The Coast News INLAND EDITION
.com ESCONDIDO, SAN MARCOS, VISTA
VOL. 6, N0. 13
JUNE 25, 2021
San Marcos council adopts ’21-’22 budget
Outrage sparks inquiry into tortilla incident. 3 SMUSD budget faces deficit in 2023. 6
City to receive $18 million in new COVID relief funds
Escondido considers community energy. 9
Former Dem allegedly solicits sex from minor
By Tigist Layne
SAN MARCOS — The San Marcos City Council met on Tuesday, June 8 and gave final approval to their fiscal year 2021/2022 budget, which addressed a nearly $2.7 million deficit. The city is expected to receive $18.2 million in new COVID relief money. San Marcos will soon receive funds from the federal government’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). “Under the legislation that was enacted was a provision that allows cities that can demonstrate that the pandemic caused a loss of general revenues, to use those funds to make up for such losses,” said the staff report. In the meantime, the city used their reserves to cover the $2.7 million deficit. “In the current economic issues related to the pandemic, the drop in rental revenue is the primary cause for the deficit situation we are experiencing,” the staff report said. “Rental revenue accounts for 9% of General Fund revenue, down from the 12.5% that we projected in adopting the FY 2019-20 budget.” Despite having to dip into the reserves, however, the city ended $6.7 million above the minimum reserve level. Those excess reserve funds will be used to reimburse city employees for their 10% wage reduction ($1 million), dedicate funds to the three internal infrastructure funds ($4.7 million) and replace $1 million removed from the General Plan Update project. The budget shows a law enforcement budget of $22,737,062, an almost TURN TO BUDGET ON 14
By Tigist Layne
BROOKE HENDERSON as Ti Moune (front) and Maya Washington as Little Ti Moune are two of the eleven cast members of the colorful musical “Once on This Island” at Vista’s Moonlight Amphitheatre. The Tony-award-winning Broadway musical kicks off the theater’s 40th anniversary season. Story on Page 9. Photo by Ken Jacques
Vista City Council bans single-use plastics By Steve Puterski
VISTA — Starting Aug. 1 the city will become the latest in California to ban single-use plastics. The Vista City Council gave final approval for its single-use plastic ordinance during its June 22 meeting, which requires food service providers (restaurants and others) to only distribute plasticware on request. Businesses with under $1 million in annual gross receipts, though, can apply for a hardship waiver for a maximum of 12 months. Additionally, the city will also ban Styrofoam on July 1, 2023. Those items banned as of Aug. 1 include single-use plastic stirrers, cutlery, lids, condiment packages, straws and to-go boxes, to name a few. As for foodservice
STARTING AUGUST 1, the city of Vista will prohibit single-use plastic stirrers, cutlery, lids and condiment packages, among other items. Courtesy photo
providers, the city’s definition means any person or establishment providing or selling prepared food or beverages on or off its premises within the city. These include restaurants, cafés, coffee shops,
drive-thrus, grocery and convenience stores, or farmers’ markets, according to the staff report. Also, the plastic and Styrofoam ban is another way for the city to address its Climate Action Plan and climate goals, said
Andrea McCollough, the city’s communications officer. She said the council is setting citywide waste reduction and recycling goals with a target of 85% waste diversion by 2030. Another bonus is the reduction of litter and an increase in city beautification, she said. Single-use plastics are the most commonly collected items for beach and watershed cleanups, she said, citing a 2019 ICC report. “The reduction of single-use plastics will assist in reducing waste that is left on roads, public spaces, and discarded by persons who do not use trash receptacles,” McCollough added. “In Vista, indirect costs include: letter discourages visitors, impacts TURN TO PLASTICS ON 7
ESCONDIDO — Matthew Corrales, a former candidate for the Vallecitos Water District and former substitute teacher for the Sweetwater Union High School District, was identified last week in a CC Unit Yo uTu b e video alleging that he sought to solicit sex from a minor. C o r rales, 37, was filmed CORRALES by Ghost, an online vigilante and creator of CC Unit (Creep Catcher Unit), inside The Shoppes at Carlsbad, allegedly attempting to meet up with a 14-year-old boy, according to the video. Instead, Corrales was confronted by Ghost at which time he attempted to obscure his face with a mask and repeatedly said, “Nothing physically happened,” before quickly exiting the mall and driving away, according to the video. CC Unit also posted screenshots of explicit messages allegedly exchanged between Corrales and the minor that depict Corrales making plans to meet with the boy in a bathroom stall, as well as making plans for a “dinner date.” In one message, Corrales tells the boy to dress casually because it “should not look like a date… more taking my son to dinner.” Ghost also alludes to explicit pictures that Corrales allegedly sent to the TURN TO CORRALES ON 6
