City Council
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Three issues need your voice at City Hall Wednesday, October. 28th
This Wednesday is a big one for Encinitas. Council will hear three very different issues that share one thing in common: the decisions made at City Hall will have a direct impact on people who live here. Weāve broken down each issue below, along with how you can affect the outcomes. š Ā Homeless Action Plan (HAP)…
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Council votes to sue Sacramento over Santa Fe Drive
Wednesdayās meeting produced more than the headline lawsuit against Sacramento. The city manager also detailed four immigration-enforcement operations in three days, addressed questions surrounding a $33.6 million federal rail grant, and council faced renewed pressure for manufactured-home protections. Hereās what stood out ā including a couple of things missing from the cityās official recap. š¬ Quote…
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Threats and Intimidation Have No Place in Encinitas
Encinitas Action unequivocally condemns the threatening phone call made to Encinitas City Councilmember Marco San Antonio, which the San Diego County Sheriffās Office is now investigating. Threats and intimidation have no place in Encinitas, and no one should ever have to fear for their safety simply for participating in civic life. We can challenge decisions,…
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National City councilmember ejected from Encinitas council meeting
Encinitans endured another tumultuous eight-hour series of meetings at City Hall last Wednesday night. š¬Ā Quote of the Night:Ā āSo donāt say youāre here to advocate for people when youāre here to campaign. Itās insulting to all those people. Itās insulting to me.ā āĀ Deputy Mayor Jim OāHara, to National City Councilmember Jose Rodriguez, who had just asked…
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They own their homes, but they rent the land. And their rent is skyrocketing.
One of Encinitas Actionās focus areas is housing, which includes preserving our existing naturally occurring affordable housing and preventing predatory landlord practices. Consistent with our mission, we want to alert you to an important housing item on next weekās council agenda ā Manufactured Home Park Land Leases. On November 1, some Encinitas manufactured park homeowners will…
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City Spends More on Street Sweeping Than on Saving the Planet
Correction. We hold the City Council to a standard on facts, so we have to hold ourselves to it too. Our September 23 recap reported a $2.2 million annual street sweeping contract. The actual award is $732,236 for year 1, with optional renewals bringing the 3-year total to $2,274,633.Ā Our headline emphasized that the street…
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Call to Action: Help protect Encinitas’ climate action plan
We know that Encinitas Action has been in your inbox a lot lately. And weāre reaching out today because the City Council has a critical decision to make on the Climate Action Plan. š Three years of work. Three workshops. 200+ public comments. Over $100k spent. And this Wednesdayās Special Meeting at 4pm, Council could water down the whole thing…
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The biggest vote didnāt make cityās council meeting recap
šļø Council Meeting Recap ā September 9, 2026 The council votedĀ to ask the governor to veto a bill tied to a former mayor. It was the longest and most contested item of the evening. Ā First, an important remembranceā¦ Yesterday marks 25 years since September 11, 2001. We will never forget the nearly 3,000 lives lost,Ā the…
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Commissioner accused of having an opinion
The city launched its own council meeting recap this week ā a welcome addition to the kind of meeting coverage weāve been providing. Below is the cityās summary in full, with some added context and notes from Encinitas Action. šļø Council Meeting Recap ā August 26, 2026 š¬ Quote of the Night“I believe she has shown too…
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Council Meeting Recap: E-bike crash data offers a surprise
The council spent an hour telling nine volunteer business owners that their ideas were too ambitious. Meanwhile, Encinitas e-bike crash data revealed something unexpected: riders were at fault in only five of the 14 collisions reported so far in 2026. Plus, the city landed the biggest grant in its history on a $77,000 bet ā…
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Angry deputy mayor declares himself āout of orderā
Back from summer break. First meeting with call-in comments. And within 20 minutes, the Deputy Mayor had declared himself out of order. šļø Council Meeting Recap ā August 12, 2026 š¬ Quote of the Night ā¢Ā Ā Mayor Ehlers:Ā “I wish you would stop, Jim, because you’re violating… I should putĀ youĀ out of order at this point.”āØĀ Deputy Mayor O’Hara:Ā “IĀ amĀ out of order on this.”…
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Encinitas City Council Report Card 2026
How did our council perform in first semester 2026? Six months into the year, the Encinitas City Council has given us plenty to grade ā some genuine wins, a fair amount of unfinished business, and more than a few puzzling incidents and decisions that left us wondering what they were thinking. We dug back through…
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Council Meeting Preview: 8/12/26
If you are unable to attend a city council meeting in person, you can watch it on the City of Encinitas Youtube Channel or on the cityās website. Hereās the current meeting schedule and information about city council subcommittees. To view via television:Cox Communications: Ch. 19Spectrum: Ch. 24AT&T U-Verse: Ch. 99 For more on how to engage with city council meetings visit…
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Skateboards trump fatalities at City Hall
Families are still waiting for a street-safety task force Speak out at the Traffic Safety Commission meeting Monday! Over the last three years, three young people have been killed by cars on Encinitas streets. Families and safety commissioners have asked the City Council for an emergency response, an action thatās been declared by earlier councils.…
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The collapse of compassion at Encinitas City Hall
For decades, Encinitas built a reputation as an independent-minded, environmentally conscious, welcoming community. Residents didn’t agree on everything, but there was a shared expectation that local government would reflect the city’s generous spirit and solve problems in the best interests of its residents. That spirit is becoming harder to recognize. The City Council’s recent decision…
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Council wastes residentsā time for 10 hours until 2am
š Ten hours. One night. Zero homeless grant applications. šļø Council Meeting Recap ā June 24, 2026 4 PM to 2 AM ā and when the gavel finally fell, this council had spent $3.8M undoing a bike lane, blocked a free grant for homeless outreach, and let O’Hara argue about geology for 20 minutes. Summer recess starts…
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Council cross-examines pennies, rubber-stamps $ millions
šļø Council Meeting Recap ā June 17, 2026 6+ hours. Midnight adjournment. A $158.5M budget that drew less debate than a farmersā market relocation. Letās distill it down for you. ā° š¬ Quote of the Night: āBut that wasnāt in council directionā¦ So if weāre in court, weād strike the whole record of that whole conversation.ā ā Deputy Mayor OāHara,…
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Council Meeting Preview: June 17, 2026
Special City Council Meeting – Council Annual Work Plan, June 17th, 4:00 p.m. This Special City Council meeting is a review of the draft Fiscal Year 2026ā2027 City Council Annual Work Plan. This is the document that helps set the Councilās priorities, focus areas, goals, and objectives for the year ahead. No final project approval…
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Itās a āHousing Firstā grant, just donāt call it that
šļø Council Meeting Recap ā June 10, 2026 š¬ Quote of the Night: Ā· Ehlers: āItās one bird in the hand,ā referencing that one applicant withdrew, leaving only one other application for Parks & Rec Commission seat Ā· OāHara: “Is it? Not if the bird poops in your hand. Or the bird in the hand flies away.”…
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Another meeting about another meeting
Climate change denial, outdoor dining rats (?), and a mayor who thinks homelessness data is ānot for us to solve.ā Buckle up. šļøĀ Council Meeting Recap ā May 27, 2026 š¬Ā Quote of the Night: Ā “The longer we wait, the more we pay.”Ā Ā J.P. Bruner, Environmental Commissioner, regarding the Climate Action Plan discussion. ā”Ā SPECIAL MEETING: Climate Action Plan…
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Council grandstanding stalls kidsā bike training
A budget improvised on the fly, the council looking to allow time-limited parking on all our roads, and a crumbling road nobody wants to own. Just another Wednesday at Encinitas City Hall. šļø Council Meeting Recap ā May 20, 2026 š¬ Quote of the Night: āIf we can’t find a way to continue with the [bike] training…
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Council Meeting Recap: Back to 1989? Encinitas Council Rejects Circulation Element Update After Five Years of Work
Five years of planning were rejected in one meeting, and the skate committee debate went around in circles. šļø Council Meeting Recap ā May 13, 2026 š¬ Quote of the Night: āWeāre not going to stop because a couple of people just donāt want to hear some noise.ā ā Councilmember Shaffer in response to residentsā…
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Encinitas Council Blames Residents After Racism Accountability Demands
At the April 22, 2026 Encinitas City Council meeting, residents demanded accountability for Steven Houbeckās racially demeaning remarks and questioned whether he should remain on the Urban Forest Advisory Committee. But instead of focusing squarely on the harm described by residents, much of the council discussion turned toward the people speaking up. This meeting was…
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Fear of a crowded Zoom room: Council meeting recap 4/15/26
Water bills, native plants, community grants, and a debate over hybrid access all shaped the April 15, 2026 Encinitas City Council meeting. This recap walks through the key decisions, the public controversy, and what the discussion revealed about this councilās priorities. šļø Council Meeting Recap ā April 15, 2026 š¬ Quote of the Night: As the…
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Mayor Ehlers’ State of the Spin?
šļø Bruce Ehlersā 2026 State of the City: Our Encinitas Fact Check Here’s our take on the mayorās speech ā some props, some call-outs. Mayor Ehlers’ Theme: GSD ā Get Stuff Done The mayor summarized the progress in our city, with more than a few pats on this councilās back. But even he had to admit…
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Council skates past one controversy ā and into another
The April 8, 2026 Encinitas City Council meeting included FY27 budget discussions, debate over a proposed Glen Park skate feature, commission appointments, and renewed public criticism over Steve Houbeck. šļø Council Meeting Recap ā April 8, 2026 š¬ Quote of the Night : On his initiated agenda item for skateboarding features at Glen Park, Councilmember Luke Shaffer said…
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When the Rules Become a Joke, Encinitas Has a Leadership Problem
Deputy Mayor Jim OāHara may have mocked Brown Act concerns, but the real issue is the lack of leadership from Mayor Bruce Ehlers. The Brown Act exists for a simple reason: the publicās business must be conducted in public. It prohibits councilmembers from discussing or deliberating on city matters outside noticed meetings, including through social…
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Week 4: City council’s deaf ears on racism
Council hears it, council ignores it. It was a short agenda but a loooong evening. And the new Urban Forestry Advisory Committee memberās racist comment is not going away. š¬ Quote of the Night : āRacism is not a difference of opinion. It is a disqualifier for public service.ā ā Encinitas Resident Monette Marino šļø Council Meeting Recap…
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Encinitas Native Plant Ordinance Explained: What It Does, Who It Affects, and What Comes Next
An Encinitas Native Plant Ordinance will gradually reshape how landscaping is handled across the city. The proposal is intended to promote drought-tolerant, native landscaping and to align local planting standards with broader city goals around water conservation, habitat restoration, pollinators, biodiversity, and environmental resilience. (Source: City of Encintas) This did not appear overnight. The process began on January 25, 2023, when…
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City Council Meeting Preview for 3/25/26
Here’s a look at the upcoming City Council meeting this week. If you are unable to attend a city council meeting in person, you can watch it on theĀ City of Encinitas Youtube ChannelĀ or on theĀ cityās website.Ā Hereās theĀ current meeting scheduleĀ and information aboutĀ city council subcommittees. To view via television: Cox Communications: Ch. 19, Spectrum: Ch. 24, AT&T…
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Bruce Ehlers ignores O’Hara’s chronic tardiness and rudeness
Mayor’s lack of leadership enables deputy mayor’s disruptive behavior. Punctuality is not a small thing in local government. City council meetings are formal public proceedings, and residents, staff, and fellow councilmembers all deserve the basic respect of having elected officials show up on time and ready to participate. Thus far, we have identified repeated lateness…
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Big Budget Decisions, A New Park, and a Dash of Drama at the March 18, 2026 Council Meeting
Big budget questions. Another councilmember kerfluffle. And a seventh grader is celebrated for helping create a new park. šļø Council Meeting Recap ā March 18, 2026 šĀ Presentation: Oliver Pratt For three years, seventh-grader Oliver Pratt (above, center) collected, cleaned, and sold used golf balls to raise money for the future L-7 nature park on Quail Gardens…
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Long meeting. Big issues. Unanswered questions.
Last Wednesdayās Encinitas City Council meeting lasted four-and-a-half hours. Between public outcry over a racist post, debates about homelessness funding, safety concerns at a school crossing, and a city work plan missing key issues like affordable housing and flooding, the night raised as many questions as it answered. And Encinitas Action sat through it all…
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Boos at council meetings are bad ā sometimes: 2/25/26 City Council meeting recap
Long night. Big votes. Real tension. Hereās what mattered. š¬ 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 OāHara said: ā[I]f you want to cheer for the person who comes up because they agree with your…
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Encinitas mom calls out City Council rudeness
2/18/26 council meeting recap Last Wednesdayās 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…
