and All right good morning
everyone.
I will now call the City
Council meeting of Tuesday
MARCH 10th 2026 to order Clerk
Please call the roll.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Council
Member Campbell Dear
Councilmember Whipper here
Councilmember Foster here
Council Member Yvonne Wilpert
Council PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee
Councilmember Campo
Councilmember Moreno Present
Council Isla Dara and Council
PRESIDENT Look and also
attending the meeting our Chief
Deputy City Attorney Gary new
four independent budget analyst
Charles Monaco a Council
Affairs advisor the Mayor's
office Code advisor and myself
your city clerk Diana Fuentes.
Thank you.
Council presidents All right.
Thank you.
A quorum is now present.
We will begin this morning with
the acknowledgment and
the Pledge of Allegiance led by
council member Moreno.
Please stand.
We respectfully acknowledge
that the culmination or
the original inhabitants of
the Unceded land now known as
San Diego despite enduring
the horrors of genocide and
colonization, the Kumara spirit
remains unbroken.
We honor 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 We
stand with the coming nation
connected to our past and
committed to a thriving future
.
Please raise the flag Put your
hand over your heart and repeat
after me.
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.
All right.
So yesterday afternoon we had
to adjourn our council meeting
during non agenda public
comment because we were losing
quorum.
There were six speakers left in
the queue at the moment We
adjourned this morning we will
be letting those six speakers
provide their non agenda public
comment before we continue with
our regularly scheduled
business our regular non agenda
public comment will be taken at
the end of this morning
sessions as is the usual case.
So with that clerk please go
over how the public can offer
their testimony and continued
with the trailed non agenda
public comment for the six
speakers from yesterday's
meeting.
>> Thank you Council PRESIDENT.
Just as a reminder you will be
having two minutes each and per
rule 2.7 non agenda public
comment is an opportunity for
members of the public to
comment on items that are not
on the agenda but within
the subject matter jurisdiction
of the City Council.
If you are one of the six that
was on the queue yesterday I do
have those annotated please
raise your hand now by tapping
a raise your hand icon or if
you are calling participant
star nine As mentioned only
these six will be taken now
the others will be taken during
the regularly scheduled time
starting with John Stump.
If you can please unmute.
>> Hey, good morning.
Happy days.
You know after yesterday's
meeting I reflected on
the homecoming ceremony for
Jesse Jackson and the Bloody
Sunday crossing of the Pettus
Bridge and seeing how much
progress we had made.
>> And I was reflecting on that
during the period I was already
a high school and as a kid and
very active and reflecting on
that and reflecting on
yesterday's meeting, I was very
disappointed that the idea and
council did not require any
report concerning race and
equity participation of
the 68,000 employees if you
included contractors and what
was a race, sex age and all
those other factors.
And particularly what I was
disappointed from was that my
council districts District four
District nine didn't ask how
many of the zoo employees at
the are from District four and
District nine.
Why is the council not
concerned about employment
participation from their
council districts?
You know there should have been
a report that said 600 to 800
people were employed from Henry
Foster and shot in those
district Each But there's no
data on that.
I guess the progress we made
crossing the Pettus Bridge is
falling away.
>> Thank you very much.
Thank you.
Next is phone number ending in
7499 if you can please unmute
7499 after that will be initial
749 Please proceed.
>> Bob Kozinski here.
The Torrey Pines glider port
has been a world famous hang
gliding site since the 1970s.
That land is owned by the city
of San Diego and is part of
the Torrey Pines City Park.
But the city doesn't manage
the Torrey Pines Glider Park as
a city park.
Instead the city under Joe
LaCava and Todd Gloria leases
our city park to a private
business and allows that
business to ride roughshod over
citizens rights to use their
own city park.
Imagine if the city of San
Diego leased your own favorite
beach or park to a private
business and allowed that
business to charge money to use
the park or beach.
Imagine if the city leased your
favorite park to a business and
allowed that business to refuse
service to anyone they wanted.
Imagine if the city leased your
favorite park to a business and
allowed that business to
require membership in a private
club to use our city land.
And imagine if that club could
expel anyone they wanted for
any reason.
That's what's been happening at
the Torrey Pines Glider Park
for decades.
Essentially the city is given
absolute power over our park to
a business.
And we all know that absolute
power corrupts absolutely.
There's been a long history of
bullying accidents and even
deaths at that site under that
business.
Yet Todd Gloria, Joe LaCava and
this entire city council look
the other way.
So far both the Lloyd Town
Council and Longshoreman's
Association have submitted
written letters to Joe LaCava
requesting an improvement of
the situation.
Among their recommendations are
reestablishing the Torrey Pines
City Park Advisory Board and
replacing the abusive insurance
requirements with a simple
waiver.
We know that the waiver
solution works because
the county of Los Angeles has
been using that exact same
solution at Dockweiler Beach
hang gliding site since 217.
Yet Todd, Gloria and Joe LaCava
continue to dodge the most
obvious and sensible solution
The city should never be
leasing our natural public land
to a private business.
I'm again for the hundredth
time asking Todd, Gloria and
Joe LaCava to implement
the Torrey Pines waiver and
reactivate the Torrey Pines
City Park Advisory Board.
Thank you.
>> Next is Anish.
If you can please you.
Hi, My name is Aneesh.
My name is And I'll be
continuing what my friend
Jonathan talked about yesterday
during the non agenda public
comment which is about the lack
of quality waste resources for
residents in San Diego.
Specifically I'll be talking
about potential changes that
could be implemented to bring a
greater awareness and educate
the public about property waste
disposal while also simplifying
things for them.
So some things that we thought
about was that our local
government could have some type
of awareness campaign for
educating the public on
property waste disposal
practices because we held a
e-waste drive at the ucsd
campus the other week and we
found that the majority of
people have no idea of how to
properly dispose of the waste
and tend to just throw them in
the regular trash.
This could be done through
social media or something as a
pamphlet sent to every
residents.
We know that there is an annual
flier which is the What Goes
Where guide sent to San Diego
residents which details proper
waste disposal practices.
But there's only a very small
section about bringing quote
unquote household hazardous
waste to more and more
household hazardous waste
transfer facility.
But we believe there should
also be a paragraph of
information being more specific
about the negative effects of
improper disposal which could
lead the public to making
better decisions on waste
disposal and understanding what
it does to the environment.
Another program which we think
could possibly be implemented
is having like we know that
there's a weekly like the waste
management trucks that come and
pick up the recycling of
the waste every week.
But and so we we think that
there should also be a e-waste
specific like truck or some
type of pickup service which
happens like maybe twice a year
so that it'd be simpler for
residents rather than them
having to take appointments
with facilities and having to
drive to these locations and
possibly like you know a lot of
time scheduling conflicts.
Once again thank you for giving
an opportunity to speak about
e-waste disposal here in San
Diego And I hope you take this
this content into
consideration.
Thank you.
Next is Andrea Ebbing?
Andrea, if you can please
unmute.
>> Hi, this is Andrea Ebbing.
I'm sharing some information
this morning that I really hope
the entire city.
Please pay attention to what
I'm saying.
This won't go over your head.
This is not going to be very
complex These I found.
I found quite a massive issue
in our budget last night.
I am somebody that found $142
million of something called
other pay on transparent
California issued to city
employees which was not pension
which is not benefits which was
not overtime, which was not
regular pay.
No one has provided an answer
to it.
In 2024 we had 152 million of
their pay paid out to
employees.
I think whatever I'm about to
share right now I think I want
to on the record and this
should be mandated reporting
attached to this.
You can validate my claims on
Transparent California when I
looked up other pay.
There was an individual named
Sheryl Looney who was an admin
aide who made $537,000 in
the year 2023 Her regular pay
was very low and her other pay
was like $337,000 a year.
So she was a question mark.
I phone 952 records of a Looney
family all of which make
hundreds of thousands of
dollars in multiple different
roles throughout California.
However, that's not the worst.
What I found was last night
that our trash refuse
supervisor Kenneth Biggers was
as an employee that makes $0 in
the year 2024 but he makes
$148,000 and other pay as well
as 147 or something in an
overtime.
There's 103 employees in
the city of San Diego in
the year 2024 that made $0 in
regular pay high level
employees.
There are hundreds that made
less than $100 a year.
Okay.
So we have a huge issue that's
running through the payroll big
time.
>> Thank you.
Your time has concluded.
Our final speaker for the trail
the people from yesterday is
Becky Rupp.
Good morning.
My name is Becky Rapp and today
I'd like to discuss
the socially equitable cannabis
program presented at the Ed and
I r committee last week.
Was troubling that
the conversation revolved
around equity for some but not
all.
Our city is struggling
financially and it a decision
that requires city funds and
resources should be evaluated
to the highest level of
scrutiny.
Across California the data
shows that these programs have
produced very little.
Very few operating businesses.
A report titled Cannabis and
Crisis produced by researchers
using data from California
Department of Cannabis Control
studied the performance of
marijuana equity programs
across the state.
And findings raise serious
concerns about whether these
programs are actually achieving
their intended results.
These programs require
administrative staff oversight,
consulting services and grant
funding.
Yet the outcomes across
the state show that the number
of businesses that actually
open remains extremely small
yet costing the city a
significant amount of money.
In fact a Los Angeles Times
review of state cannabis
licensing data found that over
90% of applicants in these
programs never even became
operating businesses before
Moving forward.
I urge this council to
carefully review the statewide
data and take an honest look
and consider how this program
could seriously our already
fragile financial situation.
>> Thank you.
Thank you.
That concludes public comment.
>> You're trilled from
yesterday's meeting.
All right.
Thank you, city clerk.
And again thank you to those
sextet and the patients for
returning this morning to
finish off not agenda public
comment from yesterday's
session.
So with that clerk please
introduce item 30.
>> Item 30 is an information
ceremonial item the 2026 city
of San Diego Women of
Distinction.
If you'd like to speak on this
item please be sure to submit a
speaker up to the front of
the room in the clear box.
Or if you're participating
remotely now's the time to
raise your hand by pressing
Star nine or the raise your
hand icon.
All right.
And please proceed with public
comment.
Thank you, Council PRESIDENT.
I do not see any speakers here
in person for the ceremonial
item.
Just double checking.
We'll go to those participating
online.
You'll have one minute each for
the women's of distinction.
Lori Saldana if you can please
unmute.
Yes.
Good morning and
congratulations to all
the women who are working on
behalf of the City of San Diego
and beyond to earn the honors
that they have today.
I do want to point out that
these proclamations and
the ability for myself and
others to speak would not be
possible without lawsuits
coming against the city.
Several years ago when they
used to restrict speech during
proclamation bans and there's a
saying that well-behaved women
rarely make history.
So I'm very proud to be among
women who sued the city and
have had to do so multiple
times to make sure that we have
a chance to speak not only
positively and to congratulate
people but when questioning or
criticizing the city.
So proclamation like this are
important.
They're meaningful and they
also deserve full commentary
from everyone who wishes to
participate.
And I think women made that
happen without the women who
filed that lawsuit in 2018.
You would not be able to hear
people make comments right now
.
So congratulations again to
the women of distinction.
Thank you for that concluding
comment.
Next is Andrew Irving.
>> If you can please unmute.
This Andrea Irving
congratulations to all
the women who are being honored
today.
Thank you so much for your
strength and participation.
I want to honor the women that
have been destroyed by our
county and city of San Diego
and their children as well.
For example woman who gave
birth to a baby unexpectedly in
her bathroom passed out and
woke up and her child was
stillborn.
And our district attorney
Summer Stephan sent her to
prison calling it murder.
i also want to honor Alexander
Van Tonder who's whose husband
was a predatory doctor neighbor
of Summer Stephan and she
abandoned her after she was
abused terribly and she tried
to commit suicide.
Multiple cases in which Nancy
Sussman, for example a 72 year
old U.S. Attorney who Summer
Stephan created a fake case
against when her son died.
So she sent her to prison to
for two years with the fake
high speed chase.
>> Thank you.
Thank you And Kelly original If
you can please unmute.
Yes I would like to add some
women to this list one of them
being Andrea Epping.
Another being Evelyn Lopez,
another one being Jennifer
Royston and the list could go
on.
These are all women that should
be honored for having to be
tortured by the system, by
the city, by the county, by all
of the people that are supposed
to be there.
And clean to protect and care
about the well-being of others
.
So I would like to add these
women to and all of the other
women that in the county
actually you know what across
the world that have had their
children ripped from their
lives, some of them have had
their parental rights
terminated and some of them
have lost their children to
the negligence of the county
like Arabella McCormick.
She died.
You guys had to pay quite a
pretty penny for her.
So I just would like to keep
adding these type of women to
the list.
Thank you.
>> Thank you.
Next is 8700 If you can please
unmute 80 700 stars six to
unmute.
>> Thank you Joyce And you have
three.
Thank you for this beautiful
ceremony item.
It's just a great one.
And of course congratulations
to all these women of
distinction.
And I just want to add this
this just popped up a second
ago.
Every single woman's journey
every single human journey is
beautiful and it's sacred.
Thank you very much and have a
wonderful day.
>> Thank you.
Next is 7499.
And your final speaker on this
item, Bob, because this key
here I also want to echo
the comments of Laurie Saldana
about our ability to speak on
these proclamations In addition
to the women that Laurie
mentioned.
I'd like to thank the local
attorney Craig Sherman and his
Center for Local Government
Accountability that he created
.
As mentioned by Laurie Saldana,
this council had previously
passed all of these ceremonial
items without giving the public
an opportunity to speak.
The city would hand out
the items and basically
the people getting the items
would leave the council before
the council would hear any of
the people speaking on those
items who might want to endorse
or sometimes even oppose these
proclamations.
And then the city would have
already voted on them but
people would have already
gotten their awards before
the citizens got to speak.
So I want to thank the people
that Laurie Saldana you
mentioned and Craig Sherman and
the Center for Local Government
Accountability for giving us
the right to speak before these
agenda items.
>> And that does conclude
public comment on
the ceremonial item.
>> All right.
Thank you to a woman of
distinction in her own right.
>> Our city clerk the is.
>> Now I invite the now I
invite to kick off the ceremony
as well as present his honoree
the honorable mayor of the City
of San Diego Todd Gloria.
>> Thank you so much.
Council PRESIDENT And members
of the city council.
It is always a pleasure to join
you for this annual gathering
to celebrate women of
distinction here in the city of
San Diego.
First and foremost I want to
acknowledge and thank the women
who we are honoring today as
well as their friends and
family members who've come to
support them.
Thank you all for coming to
City Hall today.
I also want to acknowledge our
commissioners from
the Commission of the Status of
Women here at the City of San
Diego, many of whom are with us
today to celebrate our ten
honorees to our commissioners.
When you stand and wave I think
they're all here together.
Very good.
We have Gail, Susan, Wendy,
Natasha and Maryland.
>> Ladies, thank you for your
service and for your leadership
.
>> So for ten years now dating
back to my time in
the legislature, I've taken
the opportunity to mark women's
History Month to reflect on and
honor excellence amongst women
in our community.
Women whose leadership service
creativity and courage have
made a lasting impact on
the city of San Diego and
beyond.
You can see it in the mentor
who helps young people find
their path forward in
The Advocate who refuses to
accept that that is just how
things are in the entrepreneur
who creates opportunity for
others in the organization
the educator, the public
servant, the women who show up
again and again because she
believes that our community is
worth it Because when we tell
the story of San Diego how we
grow and how we solve problems,
how we take care of each other.
My fellow San Diegans, women
are not a chapter in that
story.
They are the authors of it.
So you need look no further
than this dais today to see
some of the great women who are
helping to lead our city.
And our honorees also represent
the very best of our city as
well.
Their impact is not abstract.
It is visible, very visible in
the lives that are improved in
the doors that are open and
the communities that are
protected in the families that
are strengthened and in
the communities that function
better.
Because these women decided to
step forward and lead to these
extraordinary women who are
here today.
I want to say that your
resilience, your dedication and
your unwavering love for our
city helps to make San Diego an
even better place for all of
us.
And it is because of you that
we continue to grow, thrive and
inspire future generations.
Today we gather to celebrate
you and the role that you play
in making San Diego the world
class city that we are.
And with that council PRESIDENT
It gives me great pleasure to
start our ceremony today by
recognizing the women of
distinction of citywide.
Maria Chavez.
Big sister Maria is going to be
our test case.
>> Our four of us are here,
right?
So camera is there for your
friends.
You can't join us today.
They can just make sure that
they see you.
Maria, thanks for being our
guinea pig.
My friends, let me tell you a
little bit more about Maria
Chavez.
She is the immigration legal
director at the Partnership for
the Advancement of New
Americans.
Many of you MAY know that
organization as partner.
She is also the owner of her
own immigration law firm Maria
Chavez La maria's efforts are
critical now more than ever to
provide high quality legal
representation to individuals
who are navigating some of
the most difficult moments of
their lives.
She represents clients in a
wide range of immigration
matters from removal defense in
immigration court to family
based petitions to humanitarian
remedies.
But let's be honest those words
do not truly capture all that
it means and all that she is
doing because the people that
Maria serves it's about keeping
a family together.
It's about a parent trying to
work and provide for their
family.
It's about a young person
trying to stay in school and
build a future.
It's about someone who is
seeking safety after
unimaginable trauma.
And it's about a community that
is trying to live without fear.
My friends, at a time when
the national rhetoric around
immigration is so divisive and
so inflammatory, we know that
Maria's leadership is
particularly meaningful.
She's bringing clarity,
compassion and expertise to
communities that too often face
fear and misinformation.
And she does not stop there.
Maria frequently educates
the public on immigration
issues, helps people understand
their rights under the law and
gives her time to immigrant
rights organizations across San
Diego including the Community
Law Project and the San Diego
Immigrant Rights Consortium.
See Diego Today we celebrate
Maria Chavez for her
professional accomplishments
and her unwavering dedication
to justice and to the community
that she serves.
We San Diego is a proud
binational city.
We are a city that has been
built by immigrants and we are
stronger because of that.
Economically, culturally and as
a community.
So Maria Chavez represents
those very values that make up
the bedrock of our city.
Her work has helped countless
families remain together secure
safety and build stable
futures.
It is truly an honor to
recognize her as our 2026
citywide Woman of Distinction
honoree.
Please join me in recognizing
Maria Chavez Have more.
>> Maria thank you.
>> Council PRESIDENT I turn it
back over to you for your
presentation.
All right.
Thank you, Mayor And thank you
for initiating this program
several years ago.
I am honored to celebrate Karen
Bladen.
If you wanted to come up to
the mic Karen executive
director of Shoreline Community
Services District one 2026
Woman of Distinction.
Karen began her career as a
professional ballet dancer with
the Milwaukee Ballet.
Prior to moving to San Diego
and focusing on community
development and empowerment in
2016, Karen founded Pacific
Beach Street Guardians, a
social enterprise that employed
unhoused neighbors to care for
her streets, work for local
businesses and provide event
services.
This experience provided
members with job skills,
self-sufficiency and hope.
This model is one I hope
the city can duplicate with our
safe sleeping tenants.
In 2020 Karen came on board to
Shoreline Community Services
which was then a meal service
that Karen grew into a
comprehensive resource provider
that now includes a drop in
resource center at
the Compensation and Pacific
Beach Volunteer Community
Outreach to build support and
trust.
The Medical Respite hotel
program for individuals
released from a medical stay
and the community care crew
using her guardians experience
and recognize this resource
center is in the middle of a
single family neighborhood a
testament that you can provide
homelessness services and be a
good neighbor.
Karen is my nominee not only
because of her dedication to
service to others but because
of where and how she has been
successful.
As I said, Karen provides
services and service right in
the district one coastal
residential neighborhoods.
She built and maintained strong
networks in Pacific Beach,
Mission Beach and Lahaina
Shores by being communicative,
clear dedicated, proactive and
downright kind.
She is at every community group
meeting introducing, describing
and protecting her work and
the people she serves.
Karen focuses on similarities
rather than differences and as
it turns out we all want safe,
thriving neighborhoods for all
our neighbors.
And with that, join me in
congratulating Karen as a woman
of distinction in District one.
>> Thank you, Karen.
>> And with that I will turn it
over to Council PRESIDENT Pro
Tem Lee and his honorary.
>> Thank you, Council
PRESIDENT.
It is my honor to recognize
Jemma Samoa as the District six
honoree who is currently
serving her second term as
the PRESIDENT Of the University
City Community Association.
Upon her leadership,
the association has expanded
its engagement efforts
including hosting open
community hours, facilitating
direct conversations with local
representatives and launching
initiatives such as the Senior
Watch program to better connect
older residents with resources
and information.
Jim has also served as editor
of the Community Newsletter for
more than a decade overseeing
the coordination and
distribution of 6000 copies
throughout the community
through a strong volunteer
network.
Her record of service extends
well beyond her current role.
Since 1999, Jim has held
various leadership positions
with Spreckels pta,
the University City Little
League, The Educate Foundation
and the U.S. High School
Centurion Foundation
consistently contributing to
the strength of local schools
and neighborhood institutions.
She established the holiday
Adopt a family program at U.S.
High school to support families
in need helped form
the University City Fire Safe
Council to promote fire safety,
education and revitalize
the U.S. Garden Club, which now
serves more than 225 members.
I don't know where she finds
the time but she does all of
this on top of her day job at
the Vista Hill Foundation.
Java has been a pleasure to
work with in District six and
for all of those on my team,
our staff and many in
the community.
As a recent voice that helps us
work together and ensure that
we provide University City
the leadership it needs to move
forward together as a
community.
Through her sustained
leadership and civic engagement
she's demonstrated a clear
demonstrated a clear commitment
to strengthening community
institutions and fostering
collaboration amongst
residents.
And so this morning we are
proud to recognize her
continued dedication to public
service and her meaningful
contributions to the university
city community.
>> Please join me in
congratulating Jim Gemma's
small go to Councilmember
Campbell and her honoree.
Thank you so much.
Council PRESIDENT Council
PRESIDENT Pro Tem This year
District two woman of
distinction is Lynn Haimes.
Lynn has lived in Claremont for
20 years, is an active member
of the community.
She works full time at a
company that provides backup
power for large entities like
hospitals in case of a power
outage.
But on top of that, Lynn is a
tremendously active community
volunteer.
In 2016 she joined
the Claremont Town Council
known as ctc for Claremont Town
Council which has many hundreds
of members and she's held many
roles over the past ten years
there.
She's currently vice PRESIDENT
Of the ctc and the PRESIDENT Of
the ctc Foundation.
As a member of the cdc, Lynn
established the Marina
Boulevard banner program.
The partnership with sd Genie
to have local artists beautify
transformer boxes in Claremont.
And she chairs the annual
Claremont Garden tour.
And she planned the Claremont
Neighborhood 75th anniversary
Sherie of Claremont birthday
party last summer as well.
She's also a member of
the committee that plans
the Claremont Family Day every
year.
The largest community event
that the ctc runs.
She has been honored by
the community as the Person of
the Year in the past and now
she is honored as woman of
distinction for District two.
Her service and dedication to
improving her community truly
makes her a woman of
distinction.
There is no test too small or
too large for Lynn to take on
and succeed and so I am so
grateful for her leadership.
As I know the entire Claremont
community is.
Thank you Lynn and
congratulations.
>> Next up council member
Whitburn Thank you, Council
PRESIDENT.
Thank you, Mayor And
congratulations to all of this
year's Women of Distinction.
This morning I am pleased to
recognize an extraordinary
woman whose work has left a
lasting mark on downtown's San
Diego and across our city.
District Three's 2026 Women of
Distinction.
Ruth and Dawn.
Ruth Ed is a visionary
entrepreneur.
Gallerist filmmaker and
cultural advocate who has spent
decades supporting artists and
bringing creativity and culture
into our community.
She's the founder of Exclusive
Collections Gallery which she
launched in the late 1980s and
which has grown into a
respected platform showcasing
art showcasing artists from
around the country and around
the world.
In recent years, Ruth, that has
played an especially important
role in the continued cultural
revitalization of the Gaslamp
Quarter.
As a proud member of
the Wrinkled Band of U.S.A.
Indians she made history as
the first Native American to
purchase property at
the Gaslamp Quarter.
Reclaiming space at an area
where Native people were once
excluded, she transformed
the historic Yuba Building into
a destination that celebrates
indigenous creativity and
entrepreneurship.
With the opening of her Native
Star Boutique in 2025 which
features fashion art jewelry
and products created by native
makers from around the country
through her galleries and
cultural events and
storytelling work, Ruth has
created a space that elevates
native voices, celebrates
indigenous culture and connects
people through art.
Ruth Ed, thank you for your
leadership, your creativity and
your commitment to uplifting
artists and communities.
On behalf of Council District
three it is our utter to
recognize you as the 2026
District three woman of
distinction.
Thank you.
Next up council member Henry
Foster, the third and his
honoree Thank you Council
PRESIDENT.
And I want to first start by
thanking the mayor and my
council colleagues for
continuing the tradition of
recognizing women of
distinction during the Women's
History History Month and for
uplifting the women who
strengthen communities across
San Diego.
Congratulations to all of
today's honorees.
Each of you represents
the leadership, resilience and
service that Women's History
Month is meant to celebrate.
I am especially proud to
recognize District Four's
honoree La Rosa Webb, a proud
resident of southeastern San
Diego whose work reflects a
deep commitment to uplifting
our people and investing in our
community.
Through her leadership at Ramo
residence and her background in
business and organizational
psychology, La Raza has
dedicated her career to helping
others grow, thrive and find
opportunity.
La Raza has used art and
culture as powerful tools for
connection and awareness.
From her environmental art
initiatives to co-founding
The Block Club a space that
preserves and celebrates black
art and culture while also
providing a place for community
members to gather and
collaborate.
La Raza represents the very
best of district four through
creativity, leadership and a
strong commitment to community
.
It is my honor to recognize her
today as one of this year's
women of distinction.
>> Please join me in
congratulating La Raza when we
will now go to Councilmember
Van Wilpert and her honoree.
>> Thank you very much And
thank you again to all
the women who are here today.
I am very honored to be
recognizing that Dianne Weyrich
as district fives women of
distinction today for 34 years.
Dianne has dedicated her career
to the ymca of senior county
helping young people Thousands
of young people around our
region grow, learn and succeed
.
Over the course of those
decades.
She has become one of the most
respected leaders in gymnastics
in the community now only here
in San Diego but across
the entire state of California
today and serves as the program
director and head coach for our
very own Rancho Canyon Skeeters
in Escondido.
Ymca gymnastic programs where
she creates opportunities for
hundreds of young athletes
every month.
Through her leadership, more
than 700 youth participants are
learning new skills building
confidence in themselves,
developing friendships in a
supportive environment and
getting off of their devices.
Through her leadership she has
also earned recognition for her
competitive gymnastics teams of
more than 130 athletes helping
guide them through
the discipline and dedication
to sport required while
teaching lessons that extend
far beyond the gym.
Over the past year, Dianne has
especially stepped into an
important leadership role
across our ymca as
collaborative chair of
gymnastics department.
She has worked with colleagues
across the association to
strengthen programs and expand
opportunities for all young
athletes regardless of income
or where they live.
Recently Diane was honored with
a lifetime achievement award
from us gymnastics of Southern
California.
Recognizing the extraordinary
impact she has had on so many
young athletes and what stands
out most about Diane is
the lasting impact she has on
her young people that she
mentors.
We have been told that she
always comes to work with a
smile no matter how tired she
might be and she motivates
the young people to keep doing
their best every single day.
So for decades you have helped
build young athletes into
confident, resilient young
people in our community and we
very much appreciate you.
It is truly an honor to
recognize you today as District
five Woman of distinction.
We will now turn to
Councilmember Camp Hill and his
honoree Thank you Council
PRESIDENT And thank you to
the mayor and his staff for
organizing this great event And
congratulations to all
the honorees.
I am proud to announce this
year's District seven woman of
Distinction.
Alison Garner who is joined
this morning by her husband
Travis and her parents Randy
and Susan and her son.
Last year tragedy struck our
community when a plane crashed
in Murphy Canyon neighborhood
in tears into in the early
hours of MAY 22nd, 2025, 42
families woke up to a
terrifying and uncertain
circumstance.
Some had lost their vehicles.
Some had lost their homes.
Some were significantly injured
and nearly lost their lives.
All of them were shaken by this
tragedy as our whole city was.
It was a heartbreaking morning
for everyone connected to that
neighborhood and it even had
global resonance.
And for those 42 families
directly impacted on Sample
Street in the middle of that
tragedy, Alison Garner stepped
forward.
Alison is the director of
Strategic Partnerships and
Military Relations for
the Armed Services Y.M.C.A.
Center.
She's also a military spouse
and mother herself.
Because of those roles and
because of the deep trust she
has built within the military
community, Alison became
the primary point of contact
and liaison for everyone
affected.
This work was personal for her
too because these were her
fellow military families people
living the same life that she
lives raising children in
the same military community she
has called home.
Alison advocated for them
tirelessly because to her
the military community is an
abstract.
Those are her family members
and her neighbors and the life
she lives every day.
She coordinated communications
between dozens of federal and
local agencies, organize
the distribution of donated
goods and ensure that every
single family had temporary
housing.
She also led long term recovery
efforts helping families find
new homes and even organizing a
two week scholarship to Camp
Hero for the children of
the impacted families.
That is why Alison represents
exactly what this recognition
is about.
She never sought the spotlight.
She's the everyday person with
extraordinary heart who when
tragedy struck her community
stepped forward and made sure
her neighbors were safe and
supported and not alone.
She made them know that they
mattered because of her
compassion and her leadership
and her quiet determination to
take care of others.
Our community was able to begin
healing after an unimaginable
tragedy.
What she will tell you that she
was just doing her job.
I know And those 42 family
knows and our city knows
the truth that you are a hero.
Alison.
Alison, you're a hero and we
are deeply grateful for your
service and your heart for this
community.
So I just want to say thank
you.
Thank you to your family for
your service and your sacrifice
And we are praying for you and
your family and all our
military families at this time.
And so it is my honor to
recognize you as our District
seven woman of distinction.
>> Thank you.
>> With that we will go now to
council member Moreno and her
honoree.
>> Thank you.
Congratulations to all
the women being recognized
today.
It's with great pleasure to
partner with the mayor every
year to recognize these
astonishing women from all over
San Diego.
And it is truly an honor to
recognize an extraordinary
leader, mentor, fearless
Chicana and advocate for young
people in District eight.
MS..
Salt MRS. Soichi Alvarez.
>> Today we celebrate her as a
woman of distinction in
the city of San Diego a
recognition that reflects more
than 50 years of dedication to
helping first generation
students and their families
navigate the path to college
and beyond.
Now as director of the Graduate
Support Program and Activity
Prep, MS. Alvarez has guided
hundreds of young scholars
through middle school all
the way through college
graduation, turning the dreams
of higher education into real
opportunities and lasting
success not only changing
the lives of the students but
changing the lives of their
whole families.
As the daughter of immigrant
parents and first generation
college college graduate
herself, she understands
the journey firsthand.
Her commitment to community
also extends beyond her
professional work, including
being a mom, a good daughter, a
sister, a dear GOD mother.
Also years of volunteering at
the Sherman Elementary School
pta and serving as a Girl Scout
leader for Troop 6177 in Logan
Heights.
On top of all this mentoring
young young girls and helping
shape our future leaders, I
want to thank all the students
from Nativity Prep that are
here today to support MRS.
Alvarez.
>> It allows Grace herself
Familia Mira montes get
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Mama Super pac so stressed
Hermanas Jose Calexico this
week is going to assess her
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as we hear that business was
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So with that MS. Alvarez your
dedication has changed lives
and strengthened our community.
Congratulations on being
recognized Women of Woman of
Distinction and thank you for
everything that you do have
done and will continue to do
for the city of San Diego which
has got to Yes, Thank you.
>> And with that we will go to
council member Isla Rivera is
honoree All right thank you
council PRESIDENT Thank you
Mayor for doing this with us I.
Before I get started on Rama I
want to make sure I say
congratulations to all
the recipients today and I'll
give a special shout out to two
who do their work in District
nine.
Maria, thank you for your work
supporting immigrant
communities with Pena.
MRS. Alvarez thank you for your
work in District nine and
Nativity Prep.
As for Ramos, she is an
incredible community leader
with an incredible story As
the director of campaigns and
organizing Rummo works with
the leadership team at
the Partnership for
the Advancement of New
Americans to accomplish their
organizational priorities, she
trains and meets regularly with
Pena's organizers.
She was born in Mogadishu and
came to the United States as a
refugee and personally
understands the many
difficulties of adjusting to
life in a new country while
preserving her cultural
heritage.
She has led work with young
women from the Middle East,
Asia and Africa and founded
the International Refugee Girls
Association.
She worked as the executive
director of Somali Youth United
where she worked to ensure
young people acquire
the critical skills necessary
for success.
And she has shown a passion and
aptitude for increasing access
and exposure to steam for women
and girls throughout
the African Diaspora.
All of that is really important
work.
But what I want to say more
than anything is that Rameau is
an incredible advocate for her
community whether it's
supporting tenants rights or
immigrants rights and making
sure that her community is safe
from from the impacts of
surveillance or standing up to
the day care providers who have
been unfairly attacked in
recent months.
Rameau is an incredible example
of what a community leader can
and should be.
And she's doing this at a time
where community is increasingly
under attack.
And so from I want to say thank
you for doing that for not just
not backing down during this
time but standing even taller
and being even stronger.
All of San Diego benefits from
your advocacy and obviously
the folks who are closest to
you benefit in a great and a
great way as well.
But I just cannot say thank you
enough for the advocacy and
the leadership that you show
and what a great example of you
are, what a great example you
are of a woman who's making
history here in San Diego.
So thank you for all your
contributions and
congratulations.
>> All right.
Thank you to my colleague.
You know City of San Diego is
America's finest city because
of the work that these ten
distinguished women do And
every woman in our city does,
whether it's the everyday lives
of being a mother or spouse,
whether it's leaders of
industry, whether it's
the service providers,
the teachers and every segment
of what we call our city.
We are a great city because of
their work and I'm glad that
we're able to take a moment and
recognize these ten individuals
in particular.
But all of our all the women of
distinction of what makes us a
great city deserve to be
recognized.
But to conclude this segment,
let us join one more time to
recognize these ten women of
distinction
.
>> And with that, as you see
someone leading the door, this
is a ceremonial item.
No motion was required but we
will pause for group photos.
I will invite the ten women
into the pit for a group photo
and then we'll have an
opportunity for individual
photos
of
We will take Lynn next.
Lynn is next for the picture
Council District Council member
Campbell and thank you Ruth And
it's next And district three
with with Ruth and
all right again congratulations
to the 2026 women in
distinction thank you for
the family members and
the colleagues that joined in
the celebration today.
With that we will now dispense
with the approval of
proclamation items.
Clerk Please introduce them and
proceed with public comment.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT The public
comment period for
the proclamation items is now
open.
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
for proclamation items being
approved are items 3132 as 501
as 502s504 and 505.
I see no speakers here in
council chambers for any of
the proclamations going to
those participating remotely.
We have Andrea Irving if you
can please unmute and let me
know which item or items you
wish to speak to.
>> Hi this is Andrea and I'm so
sorry I have to pass.
I didn't have a chance to
review it so thanks to this
one.
Thanks Laurie Sultana If you
can please unmute speak on
the proclamations, let me know
which item or items you wish to
speak to.
Yes, thank you.
I will speak to Women's History
Month and well I'll actually
I'll speak to all of them.
>> Thank you.
Thank you.
You'll have three minutes.
>> Please proceed.
All right.
So I'll just go in order 31
diversionary theater.
Thank you for being a community
space and for celebrating and
enriching our cultural and
musical and appreciation on a
regular basis.
It's amazing what you have
accomplished And it's 40 years
and Women's History Month as
I've mentioned before will be
dead.
Women rarely make history and I
think it's important that
people recognize here in
California we created when I
served in the legislature
alongside Karen Bass, the mayor
of Los Angeles, she made
history as the first black
woman in America in the United
States history to become a
legislative leader of a state
legislative body.
And when she appointed me to be
her speaker pro tem we made
history in California as
the first two women in state
history to serve as
constitutional officers and
lead the Assembly during a very
difficult time and the economic
collapse of 2008 and 2009.
So I just wanted to add a
little bit of history from
the state level and even
the national level as we finish
up Black History Month because
often women's voices are often
silenced and our history is
rewritten by others And if our
voices weren't so powerful
people wouldn't work so hard to
silence them On St Patrick's
Day Parade I want to
acknowledge the contributions
that the Irish community has
made to San Diego and their
parade is always boisterous and
fun and it's a wonderful day
for families to be out
celebrating in the community
and a Lowrider Stamp day.
It's amazing how we have gone
from criminalizing people who
engage in what is really an art
form to now recognizing their
contributions to the especially
Southern California cultural
heritage.
My father grew up in Los
Angeles.
He loved his cars and even
though it was decades before
Lowrider was became a term, he
was certainly part of that
culture in Los Angeles As a
young man who treated their
cars with what could only be
called rubber and said respect
to turn them into moving works
of art.
And finally I will say in
response to Councilmember
Moreno's recommendation,
congratulations to her honoree
she alvarez And I think that we
have to always recognize
the very diverse cultural
impacts that people throughout
San Diego have.
Seeing the mayor at
the proclamation ceremony
earlier reminded me that when I
was the chair of
the Legislative Women's Caucus
in Sacramento we would do our
annual statewide recognition of
women who impacted our state in
powerful and positive ways.
So congratulations to you and
to all the women who were
honored earlier today.
Thank you.
Next is the original and then
it's 8700 the original If you
can please let me know how many
items or items you wish to
speak to Which item or item.
Yes or I would like to speak to
women's history St Patrick's
Day and let's do Jeff Davis
Day.
Thank you.
Please proceed right so what is
a woman is kind of what I'm
wondering because you know we
keep changing the definition
The things we already change
with the definition of a woman
is so I'm wondering if that's
part of the history and then if
you or all of a sudden saying
that men can be women, how does
that history change?
I mean how does that like
reflect accuracy of women is
what I'm wondering Because you
know, sad to see an inversion
of everything but if you really
did want to honor women and all
these women who are like
activists like you know, for
that it's just strange that
they don't mind that that's
happening and women are being
raised to look like then you
don't even know what a woman is
And anybody can be a woman But
people like Nancy Schaefer who
were murdered who are trying to
reform cps should be one that's
honored, you know, along with
again the other women that
suffer on a regular basis
throughout the world And then
for, you know, St Patrick's Day
all this stuff and you know,
parade and all these events for
it, you know, I'm just it's you
know, there was a MARCH for
children this last weekend on
Saturday and there's actually
one coming up on APRIL 11th.
It's going to be at Waterfront
Park and there's going to be a
MARCH around downtown.
And so I feel like, you know,
when we honor certain things
and we don't honor other things
that would be nice to see.
You know, all of you guys show
support for children that are
suffering and or you know, like
Arabella McCormick, Delilah,
you know, children who have
starved to death because nobody
wanted to do anything.
Just wondering when we're going
to spend some money to, you
know, dishonor them and mothers
who are currently suffering I
mean Patrick was murdered.
Oh, but you know, let's do
other things And then so let's
go to Jeff Davis.
This one's interested because
he's the veterans for you know,
San Diego housing Commission or
whatever.
Right.
And you know General straining
steadfast commitment to
advancing innovative housing
solutions and improving
the lives of low income
families and individuals
experiencing homelessness I'm
sorry 27 years of that And look
at where we're at.
I don't know that I would be
giving him an award when
the state of the city is in
such disarray I mean right
outside of city chambers Again
that building you know
the awning right there when you
walk in Right Right by security
is filled with homeless every
night.
But then you do have
the downtown partnership come
and tell them to leave which
isn't always so interesting.
But yeah, let's clean that up
and tent city and things before
we talk to the people there.
Thank you for that concluding
comment.
Next is 8700 If you can please
unmute and let me know which
item or items you wish to speak
to in Star six To unmute.
Thank you.
A 30 254 please.
Thank you.
You have two minutes.
Please proceed.
332 Women's History Month
Council member Campbell von
Wilpert and Marino three very
strong women.
Thank you for this item and
special thank you to cd3
honoree Ruth and Dawn to all
these women in all women face
challenges barriers and they do
achievements Keep making
history for equality and equity
to all and then s5 all for
the state or 226 San Diego
Housing Commission is
synonymous with care affidavits
dedicated public servant 27
year veteran of San Diego how
the commission your leadership
MR. Davis across critical
operational areas of both San
Diego Housing Commission and
beyond is appreciated.
Thank you for your service to
all.
Thank you.
That does conclude public
comment on the proclamation.
All right.
Thank you, City Clerk And with
that I'll turn it over to my
colleagues for questions Excuse
me for comments and entertain a
motion and we'll start with
council member Von Wolpert.
Thank you.
i'm happy to move
the proclamation today and
congratulations to all
the proclamation awardees As
usual my colleagues have
brought forth very wonderful
things to celebrate including
our Jeff Davis.
Congratulations on your
retirement.
We thank you for all your
service to the city and
the Housing Commission over
the years on item 31 for
Diversionary Theater 40th
Anniversary Day I am proud to
join Mary Todd Gloria
Councilmember Jennifer Campbell
Councilmember Steve Whitburn in
recognizing the Virgin Mary
Theater as it celebrates its
40th anniversary here in
the city of Sebago Since its
founding in 1986 during
the height of the hiv and aids
crisis, the Virginia theater
has used the power of
performing arts to uplift
the lgbtq 80 plus voices and
create space for our community
Healing and visibility.
Over the past four decades,
Diversionary has grown into one
of the most respected lgbtq
a-plus theaters in the country,
producing more than 175
mainstream productions and
hundreds of performances.
I have attended many
the fantastic theater I
encourage everybody to go.
The theater has also served a
creative home for many emerging
and established artists helping
to amplify voices and stories
that deserve to be heard beyond
the stage.
Virgin Mary continues to impact
our region through arts
education programs and
community engagement
opportunities for people of all
ages across the county.
Congratulations on this
incredible milestone.
It is my honor to proclaim
MARCH 28th, 2026 at
the burgeoning theater 40th
anniversary day in the city of
San Diego In item 32 with
Women's History Month, I'm
proud to be joining Councilor
Jennifer Campbell and
COUNCILWOMAN Moreno to
recognize Women's History Month
in the city of San Diego.
Women's History Month is an
opportunity to reflect on
the generations of women who
pushed for progress, broke
barriers and helped expand
opportunities for the women and
girls who came after them.
Thank you to everyone who
served on our commission on
the fantastic Women many of
whom are here today in our
chambers across league We see
that legacy every day for women
leading small businesses,
educators shaping the next
generation.
The community advocates working
tirelessly to strengthen our
neighborhoods.
This year's theme is Leading
the Change Women Shaping a
Sustainable Future.
And it reminds us that women
continue to play a critical
role in building resilient
communities and helping guide
the future of our city.
It also reminds us that while
we have a meaningful progress,
there's still work ahead to
ensure that women have equal
opportunities to lead, succeed
and thrive.
I also want to recognize
the many women serving in
public service across our city
from city staff to community
leaders who work every day to
make for a stronger and more
equitable place for everyone.
Women's History Month is not
only about honoring the past
but also about supporting
the next generation women and
girls who are lead our
community in the years ahead.
I still hold out hope that
someday this nation will pass
the Equal Rights Amendment and
will restore the protections of
Ruby Wade in this country.
And today we celebrate
the achievements of women
across the globe, across our
nation to recommit ourselves to
continuing the work toward a
future where every woman has
the opportunity to succeed and
lead.
Thank you.
And I read the proclamation.
All right.
Thank you.
Council member Whitburn Excuse
me Yvonne Gilbert.
I haven't done that in two
years.
We have a motion by council
member Von Wilbert to move
the proclamation.
We'll go next to Council
Moreno.
Thank you.
Item 32 celebrates
the accomplishment of women.
Women's History Month is a time
to honor women from the past
and present acknowledging
the issues that often affect
women's advancements and
celebrate our achievements.
I am proud to partner with
Councilmembers Campbell and Von
Gilbert on this proclamation.
Many people have tried to
embrace women's history and our
achievements from textbooks and
Women's History Month reminds
us for a moment of all of our
great achievements.
The idea of Women's History
Month with a different lens
since I became a mother to a
daughter and I hope for a
brighter future for our next
generation of female leaders
And I know my daughter will
have a very different
experience than I did.
So I want to extend
the appreciation for the women
that are powering and steering
our city including my
colleagues here on the dais.
Item s502 celebrates at this
Friday MARCH 13th usps will
unveil the first ever low rider
stamp.
This historic unveiling will
occur in Logan Heights Library
within District eight.
The event is acknowledging
Logan Heights on a national
level and it will showcase 21
low riders that will be on
display and feature at
the talented Logan Memorial
Educational Campus Mariachi
Ensemble.
The Low Rider Stamp is a huge
milestone that showcases
the cultural, artistic and
historic impact of the low
rider movement.
Logan Heights stands out for
many reasons including its
proximity to Chicano Park best
known and recognized for its
murals and its significant
Chicano movement.
On APRIL 22nd, 1970, residents
of Logan Heights alongside city
college students and community
activists rallied together to
suspend the construction of a
highway patrol station.
Community resilience is
ingrained in the history of
Logan Heights and also Chicano
Park and I would like to thank
DR. Albert Alberto Pulido from
the University of San Diego.
MR. Rigoberto Reyes from
the International Amigos Car
Club for spearheading
the stamps development process
with usps over five years ago
and making Turning this vision
into a reality.
I'm going to call you up to see
if you want to say a few words.
I also want to thank I want to
thank you for all your service
to Logan Heights and also for
bringing this historic moment
to the city of San Diego.
I also would like to extend an
open invitation to everybody
here.
The event will be this Friday
and program starts at 11:00 at
Logan Heights Library and
stamps will be on sale before
and after the program And I
would like to congratulate all
the folks involved everyone La
Raza and I'm happy to second
the motion on the floor.
>> Thank you.
All right.
Thank you, Council member.
So we have a motion by council
member Von Wilbur and a second
by COUNCILMAN Moreno to move
the proclamation.
We'll go next to council member
Lippert.
Thank you very much, Council
PRESIDENT.
Congratulations to all of those
being honored with
proclamations today.
I want to thank councilmembers
Campbell and Von Wilpert and
Laredo for bringing the witness
history.
But the proclamation forward
and more importantly for
the leadership that they show
every day on behalf of their
communities outside of college.
The incredible Libertad by
District three Team Nancy
Isabella Hudson, Bridgette Nay
So Jordan Latchford and
Christina Gaffney whose
dedication to the residents of
District three makes a
difference every single day.
We must continue pushing
forward to ensure that all
women have a seat at the table
and have equal opportunities to
succeed.
I am proud to join my
colleagues in recognizing when
it's History Month and honoring
the women who continue to shape
our community for the better.
I try to join Gloria
Councilmembers Campbell Edward
Wolpert in recognizing 40 years
of incredible impact by
diversionary theater an
organization that has helped to
shape the cultural and artistic
life of our city.
Located at University Heights
Diversionary theater has been a
cornerstone of Santiago's tcu
plus cultural community for
the past 40 years.
It is the third oldest lgbtq
plus theater in the United
States and its presence here in
San Diego reflects
the creativity and resilience
and diversity that make our
city so special.
Their work has elevated local
artists and inspired
generations of performers and
audiences alike and I
congratulate the leadership and
artists, staff and volunteers
and all the supporters who have
made these past 40 years
possible.
About the Saint Patrick's Day
Parade and Irish Festival takes
place right here in District
three at the beautiful Balboa
Park.
For more than four decades or
so that has brought our
community together to celebrate
Irish culture, music, dance and
tradition.
What begins with the leadership
of the Irish Congress and
the Southern California
dedicated Community volunteers
has grown into one of
the largest and most beloved
cultural celebrations in
the Southwest.
Events like this remind us that
nato strength comes from
the cultures and traditions
that bring people to our city.
And I want to thank
the organizers and volunteers
who make the celebration
possible every year.
Encourage everybody to come out
and enjoy the parade and
celebrate the rich Irish
heritage that is such a vibrant
part of our community.
I would also like to cede time
to Treva West, middle of
Ireland as the Civic Relations
liaison for the 2026 St
Patrick's Day Parade and
Festival Committee.
Please come up to the podium
where all looking forward to
the upcoming event.
>> Invite you to share a few
words.
Thank you very much
Councilmember Whitburn.
Good morning COUNCILMAN
PRESIDENT Carver Pro Tem Lee
and other council members.
My name is West Somervell as
Council member stated.
I'm honored to stand before you
as a member of the Irish
Congress of Southern California
and of the entire Irish
Diaspora here in San Diego.
As Council member LeBron stated
this Saturday, MARCH 14th we
are inviting all of San Diego
to join us along fifth and
Sixth Avenues and in w Park for
the 44th annual St Patrick's
Day Parade and Festival.
As Council member Whitburn
stated, this event has been
occurring for over four decades
and it has served as a
welcoming inclusive bridge for
our community bringing San
Diegans of all backgrounds
together to celebrate Irish
culture and heritage.
In Ireland we have a saying.
Came 100,000 volumes and that
is exactly the spirit that we
bring to our city streets.
The Congress of Southern
California would like to
express our sincere gratitude
to the offices of
Councilmembers Whitburn and
Foster and to Council PRESIDENT
LaCava for warmly welcome to
our committee to discuss
the vibrancy and sustainability
of what remains the largest
Saint Patrick's Day parade west
of the Mississippi.
And to both council members and
Campo along with Council
PRESIDENT LaCava for accepting
our invitation to participate
in this year's parade.
As we look toward the future,
the Irish Congress is eager to
maintain an open line of
communication with all of you.
We view the city as a vital
partner in ensuring
the celebration of culture and
community continues to thrive
in the heart of San Diego for
another 44 years and beyond.
Thank you for your support of
this proclamation and look
forward to seeing you in
the parade on the route or in
the festival on Saturday.
>> Thank you.
Thank you.
We are very much looking
forward to the Parade festival.
And thank you for all that you
do for the community.
And last but certainly not
least, a big congratulations to
Jeff Davis and his retirement.
MR. Davis has done a tremendous
amount to help people
experiencing homelessness get
back on their feet and ensure
that they get to have
affordable housing.
And we are very grateful for
all of his efforts over so many
years.
Thank you, Council PRESIDENT.
All right.
Thank you, council member.
And we'll go next to
Councilmember Campbell.
Thank you, council PRESIDENT.
Congratulations to all
the proclamation recipients.
What a wonderful day this is.
I would like to first recognize
Jeff Davis Day.
MR. Davis are 27 years in
the city housing homeless.
He has helped thousands and
thousands of people over
the years and we are so
grateful to him.
We will MISS Him a great deal.
He stepped in to be interim
director of the housing
commission.
As we look for our new leader
Lisa Jones and he's just a
marvelous person who's always
wonderful to work with.
So thank you, Jeff, for all
you've done.
Congratulations on your
retirement And I'd like to
speak to Prop 31.
I am honored to proclaim MARCH
28th, 26 as Diversionary
Theater's 40th anniversary day
in the city of San Diego.
Welcome your time, Gloria.
My colleagues, council members
with your name on Wolpert
diversionary third theater as
has been said is the third
oldest lgbtq theater in
the United States founded way
back in 1986.
It is truly a unique and
special place for the entire
community to enjoy gay themed
theater performances.
Most importantly provides a
creative home for many actors
of all backgrounds to share
their talents.
Cheers to 40 years and now a
proclamation over 32.
In MARCH we celebrate Women's
History Month acknowledge
achievements of women
throughout our history.
There are so many trailblazing
women in San Diego's history
including Maureen o'Connor and
who goes first Female Mayor
Constance Carroll, the first
black woman and first lgbtq
person to serve as chancellor
of the San Diego Community
College District.
Christine Kehoe, the first
openly gay elected official in
San Diego who was not only on
council but went on through
the state Assembly And as
Senator in our state.
I also want to congratulate
Susan Davis, the first San
Diego woman elected to Congress
to represent San Diego district
.
Shirley Weber, California's
first African-American
secretary of state who also
served in many other roles
including the state Assembly
Toni Atkins, the first woman
and first lgbtq person to be
speaker of the Assembly and
then PRESIDENT Pro-Tem of
the state Senate.
Monica Montgomery Stepp Our
former colleague on City
Council the first black woman
elected to serve as San Diego
County supervisor.
And my representative on county
council.
This morning we recognize ten
incredible women who are making
a difference in their
communities.
And I want to thank them all
for their contributions to our
city.
Happy women's History Month.
Thank you, Council PRESIDENT.
All right.
Thank you, Council member
Campbell.
We'll go next to council member
foster Thank you Council
PRESIDENT.
And I just want to speak
briefly on a few of these
items.
We'll start with item 32
Women's History Month.
Thank you to council members
Campbell von Wilpert and Marino
for bringing forward this
recognition of Women's History
Month and for the leadership
each of you show every day on
behalf of the city of San Diego
and your communities.
As we recognize women across
our city with this
proclamation, I also want to
acknowledge the example you
three set on this council as
women helping shape the future
of San Diego.
Women's History Month is a time
to reflect on the many ways
women have strengthened our
communities, broken barriers
and opened doors for
generations that follow.
In this moment I can't help but
to think about the strong women
in my life including my mother
,my wife and my daughter who
remind me regularly of
the strength resilience and
leadership that women bring to
our families in our
communities.
So today I join my colleagues
in celebrating the women of San
Diego and simply thanking you
for all that you do.
Also we'd like to comment on s5
or two Low Rider Stamp Day.
I want to begin by thanking
Councilmember Vivian Marino for
bringing forward this
recognition and for helping
highlight such an important
moment for our city and for
the lowrider community.
San Diego has long been home to
a vibrant lowrider culture that
reflects deep pride, creativity
and community.
For generations little riding
has served as a form of
artistic expression and
cultural storytelling that
brings people together across
our neighborhoods.
The unveiling of the first ever
Lowrider Stamp is a historic
milestone that recognizes a
culture the cultural
significance of this movement
and honors the artists,
builders and community leaders
who helped shape it.
I also want to recognize DR.
Alberto Pulido and MR. Reyes
MR. Reyes for their dedication
and advocacy in helping
bringing national recognition
to the lowrider community.
I'm looking forward to joining
the community this Friday at
the Logan Heights Library for
the stamp unveiling and
celebration and to celebrating
this important moment alongside
the many lowrider enthusiasts
who have helped make this
culture what it is today.
Lastly, I would like to comment
on 5 or 3 Jeff Davis Day.
Just really want to
congratulate Jeff on 27 years
of service with the San Diego
Housing Commission.
Your work has helped advance
housing solutions to not only
support our families with
housing options but also
the work that you have done in
regards to our homeless
population.
Also just want to congratulate
all of the proclamation
recipients.
And that concludes my comments.
All right.
Thank you, Councilmember Foster
Not only because my thought
kind of wrap things up.
I joined Councilmember Lippert
and Councilmember Campo on
items five and one to celebrate
Saint Patrick's Day parade and
Festival day here in the city
of San Diego.
I want to thank the Irish
Congress of Southern California
for highlighting celebrating
Irish culture here in San
Diego.
Keeping culture alive is no
easy feat let alone running a
festival of this size for 44
years.
My wife Lorraine was half Irish
and I look forward to
celebrating on Saturday at
the Saint Patrick's Day Parade.
However you choose to celebrate
this day whether you're
incorporating some green into
your retire or attending
the Saint Patrick's Day.
I wish you all a happy and
pennsbury Saint Patrick's Day.
I was honored to join
COUNCILMAN Marino in bringing
forth 5 or 4 and respecting his
wishes.
I'll simply say thank you and
item 32 Women's History Day
Recognize the amazing women in
my life.
My mother who immigrated here
from Italy to start a new life
in this country.
A recognition that seems to be
lost on so many people who call
themselves Americans And
the good work she did in
raising me and my sister my
mother in law who was a nurse
for the early part of her
career.
My daughter Valerie who set
the standards of what
compliance and the industry
meant and is now the mother of
my grandchild Olivia, 34.
Next month and my daughter
Melanie with her Ph.D. In
genomics and advancing
the conversation in protecting
endangered species.
And thank you to my colleagues
for all the recognition and
proclamations I've been brought
forward today.
I see Councilmember Lippman
wants to jump back in again.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Sorry we were
looking forward to just be part
of diversionary theater being
with us this morning.
It turns out he's with us
virtually and I wanted to
invite him to join us and say a
few words.
We are very much delighted to
utter diversionary theater on
its anniversary and really
appreciate all that you have
done to make it the great venue
that it is about To invite you
to say a few words.
Hello.
Hi.
Can you hear me?
Yes.
>> Hi, This is Jesse Marquez.
Thank you so much for having me
today And the director of
development and resident
dramaturg at Diversionary
Theater.
You've all spoke so beautifully
about the work and its impact
on our city.
Thank you so much.
As you mentioned, for
the nation's third oldest
continuously operating lgbtq
plus theater.
San Diego was only theater of
its kind and one of very few in
the country dedicated to
telling exclusively a lesbian,
gay, transgender and stories.
We're celebrating our 40th
anniversary this year and we'll
be taking to the streets on
MARCH 28th for our Ruby
anniversary Ball which we will
celebrate under the stars on
Park Boulevard outside of our
historic theater and university
heights.
And I look forward to seeing
some of you there.
If you haven't bought tickets
today is the last day to rsvp.
Please do that.
You've spoken so beautifully
about our work and about our
free arts education programs
which really are one of
the most important things we do
to speak to just how we work
towards the full diversity of
our lgbtq community our newest
arts education program.
Frontlines of Pride is a great
example of how we serve our
community and its fullest.
It's a collaboration with Armed
Services Arts Partnerships and
it's a playwriting class geared
toward the healing of lgbtq
veterans and their families.
We really believe that
representation matters and that
stories have the power to save
lives.
I really want to thank City
Council for your unwavering
support of all of our programs
over the years.
With your help we impact
the lives of nearly 10,000
community members and we look
forward to doing so for another
40 years and beyond.
>> MR. Marchese thank you very
much for being with us and
thank you very much for all you
do for diversionary theater.
It has a national reputation.
Its work has always been
important and I think
especially in today's national
climate celebrating the many
cultures that make up our
community And this case in
particular the lgbtq community
and the transgender community.
Your work is so important and
very much appreciated So thank
you again.
Looking forward to the upcoming
event.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT.
All right.
Thank you.
Thank you for jumping in
because it made me realize I
forgot to thank one woman in my
life and that would be my wife
Laurie.
>> So if I want to go home
tonight to my wife Lorraine who
is the mother of our two
daughters and our grandmother
to Olivia and a beloved
kindergarten teacher for 25
years and touched the lives of
so many children who still come
back and thank her for what she
taught them during her
kindergarten years.
>> That was close.
So with that we have a motion
by Catherine Wolpert and a
second by COUNCILMAN Marino to
move the proclamation.
Clerk Please call the vote.
That's right The voting system
Please cast your vote that
passes unanimously 9 to 0.
Thank you, Council PRESIDENT
All right.
Thank you Again we will take
another pause for photos
starting with I think item 31
diversionary theater.
Are they here in person?
The virtual okay.
Then we'll start with the Saint
Patrick's Day parade and
Festival day.
I'm not out of sorry boy.
I'm just really rattling off
women's History Month so we
want to do that for good.
Is there someone here?
Oh, yeah.
Okay, that sounds good.
And then I'll let Heidi take
over because she actually knows
what
it
I received 14 Webcam informs in
opposition and I don't want to
one received 21 webcam informs
in opposition both all those
were forwarded to the city
Council I will also note for
the record the potential
reappointment so that are on
the agenda this morning I don't
want all five is the potential
reappointment of DR. Joan Chen
to the privacy Advisory Board
starting with those that are
speaking here in council
chambers If I can have Barbara
Holton please come forward and
then Gary London.
Joe Hassler and Blair Beekman
if you can all come forward to
the front row.
Barbara Holton You have time
ceded to you by Templeton to
please raise your hand.
Thank you so much.
You'll have two minutes on item
55 Please come up to
the microphone.
I'm here today to support
Historicity.
You will be approving for
the final time package.
My name is Barbara Holton.
I represent coastal caretakers
.
I want to say to you the city
is responsible for ensuring
that all of its decisions
comply with the California
Coastal Act and the care of
the Environmental Quality Act
the Ocean Beach Historical
District is included within
the state's coastal zone
Package ordinances and
resolutions do not meet
California Coastal or
Environmental Quality Act
requirements.
In addition, item 100 requires
that item 55 be passed first
This domino effect within a
consent calendar is unusual and
questionable.
Thank you.
Next we have Gary London Are
you here?
Gary London?
No.
Then we have Jo Jo.
Okay you're speaking on item
101.
You'll have one minute.
Please proceed.
Hello, my name is Joe Heisler.
I'm with Pentland Property
Partners.
We're asset manager Most of
the retail and restaurant in
Liberty Station the former Navy
Naval training Center Liberty
Station is a national treasure
and some of the properties I
asset manage are on a covered
by 66 year round leases.
The redevelopment agency has
been dissolved for many years
and the city of San Diego is
supposed to compensate other
taxing entities.
Market value for the properties
City of San Diego is currently
offering a number that is based
upon a valuation 15 years ago
to pay them.
Currently our company has
offered seven times the number
for the properties we control
through ground leases.
We also have two other ground
lessees at Liberty Station that
are willing to pay seven times
the number.
I would say this is
disingenuous to schools and
community college districts
within our community.
Thank you.
Market value should be paid.
Blair Beekman, New York began
times 5105 and 503 You'll have
three minutes.
Please proceed.
Hi.
Thank you.
Beekman More in blue today.
A blue shirt.
I hope it can be okay.
Um.
I think it is East Village.
Uh, green phase one project.
This project was actually
brought to sandag a few months
ago.
They are working in conjunction
with you.
There is a future of smart city
smart, smart, smart city
development for the future of
this project.
It's really important to sandag
that has absolutely zero
mention in this item so I'm a
little concerned what exactly
you're working on with this
item and how you're how you're
working on it and you have a
big parking project involved.
You have art funding over
$700,000 That's a lot.
So it's my guess is my fear
actually that is your art
project Things going towards
tech practices at all?
I just ask we have to be
mindful with so much parking
involved with this item I hope
pick your tech can be a really
easy subject to talk about.
A parking check is usually easy
to talk about or community Good
luck that we are accountable
with this technology you're
building a good luck It should
be clear and open Don't fear it
That's my always I always say
that one I was appointment to
the Privacy Advisory Board
really important items of um we
are still working towards how
to address block and how to
address the future So much tech
placed in the city war makes it
really difficult to work on
best practices I tried to offer
yesterday I think we still can
work towards best practices.
Good luck how we can do that.
I think it's our good examples
at the local level that it will
give hope to our national
international level and they
they can learn from our good
examples At this time we're not
in a 911 paranoid era of war
anymore.
It's our best practices at
the local level to create peace
and continue aboard
the international level at this
time.
Good luck that we continue our
good work.
It helps a lot at this point in
our lives And finally I am a
survivor of three continuing
state of emergency issues.
Thank you very much for
the words of counsel person on
yesterday who spoke on
the climate action reports in
need of a bit more
accessibility and public just
dialog and understanding just a
bit more fun basically and how
it described itself the water,
the sewer issues into your
water could have been mentioned
what we could be working on
together the fact that we need
to be working on things
together that could have made
it into the report and good
luck that we have good
communication, good luck in our
open communication.
>> Thank you.
Thank you for that Concluding
comment.
Gary London And then our final
speaker is Mitch Moline who's
leading.
>> Thank you.
Good morning City Council
members.
My name is Gary London.
I'm here on behalf of my client
Seligman who are the as you
know the lessees at Liberty
Station And I want you to know
that I don't have a
philosophical argument against
the city owning city owned
properties.
There's opportunities always to
own it.
This is not one of them.
I think that Liberty Station is
a is an opportunity to to offer
up to some of the concept where
they can go ahead as stewards
of this property is owners of
this property to do a good job
for the next couple of decades.
We did a report which I think
had been submitted to you I'll
submit to clear that addresses
the financial upside of their
potential ownership of this
property versus the city going
forward releasing it including
the fact that what resonates
for me is that the city hasn't
done a good job with this is
what I heard in comment.
Your time has come.
Thank you.
Thank you Mitch you're speaking
on I don't want to one Good
morning council My name is
Mitch Politics I've been
intermittently involved with
the Liberty Station issues for
about 30 years When I was a
staff person for Mayor Susan
Golding and I think it's really
exceeded expectations in that
time of the vision we
originally had.
But the city, with all due
respect isn't a great steward
of real estate and I think
there's a good case example
There is the radio station Now
if you look at it it's very
clean, it's very productive,
it's very nice But then you
come upon this smoldering heap
of ash well that's building 619
which the city which was a nice
20,000 square foot building
that the city said you know
what, we're going to keep this.
We're going to redevelop it and
make it nice.
They never did anything.
They've had them all this time.
The museum wanted to come in
there and take over.
They said No, no, we've got a
plan that eventually, you know,
degraded homeless, moved in and
then it burned to the ground
around last Christmas.
The business model it's in
place now.
>> Thank you for that
concluding remark.
Any written comments can
definitely be submitted and we
will be sure to get those to
the council If I can have
Laurie Sultana please unmute
I'm sorry the five minute timer
Laurie Saldana please let me
know which item or items you
wish to speak to on the consent
agenda.
>> Good morning again.
Thank you.
I'll say all of them because I
couldn't see the screen until
just this moment So put me down
for all of them and I will try
to read from the screen.
Let me just say regarding
Liberty Station and other
agreements do I?
I can't agree more strongly
with the speakers.
Your predecessors consistently
gave away valuable public
resources for private profits.
The city gave the Macmillan
Puerto Rican the land at
Liberty Station for a dollar.
Your predecessors really
contributed to the housing
crisis we have now Other
development agencies around
California have used their
assets to build and preserve
more affordable housing than
San Diego consistently for
decades the city is an outlier
and as one of the worst track
records on creating and
protecting naturally occurring
affordable housing and that is
evident to anyone who drives
along our streets and freeways
where encampments are popping
up elsewhere they can be taken
down.
So I encourage you to
reconsider how you're using
these successor agency funds
because other cities as I have
stated before when I was chair
of the Assembly Housing and
Community Development Committee
I was invited to other cities
to see how they use their
redevelopment funds and it
really put San Diego to shame.
Let me comment on the minutes I
believe of the council previous
of those part of this as well
the minutes of the previous
council meetings.
I'll just go ahead.
Ice actions were mentioned by
one of the councilmen.
I want to remind you that civil
protest is still a basic
constitutional right of
everyone citizens and residents
regardless of legal status.
We now have the resignation,
thank goodness of the former
director of homeland security
And it's a reminder that
increasingly violent actions
against American citizens as
well as immigrants can often be
dealt with by following
the money.
It's still an effective way to
hold the powerful accountable.
And finally, I want to close
with an item that has to do
with an ongoing hearing.
No, wait a minute.
I'm looking on my website here
to one two River Valley sewage
crisis.
It's hard to say that this is a
crisis because it's gone on now
for decades And I was both a
plaintiff in a lawsuit to force
them to change the design of
their treatment plans And then
a research fellow at ucsd at
the Center for U.S. Mexican
Studies examining how it had
failed on so many levels.
This is almost 30 years ago now
And what is happening now is
entirely the city of San
Diego's responsibility.
Let me explain why you were
part of the driving force
through your employees, through
your agencies in creating that
treatment plan at the border
that it's never had a chance to
work properly and safely and
protect the health and
well-being of San Diego
residents and others in
the treatment of River Valley
area.
Those of us who were working on
transboundary environmental
issues knew that this failure
would come.
We knew that people would be so
poisoned and this city promised
the regional water board,
the state water agencies that
you would assist Tijuana in
developing an industrial
pretreatment program as part of
their compliance efforts to
keep toxic waste out of that
river valley.
The city has failed to live up
to that promise.
I encourage you to do that but
stop poisoning your time have
concluded after that as
the original after the original
is 8700 please let me know
which item or items you wish to
speak to.
One of five 500 as 5030 three
minutes Please proceed.
First I want to say that is
ridiculous that we spent that
long on proclamations as if
things are going on quickly
Dory while you then cut down
the people and you know just
always silence them with a
minute, you know it's just so
disrespectful that you guys sit
up there and spend all this
time doing that.
The appointment to the Privacy
Advisory Board I mean you guys
have sit here, you create this
board but then it's like you
don't and you circumvent all
the time.
You basically tell them you
know like they go and do all
this work and then they get
bypassed.
So it's just interesting to see
what's going on there and
anything that is having to do
with sharing of information
that should encompass everybody
not just a certain class of
people or groups of people it
should be everybody that is
included and not in these
appointments of the mayor and
you guys to outside
organization And it's just like
you guys are failing miserably
at the city when you go into
all these other boards like
sandag and you know whatever it
is empty and water boards and
blah blah blah and if you can
you're failing in the city that
you're representing and it
should be, you know, driving.
Thank you.
And then you should go to other
boards and do that But instead
you know, it's just like this
incestuous thing that happens.
And so all of the whole
anything that it touches,
anything you guys touch is
going to be tainted at that
point.
I mean again if you if things
were better it's like you'd be
like yeah I want them on that
because then they're going to
be doing really great But it
just it's like very disturbing
And that goes into even the 212
River Valley and the state of
an emergency.
I mean even with covid anytime
you're in a state of an
emergency you get funding for
it.
Your money comes in for certain
things and it's like it's very
sad to see that people have
been suffering for decades for
decades and we just like
declare this continued state of
an emergency And it's like how
long are people going to have
to suffer because nobody wants
to really get down to
the bottom of it which if it's
coming from Mexico again quit
doing business with Mexico
until it stops.
That's a lot of money that you
guys obviously care more about
because it shows that you know,
nothing really gets done or
mitigated.
And even if you pretend to try
with a sewage treatment plant
like you fail at it And so it's
like when is anybody going to
be held accountable and people
are going to stop suffering.
I mean a state of an emergency
at the border should have been
when people were flooding
across.
Now we're seeing the effects of
them coming in.
But the fact that they were
incentivized in a lot of money
of the nation went to
facilitate these people coming
across and now you're worried
about them suffering.
You should have been worried
about them being murdered and
raped along your time has
concluded.
>> Next is 8700 If you can
please unmute after that Is
Andrea ebbing and then 7499
8700 if you can please a mute
star six Thank you.
I will be speaking on 5051 5253
went on 4115503 please Thank
you.
You'll have three minutes.
Please proceed on 50.
East Village Green Phase one
It's beginning to be a little
tough to look at these moving
pieces of money and funds.
Yes, this seems appropriate.
So yes to the amendments 51
construction contract with Blue
Pacific Workforce Agreement
Admin 68 Hispanic Trade 9,981%
81 are Hispanic
Underrepresentation Asian
female African American female
Construction laborers 52
Contract with c Construction
224 employees Lots of
underrepresentation They state
they are monitoring
the situation.
Can we trust that 53 agreement
with Lewis and third 399
employees?
Ditto and what I just said for
52 and 104I love you San Diego
Fire Rescue San Diego Project
Heart Beat to date 216 People's
Hearts beating and safe.
We love you and I give you five
star award for your work One of
five to love the p b board and
your dedicated work on
the trust for the next super
big Thank you for what you've
done.
You helped us come forward so
greatly.
I just really really appreciate
all of you and I will ask 5 or
0.03 j Mexico pollution Crisis
Emergency The momentum seems to
have increased Please even
small yet effective Step step
Some see that again
the momentum seems to have
increased even small effective
steps.
I appreciate it.
Thank you very much for
listening.
Love to all.
Thank you.
Next is Andrea Ebbing and then
our final speaker is 7499.
The five minute timer did
conclude no additional speakers
will be taken.
>> Morning this is Andrea being
I want to speak on sorry all of
them because I can't see that
at the very moment I speak on
all of them.
I want to start with
the employee holiday pay
benefits package and
the repayment of what whatever
is has been missing or was
missing.
It's very, very, very important
that whatever information I'm
sharing, anybody that can
follow a lead or follow a trail
or kind of come to their own
conclusions on this
information, I highly encourage
you do we have one hundred and
three San Diego City of San
Diego employees look it up on
Transparent California We have
103 critical employees,
important employees, high level
employees making $0 a year in
pay.
Then they're making tons of
money and other pay.
So we have money being
laundered and filtered and
improperly I guess put into a
byline of of the payroll for
the city of San Diego.
>> So on Transparent California
San Diego has several alerts
which is an anomalous thing.
Several other cities do not
have these alerts.
This one in particular says
the city of San Diego does not
provide the cost of pension
benefits on an employee level
and as such the total benefits
value for each individual
reported is incomplete and
significantly understated.
That's really important to
consider just as a fact.
So from a very high level and I
don't think this is a city
council issue you guys I think
it's whoever Todd Gloria,
Summer Stephan whoever is in
charge of the rico Enterprise
that many people are
unknowingly operating under
the case I don't blame them.
Look at the leadership now also
on the water sewage crisis.
This has been going on for how
long?
Right?
Everybody just mentioned it's
been going on for how long?
It's right in front of our
faces but it continues And
while it continues we do things
And by the way, I'll be really
clear on this I am suspicious
and concerned about
the appointment of Mario or so
to the head of sandag.
Personally I think he works for
Mexico and not San Diego
Personally I think he's helping
people move freight such as a
big rigs and such over
the border and around
the border in the name of
reducing pollution.
In fact his since his
appointment he wants to put
$1.3 billion into automating
trucks to pass at the Otay
border.
Everything he does is at
the old tight border.
>> We have a one hundred and
$2,929 million while the sewage
crisis is taking place being
invested into the old timey
support of entry for
underground utilities and
grading work package as part of
California's investment of $3
billion to enhance safety and
improve travel times.
While the crisis goes on.
I think this is a drug tunnel
and I think that the trucks are
narcotics in humans.
>> Thank you.
Your time has concluded.
I will note for our speakers
that we do need you to list
what items you are speaking to
for recordkeeping purposes.
We cannot assume or guess which
items your comments go to so if
you can please take the time to
review the agenda and let us
know we will reach out to those
that have already spoken to
make sure we get that accurate
For the record 7499 If you can
please unmute and let me know
which item or items you wish to
speak to Items 5051 5253 100
101 1 or 2 123124105 and s 500
You'll have three minutes
Please proceed.
I won't take all that time Bob
Kozinski here I want to say
again that I've witnessed gross
negligence by this city in its
awarding and managing of
contracts.
I also want to say again that
this city is not providing
appropriate citizen oversight
and citizen involvement in
the many contract leases and
advisory boards in this city.
I MAY know of these problems
through my decades of dedicated
involvement with the Torrey
Pines Glider port but these
problems are not limited to
that one property.
These problems are endemic
throughout this city and they
need to be addressed.
I particularly want to endorse
the comments by Lori Saldana
regarding this city giving away
and leasing our public property
to private businesses.
Our public property should be
for the public and not to
enrich private businesses and
individuals.
Businesses should be purchasing
their own property and not
hijacking our public land for
their private profit.
Shame on all of you for your
entire careers of mismanaging
the properties and resources of
this city.
That's all I have.
Thank you.
That does conclude public
comment.
>> All right.
Thank you City clerk for
management's alternative to my
colleagues for any comments and
entertain a motion and if
nobody wants to kick it off
then io0 Councilmember Yvonne
wolpert moves the consent item
seconded by Campbell I was just
here I would just like to
register a new one item 53
because it's an expired
contract.
However I do want to note that
I received a great email from
Bethany because I guess morning
detailing the work the city
that she and Claudia are going
to do to make sure we have no
more expired contracts.
But I will record a no vote on
that and move the rest of that
proclamation or consent.
>> Thank you.
All right.
Again, not so We have a motion
by Councilmember Val Wolpert
and a second by Councilmember
Campbell.
I actually will offer a couple
of comments on sw 500 We're
revising the appointments and
the only change that we're
actually making is
reassignments on the San Diego
Public Safety Committee.
I just wanted to thank
Councilmember Foster for his
brief tenure on that committee
and thank Councilmember Moreno
for stepping up and serving on
sandbags public Safety
Committee The I'm just thinking
about public comment and it
just strikes me I want to
register no vote on the item 55
preservation and progress While
there's a lot of good clean up
,I cannot support the de novo
hearing process the more
limited hearing process I've
been working for many years.
I also want to register a no
vote on 50 a recognizing that
say the construction cannot be
reversed but stopping this and
stopping this action could do
more harm than good.
But I want to be consistent
with my prior votes.
So with that we have a motion
by council member Von Wilpert
and a second by Council member
Campbell and there's a few
registered no votes which I
know the clerk has captured but
otherwise please call the roll
.
As far as voting system, please
cast your vote That does pass
unanimously with District five
voting no on item 53, District
one voting no on 55 and 58 and
the rest of it passes and
missing.
All right.
Thank you City clerk So with
that are there any comments
from the mayor's office for
council members, City attorney,
independent budget analyst or
city clerk?
We'll go first to Council
Member Campo Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT I'll try to
make this as brief as possible.
I thank you for recognize me
and I appreciate my colleagues
for bearing with me for a
moment.
Yesterday a member of
the United States House of
Representatives from Tennessee
who I will not name tweeted
something so heinous I felt
compelled to stand up for my
family and friends and
constituents.
The tweet read as follows
Muslims, he said, don't belong
in American society.
Pluralism is a lie.
He ended 47,000 people liked
that.
Many thousands shared it with
praise and in his safe
congressional district we all
know he will not be held
accountable for that statement
.
But when an elected official
says this he is striking at
the American idea that a free
people different in creed and
custom can nevertheless live
together in peace under GOD and
under law.
The Constitution of the United
States doesn't say that only
some faiths belong.
The First Amendment rises above
that smallness which led to
millennia of religious war and
violence.
The First Amendment says
the government has no authority
to tell a muslim she does not
belong any more than it MAY
tell a Christian, a Jew, a
Hindu, a person of no faith or
anyone else that he or she
stands outside the protection
of our law.
And why?
Because in this country our
rights do not come from
the prejudices of small minded
politicians.
They come from the GOD given
dignity of the human person
secured by a Constitution wise
enough to know that freedom
must belong to all or in time
it will belong to none.
As PRESIDENT Kennedy reminded
us, those who foolishly sought
power by writing the back of
the tiger ended up inside this
tweet from a congressman from
Tennessee and his sentiment is
not constitutionalism it was
sectarian arrogance.
It was not patriotism.
It was pandering to ignorance.
But beyond the Constitution,
let us speak plainly about
the morality of the statement.
It was vile and ugly and
beneath the dignity of public
office.
It took millions of people each
a child of GOD, each possessed
of infinite worth and reduced
them to a category of suspicion
and contempt.
It tells families including
mine that they are forever
foreign.
It tells children they will
never be accepted.
It tells peaceful and decent
people that no matter how hard
they work and no matter how
faithfully they love their
country no matter how honorably
they live that they will still
be told they do not belong.
I took this insult quite
personally.
Obviously I support my Muslim
constituents in Sarah Mesa
largely Afghans who risked
their lives with our armed
forces for two decades.
The people in that in Sarah
Mesa asked for nothing more,
nothing less than what every
American should be able to ask
to be treated equally, to live
in peace, to raise their
families, to worship freely, to
walk through this country
without being marked as lesser
.
I kid you not that the only
thing my Muslim constituents in
Sarah Mesa have ever asked me
for as a council member was to
help them fix their fence and
to move their bus stop a little
bit closer to the front door of
their mosque.
I support our city workers and
our police officers, engineers,
lawyers, road pavers and an
excellent member of my own
staff who work to serve
the public and improve
everyone's lives.
These city workers work hard
all day and during this month
of Ramadan eat not a morsel and
drink not a drop while serving
the people of the city of San
Diego.
I love my father in law, my
other in-laws and my wife who
are Muslim.
I know my wife's goodness and I
know her patriotism and
the seriousness with which she
takes American citizenship and
the oath she has taken as an
attorney and as an elected
official herself to faithfully
defend the Constitution of
the United States.
She's a prosecutor who holds
defendants accountable and
delivers justice for victims.
And even if she was not.
No government gets to say she
or anyone like her doesn't
belong in America without me
responding to it.
She and the Muslims of our city
are not strangers to the nation
they help sustain.
And then lastly there's
the falsehood wrapped inside
the phrase that reflects an
absolute anti-American
sentiment that plural ism is
somehow a lie.
Pluralism is not a lie.
It is the reality of America
and every true democracy.
Pluralism is the discipline of
coexistence and it is one of
the greatest achievements of
human civilization.
It is the understanding that
people can profoundly differ
and still live as neighbors
honor each other's rights and
still bind themselves to
the common civic life.
In fact, his statement defeats
itself because the very freedom
that allows this congressman
from Tennessee to say such a
sick thing exists only because
he lives in a pluralistic
society.
His exercising liberty in a
nation that protects conscience
precisely because it refuses to
turn one sect into the ruler of
all the others.
So in denouncing pluralism, he
is standing on the very ground
that pluralism built
the gospel.
According to Matthew teaches us
that the man who built his
house on such sand Jesus Christ
called such a person a fool And
as a Christian and Catholic I
must say clearly my faith does
not permit me to hate broadly
or lazily or hate at all.
My faith calls me higher.
His tweet is so antithetical to
Christian faith one has to
wonder just what faith does a
congressman from Tennessee
practice.
I'll end with this council
PRESIDENT And the ancient
prayer of the Catholic Church
when I say on Sunday mornings
Gloria and Excelsis Deo we say
glory to GOD in the highest and
on earth peace to people of
goodwill, peace to people of
goodwill.
That is the call not suspicion
and not exclusion.
Peace Not the sorting of human
beings into the worthy and
the unworthy.
That alone is left to GOD.
So let me answer this ugliness
with moral clarity.
Muslims belong in America fully
,freely and equally as all
people of goodwill belong.
Thank you, Council PRESIDENT.
All right.
Thank you for bringing that to
our attention and your good
words.
We'll go next to the city
clerk.
Thank you for the time council
PRESIDENT.
I did just want to note for
the record that the following
public examination periods are
starting to run.
If we can make that a little
bit bigger on the screen.
Kevin The candidates statement
of qualifications and
designation of principal
profession vocation or
occupation runs from MARCH 6th
through MARCH 16th.
Ordinances calling the election
ordinance placing measures on
the ballot is MARCH 9th through
MARCH 19th.
The City Attorney's impartial
analysis ballot title summary
and Mayor eBay City Ordinance
Fiscal Analysis will run at
MARCH 10th through MARCH 20th.
And as noted yesterday
appellate arguments are due
tomorrow and then that public
examination period will run
MARCH 12th through MARCH 22nd.
You can find all of this
information as well as all of
the materials to be viewed by
the public at San diego.Gov
Backslash 2026 elections.
i'd also just like to give a
big thank you to my staff
deputy director Christina
Hernandez, Mark Moreno, my
elections analyst and everyone
who helped with the candidate
nomination period that
concluded last Thursday with a
record breaking 25 candidates
for districts two, four, six
and eight.
Thank you for all your efforts
to make democracy happen.
Thank you, council PRESIDENT
For the time.
All right.
Thank you, City Clerk And we'll
go next to council member
Whitburn.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Council
Councilmember Campos.
Eloquent words a moment ago
speak for themselves but I just
wanted to thank him for saying
them.
Thank you.
All right.
A couple of comments here given
some of the public comment
earlier today.
I just wanted to recognize
the operation staff and
the good work they do every day
and especially those in need
who have taken over a real
estate department that was not
in very good shape and has
really worked wonders to bring
that into shape and especially
updating 700 Dash ten which
affects so many of our
decisions.
And then a reminder that we do
have a special with excuse me a
reminder that we have an
evening session starting at 6
P.M. Tonight for public comment
on budget.
i appreciate all those who
showed up at the earlier effort
and we continue to welcome
public comment on the upcoming
f y 2027 budget.
With that we will now take up
non agenda public comment and I
hope at least four of my
colleagues will stick around.
The council members respect and
appreciate the public
standpoint and are fully
committed to protecting every
participant's free speech
rights at council and committee
meetings with that clerk.
Please proceed with public
comment.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Pearl 2.7 An
Agenda Public comment is an
opportunity for members of
the public to comment on items
that are not on the agenda but
within the subject matter
jurisdiction of the city
Council.
Each speaker will have two
minutes.
Please note if there are eight
or more speakers on a single
topic the maximum time for
the topic will be 16 minutes.
If you are in chambers please
submit your speaker slip.
If you are joining us virtually
please raise your hand now to
speak by tapping the Raise your
hand icon or if you're calling
participant Star nine.
Begin with the following
individuals Please come forward
to the front row.
Joel Sharpe You can come up to
the microphone after that.
Jacob Edwards, Barbara Holton,
Scott Chipman and Blair Beekman
.
Joel, you'll have two minutes.
Please proceed.
Yes.
Good afternoon.
I'm Joel Sharp, property owner
in the University Heights area.
I'm here today to talk about
the Stewards Underground
program in partnership with
the city about my property in
2011 and the 10th Avenue Finger
just south of Mission Valley
the canyon there.
And when I called City Genie in
2011 they gave me an
approximate date of 2026
telling me of course that
the city controls the schedule
So stay on the streets not as
De Jeannie But I was a little
disappointed Therefore here are
20 2615 years later and nothing
is planned to remove the poles
and the canyon behind our
properties on 10th Avenue
University Heights The map show
that's just a blank is not
scheduled is nothing.
So I'm really here to tell you
as a retired architect that my
recommendation is that you guys
should be removing the poles
and overhead power and all of
the canyon and hillside areas
of the city first as a phase
one because you have limited
budget and then do the standard
concrete sidewalk street
installation removals as a
phase two throughout the old
neighborhood.
That's common sense to me Since
the Canyon Locations offers
higher fire risk overall as a
canyon owner of course I'm
required to manage the brush
100ft away from my house as
defensible space which I do out
of self interest of course as
an owner but for
the neighborhood as well and as
Jeannie by the way sent a drone
over my area and Canyon a
couple of weeks ago to assess
the fire hazard of their
equipment in the canyon areas.
So that's my message really is
you guys should be doing
the canyon area rules for
undergrounding first before you
do the Standard Street
installations.
That's kind of my my beef and
request you guys give me that
You guys have limited budget
overall but just do the canyon
areas first then do the regular
is next door use politics or
arbitrariness to to make
the decision Thank you for
thanks.
Comment Jacob Edwards If you
can please come forward.
Thank you City Council for
the work you do for San Diego.
I don't think two minutes is
enough time to explain this but
I'm going to try.
I'm speaking about one of
the last assassination attempts
against me last Super Bowl
evening.
I was going around the Gaslamp
area educating people of what's
really going on in this
country.
Not long thereafter I had all
black suv, government suv
swarming circling around me
driving them were wiseguy
gangsters.
Then I was pointing that out
which was being recognized
within the event.
I had gangsters approaching me
straight in the street being
weathered and experienced to
avoid danger.
I came here to City Hall under
cameras at the front door.
They put up to a young girl a
teenage girl approaching me
head on with a bulge in her
pocket wearing a hoodie.
I yelled No you don't circle
around her startled her.
She was walking off holding a
revolver.
A young girl police department
handle it very poorly.
I consider it police department
department infiltration Days
later I'm in records to get
records of how it was handled.
There were two Department of
Homeland Security folk in there
to request to meet with
the chief's office Human
Resources.
They said, which is Chief.
The lady was laughing at me
laughing in my face.
I said to her You think this is
funny?
She said, Oh it's hysterical.
Went into the chief's office to
cry, dehumanize me and
validate, discredit me and
probably say he's down there to
sue you all We're here for you
know I went in there to sue
you.
I wouldn't harass through
the police department.
I would not sue San Diego.
>> I was there to show Thank
you for that federal activity
and what it's doing.
Barbara Holton I don't see
Barbara Holton here.
Scott Chipman Good afternoon 50
year resident of Pacific Beach
and Planning Group member and
founding member of Save ppb
Save ppb Board With over 400
members on Monday you will
consider the issue of a secret
exemption for 710 Club Street
three 710 Garnet Avenue under
secure exemptions are
interpreted narrowly and
the burden is on the city to
show the exemption applies.
On Monday you will hear that
there is a reasonable
possibility even likelihood of
significant environmental
impact due to unusual
circumstances.
Those circumstances include but
are not limited to hundreds of
noise complaints including
amplified vulgarity and
obscenity exacerbated by roll
up doors.
A superior Court mandated
mediation agreement over noise
loss of critical beach parking
and increased demand for
parking by increasing
occupancy.
That was two minutes.
No, my apologies.
I think I got confused.
Keep going.
Thank you.
And increased demand for
parking by increasing occupancy
.
I've provided correspondence
from the Coastal Commission
that should have been
distributed Represented
Representative Alexander Lee
Andre to two Project Manager
Nature or Sir Doug Howard quote
all on street parking removed
to construct a street ratio be
replaced with an equivalent
number of off street parking
spaces provided at no cost to
the public and if there is not
a one for one replacement out
of the five occupied parking
this project is not approvable
and must be removed in summary
coastal zone parking is
directly tied to public access
under the Coastal Act
the exemption cannot apply due
to unusual circumstances.
>> Thank you Blair Beekman If
you can come forward Blair
Brickman is our final speaker
here in council chambers.
If you are participating
remotely please be sure to
raise your hand.
Please proceed.
Hi Blair Beekman.
Thanks for the morning meeting.
Um, we're going to do some
difficult times at
the international level that
are hopefully trying to ease
themselves down.
Um, I.
I don't want to be difficult
here at this time, but I think
it's important to point out
from the um agenda item
yesterday on zoological uh uh
society issues and their
contract things it states in
the first memo at the very end
it gives a very clear summary
that the future of parking fee
issues there is going to be $3
million allocated that was
going to go to general fund
items that also concerned
zoological Society.
And that was a beginning
promise and concept that I
think still has some validity
that I need more clarity about
and that I felt Councilperson
LaCava didn't really work
towards that clarity.
He worked towards a finality
and absolution ism and a
certain condescending tone
towards the community but
didn't offer I think a true,
you know, idea of what
the future parking piece is
like.
So until that is cleared up
better I'm going to try to
continue to operate here in
the public space a shared
compromise idea that some ps
are going to Balboa Park
issues, some are going to
the general fund.
Uh hopefully a conversation can
better develop.
And I hope that can be an open
clear conversation for all of
us.
It doesn't have to be fearful
and very much of a thank you in
yesterday's item that we talked
about climate change issues
the purpose of community energy
was not also talked about that
I hope we can learn to make of
a more of a regular
conversation we're trying to
address a state uni.
>> I think that's an important
concept.
Thank you.
Thank you for that concluding
comment.
Sorry the five minute timer
going to those participating
remotely.
We currently have ten speakers
on the queue just we have ten
speakers that's 20 minutes I
think we just power through and
get it done.
I know someone's going to leave
but we understand we have five.
Let's hold the five going
forward.
Andrea Irving if you can please
unmute after that as Laurie's
all done.
>> Please proceed.
This is Andrea having and.
Perfect.
Thank you MR. LaCava for saying
that because you guys don't
want to hear what we have to
say.
That's the problem.
If this were a triage and you
had to figure out who you could
help most immediately in
the community, it's the people
that are presenting directly to
you.
And MR. LaCava, a moment ago
you said that you were just
distracted by public comment.
What a nuisance We are
the people that pay your
salary.
What a nuisance We are
the people that have the guts
to come up and present to you
guys And when we present facts
and you roll your eyes and
leave and you don't have a
quorum anymore and we have to
come back another day.
Thank GOD we will come back
another day.
But guess what?
When we do you still don't
listen to us And the comments
about discussing the items
we're talking about.
>> That's great.
Good idea.
However, you guys don't put in
our comments.
So what's the point?
Why do I have to follow your
structure when the only thing
that you put that I say is my
name Raul Campo.
I am District seven.
I am Linda Vista and I have
often wondered why you have
done zero about the father in
Linda Vista that got detained
in front of the elementary
school as a Mexican-American
man.
I wondered why you wouldn't do
anything about that, why you
made that Afghan evac video and
you said you will not stop
fighting for Afghan rights when
me.
I am your constituent.
I live in districts seven and I
present to you every single
week And you look over my head
and you leave and you do
nothing And my children were
abducted and you just had a
baby.
I wonder why you're fighting so
hard for these people you've
never met has nothing to do
with Muslim.
>> We're not.
Nobody doesn't love me?
No.
Sorry.
There is a huge thing against
Muslims.
However, we did go to war with
Afghanistan and they are our
war adversary.
Love your neighbor.
Love your enemy.
Great.
But when people like me are
almost murdered and children
are abducted, it makes perfect
sense that you wouldn't help me
because your prosecutor wife is
a prostitute shooter who
doesn't want to help me.
>> Your time has concluded.
Lori Saldana, if you can please
unmute after that.
Thank you.
Hello.
Please proceed.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Thank you for
reading what people jokingly
call the Saldana statement that
was required to be read as part
of the settlement after a
brownout violation a few years
ago in response to certain
council members efforts to
silence public comment related
ignoring members of the public
as they are speaking virtually
joking with your colleague next
to you.
It shows the disdain for our
voices and perspective leaving
before we can even speak is
even worse.
Look especially for those of
you who are intending to run or
are already running for other
elected offices.
We will remember you ignoring
the public's comments and
talking through our comments.
We see you as you speak.
We see you on the city tv
webcast And when you leave
before or during our remarks or
talk and laughed with
the person next to you, it
strongly reflects your
unwillingness and inability to
listen to public voices.
Finally, I want to remind you
that APRIL is Sexual Assault
Awareness Month something that
I worked with other groups to
acknowledge and recognize for
decades now and for decades you
and your predecessors delayed
and denied justice for
survivors of sexual assault and
other violent crimes.
Last year the police department
finally acknowledged they had
failed to test and identify dna
found in thousands of sexual
assault evidence kits and over
500 suspects were finally
identified and they're already
in the criminal justice system
and related in NOVEMBER after a
friend and I were assaulted in
downtown San Diego, our efforts
to report the crime were met
with delays.
To the degree that she has
never been able to file a
police report and I waited
seven hours for a police
officer to come to my home
Don't you dare say we are
America's safest big city.
Because what is happening is
you are simply not listening to
survivors of violence whether
it's sexual assault or other
types of assault.
The police are ignoring our
efforts to report the crimes
just as you are ignoring our
comments during council your
time has concluded the original
and after that is 8700.
>> That is absolutely true.
Sexual assaults are being
ignored, even deaths.
That's what's happening at Tent
City.
You guys contract with people
who hire people who sexually
assault individuals and you
refuse to do anything about it.
You know it So you are
complicit in it and they are
being told not to report it.
My dreams for change staff and
you guys are sitting here and
talking about a St Patrick's
Day parade and all this stuff
at Balboa Park right off
the inspiration point way At
the end of that is Tent City
and Dreams for Change has been
for the last year and a half in
the news about clients who have
alleged that sexually the staff
has been sexually assaulting
them at your safe sleeping
sites and they are actually a
subsidiary of the United Way
And we're being paid by
the Franchise Tax Board to help
immigrants who are not yet
citizens including some
undocumented immigrants to get
tax id numbers and file tax
returns so that migrants can
have cash on hand from
the state In a program called
the Cow itc the they have to be
wants to look for specific
families and ask dreams for
change to do that so they can
get more cash back than people
without children.
There is a particular focus on
families who have children that
are six years or younger as
they get the maximum cash
payout available when they're
engaged in this type of thing
And 211 is is directing people
to dreams for change.
You guys know that Dreams for
Change is failing to uphold
their contracts because
the city is there on site and
there are many, many code
violations.
The conditions that these
people have to live in are
atrocious and you continue to
give our money to them all
while they are putting children
at risk to be able to be taken
from school because of this
information that they are
collecting And before nine five
where anybody can go in and
claim they're a family member
and take a child So you guys
need to figure out what you're
doing and quit contracting with
these people and actually care
about people who are being
sexually assaulted concluded
after that is 8700.
Then Hector the five minute
timer also concluded no
additional speakers will be
taken.
There are ten speakers in
the queue and the timer
concluded 3700.
Please proceed.
Thank you so much, Joyce And
you have a three.
Okay.
I'll see my items in a minute.
I mean there won't.
Okay.
Can you imagine if all our
voices were not I love this
about our country.
We can speak and can you
imagine what it would be like
if they were repressed and
covertly underground Not heard.
Can you imagine the point of
explosion that would happen at
some point because of that
pressure?
I don't think we want to go
with it.
Thank everybody for expressing
your views.
You have a right to do that.
We must hear you.
It's critical.
It's critical to our democracy.
Okay.
Thank you for listening on
that.
So get to my three items.
I'll try to be real quick.
I really would like us to look
further at the idea of
the oversupply of office supply
in our downtown and how we use
that do number two council
member Ella Rivera I think you
said something very, very
important.
You said we need a policy on
the eye.
Let's do that.
Okay.
We really really really really
really need to do that.
Can you please put an effort
into that?
I would appreciate that.
And then last only No, I better
skip that because it's too
long.
So anyway, it's a great
morning.
It's absolutely a great morning
There was a little bit of
everything the excitement of
life, everything has to be
included in whether we want it
is not a good time has
concluded and my apologies
Hector if you can please unmute
after that 7499 Nice.
Thanks for taking my call.
Hey I want to call attention to
the fact that there were 50
cars set on fire in Tijuana
just recently for the drug
dealers when we took out that
one drug dealer.
And so Tijuana is the city in
the hemisphere by far.
So we're at risk with that plus
your recent invasion and I'm
calling out the occupiers of
our land right now in San Diego
County.
The people who invaded are
those illegal aliens that live
here Now They just came here.
Those are the real occupiers or
county and they're draining our
systems.
75,000 of them are on Medi-Cal
and medical system is going
under.
So we got to we got to get rid
of those guys.
Trump's fighting the drug
dealers now with the South
American guys.
All the countries they're
getting serious.
They're coming after the guys
in San Diego County that hide
their money.
The drug dealers have got a lot
of houses here.
They're like shelter in their
businesses, in their stock.
So it could get really pretty
crazy that plus we all know
the mayor of Tijuana's hooked
up with the drug dealers And I
know some guys Mexican guys you
know that guys know that Even
our border supervisor lady
who's who was an anchor baby
she was born in San Diego was
raised in Mexico.
I call that an anchor baby.
She's hooked up with the drug
dealers So it's going to get
crazy.
Matt Trump's going to was going
to take over Cuba and he's kind
of come back to San Diego
County and start start doing it
with us man.
Plus the we should have a a day
commemorating up with all
the genders.
There's 16 genders.
It's kind of homophobic to have
a day of a woman because we
don't know what a woman is.
You know what's going on with
that?
How can you have a day
celebrating women when we can't
define what a woman is?
Your time has concluded next to
7499 after that is back you up
Bob Kozinski here I again want
to assert that this city is
abusing the hang gliding and
paragliding communities through
your negligent oversight of
the business operating
the Torrey Pines flight or
port.
The glider port is a natural
treasure just like our other
beaches and open spaces
throughout San Diego.
However, unlike those other
parks, the glider port is
exclusively leased to a private
business that charges citizens
to use our park.
And unlike those other parks,
the business that the Torrey
Pines Glider Park requires
citizens to be members of a
private club that expels
citizens for testifying in
court cases against
the business or even for
speaking to the city council.
Joe LaCava As PRESIDENT You it
is your duty to bring this
matter to the Council to
reactivate the Torrey Pines
City Park Advisory Board and to
implement a waiver similar to
the successful Dockweiler
waiver to allow citizens to use
our park without belonging to
any abusive private
organization.
In addition to advocating for
our rights at the glider port I
feel compelled to spend some of
my non agenda time advocating
for citizens who speak here In
past years the City Clerk would
list upcoming remote speakers
and she would say something to
the effect of the next speaker
is 1234 followed by three,
four, five six and 5678.
The city clerk often says most
of that but she does not
reliably list the upcoming
speakers.
This means that speakers often
have no idea when they will be
called.
Speakers have no idea if they
are first in the queue or 10th
in the queue.
Speakers have no advance notice
of when they are expected to
unmute and begin speaking
the best case This is
inefficient.
In the worst case citizens are
often surprised when called and
unable to unmute in time to
speak.
Please at least announce each
speaker along with the two
following speakers every time.
With regard to MR. Campfield,
your comments might be taken
seriously if you weren't so
hypocritical about protecting
the rights of all citizens in
our city.
Charity begins at home.
Shame on you for grandstanding
on the national issue while
ignoring the obvious local
abuses.
Finally MS..
Saldana is spot on with regard
to the disrespect that this
Council shows the public Thank
you to MISS Saldana.
>> Thank you.
Thank you.
Wrap your next please on mute.
After that as Madison.
Good afternoon.
My name is Becky Rapp and I
come here out of concern
regarding the proposal to add
36 new pot permits for
the socially equitable cannabis
program.
It's important to look at
neighboring cities as they have
already pursued and implemented
this program.
One example is Los Angeles as
their program has shown serious
shortfalls.
First the financial reality
Hundreds of cannabis licenses
were issued including many
through their social equity
program.
Yet they're struggling.
Reports indicate that hundreds
of businesses owe back taxes
and the city is facing hundreds
of millions of dollars in
unpaid marijuana tax revenue.
When an industry cannot meet
its tax obligations, it raises
an important question Is
expanding the program fiscally
responsible?
Second, these programs have not
reduced the illicit market
which was one of the major
justification for permitting
these businesses in the first
place.
Even after years of licensing
and enforcement, Los Angeles
still deals with numerous
illegal operations.
San Diego should learn from
these experiences.
Our city is already facing
significant budget pressures
and we know that our permitted
businesses have also struggled
with paying taxes and we
the public have yet to be
presented with an updated
auditing report showing exactly
how significant our lack of
back taxes is.
Now is not the time to expand
programs that MAY require
substantial oversight,
administrative resources and
enforcement.
While we struggle to monitor
for the existing businesses we
already have committed in our
city, I urge the Council to
carefully evaluate whether this
approach or approach truly
meets our goals for public
safety, fiscal responsibility
and community well-being.
Thank you.
>> Thank you.
Next is Madison After Madison
is 1822.
Hi.
Thank you.
Good afternoon.
Council members an issue in San
Diego that deserves special
attention is what happens when
young people begin using
marijuana regularly and develop
dependance adolescent is a
critical period for brain
development.
The brain continues developing
into the mid-twenties
especially the areas
responsible for memory decision
making and emotional
regulation.
When teenagers are repeatedly
exposed to high levels of thc
during this time, research
shows it can interfere with
those developmental processes
according to physicians and
toxicology researchers.
Thc spreads quickly into
tissues throughout the body
rather than remaining in
the bloodstream where it can be
easily measured.
This means that even when a
drug test appears negative, thc
and its biological effects MAY
still be present in body
tissues.
Young people who develop
cannabis dependance are more
likely to experience long term
problems with attention
learning and mental health.
Studies have also linked
frequent adolescent marijuana
use to increased risks of
anxiety, depression and even
psychosis.
What begins as experimentation
can turn into a pattern that
affects a young person's
academic success Mental health
and future opportunities.
As these policies continue to
evolve, I also agree that we
should not be doing
the socially equitable Cannabis
program and encourage the city
to keep youth prevention and
education at the center of
the conversation so that we
don't normalize this harmful
drug.
And the next generation can
have the healthiest possible
start.
>> Thank you.
Thank you.
Next is 1822.
After that is Terry and Kelly
1822.
Please proceed.
>> Good morning.
Thank you.
I too opposed to expansion of
the social equity program.
As a public health advocate and
youth manner.
I wondered why concern over
tobacco's adverse impact on
public health has been extended
to marijuana which presents
similar risks but worse.
Finally, media is acknowledging
this mistake.
I'd like to share a few
headlines from just the past
few weeks that challenged
misperceptions about marijuana
safety and commercialization in
New York Times.
20 million Americans say
they're always high.
Even liberals recognize
the craze has gone too far.
Wall Street Journal.
High schools are losing
the fight against pot at
the Times.
Yeah.
She goes up in the body
influencing inflammation and
immunity.
Multimedia.
Which study links adolescent
cannabis use to double the risk
of psychotic and bipolar
disorders?
Former White House drug czar
calls Marijuana Massively
Destructive.
40% of drivers killed in
crashes had an active thc in
their systems.
Another study reveals cannabis
adverse impact on working
memory.
Marijuana linked to premature
cardio vascular disease.
And here's one Department of
Justice makes the case
marijuana users should lose
Second Amendment rights because
they're unpredictable and prone
to violence.
This is a small sampling.
I urge you to follow
the science and the articles I
just published weekly.
They signal a pro legalization
reversal by the media now
admitting they were wrong and
calling for policy change to
protect public health.
I hope you'll do the same.
>> Thank you.
Thank you.
Next is Terry and Scully After
that is Kathleen Lippert.
Please unmute.
Hello.
Can you hear me?
>> Yes.
Please proceed.
Okay, great.
I was having some audio
problems.
Hello.
Good afternoon.
My name is Terry and Scully.
I'm a parent and a planning
group member and a public
health educator and economic
development and governing
Governmental Relations
Committee.
Last week I spoke to item five
entitled Establishment of a
Cannabis Social Equity and
Economic Development or Seed
program in county Public
Health.
We are very aware of
the increase in adolescents who
are experiencing health
problems associated with their
smoking and vaping and
the effect it had on their job
and their school trajectory.
So last week's item number five
was very confusing to me since
marijuana products are most
often smoked or made,
the tobacco industry has
strategically targeted black
Americans for decades
drastically, drastically
affecting their their health
outcomes And now the marijuana
industry is doing the same
thing.
The Truth Initiative, a premier
nonprofit recognized this
situation and joined the acp In
announcing a partnership to
address the industry's
exploitation of black
communities and empower
individuals to quit their
recent factsheets states and I
quote early and heavy marijuana
use is linked to a lack of
economic and social attainment
for young people.
Early and heavy marijuana use
is linked to increased risk of
psychiatric disorders including
psychosis, depression, anxiety
and other substance use
disorders.
Frequent smoking of marijuana
increases the risk of lung
issues such as bronchitis.
The c program is the wrong
program because of diminish
the health outcomes for young
people and other vulnerable
populations and communities of
concern.
Thank you for hearing my
concerns this afternoon.
Thank you.
Kathleen Lippert If you can
please unmute.
>> Thank you.
Good afternoon.
Thank you for letting me speak.
I'd like to address
the disconnect between the city
and what the city claims to
support and and fund versus
what it actually does in
practice.
So last year dsd sent out a
news release touting how
critical it was to hear from
community members to best
improve our communities to
inform their five year
infrastructure plan.
San Diegans submitted more than
1200 ideas.
This is a great title but it
was too bad that it bore no
resemblance to actual community
priorities that they
identified.
They identified Parks
Recreation centers, places to
play as top priorities followed
by safe sidewalk walks, open
spaces and libraries.
They never mention pot shops,
equity licenses, sidewalk pop
out that prevent pedestrian
walking bicycle lanes and void
and they but boy did you
avoided independent cost
analysis that allow you to
continue to support what you
want versus what are going to
be the ramifications and
harmful side effects and
unintended consequences.
But the city has also endorsed
rezoning laws.
Community residents want that
to keep their residential
zoning.
They do not want developers to
destroy their single family
residences and the investments
that they made in those in
those homes that they spent a
lot of money to build and
provide for their families.
The negative impacts of
rezoning and mixed use zoning
without public input are
negatively impacting diverse
communities across the city
with a claim of increasing low
income instead.
Thank you for letting me speak.
Thank you.
That does conclude not a
general public comment for
today's meeting.
>> All right.
Thank you City Clerk We will
P.M. Or shortly thereafter
And
I
.
>> Good afternoon.
I will now reconvene the city
council meeting of Tuesday,
MARCH 10th, 2026 clerk Please
call the roll.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Council
Member Campbell Councilmember
Weapon Oh okay.
Thank you for letting me know.
Councilmember Foster here
Councilmember Von Wilpert
Council Member Council
PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee here
Councilmember Campos here
Councilmember Moreno Present
Council member Ella Rivera and
Council PRESIDENT LaCava
present also attending
the meeting our Assistant City
Attorney Leslie Fitzgerald
Independent budget Analyst
Charles Monica and myself your
city clerk Diana Fuentes.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT All
right.
Thank you.
City Clerk.
Quorum is now present So with
that please introduce item 330.
>> Item 330 is an informational
item City of San Diego Fiscal
year 2027 through 2031 five
year capital infrastructure
Teacher Planning Outlook If
you'd like to speak to this
item and are here in chambers
please be sure to submit your
speaker slip to the front of
the room in the clear box If
you are participate remotely
now's the time to raise your
hand by pressing Star nine or
the raise your hand icon.
Thank you.
All right.
I see staff is making their way
through the drive and now that
you're settling in introduce
yourselves for the records and
let us know how much time you
need.
Good afternoon.
Council PRESIDENT Lee Carver
and Distinguished Council
members.
My name is Karen McGriff and I
am the assistant director over
the project Management office
in the Engineering and Capital
Projects Department.
We will need approximately 15
minutes for a presentation
today.
All right.
When you're ready with me today
I also have Michael Puleo who
is our who is a financial
operations manager overseeing
cip in the Department of
Finance.
And today that we will present
to you the 12th annual five
year Capital Infrastructure
Planning Outlook covering
fiscal year 27 through 31.
Before we start I really do
want to take this opportunity
to thank everybody who has
contributed to this effort.
Many of whom are both online
and in chambers today and
available to help answer any
questions that you MAY have at
the end of the presentation.
Without them we possibly could
not gathered all of the data
needed to prepare a or
meaningful report for areas.
The document is a planning tool
to assist all of us in long
term capital infrastructure
planning.
The report helps to monitor
project and evaluate
the availability of funding to
meet long term needs.
The report also helps to ensure
alignment between the city's
multiple asset managing and
service providing departments
to achieve the city's vision
and objectives for community
infrastructure.
While this report is not a
budget, it does help to guide a
financial guide financial
decisions on infrastructure
priorities and to facilitate
the development of the upcoming
fiscal year 27 budget.
I will as previously mentioned
this is the 12th report that we
have prepared In the report we
summarize citywide capital
needs and expected revenues for
the reporting period.
We quantify the asset
management department's needs
to meet their desired levels of
service and because we
recognize that not all needs
can or will be met in the five
year period, we have also begun
to quantify the high level
needs for years 2032 and beyond
which are outside of
the outlook period.
The means identified
incorporate input gathered from
the community via the Planning
Department's Community Input
survey as well as
the prioritized priorities
identified in your council
priority memos both of which
are incorporated into asset
management plans developed by
the amd's themselves
Engineering and Capital
Projects and Department of
Finance work together to
forecast the eligible cip
revenues that are expected to
be available to the program
Needs are matched with revenues
to help us provide
the financial outlook or gap
number diving directly into
the report results over
the next five years the city
scape has an estimated $12.82
billion of identified needs.
These needs are represented by
the blue bars on the graph We
estimate that just over $5
billion of funding will be
available to meet
the identified needs over
the outlook period.
Funding availability is
represented by the green bars
on the graph There is an
additional $5.96 billion of
needs identified beyond
the outlook period shown on
this slide in blue Are
the revenues projected to be
available for the sip program
for each of the last five years
shown in yellow are the actual
budgets that were added to
the sip program.
I'm very pleased to note that
over the past five years
the funding anticipated for
the sip program has been
available as projected.
Notable variances have come
from windfall opportunities
such as straight state or
federal grants.
The green bar on this graph
also shows the increased output
production and project
execution levels for the sip
program Fiscal year 26 is
showing activity only through
the midway through the fiscal
year and both the yellow and
green bars will be growing by
fiscal year end.
>> We do expect the positive
execution trend to continue for
several years as ecp continues
to streamline delivery to
increase cost effective
production.
However, we recognize that
the industry has limitations
and areas are already starting
to feel the strain Each year we
look for new ways to analyze
the data.
>> This year we separated
projects that were already in
process somewhere in
the delivery pipeline from
those projects that still
needed to be initiated.
We also prioritized matching
revenues to existing projects
so that our five year plan
emphasizes finishing what we've
started.
What you see here shows
the total capital program on
the white lines were $12.8
billion At the top is funded
with $5 billion in the middle
leaving a total programmatic
funding gap of $7.8 billion at
the bottom existing projects
are in light blue and new
projects are in the darker
blue.
As you can see in the first few
years of the outlook needs are
higher and the vast majority of
funding is planned to complete
existing projects.
New projects have a lesser
funding need and also funding
program at the beginning of
the outlook.
But this ramps up significantly
towards the end of the outlook
period as we continue to break
down the overall programmatic
needs for the capital program.
This table identifies the $3.5
billion of identified needs
from our enterprise funded
departments.
Enterprise funds operate
similarly to private businesses
and set rates charged to end
users.
These rates ensure that
sufficient income is available
to support all operations,
maintenance and capital
investment activity for
the Enterprise Fund shown on
this table in order from
highest to lowest needs are
the city's enterprise funds.
>> This table shows the Non
enterprise Fund asset needs
broken down by the various
asset types They are shown from
largest need to smallest with
storm water infrastructure
making up the city's largest
single asset type need at over
$5.5 billion Transportation and
transportation pavement and
parks are the city's next two
largest identified needs And of
the $9.3 billion of identified
general fund asset needs $1.5
billion of funding or roughly
16% is expected to be available
to meet these needs.
This leads an overall gap of
$7.8 billion and now turn it
over to Michael to discuss
revenues even though there is a
sizable gap we have identified
over $1.5 billion in funding
that is expected to be
available for the General Fund
capital Improvements program.
This table shows the expected
funding sources for the c I p
program from largest to
smallest the largest funding
source is expected to be
general fund financing.
Most of the 665 million in
projected financing will be
allocated to ensure compliance
with the terms of the already
executed stormwater with yellow
based on previous general fund
monitoring exercises.
The outlook reflects that
approximately $96 million of
general fund financing could be
added to the vip program each
fiscal year citywide for
mobility parks, fire and
libraries are ramping up and
projected to bring in nearly
230 million over the outlook
period.
There is no infrastructure fund
contribution planned for
the cip during the outlook
period And while we do project
climate equity funds to be
available, those funds are
eligible to support
infrastructure related
activities and MAY not be
allocated to the scope program
as part of the upcoming budget
development cycle or MAY be
waived shown Here are the needs
and anticipated revenue trends
for the last five outlook
reporting periods including
this year.
Both needs and revenues have
increased over time.
However the increase in needs
is outpacing that of revenues
Additional revenue sources
would need to be identified to
close the gap.
We have noticed a dip in
the needs in the middle of
the preceding slide.
This step occurred in the first
year that the beyond five years
category was added to
the outlook when we show all
identified needs for both
the five year period and beyond
the five year period the city's
current infrastructure needs
outlook is $18.78 billion.
Why do we continue to fear
growth and needs Several
factors contribute to
the growth primarily
the infrastructure itself in
addition to the new to the need
for new infrastructure that
addresses growth existing
infrastructure aging and goes
through a cycle of
rehabilitation and replacement.
Another major contributor is
the rise and the associated
cost to design and construct
these projects due to increased
regulations replacement to
higher standards and industry
limitations on what can be
delivered both arterials and
labor.
There is some good news as we
look beyond a five or even ten
year horizon we see
the completion of major efforts
that ultimately result in lower
needs in the far outer years.
I will now turn it over to
the Chief of Community Services
Rania Ahmed for the concluding
remarks.
Thank you Michael.
I just want to closing by
summarizing what Michael and
and Karen has presented here
this afternoon.
So over the next five years
Rania, I'm sorry to interrupt
Can you turn your mic on and
have a little bit closer to
maybe I need a closer or make
sure that folks remotely can
hear you Can you hear me better
now?
Yeah, perfect.
Thank you.
So over the next five years
the projected cost increases
really reflect several factors
that cities across the country
are experiencing.
Many of our public assets are
aging as the team mentioned
earlier today.
And when maintenance is
deferred due to funding
limitation, the cost of repairs
grows as conditions worsen.
At the same time construction
cost, labor and materials has
increased significantly in
recent years and there is less
competition for contractors In
addition, projects today must
meet evolving regulatory
requirements environmental
standards, city priorities,
policy direction and service
and community expectations.
Together these factors
contributed to the growing
funding gap outlined in this
report.
We must continue to balance
funding allocations between
maintaining existing assets and
delivering new infrastructure.
We're also advancing long term
affordable asset management
plans.
At the same time we will
continue to pursue design and
construction grand particularly
for non enterprise
infrastructure over the past
several years the city has made
progress and I just want to
acknowledge all that that
progress has been made in
developing cp prioritization
policies, service level
standards and completing
condition assessment for some
assets such as the pavement
management plan.
However many assets remain
outdated including those for
facilities system and updating
these inventories and condition
d that will require additional
investment based on current
information as was shared by
the team here.
The estimated funding gap of
7.8 billions or an average of
1.5 billion a year this is a
significant amount addressing
this challenge will require
continued investment in a
disciplined data driven
approach that strengthen asset
management, prioritize
prevention maintenance,
preventive maintenance is very
critical and continue shifting
toward programmatic delivery so
we can make strategic long term
infrastructure investment.
Ultimately this work is about
making informed strategic
investments so we can protect
the infrastructure we have
today while responsibly
planning for the city long term
needs.
With that I will conclude our
presentation and then we'll be
more happy to take questions.
>> All right.
Thank you all for the work and
the presentation this
afternoon.
We will now turn it over to
the Office of the Independent
Budget analyst for a
presentation.
Thank you.
Council for PRESIDENT Council
Member Thank you to staff for
their presentation.
Last week my office released a
review of the five year Capital
Infrastructure Planning Outlook
as we do each year to present
our office with review of that
annual How Challenged and
Aleena who will lead you
through our analysis and then
we will follow that up with
some additional comments from
Kym Desmond from our Division
of Race and Equity about using
an equity lending lens to look
at the outlook as well.
So Julianne, I'll turn it over
to you.
Great.
Thank you so much.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT And council
I'm Gillian and Ilene about
the office of the aba.
Our office released our review
of this type outlook last week
so I'll walk you through
the major points of it during
this presentation as shown in
this slide.
Capital needs and the gap are
expected to grow significantly
throughout the five year period
while funding is expected to
decline slightly.
The net increase in capital
needs is also and higher almost
entirely driven by stormwater
which accounts for water
quality regulatory deadlines
coming due in fiscal year 2031
and compound needing drainage
assets aging past their useful
life.
The slight decline in revenue
is primarily driven by
declining availability of
welfare funding for stormwater
in fiscal year 2029 and a
decline in water and wastewater
revenues due to a three year
delay For certain cip projects
to mitigate the need for rate
increases in the near term and
in response to the approval of
a two year water rate increase
last year.
>> This slide shows
the projected funding gap for
each asset type as shown and
consistent with previous years.
The $7.8 billion funding gap is
100% attributed to general fund
assets that do not have a
dedicated funding source
supported by rate paying
customers.
This year's funding gap is an
increase of $1.3 billion from
last year and again is
overwhelmingly driven by
stormwater which itself saw
$1.3 billion increase in
funding gap and makes up 65% of
the $7.8 billion funding gap.
This slide shows the makeup of
the projected resources in
the cfp outlook.
Projected revenue is revenue is
projected to decline by 7%
compared to last year's report
totaling $5 billion.
The increase I'm sorry
the decrease is largely driven
by changing wastewater and
water needs but is also related
to no assumed revenue from
the infrastructure fund.
Since requirements for deposits
into the fund are not
anticipated to be met over
the outlook period since
funding availability and
eligibility are key factors in
determining which projects
receive funding and the scope
budget, it's important to
recognize that 66% of
the projected funds are for
wastewater and water
infrastructure.
General fund financing shaded
above in Gray is the city's
only funding source with
minimal restrictions and is an
important funding source for
many general fund capital
projects such as stormwater
streetlights and upgraded fire
stations since they're often
ineligible for other resources
shown on the pie chart that can
be restricted based on the type
of asset or the geographic
location.
In our report we took a closer
look at two key resources for
general fund capital projects
and that's general fund
financing and development
impact fees.
Starting with financing
the issuance of lease revenue
bonds is the most significant
source of flexible funding for
general fund capital projects
Out of the $531 million
anticipated over the five year
period.
Almost half of it is for
stormwater and within that 150
million reserved for
anticipated emergencies Another
large portion of general fund
financing is expected to go to
support street repaving.
Citywide difference are
increasingly becoming more
accessible to general fund
capital projects as we continue
to transition from community
based def community based If
long term funding that can be
only spent in certain
communities whereas citywide
live can generally be spent
citywide.
>> The city recently created
four citywide funds The fire
library mobility and parks
diffs.
While these are more flexible
than community based if they
still have restrictions on
the types of projects they can
support as the transition
continues it's expected that
citywide diff revenue will
continue to increase while
community def decreases.
Moving to projected capital
needs this slide shows
the makeup of projected capital
needs over the five year period
totaling 12.8 billion which is
$950 million or 8% above Last
year's report.
As with the increase in funding
gap, stormwater capital needs
make up the over whelming
majority of the total increase
in capital needs as shown on
the pie chart.
It now makes up 43% of all
capital needs and has
the highest total needs of any
asset including water and
wastewater combined.
To understand what drives this
billion dollars and billions of
dollars of needs, our report
focuses on stormwater street
pavement and all three facility
categories which is new
expanded and existing
facilities all of which make up
nearly 80% of all general fund
capital needs.
First we will cover stormwater
Stormwater is projected to have
a $5.5 billion capital need
over the five year period which
is an increase of $1.4 billion
over last year's report.
Flood resilience or flood
mitigation is a major driver
making up nearly $1 billion of
this increase.
As mentioned earlier, this is
due to more and more drain
drainage assets passing their
useful life as well as cost
increases.
As shown on the table, $30
million per year or a total of
150 million is included for
anticipated emergency projects
which is a very inefficient and
costly way to replace
infrastructure.
Funding for stormwater is
expected to drop after fiscal
year 2028 due to the planned
use of most of the remaining
work alone funds.
The remaining funds in
the future year is expected to
mostly go to either emergency
projects or in-house repair
crews for green infrastructure
or water quality projects.
It's largely driven by water
quality regulatory deadlines
moving to street paving.
Total capital needs are 970
million which is an increase of
132 million.
This is an increase despite an
assumption that the city will
maintain streets at a pavement
condition index of 65 instead
of the former 70 which was
considered good.
This aligns with the pavement
management plan update
indicating that maintaining
streets at a pci of 65 is more
financially feasible than 70.
In the context of the current
budget deficit although the pci
target has decreased, costs are
still higher than last year's
report because there's an
increase in streets due to for
treatment and repair within
the outlook period.
Funding for streets is
projected to decrease by 45% as
compared to last year's report
due to no infrastructure fund
contributions as well as this
year's assumption that
significantly less funding will
support repaving.
Finally in our report we
highlight all three categories
of facilities existing new and
expanded together needs total
890 million which is $75
million above last year's
report.
The vast majority of these
needs are for new facilities
but I'll touch on existing
facilities first.
>> Sorry there's 183 million in
capital needs for existing
facilities in the five year
period but an additional 661
million listed outside the five
year period is reported which
is related to prior facility
condition assessments.
We note that this figure in
the out years is likely
understated given that
the assessments were conducted
between 2014 and 2016 and do
not include all facilities.
But getting back to the five
year window, the 183 million
showing in the outlook is an
increase of 14% and this is
driven by $44 million needed
for fire rescue facilities to
move away from natural gas and
$20 million for police range
refurbishment Phase two
remediation.
And these increases are offset
by about $40 million in
existing facility projects not
included in this year's report
.
Some were left off
inadvertently while others were
intentionally removed due to
changes in priorities or
developing alternate solutions
.
There's also $78 million
included for general life cycle
needs that we encourage in
the future outlooks that this
get a little bit more fleshed
out as to whether it's for
specific projects, anticipated
emergencies or related to
unaddressed condition
assessment items.
Ultimately we will need updated
facility condition assessments
to know the true needs for
existing facilities and which
ones are most pressing and
turning to new and expanding
facilities.
Demands for new facilities make
up the vast majority of total
needs in this category and
the largest project totals 250
million.
Updated cost could be closer to
370 million which is for a new
training center to replace
the one located at the Naval
Training Center station that
will be impacted by pure water
in fiscal year 2029.
Moving on, our report also
compares the outlook against
the city's the City Council's
infrastructure budget
priorities which for fiscal
year 2027 were transportation
and mobility streets including
unimproved streets, stormwater
sidewalks and facilities.
As you can see on the table,
funding is anticipated for all
of them except for unimproved
streets.
Although there's anticipated
funding for all of the asset
types that were priorities,
there's still a significant
funding gap remaining in
council's upcoming review of
the proposed budget.
It could consider reallocating
eligible funding to better
align with infrastructure
priorities.
But given that flexible funding
is so limited, prioritizing
infrastructure needs will come
with difficult tradeoffs and
challenges.
In closing, I'll leave you with
a few of our main takeaways.
The first is stormwater needs
certainly dominate this type
outlook.
It's the asset type with
the largest capital needs
accounting for almost all
the growth in the funding gap
and emergency projects are
making up a growing share of
the department's project
portfolio.
Given the magnitude of
stormwater needs, the strain
and and the city's limited
resources and the risk that
field infrastructure presents
for the city and the public
action should be taken to
secure additional dedicated
funding for stormwater.
And second, underinvestment in
maintenance and rising costs
compound capital infrastructure
challenges.
Although this report talks
about city's capital needs,
there's also significant
funding unfunded maintenance
needs that if left unaddressed
will lead to increased capital
needs as new facilities come
online such as new fire
stations forecast in the copy
outlook.
It's critical that maintenance
plans be developed and funded
and given limited resources on
both the operating and capital
sides of the budget.
The city must increasingly
focus on prioritizing and
completing existing projects
and maintenance of existing
assets which makes it difficult
to support key policy goals
such as providing more
significant infrastructure
investment in underserved
communities or implementing
the Climate Action Plan.
Finally we need new funding
streams.
I'd like to note that if
the city were to focus on
supporting stormwater needs
this would have the largest
impact on addressing the $7.8
billion funding gap and could
free up significant resources
for other critical capital
infrastructure priorities.
This concludes my presentation
and I'll now pass it to Kim
Desmond for remarks from
the Division of Race and
Equity.
Thank you.
Good afternoon.
Council PRESIDENT Kava and
Council Kim there's been here
the director for the Division
of Race and Equity.
As part of the review for
the five year capital
infrastructure Planning outlook
process we set out we found
several equity implications.
It's important to making these
comments in the context of
operations.
That's the important contextual
part too When applying
the equity lens.
So you're going to see some
nuance or here some nuance
information in that endeavor.
There were three significant
considerations equity wise that
our team discovered.
One is the vip data tracking
process.
I will give some comment in
that category.
Two is the cio p prioritization
score.
If council recalls we revised
that policy 814 in 2022 and
it's important to look back to
look at the outcomes of what we
were trying to accomplish with
that policy.
Third is five year outlook
alignment.
So those are the three
categories that our team has
some equity observations in to
start out in terms of the data.
As you heard from my colleague
in the team from the operations
side, the unfunded conversation
mainly regarding the facilities
condition assessment that
creates a challenge to make
sure that we're measuring how
we address cleared deficiencies
in different areas.
I do want to contextualize
something that's really
important in regards to equity
as it connects to policy 814.
In our observations out of
the 504 request for cip
projects in fiscal year 2027 to
20 2027 to 2031 we found it in
both structurally excluded
communities and non struggling
school communities.
If council recalls we refer to
those communities in different
ways.
Promise Zones Climate Equity
Index So these are historically
disinvestment districts which
is why the policy was created
to score those projects.
So in this context out of
the 504 total sip projects that
were requested for funding,
only 90 were marked as being in
structurally excluded
communities.
So that that number shared with
you only 90 were funded Not my
my apologies.
Only 90 were requested to be in
those communities and only 45
were fully funded.
So only 45 was fully funded.
Of the 504 requests that's
the districts the excluded
communities.
To offset that in
the non-strategic wooded areas
there were 413 requests in of
that 151 projects were funded.
So I'm going to give you some
percentages to offset those
numbers.
Meaning that in structurally
excluded communities 23% of
those total projects were
funded.
So that's the number I want you
to sit with.
And structurally excluded
communities Of the 504 projects
that were fully funded, 23% was
in structurally excluded
communities.
That in itself is an equity
implication.
And then the other 77% was not
in strokes the excluded when
we're doing our work
operationally to apply equity
lands.
The question is why?
Why is that so?
So one thing we did our team
set out to my team for finding
one of the whys.
One of the whys is making sure
that our departments are
actually reporting on when they
make their request.
What is a structurally excluded
community as it pertains to
the request?
So we saw a number of requests
that actually had like blank.
So we couldn't really ascertain
that number could go up or
down.
So one of the operational
implications is make sure that
you record in your data
correctly so we can make sure
we can get an accurate
percentage of the project that
are being funded in say
communities.
>> The other way I would say we
have talked about the emergency
need for funding.
So that's a part of it as well
And I know that the team is
looking at ways to actually
allocate more funds to address
ongoing emergencies.
And so we're allocating $30
million planned fully then we
still should be thinking about
what is the target.
So in the policy we didn't set
a target.
Our percentage for what
percentage of our cip funds
should go in structurally
excluded communities So there
is no clear target.
So it's hard to track around
where did you go versus what
you're allocating.
And so I want to make those
comments purposely so that way
you look at the fiscal
allocation for emergencies you
got to balance the fact that we
don't have a clear goal or
target for the percentage of
projects that we should fund
instructs the excluded
communities.
That was not the policy goal.
The policy goal was to set
the scoring.
That's why I gave you
the numbers because you do
still see a clear difference.
And so if you see a clear
difference of 23% from my
equity perspective it causes me
to ask what should be
the target.
Although we are still budgeting
for emergencies that's a
question that we like to leave
in this space for that
conversation.
I'm hoping that you are
tracking those numbers.
The other equity implications I
mentioned cleaning up the data
in terms of how our departments
report when they are requesting
a project and the identifying
when it's in a structurally
excluded community that impacts
our data processes.
The third that we found is a
alignment with the five year
outlook and a five year capital
infrastructure planning
outlook.
So effectively with aligning
and having a nexus if we were
to fund a study for our levees
for example, you would see that
funded for perhaps in our five
year outlook but the work
wouldn't happen until you look
at to your plan and get look
maybe year 3 or 4.
So our team made
the observation where you want
to be planful at looking when
things are funded and then be
strategic around when you're
planning to work.
This shows up in your planning
outlook.
And so as we're looking at that
we want to have a nexus between
the two because in one year you
MAY see an uptake in projects
based on what was allocated for
in the five year financial
outlook.
And so we noted that there
might need to be a clear nexus
as you're reporting on that to
kind of look at why you have
more projects in one year
the five year outlook like your
five versus year one.
And so the nexus for the two we
noticed a gap in the way that
those two things are aligned.
And so our recommendation was
to look at the way in which
those things communicate with
each other within the five year
sequence.
Those items conclude my
comments around applying
the equity lens to operations
but more pointedly applying an
equity lens to the percentage
of projects that were funded.
Thank you.
>> All right.
Thank you for the robust
presentations by acp and
the Good work Department of
Finance with contribution and
of course the contribution of
the office of the ipa Clerk
Please proceed with public
comment.
>> Thank you Council PRESIDENT.
If I can have Blair Beckman
come up to the microphone and
Courtney Brown if you can come
up to the other reserved seats
at the front.
Larry you'll have you'll have
two minutes less.
Blair Beckman Um, thank you for
this item.
Good reporting.
Good information.
Thank you.
This is the third or fourth
time this item has been here in
the past three, 4 or 5 months
now.
Thank you.
I mean, we're really trying to
work on it.
I'm trying to better understand
it.
Thank you.
Really nice.
Last public or less
informational item talking
about equity that is not only
serving new equity goals but in
its goals can actually be
serving best practices of
the city and how we can space
out our projects better
overall.
It was really nice to hear.
Thank you.
Good luck in these efforts.
The work I do with tech
accountability.
Some issues where we're talking
about um I think having a good
procurement process with tech
making it clear what what our
capabilities are and what we
want to practice as a community
about open public policies and
sharing of information and
ideas.
Making that clear in
the procurement process for
these upcoming projects.
It's set out important goals
and standards of what people
can expect from San Diego and
that we do this well.
People will want to come here.
A certain group of people want
to come here to better address,
you know, practices of good
reasoning and open democracy
and peace instead of war And
all of its misery.
And I think if we promote that
it share something important
what our future is wanting to
be about Good luck How a good
communication between a and how
we talk about good
communication skills between an
openness Thank you.
Thank you Courtney if you can
please come forward.
Good afternoon.
Thank you.
Hi.
My name is Courtney Brown.
I'm a staff attorney for San
Diego Coast Keeper and I'm here
today to echo a message that
you should be used to hearing
from Coast Keeper which is
the urgent need for dedicated
stormwater infrastructure
funding.
As we just heard throughout
the Abbott presentation and in
the report stormwater dominated
the city's capital funding gap.
And without belaboring points
that you already know the gap
between funding needs and
available and availability
stretches exponentially every
year.
And while this disparity is
compounded by climate change
and factors that are not within
our control, what we can't
control is how we respond to it
and you know it's the direct
result of funding cuts, lack of
investment and inefficient
emergency spending Something I
read in the report and ideas
report is that emergency
stormwater spending has surged
from $8.9 million in fiscal
year 2021 to $93.6 million in
fiscal year 2025.
That's nearly $200 million in
five years spent reactively
premium costs on in-kind
repairs that often need to be
redone.
The longer we defer action
the worse it gets and you all
know that.
So I really just want to
emphasize three points.
And that's one we strongly
support The aba's
recommendation to focus on new
revenue streams for stormwater
.
Two we absolutely cannot cut
anymore from the stormwater
budget.
Doing so would be a recipe for
catastrophic disaster.
And three if anything we really
urge Council to increase
funding for public education
surrounding this extremely
pressing issue.
The public needs to understand
how dire the situation is.
Our aging infrastructure is at
a tipping point that demand
urgent action.
Coast Keeper will continue
doing everything we can to work
on this issue and we'd be happy
to set up meetings to discuss
how we can work together in
the future.
Thanks for the opportunity.
You have for the five minute
time we're going to those
participating remotely.
We have four people in
the queue.
John Stump If you can please
unmute.
>> You'll have two minutes to
proceed.
Hi.
First of all very good that we
saw MS..
Desmond there.
Thank you, MS. Desmond.
Okay.
There are a couple of things
that are missing in the report
or brought up questions we
didn't talk about the use of
the new Bell Hall parking fund.
We didn't talk about
the coordination with sd g and
e and really important is what
should be driving this And it
relates to MS. Desmond is
claims where has
the infrastructure created
liability and human claims.
And that's you know I'm only
thinking about flooding but
there's also accidents.
So that should be the next
thing.
>> Can you can you hear me?
Yes.
Please proceed.
>> Okay.
The next thing is stormwater.
It's not an imposition.
It is a result of development
and urban and zation costs.
You don't really need a
stormwater program unless
you've done development where
you've created a place where
runoff is forced off
the property.
>> The zoo is a prime example
of that.
There's also a mistake in
the description.
It's not the police firing
range.
It's the City Gun and Pistol
Club.
So maybe correct that.
Finally the listing of projects
is kind of an engineer's
approach.
The right approach would be
Maslow's hierarchy of needs
where you're talking about
housing and physical needs of
people food, air, water.
And then you're talking about
safety needs.
And finally you get to these
development needs.
Maslow's hierarchy of Needs
Thank you.
>> After the 8700 than
the original 8700 please unmute
.
Thank you.
Joining me at a seed tree.
Thank you to both.
The first two presentations
were excellent Director Desmond
I want to tell you I love
the contextual focus and I love
the Nexus Focus.
I'm thrilled to tell you I'm
able to follow your reporting
because it's imperative
physically that in a way it is
and it's kind of a new language
for me.
But I think you it's it's
doable and I really appreciate
that.
So just one thing on
the reporting the basics of
mitigation, mitigating risk
prevention, ladies maintenance
is my favorite preventive
maintenance.
I want you to my own outlook
involving only one area So take
a deep breath right now.
I am not asking for any money
which will increase the gap.
This is just a whisper a
whisper.
Planning And it's this point of
time infrastructure cloud based
Systems Act as a modern digital
infrastructure in a city
functioning as the backbone for
smart city initiatives, data
storage and public service
management That's an end of
quote.
Can you imagine bodies without
a backbone starting in 2030?
I will flip the switch for our
New York City cloud based
system infrastructure.
It's equal to the importance of
water sewage and transportation
and so forth.
So I'm just putting a whisper
in your ear that we need to
start with a policy and we need
to start planning for a more
outlook and we have to wait to
the next one.
But I'm just going to use your
time has confused my apologies
the original and then Hector
talk about a racket.
I mean this just shows
the gross willful negligence
and gross malfeasance that is
taking place in the city.
You guys have billions of
dollars at your disposal to do
the things that you're supposed
to do and you neglect to do it
.
As we can see that there's
declining in the storm water
infrastructure.
It's passed its life and this
has been going on for a very
long time.
This is like a decades long
issue just like the Tijuana
River Valley where you guys are
taking money from here and
putting it over there and
you're not doing what needs to
be done and yet you want more
money from the people.
You're supposed to be good
stewards of our money and
you're not.
And this just shows that when
you've already had billions at
your disposal and look at
the state of the city, it's in
disarray.
It is not looking good Even
though you guys try and paint a
picture as though that's
the case and you take our money
and you don't do what you're
supposed to do, then you want
to come after us and say we
need more money for you to keep
up with what we were supposed
to be doing.
You guys are getting ahead of
yourself.
You need to be finishing what
you've started instead of
having all these emergencies
that come into place because
you are neglecting what you're
supposed to be doing.
I mean how much money more
money do you guys need and
promises Are you going to make
when I mean I'm terrified to
think about these billions of
dollars that's going to be out
Your guys is disposable when
you see the world around us is
it's crumbling and there are
people suffering because of
the choices that you guys have
made.
So before you start any new
projects you need to complete
the projects that you already
started and not take money from
here and over there and
contract with people that are
also wasting our money like
Dreams for Change in downtown
partnership and doing things
like having people die on their
watch and being raped and
trying to hide it.
So you guys need to course
correct because this just shows
how negligent you took Your
time has concluded.
Hector, if you can please
unmute your final speaker.
The five minute timer has
concluded Please proceed.
>> Thanks for taking my call.
This is like capital
infrastructure planning outlook
in the famous words of Mike
Tyson.
Everyone has a plan until they
get hit in the face.
The dam is condemned by
the state.
They said it's gonna break in
moment.
So anybody go down stream from
the dam in Del Mar?
I hope they cancel their
homeowners insurance or update
I hope State Farm as my carrier
doesn't have any policies down
downstream from the dam and
take them out.
The recent fires that
Democratic leadership has
brought us here, the fires in
the Democratic leadership.
No water in the reservoir
the thing that didn't even work
And then we had a state farm
had all those claims and it's a
total nightmare.
So hopefully State Farm will
wake up and insurance company
will not insure houses down
stream from that dam When it
rains it's going to be a total
disaster city.
You're going to get sued
because now you know, it's
condemned basically from state
.
So what can you do?
Yeah, I don't know what you can
do but it's a total liability
Now the warrant So if you
proceed without fixing it it's
it's everyone's you know
the money's there But anyway I
say divert the Do you want a
sewer line back into town?
You want about 45,000 yards
past border Just convert it
back into Mexico let those guys
figure it out put up an earthen
dam or do you want a sewage
line back into them and then
park the actual space in
Imperial Beach and get rid of
all that toxic sand that's in
there?
You can use that same to build
a dam in Del Mar and save some
money.
Anyway, good luck.
Here we go again.
>> Thanks for your time Creator
Henry Lee It already noted that
the biometric included other
speakers will be taken They
think elsewhere that it could
be common.
Thank you for the clerk Again
this is an information item No
motion is required.
I'll turn over to my colleagues
for any questions and comments
and we'll start with the Chair
of the Active Transportation
and Infrastructure Committee
Council member Whitman.
Thank you very much.
Council PRESIDENT Thank you to
the staff team, to the eBay to
this Desmond Desmond I wanted
to follow up on a point that
you were emphasizing which was
that 23% of the funded projects
are in structurally excluded
communities and you wanted to
make sure that we understood
that and recognize
the significance of that.
But I want to be sure I do
understand exactly what that
means.
So first of all, I guess my
first question is you know what
how are you defining a
structurally excluded community
?
Is that a term that I
personally have used a lot by
understand because it could
include within could be
considered a structurally
excluded community.
But I think what you're
referring to is something that
has more of a geographically
identifiable component to it
And you could you could tell
you otherwise.
And then so that we could put
the 23% in context What
percentage of the city is in a
structure, what percent of
the city is located in
structurally excluded
communities?
>> Great question.
I'll answer that in two ways.
One, when I came to San Diego
there were several definitions
for the way that we talk about
a geographic area that have
different factors.
And so one way is we call them
climate equity index zones in
overlays is in terms of promise
zones essentially as the same
areas with different terms.
And so when we revise a policy
we made it structurally
excluded to stop blaming
the people who live in
the neighborhood for the issues
their deficit in their
neighborhood.
The second part of your
question is this team as a
follow up could do with overlay
around because we do have
projects by council district to
show a geographic overlay
mapping those projects.
So we did let for our analysis
of the equity lands.
So to your question around
where they located that it's in
the promise zone climate equity
zone areas.
>> So if you don't use actually
excluded that's okay.
The problem is on areas That's
very helpful.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT.
All right.
Thank you Council member
Whitburn.
We'll go next to council member
Eli Rivera.
PRESIDENT, thanks for
the presentation here.
Thank you to the idea for your
work and thank you as always
for what you provided as well.
This is always a very important
conversation And the numbers
you know they were startling
Our first year on council and
they only get more startling
each year And those numbers,
you know, represent like real
tangible impacts on communities
sidewalks that grandmothers in
my district, you know, struggle
to navigate um, homes that are
at risk from from flooding
during not even catastrophic
rain events but basic rain
events and you know our beaches
and bays being too dirty This
woman go on and on and
the impacts are real And I have
real concerns that the gaps
aren't distributed equally And
I appreciate Kim pointing out
what she did.
The Climate Equity Fund exists
because we acknowledge that we
have equity in the city so I am
curious if you can pinpoint
kind of show us how
the projects in the outlook are
sequenced to address
the communities with
the largest deficits first and
if there are any accountability
mechanisms in place to ensure
that actually happens rather
than simply defaulting to
what's easiest or what feels
politically acceptable in
the moment.
>> Great nuance question and
I'll call and run and care
until answer Being there
originally was written into
the resolution for the Climate
Equity Fund.
I can't say the allocation of
that.
It was not a 1 to 1 in terms of
the way we do projects.
So I know that just from being
a part of the process to
identify projects So I do
appreciate the nuance around
that fund being used in those
particular areas.
So perhaps a follow up but I
don't know if you've got Yeah,
I mean Karen, you can first
walk them through the data
points that considered in
compiling the report and then i
can put some much light on
the Dash 14 and how it's
implemented.
I do think that when one thing
that I want to point out before
I dive into all the details is
this is designed to be a high
level programmatic really
forward looking report.
Councilmember I think I think
the one true mechanism that we
have to make sure that people
stay on point that dollars are
allocated that we're going to
the highest neighborhoods first
is the budget development
process, the actual budget
development and adoption
process.
As part of this effort we
collect the information for for
structurally excluded
communities.
We looked first at really
funding those things that were
already in the pipeline.
We wanted to finish those
things.
If there were projects that
were in construction that had
new needs pop up finishing
those fully funding
construction for projects that
were in design all of those
things happen and they're kind
of they're not competing but
they are definitely overlapping
and corresponding interest in
that.
We are looking both at
the stage of the project
the available funding sources
where we might have community
only or park funds that are you
know specific to communities of
concern or not that we are
allocating those restricted
funding sources really getting
the most that we can we out out
of those restricted funding
sources we do take into account
the 814 scores as well as
the location of the project and
where it is in the project
delivery pipeline.
I hope that helps.
Just to shed more light on this
one again this is a five year
outlook.
We're looking into the future.
I think the main drivers of
the data collected is the asset
management information and
understanding what it's feeling
and what needs attention
globally across the entire city
.
And then after that as we take
a closer look to the f y 27
budget, this is where we trying
to ensure that there is a
priority score assigned to each
project where in 814 we work
collectively with Council on
adopting this new policy we
ensure that to a point
councilmember that equable
outcome is coming from
sustainability standpoint from
a safety standpoint all those
different factors are being
accounted for as we score every
project and then then we try to
recommend a project with
the higher score to be funded
first.
Okay we've limited time but I
do think it's another context
as well where we're being
aspirational versus where we're
actually setting standards in
the city And this feels like an
important area to set standards
and I appreciate that We don't
want to call it competing but
it is competing so long as we
continue to allow ourselves to
live in a place of scarcity
rather than the abundance that
we should be able to exist
within here in San Diego.
But in a in a world where we're
living with scarcity of
resources that ends up becoming
competing or we can use all
sorts different words to
describe it but we're not doing
at all.
And so I understand that
there's a system in place for
making decisions But I will
also say that the budget for
the building process I'll be
honest saying that that's
the time for us to fix and
reprioritize that I don't think
that puts us in a really tough
spot by the time we're at that
point in the process.
I don't think it's realistic
for us to reorder the entire
list that's been provided to us
and I know that we would be
given enormous, enormous
pushback if we if we try to do
that if what we were presented
with the proposed budget
the council said this is not
hit the mark when it comes to
equity and we would order it
entirely it would blow up
the budget process And so it
needs to be better baked by
the time it gets to us from an
equity standpoint.
So that instead we've got real
funding gaps.
I do want to talk about how we
spend and we've talked about
this before there was mention
that bundling bike lane
installations with street
repaving and utility work has
helped in terms of being more
cost effective.
So my understanding is that
when we use standardized
designs and bundle repetitive
work we stop treating every
single curb ramp installation
like a unique engineering
challenge.
We can actually bring down
costs, accelerate delivery.
It doesn't seem like we're
doing that across the system
though.
You know the thousands of
street lights that we need to
install that feels like an area
where we could be standardizing
and pre engineering solutions.
So can you talk to us about
the extent to which we are
doing more of standardizing
design vouching procurement and
in order to reduce this off
cost?
Yeah.
I mean one of the policy I can
think of that we were trying to
implement as we initiated
project is complete street and
in exactly to your point
council member we were trying
to identify all the different
assets within this corridor
that we need to be addressed at
the challenge as the different
state that each asset within
this corridor is and and
available funding So if we want
to go and treat the lighting
the sidewalk, the programs,
the paving right that that
present additional cost where
the priority could be mainly in
this in the street light So
we're trying to balance
the available funding with all
the conditions of the existing
assets within that corridor and
trying to bundle as much as we
could that making sense to
advance it all together as one
project And some of that work
is identified to be done by
city forces while other other
areas require further design
and been executed through an
outside contractor.
So we're trying to at
the beginning with the project
we are trying to implement all
of those policies that
facilitate the opportunity to
be more efficient in delivering
major assets.
>> I just for me it's not just
the major assets.
It's like in fact it might even
be more important unlike
the medium and smaller scale
ones to make sure that we're
being more efficient there.
I just want to make that point
so and I'll just ask for
the next three minutes now if I
MAY.
Council PRESIDENT Yeah, that
this the structural issue in
front of us in terms of
the budget we've talked about
this for years We were handed a
multibillion dollar deficit for
infrastructure That's a reality
and it is directly related to
the insufficient amount of
revenue that the city brings
in.
We were not resourced well
enough for easily 1.4 million
people that is sitting on
rotting infrastructure that was
allowed to erode over
generations.
So I do have a what is what is
the administration's or staff's
plan to start addressing that
part of the equation
the revenue side because
the council's come up with
ideas about measures.
I'm curious if
the administration's
considering anything We want to
take this one Councilmember I
think we've always tried to
explore additional revenue
options to make sure that we
are at structural balance so we
can continue the long term
investment and planning to be
able to deliver on these
significant ip backlog.
I don't think any option is off
the table and we will continue
to work on towards whatever
options we have to be able to
make sure that we are in
structural balance.
The city is well resources well
resourced to meet our growing
backlog.
Okay.
I think they'll want to
continue that conversation.
We've talked a couple of times
I brought this up and we
haven't really drilled down too
much and I'm not an expert in
this and I will acknowledge
that But that's why we have
the smart folks on that side of
the dais environmental impact
bonds, as I understand it, have
been used in on the East Coast,
the Chesapeake Bay in
particular to successfully
improve green stormwater
infrastructure.
I believe other cities have
followed their path Private
investors fund infrastructure
up front.
The city repays based on
measurable outcomes actual
flood reduction, actual water
quality improvement, the risk
transfer that is real.
It provides access to private
capital.
We have a we have $5 billion in
stormwater needs depleting
federal loan and active
political effort to further
blow holes in our budget.
Is there been any exploration
of environmental impact bonds
for stormwater infrastructure
or other sort of creative
financing mechanisms?
All I can say that the director
of Stormwater Todd Snyder's
been exploring all possible
options to really address this
major deficit in
infrastructure.
So I'm not sure if you're here
in the audience Yes, thanks
Councilmember.
I can tell you very familiar
with those programs from my
general experience in
the stormwater field I think
the fundamental need to make
that type of environmental bond
program work is you need to
revenue in the assurance to be
able to pay the private sector
back to deliver those outcomes
And that's where we struggle is
we're relying on general fund
primarily So without a
dedicated revenue source got a
fee bringing in consistent
revenue it's really hard to get
a program like that off
the ground because you need to
have a payback mechanism And if
the payback mechanism is
general fund competing with
police, fire libraries, parks
you know you've got to you've
got to basically earmark
the funding for stormwater.
>> Yeah, but types of projects
that we need to fund Yes.
Scale of the projects we need
to fund all work.
Yes, absolutely.
Green infrastructure, flood
resilience that type of work is
being delivered in
the Chesapeake Bay example that
you brought up.
So with dedicated revenue is
that a method financing
mechanism that you think would
be appropriate and you want to.
>> I do I think I think it's it
helps to get to the type of
scale that we were talking
about in terms of our need.
It allows you to bundle
projects particularly on
the water quality side.
It opens up the potential to do
water quality improvements on
private parcels and in addition
to just public parcels that we
have land ownership of.
So I think there's a lot of
advantages to it.
It's just a real long term
financial commitment that's
tough to make when you're
reliant on the general fund
That's that short compared to
the total needs of the city I
think so I well I mean thank
you for that.
I appreciate the work that
you've done And I we've been
talking about it since we got
here.
We need dedicated revenue.
We appreciate that.
Coast Skipper continues to
remind us of that.
We are behind the way we're
behind because of
the structural budget deficit
that we've experienced for
decades now and
the under-resourcing of
the city In this moment we're
staring at the deficit that we
just looked at the gap that we
have We have the leaking club
the former mayor who left us
billions of dollars in in
broken infrastructure and
meadow lined outside groups
pursuing a ballot measure that
would defund $100 million in
core city services, $100
million annually and course in
services which means that all
of this would get worse and i
mention that because this
conversation is not abstract
like this stuff is impacting
our neighborhoods.
We have people who are still
dealing with floods that
happened a couple of years ago
.
There are parts of the city
that have no sidewalks, unpaved
streets, unpaved alleys and we
are allowing hopefully we're
not going to allow this group
of radicals who broke the city
to try to light it on fire
through the political actions
that they're considering right
now that will not make the city
leaner.
It will make things much worse.
And so I just I felt
the necessity to say that
council PRESIDENT Because to be
staring at what we're staring
at already and know that there
are folks who are again
actively attempting to defund a
core city service is extremely
alarming to me because
the impacts will be felt by
less stormwater work being
done, fewer sidewalks being
repaired, fewer potholes being
built and that is not
the effort of anyone who's
serious about becoming a better
place to live or quite frankly
who cares at all that
the people of San Diego so I
thank you again for all of
the work that you have done.
We have a lot more work to do.
I do hope that we can build on
what Kim presented to us and
see more of a standardization
in terms of how we approach
the inequities in terms
infrastructure, investment,
the city.
But I do appreciate the effort
and taking the extra time.
Council PRESIDENT I give you
two of my two of my minutes So
Councilmember Foster Oh yes,
Thank you Council PRESIDENT And
thank you staff for
the presentation and thank you
to to my colleagues.
I think Councilmember Eli
Rivera touched on a lot And I
think I also appreciate
the question of Councilmember
Wimmer in regards to what is a
structurally excluded community
or the terms that we use.
For me I'll go back in time
with I want to say my education
and training.
I have always used the term
historically underserved
communities and I think that is
a term that is used in quite
honestly in my time stems from
the Federal terminology as we
deal with disparities and
things of the sort.
We also used at some point
the term of communities of
concern which I never really
cared for to be quite honest
And I do appreciate the work at
the time of our sustainability
director Cody Hoving that came
up with the Climate equity
Index which I think developed
from a state document that
really made it specific to
the city of San Diego and made
sure that we were including all
of the appropriate underserved
communities based on our data
versus leaving it to
the Federal legislators in
the in the state level because
I am the first to tell you that
the way they drew
the opportunities zones just
baffles me On how you draw a
line in the middle of
the street and I can take you
to the section that was left
out which is a black arts and
culture district that has not
seen any true redevelopment or
any attention since I was since
I was a baby.
To be quite honest.
But also I'm a little troubled
in regards to the reference of
the five year outlook.
I do agree that if we were to
come to council and try to
unwind the proposed cip, I
think that would be a
disservice to our process and
would create several
challenges.
I think it is not
the appropriate method that I
would recommend and quite
honestly look forward to
sitting on the dais and going
through that level of of of
information.
But I think if I recall
the five year outlook and I'm
going to refer to it as a
planning document it is to give
us the path and the vision to
move this ip forward.
And as you hear from our
Department of Race and Equity
that 23% of the projects are in
historically underserved
communities and 77% are in what
I will just say are high
The highest resource areas is
troubling to me If I am
interpreting quick points that
were made here today.
And so I think we have more
work to do.
I also think that I would agree
with with Kim that we need to
look at how we're presenting
this information so that we can
effectively and efficiently
receive the information,
analyzing information and not
only for council and our staffs
but also the public because I
will say that I am used to
the what I will call
the bureaucratic dump and where
you just unload information and
you just kind of look at
everything and say Catch me if
you can.
And I think we need to get out
of that Also I will say if I
can have just a few more
minutes as I look at
the council policies and I just
want to be clear because I have
since I have been on the dais
have have taken issue with our
processes and how we do things.
I do just want to make a
comment so that everyone knows
that I have reached out to
the city auditor and I have
asked the city auditor to add
to his audit potential audit
list for f y 27 as needed
contracts based on our recent
conversations that we have had
and have also asked the auditor
to add job order contracts
which are essentially similar
to methodology and most
importantly emergency contracts
because clearly we are changing
our method and process and
actually including a defined
allocation within our budget
process for emergency projects
And and I will continue to say
this those are done on a time
and material basis which means
we are paying a premium and we
essentially due to
the emergency way of just about
every program or certain
standards that we have as part
of our municipal code.
And that's very troubling for
me.
I'm also hearing that it seems
that the emergency contracts
are going above what
the initial emergency is and
that they are actually coming
out with phase funding which is
very problematic for me which
is why I made the request.
So I want to make sure everyone
knows that as I was sitting
here listening to
the presentation and
the questions I also sent to
the city auditory request to
add Council policy 800
Dashboard team as now I think
we have based on
the information that was
provided I think we have three
years worth of implementation
and data so that we should have
a clear data set so that we can
see just how effective that
policy is.
The other thing that I will say
is that really troubles me is
we made changes to council
policy 000 Dash 31 in regards
to the transparency of dc ip
And at the time if you go back
that policy was developed to
what I will say streamline our
process to allow
the engineering and capital
projects in our public works
team to present their ip and to
get approval for projects so
you don't have to bring every
single project to city council
and so I'm not sure if that
actually served us in the best
interest as we look at the city
as a whole.
And so I think that's something
that we also need to look at
And I think what I'm seeing is
that as we are talking about
equity, I think as we use
the term nexus as we are
connecting the dots, I don't
think there's one policy that
will give us the proper path.
I think we have to use all our
tools, use them together to get
the outcomes that are needed
and I just want to make sure
when I talk about outcome it's
about leveling that playing
field, right?
There's a reason why you hear
the dissatisfaction when folks
come from District four When
you look at what happened with
the floods, where you look at
how we have all the unimproved
streets between four, eight,
nine and alleys this is not a
this is not something that is
made up.
It's a reality.
And so I think it is time that
we continue to work.
Kym, I would ask and maybe I'll
see the debate is I do
appreciate your comments.
I think it would be good if
the council can receive those
comments in a formalized
fashion in a memorandum because
I think this is a start of a
longer and broader conversation
to continue to right
the wrongs.
And again what's really
troubling is oftentimes you
hear the city of San Diego this
is just the way we do things
right.
And as you look at the budget
deficit, as you look at
the issues that we have and as
my good friend said, Kevin
Faulkner is now standing at a
podium in Balboa Park where he
played a major part in this
deficit problem that we have
And to do what he is doing now
I think is is such a great
disservice.
And quite honestly this honor
for someone who has sat in
the mayoral office and to do
what he's doing to look folks
in the eye I think is just
totally unacceptable and speaks
to his character.
And so as long as I'm on this
dais, I think we are going to
continue to have these
conversations and continue to
push forward And I'm going to
lean on you, Karen I'm going to
lean on you, Rania I'm going to
lean on you and leave to get
this right because we can no
longer do this.
Our communities can no longer
suffer.
We have folks that have lost
everything everything And it is
a long road and I don't know if
they will ever get back to
where they were And so thank
you Council PRESIDENT I'll
conclude my comments there We
have a lot of work to do And
again, Kim, thank you for your
comments and your work And I
think it shows why it was so
important to move
the Department of Race and
Equity to the office.
So thank you.
All right.
Thank you.
Captain Member Foster will go
next to Council member Board
Member Thank you and thank you
for the presentation.
We heard this it committee
already so I won't really move
my comments.
It's important planning
document I agree and I'm glad
we are doing this.
I do want to again ask about
our ability to protect the city
from fire and I look at
the committee hearing we talked
about the need for another city
type study.
It doesn't have to be city gate
itself but so do we have that
in the process where we're
going to do another study about
how we're going to prepare for
fire?
Are there growing housing
needs?
Chief Moran and the audience
perhaps he could speak to that
if he's able and council member
Currently I'm not aware of any
plan in place to move towards
another city gate study but I
can tell you the department is
open to it.
That's a discussion that we can
have with Chief Logan.
>> Okay.
What about the mayor's office?
Yes, more than happy to follow
up on that.
Okay.
The last one was when over a
decade ago, 2017 I believe when
it was public.
Okay.
That would be helpful.
I mean with the more housing we
approve we need we need to make
sure we can actually protect
people from fire and respond to
you know, that's called on that
in What about the fire training
facility committee we heard
there what the land is there we
are the age we vote But what
are we going to do about
building the facility?
So as I mentioned that
committee the price tag is a
big concern.
Um, we do have property off of
Copley Drive and we've been
looking at a phased approach to
make it more economically
feasible.
But as of right now I'm not
sure exactly when that will go
into play.
We're also looking for other
ways of funding this facility
such as b three or public
private partnership and and
what it can be a regional
facilities that been used by
other municipalities And then
we can prioritize of course our
fire rescue department when it
comes to the usage of that
facility.
So we're exploring the option
as well giving the high price
tag of of constructing such a
facility.
>> Okay.
We still have time.
We're working closely with
public utilities department
about their scheduling for
phase two and then work into
this closely.
So make sure we do not run out
of time.
We understand the critical
operations of this facility
right now as it's as I said.
So we're ensuring that we have
enough time to do
the transition when the time
comes.
Okay.
And do we do we have an
estimate about the hangars for
the wildfire helicopters or
three helicopters?
I believe we're close to
environ environmental clearance
But the plan that was in place
and this is an internal meeting
that I had with staff several
months ago I think initial plan
was a little ambitious.
So I will say our number one
priority is to get those
helicopters out of the elements
So however we can either scale
back that project and again
phase it so that future needs
can be put into place later
down the road.
We're willing to to look at it
differently And I know there
was a smaller hangar and a
large hangar If we can
accomplish what we need, meet
our operational goals and
maintain our service to
the community, we are open to
going to one hangar As long as
we can accomplish that and save
some money.
Okay.
I mean maybe the Fire Rescue
Foundation can help us source
private dollars to fundraise
for a project like that.
Yeah, so that's a conversation
that we can have with
the foundation.
Okay.
But if I could add facility and
all the environmental
permitting requirements that is
needed to be able to utilize
that area will be completed.
So making it ready for any type
of funding to use as possible.
Okay.
All right.
Thank you.
I appreciate it.
Those papers are very expensive
and very important and very
useful.
So I'd like to put a roof over
their heads.
Okay.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
Council member Von Loper.
I guess I'll wrap up and at
the risk of now that I've given
away all my time I want to
thank you all for being in
the hot seat for things that
you inherited And despite your
very good work it seems a
challenge to actually make
progress here.
The path ahead doesn't look
very clear given the scale that
you describe.
And one thing I didn't hear
that I want to highlight is I
think there has been more
transparency in how we talk
about our infrastructure
deficit than I've seen since
I've been following it for
the past 1520 years where as my
colleagues kind of alluded to
back in the day everybody hid
behind sewer and water spending
and look how much
infrastructure dollars we're
spending almost all of that
with sewer and water dollars
very little was going to any of
the other infrastructure needs.
And as we know when we don't
invest things each out and I
appreciate the data driven
approach but it's so hard
because it's not a static
world.
It's a dynamic world.
Things keep changing on you.
You don't know what a facility
is going to age out.
You don't know what new state
mandates are going to come and
hit us.
You don't know what lawsuit
there's going to be that forces
the settlement discussions
going forward And yet we strive
to try to be data driven going
there And it occurs to me that
again watching over the many
years I think we get distracted
by the next good idea.
I think I remember talking
about let's have one design for
fire stations, let's have one
design for libraries.
We'll just keep repeating that
it doesn't work out quite that
way going forward.
So I'm curious and I'll follow
up with Kim on some of the data
that came up that you came up
with in terms of what get
funded.
That's something when we
updated 800 Dash 14 and even
the early days of 814 over
the years have proven
particularly important But I
think there is a larger
conversation to be had here.
The other thing in terms of
the report I appreciate
the idea actually
differentiated stormwater
between flood resilience and
green infrastructure because
there's two different things
driving those future reports I
think should differentiate
those as well.
Still a big number and we still
can't figure out how to fund
that but maybe that would be
helpful.
I'm going to wrap up there
because my colleagues asked a
lot of good questions.
There was a lot of good
responses But thank you.
Thank you for bringing this
this forward.
I know everybody's working to
do better and we'll figure out
that path.
>> All right.
Well oh, Councilmember Campbell
,thank you very much, Council
PRESIDENT.
I've been on and off lights
trying to decide if I should
bring something to the public's
attention that has maybe
slipped their viewpoint.
I've been here seven years now.
When I first came I noticed
that we had a big gap in our
stormwater budget of $2
billion.
I see now it's up to probably 5
billion maybe more.
Uh, I think the reason for this
has been actually alluded to
especially by my colleagues
Councilmember Rivera and
Councilmember Foster and that
is I would say for probably
the last 150 years I things
have been ignored that should
have been taken care of and I
think they alluded to that.
But I want to just set out
simple and plain the cost to
the consumer for our stormwater
is $0.98 a month $0.98 a month.
Now when I first came here I
looked up other cities in
California.
I remember Sacramento at that
time was $13 a month for
stormwater We're still $0.98.
I don't know what Sacramento's
up to.
I haven't looked it up lately
but this is the problem.
The problem is that we have had
people elected to office who
are afraid who have been
afraid.
I'm not talking about my
current colleagues.
I'm talking about the past To
say to people plainly you have
got to pay for what you get.
Nothing is free.
Let's be honest You get
services.
They cost money.
How do you expect the city to
pay for it?
We don't have a printing press.
We cannot print our own money
And so what we have to do is
collected.
So if it is I wonder I was
really happy when you mention
priorities I'm so glad you guys
have listed in priority what
actually we really do.
We really have to do
The biggest part of the gap is
the stormwater.
Is that the highest priority at
this time or do we have other
projects higher priority
stormwater and transportation
assets continue to be the two
highest priorities.
Okay.
Well this is a horrible time to
ask people to pay more but
$0.98 and go do it folks.
So I just want the public to be
aware that they have been
getting away with $0.98 for I
don't GOD knows how many
decades.
It's ridiculous Prices have
gone up.
So just think about it Nobody
suggesting we do anything about
that for right at this moment.
But I'm telling you we have to
do something about it And then
one thing we can do is to
increase it so that it tries to
start to cover the gap.
The gap is huge 5 billion.
The other thing we could do and
I'd love if the finance people
would come up and explain about
bonds and what we could do if
we issued certain bonds to
raise money or maybe I'm not
even using the right in
the right words to explain what
we could do But there are
certain things that governments
can do to issue investment
vehicles so that tax free bonds
or whatever could be issued to
raise money to help fill that
gap.
But still $5 billion That's
outrageous.
So if you could help us out
with that.
Yes.
Good afternoon.
Council members Jody Butler,
assistant director with
the Department of Finance like
MR. Snyder indicated primarily
the issue is the dedicated
revenue source.
The current methodology be
issue to be used to issue bonds
of the city which are lease
revenue bonds rely on
the existing revenues of
the general fund which as been
brought to your attention we
are reaching our debt capacity
limit pretty soon So for
typically a lot of other cities
could use general obligation
bonds but that comes with an
additional tax levy.
So that's the kind of bonds
that would come with its own
revenue source.
Otherwise we would need some
other revenue source that we
can pledge to issue bonds So
when you say revenue source in
order to issue the bonds, are
we talking about a fee for
stormwater that is actually
somewhat realistic whereas
the $0.98 is like from 1850
the year 1850 If we had when
there was more here the near
the year 1950 would be better
off.
But is that what you're saying
as a revenue source?
In other words if those who
want to purchase these bonds
invest in these bonds would
look at the city and say look,
they're charging $20 a month
for the stormwater problem of
trying to fill the gap We can
afford to take a chance on
these bonds.
That's right.
We would need to identify a
dedicated revenue source to
repay the bonds.
Right.
Okay.
So public listen up.
I'm being transparent.
I'm being honest.
I'm known to be down to earth
completely Maybe sometimes not
so tactful.
But I'm telling you, my dear
public $0.98 a month and go do
it.
So get ready because some time
in the future hopefully sooner
than later when things are a
bit better we're going to have
to face this reality that we
must raise our fees on
stormwater And so I'm very
sorry and I'm sure all
the politicians are turning
bright red and wishing I had
never brought this up But I am
bringing it up and I'm going to
bring up some other stuff.
The city needs more revenue.
How do cities get revenue in
the rest of the United States?
Several different ways.
One is the county keeps our
property tax Sandy Hill County
gets a buck from each one of us
more than a buck on properties
And what do they do with it?
We get $0.12 back.
This is not right according to
state law.
It's supposed to be based on
services provided to
the population involved.
We have I'm kind of
interpreting that but I think
that's what it means.
I'm no lawyer.
I'm only a doctor.
But what I see is that our city
has one third of the population
of this county at least maybe a
bit more than that.
So we should probably get at
least one third of our dollar
back to help our city revenue.
We had $0.12.
So when taxpayers call and say
I pay my taxes, I want this, I
want that guess what?
You only pay $0.12 on
the dollar to the city.
So that's number one.
We need more How do we get it?
The state legislature has to
change the rules.
The state legislature has to
tell the county and maybe other
counties as well.
At the same time you've got to
give more money back to
the cities from the property
tax you collect from
the cities.
So there's one thing here's
another thing Most cities
collect an income tax.
Income tax is considered very
fair because it's usually
graduated The poorer you are
the less you pay.
The richer you are, the more
you pay.
The state tax is a good example
The state income tax I'm not
going to say the federal
because I think it stinks Right
now rich people pay less.
Poor people middle class pay
more.
So that's not right.
That's not how it's supposed to
be.
All right.
Was based on the state income
tax which is more fair If we
had a graduated income tax of
even a half a percent in this
city, that would help us
tremendously.
Another thing another thought
our 1% sales tax that was on
the ballot two years ago didn't
pass.
I don't think we passed this
year either because everybody's
having a hard time even buying
groceries.
But sales tax is a this is like
a flat tax.
Everybody pays the same on
whatever they buy a certain
percent And if we raise it 1%
we would have had $4 million
more income we think in which
case the city would be in
better shape Still not enough
certainly not even a crack in
the $5 Billion storm water
deficit.
So anyway citizens I just
wanted to be open honest I
think I have ten more months to
serve and I'm termed out and I
just want you to know reality
and and honesty from your city
government.
Thank you.
Council member Campbell, I
think we've heard a lot of
candor this afternoon and I
appreciate the patience of
chief.
I'm in the engineering capital
project MR. Snyder from Storm
Water be a Department of
Finance for your contribution
to a very robust conversation
on some of the challenges we've
inherited that we face going
forward.
So we'll close that item again.
Thank you And with that clerk
please introduce item 331.
>> Thank you Council PRESIDENT
Item 331 is also an
informational item is City
council informational training
on zero based budgeting?
If you would like to speak on
this item please be sure to
submit a speaker slip to
the front of the room in
the clear box and if you are
participating remotely now's
the time to raise your hand by
pressing Star nine or the raise
your hand icon.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT All
right, I'm going to kick it
off.
Yeah.
All right.
MR. Molokai is going to kick it
off and then we'll have those
making the presentation
introduce themselves and let us
know about how much time you
expect.
Great.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT And council
members.
As you are aware, one of
the council's requirements is
to receive budget related
training each year We provide
you two different trainings.
One is kind of a item of
budgetary interest that has
been expressed by Council and
one is usually a little bit
more rote disclosure practice
of general debt policy etc.
This is hopefully one of
the ones that we slightly more
interesting to you but we
certainly do appreciate your
attention regardless we have a
presentation today to give you
some background on zero based
budgeting.
This was something that was
discussed pretty significantly
as a request both from Council
Committee for Budget and
Government Efficiency Chair I'm
going to foster to know more
about zero based budgeting and
how it can be used in
the city's budgeting process.
As was mentioned in the several
Council budget priority memos,
we are lucky enough to be able
to partner with the Department
of Finance to provide you
training.
Our team will talk a little bit
about what zero based budgeting
is and how it works in practice
And then the Department of
Finance will jump in to talk
about some zero based budgeting
elements of our current budget
process.
With that I will turn this over
to Jill and Alina.
So she's doing a lot of work at
the staff table today.
She and Sergio Alcalde will
prepare the and present the ipa
section and then we'll turn it
over to Ben Battaglia from
the Department of Finance.
Great.
Thank you so much.
Before I dive into today's
training I just want to provide
a little bit of background on
the City Council financial
training program that's led by
our office.
It was adopted in 2006
following a report from our
office that responded to a call
report recommendation that
the council receive financial
training.
The program calls for two
trainings a year and four major
areas of public finance and
that's including debt issuance
and administration financial
disclosure, financial Statement
overview or the Act four and
current and multi-year budget
planning.
Today's training will be zero
based budgeting or is eb which
falls under the current and
multi-year budget planning
subject area.
Today's training comes in
response to Council's fiscal
year 2027 budget Priorities
process where the Budget
Committee chair Foster
requested our office in
the Department of Finance to
provide a presentation on zbb.
Our office has actually
provided training on zbb before
It was about ten years ago when
the city did a zbb pilot That
training referenced in a report
16 Dash 16 which is called zero
based budgeting and examples.
The information in that report
generally still applies today.
So we will be referencing
information in that report to
give you a sense of what will
be discussing today our office
will cover an overview of zbb
and how it works In theory
versus in practice And then
we'll transition to how
elements of zbb have been put
into practice by looking at
other jurisdictions including
the city of San Diego's pilot
program in fiscal year 2017.
And Department of Finance will
cover how the city incorporates
zbb elements into the budget
process that exist today and a
discussion of this year's
effort to zero based external
contracts for the fiscal year
2027 budget and the ongoing
analysis of general fund
unclassified employees.
So let's get into it.
What is zero based budgeting?
Zbb is a process that develops
budget from the ground up
starting from zero.
This is different from
the traditional incremental
budgeting approach where
the prior year's budget is used
as the starting point under zbb
funding is allocated
irrespective of what was
previously budgeted.
In theory, zbb requires every
budget request to be thoroughly
evaluated and approved with
service levels clearly
identified and prioritized.
Zbb breaks down an organization
into Decision Unit which are
the lowest level at which
budget decisions are made such
as a department division or
programs can also be used as
well.
Each decision unit is supposed
to develop a detailed overview
of their activities
the resources needed to meet
their goals and alternative
ways to deliver services.
These become decision packages
which outline different
spending levels and their
impacts on service delivery.
According to guidance from
the government Finance Officers
Association or give away each
decision decision Unit should
prepare at least three decision
packages.
The first is your barebones
package which provides only
the most essential services.
The second is current service
package which continues
existing service levels.
And finally the enhanced
service package which expands
services beyond what is
currently provided.
And each decision package
should include detailed
information on inputs such as
dollars and positions that are
needed to provide the services
described in that package as
well as specific performance
measures that explain how
different funding levels would
affect service levels.
After all packages are
developed they are ranked from
highest to lowest priority
within the department and then
management uses these rankings
along with desired service
outcomes to make final budget
decisions.
So now I'll go into
the advantages and drawbacks of
again theoretical zbb in its
fullest form.
Cited advantages include when
cuts are necessary.
Zbb offers a rational and
comprehensive way to determine
budget reductions as opposed to
across the board cuts.
It requires taking a closer
look at everything the city
spends on soda.
It's more clearly it can be
more clearly compared to
services that provide the most
value.
It can provide better insight
into detailed active use of
departments.
It can enhance decision making
by allowing stakeholders to
look at the entire budget
rather than focusing on
incremental changes to it.
And finally, zbb focuses on
performance measures and
results for programs.
>> Theoretical zbb also
presents a number of drawbacks
such as being extremely time
consuming and intensive
Developing, reviewing and
ranking Numerous decision
packages requires significant
time commitment from staff.
Because of this department
struggled to create multiple
service level options and are
rarely able to develop
alternative delivery
approaches.
Managers MAY also hesitate to
propose packages that are below
current spending levels.
And when there's not full buy
in for zbb it could lead to
gaming the process, for example
by managers offering only a few
packages to limit choices or
assigning low rankings to
popular services knowing they
are unlikely to be cut.
Decision packages also reflect
can also reflect management's
preferences more than
the priorities of elected
officials or the communities
served.
And finally, zbb doesn't
address whether a government
should be providing a
particular service in the first
place.
Now we will turn to how zbb
works in practice.
I'll note that a 2020 dfa paper
indicates that true or
theoretical zbb is very rare in
practice.
The drawbacks previously
mentioned make it difficult to
implement across all
departments in a large
organization.
Some jurisdictions have found
that zbb efficiencies would
likely have been found through
the normal budget process or
that they should only be using
zbb elements which makes sense
for them and only for areas
where it can have the most make
the most difference in the next
few slides Sergio will be
providing examples of how
elements of zbb again not for
zbb have been used by
jurisdictions successfully.
Thankfully in the state of
Georgia previously implemented
a nontraditional zbb approach
to review programs against
their statutory
responsibilities Purpose cost
to provide services and desired
performance outcomes in
conjunction with its annual
budget process, Georgia
evaluated select programs for
cost effectiveness relative to
the targeted performance
measures.
Georgia's zbb requirement was
automatically repealed in 2020.
However, a Senate bill
introduced in JANUARY of this
year proposes to make this
approach permanent.
Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
used a Michigan based form of
zbb to develop its 2013 budget.
Departments evaluate how their
existing activities align with
their mission and outline an
ideal organizational structure
to accomplish that mission.
Their finance office then
reviewed each department's
project budget to assess
whether they were aligned with
the department's mission and
the city of Chicago.
Zbb for its non-personal
expenditures were was
introduced in fiscal year 2015
where each mp line item was
zeroed out.
According to Chicago staff,
the sby approach was again
proposed during the fiscal year
2020 budget process but does
not appear to have been
implemented beyond that budget
cycle.
From 2012 to 2019 the city of
Calgary, Alberta and Canada
evaluated business business
units outside of the regular
budget process.
With support from external
consultants, Calgary conducted
reviews of select business
units to identify changes to
service levels or delivery
methods that could reduce costs
or improve effectiveness.
Calgary staff said that
the review process mostly
improved how services were
delivered helping them to do
more without spending more.
Rather than cutting costs per
council's action, Calgary will
be reinstating this review of
the fiscal year 20 their fiscal
year 2027 budget.
The slide notes some of
the benefits and drawbacks that
these jurisdictions have
experienced with the foremost
hub they put into practice
starting with the benefits.
Several of the jurisdictions we
review reported to have
generated savings.
For example in George's first
year of implementing its zbb
approach resulting in $8.9
million in savings and
Montgomery County generated a
net of approximately $20
million by selling a nursing
home that no longer aligned
with its mission.
Jurisdictions also noted
improvements in its fiscal
transparency and oversight and
that legislators were provided
with a better understanding of
operations.
Moving on to noted drawbacks.
Again, zbb required substantial
staff time and resources.
For example, Calgary noted
spending approximately 8.9
million cad on the 11 zero
based reviews it conducted.
Jurisdictions reported having
faced resistance and challenges
related to department buying.
Jordan noted that if directors
did not see the value in
the process it was difficult to
get valuable information and
make meaningful changes.
Jurisdictions also noted that
it was challenging to implement
In Chicago, for instance, zbb
was not applied to personal
expenditures as it would be too
complex given their large
workforce.
>> Next we will cover several
lessons learned based off in
these jurors that in these
jurisdictions that again have
implemented only elements of
zbb.
First jurisdictions emphasized
the importance of developing a
clear implementation plan
before launching a zbb effort
and to budget enough time for
the process.
Second, zbb should emphasize
program improvements and
performance enhancements rather
than than focusing solely on
cost cutting.
Third jurisdictions should be
should secure a strong
leadership commitment and
ensure staff buy in, according
to Montgomery County's former
cfo, zbb is only successful
when leadership is committed to
the process and willing to use
the resulting information to
make tough and politically
difficult decisions.
Fourth Council should be
engaged throughout the whole
zbb process.
And finally, zbb needs to be
tailored to each organization's
needs and applied only where
feasible.
Calgary staff noted that there
is no one size fits all model
for their zero based review
process And in Chicago staff
recognized implementing zbb for
mp could help identify savings
But using it for p was too
complicated and would not work
without major modifications to
their accounting system.
Moving on to how the city of
San Diego has used zbb in
the past.
In 2015 two council members
requested the mayor's office to
implement a zbb pilot process
for the fiscal year 2017
budget.
The performance and analytics
Department of Banda and
the Facilities Division within
the Public Works Department
were selected to participate
with both developing developing
three types of decision
packages in addition to
the regular budget development
process.
These packages included a core
decision package reflecting
only the funding funding needed
to support mandatory programs
or services.
A current decision package
reflecting the department's
existing budget levels and
enhance or efficiency decision
package which includes funding
requests to improve programs,
expand service levels or
achieve operational
efficiencies.
The pilot program was
structured for program or
service based budgeting rather
than the organizational
organization based budgeting
model that the city used at
the time and still continues to
use today.
We note that the pilot program
did not reduce the budgets of
Panda or the Facilities
division.
Instead the pilot program
increased them.
Several items from each of
the departments in hand
Decision packages were
converted into budget additions
in the fiscal year 2017 Budget
Report from Financial
management in 2016 noted some
benefits of the city zbb pilot
program departments were able
to more clearly identify their
funding needs.
The processing is lower level
management in the budgeting
process empowering department
staff and it also gave decision
makers insights into
the department's day to day
operations and allowed them to
select different service
levels.
The report also noted some
major challenges of the program
.
The pilot required extensive
manual tracking and analysis
developing multiple decision
packages, demanded considerable
time and effort from staff.
Good performance measures were
needed such as the cost of
different service level options
.
And lastly it created costly.
It created costly, complex and
time consuming processes.
On top of gathering data and
developing multiple decision
packages, both departments
still had to perform
the standard budget process
work will conclude our portion
of the training today by
providing some takeaways.
Zero based budgeting could
identify savings by performing
an in-depth review of
expenditures but it also
requires complex time consuming
and potentially costly
processes.
However, there are ways that an
in-depth review could be part
of the current budget process
as the Department of Finance
will cover in their
presentation.
There are also alternatives to
zbb such as conducting
strategic programmatic reviews
during the standard budget
process or more in-depth review
.
More in-depth review outside
the budget process that MAY
also produce similar results to
zbb.
In terms of budgetary savings.
When the city piloted a zbb
program for the fiscal year
2017 budget, it resulted in
budget additions for enhanced
service levels.
We know that significant budget
savings come from reduced
service levels.
Council members could become
involved in service level
discussions at committee or
they MAY consider evaluating
and prioritizing individual
programs and service services
rather than entire departments.
Finally, the budget Committee
could take a deeper look into
the zbb efforts.
The city is already currently
using including how
the Department of Finance
budgets for non-discretionary
expenditures hourly positions
as well as the zbb of external
contracts and services for
the fiscal year 2027 budget.
This leads us to your
presentation and I'll now hand
it over to you and will tell
you.
Thank you Sergio.
Good afternoon.
Council PRESIDENT Lacob and
Council members.
i'm Ben Battalion Director of
Finance.
Today I'll be discussing how
the Department of Finance is
incorporating zero based
budgeting principles into
the city's current budget
development process and
highlighting several additional
areas where a zero based review
is being applied to the f y
2027 budget.
>> The city uses various zbb
approaches in the current
budget development process.
Departments are required to
apply a zero based budgeting
approach to several key
categories including
non-discretionary accounts for
things like utilities rent and
debt service information
technology accounts non
standard hour positions such as
interns and other hourly staff
fixed fringe benefits including
the annual pension payment.
Worker's compensation, long
term disability and retiree
health as well as public
liabilities costs.
Additionally, the Department of
Finance identifies other areas
that MAY benefit from a zero
based review each year.
For example, a review of fire
rescue or police overtime
needs.
And finally departments are
required to assess their
baseline budgets to determine
if incremental adjustments are
necessary to maintain or
enhance existing service
levels.
In these cases departments will
develop a budget adjustment
proposal to be evaluated and
considered during the budget
development process.
>> Expenditure categories that
are zero based each year
represent represent about 40%
of the total general fund
budget.
The fiscal year 26 adopted
general fund budget includes
about 836 million of the $2.2
billion budget that is zero
based.
The remaining budget primarily
consists of budgeted positions
as well as other non personnel
expenditures such as supplies.
>> There was a new focus this
year on a zero based review of
external contracts and services
for the general fund as well as
some select non general funds.
Each department was asked to
review their fy 26 external
contracts and services budgets
and itemize how they are
projected to be spent in
the current fiscal year.
By account and contract
accounts that are part of this
review include professional
technical and consulting
services, insurance fees and
permits, rent training and
travel among others.
Each expenditure was reviewed
and justified individually with
projections developed for both
fiscal year 26 and fiscal year
27.
Departments also documented
the service levels supported by
the expenditures and they
identified whether the costs
were either ongoing or one time
in nature.
>> The information prepared by
departments is still being
reviewed and analyzed by
the Department of Finance.
However, approximately 250
million is projected to be
spent on external contracts and
services for fiscal year 2026.
The data shows that the ten
largest spending categories
account for about 85% of all
external contracts and services
expenditures.
This concentration helps focus
review efforts on the areas
with the most significant
financial impact.
The reimbursement agreements
category represents about a
quarter of the total projection
.
This category primarily
consists of the transfer to
the Public Liability Fund and
transfers to the San Diego
Housing Commission to support
shelter operations and
the eviction prevention program
.
>> Looking at the preliminary
results of the fy 26
projections, approximately 15.8
million is in Decreased
spending was identified across
the 55 accounts and
approximately 20.9 million in
increased spending was
projected across 40 accounts.
Overall the net projected
increase of approximately 5
million is primarily driven by
inflation as well as the rising
cost of doing business.
This exercise has helped
departments identify where cost
savings measures could be
implemented to help address
the current year's projected
budget deficit as well as to
support other under budgeted
priorities.
I want to highlight a few
examples.
The police department is
projecting to exceed their
external contracts and services
budget by approximately 2
million which includes support
for core essential services
that cannot be managed in-house
such as forensic medical
examinations.
Translation services and
interagency agreements with
the state and the county.
The Parks and Recreation
Department is projecting to
exceed their budget by
approximately 3 million
primarily as a result of
contractual increases as well
as non-routine joint use site
repairs And the Transportation
Department is projecting to
increase their budget or exceed
their budget by approximately a
million primarily due to
increased contractual costs for
concrete and asphalt.
For fy 2027 projections about
4.4 million and decreased
spending was identified across
23 accounts and about 16
million in increased spending
was projected across 48
accounts.
Similar to fy 26, this net
increase is largely driven by
inflation and increased
operating costs which are
necessary to maintain fy 2026
service levels.
The results of this analysis
will help determine which areas
of the budget could be
decreased to support other
areas which are projected to be
under budget to maintain
current service levels.
For example, the police and
parks and recreation
departments are projecting to
two need an additional
1,000,007 million respectively
and this is primarily due to
contractual cpi increases for
their contracts.
>> In addition to the review of
external contracts and services
departments are also conducting
a comprehensive review and
inventory of all unclassified
fired positions across
the city.
Departments have been asked to
document the program or
divisions Each of their
unclassified positions oversee
the key responsibilities of
each role and the span of
control for those positions.
This information will support
budget decision making and
organizational review as part
of the broader effort to
structurally balance about
the budget.
>> In summary, zero based
budgeting is currently being
applied to non-discretionary
accounts spending hourly
positions, fixed fringe
benefits and public liability
costs citywide.
>> External contracts and
services are being analyzed and
justified as part of the fy
2027 budget process and
departments are conducting a
citywide review of unclassified
positions to support informed
budget decisions As the city
continues its effort to
structurally balance the budget
.
Additional components of zero
based budgeting MAY be
incorporated in the future
fiscal year such as potentially
zero basing entire budgets for
specific departments pending
available resources.
That concludes my presentation.
I'm happy to answer any
questions or thank you to my
team and to do you all for
participating with us on this.
As we move to Councilmember
question of the comments, just
reminder we have to pass out a
survey.
If you can fill it out to let
us know what we are doing well
and how we can improve.
And with that I'll wrap it up.
All right.
Thank you.
Charles Gillian, Sergio and Ben
for this training that was
requested by several
individuals and partially meets
our requirements for budget
training.
So with that Clark, please
proceed with public comment.
>> Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT We have one
speaker here in council
chambers Blair Beckman if you
can please come forward.
We currently have five people
in the virtual queue.
You'll have two minutes.
All right.
Thank you, everyone.
Uh, pretty good item.
This is the first time I've
heard of these efforts and work
and so it's learning for me.
I'm a bit behind.
I'm trying to better
understand.
Thank you.
I know the memo within the memo
is said Councilperson Lee wants
to be better understanding this
issue from previous
presentations so hopefully he's
be nice to hear his comments
and questions on this to know
today.
Um thank you that overall
you're trying to be addressing
uh not just immediate issues
but uh you know with your
capital items previously you're
really trying to take a long
term view of how to address our
issues.
It's nice to hear.
I think it's really important
to do.
Thank you.
Um, I know retirement board
issues can have a really
important way to look at more
long term forecasting and ideas
of how to be budgeting that MAY
be of help to this entire
process.
We're going through right now.
Thank you very much That um
Council personnel although Vera
seems to have very nicely
described that um and
Councilperson Campbell that
revenue is simply really it is
vital to figure out those ways
Um we can't just simply cut
things and say we're caring um
it takes a lot of effort and
council personnel over there
and others really want to do
this decently and you are
working on that on the previous
item.
Thank you.
Good luck with what we do well
together that we save our
practices together and our best
selves together.
That's it's a tough time.
Good luck how we're creative
and come up with really
constructive answers and not
just other things.
>> Thank you.
Thank you for that concluding
comment.
The five minute timer has been
started five speakers in
the queue starting with John
Stump.
After that The Gambler one of
my favorite subjects budgeting
.
First I want to say again
the way the budget is arranged
does not It's alphabetical.
It should be arranged based on
Maslow's hierarchy of needs
The things that are most
essential to the needs of
people like housing are should
be on top and then things
should be in declining order.
>> Zero based budgeting There's
an opportunity to add to
the list that we could zero
based and that is subsidies to
activities that are costing
the city money and could be
reimbursed that you know what I
think about is when the city
sends police or fire or other
support services like
ambulances, those organizations
that require those
significantly should be
reimbursing the city so that we
don't have to think about
laying off police officers or
fire workers and then the third
area that is zero based
budgeting could be looking at
is stormwater.
You know there was a stormwater
is a development cost.
It's something you do when you
build new neighborhoods and you
cover land.
So what the combination has to
be is first fees to develop
land that's going to cost more
stormwater impacts the fees
raising taxes just on the basis
of water use or something like
that is not the only way to do
it and it should No one should
get a lower rate on it than
common citizens.
>> Thank you Your time has
concluded Gambler If you can
please unmute.
After that is 8700 gambler I
cannot unmute for you There you
go Daniel here You know what so
crazy I worked with the county
of San Diego for 20 years and I
had the opportunity to help fix
the budget of the San Diego
Registrar of Voters.
The craziest thing is are
the things that we budgeted for
really it's just a copy and
paste job every single time.
No one at the top really knows
what is actually in there And
so I was tasked to go ahead and
actually do the budget And it's
not that hard.
My surprise is the fact that we
don't do it.
We don't have supervisors
making sure that each
department is properly doing
this and then you come up with
that So use it or lose it And
then when they go ahead and cut
costs then they go ahead and
add costs doing special things
and all that stuff I find it Do
we actually have supervisor I
mean do we have any qualified
people working at the county or
the city that understands money
at all or do you guys think
that the people are just a
piggy bank for you?
I mean because that's the way
that you act.
I mean that was a way that
Cynthia Byers, the registrar of
voters treated it.
I mean we tripled the cost of
an election because they were
lazy to and they just wanted to
mail out everything without
doing any security checks.
That's why we get people like
Shawn leading us.
These people are unqualified.
No one wanted them except for
the fraudsters and this is what
we're up to now We have to
teach you guys how to do
budget.
Richardson's going to flat out
ignore and you're going to
continue doing what you're
going to do because you know
people are going to cheat for
you.
I don't like this system.
I don't like the fact that we
no longer want qualified people
working for us and we don't
have proper supervisors.
If you want to go ahead and get
any information on how to
actually properly do that,
can't talk to the county of San
Diego and particularly Nicole
Alejandro.
>> So we're going to why didn't
you up And you know time has
concluded at 700 if you can
please let me know after that
is the original 8700 star six.
Thank you, Joy.
Senator cd3, I just have so
much to say.
I'm so excited.
Councilmember Rivera and
Councilmember Foster the third
fabulous sharing on that last
item.
I was mesmerized.
It's just good work And in
being she'll just keep doing it
that way and and PRESIDENT Kind
of was so generous with time it
was just wonderful.
So on this item of Department
of Finance five stars because I
think your implementation of
the zbb the last time is
really, really good and I like
the I.T.
>> Account being part of that I
guess you call it the pilot
project and and the fact that
you pointed out that you know
inflation and rising costs are
really maybe the main thing
that that hurt us So it's good
stuff and I call it a hybrid a
zbb hybrid And I want you to
continue because I think it's
too impractical to go all
the way with it.
But I do like where it's headed
And and I just think you're
doing great in let's just keep
doing what we're doing, add
some things, subtract some
things But it's I think it's
really, really a good route
today for our budget.
So thank you again I have a
couple of other things that
I'll give it to you tonight So
thank you very much.
Love to all.
Thank you.
Next is the original If you can
please unmute after that Our
final speaker is 8813.
Anything you guys talk about
with the budget it's a little
bit frightening because you say
that there's not enough money.
I don't know how billions of
dollars isn't enough money to
do the things that you're quote
unquote supposed to do And then
so you come continue Lee after
the people going like was isn't
enough when you more for me
like oh my gosh talk about like
just robbing people that are
suffering and you know it too
and it's all at the hands of
new guys And this seems like
more of another way to kind of
hide things because it then you
know, are you not keeping up
with your required means?
Is this supposed to not be
happening twice a year and it's
only happened what I mean as
far as you documented or it
could have been before 2016 but
basically twice in the last 20
years that it's been in place.
And so what are we paying for
with this?
But if you can sit there and
say that we're going to go from
zero and up.
Well, if you don't look at what
was spent last year on a
certain entity or program or
whatever, then you this seems
more like you want to hide that
you've already given say an
entity like Dreams for Change
this month's money and we need
to kind of start from zero and
say we need to give them this
much money this year.
I just think it's crazy because
like all of the things that
have been going on especially
with like the police overtime
you guys literally or the count
some of you in the councils
before you implemented to make
your employees get back to and
so you lost a third of your
police department and we have
to pay for that because they're
no longer, you know, full of
people that can be doing
the job And so they have to pay
for overtime.
And so I mean if you guys quit
doing things that are making us
have to pay more, those
billions of dollars that you
get should be suffice.
You need to be good stewards of
our money and not try and look
for other ways to hide
the racketeering that's going
on.
It is so clear people just pay
attention Your time has
concluded 8813 If you can
please unmute your final
speaker.
Okay So here Amen to that.
Now it's always a red flag to
me when you're getting
information from other
metropolitan cities like
Chicago and to utilize it here
in San Diego if that's not an
indicator of system slowly
leading us toward a one world
government structure I don't
know what is this These
packages being presented are
not beneficial for the people.
They're only efficient for
the expansion of government
control price price I hope
the staffers in this room
understand that the work you're
doing contributes to
the systems that further
control and manage people
including your own loved ones
Under what is openly discussed
as the United Nations agenda
for the 21st century.
I promise you it does.
Meanwhile, all of our hard
earned tax dollars are being
wasted prioritizing an agenda
rather than addressing
the basic urgent needs of
the people.
Wake up, catch up.
More and more people are
speaking about things like
the 15 minute city model and
the broader global frameworks
being pushed by organizations
like the World Economic Forum,
the un and the World Health
Organization.
There's no theory about it.
These discussions are publicly
documented.
What's really concerning is
that people have forgotten
something very important.
It was things are sovereign.
Quite frankly, we were never
meant to be endlessly governed
especially not by systems that
have repeatedly shown
corruption and a lack of
accountability.
So I look forward to the day
when more people begin to see
through the smoke and mirrors
of government both locally and
federally because once people
truly see it everything changes
.
Thank you.
That concludes public for this
item.
>> All right.
Thank you, City Clerk.
This is an information item No
motions required.
I'll turn it over to my
colleagues for questions and
comments and we'll start with
the chair of the Budget
Committee.
Councilmember Foster Yes.
Thank you, Council PRESIDENT
And thank you to the ipa and
Department of Finance in
putting this presentation
together.
I do appreciate
the presentation.
I think there's a lot to unpack
Um, based on what we just
received.
Um, I think there's probably
for me to be in a more
comfortable place to have a
more detailed type conversation
especially as we look to look
at um I want to say the areas
that we currently exercise zbb
and the outcomes and what those
have been and the thought
process that goes into
the decisions that are made in
.
I guess I will I will always
say this as you look at this
process, I think I will go back
to what I have said since day
one of of serving as a council
member for the fourth District.
I think it even speaks more in
regards to the importance of
directors to understand their
departments and their roles
responsibilities.
And I'll say that in working to
core services versus non-core
type services I think that is
something that we really still
need to work on and get our
arms around in order for I'm
gonna say any type of budgeting
to truly truly work especially
when we are in this situation
and dealing with this
structural deficit and we are
trying to make the decisions
that we have in front of us
when we're trying to work to a
balanced budget.
Um also I'll go back to that
that um, you know we did have a
presentation by the city
Attorney's office in regards to
what I will term mandated core
services.
I think there's still some more
conversation that needs to take
place There to truly land to
where we have consensus um from
the mayor's office also with
this body the aba's office and
our departments to to make sure
we are all on the same page and
operating from a place of
consensus.
Um I will say this as well and
I'm just I'm going to go back
to your slide.
I think it's Slide nine where
we were talking about
theoretical zbb.
Um zero based budgeting and
cited drawbacks.
Just as I look at this, I think
any time we are dealing with a
$6 billion budget and
complexities the when you start
drawing into the different
various um fund accounts in
the way we do business I think
it's complex No matter what
system you use And I think it's
all a time um a time sensitive
type type issue and takes time.
But I am a little in I think I
understand this when you talk
about reluctance of managers to
suggest decision packages.
When you talk about lack of buy
in um can lead to gaming
the system When you talk about
decision packages are often
driven by management
preferences and MAY not reflect
priorities of stakeholders.
>> I feel like a lot of this be
current is currently being
practiced by the city of San
Diego in the various
departments as we are putting
our budget together.
And I just have to say you know
for me when we talk about lack
of buying can lead to gaming
the system, I must say I view
that as simply insubordination.
If the if the policy is set in
place and directors are to to
to then in turn implement and
execute and there are issues in
regards to philosophy or
the desire to do so.
Um I quite frankly read that as
insubordination and I think
that's another conversation
that needs to be had as we talk
about the operations of
the city of San Diego.
Um other thing that I will say
and really what I'm interested
as we looked at are the things
that you brought up when we
talk about our
non-discretionary type items.
I would like to get a detailed
sit down with you guys to truly
understand that.
I think if you look at our
budgets internally those
non-discretionary lines are
tend to be larger lines with
just in a council office, right
versus what our own spend is in
other areas.
But we have no say so in what
that is or how that's developed
.
And so I think it would behoove
all of us to have some more
insight into those as well.
And quite frankly, as we talk
about the one thing that I'm
losing in here are some of
the decisions that are made as
we look at travel, as we look
at those types of things.
You know, I have traveled on
any type of um one of the trips
we do to on our delegation or
delegation trips.
I haven't gone to the state or
to to on the Mexico trip or to
D.C. And I'm continuing to um
to not do those.
That's a decision that I make
as the head of my office but I
don't know if how those types
of decisions are being made
right.
Also as we go into
the decisions when we purchase
equipment and vehicles, Right.
So I think there are some other
things that that that are that
play into not only a zbb
process but just how certain
decisions are made and how
those line up as we are
creating or going through this
process.
So I think it's a little more
complex And then then kind of
saying hey takes time winding
down.
I think there's a lot of things
that we need to go through.
But I do thank you for this.
I think it's a good start.
I would like to look at
the outcomes on what you did
and have a more detailed
conversation as we go through
the Budget review Committee and
as we go to finalize the fiscal
year 27 budget.
So I'll be asking those types
of questions dig digging a
little deeper.
And probably having some
preliminary discussions as we
as we go into things to give
you an opportunity to to brief
my office and to do certain
things that we can try and be
as efficient as we can as we
come to the day.
So thank you again And that
concludes my comments.
Council PRESIDENT All right.
Thank you Councilmember Foster
We'll go next to Councilmember
Eli Rivera Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT.
Thanks for this presentation.
Appreciate it.
I I'm really glad we're having
this conversation.
I think that zero based
budgeting has an opportunity to
be a more rigorous and I guess
honest way of building a budget
.
But it also brings me back to
something I said a couple weeks
ago and I probably will say in
a couple of hours and it we
need it We need to decide who
we want to be as a city first.
I don't know if this tool which
is how I see it can be yielded
will that as a as effectively
as it otherwise could be If we
haven't done that work to
determine what we should be
doing in the first place?
And I think that that was a
really important takeaway for
me and I think we're struggling
with that right now Without
that without us determining
what services are essential And
I appreciate the work that
COUNCILMAN Foster's doing to
kind of understand that
the answer to that question
from a from a legal sense But I
think there's a there's a even
broader question that goes
beyond the charter about who do
we want to be what we think is
essential to deliver to
the constituents, what outcomes
are we trying to achieve for
residents And then once we do
that we can start asking
ourselves okay, what are we
willing to stop doing to do
less of to to actually get
there?
And so I do really hope that we
have that conversation both as
a council and with the mayor in
this budget process in a way
that gives all of us and
the residents of the city a
clear sense of where we are
trying to go.
>> I do have just a couple of
questions and I don't know how
I'm much you are willing to
share right now.
Are there any programs or
service areas that the idea is
are most ripe for that sort of
scrutiny during this budget
cycle?
>> So very open ended question
to some extent everything
because if you're going to be
saying in a couple hours we are
going into this budget cycle
needing to fill $120 million
hole.
Yeah to that extent additional
scrutiny is important upon
every item I think some to
focus on our programs and
potentially the departments we
just simply have never
adequately funded asking
ourselves if those programs or
services are really essential.
If they are then we should
probably looking at adding
more.
If they're not then we should
probably be asking whether or
not we should continue to only
partially fund programs.
One of the interesting things
that you see from some of
the examples to be including
our own nearly ten years ago
now is that the cbp exercise
doesn't always lead to
expenditure reductions.
It often leads to folks looking
at a service level One thing
that terms of want and that
requires additional resources
beyond what we are doing today
That's one of the things that
we are likely to run into.
What we are again faced with is
a constrained and real lack of
resources to provide
the services that we are today.
So those discussions are going
to be particularly challenging.
Yeah, I appreciate that We
the 2017 pilot was mentioned
because I think it's actually
really indicative of how we got
to where we were at my opinion
at least we did a process that
said Oh we actually need to
resource things better and
rather than do that and have
that conversation we said How
about we just go back to our
old way of doing things which
is insufficiently funding
the things that we say are
super important to Charles You
want to respond to that part?
I the other question I had
there's this mention of
the decision packages often
being driven by management
preferences that didn't
necessarily reflect stakeholder
priorities.
Are there any what sort of of
community engagement would you
recommend to make sure that we
don't if we were to really,
really lean into zero based
budgeting that we don't make
that mistake habit in this over
my team but initially I would
say input sessions like you're
having now surveys like you're
going out it's a little bit
difficult because how many
people are always going to open
up an email from a city news
blast to respond to a survey.
But that's a that's important
input on what we believe our
citizens will likely want to
see the city do.
So to the extent that each of
the council members can reach
out to their communities to
figure out what those
priorities and programs are, I
think that that is important.
One note that I would note of
some of the drawbacks in here
including certain packages or
financial preferences that's a
drawback not just zero based
budgeting.
It's not exclusive through
based budgeting.
It's a drawback to almost any
budgeting system that you can
think of.
I don't think that there is a
perfect budgeting process or
system.
But that said, in terms of
trying to ensure that there's
additional stakeholder input
turn back to my team If they
have examples from some of
the cities that we talked with.
I would just add I think
the point that we're trying to
make there is that a lot of
the decision packages come kind
of from the lowest decision
making level possible that
could be at the division level
or even department level.
I think what we're trying to
say too is that there needs to
be input from the elected
officials level to make sure
that it does represent
the service levels that they
expect to be delivered as they
understand their public their
communities desires as well.
Got it.
To kind of bring us back to
the original question of who do
we want to be?
What is essential in our eyes
to deliver to our residents?
Thank you again for the work on
this.
Like I said, I think this is a
really important practice.
It's one that I'd like to see
us lean into more and I think
we will be selling ourselves
short in its utility until we
really articulate as a council
and alongside the mayor about
what it actually is that we're
trying to achieve as a city
the outcomes we want to deliver
.
We haven't hit the mark I don't
think in terms of clarity there
and I hope we do better on that
front.
>> Thank you, Council
PRESIDENT.
All right.
Thank you.
I will go next to Councilmember
Voldemort.
Thank you.
I'll be very quick.
I just want to thank you for
the training and the comparison
other cities and to know that
the cities are already doing
this in some regard.
One thing that does alarm me
about the good work you've been
doing is in the f y 2026
impacts of the rule based
budgeting on external contracts
and services.
The good news is that the Board
of Finances figured out how to
lower our cost by 15.8 million
in decreased spending across 55
accounts but we're still
outweighed by 20 million
The projected projected
increased spending in 40
accounts and the net increase
is driven by inflation and
increased cost of doing
business And we see a similar
pattern projected for every 27.
So that's a huge problem for
us.
Are these contracts these
outside service contract
contracts that are going up in
the middle of the contract or
relocating them or the new
contracts are coming at a
higher price?
It's probably all the above
across all departments within
the general fund.
In some cases we are seeing,
you know, increased contractual
costs but then these
departments are not receiving
the adequate or appropriate
budget to support those
contracts.
Okay.
Got it.
I'd love to hear as we go into
this budget not love but it
would be important for me to
hear as you go into the budget
cycle about what's happening in
creating the tariff and
increase the cost of everything
around us And what's happening
with Donald Trump's war in
the Middle East is now causing
our energy prices to increase.
And so I just it's important
for us to realize what we're
dealing with externally that we
can't even control as we try
and budget.
This is quite alarming to see
how much our outside contracts
have had to increase due to
inflation the cost of business.
So thank you very much.
All right.
Thank you, gentlemen.
Not for anybody else in
the light I'll add okay.
>> I'll add my thanks for
the good work and trying to
break this down in a rather
brief training session to help
us kind of understand what
the opportunity is.
I think we'll continue to
struggle to look at a budget in
which we know that we're
actually underfunding
the programs and somehow
the departments make these
things work.
We also know much like
the earlier item it's not a
static situation If we could
just get it right we're not a
business where we say how many
widgets per hour do we need to
build to be able to make a
reasonable profit?
It's quite dynamic in terms of
what is happening out there
with our constituents, with our
infrastructure, what is
happening there with unfunded
mandates from the state or
the federal side changing
dynamics from whoever is
the elected official and what
their priorities are and what
our assets are all make that a
very challenging situation.
I guess the only thing I would
add in terms of what I think of
rather than to to a certain
degree zero based budgeting is
rather the confidence of each
level of management so that
given the size of our our
employee or the number of our
employees that there has to be
confident that each level when
the front line workers say
you're asking me to do this I
don't have the resources And my
favorite one to pick on is
Parks and Rec.
We don't increase our budget
and yet we keep approving new
parks and we somehow expect
them to maintain a service
level with no additional money
and with more acreage that they
have to maintain.
I'm not going to vote against
new parks because we're
typically going into our
under-resourced communities But
yet how can I look at Parks and
Rec and say you've got to cut
your budget to meet our
projected deficit?
And I think the other you know,
we're going to hear hopefully
we heard last time we did a 6
P.M. We're going to hear
another one tonight And it's
mostly people going to talk
about what they want to save
and no one's going to say in
order to save this.
I want to cut that And I've
said it before and people don't
like it But if you just say
middle management it doesn't
tell me anything And I'm
looking forward to a more
detailed or greater insight
about our unclassified and what
that really means and what
portion that is of the of our
total budget and a little bit
of a spoiler.
It's a very tiny portion of our
budget And so that is not going
to be the solution But it's an
easy sound bite for people to
throw out there that doesn't
help us I think as council
members to figure out how we're
going to balance how we're
going to balance this budget
And I think it's not there but
the presentation I think is
very helpful.
I think it's going to be
helpful across all the council
members So we appreciate when
you and finance who as I've
said before I think are more
transparent than we've seen in
the past and we should
recognize that and leverage
that to be work with the ipa
does to try to distill all this
and put it in formats that are
a little more digestible by
the council members and our
staff in trying to make our
recommendations we have very
tough conversations over
the next few months and this is
helpful and trying to tackle
that.
So again I'll thank you for
that good work.
So with that again this was an
informational item and no
motions required And with that
we will now recess and
reconvene open session at 6
P.M. Or shortly thereafter
Thank you.
All right all right Good
evening.
I will now reconvene the city
council meeting on Monday MARCH
10th, 2026 to order Clerk
please please call the roll.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Council
member Campbell Council Member
Whitburn here.
Council Member Foster here.
Council Member on Wolper
Present Council PRESIDENT Pro
Tem Lee Council Member Campo
Council Member Moreno Council
Member Ella Rivera and Council
PRESIDENT LaCava present Also
attending the meeting our Chief
Deputy City Attorney Brant
Barletta, independent budget
analyst Charles Monica and
myself your city Clerk Diana
Fuentes Thank you Council
PRESIDENT All right, Thank you.
With that please introduce item
332.
Item 332 is an informational
item The hearing for public
input on the development of
the fiscal year 2027 budget.
If you're hearing council
chambers please be sure to
submit a speaker's up to
the front of the room And if
you're participating remotely
now's the time to raise your
hand Starting nine or the raise
your hand icon.
Thank you.
All right.
Thank you.
There won't be any formal
presentation.
I'll make some opening remarks.
I'll turn it over to Charles
Mollica, our independent budget
analyst and then he'll turn it
over to the chair of our budget
committee council member foster
And then we'll go straight to
public comment after that.
So we'll be running this as we
did the last opportunity for
the public on FEBRUARY 23rd Our
structural budget deficit has
been a problem grown over time
with decisions made at various
times to kick the can down
the road or take it off
the back So city employees with
consequences for service levels
Last year following
the rejection of the sales tax
measure, the council worked to
preserve essential services and
trim where possible To achieve
those service levels We raised
fines and shared more services
or cost recoverable and charged
for parking at Belmont Park.
Those were hard decisions and
not actions I wanted to do.
However, I did make those
decisions in a vacuum.
I did not make those decisions
in a vacuum but instead
considered the tradeoff impacts
to rec centers, libraries and
public restrooms which would
have had to have been closed
for this fiscal year.
There are no feasible new
revenue sources in my opinion
and we must get serious about
cuts.
Ultimately if I'm going to
support an expenditure I have
to balance it with either a
revenue increase or by cutting
another service.
Conversely, if I'm going to
support cutting or eliminating
ongoing revenue I need to see a
replacement revenue or further
cuts of expenditures.
And for the public listening
tonight and participating I ask
you for your assistance to
identify where to cut.
That's a tough thing for us to
sit up here and make an ask
where to cut, what services do
we provide that are no longer a
priority to you so that we can
preserve the services that are
important to you.
We have to balance a budget and
a priority needs to come with a
priority reduction.
This will be that easy but I
believe that we can and will do
this together.
And with that I'll close.
Thank you for participating
tonight either here in person
or remotely and I'll turn it
over to our independent budget
analyst Charles Monica.
Sir.
Right.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Council
members So this is
the council's second evening
meeting to hear public input on
the upcoming budget Given
the deficit that we are facing,
the next several months are
going to involve a number of
very difficult conversations
and decisions.
As I noted at our initial
hearing context is important
both for council and the public
to understand how we got here
and so that both counsel
the public can have realistic
expectations as we move into
those difficult budget
discussions.
As my office has noted for some
time the city has been facing
significant fiscal challenges
for years.
The challenges that we face
today have been decades in
the making.
While San Diego is a large and
major city, its revenues are
generally lower than comparable
cities.
The taxes that the city does
charge notably sales taxes and
hotel taxes are lower sometimes
significantly so than our peer
cities and there are a number
of taxes and fees that the city
does not charge at all such as
parking taxes, utility users
taxes and general obligation
bond related property taxes
that other cities often do.
The proportion of taxes paid by
city residents that goes to
the city is also low For every
dollar paid in property tax,
only $0.18 comes back to
the city For every dollar paid
in the sales tax only $0.13
comes back to the city And for
every dollar paid in income tax
no money comes directly back to
the city Which means that while
the city is tasked with
providing some of the most
commonly seen and expected
public services streets, parks,
police libraries the city also
receives a relatively small
proportion of tax dollars to
provide those services.
Given the lack of any
additional revenues dedicated
to the city it needs to be
understood that the city's
ongoing resources are
insufficient to support its
current operations.
The city has been able to get
by for the last 20 years or so
by keeping its costs low
largely through putting off
infrastructure maintenance and
keeping city salaries well
below the median for comparable
cities in our region.
Both of those have had long
term consequences and long term
costs.
The city did start making
progress on infrastructure
repair and city salaries over
the last several years but we
were only able to do so by
tapping into significant one
time resources that have since
been exhausted.
The city attempted to respond
to this longstanding structural
deficit through the 2024
measure e sales tax measure but
that ballot item failed and it
left the city with a real need
to realign its ongoing services
with its ongoing resources.
And that's where we are today
and that's really where we've
been for the last two years.
Last year about this time we
were facing a $260 million
deficit which we closed through
totaling reserve contributions
of about 60 million of
implementing roughly $100
million in new revenues and
fees to offset expenses that
would have otherwise fallen to
the general fund And by making
about $100 million in painful
cuts to city services such as
library hours this year we are
also facing a significant
deficit for the upcoming year
of roughly 100 to $120 million
and that reflects continued
delays to reserve contributions
New revenue sources that we
expanded over the last year
have at this point also been
tapped And the appetite for new
revenues in the immediate
future seems limited which
means that the projected
deficit we face today will have
to be closed by and large
through cuts.
Finding enough cuts to close
that deficit will be hard but
by law the city's budgets need
to be balanced and we cannot
spend money that we do not have
to begin accounting for
the city's long term needs
especially its long deferred
infrastructure needs New
revenue will ultimately be
required But as we move into
the fy 27 budget process we
need to ensure that our
expenditures match the revenues
that we already have in hand
today.
To that end, as we have
discussions tonight and as we
continue to discuss the budget
over the next several months,
we need to be realistic about
what we can fund with
the resources that we have and
we should focus our
conversations on a core
services that the Council and
the public want to see
maintained and frankly areas
where the city can afford to or
needs to pull back on or reduce
services.
This will be difficult but
necessary conversations.
And to that end I look forward
to hearing comments tonight
from the Council and from
the public without pitched over
to Councilmember Foster.
Thank you Charles for those
comments.
I thank you.
Council PRESIDENT, for
convening this meeting and
thank you to the community for
being here tonight.
I cannot say this enough This
is a tough budget cycle and we
cannot continue business as
usual.
And as the mayor prepares his
proposed budget, it's critical
that staffing services and
resources are aligned
efficiently and that any
adjustments are communicated
clearly to residents.
Reductions must be strategic,
proportional and protect core
services such as public safety,
clean streets and functioning
libraries, parks and recreation
centers.
For me equity remains a guiding
principle and we must apply it
carefully as we make difficult
decisions and the public's
voice is essential during this
process.
So I strongly encourage
residents to complete
the mayor's budget survey and
to be vocal about your
priorities and reduction
recommendations.
Your input matters and it will
help shape a budget that
balances fiscal responsibility
with community needs.
And tonight is another
opportunity to share your
feedback.
Additional public comment
meetings will be held on MAY
4th and MAY 18th.
So please mark your calendars
and please participate.
There are challenging choices
ahead but together with
community input the city can
build a budget that is
equitable, effective and
protects the services families
in this.
And protects the services
families in this city rely on.
I look forward to hearing
public comment and again as my
colleagues have said earlier
today, this truly is about what
type of San Diego do we want to
be.
And Council PRESIDENT That
concludes my comments.
And again, thank you for
holding this hearing.
Thank you, sir.
And thank you for your leading
the Budget Committee
conversations with that clerk.
Please proceed with public
comment.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT.
We do have several speakers
here and online.
We'll be going down to a minute
and a half.
Jacob Daughtry, if you can
please come forward to
the microphone after that if I
can have the following
individuals please come forward
to the yellow reserved seats.
Kelly Nephew Stephen Schmoke,
Katherine Titans Ramsey and
Liliana Soriano.
If you can all please come up
to the front row and you can
begin when ready.
Good evening Counsel My name is
Jacob Forte and I work for
the San Diego lgbt Community
Center.
I need to continue to fund
the center's prevention work
through the opioid settlement
funds or any other funds that
are available.
Our community is being
abandoned at the federal level.
Lgbtq helpless individuals are
dying from opioids at higher
rates not because of who they
are but because of how
the world has treated them.
Trauma, family rejection and
the stress that comes from
being part of idealized.
These aren't just talking
points.
These are the reasons why
people walk through our doors.
According to the National
Institute on Drug Abuse, 6.7%
of lgbtq adults misused
prescription opioids or heroin
in the past year compared to
just 3.6% of the general
population.
Nearly double.
And yet only 28% of treatment
facilities in this country
offer any lgbtq plus specific
services.
The center provides affirming
trauma informed care that works
because it needs people and
their full identity.
The federal government has made
it clear what their position is
and now this Council must
continue to step up for our
community.
Thank you.
Yield back.
Thank you.
Next is Karina.
>> Good evening, council
members.
My name is Corinne a few and
their pronouns are she her?
On behalf of the San Diego lgbt
Community Center I request
continued funding through
the Opioid Settlement Fund or
other funds available to
the Center Substance Use
Disorder Prevention and
Education Work.
Research shows that lgbtq plus
folks particularly our youth
are at a higher risk of using
and abusing substances that
there's this gender
heterosexual peers.
The center's work around
substance use disorder revolves
around prevention and education
acknowledging that effective
intervention begins before
opioid use even becomes
problematic.
The center's strategy directly
addresses the root causes that
are significant risk factors
for substance abuse youth
disorder including minority
stress, family rejection and
trauma all of which
disproportionately affect lgbtq
plus individuals especially our
youth.
At a time where our federal
government continues to
threaten funding to lgbtq
serving organizations, we call
upon our city leaders to
continue to boldly invest in
the center affirming culturally
competent services that mirror
communities where they are at.
Thank you.
Thank you, Steve and Jamal.
I'm Stephen Small While I am
involved with the friends of
the San Diego Public Library
and the Friends of the North
Park Library, I I'm speaking
tonight as an individual.
Thank you by the way for
the opportunity to present my
comments.
San Diego will not be a first
class city if its libraries and
rec centers are only open some
of the time the mayor and his
staff simply don't get it when
they use All right words about
libraries and rec centers their
actions and that is what counts
All the sacrifice libraries and
rec centers for other budget
priorities.
But the council has recognized
the importance of libraries and
rec centers in the past and it
can do so again.
Please consider making small
cuts in the budget for police
fire And yes, your staff's so
that all libraries and rec
centers regardless of what
overall cuts they MAY have to
take can be open for decent
hours.
Seven days a week.
That is a core service.
Thank you.
Next is Catherine.
Good evening.
I'm Catherine Terrence and I'm
a member of the River library
in the area.
I believe that libraries are
the great equalizers in our
society.
It is essential that all 37
branches of our library stay
open seven days of the week so
that all can use them to learn
to study, to find an internet
connection and to prosper.
When we fund the libraries we
are telling young people and
other students that they matter
and that we care about their
future.
Thank you very much.
Thank you Ramsey.
So at the last budget
discussion I kind of went on a
little bit of a tangent about
immigration rights and I didn't
have any budget solutions to
add to that.
But what I really want to see
this year is what I had
the idea of doing is instead of
having a direct way to you
know, use general fund to pay
for funding our defense for
detainees and ice detention or
legal observers are also being
harassed by the federal
administration.
I have I had an internal
conflict of if I wanted you
guys to fund that directly
the fences or what to do with
that So what I think the best
solution in this case is to use
the existing civilian resources
like the media pages, like
the staff resources and
whatever We have to first of
all verify groups that have
links to these are to
the immigrants and verify that
they are real Because I did
have conversations with people
at meetings that want to make
donations but they also don't
know for sure what are valid
links, what are about
the people to donate to.
So if we have some city staff
working on that I would be
great.
Also from the mayor this
morning he posted a graphic
saying overall crime dropped by
6.3%.
Voters decreased by 25% and
crimes against person by 3.2%.
General trends is the crime
across all across all levels is
decreasing.
I'd be great if we could reduce
some of that apd budget and
move it towards immigration
protection.
>> Thank you.
Thank you.
This is live unit So you know
after Liliana Blair Beckman
Andrew Banner Natalia Natalie
Roski and Edward of all to if
you can please come up to
the other resources at
the front please proceed.
Thank you.
Hi Counsel My name is Liam
Soriano and I serve as
the director of policy at
YouthBuild.
We are a youth advocacy
organization and today I am
honored to represent young
people many from throughout
your districts.
Truly young people cannot
afford for programs to be cut
That includes libraries, parks
and rec centers since they're
the home of many of those
programs.
I also specifically want to
elevate the opportunity to
support the Office of Child
Abuse success in your
individual memos.
Their existence is critical for
youth to thrive in this city.
Lastly, I do acknowledge
the budget deficit and under
the same breath we need to
acknowledge the current
economic crisis many families
face or will face with
the situation that's going on
in our country And many of
the constituents are struggling
economically and so are their
children.
Therefore it is imperative to
support young people.
Please continue to support
youth and I look forward to
meeting with all of your
officers individually.
Thank you.
Blair Wickman All right.
Thank you And thank you for
the beginning words of
Councilperson pastor and how to
frame our conversation.
I think I hope we can be good
for ourselves in the coming
year.
I wanted to work on just some
overall broad brushstrokes of
how my idealism what I want to
be thinking and working towards
to begin.
I hope we can continue to have
I can continue to have open
conversations with customers in
the club and the council
persons themselves about
revenues and the use of general
fund issues versus specific
goals of things like parking
fees.
I hope that we can continue an
open conversation on
the subject and work together
towards a good narrative.
So I think we all can be
eventually agreeable upon Good
luck how we can do that It's
important to figure that out as
a full community process and I
wouldn't be trusting and non
fearful I think of budget
issues before pre-covid we were
really working on a future that
was creating new funding
program and funding streams
that were really inventive and
creative.
Covid changed that and we're
back into the regular patterns
of you know, getting a lot of
money and then taxing everybody
for it.
I hope we really work on
different ways to be funding
things in the future.
>> It takes a lot of creative
effort.
Good luck.
Teamwork.
Thank you.
>> Thank you.
Next we have Andrew Benner this
.
>> Good evening Council members
.
Thank you.
COUNCILMAN Henry Foster along
with council members I support
a kind of a social equity
program along with the mayor's
office.
My name's Andrew but yes, I'm
39 years old, born and raised
in south San Diego District
four I'm here to speak in
strong support of the cannabis
social equity program.
For too long the war on drugs
disproportionately target
communities of color and caused
generational harm.
Now that this industry is legal
is only just that those same
communities have a fair shot at
the economic opportunities they
create.
We need more than just a plan
on paper.
We need funded technical
assistance and bid waivers to
bring down the high barriers to
entry.
We need more licenses.
Please prioritize and fully
fund these equity measures to
ensure San Diego's cannabis
industry is inclusive and just
And I urge the Council to fully
fund and prioritize these
equity measures to ensure
Santiago's cannabis industry is
as diverse and resilient as
the city itself.
>> Thank you.
Thank you.
Next is Natalie Raskin.
>> Hi Natalie Rafiki Thank you
for hearing me today.
So I have a couple ideas or
after doing research it says
the city auditor found that 13%
of the police calls were
reviewed and could have gone to
police investigative service
officers instead of regular
police officers which would
have led to 100 shows cost
about 2.8 million to 10 million
less per year.
>> Cutting floc is another idea
.
Might be it be cut So
potentially I'll be homeless
again and I don't really think
that this is what they should
be doing to people.
This seems like excessive
excessive time ticketing make a
some.
These are just some and with a
safe parking lot that allows
our bees that are not overnight
I'm looking at reliving this so
instead of police officers
being able to be somewhere
besides harassing people that
MAY be women in their vehicles
because the bees have gotten
cut, I think cutting some of
their overtime and suggesting
what I researched about that
police and investigative
service officers.
Thank you.
If we can please have a word
about this to.
>> Good evening Council
members.
My name is of automotive staff
Cannabis Social equity is
important to the city of San
Diego because legalization
should not only create revenue
for those already positioned to
benefit, it should also create
opportunity for the people and
communities that were most
harmed by prohibition.
For years cannabis laws were
enforced in ways that
devastated families, limited
economic mobility and left
lasting damage in neighborhoods
that are still trying to
recover.
Now the cannabis is a legal and
profitable industry.
San Diego has a responsibility
to make sure equity is not
treated like an afterthought.
A real social equity program
means access to business
opportunities, job creation and
pathways to ownership for
people who were shut out of
shut out for generations.
Pardon me.
It means recognizing that
justice is not just about
ending harmful policies but
also repairing the damage was
caused.
San Diego should be leading on
this issue not falling behind
If we're serious about
fairness, inclusion and
economic opportunity then we
must create a system that gives
impacted communities a real
chance to participate and
succeed.
Social equity is not a favor.
It is a necessary step towards
justice.
Thank you.
That does conclude public
comment here in Council
chambers We are having some
technical difficulties with
the chair timer so I am going
to be sharing the screen myself
and doing it as a one stop shop
So please bear with me on
the shared okay okay Starting
with we have six people in
the queue I've started the five
minute timer starting with
Katherine Douglas.
If you can please unmute you'll
have a minute and a half.
Thank you.
It goes without saying that
public safety is your number
one responsibility.
Chief Paul announced amazing
numbers yesterday at a press
conference and the only way to
maintain those and even improve
on those is to continue to
fully fund public safety.
It affects everything all
persons in all parts of our
city as we work on the 2027
budget you must start a fresh
zero based budget based
budgeting across the board
there's a need for more
frontline workers and less
middle management.
Many say they should be
outsourced to experts who can
do the job for less.
San Diego deserve an honest
assessment of our pension
liabilities, the structural
deficit and the real cost of
deferred infrastructure Not
assumptions, not optimistic
projections Real numbers.
Pension obligations must be
honored but failing to plan for
them responsibly defends
the deficit.
Delaying infrastructure repairs
only guarantees higher costs
later and without a clear
financial picture, budgeting
becomes guesswork Instead of
stewardship.
This isn't about blame.
It's about accountability.
Before raising taxes, cutting
services or approving new
programs show the public
exactly where the city stands.
This is a minimum standard for
responsible governments.
No more guesswork that has seen
disastrous results such as
the trash in the Balboa Park.
Thank you for that.
Including comment Your time has
concluded.
And next is Hector.
If you can please unmute.
>> All right.
Thanks for taking my call.
It's going to be a tough budget
cuts and I think all the budget
cuts anything south of 94
freeway at one hour there
anything north of the freeway
you got to cut three hours or
three times more.
One cut down in the south gets
four cuts or three cuts in
the north.
The south has been neglected
for decades.
Just passing law anything What
is libraries Bathroom clean
Whatever it is sidewalks get
put in north of 94 you got to
put three sidewalks in south of
94.
So I kind of do it that way.
Plus I think we should go a
different direction.
You could think Donald Trump
and ice with the drop in
the crime rate everyone's
afraid to get deported so
they're not doing the legal
stuff.
So they came in and then we got
to have a new committee.
It's coming When the vice
PRESIDENT Shows up for that
broad thing we could have a new
committees the rapid
deportation Committee and get
rid of the 80,000 guys on on
welfare that are illegal aliens
and no more money to the law
firms for illegal aliens $1
million Let them do it pro bono
But we should not be giving
legal fees to illegal aliens.
They're not they're not
American citizens.
That's your number one.
Thanks.
Protect the American citizens.
It's simple as that.
That's the number one rule.
Thank you.
Next is the original If you can
please unmute.
>> Wow what a perfect time to
say.
That's pretty interesting
because you guys want to know
what you think You should cut
your salaries, you should cut
the mayor salary.
You should cut all the people
who work ensuring that nothing
gets done around us, their
salaries get cut but then you
can go into your private action
plan where you guys are
implementing things that have
nothing to do with saving
the planet Even though that you
were perpetrating.
And so that's the case And go
ahead and cut all of those
things because it is impeding
your ability to provide housing
to get people off the streets.
It is impeding our ability to
travel all under the guise of
saving the planet while you
guys refuse to acknowledge all
of the things that are
happening in
the geoengineering, the cloud
seeding and things that took
place in JANUARY 2021.
So you guys sit here and you
want to act like you know
you're doing things that are
bettering our community when in
fact you're not you're spending
money that isn't going towards
what it should.
We already saw that you guys
need like $5 billion just to
make up for the storm
infrastructure because it's
like 150 year old problem.
I mean when are you guys
actually going to use our money
wisely and not take the money
that people worked very hard
for and throw it away?
I mean you throw it into your
pockets in your friend's
pockets but it's like I mean
and then you come out to
the people for more money.
When is that going to stop When
you actually going to do your
job and not make people like
cry like that Because they're
just wanting to survive in
the community that you are
pretending to protect.
You're time has concluded and
has a five minute timer.
There are six speakers in
the queue and no additional
speakers will be taken after
the Gambler If you can please
unmute.
Gambari can I go and gamble
here?
Well I understand that you guys
got the money cut to go ahead
and do the infrastructure and
all that stuff and so you had
to go to different programs in
that.
I don't understand why you keep
on trying to tax That's why you
don't investigate the programs
that you have, why you don't
even look back at the rules
that we put in and see whether
or not that they work.
All we're trying to do is
continuously put Band-Aids on
and I can go on and tell you
how you can make money right
now for the county but you
don't have to.
Texas adopt technology and
landfills and we could start
making like $150 million a year
for the county of San Diego.
We can go ahead and fix our
infrastructure.
We don't have to rely on taxing
people when we could just
recycle our plastic and turn it
into basically money fuel
graphene and we could in our
infrastructure it's not that
difficult.
But instead do you want to go
ahead and find a way to cut
money from the people that are
struggling the most which is
only going to cost one thing
and one thing only?
You needed to put more money to
help more people out.
There are organizations that
you have focus on illegal
immigrants.
You send so much money of our
money to illegal immigrants You
want to go out and clean this
dirt on how much we lose from
all this.
>> Your time has concluded.
Next speaker is Becky Rapp.
If you can please unmute.
Good evening.
My name is Becky.
And tonight I would like to
speak to the proposed expansion
of the feed program and
the serious financial concerns
it raises for the city of San
Diego.
City was already facing a
significant budget deficit at a
time when our city's finances
are fragile.
Every decision involving public
resources should be scrutinized
to the highest level.
Programs like Feed require
staff oversight, permitting
compliance monitoring and
enforcement.
All of that comes with real
cost to the city and the public
has not seen a clear breakdown
of what expanding this program
will actually cost taxpayers.
Without that transparency
moving forward would be
irresponsible.
If the city adds 36 additional
permits essentially doubling
the number of pot shops in San
Diego, that would be a major
policy shift with long term
regulatory and financial
impacts.
Across California many social
equity cannabis programs have
struggled and only a small
number of businesses
successfully open while cities
continue to absorb
administrative burden.
In many cases these programs
have failed to generate
meaningful tax revenue or
reduce the illicit market.
At a time when San Diego must
focus on essential priorities
like public safety
infrastructure and core city
services expanding a program
with uncertain outcomes could
an already fragile budget.
I urge the Council to
prioritize fiscally responsible
responsibly and do not and do
not bring the c program
forward.
Thank you.
The next speaker is Christine
Wellborn.
>> If you can please unmute.
Hi, I, I don't think you should
ask for another dime from
taxpayers until you either
repeal or amend measure l so
that your pay raises are not
linked to those of the superior
court judges.
It's simply not fair.
Nobody in the private sector
gets raises as frequently as
you all do Plus you're going to
get pensions and every.
It's just not right.
So please don't ask taxpayers
to take on this burden without
you doing something as well.
Also, Gloria, salary is higher
than that of Newsom's.
We need to get rid of
the strong mayor system that
has not worked out so well.
It doesn't matter what party
our mayor is.
It's just not working.
Eliminate middle management
roles.
MR. McCarver, you said you
wanted specifics.
Okay, Let's get rid of
the middle management roles
that are unclassified meaning
they aren't part of the civil
service system.
Do away with those first and
then deal with the rest one by
one.
Go through it by line item.
Thank you.
Have a nice night.
Next is 8700 If you can please
unmute.
Thank you.
Joining me out of district
three first of all council
member Foster the third.
You said something today about
mandated core services and I
don't get that but I think it's
key for us public to know that
and can see that list from
the attorney.
I don't know why we need it.
We ought to know right away
what our mandated core services
.
That would help me certainly
make my decisions.
So please, please, please tell
us what that's about.
Well, I've said this before and
I'll say it again We are one
people which make us one
family.
That includes everybody.
The homeowners, the tourist,
us, rich people.
The poor people.
The underserved people.
Our employees.
Everybody.
We're all sitting around this
table at the kitchen table.
Make it come you know, just to
vote And we have to cut the pie
.
How do we do it?
I don't know.
The big picture is it's person
.
I'm a public.
I don't sit at the seats that
you do.
I can't see all these huge
realm of uses and purchases and
assets and liabilities.
From my perspective you it's
like for libraries and parks
and police and public health
and use.
i don't know what to say but I
will say this.
Parks can be close to one per
district.
I'm sorry I concluded I'm sorry
your time has concluded 2036 If
you can please unmute by
pressing star six 2036.
Hello.
Yes please proceed with your
comments.
>> So yes thank you council
members for allowing us to
participate in the balancing of
the 2027 budget.
I would like to emphasize six
controls that I think you
should follow.
One is that the City of San
Diego tax based is a high cost
of living population due to
lower cost states.
Certainly there are some We're
looking to implement a voting
type function in San Diego
which would be similar to
the federal budget which is
probably about 22,000 staff
cuts at the federal level.
So third in particular
implementation of pension
reform by implementing a
defined contribution pension by
the defined benefit pension.
Fourth, I think that you should
put up a good reason for this.
Of course as you know is
the council has voted to
unsustainable cost of living
increases for city staff.
I would often also cut up I
would be across the board stuff
because in all departments that
could be done through
the donation function.
But what I do recommend that
you do not do you do not
consider local income tax.
Do not meet the water and sewer
fund to supplement the general
fund that has occurred in
the past.
>> Thank you for considering my
comments, sir.
Thank you.
Our final speaker is Francine
Maxwell, if you can please on
me.
Okay.
Good evening.
Francine Maxwell Southeastern
San Diego resident.
I'm looking for bold leadership
during this time.
Let's do something that you've
never done before.
Respect council policies.
I think it's 700 dash ten 700
dash 14 But the interpretation
is that nobody is bold enough
to raise the leases for these
nonprofits that are doing
things that the city isn't
doing.
That's interpretation.
So again, let's look at
the leases and let's increase
their leases especially in
Balboa Park.
Before you add another tax to
us taxpayers you have options.
You can look at Ace parking and
look at the leases that you
give them.
You get they give us no breaks
in the city.
So why is the city giving them
so many breaks?
There are so many other options
before you doing the easy road
.
You did You did something that
nobody has ever done before
which is increase our trash
fee.
That used to be political
suicide but it wasn't Joe
The public good at the planning
group hit us in the gut.
So the planning group Power has
gone from the community
constituents for their voices.
So hit somebody else in the gut
.
As we prepare for this.
Appreciative of the extra night
meeting that you gave
the taxpayers.
I really appreciate you having
such a long day to day.
And I'm sure you guys are what
most people take off on Friday.
But I know the council
PRESIDENT MAY not work.
But again, you have options
that you can hit other people
first before you hit our parks
and libraries.
Thank you for allowing me to
speak.
Thank you.
If you raise your hand if
matter has already concluded.
There are no additional
speakers will be taken today
But if you have comments please
feel free to email them to city
at San diego.Gov and those will
be distributed.
I would like to note these that
I did receive 19 comments in
favor two comments in
opposition to your comment form
which had been distributed to
the council.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT.
All right.
Thank you City Clerk for
managing that.
Thank you to everybody that
showed up in person those who
participated virtually to that
we really appreciate their
input.
I'm going to turn it over to my
colleagues for their comments.
Councilmember Elevado Thank you
Council PRESIDENT.
Appreciate the opportunity to
have another evening session.
Thanks for everyone who came
down here and who called in
Appreciate the priorities that
you all shared.
I agree with everyone who said
that our libraries, our parks
rec centers are core city
services that there are folks
who depend on those services
and those programs.
And I heard a mix of of just to
be frank you know, reality
about how difficult of a budget
situation that we're in and you
know, I think I said it earlier
today a couple weeks ago if
what we want as a city is a
city where every library in
the city is open seven days a
week, every every hour that
folks would want it open
The same for our rec centers
and parks that are clean and
safe and roads that are
well-paved and sidewalks that
don't have cracks in them and
responsive public safety you
name it.
This has to be a better
resource city and I think
that's where the tension lies
Oftentimes in this conversation
this council took extraordinary
steps at the council PRESIDENT
Reference to avoid devastating
cuts last year And I understand
the frustration with some of
those steps And but for those
steps the cuts have happened
and and the fears that you have
today would have been
the realities that people would
be facing today.
And I, I say that because not
to let us off the hook for
those decisions was
the decision that we made.
We do stand by them or change
them but we're going to need to
hear from more people who want
the city to be well resourced
And we're going to have to have
a real conversation about who
we ask to provide those
resources who we aren't willing
to ask more from and who are
willing to ask more from.
But it all starts again
determining as a city who we
want to be, what we want to be,
what we want to provide.
I think we can do more.
I know that the resources exist
within the city to to meet
hopes and aspirations of
the people in this room.
But the people that the people
in this room work for and work
with.
So I just I'm going to keep
hammering that home because
that's the situation that we're
in.
And the other thing that I
mentioned earlier but I'm going
to mention again if libraries
matter to you, if parks matter
to you, if supporting people
who are struggling with
substance addiction matters to
you.
If any city service matters to
you, you should know that
the former mayor of the city
and a group of big business
radicals are attempting to
defund a core city service at
the tune of $100 million plus
that would devastate
the services that the city is
able to provide And they're
doing it in the guise of
punishing us.
It will not punish us.
It punishes the people of this
city.
It makes our job more difficult
for sure.
But ultimately who will suffer?
It's everyone who wants to see
libraries open rec centers,
open parks, clean public safety
that's responsive.
And so I cannot emphasize this
enough because the person who
used to be the mayor of this
city who knows full well what
the impacts will be, who left
this place a disaster with
rotting infrastructure and a
employee a workforce that had
no morale that had 30 to 40%
vacancies in core departments
is now attempting to light
the city on fire so they can
try a political maneuver in
the years to come.
And everyone who cares about
these services needs to speak
up and stand up against that.
So I know that probably my
colleagues who heard a bit of
this tirade earlier but I just
think it's super important that
folks know what's going on
here.
They're going to say they're
punishing politicians because
that's popular.
That's easy thing to say.
We're that that's fine.
That's the job we signed up
for.
People are going to come at us
But who will actually suffer if
they are successful Because
everyone who I named earlier
and the folks who showed up who
took the time to show up here
on the evening to talk about
things you care about, you
should know that that's
happening And I really do hope
that you all will push back
against that.
>> Thank you, Council
PRESIDENT.
All right.
Thank you, gentlemen.
>> I will go next to
Councilmember Mumford and thank
you very much to everybody who
came out tonight to voice their
concerns, opinion, thoughts on
our city budget.
You know, big cities around
the nation are going through
what we are going through here
in San Diego which is
significant cost increases and
significant budget deficits.
We are not the only ones.
There are forces beyond our
control terrorists and
international war is being
declared that a rise in
the cost of everything And we
are struggling here in
the local government to provide
the best service we can And it
is my top priority to make sure
that goodness forbid somebody
calls 911 in our city that are
responsible professional
responders shows up on time
every time whether that's an
ambulance, a firefighter, a
lifeguard, a police officer.
It is critical that if you call
911 you get the help you need.
We also need to make sure we
take care of our crumbling
infrastructure.
The longer we let it go,
the more expensive it becomes
to fix.
And we've seen it everywhere
from the heart of Balboa Park
to our library to our parks,
our roads every day And it's
going to be harder with our
cost increases going up.
I also want to thank the folks
who came in from our lgbt
center who talk about
the ongoing need to do
something for mental health
treatment in our city and our
region.
There's a reason that the city
of San Diego sued the major
opioid providers years ago and
we're still grappling with
the effects of the addiction
crisis they caused.
So I will continue to be a
champion to make sure that we
do fund or subsidize treatment.
And I have seen the federal
government retreating from its
basic responsibilities into
mental health substance abuse,
hiv aids treatment.
And so we here in the city of
San Diego need to take
the reins and make sure our
lgbtq community among others is
is protected.
So happy to keep fighting for
that to make sure that we do
get people off of our streets
and off of drug use get it's
been awful to see what
the major companies have done
to our American society.
So just thank you everyone for
being here.
It's going to be a very, very
tough budget cycle But I do
have faith that our colleagues
all want to work together on
this and make sure that we make
cuts that are smart if we have
to.
Hopefully we won't but we
likely will.
And I agree with my colleagues.
I know across the board cuts we
have communities that are
vastly different and have
different needs and we can be
more precise and make sure that
we take care of everyone from
the seniors, you know, in
Rancho Bernardo who need
cooling centers in my district
to students all over the city
who have different
opportunities to have library
hours when they need them on
Monday nights for example.
We can do this in a way that
makes sure that everybody is
taken care of rather than
across the board straight cuts
that would hurt everyone
equally to be honest.
So I know everyone up here is
working very hard on that and
continue to let us know what
your priorities are, what you
want to what you want to see
and your government because
we're here to to listen.
So thank you.
Council PRESIDENT All right.
Thank you Council member Von
Wolpert All out If you thought
things go one of the things I
should have said at
the beginning that I was remiss
.
You know, we wanted to give
the public a direct opportunity
to participate in the budget
conversations.
You should know that there are
a lot of people right now hard
at work diving into the budget,
actually looking into the kinds
of things that you brought up
the so-called middle managers
conversation not looking at new
revenue ideas given how
aggressive we were last year.
And so we're taking very
serious But a lot of people are
working right now.
We just wanted to see what
the public's priorities might
be and we got a lot of good
conversation.
So I'm very appreciative of
your willingness to be candid
in sharing those thoughts with
I actually transcribed all that
so I can make sure that I
remember going forward and if
that individual that has ideas
about how to make money can
actually send us some specifics
on that I'd love I'd love to
hear it.
That sounded like an
interesting business priority
but I'll leave it there And
unless I have any other
comments we'll give it to MR.
Monica for a closing
announcement.
>> Thank you council members
and thank you to everyone who
came out to give testimony.
I just wanted to note that as
we move through the next couple
of months, public participation
is absolutely critical in
ensuring that the city is
making the best decisions for
the public and on the public's
behalf.
To that end, each year my
office does put together a
public budget crash course
where we talk about the city's
budget process, how equity can
be incorporated into the city's
budget and then dollars that
are in the budget where they
are and more frankly where they
are not.
Sometimes our course this year
will be on MARCH 24th at 5
P.M..
It is open to the public.
It is interactive.
We will give a presentation but
we also take questions as they
come in.
So I encourage folks to
participate.
You can find additional
information on that course at
our website which is San
diego.Gov/ipa and look forward
to any participation.
>> Thank you PRESIDENT All
right.
Thank you for that Charles on
protocol let me remind folks
this was an information item in
no motion was required and
without any further comment we
will now adjourn Counsel to
the next regularly scheduled
council meeting on Monday MARCH
16th, 2026 at 10 A.M..
And again thank you to all of
you that came out this evening
and sharing your thoughts as
well as those who participated
virtually And thank you to city
24 for the coverage.
>> Thank you The city clerk and