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Here are links to all the local news I didn't have time to blog about this week:
Red County Blog: Mayor Jerome Stocks Pulls Papers for Re-election
Will Jerome's association with the much hated NCTD hurt him in November?
Logan Jenkins UT column: Encinitas has best of races in N. County
A decent roundup, but when Logan describes only Jerome Stocks and Doug Long as pro business it gives the subliminal message that the other candidates are not. Ironic considering candidate Bob Nanninga has matured into local small business's biggest advocate.
nctimes.com: ENCINITAS: City considers railroad pedestrian crossings
The Planning Commission wants to see less stark Soviet Union style design and more community character in the pedestrian tunnels. Translation=Let's install a children's art mosaic for the homeless to pee on.
nctimes.com: ENCINITAS: City council ties up loose ends before break
Alcohol consumption on public sidewalks downtown, opponents and proponents of a 2 percent transient occupancy tax on short-term rentals, also known as the "sand tax," will have until July 30 to file their statements, council approved an interim five-year plan fashioned by the city's Planning Commission and staff to keep a number of mature eucalyptus trees along North Vulcan Avenue for the time being, council members informally discussed how the council should proceed with updating, revising or eliminating a number of its policies. "Council member Teresa Barth said that many of the city's policies are out-of-date and don't address the electronic manner in which the city now conducts business. She also noted that a number of the city resolutions conflict with each other. Councilman Dan Dalager admonished the council not to be afraid to make cuts in city policies, and to err on the side of simplicity."
nctimes.com:
ENCINITAS: Suit filed against city over Pacific Station project
"Protect Encinitas Now is a group of residents who have banded together "to preserve the city's small and casual beach town character through the promotion of aesthetically pleasing and environmentally conscious development," the lawsuit states."
nctimes.com:
ENCINITAS: Leucadia Wastewater District customers may see rate hike
"The district board Wednesday will consider a proposed three-year, 10 percent rate hike for sewer customers. The increase would cost a typical residential homeowner about $20 more when sewer bills arrive in October, bringing an average bill to about $213. If approved, the rate increase would be assessed retroactively to July 1."
Encinitas Taxpayers Association Blog: Citizens Initiate Corrections to Leucadia Blvd Improvements
Build new sidewalk, tear out new sidewalk.
Coast News.com: Billboard ban becomes effective
TEAR THEM ALL DOWN NOW, ARRRRGH I HATE THEM SO MUCH.
nctimes.com: ENCINITAS: Out-of-control vehicle causes chaos at car wash
an Olson's Hand Car Wash employee was driving a customer's Jeep Cherokee out of the car wash when he lost control of the vehicle. The Jeep struck a customer who was putting money in the tip box, then hit a Honda Civic with its driver and passenger and a fellow employee standing nearby. The Civic was pushed into the three people and then spun into an electrical transformer, knocking it off its base. The transformer, the Jeep and the Honda all caught fire. The Jeep also struck a guard rail, which then hit and damaged a parked Mercedes.
Aye Caramba! You couldn't do that if you planned ahead.
Good, informative post, JP. Thanks.
ReplyDeletePeople don't want underpasses. That was clear at last night's Planning Commission hearing. Now the City is calling the pedestrian walkways, to be undergrounded, "bridges." More BS.
Yes, underground the tracks, not the pedestrian walkways.
Randal Morrison made a ton of money on that billboard ordiance through all of his "billable hours." That is one thing that would have easily passed on the consent calendar; it only cleaned up language in pre-existing municipal code. City Attorney's lawfirm partner, Randall Morrison's specialty is signs. The reason the 1st Amendment comes in is because political signage is to be allowed, particularly on private property.
Has Maggie Houlihan "pulled" her election papers yet?
Check out today's Coast News. Two informative letters to the editor, expressing public sentiment against our current unelected mayor.
By the way, in the minutes, the Clerk had put in parenthesis, that opponents of the sand tax had until July 3 to file their paperwork. At this past Wednesday's Council Meeting she admitted that was a typo. I pulled the minutes and correctly noted that no mention of any deadline was made at the June 25th meeting, when Stocks, Bond and Dalager followed Aceti's request and put it on the ballot again, after it had just been defeated.
Bob Nanninga had asked that it not be put on the ballot until November, originally, but Council went ahead, before, and put it on the June ballot, with failing results.
Dan Dalager suddenly announced that Steve Aceti has resigned from the recently formed Environmental Committee. Apparently, there are conflict of interest problems with Aceti authoring the pro-sand tax arguments. He is a well known sand tax lobbyist and works in that capacity for the Californial Coastal Coalition, a rip-off name trying to pretend to sound like the Coastal Commission.
Stocks, Bond and Dalager had voted for Aceti to be on the Environmental Committee. Now there's an opening, and the City and private citizens will have to take up more valuable time to re-choose a new committee member.
The proclamations and presentations, including, seemingly the entire "operating plan" of the Fire Dept. go on endlessly before oral communications are heard. But Jerome Stocks arbitrarily makes certain people wait until the tail end of the Council Meeting to give oral communications, if there are more than five speakers at 3 minutes each. A minimum of half an hour should be allowed for general oral communications at the beginning of the meeting. Council and staff have absolutely no limitations on how long they can drone on. Neither did SANDAG last Wednesday. Some good info was offered, but encourage, don't discourage the general public to participate, Council.
So Jerry Stocks is going to run for re-election, hmmmmmm!?!?!
ReplyDeleteWell this is one drunken roadside bum that won't be supporting you, Mr mayor!!!
NO SIR!! No way!!! NO HOW!!!
But I have the feeling I may need to relieve myself on your campaign signs. But only the signs in Leucadia, not that your supporters will have the guts to show your crap ass signs in this part of town!!!
Staggering up and down the 101 looking for a Jerry Stocks sign to PISS on!!!
RSPB
On the ENC website, I came across a survey the city paid to have done last year. The biggest concerns were roads, traffic and growth. The was one vote to ban smoking at the beach, but no one listed toy lighters or plastic bags. Why bother having a survey if policy has nothing to do with the results?
ReplyDeleteTwo things I dislike about Encinitas:
ReplyDelete1. Billboards whos companies cut down trees
2. Jerome Stocks for crapping on Encinitas so often.
ribeye,
ReplyDeleteCheck out http://encinitastaxpayers.org/blog/index.php?blog=3&s=survey or click my name.
The survey was fluff and a waste of money.
Has anyone noticed that since about the end of May traffic congestion is much less on Coast Hwy 101 and other roads in the City. Traffic backups on the freeway are almost non existent now and remind me of how the traffic was in the 1980's. It seems that the extra lanes that Caltrans just added on the freeway especially for those getting on at Manchester might be the reason. I doubt that it is because of the price of gas because traffic congestion on the I-15 is still the same.
ReplyDeleteanon 7:29,
ReplyDeleteThose improvements definitely are helpful. It is too bad it won't be a sustained reprieve. Ask Jerome how much more upzoning he has in mind for us.
The improvements don't take all the credit. Traffic volumes did significantly fall in I5 traffic. Economy, gas prices, global warming walkers, change in student summer driving patterns? Something caused the fall. Something is reducing trips on the freeways.
The backup from the merge at Manchester is no more. I-5 has essentially gone from 3.5 lanes southbound to 5 lanes southbound. No more mess with merging drivers at Manchester in that outside lane blocking the semis trying to climb the grade. They have that new extra outside lane all to themselves until they get to Lomas Santa Fe. Coast Hwy is like a ghost town now in the morning through Leucadia.
ReplyDeleteHalf the McMansions in Carlsbad have been foreclosed on and the Hummer gas tanks are dry. Less cut thru traffic for Leucadia and Cardiff.
ReplyDeleteThe new lanes in Solana Beach cleared Solana Beach I5 and had no effect on I5 traffic through Encinitas. It did nothing for the crunch in Encinitas. The sole reason the gridlock is gone is traffic volume on I5 is down dramatically.
ReplyDeleteDown because of no more construction traffic and high priced gas.
Since HW101 no longer experiences I5 cut through traffic, its time to reduce the southbound lane to one lane and use the area for bikelanes, Parking, Landscaping and walkways. We don't need or want 2 lanes southbound. The traffic pavement area should be used for more needed improvements.
The traffic has gotten lighter due to high gas prices, not because of the extra lanes. I have many friends who drive the county for a living and it is happening all over, not just in our neck of the woods. Once people make the adjustment to higher prices and cut discretionary spending somewhere else, those cars will be back with a vengence, maybe just not the Hummers.
ReplyDeleteAs for Stocks, anyone who votes him back in is stupid. He has done more harm to this City than even Guerlinda managed to. But what do you expect from a Red County Bushite Braying Boozo -- I can't wait for November. Stocks self serving pandering drool in the news made me puke.
Traffic volume is down everywhere. These are statistics from Caltrans. Ridership is up on the Coaster. Another car is being added to many trains It is all due to the high gas prices, the economy moving into or already in recession, reduced consumer activity, rising unemployment, reduced construction, and many home foreclosures.
ReplyDeleteWe don't ever drive the I-15 corridor. We find it difficult to believe traffic volume has not been reduced. Temecula has a very high foreclosure rate. Traffic volume is down on I-5. It is also noticeable south of I-8. It's not just North County. The work between Via de la Valle and Manchester has helped to relieve the constriction at that point.
Jerome Stocks isn't pro-business. He voted to screw Henry's and the other nearby existing businesses. Even the Chamber is unhappy. Let's all vote him out of office.
Nanninga is pro environment, pro business, pro community. He has my vote. As does Rachelle Collier.
ReplyDeleteJerome Stocks is history!
that would be a great day for Encinitas, when Jerome Stocks is history
ReplyDeleteI think Maggie Houlihan is GREAT....she really makes a difference on the Encinitas City Council. Make sure she stays on the Council...I'm voting for Maggie!
ReplyDelete