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Carlsbad voters give Measure O a go By Steve Puterski
CARLSBAD — Perhaps the easiest decision for Carlsbad voters was to approve Measure O. Needing a simple majority, the measure cruised to victory on Tuesday with 71.4 percent of voters in favor. It allows the city to spend between $7.5 million and $10.5 million of existing general fund money to rebuild Fire Station No. 2, which is located at the intersection of El Camino Real and Arenal Road. Fire Chief Mike Davis said he and the department are thankful to the voters for giving the city the green light to build a new station. “We’re grateful,” he added. “A big thank you to everybody. We just really love serving this community. It’s a great place to be, it’s a great community to serve and we are very fortunate that we have the money at hand to do this project.” Fire Station No. 2 was built in 1969 and does not meet current firefighting standards. Among the list of outof-date issues with the current station includes not meeting current building, fire and earthquake codes. The garage is too small, no room to store an off-road fire vehicle and doesn’t provide enough separation to protect against diesel fumes and other carcinogens. The new station, however, will address those issues plus adding separate accommodations for male and female firefighters. The project, though, has not been designed and exact costs will be determined by designs, permitting, budgeting and public hearing processes, according to City Attorney Celia Brewer’s analysis on the city’s website. Davis said the department plans to act aggressively in moving forward, first with architecture and design plans. “Now, it’s time to get to work,” he added. “We will be working with the neighbors and an architect. It’s really that simple. We got to get the nearby community engaged in the design.” The station responds to nearly 4,000 “unit responses” per year, which is about one-fifth of the total calls received by the city’s six fire stations. Voters approved Proposition H in 1982, which restricts the use of city funds to buy and improve real property without a vote, thus requiring Tuesday’s vote. “It’s a busy station,” Davis said.
T he C oast News
NOV. 11, 2016
Oceanside shows strong support for incumbents By Promise Yee
OCEANSIDE — Oceanside voters showed strong support for the incumbent mayor and council members in Tuesday’s election. According to Wednesday morning vote counts posted on the San Diego County Registrar of Voters website, Mayor Jim Wood received a landslide 23,274 votes, 64 percent of votes counted. This is the fourth term for Mayor Wood, who served as council member for two years, and as mayor for 12 years. “I’m happy that I won,” Wood said. “I didn’t try a lot this time. The public had a few years to look at me and decide if I was OK or not. I appreciate the support.” Four candidates challenged
the mayor. None of them have served on City Council. The next highest vote getter was Jim Gibson, who received 8,563 votes, 23.5 percent of votes counted. All other mayoral candidates fell below 2,000 votes, and received less than 6 percent of votes. City Council incumbents also won by wide margins. Councilwoman Esther Sanchez, who has served for 16 years, received the most votes at 15,013, more than 24 percent of votes. Councilman Jack Feller, who too served for 16 years, also kept his seat with the second highest count of 13,679 votes, just more than 22 percent. Feller said this year was a
tough race due in part to The Oceanside Blade. The newspaper began publication in September and allegedly ran attack stories on Feller and Sanchez in retaliation for their votes against city digital billboards. One of the digital billboards was proposed by the newspaper’s publisher Tom Missett. Regardless of what most called “yellow journalism” by The Oceanside Blade, Feller and Sanchez prevailed. Out of five challengers, Linda Gonzales, who was endorsed by The Oceanside Blade, came closest to unseating an incumbent with 10,662 votes, more than 17 percent of votes. All other candidates fell below 8,200 votes, less than 14 per-
cent. City Clerk Zack Beck was unchallenged, and received 30,374 votes. In looking ahead Wood said the city is slowly coming out of the recession, and moving in the right direction. Wood said over the next four years Oceanside will be faced with prioritizing the extra $1.2 million in its annual budget between multiple projects, which include the planned aquatic center and Coast Highway improvements. Wood said the solution is to bring in more high paying, secure jobs. Wood added public safety and ensuring quality of life for seniors also remain top priorities.
San Marcos re-elects Jones, Jenkins to council By Aaron Burgin
With Encinitas Mayor Kristin Gaspar absent, the council majority votes unanimously on the first reading of the ordinance that will ban restaurants from using the ubiquitous product six months after its adoption date. Courtesy photo
Encinitas passes polystyrene ban By Aaron Burgin
ENCINITAS — Encinitas took the first step toward a ban on expanded polystyrene food service products at restaurants — and did it in unanimous fashion. The council voted 4-0 for the first reading of the ordinance that will ban restaurants from using the ubiquitous product six months after its adoption date. The six-month window is to give restaurants an opportunity to phase out use of the products. Mayor Kristin Gaspar was absent from the meeting. The council enthusiastically backed the ordinance, which proponents have argued was a strong step toward reducing the packaging product’s presence as a pollutant in local beaches and waterways. “It is nice to have a decision that is easy, and this ban is an easy decision,” Councilwoman and mayor-elect Catherine Blakespear said. “It is clearly in line with what Encinitas residents want.” The City Council chambers were packed with supporters of the ordinance, including environmental groups, environmentally conscious restaurant owners and residents who
urged the city to pass the first reading with a unanimous vote. Many of them said that Encinitas had an opportunity and an obligation to be an example of environmental stewardship. “Tonight’s vote is 100 percent in line with city policy and ultimate goal of achieving a zero-waste future,” said Mitch Silverstein of the Surfrider Foundation’s San Diego chapter. “If we are serious about minimizing waste, the least we can do is require standards on the types of packaging that our restaurants use.” He was one of more than 20 speakers to speak in favor of the ban, which they city has been working on for two years. The council was previously prepared to vote on an ordinance in October 2015, but tabled it after several restaurants complained that they weren’t informed about the impending ordinance and that a transition would be an undue financial hardship. Following the delay, the city contracted with the Solana Center for Environmental Innovation to perform outreach to the nearly 90 restaurants that still used polystyrene products about the proposed ordinance and alternatives.
Mark Muir, who supported the delay at the time, applauded the city for its outreach efforts. “I am proud the city took the time to meet with the restaurant owners,” he said. Still, the California Restaurant Association, which had opposed the first attempt, renewed its opposition in recent days, hosting a press conference with a few restaurant owners who renewed their objections due to the financial hardship a switch would cause. The association outlined an alternative plan that called on increased education, public out reach, littler clean-up, placing lidded trash and recycling receptacles at the beach and other actions short of a ban. At Wednesday’s meeting, a handful of speakers objected to the proposal, including one who said the environmental impacts of polystyrene were being exaggerated, calling it “environmental theater.” “Government has no right to get involved in the minutiae of our existence,” said Stephen Lord, a self-proclaimed 33-year resident of Encinitas. The city’s proposal had TURN TO BAN ON A21
REGION — San Marcos has had an extended period of electoral calm, as residents appear satisfied with the direction and leadership at City Hall. Voters on Tuesday again reinforced this notion as they re-elected Rebecca Jones and Sharon Jenkins to the City Council by a wide margin over their lone challenger, Matthew Stack. Jones and Jenkins received 37 and 32 percent of the vote, respectively. Stack finished with 15.7 percent of the vote and RJ Hernandez, who dropped out of the race three weeks ago, received 14.65 percent of the vote. “Of course I am thrilled with the results, and am honored that citizens have chosen me to represent them,” said Jones, who thanked her volunteers for their support. “I think people are very happy with the city, I think that is what the results show, that they would like to continue with the current council.” Jenkins, who said she had just finished collecting her smaller yard campaign signs Thursday morning, said she was happy with the outcome. “I appreciate the opportunity to serve the community for another four years,” Jenkins said. “I respect the confidence given to me and will always do what I think is best for San Marcos after diligent and thorough evaluation of any given situation.” “I think the community overall has been pretty happy with San Marcos and likes the direction it is headed, and they like how the city has been managed in the past, and I think that contributed to the outcome significantly,” Jenkins said. “I think they also like to see people who have been involved in the community and know the community.” Stack, the lone challenger, had recently moved into the community when he launched his council bid and was a relative unknown in political circles. He did receive the endorsement from the Republican Party of San Diego County. “We were running to win so of course we were disappointed but I couldn’t concede to any two better
people than Rebecca and Sharon,” said Stack. “I have a lot of respect for them and what they’ve done for our city. Our team was so thrilled to just be a part of this election.” This was the final citywide election before the city transitions to district elections in 2018, when they will vote on the seats currently held by Chris Orlando and Kristal Jabara, as well as mayor, which is still a citywide position. The council begrudgingly supported the change to avoid a lawsuit that alleged that the city’s election system disenfranchised Latino voters. Jenkins said it will be crucial during the next election campaign for candidates to keep the focus on the city’s best interest, not just the best interest of their district. Probably the most pressing thing as we start switching to voting by districts is helping people understand that we need to look at what is best for the city as a whole, not just for your district,” Jenkins said. “It will be important for them over the next several elections.” Jenkins also pointed to the re-evaluation of the city’s long-imagined Creek District plan as another critical item on the council’s todo list. A consultant recommended the city drastically change the plan from one that focuses on retail to one that is built around multiple housing types. “The consultant provided input about what we needed to be looking at, so we need to take that information and determine what adjustments we need to make, and we are continuing that process,” Jenkins said. In other local races: • Voters re-elected Nancy Densch and John Halcon to the Palomar College Governing Board and elected newcomer Nina Deerfield from the field of six candidates. • The three incumbents in the Vallecitos Water District election — Mike Sannella, Hal Martin and Betty Evans — all returned TURN TO SAN MARCOS ON A21