PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID ENCINITAS, CA 92025 PERMIT NO. 94
THE COAST NEWS
.com MAKING WAVES IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
VOL. 29, N0. 40
OCT. 9, 2015
SAN MARCOS -NEWS
Carlsbad to restructure . water rates
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By Steve Puterski
Diego chapter of the California Restaurant Association. “The alternatives are drastically more expensive. They will likely wind up taking their business elsewhere.” Restaurant representatives said that in addition to being more expensive, the alternative products don’t work as well as Styrofoam in insulating hot or cold foods. At least one restaurant chain, Surf Brothers Teriyaki, switched from alternative products back to Styrofoam after numerous customer complaints. The city has been exploring a ban on expanded polystyrene products — the generic name for Styrofoam — for more than a year. The ubiquitous packaging product has been seen by officials as a nuisance that winds up polluting local beaches and waterways. Officials with San Diego’s chapter of the Surfrider Foundation said that
CARLSBADTHE — Water rates are set to rise. VISTA The City Council NEWS here approved on Tuesday to move forward with restructuring rates throughout the city. The action item moves to a public hearing Dec. 1 and if approved, will be implemented Jan. 1, 2016. City staff calculated a 6.84 percent increase or $1.78 to $27.81 for single-family homes, 9.67 RANCHO percent ($0.29) for multiSFNEWS family, about 11 percent (nearly $.50) for commercial and schools would be 4 percent ($0.08). Carlsbad Senior Accountant Aaron Beanan said $1.5 million from the operating reserve is being used to “stabilize the rates.” If those funds were not used, the raise would have been 16 percent for potable water. The new proposal structure as follows: Single-family residential units will remain a flat monthly charge, although second dwelling units will be 50 percent of the single-family flat rate. Multi-family units are 90 percent of water usage and commercial is 95 percent and schools is based on the number of students. The large volume designation was removed and may be added later if such a company enters Carlsbad. A Wastewater cost of service study was completed last month by Carollo Engineers. According to the study, the new structure does not create an increase in revenue for fiscal year 2015-16. Instead, it rebalances the rates due to state-mandated water reductions and accounts for “minor shifts between customer classes” from changes in usage patterns. After this fiscal year, however, a 3 percent in-
TURN TO STYROFOAM ON A18
TURN TO WATER ON A18
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In Gardens Green
Jerry Streff, left, goes over some planting techniques with Karen Gershenfeld at the newly opened Encinitas Community Garden. Gershenfeld said she plans to plant some kale, broccoli and lettuce on her plot that already has a milkweed plant, some rosemary and a pin wheel. See more photos on page B6. Photo
by Tony Cagala
Restaurant association opposes Styrofoam ban By Aaron Burgin
BRIAN STRANGE
CalBRE #01866160
MARIA DAMIAN
CalBRE #01422858
ENCINITAS — A powerful lobbying arm for California’s restaurants has come out against Encinitas’ proposed ban on Styrofoam food service products. The California Restaurant Association’s San Diego County chapter submitted a letter Oct. 2 to the City Council informing them of the group’s opposition, several days after a number of local restaurant owners packed a public meeting in September to implore the city to kill the ordinance. Officials with the restaurant association said that the city’s ban could drive restaurants out of business or out of the city, as the cost of alternative food service packaging could be as much as triple the cost of Styrofoam packaging. “To force this on someone with razor-thin (profit) margins, it is really hard for them to do,” said Chris While the city of Encinitas considers a ban on Styrofoam food service products, the California Restaurant Duggan, governmental af- Association’s San Diego Chapter has come out against it because of the impacts it would have on local fairs director for the San restaurants. Photo by Bigstock
50 Years In the Neighborhood! Call Maria & Brian at (760) 420-0400 or email info@encinitasbeachhomes.com www.encinitasbeachhomes.com
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