Council Majority Opposes Bill That Could Delay 1-5 Widening

The Encinitas City Council addressed a full chamber on Wednesday night for three separate meetings. Multiple agenda items were discussed during the nearly six-hour session. Here are some of the meeting’s highlights:

• The council voted to oppose Senate Bill 468 proposed by state Senator Christine Kehoe. If enacted, SB 468 would “impose additional requirements on the department with respect to proposed capacity-increasing state highway projects that would widen the existing paved highway in the coastal zone.” The San Diego Association of Governments asked the council to join the organization in opposing the bill. Mayor James Bond, Deputy Mayor Jerome Stocks and Councilwoman Kristin Gaspar voted in favor of sending a letter from the council voicing their opposition. Councilwomen Teresa Barth and Maggie Houlihan voted against this notion. More than 20 community members argued in favor of SB 468 and were against the council writing a letter. Community members expressed the bill would protect the area from becoming overcrowded with freeways and also discussed the need for transportation reform.
• The council unanimously approved using nearly $180,000 from the general fund for Comprehensive General Plan Update (CGPU) work tasks. The money will go toward contract amendment with consultants and environmental planning firms to cover the additional tasks of the CGPU. Funding was available in the budget and the city did not have to reallocate any resources.
• was granted a proposed addendum of its agreement to pay the city for advances given during development. However, Gaspar abstained from voting and Barth voted in opposition. “I cannot vote for something this sloppy,” Barth said. She was referring to the multiple figures in the presentation that had to be recalculated during the meeting.
• Stocks led a San Dieguito Water District meeting that declared the district no longer has a drought response level. Since August 2009, Encinitas has been in level-2 drought conditions. With the California snowpack at 160 percent above average, Governor Jerry Brown recently declared that the state’s drought is over.
• The council unanimously adopted the City of Encinitas Cost Allocation Plan for the 2011-12 fiscal year.
• Resolution 2011-10, which deals with the Encinitas Landscape and Lighting District, was adopted in a unanimous vote.
• The council unanimously approved third quarter adjustments to the San Dieguito Water District 2011-12 fiscal year operating budget and capital improvement program.

The next Encinitas City Council meeting will be Wednesday, May 11, at 6 p.m.