PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID ENCINITAS, CA 92024 PERMIT NO. 94
THE COAST NEWS
VOL. 27, NO. 15
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MAKING WAVES IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
APRIL 12, 2013
County board denies charter school By Rachel Stine
CARLSBAD — In front of shouting, poster-wielding crowds of OPA (Oxford Preparatory Academy) supporters, the San Diego County Board of Education (SDCBOE) denied OPA’s appeal to open a charter school in Carlsbad at its April 10 meeting. In December last year, the Carlsbad Unified School District (CUSD) Board of Trustees unanimously denied OPA’s original application to open a charter school for kindergarten through eighth grade students. OPA’s application and subsequent appeal of the CUSD Board’s decision to the SDCBOE inspired a debate that has pinned school choice against standing by public schools. Citing the fact that some OPA supporters who attended the San Diego County Board of Education meeting on April 10 held up signs of the SDCBOE members’ chil- with messages including, “We will not back down,” and “Sue Hartley, you represent ALL of North County, not TURN TO CHARTER SCHOOL ON A16
just CUSD staff and its board members.” Photo by Rachel Stine
Unfunded pension liability pegged at $39m By Jared Whitlock
ENCINITAS — The city is on the hook for $39 million in unfunded pension liability, according to a new analysis ordered by the city and presented at a March council meeting. The $39 million figure is an estimate of how much Encinitas will have to pay to cover its pension obligations over the long term. This week, Mayor Teresa Barth said that the city’s unfunded pension liability is a topic that demands regular council attention. But she cautioned against “doom and gloom,” noting that Encinitas doesn’t have to pay the bill tomorrow. “This is overly simplistic,
SERVING THE DANCE FLOOR Elgin Park, long-time member of The Greyboy Allstars talks about the band’s soon-to-bereleased album, “Inland Emperor” out April 16.
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A graph showing how pension reform passed by Encinitas and the state will affect retiree benefits for the city’s miscellaneous employees, the largest of its four employment groups. The top line is for hires before 2012. The middle line, Encinitas’ reform, is new hires who aren’t already part of the state’s pension system. And the bottom line, a new California law, is for new employees that haven’t enrolled in the state’s pension system. Courtesy image
Two Sections, 44 pages Arts & Entertainment . A12 Food & Wine . . . . . . . . A14 Legals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A18 Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A4 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A15
but I tend to think of the topic like a home mortgage…to be paid off in the long run with careful planning,” Barth said. She also said that many cities are in peril because of pension costs, but said that Encinitas is in better shape. This is in part because the city’s burden for medical costs isn’t as great as most California cities. And the city is in a better position to contribute more toward pensions if need be, because Encinitas’ revenue hasn’t declined as much as other cities during the economic downturn, Barth said. “I fully recognize that there are a lot of cities in trouTURN TO PENSIONS ON A17
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The Encinitas City Council agreed to enter into negotiations with the Encinitas Union School District with the goal of buying the dilapidated Pacific View site. Some residents maintain that the site should be used as an arts center. File photo
Encinitas to look at buying Pacific View site By Jared Whitlock
ENCINITAS — City Council voted unanimously at Wednesday night’s meeting to consider purchasing the Pacific View school site from the EUSD (Encinitas Union School District). “There’s no question that it would be great if we could acquire the property on terms that make sense,” Deputy Mayor Lisa Shaffer said. Shaffer added that she would like the city to have a communitywide discussion on the possible uses of the Pacific View property outside of the limits of council meetings. Dates and the exact format of those future discussions weren’t set. In a letter dated March 4, EUSD Superintendent Tim Baird asked the city to entertain the idea of buying Pacific View at fair market value. Baird’s letter went on to say that if the city doesn’t want to enter into negotiations, the district would like to sell the property on the open market. A dozen public speakers said that they would like to see the Pacific View property transformed into a community arts center. Echoing others, resident David Chase said that’s more likely to happen if the city buys the property. “I hope that you keep
in mind how many artists we have, and how many in the public we have who want to see and hear those artists,” Chase said. Piper Lacy said that Pacific View should be transformed into an arts center to preserve Encinitas’ cultural heritage. She said an arts center would benefit children, because there aren’t many kid-friendly places in downtown Encinitas. “It’s very important — and it’s been brought up throughout this — the children need a place,” Lacy said. Several speakers said Pacific View could host a charter school, though some residents weren’t crazy about the idea. The property, which is located along Third Street in downtown, was gifted to the city in 1883 as a school site. In 2003, it closed due to declining enrollment. Since then, various plans for the property have fizzled out. Most recently, Art Pulse, a regional arts group, wanted to create an arts complex and build as many as seven homes on the property. Doing so required council to rezone the property by Oct. 30 of last year. But the zoning change wasTURN TO PACIFIC VIEW ON A16