The summer season begins in Del Mar in less than a month, bringing with it a wealth of exciting events, but also a large influx of crowds and traffic.
As one of the smallest cities in San Diego County, Del Mar has just about 4,000 people. But on any given day in the summer, more than 100,000 people could come to town. Within four months, the city hosts the San Diego County Fair, the Del Mar Horse Racing season, the Kaaboo concert weekend and also some of the busiest beaches in the area.
"That's part of the city's story, we're used to it," says long-time Del Mar resident Bettina Experton. "The Council knows how to handle it."
The Del Mar City Council will meet Monday, May 7th, to discuss their plans for the 2018 season.
They'll add $50,000 to the budget for Sheriff's Department overtime. That helps put extra deputies on patrol to watch for petty theft, car break-ins and other small crimes near the beach. The city also adds lifeguards on busy weekends.
To help defray the costs, parking is strictly enforced throughout the summer, with another officer added to patrol the meters. People have to pay for parking seven days a week in some areas, with meters going until 10 pm on weekends.
"We provide services for close to 5 million people a year," says Vice Mayor Dave Druker. "Somehow we need to pay a little bit of those services through our parking enforcement. Plus our lifeguards are on duty 365 days out of the year."
The Council meeting begins at 4:30 at Del Mar City Council Chambers, 2010 Jimmy Durante Blvd, Suite 100.
