here Council Member Von Wilpert
Council Member Council
PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee
Councilmember Campo Council
Member Moreno Present Council
Member Ella Rivera and Council
PRESIDENT LaCava.
Thank you Clerk I notice that
Council member Whitburn has
entered chamber so please mark
him as present and we do in
fact have a quorum.
We will begin this morning with
an invocation by Clark Fuentes
followed with the land
acknowledgment and the Pledge
of Allegiance led by council
member Campbell Grant.
Those who hold office in this
city the spirit of wisdom,
charity and justice that with
steadfast purpose they MAY
faithfully serve in their
offices to promote
the well-being of all people we
respect.
We acknowledge that the county
our nation are the original
inhabitants of the land now
known as San Diego.
Despite enduring the horrors of
genocide and colonization and
to their ancestors who fought
to protect their culture and
land today they carry their
legacy forward with their
traditions continue to thrive
in gratitude and respect.
We stand with the truly ancient
and connected to our past and
committed to a thriving future
.
I pledge allegiance to the flag
of the United States of America
and to the Republic for which
it stands one nation under GOD,
indivisible, with liberty and
justice for all.
Clark, please go over how
the public can offer their
testimony.
>> Thank you, Council PRESIDENT
I'll highlight the slide on
the screen that reviews how
the public can offer their
public testimony today.
If you are in person please
complete a speaker slip looking
at the entrance of chambers and
bring it to the front of
the room.
No in-person testimony will be
taken once the Council begins
Virtual testimony for better
meeting management purposes
each speaker will have one
minute per item per person.
If you are in the virtual queue
now's the time to raise your
hand for closed session.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT All
right.
Thank you With that please read
the closed session items into
the record conference with your
counsel Existing litigation
pursuant to California
Government Code Section 5495
6.91 is this one Dorset William
Jane versus City of San Diego
Siesta is Jacob Tresco versus
City of San Diego c.
S three is Rodney atl High
versus City of San Diego.
C.
S for is livable San Diego
versus City of San Diego.
Conference with Property
negotiator pursuant to
California Government Code
Section 54956.865 Property
seven then market 55,000 square
foot site located downtown San
Diego between seventh sixth
Avenue Market Street and Island
Avenue.
Under negotiation price and
payment terms related to
unsolicited offer for
the potential redevelopment of
the seventh and market site
located on the block bounded by
seventh sixth Market Island in
downtown San Diego.
Conference with existing Legal
Counsel Existing litigation
pursuant to California
Government Code Section 5495
6.90 166 Brianna Cooper versus
City of San Diego Conference
with Legal Counsel Anticipated
litigation Initiation of
litigation pursuant to
California Government Code
Section 5495 6.94 is a seven
number of cases one going to
those participating remotely
because there is nobody here in
person.
So I sorry at the five minute
timer starting with Andrea
Irving if you can please let me
know which item or items you
wish to speak to.
>> I was just speaking to
the closed session litigations
.
Which one?
There are seven.
>> I'll take the last one you
said okay.
So I wish us all the best of
luck in these litigations
because you know we have and
things are emerging obviously
look at our harm reduction
team, right?
They were supposed to be
passing on our count but
instead they're going to
plastic surgery and hiding all
that medication or whatever
that was reversal drug under a
tarp in Alpine under 123
whether also included in
the deal is information that
was distributed about this
thing is clear that we are not
charging people for major
narcotics.
We were going to test their
drugs for them.
We're going to test their drugs
to make sure they were safe to
consume, safe to consume.
>> I mean the whole thing is
backwards So GOD help us.
I have no idea what these
litigations actually are.
But what I do know is that
we're in big trouble as a city
and a county and all
the malfeasance, all
the corruption is shining and
it's rearing its ugly head and
it is horrifying.
>> Thank you.
Thank you.
Next is Blair Beckerman If you
can please unmute after that is
8700 please let me know which
item or items you wish to speak
to.
>> All right.
Where Beekman I wanted to speak
to item five.
>> You'll have one minute.
Please proceed.
Yeah.
Um.
Hi.
Blair Beekman.
It's 35.
It's an item about development
issues for the seventh and
market area.
I don't know if it's actually
bounded by sixth Avenue.
I don't know if this is exactly
the place, but there's a huge
parking space on between
seventh and eighth Avenues That
is of interest to myself.
I don't know if that is this
item.
There is a hotel on the corner
of this large parking lot that
you want to redevelop.
It's a very, very old hotel and
it has a deep history of
African-American heritage
African-American history about
it that I hope whatever
development will be there in
the future that will honor that
building what we should be
about.
It's important affordable very
truly affordable housing is a
good idea.
>> We think in those terms.
Thank you.
And 8700 if you can please
unmute and let me know which
item or items you wish to speak
to.
>> Thank you.
Item 126 please.
>> You'll have three minutes.
Please proceed.
Jason Yeah the cd three Number
one Even though the letter of
the law the First Amendment
rights drives the litigation
the spirit of the law must
drive the outcome of both
involved with fairness ingested
justice.
Dear Public Take a look at
qualified immunity Two words
qualified immunity See as two,
three and six cracks, trenches,
potholes, skateboards,
bicycles, motorcycles.
The only way to get our arms
around these obstacles is
the public needs to point them
out.
The public need to do their own
safety advocates see be alert
and aware and the city needs to
do their best and we're all
doing our best to hold them in
the paper on floor for us for a
challenge.
I am glad we are reigning in
secure at state levels.
We must all work together to
shape sustainable development
that serves all the side 17
market.
This feels like my third
lifetime in this project site.
The first two were very bumpy
Dear Robert Green Company team
put on top of your to do list
for the seventh and market
deals one people one San Diego
and ditto for council Mayor and
all involved in this price in
payment terms thank you all for
your consideration.
Have a beautiful week and love
you all.
Thank you.
That concludes public comment
on the closed session agenda.
All right.
Thank you.
City clerk We will now recess
in the closed session and
reconvene council today at 2
And
thank you
for
your
All right.
Good afternoon.
I will now reconvene the City
council meeting of Monday
FEBRUARY 23rd, 2026.
Clerk Please call the roll.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Council
Member Campbell Councilmember
Whitman Council Member Foster
Councilmember Von Wahlberg's
Council PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee
Councilmember Campo Council
Reno Present and Council Member
Ella Rivera present.
Would you like to make your
statement?
Councilmember Lerer We did hear
you here in council chambers if
you'd like to say your
statement for the record.
>> Yeah, I'm notifying
the council that I will be
attending the meeting today
remotely due to just cause
related to child care.
So it's about act and
disclosing that there are no
individuals 18 years of age or
older present in the room with
me and I will update this
disclosure a change during
the course of the meeting And
for the record I do need to
call council PRESIDENT To cover
PRESIDENT Also taking
the meeting or is this the city
attorney Leslie Fitzgerald
Independent budget Analyst
Charles Monaco Council Affairs
Affairs Advisor in the mayor's
office got advisor and myself
for City Clerk Diana Fuentes
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT All right
thank you.
Without a quorum is now present
We'll start off if are there
any comments from the mayor's
office to the council members
or the attorney and the budget
analyst or the city clerk not
seeing any.
I'll move right along.
So before the clerk goes over
the public how the public can
offer their public testimony
just a notice to the public.
We do have we had a morning
session.
We're having an afternoon
session and we're going to have
an evening session starting at
6:00.
We will be taking public non
agenda public comment after
this afternoon session.
We're not going to make you sit
through the 6:00 session for
that.
So again at the end of this
afternoon's session we will
take public knowledge into
public comment whether you're
in person or remote after we
take that agenda public comment
the council will then recess
and reconvene at 6 P.M. For our
evening meeting That will take
public input on the development
of the fiscal year 2027 budget.
So again non agenda public
comment will be taken at
the end of our current session
the afternoon session and then
we'll reconvene at 6 P.M. So
with that clerk please proceed
with how public can offer their
testimony.
>> Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT I'll
highlight the slide on
the screen that review to
the public and offer the public
testimony during this
afternoon's meeting.
The order can be found on
the agenda Summary found online
or at the table in the back of
the room.
If you are in person please
complete the speaker Slip
looking at the entrance of
chambers and bring it to
the front of the room and place
it in the clear box Council
ambassadors are available in
the entrance of chambers and
can assist with questions and
speakers Lips no further
in-person testimony will be
taken once the council begins
Virtual testimony.
Thank you, Council PRESIDENT
All right.
Thank you.
And with that please introduce
item 200 item 200 as the fiscal
year 2026 mid-year budget
monitoring report.
If you'd like to speak to this
item, now's the time to raise
your hand by pressing Star nine
or the raise your hand icon or
if you are participating here
in person please be sure to
submit your speakers up to
the front of the room in
the clear box for better
reading management.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT All right.
Thank you.
And as our good folks from
the Department of Finance
settle in, please identify
yourself for the record and let
us know how much time you need.
>> Good afternoon, Council
PRESIDENT Lacob and council
members.
I'm Ben Battaglia, director of
finance and with me is Chris
Purcell, Financial Operations
Manager.
We're here today to present
the fiscal year 2026 mid-year
budget monitoring report.
>> And we'll need about 12
minutes for our presentation.
All right.
When you're ready.
This is the second budget
monitoring report for
the fiscal year in DECEMBER we
presented the first quarter
budget monitoring report to
the city council.
And this was based on only
three months of financial
activity.
It also had a limited focus
primarily on Major General fund
revenues as well as over time
projections for the police and
fire rescue departments.
The mid-year budget monitoring
report was developed in
coordination with departments
based on five months of
financial activity.
It includes a full analysis of
projected revenue and
expenditures for all general
fund departments as well as
several non general funds.
Since the release of the report
there have been a few recent
positive developments and we
will discuss those with you
today.
The development of this report
was a team effort.
I'd like to thank all
departments for their valuable
contributions.
We've requested departments to
attend today to assist with any
questions you might have.
I'll now turn it over to Chris
to walk through the specifics
at a high level.
>> The report projected general
fund expenditures to exceed
revenues resulting in a bottom
line deficit of 16.8 million.
This comprised the projected
13.6 million decrease in
revenues and a slight 3.2
million increase in
expenditures.
The decline in revenues was
within both the major general
fund revenue category and
departmental revenues.
While the increase in
expenditures is primarily due
to personnel expenditures since
the release of the report we
have received additional
information that has a positive
impact on the bottom line.
These include the anticipated
receipt of 8 million insurance
proceeds related to flooding of
the old Central Library
provides that these unique
franchise fees will have a
positive $6 million impact on
the general fund and additional
sales tax distribution which
increases our projection by 2.6
million.
These positive updates are
slightly offset by the decline
in transit occupancy tax of
approximately 2,050,000 and
the recent announcement of
changes to Balboa Park parking
which reduced anticipated
revenue by 1.2 million.
When factoring in these recent
developments, the revised net
projected activity is
anticipated to be a deficit of
1.8 million as discussed in
the report.
Major general fund revenues
were projected in the fiscal
year 7.2 million under budget.
The primary drivers of this
decrease are the treated
occupancy tax and other major
revenue categories.
Transit Occupancy Tax revenues
in the general fund were
projected in the fiscal year
7.4 million under budget due to
a significant decline in
international travel and terms
growth in both leisure and
business travel.
As previously noted, recent
updates have further reduced
this revenue by an additional
350,000 but the major revenues
were predicted in the fiscal
year 6.7 million under
the current budget due to
reduced interest earnings and a
decrease in the one city
transfer driven by the noted
decrease in total revenues.
With the recent updates about
the anticipated receipt of
insurance proceeds, this
projection would increase by 8
million as now anticipated in
the fiscal year.
1.3 million over budget.
These are partially offset by a
projected increase in property
tax of 2 million due to
increased collections.
Additionally, sales tax was
projected to be 2.1 million
higher than assumed in
the budget and this is now
anticipated to increase by 2.6
million.
Lastly, franchise fees was
projected to be 2.8 million
over budget primarily due to
increased tonnage at the Sigma
landfill but with the cleanup
payment recently received from
Genie.
This is expected to increase by
an additional 4.5 million when
including the updates after
the release of our report.
Major general fund revenues are
now expected to exceed
the budget by 7.5 million.
The report included projections
reflecting the anticipated
decrease in departmental
revenues of 6.4 million but
this is now anticipated to be
6.1 million when including
the recent updates.
That reduction included a lower
number of parking revenues in
Parks and Recreation due to
shift to the program's
implementation timelines and
adjustments to fee structures.
And this has been further
reduced by the recent
announcement of changes to be
implemented in MARCH.
Details regarding public park
parking will be discussed on
the following slide.
Additionally there were
reductions anticipated for
wayfinding kiosks, telecom and
use of concession revenue
within economic development.
Reduced parking citation of
parking meter reimbursement
revenue and stormwater.
And a continued decline in
cannabis business tax revenue
in city Treasuries.
These decreases are partially
offset by increases in fire
rescue for reimbursements
related to the junior lifeguard
paramedic programs as well as
strike team deployments.
Police also anticipate
additional reimbursements for
work performed on special
events.
Lastly, offsetting some of
the projected reduction in
Parks and recreation is
the portion of the increase in
franchise fee revenue
previously discussed which will
be deposited into the bottom of
the growth funds and to be able
to reimburse eligible
expenditures in the general
fund.
Here we see a breakdown of how
the projections for our parking
program have changed over time.
The adopted budget was
approved.
The anticipated revenue for
this program was 12.5 million
based on city staff's
assumptions and
the modifications made by
the City Council in SEPTEMBER.
City staff presented to council
an updated proposal for how
rates could be structured to
watch revenues that closely
aligned with the amount
included in the budget.
This proposal is projected to
generate 12.2 million in
revenue approximately 3000 less
than the budget assumed.
The proposal was ultimately
approved with an amended
resolution.
The implementation will begin
only once quarterly annual,
quarterly and annual passes
were available and with
modifications to the proposed
fee structures.
In NOVEMBER staff returned to
council with the requested
changes to the proposed fees.
These changes included periodic
passes to rate changes
the hours of inspiration point
resident versus nonresident
rates and the delayed
implementation to align with
the availability of quarterly
passes.
Incorporating those changes
resulted in a revenue
projection of 3.7 million and
represented a further reduction
of 8.5 million from
the proposal originally
presented in SEPTEMBER for a
total decrease of 8.8 million
from the budget.
Lastly, on FEBRUARY 6th
the mayor announced he was
expanding free parking zones
for city residents and limiting
parking enforcement to end at 6
P.M. Rather than 8 P.M..
These changes are expected to
take effect in MARCH.
With these changes, projected
revenues are approximately 2.5
million reflecting a further
decrease of 1.2 million from
the department projections
included in the report and a
total decrease of 10 million
from the budget.
The slide provides a breakdown
of expenditure categories tied
to city staffing.
When combined personnel
expenditure and fringe benefits
are projected to exceed
the budget by $15.1 million,
the overage and personnel
expenditures is mainly
attributed to increased
overtime cost of 12.9 million.
This is primarily within three
departments Fire Rescue to
maintain constant staffing
dispatcher training and
deployment backfill.
As noted, the increase is
anticipated to be partially
offset by increased
reimbursements in police.
This is due to support higher
activity at special events and
parking enforcement.
And again this is projected to
be partially offset by
increased reimbursements.
Lastly, transportation
increases primarily to support
emergencies and callbacks as in
prior years.
The projection does include an
estimate for chalcedon
the judgment of 3 million
combined across salaries and
fringe benefits to account for
anticipated differences between
what a department be project
and your an actuals for non
personnel expenditures and
excluding fringe.
These are projected to be under
budget by 11.9 million.
This includes a 2.8 million net
decrease in contracts primarily
due to a decrease in
contributions to public
liability fund as that fund
received insurance proceeds
that will be available to
support current law payments.
Those savings were partially
offset by higher contractual
equipment agreements and
service cost across
transportation, police parks
and recreation and fire rescue.
A 1.9 million decrease in
information technology due to
the fund's operational
efficiencies and the use of
their available fund balance to
offset non-discretionary costs
and a 1.4 million decrease in
debt due to timing of
the helicopter leases in fire
rescue and police which reduced
the anticipated number of
payments in the current year.
Offsetting these savings is an
increase of 3.4 million energy
utilities primarily in parks
and recreation due to lottery
changes.
Lastly, we analyzed recent
media reports of constituent
actions Inc. An estimated $10
million historical savings
adjustment which is
approximately 1.7% of projected
expenditures.
Here we have the requested
appropriation adjustments for
the general fund.
We are requesting a
reallocation of budget among
departments with no bottom line
impact.
The savings within the general
settings within the city wide
program expenditures department
are tied to the previously
mentioned decrease contribution
to the public liability fund
and reallocating those savings
will ensure continuity of
operations and that required
operations are met for the five
departments noted in the table.
For general funds each of these
requests is supported by
available fund balance in those
funds and are critical for
those funds to operate.
Before we conclude budgeting
about a look ahead at fiscal
year 2027 as you remember
the five year financial outlook
released in NOVEMBER 2025
reflected the projected
baseline shortfall of 8.8
million.
Since the release of that
report, the projected shortfall
has increased by approximately
30 million due to increased
expenditures and decreased
revenues.
Some items contributing to this
increase are the removal of 5.8
million property tax associated
with the sale to a 5.6 million
reduction treaty occupancy tax
based on meter receipts and a
16.4 million increase in
the pension payment.
Based on the updated actuarial
valuation.
The city will need to be
strategic in its reductions in
service levels to address
the projected shortfall which
will be incorporated in a
balanced draft budget released
by the Mayor on APRIL 15th.
To conclude, the report
projects general fund revenues
to come in under budget while
expenditures are projected
slightly over budget.
Updates Since the report's
release showing improvements in
revenue but a deficit is still
projected.
If there are no more positive
improvements, the general fund
would need to draft
the stability Reserve in
the fiscal year balanced.
We are requesting
the reallocation appropriations
between general fund
departments to ensure
continuity of operations and to
beat record obligations without
a bottom line impact.
Mitigation efforts will
continue to be implemented by
departments and future reports
will include updates on those
efforts.
Development of the fiscal year
2027 budget will be difficult
and require strategic
reductions in service levels to
balance.
The Department Finance will
continue to monitor revenues
expenditures and will release
the fiscal year 2026 third
quarter budget monitoring
report on MAY 13th.
That concludes the presentation
on the Media Report And now we
will turn it over to the police
department so they can provide
an update on their overtime and
neighborhood policing as
requested in the fiscal year
2026 appropriation ordinance.
>> Chief, as you settle in
introduce yourselves for
the record and let us know how
much time you will need.
Good afternoon.
Scott Walker, chief of police.
I'm joined today by our cfo.
We meet about 5 or 6 minutes.
All right.
Good afternoon.
Council PRESIDENT.
Like other notable
councilmembers, we're here
today to provide an update on
two important areas required
under the f y 26 appropriation
ordinance.
First is are police overtime
spending.
And the second is our
neighborhood policing division.
I bring with me today some good
news.
This update reflects real
progress in how we are managing
our resources while continuing
to meet serious public safety
challenges.
Our department's overtime
budget for f y 26 is about 45
million.
It is important to say that
overtime remains a critical
resource for our department as
we are extremely with extremely
low staffing levels.
We rely on overtime to maintain
service levels, maintain
response times and support
special operations.
I've been very clear since
becoming police chief.
While overtime is necessary,
achieving maximum efficiency
with the limited number of
officers we have and spending
our overtime dollars
responsibly are part of our top
priorities.
My commitment has been bringing
our overtime spending back into
budget in a to say this year.
We did that for fiscal year 26.
Are non cost recoverable
overtime is on budget.
We did that in part by putting
each commanding officer on a
budget and by shifting our
focus to cost recoverable
overtime areas like grants and
special events.
We anticipate being 3.4 million
over budget in those cost
recoverable areas.
However, those areas are
reimbursable.
All told we're expecting to see
a 6.5 million reduction in
overtime spending compared to
last year the largest year over
year decrease in more than a
decade.
More importantly we were able
to do it without negatively
impacting response times.
This reduction didn't happen by
chance.
We knew if we were going to
significantly cut overtime
costs we need we would need to
take a hard look at how we
track and manage those funds.
We built an entirely new
monitoring process that gives
command staff a much clearer
look into how we're spending
those overtime dollars.
That increased transparency
allows for real time oversight
and better decision making.
The result is a leaner overtime
budget and better stewardship
of our employees on shift Now
over to our neighbor policing
division.
When I restructured
the department, one of my goals
was to strengthen our efforts
in the area of homelessness.
To accomplish this I
immediately shifted each
academy class to spend three
months working with
the neighborhood policing
officers, learning their craft
and supporting them in their
work.
Homelessness remains one of
the top concerns we hear from
residents and it requires a
consistent coordinated
approach.
Our department uses a
progressive enforcement model
that means officers work
alongside service providers
mental health clinicians,
outreach workers and registered
nurses to offer education
outreach and support first.
Enforcement is a last resort
but it is an important tool
When people are offered help
repeatedly and understand that
there are consequences for
refusing services.
We see better outcomes.
This approach is not about
criminalization.
It's about using every part of
the system to connect people to
long term solutions.
The strategy helped contribute
to a decrease in the number of
unsheltered individuals in
the 2025 point in time count.
The first decrease since 2020
mpd operates with a budget of
approximately 29.6 million with
about 23% of that or 6.8
million being in overtime.
Importantly, the division is
projected to be on budget this
fiscal year while delivering
measurable results for
the community.
Mpd work isn't always the most
visible but it is very
impactful.
It was mpd that took the lead
in enforcing our oversize book
ordinance and vehicle
habitation ordinances.
So far they referred over 400
individuals to the safe parking
program at each barracks
resulting in 94 successful
placements.
They've also helped to complete
245 abatements and removed more
than 226 tons of waste from
freeway on and off ramps
downtown.
Many of you have seen how that
area had become out of control.
These efforts significantly
improved the health and safety
in those areas.
I've said it before and I'll
say it again.
Being fiscally responsible is a
top priority for me as chief.
The historic rate reduction and
overtime spending and
the responsible management of
the Neighborhood Policing
division reflects that
commitment.
We are focused on using
taxpayer dollars wisely while
continuing to deliver the level
of service our community
expects and deserves.
Thank you and we'll be here if
there are any questions later.
All right.
Thank you you for that
presentation.
I will now turn it over to
the Office of the Independent
Budget analyst MR. Monaco for
your presentation.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT And council
members.
As my team comes up I know that
I'll be joined for today's
presentation by surgery
Oncology and Jordan Moore.
Although our whole team is here
either in person or on
the phone for questions, our
office released a detailed
analysis of the Media report on
FEBRUARY 18th and we will cover
that in this presentation.
And so once you get settled in
perfect go to the next slide.
Our report specifically covers
general fund revenue and
expenditure and we provide
additional context and updates
to the mid-year projections.
We also discuss additional
items including the city's
reserve homelessness programs,
the Development Service Fund
and the proposed appropriation
adjustments that are included
in the mid-year.
Beyond that we include
attachments to our report that
provide a status update on
various items including
modifications for council made
to the budget during
the budget's adoption in JUNE
as well as the status of
positions that were eliminated
in the current year's adopted
budget.
With that I will turn this over
to surgical holding who will
walk us through general fund
revenues and expenditures.
Thanks Charles.
The major projects the Media
report projects the city's
general fund revenues to be a
net $9.9 million below
the budget of this major
general fund revenues projected
to end the fiscal year $7.2
million below that budget or
the department revenues are
projected to be $2.7 million
below the adopted budget.
We'd like to note that the $2.7
million $2.7 million
departmental variance in
the table differs from the $6.4
million figure referenced in
the year presentation.
This difference is because our
comparison is based on
the mid-year projections
the adopted budget while
the audit compares projections
to the current budget.
The difference between
the adopted budget and
the current budget is primarily
due to an increase in budgetary
revenue for the Transportation
Department which we will
discuss later in this
presentation or the next few
slides will cover additional
information and considerations
and select revenue items.
Starting off at Celltex.
Well our office concurs with a
current sales tax projection.
There are some factors worth
noting.
Economists have described
post-pandemic recovery as
k-shaped with spending by
higher income households
growing while lower income
spending declines.
The reliance on consumer
spending from high income
households MAY be a result of
high stock market returns and
the growth of companies.
This fiscal year sales tax
growth MAY mask increased risks
associated with a potential
overheated stock market that
could lead to a large impact on
the city's sales tax revenue if
the market cools.
That said, elevated household
spending MAY continue in
the immediate future as
consumers receive increased tax
refunds from provisions in
the One big Beautiful Bill Act
which MAY act like a one time
stimulus payment.
One additional note on sales
tax a city just recently
received a cleanup payment for
a second quarter fiscal year
2026 sales which came in $2.5
million higher than anticipated
in the Media Report.
Similarly regarding franchise
fees, the city was just
recently informed that these
cleanup payments for fiscal
year 2026 would be $4.5 million
above projections.
Moving on to the transient
occupancy tax, the general fund
portion of total is projected
to end the fiscal year $7.4
million below the adopted
budget.
Overall total revenues
projected to end the fiscal
year at $19.4 million below
the shortfall is partly due to
reduced international travel to
the United States because
revenue received from
the General Fund special promo
programs and council
discretionary portions of totty
as well as revenue from
the Total Homeless Fund are
used to reimburse eligible
general fund expenses.
The decline in overall total
revenue has a greater general
fund impact than just the-$7.4
million Million dollar
variance.
Additionally, since
the publication of the mid-year
report total has come in less
than budgeted but to
the projections for the month
of JANUARY as well.
This equates to an
approximately $400,000
reduction to the general fund
in council discretionary
portions of tlt and several
departmental revenues starting
off with the revenue from
the paid parking program in
the ballpark.
The media report assumes that
the program will generate
approximately $3.7 million in
revenue.
This estimate was based on
limited data following
the implementation of the paid
parking program on JANUARY 5th
following the release of
the mid-year report.
However, the mayor announced
certain modifications to pay
parking program on FEBRUARY 6th
including free parking for
verified city residents at
certain lots.
With these modifications staff
now projects the year end
revenue from the paid parking
program to be $2.5 million
which is $10 million less than
what was included in the budget
.
Additionally, expenditures to
implement and operate
the program are currently
projected to be $505,000
dollars.
Under budget resulting in a
projected $9.5 million net
impact of the general fund
regarding parking meter related
revenue transfers from
the Parking Meter Operations
Fund to the general fund are
projected to be $3.6 million
less than budgeted.
The shortfall reflects lower
than budgeted revenues from
initiatives including
the budget such as event based
pricing, double meter rates and
expanded hours as well as
increased expenditures related
to meter expansions.
These negative impacts are
partially offset by additional
unbudgeted revenue from loss of
revenue fees and revenue
collected from new parking
meters.
Additional information on
the Parking Meter operations
fund can be found in Attachment
three of our report.
The Mitchell Report projects
$19.1 million in revenue from
the cannabis business tax which
is approximately $2 million
lower than what was included in
the budget.
The shortfall is primarily due
to continued decline in
reported taxable gross receipts
driven by increased competition
from the legal market and
increased wholesale prices from
an oversupply of cannabis
products.
It remains unclear whether
the 2% tax increase for retail
outlets implemented in MAY last
year has contributed to
the overall projected shortfall
by driving customers to other
jurisdictions or the illicit
market.
Sales data suggest that
the rate increase did not have
a significant immediate impact
on taxable sales as a down a
downward trend was seemingly
driven by preexisting factors.
Moving on to homelessness
department revenue $5.6 million
from one time measure.
Revenue from four homelessness
collect collected in fiscal
year 2025 was included in
the mid-year report.
However, rather than being used
to offset the use of limited
limited state app grants as
contemplated in the most recent
financial outlook is now
projected to offset
the decreases in total funding
to supports homelessness.
Shifting over to general fund
expenditures, our report
largely focuses on salaries and
wages which are projected to go
over budget by $18.2 million
with the most significant cost
being over time of $16.2
million.
We note that the departments
with the largest overtime
overages include fire rescue,
transportation and police fire
rescue is projected to be $6.8
million over their overtime
budget but the net impact of
this is reduced to
approximately $5 million when
accounting for strike team
deployment reimbursements.
This overage is largely due to
constant fire suppression
staffing needs and increased
fire dispatch overtime
according to the fire rescue
department.
This use of overtime is
necessary to backfill
dispatcher positions while
recent hires complete
dispatcher training.
The police department is
projected to be $3.4 million
over budget for overtime with
the general fund impact being
reduced to $1.1 million after
accounting for revenue from
reimbursable overtime
activities including special
events and grant or task force
participation as well as
enhanced parking meter
enforcement.
It's worth noting that pd's
projected overtime expenditures
in fiscal year 2026 are lower
than actual expenditures in
fiscal year 2024 and fiscal
year 2025, indicating that
the department's efforts to
better manage overtime are
proving effective and haphazard
over to join a more to cover
the most of the remaining
slides.
Thank you Sergio.
So on this slide the first
thing we'd like to point out is
transportation salary budget
which the media report projects
to be $2.1 million over
the adopted budget.
The report notes that this is
mostly due to the Department
hiring at a faster pace than
projected following the lifting
of the request for process at
the beginning of this fiscal
year and prior to its
reimposition at the release of
the first quarter report.
What this indicates to us is
that vacancies in
the department are lower than
what has historically been seen
within the department's overall
budget.
Regarding overtime
transportation is projected to
be $4.6 million over
the adopted budget.
However we do note that
mid-year report shows overall
only be $1.2 million.
This is due to two previous
actions taken by the council
which included the waiving at
the community parking districts
which brought revenue into
the general fund as well as an
increased revenue related to a
sidewalk sip.
Both of these actions also
included the authority to
increase the Transportation
Department's overtime budget.
So we had both revenue and
expenditures and that is what
led to the variance that Sergio
noted earlier.
>> Overtime overages have
become common for
the transportation Department
over the last several years,
particularly since fiscal year
2023 overtime overages have
grown substantially.
Recent overages according to
the department have largely
been driven by increases in
priority one emergency
responses or additional dig
other regulations.
Additionally, historical
overages have enabled increases
in service levels performed by
the Department that have not
been budgeted.
However, these increases have
sometimes resulted in other
services being reduced to keep
the department within its
overall budget allotment.
Transportation noted to us that
without additional overtime
spending in the current year
when we asked if they could
pull back that they would be
unable to generate the revenue
currently assumed in
the current budget.
So our office suggests a
misalignment between budgeted
revenues and the level of
expenditures required to
generate those revenues.
>> Accordingly we recommend
the Department of Finance in
coordination with
transportation ensure that
the fiscal year 27 proposed
budget better align expenditure
assumptions with revenue
projections and that in
the near term we recommend
transportation limit overtime
to adjust priority one
emergency and storm response
and or ensure that any
additional overtime is directly
tied to generating revenues
consistent with the 26 budget.
On Homelessness the Media
Report projects expenditures
will be $1.3 million lower than
budgeted.
However, what we do know is
that there is a homelessness
expenditure update that was not
discussed in the Media report
and this is the unknown cost of
the JANUARY storm shelter
relocation.
For context following a storm
on JANUARY 1st of this year
the 64 Newton sprung shelter
flooded requiring a temporary
relocation of households to
the San Diego municipal gym
resulting in unanticipated
relocation expenses.
Hst anticipates absorbing these
relocation costs using
projected budgetary savings
once cuts are known in MARCH.
Other homelessness program
updates include a combined
$669,000 in projected savings
due to staffing vacancies at
the 20th and b and Allied safe
sleeping sites as well as
$140,000 in estimated savings
from eliminating security
services for public restrooms.
Moving to the Development
Services Fund report projects
the fund's year in revenue to
exceed expenditures by 11.7
million.
Increases in revenue are driven
by increases in dsd fees that
took effect on Made in MAY
2025.
The implementation of a dynamic
pricing model that charges fees
based on time of invoicing
rather than upon completed
application submittal and
increased billable work.
The Development Service Fund
balance began fiscal year 2026
at-17.8 million with
the projected revenue surplus
the fiscal year anticipated to
end with an improved balance of
-6 million as a shortfall.
The fund will continue with no
reserve balance for fiscal year
26 and will not be its reserve
policy target of 19.3 million.
Dsd has no positive revenue
impacts due to new state
building code updates according
to the department.
Historically the month
preceding quarter updates
typically sees a 20 to 40%
increase in permitting activity
in DECEMBER of 2025 the month
before the latest code update.
Department revenues exceeded
mid-year projections by $3
million.
This amount will be reflected
in the third quarter report.
>> The mid-year report projects
a $16.8 million revenue
shortfall.
However, subsequent to its
release the Department of
Finance was informed of an
offsetting $8 million in
anticipated insurance proceeds
related to flooding damage at
the old Central Library.
Consequently, if your activity
were to equal the mid-year
revenue expenditure projections
adjusted for additional surance
proceeds, the General Fund
Reserve would need to be tapped
by $8.8 million and this table
shows the impact on
the reserve.
>> With a reserve balance of
207 million, the impact of
tapping the reserve by 8.8
million would bring the balance
to $64.6 million less than
the Reserve policy target for
this fiscal year of 262.9
million.
Given how the city's fiscal
challenges have impacted recent
budgeting process,
the Department of Finance is
currently working with
the mayor's office on proposed
revisions to the Reserve policy
which are anticipated to be
presented later this fiscal
year.
It is important to consider
that there is always some
uncertainty in the media
projections and you've heard
some of that from Department of
Finance here this morning.
Some other significant areas of
uncertainty in fiscal 2026
include impacts of departmental
mitigation directives such as
the request to fill process
suspension of discretionary
spending and non-essential
overtime and the zero based
review of external contracts.
Departments MAY also be able to
identify additional savings as
the year progresses including
through the potential
implementation of fy 2027
expenditure modifications.
However, the Department of
Finance also has incorporated
an overall general fund
expenditure savings adjustment
of 10 million of $30 million
which is based on historical
trends between mid-year
projections and in actual
expenditures in prior years.
If these savings do not
materialize by year end
the resulting negative impact
could be to further reduce
the general fund reserve.
Turning to items that are not
factored into the general fund
manager projections most of
these have already heard of
this morning.
There were revenue updates
including a sales tax cleanup
payment franchise fees and pot
reimbursements.
Again examples of things that
will change between now and
the third quarter report That
will give you a better idea of
how much the general fund
Reserve will need to be tapped
.
Additionally, the council is
being asked to approve general
fund appropriation allocations
among departments involving non
personnel expenditures and to
non general fund appropriation
increases.
In particular regard to
the general fund reallocations.
Important to note these
reallocations do not increase
overall expenditure
appropriations for the general
fund but rather align
appropriations with major
projected spending by using
$8.2 billion in savings in
citywide program expenditures
to cover increased expenditures
in several departments.
We note that these
reallocations will not fully
cover projected expenditure
overages from relevant
departments and that those
departments are still expected
to identify savings or other
resources to cover their
remaining overages.
Our office supports
the proposed appropriation
adjustments necessary for
continued operations though
the Council MAY wish to request
more details on the appropriate
ness of the general fund
appropriations.
Given the overall projected
current year deficit, I'll turn
it back to Charles.
Thanks, Jordan.
So in conclusion if you thought
the media report is projecting
a current year deficit of 16.8
million, there has been
positive news in this release.
As you've heard, we will
receive additional dollars for
an insurance payment and two of
our major revenues sales tax
and stadium franchise fees and
seen positive movement in
the last several weeks.
Although others hotel taxes and
parking revenue in particular
are likely to further
underperform from projections,
we know these projections will
continue to shift as the year
progresses and we'll have
additional information when
the third quarter is released
in MAY.
But especially given the fiscal
challenges that we are headed
into next year, it is important
to understand the city's
tenuous finances and to
the extent that new savings or
budget mitigate budget
mitigations are not identified,
the city MAY be forced to tap
into its general fund reserves
which while currently funded at
$207 million are already below
policy targets.
To the extent the appropriation
requests that are in
the mid-year are necessary for
continue to operations we
support them But we also
suggest that Council MAY wish
to ask about the need to make
additional appropriations to
departments that are already
trending over budget especially
given the imminent need for
budget cuts as we head into our
fy 2027 Council MAY also wish
to ask for more specifics about
potential current year
mitigations that the city could
implement that could begin to
address that looming f y 27
deficit that will need to be
closed.
>> With that my team and I are
also all available for
questions.
All right.
>> Thank you Charles for
the good work of you and your
office Always very helpful.
>> With that, Clark, please
proceed with public comment.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT I have no
speakers here in council
chambers to speak to this item
I'm going to those
participating remotely started
the five minute timer.
We have three people in
the queue starting with Blair
Beekman.
You'll have two minutes Please
proceed after that is 8780 813
then 7499.
Blair Please proceed.
>> All right.
Thank you.
Blair Beekman Oh, thanks a lot
for this item.
I guess for myself I can go
over some regular talking
points I've been offering
lately.
Hopefully they won't be tedious
but good reminders of things we
can be doing at this time to
begin to again offer.
Paula Kruger has been
mentioning fairly regularly for
a while now that in talking
about the parking issues about
ball park the revenues from
the parking new parking issues
isn't going to about a park
fund it's going into
the general fund And I think we
have to be very clear on that
narrative.
If he's accurate we can't be
fibbing about the kind of
efforts we have to be honest
with ourselves in how we're
talking about the budget as a
full community process.
The work I do with tech
accountability is the same
thing.
We just have to be honest and
direct in how we have our
dialog on these on the subject
matter.
But whether a mistake you made
I hope you can make up and all
is forgiven.
It's just a matter that we can
talk clearly about the subject
matter.
Good luck on those efforts.
It's a full community process
and cutting people out of it
isn't the way to work.
With that said I
congratulations that the police
department is working on
overtime issues fairly well.
I've heard in previous
committee reports there at $5
million less in overtime costs
than last year.
So that's a hearty
congratulations.
Keep up those sort of good
efforts.
Thank you for that.
I do believe parking above
ballpark issues again can
really seriously be cut in half
from what the fees are now and
you can still bring in a pretty
significant revenue.
I hope that can be considered
in the future for both resident
and nonresident issues And good
luck in looking into Oakland
how they're working their
deficit programs And then you
can work the same sort of
programs that respect social
services.
Your time has concluded There
are five speakers in the queue
still 8781 three If you can
please unmute 8700.
>> Thank you Joyce Any other cd
I'll start with the Department
of Finance Expenditure to
succeed revenue.
That's so simple isn't it?
And so basic question Is it
appropriate to end the fiscal
year with a negative budgeting
fund balance?
I'm thinking of best practices
and policies KPIs kpi, kpi and
we're calling to you
performance and analytics.
Remember what you did when you
shadowed the pudi You brought
in sunlight.
You are so great in this work.
Let's do the kpi, let's get it
done penned and now love to you
Please my like big time new
overtime monitoring process
allows for greater command
oversight and control.
Well those two cs command and
control Congratulations Entire
department at 23% or 6.8
million and overtime dollars
for the neighborhood policing
division Chief Ball
congratulate Asians on this.
Remember when you came out of
the gate I hope I get this
right.
You said at the top of
the priority list was the word
trust and the work of doing
that.
So I would love to It's
probably hard to speak to it so
subjective but I would love to
get a report from you on that.
Now moving to the ib a 16.8
million g f budgetary deficit
projection somewhat uncertain
so several notable items not
factored into the projections.
More details on
the appropriateness of the g f
appropriations as recommended
by them.
So this was fabulous almost in
our this this was fabulous.
Your time has come into it.
Thank you.
Next is 813 then 7499 after
that 8813 please unmute I
academy for you star six to
unmute.
Okay sorry about that.
Thank you.
Okay so Consuelo here and yeah
I'm just uh thank you Blair I
totally agree with the first
part of what you had to say.
>> Um well that was a loaded
presentation and I just chimed
in so I didn't catch all of it
but well I'm just to think
about how much money those two
things with minimal results as
usual But I guess I'm even more
saddened that every time I
chime into these meetings it's
the same people who call in and
who are paying attention
unfortunately um yeah we've got
to do better with that.
You guys need to broadcast to
the news and people need to
start paying attention to how
much money's going to places
like I said with minimal
results.
What a shame.
Okay, that's all I have to say.
Thank you.
Next 27499 if you can please
unmute 7499 after that is
Andrea ebbing Please continue.
Bob Kozinski here.
I just heard that there's a
projected $6 million shortfall.
I also heard that the new
Balboa Park parking fees are
projected to bring in 1.2
million.
Well gee how much money is
the business at Torrey Pines
glider port making every year?
We know that the new lease has
that business paying a whopping
$3,412.50 a year.
But what are they bringing in
every year?
Joe LaCava Do you know has that
business reported their income
to anyone in this city in
the last decade?
The last reporting of their
income that I could find was
from 2010, 11 and 12.
The figures for those three
years were 1.1 million 1.28
9,000,001.361 million
respectively.
And those numbers were from
over ten years ago.
Have you heard of inflation?
They could easily be bringing
in over $1.5 million a year in
2026.
So if you subtract $2,400 in
rent from about $1.5 million
income, you still get about
$1.5 million income every year.
That would more than cover all
the money you're expecting from
Balboa Park parking That would
cover nearly one tenth of
the projected shortfall.
All the city has to do is run
their own glide report and
collect collect the profit for
the city instead of giving it
to a private business.
But neither Joe LaCava nor Todd
Gloria will touch that
business.
Why is that?
Joe LaCava What kind of
corruption squeezes every
dollar out of citizens while
giving away our multimillion
dollar park to a private
business to make money?
If people wonder why they
should care about the glider
port they should remember this
analysis every time they're
paying to park in our own
Balboa Park.
>> That's it.
Thank you.
Next is Andrea Ebbing then
Katherine Douglas.
The five minute timer did
conclude there were three
people in the queue with their
hand raised.
>> No additional speakers will
be taken.
Andrea please proceed.
My this is Andrea ebbing.
That's a great thing that we
speed's down 6 million and over
time projected That's great.
I, I wanted to once again bring
up other pay.
I haven't heard anybody discuss
other pay in the entire year
except for me from the city
standpoint.
So I don't really know how we
can get those answers again On
Transparent California it shows
that city employees were paid
$152 million of other pay in
the year 2020 for which doesn't
appear to be pension benefits
regular pay or any form of
benefits.
So it's like fringe benefits is
152 million for city employees.
What is that fringe benefit?
We're very curious about that.
I am concerned about one You
know, I've heard some
projections and estimations but
I didn't hear anything about
some of our programs like
the Family Justice Center,
which was a city initiative for
decades And then recently as of
this last year I guess Summer
Stephan our district attorney
who's a county employee took it
over.
So I don't know how that plays
out and what you know how we
factor in any of that money.
But there was a massive issue
when Mara Elliott was running
it that the Union-Tribune had
picked up on the fact that they
weren't actually licensed to
operate in the state of
California and money was being
filtered through it.
So that is a place we should
probably look for money if we
need money and the reduced
revenue and increased budget
deficit is concerning
especially with the Balboa Park
parking situation.
It looks like some people have
taken it upon themselves to
continuously vandalize these
parking meters and that's very
expensive.
So all in all and in attendance
is down.
>> Very concerning But thank
you.
That's all.
Katherine Douglas if you can
please unmute.
After that is 1384 Katherine
Douglas.
>> Shout out to the San Diego
Police Department under
the leadership of Chief Wall
and he certainly deserves
credit.
So does everybody else on his
team because I have seen
the concerted effort that they
have made to save the to stay
within their budget And over
time I only hope that other
departments will do the same
thing and keep pace with what
the San Diego Police Department
has been able to accomplish.
Thank you.
And next our final speaker is
1384.
Please unmute.
Hello Ernie Casco La Hoya
resident senior pilot Another
shady deal at Torrey Pines
ahead report the complaint is
well documented on your desk.
We have a proven solution known
as the San Diego recreational
waiver that would end
the dispute.
It's time for transparency to
stop the corruption within your
own admission administration.
Joe LaCava your leaseholder is
caught.
It is illegal to turn our
freedom into a privilege for a
license and a fee under any
terms circumstances or
condition.
I should not be forced to sign
a leaseholder waiver when
the city liabilities are
already covered by California
recreational laws.
This is misappropriation of
public funding going into a
private account and needs to be
fully audited for transparency.
City The San Diego Recreational
Waiver stops city lease over
internal corruption and revise
by revising the permanent
reinstatement of Torrey Pines
Advisory Board with unanimous
support from every one as a
proven solution.
This needs to be done for
public safety, safety and
oversight and would end
the dispute.
The San Diego recreational
waiver secures city city
liabilities, restores
recreational fee freedom and
addresses the victim and
witnesses who have been damaged
and assaulted within a timely
fashion.
It's a win for city
liabilities, restores
recreational rights and
freedoms for years to come.
It's the best decision City
Council and you could make Joe
LaCava.
If you want me to walk away you
are blatantly blatantly robbing
America.
The City Council is still
liable and needs to address
the victims and witnesses who
have been damaged.
Thank.
>> Thank you.
And that concludes all
the comment on this item.
All right.
Thank you, City Clerk.
And with that we will turn it
over to council members for
questions, comments and
entertain a motion And we'll
start with the chair of
the Budget Committee.
Council Member foster Thank
you.
Council PRESIDENT And thank you
staff for the presentation and
also thank you to the ipa.
We did have an opportunity to
hear this report in the Budget
and Government Efficiency
Committee so I'm going to keep
my comments brief as I did have
an opportunity to provide some
feedback There as I'd like to
hear from my colleagues that do
not sit on the committee and
allow them to have the time
that they need.
I do have one question in
the aba's report under
conclusion the last bullet kind
of said Hey, Council MAY wish
to request more details on
the appropriateness of
the general fund appropriations
.
I guess the question is to
the impacted departments is
there not an opportunity to
absorb say cost overruns that
are being projected or that we
are seeing in this midyear?
If you can answer that quickly
and if there's any opportunity
or if we need to take a look at
it and get back to us.
Yeah, we did address that These
appropriation reallocations are
not addressing the entire over
budget projections in those
departments.
It's only doing a portion of
it.
We are expecting them to find
other mitigation actions within
their operations.
>> Okay.
And I, I, I guess you know
short answer you know of course
i'm looking forward to third
quarter monitoring which just
gives us a little more
certainty as we work to close
out this current budget cycle.
So with that council PRESIDENT
I will move staff's
recommendation.
Thank you.
Thank you, sir.
So we do have a motion by
Councilmember Foster to move
the staff recommendation and
we'll go next to Council
PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee who
accidently got knocked off
the lights.
>> That's okay.
Thanks, Council PRESIDENT.
And like our budget chair
Councilmember Foster, we did
discuss this at budget and
government efficiency.
So I'll try to keep my comments
short as well.
I think for me there's just
three things that are really on
my mind that I thought I would
at least vocalize today.
One is just the fact that
the council approved the final
budget that I know included
some budgetary cuts that have
to date still not been
implemented.
And as I understand them will
not be implemented.
And that is just as we look for
anything something hard for us
not to continue thinking about
how we move forward in terms of
the council's authority with
the budget.
Second, I recognize that a
chunk of the revenue shift in
the midyear is allocated to
baseball park parking.
And to that I will only note
that much of the changes that
you think have occurred to
the program since it was first
implemented have largely been
focused on either reducing or
now to this point making free
parking for residents.
And if that is the case I will
only leave the question that
given that shift in the revenue
assumptions, what does that say
about how much the city was
relying on charging residents
in order to get revenue for
public park?
And then finally as we look
forward to the budget, we know
this is going to be a
challenging time.
I appreciate in recognizing
that there have been some
shifts since the report was
first compiled that put us in a
better position than what we
started.
And as we look towards any
reductions, whether it's in
the mid-year or into the next
year's budget, I would hope
that again we will consider
what the impact might be on
front line employees.
And recognizing that we cannot
simply have them shoulder
greater burden of the same
level of services that we must
provide as a city with markedly
less resources.
So with that I will go ahead
and second the motion.
>> Thank you, Chair.
All right.
Thank you, sir.
So we have a motion by
Councilmember Foster in a
second by Council PRESIDENT Pro
Tem Lee to move the staff
recommendation.
We'll go next to council member
Campbell.
Thank you, Council PRESIDENT.
I must continue to stress that
passing a balanced budget is
one of our most fundamental
responsibilities as council
members as it is our job to
ensure that expenditures do not
exceed revenues.
The midyear report before us is
a direct result of last year's
shortfalls and revenue over
projections.
Deficit spending forces
difficult corrective actions
later and makes it harder to
protect the core services that
our residents rely on.
These fiscal realities must be
taken into account as a
foundation as we move toward
adopting a fiscal year 27
budget.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT.
All right.
Thank you, Councilmember Kemp
for those good words.
We'll go next to Councilmember
Whipple.
Thank you, Council PRESIDENT.
I will just offer a comment on
Chief Wall's report.
I am glad to see that
the Neighborhood Policing
Division is on budget and I
want to thank the chief for
having the Academy graduating
classes engage with
the neighborhood police and I
think that is vital.
A significant number of
the police department's calls
involve people experiencing
homelessness So having officers
learn how to effectively
interact with the homeless
population and help them get
into services is crucial.
And we are seeing the benefits
of that in many areas.
Most recently we got updated
homelessness numbers from
the San Diego riverbed.
People living in the riverbed
has been a huge problem in a
couple of different ways.
Obviously it's unsafe.
We've seen people swept away
when the river rises during
storms but it's also
unsanitary.
According to the San Diego
River Park Foundation, 65% of
the trash in the San Diego
River is attributed to people
living in the riverbed which
obviously has environmental
consequences.
But the most recent
homelessness count in the San
Diego River was the lowest that
it has been in years And many
of the people who are leaving
the riverbed are going to our
safe sleeping sites which are
much safer And obviously much
healthier.
So there are a lot of different
elements of our homelessness
system that work together and
we are seeing the results.
And I want to thank the chief
and the department for its
contribution to that effort.
>> Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT.
All right.
Thank you.
Council member Whitburn not
seeing anybody else on
the lights.
I'll offer a few thoughts and
thank you.
Council member Foster for
deferring to those of us not at
Budget Committee.
So I want to thank Department
of Finance and our cfo for
the very good work that they do
every year putting the report
together, comparing their
projections to the reality and
trying to put it together in a
way that even us council
members can possibly understand
given the complexity of how we
the city operates.
Thank you to the Office of
the Independent Budget Analyst
for your insight and analysis.
It's good to have the two
different perspectives put in
front of us.
And as others have said, thank
you Chief, for the very good
work.
You made a lot of bold promises
and you clearly have delivered
without compromising public
safety.
>> So we owe you a debt of
gratitude.
And you know, as was said, I
also want to take this
opportunity to talk a little
bit about overtime.
Fire rescue is in a position
where they have to respond when
there is an emergency and there
is not much you can say about
that.
While we can continue to
control and I know Chief Logan
didn't make the promises that
chief while did but I think he
did keep a share a sharp eye on
that And I know some of that
will be reimbursed at a later
time And even in transportation
when we listen to our
constituents complain about
sidewalk cracks, potholes and
street lights being out there
has been a remarkable shift in
transportation being able to
accelerate and respond to that.
I think the conversation about
our community parking districts
was really a game changer in
that conversation.
And if we can just get
transportation out of
the business of dig alerts and
get them focused on what our
constituents want, we'll do
even better.
But I appreciate everybody in
transportation and what you've
been able to do with
the resources we have provided
you.
I've said on multiple occasions
I stand ready to docket early
actions to course correct and
generate savings to balance
this year's budget and get a
jump on cuts necessary to
balance the f y 27 budget.
And I'll continue to voice that
commitment.
The mid-year budget monitoring
report is one rather limited
way for the Council to weigh in
on the budget outside of
the formal budget adoption
process we do in JUNE.
And I recognize that the mayor
has used his executive
authority to require mitigation
measures and I know that
department directors are taking
this budget crisis very
seriously.
We cannot predict or control
for everything.
The report highlights a
predicted difficult reality of
the 16.7 and for a change we
actually got a series of good
news which feels like we've
really been lagging over
the past several months.
So I appreciate that reporting
And we're now getting down from
16.7 to 1.8 starting third
quarter and fourth quarter to
navigate.
>> But at least it feels like
we're on the right track.
>> Budgeting for our cities
needs a complex balance of cash
flow, long range planning and
of course addressing those
emergencies.
I applied Department of Finance
for navigating this difficult
work.
This is a year for tough
conversations and a need for
much greater scrutiny.
And I think me and my council
colleagues will dig in probably
a little bit deeper than we
have in the past going forward.
So I have a couple of questions
I want to build on
Councilmember Foster's comments
.
So for the good news that we
got in, how much of that is
actually ongoing revenue that
we can use to predict for f y
27 how much of it is one time
that the insurance recovery I
suspect is a one time dollar
amount?
>> That's correct.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT.
So 8 million for the old
Central Library insurance
proceeds is one time
the revised sdg any franchise
fee of 6 million is ongoing
The revised sales tax and
the total sales tax was an
increase of 2.6 total is a
decrease of about 400,000.
That's considered ongoing.
And then finally the Balboa
Park parking update of-1.2
that's considered ongoing as
well.
>> Okay.
And I guess I do want to be
careful because sometimes we
think of one time as kind of a
bad use but the insurance we
spent the 8 million already to
repair the library if I
understand correctly And now
we're finally getting that
insurance proceeds.
So it's not always a bad thing
.
What about the appropriations
that we're making?
How much how many of those are
one time or do we actually
anticipate they'll be ongoing
That will be added to our f y
26 baseline.
It is a combination of one time
and ongoing.
We can provide you details how
that breaks out afterwards.
>> We don't have that right.
Okay that'll be good to know
Again to inform us as we start
thinking ahead about our fy 27
going forward.
You know, I appreciate
the question of Councilmember
Foster, our budget chair in
terms of department's ability
to absorb these costs And as
you mentioned, there MAY be
additional overages that we'll
have to figure out how to
navigate those as we understand
them.
To your point of whether they
are ongoing or one time cost
but in order to keep the wheels
on the bus so to speak, it's
the time that we do have those
additional savings that we can
allocate to which I will admit
causes me a little bit of
heartburn But on the other hand
we have to pay our bill.
Some of these I'm sure are
invoiced items that vendors are
expecting payment for that and
I always like to be careful
because the job that
the Department of Finance does
when you look at them as line
items you think really we
really missed out.
But against $2 billion in
the total they are a pretty
small percentage And the kinds
of things that will just kind
of sneak through literally
pennies on the dollar compared
to the total budget.
So I appreciate the challenges
of trying to manage every
single aspect everything that
is built in in terms of cost of
living increases in our various
contracts etc. Continues to be
a challenge going forward.
I also kind of wanted to
mention a little bit about Bell
part which is an ongoing
painful conversation.
This council did try to
accelerate Bell Ballpark by an
additional porter that didn't
happen That certainly caused
some of that reduction in cost
.
The MARCH update which I had
thought was about a $700,000
hit to the projected revenue I
guess you're predicting 1.2
million now And it's also I
think important to remind folks
this is just what we're getting
an f y 26 We're learning a lot
from this f y 27 Some people
have different ideas but can
actually be a full year worth
of revenue and perhaps some
stabilization in the operation
.
And I know there'll be more
conversation in that regard by
some individuals but I did want
to point that the difference
out there So this was a pretty
fundamental change.
Thoughtful predictions were put
together How do we actually
solve some of the issues as
Council PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee
said about the impact on
residents?
We're all I think very
carefully navigated in
the conversation.
>> So I'll close there.
I'll be supporting the motion.
I appreciate your detail and
other thing I'll close with
I've got to keep saying one
more thing but there's a lot of
things for people can be
frustrated about.
But I think just in the five
years that I've been in office
and the 1520 years that I've
been paying attention, I don't
think there's been more
transparency in exactly what
our financial condition is,
whether it is the general fund
budget, whether it is
the capital improvement
program, the kinds of numbers
that we're exposing could have
easily been exposed 20 years
ago and just never were And
maybe decisions would have been
differently and adjustments
would have been made over
the years rather than us
scrambling now that it's so
much more front and center.
So thank you all for that good
work.
So with that we have a motion
by Council member Foster and a
second by Council PRESIDENT Pro
Tem Lee to move the staff
recommendation.
Clerk Please call the vote I'm
sorry the voting system Please
cast your vote.
Council member Ella Rivera My
apologies if you have your own
.
>> That passes unanimously 7 to
0 with Councilmember Campo and
Council member Von Wilpert
Absent.
Thank you, Council PRESIDENT.
All right.
Thank you And thank you to all
the directors and chiefs that
the stood ready for any
questions we might throw at
you.
So with that.
>> Clerk please introduce item
201 Item 2a1 is the creation of
an annual allocation for
the Convention Center
Modernization projects.
And approval of the fiscal year
26 itemized budget for
the Convention Center revenue
account under Measure c.
If you'd like to speak to this
item, now's the time to raise
your hand by pressing Star nine
or the raise your hand icon.
And if you are here in person
please submit your speaker slip
to the front of the room in
the clear box.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT.
All right, staff.
Now that you're settled in,
please introduce yourselves for
the record and let us know how
much time you need.
>> Okay.
Good afternoon.
Council Kristin LaCava.
Council members I'm elected and
director of Engineering and
Capital Projects Department.
We will need ten minutes.
All right.
Joining me today is Dominique
Dawes, interim deputy director
with ecp staff from the city
attorney's office and
the department of Finance are
also in attendance Support
item.
Before we start, I would like
to acknowledge the San Diego
Convention Center Corporation
staff.
MR. Cushman, special advisor to
the mayor and Rania mann Chief
Community Services Officer.
For their collaboration,
support and guidance in
bringing this item forward I
would like to add that we are
in receipt of today's San Diego
County Lodging Association
letter and understand Chair
Gleason's remarks at Gleason's
remarks made at the api
committee.
We appreciate their
constructive suggestions and
look forward to their
participation along with other
representatives of the hospital
hospitality industry in our
stakeholder engagement process
is soon to take place while
making sure that we stay
compliant with our commitment
under the settlement agreement
with Fifth Avenue Landing.
Now I will turn it over to
Dominique to present the item.
Thank you, Leif.
Dominique deals with
engineering capital projects.
Here to speak about item 2a1
the creation of the annual
allocation of the Convention
Center modernization projects
and approval of the 2026 budget
.
So it's a brief summary of
the requested actions.
One we are looking to approve
the annualized annual Adams
budget for fy 2026 for
the Convention Center revenue
account.
Also we're looking to authorize
the cfo to add a new line in
the cityscape for
the Convention Center
Improvements.
And lastly we're looking to
have the cfo authorize to
transfer roughly 2020 $1.4
million from business area 19
one three to the new newly
created scope line item to
initiate the modernization
projects.
The portion of the projected
measure c total revenues are
shown in this table.
These numbers account for
the 59% allocation of
the overall duty revenues that
are allocated Allocated
specifically to the Convention
Center.
The proposed actions today seek
to the authority to appropriate
a portion of these revenues for
the modernization projects
Roughly 21.4 of the 45.6
million in projected revenue.
>> The identified modernization
projects are shown here in
the table in yellow.
The larger projects we're
looking to focus on are
the roof replacement and
the overhaul of the central
plant that supports facility.
All projects considered for fy
2026 are roughly $21.4 million
.
As a brief background for
the facility.
The convention center was
originally erected back in 1989
and underwent a major expansion
in 2001.
Increasing the total usable
square footage to approximately
two point 6,000,000ft.
The structure is primarily a
cast place concrete structure
with precast elements.
The major building systems
include a central chilled water
plant large air handling units,
gas fired boilers and emergency
generators.
The operational context for
the facility is that it's a
high use mission critical
public facility requiring
limited downtime.
>> Historic funding has focused
on operations and debt service
unfortunately leaving
insufficient funding for long
term capital renewals.
Increasing system failures of
the recent include boilers and
chillers, electrical
infrastructure, plumbing and
the most recent rain events
that we've experienced the past
couple of months.
>> The roof leaks to
the facility while the facility
remains functional.
It is aging and requires
capital investment to maintain
its class-a standards.
The projects we're looking to
undertake would seek to limit
the service disruptions and
also quell the potential safety
concerns that have been
identified.
Back in 2022 the Convention
Center hired a third party to
conduct a property condition
assessment without getting too
technical.
That condition assessment
yields a facility condition
index fci which is really just
the cost for repairs to
the total cost of replacement.
As that number trends towards
one you're looking for you're
looking towards a full
replacement of the facility f
fy 2020 2020 two's assessment
yielded about.023 is the rating
and extrapolating that to 2026
that rating increased 2.035.
So right now we're at an
opportune time to really imbue
capital into the into
the facility to get it back in
Right standing that that
assessment also identified
approximately 244,000,000 in
2022 for 25 your capital needs
when you account for the 5%
inflation.
That number is roughly 453
million.
The strategy for these cp
modernization projects that
we're bringing forward are
looking to prioritize critical
life safety and operational
systems, restore near-term
reliability and reduce risk
reduction for the facility
overall.
It's essentially a multiyear
modernization with goals in
sustainability and energy
energy efficiency.
>> Again, a quick summary of
the actions that we're bringing
forward today.
>> We're looking to approve
the analyzed itemized budget
for fy 2026 for the Convention
Center revenue account,
authorize the cfo to create a
new line item recipe for
the convention center
improvements.
And then lastly authorize
the cfo to transfer that
roughly $21.4 million from
business Area nine and one
three to the newly created cp
line item for these
modernization projects.
You can open it to the group
for questions.
>> All right.
Thank you very much for
the presentation.
Clerk Please proceed with
public comment.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT We do have
some speakers here and
Administrator and Robert
Gleason if you can please come
forward and send me on Strether
is okay You submitted 4 to 1.
Yeah This is item two one to
you not want to speak to
the modernization fund?
Sure.
Hey good afternoon everybody My
name is and said Magic Estrada
,political director for
the San Diego Building and
Construction Trades Council.
I'm here to ask that you move
forward with staff
recommendation on this item.
I'll see you in a couple of
minutes for 2 or 2 as well.
But you know, I don't want to
get in my comments there but
thank you so much.
>> Thank you.
After that is Robert Gleason.
>> Good afternoon.
Council PRESIDENT Council
members Robert Gleason I'm
the chair of the San Diego
County Lodging Association.
You received our letter this
morning and I spoke to those of
you on the committee previously
So I just want to reiterate a
few points here.
Obviously recognize
the situation that the city is
in in and want to move forward.
But as the last remaining
member of the coalition that
actually negotiated and wrote
and put measure c on the ballot
amongst hotels, labor council
building trades and the chamber
I'm the only person I'll hear
from today that can and just
want to caution about the use
of these funds.
This measure was never intended
to be a source.
It was meant to be a source of
new revenue for homelessness
programs, streets and
convention center repairs.
Using it for anything other
than that is not what
the measure says.
It's definitely not what
the measure intended and it's
absolutely not what was sold to
the voters.
What's being proposed today is
deferred maintenance and it's
disappointing that this is
the first use of funds from
Measure c.
However, all that being said,
the convention center has very
significant deferred
maintenance.
The city under previous
administrations and previous
councils and continued through
these has been underfunding
those capital needs for many,
many years.
So as I've learned to say in
therapy both things are true.
We need to address the deferred
maintenance but we need to
really focus on the ultimate
expansion and modernization of
the convention center.
So assuming you move this
forward today, I'd ask you to
keep an eye particularly in
the upcoming budget
conversations to make sure that
measure c funds are used as
intended not for deferred
maintenance, not for operation,
not for sales, not for
marketing but for new
homelessness programs and
ultimately for the expansion
and modernization of
the Convention center in order
to keep with public trust and
the trust of the voters.
>> Thank you.
That does conclude public
comment here in council
chambers one of those
participating remotely
currently have five people with
their hands raised 8700 if you
can please unmute after that Is
Andrea Ebbing and then Blair
Brickman Okay.
>> Excuse me.
Thank you Joyce Any other
district three City Clerk How
much time do I have?
>> We'll reset the clock for
two minutes.
>> Thank you for resetting.
I appreciate that so much.
Okay.
I like what that gentleman just
said.
I might not agree with
everything just the way it was
worded but I especially like
the caution on the use of
the funds.
And so we need oversight.
We need transparent and say and
we need monitoring.
You know we have to remember
and this is new stuff so I'm
seeing right this minute but we
have to remember that things
have to be tweaked.
Things will change.
You know, it was said a certain
way and the measure and now we
might be tweaking it That's
okay.
You know, things do change.
You're moving targets all over
the place So let's not get too
locked into the wording on a
measure.
Let's work together on this.
I didn't plan on saying that.
So if dcc certainly a great
asset we we have fallen short
though for a long time on
safety factors.
You know where was
the prevention of this deferred
maintenance?
It happened over time and it's
just so sad.
I just I feel very sad about it
.
And one other thing I love
the PowerPoint but boy, did it
go over my head.
I think you had to be a
PRESIDENT LaCava or you know a
professor or I mean somebody
who understands all that
language.
So one question as I finish out
here is a generator the same
thing as a boiler because you
know, I'm fighting I'm I'm
trying to heal the big canary
with the band covered with
the Band-Aids which is known as
the boiler.
So I just pray and as if
the boiler be part of
the mineralization it's
deferred maintenance big time.
So is a generator or a boiler?
I don't know.
I try to look it up on Google
and it said they can be
confused So thank you so much
and it's a great great report
And for that concluding comment
.
Andrea Ebbing if you can please
unmute after that.
Blair Beckman I Andrea are
being so for the modernization
project I'm wondering this MAY
not be part of this budget, it
MAY actually exist and I don't
know about it but we used to
have Converse Convention
Visitors Bureau I think to
complement any upgrades or
anything we're doing we need to
attract people to So if there's
any portion of that budget that
can be used to collaborate and
come up with initiatives to
attract additional business
coming to San Diego for more
conventions, more room nights,
that sort of thing that would
be so helpful.
i think we need to like
consider a campaign to kind of
like you turn from like San
Diego is the drop off for all
the rejects and addicts and all
this stuff that's kind of like
importing addicts from all over
the country and how they're
homeless.
Let's give them Narcan that
whole that whole thing We can
kind of shift away from that
into like let's have your
amazing conventions in San
Diego room nights, patronize
our nightclubs and restaurants
and all of the different
offerings that we have and
events.
I think you know a portion of
an investment toward that to
complement the upgrades would
be great upgrade the technology
obviously the parking situation
there is a little wild But
anyways I appreciate overview
and that's it Thanks.
>> Next is player Beakman if
you can please unmute and then
the final speaker is 8813.
>> Hi thank you for Beakman
Thanks for this item It's been
coming to council committee
over the past few months now
the last time was the committee
heard Joyce Snyder wasn't
around and I was just really I
spoke a public comment time
would be nice to hear Joyce on
this item because it's really
important to her and it's nice
she's returned and able to
offer her $0.02 on the item.
Very nice public comment from
the first person that he's very
nicely identified What this
project is actually doing and
how it relates to measure c
funding.
Um yeah I hope this sort of
project can be funded to have
an identification of wordage of
what it is actually doing
That's important and good luck
From there we can be funding
this legally and and working in
good terms.
Thank you for the work on this
that you'll be talking about in
the next item in connection
with play work and just
the overall project of it.
I always try to say for
convention center items that if
you work on the tech
accountability practices and
upgrades with the convention
center you know have clear
policies that make it a real
cooperative shared process that
will bring people to
the convention center, that
will bring people to San Diego.
They want to be around that
sort of thing and feel
comforted by it and to
understand what are best
practices of public
accountability, I think people
will want to see that and
that's a very important source
draw in the future.
So good luck to yourselves in
considering that sort of
concept and working in good
terms as a as a community
process and not just as a
government handing down
dictates.
>> Thanks a lot.
Bye bye.
And 8813 If you can please
unmute I can't commute for you.
Start There you go.
Okay thank you for being
patient.
Okay Going here?
>> Yep.
Uh yeah.
This presentation.
Yeah I agree Joy It's uh it is.
It's designed to go over
the people's heads because they
truly don't want the taxpayers
understanding what the city is
being wasteful there And um
yeah.
Anyways, okay, expansion and
modernization just more waste.
Uh, the convention center MAY
need to be up to date but not
at the real I'm not at
the sacrifice of real
priorities and issues of
the city and it's it's kind of
like wow, I don't know.
I just feel like if more people
were paying attention to how
you guys go about using
taxpayer money, it would be a
whole lot different.
But yeah, deferred maintenance
there's nothing you know you
guys are notorious for deferred
maintenance and you know, like
I said, real priorities and
the real issues of the city's
need to be um the priority.
I mean and it's like me wanting
to invest in plastic surgery,
you know, when my kids are
starving and my toilet's don't
flush, you know what I'm
saying?
Like come on.
But yes, here we are in
the system ruled by
the establishment and uh,
people that just want to
surviving and not thriving.
That's the game.
I'm done.
Thank you.
Well, there you go And great.
>> So that concludes with a
comment on item two.
A one Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT All right.
Thank you.
City clerk will turn it over to
council members Questions,
comments entertain a motion and
we'll start with Council member
Whitburn.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT
I'll make the motion to approve
this staff recommendation.
We heard this at the Act of
Transportation and
Infrastructure Committee late
last month.
It passed unanimously.
These funds will address urgent
needs at the convention center
today that will allow San Diego
to remain a competitive
convention destination with a
well functioning facility.
But I also will say that we
need to get on with
the business of expanding
the convention center as soon
as we can.
We need to expand
the convention center if we're
going to keep some of
the conventions that we
currently have if we're going
to attract bigger ones.
The public expects us to expand
the convention center.
So let's make the needed
upgrades with today's action
and at the same time keep our
eye on the ultimate prize which
is an expanded convention
center which will keep San
Diego in the top tier of
convention destinations.
Thank you, Council PRESIDENT.
All right.
That was a motion in there made
the motion upfront.
>> Yes.
To approve the staff
recommendation.
I'm distraught that I forgot to
introduce you as a chair of
the Active Transportation
Infrastructure Committee.
Well, so focus But we do have a
motion by Council member
Whitburn to move the staff
recommendation.
We'll go next to council member
Campbell Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Thank you for
the motion.
As one of the few remaining
standing who in the original
iteration of this way back in
2000 I don't know if there's
any council members left who
voted for it and who supported
it at that time But I know I
did And those were the days
those were days when
the Republicans and
the Democrats worked together.
Those were the days when
the unions and the Chamber of
Commerce worked together.
Those were the days And this
was an excellent, excellent
measure that was passed
approved by all the citizens of
the city who voted for it,
which was a majority.
And unfortunately litigation
has stopped it going forward
for five years, which indicates
to me that we need to we need
to fix up our judicial system
But that's a whole other can of
worms.
So let me just say that I am so
glad that we have finally
reached the end of
the litigation point.
We're going to move forward
with this.
It's going to be an excellent
addition to our armamentarium
to keep our city growing and
progressing and I am grateful
for it.
>> I'm happy to second
the motion.
All right.
Thank you, Council member
Campbell.
So we have a motion by Council
member Whitburn and a second by
Council member Campbell to move
a staff recommendation.
I don't see anybody else on
the light.
>> I will not add any comments
to the good work that you're
doing.
I am grateful despite some of
the concerns that we are moving
quickly now that the litigation
has been cleared to figure out
how to spend that money and
move on these items, I want to
make sure that if and when
the conversation comes about
modernization or even expansion
that there is actually a
convention center there to work
with that And at the pace we're
going there is some real risk
there.
So with that for those of us
that are not more intimately
involved in the conversation,
what is the timeline that we
can talk about expansion We
can't do that now.
>> Correct?
The city attorney's office will
comment on it.
Yes.
Senior Deputy City Attorney
Kevin Rush The settlement
agreement prohibitions are in
effect through the end of this
calendar year so the city is
freed up to publicly discuss
expansion and take actions in
that regard starting next year.
Okay.
Thank you, Jim for that
clarification and let folks
know what timelines might be
possible going forward.
And also just to confirm
the allocation, this is cash.
We're not bonding.
We're just using the money that
is in the bank for this.
>> That's correct.
Council member Okay, great.
Thank you for clarifying that.
All right.
Again we have a motion by
council member Whitburn,
the second by Council member
Campbell to move the staff
recommendation clerk Please
call the roll I'm sorry
the voting system Please cast
your vote.
>> Council Member Yellow River
If I MAY get your vote for
the record.
>> Yes.
That passes unanimously 6 to 0
with Council member Moreno,
Council member Campo and a
Council member Von Wilpert
absent.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT All
right.
Thank you for that.
>> With that clerk please
introduce item 202 Item two two
is the third addendum to
the third amended and restated
management agreement between
the City of San Diego and
the San Diego Convention Center
Corporation Inc and
the designation of specific
future Convention Center
Capital Improvement Projects as
covered projects under
the Project Labor Agreement.
If you'd like to speak to this
item please be sure to submit
your speaker slip to the front
of the room in the clear box or
if you're participating
remotely start nine at
the raise your hand icon.
Thank you.
That we got the same staff but
later So introduce yourself for
the record again and let us
know how much time you need.
Good afternoon Council
PRESIDENT Like our council
members I'm still illiterate in
the engineering capital
Projects Director And here with
me is Dominique Taos, interim
Deputy director with the same
department.
We will need ten minutes
please.
All right.
When you're ready.
>> Thank you.
Okay, Moving on to item two or
to the third Amended to
the third.
Sorry, Excuse me.
The third addendum to the third
amended management agreement
between the city of San Diego
and the City Convention Center
Corporation.
A quick summary of
the requested action we're
looking to authorize the mayor
or his designee to enter into
the proposed addendum and to
delegate any of the p projects
to the Convention Center
Corporation.
We're looking also to have
the cfo authorized to transfer
funds from the revenue fund to
the specific c ip projects.
And then finally a resolution
identifying the convention
Center capital improvement
projects as part of the covered
projects listing in the prior
established Project Labor
Agreement the city put in place
back in FEBRUARY of 2020 for
this.
>> So the original agreement
the third amended and restated
management agreement went into
place in MAY 20th, 2005.
There was a first addendum to
that agreement in MARCH 2nd,
2012.
This allowed the Convention
Center Corporation to enter
into third party marketing and
promotion agreements and also
address the allocation of
annual operating surplus funds
Later that year there was a
second addendum in NOVEMBER
2012 that was executed after
the Convention Center
Corporation entered into a
third party marketing agreement
and then it closed the loophole
for the surplus fund allocation
leaving that allocation to go
back to the regular annual
budgeting process.
Currently the framework between
the Convention Center
Corporation and the City of San
Diego has the Convention center
operating as a day to day
operator or the convention
center as an independent
contractor.
They are responsible for event
booking and marketing facility
operations and maintenance,
financial admin and
coordination of capital
improvements.
They are subject to the city's
oversight and funding approval
and the agreement currently
defines governance, financial
reporting and roles to support
the economic development and
tourism.
>> This third addendum that
we're bringing forth today I
like a few key changes.
One being the clarifying
provisions that is a
requirement of prevailing wages
per state law, establishment of
a reimbursement process and
compliance with all laws,
permits and approvals.
And then ensuring that any San
Diego Convention Center
Corporation contract includes
the city as and specified
parties as additional insured
and indemnified and also
requires payment and
performance bonds for those
construction contracts
Additionally will be looking to
look into establish a
delegation process.
This would allow the city to
delegate contracting oversight
of certain types of projects to
the Convention Center
Corporation via individual
delegation agreements.
The mayor then is authorized to
enter into these agreements
setting the city's maximum
contribution based off of
Council's appropriations
contracting and oversight
requirements.
And then ultimately as I
mentioned before, these
projects will be covered under
the prior established project
labor agreements under quote
unquote covered projects.
>> Again, a quick summary of
the requested actions.
The third addendum would be
sort of discard excuse me we
will we will be looking to
authorize the mayor or designee
to enter into the third
addendum with the San Diego
Convention Center Corporation
and allowing any individual
delegation agreements for this
individual chp projects.
We would also look to have
the cfo authorized to make any
necessary funds transfers to
execute those vip projects.
And then lastly there would be
a resolution identifying these
capital improvements projects
to be under the covered
projects under the city's prior
established Project Labor
Agreement back in 2024.
>> With that I can take
questions.
All right.
Thank you very much for
the presentation.
>> The Clerk Please proceed
with public comment.
Thank you.
And let me know if you'd like
to come forward.
I think we got our speaker
slips confused.
This one says you don't want to
speak and the other one did.
So that's like I know you speak
to both of them.
Yeah.
Anybody Political director for
the San Diego Building and
Construction Trades Council.
I want to thank you all so much
for considering this item at
the convention center I
mentioned last time.
It is a pillar of our economic
health of the region and
the city and our members of
the Building Trades Council to
affiliated unions.
We bring skilled and trained
forward to all the projects we
work on and we want to do that
for the Convention center.
We are happy that moving on
moving these projects under
the city's play is here for
consideration.
Councilmember Whitburn as chair
you mentioned that San Diego
could only get by so long on
its good looks and we need a
convention center that kind of
matches that And I don't need
to tell anybody here just what
the lack of maintenance has
done to the convention center
is time for that to get
addressed And we're here and
ready to do that work.
So please approve this item.
Thank you so much.
>> Thank you.
At the five minute time we're
hearing council chambers, there
are no other speakers here
going to those participating
remotely starting with 8700 and
then 81 three 8700 If you can
please unmute a thank you Joyce
Any other cd3I think I see MR.
Cushman Hello MR. Cushman I
know that your work with I
don't understand your work with
the Convention Center say about
that but just having you there
is so strong and I appreciate
that so much So I approve
the changes and I especially
like the requiring of
the prevailing wages to make
sure that it's being done.
I for a long time I had him he
moved away to another state but
for a long time I had
conversations with a gentleman
who worked in the food aspect
of the convention center and he
just loved it.
He just loved every single
moment of it and so I'm so glad
that the a p a is is part of
this And you know how much I
really enjoy these days looking
at the eoc and the workforce
reports and but I'll tell you
folks we have to do a lot more
monitoring and making sure that
the under representation is
changed and that they are
represented and included.
So this is this is an important
item.
Thank you for the presentation
and look to all 8813 if you can
please unmute 88130 okay
control over area just me to
say remember your priorities
city of San Diego and yeah I
got to make you really know no
I think dedicate it if I can
does that conclude your
comments Yeah I'm sorry Yes I'm
done.
Okay Thank you That does
conclude public comment on this
item.
All right.
Thank you, City Clerk.
And with that we'll turn it
over to some members for
questions, comments and
entertain a motion and we'll
start again with the chair of
act a Transportation and
Infrastructure Committee
Council member Whitburn Thank
you.
Council PRESIDENT I'll make
the motion to approve the staff
recommendation on this item as
well.
We also heard this at
the Active Transportation and
Infrastructure Committee where
it was passed unanimously.
I am of course pleased that we
are designating these projects
as covered under the city's
Project Labor agreement that
helps ensure that these
projects will create good jobs
and that the work will get done
right.
So again, I'll make the motion
to approve the staff
recommendation.
All right.
Thank you.
Council members.
So we do have a motion by
Councilmember Whitburn to move
The staff recommendation will
go next to council member
Campbell Thank you Council
PRESIDENT I am happy to second
this motion as well.
All right.
We have a second So we have now
a motion by council member
whitburn, the second by Council
member Campbell to move
the staff recommendation not
see anybody else in the lights.
A couple of quick questions on
this.
This will be the first time
capital projects at
the convention center will be
covered under the play.
That's correct.
And who will be monitoring that
city's compliance office will
be monitoring that with our
support as well.
>> All right.
Even though the good folks at
the convention center will be
contracting, we will monitor
the play.
Correct.
And then that will be handled
actually at the delegation
agreement that we are going to
have on Project by project
basis.
That will be one of two items
as well if I'm not mistaken,
correct?
That's correct.
Okay.
And then there will be a
conversation between
the convention center and their
staffing and ecp and the city's
staffing.
Yes, we have been coordinating
leading to this point and we're
going to continue coordinating
on the best way to deliver
these projects.
>> Okay.
Thank you for that.
And then one thing I forgot to
ask last time but appropriate
this time One of the things
that MR. Gleason asked for was
for the lodging association to
have some representation on
kind of an ongoing committee
both on capital projects as
well as the homelessness.
Is that in the works or can we
get some one to get back to me
later on that the application
for the homeless the oversight
committee actually just went
live And so yes, it is our
intent to have representation
from Australian Lodging
Association on both Both Okay,
great.
Thank you for confirming that.
So so MR. Gleason we do read
your letters and appreciate
your testimony with that.
We do have a motion by
Councilmember Whipper and a
second by Council member
Campbell to move the staff
recommendation.
>> clerk Please call the roll
Councilmember Lerner if I MAY
get your vote for the record.
Yes.
And that passes unanimously 7
to 0 with Council member Campo
and Councilmember Yvonne
Wilpert absent.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT.
All right.
Thank you And again thank you
everybody that worked on
bringing this forward.
So with that we will now take
up non agenda public comment.
The council members respect and
appreciate the public's input
and are fully committed to
protecting every participant's
free speech rights at council
and committee meetings.
>> Clerk Please proceed with
public comment Pearl 2.7 on
agenda Public comment is an
opportunity so can you see it
on the record?
>> Oh I want to cast a yes vote
on item 2a1.
Thank you.
I'll mark that for the record.
Thank you very much.
Thank Pearl Two points over
that agenda.
Public comment is an
opportunity for members of
the public to comment on items
that are not on the agenda but
within the subject matter
jurisdiction of the city
Council.
Each speaker will have two
minutes please And if there are
eight or more speakers on a
single topic the maximum time
for the topic will be 16
minutes.
I see no non agenda public
comments because here in
council chambers so I will be
going to those participating
remotely starting the five
minute timer We currently have
11 speakers in the queue.
Barbara Gordon If you can
please unmute after that is
Kathleen Lippert and then
Brenda thank you.
As a public health advocate I
wanted to share and newly
released Kaiser Permanente
study found adolescent cannabis
use linked to doubling the risk
of psychotic and bipolar
disorder.
This was published in
the Journal of American Medical
helped form the Longitudinal
study found over 465,000
adolescents between the ages of
13 and 17 and through the age
of 26 found that past year
cannabis use during adolescence
was associated with a
significantly higher risk
incident of psychotic bipolar
depressive and anxiety disorder
Even after accounting for prior
mental health conditions and
other substance use,
adolescents who reported
cannabis use had a substantial
higher risk of developing
psychiatric psychiatric
disorders particularly
psychotic and bipolar disorder.
This was said by Kelly Wolfe
Young Wolfe, Ph.D., who was
the leading author of the study
.
The study also found that
cannabis use was more common
among adolescents that were
enrolled in Medicare, Medicare,
Medicaid and those living in
more socioeconomically deprived
neighborhoods.
Raising the concern that
expanding cannabis
commercialization could
exasperate existing mental
health disparities as cannabis
becomes more potent and
aggressively marketed.
This study indicates that
adolescent cannabis use is
associated with the risk of
the two of the most serious
health conditions.
I am urging the city to take a
more aggressive action to limit
the exposure of advertising and
marketing by prohibiting
billboards and the marketing
image of marijuana on any
signage.
Thank you for letting me speak.
>> Thank you.
Next is Kathleen Lippert.
If you can please unmute then
it's Brenda.
Thank you for letting me speak.
I appreciate Councilmember
Campbell's reminder that
deficit spending is the genesis
of future City problems that
will become increasingly
difficult to deal with in
the city's scramble to address
their looming deficit.
Turn to the will with which it
is most familiar and that's
increasing taxes and fees
without ever any mention of
decreasing city staffing levels
salaries, pensions or benefits.
The burden of a deficit should
be the responsibility of city
leaders.
Cuts begin there before
redirecting the burden to
taxpayers who had no part in
creating it.
>> Yet the city continues to
maximize expenditures using
sole source contracting union
workers or supporting
industries like the cannabis
industry who socialize,
privatized their profits and
socialize the costs and
the socialization of those
costs are paid on the backs of
the city Residents.
>> Most troubling we do not see
the city evaluating any of
their policies for the future
costs of those decisions or
recognizing when funding has
not resulted in mitigating a
problem but instead has shown
that it is only created
bureaucracy that has grown up
to take advantage of the new
funding availability.
Leadership should be grounded
in reality affordability and
responsibility and the deficits
we see today are a failure at
all three of those levels.
City policies like its ongoing
support of the marijuana
industry will continue to
increase behavioral health
problems.
That is not a question anymore.
That is a prediction that has
been rooted in evidence We
have.
The California audit found $24
billion in homelessness $18
billion lost on high speed
rail.
We need financial literacy and
it should begin with the city
included.
Any additional comments can be
emailed in and the city clerk
could send to your doctor and
we will distribute Brenda pleas
on you.
Good afternoon Mayor city
council members and members of
the public.
My name is Brenda Gallacher and
I serve as an outreach analyst
and your liaison with
the California Department of
Insurance.
Under Commissioner McNamara's
leadership we're advancing
the sustainable insurance
strategy.
Great news in six companies
have committed to growing in
California with more expected
to follow.
We are requesting that you and
the board of the following
legislative bills that are
being proposed.
Assembly Bill 1795 The Smoke
Damage Recovery Act.
This bill would establish
standards and protocols related
to smoke damages from
wildfires.
The goal is to give wildfire
survivors a reliable health
oriented framework and
inspecting testing, restoring
and filing claims for smoke
damage properties.
Assembly Bill 1680 The Make It
Fair Act aims to reform
the insurer of last resort
the California Fair Plan by
requiring it to adopt
recommendations from the recent
Department of Insurance
examinations, strengthen
governance and consumer
protections potentially expand
policy limits and coverage
options such as more
comprehensive homeowner's
coverages, improve transparency
and impose civil penalties for
noncompliance helping ensure
the fair, better serves
Californians will get covered
and can get coverage in
the public market.
Senate Bill 876 which is
the disaster Recovery Act and
it really aims to seek to
reform how insurers handle
residential property claims and
fire insurance claims
especially after a major
disaster like the wildfires we
just experienced.
This bill would require
insurers to prepare disaster
recovery plans, set clear
timelines for payments
including earlier actual cash
value replacement, double
penalties during emergencies.
Lastly, as your liaison we
would like to partner up and
continue to provide insurance
information.
Thank you for that concluding
comment and I think if you can
please you after that is 1384
under every academy before you
you should have gotten a pop
up.
If you can't hear me.
I will have to move on to
the next speaker.
Also note the five minute timer
also concluded during the last
speaker and there were eight
speakers in the queue.
No additional speakers will be
taken after that and I'll need
to move on to the next speaker.
1384 If you can please unmute
1384 you are unmuted.
We did not hear you here in
council chambers.
Not sure if the device that
you're speaking into MAY be
muted.
1384 You muted yourself again.
You'll need to unmute we did
hear the unmute so it is just
something on your device.
Is your phone muted?
Maybe we do not hear you here
in council chambers we will
need to move on.
Thank you Walker if you can
please on mute.
Thank you.
Hello.
As a public health educator I
believe it's in the public
interest for policymakers to be
aware of a mounting nationwide
shift on marijuana
legalization.
The Wall Street Journal and
other media report referendum
campaigns to roll back
marijuana legalized action are
now underway in Massachusetts,
Maine, Arizona and other
jurisdictions.
These referendums are not
ideological but science driven.
Peer reviewed studies document
sharp rises in marijuana
related e-r visits and
psychiatric emergencies.
When longitude a longitudinal
study of nearly 465,000
adolescent aged 13 to 17 found
past year marijuana use is
associated with significantly
increased risk of psychotic
bipolar depressive and anxiety
disorders By age 26,
the Massachusetts state
referendum push follows
findings from Mass General
Hospital of a fourfold increase
in marijuana related
psychiatric emergencies among
adolescents since legalization.
Closer to home San Diego County
data show high E.R. Admissions
for cannabis hyperemesis
syndrome and psychiatric issues
particularly among those 10 to
24.
Further a meta analysis by ucla
Health with contributions from
Harvard, uc San Francisco,
Washington University and New
York University is among others
concluding that scientific
support for most quote medical
uses of marijuana is weak to
nonexistent.
I therefore urge this council
to join others Reassessing
marijuana policies in light of
mounting health and fiscal
consequences.
Thank you.
Next is 8813 If you can please
unmute Bandler because after
that 888133 go.
>> Okay I'm still here so what
is that something that
the people who genuinely want
what's best for humanity are
labeled extreme or cuckoo?
Well those behaving in truly
extreme ways against nature,
against humanity, against
common sense are protected,
funded and praised by
government local government
agencies like this one are
filled with board members who
have become the real extremists
entirely out of touch with what
it means to be human.
Many of you have lost your
connection to reality, to
community and to consequence.
Everything that happens here is
not for the benefit of San
Diego County or city.
It serves a much bigger agenda
and I will continue to name
that agenda meeting after
meeting for as long as it takes
until you wake up to what you
are actually participating in.
That is the United Nations
agenda for the 21st century.
As some of you already know
exactly what you're doing.
Many of you have sold
yourselves to the highest
bidder.
But understand this you are not
exempt.
You are disposable to the very
system you serve.
You too will face consequences.
You too will suffer through
what you have the power to
prevent others from suffering
through.
You've helped create
unnecessary wasteful things
like stupid bike lanes And now
this whole convention center
updates.
It's just so sad.
Anyways, while families
struggle to survive, the money
could have gone to could go to
homeless veterans people who
fought for this country.
Yeah, they fought only to come
home and sleep in their cars
trying to make sense of what a
sacrifice for agencies like
sandag and the board and can
need to take advantage of a
population that is stressed,
exhausted and barely surviving.
And not to mention not paying
attention.
You think you're helping but
this is an abusive relationship
and you are on the abusive
side.
The system is sick.
It is self inflating and
anything that goes against
humanity nature will collapse
your time.
>> It better be commended for
completing you After that will
be 7499 And I'm begging Robert
Blair please proceed.
>> I Beekman Thanks for
the meeting today.
I will be looking forward to
the 6:00 meeting.
Thank you.
Or it a couple items I wanted
to bring up at no Agenda public
comment One is I sent a letter
to the clerk's office this
morning.
You're talking about possibly
ending having an additional
five minutes for people to
raise their hand for a virtual
public comment time.
I hope you can keep it.
I fully understand
the housecleaning where you're
doing it and that Zoom is going
to be mandated to continue now
in California.
Thank you.
That it is and that you're
going to just you're doing some
housecleaning measures And once
you end virtual public comment
time where you can raise your
hand at the end of in-person
public comment.
Only fair thing to do.
I don't argue with it at all
but it's just convenient as all
heck for people and the public.
You have that additional five
minutes.
You know their mothers are
working on items and for me I'm
running around doing things.
It really is helpful just to
have that additional five
minutes So hopefully you can
consider that and that can be
we can talk about it a bit more
before I reach your final
approvals.
Good luck and working on I
think a letter to better
describe I hope we can write
back and we can talk about it
as needed and such And also
with my remaining 30s.
San Jose I've talked about open
and they've compromised and
walk in two years and in that
time look for a new vendor I
mean I think that's like
absolutely brilliant in terms
of how to work with community
towards future best practices.
They're working now San Jose is
considering divestment issues
with you know to address, you
know the future of detention
centers and Israel in fact so
good luck that we can be
working in your time that
suited my apologies seven 499
if you can please unmute and
then after that is back You
ready?
>> All right.
Bob Cusack This year nearly
every week I talk about
the problems at the Torrey
Pines Flight Airport.
But those problems are really
just a very specific example of
a more pervasive problem
throughout the city.
That problem is the unhealthy
mix of government power and
private profit.
Today I'd like to explore that
broader problem.
Everyone knows that running a
city requires purchasing goods
and services that the city
itself should not produce.
Examples run from pencil to
police cars.
The city could try to make
their own pencils and police
cars but that would be
extremely inefficient a huge
waste of resources and
the results would be terrible
anyway.
And so the police cars are much
more efficiently purchased on
the open market.
But does it make sense for
the city to purchase outside
police and other services?
Where should the city draw
the line?
That's a complicated question
but let me suggest an important
criteria.
In all cases the city should
never delegate direct power
over citizens to third party
businesses operating for
profit.
Period.
The city should never, for
example, delegate police
authority over citizens to a
for profit business as was done
with the red light cameras.
The city should never delegated
as in communication to a for
profit business as you're doing
with constant contact.
The city should never delegate
authority of our parking
structure to a for profit
business.
As you're doing in the Jones
Park eight the city should
never delegate authority over
our parks to a for profit
business.
As you're doing at Torrey Pines
Glider Park in all of these
examples the city can't just
delegate authority and then
look the other way.
That's a recipe for abuse And
we've seen that abuse in each
example including the glider
port business refusing park
access to people who've
testified against them in
court.
These are the abuses that arise
when it's when the city hires
outside businesses and then
shirks its duty to ensure that
citizens are treated fairly by
those businesses.
What's ironic is that all of
you are left wing council
members and mayor would quickly
accuse conservatives of putting
business interests above
the public.
But here you are doing it every
single day.
We have to make the Torrey
Pines City Park Advisory Board
and implement the Torrey Pines
waiver.
>> Thank you for that
concluding comment.
If you raise your hand after
the five minute timer we won't
be able to take your call today
but you can definitely email it
to City Clerk of San diego.Gov
and your comments will be
delivered to the council.
Becky please unmute after that
8700 a.M Skilling No other
speakers will be taken.
>> But good afternoon.
My name is Becky Rapp.
I'm a local parent.
Concern for the health and
safety of our young people
today especially as they're
bombarded with misinformation
regarding drug use especially
marijuana.
Recently The New York Times
published an editorial titled
It's Time for America to Admit
That It Has a Marijuana
Problem.
National publications like
the New York Times are
recognizing that marijuana is
not what the industry has told
us but that there are serious
public health concerns that
have evolved since they've been
permitted.
Consumers were promised
transparency and especially
guardrails.
But many consumers have no idea
how potent these products are.
Young adults are being exposed
to levels of thc that research
increasingly links to higher
risks of psychosis, anxiety
disorders and long term
psychiatric harm particularly
in the developing brain.
And here in San Diego we cannot
ignore the significant problem
Many residents are facing as
they struggle with addiction.
Overdose Behavioral Health
crisis.
Impaired driving and
homelessness tied to substance
use.
So we have to ask ourselves are
we trying to mitigate our drug
problem or are we fueling it?
If we're serious about
prevention then we must be
serious about guardrails,
potency caps, meaningful
warning labels, youth
prevention funding and
enforcement against marketing
that normalizes youth.
San Diego deserves an honest
assessment of where we are and
whether our policies are
reducing harm before expanding
it.
Thank you.
>> Thank you.
Next is 8700 If you can please
unmute for Joyce in your other
district.
She could easily see Quick
point.
Sorry about the star nine.
I was in that queue for a while
and then I don't know I looked
at my screen and I didn't see
Star and I was starting to see
her and start talking.
But really your time is going
so please start to your
comments please.
That's okay.
I knew it would start.
That's okay.
I got that.
So I want to share this with
all of you.
I want to say that yes, it is
good to be back participating
in government Yet it does feel
new to me and I can't figure
out why that appeals to me and
perhaps a little bumpy in some
ways.
So I just wanted to thank
everyone for your patience and
to let you know that I am glad
to be back.
So I wanted to also as as Blair
just spoke on the five minute
rule, I also want to say that
I'll leave it up to you because
you can get the bigger picture
and how it's going to impact on
all the methodologies and
everything.
But I will tell you this There
have been times when I
definitely could not under that
I wouldn't I would not be
allowed to speak.
And mostly if I remember right
is housing authority items
where there was no presentation
like maybe that was not that
difficult to comment on your
presentation nobody in
the chambers.
So my question for you if you
could answer this for
the public what's going to be
the trigger when we can raise
our hands?
Do we have to begin with
the agenda item?
Do you have to say now is
the time for another agenda?
Public comment?
I don't think we're going to be
able to raise our hand.
I just go by you know, my phone
so please let us know on that
And then one do the thing I
don't have time for today but
maybe tomorrow I'm going to be
speaking on Western states
again.
Missed the deadline for water
deals.
This came into the U.S. On
Valentine's Day.
So I'll probably speak on that
tomorrow.
So thank you everybody And up
to our thank you for your
comments and if we complete and
you.
Good afternoon San Diego City
Council Chair LaCava My name is
Darian Skelly and I'm here as a
planning group attendee and
community volunteer one of
the teen and parent programs at
our high schools.
That is important to me and
speaking to all of us in
the city is the start.
Smart program provided to high
school students and their
parents by the California
Highway Patrol.
Alcohol and drug use are a
nationwide roadway safety
concern and almost 1 in 3
traffic deaths involve in a
pair driver As you can imagine,
insurance companies care a
great deal about teen driving.
So I wanted to share today
information from ucsd and from
the California Department of
Traffic Safety.
What's regarding marijuana
impaired driving by young
adults which shows that it is
increasing in communities that
permit marijuana storefronts.
The ucsd Energy Studies show
that driving while under
the influence of marijuana
negatively impacts
attentiveness, perception of
time and memory Impaired memory
can affect the ability to draw
from past driving experiences
especially in emergency
situations.
Marijuana impaired drivers
react slower to traffic lights
and unexpected obstacles and
are less aware of their own
speed.
Perhaps it is time for a closer
look at marijuana Businesses
impact on the health and safety
of our city residents.
Thank you for hearing my
concerns this afternoon.
>> Thank you.
That does conclude our agenda.
Public comment Again if you
were not able to speak today
because you raise your hand
after the five minute timer
please be sure to email city
representative.Gov and we will
distribute those
communications.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT All
right.
Thank you City Clerk With that
does the city Attorney have
anything to report out from
closed session?
Yes Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Today in a
closed session meeting the City
council took the following
action.
City council voted in closed
session item number seven to
authorize the initiation of
litigation Once litigation is
formally commenced the action
the defendants and other
particulars will be disclosed
to any person upon inquiry
unless to do so would
jeopardize effective service of
process or settlement
negotiations.
The motion passed 620 with
council members from Wilbert
Campo and Elio Rivera absent.
That concludes my report.
All right.
Thank you for that report Out
as a friendly reminder to my
colleagues, this is going to be
the end of our afternoon
session.
We're going to reconvene.
We need all five of us to
actually be there at 6:00.
Councilmember Campbell has gone
home a little bit under
the weather.
We do need to have five in
chambers irrespective of
whether council member Isla
Rivera participates remotely.
So just that friendly reminder
I see a lot of smiles on
the faces.
So with that and I want to make
sure that you're going to be
here because we're all
committed right.
All right.
With that, we will now recess
P.M. Or shortly thereafter
And
All right, good evening.
I will now reconvene the city
council meeting of Monday,
FEBRUARY 23rd, 2026 to order.
Clerk Please call the roll.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Council
member Campbell Council Member
Whitburn here.
Councilmember Foster here
Council Member Ron Wilbur
Council PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee
Councilmember Campeon
Councilmember Moreno Present
Council Member Eli Rivera
Present and Council PRESIDENT
Look our PRESIDENT Also
attending the meeting our Chief
deputy city Attorney brought
out a lot of independent budget
analyst Charles Monaco Council
Affairs Advisor in the mayor's
office Curtis Iser and myself
your city clerk, the other
fantastic council PRESIDENT.
All right.
Thank you for that.
>> clerk Please introduce items
four hundred items 400 is an
informational item.
It is a hearing for public
input on the development of
the fiscal year 2027 budget.
If you are hearing council
chambers please be sure to
submit a speaker's up to
the front of the room in
the clear box And if you are
participating remotely now's
the time to raise your hand by
pressing Star nine or the raise
your hand icon.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT All
right.
Thank you.
So in lieu of presentation I'm
going to make some opening
comments.
I'm going to turn it over to
MR. Molokai, the aba office and
then will conclude with Council
member Foster the chair of
the Budget Committee and then
we'll open it up to the public.
>> So we're holding this
evening session as the first
opportunity for the public to
provide comment on fiscal year
2027 budget.
I want to thank in advance
those who are here in chambers
and those who are waiting to
speak online.
Last year's budget was
challenging but as a council we
worked hard to preserve
essential services and trimmed
what we believe were
non-essential operations.
Doing so required difficult
decisions raising fines and
sharing more services are cost
recoverable and charging for
parking available park None of
that is something I wanted to
do but I weighed the closing of
rec centers, libraries and
public restrooms against those
other options for f y 27 If I'm
going to support an expenditure
I have to balance that with
either revenue increase or by
cutting another service.
Conversely, if I'm going to
support cutting or eliminating
ongoing revenue I need to see a
replacement revenue or cutting
expenditure.
We just have that difficult of
a conversation.
I hope that all in this
conversation operate with that
same approach.
It is too easy to just say I
have this service or cut that
revenue help us understand your
priorities and balance them
against the tradeoffs.
We can't have it all.
We can't prioritize by
the needs of each community,
each neighborhood, each San
Diego This year I'm again
committed to that reality.
I will not and this Council
cannot tell the public we will
fund a service and then a few
weeks later not vote for
the same revenue to keep that
promise.
Now before I turn it over to
the public I ask for your
assistance If you're going to
be asking us to increase
funding, tell us where you're
willing to cut.
We have to balance this budget
and a priority needs to come
with a priority reduction.
This will not be easy but we
can and we will do this
together.
Thank you.
And now I'll turn it over to
our independent journalist
Charles Parker.
Sir.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT I should just
say did open instead I will
read longer remarks from that.
I did want to provide some
context for discussions for
the upcoming 27 budget.
Most of you will have already
heard this but I do
nevertheless think it is
important for both council and
the public to bear in mind
where the city finds itself and
the difficult choices that we
are facing in the upcoming
budget.
As my office has noted for some
time the city has faced
significant fiscal challenges
for years and our challenges
today really have been decades
in the making.
While San Diego is a large
city, its revenues are
generally lower than comparable
cities and they are frankly
insufficient to support
the city's operations.
The city has been able to get
by for the last 20 years or so
by keeping its costs low but it
did so largely through putting
off infrastructure maintenance
and keeping city salaries well
below the median for comparable
cities and even other cities in
our region.
Both of those had long term
consequences and long term cost
over the last several years
The city began addressing many
of these issues but the city
was only able to do so by
tapping into a significant one
time resources that have since
been exhausted.
While the city attempted to
respond to this longstanding
structural deficit through 2020
fourth Measure e sales tax
measure that ballot item failed
which left the city needing to
realign its ongoing services
with its ongoing resources last
year at this time we were
staring at a roughly $260
million deficit for the current
fiscal year of 26 which we
closed through three main
actions.
First, we delayed reserve
contributions which solved
roughly $60 million of that
deficit.
Second, we implemented a little
over $100 million in new
revenues to offset expenses
that would have otherwise
fallen to the general fund
notably through trash fees,
fines and parking fees.
And then the final roughly 100
million came through other
onetime resources and then cuts
to city services such as
library hours.
This year we are facing another
deficit for the upcoming year.
It was reported at $88 million
in the year five year outlook.
It has since grown to between
100 and $120 Million.
That already reflects continued
delays to reserve contributions
.
I also think that it is fair to
note that most of new revenue
sources that could be tapped
into in the next year have
already been tapped and
the appetite for new revenue
from the immediate future seems
limited which means that
the projected deficit we are
facing has to be closed by and
large through cuts.
As you are aware cuts are not
easy.
It gives me absolutely no
pleasure to say that they are
required but by law the city's
budget need to be balanced and
we cannot spend money that we
do not have.
To that end, as we have
discussions tonight and as we
continue to have discussions
about the budget over the next
several months, we really need
to be realistic about what we
can fund with the resources
that we have And therefore I
recommend folks I think
focusing our conversation on
one core services that council
and the public want to see
maintained and to areas where
the city should consider
pulling back or reducing
services which will be
difficult but necessary.
With that I look forward to
hearing comments from
the public and from council
members and at this point I
will toss it over to
Councilmember Foster.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT And
thank you to the aba for your
remarks and thank you to
the public for your
participation this evening.
As I indicated, the city is
potentially facing a shortfall
with our current f y 2026
budget and we certainly have
more work to do as we monitor
third quarter and fourth
quarter returns.
In addition, any shortfall to
the current budget creates even
more challenges for the f y
2027 budget cycle that is
already projected to be a
deficit of $120 million As
the mayor prepares his proposed
budget in accordance with
the Charter I cannot stress
enough we cannot proceed with
business as usual Simply we are
not in business as usual
circumstances as the mayor
assesses budget cuts, it's
important that staffing levels
align with the scope of
services delivered in
operations most clearly
communicate adjustments to
service levels to all residents
.
Staffing changes should be
proportional across front line
supervisory and management
levels and service or staffing
reductions need to preserve
core functions.
In short, we must levels at
the organization and address
unclassified upper and middle
management positions Over
the last several budget cycles
equity has been a guiding
principle As the city invested
in programs, services and
the city workforce to meet
the unique needs of residents
citywide equity must remain at
the forefront.
I do appreciate the update
regarding recent revenues
exceeding projections and
further further mitigating
the use of reserves.
However, just as updates come
in we are also met with
challenges such as increased
rainfall levels and the need
for releasing of water that
comes at a cost.
Let me be clear there will be
cuts as we approach the f y
2027 budget but they cannot be
across the board.
Over the last several budget
cycles equity has been a
guiding principle Equity must
remain at the forefront.
That means being mindful is
strategic.
As we evaluate impacts our goal
must be to preserve core
services and ensure we maintain
clean and safe neighborhoods.
We must maintain our
infrastructure.
We must maintain functioning
libraries and parks and we must
be better at maintaining
the facilities and equipment
that our employees rely on to
do their jobs.
We must be good stewards of
taxpayer dollars and bring
accountability to the table.
There is much more work to do
and we need the public's input
Like tonight we will have
additional public comment
meetings held in the evening so
please mark your calendars for
MARCH 10th MAY 4th and MAY
the 18th.
I strongly encourage residents
to participate.
There are difficult decisions
ahead and the community
deserves to be part of
the conversation.
With that I'll look forward to
public comment and suggestions
regarding what services you
would like to see prioritized
in services recommended for
reductions and mitigations.
Our budget process cannot
simply be about cutting for
the sake of cutting it must be
about building a sustainable,
equitable and structurally
sound budget that reflects our
values and protects core
services for the long term.
Again, thank you Council
PRESIDENT For scheduling this
meeting and that concludes my
comments.
All right.
Thank you.
Councilmember Foster, Chair of
our Budget Committee.
Thank you, MR. Monaco for
the Office of the Budget
analyst with that clerk Please
proceed with public comment
then council PRESIDENT Starting
with Pat Wilson.
If you can please come up to
the microphone and I can have
the following individuals
please come up to the front row
In the other reserved seats
Sara Orman, Vicki Grandmoms and
Ramsey if you can all please
come up to the other reserved
seats you have time seated to
you by Patricia Patricia again
please raise your hand.
You're setting your time.
Sorry Patricia Is that okay?
Thank you.
Sorry.
Two people raise their hand at
me.
Okay.
Based on the amount of speakers
we're going to be at 1.5
minutes so you'll have three
minutes.
Please proceed.
Thank you.
Hello again, Council.
How are you all tonight?
Thank you for being here.
I appreciate the opportunity
for the public to give input to
Council on our priorities
before the mayor's proposed
budget is finalized even as I'm
certain that what we want will
have no bearing on what comes
forth.
That's it.
I'm here once again asking you
to stand up for libraries and
parks the beating heart of our
communities especially in these
times People need a place to
gather, socialize and relax
That doesn't cost them money.
We need spaces to decompress,
learn new skills and broaden
our outlooks.
We need access to resources
that we don't have at home.
We all need these spaces
regardless of demographics.
Every council district has
residents who rely on libraries
and parks to provide vital
physical and mental health
opportunities No matter
the median income of the area.
We must not pick winners and
losers here.
All of these facilities are
vital to their communities.
The fact that the mayor keeps
coming back time and again to
take money from all already to
small budgets is infuriating.
I cannot accept that there
aren't other places to look.
Council identified places in
the fifth school 26 budget
where savings could be found
but these savings have yet to
be realized and really some
things MAY just have to wait
$2.4 million for slowing down
traffic come on.
I mean I'm sure in this year in
this year when we're when we're
cutting back on vital things
that already here I'm sure
there are other needs to have
proposed expenditures that can
wait for a year or two And
since I've got time I'm going
to rattle off some statistics.
The library system last year
and 2025 showed it saw 4.8
million visits among all 37
branches.
We had 14,000 program attendees
and 736,000 users of library
computers and wireless.
And if you don't think that
makes a difference to people
and I just I just can't even.
And every council district and
every branch has communities
who depend on that library and
that branch being open.
We know we lost Sunday hours.
What are those people doing
now?
Half of our branches more than
half of we're not open on
Mondays People don't People who
need those resources can't get
them.
So anyway, I implore you we'll
be back time again You'll hear
and I'm sure Patrick can show
you all the wonderful things
that the Library Foundation has
been putting together for you
all.
You should have them in your
council offices already.
>> Thank you very much for your
time.
Good luck.
>> All right.
>> Good evening.
My name is Cheryl Ormond and I
live at 427 ninth Avenue.
My husband and I came to San
Diego in 2012 from suburban
Detroit.
As two retired librarian we
were delighted to find
ourselves just two blocks from
the new Central Library.
Back in Michigan we used to
joke that we had the wealthy
suburbs sewn up with the school
librarian and growth Point.
And I was a public librarian in
Birmingham at the Baldwin
Public Library.
At one point Baldwin had
the highest per capita budget
for circulating materials in
the entire state of Michigan.
Sadly, the same is not true for
San Diego.
Fact compared to other urban
libraries, San Diego library
systems fare very poorly.
Seattle has a population of
just over 737,000 people.
Their library system has 26
branches and their total budget
is 100 million.
San Diego has a population over
1,388,000 people and we have 37
branches.
But our budget is just 70
million.
We like to claim that we live
in a world class city.
But would a world class city
have a substandard library?
Thank you for that Concluding
remark.
>> Vicki Reynolds.
>> Hi, I'm Vicki Reynolds with
the San Diego Parks Foundation
and we want to thank you for
restoring funding to ac dc
hours and wi fi last year.
And we're going to ask you to
do the same this year.
We want to remind you Parks and
Recreation is an essential
service that provides help
safety and education as our
communities become increasingly
dense.
They're not going to have
backyards.
Parks are going to be
essential.
The other thing I want to say
is that I'm going to apologize
for Andy Fields and his team up
front.
But there has been an
exponential growth at
the management level in Park
and Rec and we think that there
is an opportunity to in
the short run maybe consolidate
some of those positions.
For the meantime, while we're
in budget crisis rather than
doing cutbacks we also believe
you could push back opening of
new parks.
I know that you off so I'm at
least doing equal opportunity
for some people off.
The other thing to off
the public to be totally fair.
We do not need rec groups at
every park.
You could actually do them so
that they're limited to one in
a council district.
If you look at the attendance
of rec councils they're very
small.
Thank you for that Concluding
comment.
>> Ramsay's No thank you guys
for doing this.
>> I am kind of impressed with
a little bit of the work you
guys have done.
I want to thank you guys for
all that.
It was nice to see the overtime
again for police.
You know, I've been asking for
reform on that aspect.
What I wanted to talk about was
I know that we're in a budget
crunch and I know the parks and
everything are on the line but
we need to be really looking at
the stakes of the immigration
crisis right now.
And what I mean by that is
we're a few steps ahead of
the Holocaust right now and we
need to get on with it.
>> Because yesterday I went to
a detention facility and that
was my first time going And
I've seen pictures of videos of
it But standing in front of it
and just seeing what a massive
facility this and knowing that
there are women and children in
there.
From my side it just felt so
disgusting and it's bad Like
while we were there we had to
leave at 330 because they
weren't going to allow anyone
to go outside into the backyard
until all protesters had left.
So there was a strict deadline
by the time we had to be out of
there so that they could
actually see the sign before
they went to sleep like that's
that's the kind of depravity
that we're talking about.
And but right now they're
sending pregnant minors to
Texas.
That's a place where it's
illegal to have an abortion And
none of that none of this is an
accident.
Like these people are our
enemies Like we need to be
aware of this.
>> Like I know they want a
budget crunch but yeah.
Thank you for that concluding
comment That does include
public comment here in council
chambers going to those
participating remotely.
Again it'll be a minute and a
half each.
We have ten speakers in
the virtual queue starting with
Kessler and Catherine Douglas.
Then after that is Madison and
then Laurie Lipman.
>> Catherine, if you can
please.
I'm Catherine Douglas.
It goes without saying that
public safety is your number
one responsibility as you work
on the 2027 budget you must
start afresh with zero based
budgeting across the board.
There is a need for more
frontline workers and less
middle management.
Many city duties should be
outsourced to experts who can
do the job for less.
San Diego deserve an honest
assessment of our pension
liabilities, the structural
deficit and the real cost of
deferred infrastructure Not
assumptions, not optimistic
projections.
Real numbers.
Pension obligations must be
honored but failing to plan for
them responsibly deepens
the deficit.
Delaying infrastructure repairs
only guarantees higher cost
costs later and without a clear
financial picture.
Budgeting becomes guesswork
instead of stewardship.
This is this isn't about blame.
It's about accountability.
Before raising taxes, cutting
services or approving new
programs show the public
exactly where the city stands.
This is the minimum standard
for responsible governance.
No more guesswork that has seen
disastrous results such as
the trash fees and the Balboa
parking rollout.
Thank you.
>> Thank you.
Next is Madison if you can
please on mute.
All right.
Thank you.
As you consider the 2027
budget, I urge you to
prioritize investments that
reduce long term city costs by
strengthening public health now
especially when it comes to
youth cannabis exposure.
Last week the Public Health
Institute announced findings
from a major study published in
jama Health Forum.
The study followed over 400,000
adolescents and young adults
and found that teens who
reported past year cannabis use
had double the risk of
developing psychotic disorders
and double the risk of
developing bipolar disorder in
young adulthood.
They also a significantly
higher risk of depression and
anxiety.
Untreated mental illness shows
up everywhere in our local
spending.
Behavioral health Services
Homelessness Response.
Emergency room visits, law
enforcement interactions and
lost productivity.
So prevention efforts would be
fiscally responsible.
The study also found high rates
of cannabis use among youth
enrolled in Medicaid and those
living in more
socioeconomically deprived
neighborhoods.
So here are just two ideas As
you shape the 2027 budget.
Ensure strong enforcement of
local regulations that reduce
youth exposure and high potency
product promotion.
And second evaluate cannabis
related impact through a public
health cost lens not just
projected revenue.
If we want to reduce city costs
over time we must reduce
preventable harm.
Now thank you.
Next, Laurie after that is are
you Laurie?
Please unmute.
Hello and can you hear me?
Yes Please proceed.
Okay.
Thank you for including
the public in this process.
I urge the City Council to
prioritize two public safety
the kind that helps communities
not just survive but thrive.
That means invest in education
deeply affordable low income
housing not the vague category
of affordable and ensuring
access to comprehensive medical
care.
It also means rethinking what
does what does make us safer.
I'm asking you to decrease
police funding and cancel
the contract with Block
surveillance and replacing Do
not prevent crime or build
trust.
A healthy sustainable,
productive and joyful city is
built through investment in
people, not expanded
enforcement.
>> Thank you very much.
Thank you.
Next is Aria If you can please
unmute.
>> Good evening.
My name is Aria Grossman and
the policy manager articulate
San Diego and I'm urging you to
fund the Vision zero
Coalition's budget priorities
two one Fix the fatal 15 to
Funds Management Plan
implementation while
prioritizing school towns as
the Transportation Department
intends and three fund funding
implementation.
The City of San Diego has not
made progress on equipment ten
road deaths Nearly every
councilmember named road safety
is a priority.
Safety advocates are telling
you that these three funding
requests will save lives.
>> If you're serious about
Vision Zero, please fund these
priorities.
I understand that it's a tough
budget year.
However, transportation dollars
are not subject to the same
tradeoffs.
The Transportation Department
budget relies on state and
federal formula funding which
must be spent on transportation
and this funding increased in
the city budget last year.
I know you're facing difficult
choices.
We heard someone say earlier
that we shouldn't fund speed
management plan implementation
and instead support libraries.
I want to make clear that this
tradeoff does not exist.
Transportation funding can only
be spent on transportation.
What I'm asking you to do is
choose these safety
improvements over routine road
maintenance No other city
services Please fund these
requests to save lives.
>> Thank you.
Thank you.
The five minute timer did
conclude during that speaker
There are 14 speakers with
their hands raised, no
additional speakers will be
taken.
>> guthrie Leonard if you can
please unmute.
>> Hi, can you hear me?
Yes.
Please proceed.
Hi.
Thank you guys so much for
starting so early on this and
including us.
It really means a lot to have
our voices heard.
I love what Aria said on Vision
Zero.
I don't have anything to add to
that.
I think those are all worthy
goals for our transportation
funding.
And I also want to talk briefly
about the 215 bus which is from
sdsu to downtown.
I think this bus deserves
further investment.
It was envisioned as more than
it is now and I think that
money is well spent and results
in higher ridership which would
you know, fulfill the money
we're spending on it.
And I also just want to say
that when it comes to
transportation spending,
especially when it comes to
roads, bike infrastructure and
transit infrastructure lasts
longer than resurfacing.
So if we're going to spend this
money in a way that makes it
count, I think it's worth it to
spend it on the stuff that's
going to last the longest And
in this case that's active in
public transportation.
>> So please take that into
account when you are choosing
where those dollars go.
Thank you.
Next is asthma.
Asthma.
If you can please unmute.
>> Hi, my name is Asma Abdi.
i'm a constituent of district
three and I'm here speaking in
my personal capacity as a
concerned citizen.
I was born and raised in San
Diego.
I'm a daughter of immigrants.
Our families did not leave a
frying pan just to end up in a
pressure cooker.
We need protection and we need
investment and vulnerable
communities especially at a
time when so many families are
feeling uncertainty.
We recently had a lot of rain
in San Diego and it's clear
the city is not investing in
proper stormwater
infrastructure.
We need to make sure that at
the very least people are
provided with basic human needs
such as affordable housing for
very low and low income
families as well as a decrease
in police funding and canceling
contracts with flock which has
been proven to share data with
ice.
So as you consider the budget I
urge you please don't balance
the budget on the backs of
immigrant black immigrant and
refugee communities communities
that are marginalized and we
need protection now more than
ever.
So please invest in our
communities.
Thank you.
Thank you, Sally.
If you can please.
I'm you.
>> Thank you.
I do appreciate this Early time
for getting input from people
but didn't do a great job in
promoting this Obviously with
the number of people online let
alone in person.
I wanted to request that you
cancel flock put the money
towards the safety of
the people and the welfare of
the people and for me that
means not the police but
towards parks and library.
I'm not saying you have to
create new ones Nets etc..
I agree with the vision Zero
efforts to slow speeds
especially in the areas with
the with the number of deaths
that we have this past year.
It's still still too high.
I'd also like to request that
you work on the middle
management level of jobs.
I think that's where a lot of
the cuts are.
The people that are on
the ground need to be able to
do their work but the middle
management I think in a lot of
instances can be combined.
>> Thank you.
Please consider before igniting
as communities of concern and
our stormwater.
Thank you for that concluding
comment.
>> Next is Samantha Schumer.
>> Hi, good evening Council.
Thank you so much for
the opportunity to speak on
such a critical issue.
We are in a serious budget
crisis not only in our city but
our county, our state and our
nation.
And it's time for our leaders
to take serious looks at
revenue options that don't
punish our working families but
hold those accountable who have
taken advantage of tax breaks
for decades at our city.
I think it's time to make
entities like Airbnb pay their
fair share and I'm really
encouraged to see council
taking a serious look at items
that will bring in revenue to
our city that we so desperately
need to keep our roads safe, to
keep our kids safe and have
access to parks and clean air
and all sorts of wonderful
things that our city provides
and I am in huge support of any
revenue measures that hold
those entities accountable who
are again like I said, not
serving working families.
And I think fundamentally this
is a moral crisis.
We have served our communities
for so long to the point where
basic things like storm water
drainage are not being met and
we can't sit around waiting any
longer for answers.
It's time to take serious
action.
We have The Waltons, Indiegogo
and I really encourage
the council to look to address
that in.
Q Thank you.
Next is I phone if you can
please unmute I, I can you can
you hear me Diana?
>> Yes.
Please proceed.
Hey, that's Michael Schmidt.
Hi.
I was I'm calling to point out
I think part of the budget
should go to tation and
especially to fixing the roads.
But I appreciate all of you and
also for everyone.
Thank you very much to all of
you guys.
>> Okay.
Okay.
Thank you.
Next is 8700 If you can please
unmute.
Thank you Jason 53 Okay.
I want our library parks equity
Fair immigration Internet
access kpi as kpi KPIs in all
departments.
We need to get started on
whatever we can do in the f y
27 budget to fund those.
The cuts are very interesting
and what's being presented I'm
very surprised about the cuts
being asked for or suggested in
parks.
It makes sense in a way that
they're doable And yes I'm I'm
for the less middle management
and in tweaking that
coordinating it combining it
and somehow I like the idea of
maybe maybe maybe on
the outsourcing to pay less Now
I want to see oh gosh there's
just not enough time.
I want to say one thing I'm
looking at a new way of us to
come together is once San Diego
and I won't go into it now I'll
look forward to the budget
meeting committee meeting or
something but just wanted to
put that out there.
I think we need to enlarge our
one people pocket to council
PRESIDENT Pro Tim Lee You said
something that really really
woke me up and I don't know
what to do with it.
You said I think it was very
recently at 80 and I think you
said what to do on a daily
basis to remove the structural
budget deficit.
>> So I think we're doing it
now in a way but I want to know
more about that so maybe you
can save your time if you could
include it.
My apologies.
Thank you, sir.
Thank you.
Sorry.
And if you can please unmute
after that is Berlin.
>> Good evening City Council.
My name is Ian Embry and I'm
the advocacy and community
manager with the San Diego
County Bicycle Coalition.
I'm calling in tonight to ask
that you include the vision
Zero Coalitions by Budget asks
for your upcoming for this
upcoming fiscal year.
As a reminder they are to fund
improvements to the fatal 15
intersections fund
the associated budget requests
related to the speed management
plan and create a dedicated
fund to delight intersections
across the city.
Increasingly kids across
the city are dying because of
our city's inaction on
the traffic safety crisis.
Cities around the world have
figured out how to reach
the Vision Zero goal.
When budget season comes along
in those cities they allocate
significant funds to keep their
citizens safe.
I wish I could ask for
significant funds but instead
I'm asking for pennies on
the dollar to keep us safe.
We're asking for cost effective
solutions to save lives, do it
for our kids, our seniors, our
walkers, our riders, Our
drivers Do it for all of us.
>> Thank you.
Thank you.
Next is Berlin.
If you can please unmute Berlin
.
>> I do see that you've unmuted
but we do not hear you here in
council chambers.
Not sure if the mic if
the device you're speaking into
MAY be muted.
You hear me now?
Yes.
Please proceed.
>> Hey, I'm here on behalf of
Mitzi Kahn today and I'm
calling because we want to
encourage all of you to take a
serious look.
Maximize city efficiency.
And I'm here to point out one
concrete action that you could
take which is to allow
the Parks and Recreation
Department to do repairs and
house the current system to
carry out park improvements Is
too lengthy, too lengthy and
too costly By doing projects in
house.
They can address the backlog of
maintenance requests and reduce
the much higher costs required
to carry out major repairs.
When the park reaches a crisis
point, complex projects can
always be sent to specialized
teams.
But please let them do
the small projects to save time
to save money.
And this could be a net zero
expense if you really look into
it.
So if you have any questions
feel free to reach out to me
again.
We'll be circling with your
offices.
Thank you.
>> If you can please unmute.
>> Good evening Council
members.
I just want to stress my
concern about any additional
cuts to libraries and parks and
rec.
Those were already cut last
year so that would be
the second time these
communities folks that need
these libraries and rec centers
because they often cannot
afford the private solutions of
buying books Every time you
want to read or paying for
specific class it's much more
expensive not at a rec center.
So this will be the second year
that these communities face
cuts and I think that's deeply
concerning.
And it's ultimately a
distributional choice.
It's no it's a tax by any other
means to force these people to
lose that service or now have
to pay for it out of pocket.
So we are concerned about fees
or taxes.
Ultimately the people who will
bear this will be those who
have the least resources which
is deeply concerning And I hope
we can find other solutions to
this.
Yeah, I mean I'm well aware
that there are tradeoffs.
I feel like blaming middle
missing middle management is
not always the exactly the best
solution.
There's tradeoffs.
I think city workers provide
great resources and I in fact
wish there were more city
resources to manage how where
the parking implementation went
.
I feel like that would actually
have made it better.
So I think there's a true
tradeoff there.
So blaming it on this so-called
middle management will require
a tradeoff as well.
Hard decisions to come but I
want to make sure the emphasis
on the low income folks are not
borne the bearing the brunt of
this crisis.
Thank you.
Kevin, if you can please unmute
.
Kevin I can unmute for you if
you can unmute by pressing.
There you go.
No With each other?
No.
Okay.
Can you hear me?
Yes.
Please proceed.
Okay.
Hello, Council members.
I just wanted to talk to you
guys about the budget So it
seems like you guys have been I
think misallocating some of
the budget So I've been a
little bit disappointed with
the police budget So I'm ad1
resident and it's been
disappointing to see that you
guys have been talking about
the police being underfunded.
However there has been parking
disputes and all Hoya a couple
of months ago where 11 cop cars
showed up to the parking
dispute 11 cop cars yet you
guys claim that the place is
being underfunded.
So I think that would be one
area to not necessarily cut
the budget but to reallocate
where officers are going And if
there are some areas that are
understaffed because clearly
some areas are being
overstaffed, I think it's also
important to make sure that
we're funding the trolley
system.
The trial is actually one of my
favorite parts of San Diego and
I think would be great if we
kept it funded also with us.
b 79 If you guys expanded
the trolley that would also be
great Get more housing and more
trolley.
So you could definitely use
some more trolley.
So that be great.
>> Um I think the parks and
libraries also are really
important so make sure you guys
are funding those as well.
>> So um yeah and so that's
overall yeah I think just
reallocate some funding.
>> That'd be great.
Thank you.
Next is Blair Beekman.
If you can please unmute.
All right.
Thank you.
Thanks for this meeting
tonight.
I was interested from my public
comment non agenda public
comment today What I failed to
mention the relevance I think
to this meeting today is that
you know it's Oakland and San
Jose are both they're working
proactive really on items and
issues to deal to address this
new Trump administration but
San Diego also worked well
previously on Park issues and
you took a break on more
surveillance tech for Park.
You just have to really
consider, you know, what
the Trump administration's
going to do with data
collection things.
I think we're afraid now We've
seen best practices.
We're afraid to move into
the future of best practices.
I explained ideas from Oakland
and Canada that they are
working proactively.
I hope San Diego can do it.
It's been an election year.
i hope you don't You're not
afraid of things.
I hope you're not afraid that
I've been saying consistently
that we can be addressing
the future of tech and we can
be reducing tech and still
offering the same public safety
for a lower cost.
I know and a tremendous budget
savings we can be working on
block a huge funding well
principled future in your
vendor and I hope you guys take
the time and effort to want to
do that sort of stuff.
Let's really do that in 2026
and from that I hope and 2027
we're dealing with a new form
of budget issues Actually at
the end of this covid era we
have to be talking about new
forms of money management and I
hope you guys are up to those.
I'm Thank you.
>> Thank you.
Thank you.
If you raised your hand after
the five minute timer you will
not be taken tonight but you
can definitely continue to
submit your comments through
city Clerk at San diego.Gov and
those will be distributed and
there'll be other opportunities
for 937 If you can please
unmute And then it's McLean
photography.
Those are our final speakers
for 937 Please unmute.
>> Hi I'm a I'm a constituent
of district three Are you
the same Steven Whiteman I
noticed that you are also
appearing at the Democratic
Party Metro West meeting
tonight I need supposed to be
working to serve
the constituents right now Also
I support funding for
transportation with the trolley
and the busses.
>> Does that concludes your
comments?
Yes thank you.
>> Next is McLean Photography.
If you can please unmute.
Good evening everyone.
Thanks for having this meeting
for us and letting us speak to
the public at 13.
So anyway so I'm from
Philadelphia but I'm in San
Diego for about 12 years right?
And I'm a local photographer
and a business man but prior to
coming here one of the things
that kind of got me on track to
change my life was the public
libraries.
So in my neighborhood in
Philadelphia, you know,
Westwood was pretty poor and we
had to go really far to even go
to a library and luckily in
Philadelphia the public
transportation is pretty good
So I had to take the train all
the way in the center city
right just to go to a good
library and use the free
services, you know, because I
was poor at the time.
So I think it's really
important for us to have access
to libraries.
Number one and reliable
transportation so that people
can have a way to change their
lives you know, learn research
networks and be in community
and also have, you know,
situations where for example,
the Malcolm x Library in
southeast San Diego there's a
new liberal center there across
the street.
My work is actually in that
behavioral health clinic again
because I think it's important
to have a community space where
people can actually congregate
but also heal and also research
what they're going to do with
their lives.
So for me once again library
transportation thank you for
Thank you.
Let us include public comment
on this item.
All right.
Thank you City clerk Again, as
I said, thank you everybody
that showed up in person and
those who participated remotely
Information item No motions
required But I want to turn
over to my council colleagues
If you have any additional
comments and we'll go first to
council member Ella Rivera.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT.
Appreciate your comments.
Budget Chair Fosters Charles
yours as well and thank you to
the members of the public who
participated tonight.
I appreciate the opportunity to
get the budget conversation
started early this year because
it is going to be so difficult
and I think what is a positive
is that there's no one
pretending like we're not going
to have difficult decisions or
a hard conversation over
the next several months.
But I do think it's important
for us to kind of ask what this
all is for.
What are we actually aiming to
be?
And I do think we're I when I
say we I mean the council I
mean the mayor's office.
I mean even the public to a
certain extent.
What type of city are we
actually trying to be?
And I, I don't know that that's
being articulated right now in
a clear way that allows us to
actually know what we're aiming
for Should we be should we just
be slashing Are we satisfied
with the amount of resources
that we're working with?
I don't hear that from
the constituents who I engage
with the most.
We obviously need to be as
efficient with the dollars that
we have as possible.
But you know, I think sometimes
a fresh set of eyes can be
really useful And when folks
move to San Diego and they they
notice how our library system
stacks up to other library
systems in terms of per capita
investment, I think that's
useful for us.
I think it's useful for us to
keep in mind that the cities
that we often compare ourselves
to that are resource resourcing
their library systems better
their park systems that are
their rec systems better.
It's they often have one thing
in common that we do not do
here in San Diego and that's
ask those with the most to pay
their fair share.
So I know I've said this before
I know I will say it again and
it's probably getting old to a
lot of people but there is no
way that in a city with this
level of affluence with people
who are doing so well with
corporations that are making so
much that all of
the conversation should be
about cutting and then all of
the conversation should be
about reductions because we're
we can't ask residents to pay
more as if is not an option to
pay those with much, much more
to simply pay to pay their fair
share.
So I think about where we were
last year and how we dug deep
in order to preserve what we
determined to be essential
services And those were rec
centers that families depend
on.
Those were libraries.
The families depend on their
parks.
The neighborhoods depend on And
I am under no illusions that
this is not going to be
difficult.
I'm under no illusions that
we're not going to have to make
difficult decisions, that we're
going to have to make some
reductions and some closures.
But I, I do very much hope that
in this conversation we can in
a much more clear way determine
what type of city we want to be
over the long term so we can
start to aim for that because I
worry that instead we will have
is a balanced budget but a
balanced budget that doesn't
necessarily get us pointed in a
better direction over the long
term.
The last thing I will share is
this I was I was moved by an
article that kpbs published
last week.
The headline was Recreation
Centers to the Rescue
The Search for Affordable
Summer Camp.
And this was just a great
reminder of how for families in
and in parts of this city
absent our programing that this
city provides there there are
kids who would have nothing to
do and parents who would
despite working full time jobs
be left to explain to their
children why they have to sit
at home during the day instead
of being enriched and fulfilled
and connected to a city and I
think that that's something
that's very much worth fighting
for.
So again that having kind of
continuous continued
conversation about who it is in
this city that can't afford to
pay more and asking them to do
so it's making sure that we're
not giving city resources away
by not renewing leases that are
long overdue.
It's certainly making sure
we're managing the cities as
efficiently as possible.
But more than anything it's not
giving up on our parks.
It's not giving up on our rec
centers, it's not giving up our
libraries in a way that doesn't
increase it doesn't improve
service level and aim to make
this a better city for everyone
but especially our young
people.
Thank you.
>> Council PRESIDENT All right.
Thank you.
Council member Ella Rivera Not
seeing anybody else I'd like to
know My colleagues have had
other opportunities to talk
about budget and other
committee meetings.
There'll be plenty of more
opportunity to talk about
budgets So with that we will
close this item and we will now
adjourn Council to
the regularly scheduled council
meeting on Tuesday FEBRUARY
24th, 2026 at ten a m.
Again, thank you all for