SINGLE‐USE PLASTICS IN VISTA
The proposal to phase out single-use plastics in Vista took a strong step forward at the April 27 Council meeting, following the presentation byBrady Bradshaw (Oceana) and Janis Jones (Surfrider SD) in January.
According to the Vista News Center, the Vista City Council unanimously considered phasing out polystyrene containers by July 2023. This date would provide restaurants time to transition to other types of boxes, cups, plates and bowls and
customers ordering takeout meals would have to request plastic utensils, straws, or condiment packets.
City Council members also requested city staff to return with a draft ordinance that included a process for small, mom-and-pop restaurants to request temporary waivers to the ban on foam containers and a phased in plan. The draft ordinance for the Council’s consideration is expected to be placed on the June 22 agenda.
If the ordinance is approved, Vista will be the sixth city in San Diego County to restrict single-use plastic items. Encinitas, Del Mar, Imperial Beach, San Diego and Solana Beach have similar ordinances.
South Vista Communities has participated each year with the City of Vista in the Buena Creek clean-up (except this past year when the event was not held) and strongly supports the single-use plastics ordinance.
VISTA FIRE RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS STATUS
The City of Vista Fire Department has received Reaccredited Agency status with the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) for meeting the criteria established through the CFAI’s voluntary self-assessment and accreditation program. The Vista Fire Department is one of more than 250 agencies to achieve Internationally Accredited Agency status with the CFAI and the Center for Public Safety Excellence, Inc. (CPSE). Vista is the only civilian fire department in the County of San Diego to have accredited status.
“It gives us great pride and confidence in our fire department knowing that they embrace a continuous comprehensive assessment process,” said Mayor Judy Ritter.
CFAI is dedicated to assisting fire and emergency service agencies throughout the world in achieving excellence through self-assessment and accreditation to provide continuous quality improvement and the enhancement of service delivery to their communities. The CFAI process is voluntary and provides an agency with an improvement model to assess their service delivery and performance internally and then works with a team of peers from other agencies to evaluate their completed self-assessment.
C4FA Declares Victory for Residents Over Palomar Airport Expansion
Carlsbad, CA/May 6, 2021 – In a victory for all North County residents, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors (BOS) voted 4-1 yesterday to rescind the 2018 McClellan Palomar Airport Master Plan Update and decertify the Environmental Impact Report based upon Judge Gregory W Pollack’s February 25, 2021, court ruling in a lawsuit
brought forth by Citizens for a Friendly Airport (C4FA).
The Board of Supervisors voted in a previous closed-door session not to appeal the ruling making this action legally necessary, according to BOS Chair Nathan Fletcher, just prior to the vote. Supervisor Desmond was the sole vote against complying with the Court’s order.
In a second vote, the Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to direct staff to return for a future Board hearing to present options and get direction on how to proceed with the McClellanPalomar Airport Master Plan Update.
“In their short time together, this Board has taken the first steps to reverse the course of the previous Board, address Climate Change head on, and prioritize the environment and residents,” stated Hope Nelson, C4FA President. “We hope we continue to see more brave and bold actions by the BOS, especially when reviewing options for the
McClellan-Palomar Master Plan update and not continue down the path set by the retired Board, ”she added.
“C4FA did not take the decision to file this lawsuit lightly; the Court ordered all approvals to be set aside and today the Board affirmed the Court’s decision,” commented Cory Briggs, Attorney representing C4FA. “The County now has an opportunity to initiate a Plan update that fully protects North County residents and the environment,” he concluded.
About Citzens for a Friendly Airport — Citizens for a Friendly Airport is a non-partisan, all-volunteer, non-profit enterprise organized to educate Carlsbad and surrounding communities about important McClellan-Palomar Airport issues impacting the character and quality of life in North County. C4FA is dedicated to bringing transparency to the airport planning processes; advocate on behalf of environmental issues; respect the rights and history of the Carlsbad community; and to ensure a safe, functional, and fiscally sound McClellan-Palomar Airport.
