[0:02] here Council Member Von Wilpert

[0:03] Council Member Council

[0:07] PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee

[0:08] Councilmember Campo Council

[0:08] Member Moreno Present Council

[0:11] Member Ella Rivera and Council

[0:16] PRESIDENT LaCava.

[0:17] Thank you Clerk I notice that

[0:17] Council member Whitburn has

[0:21] entered chamber so please mark

[0:22] him as present and we do in

[0:22] fact have a quorum.

[0:25] We will begin this morning with

[0:26] an invocation by Clark Fuentes

[0:27] followed with the land

[0:30] acknowledgment and the Pledge

[0:30] of Allegiance led by council

[0:35] member Campbell Grant.

[0:36] Those who hold office in this

[0:39] city the spirit of wisdom,

[0:40] charity and justice that with

[0:41] steadfast purpose they MAY

[0:44] faithfully serve in their

[0:45] offices to promote

[0:50] the well-being of all people we

[0:50] respect.

[0:51] We acknowledge that the county

[0:55] our nation are the original

[0:55] inhabitants of the land now

[0:58] known as San Diego.

[0:59] Despite enduring the horrors of

[1:08] genocide and colonization and

[1:09] to their ancestors who fought

[1:10] to protect their culture and

[1:14] land today they carry their

[1:14] legacy forward with their

[1:15] traditions continue to thrive

[1:22] in gratitude and respect.

[1:23] We stand with the truly ancient

[1:23] and connected to our past and

[1:28] committed to a thriving future

[1:28] .

[1:33] I pledge allegiance to the flag

[1:33] of the United States of America

[1:37] and to the Republic for which

[1:38] it stands one nation under GOD,

[1:39] indivisible, with liberty and

[1:45] justice for all.

[1:50] Clark, please go over how

[1:51] the public can offer their

[1:51] testimony.

[1:52] >> Thank you, Council PRESIDENT

[1:55] I'll highlight the slide on

[1:56] the screen that reviews how

[1:56] the public can offer their

[1:57] public testimony today.

[1:59] If you are in person please

[2:00] complete a speaker slip looking

[2:01] at the entrance of chambers and

[2:01] bring it to the front of

[2:04] the room.

[2:05] No in-person testimony will be

[2:05] taken once the Council begins

[2:06] Virtual testimony for better

[2:08] meeting management purposes

[2:09] each speaker will have one

[2:10] minute per item per person.

[2:14] If you are in the virtual queue

[2:14] now's the time to raise your

[2:15] hand for closed session.

[2:16] Thank you Council PRESIDENT All

[2:16] right.

[2:17] Thank you With that please read

[2:18] the closed session items into

[2:23] the record conference with your

[2:23] counsel Existing litigation

[2:24] pursuant to California

[2:27] Government Code Section 5495

[2:28] 6.91 is this one Dorset William

[2:32] Jane versus City of San Diego

[2:33] Siesta is Jacob Tresco versus

[2:33] City of San Diego c.

[2:37] S three is Rodney atl High

[2:38] versus City of San Diego.

[2:38] C.

[2:41] S for is livable San Diego

[2:41] versus City of San Diego.

[2:42] Conference with Property

[2:42] negotiator pursuant to

[2:45] California Government Code

[2:49] Section 54956.865 Property

[2:50] seven then market 55,000 square

[2:51] foot site located downtown San

[2:54] Diego between seventh sixth

[2:54] Avenue Market Street and Island

[2:55] Avenue.

[2:58] Under negotiation price and

[2:59] payment terms related to

[3:00] unsolicited offer for

[3:02] the potential redevelopment of

[3:03] the seventh and market site

[3:04] located on the block bounded by

[3:07] seventh sixth Market Island in

[3:08] downtown San Diego.

[3:09] Conference with existing Legal

[3:09] Counsel Existing litigation

[3:12] pursuant to California

[3:13] Government Code Section 5495

[3:17] 6.90 166 Brianna Cooper versus

[3:18] City of San Diego Conference

[3:18] with Legal Counsel Anticipated

[3:19] litigation Initiation of

[3:22] litigation pursuant to

[3:23] California Government Code

[3:26] Section 5495 6.94 is a seven

[3:27] number of cases one going to

[3:27] those participating remotely

[3:32] because there is nobody here in

[3:32] person.

[3:33] So I sorry at the five minute

[3:36] timer starting with Andrea

[3:37] Irving if you can please let me

[3:37] know which item or items you

[3:41] wish to speak to.

[3:42] >> I was just speaking to

[3:45] the closed session litigations

[3:45] .

[3:46] Which one?

[3:49] There are seven.

[3:50] >> I'll take the last one you

[3:54] said okay.

[3:58] So I wish us all the best of

[3:59] luck in these litigations

[4:03] because you know we have and

[4:04] things are emerging obviously

[4:04] look at our harm reduction

[4:05] team, right?

[4:09] They were supposed to be

[4:09] passing on our count but

[4:10] instead they're going to

[4:13] plastic surgery and hiding all

[4:13] that medication or whatever

[4:14] that was reversal drug under a

[4:18] tarp in Alpine under 123

[4:19] whether also included in

[4:22] the deal is information that

[4:23] was distributed about this

[4:27] thing is clear that we are not

[4:28] charging people for major

[4:28] narcotics.

[4:33] We were going to test their

[4:33] drugs for them.

[4:34] We're going to test their drugs

[4:35] to make sure they were safe to

[4:37] consume, safe to consume.

[4:38] >> I mean the whole thing is

[4:38] backwards So GOD help us.

[4:41] I have no idea what these

[4:42] litigations actually are.

[4:43] But what I do know is that

[4:46] we're in big trouble as a city

[4:47] and a county and all

[4:47] the malfeasance, all

[4:50] the corruption is shining and

[4:51] it's rearing its ugly head and

[4:52] it is horrifying.

[4:56] >> Thank you.

[4:56] Thank you.

[4:57] Next is Blair Beckerman If you

[4:59] can please unmute after that is

[5:00] 8700 please let me know which

[5:01] item or items you wish to speak

[5:05] to.

[5:05] >> All right.

[5:09] Where Beekman I wanted to speak

[5:10] to item five.

[5:11] >> You'll have one minute.

[5:14] Please proceed.

[5:15] Yeah.

[5:15] Um.

[5:15] Hi.

[5:19] Blair Beekman.

[5:20] It's 35.

[5:21] It's an item about development

[5:23] issues for the seventh and

[5:24] market area.

[5:24] I don't know if it's actually

[5:28] bounded by sixth Avenue.

[5:29] I don't know if this is exactly

[5:32] the place, but there's a huge

[5:32] parking space on between

[5:33] seventh and eighth Avenues That

[5:38] is of interest to myself.

[5:39] I don't know if that is this

[5:42] item.

[5:42] There is a hotel on the corner

[5:43] of this large parking lot that

[5:46] you want to redevelop.

[5:47] It's a very, very old hotel and

[5:51] it has a deep history of

[5:52] African-American heritage

[5:57] African-American history about

[5:57] it that I hope whatever

[5:58] development will be there in

[6:03] the future that will honor that

[6:03] building what we should be

[6:07] about.

[6:08] It's important affordable very

[6:08] truly affordable housing is a

[6:12] good idea.

[6:13] >> We think in those terms.

[6:13] Thank you.

[6:14] Thank you.

[6:18] And 8700 if you can please

[6:18] unmute and let me know which

[6:20] item or items you wish to speak

[6:25] to.

[6:25] >> Thank you.

[6:29] Item 126 please.

[6:30] >> You'll have three minutes.

[6:30] Please proceed.

[6:34] Jason Yeah the cd three Number

[6:35] one Even though the letter of

[6:39] the law the First Amendment

[6:39] rights drives the litigation

[6:43] the spirit of the law must

[6:44] drive the outcome of both

[6:48] involved with fairness ingested

[6:48] justice.

[6:49] Dear Public Take a look at

[6:54] qualified immunity Two words

[6:58] qualified immunity See as two,

[6:59] three and six cracks, trenches,

[7:03] potholes, skateboards,

[7:07] bicycles, motorcycles.

[7:08] The only way to get our arms

[7:09] around these obstacles is

[7:13] the public needs to point them

[7:13] out.

[7:14] The public need to do their own

[7:18] safety advocates see be alert

[7:19] and aware and the city needs to

[7:23] do their best and we're all

[7:28] doing our best to hold them in

[7:29] the paper on floor for us for a

[7:33] challenge.

[7:34] I am glad we are reigning in

[7:37] secure at state levels.

[7:38] We must all work together to

[7:41] shape sustainable development

[7:46] that serves all the side 17

[7:46] market.

[7:50] This feels like my third

[7:51] lifetime in this project site.

[7:55] The first two were very bumpy

[7:56] Dear Robert Green Company team

[8:01] put on top of your to do list

[8:05] for the seventh and market

[8:08] deals one people one San Diego

[8:12] and ditto for council Mayor and

[8:13] all involved in this price in

[8:18] payment terms thank you all for

[8:19] your consideration.

[8:19] Have a beautiful week and love

[8:22] you all.

[8:23] Thank you.

[8:23] That concludes public comment

[8:24] on the closed session agenda.

[8:24] All right.

[8:25] Thank you.

[8:27] City clerk We will now recess

[8:28] in the closed session and

[8:28] reconvene council today at 2

[11:19] And

[12:33] thank you

[14:03] for

[16:00] your

[16:00] All right.

[16:01] Good afternoon.

[16:07] I will now reconvene the City

[16:08] council meeting of Monday

[16:08] FEBRUARY 23rd, 2026.

[16:09] Clerk Please call the roll.

[16:13] Thank you.

[16:14] Council PRESIDENT Council

[16:14] Member Campbell Councilmember

[16:18] Whitman Council Member Foster

[16:18] Councilmember Von Wahlberg's

[16:27] Council PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee

[16:28] Councilmember Campo Council

[16:29] Reno Present and Council Member

[16:31] Ella Rivera present.

[16:32] Would you like to make your

[16:39] statement?

[16:45] Councilmember Lerer We did hear

[16:46] you here in council chambers if

[16:46] you'd like to say your

[16:47] statement for the record.

[16:50] >> Yeah, I'm notifying

[16:51] the council that I will be

[16:52] attending the meeting today

[16:52] remotely due to just cause

[16:57] related to child care.

[16:58] So it's about act and

[16:58] disclosing that there are no

[17:02] individuals 18 years of age or

[17:03] older present in the room with

[17:04] me and I will update this

[17:04] disclosure a change during

[17:08] the course of the meeting And

[17:09] for the record I do need to

[17:15] call council PRESIDENT To cover

[17:16] PRESIDENT Also taking

[17:17] the meeting or is this the city

[17:17] attorney Leslie Fitzgerald

[17:18] Independent budget Analyst

[17:21] Charles Monaco Council Affairs

[17:22] Affairs Advisor in the mayor's

[17:23] office got advisor and myself

[17:23] for City Clerk Diana Fuentes

[17:24] Thank you.

[17:27] Council PRESIDENT All right

[17:27] thank you.

[17:28] Without a quorum is now present

[17:28] We'll start off if are there

[17:33] any comments from the mayor's

[17:34] office to the council members

[17:34] or the attorney and the budget

[17:39] analyst or the city clerk not

[17:39] seeing any.

[17:40] I'll move right along.

[17:40] So before the clerk goes over

[17:43] the public how the public can

[17:44] offer their public testimony

[17:44] just a notice to the public.

[17:49] We do have we had a morning

[17:50] session.

[17:50] We're having an afternoon

[17:51] session and we're going to have

[17:54] an evening session starting at

[17:55] 6:00.

[17:55] We will be taking public non

[18:00] agenda public comment after

[18:00] this afternoon session.

[18:01] We're not going to make you sit

[18:05] through the 6:00 session for

[18:05] that.

[18:06] So again at the end of this

[18:11] afternoon's session we will

[18:12] take public knowledge into

[18:13] public comment whether you're

[18:18] in person or remote after we

[18:19] take that agenda public comment

[18:19] the council will then recess

[18:24] and reconvene at 6 P.M. For our

[18:24] evening meeting That will take

[18:25] public input on the development

[18:29] of the fiscal year 2027 budget.

[18:30] So again non agenda public

[18:30] comment will be taken at

[18:35] the end of our current session

[18:36] the afternoon session and then

[18:36] we'll reconvene at 6 P.M. So

[18:40] with that clerk please proceed

[18:41] with how public can offer their

[18:41] testimony.

[18:42] >> Thank you.

[18:42] Council PRESIDENT I'll

[18:47] highlight the slide on

[18:48] the screen that review to

[18:49] the public and offer the public

[18:49] testimony during this

[18:50] afternoon's meeting.

[18:52] The order can be found on

[18:53] the agenda Summary found online

[18:54] or at the table in the back of

[18:54] the room.

[18:55] If you are in person please

[18:57] complete the speaker Slip

[18:58] looking at the entrance of

[18:59] chambers and bring it to

[18:59] the front of the room and place

[19:04] it in the clear box Council

[19:05] ambassadors are available in

[19:06] the entrance of chambers and

[19:06] can assist with questions and

[19:07] speakers Lips no further

[19:11] in-person testimony will be

[19:11] taken once the council begins

[19:12] Virtual testimony.

[19:13] Thank you, Council PRESIDENT

[19:13] All right.

[19:13] Thank you.

[19:16] And with that please introduce

[19:20] item 200 item 200 as the fiscal

[19:21] year 2026 mid-year budget

[19:21] monitoring report.

[19:22] If you'd like to speak to this

[19:26] item, now's the time to raise

[19:27] your hand by pressing Star nine

[19:28] or the raise your hand icon or

[19:29] if you are participating here

[19:33] in person please be sure to

[19:34] submit your speakers up to

[19:34] the front of the room in

[19:35] the clear box for better

[19:36] reading management.

[19:36] Thank you.

[19:39] Council PRESIDENT All right.

[19:39] Thank you.

[19:40] And as our good folks from

[19:40] the Department of Finance

[19:45] settle in, please identify

[19:46] yourself for the record and let

[19:47] us know how much time you need.

[19:51] >> Good afternoon, Council

[19:52] PRESIDENT Lacob and council

[19:52] members.

[19:53] I'm Ben Battaglia, director of

[19:54] finance and with me is Chris

[19:57] Purcell, Financial Operations

[19:57] Manager.

[19:58] We're here today to present

[19:59] the fiscal year 2026 mid-year

[20:03] budget monitoring report.

[20:04] >> And we'll need about 12

[20:05] minutes for our presentation.

[20:05] All right.

[20:09] When you're ready.

[20:10] This is the second budget

[20:10] monitoring report for

[20:15] the fiscal year in DECEMBER we

[20:16] presented the first quarter

[20:16] budget monitoring report to

[20:17] the city council.

[20:20] And this was based on only

[20:21] three months of financial

[20:21] activity.

[20:22] It also had a limited focus

[20:27] primarily on Major General fund

[20:27] revenues as well as over time

[20:28] projections for the police and

[20:29] fire rescue departments.

[20:32] The mid-year budget monitoring

[20:33] report was developed in

[20:34] coordination with departments

[20:34] based on five months of

[20:39] financial activity.

[20:39] It includes a full analysis of

[20:40] projected revenue and

[20:41] expenditures for all general

[20:44] fund departments as well as

[20:45] several non general funds.

[20:46] Since the release of the report

[20:50] there have been a few recent

[20:51] positive developments and we

[20:52] will discuss those with you

[20:52] today.

[20:56] The development of this report

[20:57] was a team effort.

[20:57] I'd like to thank all

[20:58] departments for their valuable

[20:59] contributions.

[21:02] We've requested departments to

[21:03] attend today to assist with any

[21:04] questions you might have.

[21:05] I'll now turn it over to Chris

[21:08] to walk through the specifics

[21:09] at a high level.

[21:09] >> The report projected general

[21:14] fund expenditures to exceed

[21:15] revenues resulting in a bottom

[21:16] line deficit of 16.8 million.

[21:19] This comprised the projected

[21:20] 13.6 million decrease in

[21:23] revenues and a slight 3.2

[21:24] million increase in

[21:24] expenditures.

[21:25] The decline in revenues was

[21:26] within both the major general

[21:29] fund revenue category and

[21:30] departmental revenues.

[21:31] While the increase in

[21:31] expenditures is primarily due

[21:36] to personnel expenditures since

[21:36] the release of the report we

[21:37] have received additional

[21:38] information that has a positive

[21:38] impact on the bottom line.

[21:42] These include the anticipated

[21:43] receipt of 8 million insurance

[21:44] proceeds related to flooding of

[21:48] the old Central Library

[21:49] provides that these unique

[21:50] franchise fees will have a

[21:50] positive $6 million impact on

[21:53] the general fund and additional

[21:53] sales tax distribution which

[21:54] increases our projection by 2.6

[21:55] million.

[21:59] These positive updates are

[22:00] slightly offset by the decline

[22:00] in transit occupancy tax of

[22:04] approximately 2,050,000 and

[22:05] the recent announcement of

[22:05] changes to Balboa Park parking

[22:08] which reduced anticipated

[22:09] revenue by 1.2 million.

[22:10] When factoring in these recent

[22:10] developments, the revised net

[22:15] projected activity is

[22:16] anticipated to be a deficit of

[22:16] 1.8 million as discussed in

[22:17] the report.

[22:21] Major general fund revenues

[22:22] were projected in the fiscal

[22:23] year 7.2 million under budget.

[22:23] The primary drivers of this

[22:27] decrease are the treated

[22:28] occupancy tax and other major

[22:29] revenue categories.

[22:33] Transit Occupancy Tax revenues

[22:34] in the general fund were

[22:35] projected in the fiscal year

[22:35] 7.4 million under budget due to

[22:39] a significant decline in

[22:40] international travel and terms

[22:41] growth in both leisure and

[22:41] business travel.

[22:42] As previously noted, recent

[22:46] updates have further reduced

[22:47] this revenue by an additional

[22:48] 350,000 but the major revenues

[22:51] were predicted in the fiscal

[22:52] year 6.7 million under

[22:53] the current budget due to

[22:53] reduced interest earnings and a

[22:56] decrease in the one city

[22:57] transfer driven by the noted

[22:58] decrease in total revenues.

[23:02] With the recent updates about

[23:03] the anticipated receipt of

[23:04] insurance proceeds, this

[23:04] projection would increase by 8

[23:05] million as now anticipated in

[23:08] the fiscal year.

[23:09] 1.3 million over budget.

[23:10] These are partially offset by a

[23:14] projected increase in property

[23:15] tax of 2 million due to

[23:15] increased collections.

[23:19] Additionally, sales tax was

[23:19] projected to be 2.1 million

[23:20] higher than assumed in

[23:21] the budget and this is now

[23:24] anticipated to increase by 2.6

[23:24] million.

[23:24] Lastly, franchise fees was

[23:25] projected to be 2.8 million

[23:30] over budget primarily due to

[23:30] increased tonnage at the Sigma

[23:31] landfill but with the cleanup

[23:32] payment recently received from

[23:32] Genie.

[23:36] This is expected to increase by

[23:37] an additional 4.5 million when

[23:37] including the updates after

[23:41] the release of our report.

[23:42] Major general fund revenues are

[23:42] now expected to exceed

[23:43] the budget by 7.5 million.

[23:48] The report included projections

[23:49] reflecting the anticipated

[23:52] decrease in departmental

[23:53] revenues of 6.4 million but

[23:53] this is now anticipated to be

[23:54] 6.1 million when including

[23:58] the recent updates.

[23:59] That reduction included a lower

[24:00] number of parking revenues in

[24:00] Parks and Recreation due to

[24:04] shift to the program's

[24:04] implementation timelines and

[24:05] adjustments to fee structures.

[24:06] And this has been further

[24:06] reduced by the recent

[24:10] announcement of changes to be

[24:10] implemented in MARCH.

[24:11] Details regarding public park

[24:12] parking will be discussed on

[24:15] the following slide.

[24:16] Additionally there were

[24:16] reductions anticipated for

[24:21] wayfinding kiosks, telecom and

[24:22] use of concession revenue

[24:23] within economic development.

[24:23] Reduced parking citation of

[24:24] parking meter reimbursement

[24:27] revenue and stormwater.

[24:28] And a continued decline in

[24:29] cannabis business tax revenue

[24:30] in city Treasuries.

[24:33] These decreases are partially

[24:34] offset by increases in fire

[24:34] rescue for reimbursements

[24:35] related to the junior lifeguard

[24:39] paramedic programs as well as

[24:40] strike team deployments.

[24:40] Police also anticipate

[24:41] additional reimbursements for

[24:45] work performed on special

[24:46] events.

[24:46] Lastly, offsetting some of

[24:47] the projected reduction in

[24:48] Parks and recreation is

[24:51] the portion of the increase in

[24:52] franchise fee revenue

[24:53] previously discussed which will

[24:57] be deposited into the bottom of

[24:57] the growth funds and to be able

[24:58] to reimburse eligible

[24:59] expenditures in the general

[25:04] fund.

[25:04] Here we see a breakdown of how

[25:05] the projections for our parking

[25:06] program have changed over time.

[25:10] The adopted budget was

[25:11] approved.

[25:11] The anticipated revenue for

[25:12] this program was 12.5 million

[25:12] based on city staff's

[25:15] assumptions and

[25:16] the modifications made by

[25:16] the City Council in SEPTEMBER.

[25:17] City staff presented to council

[25:22] an updated proposal for how

[25:23] rates could be structured to

[25:24] watch revenues that closely

[25:24] aligned with the amount

[25:27] included in the budget.

[25:28] This proposal is projected to

[25:29] generate 12.2 million in

[25:32] revenue approximately 3000 less

[25:33] than the budget assumed.

[25:33] The proposal was ultimately

[25:34] approved with an amended

[25:38] resolution.

[25:39] The implementation will begin

[25:39] only once quarterly annual,

[25:40] quarterly and annual passes

[25:44] were available and with

[25:44] modifications to the proposed

[25:45] fee structures.

[25:46] In NOVEMBER staff returned to

[25:50] council with the requested

[25:51] changes to the proposed fees.

[25:52] These changes included periodic

[25:56] passes to rate changes

[25:57] the hours of inspiration point

[25:57] resident versus nonresident

[25:58] rates and the delayed

[26:02] implementation to align with

[26:02] the availability of quarterly

[26:03] passes.

[26:03] Incorporating those changes

[26:04] resulted in a revenue

[26:07] projection of 3.7 million and

[26:08] represented a further reduction

[26:09] of 8.5 million from

[26:13] the proposal originally

[26:14] presented in SEPTEMBER for a

[26:15] total decrease of 8.8 million

[26:15] from the budget.

[26:20] Lastly, on FEBRUARY 6th

[26:21] the mayor announced he was

[26:21] expanding free parking zones

[26:22] for city residents and limiting

[26:26] parking enforcement to end at 6

[26:27] P.M. Rather than 8 P.M..

[26:28] These changes are expected to

[26:28] take effect in MARCH.

[26:32] With these changes, projected

[26:33] revenues are approximately 2.5

[26:38] million reflecting a further

[26:38] decrease of 1.2 million from

[26:39] the department projections

[26:42] included in the report and a

[26:43] total decrease of 10 million

[26:43] from the budget.

[26:44] The slide provides a breakdown

[26:48] of expenditure categories tied

[26:48] to city staffing.

[26:49] When combined personnel

[26:50] expenditure and fringe benefits

[26:53] are projected to exceed

[26:54] the budget by $15.1 million,

[26:55] the overage and personnel

[26:55] expenditures is mainly

[26:56] attributed to increased

[27:00] overtime cost of 12.9 million.

[27:01] This is primarily within three

[27:05] departments Fire Rescue to

[27:06] maintain constant staffing

[27:07] dispatcher training and

[27:07] deployment backfill.

[27:08] As noted, the increase is

[27:12] anticipated to be partially

[27:13] offset by increased

[27:13] reimbursements in police.

[27:14] This is due to support higher

[27:15] activity at special events and

[27:18] parking enforcement.

[27:19] And again this is projected to

[27:20] be partially offset by

[27:20] increased reimbursements.

[27:24] Lastly, transportation

[27:25] increases primarily to support

[27:26] emergencies and callbacks as in

[27:26] prior years.

[27:32] The projection does include an

[27:32] estimate for chalcedon

[27:33] the judgment of 3 million

[27:34] combined across salaries and

[27:36] fringe benefits to account for

[27:37] anticipated differences between

[27:38] what a department be project

[27:42] and your an actuals for non

[27:43] personnel expenditures and

[27:43] excluding fringe.

[27:44] These are projected to be under

[27:48] budget by 11.9 million.

[27:48] This includes a 2.8 million net

[27:49] decrease in contracts primarily

[27:54] due to a decrease in

[27:55] contributions to public

[27:55] liability fund as that fund

[27:56] received insurance proceeds

[27:59] that will be available to

[28:00] support current law payments.

[28:01] Those savings were partially

[28:02] offset by higher contractual

[28:05] equipment agreements and

[28:06] service cost across

[28:07] transportation, police parks

[28:07] and recreation and fire rescue.

[28:12] A 1.9 million decrease in

[28:12] information technology due to

[28:13] the fund's operational

[28:17] efficiencies and the use of

[28:18] their available fund balance to

[28:19] offset non-discretionary costs

[28:23] and a 1.4 million decrease in

[28:24] debt due to timing of

[28:24] the helicopter leases in fire

[28:25] rescue and police which reduced

[28:29] the anticipated number of

[28:30] payments in the current year.

[28:30] Offsetting these savings is an

[28:34] increase of 3.4 million energy

[28:35] utilities primarily in parks

[28:36] and recreation due to lottery

[28:36] changes.

[28:41] Lastly, we analyzed recent

[28:41] media reports of constituent

[28:44] actions Inc. An estimated $10

[28:45] million historical savings

[28:45] adjustment which is

[28:46] approximately 1.7% of projected

[28:50] expenditures.

[28:51] Here we have the requested

[28:52] appropriation adjustments for

[28:52] the general fund.

[28:56] We are requesting a

[28:57] reallocation of budget among

[28:58] departments with no bottom line

[28:58] impact.

[29:02] The savings within the general

[29:03] settings within the city wide

[29:04] program expenditures department

[29:04] are tied to the previously

[29:08] mentioned decrease contribution

[29:09] to the public liability fund

[29:09] and reallocating those savings

[29:10] will ensure continuity of

[29:15] operations and that required

[29:16] operations are met for the five

[29:17] departments noted in the table.

[29:20] For general funds each of these

[29:21] requests is supported by

[29:22] available fund balance in those

[29:22] funds and are critical for

[29:26] those funds to operate.

[29:26] Before we conclude budgeting

[29:31] about a look ahead at fiscal

[29:32] year 2027 as you remember

[29:32] the five year financial outlook

[29:36] released in NOVEMBER 2025

[29:37] reflected the projected

[29:37] baseline shortfall of 8.8

[29:38] million.

[29:41] Since the release of that

[29:42] report, the projected shortfall

[29:43] has increased by approximately

[29:43] 30 million due to increased

[29:48] expenditures and decreased

[29:48] revenues.

[29:49] Some items contributing to this

[29:53] increase are the removal of 5.8

[29:53] million property tax associated

[29:58] with the sale to a 5.6 million

[29:59] reduction treaty occupancy tax

[30:02] based on meter receipts and a

[30:03] 16.4 million increase in

[30:03] the pension payment.

[30:04] Based on the updated actuarial

[30:04] valuation.

[30:08] The city will need to be

[30:09] strategic in its reductions in

[30:09] service levels to address

[30:14] the projected shortfall which

[30:14] will be incorporated in a

[30:15] balanced draft budget released

[30:18] by the Mayor on APRIL 15th.

[30:18] To conclude, the report

[30:19] projects general fund revenues

[30:24] to come in under budget while

[30:25] expenditures are projected

[30:26] slightly over budget.

[30:26] Updates Since the report's

[30:30] release showing improvements in

[30:31] revenue but a deficit is still

[30:31] projected.

[30:32] If there are no more positive

[30:37] improvements, the general fund

[30:37] would need to draft

[30:38] the stability Reserve in

[30:39] the fiscal year balanced.

[30:39] We are requesting

[30:41] the reallocation appropriations

[30:42] between general fund

[30:43] departments to ensure

[30:43] continuity of operations and to

[30:48] beat record obligations without

[30:48] a bottom line impact.

[30:49] Mitigation efforts will

[30:50] continue to be implemented by

[30:55] departments and future reports

[30:55] will include updates on those

[30:56] efforts.

[30:58] Development of the fiscal year

[30:59] 2027 budget will be difficult

[31:00] and require strategic

[31:05] reductions in service levels to

[31:05] balance.

[31:06] The Department Finance will

[31:06] continue to monitor revenues

[31:07] expenditures and will release

[31:11] the fiscal year 2026 third

[31:12] quarter budget monitoring

[31:13] report on MAY 13th.

[31:13] That concludes the presentation

[31:17] on the Media Report And now we

[31:18] will turn it over to the police

[31:18] department so they can provide

[31:22] an update on their overtime and

[31:22] neighborhood policing as

[31:23] requested in the fiscal year

[31:24] 2026 appropriation ordinance.

[31:47] >> Chief, as you settle in

[31:49] introduce yourselves for

[31:50] the record and let us know how

[31:55] much time you will need.

[31:56] Good afternoon.

[31:56] Scott Walker, chief of police.

[32:02] I'm joined today by our cfo.

[32:03] We meet about 5 or 6 minutes.

[32:04] All right.

[32:08] Good afternoon.

[32:08] Council PRESIDENT.

[32:09] Like other notable

[32:10] councilmembers, we're here

[32:10] today to provide an update on

[32:11] two important areas required

[32:14] under the f y 26 appropriation

[32:14] ordinance.

[32:15] First is are police overtime

[32:15] spending.

[32:19] And the second is our

[32:19] neighborhood policing division.

[32:20] I bring with me today some good

[32:21] news.

[32:24] This update reflects real

[32:25] progress in how we are managing

[32:26] our resources while continuing

[32:31] to meet serious public safety

[32:31] challenges.

[32:32] Our department's overtime

[32:35] budget for f y 26 is about 45

[32:35] million.

[32:36] It is important to say that

[32:37] overtime remains a critical

[32:41] resource for our department as

[32:42] we are extremely with extremely

[32:42] low staffing levels.

[32:47] We rely on overtime to maintain

[32:47] service levels, maintain

[32:48] response times and support

[32:53] special operations.

[32:54] I've been very clear since

[32:54] becoming police chief.

[32:55] While overtime is necessary,

[32:59] achieving maximum efficiency

[33:00] with the limited number of

[33:01] officers we have and spending

[33:01] our overtime dollars

[33:02] responsibly are part of our top

[33:06] priorities.

[33:06] My commitment has been bringing

[33:07] our overtime spending back into

[33:12] budget in a to say this year.

[33:13] We did that for fiscal year 26.

[33:17] Are non cost recoverable

[33:18] overtime is on budget.

[33:18] We did that in part by putting

[33:19] each commanding officer on a

[33:24] budget and by shifting our

[33:25] focus to cost recoverable

[33:25] overtime areas like grants and

[33:29] special events.

[33:30] We anticipate being 3.4 million

[33:31] over budget in those cost

[33:31] recoverable areas.

[33:35] However, those areas are

[33:36] reimbursable.

[33:40] All told we're expecting to see

[33:41] a 6.5 million reduction in

[33:42] overtime spending compared to

[33:42] last year the largest year over

[33:46] year decrease in more than a

[33:46] decade.

[33:47] More importantly we were able

[33:48] to do it without negatively

[33:53] impacting response times.

[33:53] This reduction didn't happen by

[33:54] chance.

[33:59] We knew if we were going to

[33:59] significantly cut overtime

[34:00] costs we need we would need to

[34:01] take a hard look at how we

[34:04] track and manage those funds.

[34:05] We built an entirely new

[34:05] monitoring process that gives

[34:11] command staff a much clearer

[34:11] look into how we're spending

[34:16] those overtime dollars.

[34:17] That increased transparency

[34:17] allows for real time oversight

[34:18] and better decision making.

[34:22] The result is a leaner overtime

[34:23] budget and better stewardship

[34:23] of our employees on shift Now

[34:28] over to our neighbor policing

[34:28] division.

[34:29] When I restructured

[34:29] the department, one of my goals

[34:30] was to strengthen our efforts

[34:34] in the area of homelessness.

[34:35] To accomplish this I

[34:35] immediately shifted each

[34:36] academy class to spend three

[34:39] months working with

[34:40] the neighborhood policing

[34:41] officers, learning their craft

[34:41] and supporting them in their

[34:45] work.

[34:46] Homelessness remains one of

[34:47] the top concerns we hear from

[34:47] residents and it requires a

[34:52] consistent coordinated

[34:52] approach.

[34:53] Our department uses a

[34:53] progressive enforcement model

[34:57] that means officers work

[34:58] alongside service providers

[34:59] mental health clinicians,

[34:59] outreach workers and registered

[35:04] nurses to offer education

[35:05] outreach and support first.

[35:10] Enforcement is a last resort

[35:11] but it is an important tool

[35:11] When people are offered help

[35:12] repeatedly and understand that

[35:15] there are consequences for

[35:16] refusing services.

[35:16] We see better outcomes.

[35:22] This approach is not about

[35:23] criminalization.

[35:23] It's about using every part of

[35:24] the system to connect people to

[35:24] long term solutions.

[35:28] The strategy helped contribute

[35:29] to a decrease in the number of

[35:30] unsheltered individuals in

[35:30] the 2025 point in time count.

[35:35] The first decrease since 2020

[35:40] mpd operates with a budget of

[35:41] approximately 29.6 million with

[35:44] about 23% of that or 6.8

[35:45] million being in overtime.

[35:45] Importantly, the division is

[35:50] projected to be on budget this

[35:51] fiscal year while delivering

[35:51] measurable results for

[35:56] the community.

[35:56] Mpd work isn't always the most

[35:57] visible but it is very

[35:57] impactful.

[36:03] It was mpd that took the lead

[36:04] in enforcing our oversize book

[36:05] ordinance and vehicle

[36:05] habitation ordinances.

[36:08] So far they referred over 400

[36:09] individuals to the safe parking

[36:10] program at each barracks

[36:14] resulting in 94 successful

[36:14] placements.

[36:15] They've also helped to complete

[36:18] 245 abatements and removed more

[36:18] than 226 tons of waste from

[36:19] freeway on and off ramps

[36:19] downtown.

[36:24] Many of you have seen how that

[36:25] area had become out of control.

[36:25] These efforts significantly

[36:30] improved the health and safety

[36:30] in those areas.

[36:31] I've said it before and I'll

[36:32] say it again.

[36:36] Being fiscally responsible is a

[36:37] top priority for me as chief.

[36:38] The historic rate reduction and

[36:38] overtime spending and

[36:42] the responsible management of

[36:43] the Neighborhood Policing

[36:43] division reflects that

[36:44] commitment.

[36:44] We are focused on using

[36:48] taxpayer dollars wisely while

[36:48] continuing to deliver the level

[36:49] of service our community

[36:50] expects and deserves.

[36:55] Thank you and we'll be here if

[36:56] there are any questions later.

[36:56] All right.

[36:57] Thank you you for that

[36:57] presentation.

[36:59] I will now turn it over to

[37:00] the Office of the Independent

[37:01] Budget analyst MR. Monaco for

[37:01] your presentation.

[37:02] Thank you.

[37:07] Council PRESIDENT And council

[37:07] members.

[37:08] As my team comes up I know that

[37:09] I'll be joined for today's

[37:12] presentation by surgery

[37:13] Oncology and Jordan Moore.

[37:14] Although our whole team is here

[37:14] either in person or on

[37:18] the phone for questions, our

[37:19] office released a detailed

[37:20] analysis of the Media report on

[37:20] FEBRUARY 18th and we will cover

[37:25] that in this presentation.

[37:26] And so once you get settled in

[37:26] perfect go to the next slide.

[37:30] Our report specifically covers

[37:30] general fund revenue and

[37:31] expenditure and we provide

[37:32] additional context and updates

[37:32] to the mid-year projections.

[37:36] We also discuss additional

[37:37] items including the city's

[37:37] reserve homelessness programs,

[37:42] the Development Service Fund

[37:43] and the proposed appropriation

[37:43] adjustments that are included

[37:44] in the mid-year.

[37:44] Beyond that we include

[37:48] attachments to our report that

[37:49] provide a status update on

[37:49] various items including

[37:50] modifications for council made

[37:54] to the budget during

[37:55] the budget's adoption in JUNE

[37:55] as well as the status of

[37:56] positions that were eliminated

[37:57] in the current year's adopted

[37:57] budget.

[38:00] With that I will turn this over

[38:01] to surgical holding who will

[38:02] walk us through general fund

[38:02] revenues and expenditures.

[38:06] Thanks Charles.

[38:06] The major projects the Media

[38:07] report projects the city's

[38:11] general fund revenues to be a

[38:12] net $9.9 million below

[38:13] the budget of this major

[38:18] general fund revenues projected

[38:19] to end the fiscal year $7.2

[38:20] million below that budget or

[38:23] the department revenues are

[38:24] projected to be $2.7 million

[38:24] below the adopted budget.

[38:28] We'd like to note that the $2.7

[38:29] million $2.7 million

[38:29] departmental variance in

[38:34] the table differs from the $6.4

[38:35] million figure referenced in

[38:40] the year presentation.

[38:40] This difference is because our

[38:41] comparison is based on

[38:42] the mid-year projections

[38:47] the adopted budget while

[38:47] the audit compares projections

[38:48] to the current budget.

[38:49] The difference between

[38:52] the adopted budget and

[38:52] the current budget is primarily

[38:53] due to an increase in budgetary

[38:54] revenue for the Transportation

[38:55] Department which we will

[38:59] discuss later in this

[38:59] presentation or the next few

[39:00] slides will cover additional

[39:04] information and considerations

[39:05] and select revenue items.

[39:06] Starting off at Celltex.

[39:10] Well our office concurs with a

[39:11] current sales tax projection.

[39:12] There are some factors worth

[39:12] noting.

[39:16] Economists have described

[39:16] post-pandemic recovery as

[39:17] k-shaped with spending by

[39:21] higher income households

[39:22] growing while lower income

[39:22] spending declines.

[39:23] The reliance on consumer

[39:27] spending from high income

[39:28] households MAY be a result of

[39:29] high stock market returns and

[39:33] the growth of companies.

[39:34] This fiscal year sales tax

[39:39] growth MAY mask increased risks

[39:40] associated with a potential

[39:40] overheated stock market that

[39:41] could lead to a large impact on

[39:45] the city's sales tax revenue if

[39:45] the market cools.

[39:46] That said, elevated household

[39:51] spending MAY continue in

[39:51] the immediate future as

[39:52] consumers receive increased tax

[39:56] refunds from provisions in

[39:57] the One big Beautiful Bill Act

[39:58] which MAY act like a one time

[40:03] stimulus payment.

[40:03] One additional note on sales

[40:04] tax a city just recently

[40:08] received a cleanup payment for

[40:08] a second quarter fiscal year

[40:13] 2026 sales which came in $2.5

[40:14] million higher than anticipated

[40:14] in the Media Report.

[40:15] Similarly regarding franchise

[40:19] fees, the city was just

[40:20] recently informed that these

[40:22] cleanup payments for fiscal

[40:23] year 2026 would be $4.5 million

[40:29] above projections.

[40:30] Moving on to the transient

[40:30] occupancy tax, the general fund

[40:34] portion of total is projected

[40:35] to end the fiscal year $7.4

[40:36] million below the adopted

[40:36] budget.

[40:40] Overall total revenues

[40:41] projected to end the fiscal

[40:42] year at $19.4 million below

[40:46] the shortfall is partly due to

[40:47] reduced international travel to

[40:47] the United States because

[40:52] revenue received from

[40:53] the General Fund special promo

[40:54] programs and council

[40:54] discretionary portions of totty

[40:58] as well as revenue from

[40:58] the Total Homeless Fund are

[40:59] used to reimburse eligible

[41:00] general fund expenses.

[41:05] The decline in overall total

[41:05] revenue has a greater general

[41:09] fund impact than just the-$7.4

[41:10] million Million dollar

[41:10] variance.

[41:11] Additionally, since

[41:11] the publication of the mid-year

[41:15] report total has come in less

[41:15] than budgeted but to

[41:16] the projections for the month

[41:21] of JANUARY as well.

[41:22] This equates to an

[41:22] approximately $400,000

[41:23] reduction to the general fund

[41:27] in council discretionary

[41:28] portions of tlt and several

[41:33] departmental revenues starting

[41:34] off with the revenue from

[41:34] the paid parking program in

[41:35] the ballpark.

[41:39] The media report assumes that

[41:40] the program will generate

[41:41] approximately $3.7 million in

[41:41] revenue.

[41:45] This estimate was based on

[41:45] limited data following

[41:46] the implementation of the paid

[41:50] parking program on JANUARY 5th

[41:50] following the release of

[41:51] the mid-year report.

[41:51] However, the mayor announced

[41:55] certain modifications to pay

[41:56] parking program on FEBRUARY 6th

[41:56] including free parking for

[41:57] verified city residents at

[42:02] certain lots.

[42:03] With these modifications staff

[42:03] now projects the year end

[42:07] revenue from the paid parking

[42:08] program to be $2.5 million

[42:08] which is $10 million less than

[42:12] what was included in the budget

[42:13] .

[42:13] Additionally, expenditures to

[42:14] implement and operate

[42:15] the program are currently

[42:18] projected to be $505,000

[42:19] dollars.

[42:22] Under budget resulting in a

[42:22] projected $9.5 million net

[42:23] impact of the general fund

[42:28] regarding parking meter related

[42:29] revenue transfers from

[42:29] the Parking Meter Operations

[42:30] Fund to the general fund are

[42:34] projected to be $3.6 million

[42:35] less than budgeted.

[42:35] The shortfall reflects lower

[42:36] than budgeted revenues from

[42:41] initiatives including

[42:42] the budget such as event based

[42:42] pricing, double meter rates and

[42:46] expanded hours as well as

[42:47] increased expenditures related

[42:47] to meter expansions.

[42:48] These negative impacts are

[42:52] partially offset by additional

[42:53] unbudgeted revenue from loss of

[42:53] revenue fees and revenue

[42:54] collected from new parking

[42:54] meters.

[42:58] Additional information on

[42:59] the Parking Meter operations

[43:03] fund can be found in Attachment

[43:03] three of our report.

[43:08] The Mitchell Report projects

[43:08] $19.1 million in revenue from

[43:09] the cannabis business tax which

[43:14] is approximately $2 million

[43:15] lower than what was included in

[43:15] the budget.

[43:19] The shortfall is primarily due

[43:20] to continued decline in

[43:21] reported taxable gross receipts

[43:21] driven by increased competition

[43:25] from the legal market and

[43:26] increased wholesale prices from

[43:27] an oversupply of cannabis

[43:31] products.

[43:32] It remains unclear whether

[43:33] the 2% tax increase for retail

[43:33] outlets implemented in MAY last

[43:37] year has contributed to

[43:38] the overall projected shortfall

[43:39] by driving customers to other

[43:43] jurisdictions or the illicit

[43:43] market.

[43:44] Sales data suggest that

[43:45] the rate increase did not have

[43:49] a significant immediate impact

[43:50] on taxable sales as a down a

[43:51] downward trend was seemingly

[43:55] driven by preexisting factors.

[43:56] Moving on to homelessness

[44:01] department revenue $5.6 million

[44:01] from one time measure.

[44:02] Revenue from four homelessness

[44:06] collect collected in fiscal

[44:07] year 2025 was included in

[44:08] the mid-year report.

[44:08] However, rather than being used

[44:12] to offset the use of limited

[44:13] limited state app grants as

[44:17] contemplated in the most recent

[44:18] financial outlook is now

[44:19] projected to offset

[44:19] the decreases in total funding

[44:24] to supports homelessness.

[44:30] Shifting over to general fund

[44:31] expenditures, our report

[44:31] largely focuses on salaries and

[44:36] wages which are projected to go

[44:37] over budget by $18.2 million

[44:40] with the most significant cost

[44:41] being over time of $16.2

[44:41] million.

[44:42] We note that the departments

[44:43] with the largest overtime

[44:47] overages include fire rescue,

[44:52] transportation and police fire

[44:53] rescue is projected to be $6.8

[44:54] million over their overtime

[44:58] budget but the net impact of

[44:59] this is reduced to

[44:59] approximately $5 million when

[45:00] accounting for strike team

[45:05] deployment reimbursements.

[45:05] This overage is largely due to

[45:06] constant fire suppression

[45:07] staffing needs and increased

[45:11] fire dispatch overtime

[45:12] according to the fire rescue

[45:12] department.

[45:13] This use of overtime is

[45:13] necessary to backfill

[45:17] dispatcher positions while

[45:18] recent hires complete

[45:18] dispatcher training.

[45:23] The police department is

[45:24] projected to be $3.4 million

[45:25] over budget for overtime with

[45:29] the general fund impact being

[45:29] reduced to $1.1 million after

[45:30] accounting for revenue from

[45:31] reimbursable overtime

[45:35] activities including special

[45:36] events and grant or task force

[45:37] participation as well as

[45:41] enhanced parking meter

[45:41] enforcement.

[45:42] It's worth noting that pd's

[45:45] projected overtime expenditures

[45:46] in fiscal year 2026 are lower

[45:47] than actual expenditures in

[45:51] fiscal year 2024 and fiscal

[45:51] year 2025, indicating that

[45:52] the department's efforts to

[45:53] better manage overtime are

[45:57] proving effective and haphazard

[45:57] over to join a more to cover

[45:58] the most of the remaining

[46:03] slides.

[46:03] Thank you Sergio.

[46:07] So on this slide the first

[46:08] thing we'd like to point out is

[46:09] transportation salary budget

[46:12] which the media report projects

[46:12] to be $2.1 million over

[46:13] the adopted budget.

[46:14] The report notes that this is

[46:18] mostly due to the Department

[46:19] hiring at a faster pace than

[46:19] projected following the lifting

[46:20] of the request for process at

[46:24] the beginning of this fiscal

[46:25] year and prior to its

[46:25] reimposition at the release of

[46:26] the first quarter report.

[46:27] What this indicates to us is

[46:30] that vacancies in

[46:31] the department are lower than

[46:32] what has historically been seen

[46:32] within the department's overall

[46:36] budget.

[46:36] Regarding overtime

[46:37] transportation is projected to

[46:42] be $4.6 million over

[46:42] the adopted budget.

[46:43] However we do note that

[46:45] mid-year report shows overall

[46:46] only be $1.2 million.

[46:47] This is due to two previous

[46:47] actions taken by the council

[46:51] which included the waiving at

[46:52] the community parking districts

[46:53] which brought revenue into

[46:54] the general fund as well as an

[46:58] increased revenue related to a

[46:59] sidewalk sip.

[46:59] Both of these actions also

[47:00] included the authority to

[47:01] increase the Transportation

[47:04] Department's overtime budget.

[47:05] So we had both revenue and

[47:05] expenditures and that is what

[47:10] led to the variance that Sergio

[47:10] noted earlier.

[47:11] >> Overtime overages have

[47:12] become common for

[47:16] the transportation Department

[47:16] over the last several years,

[47:21] particularly since fiscal year

[47:21] 2023 overtime overages have

[47:22] grown substantially.

[47:22] Recent overages according to

[47:23] the department have largely

[47:28] been driven by increases in

[47:28] priority one emergency

[47:29] responses or additional dig

[47:29] other regulations.

[47:33] Additionally, historical

[47:33] overages have enabled increases

[47:34] in service levels performed by

[47:39] the Department that have not

[47:40] been budgeted.

[47:41] However, these increases have

[47:41] sometimes resulted in other

[47:46] services being reduced to keep

[47:46] the department within its

[47:47] overall budget allotment.

[47:52] Transportation noted to us that

[47:53] without additional overtime

[47:54] spending in the current year

[47:54] when we asked if they could

[47:57] pull back that they would be

[47:58] unable to generate the revenue

[47:58] currently assumed in

[47:59] the current budget.

[48:03] So our office suggests a

[48:04] misalignment between budgeted

[48:05] revenues and the level of

[48:05] expenditures required to

[48:09] generate those revenues.

[48:10] >> Accordingly we recommend

[48:10] the Department of Finance in

[48:11] coordination with

[48:14] transportation ensure that

[48:15] the fiscal year 27 proposed

[48:15] budget better align expenditure

[48:16] assumptions with revenue

[48:20] projections and that in

[48:21] the near term we recommend

[48:21] transportation limit overtime

[48:24] to adjust priority one

[48:25] emergency and storm response

[48:25] and or ensure that any

[48:26] additional overtime is directly

[48:30] tied to generating revenues

[48:31] consistent with the 26 budget.

[48:31] On Homelessness the Media

[48:36] Report projects expenditures

[48:37] will be $1.3 million lower than

[48:37] budgeted.

[48:38] However, what we do know is

[48:41] that there is a homelessness

[48:42] expenditure update that was not

[48:43] discussed in the Media report

[48:44] and this is the unknown cost of

[48:48] the JANUARY storm shelter

[48:48] relocation.

[48:49] For context following a storm

[48:53] on JANUARY 1st of this year

[48:53] the 64 Newton sprung shelter

[48:54] flooded requiring a temporary

[48:58] relocation of households to

[48:59] the San Diego municipal gym

[48:59] resulting in unanticipated

[49:03] relocation expenses.

[49:04] Hst anticipates absorbing these

[49:04] relocation costs using

[49:05] projected budgetary savings

[49:10] once cuts are known in MARCH.

[49:10] Other homelessness program

[49:13] updates include a combined

[49:14] $669,000 in projected savings

[49:18] due to staffing vacancies at

[49:19] the 20th and b and Allied safe

[49:22] sleeping sites as well as

[49:23] $140,000 in estimated savings

[49:23] from eliminating security

[49:24] services for public restrooms.

[49:29] Moving to the Development

[49:30] Services Fund report projects

[49:30] the fund's year in revenue to

[49:34] exceed expenditures by 11.7

[49:34] million.

[49:35] Increases in revenue are driven

[49:40] by increases in dsd fees that

[49:40] took effect on Made in MAY

[49:41] 2025.

[49:45] The implementation of a dynamic

[49:46] pricing model that charges fees

[49:46] based on time of invoicing

[49:50] rather than upon completed

[49:51] application submittal and

[49:51] increased billable work.

[49:52] The Development Service Fund

[49:56] balance began fiscal year 2026

[49:57] at-17.8 million with

[50:01] the projected revenue surplus

[50:02] the fiscal year anticipated to

[50:06] end with an improved balance of

[50:07] -6 million as a shortfall.

[50:08] The fund will continue with no

[50:10] reserve balance for fiscal year

[50:11] 26 and will not be its reserve

[50:15] policy target of 19.3 million.

[50:16] Dsd has no positive revenue

[50:16] impacts due to new state

[50:20] building code updates according

[50:20] to the department.

[50:21] Historically the month

[50:24] preceding quarter updates

[50:24] typically sees a 20 to 40%

[50:25] increase in permitting activity

[50:29] in DECEMBER of 2025 the month

[50:30] before the latest code update.

[50:30] Department revenues exceeded

[50:34] mid-year projections by $3

[50:34] million.

[50:35] This amount will be reflected

[50:39] in the third quarter report.

[50:40] >> The mid-year report projects

[50:40] a $16.8 million revenue

[50:41] shortfall.

[50:45] However, subsequent to its

[50:46] release the Department of

[50:49] Finance was informed of an

[50:49] offsetting $8 million in

[50:50] anticipated insurance proceeds

[50:51] related to flooding damage at

[50:55] the old Central Library.

[50:55] Consequently, if your activity

[50:56] were to equal the mid-year

[50:57] revenue expenditure projections

[51:01] adjusted for additional surance

[51:02] proceeds, the General Fund

[51:02] Reserve would need to be tapped

[51:05] by $8.8 million and this table

[51:06] shows the impact on

[51:06] the reserve.

[51:09] >> With a reserve balance of

[51:10] 207 million, the impact of

[51:13] tapping the reserve by 8.8

[51:14] million would bring the balance

[51:15] to $64.6 million less than

[51:15] the Reserve policy target for

[51:19] this fiscal year of 262.9

[51:19] million.

[51:20] Given how the city's fiscal

[51:24] challenges have impacted recent

[51:25] budgeting process,

[51:25] the Department of Finance is

[51:26] currently working with

[51:27] the mayor's office on proposed

[51:30] revisions to the Reserve policy

[51:30] which are anticipated to be

[51:31] presented later this fiscal

[51:36] year.

[51:36] It is important to consider

[51:37] that there is always some

[51:38] uncertainty in the media

[51:38] projections and you've heard

[51:41] some of that from Department of

[51:42] Finance here this morning.

[51:45] Some other significant areas of

[51:45] uncertainty in fiscal 2026

[51:46] include impacts of departmental

[51:50] mitigation directives such as

[51:51] the request to fill process

[51:51] suspension of discretionary

[51:52] spending and non-essential

[51:56] overtime and the zero based

[51:57] review of external contracts.

[51:58] Departments MAY also be able to

[52:01] identify additional savings as

[52:02] the year progresses including

[52:02] through the potential

[52:03] implementation of fy 2027

[52:07] expenditure modifications.

[52:07] However, the Department of

[52:08] Finance also has incorporated

[52:12] an overall general fund

[52:13] expenditure savings adjustment

[52:17] of 10 million of $30 million

[52:17] which is based on historical

[52:18] trends between mid-year

[52:19] projections and in actual

[52:22] expenditures in prior years.

[52:22] If these savings do not

[52:23] materialize by year end

[52:27] the resulting negative impact

[52:27] could be to further reduce

[52:28] the general fund reserve.

[52:33] Turning to items that are not

[52:34] factored into the general fund

[52:34] manager projections most of

[52:35] these have already heard of

[52:35] this morning.

[52:38] There were revenue updates

[52:39] including a sales tax cleanup

[52:40] payment franchise fees and pot

[52:43] reimbursements.

[52:44] Again examples of things that

[52:45] will change between now and

[52:45] the third quarter report That

[52:46] will give you a better idea of

[52:48] how much the general fund

[52:53] Reserve will need to be tapped

[52:53] .

[52:54] Additionally, the council is

[52:54] being asked to approve general

[52:55] fund appropriation allocations

[52:58] among departments involving non

[52:59] personnel expenditures and to

[53:00] non general fund appropriation

[53:04] increases.

[53:05] In particular regard to

[53:05] the general fund reallocations.

[53:06] Important to note these

[53:09] reallocations do not increase

[53:09] overall expenditure

[53:10] appropriations for the general

[53:14] fund but rather align

[53:14] appropriations with major

[53:15] projected spending by using

[53:18] $8.2 billion in savings in

[53:19] citywide program expenditures

[53:20] to cover increased expenditures

[53:20] in several departments.

[53:24] We note that these

[53:24] reallocations will not fully

[53:25] cover projected expenditure

[53:26] overages from relevant

[53:29] departments and that those

[53:30] departments are still expected

[53:31] to identify savings or other

[53:33] resources to cover their

[53:34] remaining overages.

[53:35] Our office supports

[53:35] the proposed appropriation

[53:40] adjustments necessary for

[53:40] continued operations though

[53:41] the Council MAY wish to request

[53:45] more details on the appropriate

[53:46] ness of the general fund

[53:46] appropriations.

[53:47] Given the overall projected

[53:50] current year deficit, I'll turn

[53:50] it back to Charles.

[53:51] Thanks, Jordan.

[53:52] So in conclusion if you thought

[53:55] the media report is projecting

[53:56] a current year deficit of 16.8

[53:56] million, there has been

[53:57] positive news in this release.

[54:01] As you've heard, we will

[54:01] receive additional dollars for

[54:02] an insurance payment and two of

[54:03] our major revenues sales tax

[54:06] and stadium franchise fees and

[54:06] seen positive movement in

[54:07] the last several weeks.

[54:10] Although others hotel taxes and

[54:11] parking revenue in particular

[54:12] are likely to further

[54:15] underperform from projections,

[54:16] we know these projections will

[54:17] continue to shift as the year

[54:17] progresses and we'll have

[54:20] additional information when

[54:21] the third quarter is released

[54:21] in MAY.

[54:22] But especially given the fiscal

[54:25] challenges that we are headed

[54:26] into next year, it is important

[54:27] to understand the city's

[54:30] tenuous finances and to

[54:31] the extent that new savings or

[54:32] budget mitigate budget

[54:35] mitigations are not identified,

[54:36] the city MAY be forced to tap

[54:37] into its general fund reserves

[54:41] which while currently funded at

[54:41] $207 million are already below

[54:45] policy targets.

[54:46] To the extent the appropriation

[54:47] requests that are in

[54:47] the mid-year are necessary for

[54:50] continue to operations we

[54:51] support them But we also

[54:51] suggest that Council MAY wish

[54:55] to ask about the need to make

[54:56] additional appropriations to

[54:56] departments that are already

[55:00] trending over budget especially

[55:00] given the imminent need for

[55:01] budget cuts as we head into our

[55:05] fy 2027 Council MAY also wish

[55:06] to ask for more specifics about

[55:06] potential current year

[55:07] mitigations that the city could

[55:10] implement that could begin to

[55:11] address that looming f y 27

[55:12] deficit that will need to be

[55:14] closed.

[55:15] >> With that my team and I are

[55:16] also all available for

[55:16] questions.

[55:19] All right.

[55:20] >> Thank you Charles for

[55:21] the good work of you and your

[55:25] office Always very helpful.

[55:26] >> With that, Clark, please

[55:26] proceed with public comment.

[55:27] Thank you.

[55:30] Council PRESIDENT I have no

[55:31] speakers here in council

[55:32] chambers to speak to this item

[55:34] I'm going to those

[55:35] participating remotely started

[55:36] the five minute timer.

[55:36] We have three people in

[55:39] the queue starting with Blair

[55:40] Beekman.

[55:40] You'll have two minutes Please

[55:44] proceed after that is 8780 813

[55:44] then 7499.

[55:49] Blair Please proceed.

[55:49] >> All right.

[55:50] Thank you.

[55:50] Blair Beekman Oh, thanks a lot

[55:53] for this item.

[55:54] I guess for myself I can go

[55:55] over some regular talking

[55:55] points I've been offering

[55:58] lately.

[55:59] Hopefully they won't be tedious

[55:59] but good reminders of things we

[56:03] can be doing at this time to

[56:08] begin to again offer.

[56:08] Paula Kruger has been

[56:09] mentioning fairly regularly for

[56:13] a while now that in talking

[56:14] about the parking issues about

[56:18] ball park the revenues from

[56:18] the parking new parking issues

[56:19] isn't going to about a park

[56:23] fund it's going into

[56:24] the general fund And I think we

[56:28] have to be very clear on that

[56:28] narrative.

[56:29] If he's accurate we can't be

[56:33] fibbing about the kind of

[56:34] efforts we have to be honest

[56:35] with ourselves in how we're

[56:38] talking about the budget as a

[56:38] full community process.

[56:39] The work I do with tech

[56:43] accountability is the same

[56:43] thing.

[56:44] We just have to be honest and

[56:47] direct in how we have our

[56:48] dialog on these on the subject

[56:48] matter.

[56:49] But whether a mistake you made

[56:52] I hope you can make up and all

[56:53] is forgiven.

[56:53] It's just a matter that we can

[56:57] talk clearly about the subject

[56:57] matter.

[56:58] Good luck on those efforts.

[56:58] It's a full community process

[57:01] and cutting people out of it

[57:02] isn't the way to work.

[57:06] With that said I

[57:06] congratulations that the police

[57:11] department is working on

[57:11] overtime issues fairly well.

[57:12] I've heard in previous

[57:16] committee reports there at $5

[57:16] million less in overtime costs

[57:21] than last year.

[57:22] So that's a hearty

[57:22] congratulations.

[57:23] Keep up those sort of good

[57:25] efforts.

[57:26] Thank you for that.

[57:30] I do believe parking above

[57:31] ballpark issues again can

[57:35] really seriously be cut in half

[57:35] from what the fees are now and

[57:36] you can still bring in a pretty

[57:40] significant revenue.

[57:41] I hope that can be considered

[57:41] in the future for both resident

[57:44] and nonresident issues And good

[57:45] luck in looking into Oakland

[57:50] how they're working their

[57:50] deficit programs And then you

[57:51] can work the same sort of

[57:52] programs that respect social

[57:54] services.

[57:55] Your time has concluded There

[57:56] are five speakers in the queue

[57:58] still 8781 three If you can

[58:01] please unmute 8700.

[58:06] >> Thank you Joyce Any other cd

[58:07] I'll start with the Department

[58:11] of Finance Expenditure to

[58:11] succeed revenue.

[58:12] That's so simple isn't it?

[58:16] And so basic question Is it

[58:21] appropriate to end the fiscal

[58:21] year with a negative budgeting

[58:22] fund balance?

[58:26] I'm thinking of best practices

[58:31] and policies KPIs kpi, kpi and

[58:31] we're calling to you

[58:36] performance and analytics.

[58:36] Remember what you did when you

[58:37] shadowed the pudi You brought

[58:40] in sunlight.

[58:41] You are so great in this work.

[58:46] Let's do the kpi, let's get it

[58:47] done penned and now love to you

[58:55] Please my like big time new

[58:56] overtime monitoring process

[59:00] allows for greater command

[59:01] oversight and control.

[59:04] Well those two cs command and

[59:05] control Congratulations Entire

[59:10] department at 23% or 6.8

[59:14] million and overtime dollars

[59:14] for the neighborhood policing

[59:15] division Chief Ball

[59:19] congratulate Asians on this.

[59:20] Remember when you came out of

[59:21] the gate I hope I get this

[59:24] right.

[59:25] You said at the top of

[59:26] the priority list was the word

[59:30] trust and the work of doing

[59:30] that.

[59:31] So I would love to It's

[59:33] probably hard to speak to it so

[59:34] subjective but I would love to

[59:35] get a report from you on that.

[59:42] Now moving to the ib a 16.8

[59:43] million g f budgetary deficit

[59:48] projection somewhat uncertain

[59:52] so several notable items not

[59:52] factored into the projections.

[59:57] More details on

[59:58] the appropriateness of the g f

[1:00:02] appropriations as recommended

[1:00:02] by them.

[1:00:03] So this was fabulous almost in

[1:00:07] our this this was fabulous.

[1:00:08] Your time has come into it.

[1:00:11] Thank you.

[1:00:12] Next is 813 then 7499 after

[1:00:20] that 8813 please unmute I

[1:00:21] academy for you star six to

[1:00:25] unmute.

[1:00:25] Okay sorry about that.

[1:00:26] Thank you.

[1:00:30] Okay so Consuelo here and yeah

[1:00:31] I'm just uh thank you Blair I

[1:00:33] totally agree with the first

[1:00:34] part of what you had to say.

[1:00:38] >> Um well that was a loaded

[1:00:43] presentation and I just chimed

[1:00:44] in so I didn't catch all of it

[1:00:47] but well I'm just to think

[1:00:48] about how much money those two

[1:00:51] things with minimal results as

[1:00:57] usual But I guess I'm even more

[1:00:58] saddened that every time I

[1:01:01] chime into these meetings it's

[1:01:02] the same people who call in and

[1:01:02] who are paying attention

[1:01:06] unfortunately um yeah we've got

[1:01:07] to do better with that.

[1:01:10] You guys need to broadcast to

[1:01:11] the news and people need to

[1:01:15] start paying attention to how

[1:01:16] much money's going to places

[1:01:17] like I said with minimal

[1:01:20] results.

[1:01:21] What a shame.

[1:01:22] Okay, that's all I have to say.

[1:01:25] Thank you.

[1:01:30] Next 27499 if you can please

[1:01:31] unmute 7499 after that is

[1:01:35] Andrea ebbing Please continue.

[1:01:35] Bob Kozinski here.

[1:01:38] I just heard that there's a

[1:01:39] projected $6 million shortfall.

[1:01:40] I also heard that the new

[1:01:43] Balboa Park parking fees are

[1:01:44] projected to bring in 1.2

[1:01:44] million.

[1:01:45] Well gee how much money is

[1:01:48] the business at Torrey Pines

[1:01:49] glider port making every year?

[1:01:50] We know that the new lease has

[1:01:57] that business paying a whopping

[1:01:57] $3,412.50 a year.

[1:01:58] But what are they bringing in

[1:01:58] every year?

[1:02:01] Joe LaCava Do you know has that

[1:02:02] business reported their income

[1:02:03] to anyone in this city in

[1:02:06] the last decade?

[1:02:07] The last reporting of their

[1:02:07] income that I could find was

[1:02:10] from 2010, 11 and 12.

[1:02:11] The figures for those three

[1:02:17] years were 1.1 million 1.28

[1:02:17] 9,000,001.361 million

[1:02:18] respectively.

[1:02:19] And those numbers were from

[1:02:19] over ten years ago.

[1:02:22] Have you heard of inflation?

[1:02:23] They could easily be bringing

[1:02:24] in over $1.5 million a year in

[1:02:24] 2026.

[1:02:28] So if you subtract $2,400 in

[1:02:31] rent from about $1.5 million

[1:02:34] income, you still get about

[1:02:35] $1.5 million income every year.

[1:02:36] That would more than cover all

[1:02:40] the money you're expecting from

[1:02:40] Balboa Park parking That would

[1:02:41] cover nearly one tenth of

[1:02:42] the projected shortfall.

[1:02:45] All the city has to do is run

[1:02:46] their own glide report and

[1:02:47] collect collect the profit for

[1:02:50] the city instead of giving it

[1:02:50] to a private business.

[1:02:51] But neither Joe LaCava nor Todd

[1:02:55] Gloria will touch that

[1:02:55] business.

[1:02:55] Why is that?

[1:02:56] Joe LaCava What kind of

[1:02:59] corruption squeezes every

[1:03:00] dollar out of citizens while

[1:03:01] giving away our multimillion

[1:03:01] dollar park to a private

[1:03:04] business to make money?

[1:03:05] If people wonder why they

[1:03:05] should care about the glider

[1:03:06] port they should remember this

[1:03:09] analysis every time they're

[1:03:10] paying to park in our own

[1:03:14] Balboa Park.

[1:03:14] >> That's it.

[1:03:15] Thank you.

[1:03:15] Next is Andrea Ebbing then

[1:03:19] Katherine Douglas.

[1:03:19] The five minute timer did

[1:03:20] conclude there were three

[1:03:21] people in the queue with their

[1:03:24] hand raised.

[1:03:24] >> No additional speakers will

[1:03:25] be taken.

[1:03:25] Andrea please proceed.

[1:03:29] My this is Andrea ebbing.

[1:03:29] That's a great thing that we

[1:03:33] speed's down 6 million and over

[1:03:37] time projected That's great.

[1:03:38] I, I wanted to once again bring

[1:03:42] up other pay.

[1:03:43] I haven't heard anybody discuss

[1:03:44] other pay in the entire year

[1:03:47] except for me from the city

[1:03:47] standpoint.

[1:03:48] So I don't really know how we

[1:03:52] can get those answers again On

[1:03:52] Transparent California it shows

[1:03:56] that city employees were paid

[1:03:57] $152 million of other pay in

[1:04:01] the year 2020 for which doesn't

[1:04:02] appear to be pension benefits

[1:04:06] regular pay or any form of

[1:04:07] benefits.

[1:04:11] So it's like fringe benefits is

[1:04:12] 152 million for city employees.

[1:04:15] What is that fringe benefit?

[1:04:20] We're very curious about that.

[1:04:21] I am concerned about one You

[1:04:22] know, I've heard some

[1:04:25] projections and estimations but

[1:04:26] I didn't hear anything about

[1:04:26] some of our programs like

[1:04:30] the Family Justice Center,

[1:04:30] which was a city initiative for

[1:04:36] decades And then recently as of

[1:04:36] this last year I guess Summer

[1:04:39] Stephan our district attorney

[1:04:40] who's a county employee took it

[1:04:40] over.

[1:04:44] So I don't know how that plays

[1:04:45] out and what you know how we

[1:04:46] factor in any of that money.

[1:04:49] But there was a massive issue

[1:04:50] when Mara Elliott was running

[1:04:50] it that the Union-Tribune had

[1:04:54] picked up on the fact that they

[1:04:55] weren't actually licensed to

[1:04:55] operate in the state of

[1:04:56] California and money was being

[1:04:59] filtered through it.

[1:04:59] So that is a place we should

[1:05:00] probably look for money if we

[1:05:08] need money and the reduced

[1:05:09] revenue and increased budget

[1:05:12] deficit is concerning

[1:05:13] especially with the Balboa Park

[1:05:13] parking situation.

[1:05:17] It looks like some people have

[1:05:18] taken it upon themselves to

[1:05:19] continuously vandalize these

[1:05:22] parking meters and that's very

[1:05:23] expensive.

[1:05:27] So all in all and in attendance

[1:05:27] is down.

[1:05:28] >> Very concerning But thank

[1:05:28] you.

[1:05:32] That's all.

[1:05:33] Katherine Douglas if you can

[1:05:33] please unmute.

[1:05:35] After that is 1384 Katherine

[1:05:35] Douglas.

[1:05:36] >> Shout out to the San Diego

[1:05:39] Police Department under

[1:05:40] the leadership of Chief Wall

[1:05:45] and he certainly deserves

[1:05:45] credit.

[1:05:46] So does everybody else on his

[1:05:49] team because I have seen

[1:05:50] the concerted effort that they

[1:05:54] have made to save the to stay

[1:05:55] within their budget And over

[1:05:59] time I only hope that other

[1:06:00] departments will do the same

[1:06:05] thing and keep pace with what

[1:06:05] the San Diego Police Department

[1:06:06] has been able to accomplish.

[1:06:11] Thank you.

[1:06:12] And next our final speaker is

[1:06:13] 1384.

[1:06:21] Please unmute.

[1:06:22] Hello Ernie Casco La Hoya

[1:06:26] resident senior pilot Another

[1:06:26] shady deal at Torrey Pines

[1:06:30] ahead report the complaint is

[1:06:30] well documented on your desk.

[1:06:31] We have a proven solution known

[1:06:35] as the San Diego recreational

[1:06:36] waiver that would end

[1:06:36] the dispute.

[1:06:40] It's time for transparency to

[1:06:40] stop the corruption within your

[1:06:41] own admission administration.

[1:06:45] Joe LaCava your leaseholder is

[1:06:45] caught.

[1:06:46] It is illegal to turn our

[1:06:50] freedom into a privilege for a

[1:06:50] license and a fee under any

[1:06:54] terms circumstances or

[1:06:54] condition.

[1:06:55] I should not be forced to sign

[1:06:58] a leaseholder waiver when

[1:06:59] the city liabilities are

[1:06:59] already covered by California

[1:07:03] recreational laws.

[1:07:04] This is misappropriation of

[1:07:04] public funding going into a

[1:07:08] private account and needs to be

[1:07:08] fully audited for transparency.

[1:07:13] City The San Diego Recreational

[1:07:14] Waiver stops city lease over

[1:07:17] internal corruption and revise

[1:07:17] by revising the permanent

[1:07:21] reinstatement of Torrey Pines

[1:07:22] Advisory Board with unanimous

[1:07:27] support from every one as a

[1:07:27] proven solution.

[1:07:32] This needs to be done for

[1:07:32] public safety, safety and

[1:07:36] oversight and would end

[1:07:37] the dispute.

[1:07:37] The San Diego recreational

[1:07:42] waiver secures city city

[1:07:42] liabilities, restores

[1:07:43] recreational fee freedom and

[1:07:46] addresses the victim and

[1:07:47] witnesses who have been damaged

[1:07:48] and assaulted within a timely

[1:07:51] fashion.

[1:07:52] It's a win for city

[1:07:52] liabilities, restores

[1:07:53] recreational rights and

[1:07:56] freedoms for years to come.

[1:07:57] It's the best decision City

[1:08:01] Council and you could make Joe

[1:08:01] LaCava.

[1:08:02] If you want me to walk away you

[1:08:06] are blatantly blatantly robbing

[1:08:06] America.

[1:08:07] The City Council is still

[1:08:08] liable and needs to address

[1:08:11] the victims and witnesses who

[1:08:11] have been damaged.

[1:08:16] Thank.

[1:08:17] >> Thank you.

[1:08:17] And that concludes all

[1:08:18] the comment on this item.

[1:08:18] All right.

[1:08:20] Thank you, City Clerk.

[1:08:21] And with that we will turn it

[1:08:22] over to council members for

[1:08:26] questions, comments and

[1:08:26] entertain a motion And we'll

[1:08:27] start with the chair of

[1:08:27] the Budget Committee.

[1:08:31] Council Member foster Thank

[1:08:31] you.

[1:08:36] Council PRESIDENT And thank you

[1:08:37] staff for the presentation and

[1:08:41] also thank you to the ipa.

[1:08:42] We did have an opportunity to

[1:08:45] hear this report in the Budget

[1:08:46] and Government Efficiency

[1:08:47] Committee so I'm going to keep

[1:08:50] my comments brief as I did have

[1:08:51] an opportunity to provide some

[1:08:55] feedback There as I'd like to

[1:08:55] hear from my colleagues that do

[1:08:56] not sit on the committee and

[1:08:59] allow them to have the time

[1:08:59] that they need.

[1:09:04] I do have one question in

[1:09:04] the aba's report under

[1:09:05] conclusion the last bullet kind

[1:09:08] of said Hey, Council MAY wish

[1:09:09] to request more details on

[1:09:09] the appropriateness of

[1:09:14] the general fund appropriations

[1:09:14] .

[1:09:15] I guess the question is to

[1:09:15] the impacted departments is

[1:09:18] there not an opportunity to

[1:09:19] absorb say cost overruns that

[1:09:20] are being projected or that we

[1:09:24] are seeing in this midyear?

[1:09:28] If you can answer that quickly

[1:09:29] and if there's any opportunity

[1:09:30] or if we need to take a look at

[1:09:34] it and get back to us.

[1:09:34] Yeah, we did address that These

[1:09:38] appropriation reallocations are

[1:09:39] not addressing the entire over

[1:09:39] budget projections in those

[1:09:40] departments.

[1:09:43] It's only doing a portion of

[1:09:43] it.

[1:09:44] We are expecting them to find

[1:09:47] other mitigation actions within

[1:09:48] their operations.

[1:09:48] >> Okay.

[1:09:52] And I, I, I guess you know

[1:09:53] short answer you know of course

[1:09:57] i'm looking forward to third

[1:09:58] quarter monitoring which just

[1:09:59] gives us a little more

[1:10:02] certainty as we work to close

[1:10:03] out this current budget cycle.

[1:10:06] So with that council PRESIDENT

[1:10:07] I will move staff's

[1:10:07] recommendation.

[1:10:11] Thank you.

[1:10:11] Thank you, sir.

[1:10:12] So we do have a motion by

[1:10:16] Councilmember Foster to move

[1:10:17] the staff recommendation and

[1:10:17] we'll go next to Council

[1:10:18] PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee who

[1:10:21] accidently got knocked off

[1:10:21] the lights.

[1:10:22] >> That's okay.

[1:10:22] Thanks, Council PRESIDENT.

[1:10:26] And like our budget chair

[1:10:27] Councilmember Foster, we did

[1:10:27] discuss this at budget and

[1:10:31] government efficiency.

[1:10:31] So I'll try to keep my comments

[1:10:32] short as well.

[1:10:34] I think for me there's just

[1:10:35] three things that are really on

[1:10:38] my mind that I thought I would

[1:10:39] at least vocalize today.

[1:10:40] One is just the fact that

[1:10:44] the council approved the final

[1:10:45] budget that I know included

[1:10:49] some budgetary cuts that have

[1:10:50] to date still not been

[1:10:50] implemented.

[1:10:53] And as I understand them will

[1:10:54] not be implemented.

[1:10:55] And that is just as we look for

[1:10:58] anything something hard for us

[1:10:59] not to continue thinking about

[1:11:00] how we move forward in terms of

[1:11:02] the council's authority with

[1:11:03] the budget.

[1:11:03] Second, I recognize that a

[1:11:08] chunk of the revenue shift in

[1:11:09] the midyear is allocated to

[1:11:13] baseball park parking.

[1:11:14] And to that I will only note

[1:11:15] that much of the changes that

[1:11:18] you think have occurred to

[1:11:18] the program since it was first

[1:11:19] implemented have largely been

[1:11:22] focused on either reducing or

[1:11:23] now to this point making free

[1:11:27] parking for residents.

[1:11:28] And if that is the case I will

[1:11:32] only leave the question that

[1:11:33] given that shift in the revenue

[1:11:37] assumptions, what does that say

[1:11:37] about how much the city was

[1:11:38] relying on charging residents

[1:11:41] in order to get revenue for

[1:11:42] public park?

[1:11:43] And then finally as we look

[1:11:47] forward to the budget, we know

[1:11:48] this is going to be a

[1:11:48] challenging time.

[1:11:49] I appreciate in recognizing

[1:11:51] that there have been some

[1:11:51] shifts since the report was

[1:11:52] first compiled that put us in a

[1:11:53] better position than what we

[1:11:55] started.

[1:11:56] And as we look towards any

[1:11:57] reductions, whether it's in

[1:12:00] the mid-year or into the next

[1:12:01] year's budget, I would hope

[1:12:02] that again we will consider

[1:12:05] what the impact might be on

[1:12:06] front line employees.

[1:12:06] And recognizing that we cannot

[1:12:09] simply have them shoulder

[1:12:10] greater burden of the same

[1:12:10] level of services that we must

[1:12:14] provide as a city with markedly

[1:12:15] less resources.

[1:12:19] So with that I will go ahead

[1:12:20] and second the motion.

[1:12:20] >> Thank you, Chair.

[1:12:21] All right.

[1:12:21] Thank you, sir.

[1:12:22] So we have a motion by

[1:12:24] Councilmember Foster in a

[1:12:25] second by Council PRESIDENT Pro

[1:12:26] Tem Lee to move the staff

[1:12:26] recommendation.

[1:12:28] We'll go next to council member

[1:12:29] Campbell.

[1:12:30] Thank you, Council PRESIDENT.

[1:12:34] I must continue to stress that

[1:12:38] passing a balanced budget is

[1:12:39] one of our most fundamental

[1:12:39] responsibilities as council

[1:12:43] members as it is our job to

[1:12:48] ensure that expenditures do not

[1:12:48] exceed revenues.

[1:12:53] The midyear report before us is

[1:12:54] a direct result of last year's

[1:12:58] shortfalls and revenue over

[1:12:58] projections.

[1:13:03] Deficit spending forces

[1:13:03] difficult corrective actions

[1:13:08] later and makes it harder to

[1:13:12] protect the core services that

[1:13:13] our residents rely on.

[1:13:14] These fiscal realities must be

[1:13:18] taken into account as a

[1:13:22] foundation as we move toward

[1:13:22] adopting a fiscal year 27

[1:13:23] budget.

[1:13:23] Thank you.

[1:13:27] Council PRESIDENT.

[1:13:28] All right.

[1:13:29] Thank you, Councilmember Kemp

[1:13:29] for those good words.

[1:13:31] We'll go next to Councilmember

[1:13:32] Whipple.

[1:13:33] Thank you, Council PRESIDENT.

[1:13:33] I will just offer a comment on

[1:13:37] Chief Wall's report.

[1:13:37] I am glad to see that

[1:13:38] the Neighborhood Policing

[1:13:42] Division is on budget and I

[1:13:42] want to thank the chief for

[1:13:47] having the Academy graduating

[1:13:48] classes engage with

[1:13:48] the neighborhood police and I

[1:13:49] think that is vital.

[1:13:52] A significant number of

[1:13:52] the police department's calls

[1:13:53] involve people experiencing

[1:13:57] homelessness So having officers

[1:13:57] learn how to effectively

[1:13:58] interact with the homeless

[1:14:01] population and help them get

[1:14:02] into services is crucial.

[1:14:02] And we are seeing the benefits

[1:14:06] of that in many areas.

[1:14:07] Most recently we got updated

[1:14:08] homelessness numbers from

[1:14:11] the San Diego riverbed.

[1:14:12] People living in the riverbed

[1:14:16] has been a huge problem in a

[1:14:17] couple of different ways.

[1:14:17] Obviously it's unsafe.

[1:14:18] We've seen people swept away

[1:14:21] when the river rises during

[1:14:22] storms but it's also

[1:14:22] unsanitary.

[1:14:26] According to the San Diego

[1:14:27] River Park Foundation, 65% of

[1:14:28] the trash in the San Diego

[1:14:32] River is attributed to people

[1:14:32] living in the riverbed which

[1:14:36] obviously has environmental

[1:14:37] consequences.

[1:14:41] But the most recent

[1:14:42] homelessness count in the San

[1:14:42] Diego River was the lowest that

[1:14:46] it has been in years And many

[1:14:46] of the people who are leaving

[1:14:51] the riverbed are going to our

[1:14:52] safe sleeping sites which are

[1:14:55] much safer And obviously much

[1:14:56] healthier.

[1:14:56] So there are a lot of different

[1:14:57] elements of our homelessness

[1:15:00] system that work together and

[1:15:01] we are seeing the results.

[1:15:02] And I want to thank the chief

[1:15:05] and the department for its

[1:15:06] contribution to that effort.

[1:15:06] >> Thank you.

[1:15:07] Council PRESIDENT.

[1:15:10] All right.

[1:15:10] Thank you.

[1:15:11] Council member Whitburn not

[1:15:12] seeing anybody else on

[1:15:15] the lights.

[1:15:16] I'll offer a few thoughts and

[1:15:16] thank you.

[1:15:19] Council member Foster for

[1:15:20] deferring to those of us not at

[1:15:24] Budget Committee.

[1:15:25] So I want to thank Department

[1:15:25] of Finance and our cfo for

[1:15:29] the very good work that they do

[1:15:30] every year putting the report

[1:15:33] together, comparing their

[1:15:34] projections to the reality and

[1:15:35] trying to put it together in a

[1:15:39] way that even us council

[1:15:39] members can possibly understand

[1:15:43] given the complexity of how we

[1:15:43] the city operates.

[1:15:44] Thank you to the Office of

[1:15:48] the Independent Budget Analyst

[1:15:48] for your insight and analysis.

[1:15:49] It's good to have the two

[1:15:50] different perspectives put in

[1:15:52] front of us.

[1:15:53] And as others have said, thank

[1:15:54] you Chief, for the very good

[1:15:57] work.

[1:15:57] You made a lot of bold promises

[1:16:01] and you clearly have delivered

[1:16:02] without compromising public

[1:16:02] safety.

[1:16:03] >> So we owe you a debt of

[1:16:07] gratitude.

[1:16:08] And you know, as was said, I

[1:16:11] also want to take this

[1:16:12] opportunity to talk a little

[1:16:12] bit about overtime.

[1:16:13] Fire rescue is in a position

[1:16:16] where they have to respond when

[1:16:17] there is an emergency and there

[1:16:21] is not much you can say about

[1:16:21] that.

[1:16:22] While we can continue to

[1:16:26] control and I know Chief Logan

[1:16:27] didn't make the promises that

[1:16:27] chief while did but I think he

[1:16:31] did keep a share a sharp eye on

[1:16:32] that And I know some of that

[1:16:35] will be reimbursed at a later

[1:16:36] time And even in transportation

[1:16:37] when we listen to our

[1:16:40] constituents complain about

[1:16:41] sidewalk cracks, potholes and

[1:16:45] street lights being out there

[1:16:46] has been a remarkable shift in

[1:16:50] transportation being able to

[1:16:50] accelerate and respond to that.

[1:16:51] I think the conversation about

[1:16:55] our community parking districts

[1:16:56] was really a game changer in

[1:17:00] that conversation.

[1:17:01] And if we can just get

[1:17:01] transportation out of

[1:17:04] the business of dig alerts and

[1:17:05] get them focused on what our

[1:17:06] constituents want, we'll do

[1:17:06] even better.

[1:17:08] But I appreciate everybody in

[1:17:09] transportation and what you've

[1:17:10] been able to do with

[1:17:14] the resources we have provided

[1:17:14] you.

[1:17:15] I've said on multiple occasions

[1:17:18] I stand ready to docket early

[1:17:18] actions to course correct and

[1:17:19] generate savings to balance

[1:17:23] this year's budget and get a

[1:17:24] jump on cuts necessary to

[1:17:25] balance the f y 27 budget.

[1:17:28] And I'll continue to voice that

[1:17:28] commitment.

[1:17:29] The mid-year budget monitoring

[1:17:33] report is one rather limited

[1:17:33] way for the Council to weigh in

[1:17:34] on the budget outside of

[1:17:37] the formal budget adoption

[1:17:38] process we do in JUNE.

[1:17:39] And I recognize that the mayor

[1:17:42] has used his executive

[1:17:43] authority to require mitigation

[1:17:43] measures and I know that

[1:17:47] department directors are taking

[1:17:47] this budget crisis very

[1:17:48] seriously.

[1:17:48] We cannot predict or control

[1:17:52] for everything.

[1:17:52] The report highlights a

[1:17:57] predicted difficult reality of

[1:17:58] the 16.7 and for a change we

[1:17:58] actually got a series of good

[1:18:02] news which feels like we've

[1:18:03] really been lagging over

[1:18:07] the past several months.

[1:18:08] So I appreciate that reporting

[1:18:12] And we're now getting down from

[1:18:15] 16.7 to 1.8 starting third

[1:18:16] quarter and fourth quarter to

[1:18:16] navigate.

[1:18:17] >> But at least it feels like

[1:18:22] we're on the right track.

[1:18:23] >> Budgeting for our cities

[1:18:27] needs a complex balance of cash

[1:18:28] flow, long range planning and

[1:18:29] of course addressing those

[1:18:29] emergencies.

[1:18:33] I applied Department of Finance

[1:18:33] for navigating this difficult

[1:18:34] work.

[1:18:34] This is a year for tough

[1:18:37] conversations and a need for

[1:18:37] much greater scrutiny.

[1:18:38] And I think me and my council

[1:18:42] colleagues will dig in probably

[1:18:42] a little bit deeper than we

[1:18:43] have in the past going forward.

[1:18:47] So I have a couple of questions

[1:18:47] I want to build on

[1:18:51] Councilmember Foster's comments

[1:18:51] .

[1:18:52] So for the good news that we

[1:18:56] got in, how much of that is

[1:18:56] actually ongoing revenue that

[1:19:01] we can use to predict for f y

[1:19:02] 27 how much of it is one time

[1:19:05] that the insurance recovery I

[1:19:09] suspect is a one time dollar

[1:19:09] amount?

[1:19:10] >> That's correct.

[1:19:10] Thank you.

[1:19:11] Council PRESIDENT.

[1:19:14] So 8 million for the old

[1:19:14] Central Library insurance

[1:19:17] proceeds is one time

[1:19:18] the revised sdg any franchise

[1:19:22] fee of 6 million is ongoing

[1:19:22] The revised sales tax and

[1:19:27] the total sales tax was an

[1:19:27] increase of 2.6 total is a

[1:19:31] decrease of about 400,000.

[1:19:32] That's considered ongoing.

[1:19:32] And then finally the Balboa

[1:19:36] Park parking update of-1.2

[1:19:40] that's considered ongoing as

[1:19:41] well.

[1:19:41] >> Okay.

[1:19:42] And I guess I do want to be

[1:19:44] careful because sometimes we

[1:19:45] think of one time as kind of a

[1:19:49] bad use but the insurance we

[1:19:49] spent the 8 million already to

[1:19:50] repair the library if I

[1:19:54] understand correctly And now

[1:19:54] we're finally getting that

[1:19:55] insurance proceeds.

[1:19:58] So it's not always a bad thing

[1:19:59] .

[1:19:59] What about the appropriations

[1:20:00] that we're making?

[1:20:04] How much how many of those are

[1:20:04] one time or do we actually

[1:20:05] anticipate they'll be ongoing

[1:20:09] That will be added to our f y

[1:20:13] 26 baseline.

[1:20:14] It is a combination of one time

[1:20:18] and ongoing.

[1:20:18] We can provide you details how

[1:20:22] that breaks out afterwards.

[1:20:23] >> We don't have that right.

[1:20:27] Okay that'll be good to know

[1:20:28] Again to inform us as we start

[1:20:31] thinking ahead about our fy 27

[1:20:31] going forward.

[1:20:32] You know, I appreciate

[1:20:35] the question of Councilmember

[1:20:36] Foster, our budget chair in

[1:20:41] terms of department's ability

[1:20:41] to absorb these costs And as

[1:20:42] you mentioned, there MAY be

[1:20:45] additional overages that we'll

[1:20:46] have to figure out how to

[1:20:47] navigate those as we understand

[1:20:50] them.

[1:20:50] To your point of whether they

[1:20:55] are ongoing or one time cost

[1:20:56] but in order to keep the wheels

[1:21:00] on the bus so to speak, it's

[1:21:01] the time that we do have those

[1:21:05] additional savings that we can

[1:21:06] allocate to which I will admit

[1:21:06] causes me a little bit of

[1:21:10] heartburn But on the other hand

[1:21:10] we have to pay our bill.

[1:21:11] Some of these I'm sure are

[1:21:13] invoiced items that vendors are

[1:21:19] expecting payment for that and

[1:21:23] I always like to be careful

[1:21:24] because the job that

[1:21:27] the Department of Finance does

[1:21:28] when you look at them as line

[1:21:29] items you think really we

[1:21:32] really missed out.

[1:21:33] But against $2 billion in

[1:21:37] the total they are a pretty

[1:21:38] small percentage And the kinds

[1:21:39] of things that will just kind

[1:21:42] of sneak through literally

[1:21:43] pennies on the dollar compared

[1:21:43] to the total budget.

[1:21:47] So I appreciate the challenges

[1:21:48] of trying to manage every

[1:21:51] single aspect everything that

[1:21:52] is built in in terms of cost of

[1:21:57] living increases in our various

[1:21:57] contracts etc. Continues to be

[1:22:01] a challenge going forward.

[1:22:02] I also kind of wanted to

[1:22:07] mention a little bit about Bell

[1:22:07] part which is an ongoing

[1:22:08] painful conversation.

[1:22:11] This council did try to

[1:22:11] accelerate Bell Ballpark by an

[1:22:15] additional porter that didn't

[1:22:16] happen That certainly caused

[1:22:20] some of that reduction in cost

[1:22:21] .

[1:22:21] The MARCH update which I had

[1:22:24] thought was about a $700,000

[1:22:25] hit to the projected revenue I

[1:22:28] guess you're predicting 1.2

[1:22:29] million now And it's also I

[1:22:33] think important to remind folks

[1:22:33] this is just what we're getting

[1:22:37] an f y 26 We're learning a lot

[1:22:41] from this f y 27 Some people

[1:22:41] have different ideas but can

[1:22:45] actually be a full year worth

[1:22:46] of revenue and perhaps some

[1:22:51] stabilization in the operation

[1:22:51] .

[1:22:52] And I know there'll be more

[1:22:52] conversation in that regard by

[1:22:55] some individuals but I did want

[1:22:56] to point that the difference

[1:22:57] out there So this was a pretty

[1:23:00] fundamental change.

[1:23:01] Thoughtful predictions were put

[1:23:05] together How do we actually

[1:23:06] solve some of the issues as

[1:23:06] Council PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee

[1:23:10] said about the impact on

[1:23:11] residents?

[1:23:11] We're all I think very

[1:23:12] carefully navigated in

[1:23:15] the conversation.

[1:23:16] >> So I'll close there.

[1:23:20] I'll be supporting the motion.

[1:23:25] I appreciate your detail and

[1:23:25] other thing I'll close with

[1:23:26] I've got to keep saying one

[1:23:32] more thing but there's a lot of

[1:23:33] things for people can be

[1:23:33] frustrated about.

[1:23:36] But I think just in the five

[1:23:37] years that I've been in office

[1:23:39] and the 1520 years that I've

[1:23:40] been paying attention, I don't

[1:23:41] think there's been more

[1:23:44] transparency in exactly what

[1:23:45] our financial condition is,

[1:23:46] whether it is the general fund

[1:23:49] budget, whether it is

[1:23:50] the capital improvement

[1:23:51] program, the kinds of numbers

[1:23:54] that we're exposing could have

[1:23:55] easily been exposed 20 years

[1:23:56] ago and just never were And

[1:23:59] maybe decisions would have been

[1:23:59] differently and adjustments

[1:24:00] would have been made over

[1:24:04] the years rather than us

[1:24:05] scrambling now that it's so

[1:24:05] much more front and center.

[1:24:08] So thank you all for that good

[1:24:09] work.

[1:24:10] So with that we have a motion

[1:24:13] by Council member Foster and a

[1:24:14] second by Council PRESIDENT Pro

[1:24:15] Tem Lee to move the staff

[1:24:16] recommendation.

[1:24:21] Clerk Please call the vote I'm

[1:24:22] sorry the voting system Please

[1:24:22] cast your vote.

[1:24:24] Council member Ella Rivera My

[1:24:29] apologies if you have your own

[1:24:29] .

[1:24:33] >> That passes unanimously 7 to

[1:24:34] 0 with Councilmember Campo and

[1:24:34] Council member Von Wilpert

[1:24:38] Absent.

[1:24:39] Thank you, Council PRESIDENT.

[1:24:39] All right.

[1:24:40] Thank you And thank you to all

[1:24:43] the directors and chiefs that

[1:24:43] the stood ready for any

[1:24:44] questions we might throw at

[1:24:44] you.

[1:24:48] So with that.

[1:24:49] >> Clerk please introduce item

[1:24:52] 201 Item 2a1 is the creation of

[1:24:53] an annual allocation for

[1:24:53] the Convention Center

[1:24:57] Modernization projects.

[1:24:58] And approval of the fiscal year

[1:24:58] 26 itemized budget for

[1:25:02] the Convention Center revenue

[1:25:02] account under Measure c.

[1:25:03] If you'd like to speak to this

[1:25:04] item, now's the time to raise

[1:25:07] your hand by pressing Star nine

[1:25:08] or the raise your hand icon.

[1:25:11] And if you are here in person

[1:25:12] please submit your speaker slip

[1:25:13] to the front of the room in

[1:25:13] the clear box.

[1:25:13] Thank you.

[1:25:16] Council PRESIDENT.

[1:25:17] All right, staff.

[1:25:17] Now that you're settled in,

[1:25:18] please introduce yourselves for

[1:25:19] the record and let us know how

[1:25:21] much time you need.

[1:25:22] >> Okay.

[1:25:22] Good afternoon.

[1:25:23] Council Kristin LaCava.

[1:25:26] Council members I'm elected and

[1:25:27] director of Engineering and

[1:25:28] Capital Projects Department.

[1:25:30] We will need ten minutes.

[1:25:30] All right.

[1:25:31] Joining me today is Dominique

[1:25:34] Dawes, interim deputy director

[1:25:35] with ecp staff from the city

[1:25:36] attorney's office and

[1:25:40] the department of Finance are

[1:25:40] also in attendance Support

[1:25:41] item.

[1:25:44] Before we start, I would like

[1:25:44] to acknowledge the San Diego

[1:25:45] Convention Center Corporation

[1:25:49] staff.

[1:25:50] MR. Cushman, special advisor to

[1:25:53] the mayor and Rania mann Chief

[1:25:54] Community Services Officer.

[1:25:54] For their collaboration,

[1:25:58] support and guidance in

[1:25:59] bringing this item forward I

[1:26:03] would like to add that we are

[1:26:04] in receipt of today's San Diego

[1:26:07] County Lodging Association

[1:26:08] letter and understand Chair

[1:26:09] Gleason's remarks at Gleason's

[1:26:12] remarks made at the api

[1:26:13] committee.

[1:26:13] We appreciate their

[1:26:17] constructive suggestions and

[1:26:17] look forward to their

[1:26:18] participation along with other

[1:26:22] representatives of the hospital

[1:26:23] hospitality industry in our

[1:26:27] stakeholder engagement process

[1:26:28] is soon to take place while

[1:26:29] making sure that we stay

[1:26:32] compliant with our commitment

[1:26:33] under the settlement agreement

[1:26:33] with Fifth Avenue Landing.

[1:26:37] Now I will turn it over to

[1:26:38] Dominique to present the item.

[1:26:38] Thank you, Leif.

[1:26:42] Dominique deals with

[1:26:43] engineering capital projects.

[1:26:45] Here to speak about item 2a1

[1:26:46] the creation of the annual

[1:26:46] allocation of the Convention

[1:26:47] Center modernization projects

[1:26:53] and approval of the 2026 budget

[1:26:53] .

[1:26:54] So it's a brief summary of

[1:26:55] the requested actions.

[1:26:55] One we are looking to approve

[1:26:58] the annualized annual Adams

[1:26:59] budget for fy 2026 for

[1:27:00] the Convention Center revenue

[1:27:00] account.

[1:27:03] Also we're looking to authorize

[1:27:04] the cfo to add a new line in

[1:27:05] the cityscape for

[1:27:05] the Convention Center

[1:27:08] Improvements.

[1:27:08] And lastly we're looking to

[1:27:11] have the cfo authorize to

[1:27:12] transfer roughly 2020 $1.4

[1:27:15] million from business area 19

[1:27:16] one three to the new newly

[1:27:17] created scope line item to

[1:27:17] initiate the modernization

[1:27:20] projects.

[1:27:26] The portion of the projected

[1:27:26] measure c total revenues are

[1:27:27] shown in this table.

[1:27:30] These numbers account for

[1:27:30] the 59% allocation of

[1:27:31] the overall duty revenues that

[1:27:35] are allocated Allocated

[1:27:35] specifically to the Convention

[1:27:36] Center.

[1:27:39] The proposed actions today seek

[1:27:40] to the authority to appropriate

[1:27:41] a portion of these revenues for

[1:27:44] the modernization projects

[1:27:48] Roughly 21.4 of the 45.6

[1:27:49] million in projected revenue.

[1:27:53] >> The identified modernization

[1:27:54] projects are shown here in

[1:27:57] the table in yellow.

[1:27:58] The larger projects we're

[1:27:59] looking to focus on are

[1:28:02] the roof replacement and

[1:28:03] the overhaul of the central

[1:28:04] plant that supports facility.

[1:28:07] All projects considered for fy

[1:28:14] 2026 are roughly $21.4 million

[1:28:14] .

[1:28:15] As a brief background for

[1:28:15] the facility.

[1:28:16] The convention center was

[1:28:19] originally erected back in 1989

[1:28:20] and underwent a major expansion

[1:28:20] in 2001.

[1:28:24] Increasing the total usable

[1:28:25] square footage to approximately

[1:28:26] two point 6,000,000ft.

[1:28:29] The structure is primarily a

[1:28:30] cast place concrete structure

[1:28:34] with precast elements.

[1:28:34] The major building systems

[1:28:35] include a central chilled water

[1:28:38] plant large air handling units,

[1:28:39] gas fired boilers and emergency

[1:28:39] generators.

[1:28:43] The operational context for

[1:28:44] the facility is that it's a

[1:28:44] high use mission critical

[1:28:45] public facility requiring

[1:28:47] limited downtime.

[1:28:52] >> Historic funding has focused

[1:28:53] on operations and debt service

[1:28:53] unfortunately leaving

[1:28:54] insufficient funding for long

[1:28:57] term capital renewals.

[1:28:58] Increasing system failures of

[1:28:59] the recent include boilers and

[1:29:02] chillers, electrical

[1:29:02] infrastructure, plumbing and

[1:29:03] the most recent rain events

[1:29:04] that we've experienced the past

[1:29:07] couple of months.

[1:29:08] >> The roof leaks to

[1:29:11] the facility while the facility

[1:29:12] remains functional.

[1:29:12] It is aging and requires

[1:29:13] capital investment to maintain

[1:29:17] its class-a standards.

[1:29:17] The projects we're looking to

[1:29:18] undertake would seek to limit

[1:29:21] the service disruptions and

[1:29:22] also quell the potential safety

[1:29:23] concerns that have been

[1:29:26] identified.

[1:29:30] Back in 2022 the Convention

[1:29:31] Center hired a third party to

[1:29:35] conduct a property condition

[1:29:36] assessment without getting too

[1:29:36] technical.

[1:29:37] That condition assessment

[1:29:40] yields a facility condition

[1:29:41] index fci which is really just

[1:29:45] the cost for repairs to

[1:29:46] the total cost of replacement.

[1:29:49] As that number trends towards

[1:29:49] one you're looking for you're

[1:29:50] looking towards a full

[1:29:51] replacement of the facility f

[1:29:54] fy 2020 2020 two's assessment

[1:29:58] yielded about.023 is the rating

[1:30:01] and extrapolating that to 2026

[1:30:02] that rating increased 2.035.

[1:30:03] So right now we're at an

[1:30:06] opportune time to really imbue

[1:30:06] capital into the into

[1:30:07] the facility to get it back in

[1:30:10] Right standing that that

[1:30:14] assessment also identified

[1:30:15] approximately 244,000,000 in

[1:30:16] 2022 for 25 your capital needs

[1:30:18] when you account for the 5%

[1:30:18] inflation.

[1:30:22] That number is roughly 453

[1:30:22] million.

[1:30:27] The strategy for these cp

[1:30:28] modernization projects that

[1:30:28] we're bringing forward are

[1:30:31] looking to prioritize critical

[1:30:32] life safety and operational

[1:30:32] systems, restore near-term

[1:30:36] reliability and reduce risk

[1:30:37] reduction for the facility

[1:30:37] overall.

[1:30:38] It's essentially a multiyear

[1:30:41] modernization with goals in

[1:30:41] sustainability and energy

[1:30:46] energy efficiency.

[1:30:46] >> Again, a quick summary of

[1:30:47] the actions that we're bringing

[1:30:50] forward today.

[1:30:51] >> We're looking to approve

[1:30:52] the analyzed itemized budget

[1:30:56] for fy 2026 for the Convention

[1:30:56] Center revenue account,

[1:30:57] authorize the cfo to create a

[1:31:00] new line item recipe for

[1:31:00] the convention center

[1:31:01] improvements.

[1:31:02] And then lastly authorize

[1:31:06] the cfo to transfer that

[1:31:06] roughly $21.4 million from

[1:31:09] business Area nine and one

[1:31:10] three to the newly created cp

[1:31:10] line item for these

[1:31:14] modernization projects.

[1:31:15] You can open it to the group

[1:31:18] for questions.

[1:31:19] >> All right.

[1:31:19] Thank you very much for

[1:31:20] the presentation.

[1:31:21] Clerk Please proceed with

[1:31:22] public comment.

[1:31:23] Thank you.

[1:31:23] Council PRESIDENT We do have

[1:31:27] some speakers here and

[1:31:28] Administrator and Robert

[1:31:28] Gleason if you can please come

[1:31:33] forward and send me on Strether

[1:31:40] is okay You submitted 4 to 1.

[1:31:48] Yeah This is item two one to

[1:31:49] you not want to speak to

[1:31:50] the modernization fund?

[1:31:57] Sure.

[1:31:58] Hey good afternoon everybody My

[1:32:01] name is and said Magic Estrada

[1:32:02] ,political director for

[1:32:02] the San Diego Building and

[1:32:03] Construction Trades Council.

[1:32:06] I'm here to ask that you move

[1:32:07] forward with staff

[1:32:08] recommendation on this item.

[1:32:10] I'll see you in a couple of

[1:32:11] minutes for 2 or 2 as well.

[1:32:12] But you know, I don't want to

[1:32:14] get in my comments there but

[1:32:15] thank you so much.

[1:32:15] >> Thank you.

[1:32:19] After that is Robert Gleason.

[1:32:20] >> Good afternoon.

[1:32:21] Council PRESIDENT Council

[1:32:21] members Robert Gleason I'm

[1:32:24] the chair of the San Diego

[1:32:25] County Lodging Association.

[1:32:25] You received our letter this

[1:32:30] morning and I spoke to those of

[1:32:30] you on the committee previously

[1:32:34] So I just want to reiterate a

[1:32:34] few points here.

[1:32:35] Obviously recognize

[1:32:39] the situation that the city is

[1:32:40] in in and want to move forward.

[1:32:43] But as the last remaining

[1:32:43] member of the coalition that

[1:32:44] actually negotiated and wrote

[1:32:48] and put measure c on the ballot

[1:32:49] amongst hotels, labor council

[1:32:53] building trades and the chamber

[1:32:54] I'm the only person I'll hear

[1:32:55] from today that can and just

[1:32:58] want to caution about the use

[1:32:58] of these funds.

[1:32:59] This measure was never intended

[1:33:02] to be a source.

[1:33:03] It was meant to be a source of

[1:33:04] new revenue for homelessness

[1:33:08] programs, streets and

[1:33:08] convention center repairs.

[1:33:09] Using it for anything other

[1:33:12] than that is not what

[1:33:13] the measure says.

[1:33:13] It's definitely not what

[1:33:14] the measure intended and it's

[1:33:17] absolutely not what was sold to

[1:33:18] the voters.

[1:33:18] What's being proposed today is

[1:33:22] deferred maintenance and it's

[1:33:22] disappointing that this is

[1:33:23] the first use of funds from

[1:33:26] Measure c.

[1:33:27] However, all that being said,

[1:33:31] the convention center has very

[1:33:32] significant deferred

[1:33:32] maintenance.

[1:33:36] The city under previous

[1:33:37] administrations and previous

[1:33:37] councils and continued through

[1:33:41] these has been underfunding

[1:33:42] those capital needs for many,

[1:33:42] many years.

[1:33:43] So as I've learned to say in

[1:33:46] therapy both things are true.

[1:33:47] We need to address the deferred

[1:33:51] maintenance but we need to

[1:33:52] really focus on the ultimate

[1:33:56] expansion and modernization of

[1:33:56] the convention center.

[1:33:57] So assuming you move this

[1:34:00] forward today, I'd ask you to

[1:34:01] keep an eye particularly in

[1:34:02] the upcoming budget

[1:34:02] conversations to make sure that

[1:34:06] measure c funds are used as

[1:34:06] intended not for deferred

[1:34:07] maintenance, not for operation,

[1:34:11] not for sales, not for

[1:34:11] marketing but for new

[1:34:12] homelessness programs and

[1:34:12] ultimately for the expansion

[1:34:15] and modernization of

[1:34:16] the Convention center in order

[1:34:16] to keep with public trust and

[1:34:18] the trust of the voters.

[1:34:23] >> Thank you.

[1:34:24] >> Thank you.

[1:34:24] That does conclude public

[1:34:25] comment here in council

[1:34:26] chambers one of those

[1:34:28] participating remotely

[1:34:29] currently have five people with

[1:34:33] their hands raised 8700 if you

[1:34:33] can please unmute after that Is

[1:34:34] Andrea Ebbing and then Blair

[1:34:36] Brickman Okay.

[1:34:37] >> Excuse me.

[1:34:42] Thank you Joyce Any other

[1:34:42] district three City Clerk How

[1:34:43] much time do I have?

[1:34:46] >> We'll reset the clock for

[1:34:46] two minutes.

[1:34:47] >> Thank you for resetting.

[1:34:51] I appreciate that so much.

[1:34:51] Okay.

[1:34:52] I like what that gentleman just

[1:34:52] said.

[1:34:56] I might not agree with

[1:34:56] everything just the way it was

[1:34:57] worded but I especially like

[1:35:01] the caution on the use of

[1:35:01] the funds.

[1:35:02] And so we need oversight.

[1:35:06] We need transparent and say and

[1:35:07] we need monitoring.

[1:35:11] You know we have to remember

[1:35:12] and this is new stuff so I'm

[1:35:13] seeing right this minute but we

[1:35:15] have to remember that things

[1:35:15] have to be tweaked.

[1:35:16] Things will change.

[1:35:20] You know, it was said a certain

[1:35:21] way and the measure and now we

[1:35:25] might be tweaking it That's

[1:35:25] okay.

[1:35:26] You know, things do change.

[1:35:27] You're moving targets all over

[1:35:30] the place So let's not get too

[1:35:31] locked into the wording on a

[1:35:31] measure.

[1:35:35] Let's work together on this.

[1:35:36] I didn't plan on saying that.

[1:35:40] So if dcc certainly a great

[1:35:45] asset we we have fallen short

[1:35:45] though for a long time on

[1:35:49] safety factors.

[1:35:50] You know where was

[1:35:54] the prevention of this deferred

[1:35:54] maintenance?

[1:35:55] It happened over time and it's

[1:35:58] just so sad.

[1:36:02] I just I feel very sad about it

[1:36:02] .

[1:36:03] And one other thing I love

[1:36:04] the PowerPoint but boy, did it

[1:36:07] go over my head.

[1:36:08] I think you had to be a

[1:36:12] PRESIDENT LaCava or you know a

[1:36:13] professor or I mean somebody

[1:36:13] who understands all that

[1:36:14] language.

[1:36:17] So one question as I finish out

[1:36:21] here is a generator the same

[1:36:22] thing as a boiler because you

[1:36:25] know, I'm fighting I'm I'm

[1:36:26] trying to heal the big canary

[1:36:27] with the band covered with

[1:36:31] the Band-Aids which is known as

[1:36:31] the boiler.

[1:36:35] So I just pray and as if

[1:36:35] the boiler be part of

[1:36:36] the mineralization it's

[1:36:40] deferred maintenance big time.

[1:36:41] So is a generator or a boiler?

[1:36:41] I don't know.

[1:36:45] I try to look it up on Google

[1:36:46] and it said they can be

[1:36:50] confused So thank you so much

[1:36:50] and it's a great great report

[1:36:54] And for that concluding comment

[1:36:54] .

[1:36:55] Andrea Ebbing if you can please

[1:36:56] unmute after that.

[1:36:59] Blair Beckman I Andrea are

[1:36:59] being so for the modernization

[1:37:03] project I'm wondering this MAY

[1:37:08] not be part of this budget, it

[1:37:09] MAY actually exist and I don't

[1:37:10] know about it but we used to

[1:37:12] have Converse Convention

[1:37:13] Visitors Bureau I think to

[1:37:17] complement any upgrades or

[1:37:18] anything we're doing we need to

[1:37:22] attract people to So if there's

[1:37:23] any portion of that budget that

[1:37:27] can be used to collaborate and

[1:37:28] come up with initiatives to

[1:37:28] attract additional business

[1:37:33] coming to San Diego for more

[1:37:33] conventions, more room nights,

[1:37:34] that sort of thing that would

[1:37:37] be so helpful.

[1:37:37] i think we need to like

[1:37:38] consider a campaign to kind of

[1:37:42] like you turn from like San

[1:37:43] Diego is the drop off for all

[1:37:47] the rejects and addicts and all

[1:37:48] this stuff that's kind of like

[1:37:49] importing addicts from all over

[1:37:51] the country and how they're

[1:37:52] homeless.

[1:37:52] Let's give them Narcan that

[1:37:53] whole that whole thing We can

[1:37:56] kind of shift away from that

[1:37:57] into like let's have your

[1:38:01] amazing conventions in San

[1:38:02] Diego room nights, patronize

[1:38:06] our nightclubs and restaurants

[1:38:06] and all of the different

[1:38:07] offerings that we have and

[1:38:07] events.

[1:38:11] I think you know a portion of

[1:38:12] an investment toward that to

[1:38:16] complement the upgrades would

[1:38:17] be great upgrade the technology

[1:38:21] obviously the parking situation

[1:38:21] there is a little wild But

[1:38:26] anyways I appreciate overview

[1:38:26] and that's it Thanks.

[1:38:32] >> Next is player Beakman if

[1:38:32] you can please unmute and then

[1:38:34] the final speaker is 8813.

[1:38:38] >> Hi thank you for Beakman

[1:38:39] Thanks for this item It's been

[1:38:43] coming to council committee

[1:38:44] over the past few months now

[1:38:48] the last time was the committee

[1:38:48] heard Joyce Snyder wasn't

[1:38:49] around and I was just really I

[1:38:53] spoke a public comment time

[1:38:54] would be nice to hear Joyce on

[1:38:54] this item because it's really

[1:38:58] important to her and it's nice

[1:38:58] she's returned and able to

[1:38:59] offer her $0.02 on the item.

[1:39:02] Very nice public comment from

[1:39:03] the first person that he's very

[1:39:07] nicely identified What this

[1:39:07] project is actually doing and

[1:39:11] how it relates to measure c

[1:39:11] funding.

[1:39:16] Um yeah I hope this sort of

[1:39:16] project can be funded to have

[1:39:17] an identification of wordage of

[1:39:21] what it is actually doing

[1:39:24] That's important and good luck

[1:39:25] From there we can be funding

[1:39:26] this legally and and working in

[1:39:30] good terms.

[1:39:31] Thank you for the work on this

[1:39:34] that you'll be talking about in

[1:39:35] the next item in connection

[1:39:40] with play work and just

[1:39:40] the overall project of it.

[1:39:41] I always try to say for

[1:39:45] convention center items that if

[1:39:46] you work on the tech

[1:39:46] accountability practices and

[1:39:50] upgrades with the convention

[1:39:50] center you know have clear

[1:39:54] policies that make it a real

[1:39:54] cooperative shared process that

[1:39:55] will bring people to

[1:39:59] the convention center, that

[1:39:59] will bring people to San Diego.

[1:40:00] They want to be around that

[1:40:01] sort of thing and feel

[1:40:04] comforted by it and to

[1:40:05] understand what are best

[1:40:08] practices of public

[1:40:09] accountability, I think people

[1:40:10] will want to see that and

[1:40:14] that's a very important source

[1:40:14] draw in the future.

[1:40:15] So good luck to yourselves in

[1:40:16] considering that sort of

[1:40:18] concept and working in good

[1:40:19] terms as a as a community

[1:40:22] process and not just as a

[1:40:23] government handing down

[1:40:23] dictates.

[1:40:24] >> Thanks a lot.

[1:40:24] Bye bye.

[1:40:27] And 8813 If you can please

[1:40:32] unmute I can't commute for you.

[1:40:40] Start There you go.

[1:40:41] Okay thank you for being

[1:40:41] patient.

[1:40:42] Okay Going here?

[1:40:47] >> Yep.

[1:40:47] Uh yeah.

[1:40:48] This presentation.

[1:40:52] Yeah I agree Joy It's uh it is.

[1:40:53] It's designed to go over

[1:40:57] the people's heads because they

[1:40:58] truly don't want the taxpayers

[1:40:58] understanding what the city is

[1:41:02] being wasteful there And um

[1:41:02] yeah.

[1:41:06] Anyways, okay, expansion and

[1:41:07] modernization just more waste.

[1:41:12] Uh, the convention center MAY

[1:41:13] need to be up to date but not

[1:41:16] at the real I'm not at

[1:41:17] the sacrifice of real

[1:41:18] priorities and issues of

[1:41:21] the city and it's it's kind of

[1:41:22] like wow, I don't know.

[1:41:26] I just feel like if more people

[1:41:27] were paying attention to how

[1:41:31] you guys go about using

[1:41:31] taxpayer money, it would be a

[1:41:32] whole lot different.

[1:41:36] But yeah, deferred maintenance

[1:41:37] there's nothing you know you

[1:41:41] guys are notorious for deferred

[1:41:46] maintenance and you know, like

[1:41:47] I said, real priorities and

[1:41:50] the real issues of the city's

[1:41:51] need to be um the priority.

[1:41:55] I mean and it's like me wanting

[1:41:56] to invest in plastic surgery,

[1:41:56] you know, when my kids are

[1:42:00] starving and my toilet's don't

[1:42:01] flush, you know what I'm

[1:42:01] saying?

[1:42:01] Like come on.

[1:42:05] But yes, here we are in

[1:42:06] the system ruled by

[1:42:10] the establishment and uh,

[1:42:11] people that just want to

[1:42:13] surviving and not thriving.

[1:42:19] That's the game.

[1:42:19] I'm done.

[1:42:20] Thank you.

[1:42:24] Well, there you go And great.

[1:42:25] >> So that concludes with a

[1:42:25] comment on item two.

[1:42:26] A one Thank you.

[1:42:28] Council PRESIDENT All right.

[1:42:28] Thank you.

[1:42:29] City clerk will turn it over to

[1:42:30] council members Questions,

[1:42:33] comments entertain a motion and

[1:42:34] we'll start with Council member

[1:42:34] Whitburn.

[1:42:35] Thank you Council PRESIDENT

[1:42:35] I'll make the motion to approve

[1:42:38] this staff recommendation.

[1:42:39] We heard this at the Act of

[1:42:39] Transportation and

[1:42:40] Infrastructure Committee late

[1:42:40] last month.

[1:42:42] It passed unanimously.

[1:42:43] These funds will address urgent

[1:42:47] needs at the convention center

[1:42:48] today that will allow San Diego

[1:42:49] to remain a competitive

[1:42:52] convention destination with a

[1:42:53] well functioning facility.

[1:42:54] But I also will say that we

[1:42:57] need to get on with

[1:42:57] the business of expanding

[1:42:58] the convention center as soon

[1:43:02] as we can.

[1:43:02] We need to expand

[1:43:03] the convention center if we're

[1:43:03] going to keep some of

[1:43:04] the conventions that we

[1:43:07] currently have if we're going

[1:43:07] to attract bigger ones.

[1:43:08] The public expects us to expand

[1:43:11] the convention center.

[1:43:11] So let's make the needed

[1:43:15] upgrades with today's action

[1:43:16] and at the same time keep our

[1:43:17] eye on the ultimate prize which

[1:43:20] is an expanded convention

[1:43:21] center which will keep San

[1:43:21] Diego in the top tier of

[1:43:25] convention destinations.

[1:43:26] Thank you, Council PRESIDENT.

[1:43:26] All right.

[1:43:30] That was a motion in there made

[1:43:30] the motion upfront.

[1:43:31] >> Yes.

[1:43:31] To approve the staff

[1:43:32] recommendation.

[1:43:35] I'm distraught that I forgot to

[1:43:36] introduce you as a chair of

[1:43:36] the Active Transportation

[1:43:37] Infrastructure Committee.

[1:43:39] Well, so focus But we do have a

[1:43:40] motion by Council member

[1:43:41] Whitburn to move the staff

[1:43:41] recommendation.

[1:43:42] We'll go next to council member

[1:43:44] Campbell Thank you.

[1:43:45] Council PRESIDENT Thank you for

[1:43:48] the motion.

[1:43:49] As one of the few remaining

[1:43:53] standing who in the original

[1:43:57] iteration of this way back in

[1:43:58] 2000 I don't know if there's

[1:44:02] any council members left who

[1:44:03] voted for it and who supported

[1:44:07] it at that time But I know I

[1:44:08] did And those were the days

[1:44:12] those were days when

[1:44:12] the Republicans and

[1:44:13] the Democrats worked together.

[1:44:16] Those were the days when

[1:44:17] the unions and the Chamber of

[1:44:18] Commerce worked together.

[1:44:22] Those were the days And this

[1:44:22] was an excellent, excellent

[1:44:23] measure that was passed

[1:44:27] approved by all the citizens of

[1:44:27] the city who voted for it,

[1:44:31] which was a majority.

[1:44:32] And unfortunately litigation

[1:44:33] has stopped it going forward

[1:44:36] for five years, which indicates

[1:44:41] to me that we need to we need

[1:44:41] to fix up our judicial system

[1:44:46] But that's a whole other can of

[1:44:46] worms.

[1:44:50] So let me just say that I am so

[1:44:51] glad that we have finally

[1:44:51] reached the end of

[1:44:52] the litigation point.

[1:44:55] We're going to move forward

[1:44:55] with this.

[1:44:56] It's going to be an excellent

[1:45:00] addition to our armamentarium

[1:45:01] to keep our city growing and

[1:45:05] progressing and I am grateful

[1:45:05] for it.

[1:45:06] >> I'm happy to second

[1:45:06] the motion.

[1:45:07] All right.

[1:45:10] Thank you, Council member

[1:45:11] Campbell.

[1:45:11] So we have a motion by Council

[1:45:13] member Whitburn and a second by

[1:45:14] Council member Campbell to move

[1:45:15] a staff recommendation.

[1:45:19] I don't see anybody else on

[1:45:20] the light.

[1:45:20] >> I will not add any comments

[1:45:24] to the good work that you're

[1:45:24] doing.

[1:45:25] I am grateful despite some of

[1:45:28] the concerns that we are moving

[1:45:29] quickly now that the litigation

[1:45:30] has been cleared to figure out

[1:45:33] how to spend that money and

[1:45:34] move on these items, I want to

[1:45:38] make sure that if and when

[1:45:38] the conversation comes about

[1:45:43] modernization or even expansion

[1:45:44] that there is actually a

[1:45:44] convention center there to work

[1:45:45] with that And at the pace we're

[1:45:48] going there is some real risk

[1:45:48] there.

[1:45:53] So with that for those of us

[1:45:53] that are not more intimately

[1:45:57] involved in the conversation,

[1:45:58] what is the timeline that we

[1:46:02] can talk about expansion We

[1:46:02] can't do that now.

[1:46:03] >> Correct?

[1:46:03] The city attorney's office will

[1:46:06] comment on it.

[1:46:07] Yes.

[1:46:07] Senior Deputy City Attorney

[1:46:08] Kevin Rush The settlement

[1:46:12] agreement prohibitions are in

[1:46:13] effect through the end of this

[1:46:13] calendar year so the city is

[1:46:16] freed up to publicly discuss

[1:46:21] expansion and take actions in

[1:46:22] that regard starting next year.

[1:46:22] Okay.

[1:46:23] Thank you, Jim for that

[1:46:26] clarification and let folks

[1:46:26] know what timelines might be

[1:46:31] possible going forward.

[1:46:31] And also just to confirm

[1:46:32] the allocation, this is cash.

[1:46:36] We're not bonding.

[1:46:37] We're just using the money that

[1:46:41] is in the bank for this.

[1:46:41] >> That's correct.

[1:46:42] Council member Okay, great.

[1:46:43] Thank you for clarifying that.

[1:46:43] All right.

[1:46:46] Again we have a motion by

[1:46:47] council member Whitburn,

[1:46:47] the second by Council member

[1:46:48] Campbell to move the staff

[1:46:51] recommendation clerk Please

[1:46:51] call the roll I'm sorry

[1:46:52] the voting system Please cast

[1:46:52] your vote.

[1:46:53] >> Council Member Yellow River

[1:46:54] If I MAY get your vote for

[1:46:55] the record.

[1:47:04] >> Yes.

[1:47:08] That passes unanimously 6 to 0

[1:47:09] with Council member Moreno,

[1:47:10] Council member Campo and a

[1:47:12] Council member Von Wilpert

[1:47:12] absent.

[1:47:13] Thank you Council PRESIDENT All

[1:47:13] right.

[1:47:17] Thank you for that.

[1:47:18] >> With that clerk please

[1:47:21] introduce item 202 Item two two

[1:47:21] is the third addendum to

[1:47:26] the third amended and restated

[1:47:26] management agreement between

[1:47:27] the City of San Diego and

[1:47:28] the San Diego Convention Center

[1:47:30] Corporation Inc and

[1:47:31] the designation of specific

[1:47:31] future Convention Center

[1:47:35] Capital Improvement Projects as

[1:47:36] covered projects under

[1:47:36] the Project Labor Agreement.

[1:47:37] If you'd like to speak to this

[1:47:41] item please be sure to submit

[1:47:42] your speaker slip to the front

[1:47:43] of the room in the clear box or

[1:47:45] if you're participating

[1:47:46] remotely start nine at

[1:47:47] the raise your hand icon.

[1:47:47] Thank you.

[1:47:51] That we got the same staff but

[1:47:51] later So introduce yourself for

[1:47:52] the record again and let us

[1:47:54] know how much time you need.

[1:47:55] Good afternoon Council

[1:47:55] PRESIDENT Like our council

[1:47:59] members I'm still illiterate in

[1:48:00] the engineering capital

[1:48:00] Projects Director And here with

[1:48:05] me is Dominique Taos, interim

[1:48:05] Deputy director with the same

[1:48:06] department.

[1:48:06] We will need ten minutes

[1:48:07] please.

[1:48:07] All right.

[1:48:08] When you're ready.

[1:48:09] >> Thank you.

[1:48:14] Okay, Moving on to item two or

[1:48:14] to the third Amended to

[1:48:15] the third.

[1:48:15] Sorry, Excuse me.

[1:48:18] The third addendum to the third

[1:48:19] amended management agreement

[1:48:19] between the city of San Diego

[1:48:20] and the City Convention Center

[1:48:22] Corporation.

[1:48:23] A quick summary of

[1:48:23] the requested action we're

[1:48:27] looking to authorize the mayor

[1:48:28] or his designee to enter into

[1:48:28] the proposed addendum and to

[1:48:33] delegate any of the p projects

[1:48:33] to the Convention Center

[1:48:34] Corporation.

[1:48:36] We're looking also to have

[1:48:37] the cfo authorized to transfer

[1:48:38] funds from the revenue fund to

[1:48:41] the specific c ip projects.

[1:48:42] And then finally a resolution

[1:48:42] identifying the convention

[1:48:43] Center capital improvement

[1:48:46] projects as part of the covered

[1:48:47] projects listing in the prior

[1:48:48] established Project Labor

[1:48:49] Agreement the city put in place

[1:48:55] back in FEBRUARY of 2020 for

[1:48:55] this.

[1:49:00] >> So the original agreement

[1:49:00] the third amended and restated

[1:49:01] management agreement went into

[1:49:04] place in MAY 20th, 2005.

[1:49:05] There was a first addendum to

[1:49:07] that agreement in MARCH 2nd,

[1:49:08] 2012.

[1:49:08] This allowed the Convention

[1:49:12] Center Corporation to enter

[1:49:13] into third party marketing and

[1:49:14] promotion agreements and also

[1:49:14] address the allocation of

[1:49:17] annual operating surplus funds

[1:49:21] Later that year there was a

[1:49:22] second addendum in NOVEMBER

[1:49:22] 2012 that was executed after

[1:49:23] the Convention Center

[1:49:26] Corporation entered into a

[1:49:27] third party marketing agreement

[1:49:28] and then it closed the loophole

[1:49:31] for the surplus fund allocation

[1:49:31] leaving that allocation to go

[1:49:32] back to the regular annual

[1:49:36] budgeting process.

[1:49:36] Currently the framework between

[1:49:37] the Convention Center

[1:49:38] Corporation and the City of San

[1:49:41] Diego has the Convention center

[1:49:42] operating as a day to day

[1:49:46] operator or the convention

[1:49:46] center as an independent

[1:49:47] contractor.

[1:49:47] They are responsible for event

[1:49:51] booking and marketing facility

[1:49:51] operations and maintenance,

[1:49:52] financial admin and

[1:49:53] coordination of capital

[1:49:56] improvements.

[1:49:56] They are subject to the city's

[1:49:57] oversight and funding approval

[1:50:00] and the agreement currently

[1:50:01] defines governance, financial

[1:50:02] reporting and roles to support

[1:50:02] the economic development and

[1:50:05] tourism.

[1:50:10] >> This third addendum that

[1:50:10] we're bringing forth today I

[1:50:11] like a few key changes.

[1:50:14] One being the clarifying

[1:50:14] provisions that is a

[1:50:15] requirement of prevailing wages

[1:50:18] per state law, establishment of

[1:50:19] a reimbursement process and

[1:50:19] compliance with all laws,

[1:50:20] permits and approvals.

[1:50:23] And then ensuring that any San

[1:50:24] Diego Convention Center

[1:50:25] Corporation contract includes

[1:50:28] the city as and specified

[1:50:28] parties as additional insured

[1:50:29] and indemnified and also

[1:50:33] requires payment and

[1:50:33] performance bonds for those

[1:50:34] construction contracts

[1:50:34] Additionally will be looking to

[1:50:38] look into establish a

[1:50:38] delegation process.

[1:50:39] This would allow the city to

[1:50:40] delegate contracting oversight

[1:50:43] of certain types of projects to

[1:50:44] the Convention Center

[1:50:44] Corporation via individual

[1:50:48] delegation agreements.

[1:50:48] The mayor then is authorized to

[1:50:49] enter into these agreements

[1:50:52] setting the city's maximum

[1:50:53] contribution based off of

[1:50:54] Council's appropriations

[1:50:54] contracting and oversight

[1:50:58] requirements.

[1:50:58] And then ultimately as I

[1:50:59] mentioned before, these

[1:51:02] projects will be covered under

[1:51:02] the prior established project

[1:51:03] labor agreements under quote

[1:51:07] unquote covered projects.

[1:51:07] >> Again, a quick summary of

[1:51:11] the requested actions.

[1:51:12] The third addendum would be

[1:51:16] sort of discard excuse me we

[1:51:16] will we will be looking to

[1:51:17] authorize the mayor or designee

[1:51:21] to enter into the third

[1:51:22] addendum with the San Diego

[1:51:23] Convention Center Corporation

[1:51:26] and allowing any individual

[1:51:27] delegation agreements for this

[1:51:28] individual chp projects.

[1:51:30] We would also look to have

[1:51:31] the cfo authorized to make any

[1:51:32] necessary funds transfers to

[1:51:35] execute those vip projects.

[1:51:36] And then lastly there would be

[1:51:40] a resolution identifying these

[1:51:40] capital improvements projects

[1:51:41] to be under the covered

[1:51:42] projects under the city's prior

[1:51:44] established Project Labor

[1:51:50] Agreement back in 2024.

[1:51:50] >> With that I can take

[1:51:51] questions.

[1:51:51] All right.

[1:51:52] Thank you very much for

[1:51:55] the presentation.

[1:51:55] >> The Clerk Please proceed

[1:51:56] with public comment.

[1:52:00] Thank you.

[1:52:01] And let me know if you'd like

[1:52:02] to come forward.

[1:52:02] I think we got our speaker

[1:52:03] slips confused.

[1:52:04] This one says you don't want to

[1:52:05] speak and the other one did.

[1:52:08] So that's like I know you speak

[1:52:09] to both of them.

[1:52:09] Yeah.

[1:52:13] Anybody Political director for

[1:52:14] the San Diego Building and

[1:52:15] Construction Trades Council.

[1:52:18] I want to thank you all so much

[1:52:19] for considering this item at

[1:52:19] the convention center I

[1:52:20] mentioned last time.

[1:52:22] It is a pillar of our economic

[1:52:27] health of the region and

[1:52:27] the city and our members of

[1:52:32] the Building Trades Council to

[1:52:32] affiliated unions.

[1:52:33] We bring skilled and trained

[1:52:34] forward to all the projects we

[1:52:37] work on and we want to do that

[1:52:37] for the Convention center.

[1:52:38] We are happy that moving on

[1:52:41] moving these projects under

[1:52:42] the city's play is here for

[1:52:46] consideration.

[1:52:47] Councilmember Whitburn as chair

[1:52:47] you mentioned that San Diego

[1:52:51] could only get by so long on

[1:52:52] its good looks and we need a

[1:52:53] convention center that kind of

[1:52:53] matches that And I don't need

[1:52:55] to tell anybody here just what

[1:52:56] the lack of maintenance has

[1:53:01] done to the convention center

[1:53:01] is time for that to get

[1:53:02] addressed And we're here and

[1:53:03] ready to do that work.

[1:53:04] So please approve this item.

[1:53:11] Thank you so much.

[1:53:11] >> Thank you.

[1:53:12] At the five minute time we're

[1:53:13] hearing council chambers, there

[1:53:13] are no other speakers here

[1:53:14] going to those participating

[1:53:18] remotely starting with 8700 and

[1:53:18] then 81 three 8700 If you can

[1:53:23] please unmute a thank you Joyce

[1:53:27] Any other cd3I think I see MR.

[1:53:31] Cushman Hello MR. Cushman I

[1:53:32] know that your work with I

[1:53:36] don't understand your work with

[1:53:37] the Convention Center say about

[1:53:41] that but just having you there

[1:53:41] is so strong and I appreciate

[1:53:45] that so much So I approve

[1:53:49] the changes and I especially

[1:53:50] like the requiring of

[1:53:55] the prevailing wages to make

[1:53:56] sure that it's being done.

[1:54:01] I for a long time I had him he

[1:54:04] moved away to another state but

[1:54:05] for a long time I had

[1:54:06] conversations with a gentleman

[1:54:10] who worked in the food aspect

[1:54:14] of the convention center and he

[1:54:14] just loved it.

[1:54:15] He just loved every single

[1:54:19] moment of it and so I'm so glad

[1:54:25] that the a p a is is part of

[1:54:25] this And you know how much I

[1:54:29] really enjoy these days looking

[1:54:30] at the eoc and the workforce

[1:54:34] reports and but I'll tell you

[1:54:34] folks we have to do a lot more

[1:54:39] monitoring and making sure that

[1:54:40] the under representation is

[1:54:40] changed and that they are

[1:54:44] represented and included.

[1:54:48] So this is this is an important

[1:54:48] item.

[1:54:49] Thank you for the presentation

[1:54:54] and look to all 8813 if you can

[1:55:03] please unmute 88130 okay

[1:55:04] control over area just me to

[1:55:05] say remember your priorities

[1:55:12] city of San Diego and yeah I

[1:55:16] got to make you really know no

[1:55:17] I think dedicate it if I can

[1:55:20] does that conclude your

[1:55:21] comments Yeah I'm sorry Yes I'm

[1:55:21] done.

[1:55:25] Okay Thank you That does

[1:55:25] conclude public comment on this

[1:55:26] item.

[1:55:26] All right.

[1:55:27] Thank you, City Clerk.

[1:55:27] And with that we'll turn it

[1:55:30] over to some members for

[1:55:30] questions, comments and

[1:55:31] entertain a motion and we'll

[1:55:35] start again with the chair of

[1:55:36] act a Transportation and

[1:55:36] Infrastructure Committee

[1:55:37] Council member Whitburn Thank

[1:55:37] you.

[1:55:40] Council PRESIDENT I'll make

[1:55:40] the motion to approve the staff

[1:55:41] recommendation on this item as

[1:55:41] well.

[1:55:45] We also heard this at

[1:55:46] the Active Transportation and

[1:55:46] Infrastructure Committee where

[1:55:49] it was passed unanimously.

[1:55:50] I am of course pleased that we

[1:55:51] are designating these projects

[1:55:54] as covered under the city's

[1:55:55] Project Labor agreement that

[1:55:55] helps ensure that these

[1:55:56] projects will create good jobs

[1:56:00] and that the work will get done

[1:56:00] right.

[1:56:01] So again, I'll make the motion

[1:56:01] to approve the staff

[1:56:02] recommendation.

[1:56:02] All right.

[1:56:03] Thank you.

[1:56:05] Council members.

[1:56:06] So we do have a motion by

[1:56:06] Councilmember Whitburn to move

[1:56:07] The staff recommendation will

[1:56:08] go next to council member

[1:56:10] Campbell Thank you Council

[1:56:10] PRESIDENT I am happy to second

[1:56:11] this motion as well.

[1:56:11] All right.

[1:56:15] We have a second So we have now

[1:56:16] a motion by council member

[1:56:16] whitburn, the second by Council

[1:56:17] member Campbell to move

[1:56:19] the staff recommendation not

[1:56:20] see anybody else in the lights.

[1:56:24] A couple of quick questions on

[1:56:25] this.

[1:56:25] This will be the first time

[1:56:26] capital projects at

[1:56:30] the convention center will be

[1:56:30] covered under the play.

[1:56:31] That's correct.

[1:56:35] And who will be monitoring that

[1:56:36] city's compliance office will

[1:56:40] be monitoring that with our

[1:56:40] support as well.

[1:56:40] >> All right.

[1:56:45] Even though the good folks at

[1:56:45] the convention center will be

[1:56:46] contracting, we will monitor

[1:56:51] the play.

[1:56:51] Correct.

[1:56:52] And then that will be handled

[1:56:53] actually at the delegation

[1:56:53] agreement that we are going to

[1:56:56] have on Project by project

[1:56:56] basis.

[1:56:57] That will be one of two items

[1:56:58] as well if I'm not mistaken,

[1:56:58] correct?

[1:57:01] That's correct.

[1:57:01] Okay.

[1:57:02] And then there will be a

[1:57:02] conversation between

[1:57:03] the convention center and their

[1:57:06] staffing and ecp and the city's

[1:57:06] staffing.

[1:57:07] Yes, we have been coordinating

[1:57:11] leading to this point and we're

[1:57:12] going to continue coordinating

[1:57:12] on the best way to deliver

[1:57:13] these projects.

[1:57:16] >> Okay.

[1:57:17] Thank you for that.

[1:57:18] And then one thing I forgot to

[1:57:19] ask last time but appropriate

[1:57:21] this time One of the things

[1:57:22] that MR. Gleason asked for was

[1:57:26] for the lodging association to

[1:57:27] have some representation on

[1:57:27] kind of an ongoing committee

[1:57:31] both on capital projects as

[1:57:32] well as the homelessness.

[1:57:36] Is that in the works or can we

[1:57:37] get some one to get back to me

[1:57:38] later on that the application

[1:57:42] for the homeless the oversight

[1:57:42] committee actually just went

[1:57:43] live And so yes, it is our

[1:57:47] intent to have representation

[1:57:48] from Australian Lodging

[1:57:48] Association on both Both Okay,

[1:57:49] great.

[1:57:52] Thank you for confirming that.

[1:57:53] So so MR. Gleason we do read

[1:57:58] your letters and appreciate

[1:57:58] your testimony with that.

[1:57:59] We do have a motion by

[1:58:02] Councilmember Whipper and a

[1:58:03] second by Council member

[1:58:03] Campbell to move the staff

[1:58:04] recommendation.

[1:58:07] >> clerk Please call the roll

[1:58:08] Councilmember Lerner if I MAY

[1:58:09] get your vote for the record.

[1:58:15] Yes.

[1:58:20] And that passes unanimously 7

[1:58:21] to 0 with Council member Campo

[1:58:22] and Councilmember Yvonne

[1:58:22] Wilpert absent.

[1:58:22] Thank you.

[1:58:26] Council PRESIDENT.

[1:58:26] All right.

[1:58:27] Thank you And again thank you

[1:58:27] everybody that worked on

[1:58:28] bringing this forward.

[1:58:31] So with that we will now take

[1:58:32] up non agenda public comment.

[1:58:32] The council members respect and

[1:58:33] appreciate the public's input

[1:58:36] and are fully committed to

[1:58:37] protecting every participant's

[1:58:37] free speech rights at council

[1:58:42] and committee meetings.

[1:58:43] >> Clerk Please proceed with

[1:58:43] public comment Pearl 2.7 on

[1:58:44] agenda Public comment is an

[1:58:54] opportunity so can you see it

[1:58:54] on the record?

[1:58:55] >> Oh I want to cast a yes vote

[1:58:57] on item 2a1.

[1:58:58] Thank you.

[1:58:58] I'll mark that for the record.

[1:58:59] Thank you very much.

[1:59:02] Thank Pearl Two points over

[1:59:03] that agenda.

[1:59:03] Public comment is an

[1:59:07] opportunity for members of

[1:59:08] the public to comment on items

[1:59:08] that are not on the agenda but

[1:59:09] within the subject matter

[1:59:12] jurisdiction of the city

[1:59:13] Council.

[1:59:13] Each speaker will have two

[1:59:14] minutes please And if there are

[1:59:15] eight or more speakers on a

[1:59:17] single topic the maximum time

[1:59:18] for the topic will be 16

[1:59:18] minutes.

[1:59:19] I see no non agenda public

[1:59:23] comments because here in

[1:59:24] council chambers so I will be

[1:59:27] going to those participating

[1:59:27] remotely starting the five

[1:59:28] minute timer We currently have

[1:59:29] 11 speakers in the queue.

[1:59:33] Barbara Gordon If you can

[1:59:34] please unmute after that is

[1:59:34] Kathleen Lippert and then

[1:59:38] Brenda thank you.

[1:59:38] As a public health advocate I

[1:59:42] wanted to share and newly

[1:59:43] released Kaiser Permanente

[1:59:44] study found adolescent cannabis

[1:59:49] use linked to doubling the risk

[1:59:50] of psychotic and bipolar

[1:59:53] disorder.

[1:59:54] This was published in

[1:59:55] the Journal of American Medical

[1:59:59] helped form the Longitudinal

[2:00:00] study found over 465,000

[2:00:05] adolescents between the ages of

[2:00:09] 13 and 17 and through the age

[2:00:10] of 26 found that past year

[2:00:10] cannabis use during adolescence

[2:00:15] was associated with a

[2:00:15] significantly higher risk

[2:00:20] incident of psychotic bipolar

[2:00:21] depressive and anxiety disorder

[2:00:26] Even after accounting for prior

[2:00:27] mental health conditions and

[2:00:27] other substance use,

[2:00:28] adolescents who reported

[2:00:31] cannabis use had a substantial

[2:00:32] higher risk of developing

[2:00:33] psychiatric psychiatric

[2:00:37] disorders particularly

[2:00:38] psychotic and bipolar disorder.

[2:00:45] This was said by Kelly Wolfe

[2:00:45] Young Wolfe, Ph.D., who was

[2:00:48] the leading author of the study

[2:00:49] .

[2:00:49] The study also found that

[2:00:50] cannabis use was more common

[2:00:54] among adolescents that were

[2:00:55] enrolled in Medicare, Medicare,

[2:01:00] Medicaid and those living in

[2:01:01] more socioeconomically deprived

[2:01:01] neighborhoods.

[2:01:05] Raising the concern that

[2:01:06] expanding cannabis

[2:01:06] commercialization could

[2:01:11] exasperate existing mental

[2:01:12] health disparities as cannabis

[2:01:12] becomes more potent and

[2:01:17] aggressively marketed.

[2:01:18] This study indicates that

[2:01:19] adolescent cannabis use is

[2:01:23] associated with the risk of

[2:01:24] the two of the most serious

[2:01:24] health conditions.

[2:01:25] I am urging the city to take a

[2:01:29] more aggressive action to limit

[2:01:30] the exposure of advertising and

[2:01:34] marketing by prohibiting

[2:01:35] billboards and the marketing

[2:01:36] image of marijuana on any

[2:01:36] signage.

[2:01:41] Thank you for letting me speak.

[2:01:41] >> Thank you.

[2:01:42] Next is Kathleen Lippert.

[2:01:46] If you can please unmute then

[2:01:47] it's Brenda.

[2:01:48] Thank you for letting me speak.

[2:01:51] I appreciate Councilmember

[2:01:52] Campbell's reminder that

[2:01:53] deficit spending is the genesis

[2:01:57] of future City problems that

[2:01:58] will become increasingly

[2:01:58] difficult to deal with in

[2:01:59] the city's scramble to address

[2:02:04] their looming deficit.

[2:02:05] Turn to the will with which it

[2:02:05] is most familiar and that's

[2:02:09] increasing taxes and fees

[2:02:09] without ever any mention of

[2:02:10] decreasing city staffing levels

[2:02:15] salaries, pensions or benefits.

[2:02:16] The burden of a deficit should

[2:02:16] be the responsibility of city

[2:02:21] leaders.

[2:02:21] Cuts begin there before

[2:02:22] redirecting the burden to

[2:02:23] taxpayers who had no part in

[2:02:27] creating it.

[2:02:28] >> Yet the city continues to

[2:02:28] maximize expenditures using

[2:02:32] sole source contracting union

[2:02:33] workers or supporting

[2:02:33] industries like the cannabis

[2:02:39] industry who socialize,

[2:02:39] privatized their profits and

[2:02:40] socialize the costs and

[2:02:44] the socialization of those

[2:02:45] costs are paid on the backs of

[2:02:50] the city Residents.

[2:02:51] >> Most troubling we do not see

[2:02:51] the city evaluating any of

[2:02:56] their policies for the future

[2:02:57] costs of those decisions or

[2:02:57] recognizing when funding has

[2:03:02] not resulted in mitigating a

[2:03:02] problem but instead has shown

[2:03:03] that it is only created

[2:03:08] bureaucracy that has grown up

[2:03:09] to take advantage of the new

[2:03:09] funding availability.

[2:03:14] Leadership should be grounded

[2:03:14] in reality affordability and

[2:03:15] responsibility and the deficits

[2:03:20] we see today are a failure at

[2:03:20] all three of those levels.

[2:03:25] City policies like its ongoing

[2:03:26] support of the marijuana

[2:03:26] industry will continue to

[2:03:27] increase behavioral health

[2:03:31] problems.

[2:03:32] That is not a question anymore.

[2:03:33] That is a prediction that has

[2:03:37] been rooted in evidence We

[2:03:38] have.

[2:03:42] The California audit found $24

[2:03:43] billion in homelessness $18

[2:03:48] billion lost on high speed

[2:03:48] rail.

[2:03:49] We need financial literacy and

[2:03:56] it should begin with the city

[2:03:56] included.

[2:03:57] Any additional comments can be

[2:03:58] emailed in and the city clerk

[2:03:58] could send to your doctor and

[2:04:00] we will distribute Brenda pleas

[2:04:01] on you.

[2:04:01] Good afternoon Mayor city

[2:04:02] council members and members of

[2:04:05] the public.

[2:04:06] My name is Brenda Gallacher and

[2:04:07] I serve as an outreach analyst

[2:04:11] and your liaison with

[2:04:12] the California Department of

[2:04:13] Insurance.

[2:04:13] Under Commissioner McNamara's

[2:04:14] leadership we're advancing

[2:04:17] the sustainable insurance

[2:04:17] strategy.

[2:04:18] Great news in six companies

[2:04:19] have committed to growing in

[2:04:23] California with more expected

[2:04:24] to follow.

[2:04:25] We are requesting that you and

[2:04:25] the board of the following

[2:04:26] legislative bills that are

[2:04:30] being proposed.

[2:04:30] Assembly Bill 1795 The Smoke

[2:04:31] Damage Recovery Act.

[2:04:35] This bill would establish

[2:04:36] standards and protocols related

[2:04:37] to smoke damages from

[2:04:37] wildfires.

[2:04:41] The goal is to give wildfire

[2:04:42] survivors a reliable health

[2:04:43] oriented framework and

[2:04:48] inspecting testing, restoring

[2:04:48] and filing claims for smoke

[2:04:49] damage properties.

[2:04:53] Assembly Bill 1680 The Make It

[2:04:53] Fair Act aims to reform

[2:04:58] the insurer of last resort

[2:04:59] the California Fair Plan by

[2:04:59] requiring it to adopt

[2:05:03] recommendations from the recent

[2:05:04] Department of Insurance

[2:05:04] examinations, strengthen

[2:05:05] governance and consumer

[2:05:09] protections potentially expand

[2:05:10] policy limits and coverage

[2:05:10] options such as more

[2:05:11] comprehensive homeowner's

[2:05:15] coverages, improve transparency

[2:05:16] and impose civil penalties for

[2:05:21] noncompliance helping ensure

[2:05:22] the fair, better serves

[2:05:22] Californians will get covered

[2:05:26] and can get coverage in

[2:05:27] the public market.

[2:05:27] Senate Bill 876 which is

[2:05:33] the disaster Recovery Act and

[2:05:34] it really aims to seek to

[2:05:34] reform how insurers handle

[2:05:40] residential property claims and

[2:05:40] fire insurance claims

[2:05:41] especially after a major

[2:05:46] disaster like the wildfires we

[2:05:46] just experienced.

[2:05:47] This bill would require

[2:05:51] insurers to prepare disaster

[2:05:51] recovery plans, set clear

[2:05:56] timelines for payments

[2:05:57] including earlier actual cash

[2:05:58] value replacement, double

[2:05:58] penalties during emergencies.

[2:06:04] Lastly, as your liaison we

[2:06:05] would like to partner up and

[2:06:06] continue to provide insurance

[2:06:10] information.

[2:06:11] Thank you for that concluding

[2:06:12] comment and I think if you can

[2:06:19] please you after that is 1384

[2:06:26] under every academy before you

[2:06:27] you should have gotten a pop

[2:06:27] up.

[2:06:27] If you can't hear me.

[2:06:28] I will have to move on to

[2:06:29] the next speaker.

[2:06:32] Also note the five minute timer

[2:06:33] also concluded during the last

[2:06:34] speaker and there were eight

[2:06:34] speakers in the queue.

[2:06:35] No additional speakers will be

[2:06:42] taken after that and I'll need

[2:06:43] to move on to the next speaker.

[2:06:54] 1384 If you can please unmute

[2:06:55] 1384 you are unmuted.

[2:06:55] We did not hear you here in

[2:06:56] council chambers.

[2:06:56] Not sure if the device that

[2:06:57] you're speaking into MAY be

[2:07:02] muted.

[2:07:15] 1384 You muted yourself again.

[2:07:16] You'll need to unmute we did

[2:07:20] hear the unmute so it is just

[2:07:21] something on your device.

[2:07:22] Is your phone muted?

[2:07:27] Maybe we do not hear you here

[2:07:33] in council chambers we will

[2:07:34] need to move on.

[2:07:34] Thank you Walker if you can

[2:07:35] please on mute.

[2:07:39] Thank you.

[2:07:39] Hello.

[2:07:40] As a public health educator I

[2:07:40] believe it's in the public

[2:07:45] interest for policymakers to be

[2:07:45] aware of a mounting nationwide

[2:07:46] shift on marijuana

[2:07:46] legalization.

[2:07:51] The Wall Street Journal and

[2:07:51] other media report referendum

[2:07:52] campaigns to roll back

[2:07:57] marijuana legalized action are

[2:07:58] now underway in Massachusetts,

[2:07:58] Maine, Arizona and other

[2:07:59] jurisdictions.

[2:08:03] These referendums are not

[2:08:03] ideological but science driven.

[2:08:09] Peer reviewed studies document

[2:08:10] sharp rises in marijuana

[2:08:10] related e-r visits and

[2:08:11] psychiatric emergencies.

[2:08:16] When longitude a longitudinal

[2:08:21] study of nearly 465,000

[2:08:22] adolescent aged 13 to 17 found

[2:08:26] past year marijuana use is

[2:08:27] associated with significantly

[2:08:28] increased risk of psychotic

[2:08:33] bipolar depressive and anxiety

[2:08:33] disorders By age 26,

[2:08:39] the Massachusetts state

[2:08:40] referendum push follows

[2:08:41] findings from Mass General

[2:08:45] Hospital of a fourfold increase

[2:08:45] in marijuana related

[2:08:46] psychiatric emergencies among

[2:08:52] adolescents since legalization.

[2:08:52] Closer to home San Diego County

[2:08:57] data show high E.R. Admissions

[2:08:58] for cannabis hyperemesis

[2:09:02] syndrome and psychiatric issues

[2:09:03] particularly among those 10 to

[2:09:03] 24.

[2:09:09] Further a meta analysis by ucla

[2:09:10] Health with contributions from

[2:09:11] Harvard, uc San Francisco,

[2:09:15] Washington University and New

[2:09:16] York University is among others

[2:09:16] concluding that scientific

[2:09:22] support for most quote medical

[2:09:23] uses of marijuana is weak to

[2:09:27] nonexistent.

[2:09:28] I therefore urge this council

[2:09:29] to join others Reassessing

[2:09:33] marijuana policies in light of

[2:09:33] mounting health and fiscal

[2:09:34] consequences.

[2:09:34] Thank you.

[2:09:39] Thank you.

[2:09:40] Next is 8813 If you can please

[2:09:41] unmute Bandler because after

[2:09:45] that 888133 go.

[2:09:51] >> Okay I'm still here so what

[2:09:52] is that something that

[2:09:53] the people who genuinely want

[2:09:53] what's best for humanity are

[2:09:57] labeled extreme or cuckoo?

[2:09:58] Well those behaving in truly

[2:09:58] extreme ways against nature,

[2:10:02] against humanity, against

[2:10:03] common sense are protected,

[2:10:04] funded and praised by

[2:10:04] government local government

[2:10:09] agencies like this one are

[2:10:10] filled with board members who

[2:10:10] have become the real extremists

[2:10:15] entirely out of touch with what

[2:10:15] it means to be human.

[2:10:16] Many of you have lost your

[2:10:17] connection to reality, to

[2:10:21] community and to consequence.

[2:10:22] Everything that happens here is

[2:10:22] not for the benefit of San

[2:10:23] Diego County or city.

[2:10:28] It serves a much bigger agenda

[2:10:28] and I will continue to name

[2:10:29] that agenda meeting after

[2:10:33] meeting for as long as it takes

[2:10:34] until you wake up to what you

[2:10:35] are actually participating in.

[2:10:39] That is the United Nations

[2:10:40] agenda for the 21st century.

[2:10:40] As some of you already know

[2:10:41] exactly what you're doing.

[2:10:42] Many of you have sold

[2:10:46] yourselves to the highest

[2:10:46] bidder.

[2:10:47] But understand this you are not

[2:10:47] exempt.

[2:10:51] You are disposable to the very

[2:10:52] system you serve.

[2:10:52] You too will face consequences.

[2:10:56] You too will suffer through

[2:10:57] what you have the power to

[2:10:58] prevent others from suffering

[2:10:58] through.

[2:10:59] You've helped create

[2:11:03] unnecessary wasteful things

[2:11:04] like stupid bike lanes And now

[2:11:05] this whole convention center

[2:11:10] updates.

[2:11:11] It's just so sad.

[2:11:11] Anyways, while families

[2:11:12] struggle to survive, the money

[2:11:16] could have gone to could go to

[2:11:16] homeless veterans people who

[2:11:17] fought for this country.

[2:11:22] Yeah, they fought only to come

[2:11:23] home and sleep in their cars

[2:11:24] trying to make sense of what a

[2:11:28] sacrifice for agencies like

[2:11:29] sandag and the board and can

[2:11:29] need to take advantage of a

[2:11:34] population that is stressed,

[2:11:35] exhausted and barely surviving.

[2:11:36] And not to mention not paying

[2:11:36] attention.

[2:11:40] You think you're helping but

[2:11:40] this is an abusive relationship

[2:11:41] and you are on the abusive

[2:11:41] side.

[2:11:46] The system is sick.

[2:11:47] It is self inflating and

[2:11:47] anything that goes against

[2:11:53] humanity nature will collapse

[2:11:53] your time.

[2:11:54] >> It better be commended for

[2:11:56] completing you After that will

[2:11:57] be 7499 And I'm begging Robert

[2:11:58] Blair please proceed.

[2:12:02] >> I Beekman Thanks for

[2:12:03] the meeting today.

[2:12:04] I will be looking forward to

[2:12:04] the 6:00 meeting.

[2:12:04] Thank you.

[2:12:09] Or it a couple items I wanted

[2:12:12] to bring up at no Agenda public

[2:12:13] comment One is I sent a letter

[2:12:14] to the clerk's office this

[2:12:14] morning.

[2:12:19] You're talking about possibly

[2:12:19] ending having an additional

[2:12:20] five minutes for people to

[2:12:25] raise their hand for a virtual

[2:12:25] public comment time.

[2:12:30] I hope you can keep it.

[2:12:31] I fully understand

[2:12:32] the housecleaning where you're

[2:12:36] doing it and that Zoom is going

[2:12:37] to be mandated to continue now

[2:12:37] in California.

[2:12:38] Thank you.

[2:12:42] That it is and that you're

[2:12:43] going to just you're doing some

[2:12:44] housecleaning measures And once

[2:12:49] you end virtual public comment

[2:12:49] time where you can raise your

[2:12:50] hand at the end of in-person

[2:12:54] public comment.

[2:12:55] Only fair thing to do.

[2:12:56] I don't argue with it at all

[2:13:01] but it's just convenient as all

[2:13:01] heck for people and the public.

[2:13:05] You have that additional five

[2:13:05] minutes.

[2:13:06] You know their mothers are

[2:13:10] working on items and for me I'm

[2:13:11] running around doing things.

[2:13:11] It really is helpful just to

[2:13:15] have that additional five

[2:13:15] minutes So hopefully you can

[2:13:16] consider that and that can be

[2:13:22] we can talk about it a bit more

[2:13:22] before I reach your final

[2:13:23] approvals.

[2:13:23] Good luck and working on I

[2:13:24] think a letter to better

[2:13:27] describe I hope we can write

[2:13:28] back and we can talk about it

[2:13:28] as needed and such And also

[2:13:33] with my remaining 30s.

[2:13:34] San Jose I've talked about open

[2:13:38] and they've compromised and

[2:13:39] walk in two years and in that

[2:13:44] time look for a new vendor I

[2:13:45] mean I think that's like

[2:13:46] absolutely brilliant in terms

[2:13:46] of how to work with community

[2:13:51] towards future best practices.

[2:13:51] They're working now San Jose is

[2:13:52] considering divestment issues

[2:13:58] with you know to address, you

[2:13:58] know the future of detention

[2:14:04] centers and Israel in fact so

[2:14:05] good luck that we can be

[2:14:05] working in your time that

[2:14:09] suited my apologies seven 499

[2:14:10] if you can please unmute and

[2:14:10] then after that is back You

[2:14:10] ready?

[2:14:16] >> All right.

[2:14:17] Bob Cusack This year nearly

[2:14:17] every week I talk about

[2:14:18] the problems at the Torrey

[2:14:20] Pines Flight Airport.

[2:14:21] But those problems are really

[2:14:22] just a very specific example of

[2:14:23] a more pervasive problem

[2:14:23] throughout the city.

[2:14:26] That problem is the unhealthy

[2:14:27] mix of government power and

[2:14:27] private profit.

[2:14:28] Today I'd like to explore that

[2:14:32] broader problem.

[2:14:32] Everyone knows that running a

[2:14:33] city requires purchasing goods

[2:14:34] and services that the city

[2:14:38] itself should not produce.

[2:14:39] Examples run from pencil to

[2:14:39] police cars.

[2:14:40] The city could try to make

[2:14:41] their own pencils and police

[2:14:44] cars but that would be

[2:14:45] extremely inefficient a huge

[2:14:46] waste of resources and

[2:14:46] the results would be terrible

[2:14:47] anyway.

[2:14:50] And so the police cars are much

[2:14:50] more efficiently purchased on

[2:14:51] the open market.

[2:14:51] But does it make sense for

[2:14:52] the city to purchase outside

[2:14:56] police and other services?

[2:14:57] Where should the city draw

[2:14:57] the line?

[2:14:58] That's a complicated question

[2:14:59] but let me suggest an important

[2:14:59] criteria.

[2:15:02] In all cases the city should

[2:15:03] never delegate direct power

[2:15:07] over citizens to third party

[2:15:08] businesses operating for

[2:15:08] profit.

[2:15:09] Period.

[2:15:09] The city should never, for

[2:15:10] example, delegate police

[2:15:14] authority over citizens to a

[2:15:14] for profit business as was done

[2:15:15] with the red light cameras.

[2:15:20] The city should never delegated

[2:15:21] as in communication to a for

[2:15:21] profit business as you're doing

[2:15:22] with constant contact.

[2:15:26] The city should never delegate

[2:15:27] authority of our parking

[2:15:27] structure to a for profit

[2:15:28] business.

[2:15:28] As you're doing in the Jones

[2:15:29] Park eight the city should

[2:15:32] never delegate authority over

[2:15:33] our parks to a for profit

[2:15:33] business.

[2:15:34] As you're doing at Torrey Pines

[2:15:38] Glider Park in all of these

[2:15:39] examples the city can't just

[2:15:40] delegate authority and then

[2:15:40] look the other way.

[2:15:44] That's a recipe for abuse And

[2:15:44] we've seen that abuse in each

[2:15:45] example including the glider

[2:15:49] port business refusing park

[2:15:50] access to people who've

[2:15:50] testified against them in

[2:15:51] court.

[2:15:55] These are the abuses that arise

[2:15:56] when it's when the city hires

[2:15:57] outside businesses and then

[2:15:58] shirks its duty to ensure that

[2:16:01] citizens are treated fairly by

[2:16:02] those businesses.

[2:16:02] What's ironic is that all of

[2:16:03] you are left wing council

[2:16:07] members and mayor would quickly

[2:16:08] accuse conservatives of putting

[2:16:09] business interests above

[2:16:09] the public.

[2:16:14] But here you are doing it every

[2:16:15] single day.

[2:16:15] We have to make the Torrey

[2:16:16] Pines City Park Advisory Board

[2:16:20] and implement the Torrey Pines

[2:16:21] waiver.

[2:16:21] >> Thank you for that

[2:16:22] concluding comment.

[2:16:22] If you raise your hand after

[2:16:23] the five minute timer we won't

[2:16:26] be able to take your call today

[2:16:27] but you can definitely email it

[2:16:28] to City Clerk of San diego.Gov

[2:16:28] and your comments will be

[2:16:33] delivered to the council.

[2:16:36] Becky please unmute after that

[2:16:37] 8700 a.M Skilling No other

[2:16:37] speakers will be taken.

[2:16:38] >> But good afternoon.

[2:16:43] My name is Becky Rapp.

[2:16:44] I'm a local parent.

[2:16:44] Concern for the health and

[2:16:45] safety of our young people

[2:16:48] today especially as they're

[2:16:49] bombarded with misinformation

[2:16:49] regarding drug use especially

[2:16:54] marijuana.

[2:16:54] Recently The New York Times

[2:16:55] published an editorial titled

[2:17:00] It's Time for America to Admit

[2:17:01] That It Has a Marijuana

[2:17:01] Problem.

[2:17:02] National publications like

[2:17:02] the New York Times are

[2:17:06] recognizing that marijuana is

[2:17:07] not what the industry has told

[2:17:08] us but that there are serious

[2:17:08] public health concerns that

[2:17:13] have evolved since they've been

[2:17:13] permitted.

[2:17:14] Consumers were promised

[2:17:14] transparency and especially

[2:17:19] guardrails.

[2:17:19] But many consumers have no idea

[2:17:20] how potent these products are.

[2:17:24] Young adults are being exposed

[2:17:25] to levels of thc that research

[2:17:30] increasingly links to higher

[2:17:31] risks of psychosis, anxiety

[2:17:31] disorders and long term

[2:17:36] psychiatric harm particularly

[2:17:37] in the developing brain.

[2:17:37] And here in San Diego we cannot

[2:17:38] ignore the significant problem

[2:17:43] Many residents are facing as

[2:17:43] they struggle with addiction.

[2:17:44] Overdose Behavioral Health

[2:17:44] crisis.

[2:17:48] Impaired driving and

[2:17:49] homelessness tied to substance

[2:17:49] use.

[2:17:50] So we have to ask ourselves are

[2:17:54] we trying to mitigate our drug

[2:17:55] problem or are we fueling it?

[2:17:55] If we're serious about

[2:18:00] prevention then we must be

[2:18:00] serious about guardrails,

[2:18:01] potency caps, meaningful

[2:18:02] warning labels, youth

[2:18:05] prevention funding and

[2:18:06] enforcement against marketing

[2:18:07] that normalizes youth.

[2:18:07] San Diego deserves an honest

[2:18:12] assessment of where we are and

[2:18:13] whether our policies are

[2:18:14] reducing harm before expanding

[2:18:14] it.

[2:18:18] Thank you.

[2:18:19] >> Thank you.

[2:18:20] Next is 8700 If you can please

[2:18:32] unmute for Joyce in your other

[2:18:32] district.

[2:18:33] She could easily see Quick

[2:18:33] point.

[2:18:35] Sorry about the star nine.

[2:18:36] I was in that queue for a while

[2:18:36] and then I don't know I looked

[2:18:42] at my screen and I didn't see

[2:18:43] Star and I was starting to see

[2:18:44] her and start talking.

[2:18:47] But really your time is going

[2:18:47] so please start to your

[2:18:48] comments please.

[2:18:48] That's okay.

[2:18:49] I knew it would start.

[2:18:52] That's okay.

[2:18:53] I got that.

[2:18:54] So I want to share this with

[2:18:54] all of you.

[2:18:58] I want to say that yes, it is

[2:18:59] good to be back participating

[2:19:05] in government Yet it does feel

[2:19:06] new to me and I can't figure

[2:19:10] out why that appeals to me and

[2:19:11] perhaps a little bumpy in some

[2:19:11] ways.

[2:19:12] So I just wanted to thank

[2:19:16] everyone for your patience and

[2:19:17] to let you know that I am glad

[2:19:17] to be back.

[2:19:23] So I wanted to also as as Blair

[2:19:23] just spoke on the five minute

[2:19:28] rule, I also want to say that

[2:19:29] I'll leave it up to you because

[2:19:30] you can get the bigger picture

[2:19:30] and how it's going to impact on

[2:19:34] all the methodologies and

[2:19:35] everything.

[2:19:36] But I will tell you this There

[2:19:40] have been times when I

[2:19:41] definitely could not under that

[2:19:42] I wouldn't I would not be

[2:19:42] allowed to speak.

[2:19:46] And mostly if I remember right

[2:19:47] is housing authority items

[2:19:48] where there was no presentation

[2:19:48] like maybe that was not that

[2:19:54] difficult to comment on your

[2:19:54] presentation nobody in

[2:19:55] the chambers.

[2:19:55] So my question for you if you

[2:19:58] could answer this for

[2:19:59] the public what's going to be

[2:19:59] the trigger when we can raise

[2:20:00] our hands?

[2:20:04] Do we have to begin with

[2:20:05] the agenda item?

[2:20:05] Do you have to say now is

[2:20:06] the time for another agenda?

[2:20:10] Public comment?

[2:20:11] I don't think we're going to be

[2:20:12] able to raise our hand.

[2:20:16] I just go by you know, my phone

[2:20:17] so please let us know on that

[2:20:18] And then one do the thing I

[2:20:21] don't have time for today but

[2:20:22] maybe tomorrow I'm going to be

[2:20:23] speaking on Western states

[2:20:28] again.

[2:20:28] Missed the deadline for water

[2:20:29] deals.

[2:20:29] This came into the U.S. On

[2:20:30] Valentine's Day.

[2:20:35] So I'll probably speak on that

[2:20:35] tomorrow.

[2:20:36] So thank you everybody And up

[2:20:37] to our thank you for your

[2:20:38] comments and if we complete and

[2:20:43] you.

[2:20:44] Good afternoon San Diego City

[2:20:45] Council Chair LaCava My name is

[2:20:49] Darian Skelly and I'm here as a

[2:20:50] planning group attendee and

[2:20:51] community volunteer one of

[2:20:51] the teen and parent programs at

[2:20:55] our high schools.

[2:20:55] That is important to me and

[2:20:56] speaking to all of us in

[2:20:57] the city is the start.

[2:21:00] Smart program provided to high

[2:21:01] school students and their

[2:21:01] parents by the California

[2:21:06] Highway Patrol.

[2:21:07] Alcohol and drug use are a

[2:21:07] nationwide roadway safety

[2:21:13] concern and almost 1 in 3

[2:21:13] traffic deaths involve in a

[2:21:18] pair driver As you can imagine,

[2:21:19] insurance companies care a

[2:21:19] great deal about teen driving.

[2:21:20] So I wanted to share today

[2:21:25] information from ucsd and from

[2:21:25] the California Department of

[2:21:26] Traffic Safety.

[2:21:31] What's regarding marijuana

[2:21:31] impaired driving by young

[2:21:32] adults which shows that it is

[2:21:33] increasing in communities that

[2:21:37] permit marijuana storefronts.

[2:21:38] The ucsd Energy Studies show

[2:21:42] that driving while under

[2:21:43] the influence of marijuana

[2:21:43] negatively impacts

[2:21:44] attentiveness, perception of

[2:21:49] time and memory Impaired memory

[2:21:50] can affect the ability to draw

[2:21:55] from past driving experiences

[2:21:56] especially in emergency

[2:21:56] situations.

[2:22:01] Marijuana impaired drivers

[2:22:01] react slower to traffic lights

[2:22:02] and unexpected obstacles and

[2:22:07] are less aware of their own

[2:22:07] speed.

[2:22:08] Perhaps it is time for a closer

[2:22:09] look at marijuana Businesses

[2:22:13] impact on the health and safety

[2:22:13] of our city residents.

[2:22:14] Thank you for hearing my

[2:22:19] concerns this afternoon.

[2:22:20] >> Thank you.

[2:22:20] That does conclude our agenda.

[2:22:21] Public comment Again if you

[2:22:22] were not able to speak today

[2:22:22] because you raise your hand

[2:22:26] after the five minute timer

[2:22:27] please be sure to email city

[2:22:28] representative.Gov and we will

[2:22:28] distribute those

[2:22:29] communications.

[2:22:31] Thank you Council PRESIDENT All

[2:22:31] right.

[2:22:32] Thank you City Clerk With that

[2:22:33] does the city Attorney have

[2:22:33] anything to report out from

[2:22:36] closed session?

[2:22:37] Yes Thank you.

[2:22:37] Council PRESIDENT Today in a

[2:22:38] closed session meeting the City

[2:22:39] council took the following

[2:22:43] action.

[2:22:43] City council voted in closed

[2:22:44] session item number seven to

[2:22:45] authorize the initiation of

[2:22:48] litigation Once litigation is

[2:22:49] formally commenced the action

[2:22:50] the defendants and other

[2:22:54] particulars will be disclosed

[2:22:55] to any person upon inquiry

[2:22:56] unless to do so would

[2:22:56] jeopardize effective service of

[2:23:01] process or settlement

[2:23:02] negotiations.

[2:23:02] The motion passed 620 with

[2:23:03] council members from Wilbert

[2:23:07] Campo and Elio Rivera absent.

[2:23:08] That concludes my report.

[2:23:08] All right.

[2:23:13] Thank you for that report Out

[2:23:13] as a friendly reminder to my

[2:23:14] colleagues, this is going to be

[2:23:15] the end of our afternoon

[2:23:19] session.

[2:23:19] We're going to reconvene.

[2:23:20] We need all five of us to

[2:23:23] actually be there at 6:00.

[2:23:24] Councilmember Campbell has gone

[2:23:25] home a little bit under

[2:23:25] the weather.

[2:23:29] We do need to have five in

[2:23:30] chambers irrespective of

[2:23:30] whether council member Isla

[2:23:31] Rivera participates remotely.

[2:23:35] So just that friendly reminder

[2:23:35] I see a lot of smiles on

[2:23:40] the faces.

[2:23:41] So with that and I want to make

[2:23:42] sure that you're going to be

[2:23:43] here because we're all

[2:23:50] committed right.

[2:23:50] All right.

[2:23:51] With that, we will now recess

[2:30:27] P.M. Or shortly thereafter

[2:32:27] And

[2:33:01] All right, good evening.

[2:33:02] I will now reconvene the city

[2:33:02] council meeting of Monday,

[2:33:06] FEBRUARY 23rd, 2026 to order.

[2:33:07] Clerk Please call the roll.

[2:33:07] Thank you.

[2:33:08] Council PRESIDENT Council

[2:33:12] member Campbell Council Member

[2:33:13] Whitburn here.

[2:33:13] Councilmember Foster here

[2:33:18] Council Member Ron Wilbur

[2:33:19] Council PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee

[2:33:19] Councilmember Campeon

[2:33:25] Councilmember Moreno Present

[2:33:26] Council Member Eli Rivera

[2:33:27] Present and Council PRESIDENT

[2:33:27] Look our PRESIDENT Also

[2:33:31] attending the meeting our Chief

[2:33:31] deputy city Attorney brought

[2:33:32] out a lot of independent budget

[2:33:33] analyst Charles Monaco Council

[2:33:37] Affairs Advisor in the mayor's

[2:33:38] office Curtis Iser and myself

[2:33:39] your city clerk, the other

[2:33:39] fantastic council PRESIDENT.

[2:33:40] All right.

[2:33:42] Thank you for that.

[2:33:42] >> clerk Please introduce items

[2:33:47] four hundred items 400 is an

[2:33:48] informational item.

[2:33:48] It is a hearing for public

[2:33:52] input on the development of

[2:33:53] the fiscal year 2027 budget.

[2:33:54] If you are hearing council

[2:33:54] chambers please be sure to

[2:33:55] submit a speaker's up to

[2:33:58] the front of the room in

[2:33:59] the clear box And if you are

[2:33:59] participating remotely now's

[2:34:04] the time to raise your hand by

[2:34:05] pressing Star nine or the raise

[2:34:05] your hand icon.

[2:34:06] Thank you Council PRESIDENT All

[2:34:06] right.

[2:34:10] Thank you.

[2:34:11] So in lieu of presentation I'm

[2:34:12] going to make some opening

[2:34:12] comments.

[2:34:13] I'm going to turn it over to

[2:34:17] MR. Molokai, the aba office and

[2:34:17] then will conclude with Council

[2:34:21] member Foster the chair of

[2:34:22] the Budget Committee and then

[2:34:23] we'll open it up to the public.

[2:34:24] >> So we're holding this

[2:34:28] evening session as the first

[2:34:29] opportunity for the public to

[2:34:29] provide comment on fiscal year

[2:34:30] 2027 budget.

[2:34:34] I want to thank in advance

[2:34:34] those who are here in chambers

[2:34:35] and those who are waiting to

[2:34:39] speak online.

[2:34:40] Last year's budget was

[2:34:40] challenging but as a council we

[2:34:41] worked hard to preserve

[2:34:46] essential services and trimmed

[2:34:47] what we believe were

[2:34:47] non-essential operations.

[2:34:48] Doing so required difficult

[2:34:52] decisions raising fines and

[2:34:53] sharing more services are cost

[2:34:54] recoverable and charging for

[2:34:54] parking available park None of

[2:34:58] that is something I wanted to

[2:34:59] do but I weighed the closing of

[2:35:00] rec centers, libraries and

[2:35:04] public restrooms against those

[2:35:05] other options for f y 27 If I'm

[2:35:05] going to support an expenditure

[2:35:10] I have to balance that with

[2:35:11] either revenue increase or by

[2:35:12] cutting another service.

[2:35:16] Conversely, if I'm going to

[2:35:17] support cutting or eliminating

[2:35:18] ongoing revenue I need to see a

[2:35:18] replacement revenue or cutting

[2:35:22] expenditure.

[2:35:23] We just have that difficult of

[2:35:23] a conversation.

[2:35:24] I hope that all in this

[2:35:28] conversation operate with that

[2:35:29] same approach.

[2:35:30] It is too easy to just say I

[2:35:30] have this service or cut that

[2:35:34] revenue help us understand your

[2:35:35] priorities and balance them

[2:35:35] against the tradeoffs.

[2:35:36] We can't have it all.

[2:35:40] We can't prioritize by

[2:35:41] the needs of each community,

[2:35:42] each neighborhood, each San

[2:35:46] Diego This year I'm again

[2:35:47] committed to that reality.

[2:35:48] I will not and this Council

[2:35:48] cannot tell the public we will

[2:35:53] fund a service and then a few

[2:35:53] weeks later not vote for

[2:35:54] the same revenue to keep that

[2:35:54] promise.

[2:35:58] Now before I turn it over to

[2:35:59] the public I ask for your

[2:35:59] assistance If you're going to

[2:36:00] be asking us to increase

[2:36:04] funding, tell us where you're

[2:36:04] willing to cut.

[2:36:05] We have to balance this budget

[2:36:06] and a priority needs to come

[2:36:10] with a priority reduction.

[2:36:11] This will not be easy but we

[2:36:12] can and we will do this

[2:36:12] together.

[2:36:12] Thank you.

[2:36:16] And now I'll turn it over to

[2:36:17] our independent journalist

[2:36:17] Charles Parker.

[2:36:18] Sir.

[2:36:18] Thank you.

[2:36:19] Council PRESIDENT I should just

[2:36:22] say did open instead I will

[2:36:23] read longer remarks from that.

[2:36:24] I did want to provide some

[2:36:28] context for discussions for

[2:36:29] the upcoming 27 budget.

[2:36:29] Most of you will have already

[2:36:30] heard this but I do

[2:36:34] nevertheless think it is

[2:36:35] important for both council and

[2:36:35] the public to bear in mind

[2:36:36] where the city finds itself and

[2:36:40] the difficult choices that we

[2:36:41] are facing in the upcoming

[2:36:41] budget.

[2:36:42] As my office has noted for some

[2:36:42] time the city has faced

[2:36:46] significant fiscal challenges

[2:36:47] for years and our challenges

[2:36:47] today really have been decades

[2:36:48] in the making.

[2:36:52] While San Diego is a large

[2:36:53] city, its revenues are

[2:36:53] generally lower than comparable

[2:36:54] cities and they are frankly

[2:36:58] insufficient to support

[2:36:59] the city's operations.

[2:37:00] The city has been able to get

[2:37:03] by for the last 20 years or so

[2:37:04] by keeping its costs low but it

[2:37:05] did so largely through putting

[2:37:05] off infrastructure maintenance

[2:37:09] and keeping city salaries well

[2:37:10] below the median for comparable

[2:37:11] cities and even other cities in

[2:37:15] our region.

[2:37:15] Both of those had long term

[2:37:16] consequences and long term cost

[2:37:21] over the last several years

[2:37:21] The city began addressing many

[2:37:22] of these issues but the city

[2:37:23] was only able to do so by

[2:37:26] tapping into a significant one

[2:37:27] time resources that have since

[2:37:27] been exhausted.

[2:37:28] While the city attempted to

[2:37:32] respond to this longstanding

[2:37:33] structural deficit through 2020

[2:37:34] fourth Measure e sales tax

[2:37:39] measure that ballot item failed

[2:37:39] which left the city needing to

[2:37:40] realign its ongoing services

[2:37:46] with its ongoing resources last

[2:37:46] year at this time we were

[2:37:47] staring at a roughly $260

[2:37:48] million deficit for the current

[2:37:51] fiscal year of 26 which we

[2:37:51] closed through three main

[2:37:52] actions.

[2:37:52] First, we delayed reserve

[2:37:57] contributions which solved

[2:37:58] roughly $60 million of that

[2:37:58] deficit.

[2:38:02] Second, we implemented a little

[2:38:02] over $100 million in new

[2:38:03] revenues to offset expenses

[2:38:03] that would have otherwise

[2:38:07] fallen to the general fund

[2:38:08] notably through trash fees,

[2:38:08] fines and parking fees.

[2:38:12] And then the final roughly 100

[2:38:13] million came through other

[2:38:13] onetime resources and then cuts

[2:38:14] to city services such as

[2:38:18] library hours.

[2:38:19] This year we are facing another

[2:38:20] deficit for the upcoming year.

[2:38:23] It was reported at $88 million

[2:38:23] in the year five year outlook.

[2:38:27] It has since grown to between

[2:38:28] 100 and $120 Million.

[2:38:28] That already reflects continued

[2:38:33] delays to reserve contributions

[2:38:34] .

[2:38:35] I also think that it is fair to

[2:38:35] note that most of new revenue

[2:38:36] sources that could be tapped

[2:38:39] into in the next year have

[2:38:40] already been tapped and

[2:38:40] the appetite for new revenue

[2:38:41] from the immediate future seems

[2:38:45] limited which means that

[2:38:46] the projected deficit we are

[2:38:46] facing has to be closed by and

[2:38:51] large through cuts.

[2:38:52] As you are aware cuts are not

[2:38:52] easy.

[2:38:52] It gives me absolutely no

[2:38:53] pleasure to say that they are

[2:38:58] required but by law the city's

[2:38:59] budget need to be balanced and

[2:38:59] we cannot spend money that we

[2:39:03] do not have.

[2:39:04] To that end, as we have

[2:39:04] discussions tonight and as we

[2:39:05] continue to have discussions

[2:39:06] about the budget over the next

[2:39:10] several months, we really need

[2:39:10] to be realistic about what we

[2:39:11] can fund with the resources

[2:39:15] that we have And therefore I

[2:39:15] recommend folks I think

[2:39:16] focusing our conversation on

[2:39:17] one core services that council

[2:39:21] and the public want to see

[2:39:22] maintained and to areas where

[2:39:22] the city should consider

[2:39:23] pulling back or reducing

[2:39:26] services which will be

[2:39:27] difficult but necessary.

[2:39:28] With that I look forward to

[2:39:28] hearing comments from

[2:39:33] the public and from council

[2:39:34] members and at this point I

[2:39:35] will toss it over to

[2:39:39] Councilmember Foster.

[2:39:39] Thank you Council PRESIDENT And

[2:39:45] thank you to the aba for your

[2:39:45] remarks and thank you to

[2:39:46] the public for your

[2:39:50] participation this evening.

[2:39:51] As I indicated, the city is

[2:39:52] potentially facing a shortfall

[2:39:56] with our current f y 2026

[2:39:57] budget and we certainly have

[2:40:01] more work to do as we monitor

[2:40:02] third quarter and fourth

[2:40:02] quarter returns.

[2:40:06] In addition, any shortfall to

[2:40:07] the current budget creates even

[2:40:08] more challenges for the f y

[2:40:09] 2027 budget cycle that is

[2:40:14] already projected to be a

[2:40:14] deficit of $120 million As

[2:40:15] the mayor prepares his proposed

[2:40:19] budget in accordance with

[2:40:20] the Charter I cannot stress

[2:40:21] enough we cannot proceed with

[2:40:25] business as usual Simply we are

[2:40:26] not in business as usual

[2:40:31] circumstances as the mayor

[2:40:32] assesses budget cuts, it's

[2:40:33] important that staffing levels

[2:40:33] align with the scope of

[2:40:37] services delivered in

[2:40:37] operations most clearly

[2:40:38] communicate adjustments to

[2:40:42] service levels to all residents

[2:40:43] .

[2:40:43] Staffing changes should be

[2:40:44] proportional across front line

[2:40:48] supervisory and management

[2:40:49] levels and service or staffing

[2:40:49] reductions need to preserve

[2:40:50] core functions.

[2:40:54] In short, we must levels at

[2:40:55] the organization and address

[2:40:56] unclassified upper and middle

[2:41:00] management positions Over

[2:41:01] the last several budget cycles

[2:41:02] equity has been a guiding

[2:41:06] principle As the city invested

[2:41:07] in programs, services and

[2:41:08] the city workforce to meet

[2:41:08] the unique needs of residents

[2:41:13] citywide equity must remain at

[2:41:14] the forefront.

[2:41:14] I do appreciate the update

[2:41:20] regarding recent revenues

[2:41:20] exceeding projections and

[2:41:21] further further mitigating

[2:41:25] the use of reserves.

[2:41:26] However, just as updates come

[2:41:27] in we are also met with

[2:41:31] challenges such as increased

[2:41:32] rainfall levels and the need

[2:41:32] for releasing of water that

[2:41:37] comes at a cost.

[2:41:38] Let me be clear there will be

[2:41:42] cuts as we approach the f y

[2:41:43] 2027 budget but they cannot be

[2:41:48] across the board.

[2:41:48] Over the last several budget

[2:41:49] cycles equity has been a

[2:41:54] guiding principle Equity must

[2:41:54] remain at the forefront.

[2:41:55] That means being mindful is

[2:42:00] strategic.

[2:42:00] As we evaluate impacts our goal

[2:42:01] must be to preserve core

[2:42:06] services and ensure we maintain

[2:42:06] clean and safe neighborhoods.

[2:42:07] We must maintain our

[2:42:11] infrastructure.

[2:42:12] We must maintain functioning

[2:42:13] libraries and parks and we must

[2:42:13] be better at maintaining

[2:42:17] the facilities and equipment

[2:42:18] that our employees rely on to

[2:42:18] do their jobs.

[2:42:23] We must be good stewards of

[2:42:24] taxpayer dollars and bring

[2:42:25] accountability to the table.

[2:42:30] There is much more work to do

[2:42:30] and we need the public's input

[2:42:31] Like tonight we will have

[2:42:35] additional public comment

[2:42:36] meetings held in the evening so

[2:42:37] please mark your calendars for

[2:42:41] MARCH 10th MAY 4th and MAY

[2:42:41] the 18th.

[2:42:42] I strongly encourage residents

[2:42:46] to participate.

[2:42:47] There are difficult decisions

[2:42:48] ahead and the community

[2:42:48] deserves to be part of

[2:42:53] the conversation.

[2:42:54] With that I'll look forward to

[2:42:54] public comment and suggestions

[2:42:59] regarding what services you

[2:42:59] would like to see prioritized

[2:43:00] in services recommended for

[2:43:04] reductions and mitigations.

[2:43:05] Our budget process cannot

[2:43:06] simply be about cutting for

[2:43:10] the sake of cutting it must be

[2:43:11] about building a sustainable,

[2:43:11] equitable and structurally

[2:43:16] sound budget that reflects our

[2:43:17] values and protects core

[2:43:17] services for the long term.

[2:43:22] Again, thank you Council

[2:43:23] PRESIDENT For scheduling this

[2:43:23] meeting and that concludes my

[2:43:28] comments.

[2:43:29] All right.

[2:43:29] Thank you.

[2:43:30] Councilmember Foster, Chair of

[2:43:30] our Budget Committee.

[2:43:34] Thank you, MR. Monaco for

[2:43:34] the Office of the Budget

[2:43:35] analyst with that clerk Please

[2:43:41] proceed with public comment

[2:43:41] then council PRESIDENT Starting

[2:43:42] with Pat Wilson.

[2:43:42] If you can please come up to

[2:43:46] the microphone and I can have

[2:43:47] the following individuals

[2:43:47] please come up to the front row

[2:43:48] In the other reserved seats

[2:43:53] Sara Orman, Vicki Grandmoms and

[2:43:53] Ramsey if you can all please

[2:43:54] come up to the other reserved

[2:43:55] seats you have time seated to

[2:43:58] you by Patricia Patricia again

[2:43:59] please raise your hand.

[2:44:03] You're setting your time.

[2:44:10] Sorry Patricia Is that okay?

[2:44:11] Thank you.

[2:44:11] Sorry.

[2:44:12] Two people raise their hand at

[2:44:12] me.

[2:44:12] Okay.

[2:44:16] Based on the amount of speakers

[2:44:17] we're going to be at 1.5

[2:44:17] minutes so you'll have three

[2:44:18] minutes.

[2:44:21] Please proceed.

[2:44:22] Thank you.

[2:44:22] Hello again, Council.

[2:44:23] How are you all tonight?

[2:44:27] Thank you for being here.

[2:44:28] I appreciate the opportunity

[2:44:28] for the public to give input to

[2:44:33] Council on our priorities

[2:44:34] before the mayor's proposed

[2:44:35] budget is finalized even as I'm

[2:44:35] certain that what we want will

[2:44:39] have no bearing on what comes

[2:44:40] forth.

[2:44:40] That's it.

[2:44:41] I'm here once again asking you

[2:44:45] to stand up for libraries and

[2:44:45] parks the beating heart of our

[2:44:46] communities especially in these

[2:44:51] times People need a place to

[2:44:52] gather, socialize and relax

[2:44:52] That doesn't cost them money.

[2:44:57] We need spaces to decompress,

[2:44:57] learn new skills and broaden

[2:44:58] our outlooks.

[2:45:03] We need access to resources

[2:45:04] that we don't have at home.

[2:45:04] We all need these spaces

[2:45:09] regardless of demographics.

[2:45:09] Every council district has

[2:45:10] residents who rely on libraries

[2:45:14] and parks to provide vital

[2:45:15] physical and mental health

[2:45:15] opportunities No matter

[2:45:21] the median income of the area.

[2:45:21] We must not pick winners and

[2:45:22] losers here.

[2:45:22] All of these facilities are

[2:45:27] vital to their communities.

[2:45:28] The fact that the mayor keeps

[2:45:28] coming back time and again to

[2:45:33] take money from all already to

[2:45:33] small budgets is infuriating.

[2:45:39] I cannot accept that there

[2:45:39] aren't other places to look.

[2:45:43] Council identified places in

[2:45:43] the fifth school 26 budget

[2:45:44] where savings could be found

[2:45:48] but these savings have yet to

[2:45:49] be realized and really some

[2:45:53] things MAY just have to wait

[2:45:53] $2.4 million for slowing down

[2:45:58] traffic come on.

[2:45:59] I mean I'm sure in this year in

[2:46:05] this year when we're when we're

[2:46:06] cutting back on vital things

[2:46:06] that already here I'm sure

[2:46:07] there are other needs to have

[2:46:11] proposed expenditures that can

[2:46:11] wait for a year or two And

[2:46:12] since I've got time I'm going

[2:46:17] to rattle off some statistics.

[2:46:18] The library system last year

[2:46:21] and 2025 showed it saw 4.8

[2:46:26] million visits among all 37

[2:46:26] branches.

[2:46:31] We had 14,000 program attendees

[2:46:32] and 736,000 users of library

[2:46:38] computers and wireless.

[2:46:39] And if you don't think that

[2:46:40] makes a difference to people

[2:46:44] and I just I just can't even.

[2:46:45] And every council district and

[2:46:50] every branch has communities

[2:46:50] who depend on that library and

[2:46:56] that branch being open.

[2:46:57] We know we lost Sunday hours.

[2:46:58] What are those people doing

[2:46:58] now?

[2:46:59] Half of our branches more than

[2:46:59] half of we're not open on

[2:47:01] Mondays People don't People who

[2:47:02] need those resources can't get

[2:47:02] them.

[2:47:09] So anyway, I implore you we'll

[2:47:10] be back time again You'll hear

[2:47:11] and I'm sure Patrick can show

[2:47:13] you all the wonderful things

[2:47:14] that the Library Foundation has

[2:47:15] been putting together for you

[2:47:15] all.

[2:47:19] You should have them in your

[2:47:20] council offices already.

[2:47:21] >> Thank you very much for your

[2:47:21] time.

[2:47:22] Good luck.

[2:47:29] >> All right.

[2:47:29] >> Good evening.

[2:47:34] My name is Cheryl Ormond and I

[2:47:35] live at 427 ninth Avenue.

[2:47:39] My husband and I came to San

[2:47:39] Diego in 2012 from suburban

[2:47:40] Detroit.

[2:47:45] As two retired librarian we

[2:47:46] were delighted to find

[2:47:47] ourselves just two blocks from

[2:47:51] the new Central Library.

[2:47:52] Back in Michigan we used to

[2:47:53] joke that we had the wealthy

[2:47:57] suburbs sewn up with the school

[2:47:58] librarian and growth Point.

[2:47:59] And I was a public librarian in

[2:48:02] Birmingham at the Baldwin

[2:48:03] Public Library.

[2:48:04] At one point Baldwin had

[2:48:09] the highest per capita budget

[2:48:10] for circulating materials in

[2:48:10] the entire state of Michigan.

[2:48:15] Sadly, the same is not true for

[2:48:15] San Diego.

[2:48:21] Fact compared to other urban

[2:48:21] libraries, San Diego library

[2:48:26] systems fare very poorly.

[2:48:27] Seattle has a population of

[2:48:31] just over 737,000 people.

[2:48:32] Their library system has 26

[2:48:37] branches and their total budget

[2:48:38] is 100 million.

[2:48:44] San Diego has a population over

[2:48:49] 1,388,000 people and we have 37

[2:48:49] branches.

[2:48:54] But our budget is just 70

[2:48:54] million.

[2:48:55] We like to claim that we live

[2:49:00] in a world class city.

[2:49:00] But would a world class city

[2:49:01] have a substandard library?

[2:49:03] Thank you for that Concluding

[2:49:03] remark.

[2:49:09] >> Vicki Reynolds.

[2:49:10] >> Hi, I'm Vicki Reynolds with

[2:49:11] the San Diego Parks Foundation

[2:49:15] and we want to thank you for

[2:49:16] restoring funding to ac dc

[2:49:20] hours and wi fi last year.

[2:49:21] And we're going to ask you to

[2:49:22] do the same this year.

[2:49:23] We want to remind you Parks and

[2:49:27] Recreation is an essential

[2:49:28] service that provides help

[2:49:33] safety and education as our

[2:49:33] communities become increasingly

[2:49:34] dense.

[2:49:34] They're not going to have

[2:49:35] backyards.

[2:49:39] Parks are going to be

[2:49:39] essential.

[2:49:40] The other thing I want to say

[2:49:45] is that I'm going to apologize

[2:49:46] for Andy Fields and his team up

[2:49:46] front.

[2:49:50] But there has been an

[2:49:51] exponential growth at

[2:49:51] the management level in Park

[2:49:57] and Rec and we think that there

[2:49:57] is an opportunity to in

[2:50:03] the short run maybe consolidate

[2:50:03] some of those positions.

[2:50:04] For the meantime, while we're

[2:50:09] in budget crisis rather than

[2:50:09] doing cutbacks we also believe

[2:50:14] you could push back opening of

[2:50:15] new parks.

[2:50:16] I know that you off so I'm at

[2:50:20] least doing equal opportunity

[2:50:21] for some people off.

[2:50:22] The other thing to off

[2:50:26] the public to be totally fair.

[2:50:27] We do not need rec groups at

[2:50:28] every park.

[2:50:33] You could actually do them so

[2:50:33] that they're limited to one in

[2:50:34] a council district.

[2:50:38] If you look at the attendance

[2:50:39] of rec councils they're very

[2:50:39] small.

[2:50:41] Thank you for that Concluding

[2:50:41] comment.

[2:50:54] >> Ramsay's No thank you guys

[2:50:55] for doing this.

[2:50:55] >> I am kind of impressed with

[2:50:56] a little bit of the work you

[2:51:00] guys have done.

[2:51:01] I want to thank you guys for

[2:51:02] all that.

[2:51:02] It was nice to see the overtime

[2:51:03] again for police.

[2:51:06] You know, I've been asking for

[2:51:06] reform on that aspect.

[2:51:11] What I wanted to talk about was

[2:51:12] I know that we're in a budget

[2:51:13] crunch and I know the parks and

[2:51:14] everything are on the line but

[2:51:17] we need to be really looking at

[2:51:18] the stakes of the immigration

[2:51:18] crisis right now.

[2:51:23] And what I mean by that is

[2:51:24] we're a few steps ahead of

[2:51:25] the Holocaust right now and we

[2:51:25] need to get on with it.

[2:51:29] >> Because yesterday I went to

[2:51:30] a detention facility and that

[2:51:31] was my first time going And

[2:51:35] I've seen pictures of videos of

[2:51:35] it But standing in front of it

[2:51:36] and just seeing what a massive

[2:51:37] facility this and knowing that

[2:51:41] there are women and children in

[2:51:41] there.

[2:51:42] From my side it just felt so

[2:51:46] disgusting and it's bad Like

[2:51:47] while we were there we had to

[2:51:48] leave at 330 because they

[2:51:53] weren't going to allow anyone

[2:51:54] to go outside into the backyard

[2:51:54] until all protesters had left.

[2:51:58] So there was a strict deadline

[2:51:59] by the time we had to be out of

[2:52:00] there so that they could

[2:52:01] actually see the sign before

[2:52:04] they went to sleep like that's

[2:52:04] that's the kind of depravity

[2:52:05] that we're talking about.

[2:52:11] And but right now they're

[2:52:11] sending pregnant minors to

[2:52:12] Texas.

[2:52:12] That's a place where it's

[2:52:13] illegal to have an abortion And

[2:52:16] none of that none of this is an

[2:52:17] accident.

[2:52:17] Like these people are our

[2:52:18] enemies Like we need to be

[2:52:22] aware of this.

[2:52:23] >> Like I know they want a

[2:52:28] budget crunch but yeah.

[2:52:29] Thank you for that concluding

[2:52:29] comment That does include

[2:52:30] public comment here in council

[2:52:34] chambers going to those

[2:52:35] participating remotely.

[2:52:35] Again it'll be a minute and a

[2:52:36] half each.

[2:52:39] We have ten speakers in

[2:52:39] the virtual queue starting with

[2:52:40] Kessler and Catherine Douglas.

[2:52:45] Then after that is Madison and

[2:52:46] then Laurie Lipman.

[2:52:47] >> Catherine, if you can

[2:52:47] please.

[2:52:51] I'm Catherine Douglas.

[2:52:52] It goes without saying that

[2:52:52] public safety is your number

[2:52:56] one responsibility as you work

[2:52:56] on the 2027 budget you must

[2:52:57] start afresh with zero based

[2:52:58] budgeting across the board.

[2:53:02] There is a need for more

[2:53:03] frontline workers and less

[2:53:03] middle management.

[2:53:04] Many city duties should be

[2:53:08] outsourced to experts who can

[2:53:09] do the job for less.

[2:53:10] San Diego deserve an honest

[2:53:13] assessment of our pension

[2:53:14] liabilities, the structural

[2:53:14] deficit and the real cost of

[2:53:19] deferred infrastructure Not

[2:53:20] assumptions, not optimistic

[2:53:20] projections.

[2:53:21] Real numbers.

[2:53:26] Pension obligations must be

[2:53:26] honored but failing to plan for

[2:53:27] them responsibly deepens

[2:53:27] the deficit.

[2:53:32] Delaying infrastructure repairs

[2:53:33] only guarantees higher cost

[2:53:38] costs later and without a clear

[2:53:38] financial picture.

[2:53:39] Budgeting becomes guesswork

[2:53:39] instead of stewardship.

[2:53:44] This is this isn't about blame.

[2:53:45] It's about accountability.

[2:53:50] Before raising taxes, cutting

[2:53:50] services or approving new

[2:53:51] programs show the public

[2:53:56] exactly where the city stands.

[2:53:57] This is the minimum standard

[2:53:57] for responsible governance.

[2:54:02] No more guesswork that has seen

[2:54:02] disastrous results such as

[2:54:03] the trash fees and the Balboa

[2:54:03] parking rollout.

[2:54:08] Thank you.

[2:54:08] >> Thank you.

[2:54:09] Next is Madison if you can

[2:54:13] please on mute.

[2:54:14] All right.

[2:54:14] Thank you.

[2:54:17] As you consider the 2027

[2:54:18] budget, I urge you to

[2:54:19] prioritize investments that

[2:54:23] reduce long term city costs by

[2:54:24] strengthening public health now

[2:54:24] especially when it comes to

[2:54:29] youth cannabis exposure.

[2:54:29] Last week the Public Health

[2:54:30] Institute announced findings

[2:54:31] from a major study published in

[2:54:35] jama Health Forum.

[2:54:35] The study followed over 400,000

[2:54:36] adolescents and young adults

[2:54:41] and found that teens who

[2:54:41] reported past year cannabis use

[2:54:42] had double the risk of

[2:54:46] developing psychotic disorders

[2:54:47] and double the risk of

[2:54:47] developing bipolar disorder in

[2:54:48] young adulthood.

[2:54:52] They also a significantly

[2:54:53] higher risk of depression and

[2:54:53] anxiety.

[2:54:58] Untreated mental illness shows

[2:54:58] up everywhere in our local

[2:54:59] spending.

[2:54:59] Behavioral health Services

[2:55:04] Homelessness Response.

[2:55:04] Emergency room visits, law

[2:55:05] enforcement interactions and

[2:55:06] lost productivity.

[2:55:10] So prevention efforts would be

[2:55:10] fiscally responsible.

[2:55:11] The study also found high rates

[2:55:15] of cannabis use among youth

[2:55:15] enrolled in Medicaid and those

[2:55:16] living in more

[2:55:20] socioeconomically deprived

[2:55:21] neighborhoods.

[2:55:22] So here are just two ideas As

[2:55:25] you shape the 2027 budget.

[2:55:26] Ensure strong enforcement of

[2:55:26] local regulations that reduce

[2:55:31] youth exposure and high potency

[2:55:31] product promotion.

[2:55:32] And second evaluate cannabis

[2:55:37] related impact through a public

[2:55:37] health cost lens not just

[2:55:42] projected revenue.

[2:55:43] If we want to reduce city costs

[2:55:43] over time we must reduce

[2:55:44] preventable harm.

[2:55:48] Now thank you.

[2:55:53] Next, Laurie after that is are

[2:55:54] you Laurie?

[2:55:58] Please unmute.

[2:55:59] Hello and can you hear me?

[2:55:59] Yes Please proceed.

[2:55:59] Okay.

[2:56:04] Thank you for including

[2:56:05] the public in this process.

[2:56:08] I urge the City Council to

[2:56:09] prioritize two public safety

[2:56:09] the kind that helps communities

[2:56:14] not just survive but thrive.

[2:56:15] That means invest in education

[2:56:16] deeply affordable low income

[2:56:20] housing not the vague category

[2:56:20] of affordable and ensuring

[2:56:21] access to comprehensive medical

[2:56:25] care.

[2:56:26] It also means rethinking what

[2:56:31] does what does make us safer.

[2:56:32] I'm asking you to decrease

[2:56:32] police funding and cancel

[2:56:35] the contract with Block

[2:56:36] surveillance and replacing Do

[2:56:37] not prevent crime or build

[2:56:37] trust.

[2:56:42] A healthy sustainable,

[2:56:42] productive and joyful city is

[2:56:43] built through investment in

[2:56:44] people, not expanded

[2:56:48] enforcement.

[2:56:48] >> Thank you very much.

[2:56:49] Thank you.

[2:56:50] Next is Aria If you can please

[2:56:59] unmute.

[2:56:59] >> Good evening.

[2:57:00] My name is Aria Grossman and

[2:57:00] the policy manager articulate

[2:57:04] San Diego and I'm urging you to

[2:57:05] fund the Vision zero

[2:57:08] Coalition's budget priorities

[2:57:09] two one Fix the fatal 15 to

[2:57:09] Funds Management Plan

[2:57:14] implementation while

[2:57:15] prioritizing school towns as

[2:57:16] the Transportation Department

[2:57:17] intends and three fund funding

[2:57:18] implementation.

[2:57:19] The City of San Diego has not

[2:57:20] made progress on equipment ten

[2:57:21] road deaths Nearly every

[2:57:24] councilmember named road safety

[2:57:24] is a priority.

[2:57:25] Safety advocates are telling

[2:57:28] you that these three funding

[2:57:29] requests will save lives.

[2:57:29] >> If you're serious about

[2:57:30] Vision Zero, please fund these

[2:57:33] priorities.

[2:57:34] I understand that it's a tough

[2:57:35] budget year.

[2:57:35] However, transportation dollars

[2:57:39] are not subject to the same

[2:57:39] tradeoffs.

[2:57:40] The Transportation Department

[2:57:40] budget relies on state and

[2:57:44] federal formula funding which

[2:57:45] must be spent on transportation

[2:57:46] and this funding increased in

[2:57:50] the city budget last year.

[2:57:51] I know you're facing difficult

[2:57:51] choices.

[2:57:52] We heard someone say earlier

[2:57:53] that we shouldn't fund speed

[2:57:55] management plan implementation

[2:57:56] and instead support libraries.

[2:57:56] I want to make clear that this

[2:58:00] tradeoff does not exist.

[2:58:01] Transportation funding can only

[2:58:01] be spent on transportation.

[2:58:02] What I'm asking you to do is

[2:58:05] choose these safety

[2:58:06] improvements over routine road

[2:58:06] maintenance No other city

[2:58:10] services Please fund these

[2:58:11] requests to save lives.

[2:58:11] >> Thank you.

[2:58:11] Thank you.

[2:58:15] The five minute timer did

[2:58:15] conclude during that speaker

[2:58:16] There are 14 speakers with

[2:58:17] their hands raised, no

[2:58:20] additional speakers will be

[2:58:20] taken.

[2:58:21] >> guthrie Leonard if you can

[2:58:24] please unmute.

[2:58:25] >> Hi, can you hear me?

[2:58:26] Yes.

[2:58:26] Please proceed.

[2:58:26] Hi.

[2:58:30] Thank you guys so much for

[2:58:31] starting so early on this and

[2:58:31] including us.

[2:58:35] It really means a lot to have

[2:58:36] our voices heard.

[2:58:40] I love what Aria said on Vision

[2:58:40] Zero.

[2:58:41] I don't have anything to add to

[2:58:41] that.

[2:58:42] I think those are all worthy

[2:58:44] goals for our transportation

[2:58:45] funding.

[2:58:46] And I also want to talk briefly

[2:58:50] about the 215 bus which is from

[2:58:50] sdsu to downtown.

[2:58:55] I think this bus deserves

[2:58:55] further investment.

[2:58:56] It was envisioned as more than

[2:59:00] it is now and I think that

[2:59:00] money is well spent and results

[2:59:01] in higher ridership which would

[2:59:05] you know, fulfill the money

[2:59:05] we're spending on it.

[2:59:06] And I also just want to say

[2:59:10] that when it comes to

[2:59:10] transportation spending,

[2:59:11] especially when it comes to

[2:59:15] roads, bike infrastructure and

[2:59:16] transit infrastructure lasts

[2:59:16] longer than resurfacing.

[2:59:20] So if we're going to spend this

[2:59:21] money in a way that makes it

[2:59:25] count, I think it's worth it to

[2:59:25] spend it on the stuff that's

[2:59:26] going to last the longest And

[2:59:27] in this case that's active in

[2:59:30] public transportation.

[2:59:31] >> So please take that into

[2:59:32] account when you are choosing

[2:59:32] where those dollars go.

[2:59:33] Thank you.

[2:59:36] Thank you.

[2:59:36] Next is asthma.

[2:59:37] Asthma.

[2:59:41] If you can please unmute.

[2:59:42] >> Hi, my name is Asma Abdi.

[2:59:46] i'm a constituent of district

[2:59:47] three and I'm here speaking in

[2:59:47] my personal capacity as a

[2:59:48] concerned citizen.

[2:59:52] I was born and raised in San

[2:59:52] Diego.

[2:59:53] I'm a daughter of immigrants.

[2:59:54] Our families did not leave a

[2:59:57] frying pan just to end up in a

[2:59:57] pressure cooker.

[2:59:58] We need protection and we need

[2:59:59] investment and vulnerable

[3:00:01] communities especially at a

[3:00:02] time when so many families are

[3:00:03] feeling uncertainty.

[3:00:07] We recently had a lot of rain

[3:00:07] in San Diego and it's clear

[3:00:08] the city is not investing in

[3:00:09] proper stormwater

[3:00:09] infrastructure.

[3:00:11] We need to make sure that at

[3:00:12] the very least people are

[3:00:13] provided with basic human needs

[3:00:16] such as affordable housing for

[3:00:17] very low and low income

[3:00:18] families as well as a decrease

[3:00:21] in police funding and canceling

[3:00:22] contracts with flock which has

[3:00:26] been proven to share data with

[3:00:26] ice.

[3:00:27] So as you consider the budget I

[3:00:28] urge you please don't balance

[3:00:31] the budget on the backs of

[3:00:32] immigrant black immigrant and

[3:00:33] refugee communities communities

[3:00:36] that are marginalized and we

[3:00:37] need protection now more than

[3:00:37] ever.

[3:00:38] So please invest in our

[3:00:38] communities.

[3:00:41] Thank you.

[3:00:41] Thank you, Sally.

[3:00:42] If you can please.

[3:00:45] I'm you.

[3:00:46] >> Thank you.

[3:00:51] I do appreciate this Early time

[3:00:51] for getting input from people

[3:00:56] but didn't do a great job in

[3:01:00] promoting this Obviously with

[3:01:01] the number of people online let

[3:01:01] alone in person.

[3:01:05] I wanted to request that you

[3:01:10] cancel flock put the money

[3:01:10] towards the safety of

[3:01:15] the people and the welfare of

[3:01:16] the people and for me that

[3:01:19] means not the police but

[3:01:25] towards parks and library.

[3:01:26] I'm not saying you have to

[3:01:30] create new ones Nets etc..

[3:01:33] I agree with the vision Zero

[3:01:33] efforts to slow speeds

[3:01:39] especially in the areas with

[3:01:39] the with the number of deaths

[3:01:43] that we have this past year.

[3:01:44] It's still still too high.

[3:01:48] I'd also like to request that

[3:01:49] you work on the middle

[3:01:53] management level of jobs.

[3:01:58] I think that's where a lot of

[3:01:58] the cuts are.

[3:02:02] The people that are on

[3:02:03] the ground need to be able to

[3:02:04] do their work but the middle

[3:02:07] management I think in a lot of

[3:02:08] instances can be combined.

[3:02:12] >> Thank you.

[3:02:13] Please consider before igniting

[3:02:18] as communities of concern and

[3:02:18] our stormwater.

[3:02:19] Thank you for that concluding

[3:02:21] comment.

[3:02:26] >> Next is Samantha Schumer.

[3:02:26] >> Hi, good evening Council.

[3:02:27] Thank you so much for

[3:02:30] the opportunity to speak on

[3:02:31] such a critical issue.

[3:02:32] We are in a serious budget

[3:02:36] crisis not only in our city but

[3:02:37] our county, our state and our

[3:02:37] nation.

[3:02:40] And it's time for our leaders

[3:02:40] to take serious looks at

[3:02:44] revenue options that don't

[3:02:45] punish our working families but

[3:02:49] hold those accountable who have

[3:02:50] taken advantage of tax breaks

[3:02:55] for decades at our city.

[3:02:56] I think it's time to make

[3:02:57] entities like Airbnb pay their

[3:02:59] fair share and I'm really

[3:03:00] encouraged to see council

[3:03:04] taking a serious look at items

[3:03:05] that will bring in revenue to

[3:03:05] our city that we so desperately

[3:03:09] need to keep our roads safe, to

[3:03:10] keep our kids safe and have

[3:03:15] access to parks and clean air

[3:03:15] and all sorts of wonderful

[3:03:16] things that our city provides

[3:03:20] and I am in huge support of any

[3:03:24] revenue measures that hold

[3:03:24] those entities accountable who

[3:03:29] are again like I said, not

[3:03:30] serving working families.

[3:03:34] And I think fundamentally this

[3:03:35] is a moral crisis.

[3:03:39] We have served our communities

[3:03:40] for so long to the point where

[3:03:44] basic things like storm water

[3:03:45] drainage are not being met and

[3:03:49] we can't sit around waiting any

[3:03:49] longer for answers.

[3:03:50] It's time to take serious

[3:03:50] action.

[3:03:54] We have The Waltons, Indiegogo

[3:03:54] and I really encourage

[3:03:55] the council to look to address

[3:03:59] that in.

[3:04:00] Q Thank you.

[3:04:01] Next is I phone if you can

[3:04:08] please unmute I, I can you can

[3:04:09] you hear me Diana?

[3:04:09] >> Yes.

[3:04:10] Please proceed.

[3:04:12] Hey, that's Michael Schmidt.

[3:04:13] Hi.

[3:04:17] I was I'm calling to point out

[3:04:18] I think part of the budget

[3:04:21] should go to tation and

[3:04:26] especially to fixing the roads.

[3:04:31] But I appreciate all of you and

[3:04:32] also for everyone.

[3:04:33] Thank you very much to all of

[3:04:37] you guys.

[3:04:37] >> Okay.

[3:04:37] Okay.

[3:04:38] Thank you.

[3:04:40] Next is 8700 If you can please

[3:04:45] unmute.

[3:04:50] Thank you Jason 53 Okay.

[3:04:55] I want our library parks equity

[3:05:00] Fair immigration Internet

[3:05:04] access kpi as kpi KPIs in all

[3:05:04] departments.

[3:05:05] We need to get started on

[3:05:09] whatever we can do in the f y

[3:05:09] 27 budget to fund those.

[3:05:13] The cuts are very interesting

[3:05:14] and what's being presented I'm

[3:05:15] very surprised about the cuts

[3:05:19] being asked for or suggested in

[3:05:19] parks.

[3:05:24] It makes sense in a way that

[3:05:24] they're doable And yes I'm I'm

[3:05:28] for the less middle management

[3:05:29] and in tweaking that

[3:05:33] coordinating it combining it

[3:05:33] and somehow I like the idea of

[3:05:34] maybe maybe maybe on

[3:05:38] the outsourcing to pay less Now

[3:05:44] I want to see oh gosh there's

[3:05:44] just not enough time.

[3:05:47] I want to say one thing I'm

[3:05:48] looking at a new way of us to

[3:05:52] come together is once San Diego

[3:05:53] and I won't go into it now I'll

[3:05:53] look forward to the budget

[3:05:57] meeting committee meeting or

[3:05:58] something but just wanted to

[3:05:58] put that out there.

[3:05:59] I think we need to enlarge our

[3:06:00] one people pocket to council

[3:06:05] PRESIDENT Pro Tim Lee You said

[3:06:06] something that really really

[3:06:06] woke me up and I don't know

[3:06:10] what to do with it.

[3:06:10] You said I think it was very

[3:06:13] recently at 80 and I think you

[3:06:14] said what to do on a daily

[3:06:18] basis to remove the structural

[3:06:18] budget deficit.

[3:06:19] >> So I think we're doing it

[3:06:24] now in a way but I want to know

[3:06:24] more about that so maybe you

[3:06:28] can save your time if you could

[3:06:28] include it.

[3:06:29] My apologies.

[3:06:29] Thank you, sir.

[3:06:29] Thank you.

[3:06:30] Sorry.

[3:06:30] And if you can please unmute

[3:06:36] after that is Berlin.

[3:06:37] >> Good evening City Council.

[3:06:38] My name is Ian Embry and I'm

[3:06:38] the advocacy and community

[3:06:40] manager with the San Diego

[3:06:41] County Bicycle Coalition.

[3:06:42] I'm calling in tonight to ask

[3:06:45] that you include the vision

[3:06:46] Zero Coalitions by Budget asks

[3:06:46] for your upcoming for this

[3:06:50] upcoming fiscal year.

[3:06:51] As a reminder they are to fund

[3:06:53] improvements to the fatal 15

[3:06:53] intersections fund

[3:06:54] the associated budget requests

[3:06:54] related to the speed management

[3:06:58] plan and create a dedicated

[3:06:59] fund to delight intersections

[3:06:59] across the city.

[3:07:03] Increasingly kids across

[3:07:03] the city are dying because of

[3:07:04] our city's inaction on

[3:07:05] the traffic safety crisis.

[3:07:08] Cities around the world have

[3:07:08] figured out how to reach

[3:07:09] the Vision Zero goal.

[3:07:12] When budget season comes along

[3:07:13] in those cities they allocate

[3:07:14] significant funds to keep their

[3:07:14] citizens safe.

[3:07:17] I wish I could ask for

[3:07:18] significant funds but instead

[3:07:18] I'm asking for pennies on

[3:07:21] the dollar to keep us safe.

[3:07:22] We're asking for cost effective

[3:07:23] solutions to save lives, do it

[3:07:27] for our kids, our seniors, our

[3:07:27] walkers, our riders, Our

[3:07:31] drivers Do it for all of us.

[3:07:32] >> Thank you.

[3:07:32] Thank you.

[3:07:37] Next is Berlin.

[3:07:45] If you can please unmute Berlin

[3:07:45] .

[3:07:46] >> I do see that you've unmuted

[3:07:51] but we do not hear you here in

[3:07:51] council chambers.

[3:07:52] Not sure if the mic if

[3:07:55] the device you're speaking into

[3:07:55] MAY be muted.

[3:07:56] You hear me now?

[3:07:56] Yes.

[3:07:59] Please proceed.

[3:08:00] >> Hey, I'm here on behalf of

[3:08:04] Mitzi Kahn today and I'm

[3:08:04] calling because we want to

[3:08:05] encourage all of you to take a

[3:08:06] serious look.

[3:08:09] Maximize city efficiency.

[3:08:10] And I'm here to point out one

[3:08:14] concrete action that you could

[3:08:15] take which is to allow

[3:08:15] the Parks and Recreation

[3:08:19] Department to do repairs and

[3:08:20] house the current system to

[3:08:24] carry out park improvements Is

[3:08:24] too lengthy, too lengthy and

[3:08:25] too costly By doing projects in

[3:08:29] house.

[3:08:29] They can address the backlog of

[3:08:30] maintenance requests and reduce

[3:08:34] the much higher costs required

[3:08:35] to carry out major repairs.

[3:08:38] When the park reaches a crisis

[3:08:39] point, complex projects can

[3:08:39] always be sent to specialized

[3:08:43] teams.

[3:08:44] But please let them do

[3:08:44] the small projects to save time

[3:08:48] to save money.

[3:08:49] And this could be a net zero

[3:08:49] expense if you really look into

[3:08:50] it.

[3:08:53] So if you have any questions

[3:08:54] feel free to reach out to me

[3:08:54] again.

[3:08:55] We'll be circling with your

[3:08:55] offices.

[3:08:58] Thank you.

[3:09:07] >> If you can please unmute.

[3:09:07] >> Good evening Council

[3:09:08] members.

[3:09:08] I just want to stress my

[3:09:11] concern about any additional

[3:09:12] cuts to libraries and parks and

[3:09:12] rec.

[3:09:17] Those were already cut last

[3:09:18] year so that would be

[3:09:18] the second time these

[3:09:21] communities folks that need

[3:09:22] these libraries and rec centers

[3:09:23] because they often cannot

[3:09:26] afford the private solutions of

[3:09:27] buying books Every time you

[3:09:28] want to read or paying for

[3:09:31] specific class it's much more

[3:09:32] expensive not at a rec center.

[3:09:33] So this will be the second year

[3:09:36] that these communities face

[3:09:37] cuts and I think that's deeply

[3:09:37] concerning.

[3:09:41] And it's ultimately a

[3:09:41] distributional choice.

[3:09:42] It's no it's a tax by any other

[3:09:46] means to force these people to

[3:09:46] lose that service or now have

[3:09:47] to pay for it out of pocket.

[3:09:51] So we are concerned about fees

[3:09:51] or taxes.

[3:09:52] Ultimately the people who will

[3:09:56] bear this will be those who

[3:09:56] have the least resources which

[3:09:57] is deeply concerning And I hope

[3:09:58] we can find other solutions to

[3:10:03] this.

[3:10:04] Yeah, I mean I'm well aware

[3:10:05] that there are tradeoffs.

[3:10:08] I feel like blaming middle

[3:10:09] missing middle management is

[3:10:12] not always the exactly the best

[3:10:12] solution.

[3:10:13] There's tradeoffs.

[3:10:14] I think city workers provide

[3:10:17] great resources and I in fact

[3:10:18] wish there were more city

[3:10:19] resources to manage how where

[3:10:22] the parking implementation went

[3:10:22] .

[3:10:23] I feel like that would actually

[3:10:23] have made it better.

[3:10:24] So I think there's a true

[3:10:25] tradeoff there.

[3:10:27] So blaming it on this so-called

[3:10:28] middle management will require

[3:10:29] a tradeoff as well.

[3:10:32] Hard decisions to come but I

[3:10:33] want to make sure the emphasis

[3:10:34] on the low income folks are not

[3:10:35] borne the bearing the brunt of

[3:10:40] this crisis.

[3:10:40] Thank you.

[3:10:44] Kevin, if you can please unmute

[3:10:44] .

[3:10:50] Kevin I can unmute for you if

[3:10:51] you can unmute by pressing.

[3:10:56] There you go.

[3:10:56] No With each other?

[3:10:57] No.

[3:10:57] Okay.

[3:10:59] Can you hear me?

[3:10:59] Yes.

[3:11:00] Please proceed.

[3:11:03] Okay.

[3:11:04] Hello, Council members.

[3:11:05] I just wanted to talk to you

[3:11:08] guys about the budget So it

[3:11:09] seems like you guys have been I

[3:11:14] think misallocating some of

[3:11:14] the budget So I've been a

[3:11:15] little bit disappointed with

[3:11:18] the police budget So I'm ad1

[3:11:19] resident and it's been

[3:11:20] disappointing to see that you

[3:11:23] guys have been talking about

[3:11:24] the police being underfunded.

[3:11:25] However there has been parking

[3:11:28] disputes and all Hoya a couple

[3:11:29] of months ago where 11 cop cars

[3:11:32] showed up to the parking

[3:11:33] dispute 11 cop cars yet you

[3:11:34] guys claim that the place is

[3:11:34] being underfunded.

[3:11:38] So I think that would be one

[3:11:42] area to not necessarily cut

[3:11:43] the budget but to reallocate

[3:11:43] where officers are going And if

[3:11:44] there are some areas that are

[3:11:45] understaffed because clearly

[3:11:46] some areas are being

[3:11:51] overstaffed, I think it's also

[3:11:51] important to make sure that

[3:11:55] we're funding the trolley

[3:11:56] system.

[3:11:56] The trial is actually one of my

[3:11:57] favorite parts of San Diego and

[3:12:00] I think would be great if we

[3:12:01] kept it funded also with us.

[3:12:04] b 79 If you guys expanded

[3:12:05] the trolley that would also be

[3:12:06] great Get more housing and more

[3:12:08] trolley.

[3:12:09] So you could definitely use

[3:12:10] some more trolley.

[3:12:12] So that be great.

[3:12:13] >> Um I think the parks and

[3:12:18] libraries also are really

[3:12:18] important so make sure you guys

[3:12:22] are funding those as well.

[3:12:27] >> So um yeah and so that's

[3:12:28] overall yeah I think just

[3:12:32] reallocate some funding.

[3:12:32] >> That'd be great.

[3:12:32] Thank you.

[3:12:36] Next is Blair Beekman.

[3:12:41] If you can please unmute.

[3:12:41] All right.

[3:12:42] Thank you.

[3:12:45] Thanks for this meeting

[3:12:46] tonight.

[3:12:51] I was interested from my public

[3:12:51] comment non agenda public

[3:12:52] comment today What I failed to

[3:12:56] mention the relevance I think

[3:12:57] to this meeting today is that

[3:12:58] you know it's Oakland and San

[3:12:59] Jose are both they're working

[3:13:01] proactive really on items and

[3:13:02] issues to deal to address this

[3:13:05] new Trump administration but

[3:13:06] San Diego also worked well

[3:13:11] previously on Park issues and

[3:13:12] you took a break on more

[3:13:13] surveillance tech for Park.

[3:13:15] You just have to really

[3:13:16] consider, you know, what

[3:13:17] the Trump administration's

[3:13:17] going to do with data

[3:13:20] collection things.

[3:13:21] I think we're afraid now We've

[3:13:21] seen best practices.

[3:13:25] We're afraid to move into

[3:13:26] the future of best practices.

[3:13:27] I explained ideas from Oakland

[3:13:30] and Canada that they are

[3:13:31] working proactively.

[3:13:35] I hope San Diego can do it.

[3:13:36] It's been an election year.

[3:13:37] i hope you don't You're not

[3:13:37] afraid of things.

[3:13:40] I hope you're not afraid that

[3:13:41] I've been saying consistently

[3:13:41] that we can be addressing

[3:13:45] the future of tech and we can

[3:13:45] be reducing tech and still

[3:13:46] offering the same public safety

[3:13:50] for a lower cost.

[3:13:51] I know and a tremendous budget

[3:13:51] savings we can be working on

[3:13:55] block a huge funding well

[3:13:55] principled future in your

[3:13:58] vendor and I hope you guys take

[3:13:59] the time and effort to want to

[3:13:59] do that sort of stuff.

[3:14:02] Let's really do that in 2026

[3:14:03] and from that I hope and 2027

[3:14:08] we're dealing with a new form

[3:14:08] of budget issues Actually at

[3:14:09] the end of this covid era we

[3:14:12] have to be talking about new

[3:14:12] forms of money management and I

[3:14:13] hope you guys are up to those.

[3:14:17] I'm Thank you.

[3:14:17] >> Thank you.

[3:14:18] Thank you.

[3:14:20] If you raised your hand after

[3:14:21] the five minute timer you will

[3:14:22] not be taken tonight but you

[3:14:22] can definitely continue to

[3:14:23] submit your comments through

[3:14:26] city Clerk at San diego.Gov and

[3:14:26] those will be distributed and

[3:14:28] there'll be other opportunities

[3:14:29] for 937 If you can please

[3:14:34] unmute And then it's McLean

[3:14:35] photography.

[3:14:36] Those are our final speakers

[3:14:41] for 937 Please unmute.

[3:14:46] >> Hi I'm a I'm a constituent

[3:14:47] of district three Are you

[3:14:48] the same Steven Whiteman I

[3:14:52] noticed that you are also

[3:14:52] appearing at the Democratic

[3:14:53] Party Metro West meeting

[3:14:54] tonight I need supposed to be

[3:14:54] working to serve

[3:14:59] the constituents right now Also

[3:15:02] I support funding for

[3:15:03] transportation with the trolley

[3:15:12] and the busses.

[3:15:12] >> Does that concludes your

[3:15:13] comments?

[3:15:16] Yes thank you.

[3:15:17] >> Next is McLean Photography.

[3:15:22] If you can please unmute.

[3:15:22] Good evening everyone.

[3:15:23] Thanks for having this meeting

[3:15:27] for us and letting us speak to

[3:15:28] the public at 13.

[3:15:28] So anyway so I'm from

[3:15:31] Philadelphia but I'm in San

[3:15:32] Diego for about 12 years right?

[3:15:33] And I'm a local photographer

[3:15:36] and a business man but prior to

[3:15:37] coming here one of the things

[3:15:40] that kind of got me on track to

[3:15:41] change my life was the public

[3:15:41] libraries.

[3:15:42] So in my neighborhood in

[3:15:46] Philadelphia, you know,

[3:15:46] Westwood was pretty poor and we

[3:15:47] had to go really far to even go

[3:15:50] to a library and luckily in

[3:15:51] Philadelphia the public

[3:15:51] transportation is pretty good

[3:15:52] So I had to take the train all

[3:15:55] the way in the center city

[3:15:56] right just to go to a good

[3:15:56] library and use the free

[3:16:00] services, you know, because I

[3:16:00] was poor at the time.

[3:16:01] So I think it's really

[3:16:02] important for us to have access

[3:16:02] to libraries.

[3:16:04] Number one and reliable

[3:16:05] transportation so that people

[3:16:08] can have a way to change their

[3:16:09] lives you know, learn research

[3:16:10] networks and be in community

[3:16:14] and also have, you know,

[3:16:15] situations where for example,

[3:16:15] the Malcolm x Library in

[3:16:18] southeast San Diego there's a

[3:16:19] new liberal center there across

[3:16:19] the street.

[3:16:23] My work is actually in that

[3:16:24] behavioral health clinic again

[3:16:24] because I think it's important

[3:16:25] to have a community space where

[3:16:28] people can actually congregate

[3:16:29] but also heal and also research

[3:16:29] what they're going to do with

[3:16:30] their lives.

[3:16:32] So for me once again library

[3:16:37] transportation thank you for

[3:16:38] Thank you.

[3:16:38] Let us include public comment

[3:16:42] on this item.

[3:16:42] All right.

[3:16:43] Thank you City clerk Again, as

[3:16:47] I said, thank you everybody

[3:16:48] that showed up in person and

[3:16:51] those who participated remotely

[3:16:52] Information item No motions

[3:16:53] required But I want to turn

[3:16:53] over to my council colleagues

[3:16:57] If you have any additional

[3:16:57] comments and we'll go first to

[3:17:01] council member Ella Rivera.

[3:17:02] Thank you Council PRESIDENT.

[3:17:06] Appreciate your comments.

[3:17:11] Budget Chair Fosters Charles

[3:17:12] yours as well and thank you to

[3:17:12] the members of the public who

[3:17:13] participated tonight.

[3:17:16] I appreciate the opportunity to

[3:17:17] get the budget conversation

[3:17:17] started early this year because

[3:17:18] it is going to be so difficult

[3:17:23] and I think what is a positive

[3:17:29] is that there's no one

[3:17:29] pretending like we're not going

[3:17:33] to have difficult decisions or

[3:17:34] a hard conversation over

[3:17:35] the next several months.

[3:17:38] But I do think it's important

[3:17:39] for us to kind of ask what this

[3:17:42] all is for.

[3:17:43] What are we actually aiming to

[3:17:44] be?

[3:17:48] And I do think we're I when I

[3:17:48] say we I mean the council I

[3:17:49] mean the mayor's office.

[3:17:52] I mean even the public to a

[3:17:53] certain extent.

[3:17:53] What type of city are we

[3:17:57] actually trying to be?

[3:17:58] And I, I don't know that that's

[3:18:02] being articulated right now in

[3:18:03] a clear way that allows us to

[3:18:03] actually know what we're aiming

[3:18:06] for Should we be should we just

[3:18:11] be slashing Are we satisfied

[3:18:11] with the amount of resources

[3:18:12] that we're working with?

[3:18:16] I don't hear that from

[3:18:16] the constituents who I engage

[3:18:17] with the most.

[3:18:18] We obviously need to be as

[3:18:21] efficient with the dollars that

[3:18:21] we have as possible.

[3:18:22] But you know, I think sometimes

[3:18:27] a fresh set of eyes can be

[3:18:28] really useful And when folks

[3:18:32] move to San Diego and they they

[3:18:33] notice how our library system

[3:18:37] stacks up to other library

[3:18:38] systems in terms of per capita

[3:18:42] investment, I think that's

[3:18:42] useful for us.

[3:18:47] I think it's useful for us to

[3:18:48] keep in mind that the cities

[3:18:48] that we often compare ourselves

[3:18:52] to that are resource resourcing

[3:18:53] their library systems better

[3:18:54] their park systems that are

[3:18:57] their rec systems better.

[3:18:58] It's they often have one thing

[3:18:59] in common that we do not do

[3:19:02] here in San Diego and that's

[3:19:02] ask those with the most to pay

[3:19:03] their fair share.

[3:19:06] So I know I've said this before

[3:19:07] I know I will say it again and

[3:19:11] it's probably getting old to a

[3:19:11] lot of people but there is no

[3:19:16] way that in a city with this

[3:19:16] level of affluence with people

[3:19:17] who are doing so well with

[3:19:20] corporations that are making so

[3:19:21] much that all of

[3:19:21] the conversation should be

[3:19:24] about cutting and then all of

[3:19:25] the conversation should be

[3:19:29] about reductions because we're

[3:19:34] we can't ask residents to pay

[3:19:35] more as if is not an option to

[3:19:39] pay those with much, much more

[3:19:40] to simply pay to pay their fair

[3:19:40] share.

[3:19:44] So I think about where we were

[3:19:45] last year and how we dug deep

[3:19:49] in order to preserve what we

[3:19:49] determined to be essential

[3:19:50] services And those were rec

[3:19:54] centers that families depend

[3:19:54] on.

[3:19:55] Those were libraries.

[3:19:55] The families depend on their

[3:19:56] parks.

[3:19:58] The neighborhoods depend on And

[3:19:58] I am under no illusions that

[3:20:03] this is not going to be

[3:20:03] difficult.

[3:20:04] I'm under no illusions that

[3:20:04] we're not going to have to make

[3:20:05] difficult decisions, that we're

[3:20:07] going to have to make some

[3:20:08] reductions and some closures.

[3:20:09] But I, I do very much hope that

[3:20:12] in this conversation we can in

[3:20:17] a much more clear way determine

[3:20:18] what type of city we want to be

[3:20:18] over the long term so we can

[3:20:21] start to aim for that because I

[3:20:22] worry that instead we will have

[3:20:27] is a balanced budget but a

[3:20:28] balanced budget that doesn't

[3:20:33] necessarily get us pointed in a

[3:20:33] better direction over the long

[3:20:34] term.

[3:20:36] The last thing I will share is

[3:20:37] this I was I was moved by an

[3:20:37] article that kpbs published

[3:20:41] last week.

[3:20:42] The headline was Recreation

[3:20:42] Centers to the Rescue

[3:20:45] The Search for Affordable

[3:20:46] Summer Camp.

[3:20:46] And this was just a great

[3:20:51] reminder of how for families in

[3:20:51] and in parts of this city

[3:20:55] absent our programing that this

[3:20:56] city provides there there are

[3:21:00] kids who would have nothing to

[3:21:00] do and parents who would

[3:21:05] despite working full time jobs

[3:21:06] be left to explain to their

[3:21:09] children why they have to sit

[3:21:10] at home during the day instead

[3:21:14] of being enriched and fulfilled

[3:21:19] and connected to a city and I

[3:21:20] think that that's something

[3:21:20] that's very much worth fighting

[3:21:21] for.

[3:21:24] So again that having kind of

[3:21:25] continuous continued

[3:21:29] conversation about who it is in

[3:21:30] this city that can't afford to

[3:21:31] pay more and asking them to do

[3:21:31] so it's making sure that we're

[3:21:34] not giving city resources away

[3:21:38] by not renewing leases that are

[3:21:39] long overdue.

[3:21:43] It's certainly making sure

[3:21:44] we're managing the cities as

[3:21:44] efficiently as possible.

[3:21:45] But more than anything it's not

[3:21:48] giving up on our parks.

[3:21:49] It's not giving up on our rec

[3:21:50] centers, it's not giving up our

[3:21:53] libraries in a way that doesn't

[3:21:53] increase it doesn't improve

[3:21:57] service level and aim to make

[3:21:58] this a better city for everyone

[3:21:59] but especially our young

[3:21:59] people.

[3:22:02] Thank you.

[3:22:03] >> Council PRESIDENT All right.

[3:22:03] Thank you.

[3:22:07] Council member Ella Rivera Not

[3:22:08] seeing anybody else I'd like to

[3:22:09] know My colleagues have had

[3:22:09] other opportunities to talk

[3:22:12] about budget and other

[3:22:12] committee meetings.

[3:22:13] There'll be plenty of more

[3:22:14] opportunity to talk about

[3:22:17] budgets So with that we will

[3:22:21] close this item and we will now

[3:22:22] adjourn Council to

[3:22:22] the regularly scheduled council

[3:22:26] meeting on Tuesday FEBRUARY

[3:22:30] 24th, 2026 at ten a m.

[3:22:30] Again, thank you all for

City Council Meetings — Monday Agenda Revised Added S400

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