Yeah
And
and and and and
and
pictures
and
and and
and
and and Yeah and and
you
.
All right, I want to thank
everybody in chambers or
watching online for your
patience.
We now have quorum so I will
now call the city council
meeting of Tuesday FEBRUARY
24th 2026 to order Clerk Please
call the roll present Council
sorry Council Member Campbell
here Councilmember Whitburn
Councilmember Foster Council
Member Von Wilpert Council
PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee here
Council Member Campion
COUNCILMAN Moreno Councilmember
Eli Rivera and Council
PRESIDENT LaCava present also
attending the meeting are City
Attorney Heather Ferber,
independent budget analyst
Charles Monica, council affairs
advisor and the Mayor's office
code advisor and myself your
city Clerk Diana Fuentes Thank
you Council PRESIDENT All
right.
Thank you.
City Clerk And as I said, a
quorum is now present.
We will begin this morning with
the land acknowledgment and
the Pledge of Allegiance led by
council member Whitburn.
We respectfully acknowledge
that the and are the original
inhabitants of the Unceded land
now known as San Diego.
Despite enduring the horrors of
genocide and colonization,
the community spirit remains
unbroken.
We are the resilience of their
ancestors who fought to protect
their culture and land.
Today they carry their legacy
forward ensuring that their
traditions continue to thrive
and gratitude and strength with
the combination connected to
our past and committed to a
thriving future.
Please space the flag Put your
hand over your heart.
Ready?
Begin.
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.
>> Clerk Please go over how
the public can offer their
testimony.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT I'd like to
highlight the site on
the screen that reviews how
the public can offer their
public testimony during today's
meeting.
Please note the time
allocations for proclamations
and consent items for meeting
management purposes The order
can be found on the agenda
Summary found online or at
the table in the back of
the room.
You can also use if you are in
person please complete a
speaker slip locate at
the entrance of chambers and
bring it to the front of
the room into the clear box.
Council ambassadors are
available near the entrance and
can assist with questions and
speaker slips.
No further in-person testimony
will be taken once the council
begins Virtual testimony.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT.
All right.
Thank you, City Clerk.
Before we move to hear public
comment on the proclamation
items, we have a title change
for item 31 which will now be
Mayor Mesa Little League 50th
anniversary.
Oh, is that correct?
Council PRESIDENT Thank you for
confirming Now that it's been
read into the record I will
note that the agenda will be
updated to reflect the new
title and the proclamation will
be swapped with a revised copy.
Clerk Please proceed with
public comment.
I would like to take if I can
take one second My apologies.
We are going to start with a
public comment on
the proclamation items.
We have no public comments
speakers here in council
chambers We are going to those
participating remotely starting
with 8700 if you can please I'm
you and let me know what is
the item or items that you wish
to speak to Number 30 only.
Thank you.
You'll have one minute.
Please proceed.
Thank you.
Joy Senior Proceed three.
First of all a quick thank you
to Council PRESIDENT Pro Tem
for wearing his a red jacket
for the last presentation was
wasn't that a fabulous moment
for us to have terrific.
So on this one thank you City
attorney server and council
PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee 14 Dating
Violence Awareness and
Prevention Month Yes the two
keys are intervention and
prevention In my opinion
the most important way to help
our teens is to teaching them
to be more self aware.
Thank you to all involved and
the Family Justice Center for
your safe Place.
That's terrific.
Keep up the great work and love
to all.
Thank you.
Next is the original If you can
please unmute and let me know
which item or items you wish to
speak to.
Number 30 as well The Teen
Violence.
Please proceed.
You know it's really sad to see
you guys when you do things
like this.
I mean of course this is
extremely important but you
ignore all of the abuse of
children that takes place in
the county that you guys are
involved in that the city
attorney is involved in
the child trafficking that is
taking place.
Your safe place is not a safe
place.
It's engaged in the same child
trafficking, engaged with
foster care, things like cps,
child protective Services which
does anything but protect
children.
It promotes and engages in
child trafficking, child abuse,
covering up of sexual abuse.
So as you guys sit here and you
signal as though you're doing
something right at the same
time you ignore those types of
atrocities that you are engaged
in that the people pay for.
And so it's just really sad to
see that you will do things
like this engage with
the people that you know and
prop them up like your safe
place when they should be shut
down and defunded.
Your time has concluded.
>> All right.
Hi, this is Andrea Ebbing.
Your safe place is a money
laundering facility that was
launched by Casey Gwinn which
used to be a family justice
center But then it was taken
over by sd pd then it was taken
over by Mara Elliott and now
it's run by our county Rico mob
boss Summer Stephan.
It is not a safe place at all.
It's a money laundering
facility.
The Union-Tribune caught on to
that in public records if you
look in public records for your
safe place and those records
are you know they they call it
all these different things now
it's like one safe place your
safe place because it's not
following guidelines Teen
violence How about my teen
who's 17 years old is now in
violent relationships because
she was abducted when she was
12 years old and her maternal
bond was severed after I was
her loving mother her entire
life in her county contracted
rehab owner dope dealer
murderer father abducted her
and summer stuff and sold her
for kickbacks.
Now she has a lifetime of
issues and so do I and so do
her sisters Because you guys
have done nothing has
concluded.
Next is Becky Rap if you can
please and mute and let me know
what items or items you wish to
speak to.
I'd like to speak to item 30.
Thank you And thank you for.
My name is Becky Rapping.
I'd like to thank you for
recognizing Teen Dating
Violence Awareness and
Prevention Month and for
the leadership of City
Attorney's Office and your safe
place.
But as we talk about prevention
we must also talk about
the developing adolescent brain
and the teen brain is still
forming and it governs
the prefrontal cortex, governs
impulse control decision making
and emotional regulation.
Regular marijuana use during
adolescence has been associated
with impaired judgment
increased impulsivity,
heightened anxiety and in some
cases in many cases for youth
paranoia and aggression.
When judgment is impaired and
emotions are intensified,
conflicts escalate more quickly
and it is imperative that we
combine preventing we combine
prevention with teen dating
Violence prevention must be
included in your time as have
considered My apologies.
Next is Ernie Casper You can
please unmute Yes Ernie Casco
What item are items you wish to
speak to on the proclamations
I'm speaking on all the items
first particularly on the bad
choices Joe Lacob is making is
that a proclamation and 3232
all of them you'll go to I
reported I okay give me my
minutes are reported a direct
violation of Joe Lacob his
office I reported negligent
homicide attempted murder as
assistant flight director.
Ernie Ernie we're going to cut
you off.
You can do that at non agenda
Public comment later this
morning this is proclamations
Kathleen Lippert if you can
please unmute and let us know
which item or items you'd like
to speak to on the proclamation
agenda.
>> Thank you.
I'd like to address item 30.
>> I'd like to point out that
the policies that the city
continues to support also
continue to contribute to
problems that you have with
teens and especially where drug
abuse is involved and you're
increasing availability access
etc. And then you wonder why
you got this collateral damage.
The increase is in parallel to
those policies I'd like to
share Robert Malone He was
the inventor of the marinade
vaccine platform and his
recommendation for the most
valuable things that we can
teach children and it's
regulating their emotions that
prevents that is crime
prevention.
It's addiction prevention, it's
suicide prevention and it's
generational healing.
It's how we stop raising adults
who accept it explode, implode
or shut down At the first sign
of discomfort emotional
regulation is not just a soft
skill you're trying to sort of
concluded and the five minute
timer had concluded before her
speaking So no additional
speakers will be taken on
the proclamations That does
conclude public comment.
>> All right.
Thank you, City Clerk.
We will now turn it over to
council members for any
questions, comments and
entertain a motion And we'll
start with Council PRESIDENT
Pro Tem Lee Thank Council
PRESIDENT I'll be speaking to
items 30 and 31 and I'll start
by making a motion to move
the Proclamations agenda with
the update of the title of item
31 as Mayor Mesa Little League
50th Anniversary Opening day
for item 31 I am proud to bring
forward a proclamation
declaring FEBRUARY 28th as
Mayor Mesa Little League's 50th
Anniversary Opening day For 50
years mermaids a little league
has been a cornerstone of
the community bringing
generations of families
together and providing young
people opportunities to grow
both on and off the field As
many know, Little League is
much more than about baseball.
It's about teamwork,
discipline, resilience and
sportsmanship while also
creating supportive space when
it comes to youth today
the league involves over 1000
families within the community
and I like to always recognize
that it is entirely run by
volunteers.
That means the parents,
the coaches community members
who are often giving their time
whether it's during games or in
between And after long workdays
they help make possible this
opportunity for the next
generation within our
community.
So the proclamation is not just
a milestone but it is five
decades of dedication,
leadership and community
involvement and I'll be excited
to join them this Saturday for
Opening Day to celebrate this
achievement For item 30 I want
to thank City attorney Heather
Herbert for leading this
proclamation on National Teen
Dating Violence Awareness and
Prevention Month which is
commemorated annually each
FEBRUARY at City Hall.
The City Attorney's office has
been a leader in providing
community resources and
supportive services at no cost
for those experiencing domestic
violence, dating abuse, elder
abuse, trafficking and much
more.
At the resource center called
Your Safe Place, our team has
had the opportunity to visit
and support your safe place in
their work and it is one small
part of what the City
Attorney's office does that
really benefits the community
in a significant way.
I know several of our senior
Unified Board trustees are here
with us today to raise
awareness on this issue And
it's my pleasure now to hand
this over to City Attorney
Ferber to share her words.
Thank you so much.
It's an honor to join Council
PRESIDENT Pro Tem Kenley this
morning in sponsoring this
proclamation recognizing
FEBRUARY as teen Dating
Violence Awareness and
Prevention Month recognizing
this month is important to
raise awareness, support
survivors and acknowledge
the dedicated people and
organizations working to
present prevent cycles of
violence for our youth.
Teen dating violence is a
serious public health issue
that affects young people
across all communities.
Statistics tell us that 1 in 3
teenagers have experienced
dating abuse and about the same
number report having committed
dating abuse themselves.
These numbers are alarming and
underscore the need for
comprehensive prevention
efforts.
Teen dating violence is often
linked to other harmful
behaviors including bullying,
sexual harassment and physical
violence.
Teen survivors face increased
risk of truancy Dropout teen
pregnancy, suicide eating
disorders and other harmful
behaviors.
Without intervention these
patterns can persist into
adulthood preventing sorry for
perpetuating cycles of abuse.
The City Attorney's office
operates your safe place
The San Diego Family Justice
Center which provides teens
with a confidential safe
environment to learn about
healthy relationships, receive
safety planning and access
comprehensive services.
Throughout its 24 years of
serving San Diego.
The Family Justice Center has
helped break cycles of dating
violence and now serves over a
thousand clients a month.
>> Your Safe Place partners
with schools and community
organizations to teach boundary
setting consent practices and
online safety This year to
recognize teen Violence
Awareness and Prevention Month.
Your safe Place changed it for
my youth poster contest to a
social media reels contest and
San Diego Unified School
District has been one of our
partners on this.
We hope you'll look for
the winning reel on social
media soon.
I want to thank San Diego
Unified School District Board
members Sharon Whitehurst Payne
and Sabrina Basso and student
board member Leana Wen.
Thanks for coming to show your
support this morning.
We appreciate your partnership
in this important work.
Together we can create
protective environments, engage
influential adults and peers
and support teen survivors to
increase safety and reduce
harm.
>> Thank you so much.
>> All right.
Thank you both for your
comments.
So we do have a motion by
council member Lee with excuse
me Council PRESIDENT Pro Tem
Lee with the correction for
the title on item 31.
And we'll go next to
Councilmember Whipper.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT.
I am happy to second the motion
and I want to thank Council
PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee and City
Attorney Herbert for bringing
forward those two proclamations
that we just heard.
I am pleased to bring forward a
proclamation this morning
declaring that Cecilia moreno
day in the city of San Diego
Cecilia's legacy and commitment
to the neighborhood of
Hillcrest cannot be overstated.
Many of us Cecilia is
the longtime owner of the Crest
Cafe a Hillcrest landmark maybe
a Hillcrest Institution.
But much of what she does for
the community takes place
behind the scenes.
For decades she has been one of
these steady hands and strong
voices that has moved Hillcrest
forward.
She has continuously served
the Hillcrest Business
Association Board of Directors
since 1989.
That's 37 years always with
thoughtfulness and integrity
and a deep love for
the neighborhood.
She was the first donor to
the Hillcrest Pride flag that
she was also the first donor to
the renovation of the iconic
Hillcrest sign.
Personally investing in
the initiatives that keep
Hillcrest vibrant and inclusive
and unique.
Cecilia machado is in chambers
with us this morning along with
Ryan Bedrosian, the PRESIDENT
Of the Hillcrest Business
Association and Ben Nichols,
the executive director.
I would like to invite them to
come out up to the microphone.
Hello everybody.
I just I, I have a few words.
I have a few words.
I know Cecilia is not a big fan
of public speaking but I am so
excited to be here today to
recognize Cecilia's leadership
over the last 37 years.
When she joined the board of
the va, Chris Kehoe was our new
fresh faced executive director
.
I want to tell one story that
is illustrative of Cecilia his
leadership over the years When
we were working on deciding to
create the Hillcrest Pride flag
that we all know at normal
Street there we were taking a
vote in our executive committee
meeting and we were discussing
it and debating it and
eventually the committee
decided yes, we're going to
build this pride flag.
And I said Well it's going to
cost some money and we have to
privately raise that money.
You have to get it in the door.
And so we voted the group voted
and it was approved obviously.
And then the very next thing
that happened was Cecilia
reached into her bag and she
opened her checkbook and she
wrote a check and then she
looked around the table at
everyone that was there
the leaders of our business
community And she said Who will
match me?
And so that day before we
adjourn that meeting we had
raised a quarter of the amount
that we needed for the Pride
flag.
And it's that kind of strongly
leadership putting skin in
the game.
It's one thing to vote.
It's another thing to support
and get involved.
And so there that is an example
of Cecilia's behind the scenes
leadership but also many, many
years of tastes of Hillcrest
and neighborhood committee
meetings and approving minutes
and budget reviews and
neighborhood scheming so much
to celebrate and I can say with
confidence you are going to
enjoy retirement less than all
of that good stuff.
>> So thank you for your many
years.
Appreciate it.
>> Thank you very much, Ben.
Congratulations, Cecilia and
thank you very much, Ryan.
Anybody who has been Hillcrest
lately knows that it is a
happening place these days.
The three of you have been
instrumental in its progress
and we very much appreciate it.
So thank you again.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT And
again I will second the motion
to approve the proclamations.
All right.
Thank you.
So we do have a motion by
Council PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee
which includes the correction
for the title on item 31,
the second by council member
whitburn.
>> Council PRESIDENT Pro Tem
Lee you have additional
comments?
Yeah.
If you didn't mind I thought
I'd invite our guests from
Senior Unified to come on up
and share a couple remarks
since they're here in support
of Proclamation 30.
>> Thank you Councilmember Lee
and thank you to the city
council and our city attorney
Heather Ferber.
We're really happy to partner
with you on this very important
proclamation.
Of course San Diego Unified is
anything where we can, you
know, support our students And
teen dating is something that
10% of teens suffer from so
that they're impacted by.
So it's a it's a really serious
it's you know, it's something
that I think a lot of people
are not aware of And anything
we can do to create more
awareness around this issue is
extremely, extremely important
.
And I also have with me here
our student member Alina Nguyen
who's a goes to Hoover High and
my colleague DR. Whitehurst
Payne who serves with me on
the San Diego Unified School
District.
Did you want to say I just
wanted to say thank you so much
for being with us in support of
this proclamation.
Thank you And thank you also
I've actually challenged
several several of you to get
involved with our students And
I think last week a week before
last with you last week with
you and men middle school and
the students bring forth things
because they serve on the dais
with us And I felt that we need
to be here today to show them
support that we are with them
And this is a very important
issue.
So thank you for bringing it
forth.
City Attorney Thank you.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT All right
Marty, anybody else in
the lights Again we have a
motion by Council PRESIDENT Pro
Tem Lee with a correction to
the title of item 31 and a
second by Councilmember
Whitburn.
Clerk please call the roll
Sorry, the voting system Please
cast your vote That passes
unanimously 6 to 0 with Council
member Moreno, Councilmember
Campo and Councilmember Yvonne
Wolpert.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT All
right.
Thank you.
City Clerk We will now take a
quick pause for photos and we
will start with item 13 Dating
Violence Awareness and
Prevention Month
and
you know, I think we missed a
moment.
I think we ought to give a big
round of applause for Cecilia
moreno for the good work she's
done over the years All right.
Well listen carefully.
We will now move on to
the approval of the consent
items.
But first we have some
housekeeping to do.
First I will be pulling items
103 and f 500 from the consent
agenda to be heard for
discussion later this morning
And that will happen after we
conclude with the remainder of
the consent agenda.
Again I am pulling items 103
and 500 and we will hear them
after we dispense with
the consent agenda.
Second, I believe city staff
has corrective statements to
make for items 51 and 102 Do we
have somebody here from
engineering capital projects to
come up to the microphone?
Introduce yourself for
the record and make your
statement.
Thank you.
Council Member This is I am
Catherine Dunker.
I'm Assistant Deputy Director
with Engineering Capital
Projects and I'm here to
provide you no update to item
51 which is the item 12 to
extend the construction
contract for sewer and Water
Group 763 project with p c
construction So subject to
docketing this item our city
Attorney's office has
discovered a minor concern and
she recommended the update
the environmental language
because the date the city
attorney's office didn't want
to use a passed secure
exemption so we had to make
the minor change as requested
by the city attorney's office
which doesn't affect the intent
of the action.
So that's basically it.
Is that sufficient?
City Attorney Okay.
Thank you for that.
Thank you.
All right.
And then for item 1 or 2, do we
have somebody from the Planning
Department?
I see We do.
So please introduce yourself
for the record and make your
statement.
Good morning, council members.
I'm semi-rural assistant deputy
director with the city planning
this revision clarifies that in
the event that any funds are
returned to city pursuant to
Section 2.4 or the contribution
agreement with City of Chula
Vista, those funds would be
deposited back into the all
times enhanced influx
infrastructure Financing
District Public First Use Fund
200803 Okay.
Thank you.
Thank you for that And again
that's sufficient.
Okay.
All right.
So I have pulled item 103 and
that's 500.
Are there any other request to
pull an item off the consent
agenda?
Not seeing any with that clerk
please proceed with public
comment on the balance of
the consent agenda.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT
Please note each speaker will
have one minute per item per
person If you would like to
speak on three or more items
you will have a maximum of
three minutes.
The consent agenda includes
items 1050 through 60 to 100
through 1 or 2 104105 and as
a5a1 with items 103 and s 500
pulled from the consent agenda
as noted by the Council
PRESIDENT Also let me note for
the record the potential
appointments that are on
the agenda this morning.
Item 105 is the potential
reappointment of former
Missouri and Ted Miyahara to
the Planning Commission.
If you'd like to speak on any
of the consent items please be
sure to submit your speakers up
to the front of the room in
the clear box.
I do not see any speakers here
for the consent agenda in
chambers going to those
participating remotely.
We'll start with Blair Beekman
If you can please let me know
which item or items you wish to
speak to.
>> All right.
Perfect Man I wanted to speak
to items so as possible one
item 52 and items 54 through 60
You'll have three minutes.
>> Please proceed.
Thank you.
First to speak to item 52
agreement to extend
the contract with Lexie Paul
there's a lot that Lexie Paul
does in terms of data
collection for our police and
fire departments and there are
role and job.
They've been doing this for
quite a while now for at least
5 to 10 years We've gotten used
to their working style but they
were really uncomfortable to
work with at first and I think
we have to be noting that in
this time that we're addressing
issues that Lexie posed they're
a little tough.
They tend to work with police
more than community.
And so I, I hope like what was
spoken very nicely yesterday by
council personnel.
Rivera I hope we're really
considering how to move forward
with our with our good thinking
and best practices and we don't
let them languish.
It's okay to move forward with
our best practices and.
Question Lexie Paul there used
to be one of the question flock
That can be okay and that
should be an okay conversation
to have publicly Good luck how
we can have it have those
conversations and for items 54
through 60 and pure water
things and also sewer issues
which are right next to each
other you have about 4 or 5
items on pure water and then
you have two items going on
sewer construction issues.
I try to bring sewer issues and
pure water issues together When
I speak when they're together
and other times they go to
committee agendas.
I hope that can be okay in
the future and I'm not likely
should not do that.
i think there's a really
important connection in
the future Pure water and sewer
whatever the subject matter is
and I hope I can be allowed to
make those connections and good
luck that we can be allowed
overall it's public to make
those connections that public
comment time that can be a
little uncomfortable to council
but we're trying for good.
We're trying to offer a good
sense of how to view our
issues.
Good luck.
How to work that out between
us.
With that said, pure water and
good luck that it's three years
now that I think it's supposed
to be fully operational is what
I'm learning recently and good
luck we do that well and and
that we're honest and clear
with each other how the process
is going.
I know we're trying to do that.
Good luck and the continued
efforts that we do that and
make it a clear public process
for all of us and accountable
to you Conclude item at 501 Is
that is about an encampment
resolution funding round two
things I'm assuming this is
yeah I know Oakland has been
working on on their homeless
issues and they've taken kind
of a stringent approach
sometimes and it's done
something uncomfortable.
They backed off a bit and
instead started working on
cleaning items through
the city.
How do how do you do clean up
best practices if that can be a
part of this process and best
cleanup practices using Cal
State money?
>> Good luck how to do that.
Thank you.
8700 after that entry I mean
8700 If you can please let me
know which item or items you
wish to speak to.
>> I will be speaking to 5154
to 57 And if I go one Thank
you.
>> Thank you.
Have three minutes.
Please proceed.
Joyce Any other See the three
heads up on the 51 that
the staff just spoke on Pulled
it out for a minute and spoke
on it.
I really as a public I really
really need more information in
the backup on the fecal
exemption and what's involved
there because you know I'm
really interested in Chico and
how the new changes are coming
into place So I need more
information on that.
I hope that's available.
Thank you.
I'm 54 to 57.
They are all pure water items
and I want to go on the record
again that this historic San
Diego water project has my
strong support and in on s5o1ba
homelessness item a new
agreement with h c d allows for
an admin update to the grant
program.
The new agreement will end in
APRIL APRIL 30th this year So
but what happened was good and
the encampment which is my old
central library across from
the United States Postal
Service big, big, big, big
thank you to all those involved
on this encampment homeless
issue As I have spoken many,
many times on that I got to
know the people around the post
office there.
I talked with them.
We had they see conversations
at time.
It was a little scary at times
but I supported the encampment
ordinance and I think
the cleanup and the help that's
been done is really, really
terrific.
Now I will say this is
the truth.
Some of it is coming back
around the post office again
and I'm concerned about that.
So I would love to all in and
great work and we're all
involved in this.
Listen to all the voices
please.
Thank you.
Andrea, if you can please
unmute and let me know which
item or items you wish to speak
to by Andrea Ebbing I'd like to
speak to 5351 and the Pure
water as well.
>> You have three minutes.
Please proceed.
Thank you.
So the new gov applicant
tracking I think it's important
we really look into what
the capabilities are and
looking at people's backgrounds
and histories.
If we haven't learned from
the Amy NOx harm reduction case
where background checks were
pulled but yet somehow her four
year prison sentence for
massive fraud went undetected
and then we continue to award
the millions of dollars for
harm reduction.
So that was you know, after
multiple reports of what was
actually going on and then
continue to award them, that's
the same exact thing that
happened with the rehab
contract that is basically
uncovering everything that's
taking place in the county,
the city in the malfeasance
side of things.
So our just must have been
updated or are just must have
been altered to allow these
criminal convictions huge
felonies to be removed.
So if we have a good tracking
system for applicants with
the county and city that would
be good on the 58.
So I think we need to look at
this this big case with
Mitchell drug kingpin that was
caught You know, we have
obviously there's ties to
Diego.
I mean we're the border, right?
So we need to look at what's
going on here.
We need to pay attention to
the sewage crisis not making
freight trucks more accessible
and easier to pass through
the border.
Otay I have deep concerns about
the like the fact that the two
are to one a sewage crisis is
important priorities.
I like to see that we have
items on here that look to
address it but we might want to
look at the ceo of sandag who
was appointed and then suddenly
Dora Vargas resigns out of
safety concerns and his primary
concern is okay and $130
million to replace conduit and
billions of dollars to allow
trucks to pass through quickly.
I don't know It doesn't seem
really legit to me.
It seems actually very
concerning.
So so yeah, let's let's clean
up sewage crisis and and not
think for one second that air
purifiers are going to do it
And that's about it.
>> Thank you.
Thank you.
The five minute timer did
conclude there's two speakers
and the keynote additional
speakers will be taken
the original and then seven 499
the original Please let me know
which items or items you wish
to speak to.
Yes 54 through 6101 two one and
then s501.
Thank you.
You'll have three minutes.
Please proceed.
All right.
Well, you know the problem with
the t1a river valley that you
guys are going to start wanting
to put that into the pure water
system and anything you're
doing with pure water and sewer
is super egregious because you
guys are not only taking
billions of dollars from people
who are working really hard
trying to just survive but we
are using our fresh water for
A.I. Datacenters and live near
mining So when we're sitting
here talking about giving
people back their own sewage
that's why sewage and pure
water actually have to do with
each other.
They're not separate issues
because you're putting giving
us sewer water back Acting like
that is going to be beneficial
for the people And then you
talk by that water with a bunch
of chemicals and I mean let
alone the fluoride which is
runoff from fertilizer that
goes into the water that people
claim is good for your teeth
and all of those things you
guys need to put together how
much money you've spent on this
and really start to think if
you're doing what's best for
the people when our freshwater
is being not only controlled
and diverted but it is being
used for things that is not
human consumption.
So it is ridiculous how much
money we've been spending on
that and you guys need to quit
doing your sole source permits.
It is another way that you guys
engage in fraud and including
with the emergency with
the single sole source that you
guys are doing you guys wait
till the last minute to take
care of things and it's
absolutely ridiculous that you
know, we have to keep spending
more money and doing things
that you should be about
keeping at a regular basis just
like the homeless stuff.
You guys sit here and act like
you should not be doing it or
engaging in any more contracts
until you actually do something
that is helping the homeless
than encampment that you guys
are talking about by the post
office every night people are
there sleeping because they
have nowhere to go and there is
no bathroom down there So
people are going to
the bathroom in the street.
Where do you expect them to go
if the bathroom is closed at
night and those people are just
outside your building at night
all over downtown.
But you guys sit here and you
profess just like the mayor
that everything is cleaned up.
That's.
It is.
People are dying.
You guys get people testing
strips for their drugs, you get
them pipes and needles and just
in case they overdose you're
not doing anything.
You put them in a tent city
where drinks for change in
downtown Partnership are
killing these people and having
them raped and then denying it.
There's no fire extinguisher
was like you guys need to
really go in and audit
Everything needs to be audited
that you are doing with
the homeless because you are
taking advantage of them and
you act like you're cleaning it
up when all you do is have
downtown partnership go at them
at 6:00 in the morning and tell
them to leave so nobody sees it
So people don't go to work and
see what you guys are failing
at fixing Get your together
has concluded 7499 If you come
please unmute I'd like to speak
on items all the contract items
5360 (210)012-1212 three three
minutes.
>> Please proceed Bob because
this year I 7259 6162 101 to 1
and one All three are all
contracts with private
businesses.
Let's review a few case studies
relating to private business
contracts with the city.
Does anyone remember the red
light camera deal that Mayor
Sanders made with a private
business?
That business got a cut of
the money from those tickets
And what did we find?
Well, of course we found that
there was a conflict of
interest between the business
profit and justice prohibited.
Fortunately, Mayor Filner
stopped that scam.
What do we see with
the contract in Highland Cloud?
We see that citizens have to go
to a private website to obtain
city documents, the documents
and other materials are created
by the city but rather than
publish those documents on
the city's own website,
the city is paying an outside
business to host those items
The citizens have to visit or
be registered with private for
profit businesses.
They get city documents and
notice that's crazy.
What do we see with a business
managing our own John's Park a
parking structure We see that
the business decided it was
inconvenient to accept cash so
therefore citizens do have some
other form of private business
relationship such as the credit
card the in our parking
structure as I mentioned before
I personally resisted that
practice and are now has been
gracious enough to accept my
cash payments so far.
But this shows how business
interests cannot be trusted to
manage public resources without
some form of oversight And
the granddaddy of them all is
the Torrey Pines Glider port.
That's a tricky one Because of
the two steps removed the city
leases are part to the business
known as our California
Adventure And then our
California adventure requires
citizens to be members of
another business called Uber to
use the site usually has
decided that it can use public
testimony in court or even
public testimony to this city
council as justification for
expulsion from their
organization.
I know this because I was
expelled from you explicitly
for my speeches to this
council.
So it's a California adventure
.
Simply go to your phone and ask
them to expel anyone they don't
like You submit as their
bidding so that their
California adventure can say
Sorry it's not our fault but
you can't use the park because
you're not a member of use for
Joel and Todd Gloria both know
about this little game but they
both look the other way And
the relationship between real
estate assets and the business
is far too chummy to provide
any effective oversight.
If you doubt me, file a Freedom
of Information Act request for
the email between cities Rosita
Sanchez and her California
venture You'll be surprised.
And of course as you all know
there's no advisory board to
advise the city on this corrupt
situation.
So it continues to this day
under all of your noses In all
of these cases the abuses
result from a dirty mixture of
our government monopoly and
private business greed without
appropriate oversight with
regard to all of the contracts
in these 15 items I am
demanding that this Council
ensure that there is proper
oversight to guarantee that
citizens rights are not abused.
And with regard to the Council
your time has concluded.
>> If you raise your hand after
the five minute time or you can
definitely call or send an
email through city clerk to
find out that that does
conclude public comment on
the consent agenda.
All right.
Thank you City Clerk.
So I will now turn it over to
council members questions,
comments and entertain a motion
and not see anybody in
the lights.
I'll move the consent items
through next to council members
Council PRESIDENT Pro Can we
all have our second to
the motion?
All right.
And then we also have Council
member Foster on the lights Now
.
Yes.
I just want to speak briefly to
item one for Pearce.
This item addresses a
settlement of some insurance
subrogation claims related to
the JANUARY 2020 to the JANUARY
22nd 2024 floods just while
we're resolving this litigation
I just can't say enough that we
need to make sure that we are
continuing to remain focused on
our impacted families.
Most of these families are
still navigating repairs and
doing financial strain and
uncertainty and some impacted
did not have adequate insurance
coverage at all.
So I just want to let my
community know that I remain
committed to ensuring that
the city continues working
towards keeping our channels
and waterways clear of debris
and implementing long term
solutions so that our most
vulnerable communities are not
left behind.
So just want to make sure that
we are continuing to do
the good work and meet our
commitments.
Thank you.
All right.
Thank you, Captain Foster for
your comments.
We'll go next to Councilmember
Gila Rivera Thank you, Council
PRESIDENT.
I just want to say thank you,
COUNCILMAN Foster for making
sure that parts explicit
Obviously the folks who were
impacted continue to be
impacted regardless of whether
or not they've been able to
return back to their homes,
whether that's from still
picking up pieces, living
somewhere else or the trauma
that comes with every time it
rains.
So I just very much appreciate
Councilmember Foster learning
folks and that we haven't
forgotten about what happened
or about the responsibilities
that we have to be forward.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT All right.
Thank you Council member Gila
River.
And I will add that when you
have these complex litigation
matters can be difficult for
the public to understand what
we're doing, how we're doing
it.
I thought that was a good
reminder.
Councilmember Foster So with
that we have a motion by myself
to move the consent items with
the removal of one of three and
it's 500 and we'll hear next in
a second by Council PRESIDENT
Pro Tem Lee Clerk Please call
the roll.
I'm sorry the voting system
Please cast your vote that
passes unanimously 6 to 0 with
council member Moreno, counsel
for Campi and Councilmember Von
Loper Absent.
Thank you, Council PRESIDENT.
All right.
Thank you.
As I described, we will now
hear the two items that I
pulled from consent.
>> clerk Please introduce item
103 I Number 103 is the Second
Amendment to Agreement for
Legal Services with Schwartz
Sommer Janet Colley Shatner and
Bush llp to provide continuing
legal services as a panel
outside counsel If you'd like
to speak to this item please be
sure to submit a speaker side
to the front of the room in
the clear desk in the clear
box.
We're here participating
remotely Start line of
the Raise your hand I think.
Council PRESIDENT All right.
Thank you.
Do any of my colleagues need to
hear a presentation on this Not
hearing anyone So we will waive
the presentation but I
appreciate you being here MR.
Now so with that clerk please
proceed with public comment on
item 103 There are no public
there are no public speakers
here in council chambers.
One of those participating
remotely the original You have
two minutes please on mute.
Two minutes.
I get that you guys have
problems that you did this.
Yeah.
It's interesting because you
know we are always paying for
you guys to have legal
services.
You know you've got your city
attorney, your county council.
We have the district all these
people in play to really
protect the organized crime You
guys are And it's sad because
then the people need to get
justice somehow We've got to
find our own way.
But you guys use our money
the money that people work
really hard to cover your butts
and the things that you do that
are so egregious like not
taking care of infrastructure,
like harming the homeless, like
harming children.
I mean it's pretty ridiculous
how much money we have to spend
to do that.
I feel like because you guys
are engaged in it you're
choosing to do that that on a
personal capacity you should be
responsible because even
the money that comes out of
settlements due to your guys's
negligence comes from
the people we have to pay that
off And it's like you guys sit
here and you act like what
you're doing is beneficial to
the community.
I'm just wondering when that's
actually going to happen, when
you're going to need all these
attorneys to protect you and to
make sure that they because
they don't sit here and make
sure that you're not violating
people's civil rights, that
you're not you know, wasting
people's money engaging in
fraud, waste and abuse and
stuff like that's exposed all
the time that you guys have
the protection behind you And
you also should be held
personally liable for that.
So it's it's ridiculous
the kinds of things that we
have to spend money on when
again people are out on
the streets just wanting to get
into some kind of shelter
because they see all these
homes go up around them and
think oh, is that going to be
for us?
And it's like no, that's not
for you guys but here take some
Narcan and some needles and
pipes go do some drugs or you
want to test it.
Here's a test strip and you got
it.
So that's it Just see what you
guys do, what that does, what
everybody can please.
>> I mean I just I'm just
asking if we contract with this
law firm if we look at every
single individual in the law
firm and who's for 60 forms
they appear on I guarantee you
they're all over summer
Steffens And if they are I'm
asking that the board do does
take a look at the relationship
between this firm and her
office and her family.
Her family makes every single
decision every single court in
San Diego and has done so for
years decades right.
So I think that's an important
one for the people.
So if if this law firm is
the one selected to I guess
represent the city against
the people or the county, I'm
not quite sure what it is.
It seems like probably for
white collar crime, right to
cover up all that stuff.
So we can just kind of track
those campaign donations.
It's vote outcome.
Look up the 460 forms and we
should look at every single
attorney in this firm and who
they're paying off.
It's really unfortunate that we
have so much malfeasance going
on that's gone unchecked.
So if we do go with this firm
firm I'm asking you to please
see how we as residents, as a
community can hold the people
accountable that
the organization is like
the bar, the state bar and spc
and the Judicial Commission
Commission employees practices
refuse to hold people
accountable.
We have the district attorney I
know the city okay?
But when we have somebody going
up and saying oh my gosh,
Amanda Knox or whatever it Amy
not spent hundreds of thousands
of dollars on plastic surgery
and credit card payments yet
she herself has paid hundreds
of thousands of dollars very
openly in credit card payments
with taxpayer dollars campaign
funds.
But we can't hold her
accountable.
She has 2 million identical
campaign transactions to Nathan
Fletcher.
We can't hold her accountable.
Maybe these attorneys can but
only if they're not paying her
off And I guarantee you they're
in her system.
Thank you.
Next 27499 If you can please
unmute club because this year I
don't have any prepared
comments on this item but I do
want to add my voice to
the concerns expressed by
the previous speakers.
Thank you.
>> Thank you.
Next is Ernie Casco and then
8700 30 332 asco here One
second I'm speaking on item 30
a few minutes ago You would not
let me speak concerning
violence and prevention and
your poor decisions.
It's time to stop the crime
within your own administration.
Torrey Pines Glad report
Complaint is well documented on
your desk.
>> This is one of three where
we're talking about item one of
three So if you want to speak
to that we're happy to hear
your comments not agenda public
comment will follow.
I have asked you to unmute if
you'd like to speak on I don't
want to hear three legal
services.
>> This is on legal services.
Okay.
Let me go back to what I was
saying.
I should not be forced to sign
any legal waiver or city
liabilities while you're
already covered by California
recreational statue laws.
This is misappropriation of
public money going into private
accounts and and demands a full
transparent city audit that
would end the corruption.
It's time to stop the crime
within in your administration
Torrey Pines Gary Port complain
is well documented on your desk
It's illegal for anyone to turn
a freedom into a privilege for
a license and a fee under any
terms, circumstances or
condition.
Allowing this crime and
violence to continue is a
violation of your oath and
automatic forfeiture of your
chair of office.
We have a petition Black Beach
recreational scandal to stop
the illegal commercialization
and privatization of San Diego
parks with hundreds of
signatures demanding
authorities take action.
Why?
We have unanimous letters of
support from the Hawaii Town
Council Officers Association to
reconvene the Torrey Pines
Advisory Board as needed for
public safety and oversight.
City Council has a beautiful
proven solution known as
the San Diego recreational
waiver that would end
the dispute.
The San Diego Recreational
waiver stops city internal
corruption by separating
the business from free public
access to San Diego
Recreational labor isolate city
concerns that you won't address
,secures city liabilities,
restores recreational freedoms
and addresses the victim and
witnesses.
Well the damage resulted in a
timely fashion.
It's a win for city liabilities
restores our recreational
rights and freedom for years to
come.
It's the best decision City
council could make to combat.
Do you want me to walk away
while you blatantly rob America
?
City Council is liable and
needs to address victims
witnesses who have been damaged
Your time has concluded 8700
And then our final speaker is
8813.
As noted, the five minute timer
had concluded These are our
final speakers.
Thank you Joyce And I wasn't
planning on speaking on this
but something came up that
encouraged me to do it.
I'll listen to see what your
vote is going to be because
you're certainly qualified to
know about who to vote.
You know this is the quality of
what we want for our attorneys.
But I do want to say this that
I think it was about three
years ago or so when I had a
real big opening on attorneys
and law and I realized it was
really a difficult thing for me
to accept that our legal
obligations create absolutely
every step we take along
the way in government And I
don't think I'm wrong on that.
I don't think I'm exaggerating
and I was just blown away by
that.
I needed their help And they
were not just there healthy
were vital attorneys in law but
at the same time the fact that
it just permeates everything
was just shocking to me And I
really felt sad about it.
But I'm on board now and so but
we just must have that that
strength, that part of our our
workings Now we can look at
the federal level and see
the rule of law which is you
know, the gym, the heart of our
country and how it's being
diminished lately And yet it
was so exciting when
the Supreme Court and I guess
it's not there yet came forward
with that decision on
the tariff And that does affect
our community big time and that
was a positive thing But it's
very complicated.
But the threatening of the Fed,
the law of the rule of the law
in our country, the fact that
that's coming forward big time
now it just it's hard to not be
disheartened by it.
So I'm for this item and I
thank you for listening.
You've been up to getting
comment.
Thank you 813 if you can please
and you okay control here so
yeah so we'll start off by
saying you know when the city
council council is transparent
and lawful you don't need
lawyers or you know, for legal
fielding.
You know you need
accountability quite frankly
And if the city was behaving
without fraud and corruption,
its attorneys wouldn't be
working overtime to be
protecting it.
And and it is worth asking why
the city or city council rely
so heavily on legal
representation when addressing
the public's concerns against
the city for operating free
from fraud and corruption then
there wouldn't be any need for
any of this.
But here we are and more waste
and I to agree with
the previous speakers who are
concerned.
Thank you.
That concludes all the comment
on this item.
All right.
We'll turn it over to
councilmember questions and
comments.
I'll go ahead and move
the staff recommendation.
Can I get a second?
And we have a second by council
PRESIDENT Pro tem We as anybody
night again we have a motion by
myself and a second by council
PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee to move
the staff recommendation Clerk
Please call the roll Start
the voting system Please cast
your vote that passes
unanimously 5 to 0 with
Councilmember Moreno.
Councilmember Kemp, you
Councilmember but Opening
Councilmember Whitburn absent.
Thank you, Council PRESIDENT.
All right.
Thanks, Jennifer And thank you
to the team that put this
together.
>> With that please introduce
item 500 items 500 is
settlement of City of San Diego
versus San Diego County local
agency formation Commission at
all San Diego Superior Court
number 25603103c claim number
and a if you'd like to speak on
the side of six minutes because
up to the front of the room or
star nine of the raise your
hand I can't thank you council
PRESIDENT All right Thank you.
All right Thank you.
Staffers showing up Do my
colleagues need a presentation
on this?
Not seeing any one requesting
clerk Please proceed to public
comment.
There's no public comment here
in council chambers or sorry at
the five minute time are going
to those participating remotely
the original if you can please
unmute you'll have two minutes.
Yeah this is interesting
because you guys this has to do
with anti slapp motions which
are used to prevent lawsuits
designed to punish or
intimidate people like
defendants from exercising
First Amendment right to being
able to you know, talk about
these things and in that
they'll get their attorney's
fees and whatnot when it's
granted.
So it's it's interesting to
continue to see because you
guys feel like you're
transparent enough so that like
we know what you engage in but
then it doesn't go beyond that.
You don't go in and fix
the issues as to why these
types of things are happening
and now we have to pay know 116
or whatever thousand dollars
out of the public liability
fund And again the public
liability fund is funded by
the people that you're wasting
your money with.
And this is in other ways
because it just shows how much
you guys try to silence people
and try to you know, I need to
do it here in these meetings.
You guys do it wherever when
you don't like what someone
saying if there was any kind of
dissent But there's only
dissent because of the fraud,
waste and abuse that you guys
engage in like if you weren't
engaged in those type of things
and you were actually using
your money wisely and spending
it on stuff that the world
around us would be changing not
getting worse.
I mean it's just it's sad
because people do thank you but
they don't really pay
attention.
They don't listen and really
look into what you guys are
doing and seeing how much money
that they are throwing at you
guys that you're basically
using It's toilet paper And so
it's just you know the hope is
that one day you guys want to
change your course, correct.
And actually do things for
the betterment of people but
not just your pockets and your
friends pockets because people
are suffering.
I mean they really are And you
guys don't give a and it's
just it's a reflection of
the world around us.
Time has concluded.
Next is 813 and Andrea Avenue
then 8700 please email 8813.
There you go.
But I think you know I just
wanted to make a comment
regarding the protocol and then
you guys not wanting to have a
presentation or if you have
public engagement and
the public understand what it
is that you guys will be voting
on, that's that's an issue
That's a problem as it is
people are turned off by these
meetings because they don't
know what the is going on And
instantly you you're you know
you're talking about politics
and the subject just gets shut
down But it's because of how
you guys how you guys do things
here.
It's like gosh you should have
a presentation for people who
don't know what's happening at
least because you know you guys
only yesterday when have people
absent that like it's pretty
disappointing but so the way
they are because of how you
guys how you guys work or don't
work okay I got to say thank
you Thank you.
Next is Andrea I think if you
can please I'm you are being
I'm so glad to see that we have
First Amendment rights.
i would know that.
You know what I mean?
Like I have no idea We have
First Amendment rights in San
Diego because I use my First
Amendment rights to report
really violent crimes and
the abduction of my children,
the drugging of my children And
instead of anybody helping me
they removed charges and they
omitted my children from
reports and they prosecuted me
for almost six years for
reporting the crimes that took
place.
So I didn't even know we were
allowed to speak freely.
I didn't know we were allowed
to report crimes or opioid
distribution or insurance fraud
or the malfeasance taking place
from our local government
leaders who are actually
working in a rico enterprise
but doesn't want anyone to know
that that's what's taking
place.
>> But unfortunately for
everybody the local feds who
aren't doing their jobs are
being watched by the real feds
who are watching them not do
their jobs at this point
because it has gotten so far.
So we can carry on pretending
that people have First
Amendment rights in San Diego
They don't Come on, you say one
wrong word, you're cut off.
You're shut down.
You can't get on your you know
it's but the good thing is
the good news is there are so
many of us now and everybody's
coming together.
>> All these community
coalitions, whatever has been
happening here in San Diego is
definitely coming to an end And
i really hope that the people
have participated at that
level.
I go to prison because that's
what they deserve Their
children deserve everything our
children have suffered.
But I pray to GOD that they
don't ever experienced it but
their parents should their
parents experience prison time.
Thank you.
Finally a time I concluded
There are three speakers in
the queue and additional
speakers will be taken 8700
please I'm you.
Thank you Joyce in yellow for
the three again I was planning
on speaking on this but here we
go.
Excuse me PRESIDENT McCarver.
I do agree that I would ask you
to take a drink.
A coffee helps present a
couple.
I do agree that we we do so
many present ation you know
even 3 minutes or 5 minutes
would be so great Consider that
would you?
So again I'm not prepared but I
am prepared.
I love the First Amendment
rights and we need to fight
defense like this and keep it
and keep it.
We have First Amendment rights
right and council right now we
can say anything you want to
say.
It'll be on record.
You don't get it.
I'll say it Feel better because
you said it.
People will hear it.
It's on city tv, you know I
mean this is are we need more
people coming forward and you
know First Amendment rights in
this way.
So the only concern I have is
that we should be learned about
qualified immunity when I was
researching code section items
and that was new to me So I
just I don't know how qualified
immunity is handled nationally
or locally but I would say that
I hope that there's a more
balanced in there that we don't
because the proponents people
really love it.
It keeps you all since you know
the overabundance of lawsuits
coming forward and
the proponents like
the opponents if I can say this
right, I think that it you
know, it allows officials
perhaps a little too much
leeway to not have to come
forward in litigation.
So I don't know the full truth
of all the facts in that, but I
do know that I want First
Amendment rights and thank you
for that Comments or your time
has concluded 7499 And then
Ernie Casco 749 Please on
behalf it's good here again I
don't have any prepared
comments on the second but I do
want to add my voice to
the concerns expressed by many
of the previous speakers.
I also want to thank each of
those speakers for researching
these items and voicing their
concerns for the rest of us.
Thank you to all speakers who
take their time to address this
Council.
However, I do want to correct
Joyce and others comments
regarding our freedom to speak
at this Council.
As many of you know I was sued
by the city's contractor for
California Adventure for my
speeches exposing their actions
at the Torrey Pines Glider
port.
The court erroneously
determined that that business
somehow is a private citizen,
that those are private citizens
and I cannot show what they're
doing in our glider port
without defaming them.
And I was not protected by
the fact that they were public
figures.
In fact they were determined
somehow not be public figures
Even though they're operating
our own city park the city
should have stepped in to help
and correct that but the city
did not.
So we do not have the free
speech that Joyce and yada has
expressed and I hope the city
will take action to correct
that in the future.
Thank you.
>> Next and our final speaker
is Ernie Casco, if you can
please on Yes.
Speaking on item 500 and
the crimes are reported to your
office, Joe LaCava and San
Diego Police Department I just
heard some serious violations.
Your leaseholder tried to end
my life.
He killed a pilot, assaulted me
the following day breaking my
back was sued for $50,000, came
back and switched my wing when
I landed Crash landed on a
building After that he poisoned
me.
Where is my police report?
Joe LaCava Why haven't you
taken action when there is a
legal solution on your desk?
I want to know I've asked many
a time out for you to take
action.
We have our back speech
recreational scandal petition
to stop the illegal
commercialization and
privatization of San Diego
parks with a town council
source association unanimously
support to reconvene the Torrey
Pines Advisory Board and
implement the San Diego
recreational waiver that would
end the dispute.
It's a win for city
liabilities, restores our
recreational rights and
freedoms for years to come.
It's the best decision you can
make If you want me to walk
away while you blatantly rob
America, City Council is still
liable and needs to address
victims and witnesses who have
been damaged and dying of stage
four cancer Because your
leaseholder poison me with a
biohazard you need to take
action to stop the corruption
within your own administration
.
Implement the San Diego
recreational waiver immediately
not send me down another rabbit
hole that ends nowhere.
Your time has concluded and
that concludes public comment
on this item.
All right.
Thank you, City Clerk And with
that we'll take it over to
council members Questions,
comments entertain a motion and
I'll go ahead and move item as
500 and a second by Council
PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee Not
anybody else in the lights
again we have a motion by
myself and a second by council
PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee to move
the recommendation on this 500
word Please call the roll Start
the voting system Please cast
your vote that passes
unanimously 5 to 0 with
Councilor Moreno.
Councilmember Camp, you had a
Ron Wilbur and council member
whip or an absent Thank you
Council PRESIDENT.
All right.
Thank you With that we will now
take up non agenda public
comment Council members respect
and appreciate the public
support and are fully committed
to protecting every
participant's free speech
rights at council and committee
meetings.
Clerk Please proceed with
public comment.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Pearl 2.7
knowledge that a 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 note if there are eight
or more speakers on a single
topic the maximum time for
the topic will be 60 Minutes If
you're in chambers like some
other speakers up If you are
virtual please press star nine
on the raise your hand
participant There are no
speakers here in chambers
starting the five minute timer
going to those participating
remotely.
We currently have six speakers
and like you starting with
William Pittman if you can
please unmute we're beginning
Academy for you.
There you go.
Yeah go.
I got it.
Hi everyone.
Thanks for the morning meeting
today.
I come from the Francisco Bay
Area.
>> They take the Brown Act
public meeting process really
seriously and they play it by
the book And it's I mean you
have to practice the protocols
and decorum of the public
meeting process to the letter
And it's really nice to be in
San Diego that you guys are
just a bit more loose about it.
Thank you.
I will do my best to practice
public meeting decorum and that
I feel it's important to
practice it but thank you that
that you can listen and that
First Amendment rights are
really important here in San
Diego and that we respect them
and and we're trying to not
have said that we're allowed to
talk about issues that
the public thank you for
allowing that and good luck How
we address that together as a
community sounds like an
interesting item Previously to
allow public comment I wanted
to comment also from yesterday
.
Yeah that I was really
impressed by Councilperson
Brett with words on what are we
actually going to be working on
as a as a city in these tough
budget times?
I really believe that what's
happened with the Trump issues
it's not necessarily Trump or
conservative right wing ism
It's just that we see a better
way.
I think a better way is
presenting it to us what is
possible and what to work
towards I mean truly best
practices and best goals And I
don't think we should shy away
from those things.
I really hope we make
the efforts to talk about
the future tech accountability
and how we can do things
smarter and better principal
and that that is no crime to
work on And that's not a
partizan issue.
That should be a consensus
community sharing issue that we
need to really talk about this
year and not feel afraid to
talk about it in this election
year.
So good luck How we can be
doing that.
>> Thank you.
Thank you.
Next history on Scully than
the original bacon please and
nutrients.
>> Good morning San Diego Scuse
me San Diego City Council Chair
LaCava My name is Marianne
Skelly and I'm here as a
planning group attendee and a
community volunteer.
Yesterday I described one of
the teen programs at our high
schools that are important to
me and the safety to all of us
here in the city.
It's called the Start Smart
Program.
It's a program to reduce drunk,
drugged and distracted driving
by teens.
The conversation yesterday
regarding Budget Media Report
and the proposed 2027 budget
should be an opportunity to
reflect on the cost of drunk,
drugged and distracted driving
by teens and others in
the city.
Marijuana and other drug
impaired driving imposes
significant budgetary,
operational and financial
strains on first responders
police, fire, emergency and
hospital personnel.
These costs include specialized
training, extended incident
response times, forensic
toxicology and prosecution
often totaling hundreds of
thousands of dollars per
incident.
And of course and of course
the cost to families and to
neighborhoods.
Are incapable recognizing
the enormous budget impact of
marijuana use and impaired
driving should prompt us to ask
what could our city do to
interpreted the cost to use
marijuana then drive.
We should ask what do the huge
imposing marijuana billboards
suggest?
Is the answer?
Is it time to revisit our
billboard policies?
If only from a budget
perspective the commercializing
and promotion of marijuana use
is a cost intensive unnecessary
expense.
Thank you for allowing me to
speak today.
>> Thank you.
Next is the original then 8700
Background Original Police And
there you go.
>> So interesting to see all of
the cover ups that take place
in the city.
And it's also interesting to
know that we live in a world
where our children are being
sacrificed actually being
eaten.
It's called jerky with
different names for it, you
know, and they drain their
blood and stuff.
But you got to scare them first
because you know you've got to
get adrenal in in that blood so
then they can drain it.
So they've got to be tortured,
you know, and it's interesting
that, you know, things like
this can come out and just do
it doesn't bother, you know,
who you know, children being
sexually abused or they have
their teeth taken out so that
when they're you know, doing
sexual favors for people it's
better you know?
And we live in a world where
many of these children come
from foster care and better
groups from their families.
And it's interesting because
you guys you know also
incentivized a bunch of
children, unaccompanied minors
to come across the border.
You had a few thousand in
the convention center where you
were surely vaccinating them
during pregnancy tests and
different things.
And then like a month later
they just disappeared because
they got their sponsor.
Right.
And then, you know, hundreds of
thousands of those children
have not been checked.
But that's not a problem.
Right.
Let's worry about what ice is
doing now.
Let's worry about, you know,
making sure you guys see people
and are protected.
Why don't you guys care about
those things Or you can close
it And that that's why I think
everybody should be asking if
people are pedophiles.
Because if you don't care about
the things that are going on
with children, they must be
engaged in the abuse of them.
And even just sitting there
silent is complicity to men.
So the battle versus good is
evil and so on and the struggle
Your time has concluded After
8700 and back you rep the 700
please unmute Star six.
Thank you Joy.
So you had a cd3 First of all a
couple of things before I began
budget I'll speak on
the Colorado River crisis next
week.
I'm going to do the budget
today and then a council
PRESIDENT Pro tem I hope I said
that right yesterday about I'll
say it again but I know it's
edited.
You said something that's close
to this.
I think what you do on a daily
basis to remove the structural
budget deficit I forgot to say
yesterday is that from an
operational standpoint?
So I just hope I'm saying that
right about you.
I love your work.
You're very good.
Thank you.
So the budget okay.
Last night it was easy for me
to say what I want for the f y
27 budget yet I did find it a
bit uncomfortable to speak at
my cuts.
I need to do much better on
cuts at the upcoming budget
hearings.
No Council member zero s Blair
related to I loved what he said
and I think is absolutely
verbatim What city are we
trying to be?
>> Excuse me what city are to
be those that have the most
share?
What city are we trying to be?
I know you said that and I
added this those that have
the most share So then I think
I'm right on that that question
and that's terrific.
Let's put that on the top of
all of our budget to
deliberations to expand on a
little bit you're going to
probably have to cut me off
pretty quick point on the I'm
going to expand on are one
people one San Diego I want to
broaden one.
I'm sorry your time has
concluded.
We'll hear from you again next
week but you wrap if you can
unmute.
>> Good morning Council
PRESIDENT And council members.
My name is Becky Rapp and again
I'd like to thank you for
the opportunity to speak today
and I want to acknowledge that
Vision Zero was recently
discussed at the Active
Transportation and
Infrastructure Committee and I
appreciate the city's continued
commitment to eliminating
traffic fatalities and serious
injuries.
Vision Zero is an important
public health goal and it
reflects our responsibility to
make San Diego streets safer
for everyone.
We know that lowering speed
limits and redesigning streets
are critical strategies.
Speed directly impacts crash
severity and when drivers are
attentive and sober reducing
speeds absolutely saves lives.
However, if Vision Zero is
going to be truly effective, we
must also address one of
the most significant
contributors to severe and
fatal crashes and that's drug
and alcohol impairment.
Nationally, about 1 in 3
traffic fatalities involves an
impaired driver.
A posted sign alone will not
change the behavior of someone
who is under the influence.
Impaired drivers have slower
reaction time reduced judgment
and are more likely to speed or
ignore traffic signals
altogether.
If we're serious about
achieving zero traffic deaths,
prevention must be part of
the process and that includes
incorporating drug and alcohol
prevention efforts, public
education campaigns and
meaningful visible enforcement
.
A simple but very impactful
suggestion would be to remove
all billboards promoting and
advertising marijuana products
in our city.
I urge the Council to ensure
that its Vision zero policies
move forward.
Impaired driving prevention is
not treated as a separate issue
but as a core piece of
the city's traffic safety
strategy.
>> Thank you very much.
Thank you.
Next is Andrea Arena.
The five minute timer did
conclude our six speakers and
the keynote additional speakers
will be taken.
Andrea Irving then 8813 then
7499.
>> Hi this is Andrea having a i
am a victim of a horrific
violent crime here in San
Diego.
My children were abducted
driven across the country on a
permanently suspended license
by a felony charge strangler.
Our county and city have
abandoned all of us completely.
I'm not talking about this in
past tense.
This is a current issue.
This is not going away.
I didn't forget about my
children and the filthy pig
bottom feeding alcoholic pig
drug court judge who was at one
point a family court judge.
Her name is Paula Rosenstein.
You might find her on the bar
of the night owl at 6 A.M.
Being sloughed off so she can
go into her courtroom and body
broker that pig sold my
children for rehab kickbacks.
That's not a past tense thing.
It's never going to go away.
And our mob boss D.A. Better be
on alert that the real feds are
watching her and her husband.
That's why he had to step down
four years early.
We need to look at the larger
system.
Ernie, the guy who was talking
earlier are you kidding me?
Are you guys kidding me?
Seriously, this many cover ups
,this many removals of police
reports everybody is in really,
really deep trouble right now
and I hope everyone sees it
coming to them in slow motion
because it won't be stopped.
I can assure you one thing this
was a started off as a case
where you know anybody could
have done their job and then
law enforcement would have
helped us.
Victim services would have
helped us But no family courts
didn't help us.
No.
Everybody's a pig in a bottom
feeder.
Everybody wants a little bit of
blood money.
But guess what?
Now it's a rico case and firms
from all over the country are
salivating for this case.
And Ernie and anyone who's
experienced the alteration of
charges, removal of records,
alteration of court records
let's collaborate.
Let's make it a rico case for
all.
>> Thank you so much.
Your time has concluded
81317499813 please and mute
your eye Matt.
>> Yep.
Can you hear me?
Yes.
Please proceed.
Okay.
Here.
Amen to Andrea Irvin.
Thank you so much for that.
And so first stop for
the concerned citizen with
stage four cancer.
Ernie, I believe that's your
name.
Thank you so much.
I felt that fire and I do hope
that justice is served.
>> It's crucial that more of
the public participate in these
government agency meetings from
the county to Phenix to
the city council to the city
council.
They continue to gather with so
much and it's all by design.
They need the public disengaged
and distracted with other
things especially just trying
to get by a county full of
people barely surviving when
they should be thriving
especially here in San Diego.
The programing and
indoctrination runs deep Many
government employees under
the illusion that they're
simply doing their job and
contributing to progress.
Biggest delusion ever.
I'd like to take the rest of my
time to speak on the United
Nations agenda for the 21st
century.
It's real.
It's here.
They've moved incrementally an
intentionally doing things
right under our noses then
convincing us it's for our
safety our benefit that just
sick twisted inverted system It
has the people rooting for
their own enslavement.
I urge the public to at least
acknowledge that these local
government agencies are failing
the people.
They've only been effective in
getting more people dependent
on them for them all by design,
all for control like that San
Diego, thanks for your
comments.
Yes it does.
Thank you.
7499 If you can please unmute
Bob Kozinski here.
As I've mentioned yesterday
the city government including
Todd Gloria, Joe LaCava and
this entire council has been
allowing a private business to
abuse its role in managing one
of our most iconic city parks
at the Torrey Pines Glider
port.
As I also mentioned yesterday,
it's certainly reasonable for
the city to purchase products
from outside vendors.
It's even reasonable for
the city to purchase outside
services.
But it is unreasonable and
inappropriate for the city to
force citizens into business
and membership relationships
with private businesses in
order to access city services
and resources including access
to our city parks.
That's where you've crossed
the line.
There is no reason why this
city can't manage the Torrey
Pines glider port just as
the city manages our beaches
and parks and tennis courts and
volleyball courts and dog parks
and streets and sidewalks and
even this building itself.
Imagine if the city turned over
control of this building to a
private business who decided
that anyone who testified
against them would not be
allowed in this building or
allowed to call in to this
council?
Yet that's exactly what's
happening at our Torrey Pines
City Park.
Let's remember all of these
abuses from red light cameras
to forced relationships with
private businesses for city
communications to not accepting
cash for parking in our
structures to force memberships
with private businesses to use
our city parks.
These are all abuses that arise
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 left wing council members
and Mayor would very quickly
accuse conservatives of putting
business interests above
the public.
If you observed any of these
actions by conservatives but
here you are doing exactly
the same thing every single day
Reactivate the Torrey Pines
City Park Advisory Board and
implement the Torrey Pines
waiver.
Now thank you.
>> Next is Madison if you can
please and mute then Arnie
Casco and Michael Schmitz our
final speaker.
All right.
Thank you.
Good morning, council members.
Last week the Public Health
Institute announced findings
from a major longitudinal study
published in jama Health Forum.
The study's followed 463,000
adolescents and young adults.
It found that teens who
reported past year cannabis use
at double the risk of
developing psychotic disorders
and doubled the risk of
developing bipolar disorder and
young adulthood.
They also faced significant
higher risks of depression and
anxiety.
Importantly, the cannabis use
came first.
>> On average the use proceeded
psychiatric diagnoses by nearly
two years.
This strengthens the evidence
that adolescent cannabis
exposure is not just correlated
with but MAY contribute to
serious mental illness.
Adolescent cannabis use remains
common.
The risks are rising while
the perception of harm is
falling.
The study also found higher
rates of cannabis use among
youths enrolled in Medicaid and
those living in more
socioeconomically deprived
neighborhoods.
That means commercialization
MAY be widening mental health
disparities something our city
cannot ignore.
I urge the City Council to
strengthen local restrictions
on youth targeted cannabis
marketing support funding for
school and community based
prevention programs require
clear prominent warnings about
high potency thc products and
partner with pediatric
providers to expand screening
and early intervention for
cannabis use.
The mental health of our young
people is worth fighting for.
Thank you.
Next, is there any Casco?
>> Yes.
Hello.
Ernie Casco, Senior resident
pilot.
Torrey Pines Glider apart.
Yeah.
My home was invaded and I
reported to you and you did
nothing about it and it was
invaded again.
Torrey Pines Glider part is
well documented on your desk.
Your lease holder is breaking
the law.
I should not be forced to sign
a lease holder waiver when city
liabilities are already covered
by California recreational
Statutes law.
This is misappropriation of
public funding going into
private accounts and demands a
full transparent city audit
that would end the dispute by
exposing it.
It's illegal for anyone
including your city leaseholder
to force anyone into a license
and a contract for our freedom.
You've turned our freedom into
privilege.
>> This is unacceptable under
any terms, conditions or
circumstances allowing this
crime to continue is a
violation of your oath of
office.
Joe LaCava Time for you to step
out of office.
We have a petition Black Beach
recreational scandal to stop
the illegal commercialization
of Torrey Pines Glider port and
San Diego Parks with hundreds
of signatures demanding
authorities take action.
We have a unanimous letter of
support from town council
the Shores Association to
reconvene the Torrey Pines
Advisory Board permanently as
needed for public safety and
oversight at Torrey Pines Glad
to Port City Council has a
beautiful solution known as
the San Diego Recreational
waiver that would end
the dispute.
The San Diego recreational
waiver stops city leaseholder
internal corruption by
separating your screwed up
business with free public
access and rights.
San Diego Recreational Waiver
Isolate safety concerns Secure
single city liabilities
restores our recreational
rights and freedoms and
addresses the victim and
witnesses that have been
damaged by your administration.
Poor decisions It's time for
City Council to make good
decisions and restore
recreational rights and
freedoms for years to come.
By implementing the San Diego
recreational waiver, it's
the best decision you can make.
Joe LaCava.
If you want me to walk away
while you blatantly rob
American.
Your time has concluded.
Michael Schmidt your final
speaker please unmute.
>> Good morning my lovely
friends Diana.
Hi.
I was going to home because I
just found out today that
puppies will drive in on
driverless Google Drive is
situated in their traffic
signal sign.
It needs a replacement as soon
as possible and second to
everything from yesterday to I
.
That concludes your comments.
Yes and thank you.
That concludes on agenda public
comment for today's meeting.
>> All right.
Thank you City clerk With that
we will now adjourn for
the noon recess and reconvene
open session at 2 P.M. Or
shortly thereafter.
Thank you
.
>> And
I
will go
and
All right, good
afternoon.
I will now reconvene the city
council meeting of Tuesday,
February 24th, 2026.
Clerk Please call the roll.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Council
Member Campbell here Council
Member Whitburn here Council
Member Foster Council Member
Von Wilpert Council PRESIDENT
Pro Tem Lee Council Member
Campo Council Member Moreno
Present Council member Eli
Rivera and Council PRESIDENT
LaCava present.
Also attending the meeting are
Assistant City Attorney Leslie
Fitzgerald, Independent Budget
Analyst Charles Mollica,
Council Affairs Advisor in
the Mayor's office, Code
advisor and myself your city
Clerk Diana Fuentes Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT All right.
Thank you City Clerk.
Quorum is now present with that
clerk Please introduce item 332
Item 332 is the Preservation
and Progress package a if you
would like to speak to this
item please be sure to submit
Your speaker slips to the front
of the room in the clear box.
If you are seating time please
be sure that you're submitting
your speaker slip with
the person that you are seating
time to.
They should be coming up
together and if you are virtual
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 With that as
you settle in please introduce
yourselves for the record and
let us know how much time you
need.
Thank you very much.
Good afternoon.
I'm Kelly Stanko, deputy
director of the Climate
Preservation and Public Spaces
Division in the City Planning
Department.
I'll need about 20 minutes for
my presentation today.
>> All right.
When you're ready.
Thank you so much.
Good afternoon.
Council PRESIDENT LaCava,
members of the City Council I
am pleased to present to you
today package a of preservation
and progress a comprehensive
update to the city's heritage
preservation program.
The goals of preservation in
progress are to advance equity
and preservation, ensure
the program is equitable and
fiscally responsible in its
implementation, identify and
protect historical properties
and districts Reform Permit
processes to better encourage
adaptive reuse of historic
buildings on their original
site and adopt objective design
standards for historic
properties and districts and
remove regulations that
unnecessarily impact properties
that lack significance.
Staff has grouped the updates
into Package a and Package b in
a package which is before you
today includes items that are
not significantly complex and
that do not involve amendments
to the historical resources
regulations or historical
resources guidelines.
Package b which we'll be
developing this year includes
updates that are more complex
in nature that do include
updates to the historical
resources, regulations and
guidelines or that require more
extensive environmental
analysis.
The items included today in
Package eight include
amendments to the historic
preservation element and
appendix f of the city's
general plan Amendments to
the Land Development Code of
the city's Municipal Code
including amendments to
the appeal process for historic
designations, clarifying
amendments to the applicability
of complete community housing
solutions and emerging and
thematic historic districts and
other cleanup items and updates
to the city's historic
Preservation Fund to focus on
the advancement of equity and
historic preservation.
Looking first at the amendments
to the general plan staff is
proposing updates to
the narrative sections of
the historic preservation
element that include an updated
discussion regarding Native
American resources and
consultation to incorporate new
laws that have gone into effect
since 2008 and updated
discussion of the San Diego
Municipal Code requirements to
remove detailed discussion of
regulatory requirements and
permit processing consistent
with other general plan
elements.
Removal of references to
conservation areas a failed
concept that was explored with
the 2008 General Plan and
the addition of language
regarding the identification,
interpretation and celebration
of buildings in areas that are
ineligible for designation but
nevertheless important to
the community as well as minor
updates to outdated language
terminology and the number of
resources on the city's
register policy updates within
the historic preservation
element include incorporating
policies regarding tribal
cultural resources and
consultation with
the culmination to have that
have been included or in recent
community plan updates removal
of the concept of conservation
areas and replacement with
language regarding celebration
and interpretation of
properties that do not meet
the criteria for historic
designation Ensuring that
preservation efforts recognize
and celebrate the histories of
all communities including
groups that have been
traditionally underrepresented
in the city's historic
preservation work encouraging
the use of objective design
standards for development on
sites with historic resources
and promoting the use of
sustainable materials and
practices in restoring
resources and developing
mitigation strategies to
address climate change impacts
.
Appendix f of the General Plan
provides a summary of San Diego
history The City Planning
Department is currently in
begun work on a city wide
historic context statement that
explores the historical themes
and events that have shaped
the city's built environment.
The context statement will be
completed in approximately 2 to
3 years and Appendix f will be
comprehensively updated when
that work is complete.
In the interim staff is
proposing updates to better
address tribal cultural history
as well as the impact of past
zoning and lending practices on
segregation and lack of
infrastructure investment
including reference to Appendix
a of the housing element which
provides a detailed discussion
of these topics.
>> Preservation and Progress
package include several
amendments to the Land
Development Code of the city's
Municipal Code in regard to
the Historical Resources Board
appointments in terms
the deadline for the mayor to
appoint a chair to the hrp will
be extended from APRIL 15th to
APRIL 30th 30th to better align
with Historical Resources Board
Docketing timelines.
>> Additionally staff is
proposing to incorporate a
degree of flexibility to
the appointment of technical
experts and professionals to
the Historical Resources Board
.
Five of the 11 board seats are
required to be filled by
technical experts in the field
of architecture, landscape
architecture, architectural
history, history and
archeology.
If one of those seats is
vacant, the board is unable to
carry out its duties under
the code.
The proposed amendments add
that if a qualified volunteer
cannot be found to fill one of
the five professional seats,
that seat MAY be filled by a
second professional from one of
the other preservation related
disciplines with no more than
two professionals from the same
field on the board in those
professional seats.
While the city will always
endeavor to have each of
the five professional seats
filled by their respective
technical experts, this
amendment will provide much
needed flexibility in the event
that a qualified volunteer
cannot be found when a vacancy
arises.
>> Amendments are proposed
related to noticing and
the time limit for review by
the Historical Resources Board.
The amendments to noticing or
cleanup items to align with
other city noticing
requirements.
A clarifying amendment is also
included to clearly state that
the 90 day time limit for
the board's consideration of a
designation action starts with
the first hrp meeting in which
the designation is considered.
>> Amendments are also proposed
related to appeals of historic
designations by the Historical
Resources Board a decision by
the Historical Resources Board
to designate a historical
resource can be appealed to
the City Council when
the current appeal process was
developed.
The city Council at that time
opted to defer the question of
significance to the Historical
Resources Board and retained
more limited oversight over
designation actions.
As a result, the City Council
currently MAY only grant an
appeal and overturn a
designation if there are
factual errors in materials or
information presented to
the board.
Violations of bylaws or hearing
procedures or new information
that speaks to why the resource
is not significant In recent
years.
The current city Council has
expressed interest in expanding
their oversight of the appeal
process to include
reconsideration of the historic
designation itself.
The amendments will add a
fourth finding of findings not
supported consistent with
the appeal process for
development permits.
This would allow the City
Council to reconsider
the designation itself by
looking at the information that
was presented to the historic
Historical Resources Board when
they considered designation and
adopted findings to designate
the property and determine
whether the board's findings
are supported by
the information in the record
Before moving on from this
amendment, I did want to note
that when the proposed
amendments were first presented
at public meetings,
the amendments included adding
the ability to appeal to
the Historical Resources Board
does not designate a property
which cannot be appealed or
under the current regulations.
The Policy Subcommittee of
the Historical Resources Board
recommend that the new ability
to appeal when a property is
not designated be limited to
the property owner which was
what was presented to
the Historical Resources Board.
This raised concerns related to
due process and consistency
with other appeal processes and
so ultimately adding
the ability to appeal when a
property is not designated has
been removed from preservation
and progress package a which
will retain the status quo in
regard to board decisions to
not designate additional more
minor amendments related to
appeals of historic
designations include aligning
appeal filing requirements with
other city appeal processes as
well as adding a deadline to
docket the appeal within 180
days of the appeal filing.
Currently there is no deadline
and appeals remain pending for
years when the property owner
does not wish to proceed to an
appeal hearing.
This amendment would require
the issue of significance and
designation to be settled and
finalized within a reasonable
time frame.
>> Amendments are proposed to
San Diego Municipal Code
section 1 to 3.0206 That will
clarify the role of the board
and the city Council in
reviewing National Register
nominations consistent with
the National Historic
Preservation Act and the city's
responsibilities as a certified
local government.
>> The Last Land Development
Code Amendment is a clarifying
amendment to the Complete
Communities Housing Solutions
regulations which will clarify
that complete communities is
allowed within thematic and
emerging historic districts.
If the property is not a
designated contributing
resource there's currently one
dramatic historic district
the Chinese I eight Chinese
Asian dramatic historic
district downtown and one
emerging historical district
the Ocean Beach Cottage
Emerging Historical District in
the city.
This does not change how
thematic and historic I'm sorry
thematic and emerging
historical districts have
always been regulated by
the city and is consistent with
the city's historical district
procedures which clearly state
that only contributing
resources are regulated.
>> a traditional historic
district has a more compact
geographic boundary with a high
concentration of contributing
resources that embody why
the district is significant and
a low concentration of resource
non contributing resources
which do not embodies
the district's significance.
All properties within a
traditional historic district
boundary are therefore
regulated to different degrees
to preserve the sense of place
and significance of
the historic district.
The two maps on the screen show
two of the city's traditional
historical districts Sherman
Heights and the South Eastern
Community Planning area shown
on the left and South Park in
the greater Golden Hill
planning area as shown on
the right.
Both of these districts have
tightly defined geographic
boundaries and a high
concentration of contributing
resources indicated on the map
with pink dots In Sherman
Heights 70 per 74% of the 529
properties within the district
boundary are contributing And
in South Park 73% of the 407
properties within the district
boundary boundary are
contributing all properties
within the boundaries that
these districts are regulated
to different degrees to
preserve the historic nature of
the district and the distinct
sense of place.
The Matic and emerging historic
districts are different from
traditional historic districts.
Their boundaries can be much
larger and they only have
contributing meet resources
that meet the theme and convey
the significance of
the district.
If a property within
the boundary of a thematic or
emerging historical district is
not designated as a
contributing resource to
the district, it is not
regulated.
Looking at the Ocean Beach
Cottage emerging Historical
district specifically
the boundary shown here in
Orange encompasses the original
Ocean Beach subdivision and
represents the area in which
eligible beach cottages
constructed between 1887 and
1931 can be found.
The area encompasses
approximately 3000 parcels.
Only 72 of those parcels about
2.4% are designated as
contributing resources to
the district.
The remaining 2900 plus parcels
have never been regulated as
part of the district.
Since its designation in 2000
and the proposed amendments
would clarify that complete
community housing solutions can
be utilized on those parcels.
The historic district will
remain in place and
the designated contributing
resources will continue to be
regulated as they always have
been.
>> Looking at the Ocean Beach
Cottage Emerging Historical
District which is thematically
based compared to a traditional
historical district like South
Park you can see the vastly
different concentration of
contributing resources and why
only contributing resources are
regulated as part of a
thematically based district
such as the Ocean Beach Cottage
Emerging historical District.
>> This is explicitly stated in
the Historical Resources Board
procedure on establishing
historic districts which states
in regard to the Ocean Beach
Cottage emerging historic
district quote only those
properties identified in
designated as contributors are
currently regulated and quote
additionally to be designated
as a contributing resource to
the Ocean Beach Cottage
Emerging Historical District a
property must be volunteered by
the property owner for
designation.
>> The proposed amendment to
the Complete Community's
Housing Solutions regulations
which cannot be used within
designated historical districts
in order to preserve
the concentrated collective
significance of a traditional
historic district is a
clarifying amendment.
The prohibition was never
intended to entire apply to
the entire boundary of a
thematic or emerging historical
district where the district is
just the contributing resources
and nothing else.
This does not impact how
the contributing resources
within these districts are
regulated or how staff has
always applied the regulations.
Complete community housing
solutions will continue to be
prohibited on contributing
properties within emerging and
historic thematic historic
districts and permitted on
properties that are not
designated as contributing
resources.
>> The last item in
Preservation and Progress
Package a is a change to
the city's historic
preservation Fund which
primarily receives revenue from
civil penalties and enforcement
fees from unpermitted
alteration of historical
resources.
There are presently
approximately 100 $100,000 in
the fund.
The proposed changes would
focus defined expenditures on
work that advances equity in
historic preservation such as
funding efforts that support
the identification sation and
preservation of resources
significant for their
association with cultural
groups and communities that are
underrepresented in historic
preservation as well as direct
financial assistance to very
low and low income owners of
historic properties to assist
with maintenance and
restoration.
>> Preservation and Progress
package was presented at three
public meetings of
the Historical Resources
Board's Policy Subcommittee in
JULY, AUGUST and OCTOBER of
2025.
Staff also held Virtual Public
Workshop on OCTOBER 8th, 2025
where all items were presented
and staff responded to
questions and feedback.
>> On OCTOBER 23rd
the Historical Resources Board
considered the item a motion to
recommend adoption of package
as presented which at that time
included the added ability for
a property owner to appeal when
a property is not designated by
the board failed with a vote of
four in favor and six opposed a
follow up motion to recommend
adoption of package a subject
to removal of the added ability
to appeal when a property is
not designated and a request to
do just that.
A discussion regarding
the number of votes required to
designate a resource be
included in preservation
progress Package b also failed
with a with a vote of five in
favor for opposed and one
abstention.
There were no additional
motions and the Board's
consideration of Preservation
in progress package a concluded
without a recommendation.
The two primary areas of
discussion for the historical
Resources Board were the added
ability to appeal when a
property is not designated and
the fourth appeal finding being
added to the appeal process.
In the first case there was
disagreement over who should be
able to appeal when a property
is not designated.
And as to the added appeal
finding there was concern from
some board members that adding
that finding would dilute
the subject matter expertise
that the historical Resources
Board provides on considering
historic designations of those
two items.
The first item the ability to
add when a property be able to
appeal when a property is not
designated has been removed
from the package that is no
longer included and adding
the fourth appeal finding is
still before the council and is
the policy decision as to which
council would prefer
the current appeal process or
the proposed fourth finding as
well.
>> On OCTOBER 28th
the Community Partners
Committee voted 28 to 0 two
zero to oppose preservation in
progress Package a and
recommend that the proposed
findings not supported appeal
finding be removed that
the voting requirements for
the Historical Resources Board
be changed to a simple majority
of board members present to
designate and that the ability
to appeal historical resources
board decisions to not
designate a property be added
back into package a.
Lastly, on NOVEMBER 6th
the Planning Commission voted
unanimously to recommend
approval of Preservation and
Progress Package a as presented
The Land Use and Housing
Committee reviewed Preservation
and Progress package on JANUARY
15th and unanimously
unanimously recommended
approval with a recommendation
to report on the use of the new
appeal finding As part of
the Board's annual written
reports the Council the City of
San Diego joins the other
largest cities in the nation
and being a certified local
government meaning that
the city's historic
preservation program has been
certified by the California
State Office of Historic
Preservation and the National
Park Service to pursuant to
the National Historic
Preservation Act as a certified
local government we are
required to submit changes to
the city's historic
Preservation Ordinance to
the California State Office of
Historic Preservation.
On OCTOBER 23rd the state
office confirmed that they have
no objections to the proposed
changes and supports the city's
efforts.
>> Therefore staff is
recommending that the City
Council approved
the resolutions and ordinances
for Preservation and Progress
Package a including
the resolution adopting
the amendments to the Historic
Preservation Element and
Appendix offer the general Plan
The Ordinance adopting
amendments to the land
Development Code of
the Municipal Code and
the Resolution adopting
amendments The purpose and
intended Use of the Historic
Preservation Fund.
This concludes my presentation
today.
Thank you.
All right.
Thank you for the presentation
And with that.
Clerk please introduce item
three Excuse me.
>> With that please proceed
with public comment.
Thank you.
I will proceed with public
comment.
We have quite a number of
speakers here in chambers as
well as online so we will be
going to a minute apiece If we
can start with the following
individuals and if they can
please come up to the yellow
reserved seats and the front
seats.
Jennifer Ayala Ion Stiegler
Mandy Havlik Wesley Morgan,
David Swarns, Stephanie
Benevento and Jeff Hunter.
If you can all please come up
to the front row and Jennifer
Ayala if you can please come up
to the microphone.
>> Is this on?
Yes it is.
Thank you.
Good afternoon.
Council PRESIDENT And council
members.
My name is Jennifer Yarbrough I
colleague Access Planning and
Research where I head our
historical resources practice I
want to briefly respond to any
claims that might be made
today.
I do not believe that
the clarification should be
necessary but given
the testimony that's been given
in the past it is important to
clearly state what package does
or does not do and support
the work staff has presented
Package does not change
designation criteria.
It does not reduce protections
for designated resources.
It does not eliminate expert
review.
It does not alter the 45 year
review process and it does not
speed up development.
The added findings are
supported Appeal Ground does
not create an open ended
political override.
The Council would remain bound
by the city's adopted
designation criteria and would
determine whether Hrb findings
are supported by
the substantial evidence in
the record.
This clarification is aligned
with many other California
cities and counties where
the elected governing body
makes the final designation
decisions.
Thank you very much.
Thank you for that concluding
statement.
>> I am Stigler.
Yeah, Hi I'm I own Stigler
foia, a preservation architect
who has worked inside San
Diego's policy framework for
more than four decades.
I'm here as your memory and
under Republican Mayor Susan
Golding and City manager Jack
McGorry.
We spent over five years
hammering out today's status
quo on historic designation
appeals.
This is about that Fourth
Amendment that they're trying
to put in.
I did this together with
the Preservation Ordinance
Rewrite Committee a carefully
orchestrated bipartisan
committee on which were placed
two very pro property owner
attorneys Karl Zobel and
Marielena Burke.
As a lifelong Democrat and
frankly embarrassed that a
Democratic led city is now
attacking the long standing
historic Preservation Appeals
process over a handful of
designations a year and
shifting a technical evidence
based process into a political
one.
What is before you today is not
you.
It's a return to the de novo
model that the Council of Thank
you for that closed 30 years
ago after Minneapolis variance
with its flawed.
>> Thank you.
You have welcomed.
Thank you Manny.
You did not break with
the thumbs up or thumbs down.
The clapping we get a lot of
people want to hear from that
Just kind of slow the down So
thumbs up or thumbs down?
It's a very strong And
the little cards you got very
strong visuals up here.
Thank you Angela.
Better is sitting time so
you'll have two minutes.
Please proceed.
Thank you.
Good.
Good afternoon.
Council PRESIDENT And council
members.
My name is Bandy Havlik.
I am a longtime District two
community leader and advocate
and someone who spent years
working alongside residents and
planners to protect
the character and livability of
Ocean Beach.
My children attended Ocean
Beach Elementary and like many
families this isn't just a
neighbor said neighborhood I
visit.
It's a neighborhood that I have
roots in and I'm going to raise
my family.
I'm here because I'm deeply
committed to protecting
the place we call home.
Today is decision on
preservation and progress
Package is not just about
policy language.
>> It's about whether we
respect the intent behind
historic preservation and
community planning or whether
we allow technical changes to
weaken protections residents
have relied on for decades.
Ocean Beach is cottage
emergence.
An emerging historical district
exists because generations of
community members have
recognized that these small
cottages in the surrounding
neighborhood fabric define our
historic coastal identity.
The emerging the emerging
designation is reflecting
the unfinished work
specifically the city's
responsibility to complete a
comprehensive survey not an
invitation to limit protections
before that work is done.
Reducing the district to only
72 cottages ignores the broader
historic context and
the reality that many more
structures MAY qualify and
before altering policies in a
way that could permanently
shape Ocean Beach, the city
must complete the survey
process a meaningful and
meaningfully engaged a
community package raises
serious concerns because it
could open the door to
increased densities or programs
like complete communities
without adequate infrastructure
planning.
We already struggle with
parking availability lacking
infrastructure and coastal
climate issues.
We understand the need to
address home and affordability
issues and we just ask that
again to not to pause or amend
package for the community.
>> Thank you.
Thank you for that concluding
remark.
Wesley Morgan.
>> Good afternoon Council
members.
I am Wes Morgan and I want to
thank city staff for the two
years of public input and
engagement on this package.
It is a modest but important
step forward and I look forward
to more complex work to package
be on the topic of Washington
Beach.
The existence of 72 historic
cottages and a context
statement do not default an
entire community into a
historic district.
There is no state, national or
local criteria under which
the following in this community
would qualify as a geographic
historic district And if there
was the integrity requirement
simply is not met.
Roughly 2% of parcels are
contributing while recognized
districts require well over 50%
have demonstrated continuity of
character as well.
In fact designation is not
governed by rules and it is
governed by rules not sentiment
.
It's troubling to see respected
preservation groups shift from
those standards to broad claims
that the entire Obie community
is historic without documented
integrity.
It clarifies that complete
immunity does not apply to
historic cottages and never
will it apply only to non
historic parcels.
>> Thank you very much Stevens
David Swarns My pleasure.
David Simonds from Golden Hill.
I'm the owner of properties in
the two districts highlighted
by staff and was involved with
their adoption.
I mainly wish to address
the lack of good faith by
changing the rules midstream
and long term pipeline projects
specifically the proposed
district districts and from
community plan updates from 19
2016 including that
the original commitment was to
processes by Golden Hill by
2018 which was you know
sometime back.
Each year we've been told next
year this past week we were
told after this project because
of staff work commitments to
the preservation and progress
that's that's just that's
disingenuous and not it's not
and nobody ever told me life
was fair but it's supposed to
at least pretend to be fair.
I intend I still have concerns
about projects being under
sequel what packages and b as
well as recent related changes
to the general plan which rely
on and reference
the preservation program.
>> Stephanie Benevento My
apologies.
>> That was great.
My name is Stephanie Benvenuto
.
I'm here on the San Diego here
on behalf of the San Diego
Building Industry Association
we want to express our sincere
thank you to staff for putting
in so much work to create this
balanced starting policy
package.
We are very eager to see
package be move forward But for
today's consideration we again
want to reiterate that what our
industry looks for is
certainty, predictability and
clarity.
This is a very modest but very
important step forward in that
process and will help enhance
all of the pro housing work
that this council in this
administration has already done
to ensure that things are not
inappropriately sidelined
because of some confusion
around what policies mean with
regard to historicity.
So we appreciate your time
today.
Thank you very much And urge
your vote in support.
>> Jeff Tutor Jeff Tutor you
have several people sitting in
time if they can please raise
their hands And I know you have
a presentation.
We'll get that up as well.
David Modi If I haven't called
your hand don't don't raise it
yet.
Thank you.
The intent to give it.
Thank you.
Yvonne Jones.
Laura Hanson.
Paula Kruger.
Leslie Bruce.
Rick Roche.
Thank you.
Priscilla Birkby rg First of
all Oh sorry.
Elizabeth Kelly Thank you.
William MacLean Brook mp and
Deidre Lee Thank you.
You'll have 13 minutes.
I'll set the timer for you.
>> Great.
Thank you.
Council members.
One of the things I'd like to
do today is before we go to
something as substantial as
what we're going to do today,
there should have been some
more coherent analysis of what
the conditions are in San
Diego, how historic
preservation relates to us And
you know, we're sort of jumping
into the de novo process
without asking why historic
preservation itself is
important to us.
One of the things that I want
to show today is there's a lot
of misconceptions about
historic preservation And one
of the things is that destroyed
neighborhoods and older
neighborhoods in general are
more affordable for San Diego
and both homeowners and renters
they aren't freezing population
or diversity.
They're diversifying faster
than the rest of San Diego.
And finally the rehabilitation
and reuse of historic resources
is a much more sustainable
strategy than just tearing
buildings to the ground and
starting over.
So if you go to the next slide,
one of the things that we did I
just like to summarize
the historic context of
the story context I guess and
that is if you look at the next
slide how did we get here?
Well, what happened was is
there's a lot of statements
about San Diego being frozen in
time.
The reality is that when we
moved on fully to an automobile
culture and the city expanded
north of I-80 to the first
Claremont Mesa Kearny, Mesa,
Serrano mesa, etc. We really
just left behind those existing
neighborhoods.
You know, when we look at
community plan updates for
South Bay communities, there's
never any economic development
plan no idea to bring jobs to
these areas.
There's always a lack of
infrastructure.
And one of the things that
sustained our South Bay
communities and this is
District two, three, eight and
nine is really been the fact
that we have these stabilizing
neighborhoods that are valued
by people despite the other
conditions that don't exist.
What happened is we expanded
out and then for purposes of
urban containment we said we're
not going to keep going any
further.
We've reflected that
development back And now that
we've decided that we want to
that we care about that city
again, we're at this contention
of should we allow people to
just mow down our neighborhoods
and start over or should we
take what we have today and
enhance it further?
>> So the next slide you know,
first I just like to so we
actually as the preservation
community we actually
commissioned a study by place
Economics which is a national
firm that specializes in
economic analysis of historic
districts that are actually
typically higher by planning
departments like Dallas,
Philadelphia, San Antonio State
higher them.
So there are very reputable
things So you don't have to
take my word for it.
You can actually take another
firm for it.
So one of the things we did in
this report is still in
preparation.
When it's done we'll share with
you.
But to kind of get to it first
I think the first thing is
believe it or not, additions
are growing faster than
the rest of the city.
So not only are we not stopping
development, we're actually
adding more people to historic
districts in San Diego than
the rest of the city at large.
And if you go to the next slide
and how is that happening?
A lot of infill development is
small scale development and it
doesn't look like we're adding
all this housing when in fact
we are.
And a perfect example of that
is any new development.
There are twice as many areas
being added to an historic
district and it's not just
south of a community.
These are actually designated
historic districts And we say
that we're making it illegal to
add housing or that historic
preservation and freezing
things in time.
This data clearly shows
the opposite is true.
We're adding twice as many
almost twice as many well one
and a half times as many areas
to historic districts as we're
adding to the rest of the city.
And how let's give an example
to put a picture on in the next
slide.
So this is an example of a win
win situation.
So this was a dilapidated
fourplex in Hillcrest.
The owners bought this
property, they rehabilitated
it, taken advantage of
the mills So it's got all these
original windows into very
beautiful building.
But on top of that they added
to areas to this property.
So we we did the best of
historic preservation and we
did the best of infill housing
in this project and these
things are possible.
So go into the next slide.
>> The other thing is about
diversity.
So because as historic
properties older properties
tend to be smaller in San Diego
and they tend to be in more
diversified areas anyway we're
finding that
the diversification of historic
district is actually a very
rapid process.
We're not freezing things a
place again and this is not
only true for people who live
in these areas but that's also
true for homeownership.
And so this is an important
part of that going to the next
slide.
And again this gets back to
the different types of housing
typologies that we have in
stork districts and the fact we
have smaller homes In some ways
our storage districts are
missing middle already And if
you look at when we get a
planning department
presentation on the kinds of
things that we want to do as
missing people, typically they
just come to our district and
take pictures on blackboards as
complexes eight classes,
duplexes and as can be seen
here, this is where people with
incomes between 50 and 100,000
people are disproportionately
finding that those housing
options in our historic
districts.
>> Next slide.
And a lot of concern about
the mills And frankly for those
of us who've been our houses
one time, the mills action
isn't nearly as much about that
as somebody who's trying a
young family is trying to buy
into the market today and
the Mills Act provides a
mechanism for that lowering not
just lowering the monthly cost
of housing but also helping to
subsidize maintenance of those
historic properties as well.
So I think that's that's
important.
Next slide.
And this is really important.
So we're talking if we go
beyond just historic districts,
we say look, how old is our
housing stock and how does that
affect affordability?
We often hear this term that's
called filtering which says
that we go over to the right
side of this graph and we build
premium rate brand new housing
And you know, in 40 years it
filters down and then we have
affordable housing.
Well this graph in some sense
confirms that you know, you
start over here on the right
and you get down to 1980, 40
years ago and sure enough we're
in a more affordable level But
unfortunately we should be.
What we don't do at that point
is we don't preserve this
housing So we say we're going
to filter down something and
then we demolish it all and
we're going to build the brand
new things on the right And we
destroyed that filter engine.
More importantly, if you see
here this is our naturally
occurring affordable housing
and one of the things that gets
overlooked is 61% of all
the housing available to people
in lower incomes is rented on
the market and they don't go to
the housing commission is not
deeded it.
Those are just market rentals
and this is where those market
rentals are coming from And and
so it should be the linchpin of
our preservation policies that
we protect this No.
One housing.
Next slide.
So I think I just like to talk
about and you can skip for one
more is how does this factory
how does preservation factor
into our preservation or
climate goals?
And if you look at the city
study of what goes into our
landfills well 34% of
everything on our landfill is
construction and demolition
waste which is to say buildings
and 34% is in organic
materials.
Well, we know from all
the debates that are having
near over traffic and whatnot
that organics are getting a lot
of attention But we don't even
have construction and
demolition in our climate
action plan.
It is not even considered as a
climate factor.
So if you go to the network,
you know it's I think important
to get to where you have real
data And so here's a case study
that was done by a group called
lpa Design Studios and they
were contracted to renovate
this Granger building that was
downtown San Diego.
And the way that they
considered it is to go to
the next slide and they
considered multiple options.
They considered whether it just
leave the building where it is
do nothing, do a light
renovation.
It is mainly preserving
the inside but not necessarily
getting And they said well
let's just leave that aside.
Got it.
And finally they said Well what
if we just tear the whole
building down?
Well, we often say well, new
construction you know, we have
modern technology we can
decarbonize and things like
that.
But what the study analysis
shows is that the equivalent
carbon production from
destroying that building
outweighs any of the new
benefits of decarbonization in
that operation of the new
building.
And in fact the best strategy
has to take your existing
buildings, do a renovation of
those buildings and put them
back into production And that's
taken this what was a rundown
former office building and
turned it into a night party
hotel in downtown San Diego
Going to the next slide.
The other thing is, you know,
we also look for green
buildings but sometimes it's
good to just look at humbler
places.
You know, in Mill City And this
is a project that's going in if
you're familiar in Oakland
Boulevard where the ymca is
This is across from the ymca.
This was a thrift store, a two
story building.
And what they did with this is
they preserve that sort of
entry facade and very cool kept
the trolley design and kept
that front mezzanine and then
they built up behind it.
You know there's a step back to
get that separation with
the existing historic building
but there's quite a lot of
housing here.
This is almost a whole block of
new affordable housing in this
city And again we think this is
a win win.
How did this happen?
Well, the historic resources
staff worked with the developer
of this project, Oakland
Development and they were able
to come up with this
accommodation of the historic
structure in the new
construction And this is more
of what we'd like to see rather
than just saying well we needed
the normal process so we can
just scrape our buildings
rather than come up with a
consistent creative solutions
for our historic preservation.
So I'll just say if you go to
the next slide our findings
aren't really that much
different than what the aba
did.
We had a study that was
commissioned for the idea a
couple of years ago that
largely found that historic
preservation was a benefit to
us in San Diego not a negative
and something that we should
continue to encourage.
And I guess just to summarize
what these things show is that
first of all the most
affordable home is the one
that's already there.
So preservation is very
important.
We have areas that are, you
know, densify and it's about
adding units here and they're
hitting singles and doubles not
about hitting home runs and we
hope that the overlay package
and consider everything
together.
>> Thank you.
Next is Shane Harris, public
advocate Shane Harris you have
time to go to by Keith if you
can please raise your hand.
Thank you William Korman.
Thank you and Sandra Strong.
Thank you.
You'll have four minutes before
you begin though if I can ask
for the following individuals
to please come forward.
Eric DeVol William Reilly, Lynn
Miller and Kathleen Laverty if
you can all please come forward
to the yellow reserved seats
and please begin already.
>> Thank you MADAM Clerk.
Good afternoon.
Council PRESIDENT And members
of the City Council.
My name is Shane Harris and I
serve as a San Diego public
advocate.
Over the past year my office
has stood with homeowners,
historians, architects,
neighborhood planning groups
Soho and stakeholders citywide
to defend the integrity of
the Mills Act and San Diego's
historic preservation process.
When concerns grew about
weakening preservation
protections, I didn't stay
silent.
I launched the Hands off
the Mills Act initiative.
I met with residents who
invested their savings
restoring historic homes under
city guidelines.
I spoke with historians who
spent decades documenting San
Diego's story and I worked with
community leaders who
understood preservation isn't
nostalgia.
It's stewardship,
accountability and fairness.
What I heard across San Diego
was simple and clear.
People want preservation done
transparently, professionally
and equitably.
Today we're discussing item 332
Preservation in progress.
But key parts of this package
move us away from preservation
,not toward it.
Let me say clearly the folks
standing behind me or sitting
behind me are not NIMBYs.
They are not anti housing.
You can be pro housing and
still demand a fair process.
You can support development and
still expect developers to
engage neighborhoods in good
faith and build trust.
Many developers do that.
But too often this conversation
has been driven by talking
points that communities and
neighborhoods like obstacles
instead of partners.
And that's not how you get
housing done or trust built.
The debate is not housing
versus history.
It's about balance, integrity
and trust.
One of the most concerning
elements is the proposed
Ennoble appeal process which
would allow the City Council to
substitute political judgment
for expert determinations of
the Historic Resources Board.
For more than 20 years
the historic resources Board
nor this Council has supported
a de novo process because
historic designation requires
specialized expertise, training
and consistent application of
adopted criteria.
The hrp is made up of
architects, historians and
qualified citizen experts
appointed specifically to
evaluate historical
significance respectfully.
None of you none of the City
Council has that specialized
experience nor long standing
history serving as the body
that conducts historical
assessments.
Council's role is legislative
solely the authorities whose
role is technical, technical
and evaluate of those roles
were intentionally separated
like church and state.
And when those lines blur,
confidence in the system
erodes.
Limiting citizen appeal rights
for non designations also
raises serious equity and
participation concerns.
If we are serious about
inclusion my friends we should
not narrow the public's ability
to engage decisions that shape
their community.
Now my office is not here to
simply oppose.
We're here to propose with
the proposed amendments to
strengthen this package, remove
the de novo appeal and keep
appellate structure focused on
procedural compliance not
political Re hearing to retain
parity and appeal rights So
fairness runs in both
directions.
Three Pass final action until
the independent economic equity
and climate analysis is fully
reviewed publicly.
Four.
Before altering protections in
emerging historic areas
complete comprehensive surveys
so decisions are informed and
accurate.
These amendments don't stop
progress.
They improve it.
San Diego is already losing
historic resources every year.
From La Hoya to Pacific Beach
County to submission, Hill's
bankruptcy will go down hill
Sherman Heights.
This item is called
Preservation of Progress.
>> Let's ensure preservation
actually remains in it real
progress going forward.
Thank you Erik Duvall.
>> Good afternoon.
Erik Duvall from Ocean Beach
Historical Society.
But I was with that I would
have my remarks on a phone.
I can see that right now.
I would encourage you folks to
reject package a.
I would encourage you to
actually represent your
communities as opposed to green
groups not supporting
the communities This is a
historic resources board as you
know did not support this
package.
The Ocean Beach Historic
District needs the full
comprehensive survey to be
completed.
Ocean Beach is already built
out.
It is already densely populated
narrow streets, tiny lots and
on street parking has been at a
premium for decades plural.
At this point please vote to
support the community over
the special interests and
reject package.
Thank you.
>> William Reilly William
Reilly You have time to go to
you by Lorna Field.
>> Thank you.
All right.
My name is William Reilly.
I came to San Diego just shy of
50 years ago when I joined
the Navy and I was stationed at
Coronado.
I went to boot camp here.
I lived for two years in
Imperial Beach.
28 years in Pacific Beach and
18 years in Ocean Beach.
In six months we made more
connections than we did in
Pacific Beach In 28 years
Because O.B. Is a community and
they care about their people.
And when I got here all
the places seemed all little
town seemed like small separate
communities in and of
themselves which have all been
built in in between ever since.
But I believe that if
the council votes to put this
package forward we are going to
lose community.
Community in my sense is common
unity.
That's all of us working
together toward community.
And I believe that if this goes
forward the city council is
going to hand outside
developers and outside
investors.
San Diego's heart and soul on a
platter.
And I would just like to say
that complete communities is a
complete misnomer.
If this goes forward it should
be called complete annihilation
of communities.
>> Thank you.
William I'm sorry.
That was William Lynn Miller.
Lynn, you have several people
sitting your time.
If I can have the following
individuals please raise their
hand.
Barbara Holton Chris Baca
Alpaca Bell.
>> Amanda Baca.
>> Rosemary Sutter.
Arlene Fink.
Evelyn Viera.
Corey Miller.
James Miller.
I don't see a James Miller
raising their hand.
Oh sorry.
Thank you.
Meredith Holton Templeton.
Bill Wilson.
Janet Griffith.
Griffin Thank you.
And Colleen Little That is 15.
Please proceed.
Thank you.
Hello, I'm Glenn Miller.
I'm with Coastal caretakers.
We are opposed to
the modification known as
Package eight.
I'm a native optician.
My family has been there for
four generations.
We attended the elementary
schools there, Graduated from
Point Loma High School.
I'm here because I care about
Ocean Beach which is one of
the treasures of San Diego.
But what I say to you about
Ocean Beach can be applied to
homes in all of our
communities.
What has remained the same are
the people who choose to live
in Ocean Beach.
O.B. Attracts outliers
mavericks, iconoclasts
the faces of the people change
.
But there is a rebellious
nature that runs through time.
These outliers did not choose
to have more controls and
regulations on their personal
property by certifying them
historic.
I'm sure they asked what are
the benefits as opposed to what
are the downsides?
The city of San Diego targeted
Ocean Beach as the only
historic district that would be
excluded from the exemption.
That means Ohb would receive no
protection from complete
communities building.
Package a is intended to give
complete community legal rights
to build in obeying.
I have a question for you Had
you already decided how you're
going to vote?
Are we wasting our time here?
>> It feels that way from this
side.
Doesn't mean it's true but it
feels that way from the side.
From over here it seems like
your focus is meeting
benchmarks mandated by
the state rather than serving
your constituents.
You are not hearing us and you
are silencing our voices in so
many ways.
You no longer honor
the recommendations of planning
boards which are the voices of
the people.
You use ministerial procedures
that silence the voice of
the people.
You wait until the last minute
to post agendas for committee
or council or council meetings
which takes away our power to
organize.
You delete documents from
websites that support our
arguments.
We are asking you to listen to
our voices.
>> You have a misconception of
Ocean Beach.
There is a bumper sticker that
says Ocean Beach is beside
the point.
Point Loma is on top of
the hill facing the bay.
Ocean Beach is on the other
side of the hill facing
the ocean.
Point Loma and historically
were the wealthier side of
the hill options were on
the other side of the hill with
low to income but low to
moderate incomes, smaller homes
and many, many, many
apartments.
In fact Ocean Beach according
to current 2026 data has
approximately 63% of houses
renter occupied while 37% are
owner occupied.
We are not trying to stand in
the way of positive change.
We welcome it.
We are asking you to listen to
us.
Are you listening?
Look at the conditions of
the roadways.
The city in their rush to build
has not built an infrastructure
that will come that will
accommodate more people.
Come to Ocean Beach now during
peak traffic It takes 20
minutes to get to the freeway
And then when you get to
the freeway it's like you've
been transported to Los Angeles
.
Midway Rising will feed into
that same freeway Pretending
that Ocean Beach has rapid
transit is dishonest.
We have a bus line and no plans
or money to build rapid transit
.
If the city does not have money
to replace light bulbs and
street lights, where will they
find the money to build
the necessary infrastructure?
Obie is the last SoCal beach
town to maintain its authentic
scale and feel.
In the 1950s the waves of Ocean
Beach carried surfers on long
wooden boards and O.B. Locals
contributed to the growth of
surfing in the 1960s.
The village became known as
the riot zone because there was
police action against O.B.
Protesters.
Protesters who opposed
the Vietnam War.
These colorful artists and
activists earned Ocean Beach
the title of Southern
California's Haight-Ashbury.
What is now becomes the past
and then it becomes part of
history.
The 50s, 60s and 70s should be
included in O.B. History.
>> In 1999 the city decided to
reframe the district as I'll
try to say this right.
The Ocean Beach Cottage
Emerging History Historic
District and make it a
volunteer process.
How do you think those outliers
felt about volunteering to be
historic?
Our ocean or Ocean Beach
history should not be limited
to trolley car cottages.
Our history is more than that.
The new name erases some of our
history.
Ocean Beach history includes
churches, church row,
the library, the elementary
school, the surfing culture and
the activist subculture as well
as the cottages.
We suggest that Ocean Beach
Historic District becomes
the official name with over
3000 parcels.
The Ocean Beach Historic
District is geographically
the largest historic district
in San Diego.
Its massive size is why it is
being targeted for
deregulation.
The developer's projected rents
and profits explain the rush to
build.
Beyond the historic designation
lies greater concerns.
Proposition d The coastal
height limit was voted on and
passed in 1972.
Its law It prohibits
the construction of any
building taller than 30ft in
the coastal zone that is
the area between Pacific Ocean
and Interstate five.
That means Ocean Beach, Point
Loma and Sunset Cliffs are west
of I-5.
Therefore even if you choose to
vote for package and it passes
complete communities cannot
build legally above the 30 foot
height limit.
Water runs downhill onto
the cliffs and into the ocean.
Ocean Beach is a sensitive
geologic zone and flood zone.
The city should require
California Coastal Zone ceqa
and Air evaluations on every
structure.
Instead they waive these
requirements.
>> >> We propose that you vote
no on package a and change
the name to Ocean Beach
Historic District.
That would solve a lot of
problems.
There is a thong.
I'm almost done.
There's a song that was written
called Starry Starry Night.
Remember I'm not going to sing
it.
I promised my family I would
not.
But we feel like this.
They were not listening.
They did not know how.
Perhaps they'll listen now.
>> Thank you.
>> Next is Kathleen.
After that if I can have
Natalie Barron, Diane
So
derberg, Dean Glass, Sharon
Gill and Barry Hucker please
come up to the yellow reserved
seats.
Kathleen you have time to away
Scott Francis.
Thank you.
And Marianne call them.
Thank you so much.
You'll have three minutes.
Please proceed.
Thank you.
If you guys can move forward
here and instead of your
computers for a few minutes, I
want to take you back in time.
This is a historic 1887
subdivision map of Ocean Beach
which a long time friend of
mine had in his work.
We have sub standard five lots.
>> We already have gradients.
Some of these lots are over
eight and the size of a normal
lot.
You can see them here when they
first did the subdivisions.
Okay.
Also we had sand dunes there
and they lie under some of
this.
We have flooding and in here it
shows where the natural springs
are.
Remember the Lamborghinis that
flooded in the garages twice
which I'm sure our taxes help
pay for that.
Have a natural spring under
the parking lot next to
the lifeguard station.
Wow.
And there's a map right here
that shows it and other ones.
There's also more that are not
marked on this map.
Up the hill up in cottages I
found where there are pumps
historic pumps outside in
the yard showing where these
are.
Two houses up from me.
They had a well we have water
and we have had sinkholes on
Niagara.
Near Sunset Cliffs.
Right next to the right, a
property that is one of
the properties they're talking
about putting large tall
buildings.
I know of three sinkholes when
I was there when they were just
falling through.
>> We need secure we need to do
environmental We need to do
the history.
We have buildings down there
that have history of people.
One of the buildings down by
the beach it was the police
station.
It was the library before it
moved to the current library.
It had a Ferris wheel across
the street from it.
It is still there And we have
artisans in that building now.
>> Some that have been there
since the 60s.
We have people that are
inspired by Ocean Beach as far
as artists, musicians, writers
.
By the way, I'm a writer.
I've done three Ocean Beach
books and I've done one on
Sunset Cliff.
And believe me, I will write
down history.
My grandmother is in pictures
in Ocean Beach with my great
grandmother and might be
returning as concluding in
1924.
>> Thank you for that
concluding comment.
>> Look towards the history.
I'm sorry if I'm saying I never
correctly.
Barron Barron.
We'll get you.
Just hold on one second.
I'll come and help you get
there.
Please come up to the mic.
>> Hi there.
My name is Betsy Barron.
I'm on the board of the Ocean
Beach Historical Society.
I I got to tell you, I spent 52
years of my life in Los
Angeles.
I didn't know anything that was
going on there because I barely
even knew my neighbors no less
What was going on with
construction and development
and all those things because
there was really just no
community.
But I really fought to move
here 18 years ago.
>> I even up a jacket.
I want to go see it.
>> It says Oh girl because
that's how I feel now.
I'm an O.B. Girl.
I'm a retired archeologist.
I try very hard to preserve
things to keep things the way
they are.
>> Again, not against progress
but we need to learn from our
history.
And I was in here 13 years ago
taking pictures of people here
fighting for the 30 foot height
limit.
When I worked for the San Diego
Reader and here I am again
Thank you Diana So
derberg.
>> I'm thinking about to
the neighborhood voices that
are no longer with us.
I wish they were here today to
speak on these issues.
When I was early born of
University Heights she went 3
to 3 times total preservation
honorees on her honorary awards
including the highest
designation of preservationist
of the year.
Another that comes to mind is
Ann Trowbridge, a stellar civic
leader.
He passed away some 13 years
ago.
I was here the day when he
stood at this microphone and he
looked at the dais and he said
What happens to people when you
get in public office?
The hubris that overcomes you.
Have things changed?
Well, we'll see.
We'll see that.
But the so called package a and
an older review is nothing but
a power grab And I bring
politics in the process in San
Diego.
Let's keep our historic
resources decisions using
established protections and
thank you for that.
I'll bring politics into it.
>> Dean Glass Hi.
I'm going to read in part a
letter from Susan Grant Holley,
a lawyer whose practice focuses
on skills application to
the built environment, who has
consulted with and represented
so for many years to assist in
their efforts to protect and
adaptively reuse historic
resources.
Her work focuses on historic
resources statewide many
reflected in 50 published legal
opinions.
Good afternoon.
It is my considered legal
opinion and concerned that this
Council's consideration of
package and in particular its
section updates to
the designation appeal process
including additions of de novo
finding has not received
essential skill review package
a will again allow to novo
appeals related to the historic
designation and to this Council
against the recommendations of
its Historical Resources Board.
The community, the Planning
Committee and the Neighborhood
Historic Preservation
Coalition.
These groups concerns are well
founded.
I recall efforts to expand de
novo appeals to this council
years ago that were smartly
defeated Historic status as so
who knows?
>> Thank you.
Thank you, Sharon Girl Sharon
your time's needed to you by
Michael You'll have two
minutes.
Please proceed.
Thank you.
We all agree that owners should
be allowed to voluntarily turn
their properties into historic
museums but we don't agree.
What we don't agree on is
the question of whether we
should use government
regulations to force historic
designation on properties Most
people don't really care about
his historic preservation.
That's why designation lowers
property values When we reject
restrict what is done, what can
be done with property and that
means less property tax income
for the city We have built into
like two at La Hoya Code we
have painted all the city like
it La Hoya code that are
boarded up and rotted only
because we designated them
historic.
A property owner wanted to
replace those building 1745
years ago with a 17 unit
apartment building.
But there's still there because
the historic the California
theater next to the city hall
has been vacant for over 30
years only because it was
designated historic and older
wanted to build over 200 units
of housing but preservation
sued them So nothing happened.
Historic designation doesn't
just reduce property tax income
but city buildings that are
designated The mere threat of
designation reduces property
values The city wants to sell
that the city administration
complex that we're in.
But there is little interest.
Developers know that if they
tried to get building permits
to do anything with this
property the hrb would
designated historic all our
problems would go away If we
just make historic designation
voluntary Only the city will
get a huge increase in property
tax.
We'll have new housing all over
the city and we'll be able to
sell this building for a ton of
money.
>> Thank you.
Barry Hager I understand you
have several people sitting in
your time.
They can please raise their
hand and.
Guillory Thank you Joseph
Curran Gabrielle Cook of Kaiser
Curtis me Thank you Susan Dean
Jordan Persky Paul Engler.
Christina Fogerty.
Regina Agarwal Thank you Robert
Grover and Victoria Carter.
Thank you.
You'll have 12 minutes But if I
can just ask the following
individuals to also come up
Tyler Martin Bruce, Craig
Sherman, Kristen Harms and
Alyssa Stewart.
If you can all please come up
to the yellow reserved seats
You MAY proceed when ready and
your PowerPoint is up.
Please just say next slide.
Thank you And when I'm done
with my comments I'll ask for
folks to hold up their blue
cards please.
Good afternoon.
Council members.
I'm Barry Hager and I'm
speaking for Mission Hills
Heritage Today I'd like to
start by saying that we support
the goals of preservation and
progress and most of
the amendments proposed in
Package eight.
However, some of the proposed
amendments are very troubling
and will set back historic
preservation in San Diego
without advancing the goals of
the initiative which include
equity and a more effective
preservation program.
The most troubling aspect is
the proposed new findings not
supported or de novo grounds
for appeal.
The new grounds will for appeal
will allow the City Council to
review the information provided
at the Hrb and make different
findings and reach a contrary
conclusion.
>> Next slide please.
Here are the problems with
the de novo review ground.
First of all, the current
historic designation and
appeals process has worked well
for decades.
The process is rigorous and
the decision making board is
composed of volunteer citizens
with expertise in various
fields.
Council members are capable of
reviewing Hrb decisions based
on the current limited grounds
for appeals.
But council members lack
the expertise, training and
accumulated knowledge of
the hrb.
Council members are not
schooled in the criteria for
designation and unlike the Hrb
council members will not be
required to conduct site visits
before voting with an eye
towards applying
the designation criteria.
>> The broader appeals grounds
for appeal will also invite
more appeals for a second bite
at the apple.
The consequences will be
unpredictable all uneven
decisions with more potential
for appealable error and
litigation.
Adding the de novo ground will
only decrease the authority of
the hrb and add an element of
politics into appeals.
To make matters worse, staff
stripped out of packaging
the right to appeal decisions
to not designate properties
The current appeals process
only allows appeal of decisions
to designate a property not
decisions to not designate.
In response to criticism over
the years, staff initially
proposed to remedy the one
sided appeals process by
including and package the right
to appeal decisions to not
designate with grounds similar
to those for appealing
decisions to designate.
However lobbying by
the development by lobbying
development development
industry consultants convinced
staff to limit the right to
appeal non designations to
property owners only.
Legitimate concerns were then
raised about the fairness of
only allowing property owners
to file appeals but not other
interested parties.
But rather than restoring
the right of all interested
parties to appeal designation
decisions do not designate
staff instead stripped
the entire section from
packaging.
>> After the OCTOBER 23rd Hrb
meeting with the proposed
expansion of appeals to include
the de novo grounds but no
right to appeal decisions to
not designate packages even
more skewed in favor of
overturning designations of
historic resources packages
should not be adopted without a
right to appeal hrb decisions
to not designate property.
Next slide.
And you can see whoops we
should be on number four now.
>> You can skip the fourth.
>> So let's take a look.
>> Oh, I'm sorry We've gone too
far.
Let's go back one more.
This is Slide four.
>> So it's supposed to be Let's
look at the Hrb has to say
about de novo I think we've
Yeah, Here we go.
Okay.
Sorry.
Again, the staff presentation
indicates that the Hrb policy
is subject committee was
generally supportive of all
other aspects of package
including the de novo ground
but h r b member Carla Farley,
one of the four members of
the Policy subcommittee voted
against package specifically
citing the de novo issue for
comment at the h r b meeting
and on OCTOBER 23rd was quote
to novo I'm no on de novo.
That's the short of it And when
you can hear that nobody has
put this thing forward
obviously for some very good
reasons I don't know if we want
to be the ones to stand out and
quote the h r be voted down.
Two motions to support package
a largely due to the inclusion
of the no ground.
Next slide please Let's discuss
the recommendations made by
the Community Planners
Committee.
As a reminder the Community
Planners Committee consists of
the chairperson dozens of all
the official community planning
groups in the city of San Diego
who are volunteer residents
elected by residents to
represent their communities to
make recommendations to
the city on planning matters.
It is truly the People's
Planning Committee.
Here is an excerpt from Staff's
Report to the Planning
Commission on Package.
The Community Planners
Committee voted 28 to 0 two
zero to oppose preservation and
progress package and recommend
that the proposed de novo
findings not supported appeal
finally be removed.
That the putting requirements
for the historical resources
Board be changed to a simple
majority to designate and that
the ability to appeal historic
historic resources Board
decisions to not designate a
property be added back into
package a.
When was the last time you saw
28 organizations agree on one
position?
>> Next slide please.
When you compare
the recommendations by
the community planners
Committee and the Planning
Commission, a stark contrast
comes into view The seven
appointees of the mayor who sit
on the Planning Commission
voted to recommend a package
that represents the voice of
the development industry The 28
volunteer residents who sit on
the Community Planners
Committee rejected package that
is the voice of the people.
We ask that you please heed
the voice of the people when
you vote on this matter today.
Next slide please.
I have one more quote for you.
Here's what the San Diego Yimby
group said about these reforms
in their OCTOBER e-newsletter.
Quote The city wants to make it
easier to override historic
preservation rules.
Proposed changes would let city
council overrule expert board
decisions on historic buildings
,potentially clearing the way
for more housing.
Close quote from this headline
.
It's clear that the Yimby group
and their building industry
allies are trying to set up a
false choice of historic
preservation or more housing.
We can have both.
What the statement does
underscore is that the de novo
appeal ground will scale back
historic designations which
which will result in the loss
of more historic resources
going forward.
And the city has not analyzed
the impacts of the proposed
reforms.
>> Next slide please.
The proposed de novo amendment
is moving us towards a system
where historic resources will
only be designated if the owner
wants it to be.
While that MAY be the goal of
some in this room that is not
the best practice for historic
preservation and all San
Diegans will suffer under that
system.
>> In closing we urge you to
reject package a until one
findings not supported appeal
ground has been removed to
the right to appeal Non
designations has been added
back in and three the city has
completed an environmental
analysis of the impacts of
the proposed amendments.
Let's not blow up blow up a
system that works well.
And now let's see those know on
de novo cards out there yet
there's a sea of people out
there.
>> Thank you very much.
>> Thank you, Tyler Martin
Hello, counsel.
>> Good afternoon, Tyler Martin
Ocean Beach I wrote a letter to
Councilmember Campbell's office
last DECEMBER which exemplifies
multiple historic cottages that
met the definition of
the district multiple community
planning groups have actually
supported the demolition of
cottages simply because
the property owner did not
volunteer their property into
the district.
That's happened four times for
contributing resources and up
to six other times for non
contributing resources.
And one of the reasons why I'm
most supportive of complete
communities is not only
the housing supply but it's
the activation that this is
going to bring to Newport
Avenue.
I have witnessed several
revolving door businesses on
Newport Avenue in ten years.
Rite Aid, our largest footprint
is now dead and for sale just
in time.
Union Bank is empty for years
and there are multiple boarded
up retail places They need
customers keep mom and pop in
business so big box retail like
Target doesn't come into town.
We need customers on.
Thank you for that concluding
remark.
Bruce Kearns Bruce can do you
have several people sitting in
your time alone accounts?
Paul Johnson And I understand
that there'll be several
speakers You guys can manage
your own time.
Jessica mckee I'm David Roth.
Bill Al Adele or Jeanette
o'Dell?
Ginger Weatherford.
Jennifer McDonald.
Maureen Robert Turner.
Eva Thorne of a Thorne.
Oh thank you.
Diane Kane.
David Goldberg.
John Eisenhower.
Nicholas Wilson.
Virginia Wilson.
There were 16 people that ceded
your time.
It is a maximum of 15 minute
presentation.
You'll have the 15 minutes.
Okay.
And it's Alana Will speak first
and then Bruce However you guys
one minute or two.
>> Thank you.
>> Hello.
The presentations you will you
are hearing today from Soho in
the preservation community are
grounded in documented evidence
and in the law package is not a
minor administrative update.
It makes sweeping structural
changes to how historic
resources are evaluated,
designated, appealed and
protected in the city of San
Diego.
These changes directly affect
historic properties, historic
districts and the integrity of
the city's preservation
framework.
Under secure any discretionary
action that MAY cause a
physical change to
the environment requires
environmental review.
The secret guidelines to define
a project broadly and city
ordinances clearly fall within
that definition When you weaken
historic protections, you
increase the likelihood of
demolition alteration, arson
and loss.
That is a physical
environmental impact.
The staff's reliance on prior
environmental documents is
legally insufficient.
Key provisions in package
including the de novo appeal
process and other substantial
changes were never analyzed in
prior ers.
You cannot rely on old
environmental documents to
approve new policy changes that
reduce protections.
Square requires informed
decision making based on
current analysis.
The courts have been clear
changes to preservation
ordinances can constitute
secret projects when they MAY
result in direct physical
changes to historic resources
Code revisions that reduce
protections are not exempt
Proceeding today without
environmental review exposes
the city to significant legal
risk.
The staff report itself
acknowledges this proposal is
part of a broader comprehensive
update Segmenting parts a and b
avoids analyzing the whole of
the action and seek or
prohibits this piecemeal way
The law requires you to
evaluate the full scope and
cumulative impact of what you
are doing and the impacts are
real.
With this we will lose Historic
resources Package a-roads
Historic District protections
and strip safe strip safeguards
from existing and pending
districts including ocean
beaches, Cottage district and
the Asian thematic district.
These changes would make it
easier to alter or eliminate
historic resources that
contribute to neighborhood
character and cultural identity
and environmental impact Report
is the legally required
mechanism to identify impacts,
consider alternatives and
develop mitigation measures
Regarding the Hrb rejected
package the cpc 28 communities
across the city rejected it
over 500 written comments have
been submitted with opposition
outweighing support by roughly
12 to 1.
That level of engagement is not
incidental It reflects
widespread concern across
the city.
You were recently reminded in
Save Our Access versus City of
San Diego that inadequate seek
review carries consequences.
The Court of Appeal ruled
against the city for failing to
conduct sufficient
environmental risk analysis
That is not abstract It is
recent history moving forward
today without full sequel
review and in disregard of all
of the advisory bodies and
overwhelming public opposition
would be premature and legally
vulnerable.
Historic resources are not
obstacles to progress.
They are part of San Diego's
environment fabric just as
surely as air, water and trees
preservation and growth are not
mutually exclusive but growth
must proceed lawfully,
transparently and with full
environmental accountable city
.
You are being asked to approve
sweeping structural changes
without environmental veto that
square requires.
For these reasons we
respectfully urge you to pause
packaging and require
comprehensive environmental
review before proceeding.
>> Thank you, Mayor.
>> Thank you PRESIDENT
Secretary Director Save our
Heritage Organization and
the historic the decision
whether a property is historic
or not is not the end all.
You still retain the land and
use decision you always have
about whether the resource
stays was demolished or or
incorporated into
the development or moved even
It's simply a baseline This
determination about whether a
property is historic or not
Just like another environmental
determinations is whether
the site like is the site of
vernal pool or is it not a
vernal pool.
So it's just to identify it so
it's properly treated and
the process that moves forward
It is a factual not political
question.
The land use decision, like I
said, still remains in
the council's hands.
So there's been some complaints
that you can't do the tradeoffs
of the new project against
the resource.
Well that's not true.
You always retain that and
the discussion but you have to
have the baseline discussion
about whether that the resource
is historic or not before you
can even get there.
And so it's a very important
it's not a tool to stop
development never has been even
if there are some people that
would like it to be it's not
possible.
It's a fact based process.
People come to us sometimes and
say Can you stop this
development and said No we
can't but we can determine
whether the property there is
historic or not and should be
considered in the development
process.
It is actually extremely
difficult for a property to
qualify for a designation.
It must meet a rigorous set of
criteria a documented in a
report of 100 160 pages or a
longer review at public
meetings and a supermajority
vote by the h r b designation
does not dictate what
the property can be used for or
whether it can be modified,
moved or even demolished.
It simply ensures that its fate
is fairly considered along with
community and environmental
factors and the final land use
decision.
This is a red herring If all of
the properties that we're
potentially eligible for
designation in the city of San
Diego and represent around 1%
of the built environment, this
is not an issue.
Well as in the iab report it
says we only have conflicts of
less than one a year in
the last four years.
I think maybe we have had two
but they've all been resolved
This is just not worth all
the time and effort and money
the city is spending on this.
We have so has never stopped
the development that MAY come
as a surprise to some people
with all the rhetoric out there
but we never have.
We've delayed some developments
to get when you don't follow
the process but we've never
stopped the development where
we get into real problems is
when the city denies whether
the property is historic or
not.
That's already been deemed by
experts as historic doesn't
work real well and the law This
approach opens the doors to
multiple legal challenges and
delays.
The right approach is what we
saw with the Sports Arena
project that the building was
recognized as historic a report
was done, it went through
the process was designated and
then the developer came back
with the right argument,
the one that's legally
defensible.
Well, we know it's historic but
we can't use it in the new
development and we think
the development is more
important and they made
the case to get it removed That
went through smoothly, no
delays and was approved.
That's the way it should be
done If you deny it's historic.
We have all kinds of challenges
to that.
If you say it's historic and I
don't want it, it's a different
argument The h r b and
reviewing board bodies
supported the decision on
the on the sports arena in
contrast from trying to deny
something as historic as almost
always creates unnecessary
conflicts and delay the city
council itself established
the current process so subject
matter experts not politicians
would make the designation
decisions.
The structure was designed to
save council time, avoid legal
lengthy apparent appeal
hearings and you know everybody
that has an ax to grind come up
here and appeal to the council
for for no reason.
This idea of de novo hearing
comes up every few years has
multiple times but no h r b is
approved it no city council has
approved it and that's because
these proposals return change
the fact based current process
to a political free for all If
the proposed new appeal grounds
for de novo hearings were
adopted anybody could appeal
for any reason that would
create more certainty for
developers, not less and or
whatever and inevitably
increase both litigation and
project delays.
Instead we could move remove it
entirely from your hands like
we had to do with the historic
districts as we have in process
one and almost eight years like
we had to do with them and we
could go to the state or to
the National Register or any
other body and get it
designated And you still have
to deal with sequel.
Remember the Coronado Railroad
check almost ten years to
resolve and three lawsuits
before it was all resolved Each
time the lawsuits were resolved
in our favor And then we just
got back to where we were at
the beginning.
We weren't trying to stop
the project.
We wanted as much of
the resource preserved as part
of the project as possible and
it fairly treated not denying
that it was historic just
causes you know like I said
the delays it's it's and you
hear me laughing a little but I
it just doesn't make any sense
to do that.
It's anyhow it could delay
projects that could cost
projects They had story tax
credits as far as trying to use
them because they're time
sensitive and applying for tax
credits.
So none of this is possible in
the current process because
the h r b decisions currently
are final.
We have lost so many resources
to decay fire, demolition,
neglect and redevelopment Each
year the number of surviving
sites declines with
the proposed changes even more
of these era in irreplaceable
resources will be lost.
The whole reason this is being
proposed is to demolish more
historic structures than you do
today.
We should not make it easier to
remove them.
These are the sites that make
San Diego beautiful
economically prosper and help
preserve naturally occurring
affordable housing.
They are what make our city
unique The places places that
sets San Diego apart and make
it one of the most desirable
places to live and visit
the few years ago Los Angeles
checked to see what heritage
tourism visitors who actually
spend twice as much spend twice
as long as other tourists we're
looking at in Southern
California.
And so they studied San Diego.
Do you think we would have
studied it?
But as the neighborhoods it's
the world being in a place
different from where they were
from, they want to experience
being there, sitting in a cafe
on the street and enjoying
the ambiance.
But once these resources are
gone they're gone forever.
You MAY wonder why we fight so
hard.
Well, we don't get a second
chance.
The quality of life is
irreparably diminished when we
lose these resources.
Finally well not finally you
you don't have the information
required by law to make
the decision today the city has
not completed the necessary
environmental review analysis
are provided the mitigate and
some people forget that that's
required to support such a
decision.
Without that work you cannot
legally process this proposal.
You are legally obligated to
reject it outright and tell
the required studies are
completed But the thing I mean
here about a little
disingenuous on the Ocean Beach
district saying it's it's a few
cottages but staff doesn't know
what the resources are and
should be should they haven't
done the survey It's commercial
it's recreational.
There is a whole part called
Wonderland.
Part of that is still there.
It's social it's community
activism.
It's national activism.
They're there.
The churches, the businesses
are full Survey has to be done
before you know what there is
to be lost And you can't do
that without moving a district
nomination forward or seeking
to remove a current protection
that's currently in place
without doing the work.
Yeah, that is also not legally
enforceable.
So it's extremely important
that you take the time to do
this right.
Strip out Nobel hearing, strip
out the Ocean Beach one and
move forward.
Please do not forward
the current proposal as there
is now.
>> Yeah Yeah.
Craig Sherman Not here Craig
Sherman Christian Harms Good
afternoon I'm Kristen Harms
with the University Heights
Historical Society and I'm here
speaking on behalf of
the Neighborhood Preserve
Neighborhood Historic
Preservation Coalition in
strong opposition to package a
the Coalition represents 12
neighborhood based preservation
organizations I think many of
which are here today.
Raise your hands that have
decades of experience working
collaboratively with the city
on preservation policy and
implementation Yet Package a
was advanced without meaningful
community input and prioritizes
development efficiency over
the protection of our
irreplaceable all historic
resources Package weakens
protections makes it easier to
overturn historic designations
allows de novo review that
politicizes decisions and
separates environmental review
in ways that avoid a full
evaluation of impacts.
It will also accelerate
the loss of historic resources
in Ocean Beach Historic
District Comment Please reject
Thank you package and comment.
Alison Stewart You're our final
speaker here in Council
chambers Thank you.
My name is Elisa.
I'm a longtime Ocean Beach
resident here to oppose
the approval of preservation
and package progress Package a
what is being presented under
the guise of preservation is
actually doing the opposite of
that for our beloved town of
Ocean Beach.
This package claims to align
with the Strategic Plan to
protect and enrich our
neighborhoods via opportunities
for new homes which in itself
is a paradox because you can't
protect enrich anything when
you're Infilling our already
small lots with new
development.
>> It also claims to champions
sustainability by permitting
new homes located near transit
But there is no sufficient
transit in Ocean Beach that
will compensate for the strain
that this will put on
the already difficult parking
situation in our town.
Your number one job as City
Council members is to represent
the interests of your
constituents and I promise that
none of your constituents in
any district support this.
Elections are coming up this
summer for half of you and
they'll be for the other half
soon And we will not forget how
you voted on that when we vote
at the ballot box.
>> Thank you.
Concluding comments.
>> That is the last speaker but
there's going to be a lot of
people online.
Just try to hold it down.
I think we're getting a clue
about who's out there and what
your feelings are.
>> I started the five minute
timer going to those
participating online.
It is one minute each.
We currently have nine speakers
in the queue starting with
Kevin Hastings If you can
please unmute.
>> Hi, I'm Kevin Hastings.
I'm on the lobby planning group
.
They did not support this
package.
The cpc did not support it.
The historic Resources Board
does not support it.
So I'd like to know for anyone
voting for this what
qualifications you guys have to
vote contrary to these experts.
MR. Danko said the purpose of
packaging one of them is to
quote identify and protect
historical properties and
district.
So I suggest instead of staff
spending time to erase the or b
Cottage district from their
website and erase it from
the municipal code, spend that
time serving our district for
contributing resources.
Staff are doing this in 12
other neighborhoods.
MR. Eco showed a map of Obi's
concentration compared to other
historic districts.
The difference there is those
districts have all those dots
because they've actually been
surveys.
O b deserves a survey before
being wiped off the map.
Thank you.
Next is Craig Benedetto.
>> If you can please unmute.
>> Good afternoon.
Craig Benedetto speaking today
on behalf of ne of San Diego.
We are here today to speak in
support of the staff
recommendation.
We'd like to recognize
the Planning Department for
their efforts to try and
balance all the inputs through
this thorough engagement
process.
We believe this is a balanced,
very modest package of changes
that reflects the city's
commitment to historic
preservation of important
resources as well as its
commitment to stakeholder
engagement and input.
It also commits to an
appropriate process for
appeals.
The concerns being expressed
that the council can't weigh
the technical merits and a de
novo hearing is just incorrect.
You handle these kinds of
issues every day and you are
elected to listen to the voices
of all of your constituents and
you do.
Please keep in mind that San
Diego is the outlier.
Most other jurisdictions
reserve historic designation
and appeals to the highest
elected body.
Ultimately we believe that
changes can be made to
the city's historic review
process that protects important
resources, allows for all
voices to be heard while also
reducing inappropriate
impediments to the creation of
much needed new housing.
Thank you for your
consideration your support of
the staff recommendation.
>> Peter if you can please and
mute.
Peter Kempson.
Hello.
Hi.
Can you hear me?
Yes.
Please proceed.
Peter Gibson.
I opposed packages from
the council tonight Package a
revised to remove the de novo
appeal for historic
designations and leave
the appeals process as is.
Prior to 97 the historic site
board was only advisory and
council could and did
relitigate almost every case.
The Council deliberately
shifted to the current model
for reasons of expertise,
efficiency and consistency.
The uncertainty others have
complained about comes from
decades of underfunding city
surveys and not implementing
historic districts.
Recreating a process that did
not work will not fix
the issue.
I also ask the city Council a
package of advice to ensure
that all districts are treated
the same and not single out a
single community.
Establishing boundaries.
All properties must have a
relationship contributing or
not.
To ensure that package achieves
its goal of advancing equity
preservation, it cannot single
out a single community such as
Ocean Beach.
Thank you.
>> Next is Daniel if you can
please.
Um you.
Hello.
My name is Daniel Dan.
I believe that package weakens
protections for historic
resources and allows political
override of expert decisions
through de novo appeals.
I ask the City council to stand
with the community and reject
package as currently written.
This proposal would result in
the permanent loss of historic
resources and it should be sent
back to be made better with
meaningful community input.
I care deeply about
the neighborhoods and historic
homes in San Diego.
I believe there is way too much
focus on increasing new housing
at any cost to the character of
our city.
Already even in my non historic
neighborhood of Mira mesa most
of the 80 use allowed or too
large and the architecture
clashes with the homes built
here by and large in the 1970s
and 1980s.
The 80 you stand out like a
sore thumb are and are
positioned in ridiculous
locations and front yards
looming over residents
backyards ruining the views of
neighbors and impacting
communities with more vehicles
And crowded parking in a
neighborhood already notorious
for too many cars.
Please reject package a.
Next is Katherine Rhodes.
If you can please unmute.
Hello.
This is Katherine Rhodes from
the pli Heritage.
It was great to see community
activist Mandy Havlik who's
running for council district to
oppose package.
The Ocean Beach community does
not want these changes put
forth by developers and I'm
just going to talk about some
I'll be talking points.
The historic nature of Kobe is
undisputed.
The community is historic not
just single lot.
>> Applications for her
historic district was filed
with the state in 1999.
Residents and property owners
has relied on this designation
for over a quarter of a
century.
Bob needs protection.
It's already one of the densest
communities with smaller lot
size rear yard homes and
multiple apartments.
70 to 80% of all be residents
are renters.
Lp is not some all rich white
exclusive neighborhood made up
of entirely single family
homes.
Historic Resource Board opposed
to the Community Planning
Committee post at the Ocean
Beach Planning Board opposed it
and your time has my apologies.
Your time has concluded.
The five minute timer has also
concluded There are five people
in the queue.
The additional people will be
taken the original If you can
please unmute and the double
speak in this item is off
the chart You guys circumvent
the will of the people all
the time No matter how many
times people say they don't
want it you will go above and
beyond them to try and
implement something And all
while you're sitting here
saying that it's going to
preserve or protect you Use
the gaslighting words that do
the complete opposite it And
you guys you're going to pass
this.
That's what's so sad is that
you we hear you look out for do
you and are you going to do
the right thing because your
actions will speak very loudly
more than your words And it's
like you guys sit here and just
the fact that you use other
means to go above and beyond
the people when you sit here
and say you represent them, you
want to do the best for them
and then you go around.
So it's just people need to
really pay attention and see
that this government that is in
place that you didn't install
that has been installed because
they need them there to do
these things that they don't
care about You and they will
never do what's in your best
interest.
As you can see time and time
again.
Next is Rene Moser.
If you can please unmute.
>> Hi, good afternoon Chair and
council members.
My name is Rene Mazur with
the Atlantic Group and we
wanted to thank staff for their
thoughtful and comprehensive
work on Package a We support
the general Plan amendments.
The Targeted Land Development
Code updates and the refocusing
of the Historic Preservation
Fund to advance equity and
support Historically
underrepresented communities.
The clarifications regarding
complete communities housing
solutions with within emerging
and thematic historic districts
provide important regulatory
clarity while maintaining
protections for designated
contributing resources.
We look forward to Package b
and we respectfully encourage
your approval.
Thank you.
>> Next is Jeffrey Ansen.
If you can please unmute.
>> So this is Jeffrey Hansen
for Craig Sherman apc You
received a letter now on behalf
of Coastal caretakers received
a letter commenting on ceqa
issues And I know that you've
heard a lot about that today.
If you could please review that
letter as well as the coastal
caretakers letter and vote no
on item 332.
I would add one additional
piece.
There's case cited protection
of Oakland's architectural and
historic resources v city of
Oakland that cases cited in
the letter and I just want to
quote to you that that court
quote decline to adopt
the position that nothing less
than official designation of a
building as an historic and
resource is suffices to trigger
secular requirements and in
fact it's a determination of
whether the property MAY be
eligible for listing.
So when you review the letter,
please keep that in mind on
that second issue and with
that, thank you.
>> Next is Patricia Foley
again.
If you raise your hand after
the five minute time where you
can definitely send in your
comments the city clerk at San
diego.Gov and they will be
distributed.
>> Patricia please proceed.
Hi Yes dear council members can
you hear me?
Yes.
Please proceed.
Okay.
I'm sorry.
Okay.
Protect our historic district's
reject package.
All town stands is another
clear example of long term
disinvestment in historic and
cultural resources.
>> Presidio already identified
on Soho's most endangered list
along with El Campo, Santo and
the Adobe Chapel represent some
of the last remaining historic
structures outside of the core
historic district the new
tribal Park and state Historic
Park.
And let us remember Old Town is
part of the most visited state
historic perking California.
More importantly, over 200
tribal members and descendants
remain buried at Presidio.
Yet the neglect continues.
Fires Encampments, biohazard
hazardous waste, human impacts
broken chain link fencing,
debris, invisible burn areas.
This is a national historic
landmark.
With this level of
deterioration be tolerated at
Cabrillo National Monument or
at any other historic cemetery
in San Diego, your time has
completed.
>> My apologies.
Your time has concluded.
Hobbs is our final speaker.
If you can please unmute I was
I can't unmute for you.
Sorry.
Thank you for including me.
I'm here to speak that I'd like
to see the proposal denied for
the many reasons that people
have spoke today including that
removing these protections
would erode the character of
Ocean Beach and it would not
create affordable housing
the taller out of scale
incompatible developments once
they're introduced the damage
will be permanent and
the unique charm and
the historic fabric of ocean
Beach will be replaced by
structures that will be
suffering The connection
between the communities past
and its future.
Thank you.
And that does conclude public
comment on this item.
>> Thank you Council PRESIDENT
All right.
Thank you City Clerk Thank you
for everybody who showed up in
chambers to speak.
Thank you For those who see
the time because it's so much
more efficient and we actually
get a better story for those
who put their words together
over ten 15 minutes.
>> But I appreciate those who
actually speak for one minute
and try to pack a lot in and
that 60s Thank you city Clerk
for once again handling it very
professionally and courteously
with all the folks many who
showed up for the first time.
So with that will now turn it
over to our council members for
questions, comments and
entertain a motion.
>> So we'll start with council
member Campbell.
Thank you so much.
Council PRESIDENT And thank you
for the presentation and thank
you for everyone who came in to
speak.
This is citywide not just be
but I love my observations and
that's with my district So I'm
I'm so happy to see you all.
I want you to remember that I
vote against complete
communities.
I was the only one who voted
against taking away parking
from multifamily structures
etc. Etc. So I got to tell you
I'm your friend and I just I
just want to say that I'm going
to have a few questions here
that I think will help you to
understand what it is that is
the real meat of what this is
today.
And so the first thing I'd like
to ask staff could you please
explain the three types of
historic designation liens And
this has to do with houses.
This doesn't have to do with
the wonderful fact that Obx is
a historic area.
It has a great history.
It's a fun place.
I think everyone in San Diego
loves it who's ever visited it
and I know all our tourists
love it as well but that is not
the same thing as a historic
designation of a property.
So if you could please explain
I'm happy to And I think in in
providing the information it
might be helpful to just to
share a little bit about my
history with the program.
I've been working with the city
for 24 years, almost all of
that in historic preservation.
I worked on bringing forward
additional properties for
designation as part of
the Ocean Beach Cottage
Emerging District.
I wrote our current historic
district policy.
I wrote the historic
preservation element of
the Ocean Beach Community Plan
which calls for intensively
surveying the community and
bringing and converting
the district from a district to
a multiple property listing
which just like a emerging
district only regulates
the contributing resource is
And I also wrote the current
language is incomplete
communities that we are
clarifying today so I'm I'm
very familiar with the program
with the history of
the district.
That being said, the ocean
Beach Cottage Emerging District
was designated in 2000 after
the Ocean Beach Historical
Society approached the city in
around 1998 with a desire to
designate beach cottages in
their community.
However they wanted that any
potential designation to be
voluntary They did not want to
force property owners to
designate as part of
designation of the district
staff in the historical
Resources Board looked at
the information that the Ocean
Beach Historical Society pulled
together and found that
the properties did not qualify
for designation as a
traditional historic district.
>> And I'll pull back up on
the slot on the screen here.
The comparison on Slide 15
between a traditional historic
district and the Ocean Beach
Cottage emerging historic
district The Ocean Beach
Cottage District is
thematically based meaning it
applies only to beach cottages
constructed between 1887 and
1931 that have been volunteered
by the property owner for
designation of the boundary
that is drawn on the map simply
shows where those resources can
be located because you're not
going to find, you know, an
ocean beach cottage in, you
know, North Park or La Hoya.
However, we have to draw a
boundary on a map to show you
where they are.
But within that if we can
advance one more slide please.
Thank you.
Within that only the designated
pink contributing resources are
regulated and that's because
those resources are scattered
So far throughout the district
and lack a concentration that
creates a sense of place
Contrasting that with a
traditional historic district
on the left such as South Park
and most of our historic
districts in the city And those
cases the vast majority of
properties contribute to why
this the district is
significant.
It creates a sense of place
that you are trying to protect
a collective significance that
you are trying to protect and
that is why we regulate all
properties within those
traditional historic districts.
Ocean Beach is our only
emerging historic district.
That district type was created
for Ocean Beach in response to
what the Ocean Beach Historical
Society was bringing forward at
that time We no longer have an
emerging historic district type
in our historic district policy
because it's not consistent
with historic preservation
practices.
So it is the one and only
district and it's why we have
recommended that it be
converted to a multiple
property listing in the future
.
Thank you.
So in other words there are
three designations o b is not a
historic district.
It has an emerging district
quality about it from the year
2000 there was a time limit on
the number on the number of
years that it could take to
become a historic district and
that was 27 years ago And that
the consideration of which
properties bought that is not
the city's job.
Can you please explain how is
it that a household that wishes
to be a historic designation
gets to be that way?
Sure.
So the Ocean Beach Cottage
Emerging Historic District is a
designated historic district.
It's just a different type of
district.
It is an emerging district and
it is voluntary in nature.
So in order for a property to
be designated as part of that
district, the property owner
would need to approach heritage
preservation staff and request
that designation.
We would require some minimal
documentation from them about
their building and how it meets
the theme and and
the significance of
the district.
And then we would take that
forward to the Historical
Resources Board for for
designation.
We have not had any requests
since 2008.
There were seven updates to
the district after it was
originally designated that
resulted in the current 72
properties but we have not had
any new requests since 2008.
If we did receive one we would
bring it forward.
I'll also just add briefly that
within the district since only
the contributing parcels are
regulated as part of
the district, everything else
within the community is
reviewed as an over 45 review
meaning the city's requirement
that any property that's 45
years old or older has to be
reviewed for potential
significance when there's a
building permit application.
If we see a cottage come across
our desk during that review
process which doesn't happen
very often but if it does we
will flag for the property
owner that hey you could be
eligible as part of this
district if you were interested
and we provide the information
but we ultimately cannot compel
them to participate in
the district.
Thank you.
So you have to ask for it.
Okay.
And you have to fit
the requirements of being built
between 1887 and 1931 and
the Ocean Beach Historical
Society which asked for
the emerging idea was to
complete a comprehensive survey
of the community over the past
27 years and evidently that has
not been done.
But it doesn't matter because
still when a property comes up
to the city like that we still
ask the historic board to
review it.
Does this change?
Well, let me just say why we're
having this change over my
seven years on this council I
have seen the historic Resource
Board decisions that come to
the Council are sometimes
confusing sounding,
particularly given the strict
limitations on what the Council
is allowed to discuss by law
about these things.
And so this fourth option will
give the Council more ability
to articulate the points that
we find pertinent and provide
guidance moving forward.
We certainly do not want to
lose our historic ness in San
Diego.
Now importantly, this policy
clarifies that complete
communities is still allowed
and thematic and emerging
districts so there's no change
there.
Does this have anything to do
with sequence or ada use?
>> No, it doesn't have anything
to do with 80 use.
We do review and approve 80
used on designated parcels and
in designated historical
districts all the time So it's
not related to accessory
dwelling units in terms of
square.
Our environmental analysis
staff and the City Planning
Department has reviewed package
a and has prepared a
consistency memo finding that
the package is consistent with
the analysis and other
environmental impact reports
prepared for other initiatives
and that there are no new
impacts and if there's any
additional detail that's needed
on that I'm happy to invite our
environmental staff up to
clarify.
>> Well, I don't think that's
necessary.
You don't have to worry.
It doesn't involve that and it
doesn't involve ada use And I'm
afraid you've been misled as to
how huge it is.
It's not huge is just to help
the council so that when
there's a strange request that
we don't quite agree with we
can ask other questions and
make decisions based on other
things besides the limited
amount that the law says we can
at this point.
So that's what I'd like to say
is that this is for the whole
city that we're on your side
and that this will help us to
make better decisions.
So for that reason I would like
to move staff's recommendation.
>> Thank you.
All right.
We have a motion by Council
member Campbell to move
the staff recommendation and
we'll go next to Council member
Whitburn.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT
Thank you both Stanko and to
the Planning Department for
the presentation and your work
on this package.
I also want to thank
the historic preservation
groups and all the community
members who turned out this
afternoon for this
conversation.
I appreciate the time that many
of you have taken to be with me
and my staff and your passion
for protecting San Diego's
history.
It's good to see longtime
friends in this chamber who
have different perspectives on
this issue.
I share the goal of having a
historic preservation program
that is credible, that is
accurate and that is worthy of
public trust.
I also appreciate that many of
the advocates for historic
preservation here today
recognize the housing
affordability challenges that
our city faces.
Every San Diego who supports
both historic preservation and
housing affordability knows
that we can achieve both.
That's why I believe that
updates like those proposed in
Package a are important These
reforms strengthen noticing
requirements.
They clarify appeal processes
and they improve alignment
between state and local review
all while maintaining strong
protections for truly historic
resources.
They help to ensure that
preservation decisions are
transparent and are fair and
are defensible Districts three
The district that I represent
the urban core of the city
downtown all the historic
neighborhoods around Balboa
Park offers many examples of
historic preservation done
right The Western Metal Supply
Company building at Petco Park
That is a great classic example
of adaptive reuse.
The chicken Pie shop in North
Park shows how historic
preservation and new housing
can coexist successfully and
more recently the establishment
of the city's first lgbtq
cultural historic district in
Hillcrest demonstrates how
preservation can evolve to
better reflect our full and
diverse history.
Within my district I've seen
historic appeals almost
entirely in our business
corridors where buildings have
often sat vacant for long
periods or experienced
substantial alterations.
The designation of the old
mission Hills Library was
appealed to the City council
and we upheld that designation
as historic And the outcome has
been terrific.
You could not ask for a better
contribution to
the neighborhood than the old
Mission Hills Library at
the bookstore that is there
today I want to address a
concern that I know a number of
you have Several people who
spoke today expressed concern
about the proposed change to
the historic designation
appeals process that gives
the city council the ability to
determine that the findings are
not supported.
The argument against that is
that the hrp is made up of
experts in the field and that
we should respect their
expertise and accept their
decision.
I respect the members of
the Historical Resources Board.
I respect their expertise.
I respect their service to our
city.
I care what the h r b has to
say and I understand
the argument that we should
defer to their expertise but
that cuts both ways.
You know who else has a lot of
expertise?
Our city's planning director
Heidi Van Block who is sitting
right over here she got her
degree in city and regional
planning and on top of that she
has a law degree.
She has years of professional
experience in the field.
Urban planning is an academic
field and this city's planning
department is chock full of
people with advanced degrees in
urban planning.
They are subject matter experts
Given all that expertise,
should the City Council just
approve everything that
the City Planning Department
determines?
Is urban planning best practice
after all, they're the subject
matter experts.
A lot of what we do up here is
we try to figure out what to do
when really smart people
disagree when experts in their
fields disagree.
Experts disagree all the time.
The experts on the h r b
frequently disagree with one
another.
If you look at the most recent
minutes posted online, the h r
b had split votes of 723822426
and 524.
So which of those experts were
right and which were wrong?
You know who is ultimately held
accountable for the decisions
The city council this city
council is held accountable for
the decisions that it makes.
So I think that it is
reasonable for the city council
to be able to make
the decisions that it thinks
are proper.
>> I understand the fear about
adding findings that supported
the fear is that it will result
in a flood of appeals of
designations and that this
Council will overturn many more
historic designations.
At this point we don't know but
I hear the fear.
I personally think it is
unlikely to result in many more
appeals and I personally think
it is unlikely to result in
more appeals or designations
being overturned.
But I think we should monitor
that because we don't know at
last month's land Use and
Housing Committee meeting I
asked staff to monitor
the implementation of
the findings not supported
appeal standard and include an
update on its usage in
the annual Historic Resources
Board report to the Council.
We will see what if any impact
this change actually has And I
appreciate the planning staff
agreeing to this that will
allow us to track the true
effects of the proposal.
If your worst fears come true
then we need to do something
about that.
If nothing happens then it's
probably okay.
At the end of the day I am
confident that preserving San
Diego's history and advancing
equitable inclusive growth are
not mutually exclusive goals In
my view in my view Package a
represents a careful measured
step toward a system that does
both of those things better And
I look forward to continuing
this conversation as we
continue to refine this
approach together.
So I will.
Second Councilmember Campbell's
motion Thank you again to all
of you for your advocacy on
these issues and thank you.
>> Council PRESIDENT All right
.
Thank you, sir.
So we have a motion by council
member Campbell and a second by
COUNCILMAN Whitburn to move
the staff recommendation.
I don't see anybody else on
the line.
I'm going to ask a few
questions And one one of
the public speakers talk about
grandfathering.
I assume there's some folks in
progress.
How does that affect
applications that might be in
progress in regard to
the appeal findings to
the whole package or that MAY
be the whole package but more
specifically to the appeal I'm
trying to think of where
grandfathering would be
relevant.
I mean in regards to
the appeals we do have appeals
that are currently on file and
these proposed amendments would
apply to appeals going forward
but not to the ones that are
currently pending In terms of
complete communities housing
solutions I believe projects
are able to opt into new
regulations.
They're grandfathered into
existing.
They can opt in to new if they
choose to.
>> Okay.
I think part of your point is
that there isn't a lot of
dramatic change.
The appeal is obviously
the most important one.
I'm going forward So I wanted
to build on the questions and
comments that my colleague
Councilmember Campbell said
The emerging district through
72 that have voluntarily is
there a threshold by which it
would change from an emerging
district to a historic district
if there were x number of
identify cottages in
the current criteria for that
district?
>> So when the emerging
historic district type was
created the policy stated that
when you had enough
contributing resources as part
of the district you would look
at converting it either to a
traditional district or
thematic district.
This district the contributing
resources are so scattered they
would never have that
concentration of typically
about 65% contributing that we
would look for in a traditional
district where we regulate
everything within the boundary
.
So if it were ever converted to
anything it would be a thematic
type district.
But our current district policy
doesn't reference thematic
districts because preservation
as a whole as a field moved
away from thematic districts
and towards multiple property
listings which is why the Ocean
Beach Blue Plan historic
preservation element recommends
converting the district to a
multiple property listing which
would have the same type of
regulation that the district
currently has just in a modern
preservation format.
Okay.
I wanted to ask because I think
I heard 3000 properties and
some representation There are
hundreds of these cottages so
even if every single one of
them converted it wouldn't meet
a threshold.
I don't foresee that they are
so scattered in the existing
boundary I don't see how you
would hit that concentration
And just anecdotally in terms
of what we've seen in the over
45 review we are not coming
across eligible cottages on a
regular basis.
>> Okay.
And I know I put you on
the spot I don't mean to hold
you there but I think that was
kind of what I thought you
would probably go in terms of
us making changes.
I've been here five years and I
have a hard time remembering
how many times an appeal came
to us.
Do you have any data on 2025,
2024 about how many appeals
actually made it to city
council?
I apologize.
I don't have numbers in front
of me.
I will say in most instances
appeals come before the city
council when the property owner
does not want designation and
the property has been
designated as part of a project
review process That happens
maybe once or twice a year if
that we did have a little kind
of flurry of appeals a couple
of years back where a member of
the community was appealing
designation where the property
owner wanted a designation And
so we saw kind of a little
uptick Then Those were all
appeals where staff did not
support the appeal and
the council upheld
the designation.
We have not seen appeals of
properties where the owner
wanted designation since
the appeal fee went into effect
.
>> So not very often I'm just
kind of checking my notes for
the other question that I had
and you know how I look at
these things So the findings
not supported So when we get a
discretionary review project
and we're told this is a quasi
judicial de novo hearing and we
want to deny the project, we
get advised that you better dig
deep and you better tell us
which findings you're not
making or what the findings are
that you're going to overturn
this if it's simply a council
member saying Hey, I can't make
the findings so the three
current findings that are are
available to you would continue
to be available to you.
We'd be adding this fourth
finding of findings not
supported and what that would
require the Council to do in
making that finding is to look
at all of the information that
was presented to the board
regarding the building's
history and how it meets
the city's criteria for
designation and determine
whether the findings that
the board made when they
designated designated it
because they do have to adopt
findings specifying which
designation criteria
the property meets and why
whether that finding that
the board made is supported by
the record by all of
the information that was
presented to the board and if
you find that it is not
supported then you can overturn
the designation on that ground.
Okay.
Thank you for clarifying that.
>> It was a symbol of all three
words in reflecting on
the comments by the public I
will tell you that anytime
anybody uses the word to give
me your yimby I pretty much
toss out their arguments.
>> The argument that you're
politicizing or you're putting
in the hands of politicians I
cannot say it doesn't resonate
resonate with me because we do
de novo hearings all the time.
We're asked to be experts on
biology's soils engineering,
traffic engineering, even
interpretation sequel and that
is a requirement we do all
the time and it's a big ask of
asking enough Our council
members sometimes we support
the appeal, sometimes we don't
based on our best efforts.
So I don't see that the one
change that seems to occupy
most folks mind as in itself a
compelling However what is
compelling to me is that
appeals are few and far
between.
I've seen appeals if my memory
serves me which it doesn't
often they actually support an
appeal and we've rejected
appeals everybody.
Some people walked away happy,
some people walked away unhappy
But nobody felt like as far as
I could tell that while if I
just had one more tool here and
so I am not going to support
the package for the inclusion
of the findings not supported
I'm not going to ask for an
amendment but I would ask my
colleagues to think twice about
it.
I would ask about be
reevaluated as to what are we
really doing with this Because
a few people thought that was a
good idea just as very
compelling to me and I don't
see any evidence that it
actually is an important tool
that we're dramatically
reducing that is causing
disruption, interference, what
have you.
But clearly in the public's
eyes the fear of what it could
mean is disruptive And I'm just
exhausted in terms of cutting
people off for no apparent
value.
I to be very honest.
So I want people to support
the package with the findings
that support it included I
think the rest of it is very
good work for package.
I would want to begin to think
about what you're going to
throw in the package be.
And the other thing somebody
mentioned quite passionately
about the protection of
the coastal height limit want
to come see a five story
building in Pacific Beach?
You want to see a 23 story
application of Pacific Beach?
Yeah, that's my exactly a lot
of what we do is not what we do
It's what Sacramento tells us
to do.
It doesn't make me happy with
the councilmember who wants to
listen to the public and do
what I think are good things
but simply implementing convert
our municipal code into what
Sacramento tells us to do.
>> So with that I Oh okay.
Yeah I'm not ready to call yet
but thank you Charles But I
think that concludes my
comments Otherwise I think
staff for the good work and
thank all of you for coming out
and my go to Councilmember
Campbell Thank you so much for
letting me speak again I'm
sorry you're exhausted so far
so are we.
But I just wanted to say that
Obie has 2.4% properties of its
parcels whereas Sherman Heights
of 74% in the historic area and
South Park 73% in the historic
area.
So it gives you some idea of
the criteria by which a
historic district is is chosen
and is able to become one.
So I'm sorry about that But we
do have the 30 foot weight
limit and I'm fighting all
the time for that.
>> Thank you.
All right.
Thank you.
Yes, ma'am.
Campbell, you said it much
better than the point I was
trying to make Council council
PRESIDENT.
>> I can't think of
the PRESIDENT I won't repeat
all my comments from
the letters hearing.
But I think many of them
reflect a mix of what some of
my colleagues have already
shared, which is I think
the council PRESIDENT Self as
he noted this council already
is expected to have de novo
hearings on a variety of
subjects even if there was
another body determined.
And then I would note to
Councilmember Woodburn's point
many of the land use matters
for the city evolve to this
body as it currently stands and
I'm pretty sure this is a group
that would not appreciate it if
those decisions were simply
made by a body of experts which
are the Planning Commission
aside from city staff.
So it's again a bit of a double
edged sword.
So I appreciate the same
arguments that Council
PRESIDENT Had.
I just have the opposite view
of it which is that I don't
believe this is going to add a
significant number of
opportunities for this council
to to hear items that we're
actually going to be
overturning especially since
fees have been put in place to
deter frivolous appeals from
taking place.
And I fully support the idea of
some review in a year or so to
understand if this has changed
the number of appeals we get
and what happens with
the findings that supported
component being an option and
that'll give us a chance to
sort of move forward from there
And that's why I'm happy to
support the just granite.
Thank you.
All right.
Thank you.
At the present certainly I
don't see anybody else like so
we have a motion by council
Campbell and second by
COUNCILMAN Lippert to move
the staff recommendations.
>> clerk Please call the roll.
>> I certainly going to simply
cast your vote That passes 5 to
1 with council member Lacob
Council PRESIDENT And Council
member Eli Rivera Council for
Campaign and Council on
rebuttal over absent Thank
Council PRESIDENT All right
again thank you everybody that
showed up and so with that
clerk please introduce item 331
excuse me item 331 is
the dedication of city owned
land for the Fenton Parkway
Bridge.
If you were here I'd like to
speak to this item.
Please limit your speakers up
to the front of the room in
the clear box If you're
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.
Good afternoon.
Council We're going to give a
little chance for the oh okay
Crowd initiative.
I'll wait for your okay.
Okay I probably was not so you
should self record and let us
know how much time you need.
>> Thank you.
Good afternoon again Council
PRESIDENT Council members.
I'm Mark Frederick.
I'm the program manager for
real estate dispositions in
the Economic Development
Department.
I'm going to wrap thoroughly on
first talk in this market.
Would you mind taking your
conversations out into
the foyer there please?
Please move along So okay.
The gentleman from Mission
Heritage your constituent
council member library.
MR..
There we go.
Okay.
I'm sorry for the restroom.
Please start from
the beginning.
No problem at all.
Mark Frederick I'm the program
manager for real estate
dispositions and the Economic
Development Department.
With me today is Tyler Garland.
He's a property agent on
the dispositions team.
Also with us today is Lucy
Contreras who's the deputy
director of economic
development Department and
Kevin Risch who is with
the city attorney's office.
This presentation will take
approximately four minutes.
The subject of the presentation
is the dedication of sea on
land for the construction of
the Fenton Parkway Bridge.
If approved, the dedication
will allow San Diego State
University to move forward with
the construction of the bridge
which is part of the continued
development of San Diego State
Mission Valley.
>> This slide shows the first
two of three requested actions
that staff is proposing today
for council approval adopt a
resolution authorizing
the mayor or his designee to
take all actions necessary to
facilitate the dedication of
just over two acres of land on
city owned property for public
street purposes specifically
for construction of the bridge.
Number two authorize the chief
financial officer to move just
under $93,000 from
the appropriate transportation
fund to the Public Utility
Department's water fund to
encumber the land with
the bridge.
This is based on the appraised
value of the land and
reimbursement costs from
transportation to puti for
improvements made to the land.
This next slide shows the last
of three requested actions that
staff is proposing adopt a
resolution stating that
the City Council as a
responsible agency under
the California Environmental
Quality Act or cpa has reviewed
and considered the final
environmental impact report for
the Fenton Parkway Bridge
Project which was certified by
the Board of Trustees of
the California State University
in 2024 and further adopts
the mitigation, monitoring and
reporting program findings of
fact and statement of
overriding considerations that
are associated with the final
environmental impact report.
At this time I'd like to hand
things over to Tyler to provide
some additional background
information on the project.
Thank you Mark.
This slide provides a brief
recap and timeline of San Diego
State's redevelopment of
the stadium site in 2018
Measure d passed authorizing
the sale of the city site to
sdsu to which in 2020
the property was then
transferred in 2020 to
Snapdragon Stadium was
completed and the city and csu
entered into a memorandum of
Understanding or mou to
construct the Front and Parkway
Bridge In 2026 the city seeks
to dedicate the land and
transfer the property rights
from the Public Utilities
Department or Puti to
the Transportation Department
to allow for the construction
of the bridge.
This slide shows the property
location and describes
the project.
The bridge will be located
southwest of Snapdragon Stadium
and the Mission Valley River
Park.
It will connect Barton Parkway
on the north side of the river
to Camino del Rio north on
the south side of the river.
The dedication area will
encompass approximately two
acres.
Once completed the bridge will
be approximately 400ft long and
will provide vehicular bicycle
and pedestrian access access
across the San Diego River.
The combined cost of
the dedication incurred
mitigation and appraisal was
approximately $93,000 and will
be paid by the transportation
Department deputy under
the mou.
Sdsu design will designed and
construct the bridge to meet
the Transportation Department's
design standards after
construction has been
completed.
Sdsu will undertake all
maintenance responsibility of
the bridge for five years upon
expiration of sdc use five year
maintenance obligation
The Transportation Department
will take over maintenance
responsibility for the bridge.
To recap these next two slides
state the staff's three
requested actions for council
approval.
This concludes our presentation
Subject to any questions you
MAY have.
All right.
Thank you for the presentation
and the work to bring this
forward.
Clark please proceed with
public comment.
I have no public comment here
in council chambers going to
those participating remotely.
We have currently two speakers
I'm sorry the five minute timer
the original if you can please
on mute after that will be 700.
You guys are so good at people
.
It's really interesting.
We're just like normal for
people that end up in like
the world right?
So like as you like we're going
to it's going to be this entity
like the transportation firm
then it's the public utilities
is going to have their hand in
it.
So is this city like it's just
it's funny how things kind of
go from hand to hand.
The people are going to be
responsible and this isn't
going to adversely affect
the you know, public utility
funds and stuff like that And
that's a good picture.
I mean you really do like
you're good at really just you
know, the poker face is, you
know, trying to tell people
that like you want to hear from
them So you give them a minute
and then you're like you know
what?
It's really nice to be able to
have 15 minutes to have you
really just explain everything
that's going on and then you
know like I just oh my gosh.
It just it's it's really
actually comical to see
the things that you guys do and
how you spend our money and
when you're doing busy work and
you really want people to
believe that it's not going to
adversely affect them But like
any time you take that money
and do something with it, it
adversely affects the people in
the community.
All your like we want to hear
from you we represent And then
what did they say?
No, we don't want this.
A lot of people say no we
don't.
And you're like You know what?
In order to get the answer we
want we're going to have to go
above them But we're going to
make them believe that we
actually talk about them and
that we're doing this for them
.
So that's great and really
saying what you want to do in
all government I mean you know
all while you know our
governments are filled with
10,000 babies and you know,
make sure and starve them right
before they give you a blow job
8700 if you complete a new Oh,
thank you Joyce And the other
53 very quickly.
She was a great asset.
Snapdragon is a great asset and
I'm really excited about this
bridge.
I haven't been looking at
Snapdragon but once the bridge
is done I definitely plan on
going there and walking across
the bridge So I know you'll be
approving this and I support
you and thank you.
>> Thank you.
That concludes the comment for
this item.
All right.
Thank you, City Clerk.
And with that we'll turn over
to council members for
questions.
Comments Entertain a motion
We'll start We won't start.
We'll start with Council member
Kimball.
Oh, I just want to ask you guys
about traffic lights I do not
see in this drawing which is
lovely.
Any traffic lights at either
end of this bridge And I think
both ends are going to need it.
>> Is that going to be
included?
Thanks for the question,
Councilmember.
I'm actually going to defer
that to the engineering and
capital projects because I
don't know the answer to that.
I believe they're here
virtually.
Miriam, can you answer that
question?
>> Good afternoon.
This is Mary Moros, an engineer
with the Engineering Capital
Project department.
Would it be okay if I this to
ever ever ever It is with
the Transportation Department
So if you on the line can you
please unmute and enter
the councilmembers question?
Yes.
Good afternoon.
There will be traffic signals
at both ends.
>> Thank you.
In that case I'm all in favor
and I move stance
recommendation.
>> All right.
So we have a motion by
Councilmember Campbell to move
the staff recommendation.
Okay.
And Councilmember Foster will
second the motion.
The staff recommendation.
You know, apparently because
just in a mood that's couple
questions I hadn't really
thought about it.
I have a little bit harder
about the design of the branch
but that's not in front of us
today so I'll leave it at that.
The 92,000 reimbursing pretty I
understand that beauty is in
our bodies and so we have to be
made whole.
Where's the $92,000 coming
from?
It's coming from
the Transportation Department.
So 80,000 of that is from an
appraisal third party or
outside appraisal to encumber
the land.
And yes, it's the land, you
know, area above the riverbed.
The balance is reimbursement of
funds from transportation to
beauty for mitigation cost of
that land.
That was the work that was done
prior to this Right now why is
transportation doing that as
opposed to selling state?
Well, I guess what I one way to
answer is that the cost of
the bridge is over 50,000,053
million The city has
contributed a little over $8
million came from the proceeds
carve out from the proceeds of
the sale of the stadium site.
The balance then over close to
45 million is coming from sdsu
and the developers out of
impact fees for us dsu Mission
Valley.
So this particular 93,000
ultimately the Transportation
Department will be the managing
department for the asset.
>> They're making the payment
for that these days 93,000 is a
lot of money So maybe at
the 2022 amount you probably
talked about cost sharing
between the two entities.
I'm going to have to ask you to
go forward.
I think I'd like to defer if I
can to the city attorney note
that the mou contains that
senior Deputy City Attorney
Kevin raised the 2022 mou did
not specifically address
the issue that you're asking
about the payment from
the general fund to the water
Utility Fund.
>> Okay.
But I really did want to make a
big thing about that.
But so was there a policy
decision that we should that
transportation should take into
its minimal coffers and pay for
this?
I mean it's 93 out of like you
said a $50 million bridge.
I'm sorry I don't have a good
answer for you for that
Councilmember I can look at
the historical context here.
I work with Department of
Finance and Transportation and
her doctor and how much Chavez
and he'll have to come back
with response on the meeting.
>> Okay.
I didn't bring it up earlier so
I'll be otherwise in support of
this But I think an answer
about how that decision was
made maybe there is actually a
very good context with this
anyway so nobody else in
the lights.
We have a motion by council
member Campbell second by
Councilmember Foster.
Clerk Please call the roll a
surplus someplace.
Castro that passes unanimously
6 to 0 with a council member
people are very councilmember
competing council member over
upset Thank you All right Thank
you for the good work We'll get
back to you.
>> Okay.
I appreciate that.
All right.
We have two items coming up a
partnership with the city
council and the Facilities
Finance Authority.
So clerk, please introduce this
city council specific for
Public facilities Finance
Authority related items.
>> Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Item 330 is
the authorization for
the Public Facilities Financing
Authority of the City of San
Diego Water Revenue Bonds Item
eight does require six votes
pursuant to Charter section 99
.
Item one is the Authorization
of Public Facilities Financing
Authority of the City of San
Diego Water Revenue bonds.
This item is not subject to
the mayor's veto.
If you'd like to speak on this
item now's the time to raise
your hand Starry night of
the raise your hand icon or
something Your speaker speakers
up to the front.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT All
right.
Thank you.
Please introduce yourselves for
the record and let us know how
much time you need and actually
before you start this item does
recall require six votes So
don't anybody go anywhere.
I'm not telling you how to vote
but it does require 60 votes
With that staff please
introduce all the record and
let us know how much time you
need.
>> Good afternoon.
Council PRESIDENT And members
of the Council Jose Manuel,
Assistant Director of
the Department of Finance And
presenting with me today are
Alison Falcon Stein finance and
Coordinator Gabriela montano
Torres finance handlers and
Brett Butler, the Chief Deputy
city attorney will need about
ten minutes.
All right when you're ready.
Okay.
Today we are seeking
authorization for the issuance
of the Public Facilities
Financing Authority of City of
San Diego Water Revenue bonds
as background what are you to
issue 70 bonds periodically to
finance ascap program At this
time the Department of Finance
has determined that there is an
opportunity to capture savings
by refunding or refinancing
certain outstanding water
revenue bonds currently to
series that were issued ten
years ago in 2016 are eligible
for funding and meet the city's
debt policy guidelines for
ongoing What is the ip?
The city issues commercial
paper to finance expenses on an
interim basis and between bond
issuances since we will be in
the bond market with
the refunding we are planning
to take out any outstanding
commercial paper.
At the same time we expect we
MAY reach up to 150 million in
expenses covered by commercial
paper by JUNE 2026 About 98% of
the funds will go towards
pipeline projects.
The proposed 2026 bonds will
pay down the outstanding
commercial paper and reset
the program capacity.
But that alternate 2000
The slide highlights the key
financing elements of the bond
issuance.
The issuer of the bonds will be
the Public Facility financing
Authority of the city of San
Diego.
The structure will be the same
legal structure as the prior
water revenue bonds.
The repayment sources for these
bonds will be net system
revenues at the Water Utility
Fund.
These bonds will be issued on a
tax exempt basis.
The final maturity of the new
money portion will be the usual
30 years and for the refunding
component we will match
the same existing maturities.
The ordinance will authorize
either senior or subordinate
leans and currently we are
anticipating these bonds to be
issued on the senior Lean and
these bonds will be issued
publicly via a negotiated sale.
The slide describes
the financing team that was
selected to support this
transaction.
The municipal advisor is Public
Resources Advisory Group which
was selected via a competitive
process.
The Bond and Disclosure Council
will be Hawkins Delafield and
Wood which is also selected to
be a competitive process.
The trustee an escrow agent is
us Bank Trust company.
They were also selected to be a
competitive process and they
serve as the Bond Council I'm
sorry the bond trustee for all
other bonds issued under
the same legal framework for
the underwriters.
The Department of Finance
issued an rfp in DECEMBER and
we received numerous proposals.
The selection and award process
is underway and we will seek
Council approval of
the selection in conjunction
with approval of
the preliminary official
statement in MAY for fiscal
considerations of the refunding
component depending on market
conditions we are aiming to
fully refund the 2016 and 2016
be water revenue bonds and
their entirety.
There are 307 million
outstanding between these two
bonds If all our estimates as
of JANUARY 21st and are subject
to change we estimate we will
save over $46 million for
the water utility fund and
the amount varies year to year
There will be more upfront
savings of 5 million per year
between 2027 to 2029.
Then it goes down to 2.7
million annually and then 0.3
million thereafter.
We estimate this will provide
30% net present value savings
overall for the new money
component it is anticipated to
provide 150 million in bond
proceeds to pay down
outstanding commercial paper
that we will issue for water
utility cip projects.
The following are estimates
based on rates as of JANUARY
21st and are subject to change.
The estimated interest cost is
4.23% and the estimated annual
debt service is as follows We
estimate 4.3 million in
the first year 2027 and 8.8
million average annual payments
thereafter For 30 years this
bond issuance is supported by
approved water rates.
The water utility has a debt
affordability test called
the additional bonds test which
we must pass before we can
enter into a new debt
obligation.
There are also requirements to
maintain or increase water rate
that level sufficient to
achieve minimum annual debt
coverage ratios for as long as
the debt is outstanding.
The coverage ratios require
the water utilities net
revenues to be at least 120% of
senior debt service and 110% of
water utilities Total debt
service for the life of
the debt.
The projected revenues from
the approved rate case through
2027 will allow the water
system to meet these covenants
but additional rate revenues
will be needed beyond
the approved rate increases due
to the ongoing capital program
and the operations and
maintenance costs which include
the cost of purchased water.
The level of rate increases
will be evaluated under future
cost of service studies.
The slide shows the anticipated
timeline, the ordinance and
companion item are being
presented to you today In MAY
we plan to bring the disclosure
document called the Preliminary
Official Statement for City
Council on Paper for approval
is expected to be printed and
distributed shortly thereafter.
We anticipate the bond sale to
occur in early JUNE and bond
closing two weeks after that.
And now I will turn it over to
Chief Deputy City Attorney
Brett Bortolotti to cover
the legal structure and legal
documents.
>> Thank you, Alison.
As discussed, these are revenue
bonds and the structure is
the same as prior bond
transactions involving the city
the corporation known as San
Diego Facilities Equipment
Leasing Corp and the authority
itself as the issuer.
The bonds are limited
obligations of the authority
and they'll be the debt service
will be repaid out of net
system revenues upper water
utility the legal documents
which you've seen before same
structure We have the indenture
the master installment purchase
agreement, the assignment
agreement, the continuing
disclosure certificate and
the bond purchase agreement all
described on the slide in
the materials previously in
the staff report.
I won't belabor the point If
you have any specific questions
happy to answer them.
However.
And then so with that
the authorization that we seek
today with the ordinance is
issuance of the water revenue
bonds and one or more series
the first being the new money
piece of up to $150 million and
then the authority to refund
certain water revenue bonds to
achieve debt service savings
also includes the operation to
execute certain related
financing documents and
authorize the cfo to establish
one or more special interest
bearing funds for the proceeds
of our issued bonds.
The second part b is
the authorization of a
reimbursement resolution that
just allows the city to for tax
reasons declare its intent to
reimburse itself for expenses
frontloaded with bond proceeds.
And so with that I'll turn it
back to Jose that complete our
presentation.
>> Please let us know if you
have any questions.
We also have Adam Jones from
Public Utilities available
online Should you have any
questions?
Thank you.
All right.
>> Thank you for
the presentation.
Please go to public comment And
we have no public comments
because here in council
chambers going to those
participating remotely we have
8700 and the original 8100 if
you can please on you city
clerk appointees would you
please not start my time?
I have a technical question
that okay we do have to start
your time.
I can definitely call you after
the meeting for any technical
issues.
No, no no no, no, no.
It has to do with this item and
how it's flowing and managing
the public comment And you can
speak on both items right now
item 330 an item for one if
you'd like to speak on both
items what would be the time of
allowed for minutes?
>> Okay.
Wasn't there a valid question?
Thank you.
Okay I know it's been a long
day but this is a very, very
important item and I'm looking
at it so I'll take whatever
time I can get.
I probably won't need four
minutes.
You you out a cd three water
revenue bonds The refunding of
bonds will provide net present
value savings of 13% equaling
46.4 million in total estimated
debt service.
My focus on the statutory
report I quote to finance or
refinance additional capital
improvements to the water
system the refunding of certain
outstanding water revenue bonds
to achieve debt savings debt
service savings provided by any
such refunding complies with
the city's debt policy and
the execution of related
financing documents and actions
and of quote Now what I did is
I looked at our San Diego debt
policy eight pages I believe we
have one that one updated on
JULY 28th 2025 I noted was
disclosure practice working
group disclosure control
procedures on over 12 articles
on that To me that included
policy newly issued me of
the oversight of these bond
items 108 pages and that kind
of the current update is pretty
darn terrific.
So I got a question from
the staff report on
the environmental impact to
this activity is not subject to
sequel silence.
So this is from the question
this activity related to
the pure water ip projects I
support your wide decision on
water revenue bonds and its
impact on our water reach.
Thank you so much for listening
with me and thank you for
answering my question.
I hope it was appropriate.
Thank you.
Next is the original course It
was because we get four minutes
That's why she was trying to be
hesitant to answer that
question.
Enjoy.
You got to pay attention to
the people.
They do things in order to make
you think you don't know what
you're talking about.
So yeah, it's interesting when
we're talking about debt
because you guys only put us in
debt and you act like we're
doing this even though
the people from their their
utility bills are paying this
back right into paying off
the globe and then you say
you're not going to raise
the rates even though you guys
continually raise the rates.
So pretty much anything and
everything you could I mean you
guys would taxes on everything
eventually that's probably
going to come But you know just
interesting to look like you
want to spin it in a way that
there's going to be some kind
of debt savings and that it's
somehow beneficial And then
when Joyce talking about
the pure water stuff, it's like
how many billions of dollars
are we going to spend on that?
You know, just curious to know
like where is this really going
when you guys are talking about
buying water?
We got to buy it.
Go buy it how to transfer and
then when we transfer it we
lose about 50 to 75%.
Doesn't really matter Like
we'll just buy some more but
then we'll also divert it out
into the ocean.
Right?
Because that's sustainable And
then we'll also make sure that
there is a fresh water or a
lithium mining along with air
datacentres because these
things are crucial to our
sustainability right?
And then it's like you know
when it comes to the people
what we're going to give you is
doing water.
And so I'm just wondering if
we're funding you know, like
what's this one thing really
Because I mean we could drill
for water.
People like to see the water
tables too low But come on, you
know it's one not when you guys
are wasting water like them.
That's the thing if you like
really were if we were really
having, you know, in dire
straits where we're like we
really have to get people back
to our own sewer Jamaicans make
them think it's good you know,
we're going to put all these
toxic chemicals in there and be
like We're not putting too much
lye in there.
I mean that does dissolve
bodies but it's not going to
dissolve yours.
Don't worry about it.
You know, don't you think that
you wouldn't waste water like
that like you know, sending it
from one place to another and
you know, purchasing it all
while you like release it into
the ocean?
I mean it's weird that you guys
want to highlight certain
things but like the things that
could really actually help
people and you know, give us
fresh water even you don't want
to do But anything that will be
like you know what we're going
to have to do is take more
money from the people You guys
are like and you guys jump on
that like why don't?
I mean it's crazy because it's
like good and people buy it.
I mean they just like Thank you
for this step.
Like it's crazy to like witness
all this stuff.
I mean it's like a comedy show
So I appreciate you guys like
all diamonds.
Do they like show their true
colors and then make sure that,
you know, they have to let
people know what they're doing?
I mean you guys do for this is
that you don't do anything
about it.
Would you sit there and be
like, Well we want to hear from
you But unfortunately, you
know, we didn't terms like it's
like well I mean we want to
help you.
>> We're not going to actually
go after the people that are
all over raising your taxes.
I mean it's just like
the doublespeak is off
the charts But I mean you guys
do a good job of moving people
And you know, I just would like
to know at some point I mean do
you guys get fresh water?
You just given us a I don't
know.
But yeah, this whole item both
of them So that concludes with
a comment on these items about
it.
>> All right.
We will take councilmember
questions and comments on both
items and then entertain a
motion by the City Council on
the staff recommendation and
we'll start with Councilmember
Foster.
Yes, Thank you, Council
PRESIDENT And thank you.
I'm staff for the presentation.
I will just simply move stance
recommendation Thank you.
All right.
Thank you Councilmember Foster
So emotional with the staff
recommendation.
Can I get a second Council
member Marina okay so we know
it's fine.
i'll say something.
So we do have a motion by
Councilmember Foster and a
second by COUNCILMAN Marino to
move the staff recommendation.
>> Councilmember Campbell, I
just want to say thank you so
much.
A 13% overall savings is
terrific.
The interest rate is low 4.23 I
assume this is lower than
before and that's why we're
doing this and or at least part
of it.
And I really you guys always
amaze me.
You come up with these great
ways to save us money and I
know you do really appreciate
that And we appreciate it too.
So I just want to tell you
Thanks.
I'm all right.
Thank you.
Councilmember Campbell.
Not for anyone else in life.
Again, we have a motion by
Councilmember Foster and a
second by Councilmember Moreno.
>> clerk please call the roll
that perfectly that honestly 6
to 0 with Council member Eli
Rivera Councilmember mpo and
Councilmember Yvonne Lippert
upset Thank you Council
PRESIDENT All right.
With that we will now adjourn
as the city council and convene
as the Public Facilities
Financing Authority to vote on
the public facilities financing
authority item.
Can I get your same motion,
Councilmember Foster You're
saying second COUNCILMAN Around
for item for one Not see
anybody else on the line to
speak?
Kirklees Clerk please call
the roll.
I'm sorry The voting system
please cast your vote that
passes unanimously with
Councilmember Rivera Council
Chair Campo and Council
rebuttal open absent Thank you.
Thank you.
We will now take up public
facilities Finance Authority
non agenda Public comment
The public Facilities Finance
Authority members respect and
appreciate the public support
and are fully committed to
protecting every participant's
free speech rights at
the Public Facilities Finance
Authority meetings.
Clerk Please proceed with
public comment.
Thank you.
Approval $2.7 in a public
comment It is an opportunity
for members of public to
comment on items that are not
on the agenda within
the subject matter jurisdiction
of the public facilities
financing Authority.
Each speaker will have two
minutes.
If you're in chambers you can
submit a speaker slip If you're
on line please be sure to start
press star nine or the raise
your hand icon Dave Collins If
you can please come forward If
if you can go to the higher
mike right there the higher
the higher microphone right
over there.
Just go to your right.
>> Yeah that Yeah.
>> All right.
All right.
The first responsibility of
government is to protect its
citizens.
I'm here today to tell you for
55 years this every city
council, every chief of police,
every mayor has not protected
the taxi drivers and Sally
Siegel and the 11 bus companies
used to be one call out There's
11 now there's 50 cab drivers
at two border crossings and
soon there will be three border
crossings.
Another one it'll take me to
the subject that I have before
you today.
They're called wildcatters in
Spanish.
It's right their rules what
they do is steal money by way
of taking our customers from
the taxes and from the 11 long
haul bus companies that go to
six different states The police
department knows about this
problem.
Some of you MAY know about this
problem.
>> I know Vivian Moreno knows
about this problem because I
talked to her chief of staff
and he instructed me don't go
to the city council, Go to
the mayor because it was my
idea Also I wanted to go to
the top.
I don't want to start with
committees and studies of
people at the bottom.
>> I wanted to go to the top.
He said, You know you go to
the top and you'll talk to an
assistant for the mayor which I
did Very nice lady.
She referred my problem to
the police department.
I got a phone call from
the police that I explained I
put your time letter Call me
about your time, sir.
>> That was two minutes.
Yeah, that was too much.
If you have the additional
comments we can definitely give
you a piece of paper.
You can write them down and we
can give them to the council.
But that does conclude your
time for today.
I could almost understand you.
I'm sorry.
We'll have my staff come talk
to you and give you a piece of
paper to give any more written
comments.
But I do have to be fair and
move on to the other callers.
Oh you got the mayor's office
right there going with an on
agenda public comment starting
with the original If you can
unmute you're saying that see
people come in and be treated
like the you know because like
the first time I went to any
kind of public meeting it was
like I thought I really did.
I was like I think that these
people are going to listen
because that's their job.
They're supposed to represent
the people and then you quickly
find out if you're paying
attention that that's not
what's taking place.
And it's really sad because
people are suffering and they
want help And when things get
implemented say like he's a
taxi driver then you have
things like Uber.
I'm not really sure what he's
talking about but you know when
you implement things and you
you push out you know people
that were doing something in
one way just like you know with
wanting to get rid of gas cards
you push out the people that
work on those and then you
bring in the people that do
electric type of stuff And you
just it's sad because you act
like you're doing benefit but
like it cancels itself out and
you know it's just interesting
to see that and to see how
people you know, really just
just want help.
I mean they really do They
think that you guys are going
to come in and listen to them
and it's like unless they
disagree with anything and
everything that you guys do,
you just you just shut them
down And it's sad because
there's you know, people have
tried for so long like.
Right.
It's it's just too unfortunate
And I'm just wondering at what
point are you guys going to
actually do something
beneficial Because again, with
all this water stuff I mean
there's fresh water in
the earth like our creator I
don't know which GOD you guys
serve.
It's very apparent it's not our
creator but you know there's an
abundant amount of water in
there and the fact that it is
something that is used to
control people is really sad
And the fact that you think
giving us our sewage back to us
we will to you guys next is
8700 If you continue.
Thank you, Jason.
Yeah, the three first of all
PRESIDENT LaCava more than ever
when you made your statement
about citizen participation
just really resonated with me.
Thank you so much And I felt
sincerity in that because that
really means a lot to me and I
thank you so much.
So here we go.
I don't trust the sd, cwa,
the San Diego County Water
Authority Systems and perhaps
their associated bodies.
Now what I did is I Googled sd
c w a and their involvement
with issuing bonds.
They have $1.7 billion in
outstanding long term debt,
financial vulnerability and
rising cost.
The taxpayer rather than just
the construction of
infrastructure.
Now I could speak a long time
on this.
I only read it once.
I need to go back.
But they looked at it and they
said that this is all based on
a positive and negative
context.
You could look at it two ways
One we would judge the f b c a
I found that just really
enlightening how you could do
that.
And I it just stunned me And I
have to go back and read that
whole thing because maybe I am
I'm not getting the context of
the full picture because some
of you council members maybe
all of you really understand
these pricing increases on
the water for us people and I
don't get it yet.
So I just want to thank you so
much for today.
Thank you for all you're doing
for water and for the bond
the water revenue bonds And
thank you for listening to me
and for considering some of
the things I think you be
including comment that does
include non agenda public
comment for fee.
All right we've closed public
comment I want to build on
Joyce thank you.
I want to thank Kevin Smith,
the city clerk's office for
taking the time to help that
gentleman Clearly a first time
visitor to council chambers
about how to fill out a
speaker's lap and then also a
thank you to code advisor who
has walked out with a gentleman
to hear more specifically about
the issues that he has and find
a way to help him.
So with that we will adjourn as
the Public Facilities Finance
Authority and reconvene as
the City Council.
And with that we will now
adjourn Council to the next
regularly scheduled council
meeting on Monday MARCH 2nd,