Here’s what’s coming up in Carlsbad:
- Town Halls on homelessness
- New city website launches Monday
- Draft city budget available Tuesday
- Grants to support low income residents
- New cybersecurity program
- Building Safety Month
- Summer camp signups
- Boards & Commissions vacancies
- City Council look ahead
Town Halls On Homelessness
Mark your calendars for upcoming virtual town hall meetings on homelessness in Carlsbad. Come ready to share your ideas about the implementation of several new programs designed to make a measurable impact on this challenging problem. You are encouraged to attend the meeting for your district, but you are welcome to attend any of them. City Council district representatives and the mayor will be in attendance to hear your feedback firsthand. All the feedback will be presented to the City Council Homeless Action Subcommittee on June 24.
City Council District 1Thursday, June 3, 5:30 to 7 p.m.
City Council District 2Tuesday, May 25, 5:30 to 7 p.m.
City Council District 3Monday, June 7, 5:30 to 7 p.m.
City Council District 4Wednesday, May 26, 5:30 to 7 p.m. More details and links to sign up are on our website.
New City Website Set To Launch Monday
The City of Carlsbad will launch a new city website Monday, offering better mobile viewing, an online service finder and other accessibility features. The site’s navigation has also been updated based on website traffic patterns and the most commonly searched items.
Residents don’t need to do anything differently; the website address will stay the same. However, if residents have bookmarked links for specific pages within the website, those will probably need to be changed.
Please take a look around on Monday afternoon and let us know what you think. If you have suggestions or find something not working, let us know at communications@carlsbadca.gov. Read more
| Draft budget focuses on homelessness, growth management and public safety |
On Tuesday, May 18 city staff will present a draft city budget that, in spite of the economic downturn, will maintain all city services at their current high levels and focus on the City Council’s goals of managing growth, reducing homelessness, and investing in fire and emergency services. The city operates on a fiscal year that runs July 1 to June 30. Tuesday’s meeting is the first opportunity for the City Council and public to provide feedback on what is being proposed. The City Council is scheduled to hold a public hearing June 8 to formally approve the new budget. Community prioritiesIn March, the City Council identified goals to be prioritized in the city budget:
- Engage the community through a citizens committee to create a new plan to manage growth in Carlsbad in a way that maintains an excellent quality of life
- Reduce the homeless unsheltered population, among those who want help, by 50% within five years
- Bring the Fire Department into conformance with the Standards of Cover evaluation
A fourth goal, related to City Council communication and an ethics ordinance to support the delivery of superior public service, did not require funding in the fiscal year 2021-22 budget.
Read more
Grant funds support Carlsbad’s low income residents
The Carlsbad City Council approved federal grants to help low and moderate income residents, with a focus on increasing and preserving affordable housing and reducing homelessness.
The city awarded a total of $519,499 in grant funds to five organizations and the Carlsbad Housing Fund, which the city established to develop affordable housing for lower income households and purchase affordable housing units for lower income families.
The funds will benefit organizations including Legal Aid Society of San Diego, Interfaith Community Services, WRC, Brother Benno and Catholic Charities in support of La Posada homeless services.
Read more
Cybersecurity-awareness Program Launches May 18
Carlsbad-based small business owners are invited to participate in the new Carlsbad Small Business Cybersecurity-Awareness Program. The city is partnering with the San Diego Cyber Center of Excellence to offer several no-cost benefits. Small business owners can:
- Receive an online briefing of cyber threats facing local businesses from the FBI’s San Diego Cyber Task Force
- Understand your business’s current online exposure and risk assessment via a report from RiskRecon, a MasterCard company
- Access training resources to help your employees become more cyber-aware, using ESET North America’s proprietary platform
Register now for the program launch webinar on Tuesday, May 18 at 10 a.m.
Please note that creating better cyber-awareness for businesses is not guaranteed to prevent a business from cyberattacks or data breaches. This program is meant to be an educational benefit. This program is for Carlsbad small businesses, defined as currently operating in the City of Carlsbad and having fewer than 100 employees. Any business may participate in the FBI briefing webinar, and businesses will be asked to sign up for the remaining benefits at that time.
| Building Safety Month |
May is Building Safety Month. Follow along with one of our fire inspectors as he inspects a commercial building and highlights the importance of codes to create safe structures.
Watch the video.
Summer’s Calling Sign Up For Camp Today
Summer is the time to make memories, messes and new friends. Register for Carlsbad summer camps today! We’ve got safety precautions in place and can’t wait to see the kiddos. We have missed them! See full camps guide
Boards & Commissions vacancies
Are you interested in getting involved in city matters? The City of Carlsbad is seeking residents interested in filling several vacancies on the following boards and commissions. Applications for these volunteer positions are available on the city’s website or in the City Clerk’s Office, 1200 Carlsbad Village Drive. Applicants must be Carlsbad residents and registered to vote in Carlsbad.
Library Board of TrusteesBeach Preservation CommissionCommunity Development Block Grant Advisory CommitteeBuena Vista Lagoon Joint Powers Committee
City Council Look Ahead
he agenda for the next City Council meeting is now available. Topics will include:
- Proclamations recognizing Public Works Week and Building Safety Month
- Annual assessments for the city’s lighting and landscaping districts and the Buena Vista Channel Maintenance District
- An agreement for the administration of the city’s workers’ compensation claims
- A $450,000 workers’ compensation settlement with a now-retired police officer for work-related injuries
- Carlsbad Library & Arts Foundation’s $157,620 donation to the city’s Library & Cultural Arts Department
- An update on the Arts & Culture Master Plan implementation, including consideration of adding a part-time staff position to help with arts education and outreach efforts, more funding for community arts grants and an outside assessment of the Cannon Art Gallery
- A proposal to adjust city fees based on the actual cost of providing services and to make them more equitable for the community
- The city’s preliminary fiscal year 2021-22 budget and its programs for major capital improvements and investments in technology
- Appointments to the agency that dispatches Carlsbad’s firefighters and other North County fire departments
Meeting starts at 3 p.m. Sign up by 2 p.m. if you want to provide live comments by phone. Otherwise, you can send your comment via email. Check out the full agenda and staff reports.
City of Carlsbad | 1200 Carlsbad Village Drive, Carlsbad, CA 92008
