Heavy Equipment in Leucadia

The Chopping

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Leucadia Blog: Leucadia's Disappearing Tree Canopy

More Local License Plate Pride

Submitted by reader Phil.

Leucadia Blog: FNKYLEU

North Leucadia Coastal Cruise

This short video isn't much, just the short cruise northbound on the coastal corridor of north Leucadia (Leucadia Blvd to La Costa Ave). This video shows how beautiful, cool, rustic, eclectic and unique Leucadia is, but also exposes some major flaws:

* On the right hand side is the NCT wasteland; dry, dusty and crappy (except for a handful of beautiful old growth trees). The bus stops aren't much more than rusty leaning poles with signs. No benches, shelter or bus schedules. When the trains pass by they kick up dust storms which cover the local buildings in a dirty film.

*There are some exceptions but the center medians are basically weeds and dirt. The city should plant attractive drought resistant plants and/or pave the medians with attractive stones.

*There are serious gaps in the tree canopy.

*There are no pedestrian crossings. This is especially odd at the northbound bus stops. You are seriously putting your life at risk trying to get to the beach or shops.

*The bike lane is tiny.

*The road itself is in terrible condition. It's bumpy and pot marked and needs to be repaved ASAP.

Comments on the Community Survey

NCT.com story: Encinitas survey criticized; results show most respondents satisfied with services

Encinitas City Council Meeting, August 22, 2007

Comments on the Community Survey

Jean-Bernard Minster

The survey conducted by Moore Information, Inc. and reported by staff appears to be a very simple kind of survey. Nonetheless, the following points need to be made:

1. The raw data do not appear to be available. These data have been paid for and belong to the citizens of Encinitas. They should be made available publicly.
2. The methodology is not described in the very short four-page analysis offered by the contractor ($2.5K /page). There is a minimal description in the staff report that raises very serious questions about the sampling procedure.
3. It appears that the survey was conducted by taking Encinitas telephone prefixes and random 4-digit sequences. The large number of non-working numbers supports that.
4. Each working phone number reaches a household. Clearly, wealthier households with multiple phone lines have a greater chance of being sampled.
5. In order to achieve a representative sample of the population, a general practice is to select at random a member of the household, either from a table of random numbers, or through some proxy variable such as the earliest or latest birthday (Gallup uses that at times)
6. However, there have been reports that the interviewers have specifically requested adults in the age bracket 18-34 “in order to meet the quota.” This is not a valid criterion to generate a representative sample. In fact, this is a sure recipe for a biased sample. This action also reveals that the contractor was fully aware of the sampling flaws in this survey.
7. One likely reason why the sample is impoverished in persons with ages between 18 and 34 is that this age group is more likely to use wireless “cell” phones instead of so-called “ land lines.” The report attempted to disguise this flaw by “lumping” all younger responders in a 15-year age range (18-34) while differentiating older responders into much narrower 5-year ranges (e.g. 55-59, and 60-64), so it appears that all classes are more-or-less equally represented. However, as a “sanity” check, we can compare the percentages found in the sample with those obtained from the City of Encinitas / SANDAG web pages:

For instance, among the eligible responders of ages greater than 18, the SANDAG data indicate that 46% should be of age 18-45. ]The survey sample has only 28%. The SANDAG data show 54% of valid responders to be older than 45, and the survey has 72%. It is very clear that the sampling is severely biased towards older citizens and against younger ones.

8. This bias carries over to the sampling of citizens as a function of income. After correction to 2007 dollars, the SANDAG database shows 79.3% of households with income below $100K, and 20.7% with income greater than $100K. The survey sample has 38% or responding households with less than $100K income and 39% with greater income, and 22% of no-response. Any reasonable assumption made about the motivations of non-respondents leaves us with a sample that is substantially biased towards higher-income households.
9. Finally, the staff report indicates sampling error “of ±6% at the 95% confidence level”. In other words, out of 100 identical surveys, 95 would show results within ±6% of the value reported. This is clearly a large sample approximation —a rule of thumb would be a sample larger than 60— which does not apply to many of the results reported. As a simple example, consider the response to question 23. From the description, one would assume that the fraction of Hispanic origins in the sample is 3%, plus or minus 6%, or anywhere between minus 3% and plus 9%, which is clearly nonsensical. Considering that 3% means that 9 respondents —somewhat fewer than 60— out of 300 identified themselves as Hispanics, the correct answer is that in 100 unbiased surveys, 95 would show a percentage of Hispanics between 1% and 6%.

Now, considering that the 2000 Census shows a percentage of 16% of Hispanic residents in Encinitas, should we conclude that nearly 8,000 Hispanic residents have left our city between 2000 and 2007? Even after correcting for the fact that the Hispanic population is heavily weighted toward youngsters, it is practically impossible to reconcile the survey with the Census data or the SANDAG data.

10. Finally, 5 out of 6 households called in the survey declined to answer. This is a very important consideration that deserves careful analysis and discussion. Such analysis is not provided, either in the staff report or in the superficial contractor report.

Given my concerns, and the concerns expressed by others at this meeting, I recommend that the Council should decline to receive the survey report in its present form, and decline to pay for it until the raw data are provided and the methodology is suitably described. The citizens of Encinitas are not served well by this flawed survey conducted under a no-bid contract.

Respectfully:

Jean Bernard Minster

Encinitas

Coast News article about the survey click here.

Leucadia Blog: Killing 2 birds with 3 stones

Leucadia Art Walk, Sunday August 26

click image for large view

An artsy Sunday afoot in Leucadia

One mile of North Coast Highway 101, between Jason and Marcheta streets will be the venue for Leucadia Art Walk. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., 101 artists will show and sell their work, bands will play and hundreds of visitors will mingle at the colorful festival. The highway will remain open and no traffic diversions are planned.

Morgan Mallory sez, "Every piece of art is going to be presented by the artist who crafted it, we do not want window salesmen, hawkers, Chinese imports or cheap T-shirts. We want unique, one-of-a-kind stuff."

For the convenience of visitors, two of the double-decker buses will make continual trips to the event from City Hall and the Encinitas Commuter Station, at Vulcan Avenue and D Street, where parking is abundant and free.

Musical performances are scheduled at bandstands throughout the event. Performers include Randy Fontaine & The Swingers, Joe Hager, Peter Hall, Julie Mack, Stevie Lynn & Triple Threat, Drums of Fire, The Flounders, Adrienne Nims, Full Revolution, Frank Leong Hawaiian Dance & Song, Ms. Magic Meryle Cohen, Megan & Austin Burns, Loren Golden & Marie LaMar.

One stage will be located at Leucadia Roadside Park on the Coast Highway at Leucadia Boulevard. At that small and grassy patch, the 101 Artists Colony will stretch out a large, blank canvas for children to paint.


View Larger Map

New Issue of Hoodlink Online Now

The August issue of the valuable Hoodlink publication is online now (pdf)

click here

This issue has a breakdown of some the big projects and proposed rezones around town.

You can check out all the archived issues of Hoodlink here.

Leucadia Blvd News

I've received this e-mail from several sources:

NOTICE TO LOCAL RESIDENTS

The City of Encinitas has contracted with 3-D Enterprises to construct the Leucadia Boulevard Improvement Project. We are currently ready to complete the roundabout at Leucadia Boulevard and Hymettus Avenue. In order to do this, we will have to detour eastbound Leucadia Boulevard from Fulvia Street to Orpheus Avenue. The detour will be affected on or about Wednesday, Augusts 22, 2007 and will last approximately two weeks.

Westbound Leucadia Boulevard will operate as usual, with one lane open. The Sheriff's office has been requested to increase traffic enforcement during the detour. A speed radar will be placed on Fulvia Street.

We apologize in advance for this inconvenience; however, it is necessary for the completion of this work.

3-D Enterprises, Inc.
Frank Falcon
(858)272-3191

City of Encinitas
Todd Baumbach
(760)633-2796

War Protesters Strike Cardiff Statue

Some war protesters used the Cardiff surfer statue to make a statement on Sunday, August 19. I wonder if the people who did this will be considered vandals by the Cardiff Botanical Society (whom have not been happy with earlier statue modifications)? I wonder if left wing Coast News columnist Bob Nanninga will label these protesters as homophobic nazis? Nanninga has criticized the war many times, will he support this form of protest or condemn it as vandalism? I wonder if Union Tribune columnist Logan Jenkins will hand out a Brick award to the protesters? It's interesting that the Cardiff surfer statue is now being used as a form of mainstream political protest (I could argue that the earlier pranks were also political protest but not too many non-surfing statue pundits want to entertain that the local surfing scene is a legitimate subculture that has a legitimate gripe against the statue). I wonder if these war protesters are also surfers or if they are non-surfer using the statue for it's prominent location?

Smashed Drivers Smash Fence, Ruin it for Everybody Else

Stupid drunk drivers, now Olivenhain can't have this nice fence anymore.

Logan Jenkins hands out Bricks.

Leucadia Blog: Olivenhain Fence Drama

Leucadia's Disappearing Tree Canopy

The two large eucalyptus trees on the right of this photo are going to be cut down and removed.


The tree on the right of this photo is the third tree scheduled for removal.





One of the coolest things about the coastal corridor of Leucadia is the giant tree canopy. Unfortunately most of the giant eucalyptus trees are now 80+ years old and are dying. The city is slowly but surely removing the large trees but there is no plan to restore the canopy.

Three giant eucs are going to be removed this month (near the Leucadia Post Office).

Leucadia needs a clear, concise plan to manage the coast highway tree canopy with maintenance, irrigation, trimming, restoration and the replanting of new trees.

Many of the newer trees planted in the last 5 years are dying due to lack of proper irrigation.

Many trees have been hacked by private parties trying to clear views of billboards and signs. When trees are improperly trimmed they can become a hazard or die.

Eucalyptus trees are beautiful but have problems, visit this interesting link about eucalyptus in California. What kind of trees should we replace the eucs with?

What native California trees would be best to have on the coast highway?

The tree canopy makes Leucadia unique from all the other so-cal beach towns. What are your ideas on how to preserve our town's identity?

My cheesy quick photoshop of what the coast highway will look like without the trees. One of these trees is leaning towards the old Neighbor Saver building and poses a danger, but it's still sad to see it go.



The city has formed a committee to regulate the spread of invasive plant species.

NCT story: Houlihan named to Encinitas invasive plants committee

I believe that Leucadia's disappearing tree canopy is a bigger issue than the invasive weeds. Hopefully the city will be motivated to do something and preserve our local heritage and ambiance.

Leucadia Blog: Invasive Plants aka "weeds" may be regulated in Encinitas

How walkable is your neighborhood? Find Your Walk Score

Check out this cool website that calculates how walkable your neighborhood is (meaning, how many shops, stores, restaurants, schools and parks you can walk too). My address scored a 60 out of 100.

visit Walk Score

Teresa Barth explains her NO vote on the Public Works Yard remodel

The following is an e-mail from city councilperson Teresa Barth,

The story in the North County Times was a little misleading and some people have asked me to explain my No vote on the Public Works Yard item.

The bids came in much higher than expected (surprise!) so staff's recommendation was to reject those bids and re-bid a scaled-back project that would use current available funds ($638,000) plus "borrow" $300,000 from the next year's budget. This scaled back approach would not include the ADA required elevator which will limit the use of the second floor.

I agree that we should reject all bids but I voted against this "band-aid" (nearly $1Million) approach.

I asked for a comprehensive report of exactly what is needed to make this facility truly functional and to achieve the goal of consolidating all Public Works activities in one place....one of the "selling points" of the Mossy property according to the 2006 staff report.

Consolidation would free-up two city-owned properties....a parcel on Santa Fe Drive and one off Requeza by the Humane Society. Potentially, these properties could be sold to pay for the facility upgrades.

For me, the proposal did not clearly identify short-term priorities and long-term needs or the financial impacts and possible options.

Hope that clarifies my position.

NCT.com story: Encinitas nixes bids for public works center remodeling

Encinitas Now! (Residents blast note from mayor)

People have been requesting that I blog about the latest issue of the propaganda leaflet the city puts out, Encinitas Now! for weeks, luckily the Coast News wrote a story about it and posted it on their website.

Residents blast note from mayor

August 10, 2007
By Wehtahnah Tucker
Reporter
ENCINITAS — The city recently sent a recreation guide to each household and business as it normally does each quarter. However, this time a newsletter inserted into the 31,500 booklets has raised concerns that the city violated the state Political Reform Act.

The inaugural issue of the “Encinitas Now” newsletter is tucked neatly into the guide produced by the Parks and Recreation Department. It features opening comments by Mayor James Bond regarding the reason for the newsletter — to maintain a transparent government by informing the citizens of the “many great things that are happening” in the city.

As innocuous as the comments may seem, state law prohibits a public agency from sending a mass mailing that prominently features an elected official’s name or signature, in part because it could give incumbents an unfair advantage.

Bond, whose photograph and signature is included with the letter, is facing reelection to the City Council in 2008.

Encinitas resident Hector Lopez, 51, said Aug. 6 that he plans to file a complaint against the city with the state Fair Political Practices Commission. “It appears it is a political puff piece and self-promotion at the taxpayers’ expense,” he said.

According to Chris Hazeltine, Director of Parks and Recreation Department, the newsletter cost taxpayers $10,000 to print and mail.

Lopez said he has been involved in city government as a citizen for several years and was disappointed to see the newsletter. “He talks about transparency, but the only times most of the council’s actions are clear are when it’s forced upon them by law,” he said.

California Administrative Code 18901 prohibits certain mass mailings at public expense, including written documents sent to more than 200 residents’ homes that feature an elected officer affiliated with the agency that produced the mailing. Specifically prohibited in the code is anything that “includes the elected officer’s photograph or signature, or singles out the elected officer by the manner of display of his or her name or office in the layout of the document.”

“(Bond’s) picture on page one is pretty telling,” Lopez said. “I think there’s a little gamesmanship going on here.”

Bond did not return phone calls to his office.

According to City Manager Phil Cotton, city staff put the newsletter together based on the council’s direction during the goal setting workshops held in January. “When we put it together we had no notion that we were violating any laws,” Cotton said.

Cotton, who has been on the job less than one year, said that the city had produced similar mailings in the past but could not identify a specific mailing when asked for clarification. “If we are in violation then we didn’t intend to be,” he said.

Councilwoman Teresa Barth said she was surprised that neither the city manager nor Bond was aware of the specific code since San Diego County Board of Supervisors chairman Bill Horn was admonished for a similar violation less than a year ago. That specific violation was well-publicized in the media Barth said. “I spoke to the city manager (on August 6) and he seemed unaware of the issue,” she said.

Councilwoman Maggie Houlihan said neither she nor Barth was consulted as to the content or the existence of the newsletter. “It is unfortunate that the newsletter went out without the benefit of the entire council’s oversight and input,” Houlihan said.

“While I absolutely support enhanced communication with the community through a newsletter disseminated in the recreation guide, I wasn’t given the opportunity to review the materials,” Barth said.

The last page of the newsletter lists a directory of city phone numbers, including those of each council member. According to the code, there is an exception made for “a roster listing containing the names of all elected officers of the agency” as long as the names are printed in the same location, using the same type font, size and color.

“With a minimal level of council review we could have addressed this issue of a council member’s photograph and signature in a mass mailing to our residents at the public’s expense,” Houlihan said. “This situation could have been avoided.”


click image for large view


It's been a bad week for mayor Bond and new city manager Phil Cotton. First they violate these basic rules and now they don't understand the term turnkey as it applies to their new public works property. This is all despite that Phil Cotton was the former head of public works and he just received a fat raise as city manager after only 6 months on the job. Mayor Bond has been in public service so long you would think he would know better.

Supervisor Bill Horn violated this law in 2006 Union Tribune story

I wish my copy of Encinitas Now! didn't get thrown away (and not in the recycle bin) because it showed some colorful pie charts of how Leucadia's property taxes get wasted.

Get the PDF version of the newsletter from the city website here.

All the Encinitas Now! newsletters are archived in PDFs on the Encinitas Chamber of Commerce website.