PALOMAR COMMONS TRANSFORMS CORNER Lowe's retail center opens on Palomar Airport Road.
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IT'S TIME TO CELEBRATE
Start planning your holiday party to reward loyal employees.
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BUSINESS WWW.CARLSBAD.ORG
JOURNAL
VOL. 30, NO. 9
AN AWARD-WINNING, MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF THE CARLSBAD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
SEPTEMBER 2013
Chamber advocates for better sign ordinance Revision allows for more business-friendly signage Carlsbad Chamber officials are applauding the Carlsbad City Council for revising the city’s sign ordinance to include several provisions that will help businesses in the city maintain a competitive edge and better advertise their businesses. At its Aug. 27 meeting, the Council adopted
Google makes Carlsbad one of its 50 eCities City named California’s ‘digital capital’ Google has named the City of Carlsbad as the “digital capital” of California, singling it out for having the “strongest online business community” in the state. A Google representative presented Carlsbad Mayor Matt Hall with an award, designating the city as one of the 50 inaugural eCities of America at the State of the City Luncheon presented by the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce on Friday, Aug. 23 at the Sheraton Carlsbad Resort & Spa, 5480 Grand Pacific Drive. The Google eCity Awards honor “the strongest online business community in each state.” “Our eCity Awards recognize the new digital capitals of America,” said Scott Levitan, Google’s director of small business engagement. “We’re proud to recognize this growing entrepreneurial spirit — and the role that it plays in both creating jobs and sustaining local economies. With 97 percent of Internet users looking for products and services online, it’s clear that success is about being connected.” “We are honored to be recognized as an eCity by Google,” said City of Carlsbad Mayor Matt Hall. “It just goes to show that medium sized cities like Carlsbad can lead the way in innovation and technology just like
the revision, including Chamber-supported recommendations that dealt with digital signs and wall signs on large businesses. Under the adopted ordinance, digital signs, or “electronic message boards” — previously prohibited in Carlsbad — could be allowed at regional commercial centers such as Westfield Carlsbad and Car Country Carlsbad that are next to a freeway (either Interstate Highway 5 or State Route 78). The Council required that digital signs be addressed as a part of a Specific
MORE THAN 500 ATTEND SOLD-OUT STATE OF THE CITY LUNCHEON “Carlsbad is a world-class city,” Mayor Matt Hall proclaimed at the State of the City Luncheon, presented by the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce on Friday, Aug. 23 at the Sheraton Carlsbad Resort & Spa. Hall, in his third year presiding over the annual event, offered more than enough proof of that as he spoke to the sold-out crowd of 500, which featured business and community leaders. During his speech, Hall presented figures that demonstrate how Carlsbad has
managed to grow, even through the tough times of recent years. For example: Property taxes went from $48 million in ‘08-’09 to $52 million today. The price of homes in Carlsbad has gone from $515,000 18 months ago to $630,000 today. Carlsbad brought in $22 million in sales taxes five years ago, and today it’s bringing in $29 million.
Mayor Matt Hall giving his State of the City address before business leaders on Aug. 23.
SEE STATE OF THE CITY Page 6
Photos provided by Google | Melissa McClure
BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
Books provide tips on becoming a selfless leader Management approach ‘turns organizational chart upside down’ BY ROBIN SWIFT Servant Leadership Institute
5934 Priestly Drive Carlsbad, CA 92008
SEE SIGNS Page 5
CELEBRATING CARLSBAD
SEE GOOGLE Page 3 PRESORT STD U.S. Postage PAID Permit #67 Carlsbad, CA
Plan, establishing design standards that would require approval of a Conditional Use Permit by the City Council for the actual development of a digital sign. A Specific Plan Amendment to allow a digital sign at Car Country would have to be approved by both the City and the state Coastal Commission because Car Country is in a Coastal Zone. The Council also adopted a provision recommended by the Chamber that would allow large
North County entrepreneur Art Barter has a unique approach to his business: servant leadership. “It requires leaders to think more about others than themselves,” he explains. “It turns the organizational chart upside down. I now have a whole organization I can serve. My employees don’t report to me; I report to them.” Barter is owner and chairman of Datron World Communications, Inc. in Vista and CEO and president of Servant Leadership Institute (SLI) in Carlsbad. Founded in 2009, SLI is a leadership training resource center created by Barter to serve and help grow leaders determined to
make a positive difference in their organization and community. SLI helps self-centered leaders become more selfless leaders. As a result of often being asked how to implement servant leadership, Barter and a small group of experienced leaders developed and wrote the "Boots on the Ground" implementation guidebooks to provide proven and practical methods for servant leadership development. For the past 10 years, these servant leaders have been involved in the transformation of Datron from a traditional power model to a servant-led model. They have lived the experience firsthand, beginning with Datron’s inception of servant leadership in 2004, progressing through years of implementation, and continuing the ongoing work of transformation today. The just-released “Boots on the Ground” guidebooks are designed to educate and equip individuals and organizations for their servant leadership journey. Each booklet draws on reallife examples from Datron’s servant leadership
SEE BOOKS Page 7