Carlsbad Becomes First California City to Adopt 2019 Energy Reach Codes
In the city’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and meet Climate Action Plan goals, Carlsbad has been recognized for going above and beyond in energy efficiency. Carlsbad is proud to be named the first California city to adopt 2019 Energy Reach Codes, a law adopted by a local government that requires building energy performance beyond current California Building Efficiency Standards
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The city team, led by Mike Grim, CAP administrator and David de Cordova, principal planner, collaborated with TRC Solutions, the Center for Sustainable Energy, and the Statewide Codes & Standards Program to develop Carlsbad-specific cost-effectiveness studies, which turned into a final package of ordinances adopted by the Carlsbad City Council. Read the article here and share the good news on Twitter or Facebook.
Carlsbad City’s Annual Financial Report is Available
The city’s fiscal year 2018-19 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report is now available online here. In addition, at the City Council Workshop on Jan. 21, 2020, staff will present the results from the fiscal year 2018-19 audit and highlights from the fiscal year 2018-19 report.
HR Launches New Quick Reference Guide
Human Resources is excited to launch the Quick Reference Guide as a new resource to provide the most common HR related topics at your fingertips. Please visit the Quick Reference Guide to easily refer to important HR related items at a glance, and get more in-depth detail by easily navigating via the hyperlinks to learn more. For further assistance, please refer to the source documents listed and/or reach out to the HR department at hrmailbox@carlsbadca.gov.
Carrillo Ranch Extended Operating Hours
Operating hours at Leo Carrillo Ranch Historic Park have been extended to better serve the public. Since park opened in 2003, it had been closed on Mondays, and it had opened at 11 a.m. on Sundays. The park is now open 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily. Guided tours of the Hacienda and other historic buildings will be offered at 10 a.m. & 1 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Hope to see you soon, amigo!
Carlsbad Full and Half Marathon & 5K Next Weekend
The Parks & Recreation Department recently permitted the annual Tri-City Medical Center Carlsbad Full and Half Marathon & Surf Sun Run 5K, which takes place Sunday, Jan. 19. The ideal weather conditions and spectacular coastal route attract over 9,000 runners. The event includes a two-day Health & Lifestyle Expo on Friday and Saturday, and the Kids Marathon Mile on Saturday. A list of temporary road closures may be found here.
North County Intergenerational Council
Last Wednesday, the City of Carlsbad Parks & Recreation Department hosted the North County Intergenerational Council for San Diego County at the Pine Avenue Community Center. The meeting included a presentation by former Carlsbad City Council Member, Dr. Mark Packard, an intergenerational advocate promoting his Paper Rocket Project. Recreation Specialist, Jennifer Burros, covered the wide range of programs currently offered at the city as well as 2020 plans. The North County Intergenerational Council was founded in January 2013 and focuses on the role youth and adults play in making communities healthy for all ages. Intergenerational programming strategies are a key component in the North County Community Leadership Team’s Community Health Improvement Plan. The Council serves as an avenue to promote and encourage intergenerational strategies in senior and youth programs, discuss new solutions and programs to improve health and wellness across the generations and prioritize key projects and priority issues for North County. Meetings are held on the second Wednesday every other month from 1 - 2:30 p.m.
Jefferson Elementary Students learn about Stormwater Pollution Prevention
City staff from Watershed Protection and Storm Drain Maintenance met with 22 fifth grade students at Jefferson Elementary, as part of the students’ Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan program. The interns, as the students are called, learn about their watershed, the impact of our actions, and common pollutants. They make the connection between the work they are doing on their school site and the work done by stormwater professionals in their city. Danny Goggin and Dmitry Johnson demonstrated how a vacuum truck and power washer are deployed to clean the storm drain inlet. Hallie Thompson explained the storm drain system and the connection from their school campus to Agua Hedionda Lagoon.
Congratulations to Valerie Airey!
Please join me in congratulating Valerie Airey who recently completed her Certified Inspector of Sediment and Erosion Control certification. With this certification, along with previous coursework and testing, Valerie is now a Qualified Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan Practitioner. This designation is granted by the state of California to those individuals who have demonstrated the knowledge, skill and ability to implement and manage storm water compliance activities on construction sites in California.
Congratulations, Valerie!
Police Department Welcomes New Officer
Officer Elson Molina is from San Diego and went to Rancho Bernardo High School. After earning a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice, Elson joined a Southern California Sheriff’s Department. Fourteen years later, Elson joins the Carlsbad Police Department as a lateral officer. Welcome Officer Molina.
Safety Tool Added to Police Officers Tool Bag
Safety first. The Police Department is the first agency in California to equip all officers with a medical alert card to ensure their safety in an emergency. The card, created in part by an active duty law enforcement officer, notes important medical information that can be used to help an officer during a medical emergency.
Senior Volunteer Patrol Delivers Holiday Cheer
Each year during the holidays, members of the Senior Volunteer Patrol collect goodies and create holiday baskets for their clients in the You Are Not Alone Program. The program is for seniors who would benefit from a daily welfare check to ensure their safety while continuing to live independently.
Police Department Teams Up with Shipping Carriers
To help reduce front porch thefts during the holidays, the Police Department teamed up with shippers like Amazon to provide training on safe delivery practices.
Certified Permit Technician – Gina Ruiz
Fire Permit Technician II Gina Ruiz has successfully completed the certification process to become a Certified Permit Technician from the International Code Council. Gina is the first Permit Technician in the city to become certified by this organization, which maintains and administers the national certification process for Building & Safety professionals throughout the country. To become certified, Gina had to demonstrate knowledge of many different areas of the development process including planning, zoning, fire, engineering and code administration by sitting through a proctored exam. We are very happy to see our administrative personnel taking advantage of opportunities to personally improve and increase the level of support they can provide to our customers through professional development programs.
New and Improved Flag Drop Boxes
In partnership with the Carlsbad Fire Explorers, the Carlsbad Fire Department purchased two new flag drop boxes to replace the old weathered boxes at both libraries. The new boxes arrived last week and will be installed soon by facilities outside the Carlsbad City Library and Georgina Cole Library. The old boxes were installed back in March 2013. These mailbox-like disposal containers serve as bins for worn American flags that are no longer fit to display. The flags are collected from the bins by the fire department and retired in accordance with the United States flag code, which states burning the flag as a preferred method for dignified destruction.
New Hire Family Night at the Fire Department
The Fire Department’s New Hire Academy brings about a new tradition in 2020 – New Hire Family Night. This gathering offers the opportunity for newly hired department personnel and their families to spend the evening with other personnel and family members, immediately creating a family support network for employees, spouses and children. In addition to building relationships, new employees will learn about the history of the Carlsbad community and fire department, gain insight to the department’s mission, vision and values, and better understand the expectations during their probationary period. This event is held prior to the start of the New Hire Academy and provides these individuals a head-start in learning, development, teamwork and support. Being a new employee is always difficult. This new tradition paves the way for early success and unity.
Carlsbad Fire Marshal serves Pasadena Tournament of Roses
Fire Marshal Randy Metz spent his holiday vacation serving as a member of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses for his 23rd year. As a member, Randy volunteers throughout the year with the planning and organization of the Rose Parade and Rose Bowl game, and then executes his assigned area during the week between Christmas and the New Year’s Day celebration. Members are assigned to one of 30 different operation committees for a two-year rotation.
This year, Randy was assigned to the Food Services Committee, who are responsible for feeding all the parade participants such as band members, equestrian riders and float drivers throughout the parade week, as well as the 935 Tournament of Roses members. Randy was responsible for working directly with In-N-Out Burger, who is responsible for preparing the food and overseeing the distribution process. All in all, they served over 25,000 In-N-Out burgers to parade participants in a four-day span, including 12,000 burgers in a three-hour span on New Year’s Day to band members after finishing the 5.5-mile march down Colorado Boulevard.
Randy is already working on the planning process for the 2021 Rose Parade and enjoys being able to give back to the community that he has called home for his entire life.
Carlsbad Fire Explorers Parent Night
The Carlsbad Fire Department recently held its annual Orientation and Parent Night for the new recruits of Fire Explorer Post 2200. The department is ecstatic to bring on 12 new explorers from the Carlsbad community to participate in the North Zone Fire Academy, beginning in February. Fire Exploring is a hands-on program available to young men and women interested in a fire service career. The explorer program teaches basic firefighting and EMT skills, along with the development of teambuilding, leadership, service and life skills, that will serve them throughout their lifetime.
Congratulations to Nikki Matosian
Congratulations to Nikki Matosian, community relations manager who graduated from LEAD San Diego/San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce’s ADVANCE program. ADVANCE is a seven-month program dedicated to elevating women in the workplace through tailored coaching, mentorship and skill building. Little did she know, that when she was accepted into ADVANCE, she’d be paired with the one and only Scott Chadwick, another LEAD program graduate, best mentor and advocate for women in leadership positions!