Fire Station Plan
APPROVED Fire Chief Gordon delivered a 🔥 two-phase plan:
Phase 1: Temporary Station @ Little Oaks Park
Est. Cost: $1.6M (Design underway, ready by May 2026)
🛻 Use reserve Type 1 engine
👨🚒 Staffing: 3-person crews via overtime or FTE hires
Phase 2: Permanent Station
6,000–6,500 sq ft, 3 bays
Estimated cost: $10–12M
🔥 Surge-ready for wildfire season
🌲 Sited for Very High Fire Hazard zones in Olivenhain, Leucadia, Cardiff
Funding will be decided during the ‘26-’27 fiscal year budget process. Unanimous yes.
🔥 Fire Code Overhaul
Council advanced a major update to the 2025 California Fire & Building Codes, adding local rules to strengthen wildfire protection, evacuation safety, and grant eligibility. Key changes include:
New WUI Code for fire-hazard zones
Stronger vegetation management + upgraded defensible space
Clearer emergency-access standards and restored road-width rules
Enhanced fire-protection systems for mid-rises
Updated cost-recovery and false-alarm fees
The Council supported wildfire resilience, with concerns about vague cost-recovery rules, over-reliance on staff discretion, and unclear road-width/safety metrics. Some pushed for area-specific standards. Timing for ordinance changes is tight with state code taking effect Jan 1.
The Council directed fire department return with documentation protocols for discretion, legal analysis, and a roadmap for more objective standards in 2026. They voted unanimously to introduce the ordinance with a second reading set for December 10.
TL;DR (Too Long, Didn’t Read)🧵
🎨 PVAC = beloved, not profitable—and that’s okay.
🎤 Lyndes + residents shut down “paid actor” slander.
🏠 Homeless services get a boost.
🚧 Solana Beach lane diet? Still no love.
🛂 Encinitas ramps up ICE accountability.
🚒 Olivenhain fire readiness = real progress
🔥Fire code changes moving forward; roadmap on objective standards returning in 2026