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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2009-11-03; City Council; 20033; Citizen Presentation Regarding Options for Trail Safety EnforcementCITY OF CARLSBAD - AGENDA BILL 20,033AB# MTG. 11/03/09 DEPT. CM CITIZEN PRESENTATION REGARDING OPTIONS FOR TRAIL SAFETY ENFORCEMENT DEPT. HEA CITY ATTY. CITY MGR. RECOMMENDED ACTION: To receive a presentation from Fred Sandquist, President of the Batiquitos Lagoon Foundation, regarding options available to enhance Trail Safety Enforcement. ITEM EXPLANATION: The City Council provides an opportunity for citizens and organizations to have an item placed on a City Council Agenda by submitting a request to the City Manager. Attached is a request (Exhibit 1), from Fred Sandquist requesting that the City Council receive a presentation relating to the options available to enhance Trail Safety Enforcement. FISCAL IMPACT: None. EXHIBIT: 1. August 21, 2009 letter from Fred Sandquist. DEPARTMENT CONTACT: Rob Houston (760) 434-2958, rob.houston@carlsbadca.gov FOR CITY CLERKS USE ONLY. COUNCIL ACTION: APPROVED DENIED CONTINUED WITHDRAWN AMENDED D D D D D CONTINUED TO DATE SPECIFIC CONTINUED TO DATE UNKNOWN RETURNED TO STAFF OTHER -SEE MINUTES Council received tVie report. D D D E Batiquitos Lagoon Foundation Preserve, Protect, and Enhance /!? * <£ ;/ AU6 2009 * August 21,2009 :" ^J^SSS* £, Ms. Lisa Hildabrand City Manager City of Carlsbad 1200 Carlsbad Village Drive Carlsbad, CA 92008 Subject: Consideration of Grants, Part-time Staff, and Other Options for Trail Enforcement - A Request for Discussion with City Council Dear Ms. Hildabrand, As you know, the Carlsbad City Council asked City staff to research trail safety issues which resulted in Trail Safety Enhancement: A report to the City Council on the management of Carlsbad's trails, adjacent habitat and open space (December, 2008). This document summarized many problems and issues regarding trail safety and rule enforcement but resulted in the recommendation not to fund Rangers. It is our understanding that the decision was a financial decision, resulting from the tough economic times in the U.S. The Batiquitos Lagoon Foundation (BLF) participated with representatives from the Police and Parks and Recreation Departments in a trail patrol and enforcement goal setting process. We really appreciated Michael Shipley's and the other goal team member's effort in this endeavor. Unfortunately, however, it appears that economic considerations prevented the City from acting on the recommendations proposed, especially concerning Ranger funding. The problem of "Public Trails on Private Property" with little or no City-funded patrol and rule enforcement remains, with the economic downturn possibly escalating it as people have more free time. Property damage as well as trespass resulting from the presence of these trails remains a key trail and open space issue. The BLF strongly feels that we need to think outside the box and be creative by investigating other ways to address Ranger funding and tapping into our very large cadre of volunteers. It seems the only consideration was to hire full-time staff, but some of the problems could be addressed through part-time and seasonal staff hires, grants to non-government organizations (NGO's) like the BLF, other City of Carlsbad lagoon foundations (e.g., through Carlsbad Lagoon and Wetlands (CLAW) coalition) and the Center for Natural Lands Management (CNLM). COPY P. O. Box 130491 Carlsbad, California 92013-0491 • 760.931.0800 • www.batiquitosfoundation.org in discussion with Markus Spiegelberg of the CNLM on August 20, 2009, we understand that Ms. Kulchin recommended that a presentation be made to the City Council concerning potential options and that you would help get on the Council agenda. The BLF strongly endorses this strategy and welcomes the opportunity to join with CNLM in making such a presentation. We understand that the CNLM spends close to $15,000 annually keeping people out of Box Canyon, which is primarily accessed off the City's Ridgeline Trail. We also understand that they spend more money during the entire year patrolling and enforcing rules, such as Dogs on Leash, on this trail and other City trails in the La Costa Villages Development area. We support the CNLM's position that the City should share some of this cost, since the Ridgeline Trail, and the City's public outreach events linked to this trail, invites people into the area. In addition, the City Police Department will not enforce No Trespassing at Box Canyon without CNLM present on the Property, which becomes time consuming for CNLM staff. The same is true for other City trails, such as the North Shore Trail and the trails on the newly-acquired Mitsuuchi Property to the northeast at Batiquitos Lagoon. The BLF and Aviara Master Association have given the Carlsbad Police Department authorization to independently enter their properties and enforce trail rules, however this competes with other public safety needs and remains a low policing priority. BLF volunteers have been performing trail enforcement through non-confrontational public education means with limited success. We have also worked with California Department of Fish and Game and California State Parks management to address enforcement issues, but they, too, have very severe financial and staffing problems. The BLF and CNLM believes that the City should consider part-time Rangers such as the ones hired that work full-time for the City of San Diego and County of San Diego, but seek additional work to earn more income. They work 4- ten hour days for the City of San Diego and County, and like to pick up an extra day of work. The benefit is that most have 5 to 10 years of experience as Rangers, and come fully trained (PC 832 and other training). So no training is required. Although they will not have citation authority, their employment will build more "presence" on affected properties, which is what is desperately needed. Part-time Rangers funded by the City could be hired by the City, or local non-profit environmental groups through grants, to assist in hot-spot locations, such as Batiquitos Lagoon and Box Canyon/Ridgeline Trail that have been well known for problems. Just a random presence will go a long way to demonstrate to the public that trail patrol and rule enforcement is taken seriously by the City of Carlsbad. These Rangers usually request an hourly rate of about $20-25/hour, plus $0.55 per mile. They may require radios, or a cell-phone. In short, it would not be a costly expense to the City. If you cannot hire on a part-time basis, we ask that the Council consider grants to groups like the BLF and CNLM to contribute towards our cost of enforcing the problems associated with City trails on private property. We understand that the cost to hire a Ranger to patrol the Batiqurtos Lagoon North Shore Trail and the former Mrtsuuchi Trail System once a week for 4 hours would be about $10,000. The BLF supports CNLM's position that the Council recognizes that hiring Rangers saves the City money as the City's Police Department will spend less time responding to calls and concerns from these hot spots. Ranger presence will reduce these problems. To summarize, the BLF and the CNLM would like you, based on the recommendation of Ms. Kulchin, to help us get scheduled on the Council agenda as soon as possible so that we can explain our position and ideas to the City Council. We appreciate your consideration on this very important issue. Feel free to contact me at (760) 918-2408 or via email at president@batiquitosfoundation.org if you have any questions. Sincerely, Fred C. Sandquist President cc: Mayor Pro Tern Ms. Ann Kulchin Markus Spiegelberg, CNLM Carlsbad Police Department Select Trails: Rail Trail, Batiquitos Lagoon, Box Canyon, and Lake Calavera Officier Initiated Activity and Calls for Service January - October 2009 Of the 146 total incidents on these trails, 104 (71%) of them are officer initiated Officer initiated activities include extra patrol, foot patrol, security checks, information sharing, etc Of the 42 calls for police service, most are for municipal code violations, trespassing, and disturbances All Receive-Agenda Item #__!_. For the Inform nf ion of the: CITY COUNCIL Asst CM CAJ^OJ^T Date //\2"CitvManagetifCr"" CC Rail Trail Calls for police service Officer initiated activities Total I X 13 20% 52 80% 65 Batiouitos Lagoon Calls for police service Officer initiated activities Total # * 11 38% 18 62% 29 Lake Calaveras Calls for police service Officer initiated activities Total 2 % 8 36% 14 64% 22 Box Canyon Calls for police service Officer initiated activities Total 10 33% 20 67% 30 All Four Trails Calls for police service Officer initiated activities Total #4£/v^ 42 29% 104 71% 146 Presented to:City of Carlsbad, City Council Tuesday, November 3, 2009 Presented by: Fred C. Sandquist, President The Batiquitos Lagoon Foundation (BLF) Post Office Box 130491 Carlsbad, CA 92013-0491 www.batiquitosfoundation.org Telephone: (760) 931-0800 Trail Safety Enforcement (Agenda Item 9. AB #20,033) Objectives Create a stakeholder partnership to address current and future city-wide open space and trail enforcement needs, investigate options and funding opportunities, and, as appropriate, conduct pilot projects to test and verify concepts that will work. To Gain City Council Endorsement PRESENTATION Introductions & Acknowledgements Objectives Background –Trail Safety Enhancement Goal Team Report –Dec 2008 –City’s Trail System –Now & Future Challenges –Problem Overview –Current Enforcement –City & Private Proposal Overview Assumptions / Constraints / Issues Some Expected Benefits Questions Introductions & Acknowledgements •Work To Date •Key Stewards & Stakeholders City’s Trail System –Now & Future Challenges Future Challenges •More Trails Being Built •Intra / Inter Trail Connectivity •Coastal Rail –Trail •HMP Wildlife Corridors •Regional Trails Integration •Mitigation Opportunities Now Problem Overview -Serious Box Canyon: •At Least 2 Deaths •Dangerous to Patrol •Cliff Diving & Partying (Advertised on the Internet By Diver) Other Problem Overview Unauthorized Trails (Batiquitos & Mt. Calavara Graffiti, Gang, & Hate Symbols Human Waste Key City Enforcement Players CA State Parks Carlsbad Police CA Dept. Of Fish & Game Center for Natural Lands Management Carlsbad Dept of Parks & Recreation Private Landowner’s Enforcement Option -Today Submitted & Renewed Every Six Months by Property Owner or Authorized Agent Should Include Access Points (e.g., Satellite Photo) & Any Posted Notices / Enforcement Rules Proposal Overview •Proactive approach •Build on excellent work by existing cadre of stakeholders •Create Stakeholder partnership to lead effort •Develop & conduct demonstration pilot -Show Short-term Results •Explore using part-time rangers, police, game wardens who wish to earn extra income •Get Grants / Business Sponsorships / NGO Support •Develop mid –long-term plan for a sustainable enforcement program Assumptions/Constraints/Issues •Revenue neutral -reconsider in future years •Partnership created with stakeholders lead by NGO •Obtain grants & other funding for program sustainability •Research Legal & liability impacts •No firearms for any part-time enforcement officials •Identify reasonable training requirement needs •Consider future trail / open space expansion & needs •Emphasis on public education & outreach over penalty-based enforcement •Research & identify public safety hot zones & how to deal with them •Focus on program sustainability Some Expected Benefits •Increased public safety & enjoyment •Partnership with stakeholders •Revenue neutral to City while economy recovers •Pilot projects used –Show short-term results •Focuses on sustainability & future growth •Sustainable program developed by stake-holders Questions?