Encinitas City Council received a first‑quarter briefing on the FY2025–26 city council work plan during a special meeting in October, City Manager Jennifer Campbell told the council. The work plan covers July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, and staff said it contains six strategic focus areas, nine goals and 76 discrete objectives.

“Out of that, 65 are green. 11 are yellow, which means we made progress on the goal … and none were red,” City Manager Jennifer Campbell said, summarizing staff’s assessment. The update itemized lead departments and quarterly milestones meant to keep the council and public aligned on progress.

Why it matters: the update bundles dozens of operational and policy projects — from temporary fire stations and homelessness services to stormwater asset mapping and updates to the general plan’s circulation element — into a single scorecard the council can monitor quarterly. Council members pressed staff for more detail on a handful of yellow items that need further work or external approvals.

Fire stations and public safety

Campbell told the council that temporary Fire Station 1 is “almost ready to open” and that an RFP for design and environmental work on a temporary Fire Station 6 has been awarded. The presentation framed these items as part of a public‑private partnership conversation to identify costs and permanent solutions once temporary facilities and council direction are in place.

Council members also discussed wildfire preparedness and the citywide evacuation work. Fire Chief Gordon said the gap analysis and recommended next steps are now on the Public Health and Safety Commission work plan and that Cal Fire will present pros and cons of a full evacuation guide to that commission for follow up.

Homelessness services

Campbell reported that Crystal Pugh joined the city in September as the new homeless program coordinator and that staff will bring an RFP to council for case management, outreach and housing navigation services — including a proposal from San Diego Rescue Mission — on the November 12 agenda. Staff described the proposed service structure as two full‑time case managers and one dedicated housing navigator delivered under contract, plus a city‑hired housing services manager.

Stormwater, GIS and facilities data

Staff said all city‑owned storm drain pipelines have been identified in the city GIS and that the city has issued an RFP for storm drain pipe inspections; the consultants’ award is expected to return to council in quarter 2. Dan Nutter, Director of Engineering, told the council the current fiscal year contains funding to start a prioritized condition assessment but that funding for a full storm‑drain master plan has not been approved. Council members and staff estimated a master plan would cost “roughly half a million” dollars if funded.

The council also heard that the city awarded a facilities assessment contract that will include a digital scan and creation of a building model to be integrated with ArcGIS Indoors. Megan Cervantes, multimedia and spatial intelligence supervisor, described the goal as reducing manual re‑entry of “as‑built” data by having developers or contractors deliver GIS/CAD files that can be imported directly into the city’s system.

Circulation element, Active Transportation Plan and state law

Planning staff told the council the circulation element of the general plan needs revision to incorporate requirements from Senate Bill 932, which, effective Jan. 1, 2025, requires a high‑injury network analysis and alignment with the Federal Highway Administration’s safe systems approach. Staff said the required impact analysis is already part of the city’s Comprehensive Safety Action Plan (CSAP) and that the circulation element update must be coordinated so the Active Transportation Plan and the Climate Action Plan are consistent with the new circulation text. No firm date for final council hearings was set; staff said more resources or a consultant would accelerate the schedule.

Other items the council flagged for follow up

- Native plant ordinance: outreach meetings were held in March and June 2025; staff completed CEQA exemption documentation and scheduled a joint UFAC (Urban Forestry Advisory Committee) and Environmental Commission joint meeting for Nov. 4 before returning the draft to council.

- Solar on municipal buildings: the council approved a contract amendment in 2025 to allow the Energy Policy Initiative Center to conduct a cost‑benefit analysis of Climate Action Plan measures, including rooftop solar on municipal facilities; staff expects results in quarter 2.

- Grants, grant writing and AI: staff identified scenarios where AI might be used to support grant writing; council previously authorized funding in the 2025 budget for grant‑writing services housed in the city manager’s office. Council discussed adopting a central grant‑writing coordinator model used by some peer cities.

- My Encinitas app and instructional videos: the city launched a video campaign and is tracking downloads. IT Director Jessica Contreras said the monthly download goal is 108; staff reported recent monthly totals of 111, 164 and 116. Some users reported a persistent login issue; staff said they will investigate device‑specific problems and asked users to report platform details through the app.

Schedule and next steps

Councilmembers agreed to continue quarterly updates and to schedule the next report after the second quarter in January. Staff said the city intends to repeat the strategic planning workshop in February so council priorities can inform the FY2026–27 budget. Several councilmembers urged earlier check‑ins on the circulation element and related plans and suggested a special meeting in December or additional public workshops to gather community input before major policy decisions.

“Alignment … is the hardest part of her job,” Deputy Mayor Lyons said of the city manager’s role in coordinating council direction and staff implementation, urging continued quarterly milestones and clearer interim milestones on yellow items.

The meeting closed with staff confirming that the council’s annual work plan and the first‑quarter update will be posted online for the public.