.
All right.
Good morning.
I will now call a city council
meeting on Monday MARCH 16th,
2026 to order Deputy Clerk
Please call the roll
Councilmember Campbell Campbell
I'm here.
Thank you, Councilmember.
What brought Councilmember
Woodburn here?
Councilmember Foster
Councilmember Yvonne Wolpert
Council PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee
here Council Member to you hear
Council Member Moreno present
Council member Ella Rivera and
Council PRESIDENT LaCava
present.
Also attending the meeting are
City Attorney Heather Herbert,
Independent budget analyst
Charles Monica and myself your
assistant city Clerk dg
Pantaleo.
>> All right, thank you.
A quorum is now present.
We will begin this morning with
an invocation by Deputy clerk
John followed with the land
acknowledgment and the pledge
of Allegiance by council member
Campbell.
We respectfully acknowledge
that the I'm sorry Oh I'm sorry
Grant Those who hold office in
the city the spirit of wisdom,
charity and justice that with
steadfast purpose they MAY
faithfully serve in their
offices to promote
the well-being of all people.
We respectfully acknowledge
that the Kumia are the original
inhabitants of the Unceded land
now known as San Diego.
Despite enduring the horrors of
genocide and colonization,
the community spirit remains
unbroken.
We 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
in gratitude and strength.
We stand with the culmination
connected to our past and
committed to its thriving
future.
Please raise the flag Put your
right hand over your heart and
let's say the Pledge of
Allegiance together 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.
>> All right.
The deputy clerk will now go
over how the public can offer
their testimony.
>> Please proceed.
I will now highlight the slide
on the screen that reviews how
the public can offer the public
testimony during today's
meeting.
If you are in person please
complete a speaker select
located at the entrance of
chambers and bring it to
the front of the room.
No further in-person testimony
will be taken once the council
begins virtual testimony for
better meeting management
purposes.
Each speaker will have one
minute per item per person.
>> All right.
Thank you Deputy Clerk.
With that please read
the closed session items into
the record and proceed with
public comment.
>> Conference with Legal
Counsel Existing Litigation
pursuant to California
Government Code Section 5495
6.91 See as 1st JANUARY 2020
JANUARY 22nd 2024 Floating
Litigation California
Government Code Section
54957862 Critical
infrastructure information
relating to cybersecurity
conference with legal counsel
significant exposure to
litigation pursuant to
California Government Code
Section 54956. 9d263 Number of
cases one and proceed with
public offering.
Okay I have Thank you Counsel
PRESIDENT We do not have any
in-person public comment so I
will now start the five minute
timer and go to our virtual
comment will go to original
draft.
Please let me know what items
you'd like to speak to that So
if there's other callers are
going to be aware of what's
happening.
Hello Could you could you
repeat that again?
I can't hear anything can we?
We can't hear you.
Can you repeat what you're
saying?
She can't hear us.
Okay.
Let me see if I could put up
the volume.
Can you hear us now?
I think you need to fix it
before moving forward because
it's obvious there's something
wrong.
We could hear you in chambers.
>> Can you hear us?
Original draft talking to her
But did you hear us now?
So there's no we can We can go
over to the next one where she
can Yeah original which I will
I we'll move to the next caller
and we'll put you back on
the queue.
Okay We have the next caller
Blaire Beekman have allowed you
to speak Could you speak could
you state which closed session
items you'd like to speak to?
Sarah Well I think one is also
here Now if we could hear you
or Blair and I can hear Drey
Okay you guys here it's in
the council chambers.
It's it's pretty low.
She was very in hear
the council chambers But I can
Can you hang on for one second,
please?
We're having technical
difficulty.
You seem like city unmuted and
but that's a little bit of
sound came in but then it
needed that exactly I same
doing Yeah yeah I can get my
public comment if you like okay
perfect it's okay okay we could
start We can start now.
Could you please substitute Can
you harass Blair I got muted
when Blair came.
I'm still unmuted so maybe I
will try to speak up.
>> MR. Bateman?
>> MR. Bateman, could you hear
me okay.
You be cool about this now.
So calm head.
MR. Bateman, can you hear us?
Any other options?
I think we're just going to
have to call and I guess I
tried.
>> I wanted to speak to three
items MR. Beekman, can you hear
us now?
>> Thank you.
I wanted to speak to Yes, one's
here.
Students Here Three Okay.
Please.
Please proceed.
Maybe I can just try to speak
now and see how that impact can
,you know, go through your
chambers.
>> Okay, good.
The timer started so I will
speak to that item and
hopefully that can be a
starting point for ourselves
and maybe we can work on it as
a meeting goes on for this one
I have a good luck to ourselves
that we're working on on
platitudes as a community
process.
Very nice to are mentioned at a
previous meeting I was
attending.
>> It's a crazy scenario that
they're both suing and
countersuing going on over what
issues in what was a natural
disaster and in a certain
responsibility this city of San
Diego has in these sort of
issues I hope both sides I
think the reason why San Diego
is countersuing is to kind of
limit and mitigate the suing
claims of people.
I hope that people suing and
the city of San Diego can both
take a deep breath and mellow
out as much as they can and
come to reasonable agreements
together and not go for all out
craziness for a really bad
situation.
Good luck.
We work on this together.
I know you're trying.
I thought I'd just remind
everyone everybody of that
right now.
Item number Uh, there was
another item I guess the closed
session the item about Brown
Act issues.
It seems like you're being
there's Brown Act violations
going on again that you're
having to address.
I know that the Council and
City government of California
really love the rules of order
and they follow that to
the letter and that's forms of
representational democracy
representation in public it's
more internalized, it's more of
an egalitarian list of
parliamentary procedures
whereas the Brown Act is more
you know, the open is a bit
more democratic process created
by legislature or you know, our
public and we have a public
that really wants to practice
open participatory democracy
where you guys in the city
government always want to
practice you know
representational democracy and
egalitarianism parliamentary
procedures and that's more
secretive and hidden and it
makes things uncomfortable.
I hope we really want to be,
you know, making the effort to
want to explore open
participatory democracy is good
procedure ideas and how to
understand our issues more
clearly.
We don't have to think of it
mob rule I can go on for a long
time about this and
the goodness of open
participant participatory
democracy When it is time we
can practice it better.
Let's hope we can.
I also wanted to conclude that
I do for item the second item i
i'm not remembering its nature
probably right now I'm going to
have to pass Good luck that you
can fix the council zoom issues
at this time and snappers thank
you for your time and patience
.
Your time is concluded and I
can I go now or I just want to
make sure I'm not being skipped
on.
Oh I that's okay Now it's a
really echoey I'm just trying
to keep you guys up to date but
I could hear Blair very clear.
I felt like I was on the phone
with him and you sound like
you're in a tunnel or
something, But anyway, I'll
just thank you for your
patience.
Please proceed.
Okay.
I'm going to speak on all of
them.
Yes.
I appreciate you, Blair and
what you had to say about all
that with this season one with
the JANUARY flooding that had
taken place And you know, you
guys are countersuing many of
these people And that's what's
so sad is that you're even
asking and coming at the people
for $5 Billion because this
storm infrastructure is
basically at its end of life
and we shouldn't be in that
place.
So it's a little bit scary to
think about what could take
place knowing that
the infrastructure is still not
going to be at a place where
it's going to be able to
sustain anything especially
when weather modification is
happening Like I talked to you
guys all the time and during
that flood there was cloud
seeding happening before,
during and after the storm.
So if that happens again or in
some pretty big and that's
just going to cause more money
from the people because you
guys in the city didn't do what
has been necessary over decades
of time to make sure that this
infrastructure was up kept so
it's just ridiculous.
And then with this
cybersecurity stuff there's
nothing insecure.
Phones aren't secure, Your
computers are not secure No
matter what you do, everything
is able to be hacked.
But outside of that data is
being sold in subscription
basis.
We know that with like a open
lock and all that but then it's
like you don't put that into
everything else where
everything isn't secure But
when data gets sold and shared
and transferred from here to
there and this and that.
So it's like and what's
worrisome is that you know, you
guys want to bring in things
like A.I. That's going to make
things even less secure and
less you know, have an ability
because it elucidates and
that's another thing is that it
takes all our freshwater all
these data centers.
So it's like you just I just
don't feel like it's sad that
you don't think about things in
a logical way that you would
make sure that you're
protecting people from
the dangers of things you
actually literally like per
basis head on to it.
And with the Brown Act I mean
you don't even uphold
the Constitution and you're
constantly violating the Brown
Act and Robert's Rules of
Order.
So it's like it doesn't matter
how many rules get put in place
or policy it's like you're
always you're breaking the law
with what you guys do and
the Constitution should be
the very first thing that you
uphold.
I mean you take an oath to it.
The other things you don't take
an oath to like all these other
things which you can't even,
you know, take an oath and make
sure that you stand in that and
go we're not going to violate
this type of things like coming
after people's guns that right
shall not be infringed our
First Amendment right freedom
of the press like you just
being able to live our lives
There's it's just it's sad So
it's like you know but here
we're going to be spending
money and hopefully this will
make you guys course correct
and start doing things
differently so that we don't
have to have this type of
litigation come down the pike
all the time that I've I've
never been to China.
I'll talk to them Basically I'm
going to give my perspective
and
it's not So we'd like to
speak briefly.
John Stump speaking the audio
is completely goofed up.
You got a big echo and my
comments are really for a
closed session non agenda.
So when you get to that I hope
we can have the audio
straightened out Call me back
for non agenda comment.
>> Okay.
Thank you.
Did you mean non agenda number
one comment I under
understanding you do you hear
the echo you've got yes they're
working on the technical
difficulties okay you're going
to call me back for non agenda
the thing but you know your
presentation is not working
correctly thank you We will get
in touch with you on and
the last one because
the meeting and then that 87
100 please when you close
session I know you like to be
careful Wow Thank you so much.
I don't know the name of
the person that is at
the control there for working
of the technology.
But thank you.
Thank you everybody who's
helping.
>> Love you all.
Okay.
All three items please.
You'll have a choice.
And yet the district three I
can't really hear you Barely.
But I hope I'm in there.
Well, let me shut off my chair
.
That's better.
Okay, so all three items
floating a litigation and here
is my direction.
Most of us know why there are
57 people raising their hands
out to us.
The perfect storm What is our
ally for?
It makes us look at our city
and what makes it work or not
work.
And this ally showed us what
doesn't work This is not
the city we want to be.
This is not the city we need to
be.
We need to put one very simple
thing into the plaintiff's
hands.
Show them that we care.
Then we can follow the letter
of the law and the spirit of
the law.
Love to all.
Number two Cyber security Here
is my direction.
We are not alone in this
matter.
It is happening exponentially
faster than we perhaps can keep
up with it while back I spoke
of the nation's $1.5 trillion
debt of under an I t update
modernization and so forth Here
public This item is
confidential yet it is up to us
to be stewards of knowledge on
this matter and also to support
our city in its efforts to
bring it under control as best
they can.
Love to all and less see as
three Brown Act litigation.
I wasn't sure what I wanted or
needed to say on this matter so
it's not direction per say it's
just this litigation is for
moments like this life has a
way of creating them So we can
work together more and foster
growth.
Love to all Well praise GOD.
Hallelujah.
Thank you.
Have a beautiful day On behalf
of Council PRESIDENT Like I'm
crazy for sure.
All right.
Thank you, Deputy Clerk, for
navigating that challenge.
We will now recess in
the closed session and
reconvene council today at 2
P.M. Or shortly thereafter
and
All right, good afternoon.
>> I will convene the city
council meeting on Monday,
MARCH 16th, 2026.
Clerk Please call the roll.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Council
Member Campbell here Council
Member Whitburn here.
Council Member Foster
Councilmember Ron Wilber
Council PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee
here Councilmember Campos
Council Member Moreno Present
Council Member Ellen Rivera and
Council PRESIDENT LaCava
present.
Also attending the meeting are
Assistant City Attorney Leslie
Fitzgerald, independent budget
analyst Charles Monica and
myself, our City Clerk Diana
Fuentes.
>> Thank you Council PRESIDENT
All right.
Thank you, City Clerk a quorum
is now present.
I see a lot of faces that I
haven't seen in chambers
before.
Thank you for showing up.
I'm sure we'll have a number of
people calling in as well
rather than read the whole
disruption warning language
The most effective way for you
to communicate when you hear
things you like or don't like
is by using your thumbs.
If you hear a speaker say
something you like thumbs up it
communicates to hear very
effectively.
If you hear something you don't
like thumbs down it is again a
very easy way doesn't disrupt
doesn't interfere with
the speaker's ability to talk
to the council going forward.
So I think an upset there with
that.
Do we have any comments from
the mayor's office, city
council members, city attorney,
independent budget analysts or
city clerk, council member
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Over
the weekend we had a couple of
anti lgbt incidents in
Hillcrest.
The first one involved
harassment and slurs.
That was bad enough.
The second one was worse.
A person was repeatedly punched
in the face by somebody yelling
transgender slurs.
I can report that the suspect
in that second attack was
arrested thanks to the quick
work of our police department.
But since we had two incidents
in one weekend, I want to state
this publicly There are
multiple streetlight cameras
and automated license plate
readers in Hillcrest.
I requested them in response to
hate crimes against the lgbt
community since they were
installed they have been used
successfully to arrest suspects
in lgbt hate crimes Do not come
to Hillcrest to commit crimes.
Hillcrest is a wonderful
neighborhood where people feel
free to be whoever they are If
you don't like that don't come
because be aware that if you
come to Hillcrest to commit
hate crimes we have streetlight
cameras, we have automated
license plate readers and we
have a police department that
will use those tools to
identify you, catch you and
bring you to justice.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Thank you
Council member and City Clerk.
>> Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT During this
morning's public comment period
on the closed session agenda we
did experience some technical
difficulties with those
participating Virtually
the issues have now been
resolved.
We want to reassure those who
provided virtual comments that
the City Council was able to
hear comments provided
virtually before convening into
closed session.
We think the public for their
continued participation and
cooperation.
Thank you, Council PRESIDENT
All right.
Thank you.
Not see anybody else in
the lights.
Clerk Please go over how
the public can offer their
testimony.
>> Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Excuse me I
will now offer how the how
the off how the public can
offer their public
participation Today I'd like to
highlight the slide on
the screen that reviews this
The order can be found on
the agenda summary found online
or at the table in the back of
the room.
It is the last page on that
packet If you are in person
please complete two speakers up
located at the entrance of
chambers and bring it to
the front of the room in
the clear box.
If you are seating time please
be sure to submit both speaker
slips or the additional speaker
slips all together at one time.
Council Ambassadors Ambassadors
are available near the entrance
of chambers and can assist with
questions and speakers Lips No
further in-person testimony
will be taken once the council
begins Virtual Testimony Thank
you Council PRESIDENT All
right.
Thank you for that.
And with that please introduce
item 200.
>> Item 200 is a city of San
Diego crime briefing JANUARY
through DECEMBER 2025.
This is an informational item
If you'd like to speak to this
item please be sure to submit
your speakers up to the front
of the room in the clear box or
if you're participating
virtually now's the time to
raise your hand by pressing
Star nine or the raise your
hand icon.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT And
thank you for that introducing
that item And as we see
the chief and staff settle in
please introduce yourselves for
the record and let us know how
much time you need for your
presentation.
>> Good afternoon.
Council PRESIDENT LaCava Scott
Walsh Chief of Police And we
will need about 15 minutes for
procedure when you're ready.
Okay.
Good afternoon.
PRESIDENT Of the Covenant
Honorable members of City
Council.
I'm pleased to announce today
that San Diego remains one of
the safest big cities in
the country.
Last year crime dropped for
the fourth year in a row.
Some of our numbers haven't
been this low since the 1960s
and 70s when Santiago's
population was far smaller than
it is today.
I want to highlight a few key
statistics.
Homicides fell by 25%.
Our homicide unit solved 26 of
the ten murders committed last
year.
And Alpers helped us solve a
third of them.
Vehicle thefts dropped by 22%.
Alpers helped us arrest 199
people for auto theft last year
and hate crimes dropped by 32%.
I know each of you have
specific areas of interest and
we will discuss those in more
detail.
But it's important to take a
moment to recognize what this
data means for our city.
I often say the public safety
is a shared responsibility.
It takes partnerships of all
kinds to prevent and solve
crime including working with
all of your officers.
We are better We are stronger
and we are safer when we work
together from all of our police
officers and professional staff
doing outstanding police work.
To our business groups, our
community groups and
the various city departments
like our fire department, our
lifeguards, our park rangers,
environmental services folks we
all are collaborating and have
contributed to a decrease for
the last four years.
It happened because the city
works together.
It happened because we all care
deeply about the safety of our
neighborhoods.
And it happened because we are
working efficiently and
effectively alongside our
communities.
And with that I'd like to turn
it over to Jordan Fankhauser
from our Crime Analysis Unit to
share the 2025 Crime stats
report.
Thank you.
Good afternoon.
Council PRESIDENT LaCava and
members of City Council as
chief mentioned and Jordan
Fankhauser from the Sanford
Police Department.
I will be presenting the 2025
crime stats for the city of San
Diego.
The statistics will be continue
to be based on the national
incident based reporting system
or neighbors format as that is
our official reporting standard
to the fbi.
The neighbors format allows
crime statistics to be more
comprehensive with additional
crime categories and increased
accuracy as they are no longer
based on static monthly totals
but are updated as cases are
reported investigated over
time.
All right.
Compared to 2024, overall crime
is decreased 6.3% and crime
clearances to just slightly up
2.7%.
As a reminder, an fbi crime
clearance constitutes an
offense that has been closed by
an arrest or some other
exceptional means.
For example, the offender was
already serving a prison
sentence for another crime.
Looking at the five year trends
for each category we can see
the crimes against society
experienced an increase in
which we will go into more
detail later.
Most notably crimes against
property has continued to track
well below our recent trends.
Crimes and crimes by category.
This slide shows the year over
year comparison for all three
numbers Categories by volume as
is typical of crimes against
property accounts for the bulk
of offenses and overall totals.
Since these categories are
still fairly new in California
with respect to discussing
crime statistics I'll briefly
define them for familiarization
going forward.
Per the fbi crimes against
persons for example murder,
intimidation and assault are
those whose victims are always
individuals.
The burglary the object of
crimes against property for
example robbery, bribery or
burglary is to obtain money or
some other some other benefit.
And lastly crimes against
society for example alcohol
offenses, prostitution, drug
violations, etc. Represent
society's prohibition against
engaging in certain types of
activity And these are
typically reflective of police
enforcement actions of a
specific offense.
Numbers Crimes Clearances.
This slide highlights
the clearance rates of all
three categories for both 2024
2025.
As you can see all three
categories remained relatively
similar year over year.
It's important to highlight
the crimes against society
tends to remain at an almost
100% clearance rate as
the majority of the offenses in
that category comprise of
events in which an officer
arrests an individual during
the commission of the act.
The most recent fbi data
available which was in 2024
shows a national average of
41.9% clearance rate for crimes
against persons a 16.6 rate for
crimes against property and a
35.7% rate for all categories
Combined crimes against persons
Overall our first category of
crimes against persons was down
3% compared to 2020 For
homicides which were down 19%.
Comprised of 2027 confirmed
murder investigations and 12
traffic related offenses such
as dui related manslaughter or
hit and run.
San Diego has not seen murder
cases this low since 1968.
Both aggravated assaults and
non-fatal shootings have
continued to see decreases.
Notably a 96 non-fatal
shootings for 2025.
That is a 63% decrease since a
recent spike in 2021.
The kidnaping abduction
category saw a decrease of 19%
and was comprised mostly of
offenses related to false
imprisonment associated with
domestic violence or other
assault related events within
the sexual assault category
which saw an overall decrease
of 7%.
Rape accounts for approximately
half of the offenses other than
rape.
The sexual assault category
includes offenses such as
forcible fondling or sexual
battery.
The 2025 clearance rate for
crimes against persons at 49%
was very similar to 2024 and
was nearly 10% above
the national average.
Nonfatal shootings by council
district.
This chart highlights non-fatal
shootings by council district
for both 2024 and 2025.
In 2025 nonfatal shootings
decreased by 25 cases compared
to 2024 with notable decreases
across most of our districts.
Crimes against property Our
second category here shows a
decrease of 12% overall.
As a reminder robbery even
though potentially violent in
nature is classified as a crime
against property as the fbi
considers the intent of
the crime to obtain property
despite the presence of force
or fear being used.
Robbery was down again in 2025
with 35% of offenses occurring
while armed and only 4%
involving carjackings.
Typically robberies make up
approximately 8%.
Typically carjackings make up
approximately 80% of all
robberies.
Overall.
Total robberies have not been
this low in San Diego since
1970.
Both robberies from a structure
and vehicle saw notable
decreases in 2025 as well at
23% and 25% respectively.
Following a trend with
the robbery category.
Robberies have not seen similar
numbers in the city since 1959.
Most notably continuing a
significant downward trend for
2024.
Motor vehicle theft experienced
a 22% decrease citywide
clearance rates for this
category remained similar to
the year prior at 13%, which
was slightly below the most
recent national average.
Vehicle thefts by Council
district.
The chart represented on
the slide depicts vehicle
thefts by council district both
years 2024 and 2025.
As you can see all districts
experienced decreases in
vehicle thefts.
It's notable that our southern
border region and downtown are
often the areas with
the highest concentration of
stolen vehicles citywide.
However, there were significant
decreases in both District
three and 8 in 2025 accounting
for a large portion of
the overall 22% decrease.
Vehicle thefts across the city
have not been this low since
1972.
Crimes against society are a
diverse category depicted here
as crimes against society.
To reiterate from a previous
slide.
Crimes against society are
generally offenses in which an
individual is arrested during
the condition of the act and
are often a representation of
enforcement actions taken by
the department.
Increases in offenses of this
category do not immediately
indicate an increase in
criminal activity but instead
increases in proactive
enforcement by police agencies.
Overall this category has seen
a 6% increase over 2020 for
the most significant increases
to note in this category.
Represented by both drug and
narcotics and loitering
offenses.
Increased enforcement related
to the late 2024 passing of
Proposition 36 which
strengthens penalties for
repeat theft and drug offenses
resulted in increases in both
the drug narcotics category as
well as significantly in
loitering.
The Department of Justice
classifies the offense of
loitering in a public place for
illegal drug activities under
this category.
So while illegal lodging or
curfew offenses MAY be present
,approximately 60% of
loitering offenses are related
to narcotics.
Other categories of note
include trespassing offenses
increasing by 10% and alcohol
violations experiencing 9%
uptick primarily due to
increases in dui arrests.
As highlighted earlier, rates
remain at close to the 100%
mark for this category as
majority of the offenses
encompassed are enforcement
related and the offenders are
generally arrested at the scene
.
Crime categories by Council
District.
This slide highlights
the overall nine crime numbers
crime distribution by council
district broken down into each
crimes against category.
As you can see crimes against
property depicted in blue
account for the majority of
offenses in to each district.
All of the districts are
decreasing overall crime
depicted by the percent change
at the top of each column as
compared to 2020 For historical
crime rate comparison since
2025 was only the fourth year
in a row of decreased overall
crime since 2021 but one of
Hallmark numbers and key
categories we find it important
to display a slightly more
macro view of crime in the city
Since we began collecting
uniform crime reporting
statistics back in 1954.
Historical comparison purposes
We're using the older
definitions of violent property
crime.
In this case we're looking at
rates per 1000 individuals at
five year intervals.
As you can see following
the severe uptick in
the property crime rate in
the 1970s primarily driven by
increases in larceny and a
smaller increases in violent
crime that year that both crime
rates peaked around 1990.
Following the early 90s for
property crime, the violent
crime gradually returned a rate
similar to what we were
experiencing in the 1950s and
1970s respectively.
It's important to note that
the population of San Diego has
tripled since those decades
ago.
Yet we remain at decreased
overall crime rates highlighted
highlighted in this letter gang
specific stats for both 2024
and 2025 depicting crime
activity by Category and total
documented gang members while
overall crimes committed by
known gang members have seen a
13% decrease.
Specifically violent gang
activity has increased arrests
of documented gang members has
also increased by 20%.
Hate crimes There were 41
confirmed hate crimes last year
in the city of San Diego a 32%
decrease from 2024.
Hate crimes with an
anti-transgender anti-racist
and or sexual orientation have
all all decreased.
Most notably a 46% reduction in
sexual orientation based hate
crimes.
Anti-Racist crimes are
comprised of one incident per
race group with the exception
of anti-White.
The remaining four incidents
were mixed racial biases
Anti-religious crimes
experienced a significant
increase throughout the early
months of the year with a
severe series of vandalism
focused on religious
institutions in the central
Division of San Diego.
These acts appear to be
randomly targeting religious
institutions in general and not
any one particular denomination
following the series earlier in
the year anti-religious hate
crimes continue to trend
similar to what has been
observed in previous years as
youngest leads doing this
presentation.
Overall crime in 2025 decreased
compared to 2024 with
significant declines across
major categories.
These decreases are in line
with the national trend amongst
major many major cities in
the United States during this
past year.
The city of San Diego not only
continues to experience
decreased crime overall but
consistently demonstrates some
of the lowest violent crime
rates among major U.S. Cities.
This concludes our presentation
this time of year for any
questions.
Thank you.
All right.
Thank you very much for
the presentation.
Clerk Please proceed with
public comment.
>> Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT.
We have some speakers here in
council chambers as well as
participating online and we
will be going to a minute and a
half each starting with pastors
and a if you can please come up
to the microphone.
Now the following individuals
can please come up to the other
reserved seats.
Robert Antivirals.
Dennis Friedlander.
Denise Friedman Blair Beckerman
,Scott Chipman and Bob Casas
Kim.
Pastor you can have a minute
and a half.
Please proceed when ready.
Thank you.
It's a great honor and
privilege to be here before
the council.
And our collaboration of crime
stats going down We have
the philosophy that it truly
takes a village to raise a
child And with our wraparound
partners I represent
the Commission on Gang
Prevention and Intervention.
And one of the things
the feedback that I get from
other pastors in other cities
how do you guys keep crime down
being that you're sandwiched
between Tijuana which is a one
of the cartel capitals and Los
Angeles, the gang capital of
the world?
How do you guys keep it down?
Number one is we have
the philosophy that those that
used to be part of the problem
are now part of the solution.
So we have what we called
credible messengers or lived
experience Former gang members
that served time in prison and
now they're back out in
the community building rapport.
They already have credibility
in their communities, community
leaders but being strength
based using their what they
used to use for negativity, not
for positivity.
We have guys like behind me
Rudy who has a criminal history
really long criminal history.
Robert Different guys.
It's their testimony.
It's not saying that teaching
them but we also have faith
based leaders Cashbox Community
Assistance support teams and
faith based leaders, community
based organizations.
We do walk in with the No Shots
fired and other community
organizations like Community
Wrap around Youth empowerment,
open heart leaders.
And so it takes a village and
the chief has been a champion
of this and every one of you as
well have been a champion in
this And thank you for having
representation from your from
your district active in
the Commission on Gang
Prevention origin Sorry for
going over comments One of our
website owners will be going
over to get an additional
speakers up for them Ceding
time to you.
Thank you Robert Motivate us to
find a way for two seconds he
takes a no no no Please
proceed.
I thank you for having us here.
My name is Robert on with
Community Wraparound and I'm
here with my team and we're
here in support of the crime
stats to support you.
I know when you first came on
in the role he had had a vision
that he shared and I could be a
witness to that vision because
it's coming to fruition.
I've seen it where boots on
the ground as little experience
mentorship our organization
it's getting prevention
intervention.
That's what we specialize in
And so I just here to support
you Wall and everything you're
doing and just want to keep
that going.
We always say it's it's it's
not enough but you know what
It's a working in progress And
so we just need to keep going
and working together And just
like our pastor said that it
does take a village it takes
all of us to come together to
in order to get things done.
And so with the collaboration
with cpd, with also the vision
he shared with the youth
Central services that he also
brought on, we've been working
in collaboration with them as
well and just an example of
the collaboration of working
together is not arresting and
taking youth into custody right
away.
They call us to be able to find
out and figure out a way before
taking that you can take
custody.
So that's just one of
the examples of
the collaboration the work that
we're doing together.
So thank you so much.
Thank you very much.
>> Thanks for your time.
Let's go.
>> Well, yes, I'm the honorary
mayor apb.
And I've gotten here because of
this man.
He got me involved with
the community policing and
working in my community and now
spreading it out through all of
San Diego.
And I have worked with these
groups too.
I'm proud of everything that
has been accomplished.
I support you 100% And to all
the members of our beach
communities not just P.B. But
Claremont.
Ocean Beach Mission Beach.
La Hoya.
We all proudly support your
work and we look forward to
working with you this year.
So the crime statistics are
even lower next year.
Thank you.
Claire Beekman.
>> After Blair Mcmenemy Scott
Chipman and then Bob because
was All right.
Thank you.
Thanks a lot for this item.
It's really timely and helpful
and important.
We have a lot of national
security issues at this time.
It's nice that this item is
here and we can have a
community conversation on
the intersection between
national security crime issues,
how we're going to work on
these issues at this kind of
fragile time.
Um good item.
Uh, nice to hear It's now been
four years of really reducing
crime in San Diego in cities
across the state if not
the country.
These are practices that we've
started in the previous Biden
administration basically And
we've been trying to explain to
Trump that we have a good thing
going here.
You don't have to like
overwhelm an already good
situation we're building.
So thank you for this work and
effort.
It is with four years now of
continual good practices I hope
we can really look into
the ideas of responsible
technology.
I know you guys have a
philosophy.
We all do.
If it ain't broke don't fix it
or Yeah I ain't broke.
Don't fix it.
And so I'm sure you want to
keep moving on in the same
momentum but I think it's
really important as good
progressive practices we have
to be considering the concepts
of responsible surveillance
technology and not a bit more
of tech And we have
the capability to ask those
questions.
>> I hope in this coming year
we can be talking about those
good things.
Thank you.
>> Thank you, Scott Chipman And
I believe somebody was eating
your time for this but then we
went back okay, I don't need it
for this.
I'm here also to congratulate
the chief and his staff.
Excellent work.
It should be noted that they're
running at about 10% down from
the budgeted number of officers
.
And I also noted and had an
opportunity to speak briefly
with him about the increase in
drug and alcohol crime.
Should be noted that if you
want to bring DUIs to near zero
just stop enforcing.
Don't look for them.
Don't do any saturation patrols
,don't do any dui checkpoints.
And he assured me that
the reason things are going up
is because we're getting more
enforcement on those issues.
So this is obviously an
indication that the city and
the citizens who've promoted
Chief Wall made a great choice.
We look forward to the future
and doing even better in
the future.
There's no community that
supports the police any more
than Pacific Beach And so
congratulations.
>> Next is Bob because you if
you can please come up to
the podium.
>> I'd like to add on to
Scott's comment that one way to
reduce crime is to simply not
report it.
I'm not going to address
the statute while because this
is something that happened
before his term and I don't
believe he's responsible for
it.
But I do want to share my own
experience trying to report a
crime that I encountered here
in San Diego a number of years
ago.
I was assaulted repeatedly by
the son of a former police
officer.
David Gelb was the police
officer and son was Gabriel
Gelb.
I went directly to the Northern
Division and stood there and
tried to fill out a police
report asked to do so And I was
told please go out, wait in
your car and we'll send an
officer out to take your
report.
Now I thought that was a little
strange but after about an hour
of waiting at the end of
the day I kind of figured no
one was coming out and they did
not take that police report.
I went back again and again and
until I brought my lawyer with
me they refused to take a
report on Gabriel Jeff the son
of danger.
Now I know that there's got to
be camaraderie in the force and
I know you guys do a dangerous
job but please recognize that
part of the problem is that
your officers are sometimes not
taking reports against other
officers.
Thank you.
That does conclude public
comment here in council
chambers.
I'm starting those that are
participating remotely.
We have seven speakers in
the queue starting with
Catherine Douglas.
If you can please unmute.
Good afternoon.
This crime breaking report from
2025 is beyond impressive.
Chief Paul along with his
entire hardworking team
delivered these results through
precision based policing that
focused efforts on quick
apprehension and solving
violent crimes.
The use of game changing
technology such as smart street
lights and automated license
plate readers helped officers
apprehend suspects faster,
preventing subsequent offenses
and by fostering a
collaborative partnership with
the communities they serve.
One great example of this is
the Shots Fired initiative and
the group that spoke first
today in chambers.
I met them at the press
conference last week.
They're an amazing group of
people.
Well done Chief and team
policing is a demanding job at
our pd team has clearly done a
spectacular job and deserves
both our praise and support.
Public safety is the number one
responsibility of government.
Please support our police
department and the f y 27
budget to continue this trend
for the safety of every single
one of us.
Thank you.
Next is 8700 if you can please.
Um you After that the original
8700 star six.
Thank you.
Joy said you had a cd three.
Thank you, Chief Wall and
the rest of the cpd for
building more trust in how safe
we feel in San Diego.
That's a big deal.
Thank you.
And the crime decreased again
this time by 6.3%.
Another big thank you.
Now I'm going to tweet my
comments to get I had a lot to
say but it changed because of
the public speakers just now in
the chamber.
But I'll start with this.
My like from the offense table
was clearance rate.
Oh skip that, Skip that.
Anyway, I had a question about
the district attorney not
issuing criminal charges.
And I wonder what percentage
that is And I wonder how she
was helping those people that
she was in charge.
So what happened is the public
speakers the first, second and
third I believe I hope they're
still there in the chamber
because I love them so much.
I honor their courage.
It's just tremendous what
they've done with their lives.
Thank you for coming and
sharing with us.
And I just want you to know
gang prevention and that
violence is so critical And I
was shocked to find out that it
goes to family.
It's a legacy.
It's a generation thing that is
passed on and expected.
So what you did with your time
was completed.
>> My apologies the original if
you can please unmute and then
it's the gambler.
I'd like to give a warm handoff
to this of this propaganda
update.
Stephen Whitburn.
I find it very egregious
because there are many things
that are not being reported
especially in Tent City because
dreams for Change is actually
telling participants not to
report the sexual assaults that
are taking place.
The police sit and watch people
do that and all you guys get
people pipes and needles and
tests to test their drugs to
make sure it's not.
Then you also give them Narcan.
You're penalizing and
criminalizing homelessness
because you guys have nowhere
to put them.
Fentanyl is being distributed
throughout Tent City and being
done again right in front of
officers on the street.
And you can find little pieces
of foil all over the place
something that's potentially
dangerous even for the animals
that are just walking there or
potentially a child if they
wanted to pick it up and then
all of a sudden overdose.
So and then when you have
the police who MAY or MAY not
take in a report, they actually
have the discretion to do
whatever they want.
So we have children that are
being kidnaped on a regular
basis.
There is a massive pedophilia
problem within the gay
community within just children
in general being targeted in
San Diego.
It is very disturbing to see
these kinds of things take
place where you guys want to
paint a pretty picture that San
Diego is a safe place.
That is not true especially
when you guys are
the gatekeepers of being able
to do any kind of pushing of
criminal activity or stopping
it.
>> Thank you.
Your time is concluded
The gambler if you can please.
I'm you.
And then after that is there
any Casco you guys doing today?
i mixed feelings on that but
primarily how much of
the reduction I did I like
the fact that there's more
police out of there and I
notice that they're a little
bit more active than they used
to be.
But what did that come to
Because the guys refused to do
things for years and years and
years even on the streets that
people really got killed.
So many people died in the last
four years because they chose
to look away And matter of fact
you have no backing by you by
the people sitting in this
court like anything from
throwing you under the bus They
would be That's a bad friggin
reality that we're faced with
today.
It is that people have full
control over our elections very
easily.
>> Anyone could go in and
register anyone and vote for
them.
There is no real checks and
balances and the Clinton
initiative is not going to pass
So we're going to be stuck in
that situation.
So what if it's just a
temporary retreat And then if
you actually do something, are
you going to be prosecuted
immediately after Because
that's politically just I mean
right now would you go against
all of our money problem very
easily by adopting Julian
Brown's technology deal?
Oh no, because you make more
money personally if you go
ahead and go along with
the game because they're going
to go ahead and suppress and
control inventors.
>> Right.
Your time has concluded.
Ernie Pascoe, if you can please
a mute after that assuming
the five minute timer has also
concluded there were three
speakers in the queue no
additional speakers will be
taken.
Please proceed.
Her name Casco Laurie resident
Torrey Pines Bladder Port are
reporting serious allegations
to the real estate taxes
department and directly to you
Joe LaCava office at Torrey
Pines Cloud Report Where are
the police reports?
I refused to surrender my
freedom under threat of
violence.
This is a negligent homicide
and attempted murder case
workplace violence or wrongful
termination Assault over
the death of a pilot.
It was attempted murder in
retaliation by switching my
wing that collapsed in
mid-flight crashing on a
rooftop.
My home was invaded twice Then
I was poisoned with a deadly
biohazard.
This is an ongoing hate crime
that needs to stop No citizen
should have their life under
threat or die over
the commercialization of a
public park.
It's time to stop the crime
With the permanent
reinstatement of Torrey Pines
Blade Port Advisory Board and
the immediate implementation of
the proposed San Diego
recreational waiver as a proven
solution to end the dispute and
addresses the victims and
witnesses.
The heavy damage by Torrey
Pines Glider Port negligent
operation It's a win for city
council liabilities and
restores recreational rights
and freedoms for years to come
to what it originally was.
>> Thank you.
Thank you.
>> Next Zoom user if you
complete a new or final speaker
will be Joshua Williamson same
user.
Thanks for taking my call.
The Sector a shout out to
the good Lord Jesus for not
turning his back on us and
having those guys step forward
and take care of business in
our neighborhood.
They're doing great.
Well the last four years under
Biden and under our own
government it was legal to
steal 950 bucks a day from
anybody.
Just walk in and take it.
You know, that was just
criminal bad.
I think the reason everything
down is because Trump took over
and it's getting hard core now
to break a crime You need some
other stat statistics of ice
deportations and say how many
criminals were deported That
wasn't on stats.
That takes a lot of the bad
guys out of here Now they know
that it's going to be more guys
they're looking for and stuff
with ice to get them out of
here and it's going to get real
When you go to the drug dealers
they kill people just like in
Tijuana They had 50 car bombs
just a while ago so it could
become up to San Diego.
But who knows?
It's going to get it's going to
get worse before it gets
better.
But the guys are making a
difference with the good Lord
on their side there It's got to
be plus good luck in the next
year.
So when ice shows up again our
court it really gets it's going
to be pretty exciting to get
everybody deported.
It'll be great.
Thank you.
Our final speaker is Joshua
Williamson.
Please.
I knew Josh I kind of knew for
you a pop up should have come
up.
I will have to.
She seems to have dropped.
I would like to know for
the record that the time I did
receive three comments in favor
and zero comment in opposition
of your comment form which has
been distributed to the Council
.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT All
right.
Thank you.
City Clerk As a reminder this
is an informational item and no
motions required.
We'll turn it over to council
member for questions and
comments and we'll start with
Council member by the Chair of
our Public Safety Committee.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT In
the Thank you Chief and thank
you to the entire department
and for the presentation today
Thank you to the community for
coming out.
It is good news that we are
down once again in crime across
our city making us feel
the safest, largest city in
America which is no easy feat
And these results don't happen
by accident.
They are the result of
the dedication of our officers
the strong leadership,
the politicians investments we
made in the city and in
the city council.
But it's also the result of our
community's public safety and
community effort and our
officers actually rely on
building trust with
the community to make us safer
which is also why oversight,
transparency and building
community trust is just as
important as making sure we
have highly trained officers
able to show up to nine month
hold on time.
I want to thank all of our
partners from the Commission on
Prevention.
Thank you for being here,
Pastor.
Your words are very beautiful.
I appreciate the work you're
doing and I want to thank
Senior You Services and other
nonprofits who are helping out.
I want to thank also new shots
Fired who came into our public
safety committee last week to
tell us about the incredible
gang interruption violence work
they are doing including one of
their members was actually shot
this past year in the middle of
trying to interrupt more gun
prevention and gun violence
prevention here I want to thank
our gun ban prevention team or
ghost gun task force as well as
the folks getting gun violence
restraining orders.
We can prevent mass shootings
in this country.
We have seen it in our school
district.
If you report something our
police will take it seriously
and get guns out of dangerous
situations.
So please keep reporting
things.
I also want to thank our
neighbors representative police
such as our 9 million
dispatchers who have incredibly
hard jobs to hear victims
calling for help and ensuring
that our officers have
the information they need to
get there on time.
If you ever want to go see how
hard our 911 dispatchers work
with information coming at them
from four different screens or
calling hearing the victim
there talking to the police
officers on the street as
they're getting there.
It is incredibly hard work that
they do.
I want to thank our ask Me 127
workers who are the mechanics,
for example, to keep our cars
running and keep our equipment
functioning and the civilian
staff from our retired senior
volunteer positions, our peace
officers, the clerical staff
who do the purchase orders to
make sure that our equipment is
actually purchased and funded
for our police department.
We have so many city employees
who have their hands on public
safety and I want to thank all
of them.
I also want to thank most
importantly our cpd officers
who every day put their lives
on the line On Valentine's Day
a Saturday night I actually
went on a ride along and I saw
one of the most tragic things
I've seen in my lifetime And I
served in the Peace Corps in
the aids crisis in Africa.
I have seen a lot of children
buried but we saw an a horrible
stabbing on the street downtown
actually Councilor Oliver's
district the victim did not
survive.
You know, by the time I got
there the suspect had then fled
inside the apartment building
and hid with his unit on fire
trying to burn the apartment
down.
So I was able to witness almost
all of the apparatus the city
funds from our police cars, our
party response team, our
ambulances.
I now understand why automated
cpr machines are so important.
I saw the tower ladder come
from the fire department.
I could not believe that this
is what one incident required
And then I saw the resilience
of the witnesses who witnessed
the unfortunate stabbing and
they waited in the cold late
hours of the night just to for
the homicide team to arrive and
take their statements So there
are brave civilians in the city
who are willing to stand up and
talk about what they saw every
day.
And I want to thank everybody
who's brave enough to come
forward.
But I do have some questions as
well.
In addition to all the great
work we are doing with our
department, there's also time
that we can improve And so we
also need to continue training.
And so I want to know Chief,
can you tell us about how you
actually increasing training to
make sure that we don't use
excessive force and incidents
as we responded properly?
I know you're rethinking our
training program so I'd love
you to tell everybody about it.
So thank you for that question.
Councilmember First let me
start by saying police training
across the country is one of
the first things that gets cut
during tough budget times.
I'm very proud to say working
with my staff we have not cut
training since I started as
police chief.
But to be open to transparent
our training is not enough.
We need to increase and do more
as this world becomes more and
more complex As crime trends
begin to change we need to be
more adaptive.
One of the first things I did
was I changed over the entire
chain of command in our
training division with
the intent to redesign our
training program.
We lacked a leader, a true
leadership development unit and
a true leadership development
program.
It's one of my top three
priorities to develop inspiring
leaders that people love to
come to work for And I can lead
this this city into the future.
I'm proud to say that that we
have that leadership
development unit in place and
the leadership programs are
beginning not just for the top
part of our organization but
for our frontline police
officers.
Detectives are professional
staff all the way up to the top
of this organization.
Additionally, we just last
month started to build training
teams.
Our training cycles have for
decades have extended for an 18
month cycle back in the 90 and
early 2000s when the world
wasn't spinning as fast as it
is today, that 18 month cycle
was sufficient But in today's
world we see trends or
different types of situations
that we're facing in
the streets and we need to
adapt our training.
So we now have two field
training teams that are working
seven days a week.
They're going out to lineups
instead of having a longer
duration of training.
It's shorter, more frequent
with high repetition and we're
able to change the training
scenarios overnight.
So we went from an 18 month
cycle to an overnight pivot
which is taking an aircraft
carrier.
We're driving it more like a
speedboat.
So I'm very proud of our
training division for what work
that they've done and we've
done that without expanding
the budget in any way.
So I'm very proud of what
they've come up with.
Fantastic.
Thank you.
And I do realize the training
can be the first thing to cut
in the hard budget season but
that will result in harder
calls later down the road.
We don't want to set up our
officers to fail in
the community.
We want to make sure that they
are trained and they can adapt
If something happens they
should be able to address that
right away rather than you said
wait 18 months for a training
cycle to come around when they
address something that happened
a year ago.
So I think it's very smart
the way you're doing this and
let us know how we continue to
fight for that in the budget
because we crime unfortunately
is not stopping People call no
one all the time.
I mean hundreds of thousands
are now who one calls a year or
so.
I want to make sure we do fight
to make sure there is enough in
the budget to make sure
officers are continually
trained in continuous
improvement.
I also want to ask and say
thank you as well for
the incredible work you're
doing cutting down the amount
of overtime costs.
It's been incredible to see.
At the same time I want to make
sure you have my extra three
minutes please.
I want to make sure that we're
not doing that expensive
response times.
I know we're hitting our nine
on one emergency calls but then
there are non-emergency calls
that people still need help
with.
So our response times flagging
now or how are we doing there?
So our response times are not
where I'd like to see them
quite frankly.
We have different priority
calls in our dispatch center
for the highest emergency
calls.
We are underneath just slightly
underneath the threshold of
seven minutes response time and
the reason we're hitting that
is because when those calls
come out everybody drops what
they're doing no matter what
they're doing and they go to
that call.
So we're hitting that response
metric but every other response
time is sometimes double and
triple expected time frame.
We went through a
reorganization in my first 60
days as chief We've been kind
of retooling, refocusing our
efforts and moving our overtime
around to go to the amount of
change that we've gone through
this past year year and a half
And to have response times
remain the same is remarkable.
We cut almost 7 million in
overtime without causing
response times to skyrocket and
without having to reduce
the services we provide to
the city.
So it's remarkable work that my
staff and department members
are doing.
Very proud of them for that.
I think it's incredible as well
And we're still not fully
staffed for the amount of
officers that we could under
the budget in the city of San
Diego has grown exponentially
and yet we're still making it
to 911 calls.
And so I do want to keep making
sure we're funding recruitment
academies because we're losing
a lot of good officers to
retirement.
So I know the budget very hard
but I and I know we just want
to make sure we continue
recruiting and getting a
diverse group of officers and
that who can fill the backfill
as we get retirements I met my
last question which is about
the technology we've been
implementing to help officers
do their jobs quicker.
I mean I've seen Taser ten out
in action that's been very
helpful for officers other than
the old school Tasers which are
not as useful and also
the automated license plate
readers.
I mean we just heard about yet
another hate crime happening in
our city And I know
the automated license plate
reader technology was able to
help prevent those in court.
The suspects two years ago in
Hillcrest So how is how I know
we've been reducing vehicle
thefts.
We've been solving homicides
with it but has it still
continued to be productive for
all of it for the city our
staffing levels are about we
have about a 10% vacancy rate
based on our budget right now.
But if you look at the call
volume that we have in
the amount of time that it
takes to handle that call
volume, we're about 1000
officers short of what we need
.
If you look at similar size
cities across the country,
Phenix is 1000 or 3000 police
officers.
We're at about 815 somewhere
around there right now Dallas
3300 police officers same size
city.
So we're definitely doing
the job with fewer officers.
We're finding creative ways to
try to make sure that we're
being as efficient and as
effective as we possibly can
with the limited resources we
have.
There's no question that
technology helps us bridge that
gap whether it's license plate
or license plate readers that
help us apprehend suspects
after they commit the first
crime or second crime versus
allowing them to commit commit
multiple crimes before we
figure out who they are and
catch them or whether it's
using other technologies
specifically when it comes to
you know, like Taser ten, you
know, tools like that help us
save lives when we have violent
combative individuals and we're
able to have a greater standoff
distance and that particular
system helps us stay further
back and have multiple attempts
at trying to get that person
safely into custody.
There's no question that it's
extremely helpful for us.
Got it.
And we've had robust hearings
here at City Hall on privacy
and transparency and civil
rights which are all equally
important.
So if anybody has questions
about how automated license
plate readers are used, you can
see the transparent use policy
on the city's website.
You can know where all these
cameras are on the city's
website We have weekly audits
that the police in our I.T
department does showing why
the data has been pulled, what
it's used for and we are unique
among other cities.
We do not share our automated
license plate reader system
with any other city.
Others around us do and
the city of Chula Vista has
these Oceanside, Escondido, Los
Angeles put of helpers and
smart streetlights.
The city of Berkeley uses APIs
and smart city lights open.
I mean these are used to
prevent and treat crime or
prevent and actually solve
crime.
However, there was a caller
talking about whether or not
the city cooperate in
immigration enforcement.
And let me be clear we do not
it is very we actually let a
vote at the city of San Diego
to join the lawsuit with
Minneapolis against the federal
administration for what ice is
currently doing in our
communities because that is not
law enforcement.
But Chief, can you state on
the record again we do not
violate the California Values
Act and we are not cooperating
in immigration enforcement.
Yes, ma'am.
First of all, we don't share
with anybody in the state.
We don't share with our federal
partners.
We definitely don't use it for
immigration purposes.
We're in complete compliance
with Senate Bill 54 as well as
Senate Bill 34 In terms of
sharing that that information
we retain it and own that data
And again we're trying to be as
transparent as we possibly can
and have the oversight and
auditing in place so that
people can be comfortable and
confident that we're using it
the right way to catch
criminals.
Thank you.
It is critically important
people feel safe calling our
officers and calling 911.
And so I just want to reiterate
that again on the record.
So thank you very much for
the great news today.
Thank you for the community
effort and the work Everyone in
our department is doing But I
do want to close in recognizing
this incredible progress in
keeping us all safe.
There's also something just as
important.
There were still horrible
victims of crime last year.
I mean victims of horrible
crimes.
And I still want to note that
that even though our crime
statistics are down, statistics
are not just numbers.
There are people who've lost
family members.
There are people who have had
to leave their homes due to
domestic violence.
Their children who faced hate
crimes in our schools.
And so I want to acknowledge
that there are still victims
that we have to remember in
this situation even as we're
celebrating lower crime rates,
I still want to remember them
too.
So thank you very much for
the briefing.
Thank you for the good news and
I'll close my comments.
All right.
Thank you.
Council member Von Wilpert.
We'll go next to council member
Marino.
Thank you for the presentation.
The city of San Diego's 2025
crimes Briefing data shows
meaningful declines in violent
and violent crimes robberies,
burglaries and vehicle theft.
I do want to start off by
commending the men and women of
the San Diego Police Department
and Chief Wall for their
outstanding work in reducing
crime across the city.
However, as shown on the graph
titled Vehicle Theft by Council
District 2024 versus 2025,
District eight is significant
Lee Higher with 1622 vehicle
thefts in 2024 and 1161 in
2025.
It does appear that the high
number of vehicle theft is due
to the targeting operations by
criminals around the cross
border Express.
In 2024 more than 4 million
people used Cbdcs to cross over
to take a flight through
Rodriguez International Airport
in Tijuana, Mexico.
Criminals know the high volume
of activity at CBCs and it
shows that they're taking
advantage of travelers that
leave their cars unattended for
days Maybe even weeks.
Now CBCs is a vital part of my
district and I would argue it's
a vital part of the city of San
Diego and the state of
California.
So having CBCs in District
eight comes with its
responsibilities.
My question is what measures is
the sd pd implementing to
address the high rate of
vehicle thefts in this area?
Thank you for that question,
Councilmember.
First let me start by saying
there has been a considerable
drop from 2024 to 2025.
I think we were fewer by 4 or
500.
Vehicle thefts just in that in
your district alone.
So definitely celebrate
the progress But there are
still 1100 other cases from
this last year that that we do
need to address and continue
driving that number down.
>> I will say that with
technology like license plate
readers, we arrested 199 people
last year for auto theft based
on the license plate.
>> Readers in other cities
around the county are having
similar progress.
What we're doing when you look
at the from a macro level we're
taking the auto thieves off of
the playing table and we're
seeing that across and across
the country.
But specifically for that lot
it is it is a target rich
environment.
There's thousands of cars there
and they're there most of
the time for an extended period
.
And so what it's going to take
is is really a focused
enforcement in those lots.
Some of them are as you know,
our joint use or federal
property.
And so working with our our
federal partners as well to try
to address this issue and
trying to bring additional
security measures, security
patrols, whether it is federal
agents or if it's security or
San Diego police officers.
But we are committed to working
on this and of course your
office to make sure that that
we keep it at the forefront.
Thank you.
I appreciate your response.
Recently CBCs did send a memo
to the mayor.
I know they sent one to me and
requesting focused enforcement
in this area and additional
security.
So I look forward to seeing
that in the next year.
And thank you for the response
.
I want to redirect our focus to
Del Bird Shia Street in
District eight.
In a few minutes we're going to
hear item 2a1 requesting Del
Burgett to reduce its speed
limits by five miles per hour.
This change follows a citywide
study which determined that Del
Brucia has one of the greatest
needs for speed reduction due
to and I quote high levels of
commercial activity and traffic
volume.
While there are several
businesses in the area on Del
Berjaya such as at Cofix Auto
San Diego galvanized Inc just
to name a few.
The high levels of commercial
activity and traffic volumes
can be associated with ongoing
issues related to prostitution
activity along Del Bajo.
Can the department provide an
update regarding prostitution
activity and what steps doing
to combat the prostitution of
Del Burgess and just in general
enforcement efforts that
the priest undertaking to
address this issue?
>> Well, first let me let me
say that the additional large
vehicles construction trucks in
that area, the smaller streets
having slower speeds on there I
if you want my personal
opinion, I think it's a is a
good thing down there with
those large vehicles in
congested area.
But to your point about
prostitution.
With the recent change in law,
we're now able to focus on
the demand side and address
the Johns.
I think we're going to start
seeing large increases in
the crimes against society
decided that were that would be
recorded, correct?
Correct.
Good.
It's now giving us the tools
that we need to have an impact.
And we've had focused efforts
down there since the day that
that bill came online.
And I think will will continue
over time showing that we're
going to be consistent and
we're going to focus on on
those areas.
I think you'll continue to see
that that issue start to
dissipate.
Okay.
Thank you for the response.
I do want to understand
the limitations and
complexities of prostitution
And but I do want to point out
if we had open air prostitution
on prospect Street or Kettner
Boulevard, I think the response
from the city would be very
different than what is being
shown in Del Battista.
And I just I continue to
implore you, Chief and Mayor
Gloria, to address this issue.
I think the residents and
businesses on Del Birria
deserve better And I hate to
end on a negative note because
this is a very good uptick that
we're seeing across the board
from for the city of San Diego.
But these are the realities
that residents in my district
are experience facing and it's
my responsibility to advocate
for my district.
So all in all kudos for
the improvement across the city
Definitely reflects
the dedication professional
wisdom and commitment of our
officers who work every day to
keep San Diego safe.
So just in general just really
wonderful job that you guys are
doing on those two items.
I will elevate them just so we
can get more attention.
But thank you for your
response.
Councilmember if I if I MAY, I
think our officers have engaged
quite a few men over the past
couple of years about
prostitution on Dabaja.
Through that advocacy the state
law that she for reference
allowed us to take enforcement
be on special operations and
really return it to patrol
officers to have that sustained
enforcement.
The work is not done there.
I think as we continue to look
at this issue, continue to
advocate at the state to have
additional legislation that can
allow us to go towards
the victim services side as
well and ensure folks that are
being trafficked in that area
have resources and that we're
able to engage with them.
So understood that the work is
not yet done but looking
forward to continued engagement
with your office there.
All right.
Thank you, Councilmember
Moreno.
The next to council member
Campbell Thank you Council
PRESIDENT And thanks to you for
the wonderful presentation and
the good work that it shows and
to all the police department
for all the work to keep
the city of San Diego one of
the biggest and one of
the safest and biggest cities
in America.
It's great news to see that
the crime rates continue to
decrease again and now by 6.3%.
This is the fifth year in a row
that crime has gone down.
It's especially good to see
that hate crimes in general
have decreased by 32% in
the city.
The issue of hate crimes was
one plaguing our communities
for the last couple of years
and I'm relieved to see that
our efforts have helped
decrease hate crimes especially
against our lgbtq community and
especially against people of
color who for decades have been
the main victims of such
crimes.
However, it is concerning to
see that religious hate crimes
have increased in the city by
150%.
An increase in religious hate
crimes harms the safety and
unity of our communities.
It undermines the fundamental
American value of religious
freedom.
It is a central that we stand
firmly against hatred and
ensure that every person can
practice their faith without
fear.
People ask What can I do to
help?
Well here's a suggestion.
Anytime someone you're
conversing with makes a comment
that is against someone's
religion tell them to stop.
Tell them to stop saying things
like that.
i remind them that our
Constitution guarantees
the freedom of all religions.
As a matter of fact, when we
began as a country all those
hundreds of years ago, many of
the people who started our
country came here because they
needed religious freedom.
Never forget that.
And in other words and on other
items in district to my
district I want to thank you
are crime is down by 6% this
year And across the city
the numbers are just incredible
.
Wonderful murders drop by 25%
nonfatal shootings 21% down,
vehicle theft down by 22%
overall.
And this is all great news And
I think a lot of it is because
of our smart technology that
dramatically improves our
officers ability to do their
jobs And additionally these
trends show that this mayor and
this city council and this
department are committed to
ensuring that San Diego remains
either at the top or MAY be
this year even We might be
number two.
I'm not sure of America's
safest cities overall.
I'm once again committing my
full support to our police
officers because I want our
communities to remain safe and
so do more residents.
I want to thank all our
officers who are working long
hours keeping us all safe and
yet you've been able to
decrease the amount of
overtime.
Thank you so much And MAY we
please have good results in our
recruitment for new officers?
Thank you.
Thank you, Council PRESIDENT.
Thank you, Council member
Campbell.
We'll go next to Council Member
Campo Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Thank you
Chief and thank you to the San
Diego Police Department for
your good work.
I just want to start by
recognizing the work of our
officers and our community
partners even while operating
with fewer officers per capita
than comparable major cities,
they continue to deliver
excellent results and help keep
San Diego one of the safest
large cities in the country.
In years past I've pointed out
those figures but today I'll
just remind folks that for our
population we should have
closer to 2600 officers.
I personally would like to see
a plan to get us to 2000
officers in the next three
years.
I think that's an ambitious but
also realistic goal.
Public safety also means
prevention and that's why I've
supported programs that work
directly in communities that
interrupt cycles of violence
before they're started as well
as supporting well vetted
technologies.
And of course while hate crimes
are reportedly down, we know
that many incidents still go
unreported.
At a time when hateful rhetoric
is more normalized, it's
critical that our community
continues to speak out and have
people report these incidents.
Hopefully the San Diego Police
Department or their law
enforcement agencies but if not
to trusted community partners
so we can connect them with
resources.
Also I want to point out that
we are a border city and we are
also one of the largest safe
cities in the country for many
years running because we're
focusing on protecting people
and strengthening communities
good crime prevention and good
crime solving helped to
reinforce that We as a city are
upholding our top charter
obligation.
It's stated plain and clear
which is keeping San Diego
safe.
Chief, I have a question for
you and your staff about crime
clearance.
I'm sorry about the feedback.
Crime clearance It's an odd
phrase to members of the public
but basically it means arrests
and apprehensions when a crime
is reported.
I'm glad to see that those
statistics have stayed
basically stable or increased
for property crimes because
that's the first modicum of
justice for many victims to
know that the police department
has actually apprehended
someone who has allegedly
created committed a crime.
I'm wondering how difficult it
would be for San Diego Police
Department to see how many of
those cleared cases actually
have led to guilty convictions
or dismissal for whatever
reason.
Is that data able to be
collected from the da's office
or the city attorney's office
in handling those cases so that
the public can understand and
have a more complete picture of
what accountability is truly
being achieved?
Can we get that data?
Can we dig into that data So we
actually see that a lot of
these crimes where people are
being apprehended actually lead
to substantial justice through
either a guilty plea or a
dismissal when the person
cannot be proven beyond a
reasonable doubt guilty?
I would say it's possible.
Councilmember.
Unfortunately we do not retain
that information and don't
necessarily have access to that
information.
We'd have to request that
through the district attorney's
office as well as the city
attorney's office.
I can imagine for both of them
that would be a pretty
laborious task to try to weed
through which agencies each one
applies to.
As you know there are a number
of other factors that that go
into each of these cases.
But at the end of the day I do
think that they have some data
we'd have to request from them.
Okay.
I'm hoping that next year this
time maybe with a few
conversations you can collect
at least some high level high
level data as to what that
looks like.
Because when you look at
the when you look at the types
of crimes crimes against
persons, oftentimes there's
human witnesses.
It's a violent crime.
There's some substantial
property crime.
Usually there's no one watching
crimes against society.
Typically the police officer is
the is the witness to what is
oftentimes a drug crime.
Right.
So I would hope you could have
those conversations, see what
we can get.
The next year we have a more
robust picture because I think
the public can look at these
these numbers but also say
well, who's actually being held
accountable?
I think a lot of people think
that nobody is being held
accountable.
But I know that's not
the truth.
I know the da's office and
the city attorney's office
successfully prosecute many,
many crimes.
So if you can have those
conversations and by next year
have some report back on that,
I'll ask the question next
year.
So you have 365 days Heads up.
Thank you for your good work.
Thank you for the time.
Council PRESIDENT Thank you
Council member camp here.
We'll go next to Council member
Foster Yes thank you Council
PRESIDENT And thank you chief
to you and your team for
the presentation.
I guess I will start with
congratulations and a good job
Job well done.
You know, typically I think
there are folks out there that
would say I tend to be more or
to criticize San Diego police
than to congrats to you.
But I think on the efforts and
the data is clear that we are
the safest, largest city And so
thank you for that.
Thank you to your team also I
just want to say thank you as
we have are one of our credible
messenger teams here today
started working on bringing
credible messengers to the city
of San Diego as I was the chief
of staff for District four and
it was a task to bring that
forward and we were able to
start with the no shots fired
team and bringing them on
board.
But I want to thank you
personally for your efforts
because we have expanded on
things that we'd like to take
my council colleagues on for
their support in expanding on
the alternative and continuing
the investment in no shots
fired continuing to pursue
capital grants and also thank
you to my colleagues for
the efforts in creating
the drop in centers.
I think that work speaks for
itself and I think it is
necessary work and hopefully
you and your team see
the importance and
the assistance that they
provide in certain
circumstances.
So I just really want to thank
you and also thank you to
the mayor's office and his team
for continuing those efforts.
I know it's not easy but you
have shown if you provide
the opportunity there are
avenues and good work that's
being done.
I myself work closely with a
few of the organizations you
know I always call no matter
what the night is as I hear
activity I live in one of
the main corridors for
Southeastern Division and so i
hear a lot of the activities
and things that go on and I am
always first of all on
the phone to make sure that we
are interrupting violence and
trying our best to keep our
neighborhoods safe.
So I just want to thank you for
those efforts Also I do
appreciate my colleague's line
of question questioning on
things don't for training as as
you know we you know there's
several sides to policing and
as we as we are doing the good
work and in keeping our
community safe there's also
some other things that we need
to continue to work on.
We're all human know ones above
making a mistake myself
included.
And so I just want to thank you
for the time and effort you're
taking to to to work on those
types of issues to look at
internally what we can do
better And I'm sure you'll have
some more time to go into more
detail about those efforts and
the certain things that you are
doing with training.
So I truly do appreciate that
as well.
The one question I do have a
couple of questions and I just
want to ask this this of you
because one thing that I will
always say and I've said this
before I truly do believe at
certain times we do a
disservice to our officers and
I think we have put a lot on
them.
And so I just want to ask do
you employ or does the city
employ any social workers that
you that you know of directly?
>> Directly?
No, we don't have any
behavioral health per se.
Folks on what I want to say
city staff not to say we MAY
not be contracting as we work
with our experts in certain
things but our core services
that we provide we do not
employ those types of
individuals, correct?
That's correct.
Okay.
I just want to make sure we're
clear because we ask a lot of
our officers as we deal with
our homelessness and certain
issues and often times I find
that as we are dealing in
certain circumstances or
certain incidents arise
oftentimes you can tie it back
to certain behavioral health
circumstances or certain things
that things MAY not let's say
finished the way we would want
them to to to finish right We
to be to be transparent We do
partner and they do ride with
us seven days a week county
social workers so we don't hire
social workers as a city
employee we do partner with
the county for mental health
services.
We partner with them with
registered nurses and we
partner with them for social
workers So we do have them
available As far as outreach
into the community, I was
thinking you were talking about
more internally work with this
one officers on a wellness side
but well that and that as well
because that is something that
we also need to address because
again we are putting a lot on
our officers And so I do
appreciate the efforts.
I do appreciate the results
from the crime stats that that
we are seeing.
So again, I just want to say
thank you to our officers and
thank you for the good work and
thank you to your team in
the mayor's office.
But I do think we need to do
more as we have you know, as we
deal with with the behavioral
health issues that I think
there are other agencies
organizations that need to take
the lead into to have more
responsibility and
accountability so that we can
address the core What I would
want to say the core issues of
some of the things that we are
experiencing out in our
community.
So I just wanted to make sure
that we talked about that
briefly As I look at this also
I just want to ask and I want
to say this before I leave that
because I just want everyone to
also know that we have a severe
shortage in our social workers,
in our behavioral health
experts and it is a very, very
large problem and it's
something that we've
identified.
I do sit on the San Diego
Workforce Partnership where we
are starting to expand our
efforts in regards to
apprenticeships and in certain
trainings to bring more folks
in to the behavioral health
services so we can try and plug
that gap.
So we are trying to approach
this comprehensively on all
sides As I do recall you know
me personally I do recognize
the issues that are out there
Also I do have a question on
hate crimes and I guess
originally and I'll use an
example there was a moment in
time where we were having some
some individuals I guess I will
say were going around and
taking pellet guns in certain
things that were doing
inappropriate activities in in
communities and originally I
thought we were headed down a
hate crime scenario but it
looked like once it went
through the investigative
process the dea landed where
they landed it looks like that
was pulled back to where it was
not a hate crime If I
understood what was in
the media reporting.
So my question is based on
the stats that are provided in
the report, is that based on
your data or is that a
determined after the final
determination of what the dea
dea does?
It's a fantastic question,
Councilmember.
And without knowing a little
bit more information, I don't
know that I can answer it
correctly.
>> But let me let me at least
say this When there's a plea
deal that's put on the table,
they MAY take that hate crime
charge off in terms of
negotiating for future for a
resolution of the case without
having that attached to your to
your file if you will.
I can talk a little bit about
that case because it's a
fantastic example of how we
work together as one community
And we had some restorative
justice there for those 319
year old individuals who
clearly were making some bad
decisions.
But I think working with the no
shots fired program, working
with the courts, working with
the community, we were able to
get these kids back on track
and they're not going to be
tarred and feathered for
the rest of their lives because
as bad decisions as 90 year
olds So very proud of that
case, very proud of the lgbt
youth community for coming
forward and sharing how it felt
to be targeted.
But having the strength to
forgive.
I just think it was it's a
perfect example of why San
Diego was a great, great city
and I appreciate that because I
don't think folks truly
understand the details and how
everything works together.
So I do appreciate that.
>> Let me check my notes really
quick if you can.
There's a slide in
the presentation if you don't
mind pulling that up.
I do not see a page number on
my end but it looks like it's
an ip address and it says crime
categories by Council District
2025 If you can pull that up
really quick in the on
the screen is that the green
and blue and red?
Yeah Yeah Can you control I
think she's going to get it.
Oh yeah and we'll try to make
this quick going about 14 10s
left to go Okay Thank you.
There you go.
And I understand you know as we
drill back because we did see
an uptick in certain categories
as we look at gang some gang
violence in certain things
which I know folks are working
very hard on.
But I wanted to look at this
Can you kind of help me to
better understand what this
slide represents Sense As I
look at District four, you know
it looks like we are in a good
place as you compare it to
the rest of this city and often
times as I am out in
the community or I hear certain
references to my community is
typically noted as unsafe.
But as I look at this chart it
kind of says the opposite that
it appears District four is
actually in a in a good place
Not to say there's not room for
improvement as well but it does
appear that District four is
not in the top three.
I guess I'll say Let me let me
start by saying Councilmember
that that gang violence overall
is down 13% While there are
some categories within gang
violence that have seen a what
I would characterize at this
point is a slight increase that
we need to focus on But I
wouldn't declared a problem
we've seen over the last five
years a steady decline in gang
violence and all attributed
that to community groups like
the ones that we're here today
the ones that that aren't
necessarily here today but are
out there doing the hard work.
Our police officers or gang
intervention unit that is
starting to mentor kids at a
young age we're starting to see
the successes of things that
have been planted from years in
the past moving forward if we
see increases again next year
in a trend going up then I
think I'd be a little bit more
serious about it.
But I think we have the right
game plan.
i think you'll see a normal ebb
and flow that isn't anything to
be concerned with.
We're staying at a low level
right now and that's a good
thing.
But to explain to the color
chart there, let me ask my
partner here to do that.
Thanks to you.
Yeah.
Councilmember So to your point,
I think what you're trying to
get at is you know, with
respect to the volume right
your your district is
relatively low And the way we
typically look at this, you
know, for from ourselves we're
either looking at a command
perspective or down all the way
down to a beat level crime When
you're looking at kind of macro
for you know full year view of
of you know, how did crime go
and where was the crime it
tends to follow pretty
similarly with our call volume
as well So you know downtown
the beaches are our shopping
centers places where you're
going to have large collections
of people, you're going to have
more incidents And so most of
your district is more suburban,
right?
The incidents that we see occur
in that district are going to
be a little more diffuse right
there.
They're spread out across a
little bit more randomly than
they might be in those those
centralized locations like you
imagine a shopping center or a
place where you might have a
lot of say alcohol related
incidents.
And so to your point I think
with respect to the suburban
areas we see in the city there
generally going to be lower
compared to our good large
collections of people.
Okay, very good And thank you
for that And just again I'll
say this simply put, District
four is a safe community.
So thank you.
Thank you for all the work that
you do and you know as we look
at trends and I just want you
to know that I am always here
to to step up and to help out
in any way I can.
You know about that I work
directly with my community and
folks and I have absolutely no
problem doing that and having
those conversations.
So with that again, Pastor
Sandoval, thank you to you and
your team for coming out today.
I don't see anomalies Big Rudy
But you know you know you kind
of know a deal.
You know you said you got a big
sheet, bro, you know, But but
you know, I just want to say
hey, congratulations, Big Rudy
and just thank you for
everything that you do and
you've come a long way.
Deal.
And you know, keep up the good
work.
So thank you.
All right.
Thank you, council PRESIDENT.
That concludes my comments.
>> You need more input from Big
Ruby and their All right.
Thank you.
Councilmember Foster will go
next to Councilmember Ella
Rivera Thank you council
PRESIDENT I don't know Ryan
Heitman that video if you want
to come through any time I just
to thank you for the for
the you know the presentation
obviously But but more
importantly for the work behind
it to kind of piggyback on on
COUNCILMAN Foster's comments,
you know obviously it's
important to to maintain
accountability and and share
when we feel like the mark
isn't being met but also
equally important to make sure
we're acknowledging when a good
work is done and the community
is heading in the right
direction in terms of safety
And I think it's especially
important that we we
acknowledge that when
the progress is being made to
rein in the overtime hours that
you've done I said it before
and I'll say it again
the progress that's that's been
made we were told was
impossible And not only have
you proven that that's possible
but we've done it without
sacrificing the safety of San
Diego residents And I think
that's very, very important.
Note and speaks to the work
that you're doing in your
position.
So thank you for that.
And to to that point that's a
thank you to the community as
well.
Obviously the police department
plays a very important role in
preventing crime and stopping
crime.
But a community that isn't
working well together is not a
safe community And I know you
believe that.
I know we've had a lot of
conversations about that And so
you know, without diminishing
in any way the role that
the police department plays, i
think it's incredibly important
to acknowledge the community as
well the neighbors who look out
for one another, the folks who
have have turned their lives
into committing to creating
safety and preventing folks
from heading down the wrong
track even though many times
those roles are not glorious
and certainly not well paid.
So it's a community wide effort
and I think all of San Diego
deserves appreciation and
applause for that.
So thank you for believing that
that is an important part of
the equation to create a safe
San Diego And I'm glad to see
that this is the direction
we're headed.
My colleagues would ask great
questions so I won't belabor
those.
I just want to say thank you
again.
Thank you Counsel PRESIDENT All
right.
Thank you Council member Ella
Rivera We'll go next to council
member Whitburn Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Thank you
very much for this update.
I'm pleased to see that one of
the biggest decreases in crime
is right here in District three
with a double digit drop.
There's always more police
volume downtown than other
areas of the city with so much
going on and people coming and
going.
But it is good to see those
numbers moving in the right
direction.
It's also be good to see more
and more people moving into
the area which is something
that is really indicative of
the degree to people like
living downtown and in
the District three area.
I appreciate you including an
update on hate crimes and I
want to thank the department
for how seriously you take
them.
Captain Dobbs, Western Division
is very good about letting me
know about such incidents
increasing patrols when they
occur so that the community
sees that the department is
there to protect them.
And keeping me posted on
the progress of
the investigations which is why
I know that our technology
helps to solve these crimes.
I also want to thank Central
Division and Beach City
Division which also serve
District three,
the Neighborhood Policing
Division which is very active
in my district.
The officers who police
the Gaslamp, the officers here
at City Hall who keep all of us
safe and everyone at
the department who works to
keep my constituents safe.
So thank you and thank you
Council PRESIDENT All right.
Thank you.
Council Woodburn I think not
seeing anybody else in
the lights I gave away a lot of
my time so I'll just close by
thanking my colleagues for
questions and comments and echo
them.
Thank you for the very good
work you know we rely a lot on
numbers and metrics and
statistics to provide evidence
for the good work that we know
you're doing every day.
You and the officers in
the rank and file and we try to
provide the resources that you
need to do that work And I'm
very proud of that.
Mayor and the council for
supporting you in that regards
.
As new things come up of new
challenges present themselves,
we look forward to hearing from
you about what you need and not
giving it to you in this
difficult budget conversation.
So that's just a joke folks.
So I also look forward to
the state of California
figuring out sb 580 and
actually giving us guidelines
that actually amplifies sb 54
and look forward to your work
in how you implement that going
forward.
So as that becomes an
increasing part of
the distraction that you all
face is what the federal
government is doing.
It's the sandbox we live in.
We just have to navigate that
And I know that you are
thinking about that and take
that very seriously.
So again thank.
Thank you Chief.
Thank you to the staff.
Thank you to the rank and file
and the good work they do every
day on our behalf.
All right.
That was an information item.
No motion was required so we
will move along.
Clerk please introduce item.
Scuse me.
202 Item 2a2 is the appeal of
the environmental determination
for 710 Garnet Avenue
straighter Your project number
p rj Dash 1126 697.
This item is not subject to
the mayor's veto.
If you'd like to speak to this
item please be sure to submit
your speaker slip to the front
of the room in the clear box.
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.
Thank you City Clerk I wanted
to make mention of staff
proceeds up here especially for
those of you that are either in
chambers for the very first
time or watching remotely for
the very first time.
There's been a lot of talk in
the media about public
participation, about some
amendments to the Brown Act
that everybody is working very
hard to update that will not
take effect until JULY 1st.
We call this a quasi judicial
hearing and we have a protocol
that we have done for many,
many years about these hearings
and how this will proceed is
that operations will make their
presentation will have a
statement by the city attorney,
the appellant will go next.
They'll have up to ten minutes
for their presentation and we
will then invite the applicant
to come up and they will have
an opportunity to be up to ten
minutes to make a presentation
and then we will turn it over
to the rest of the public
comment going forward.
So with that staff and I see
your seat there, introduce
yourselves for the record and
let us know how much time you
need.
>> Thank you.
I'll need about seven minutes.
>> All right.
Good afternoon.
Council PRESIDENT, council
members and members of
the public.
I am Travis Cleveland
Development Project manager for
the 710 Garnett Street Re
Environmental Appeal.
With me today is Courtney
Hallock with the Environmental
Analysis Section at Development
Services.
Before I proceed I'd like to
read a memorandum into
the record.
I sent this earlier today.
The subject project initially
requested approval of a 60 foot
by 12 foot eight inch st3 for a
total of 760ft.
Environmental analysis was
performed on this measurement
which is also used in the staff
report.
However, the St3 area was
actually reduced in the last
submittal to 43ft by 12ft for a
total of 516ft.
This is accurately reflected in
the latest copy of the project
plans submitted to Development
Services which I did attach to
that memorandum.
This does not alter
the conclusion of staff's
environmental determination.
The item before you is an
appeal of the environmental
determination for an
approximately 516 square foot
street or outdoor seating area
at an existing restaurant.
The environmental determination
was made OCTOBER 14th, 2025 and
was appealed on OCTOBER 27th
2025.
>> On JULY 29th 2020 the 710
Beach Club was issued a
temporary business operations
permit under the city's
emergency outdoor operations
regulations allowing them to
build and operate a street tree
platform in the parking spaces
in front of the business.
In response to the coronavirus
emergency of 2020, these
regulations were refined as
part of the Spaces as Places
program approved by the City
Council in NOVEMBER 2021
effective at this location in
the coastal zone.
On AUGUST 10th 2023 once
the new regulations were in
effect building in land use
enforcement or blue.
Notified the business that they
needed to remove the platform
or either remove the platform
or obtain the required permits
under the Spaces Places program
including a coastal development
permit and a right of public
right of way permit.
Blue began actively enforcing
the unpermitted St3 in OCTOBER
2024 due to delays in
submitting the current Coastal
Development Permit application
which was deemed complete in
DECEMBER of 2024 and SEPTEMBER
2025.
The business agreed to shorten
the platform pay exclusive use
fees for the public right of
way, open up the disabled
parking spaces that they had
previously blocked and keep
the platform closed until
proper permits could be issued.
The platform remains existing
but closed.
This is allowed the platform to
remain in the right of way
while the permit applications
were in the process.
>> On OCTOBER 14th, 2025 city
staff determined the project to
be exempt from the California
Environmental Quality Act or
Sequa and any notice of Right
to Appeal or Nora was prepared
and posted in accordance with
the municipal code.
The Nora was also distributed
to the Council district
recognized community groups and
any other applicable interested
parties for a ten working day
appeal period.
As required by the Municipal
Code.
That period ended on OCTOBER
28th, 2025.
The project The project was
reviewed in accordance with
the sica Statute and guidelines
to determine if it would result
in environmental impacts.
Staff concluded that
the project was categorically
exempt from Sequa.
Pursuant to section 1533 to
infill development projects,
Class 32 consists of projects
characterized as infill
development.
Meeting the requirements of
this section to qualify for
the Infill Development project
a categorical exemption
the project must meet all five
listed criteria.
>> The St3 is an extension to a
restaurant which is consistent
with the Visitor Commercial
Plan designation and zone.
The project site is less than
five five acres and is located
in an urban and developed area
.
Because the site is entirely
developed with urban uses it
has no value for it.
No value as habitat for
endangered rare or threatened
species.
The project would not result in
any significant effects related
to traffic noise, air quality
or water quality.
The project meets the screening
criteria for a small project
per the city's transportation
study manual and therefore
would be presumed to be less
than significant.
The project with You're
required to comply with all
applicable local, state and
federal regulations ensuring
that impacts to noise air
quality and water quality would
be lessened Sniffing out
the proposed project involves
the development of a new 516
square foot st3 as an extension
of an existing commercial
building.
The st3 would result in no
change in need for public
services and the project site
would continue to be adequately
served.
Pursuant to dmca section
112.0520 and Environmental
Debris Determination Free
process three project MAY be
appealed to the City Council
subject to the underlying
requirements which match
the boxes checked on the appeal
form.
Filed appeals typically attach
supporting information and or
supporting documents.
However, as filed the appeal
checked only the boxes on
the form and the appellant
provided no further support.
The appeal provided no
explanation documentation or
substantial evidence to support
the claim that a factual error
has occurred.
The appeal does not provide any
new information or substantial
evidence to support a
reasonable possibility that
the project will have
significant effect on
the environment.
The appeal does not demonstrate
a conflict with any other
matters.
The appeal does not provide any
substantial evidence
demonstrating that the findings
for the application of
the infill exemption have not
been met.
If the environmental appeal is
resolved the project must
obtain a coastal development
permit Future Hearing officer
decision appealable to
the Planning Commission.
The project is in the Coastal
Commission's Appeal
jurisdiction so the city's I'm
almost done.
So the city's final decision is
also appealable to the Coastal
Commission.
It must obtain a public right
of way permit if the coastal
development permit is issued
and it must remain in
compliance with all permit
conditions.
The administrative record
demonstrates that the project
would not have a significant
impact on the environment.
No evidence or documentation
was provided related to any of
the appeal grounds asserted as
to factual error new
information conflict with other
matters or findings not
supported.
Staff therefore recommend that
the City Council deny
the appeal and approve
the environment determination.
Thank you.
All right.
Thank you for the work and for
your presentation.
As I noted before we hear from
the applicant and
the appellant.
I'll turn it over to the office
of the City Attorney.
>> Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT.
The legal standard of review
for environmental environmental
appeals is de novo.
That means the council must
exercise independent judgment
based on the record for today's
item As to whether that Council
agrees with the environmental
determination.
The project is not before you
today.
A court will uphold
the Council's decision if it is
supported by substantial
evidence in the record.
That concludes my comments.
Thank you.
All right.
Thank you Leslie, for that
opening statement.
So now we will hear from
the appellant on the item.
Please come up to the mic.
Introduce yourself for
the record and you will have up
to ten minutes to make your
presentation.
Well, we are here to give you
the evidence to 710.
By the way, I'm Scott Chipman.
You probably remember me.
50 plus year resident of
Pacific Beach Been on
the planning group about 20
years off and on and the 710
Club Street Re did come to
the planning group and it was
voted unanimously to deny
the project.
The 710 has not been a good
neighbor.
They've been a horrible
neighbor to hundreds of
residents across the street and
see the sea condominiums as
well as to people wanting to
enjoy a walk on the boardwalk
at night And the guests and
employees of Crystal Pier
Hotel.
Thank you for putting up
the PowerPoint.
For decades the nearby
businesses and residents have
been subjected to amplified
noise deejays amplified music
amplified obscenities amplified
vulgarities.
They have filed complaints,
made calls for service and have
gone have even gone to court
including mediation but have
had no or only sporadic relief.
Now the community is threatened
by an expansion onto
the sidewalk and into
the street of the very problems
that they have been plagued
with for decades.
But we are not here to just say
again that this is a bad bar
but that 710 does not qualify
for a secret exemption.
As a matter of law under secure
exemptions are to be
interpreted narrowly and
the burden is on the city to
show the exemption applies.
Following my presentation you
will hear from neighbors who
are representative examples of
those directly impacted.
There are several reasons
the exemption does not apply.
One there are unusual
circumstances.
There is an unusual
circumstance exception in
sequel to the cumulative
exception.
Three Coastal access and
Parking impacts And for
the Fair Argument Standard Next
slide the unusual circumstances
exception.
Even if the city relies on a
categorical exemption cannot
apply if there is a reasonable
possibility of a significant
environmental impact due to
unusual circumstances.
Next slide.
Hundreds of noise complaints
Thousands over thousands over
the decades.
>> a superior court mandated
mediation agreement.
>> a known history of violating
sound content containment
requirements.
A lack of air conditioning
which was required by
the mediation leading to open
doors windows during amplified
entertainment.
Next slide incident reports.
This is just a few months.
Next slide.
I'm sorry.
One moment.
We're having some technical
difficulties.
We will pass your time.
Thank you.
And are we good?
Okay.
We're good.
Okay.
Yeah.
It looks the same because these
continue page after page after
page.
Next slide, please.
Okay.
Residents indicate there's no
point in calling for incident
numbers.
Most of the time no one comes.
No one does anything.
Wait.
Time is too long to stay on
the phone for hours and wait to
file a report.
The majority of time they give
up they do not report the noise
.
Next slide.
Okay.
These are the usual
circumstances.
Next slide.
Okay.
You can see this is the venue
from across the street in
the condos.
Open doors open skylights.
Next slide.
>> So this is not a small
sidewalk cafe expansion.
It's an expansion of a high
conflict historically
non-compliant entertainment
venue with documented noise
impacts.
Courts have held that when
there is evidence of a
reasonable possibility of
significant noise impacts an
exemption cannot stand.
We do not have to prove impacts
will occur occur only that
there is substantial evidence
they MAY occur but that is
obvious.
Next slide.
Cumulative impacts Exception An
exemption cannot be used if
cumulative impacts are
significant and we have years
of cumulative impacts as well
As we all know that this area
has nightlife concentration.
Seriously high crime and there
was a prior court involvement.
Next slide.
So here are the crime stats
7905 2200 times.
Citywide average crime.
And much of it occurs in
the street right in front of
this venue.
Next slide Everyone knows
the parking scarcity near
the beach.
Next slide.
This is a letter from
the Coastal Commission
indicating that within
the coastal zone they must
replace the parking.
So if there's 5 or 6 parking
spaces they have to be replaced
.
The coastal access impact This
street removes public parking.
Converts public right of way to
private commercial use and
potentially affects beach
access.
Next slide Consider
the historic Crystal Pier
allows the public to go out
sightsee, look at the ocean and
fish.
Parking elsewhere still reduces
parking availability here and
to the boardwalk nearby.
The city has failed to analyze
whether replacement parking
fully mitigates access impacts
.
The exemption improperly
avoided environmental review of
coastal access impacts.
Next slide.
>> There's also a change of
the intensity of use expanding
the seating capacity actually
increases the demand for
parking on that block.
Increased outdoor congregation
The sidewalks are already often
crowded and impassable.
Potential for increased noise
spillover.
Increased demand for parking as
more patrons are accommodated
in.
If you have ever heard of
the term beer mussels that's a
very common thing that happens
in pub.
You're walking down
the sidewalk, it gets crowded.
You decide you'll just bump up
against a guy and see how he'll
react If you don't like his
reaction in becomes a fake.
Next slide.
There's strong evidence that
this operator will not be
compliant with the idea that
they're going to comply with
the noise city's noise
regulations.
I'm sorry that's embarrassing
The city has not.
We already heard from
the police chief.
These are not high priority
calls.
So they just stack up and stack
up and stack up and frustrate
the residents and
the businesses nearby.
Next slide.
This is the calendar of abuse.
We understand they want to have
entertainment but
the entertainment can't come at
the expense of your quiet
enjoyment To be able to watch
tv or sleep in your own abode.
Next slide.
This is amazing.
A handicapped space was removed
so that they could expand or
create a street.
Obviously it was put back when
residents filed a complaint.
So what's going on here?
Surreptitiously moving a
handicapped parking space for
your own financial gain.
I'd be curious what kind of
enforcement or penalty that
that caused.
Next slide.
The sidewalk has become a venue
and that's can be okay but not
to this extreme.
Next slide.
TVs and speakers mounted on
the sidewalk basically saying
this is our sidewalk.
It's not public.
>> It's not a public access.
Scott, you're going to run out
of time So I'll give you an
opportunity for a conclusion.
I'll wrap up.
Thank you.
A concluding statement You had
your ten minutes.
Thank you.
The exemption cannot apply due
to the unusual circumstances.
The substantial evidence of
potential significant noise
impacts the cumulative impacts
and the parking loss in
the coastal zone.
The city cannot rely on
replacement parking without
analysis.
We're just asking for analysis,
not an exemption.
Thank you.
All right.
Thank you for the presentation.
Now I'll invite the applicant.
You will also have up to ten
minutes to make your
presentation.
I don't know who
the spokesperson for
the applicant is.
I thought there was a
presentation by the applicant.
I believe you have a slide deck
as well.
There you go.
I have one slide.
There you go.
All right.
English is off the record and
let us know.
You have up to ten minutes.
So my name's Scott Slager,
owner of 17 Beach Club for 36
years, started as an engineer
in L.A. And came down to San
Diego to do some work and
bought a bar by the bar And ppb
spent a lot of time in ppb
because I was 26 years old and
I love music.
Big fan of Live entertainment.
I owned two music clubs in San
Diego and I do a lot of music
production in the city of San
Diego.
I believe that contrary to some
of the statements that have
been made today, I've done
everything I can in
the commercial zone with a
license that I paid dearly for
for live entertainment to be
there at 710 Garnet And it was
there prior to that for 30
years prior to the condominium
complex that got built across
the street.
So I believe that as long as I
haven't had a violation in
the last 35 years which is
the case, I do have the right I
believe to operate within my
permits.
So having said that,
the handicapped parking issue
is the only thing I want to
address from what MR. Shipman
talked about.
I did that legally through dsd.
Everything was done.
It was not serendipitous.
I've never done anything
illegal.
Okay.
So with that being said, I'll
give you a little bit of
history About 710 Beach Club it
used to be by Mellons I named
it by Melinda in 1989.
It was a blues club when I
purchased it.
The bar that existed was called
Bangers.
Bangers was basically a
motorcycle club.
I eradicate it that I try to
eliminate the noise because I
was getting calls for service
from the motorcycles daily.
Ultimately I got embroiled in
what you would call politics
and I became the PRESIDENT Of
the largest business
improvement association in
the United States 20 2200
businesses.
I spoke right here in 1995 to
create the largest bid as I was
the PRESIDENT And that took
four years of my life.
During that time I actually
created a nonprofit that
created Census Patrol pieces of
patrol.
We were the ones that actually
caught the pd rapist.
I was instrumental in that part
because the pd Rapist was a
band member playing in my clubs
at the time.
We work with the fbi so I am a
community guy from that
perspective.
I followed that with 15 years
of being a director on the Food
and Beverage Society of San
Diego.
So I do put my time into
the community in Ocean Beach
way on my other bar called
Winstons.
My partner and I are actively
involved in all the community
groups and we have raised
hundreds of thousands of
dollars through our bar and our
events to add to that community
success.
I started working with
the Wounded Warrior Freedom
Station Wounded Warriors about
ten years ago.
You'll hear from the director
sometime today.
i've raised over $100,000 for
that organization through my
businesses so I'm just trying
to say to you Council that I do
have the right, I believe to do
what I'm doing And a couple of
really interesting things that
occurred over the last 30
years.
I don't even own the building
there yet.
I had to put $150,000 into a
complete remodel to try to
reduce noise.
I happened to be an engineer.
I understand sound.
We by doing that $150,000 out
of my pocket we reduce
the sound by three db which is
double the power.
Later I actually added air
conditioning and large they
call them big fans to reduce
my.
I guess conceptually if I have
to open doors and windows when
it's hot in the summer I don't
have that problem anymore.
Scott Shachtman did mention
about I did have a speaker
pointed outside to the street
during covid.
I was desperate.
I wanted people to enjoy
outdoors.
I was losing $60,000 a month
with no income through my four
enterprises during covid.
And to that end, if you look at
the slide up here, all I'm
trying to do is get a street
reopened and I have already
spent $125,000 and I have been
closed since APRIL of last
year.
It's just sitting there And
during this $125,000
expenditure there were people
from dsd specifically to Carrie
Lindsay that literally told me
i had to pay $57,000 at
the time to not remove my
street three 57,000 for back
rent during covid.
So I don't know how many of you
own a business during covid but
I almost lost everything and
here I am for a simple theory
that All right, thank you for
your presentation.
>> We're going to hear a lot
more things you like and you
dislike Thumbs up, thumbs down
really helps us move right
along.
Thank you for the presentation
And with that clerk please
proceed with public comment.
>> Council PRESIDENT Before I
begin I will note that we will
be a minute per person.
We do have several speakers
here to speak on this item But
one housekeeping thing.
I know there is confusion
understanding if you're in
favor or in opposition
the speakership should be if
you're in favor of the staff
recommendation or in opposition
of the staff recommendation.
The staff recommendation is to
deny the appeal.
Everyone submitted a request to
speak in favor.
So we just want to make sure if
when you come up to your to
the lectern to please say if
you're in favor or in
opposition so that I can get
that appropriately for
the record.
So if you're in favor or you're
in favor of the denial of
the appeal.
If you're in opposition, you're
in opposition of the staff
recommendation which is denial
of the appeal starting with
rent garage.
If you can please come up to
the microphone after that is
requested.
If you can please come up to
the other reserved seats at
the front.
Then we have Dale Gauthier,
Candy Hogan, Willis Allen not
seeing anybody get up is our
usher our emg, a r a j?
We had to leave.
Okay.
Ritesh, are you here?
Okay, Dale, you have time to go
To you by Gordon.
MISS Gordon Still here?
Gordon For for Lucca?
Yes.
I just need you to raise your
hand so if you're here you'll
have two minutes.
>> Please proceed.
All right.
I am in opposition to the staff
recommendation.
Thank you.
Whatever that was, that works
out okay.
Good afternoon, Council members
Staff.
My name is Dale Gauthier and
I'm representing myself as an
owner of property in the c
Condominiums which are directly
across Garnett from the 710
kept hearing it called a
restaurant.
It's a bar.
I have owned my property for
more than a decade and
the impact this bar has had on
my property and quality of life
in that neighborhood is
indescribable.
The loud raucous music at all
hours they're open but
particularly at night the music
is blasting and even worse with
live bands.
There's vulgarity, sidewalk
fights, public intoxication of
the century 710 at night that
we're all subject to.
Not only does this 17 ownership
and management allow this
behavior, they actively act to
amplify the behavior resulting
in direct threats to public
safety.
This is not your neighborhood
Cheers Bar As you've heard from
others or from scouts
presentations doors windows are
often left open with plastic
music coming out.
The proposed street bar will
only make noise levels to
the neighborhood and that we
experience worse because
the food, the food and beverage
servers will have to have
egress ingress to the bar to
deliver the services to
the street bar as it is now
the property values on
the north side of the building
are devalued over the rest of
the units in the building.
If you look at historical
resale prices, they're
typically 4 to $500,000 less.
Not because of ocean view
differences because of this 710
bar when when our building was
originally built cool ocean
breezes we didn't need it.
Now we have to have all
the windows and sliders closed.
>> Thank you for that
concluding remark.
Your time has come.
Strongly urged the county Hogan
County Hogan to the following
Individuals can please raise
their hands.
Kathleen Lippert, thank you.
You'll have two minutes if you
can If you need anything over
here.
Yes.
You'll give it to my staff.
They'll get it.
They'll get it distributed.
You to polygraphs.
I'd like better if it's ever
here.
You'll have two minutes.
Please proceed.
If you can go to the higher
microphone will capture you a
little bit better.
Thank you.
Well, first of all, I want to
thank you all for your hard
work.
I know that's a thankless job
sitting up there so I.
I really appreciate it.
If you look at the photos,
you'll see that the building is
across the street from 76
condos.
These homeowners have paid
taxes and supported the city
several years back.
We went to mediation for a full
year.
We're told that if we did they
would do something about
the noise.
We all gave up time and
everything just to go to
mediation 710 Club because
the decibel readings in
the condo that I owned at night
were above inside my condo 65db
at night my floor actually you
could hear every single
drumbeat They would leave
the doors open, the skylight
open and after a year of
mediation the owner said he
admitted that he wanted to play
the music out to attract
the patrons from the other
bars.
It was agreed upon that they
would close the doors and shut
everything during the time of
amplified music.
It wasn't a real solution
because now they have all
the opening and every time they
open the doors all the time
still comes out and they kept
the skylight open no matter
what we did And how many times
they called it wouldn't it has
not stopped over years.
Please consider the 76
homeowners of this of these
condominiums across this small
street and realize that a 17
club is not an owner of
the real estate But we we who
paid hundreds of thousands of
dollars in property tax are
being affected very horribly
negatively Please help us Also
I don't know if you know
additionally you'll see in
the pictures they are now
serving beer And thank you for
the on the street comment on
the site Your time has come.
Thank you.
Well if Alan Well as you have
time to go to my Claudia Alan
can please raise your hand.
>> Thank you.
You'll have two minutes.
Thank you very much.
Council PRESIDENT Council
members My name as well as
Alan.
I'm representing the ownership
of Crystal Pier Hotel and
Cottages and Pacific Beach.
We're adjacent to the 17 Beach
Club at 710 Garnet I'm here to
respectfully request that you
grant for our appeal and deny
any continued legal exemption
for the 710 Club St3 our hotel
and the large condominium
building directly across
the street have endured endured
significant adverse impact from
this bar for over 35 years and
those impacts have been
intensified Not relieved by
this retreat.
First the noise during the day
and late night disruption or
constant noise from the parties
patrons is so bad that our
front staff has to close
the doors of the office of
the hotel, go into the back
office to try to speak to
customers.
We've had to extend our
security guard hours simply to
deal with the noise and unruly
patrons at the bar closing.
This is not compatible with a
visitor serving coastal hotel
or with residents trying to
live and sleep in a condominium
across the street.
Secondly, there is a direct
economic and quality of life
harm We have had to comp rooms
and provide discounts to guests
who were disrupted by noise and
bad behavior associated with
this bar.
Guests were kept away awake,
feel unsafe and they don't
really return.
They don't rebook and with all
these negative experiences they
share with other people.
So it's kind of damaging to a
longstanding business.
The hotel's been in business
consistently for 90 years This
year the condominium residents
likewise they live with these
impacts night after night, day
after day with no ability to
check out when it becomes
intolerable.
Thirdly, this really worsens
parking and circulation of our
Annette That's that was two
minutes Thank you for your
concluding comment.
Okay but also I have also had
the opportunity so you get
the point.
Thank you.
Holly Birch.
Holly Cherry Thomas you did
your time.
Thank you very much.
You'll have two minutes.
Please let me know and present
the hoa at cdc condos.
I've lived there since 1982.
The condominiums were built in
1972.
We had a card room across
the street from us.
25 years later Scott Legere put
in the Blind Melon 710 bar.
So as far as who was there
first it was us.
By 25 years we had a mediation
agreement.
Scott agreed during mediation
agreement with the judge to
keep all the doors windows
closed and the vents and
install an ac.
There's no ac that's working.
Doors and windows are always
open.
We are subjected to.
He also promised that he would
answer the phone when we would
call.
Not only does that not happen
if you do manage to get through
you're called every name in
the book.
One other thing I want you to
know is that we have a theme
song of the 710 bar and this is
what we get to listen to And
this is played during the day
and it's by a guy called f Roll
Man and it's called Because I
Got high and this is what we
hear.
And so the children can hear
this in our neighborhood.
You guys should be able to hear
it too.
i could've cheated that I could
have passed but I got high.
I was going to go to court
before I got high.
I was going to pay my child
support but when I got there I
got high.
I was going to run for the cops
but I was high.
I was going to make love to you
And then I got high.
I was going to eat your but
then I got high.
>> Now I'm jacking off and I
know why This is what we hear
every day.
This theme song great for kids
and tourists.
I urge you not to read the sex
exemption.
We've been there 25 years
before them had no problem.
We're surrounded by bars.
The hideaway pool house, you
name it.
There's only one bar we have a
problem with and we're actually
closer to the other bars.
>> But this is the one That's
the one that's causing us
trouble.
Thank you.
>> Well, you caught me by
surprise.
There are children occasionally
listening to these council
meetings as well.
Please keep that in mind.
You can make your point.
Know if I can have
the following individuals
please come up to the yellow
reserved seats Denise Friedman
and Scott Shepherd Patti
Gullickson and Craig Ferguson.
If you can all please come up
to the yellow reserved seats
And Denise you can come up to
the microphone.
And then I'd also ask as Denise
makes her way up to
the microphone if Todd person
can please come up here to
the side my staff will be
speaking with you Todd Pursell
you'll have one minute Please
proceed.
Thank you.
I am speaking on behalf of
myself not any organization or
my title This year in JANUARY I
chose to have a staycation in
pb.
I was awakened late in
the evening by cheering and
screaming.
I dressed went outside to try
to figure out where this was
coming from and it was coming
from 710 I noticed from across
the street because the sidewalk
was inaccessible that there
were a group of people out
there with buckets of beer As I
watched the bartender refill
that bucket of beer that's not
allowed out on a public street
having served for years now our
community caught It's a big no
no.
People are ticketed all
the time Walking out of seven
the 7-Eleven and popping their
beer and getting tickets.
I politely went over and
advised the young group that it
was illegal and they should be
bringing it inside.
It didn't work.
Thank you for that concluding
comment.
Next is Ask Jay Scott Shopper I
believe Sam named Kirkman Thank
you.
I'm speaking in favor of
the denial.
Thank you times Okay, so I'm a
local attorney For two decades
I've represented this business.
It has its own valuable
property rights that aren't
being mentioned.
What we're hearing today is a
lot of complaints from other
property owners seeking to
advance their own property
interests by shutting down a
business that operates lawfully
under an existing entertainment
permit and pursuant to San
Diego ordinance regarding noise
levels, these appellants do not
really understand
the application of noise
ordinance which is one hour
weighted averaging.
I was part of the mediation and
it was found at that time that
with sound engineers we hired
that this noise from this
location does not exceed those
levels.
The entertainment permit
requires them to operate with
their doors closed in hours
When they're doing that during
live entertainment the outdoor
stuff is just a modest thing.
This is about a secret review
And when you look at those
standards, these complaints do
not reach what we're dealing
with This thing has been
reviewed by the staff through a
rigorous vetting process
carefully considered each
required element It meets
the criteria including a
sentence Patty think had to go
with something else.
Hello my name's Harry.
I'm a single mother at
the Pacific Beach Community.
I've known Patty and Scott for
over ten years and they are a
wonderful part of the community
and wonderful people.
They are actually my daughter's
3004 West and Pacific Beach
soccer team and they offered me
graciously offered to sponsor
my daughter's soccer team and
then her soccer team is going
to Spain in JULY And so they
offered to do some fundraisers
to help us raise money to get
her team there.
And um, I love the patio.
I go there a couple times a
month and I really MISS
The patio and I'm excited to
get it back.
Hopefully.
>> Craig Craig Borges Honey.
Wonderful job for dancing My
last name.
Thank you.
Council members per McCarver.
I MAY quote Star Trek.
Spock once said the needs of
the many outweigh the needs of
the few.
And I feel that's what we're
experiencing here today.
25 years I've been in Pacific
Beach and I've watched I
believe what you guys have
blessed for bringing lots of
people to my beach via the tv
spots I see they're working
qualitatively I can say they're
working.
And it upsets me to see that
the local beach businesses
especially Salmon Beach Club
cannot scale to meet this
demand that you guys are
bringing to our beautiful beach
.
They do a wonderful job.
What they do is give back to
the community.
So I'm here to say I believe in
the recommendation to deny
the appeal.
Todd Purcell After that will be
Sandra Lim Color on color.
I think I just lost my good
pronunciation and missed a
sweet f w e t George Sweet i
believe.
And I'm Blair Big Ben Bob
because you ski If you can all
please come forward to
the other reserve seats please
proceed.
>> Good afternoon.
Thank you for being here.
My name is Todd Pearsall.
I moved to our wonderful city
in 1988 from Wisconsin.
I came here to play rugby with
on back and then I went to
California Western School of
Law.
I'm a 64 year old attorney.
I do like going around having a
refreshment in the sun and I
hope you will grant this a st
re.
But let me tell you how good
Scott is.
32 years ago I had a small
packer bar.
We had a Toys for Tots drive
and after we delivered our toys
to the fire department in p b I
stopped by on a little sunny
tour of pb the 710 Club which
was blind melons and told him
what I did and he said We'd
like to be part of it.
For the last 31 years blind
melons and or the 710 Club as
it's called has been part of
this Toys for Tots Drive that I
have ran in in the city in pb
at 12 bars.
We need a 40 foot truck.
The boys get eight grand a year
Santa a great things come
forward First of all PRESIDENT
LaCava and council members
thank you for what you do.
I'm amazed by this whole
process.
Thank you.
I really want to say I don't
think you guys get paid enough
so thank you.
However this turns out, I'm
amazed by this process.
I wanted to introduce myself.
My name is Sandy.
One cooler.
I was the founder of Warrior
Foundation Freedom Station
which is right here in
COUNCILMAN Whitman's area.
I have resigned last year to
move on to a more focused
nonprofit called Freedom Ranch
Veterans Foundation.
I know we're not here to talk
about nonprofits.
I want to tell you about a
gentleman who is a businessman
and he is a pillar of our
community.
His name is Scott Slager.
Scott's from Chicago.
I'm from Chicago.
We're both various brands yada
yada.
Okay.
I wanted to share with you that
I met him in 2015.
He called me up, did not know
who I was and said I want to
help the military in San Diego.
>> I want to help the military
in Camp Pendleton.
>> That was quick.
Thank you for your comments.
Allow our warriors George
Siegel to thank you for that
concluding comment.
George Sweet They fit in an
outdoor area.
Thank you.
After George we will be able to
be Kevin and Bob because you
ski If you can please come
forward to the front row to be
ready if you damage association
My job with the food and
beverages and training.
I've known Scott for about 15
years.
He asked me to come down
introduce people every six
months for security.
We send people here to monitor
the activities of the employees
to make sure everybody is doing
the job that they're supposed
to do.
The third item on the training
list is Windows.
When the ban is placed
the windows are to be closed
When there is no music that
windows can be open.
Scott is very strict with those
.
I think the people that are
complaining that you guys don't
know what they're talking about
Thank you for that concluding
comment.
Blair Beekman.
After Blair McManus started
came.
All right.
Thank you Blair Beekman.
I'm working neutral on this
item.
With the sport field issues in
the Gilmore area a few months
ago now I was hoping City
Council could take a more
active role in how
the corporate entity and
the community could work
together on the item.
I hope they can do that for
this item.
I want to try to be friendly to
all sides And is it possible
that if this project was to go
through that there could be new
adjustments, acoustic
adjustments to really make sure
and overall efforts to
coordinate with the owners of
the bar can be respectful to
the community and there can be
dialog continual dialog and you
know what's working well and
what can be improved changed
upon.
>> Can this turn into an active
conversation of working towards
things for everyone?
Thank you.
>> Thank you Bob Because this
came item two or what's been
called yet.
I'll defer my comments to a
while.
Thank you.
I've started the five minute
timer going to those
participating remotely.
We have four people in
the queue as one minute each
starting with the original
after the original as Chris dug
into the original.
>> Please.
I'm you.
Oh ironic is it that this woman
you know sharing the words
lyrics of a song that is being
played at that place is you
know detrimental to children
that you only hear about it in
the chambers but you don't seem
to be caring that I think it
enough for are concerned about
that It's interesting to see
what you guys do with your
exemptions and you know when
some are used at once when
you're planning that you want
to do all this environmental
stuff It's all of these three
series of things that you guys
brought forward during covid
the regulations that policy
regarding that the changed on a
revolving door basis And so
like when they were first
implemented they had to be a
certain way had to have certain
awning and then all the so that
was like all that changed And
so the people had to go into
pay to take that away.
So it's just a bunch of
nonsense that you guys do with
this You kind to make people
jump through hoops but I think
you need to be listening to
the people who have lived
experience in that community of
what they're experiencing right
now.
But obviously for the pass
Thank you.
Next is Chris Duggan if you can
please on mute after that is
done stop.
Good afternoon.
Chris Dugan representing
California Restaurant
Association To you come before
you today to express your
cynical support for
the proposed greenery and to
respectfully request
the Council support staff
recommendation ignited
the appeal before you.
First, it's hard to believe
that nearly six years have
passed since schools,
businesses and governments
closed their doors due to
the global pandemic.
However, immediately with
the help of the City council we
came together to figure out how
we could stay open and that we
spaces as places.
So thank you and what
the pandemic MAY be in
the rearview.
The road to restaurant recovery
continues in the importance of
expanded outdoor dining remains
critical especially for a
project like 17 Beach Club.
So therefore I'm glad to see in
San Diego we respectfully
request the Council deny
the appeal before you and allow
this project to continue.
Thank you.
Next is John Stump if you can
believe him you.
>> Hello, John Stump.
I wanted to observe this
process in this process to novo
because I'm considering filing
an appeal myself on
the environmental determination
about using the parking lot in
Los Pesquisas Reserve as a
heliport.
This is the staff has made it
environmental determination
that this project is exempt
from cta under exemption 32.
It's not whether you grant
the appeal or not.
It's not over because after
this they still have to get
permits and after this
the community might decide to
file an environmental suit.
This has taken six months to
get here.
>> Think about that when you
talk about you For that
concluding comment.
>> Next is 8700.
If you complete them you after
that will be Shiela 8700.
Sorry I had to postpone 8700
You you know.
Thank you, Jason.
You had a 53 letter.
I agree with you.
I beautiful words Yet I do want
to say this from my perspective
The exemption from sequel based
on the staff finding stand it
stands And I listened to you
MR. Stump and while on and on
it goes I want to speak out to
demand that owns the bar
because I want to tell him that
I love him and I love the condo
owners.
I love both of you and this is
a family And why the dialog
didn't happen earlier and you
somehow found a way to work
this out.
I do not know.
I hope the bar did honor
the mediation.
It sounds like there was an
attempt to do that and maybe it
kind of got bumpy and they
failed a little bit.
I don't know.
But the bar owner I want to
tell you how sorry I am for
your struggles during the covid
crisis, concluded Shiela, if
you can please and you.
>> Hi.
Good evening.
My name is Shiela Hills and I'm
the PRESIDENT At Discover
Pacific Beach in favor of
the staff's recommendation to
deny the appeal.
Discover pd represents
the collective interests of
the business community in our
district.
Our board is made up of local
business owners who care deeply
about the future of Pacific
Beach and the success of
the businesses that help make
this neighborhood vibrant.
Our board supports outdoor
dining including 710 Beach Club
Street three because it helps
create the active welcoming
environment that residents and
visitors expect in a coastal
destination like.
Speaking personally I am and pb
most evenings along with
members of my staff and over
the past four years we have
never observed anything out of
control or even remotely too
loud associated with this
location.
I have served in community
court for over a year now and
I've never heard from anyone
with a citation for open
container from a 710 beach
club.
But do see this from other
businesses.
Parking has also been addressed
.
Additional parking has been
added and 710 Beach Club has
even worked to reserve parking
for customers to move vehicles.
History has concluded.
I will also note that the fact
that the timer has also
concluded there eight speakers
in the queue when that timer
went off no additional speakers
will be taken.
Starting with Sonny or next
because Sonny after that is go
through hellos.
>> Suddenly here executive
director of Discover Pacific
Beach where the Business
Improvement District
representing businesses in pb
and our mission is to support
our business community by
helping create a vibrant
welcoming environment for
residents and visitors.
Outdoor dining areas are an
important part of that vision
and they allow our small
businesses to activate our
public spaces and create
the kind of lively experience
that makes Pacific Beach
special.
Discover pd supports the Street
strategy at 710 Beach Club and
the broader concept of outdoor
dining in our district.
I will say it has been
challenging for many of our
businesses to go through this
process and we appreciate them
In turn for fighting the fight
to get that street a report
that in my experience as well
frequently businesses here in
Pacific Beach I never have been
to 710 and seen it as loud as
it has been described today.
So that was definitely news to
me.
>> Thank you.
Next is Guthrie Leonard, if you
can please on mute.
Hi.
Can you hear me?
Yes.
Please proceed.
Hi.
I'm really here to speak on
item 2a1 but I just wanted to
come in here and say I totally
understand.
I hate noise interruptions.
That's been a really big
problem in places I've lived in
the past But I really do think
this is a textbook example of
Scott being an antiquated law.
It should not take $100,000 and
a year to put up fences around
some tables and a couple
parking spots.
It sounds like most of
the people complaining about
this project really just have a
problem with the bar and not
the street or in general.
And so I really don't think
there's any grounds to allow
this appeal.
>> Please tonight.
Thank you.
Next zoom if you complete a
zoom user please on mute after
that is live concert please
proceed.
Hi, this is Hector.
I'm not commenting.
I'm like a 72 year old guy with
a big beach cruiser.
I would consider myself an
endangered species because when
I go down there at night
cruising on the boardwalk and
there's drunk people it's kind
of a little dangerous sometimes
.
But I would say the guys should
put this area up on the roof
and restore the parking spaces
and the sidewalk is a normal
sidewalk for the general
public.
Thank you, Leif.
Oh, I have if you can please
unmute.
>> Hello, my name is Lofgren.
I'm a resident of North Park
and I got to frequently.
All place I've been I've been
in contact.
It's a great venue.
I'm speaking in support of
the Appeal Keystone.
Please let the owner have
freedom under section.
It's quite interesting to see a
common pattern that we see all
over the country and I've even
seen in another in other
countries where the residents
are opposed to something that
potentially created a noise
therefore robbing the youth and
people who want to go out of
something like that be
the lively neighborhood noise
has to be respected.
One of the things it's kind of
funny that we're using
squatters.
For me this is a textbook
example of Sitkowski was
everybody wants to restore a
parking lots therefore
increasing the demand for cars
which is a clear a clear
environmental pollutant.
So what do you think What to
reduce noise is a clear
violation of that We've seen
that in in Berkeley.
So what I want to say is yes
please staff and follow
the staff recommendation and
appeal a rejected appeal.
>> Thank you.
Next is Tanya.
If you can please unmute after
that is 1335 Tanya.
Hello.
I'd like to specifically
address the concern that
the 710 Beach Club is impacting
local parking.
To suggest that five spaces
significantly alters parking
availability and p is
respectfully a
mischaracterization of the data
when you consider the huge
amount of visitors P.B.
Welcomes daily five spots
represents a nominal fraction
of the total capacity between
the ample parking within a
short walk and the high volume
of ride share usage in this
corridor.
These spaces are far more
valuable to the city as a
source of tax revenue and local
business growth than as asphalt
for five cars.
That's all I have.
Thank you.
Next is 1335 if you can please
unmute star six.
After that will be Denise
Bingham 1335 Academy for you.
You do have to press star six
in order to unmute we will have
to move on to our next speaker
If you can unmute going to
Denise.
After that our final speaker is
Ted Dennis.
>> Hello, my name is Denise Van
and I have been a patron of 710
Beach Club for over 15 years
and I have seen what MR. Slager
has done from the upgrades that
he has made through
the mediation to mitigate
the sound noise that is coming
from it as well as being at
the bar when live music happens
and all of the doors are shut
per the mediation requirements
.
I also believe that having
the street does give a more
vibrant and lively situation
for Pacific Beach which
continues to allow for more
revenue and tax taxing that can
help the city rebuild whatever
they need to do.
So I am in support of
the denial of the appeal.
>> Thank you.
Thank you.
And our final speaker on Zoom
is Ted Winkler, if you can
please on mute.
>> Good afternoon.
Thanks for your time.
Ford.
I'd like to recommend a nice
in.
I believe that Scott and his
business have covered
everything that the simple
application has stated and
there should be no appeal with
that.
I do know that the people
across the street.
How about an issue with Scott
for over 30 years?
Scott tried to hypothetically
appease every possible way for
them that continue to be
abandoned in existence.
As you can see that long list
of calls dated over 30 years
that was presented I assume
most of the coming from
the same exact people as well
in the presentation that was
presented to the calendar.
If you look at that closely,
every one of those states had
karaoke or trivia.
Couldn't imagine That being
said, the big problem for
the neighborhood seven towns
going to employ 40 people at a
time during the time of
the pandemic they almost closed
down and I believe clinging on
to this time a lot of your time
has concluded.
>> If you raise your hand
the five minute timer had also
concluded so no additional
speakers will be taken through
the virtual queue.
We did had 14 speakers 14
people registered there.
Request to serve.
Sorry let me say this a little
bit.
We had 14 people donating their
time to Scott Sliwa that did
not wish to speak.
Noting that for the record and
we have Rich Richards who was
in that pile in error.
So if Rich Richards can still
please come up.
Also note while you make your
way up that we did receive
three comments in favor and
nine comments in opposition.
We are a comment forum which
have been distributed to
the Council.
Please proceed.
Very good.
Thank you to the Council for
allowing me time to speak.
I've been a homeowner and a
resident of Pacific Beach since
1990.
36 years.
I just want to give my support
to 710.
It is an important integral
part of the Pacific Beach
community.
It's a restaurant social
meeting spot sports venue And
while the only night spots to
provide live music which is now
a dying art in San Diego.
When I first moved there there
was probably seven venues that
had live music.
It's got two places now or one.
On a personal note, I was in
Thailand when the war when I
got hit by the tsunami.
I was on one of the smallest
islands.
When I did come back Scott Flag
without hesitation came up to
me and asked how he could help
.
He decided to do a fundraiser
and he donated his
establishment as well as his
staff and provided live music
for that event.
It was quite successful.
Now he helps out with the beach
cleanup and working with
wounded veterans.
Pb will always be a destination
spot for San Diego residents
for the U.S. And the world.
>> It's good to have a multi
venue event like this.
Thank you for that concluding
comment.
That does conclude the public
comment on this item.
Council PRESIDENT Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you City Clerk.
Our apologies that we somehow
missed your slip so I want to
give you a chance.
One of the things I like to do
on these big items is give our
city clerk a round of applause
for managing all the speakers
and the rollouts and and that
goes to her team as well.
So thank you for that.
So I want to thank the staff,
the appellant and the applicant
.
This is now in District one so
I'll take the lead on this.
Thank you to those who showed
up in chambers and spoke or
showed your support of things
you liked in your position
the things you didn't like and
as well as those who
participated virtually We heard
a lot of things this afternoon
so I wanted to make sure that
we all understand what we're
here to talk about and that is
the action on the appeal of
the environmental
determination.
It is not a consideration of
the St3 application.
It is not a conversation about
the location of the off street
parking replacement or
the parking spots at the three
we would take up.
It is not about whether
the property is operating in
compliance with the mediation
as some spoke to.
It's not about the operation of
the 710 Club itself.
Nor is it about the character
or the personalities of those
involved.
So a couple of questions before
I jump in.
This one's for staff and I
think you've been given a heads
up to start the mine and make
sure for myself and for my
colleagues here on Council
the applicant did submit a
pretty lengthy document
detailing their appeal.
The typically receives from
staff an explanation or
rebuttal to each issue raised
by the appellant.
And yet the staff report and
the slide deck appear to be
silent.
How should we take that?
>> So what what the staff
report was written on was
the appeal that was filed which
checked all of the boxes on
the appeal form but provided no
additional information.
The balance of the information
was provided very close to
the hearing and staff did not
receive it in time to respond
in kind.
Okay.
I say that for a couple of
reasons One to make sure it
wasn't a reflection of
the material You simply did not
occur to it.
But also as a message to
anybody else who chooses to
appeal that you need to submit
your documentation when you
file the appeal or to make sure
that staff gets it and plenty
of time for you to respond to.
So thank you for clarifying
that And I can I can understand
that because this is a notice
hearing.
You have a time limit and you
have to do your work.
So as to the environmental
determination in addition to
the testimony today, I did
review the material that was
attached to the docket as well
as the comments that were
submitted online that the city
clerk relied on referred to
staff relies on categorical
exemptions related to
the infill development.
So that's where
the conversation needs to focus
on.
As was mentioned, Section d of
the categorical exemptions
includes approval.
The project would not result in
any significant effects
relating to traffic noise, air
quality or water quality.
And where of course we're not
talking about the approval of
the project but the evidence to
support whether we have enough
information in
the environmental determination
excuse me staff included
information that compliance
with San Diego Mississippi Code
59.50401 would ensure noise
impacts would be less than
significant And yet the city's
own track record is at this
property has not necessarily
complied despite numerous
enforcement efforts by blue of
the appellant including
information about dozens of
noise complaints Complaints
does not mean violation but it
does show a pattern.
So staff also relies on secret
guidelines Section 15 300 point
to be saying the projects
inspected have no significant
cumulative packet but that
appears to treat the Street
three in my opinion as a
standalone project separate and
distinct from the restaurant.
The theory is an expansion of
the restaurant bar and the two
cannot be separated as
suggested in the environmental
determination.
We must examine the cumulative
impact of at least the street
around the restaurant with
regards to especially noise.
I recognize that the only
action before us is
the environmental
determination.
However, the secret exemption
relies on this council to find
the project would not have
significant impacts.
There is significant impact
evidence in the record and
whether it's the owner or
the customers of the operations
about compliance with
the municipal code.
This evidence to me constitutes
unusual circumstances.
One of the criteria in
considering the appeal as many
people smoke bars and
restaurants in the area open
light, serve alcohol and play
music with fewer complaints.
And there is evidence that an
outdoor cherry tree can
exacerbate what is already
happening with the adjoining
restaurant and bar.
Whether that's the operation or
the customer's nightlife is a
part of Pacific Beach, let's
all recognize that.
But the frequency of violations
over a consistent period of
time demonstrates the history
that constitutes of unusual
circumstances.
The termination also used
the small project exemption and
ignore the cumulative effects
of the street which combined
with the restaurant bar which
really kind of surprised me.
This wasn't just a small
project it's a definitive
expansion of an existing one.
Secret guideline Status
Significant effect is a
substantial potentially
substantial and first change in
any of the physical conditions
within the area affected by
the project including what
ambient noise?
While I am loath to require
environmental analysis for
converting converting a tobacco
to a string theory, there is
substantial evidence in
the record that several
exemptions listed in
the determination in my opinion
do not apply.
I cannot make the findings in
support of the environmental
determination.
So with that I will move to
grant the appeal and set aside
the environmental determination
in accordance with section 112.
0520f and leave it to staff as
to the appropriate level of
sequence analysis to address
the issues raised in this
afternoon's hearing.
And as a reminder to everyone
here this is not a decision on
the permit application and just
a narrow one on
the environmental
determination.
So I have made a motion and
we'll go next to Councilmember
Campbell who used to have
Pacific Beach and her district.
Thank you, Council PRESIDENT.
I'm happy to second your motion
.
>> Okay.
So a motion by myself to grant
the appeal and set aside
the environmental terminations
cited by Councilmember
Campbell.
I don't see anybody else on
the lights.
Councilmember Bong Wolpert.
Thank you, Council PRESIDENT
And thank you to everyone for
coming in.
So this is very loud today.
I know this is your council
district and so of course you
have expertise And I just had a
question about the last time
you made this was what we're
deciding today is only
the second appeal not about
the permit itself.
That is correct.
So if we were to deny
the appeal today, would there
still be a permitting process
the business owner would have
to go through to continue
operating?
Sorry, don't answer.
Okay.
I believe the project plus
the new determination would
come forward to city council
City council would take
jurisdiction.
So we would hear this again.
You would hear the project plus
the new determination.
What's the new determination?
I mean I'm so I'm sorry the new
seek with determination.
>> MAY I clarify?
You mean if the council were to
deny the appeal today your
original question?
Okay.
So the project
the environmental determination
would be final but the project
would still be would go before
the hearing officer for a
process three decision that
could be appealable to
the Planning Commission if
appealed and the city's final
determination could also be
appealable to the coastal
Commission because this is in
the Coastal Commission's
appealable jurisdiction.
Okay.
So then I know the Coastal
Commission had required any st3
which took away parking spaces
to have an offset of parking
spaces.
So are there new parking spaces
being provided here?
>> Yes.
Applicant has located five off
street parking spaces and an
adjacent paid parking lot in
the next block 8845 Garnet, i
believe is the address.
I can't I don't recall whether
the Coastal Commission would
allow for paid parking as an
offset or these were paid
parking But anyway weren't
they?
I'm sorry weren't these
the street parking They were
parking meters so I assume they
were paid parking anyway you
know I mean.
Okay.
Yeah I remember the Coastal
Commission coming down on us
for this issue.
I just they come down on us a
lot so I don't recall MR. MR.
Slagle able to maybe able to
speak to this further I believe
he's paid for those spaces so
they are paid People can park
in them.
Understood.
Okay Thank you.
I guess my my overall question
I understand the very narrow
grounds on which we have to
evaluate a secure appeal at
the same time, I do know that
there's a lot of community
concern about the conduct in
the noise and everything going
on.
So can that be even if that
cannot be addressed through a
sequel appeal, could that be
addressed through the permit
process by which the community
could be heard and the owner
could make any kind of
modifications about the noise
and about the violations and
all of that?
>> It it depends on what you
mean by address In order to be
able to approve a street or re
here we would need to make sure
that the street area operated
according to the regulations
for street trees um they don't
specifically address noise but
they do specifically address a
lot of other things like hours
of operation etc. So it really
depends on what you're
concerned with.
Okay.
I just I want to make sure that
folks who are facing challenges
from an adjacent business are
able to get their a concerns
addressed even though we MAY
not be able to do that in
the narrow grounds of a sequel
appeal.
So I will just leave that
there.
I understand that we're very
limited right now on what we
can review but I'm hopeful that
there would be a process by
which this could be done.
So thank you.
Thank you Councilmember
Belmopan And to your point I
just want emphasize a number of
things that the appellant
brought up are all descriptions
of the project no longer in
place they've made
the application has been
updated and I wanted to be very
careful not to get distracted
by how the application as you
said we're constrained in a
very narrow conversation about
the environmental determination
.
And to your other point if I
might.
There was a decision by city
council many years ago that
projects were getting caught in
a loop that the environmental
was appealed to council.
Council would send it back.
The environmental would be
updated.
Only the environment would come
up.
They'd send it back again.
So they made a decision that
once the environmental thing
gets appealed then council
takes full responsibility for
the project so you're not
bouncing around.
So to the degree that might be
helpful and so so so there is a
path for the applicant maybe
not one they're going to like
but there is a path.
So I'll be candid about that.
Councilmember Hemphill Thank
you.
>> Council PRESIDENT Thank you
for the presentation staff I
appreciate all the members of
the public for their
participation today.
Obviously a small business
trying to thrive and San Diego
is going through a lot to do
that and succeed and neighbors
have concerns about impacts
that happen in
the neighborhood.
I appreciate both of you for
putting that forward.
My question for staff So in
essence the determination was
to grant the application of
restaurant and we have an
appeal here.
Did I not hear you correctly
that the appellants who want to
stop 710 from moving forward
didn't submit what they needed
to submit in a timely fashion?
I thought I understood you
saying that in response to
the council PRESIDENT's
question.
That's correct.
Okay.
So is there not a municipal
code or council policy that
states that if you don't turn
in as valid as some of their
concerns and I hear them loud
and clear are if they don't
turn in their documentation
appropriately, if they don't
allow staff to have the ability
to rebut it, is there not
something in place in our code
that says if you fail to turn
this in it kind of moves
forward?
I know the council makes
the ultimate final decision
process five at this point but
what is our policy or municipal
code say about failing to
protect your appeal rights?
Our policy is if the appeal fee
is paid and the form is filled
out then the appeal is valid.
The code requires an appeal to
be valid but that that is
the way that we currently
interpret it.
Okay.
I feel like excuse me I see
staff conversing occupied.
I'm just wondering if
the comments if there was
something that needed to be
said on the record I'm not
we're not aware of anything in
the code that says that they
have to submit the paperwork at
the time that they submit their
application.
Okay.
All right.
I I'm wondering if the well, as
you heard what they were saying
and you saw the evidence in
front of you and the points
that the appellant's were
putting forward, is there
anything you would like to add
so that I can make my decision
as to whether their points were
valid or invalid Because it
seems I mean I know that's hard
work because you have to go
through a lot of hoops with
the city attorney's office with
the departments to figure out
what's going on it I feel like
the place I've been put in is
between a rock and a hard place
where we have a valid appeal
because they filed a piece of
paper correctly but didn't give
staff the ability to discern
what was correct versus
incorrect.
And we have an applicant who
has really worked hard to
answer a million questions that
undeniably the city puts him in
place for small businesses.
So do you have any response to
the appellants that I can hear
and making my determination
What I can say is that
the baseline conditions are
the restaurant that is existing
and including the noise that is
already in the restaurant And
we analyzed the what if whether
the whether the secretary would
cause an increase in noise and
we determined that that would
not be the case.
Okay.
So just last question for
the city attorney.
So there's nothing that's a
waiver of your appeal rights in
this process for failing to
supply evidence or reasoning
with a piece of paper where you
check boxes.
>> The code does not require
submission of arguments at
the time you submit your form.
>> I understand.
Okay.
To add to that Councilmember
Yes please.
There is some case law that
discusses this but generally
the applicant can make
additional arguments the day of
the hearing so that is not
legally prohibited or shortly
before the hearing.
However, there's always an
option for the Council to
continue the item to allow
staff more time to evaluate
what's been recently brought up
.
Thank you for that answer.
I feel like well my my analysis
of the situation is that it's
it's I'm in a position where I
can't make a decision without
the staff's ability to respond
to what in the presentation
sounded like valid arguments.
But on top of that to your
point, MISS Fitzgerald,
the without that information
the applicant also can't defend
themselves from those
allegations as well.
So we're in a place where it
seems like the process has
fallen apart a bit or at least
or at least the rules we have
in place don't allow us to
discern very well.
I won't belabor it any further.
I think from a policy point of
view my I think that to be able
to give both sides the fairness
of it there should be a
continuance.
But since that's not the motion
on the floor I'll and my
comments and I appreciate
the council PRESIDENT For his
questions and discernment thank
you.
All right.
I don't see anybody else in
lights but I will say member
can't be if you want to work
together to raise the bar.
I am old enough to remember a
time when appeals were actually
judged whether they in fact
were sufficient.
Maybe it was the fact that we
raised the fee to a thousand
bucks That MAY have changed our
thinking but I think there is
some validity going forward to
pursue that.
So so I appreciate your line of
questioning there.
>> Council Member Foster it
just a quick question and I
guess I'm unclear on violations
versus complaints I guess are
there were there no were there
no violations on record or.
Well, I'm not understanding
exactly where we stand with
that.
So you're referring to noise
complaints versus other types
of violations that perhaps So
the what we are discussing in
I'm assuming the issue is
the noise is kind of as we're
looking at the environmental
part of this at least that's
what I gathered from
the conversation and I'm trying
to understand And I think if
the owner's here when he showed
his presentation there was a
note of a violation that said
1000 I think I said one k if I
remember correctly.
So I guess my question would be
do we have a record of
violations?
>> So I'm sorry just just
actual violations.
Project is submitted in part in
response to the st3 being out
there in need of a permit.
They were cited for having
unpermitted st3 Okay And so
that was that violation was
cited by development services
noise complaints go to
the police department so I
wouldn't have in-depth
information on that at this
time.
>> Okay.
So as it went through this
process, at no point in time
did you guys say Hey, Senegal
pd Do we have any any valid
findings regarding noise
complaints?
I don't believe we would
consider that a secret issue.
Okay.
Courtney That wouldn't be an
issue now Okay.
>> We'll do at the end of
the day as we look at
the process, this is going to
come back before council with I
guess a if I understand this a
revised sequel determination
and then council makes a final
decision Is regards to permit
status I guess I'll say Is that
correct If you if the council
upholds the appeal, fine.
Yes.
Okay.
All right.
Thank you.
>> Council member Campo again
sorry.
Just briefly So if the motion
passes come back to us with a
different resolution that would
find that it does it does
qualify under Secord that it is
impacted or rather let me state
it correctly saying that
the project is not exempt from
a sequel.
Correct?
That's what the new resolution
would say because your
determination from staff was
that environmental
determination is that
the project is exempt from
sequel.
So you're going to come back to
us with one saying it's not
exempt from sequel, not
necessarily.
It just depends on
the environmental analysis that
is done.
We could come back with another
exemption.
Understood.
Okay.
Understanding that this isn't
the understanding that I I've
total respect for what
the council presidents put
before us as a motion.
I'm finding that the complete
failure to provide evidence
beforehand is what is really
sticking in my mind as a
procedural issue.
I know that that's not a
requirement we have but just as
a pure matter of fairness, I
sympathize with what
the community is saying in
terms of their concerns but I
feel like we have to hold
applicants and appellants to
turning in the evidence
appropriately for discernment.
So I can't bring myself to vote
in favor of the motion at this
point just from a pure
philosophical point of view.
I don't disagree with where
the council PRESIDENT Is coming
from and I respect his motion
but I'm going to have to vote
no.
All right.
I can appreciate that and I
appreciate your candor not
seeing anybody else in
the lights.
We have a motion by myself and
a second by council member
Campbell up on the lights to
grant the appeal and set aside
the environmental
determination.
Clerk Please call the vote I'm
sorry The voting system Please
cast your vote.
I'm sorry.
Can you give me your vote for
the record please?
That passes 8 to 1 with Council
member Campion voting no Thank
you Council PRESIDENT All right
.
Thank you again.
Thank you everybody that showed
up.
Thank you to staff for the good
work that you did.
So with that please introduce
item 201 Item 2a1 is to
determine and declare posted
speed limits throughout
the City of San Diego Vision
zero Update and Findings of
Speed a management Plan If
you'd like to speak on this
item now is the time to submit
your speakers up to the front
of the room in the clear box or
if you are participating
remotely please be sure to
raise your hand by pressing
Star nine or the raise your
hand icon.
Thank you Counsel PRESIDENT All
right.
Thank you So staff you don't
need to rush up too fast.
We're going to let the chambers
kind of empty out.
Yeah, yeah.
So you're out that if you
wouldn't mind taking your
conversation into the foyer or
down the elevator into
the lobby.
All right, Staff item 201
please introduce yourselves for
the record and let us know how
much time you need.
Good afternoon.
Council PRESIDENT Like other
council members, my name is
Alex Waldo.
I'm the interim deputy director
with the Transportation
Department.
i am joined by my colleague Eva
Hauser, program manager with
the Transportation Department
as well and Naomi Chavez,
interim director tdi.
And we will need 15 minutes.
>> All right, when you're ready
By way of establishing a
background, the city adopted a
Vision Zero policy back in 2015
.
The goal of Vision Zero is to
eliminate severe injuries and
fatalities from traffic related
crashes within the city.
Vision Zero is a citywide
effort with contributions from
many different departments as
listed on the photo here
including police planning,
communications development
services, engineering and
capital projects and
Transportation Department.
>> The city has tracked a
number of severe injuries and
fatalities each year since
the adoption of Vision Zero.
There's clearly still a lot
more work to do.
But this data here shows if you
add a trend line, the total
fatal and severe injury crashes
have decreased in San Diego
since 2018.
This progress stands in
contrast to the national trends
which have seen increases in
fatalities and injuries
especially in the years
following the covid 19 pandemic
.
>> All crashes matter but this
data here shows that people
walking are overrepresented in
serious crashes and that's
because they're the most
vulnerable when interacting
with vehicle traffic.
The city's Vision Zero
Strategic Plan is based on
the following strategies that's
listed here and this is what
guides our work Every day we'll
be reviewing these elements in
more detail in the next few
slides.
The city's Vision Zero
engineering efforts are at work
every single day.
We are responding to citizen
requests which total nearly
7000 requests annually along
with evaluating crash history
at high incident locations we
review crashes that result in
fatalities.
We conduct proactive systemwide
safety analysis.
We implement over 2000 traffic
safety improvements annually
and we also develop additional
plans including the upcoming
speed management plan.
>> This slide talks to
the volume of work that happens
daily in our department.
Despite our best efforts,
the Department does not have
the resources necessary to
respond to all of the needs in
the city.
There is currently a need of
$212 million annually to build
the Vision Zero cap projects.
We currently have a backlog of
over 2300 traffic service
requests for engineering
evaluations and a backlog of
nearly 2000 traffic improvement
installations.
A lot of what I've discussed so
far has been related to
engineering but there are two
other components that are
critical to help us meet our
vision zero goals and that is
education and enforcement.
This slide illustrates just
briefly the role of enforcement
in dealing with speeds on our
roads.
We partner with police
department and communications
department to perform traffic
enforcement in targeted areas
and educate the community on
roadway safety, education,
community and creating a
culture of safety.
Make up the remaining portions
of the strategic plan focusing
on how people experience
the city's efforts, apply them
into their daily lives and know
where to go.
For more information.
And again, the city's
communications department works
collaboratively with
transportation, engineering and
police to provide these updates
and services to residents and
the community.
The city's vision Zero
Strategic Plan uses many
elements to address street
safety.
What I'll be focusing on now is
our ability to make our changes
to speed limits using recent
changes in state legislation
and the findings of the speed
management plan To give a bit
of a background In 2022
the city applied for the safe
streets for all federal grant
and was awarded a three part
award to develop supplemental
plans to support a vision Zero
strategic plan.
One of those elements was
the preparation of a
comprehensive speed management
plan.
>> To give additional
background on how speed limits
are set, Transportation
Department is responsible for
performing the speed surveys to
establish the speed limits
citywide The speed surveys are
done on a 7 to 14 year cycle
about 842 miles are surveyed.
That's a quarter of the street
network Speed limits are based
on the 85th percentile That's
the speed at or below which 85%
of drivers are traveling under
free flow conditions And not
all of our street network are
surveyed.
Any on and surveyed street are
set at 25mph by default and
these are mostly our
residential streets.
California vehicle code does
require that speed limits be
established by resolution.
So any reductions that we're
proposing as part of this plan
will have to be updated by city
council.
This slide is a reminder that
effective speed management is
more than just about the posted
speed.
It's also about the conditions
that encourage safe speeds and
provide those safe crossings.
The city's objective with
the speed management plan is to
implement the speed reductions
with changes to the built
environment.
The photos shown here are our
most prominent vision Zero
projects and their evolution
from traditional capital
programing to our quick build
installation of safety
improvements The Quick Build
Roundabout something
the Transportation Department
can build quickly in-house and
significantly cheaper than
the traditional build projects
.
The urgency that we're all
feeling with Vision Zero really
pushes our department to move
faster with less resources.
Hence the department is
actively working on more of
these quick build facilities In
addition to finishing up
several of these traditional
build projects, the speed
management plan is very data
driven.
It's using the data and
information from the city's
systemic safety analysis.
That evaluation essentially
looked at ten years worth of
injury crash data to find
patterns and common
characteristics where these
crash sites are happening And
by doing that it allows
the city to be more proactive
and program improvements rather
than reactive and waiting for
crashes to occur.
I think it's important to
emphasize the speed management
plan relies in part on
the systemic safety analysis to
help narrow candidate locations
for speed reductions within
the select categories of
Assembly Bill 43 State Assembly
Bill 43 b 43 allowed for a
number of changes in
the vehicle code which allows
the cities to be more flexible
when setting the speed limits
The table here shows the four
major categories that we will
review and what they mean for
speed reduction.
>> ab 43 allows for an
additional five mile per hour
speed limit reduction for
safety corridors for ped bike
generators and business
Activity district.
It also allows further
reduction at school zones and
we'll go over each of these
categories a bit more in detail
.
>> Safety corridor is defined
as the highest number of severe
fatal injury crashes and only
about one fifth of the network
can be in this category.
>> The plan focuses on reducing
speed limits along systemic
safety corridor where fatal or
severe injury crashes have
occurred and where these common
patterns or roadway
characteristics are present
speed reduction is important
but as mentioned we also want
to pair them with improvements
for maximum safety benefits We
are proposing in fiscal year 27
cip budget request for a
handful of quick build projects
to help support the speed limit
reductions at the safety
corridors with additional
requests planned in future
years.
>> The second criteria is
the ped bike generators.
This is defined as land use to
generate high pedestrian or
bicycle use.
This triggers a lot of
locations throughout the city
Features like crosswalk
sidewalks, bikeways can trigger
this criteria so a lot of
streets segments can qualify.
The plan's approach is to focus
on these where these measures
are going to be most effective
which is within the systemic
safety corridors particularly
on transit routes that generate
high pedestrian and bicycle
activity.
In summary, the safety
corridors and the ped bike
generators are essentially
being combined and proposing to
reduce speed limits that would
include all 488 intersections
that's been identified through
the systemic safety analysis.
>> Business Activity District
is another category where speed
reductions are allowed.
Transportation Department
previously brought a package to
council in APRIL 2025 that
reduced speed limits along 11
business corridors.
The city regulations sets a
very specific criteria for what
qualifies as a business
activity district and through
this plan we evaluated the rest
of the city to identify
additional corridors that meet
this criteria and are eligible
for speed reduction and as a
result qualifying business
activity district streets
across the city will see speed
limits reduced down to 20 or
25mph depending on the street
design and how that street
functions.
>> Finally we have the criteria
for school zones.
The plan recommends speed limit
reductions at schools city wide
lowering speeds to 15mph within
500ft of a school and 25mph
between 500 and 1000ft of
schools.
The 15 mile per hour sign would
typically have the standard
when children present condition
included as part of that
signage And this approach is
being proposed and applied
consistently across all schools
throughout the city of San
Diego.
We do receive a significant
amount of requests from
stakeholders, constituents,
advocates to lower speeds
especially near schools.
This slide brings everything
together The milage is broken
down by the criteria shown.
The key takeaway here is that
through this plan the city is
proposing speed limit
reductions on roughly one fifth
20% of the overall roadway
network.
That's nearly 680 miles total.
We can't emphasize enough.
The plan also recommends
funding for future safety
improvements along these
corridors and pairing speed
reductions with traffic calming
measures to make them most
effective.
Implementation is expected to
begin in fiscal year 27 and
that's contingent on funding
the same crews who would
install these speed limit signs
are fully dedicated to parking
operations and expansions and
there are normal routine
traffic service requests that
they perform throughout
the city to support
implementation.
We are requesting $2.4 million
in fiscal year 27 that funding
would cover materials and
installation for approximately
3000 new speed limit signs
including 1200 new poles, 3000
signs exceeding more than half
of our Sign Shop's annual
capacity.
So an external fabrication
vendor will be needed to avoid
impacting day to day operations
That causes about $180,000.
The remaining funds primarily
cover staff overtime that's
needed to deliver this work
efficiently within one fiscal
year If overtime funding is not
approved, we do expect impacts
to our routine traffic service
requests and other traffic
safety improvements simply
because this work would be
competing for those same
limited staff resources.
With this funding in place,
however, the Department will be
well positioned to deliver
the speed management plan in a
timely manner.
Minimize impact StoryCorps
services and accelerate safety
benefits for communities
throughout the city of San
Diego.
Thank you.
All right.
Thank you for your
presentation.
I do want to note for
the record that we also have
Tammy Chavez, the interim
director of transportation as
well as Bethany Dusek.
And I'm sorry I have to read
this.
Chief Performance Logistics
Officer We appreciate both of
you being here for this item.
So with that Clark, please
proceed with public comment.
Thank you.
If I can have Aria Grossman,
please come forward.
You'll have a minute and a half
and then if I can have Ian
Hembree, Blair Beckman and Bob
Kozinski please come forward to
the other reserved seats at
the front.
Please proceed when ready.
Hello.
My name is Aria Grossman.
I'm the policy manager at
Circulate San Diego and I'm
speaking in strong support of
advancing the speed management
plan.
I want to thank you all for
taking this up And to everyone
who worked hard on this effort
we know for a fact that
lowering speed limits saves
lives 5 or 10mph.
It can be the difference
between walking away from a
crash and perishing.
I am excited that the city is
moving forward with this.
I think it's a fantastic
example of good leadership.
I would also like to thank
the Transportation Department
for stating that it plans to
prioritize school zones and
this is implemented when this
was heard at 80.
We are very supportive of this
approach as prioritizing Making
streets safer for children
should be a shared goal for all
of us.
I encourage the full council
and the mayor to make funding
implementation of this plan a
priority in the 2027 budget.
This effort, if paired with
targeted infrastructure
improvements like fixing
the fatal 15 and the traffic
calming measures we saw in
the presentation will together
go a long way towards making
streets safer for San Diego
residents.
This plan that we're hearing
today is great progress and
the city has the chance to make
a real difference with this
effort through the budget
process and I urge you to do
so.
Thank you very much.
Thank you, Ian.
Evening.
Good evening.
City Council My name is Ian
Henry and I am the advocacy and
community manager for the San
Diego County Bicycle Coalition.
I'm here to speak in favor of
the adoption of the city's
speed management plan.
I want to begin by thanking
the Transportation Department
for the presentation and their
hard work on this plan.
It is truly ambitious and
the speed reductions identified
in this plan will save lives.
Speed is one of the largest
factors determining the outcome
of a crash a person hit by a
car at 40mph eight times more
likely to die than a person hit
by a car at 20mph.
And for those who survive a
crash, the effects can be life
changing brain damage, lost
limbs and burdensome medical
bills are among the costs
incurred by those who survive
traffic violence.
Reducing speed limits is
the first most obvious step for
making our streets safer.
The next steps including
building safer infrastructure,
reallocating roadway space to
other modes and increasing
dangerous driving enforcement
should follow Make our streets
safer by approving this plan
allocating the requested budget
item for next year and
following through with
the commitments to plans,
policies and projects that save
lives.
>> Thank you.
Blaire Beekman Please come
forward.
Hi.
Thank you.
We're a big band.
I just like to first very much
thank Councilperson Von Wilpert
who I think really nice
questions about the previous
item with the police chief
about our current public safety
practice is I think he did a
really good job in asking
important questions that I
think work towards the concepts
of peace in this time of we're
in a fragile state of war.
Good luck how we can talk in
terms of openness and important
questions of best practices and
what vision Zero tries to do.
I think you've taken a really
good approach with Vision Zero
and with technology issues
overall you don't beat us over
the head with with tech
provision zero You don't want
to overly enforce vision zero
things.
You want us as individuals of
the community to come to our
own conclusions that
the slowing down is important
and thank you You're doing that
and you're you're working
towards that Good principles of
vision zero The quick build
ideas that is also going to
fast track new technology I
hope you wanting to have more
open accountable practices for
all our technology the more you
practice that open technology
practices it simply invites
better ideas and creative
thinking for your projects
Overall I see that at sandag
all the time.
I hope you can remember that
it's important how we build our
vision, our future.
>> Thank you Bob because I key
PRESIDENT LaCava I've been
watching this meeting all day
today and I understand that
you're not a fifth grade
teacher but I urge you to
properly chastise and or
discipline your fellow council
members who are routinely chit
chatting and looking at their
phones while the citizens are
speaking.
They could at least pretend to
pay attention Also PRESIDENT
LaCava where's the picture of
the PRESIDENT?
I think it's been over a year
now and I still don't see it in
our chambers.
We have had it there for as
long as I've been coming here
probably as long as you have
to.
Seems highly partizan and
disrespectful to intentionally
omit that from our chambers.
Finally with regard to this
particular item the cited speed
of 85% that means 15% above it
and 85% below it That already
makes 15% of our citizens
criminals.
I think that's enough.
>> Thank you.
So the five minute time we're
here in council chambers going
to those participating remotely
we currently have 13 speakers
with their hands raised.
Jason be if you can please on
mute after that will be Becky
Rep Jason please proceed.
>> Hi I'm a resident of
downtown.
I fully support the speed limit
plan and thank you to the city
staff for putting it together.
One thing I would like to see
is a reduction of speed limits
in our parks.
I believe this use case is
covered under ab 43 because
parks are pedestrian and bike
generators.
The big one is East Mission Bay
Drive which is inside Mission
Bay Park and is used for both
recreation and is also a key
bike route for commuters and
students to ucsd.
But it's very dangerous because
there are no bike lanes and
cars speed down it at over 45
miles an hour to skip traffic
on the five.
Another one is Balboa Drive on
the West Mesa of Balboa Park.
When the council voted against
a multi-use path in favor of
diagonal parking, we were
promised that joggers and bikes
would be safe because of a 15
mile an hour speed limit there.
However, somehow in
the intervening time the speed
limit was raised to 25 on
Balboa Drive.
And since then a cyclist has
already been hit by a car And
there's also no no no longer
nearly as many people jogging
and walking towards dogs on
Balboa Drive.
So please, you know, return
the speed limit on billboards
five at least to 15 if not ten
miles an hour.
>> Thank you.
Next is Becky Rapp If you can
please unmute.
After that is the original
booking rep I cannot meet for
you but good afternoon.
My name is Becky Rapp.
Thank you for bringing this
item forward As Vision Zero is
critical to public safety and I
urge you to consider a critical
piece of traffic safety that is
often overlooked and that's
the drug impaired driving
particularly driving high on
marijuana.
Unlike alcohol, there's
currently no universally
reliable roadside test that can
measure real time marijuana
impairment.
Thc can remain in a person's
system long after use and
impairment levels vary widely
from person to person.
This creates a serious
challenge for enforcement and
for public safety because there
is no clear threshold that
guarantees safe driving.
The safest public message is
simple If you have use
marijuana you should not drive
vision zero.
Should include stronger
education enforcement tools and
policy guidance addressing drug
impaired driving just as it
does for speeding distracted
driving and alcohol impairment.
>> Thank you.
Thank you.
Next is the original if you can
please unmute.
After that is very $180,000 for
you guys is to go change and
you got to go to a different
company because they won't be
able to handle all the signage
in the bank.
So when I talking about
overtime it's like this has
nothing to do with safety you
guys and everything to do with
controlling people's movements
.
You're actually putting people
in danger by doing things like
roundabouts.
We've already seen the data
come forward of this happening
in other locations yet you guys
refuse to acknowledge it So
you're literally putting people
in danger by putting in that
type of infrastructure and we
shouldn't have to pay for it
because you guys want to
control our minutes but you
need to quit telling people
that this is for safety And you
know all of this and that
because in reality like doesn't
matter.
People are always going to die.
It's a part of life and nothing
you guys do is actually going
to slow that down especially
when you guys are engaged in it
yourself.
It's just disgusting because
it's like you want to sit here
and you know literally make it
so that people drive around
more by taking away parking
spots and lanes and then making
things slower and you act like
not only is that going to bring
public safety but that it's
going to save the planet And
it's just it's ridiculous how
much money we have to spend in
order for you guys to change
something like that.
We shouldn't have to spend
$180,000 on parking signs
because you guys want to go in
and lower the speed limit when
there's people on the street
suffering and dying because of
your guys is negligent.
>> Your time has concluded.
Harry if you can please unmute.
After that is gathering.
>> Good afternoon Everybody is
here with respect Bird rock.
I'm speaking in support of this
item.
Thank you to the 80 I committee
for their unanimous vote and
shared with friends office and
city staff for
the Transportation Department
for their enormous work and
the mayor's direction.
Speed determines whether
someone walks away or is
carried away.
This plan will make San Diego a
statewide leader in
implementing 8043 lower speed,
save lives and protect
children, seniors and everyone
who drives walks or bikes
reduces emergency response or
litigation costs, creates quiet
or more peaceful neighborhoods
and safe streets are good for
business in Bird with street
parking revenues went up and
jobs increased.
We're grateful that La Hoya
Boulevard is included.
We appreciate Councilmember
Lacob and his staff responding
to many community concerns.
I continue to work with
residents.
The city could sell street
signs that the revenue
generator like other cities do
to offset costs.
That's just a quick idea.
But the cost of implementation
is modest.
The cost of doing nothing is
measured in lives lost.
We support this plan and
prioritize implementation
especially in smaller roads and
high traffic recreation
corridors, parks and beach
access areas from Moline to
Mission Bay Drive.
>> Thank you.
Next is Guthrie.
>> After that is Leif if you
can please.
I'm you.
Hi.
Thank you so much guys, This is
this is great news.
I'm so excited for this.
This is the type of bold and
important action we need.
It's a vision.
Zero is a thing that breaks my
heart every day.
I've heard way too many stories
of children dying of parents
dying of pregnant mothers
dying.
Just this year in L.A. We get
to do something special.
We get to show the state that
this is an important issue and
that we're going to take
the initiative and actually
address it.
So I encourage you to follow
through with what your staff is
recommending.
Follow through with lowering
the speed limits.
Follow through with
implementing the actual
physical safely safety
structures to make this happen
Because I do want to say I'm as
excited as I am about this.
Signs are signs right?
And as a YouTuber I watch once
said physics is more powerful
than science So I would
encourage you to implement
stuff like Limits as new quick
build speed bumps implement
the other quick build measures
that your staff are talking
about.
We have opportunities to save
lives and I love what Harry
said The cost of inaction is
measured in lives.
The cost of action is really
pennies on the dollar for what
our transportation budget is.
So I encourage you to pass this
measure and just show people
that you care about their
lives.
Thank you.
The five minute timer has
completed three speakers in
the queue and additional
speakers will be taken leave if
you can please unmute somebody
.
Hello my name is Left Campbell
and I'm the vice PRESIDENT Of
Writers The and there's not a
strong support of this measure.
Please approve It has not been
said from free to speak.
I can't really say much more to
it but I want to point out a
couple of things Where is great
that we're going to reduce
the speed limit?
I strongly agree that we have
to put in physical barriers to
actually ensure that people
keep to the speed limit.
That should also come with
enforcement For people going
over the speed limit.
Ultimately also what we want to
see is we want to see
structures that encourage
pedestrians to walk safely What
they want to go have bike lanes
that are physically separated
that gives cyclists more safety
when they ride the bike.
And then long term what we also
want to see is we want to see
dedicated bus lanes and trying
to signal priority so people
can go to the places where they
want to go fast And then also
if people do want to have a
drink we highly encourage them
to take public transport so
that they don't try to drive.
Thank you for for the attention
to this to this item and please
put it Thank you.
>> Thank you.
Next is Zach If you come please
unmute Zach please I'm here.
>> Thank you.
I'm calling in from district
five to support this measure.
As everybody here is aware,
multiple children died last
year either near a school or on
their way to school And that is
something that I am unwilling
to accept.
And again this measure passed
through committee and through
council as I hope it is would
show us that the City Council
is unable to accept that as a
cost of doing business too.
And as multiple commenters have
pointed out, speed of vehicles
makes a huge difference in
pedestrian safety.
5 or 10mph doesn't mean a lot
when you're behind the wheel of
a car.
But if you're hit by a car that
is the difference between as
another commentary about input
being carried away and walking
away.
I do want to second the calls
to increase enforcement in
these zones and add
infrastructure to for both
traffic calming as well as
pedestrian friendly and safe
bike infrastructure since a
sign will only go so far, it
must be paired with other
measures to ensure that drivers
are actually following those
signs.
I particularly think of a road
near me Castello Seal which
runs in fronof middle hool
and frequently parents are
parked in the bike lanes and
kids riding to and from school
or forced to merge with 35 mile
per hour traffic just to get to
their classes which is
completely unsafe And they
protected bike infrastructure
would go a long way bearing
with this to keeping them safe.
Thank you.
Next is John Stump if you can
please unmute after that is an.
Johnstone.
>> Speed kills there's no
question about it You know in
the time since we've been
tracking automobile deaths and
injuries the number of deaths
and injuries has kept at about
just under 50,000 a year.
Now the decrease at first was
because we put in padded dashes
and collapsible steering wheels
and all those sort of things.
But the real problem is speed.
I support this item.
I hope that enforcement will
enforce speed limits on Home
Avenue.
I live a half mile from it and
every night it's a track.
Home avenue please include
speed containment on Home
Avenue in District four.
Thank you.
And if you can please unmute.
After that is Kathryn Douglas.
>> Hey good afternoon.
My name is an r so I have and
I'm the executive director of
Bike City.
I want to thank city staff and
this council for making
the right choice here and
advancing the speed management
plan And I look forward to it
passing and eventually being
implemented.
About two years ago City
launched our legislation that
saves lives campaigns.
The push for the implementation
of two critical state laws ab
43 and ab 413.
These laws together give cities
the tools to reduce speeds and
improve visibility at
intersections.
Proven ways to save lives on
our streets.
We're grateful for
the willingness of many council
members and staff to have met
with us over the past two years
and work collaboratively to
move this forward.
Lowering speed limits is a
meaningful step in the right
direction.
But if we want to truly achieve
Vision Zero we know that signs
alone are not enough.
The next step must be street
reconfiguration and
infrastructure that actually
slows vehicles down By design
that means safer intersections,
daylighting traffic calming and
protected spaces for people
walking and biking as well as
enforcement.
We appreciate the progress
today and look forward to
continuing to work with
the city to build streets that
are truly safe for all San
Diegans.
>> Thank you.
Thank you, Kathryn Douglas and
then Nicole.
Your final speaker, Speaker
Nicole Burgess.
Long meeting today.
It's not that I'm opposed to
lowering speed limits but that
alone is not going to solve
the issue You hope to mitigate
.
Lowering the speed limit will
have zero effect unless coupled
with consistent widespread
enforcement which we do not
have.
Lowering the speed limit does
not change bad behavior.
Enforcement changes bad
behavior.
But the $2.4 million into cpd
so they can do the need for
enforcement.
I'm going to reiterate.
Lowering the speed limit will
have zero in fact unless
coupled with consistent
widespread enforcement which we
do not have.
Lowering the speed limit does
not change bad behavior.
Enforcement changes bad
behavior.
Thank you.
Thank you, Nicole.
If you can please unmute.
If you raise your hand after
that there are no more speakers
to be taken.
The five minute timer had
concluded.
Nicole please proceed.
Good afternoon.
My name's Nicole Burgess and
I'm here to show support for
the speed management plan and
all quick build projects that
can come up with a good budget
management.
I appreciate all of you staff
and all the awards that have
brought this forward to try to
get this to this point and I
appreciate all of you for your
support.
Moving this forward for all
the reasons that so many
speakers have said speed saves
lives So speed kills and slower
speeds always lives.
So imagine you on a 30 mile an
hour street riding your bike.
The thing that's going to make
you feel more comfortable is
when those cars are going 20mph
or less.
Our kids going to school is
the biggest thing.
So I appreciate that being our
focus.
Safe routes to schools and
getting these kids active and
moving to school is going to be
the best thing we can do for
our kids.
So all around this is better
for our communities, our
people, the people on
the streets every day whether
you're in a car bike fight
we're all going to be safer.
So thank you staff and board
for pushing this forward and I
appreciate you all on this.
Thank you.
That does conclude public
comment and item two to
present.
Thank you City Clerk with that
So I'll turn it over to my
colleagues on the council for
questions, comments and
entertain a motion and we'll
start out with the chair of
Active Transportation
Infrastructure.
Council Member Clyburn Thank
you Council PRESIDENT And
thanks to everybody who came
out or called in to offer
public comment on this
The active transportation
infrastructure Committee voted
unanimously last month to
recommend the council pass this
And I think my committee
colleagues for that and I want
to thank the Transportation
Department for all the work
that has got into this and this
has been a lot of work.
I appreciate all of
the neighborhood residents and
traffic safety advocates who've
been calling for speed limit
reductions for a long time.
They have inspired much of this
work.
This will make our neighborhood
safer by reducing speed limits
at school zones, business
districts and areas with lots
of pedestrians and bicyclists
and in places where there have
been a lot of crashes.
Speed limits in school zones
will be reduced to 15 miles an
hour where children are
present.
This will be much safer
especially for young children
who MAY not be paying attention
to traffic.
Most other areas that get lower
speed limits will see a five
mile an hour reduction Just
slowing down speeds a little
bit could make a big difference
in safety.
People across the city have
been asking for this.
Our neighborhoods want safer
streets with slower speeds.
Many people are asking us to
prioritize the school zones
where we begin implementing
the reduced speed limits.
MR. Grossman from circulating
the Eagle Report started her
comments this afternoon.
So for the record I'll ask
the same question that I asked
a committee which is can we
start by reducing speed limits
in school zones?
That's great Council Member
It'll be prioritized at school
zones.
Thank you very much and thank
you again for all of your work
on this.
And I will make the motion to
adopt the staff recommendation.
Thank you, Council PRESIDENT.
All right.
Thank you.
Council Member Towns So we do
have a motion to move the staff
recommendation by council
member and we'll go next to
council member camp You so
maybe we want to thank
the council member committee
for want to give him a second
when the time comes back and
we'll go next to council member
elevator.
All right.
I think I'll withhold
the second First I think it's
important to correct.
I will go next to council
member Campbell.
My apologies.
Thank you.
Sorry.
Council member deliverer Thank
you.
Staff Thank you very much for
your presentation, your good
work.
I'm happy to second the item
and I think council member
Whitburn for his good work and
his partnership and quite
frankly the entire Council's
partnership on this type of
issue We hear from constituents
so often about how they just
want safety in their community
and I can point to police, we
can point to fire and very,
very often I point to
the Transportation Department
for their work as colleagues of
shared Eliminating preventable
traffic deaths is so important.
The heartbreak we see in
communities lasts a lifetime
and it's a fundamental
responsibility to make sure
residents can move around
safely.
And we know that unsafe driving
is the primary cause of
the severe crashes we see And
what I've heard for so many
times in so many town halls is
that lowering speeds is what
people want to see.
And I've always had to point
back to state law or antiquated
regulations that say we really
can't do that for all these
different reasons But today we
can fix that and we have an
action before us That's a major
step forward And I want to
recognize the significant
effort of staff and state
partners and advocates,
community members, council
colleagues battling this act.
Thank you so much.
People should know that you've
saved so many lives in this
city And of course as the staff
report notes, this isn't this
isn't the only thing we're
doing Lowering speeds alone is
not the whole picture.
Safety comes with pairing new
limits with design improvements
and education and enforcement
to truly change that behavior.
And so while today's action
sets a new speed limits $2.4
million are needed to install
those 3000 new signs needed to
operationalize it.
As we discussed last week,
the ip outlook shows the gap we
have in mobility safety funding
which is the same pot that
supports these safety projects
that communities ask for For
District seven.
Many of the corridors in
the speed management plan
include Jackson Drive and
Waring Road, Zion Avenue,
Claremont Mesa Boulevard so
many school area streets where
families are walking and biking
every day and where these
paired safety upgrades will
matter the most.
So with all of that in mind
staff, my question for you is
what is the plan to prioritize
and coordinate the work so that
we can see the reductions and
those improvements roll out
along this course?
So we will prioritize areas as
we mentioned where the safety
benefit is going to be
the highest and that's starting
with the schools located along
safety corridors or near safety
corridors followed by other
school areas and then we can
work on the rest of the safety
corridors themselves followed
by the business activity
district.
But that's how it's being
prioritized currently based on
feedback that we received.
>> Understood.
Well, I appreciate the good
work of the Transportation
Department working with my
office, with my staff and and
working with your team whether
it's 730 in the morning paving
roads or we're talking in
briefings about how we're going
to make places safer for people
to walk.
My constituents deeply
appreciate this item And so I
that will conclude my second.
>> All right.
Thank you.
Council member committee Also
we have a motion by
Councilmember Whitburn,
the second by Councilmember
Kemp.
He told me the staff
recommendation will go back to
council member Eli Romero.
PRESIDENT Thanks for all
the work that is here.
I do want to just quickly
correct record because Council
PRESIDENT You were unfairly
blamed for something so came
down a few years ago came down
before this PRESIDENT For my
direction because I thought it
was weird to the PRESIDENT's
head floating in our chambers.
This is not a monarchy.
This is a city council chambers
And thank GOD that that fascist
base is in in here.
So on the other hand I'm sorry
you take enough in that seat
you don't need to take residual
for my decisions of a couple
years ago is a super important
and I'm really really grateful
that this is here in this way
This has been said time and
time again Speed kills and
slower speeds save lives.
We know that.
We've known that And far too
many times we've heard families
of victims of traffic violence
beg with us to make streets
safer in the city not because
it will bring back their loved
ones because they with all of
their hearts do not want to see
anybody else feel the pain that
they feel on a daily basis And
they can see throughout
the city the many, many places
where people's lives are in
danger.
And we saw a couple of just
unspeakable tragedies last fall
one in Catholic appeals
district, another in District
nine where a five year old died
crossing the street.
And I remember vividly learning
about that and it was right
around Halloween and I remember
holding my son's hand so tight
that weekend when we were going
out to look at the monsters
that he enjoyed looking at in
different neighborhoods And we
just have to do better by and I
know we are and this is a great
step in that direction.
I want to kind of Yes And some
of the comments that we heard
about this not being enough we
know it's not enough.
We know that this requires
investment and I think one of
the one of the issues that this
council has been super, super
collaborative about and an
agreement about is the need to
make our streets safer and to
invest in the changes.
So it is true that simply
posting a street sign won't
necessarily improve safety but
it is a step in the right
direction and we know that it
will help reduce speed and we
can make changes by way of
traffic calming and street
redesign and enforcement
strategies.
Ultimately this is about
accountability and not just
accountability for dangerous
drivers but accountability for
us as a city and demonstrating
that if we're serious about
eliminating traffic fatalities
that we're going to invest in
every tool available from
street management to safety
redesign to data driven
investments.
I will just be besides why I
think given where we're at in
terms of our structural budget
deficit, the backlog in street
repairs, why it's going to be
so important for us to continue
to lean into and know I've said
this time and time again but
quick build projects and
working with community to to
make changes quickly so that
communities aren't told that
the changes that they need are
going to come in a decade or
decade and a half but instead
in the amount of time that
feels appropriate for
the danger that they feel and
the protection that they feel
for their families and their
neighbors.
So I also thank you again.
I also want to give now I want
to give you credit in your new
role about being super
communicative, about the ways
that our parking revenue is
being used to make improvements
And I will give you an
opportunity at the kind of
seeing the way that this is
rolled out if there are any
ideas you have about the ways
that we can use that revenue to
improve street safety and speed
up the way that we're making
streets safer.
Thank you, Councilmember Rivera
Yes.
That it's something that we
could look into utilizing.
So yes, we can definitely look
into utilizing speed revenues
for making some of these safety
improvements in those areas.
>> I appreciate that.
Again, thank you for being
communicative.
The work that's been done has
been pretty remarkable.
Denver Streetlights fix,
potholes build.
I see you are following in that
these big filling that the big
shoes that you left behind to
get work done at a fast rate
and and make sure that
the community feels the benefit
from those investments.
Thank you again for all work to
bring this forward.
I'm glad we're taking this
step.
That concludes our comments.
Council PRESIDENT All right.
Thank you, Councilmember
Rivera.
We'll go next to Councilmember
Bob Wolpert.
Thank you and thank you for
the work on this item.
It's incredibly important that
we at least strive towards our
vision Zero goals making sure
pedestrians, cyclists, children
walking to school, children
walking to parks are safe e from
collisions.
So thank you to Councilor
Whitburn for your leadership
here I ask most of my questions
at our committee level and
active transportation.
I just want to reiterate that
we did ask our committee that
since we are going to
prioritize school zones when
lowering speed limits first we
are working with the school
districts to coordinate with
them.
So I'm glad that we were doing
that.
I also want to thank the folks
who come in you know, circulate
freely with the bike Coalition.
We are continual advocacy for
making our streets safer.
I'm proud to support this item
and I know that this is only
one of many tools we can do to
make our streets safer On
DECEMBER 21st, 2025 and I will
one call set things in motion
after a pedestrian was hit in
the crosswalk in the corridor
neighborhood in the suv who
struck the pedestrian pulled
over for a second and then took
off leaving the victim
seriously injured in the middle
of the roadway And it was only
notified to cpd by one of our
automated license plate readers
and the smart streetlight They
caught the collision on camera
and notified our pd real time
They were able to dispatch an
ambulance to the seriously
injured pedestrian and because
of a license plate reader they
were able to catch the hit and
run driver who stopped notice
they had seriously injured
someone and drove away And
we've seen this as well with
fatal collision with bicyclist
as well catching people who
have who are murdering people
on the street and leaving And
so I just want to take
circulate and others for
advocating for the responsible
use of automated license plate
reader technology because it is
saving lives even in this way.
But I do have a question though
that I get asked often about
enforcement of speed limits.
So I see our sergeant is here.
I get asked by my my my
neighbors and folks in my
district all the time about you
know, people are speeding down
residential zones and everybody
want the speed limit or speed
bump or a stop sign And it
breaks my heart because often
these are our neighbors who are
speeding through our streets.
But what can we do about our
enforcement of these new speed
limits given the police
department's serious
constraints and staffing While
we continue to accept
suggestions on where to conduct
enforcement, we have motorcycle
officers and traffic officers
who dedicate a lot of time to
speed enforcement.
But as you said we don't have
the resources for every street
in the city and every school
zone.
We're working on getting
traffic in place and to get it
done.
I think that's something that
we really need to prioritize
that will allow you citizens
anybody to submit
the complaints just like with
parking complaints and those
will go to traffic division and
our more cycle officers our
traffic officers will be able
to pull it up on their on their
phone If they're in
Northeastern division they
could see where the complaints
are and they could update that
information to go right back to
the citizen via email or
however.
So we have to prioritize based
on a crash site that we have
but really citizen complaints
of people that know their
neighborhood where the speeding
is.
Okay, Thank you very much.
I will let our constituents
know what if I get a dozen
requests and that we are also
always working with our school
district saying hey, do you
have personnel come out and
help with crosswalks and
everything?
But thank you for being here.
I appreciate all the work you
do and I'm proud to support
this motion.
All right.
Thank you.
Council member.
We'll go next to Council
PRESIDENT Pro Tem We thank us
PRESIDENT And thank you to
the team for your presentation.
We of course heard this at 80
So I think I just want to add
sort of a pragmatic lens to all
of this.
You had mentioned that if this
were to be implemented in the f
y 27 period that
the anticipated need in
the budget would be about $2.4
million.
Correct.
And I think we're one of
the states and probably even
the public recognizes that
given the budgetary constraints
that we're facing, I'm going to
even assume that that is going
to be a tall order And at
the end of the day we need to
actually think about a couple
of factors.
And so I want to emphasize
asking that the department as
you're looking at the potential
for implementing work with
the data that we do have
recognizing that from a
capacity standpoint you noted
that we're not being able to
make all decisions in-house as
well and some of that would
have to be set outside.
I think depending on what we
are able to allocate in
the budget we have a bit of
data throughout the city that I
think is actually quite helpful
as we determine what
the priorities are.
Some of that might be from
traffic reports, some of it
might be from citizen
complaints but we also have a
pretty good sense of the most
dangerous intersections around
the city And when you tie that
to nearby school zones I think
it gives you a sense of
corridors where traffic and
speed can be an issue because I
think like many of my
colleagues would echo that We
all recognize that simply
changing the number on that
street won't necessarily slow
the traffic down.
It's one step but it's going to
require additional follow up
Whether that's other traffic
calming enforcement etc..
I had a chance to tour Gov
Drive with a number of
residents from the University
Committee planning group
recently looking at a quarter
with a number of schools that
are on it.
It's the governor drive itself
is not necessarily considered a
school zone but what we see is
that it is adjacent to multiple
school zones and that's where
some of the heaviest speeding
takes place.
And I still remember a stretch
between Regents and Genesee
where there is a flashing sign
already that notifies you when
you're speeding on that street.
And so it's a very good example
from residents who say well you
could change that limit down
doesn't stop people from
actually speeding on
the street.
So I think having a targeted
sense of what the priorities
will be in terms of available
funding and capacity tying that
to some of our most dangerous
intersections corridors and
again prioritizing for schools
or adjacency to schools I would
hope gives us at least some
sense of where we can start
given whatever funding
ultimately gets allocated and
then hopefully we can go from
there.
So thank you.
Otherwise I'll be supporting
them.
All right.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee
We'll go next to council member
Foster Oh yes.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT And
thank you for the presentation
.
I just really wanted to you
know, when we heard this I
didn't previously brought up
safe routes to school And i
just want to thank the mayor's
office, Randi and the staff.
We had a very what I thought
was a very productive meeting
was in a unified school
district immediately following
them I want to say it felt like
it was within days within a
week and being able to pull
everyone together to start
those conversations.
I just really want to thank you
for that means a lot to me as
we are really trying to
increase safety.
So thank you for that and that
concludes my comments.
All right.
Thank you.
Council member Foster Not see
anybody else on the lights.
I'll have a few closing
comments myself to my
colleagues and thanking all
the staff at Transportation for
the work on this.
This was a pretty significant
lift in bringing this forward
and I appreciate the time and
effort that went into it.
I appreciate you in
the commercial districts first
kind of get the ball rolling
and then came in to do this
heavier lift on the remaining
streets.
As my colleagues have said, our
communities are hurting in
the wake of traffic fatalities.
We've had three and just in
2026 alone, you know, how do
you explain that to the family
and to the community?
One of them the first one we
actually seem to understand how
it happened as horrific as it
was.
The other two I think are still
being investigated and we'll
learn more about that.
And over the years we've made
progress towards our vision
zero goal goals but we know
there's still a lot more work
to be done to ensure our
streets are truly safe for
everyone.
Any effort that supports our
vision zero goals moves us in
the right direction especially
given that speed remains a
leading factor in both fatal
and serious injury crashes.
That said, as I think you
pointed out as my colleagues
are pointing out, lowering
speed limits alone is not
enough to create truly safe
streets or corridors.
But these speeds must be paired
with safety improvements such
as roundabouts, pedestrian
refuge islands leading
pedestrian intervals,
rectangular rapid flashing
beacons, hawk systems and more.
And that's why I appreciate
the speed management plan takes
a more comprehensive approach
by recommending street safety
improvements along side lower
speed segments, particularly at
key safety intersections.
I also want to recognize your
willingness to embrace quick
build projects which allow us
to make safety improvements
more efficiently, respond to
community needs quicker.
So I look forward to seeing
this plan come to life.
Just a couple of comments, a
couple of which I mentioned at
the briefing.
You know there was a lot of
agony in the public when we
instituted the day lighting but
we didn't actually paint
the curbs around But
enforcement started when
the curve was painted red
because that's what the state
law said.
What about reduced speed
limits?
Will they be enforced if we
take action today or with
the enforcement start only when
the new signs went up?
Council PRESIDENT
The enforcement will start when
these signs go up.
Okay great.
Thank you for stating that on
the record.
One of the public haulers
called in something that we
didn't really check into
because it's not entirely
within our district and that is
East Mission Bay Drive which I
believe is currently signed for
30 miles an hour and perhaps
Mission Bay Drive as well.
That's a very active street.
It has SROs bicycle use.
It's also a pretty narrow
street especially when you have
roads parked on both sides.
Given what the plan is in front
of us today, how do we get a
consideration of reducing
the speed limit on East Mason
and Bay Drive or just even
Mission Bay Drive?
>> Council PRESIDENT We can
still take we can still do
evaluations as long as
constituents submit those
requests for traffic calming we
could certainly look into to
see whether hb 43 will also
apply for that street or that
corridor.
So those are still being
submitted and we do evaluate
every 7 to 14 years for all
these streets and that could be
considered as part of that
analysis as well.
Okay.
That is what might be me but
I'll go ahead.
Also occurs to me that a lot of
that street also has reverse
parking stalls which you know,
has its own factor.
The last thing I'll ask about
is when I get most recent town
hall some folks alerted me that
there is a pilot program in
the state about speed
enforcement.
Maybe this was the governor's
idea that they measure speed
enforcement And if you go back
eight miles per hour over
the speed limit you just get a
ticket flat out.
You know it's not a ticket.
It's a right to go that fast on
that street.
Very clever use of terms as a
city Looking back on I maybe
that's a better question.
We are aware of the state law.
We have explored it with cpd
Education Department utilizing
some of our existing
technologies like Alpers.
However, our use policy around
Alpers prohibits it for only
for traffic enforcement And so
you would essentially have to
explore a different type of
technology And right now we're
just not in a position fiscally
to be able to do that.
Okay.
The state didn't bring any
money in with that new law
Unfortunately not as I
suspected.
But I'm glad.
Thank you.
At least we know that you
looked into it.
We'll see how future budgets go
.
I'll be supporting the motion
as well.
Again, thank you all for your
very, very good work on this.
So we have a motion by
Councilmember Whipper in
the second by council member
come to you Please call
the roll Please cast your vote
And that passes unanimously 8
to 0 with Councilmember Moreno
absent.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT.
All right.
Thank you.
Thanks for coming out.
Thank you everybody in
transportation for bringing
this item forward and to
the mayor's office as well.
With that we're not quite done.
We'll take up non agenda public
comment.
Council members respect and
appreciate the public's input
and are fully committed to
protecting every participant's
free speech rights at council
and committee meetings.
Clerk Please proceed with
public comment.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Proposal 2.7
on public comment is an
opportunity for members of
the public to comment on items
that are not on the agenda but
within the subject matter
jurisdiction of the City
Council.
Each speaker will have two
minutes.
Please note if there are eight
or more speakers on a single
topic the maximum time for
the topic will be 60 Minutes.
If you're in chambers please
email your speakers up now and
if you're joining us virtually
please is your hand to speak by
tapping the raise your hand
icon or if you're calling
participant Star nine.
Scott Chipman, are you there?
I don't see Scott Chipman
Kathleen Lippert I don't see
you're here in chambers where
we come in.
If you can please come forward
And I'm sorry we do have a new
speaker So Anthony rooms for
the roles of councils If you
have not spoken before you're
supposed to be going first.
So we're going to take a seat
and Anthony Ross, please come
forward.
You'll have two minutes.
Please proceed.
Thank you.
How you doing?
The council.
I wanted to start by asking
Council member Rebel you to
please show us your
constituents and the people of
San Diego more respect by being
more present when you're here
in the council chambers.
I've noticed at least three
times that I've come on
occasion this year that you
haven't been present And one
time you were on a Zoom meeting
and there's nothing wrong with
being on a Zoom meeting but
when you are here I would ask
that you please be present in
the council chambers especially
considering that I've read that
you are interested in running
for mayor.
So if that is the case that
will require even more
responsibility And therefore I
would ask that you again do
what your constituent Bob has
asked and show us in the city
more respect.
With that said, I want to move
on to why I was here today
which is to talk about security
cameras, lpr license plate
readers.
I particularly wanted to
address when I was here to
mention last week I'm not sure
if you all have had a chance to
follow up on Operation Road
Clear which is the report which
was unveiled at the court
hearing of my friend Jean Wong
last week And during that trial
it was revealed that the dea
the Department of Homeland
Investigations and
the Department of Homeland
Security as well as ice have
all colluded to utilize flex
surveillance technology which I
was in this council three
months ago And I heard that
the police chief I heard him
make the promise to this
council that Floc would not be
utilized to collaborate with
any of those departments
outside of cpd and within four
months time they've already
broken that promise.
So I'm asking you all to please
reconsider Floc technology if
it was a different company that
wasn't funded by billionaire
founder or Deal then I probably
wouldn't be here having this
discussion.
But the fact that it came from
him means that it is not
created by somebody with good
intentions.
There are other alternative
aopa all hail hail pr providers
Please explore them.
Thank you for that.
Concluding comment.
>> Next is Blair Beekman.
After that will be Bob because
this came.
Right.
Thank you.
Let me thank you for allowing
the previous public speaker to
go first.
He's a better speaker than
myself And it's it's a good
tone to talk about things I can
better add to this way.
Thank you.
Thanks for the meeting today.
Yeah.
From his words there are two
state Democrat Democratic Party
leaders who have they will not
be taking money from Clark for
their campaign endorsements
this year.
It was it was offered at a time
when we are talking about how
do we deal with our lives in
this new situation of war and
these two California state
representatives.
I can't you know, very possibly
Democratic Party leaders at
the state level.
They've made the public
decision.
They don't have the need
the money from block to go on
with their campaigns was I
think very much signals.
What I've been trying to
suggest here is how do we talk
to each other about our best
practices?
We don't have to involve
ourselves in war to do that.
Councilperson Brian Wolpert
offered great questions to
the police chief today.
I felt I just really needed
decent, well reasoned questions
and if those are the terms we
work here at the public comment
are in our city council
meetings that's that's our good
stuff That's that's building
you know, better visioning
sustainability and peace and
not war.
When you see those war things
come up we have to be wary of
this time and good steps we're
taking here to do what I can
see we can be doing.
Thank you immensely.
Yeah I just have so much more
to say that I have not seen And
I've got nine seconds left.
Good luck.
Vision Zero is a community
effort are good ideas can be a
for community up better Thank
you thank you Bob please keep
please play my video for Bob
because this here you're
watching one of the most
important videos from my two
and a half decades of city
council speeches.
This video is a mostly
accelerated clip from the city
Council meeting of DECEMBER
7th, 2010.
During that speech I was
describing it beautiful hang
gliding flight from
the previous weekend.
I went on to describe
the special nature of
the glider port and
the mismanagement of that site.
I pointed out the many problems
with the commercialization of
our parks and the settlement
agreement that had established
the Torrey Pines City Park
Advisory Board.
But this video isn't so
important for anything I had
said.
It's pretty much the same
things I've been saying for
nearly two decades.
What makes this video so
important is what the newly
elected COUNCILWOMAN Morris
said and how her senior
colleague Sherrie Lightner
tried to shut her down.
Lori Zeff had been elected to
the San Diego City Council
during the NOVEMBER 2010
election.
This video was from DECEMBER
7th, just about a month after
she was elected.
This would likely have been one
of the first times that Lori
Zeff had ever heard one of my
glider port speeches.
Let's listen to how innocently
and enthusiastically Morris
reacted to my speech and how
quickly Sherrie Lightner shut
her down.
And those are beautiful
pictures for that two hour
mayor's office.
And we'll find out more about
that David Ross and then Marc
Lynch shield so she won't MISS
Out.
>> I just wanted to make a
quick comment on the Torrey
Pines glider report.
I really have an interest in
that.
My husband has similar
pictures.
He was a hang glider pilot
there for many years, took
tours up and in 1995 I was his
very last passenger or as he
called him victims had a
wonderful flight up there.
So really this is something
that is an issue that I be
interested in.
>> All right.
Well, I think that that's great
because Well and also the issue
is well in hand and our office
would be delighted to talk with
your office about this issue.
>> But go.
All right.
Thank you.
That does not agenda public
comment here in council
chambers.
I've started the five minute
timer going to those
participating remotely.
We do have speakers that have
not spoken as of last week
starting with Harry.
If you can please unmute.
Good afternoon.
Good evening.
Since we're here already I
would join to say that we could
manage San Diego budget.
We do not have unsolvable
budget problems.
The problem is that
the government is sending
billions of dollars every day
to bomb holes, not build them.
We're sending billions of
dollars to bomb schools, not
build them.
So if our federal partners
would work more closely with
the city, we can invest our tax
money here to fix our roads and
build homes.
So until then it's better not
to have that orange here.
Pedro Epstein, leader on
the wall there in the chamber.
Thank you.
Next we have Francine Maxwell.
If you can please unmute
Francine Maxwell, Southeastern
San Diego resident I want to
thank you for the presentation
as it pertained to sd pd.
Wonderful press event this past
week that was shown.
But I'm concerned that this
council chooses not to dig
deeper.
You don't ask him why There's
only three Caucasian women that
are at the rank of captain.
You don't ask him why
the highest ranking
African-American female is a
detective.
You're not asking the question
to make sure that as one of
the safest biggest cities we're
diverse.
Although dni is not a nice word
to use anymore under this
administration, it still needs
to be asked what is going on
with the bipoc to make our
community to reflect the police
department.
There is not an intentionality.
There is no females on
the seventh floor.
If you don't get another view
on the seventh floor then it
lends to skewing.
Yes people again our officers
need more.
They need more wellness built
in So appreciative of
the wellness moving from a
floor that it was on that was
higher to one of the lowest
floors so you could slip in.
If you feel that you don't want
to be seen again.
Ask harder questions Bolder
questions.
We appreciate every man and
woman that runs to danger.
We appreciate the dispatchers
that answer the calls in
the midnight hour and on
the phone.
But this council you're paid
like judges so you can throw
some strikes.
You don't have to constantly
softball.
And those that continue to have
private meetings with Chief
Wall why is it that some of
that information can't be
shared?
We have local papers.
The voice and viewpoint,
the press, the Indian voices
use our media mandate records
dod one radio.
All of you guys got
newsletters.
More information.
>> More transparency.
Your time has concluded and
access Christine Wilburn if you
can please unmute.
>> Hi, this is Christine
Wellborn.
You know I watch these meetings
all the time and I can't think
of the last one where council
member Shawn Rivera didn't bash
Trump and say something nasty
and doesn't the city of San
Diego have an established code
of conduct or civility policies
,decorum rules, professional
ethics?
It's really sad.
It would be nice to have a
nonpartisan focus rather than,
you know, have all this
divisive rhetoric and hateful
hateful words.
I don't like it when our
PRESIDENT Does it.
It makes me sick and I don't
like seeing it at the local
level.
And I would just really
appreciate it if it would be
tone down, you know, calling
people fascist pigs and
everything else.
It's just not okay.
So I would appreciate it if you
would please pay attention to
that and try to tone it down.
Thank you.
>> Have a nice night.
Our next speaker is a Zoom user
If you can please unmute extra
.
Thanks for taking my call.
Hey it's cool.
Haters got to hate man.
That's what it is.
We need some diversity on city
council like a couple of maga
hats.
That's what we really need.
You guys you talking diversity,
diversity, diversity.
Where's the maga?
Come on, man.
Couple of straight white boys
up there telling you the truth
anyway.
Hey, we know what I'm talking
about.
Ice raids.
When I shows up when Trump is
done with taking over Cuba,
he's doing that to the Orange
fans going after Cuba.
They're ready to surrender.
If you turn our attention here,
he's going to come out as have
you all investigations and
the ice raids And we've got to
have the police department
protect the protesters.
I don't want the protesters to
get hurt.
You know, that's why with ice.
So establish a speed limit If
you're responding to an ice
raid, you can't go over 50
miles an hour to get there.
Just for their safety And don't
point your car.
You have some training.
They don't point your car at an
ice agent and hit the gas
because you're going to get
shot.
And then try not to kick
the car.
Don't throw any pipe bombs like
those to Muslim guys did.
Don't make your own pipe bomb
and throw them around.
That'd be a good thing not to
do.
And then we have the Marine
Corps protect the ice agents
and then the police department
can respond just to protect
the protesters from themselves
.
And you might want to tell that
one girl that took over
the mayor's office with
the blue hair man, she's pretty
angry.
She even broke the law when she
was on probation.
You might want to put a check
on her somewhere.
I know you guys probably know
her, but she's she's getting
pushing the envelope there.
Have a good day, guys.
Thank you.
Next is Peggy Walker.
If you can please unmute.
Good evening Council.
Sorry In item 200 it was
mentioned that drugs are a
number one crime against
society in our city and in that
context So it's important that
last week it was reported that
more than 100 pounds of
suspected illegal intoxicating
products were seized during a
crackdown on unlawful drug
sales at four vape and smoke
shops in the single city of
Oceanside.
I bring this here because
the Oceanside operation
highlights the fact that
underscored by local
assessments these illegal and
toxic eating products are
increasingly sold in smoke vape
and convenience stores in San
Diego and across our region.
The seized items included
vaping devices and products
containing unregulated
substances such as Kratom,
psilocybin and thc.
According to law enforcement
involved in this seizure in
the seizure, those locations
police, the Sheriff's office,
dea and Naval Criminal
Investigative Service.
These intoxicating products are
often mislabeled.
A dea spokesman warned that
vaping devices popular among
young people pose a growing
public safety concern, noting
consumer shows often have no
idea what these substances MAY
contain.
These products that are
mislabeled.
Law enforcement has been
warning about the risk of these
uncontrolled mislabeled
products many marketed and
packages to pop to you And I
urge you to encourage similar
vigilance and work with law
enforcement to ensure that
unauthorized drug products are
not sold in our city.
Thank you.
The five minute timer has
concluded and no additional
speakers will be taken that do
not have their hand raised.
We have eight speakers and
again like I said, no
additional speakers will be
taken.
Judy Strang if you can please
unmute.
>> Good evening City Council
Thank you for this opportunity
to share my thoughts.
I appreciated the information
about the lowering of speed
limits and the respect for
human life that that seems to
indicate.
I also wanted to share with you
that one of our most important
nation wide groups regarding
tobacco use prevention for
young people called the truth
Initiative indicated that eight
of the ten films nominated for
Best Picture did quite a
depiction of cigaret and
nicotine products in their
movies indicating that it was
cool somehow or another.
This gets to be important to us
who work in prevention and with
young people because we know
that nicotine products used for
12th graders increased from 17%
to 22% just in the last year
2024, 2025.
The trouble with that type of
imagery that happened within
these movies is that it makes
it difficult for those who are
trying to quit to quit
successfully as one would
guess.
But it also suggests to our
young people that the adult
world is okay with it.
I just like to point out how
important it is what our adult
population signals to young
people has value and to look
carefully at decisions we make
regarding tobacco, marijuana
and alcohol use that indicates
to young adults that this use
does not have consequences when
we so clearly know as adults
that it does.
>> Thank you.
Thank you.
Next is the original if you can
please.
And you.
Yeah of course This is going to
come down the pike to be used
for enforcement.
It's already being used in
other countries and you guys
are in lockstep with the United
Nations so you're going to
change your policies or
whatever in order to be able to
do that.
It's going to even keep people
out of say low emission zones
or whatever.
And it's interesting to hear
you guys talk about public
safety and really wanting to
make sure that people don't die
or get hurt.
But then I wonder why you
didn't act when there were
times that you could have like
Steven Weber Why were you
laughing at me when I'm telling
you about a woman that died and
all the other people who have
died at Tent City or been raped
?
Champa Why did you not care
about the little five year old
who was raped in her own
bedroom by an illegal alien?
I know it's because it's an
illegal that did it but I'm
just wondering would it matter
to you if it was your child who
whose bedroom had been entered
into and your child was raped?
Would it matter then?
Probably.
And then Arabella McCormick
it's like you guys think
spending $30 million makes it
better that she died and was 48
pounds and everybody neglected
to act on her behalf?
You know there's so many things
Then you guys support pedophile
like you guys are supporting
Scott Wiener all the time.
He has sex with children.
Then we sit here and we talk
about anti-Semitic stuff and
it's like you guys support
people whose Talmud or their
Bible talks about children
having sex with children and
then also the penises of
children who have been
circumcised.
Many children have died from
that in fact from getting
herpes.
And then you guys encourage
children to mutilate their
bodies and actually toxic by
their bodies with hormones that
should not don't belong in
their bodies because you
encourage that And then also
like sexualization of children
in school and like reading
books that are like
pornographic.
So I'm just wondering if you're
going to care about those
things too.
>> Our next speaker is Barbara
Gordon.
Good evening.
I am a public health advocate
with so many needs in this city
and with budget shortages I
respectfully request the city
not implement the seed program.
The seed program is not
sustainable long term without
impacting the already strained
city resources.
San Diego already has 38
marijuana businesses.
Why are we looking to expand
the number of these businesses
in the name of social equity as
the city struggles with
homelessness?
Many peer review studies show
that marijuana use contributes
to drug abuse and addiction
which are the leading cause of
homelessness.
The latest 2024 national survey
on drug use and help estimates
32% of the 64 million passed
year marijuana users 12 years
and older in America have
cannabis use disorder.
That number of Americans
addicted to marijuana comes to
over 20 million people.
The profit driven marijuana
industry continues to produce
and promote stronger products
that are addicting Millions and
distract, distracting and
disturbing their lives.
Marijuana use linked to
doubling the risk of psychosis
bipolar disorder.
This is all published in
the Journal of American Medical
Health Forum.
I urge the Council to not
prioritize this industry over
the many needs of the city.
Your focus and responsibility
is public health and safety.
Not advocating for more
marijuana businesses in our
city.
>> Thank you for letting me
speak.
Thank you.
Next is Ernie Castro.
If you can please unmute.
>> Hello.
Ernie Castro, La Hoya resident
Torrey Pines Glider Park.
It is illegal for anyone
including your leaseholder to
turn our freedom into an access
pass and a waiver for a license
and a fee.
What city liabilities are
already covered by California
recreational laws?
This is insurance fraud and
misappropriation of public
funding.
Going into private accounts
which demands a full
transparent city audit that
would end corruption within
Torrey Pines Sky Report.
We have a unanimous letter of
support from La Hoya Town
Council and La Hoya Shore's
Association to permanently
reconvene the Torrey Pines
Advisory Board But the Torrey
Pines Advisory Board
historically allowed this to
continue.
It is irresponsible for City
council to put Torrey Pines
glider part in the hands of
the advisory board That doesn't
even exist anymore.
It is City Council's job first
to stop the crime and then
reconvene the advisory board.
You have a proving working
solution known as the San Diego
Recreational waiver that
legally curiosity liability is
isolated safety concerns and
restores recreational freedoms
back to normal.
The San Diego Recreation waiver
stops the illegal collection of
funds going into private
accounts by separating the city
business from normal public
free access yet allow
the business to start paying
their own bills operating like
every other business in parks
and lands.
It breaks the ongoing
corruption at the glory of port
management.
Police reports provide justice
for victims and witnesses.
There are common business laws
to protect the public on how
businesses should be run in
public parks and lands.
It's a win for city council
liabilities.
It is in common contract laws
that legally restores our
recreational rights and years
for for years to come.
>> Thank you.
Madison If you can please
unmute after that will be done.
Madison please email.
>> Hi.
Good evening City Council
members.
I have three young children.
I often think about how much
care goes into protecting a
baby before that child is even
born.
Pregnant women are told to
watch what they eat, what
medications they take and what
substances they avoid because
those early months matter So
much for a child's development.
This is why I think it's
important to pay attention to
what the medical community is
saying about cannabis use
during pregnancy.
In OCTOBER 2025 the American
College of Obstetricians and
Gynecologists updated its
clinical guidance and stated
that cannabis use during
pregnancy has been associated
with serious risks including
spontaneous preterm birth, low
birth weight and developmental
delay.
As marijuana becomes more
socially accepted and
normalized and easier to access
,many women MAY assume it is
harmless because it is often
described as a natural or even
promoted as a way to help with
stress or nausea.
But doctors are very clear that
there are no medical
indications for cannabis use
during pregnancy or during
the postpartum period.
Thc crosses the placenta
meaning a developing baby is
exposed during critical stages
of growth when the brain and
body are especially vulnerable.
Mothers deserve honest
information.
If we are serious about
protecting maternal and child
health then public policy
should reflect the medical
evidence showing prenatal
cannabis use is dangerous.
Not the marketing narrative.
Thank you.
>> Thank you.
Thank you.
On the stump and then at 8700
and our last speaker is Becky
Rupp.
>> Thank you very much.
And I watched and participated
in the appeal and I am too old
to that appeal occurred because
someone file one sheet of paper
and paid $2,000 and they
delayed the decision by some
five months.
And it's not over yet.
Now the city staff has issued a
notice of determination that
exam aims dangerous activities
within Los Dose Preserve.
They're going to allow
the conversion of the parking
lot into a new use as a
heliport.
They don't tell us they keeping
secret how many flights in and
out they're going to be or what
routes they're going to take.
I can assure you that the noise
and downdraft of helicopter
flights affects birds and other
animals particularly during
the planned nesting season.
Please council have them
withdraw that notice of
determination and begin to work
on it because otherwise we're
delaying a project which is
important and I support because
they didn't do the right
environmental analysis.
They didn't look at
the literature and they don't
know are keeping secret how
many flights and what
the flight path is going to be
for sd g And these helicopters
through the logs and
the skeeters preserve that is
an environmentally sensitive
area and they have taken an
exemption for a parking lot not
a sensitive area.
Please help them withdraw it.
>> Thank you.
>> It is 700 if you can please
unmute.
After that we pick you up.
Thank you Joyce And the other
three three different topics.
First of all I want to speak to
a shout out for a park staff
member today that I happened to
chat with on my way to get
coffee.
He was so wonderful.
He was just getting out of his
truck over by Children's Park
and I just want to compliment
and thank our all of our park
employees and the director for
what they do for our parks.
They're just so appreciated and
valued.
I also want to chat about I
want to recommend that
the public read the article.
I think it was I don't remember
what day it was very recently
yesterday or the day before or
Friday on the pension payment
that's now been decided and
it's higher than last year much
higher and I just can't you
know the pension crisis has
challenged me.
I started in oh four when we
were in run by the c because of
the pension debacle And I have
not been able to understand
the system all these years.
But this article helped me to
begin to really make some big
cracks in it And so Budget
Committee But you've got to
help the people understand
what's going on with
the pension pension system and
how it impacts our budget.
And then one other thing I may
go over to a city clerk.
I Googled about India and how
India was able to be so
effective to get their digital
divide stopped or not helped
and I just can't recommend
enough that I.T and any but
there's an item coming up I
believe very soon on it and
your time just concluded sorry
Becky wrap your final speaker.
>> Good evening my name is
Becky Rapp and first I want to
thank the council for today's
discussion on the recent crime
briefing And I'd also like to
express my appreciation to
the San Diego Police Department
for the hard work they do every
day to keep our communities
safe.
Our officers are often asked to
respond to incredibly complex
situations and many of those
situations involve behavioral
health challenges.
As mentioned earlier,
behavioral health is a very
real and growing issue in our
city and San Diego continues to
face a severe shortage of
behavioral health services.
Too often our police officers
are placed on the front lines
of crises and would be at a
crisis that would be better
handle with trained
professionals And we ask a
great deal of our officers and
they deserve to have the proper
resources and experts available
to support them as the Council
considers proposals to expand
the social equity cannabis
program by adding 36 additional
retail marijuana permits
potentially doubling the number
of pot shops in our city.
I believe it would be helpful
for the public and for
policymakers to see a clear
cost analysis Specifically how
much city funding staff time
and administrative resources
would be required to support
and expansion of the marijuana
industry compared to investing
those same resources into
behavioral health services and
professionals who could work
alongside our first responders
At a time when San Diego is
already facing difficult budget
decisions, it's critical that
we carefully evaluate where our
limited resources will make
the greatest impact
strengthening behavioral health
infrastructure would directly
support public safety.
Our officers and the long term
well-being of our entire city.
Thank them.
Thank you.
This does conclude knowledge
and a public comment for
today's meeting.
All right.
Thank you, City Clerk.
Does the city attorney have
anything to report out from
closed session?
There's no report out from
closed session.
>> All right.
Thank you for that.
Lastly, we will now adjourn
council to the regularly
scheduled council meeting on
Tuesday MARCH 17th, 2026 at 10
A.M..