As part of the general election held in November, our City Council has returned to a full five-person council. In District 2, Keith Blackburn retained his spot on the council. He is a 33-year resident of the city of Carlsbad and is a retired police officer. Council Member Blackburn served the last 33 years of a 40-year law enforcement career here in Carlsbad. He was originally elected in 2008 and has served since then, having won reelection in 2012, 2016 and now 2020. District 4 will have its first representative in the new district system with Teresa Acosta having won that seat. Council Member Acosta is a ten-year resident of Carlsbad. She raised her child here, started her business, taught community college and more. She is a first-time elected official. I had a chance to catch up with both of them recently to chat about what they see for Carlsbad in the future.
Council Member Acosta
What are you most looking forward to as a new city council member in Carlsbad?
District 4 hasn’t had a councilmember on the Carlsbad City Council for ten years, and I’m looking forward to being the voice for South Carlsbad! Our area has unique issues, such as older infrastructure, distance from the historic center of Carlsbad, and four overlapping school districts. I am also looking forward to bringing to the City Council the skills I have developed as a small business owner, including collaboration, consensus-building, and communication.
What challenges do you see in the community that need attention over the next four years?
Over the course of my campaign, I have been listening attentively to my neighbors in District 4 to identify our community’s top challenges and potential solutions. These are the issues that have risen to the top:
- We need to protect our environment and preserve our open spaces.
- We need to improve our public infrastructure in South Carlsbad.
- We need to support our small businesses and help them weather the challenges brought about by the pandemic.
What opportunities do you see for Carlsbad in the next few years?
With the district election system, we have seen greater community engagement from diverse parts of the city, and with that comes an opportunity for us to build a stronger relationship with our residents, businesses, and neighbors.
I also see opportunities for us to actively implement our Community Vision. Through land use policy and infrastructure management, we can ensure we are protecting open space and the natural environment, promoting sustainability, and allowing for active, healthy lifestyles, while supporting our diverse economy and workforce.
Lastly, the pandemic has forced many of us to work remotely, leading to opportunities for all of us to incorporate ways to work and gather virtually in the future.
Council Member Blackburn
What are you most looking forward to as a new city council member in Carlsbad?
I am excited to continue the great work that has been done by this council for the past decades. This council has always been very fiscally responsible, and we are seeing that pay off now with all the challenges coming from COVID-19. Our citizens have not experienced any major drop-offs in service during this pandemic. The city staff all deserve tremendous credit for that.
What challenges do you see in the community that need attention over the next four years?
Without a doubt, the COVID backlash will affect our businesses for several years. This recovery is going to be long and challenging.
What opportunities do you see for Carlsbad in the next few years?
We have some great things that have been in the works for several years that are making significant progress at this time.
Our fiber optics upgrades at our traffic signals is getting closer to completion. There will be some inconvenience as some streets get torn up to complete this, but in the end, we expect 30% less wait time at red lights in our city. We will also have more abilities to control traffic flow from a command central during peak impacts. That will be a major upgrade to our circulation element.
Having been in public safety for so long, I have long been concerned about the fact that we only have 3 ambulances in our city. A city our size with attractions such as the beach and LEGOLAND should have more. We recently received back a study that we commissioned that suggested we add another ambulance to our fleet. There are still details to work out, such as staffing and where to locate it, etc., but this will be a great addition to our fire department and will aid in decreasing response times to emergencies.
Lastly, I am looking forward to moving forward with our plan to “trench the tracks” in Carlsbad. This has been a long discussion here locally. Not only will this be a boon for the Village once it is completed, but it will improve emergency responses and improve safety. SANDAG has predicted that rail traffic for commerce purposes could quadruple in the next 20-30 years. I am optimistic that we can get this done sooner rather than later at this point.
Congratulations to our new city council members. We look forward to working with you to help make Carlsbad the best place to live, work, play, visit, shop, and vacation!