The Encinitas City Council will take up red-light cameras, homeless shelter funding and sewer regulations at its Wednesday, Sept. 16 meeting.

The meeting begins at 6 p.m. at City Council Chambers, 505 S. Vulcan Ave.

Red-light cameras return to the agenda

One week after the council discussed a possible red-light camera pilot program on Sept. 9, the Sept. 16 agenda includes a formal recommendation letter from the Mobility and Traffic Safety Commission. The commission voted 5-1 in February to urge the council to restore cameras citywide, with Commissioner Ron Medak the sole dissent.

The push for cameras intensified after 12-year-old Emery Chalekian was struck and killed April 25, 2025, crossing Encinitas Boulevard at Village Square Drive. Driver Eddie Segendo, 44, is alleged to have run the red light. The intersection sits one block east of where the city once operated cameras.

Bridget Chalekian, Emery's mother, told the commission in February: "She did everything right. She followed the law. She trusted the system that is supposed to protect pedestrians, and that system failed her."

Under Senate Bill 720, the Safer Streets Act that took effect in January, red-light violations are civil penalties starting at $100 rather than criminal citations that once cost roughly $500. Cameras photograph the rear license plate. Facial recognition is prohibited. No points go on a driver's license.

Encinitas operated cameras for about 16 years at El Camino Real intersections before removing them in spring 2020, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported. Before the city can select a vendor, state law requires an Automated Traffic Enforcement System Impact Report and a public comment period.

City Traffic Engineer Bandegan is the staff contact for the item.

Homeless shelter: two options on the table

The council will also weigh extending its agreement with the City of Vista to operate the Buena Creek Navigation Center shelter program. Staff recommends authorizing the city manager to execute a memorandum of understanding (MOU) extension through Dec. 31, 2026.

The 48-bed regional facility in Vista opened in 2024. It is a low-barrier shelter that admits people with substance abuse or mental health challenges.

Council members face two shelter options. Option A would continue the current 12-bed program at Buena Creek, including the Retread contract and Santa Fe House master lease, through Dec. 31, 2026. Option B would shift to up to 12 dedicated beds at the San Diego Rescue Mission's South County Lighthouse and end the Buena Creek beds.

Staff also recommends applying for non-competitive state Permanent Local Housing Allocation (PLHA) Cycle 2 funding, which does not require Housing First criteria. That distinction matters: the council voted 4-1 in late June, with Councilmember Joy Lyndes opposed, not to pursue a separate nearly $4 million state encampment grant, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

Deputy Mayor Jim O'Hara said in late June, when the council rejected that grant: "Just because someone wants to give us money doesn't mean it aligns with what we're doing."

Homeless Program Coordinator Pugh and Department Manager Anders are the staff contacts.

Sewer ordinance and other business

The council will hold a public hearing on Ordinance 2026-19, which would amend Encinitas Municipal Code Title 18 covering sanitary sewer rules. Finance Manager Stratakis is the staff contact. The specific changes in the ordinance were not detailed in the published agenda.

The consent calendar includes adoption of Ordinance 2026-17 updating development impact fees and the fiscal year 2025-26 Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER) for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. A separate action item would launch a one-year pilot Native Plant Incentive Program to distribute southern California native plants at two city events.

How to weigh in

Residents can email comments to [email protected] with the agenda item number in the subject line. Virtual speakers can register at publiccomment.encinitasca.gov and call (760) 334-5039, entering meeting code 1186. Registration opens within 24 hours of the meeting.

The next regular council meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 23.