City budget hearing dominated by habitat preservation issues

By: BARBARA HENRY - Staff Writer | Tuesday, June 15, 2004 11:01 PM PDT ∞

CARLSBAD ---- There wasn't any mention of purchasing open habitat space in Carlsbad's proposed budget for the coming fiscal year, but most of the people who spoke at a city budget hearing Tuesday had that desire on their minds.

"I've seen the massive development going on, and to be honest, it's staggering and somewhat sad," said Richard Van Every, a Carlsbad photographer, as he urged the city council to preserve what's left.

He was the first in a series of eight speakers led by Allison Rolfe of North County Open Space Coalition and Diane Nygaard of Preserve Calavera. Their organized lobbying effort also included at least 20 other people at Tuesday's meeting who donated their speaking time to Rolfe.

Speakers ranged from an American Indian who said he was concerned about preserving the area's heritage to a woman who opposed big-box retail stores and said city employees were "pro-developers."

Her charge brought a response from Mayor Bud Lewis, who said if she wanted to attack someone, she should attack the council ---- not the staff.

Though council members said the city wasn't going to be purchasing any open space until they're sure their Habitat Management Plan is completed, the speakers kept coming to the podium and stayed long after they gave their commentary. Some promised as they left the meeting that they'd be back again.

Carlsbad leaders thought their habitat plan was nearly done four years ago, only to learn that the California Coastal Commission decided to do an extensive review of it. That process is in its final stages, city Planning Director Michael Holzmiller said.

While the Preserve Calavera supporters pushed the city to think long term, two tennis players asked the council to find an immediate solution to their problems. They repeated what a coalition of tennis players had stressed at a recent community forum on the budget: the shared tennis court arrangement with Carlsbad High School isn't working and the city needs to build more courts.

The city plans to build a $3 million tennis complex with courts and a clubhouse at Poinsettia Park in the next decade. Council members asked the tennis players if they should build it now, or just build a few courts.

"I would prefer just the courts," tennis player Jane Zappia responded.

Doren Curtiss, a member of the Carlsbad Senior Tennis Club, disagreed, saying he'd rather they built the entire complex.

"It will also be the envy of every other city in North County," he said, commenting that there's nothing else like it in the area.

Council members said they will rule on the tennis court issue next week when they vote on the city's budget for the coming fiscal year, which begins July 1.

Carlsbad's proposed general fund budget for the new fiscal year is $90.5 million. That is an increase of 6.6 percent from the 2003-04 budget of $84.9 million. General fund money pays for police officers, firefighters and other city services.

Most of the money in the budget ---- 65 percent ---- goes for personnel costs, which are up 14.8 percent because of increasing workers' compensation costs, additional health insurance expenses and previously established salary increases, city staff members have said.

Carlsbad's proposed 2004-05 capital projects budget ---- the city's budget for big-ticket construction projects ---- totals $52.5 million. The largest category ---- 30 percent ---- is to be spent on sewer projects, though 15 percent of the money is proposed to go for new parks.

Contact staff writer Barbara Henry at (760) 901-4072 or bhenry@nctimes.com.

First name only. Comments including last names, contact addresses, email addresses or phone numbers will be deleted. All comments are screened before they appear online, so please keep them brief. Comments reflect the views of those commenting and not necessarily those of the North County Times or its staff writers. Click here to view additional comment policies.