CARLSBAD — The Carlsbad City Council on Tuesday completed its annual reorganization of committee assignments, appointing members to various regional boards, subcommittees and joint powers authorities for the coming year.
Mayor Keith Blackburn emphasized continuity in the appointments, stating that longer tenures allow council members to gain expertise and advance within their respective roles.
“I like to keep people on their different assignments as long as possible, because they start to learn it much better, and they start to become a little bit more established and actually work their way up to being the vice chair and then the chair with enough time,” Blackburn said.
Key Assignments
- Mayor Pro Tem: Councilmember Priya Bhat-Patel was appointed without opposition.
- SANDAG board of directors: Councilmember Kevin Shin was named the primary representative in a 4-1 vote. While Blackburn initially supported Councilmember Melanie Burkholder, he voted for Shin to ensure strong backing. “I want Mr. Shin to go in with a good amount of support,” Blackburn said.
- North County Transit District (NCTD): Bhat-Patel will continue as the primary representative, with Shin as the alternate.
- Chamber of Commerce Liaison: Shin was appointed as the primary liaison, with Blackburn as the alternate.
- Encina Wastewater Authority: Blackburn and Shin were appointed as primary representatives, with Councilmember Teresa Acosta noting that the alternate role is seldom utilized due to overlapping meeting schedules.
