From: [email protected]
To: Jim OHara; Luke Shaffer; Marco San Antonio; Bruce Ehlers; Joy Lyndes Cc: Peter Weichers
Subject: Public Comment Oral Communications 8/19/2026
Date: Saturday, July 11, 2026 10:50:59 AM
CAUTION: External Email. Do not click any links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender, verified their email address, and know the content is safe.
Hi Pete, Please add this to Oral Communications 8/19/2026 Council meeting. Thank you. Natalie Dear Mayor and Council,
In light of the tragic death in Olivenhain, I am asking the Council for consideration in changing the trajectory of all active transportation programs funded by and partnered with the City. What we have been historically doing is not working.
When Santa Fe was initially being redesigned, Abe Bandegan came to my house to observe traffic flow for approximately one hour. During the course of the conversation, which was also captured on the neighbor’s camera system, Abe confirmed that the lane diet and design of Santa Fe was in part a city-wide effort to reduce vehicular traffic by 20 percent. Go figure with all of the 2K developments that were consecutively approved throughout the city. Blakespear was still on Council along with her Council minions and appointed Commissioner minions so they solidly bought whatever Blakespear was selling which led to the thick oversaturation of development as well as the substandard safety designs of our roads that are now being newly constructed.
Now that I have more city knowledge, it was found Encinitas Bike Walk and San Diego Bicycle Coalition was in the ear of Nick Buck who was recommended for a specially created position of Mobility Manager by the EWB members. This happened under City Manager Pam Antil and former Council. In quid pro quo style under the veil of covid, Nick made Council recommendations to fund and implement the policy Encinitas Bike Walk was pushing – the very policies that have repeatedly failed: Brody, Emery, Dr. Worley, Emily and now this unnamed lady in Olivenhain last night. THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS DO NOT WORK.
Our city geography is 4x4x4x4. With all the development bringing additional residents with CARS, we have maxxed out our ability to create cumulatively safe bike lines, sidewalks and travel lanes. The three been squeezed together making them ALL unsafe. It did NOT work on Santa Fe (example, unused bike lanes sidewalk/bike lane). The pretense that Blakespear, EBW and et al could convince users to use alternate modes of transportation FAILED and this Council must grapple with the deadly fallout.
The platform EBW and San Diego Bicycle Coalition is pushing in Encinitas does not work for our town. Neither do the non-local consultants Blakespear and team hired from Minnesota, DC and other urban places who have never set foot in Encinitas, Yet they are funded by our tax dollars to implement plans built for geography that is completely converse to Encinitas elevation, traffic timing patterns, sunlight/golden hour issues on particular streets, ancillary neighborhood roads that constituents reroute to circumvent the poorly orchestrated signal looped red lights on arterial roads.
STOP, STOP, STOP with non-local consultant funding pushing active travel climate change motivated agendas.
Draft a plan to reeducate both parents and children for all funded programs and partnerships to include parental participation that maintains a STOP, LOOK, LISTEN and LOOK BOTH WAYS methodology. Pedestrians and cyclists need to be trained that though they may be entitled to share the road, that they will not come out on the winning side of a vehicular crash.
Fund and Implement RSOs to support a re-education program for our youth. We learn daily that parents do not always supervise or education their children. Someone needs to affirm danger exists.
Prioritize developing a Safe Routes to School or preferred path for cyclists and pedestrians that does not include arterials, particularly for youth.
Paint the curbs subject to AB 413 that fall short of the 20’ distance and distort driver perception that parking is allowable when it is legally contrary in distance and safety. Immediately paint all curbs pursuant to AB 413 within 500’ of every school and draft a short-term plan to paint all curbs within the city starting with highest crossing volume and complete within the next six months.
Our tax dollars would be better spent replacing these non-local consultants with an experienced inhouse mobility manager and traffic engineer who is not allegiant to any political narrative, and who are equipped to solve the red light loop shortcomings and will work within the confines of geography.
Please continue to fight the State Bills that remove local control of our roads and development, and the many wonky idiocies that we have been sucker punched with by the State. Our AB consultant should be providing a monthly update for Council to relay to the public each and every month.
Lastly, we need the Council leadership energy to admit that what we have been doing is not working.
This is Encinitas, not urban San Diego or Amsterdam. We need to focus on what we have to work with and tailor safety and traffic movement to Encinitas roads. Given the State has mandated this excessive overdevelopment and unsafe and unreasonable infrastructure, please acknowledge their hand in our town has failed.
Thank you for consideration.
Natalie Settoon
From: Darlene Howe
To: City Clerk
Subject: Coyotes
Date: Wednesday, August 12, 2026 11:55:14 AM
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Dear City Council Members,
I’d like to express my concern about the current situation with coyote behavior in our community. Let me start by saying that I am a huge animal advocate. I appreciate nature and its delicate balance. I understand that they were here first. However, they are becoming habituated, hazing is requiring a team effort at times, and I read tragic stories on a regular basis of coyotes killing pets. They are even coming into homes through window screens and running off with cats(I did not verify these stories personally). The stories are shared on social media and by word of mouth.
I don’t understand how we can keep building, but also expect them to stay out of our back yards?The math just doesn’t work. Relocating and culling don’t work. Perhaps birth control could be an option? I see posts that hint of people taking matters into their own hands, which is tragic, but people are Tired. Tired of walking our dogs with our heads on a swivel, closing windows on hot nights, essentially living in fear. I have been in touch with the SDHS Wildlife Dept. but they just refer me back to the hazing guidelines. Sadly, I will never rescue another animal, for fear that I can’t protect it, and I don’t want to experience the trauma of an attack.
What rights do we have regarding a safe and peaceful existence in our city? If there is nothing that can be done on this level, perhaps our concerns need to be shared with county and state officials.
Thank you for hearing my concerns.
Sincerely,
Darlene Howe
Cardiff