May 27, 2021

Memorial Day 2021

City facilities will be closed on Monday, May 31 in honor of Memorial Day. Normal hours will resume on Tuesday, June 1. Emergency services are always available.

Escondido Public Library Foundation Commissioning New Mural

The Escondido Public Library Foundation has commissioned muralist Julia Anthony to paint the outside west wall of the Library building with a dazzling and colorful mural. The two options up for consideration are shown below. Please share your opinion of which you like by taking the poll below. The poll will be open until 5 p.m. on Monday, June 7.

Click Here to Share Your Opinion!

Fitness Court Breaking Ground in Kit Carson Park

In the fall of 2019 the City was selected by the National Fitness Campaign as one of 200 locations nationwide to open the world's best free outdoor gym - the Fitness Court. Escondido's first Fitness Court is located in Mountain View Park. The City will be installing 5 courts in total, with the next in Kit Carson Park near the sand volleyball courts. Construction will start next week and will take 6 - 8 weeks to complete. More information about the Fitness Courts can be found here.

May 20, 2021

City of Escondido Budget Update

The City of Escondido's Annual Operating Budget is one of the most important tools in providing a City that is safe, clean, and run efficiently. The Operating Budget projects short-term revenue and expenditures related to providing day-to-day services. A separate capital improvement budget projects long-term revenue and expenditures for major projects such as roads, park improvements, and pipelines.

In spite of many positive economic developments, federal aid packages, and a robust vaccine rollout in recent months, COVID 19 negatively impacted revenue. Plus, an already difficult structural budget gap, and increasing pressure for City services, especially in traffic safety and homelessness worsens the problem. The City again faces a deficit, anticipated at $8 million. Staff has recommended that the City Council approve the use of the one-time source of funds from the Successor Agency Redevelopment Loan repayment and funds from the Section 115 Pension Trust Fund. Additionally, the American Rescue Plan will provide funds to ease the economic impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic. It is important to remember that these are one-time sources of money and don't solve the longer-term problem.

According to the most current Office of Traffic Safety data, in a category of 59 California cities of similar size, Escondido ranks 9th for fatal and injury crashes. The proposed budget includes a strategy to improve traffic flow and safety throughout the City by providing the resources to improve the City's infrastructure, operate a responsive transportation system and address transportation safety.

Homelessness is a national, statewide, regional, and local challenge. The City recently created and reviewed a "Strategy for Addressing Homelessness" with the City Council to articulate and implement the best approaches for addressing community impacts while being sensitive to the importance of tackling underlying causes and helping people; however, the current staffing does not meet the City's needs to carry out the strategy and meet the demand for service. The proposed budget provides the additional resources necessary to address this issue.

In the short term, the current budget recovers from COVID and addresses two significant public issues, traffic safety and homelessness. In the long run, staff continues to recommend that the community consider a revenue measure to put Escondido's finances on a sound footing on a permanent basis. The City Council will make the final decision on the Fiscal Year 2021/22 budget on June 9. You can watch the discussion of the preliminary budget here, and view the budget document here .

SDG&E's Bear Valley Parkway Replacement Project Update

Substantial progress has been made over the past month on the Bear Valley Parkway Replacement Project. To date, the project is approximately 75-percent complete. Since the start of construction in November 2020, San Diego Gas and Electric Company (SDG&E) crews have trenched more than two miles along Bear Valley Parkway between San Pasqual Valley Road and Beethoven Drive and installed 11,000 feet of new pipe.

To accommodate increasing school and other traffic along Bear Valley Parkway as COVID-19 restrictions ease, crews have switched to overnight work for the next 6 to 8 weeks. Reduced traffic lanes may be necessary along Bear Valley Parkway between Las Palmas and Beethoven Driven between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. until May 31. Residents and businesses along Bear Valley Parkway will have in and out access during this time. More information about this SDG&E project can be found here .

SANDAG Bike Anywhere Week

Pledge to go by bike during Bike Anywhere Week, May 16 - 22. You can bike to work, school, the store, the beach, or just around your neighborhood. Explore your community and discover why the Escondido and the San Diego Region is one of the best places in the country to go by bike!

Take the pledge , pick up your free t-shirt, find a self-guided activity, or join a virtual event.

For more information about Bike Anywhere Week, including safety tips and the San Diego Regional Bike Map, visit the iCommute website, call 511 and say "iCommute," or email iCommute@sandag.org .

County Emergency Rent Assistance Extended

The County's 2021 Emergency Rental and Utilities Assistance Program (ERAP) helps eligible households in qualifying areas who have been financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The program provides payment assistance for renters who need help with rent and utilities. Applications will be accepted until funds are no longer available. Find more information here .

Escondido Vaccination Site Success

Last weekend, volunteers and staff celebrated the accomplishments made at the Escondido COVID-19 Resource Clinic over the past three months. The vaccination site for our community was a high priority several months ago, and a coordinated effort with Palomar Health made it possible at the downtown hospital parking garage. That effort just wrapped up with 30,000 vaccines administered to residents in our community.

Thank you to all the volunteers and staff for serving Escondido at the COVID-19 Resource Clinic! Check out the volunteer appreciation video here.

More information about vaccines and where to get vaccinated can be found on the County of San Diego's website.

Queen Califia's Magical Circle Re-Opening

Great news, Escondido! Queen Califia's Magical Circle is making its return and re-opening to the public! The circle will be open on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of this month (May 8 and 22) from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will return to its original schedule in June: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. - noon and the 2nd & 4th Saturdays of the month.

COVID-19 safety protocols will be in place and masks will be required. More information about Queen Califia's Magical Circle can be found here .

Annual Operating Budget

The annual operating budget document is one of the most important documents produced by the City. It reflects the strategic goals and key outcomes of City services. A guide on understanding the budget can be found here .

During next week's City Council meeting (May 12) the preliminary budget will be shared. View the document ahead of the meeting beginning on Friday, May 7 here.