March 14, 2024
The Local Basket Wins 2024 Escondido AgX Startup Hackathon
New grand challenges brought forth ideas in seed, soil, food logistics, and agriculture ecosystem innovations in a competition led by The City of Escondido and Fresh Brewed Tech:
Team The Local Basket took home top honors in the City of Escondido’s second AgX Startup Hackathon on Saturday, March 9. The team included Eric Westreich of iValue Global, Antonio Villanueva, Saian Ford, and Gustavo Vazquez, all from ArkusNexus. The latter three team members plus 10 other hackathon participants traveled from Mexico to participate. The winning concept, The Local Basket, enables farmers to find new revenue paths by building demand for their produce with themed farmer baskets ordered directly from consumers. The subscription-based app facilitates pre-orders, helping farmers gauge demand and connecting consumers with growers through stories and experiences linked to their themed baskets. This concept is now live and taking pre-orders. The concept was an entirely different idea when pitched Thursday night and iterated through many customer interviews on Day 2 and 3.
Read the full article here.
Interacting with the City, and Staying Informed:
- See something that needs to be fixed? To report potholes, graffiti, and discarded debris, use Report It!
- You can pay your utility bill and apply for a business license or permit utilizing our Online Services
- Curious about what is being built around town? To see up-to-date major project updates, visit the Major Projects Dashboard
- Never miss a class…register for recreation classes and leagues using our Online Registration
BY THE NUMBERS
Code Compliance:
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Total Code Cases (Year to Date)
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33
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Graffiti Restitution:
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Collected Last Week
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Collected Year to Date
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$.96
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$414.96
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BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT UPDATES:
Escondido Business News
“Urban Corps opens e-waste drop-off site in Escondido” – North Coast Current
“Escondido hires new consultant for Lake Wohlford Dam replacement” – The Coast News Group
Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Resources
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Request for Assistance from SBDC – Follow the link to request assistance from the San Diego SBDC Network. You will be contacted within the next 1-2 business days.
Free Online Business Training Topics
City of Escondido Economic Development Contacts
Request a Meeting with Our Team
Thinking about starting a business? Already have a business and need additional support? Have a property and looking for tenants or starting improvements? Reach out and we can help you navigate City and community resources to achieve your goals.
The Economic Development Team are always available to help with questions or connecting you to the right resources. Do not hesitate to reach out!
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POLICE DEPARTMENT UPDATES:
Patrol Officer Larson conducted a traffic stop on two documented Westside gang members. 58 grams of meth was located in plain view which led to the arrest of one documented gang member from the Westside gang. Detective Guerrero responded out and wrote a search warrant (night service) on a known gang house in Escondido. With the assist of a small SWAT contingent and patrol, the warrant was served. Two more gang-members exited the home. The search revealed drug paraphernalia, ammunition, and gun holsters. Detective Guerrero located an EPD laptop which had been stolen from a vehicle burglary some weeks back.
Detective Spinos coordinated an ABC operation on March 9 with SID and patrol assets. The operation was a “Shoulder Tap” style which consisted of two female police cadets posing as 18-year-olds standing outside of gas stations and asking people to buy them beer. SID conducted surveillance and patrol was nearby in the event of a takedown. A total of five arrests were made for this operation and all suspects were released at the scene on citations.
The Police Department also held their promotional ceremony last week. Congratulations to all!
Community Resources
FIRE DEPARTMENT UPDATES
Escondido Fire is happy to share that a new Fire Engine is currently being built and will be delivered to us very soon. From start to finish, these engines are equipped with safety in mind for both firefighters and the public. Therefore, we are proud to be a recipient of such an incredible vehicle for our City.
On March 7, 2024, Escondido Fire joined fire departments from all over San Diego County in the annual Burn Institute “Fill the Boot” drive. All proceeds benefit the Burn Institute’s fire and burn prevention education programs and burn survivor support programs, such as Camp Beyond the Scars for Burn-injured children 8-17 years old. We’d like to say “Thank You” to all who donated, as every amount counts.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT & ENGINEERING
Permits and Inspections:
Building Division:
- The counter staff conducted in-person meetings with 89 applicants, processed 61 applications, and issued 69 permits.
- The total permit valuation for the week was $8,535,549.00
- Building inspectors completed 207 inspections.
Field Engineering Division:
- Field Engineering processed 51 permits
- Field Engineering inspectors completed 45 inspections
- Field Engineering has 330 active permits
Development and Capital Projects Update:
Curious what’s happening with development projects around the City? The link below directs to an interactive dashboard of projects currently in various stages of the development process. Browse project descriptions, see locations on the map, browse photos and more.
City of Escondido Project Dashboard
To learn about previous applications for residential and commercial development permits, please visit the Development Project Information Archive page or contact the Planning Division.