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THE COAST NEWS
JULY 20, 2012
Contract talks crawl forward By Promise Yee
OCEANSIDE — Although there was no reportable action following a closed session on contract negotiations between the city and the Oceanside Fire Fighter Association and Oceanside Fire Management Association on July 16, the call for the meeting signals
that both sides are still considering compromises. The fire associations have been working without a contract since June 30. Reaching a new agreement with the city has been a lengthy process. Initial conversations on contact terms began in January.
Negotiation meetings were held in February and March. Rumor has it that a final agreement may be reached in early August. Fire Fighter Association and Fire Management Association employees currently pay four percent of their PERS retirement.
Art Center offers new music program
City officials, from left, Councilwoman Teresa Barth, Councilman Jim Bond, Mayor Jerome Stocks, Councilman Mark Muir, Crystal Najera of the Clean Water Program, City of Encinitas and Rob Wilder of Wilderhill Clean Energy Index celebrate the opening of two charging stations in Encinitas with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 13. Photos by Tony Cagala
EV charging stations open By Tony Cagala
ENCINITAS — City officials held a ribbon cutting ceremony on July 13 at commuter parking lot B at E Street and South Vulcan Avenue in downtown for the opening of two EV (Electric Vehicle) charging stations. The stations at the site are part of The EV Project, a pilot program initiated by the U.S. Department of Energy to install EV charging stations in cities across the country. The downtown Encinitas site was chosen specifically because of its access to shops and other amenities in the area. “People come here to stop charge up and then shop downtown,” said Assistant City Manager Richard Phillips. “We evaluated several sites,” he said. “One at City Hall, one at the community center…but this one had better visibility, a closer proximity to downtown.” Just that morning, Phillips said a woman pulled in to use one of the chargers, telling him that her husband had forgotten to charge their car the night before. “So she went downtown to do something, charged and came back,” he added. There are two pedestal charging stations in the lot, which accommodates charging one car per station. Charging times will vary depending on how much
energy the car already has. An EV that is completely drained will typically take up to five hours to fully charge. The pedestal charger has the ability to charge most every EV, using the industry standard SAE J1772 connector. The cost for charging electric vehicles at the site has been free while under The EV Project program. That will change starting January 2013. “EV drivers, just as other drivers pay for the gasoline, need to pay for their fuel costs, the infrastructure costs, the electricity and all the other cost factors that go in,” said Andy Hoskinson, stakeholder services area manager for ECOtality North America. ECOtality received the $99.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to begin deploying the charging stations. ECOtality is the parent company of Blink, which supplied the two pedestal chargers. Through Blink, drivers can purchase different plans to access and pay for the charging of their vehicles. Costs will range from $1 to $2 per hour of charging depending on the plan chosen. The plans are available for purchase at blinknetwork.com. Drivers using the Blink network will also be able to see if either of the stations is
Andy Hoskinson with ECOtality demonstrates the charging process using the Blink pedestal charging station at the commuter parking lot B in Encinitas.
available for use through a mobile application or on their computers. Later this year the charging stations will have reservations capabilities. There are two parking spots designated as EV Charging parking spots in the commuter lot; an ADA parking spot will also be designated to allow for charging if the spots near the chargers are occupied. As of now there are no penalties should a non-EV park in a charging spot, except “bad Encinitas karma,” Phillips said. The chargers receive their power from a nearby SDG&E transformer. “In a commercial district, it’s not what’s considered a significant load,” Hoskinson said. Charging a Nissan Leaf draws about 3 ? kilowatt, which is a little more than what a big, electric dryer is going to draw, he added. The city isn’t incurring any costs for the pilot program through 2013, Hoskinson said. “After that they’ve got a number of options they can do, but conceivably continue network service…it ends up being still a cost-neutral situation.” The EV Project is also measuring the way people charge, the different price points and charging habits. Hoskinson said before doing an installation they look at a city’s physical infrastructure whether it’s with a city or a private partner.They make sure that there’s an electrical sufficiency and that the charging station can be accessible from more than one parking spot. Hoskinson added that he definitely sees support and interest in electric vehicles. “There’s not a day that goes by…I don’t see multiple electric vehicles...which is pretty cool. The infrastructure is being built; it’s a collaborative effort with partners like the city of Encinitas and SDG&E and others what’s going to push it to reach a crucial max,” he said. Last week, the city of Encinitas approved a permit for the installation of three charging stations at the San Diego Botanic Gardens.
ESCONDIDO — The California Center for the Arts, Escondido is offering a new Children’s Music Program beginning this fall. To provide children and parents with details about the program’s activities and offerings, a special, free Workshop is being held on Monday afternoon, Aug. 6, from 3 to 5 p.m. in Studio III on the Center’s North Escondido Boulevard campus. Children will have an
opportunity to meet teachers, explore their voices, play music and rhythm games with instruments while meeting other children interested in music. For more information, visit escondidochoralarts.com; to sign up by email, please contact dstanford@escondidochoralarts.com. California Center for the Arts, Escondido is the cultural heart of San Diego North. The Center’s campus
Camp-Out in the park SOLANA BEACH — A Family Camp-Out has been organized by the city Parks & Recreation Department at La Colonia Park, 715 Valley Ave., starting at 5 p.m. Aug. 4. Family sponsorships are available and there are 40 spots available. To register, call (760) 720-2453. Activities will
include: Aug. 4 — 5 p.m. Make camp and family game time Aug. 5 — 7 a.m. Pancake breakfast Bring sleeping bags, camping equipment, games, and mosquito repellent. No pets, alcohol, tobacco or personal barbecues or fires permitted.
includes a 1,523-seat Concert Hall, a 406-seat Center Theater, a visual arts museum, art and dance studios, and a conference center with meeting and banquet facilities. The Center also offers an extensive education program and produces free community events, such as the Jazz Jam Sessions, Holiday Tree Lighting, Day of the Dead, 4th of July and WOW First Wednesdays performances.
Correction: In the July 13 story, “Author puts focus on at-risk youth at seminar,” it was said that the ShortStop program was an interfaith program. ShortStop is not an interfaith program.
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