the Good morning and welcome to
Council Chambers Sorry that was
my.
>> Good morning and welcome to
Council Chambers Before
the meeting begins I just
wanted to make an announcement
to those that are on
the virtual queue If you were
on you with your hand raised
yesterday on an agenda public
comment before non agenda
public comment virtual trail
that will be taken at
the beginning of today's
session we did take a
screenshot so you have your
names You will have an
opportunity to speak during on
agenda public comment at 10
A.M. As soon as we begin
the meeting and then again at
the end of the meeting during
non agenda public comment So
please be sure to raise your
hand now if you had your hand
raised yesterday during non
agenda public comments period.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT
Okay you know at the moment
folks all right good morning I
will not call the city council
meeting of Tuesday MAY 12th
2020 sixth Order clerk Please
call the roll.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Council
Member Kimball Council Member
Whitburn Council Member Foster
Here Council Member Von Wilpert
Council PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee
here Council Member Campion
Council Member Moreno Present
Council member Eli Rivera and
Council PRESIDENT LaCava
present.
Also attending the meeting are
City Attorney Heather Ferber.
Independent budget analyst
Charles Monaco, Council Affairs
Advisor in the Mayor's office,
Code advisor and myself your
city Clerk Diana Fuentes Thank
you Council PRESIDENT All
right, thank you.
>> a quorum is now present.
I am going to dispense with
the reading the disruption
warning because I think you all
going conduct yourself
appropriate for being in city
council chambers.
We will begin this morning with
the land acknowledgment and
the Pledge of Allegiance led by
Council PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee.
We respectfully acknowledge
that the community
communication or 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 to carry their legacy
forward, ensuring that their
traditions continue to thrive
and gratitude and strength We
stand with our nation connected
to our past and committed to a
thriving future.
If we will all join me in
facing the flag again America
and this is one issue under our
individual work Please go over
how the public can offer their
testimony.
Thank you.
I'd like to highlight how I
would like to highlight
the slide on the screen that
reveals how the public can
offer their public testimony
during today's meeting.
Please At the time applications
for proclamations and consent
items for media management
purposes is one minute per item
maximum of three minutes For
three or more items the order
can be found on the agenda
Summary found online or at
the table in the back of
the room.
If you're in person please
complete a speaker slip Looking
at the entrance of chambers and
bring it to the front of
the room.
Council ambassadors are
available near the entrance and
can assist with questions and
speaker slips.
Please note that no further
in-person testimony will be
taken once the council begins
Virtual testimony.
>> Thank you Council PRESIDENT
All right.
Thank you, City Clerk.
Again, our city clerk had
announced earlier we will be
taking non agenda public
comment for those individuals
who attempted to participate
virtually at the end of
yesterday's council meeting due
the loss of quorum We were not
able to get to them.
So this is for those people
that again have their hands
upraised at the end of
knowledge in a public comment
yesterday afternoon the city
clerk kept a record of those
individuals and they will now
be taken As a reminder we will
continue to do not agenda
public comment at the end of
this morning session as we
typically do on our Tuesday
Council hearings.
>> So Clerk please proceed with
the trailed virtual agenda
Public Comment Thank you
Council PRESIDENT There were
seven people with their hands
raised.
I do have that for the record
Personal 2.7 on agenda Public
comment is an opportunity for
members of the public to
comment on items that are not
on the agenda but within
the subject matter jurisdiction
of the City Council Starting
with the original If you can
please come up to
the microphone.
Technically Blair and I should
get two minutes for the non
agenda public comment that you
robbed us of the first time
that I caught you not having
quorum when you couldn't
continue the meeting You said I
was being disruptive.
I have since caught you four
other times with no quorum and
you said I was being
disruptive.
You had me escorted out by
the police with threats of
arrest and you cannot continue
a meeting like that and you
know it as you are now of
course correcting and saying
that you have to have a quorum.
But the city attorney sat there
or whoever is in that seat
whether it's Heather or not
watched this happen And you
guys know that you cannot
illegally conduct a meeting
whether it's through the Brown
Act, Robert's Rules of order
your own board policy You have
to have a quorum and you know
it And you treated me like a
criminal for calling it out and
calling out your misconduct And
you guys all blatantly look me
in the face as though you were
saying you when you know again
that it's illegal.
That's why you have since said
we have to have a quorum.
You stopped the meeting
yesterday because of it and
it's like I mean I feel like
I'm owed an apology because you
deprive me of my rights.
You had me escorted out
blatantly knowing what you were
doing time and again You did it
repeatedly.
I mean, Sean, you're like we're
just behind the wall.
It doesn't matter.
You guys know that.
And it's like how can you guys
sit there and do that?
I mean I get it because you
guys don't like me but you were
acting and conducting business
illegally and you treated me
like a criminal for it And so
it's like how can you guys be
trusted when you're willing to
do that?
>> That's what's so horrible
about it is that you of course
corrected but you stuck your
feet in the ground and treated
me like a criminal.
>> You put your mark next as
Tony I did not see him on line
Next is Ernie kept I do not see
him on line next is Becky Rapp
If you can please unmute.
>> Thank you and good morning.
My name is Becky and I'm here
today to ask the city to
prioritize enforcement against
illegal kratom and flavored
tobacco sales that are
happening openly across our
neighborhoods.
Our one of our neighboring
cities Oceanside is actively
enforcing the lot and according
to recent reports Oceanside
police and code enforcement
seized more than 6300
prohibited flavored tobacco and
nicotine products during one
operation alone under their
municipal code Every violation
can be treated as a separate
offense and each day
the violation continues can
create additional penalties.
Businesses are reportedly
facing hundreds of thousands of
dollars in fines because
Oceanside understands that
enforcement matters.
Meanwhile in San Diego we have
smoke shops selling flavored
vapes illegal nicotine
products, creative extracts and
high potency substances with
little to no visible
enforcement.
Our penalties are minimal and
many businesses simply treat
them as a cost of doing
business.
Kratom is not harmless highly
concentrated creative products
are being described by the dea
as being stronger than morphine
and are now being called
the smoke shops heroin.
The California Department of
Public Health has already
warned against these products
and prohibited their sale for
human consumption.
Yet cities still lack the local
enforcement structure needed to
truly address the problem.
If enforcement requires
stronger policies then this
council needs to act.
When businesses violate the law
they should be held
accountable.
Please strengthen San Diego's
enforcement policies, increase
penalties and direct code
enforcement and sd pd to make
this an urgent priority.
Thank you.
Thank you Madison If you can
please unmute.
>> Yeah.
Thank you.
Good morning.
Council members.
For teenagers even low level
use of marijuana is linked to
higher risks of psychiatric
issues and poor school
performance
There are also a lot of growing
concerns about addiction and
mental health.
Today more people report using
marijuana daily than alcohol
daily.
That sounds like a pretty
addicting substance.
Among daily users about 1 in 4
will develop cannabis use
disorder meaning they struggle
to stop.
They build a tolerance and they
feel off if they don't have it
.
While marijuana is often
marketed for anxiety and
wellness research shows it can
actually worsen anxiety and
mood disorders for some users.
And now 6% of young people ages
18 to 24 choose to use
marijuana as a sleep aid as
well.
The same way people might use
melatonin or magnesium to help
them fall asleep.
The concern we have is for
the young people the developing
brain is especially vulnerable.
Adolescent marijuana use is
linked to a risk of depression
,anxiety, psychosis and even
measurable declines in memory
learning and iq over time.
Instead of expanding access to
this harmful substance, we need
to make sure that prevention,
education and public awareness
keep pace.
Let's do this for young people
.
Thank you.
Next nexus Cathleen Lippert,
somebody here has Zoom meeting
if you can play silence It.
>> Kathleen Lippert, you don't
have your hands but you were
one of the people trailed.
>> If you can please unmute or
we'll need to move on to
the next caller.
Moving on to the next caller.
We have 8780 700 if you can
please unmute Star six 8700.
We would like to just speak
later You can move on to
the final.
Speaker 5457.
And you were not present.
Anyone else who has their hand
raise you do not have your hand
raised during yesterday's on
agenda public comment but also
have an opportunity at the end
of this morning session to
speak during that time.
That concludes non agenda
public commentary from
yesterday's meeting.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT.
All right.
Thank you city Clerk for
attempting to navigate again.
We will continue to have
knowledge in the public comment
at the end of the morning
sessions as we traditionally do
on our Tuesdays.
With that we will now dispense
with the approval of
the proclamation items.
>> clerk If you could introduce
those items and then proceed
with public comment.
Thank you MR. PRESIDENT for
the coin period for
the proclamation items is now
open.
We will have one minute per
item per person.
If you would like to speak on
three or more items you will
have a maximum of three
minutes.
Proclamation items being
approved are items 30 through
34 as 500 and as 504.
We have several speakers here
starting with William will
invite you if you can please
come up to the microphone
speaking on item 32.
William After that we have
James Ogden If you can please
come up to the other reserved
seats at the front.
Kathleen Bank please come up to
the yellow seats at the front
And Wesley please proceed.
You'll have a minute.
>> Good morning.
Council PRESIDENT, council
members and fellow
commissioners and members of
our community.
My name is William Peter.
I serve as vice chair of San
Diego Senior Affairs Advisory
Board.
It is an honor to stand before
you during the Older Americans
Month to recognize the wisdom,
resilience and lifelong
contributions of older adults
throughout San Diego.
As a proud San Diego born and
raised in the city, this moment
is deeply personal to me
because when I look at San
Diego I do not see progress.
I see the generations of older
adults who sacrificed hard work
and perseverance helped build
the foundation of the city we
proudly call home.
Today many seniors continue
facing challenges including
housing affordability, social
isolation, transportation
access and increasing pressure
of caregiver caregivers and
health care systems.
As our population continues to
age, we have an opportunity and
a responsibility to all older
Americans.
Ten years ago.
Thank you for your wisdom, your
sacrifice and your continued
contributions to our city.
>> Thank you.
James.
>> Good morning.
I'm Jim Jordan, a board member
of the city of San Diego.
Filipino American Employees
Association.
I would like to thank
Kentucky's office for inviting
me here today.
My comments are my own and do
not necessarily express
the views and opinions of my
employer or any organizations.
I am affiliated with.
Thanks for the proclamation
Recognizing Asian-American
Native Hawaiian and Pacific
Islander Heritage Month
beginning as Asian Pacific
American Heritage Month.
MAY was chosen as it coincides
with the first Japanese
immigrates to the United States
in 1843 and the completion of
the first Transcontinental
Railroad which partially relied
on Chinese-American labor in
1869.
Though Asians have been in what
is now the United States long
before then, Filipinos landing
at Moore Bay in 1587 and Asian
Indian at Jamestown in 1635 and
native Hawaiian at Astoria in
1811.
We look forward to many of you
joining us for a luncheon on
Tuesday the 2nd of JUNE in
Balboa Park.
>> Kathleen.
Good morning City council
members and city staff.
I'm Kathleen Dang Ford
Secretary of the Chinese
Consolidated Pineapple
Association, one of the oldest
Chinese-American organizations
founded in downtown San Diego
in the late 1800s in what was
then the Chinatown of San Diego
where many noble people have
roots from such as the former
San Diego City Councilmember
Tom Hahn Organization has been
active in San Diego for over
125 years.
Some of our programs include
the San Diego Chinese New Year
Fair, The Lucky Lion Dancers
and the ccp Senior Garden in
Affordable Senior Home Property
and the Asian Pacific Historic
Thematic District.
Please know there's more work
to be done to support
the organizations here and not
present today during critical
community engagement work.
We call on you to protect and
support all organizations who
produce programs that helps
the Indians thrive whether it
be a community festival or an
educational project.
Thank you for highlighting this
month that Asian-American,
Native Hawaiian and Pacific go
to Heritage Month.
And please continue to build
more pathways for our
communities and organizations
to thrive.
Thank you.
>> Wesley Good morning.
Council members name is Wesley
Quach.
I am the director of operations
and Satellite cdc here in
the College Renewal.
And we start on a mission that
I'm also on the board of
the ccp as well.
But of the Heights is home to a
large Asian-American Native
Hawaiian community including
many Southeast Asian families
from Vietnam and Cambodia who
came to United States as
refugees in 1970s.
My own family is part of that
story.
My grandparents opened a small
retail business in 1885 and
it's all up to this day.
Their story reflects
the American dream and
the resilience of the heights a
community built by hardworking
immigrant and refugee families
who have helped shape
the culture and spirit of our
neighborhood From everyone here
as we see.
What I think of the Council for
recognizing Asian-American
Heritage Month and for honoring
contributions of communities.
>> Thank you so much.
Thank you.
And you have something to do by
running Al Guzman.
Please raise your hand.
And Luis flipped.
Thank you.
You didn't use all your time
but thank you so much.
Blair Beekman, if you can
please come forward you'll have
three minutes Speaking on items
33 as 500 and 504.
And then after that will be
allegedly order on 3132 and
s504.
Hi.
Thank you Beekman.
Thank you for first of allowing
public comment from yesterday
bringing it back here today a
really really nice gesture of
you guys and I hope it can set
a good precedence we can do in
the future as well.
Good luck will continue.
I send you guys a letter on
protocol ideas on how to work
on quorum, different ways to
coordinate.
I hope you can read it and I
think it can be helpful.
And for item 33 is
Asian-American, Native Hawaiian
and Pacific Islander Heritage
Month.
And you know, I've been
visiting Hawai'I almost every
year now in the winter time to
listen to the whales just swim
under water and just hear them
talk and sing to each other.
And for quite a few years now
and they have real problems in
Hawai'I and I think there can
be some good back and forth
between San Diego and Hawai'I
on our ocean issues erosion
issues.
There's a lot of a lot of ideas
that I think can be really
worked on.
So this is an important item
and how we consider the future
of Hawai'I and the Hawaiian
people and what we're doing
with our future lives.
So thank you for this island
for its 500 professional
municipal clerks Week.
Some nice words were said about
our council our city clerk
Fuentes a few weeks ago And
yeah, I wish I could say more
about how important the work of
a city clerk does as a go
between between public
government.
The work that you can be really
incredible and good luck and
continued good efforts and and
creating public accessibility
and accountability and and a
public participatory process
which I think City Clerk
Fuentes can be really good at
And I hope she continues those
sort of good efforts.
It's always just really
heartening when she does And so
thank you and good luck to
those Continue Good efforts and
Building Safety Month five for
Spirit Airlines just ended and
they were like this really low
cost awesome airlines for for
low income people.
I mean you can get to San
Francisco Airport for 25, 30
bucks where the bus is now like
80 or 90 or you know, around
that And Spirit Airlines always
worked on safety.
They always had a really good
safety record and it reminded
me of that.
And with this item, good
building safety is important.
Good luck.
What we're doing is Midway
Rising.
Thanks.
I think you're really going to
have to review
the environmental reporting on
that and we build safely and we
always talk about that.
>> Thank you.
Thank you.
Allegedly order items 3132 an
s504 and you'll have three
minutes.
Please proceed.
>> Yes.
With this genocide Remembrance
Day I just find it interesting
the things that people do when
our nation is actively engaged
in genocide and other countries
and we bomb like schools of
children and stuff like that.
I don't feel like people
necessarily are kind of
standing against that.
It's like let's wait to bring
forward a proclamation in one
day for these children and you
know all these people that are
being killed in the Holy Land
and our you know, occupation of
Israel that is, you know,
leading us to do some really
nefarious things.
So you know, at one point maybe
we could like stand against
that kind of stuff.
But I guess if it's you know,
not going to, you know, fit
into what you guys are doing,
you're not going to do it.
But it just makes us look
really bad when we're going to
be like we're going to stand up
for this but also be engaged in
genocide ourselves And then
older Americans Month This is
nice but the way we treat older
people is pretty.
You know they get their homes
taken in probate.
I mean we throw them into these
really horrible, you know,
nursing homes instead of being
like let's keep them active and
keep their brains like going
you know what I mean?
Instead let's fill them with
pharmaceuticals so they have
dementia and basically, you
know, spend the rest of their
golden years locked away
somewhere where nobody wants to
see them sitting in a
wheelchair in one of those
homes Prime is in their teeth
or their eye because someone
took it.
You know, it's just really sad
to see those things happen.
And then we also just have a
proclamation to kind of wash it
away Like that's what we do.
We just wash things away by,
you know, pretending like we're
really supportive of that when
what they go through is
horrible and then the building
safe building safety It's
interesting because you guys
put people in fire dangers with
your buildings or what your
projects you bring through and
all of the density that you
guys want to bring forward And
then like no evacuation routes
it's cool, right?
So it's like how when are we
going to actually do stuff that
would like fall in line with
that is what I'm wondering
because it seems like again you
guys try and wash the things
away by putting this forward
and then your actions kind of
prove that.
Do you really care about that?
I mean are we just like
following what the state wants
And so we're just going to have
everything in San Diego be a
very high fire zone and densely
populated up smart.
I mean you I'm a criminal for
calling out your guys is
misconduct and your inability
to do a meeting without a
quorum But I was wrong.
>> Right?
Good thing I was treated like
that.
So nice.
>> Kelly Charles speaking on
item as five of four.
>> Hello Good morning.
Council PRESIDENT And members
of city council.
My name is Kelly Charles and
the chief building official and
deputy director of our building
Construction Safety Division
and Development Services
Department.
I want to sincerely thank you
for proclaiming MAY 2026 as
Building Safety Month in
the city of San Diego.
This proclamation highlights
something that goes unseen but
touches nearly every one of us
The safety resilience,
sustainability of buildings and
infrastructure that we depend
on every day.
Your recognition affirms that a
strong and thriving San Diego
was built on a foundation of
safe homes, workplaces and
public spaces.
We are especially grateful for
your continued leadership in
advancing building codes and
policies that address critical
issues such as energy
efficiency while water
conservation and disaster
resilience in a region we face
risks from wildfires,
earthquakes and floods.
Your commitment gives our
community confidence that
the places we live, work and
gather are designed to protect
us.
The 2026 theme Built to Last.
>> Thank you.
That does conclude public
comment on proclamations here
in council chambers going to
those participating remotely as
are the five minute timer We
currently have four people in
the queue.
Laurie Saldana If you can
please let me know which item
or items you wish to speak to.
>> Yes, thank you.
Good morning.
I'd like to speak to item 30
Symphony Day Item 32 Older
Americans Month and item five
before Building Safety month.
Thank you.
Please proceed.
Regarding the Symphony Youth
Symphony Day I appreciate very
much this being recognized as
an essential part of any
community that the music and
the arts are essential ways for
young people especially to
suddenly learn the basics of
reading music and performing
with others but also of
self-expression which is in
classical education is
the highest form of education
that we can offer to people at
all ages.
I also study music is something
that help for stem activities
where I taught information
technology and coding I
realized that those students
who had studied music did much
better at learning computer
skills as well.
There's something about
the keyboarding and the coding
that translates whether it's on
an instrument or into a
computer.
So by supporting your symphony
we're really supporting future
tech leaders as well as
talented musicians And I'm 32
older Americans.
You as I mentioned in my
comments yesterday need to do
more to protect older adults
including myself from hazards
as we go about our daily lives
Sidewalks at a broken and
uneven other things that get in
the way of our independence and
mobility and end up causing
injuries.
It not only puts a personal
cost to trying to be active
throughout our lives but a
broader cost to our community
If we are disabled and unable
to participate in activities
without assistance it does put
a cost in especially when it
comes to caregiving the cost on
women in particular who go by
to caring for older adults who
are disabled and not able to do
so.
I appreciate the recognition of
the importance of this and I
encourage San Diego to do more
to have safe mobility corridors
for everyone but especially
those later in life.
And finally our Building Safety
month The safest building you
can put up in San Diego is in
the safest possible location.
And as we see with the changing
climate, what happened in one
Choice Creek, what is happening
in our coastline there are some
areas that are simply no longer
safe to place a building on top
of that list is the midway area
and I realize Midway rising or
as I refer to it midway Sinking
is a premier project for
the city council and the mayor
in particular but the reality
is that is a coastal zone and
it is having subsidence all of
us who live in the area who
drive in the area can see it
and feel it that the water
tables are changing in our
coastal areas and to build
safely means to choose wisely
And that location is not a wise
choice to put more people
larger buildings.
Ultimately they will be in
harm's way.
Thank you for that concluding
comment Hector.
Please let me know which item
or items you wish to speak to.
>> All right, Peter, a lot of
people said the old guys
the genocide 31 and
the building safety thing
they'll have to be protesting
in San Diego.
Okay.
I'm sorry I didn't hear
the first one.
It's the three minutes The old
guys the genocide and the old
building.
>> Okay.
I could go.
Okay.
So the building safety
proclamation the city is really
lacking integrity because
the building you're sitting in
right now is a total fire
hazard.
It's on sprinklers.
There's no sprinklers in that
building.
And if a fire broke out on
the third floor, who's going to
be able to get down the stairs
12 story 12 stories of stairs,
see if they're charged with
the embattled batteries on
the third floor.
It smolders and then it
explodes, creates a fire,
creates smoke.
The elevators stop working.
They're not work.
How are the people in your room
?
They're going to get down on
the floor with firemen Coming
up, confusion.
A lot of smoke.
The very building you're
sitting in you should remove
that proclamation from
the building safe because where
it's coming from is unsafe
building Now it's crazy Then at
the genocide Armenian genocide
the real thing that was not
even slavery in our country
There's a real genocide to
that.
And then one thing the Chinese
or the Japanese the Asians are
great people.
They're great in San Diego and
throughout San Diego the Asians
and they're beautiful people
are great people.
But one thing about Japan they
had some technical
difficulties.
We're going to the next caller
on Stanford.
Please unmute Please let me
know which item or items you
wish to speak to.
>> 3230 3s5 hundred and 504
please proceed.
>> You don't have three
minutes.
Okay.
Thank you very much.
Thank you for recognizing
seniors.
I particularly appreciate
the senior members of Council
those old guys and women in
council recognizing a day for
us.
You know as a senior citizen I
try to keep my mind alert on
excuse me on the 500 municipal
clerks.
I really appreciate the clerk's
office and its work Clerk's
office makes things run.
It's essentially the secretary
for the municipal corporation
and I have had the great
experience with the previous
four city clerks building
safety.
Most of you aren't aware that
the original functioning of
the council the city Hall was
not the way it functions today
The committee rooms and meeting
rooms were all on the plaza
level above the convert
the convention rooms.
That way people didn't have to
enter the building, go up
the elevator and be in
committee rooms.
It was done on the plaza level
and that was much safer and
much more efficient.
>> It was a retrofit to put
the council chamber on the 12th
floor because that was kind of
a hierarchical thing.
The other thing about building
safety is that we have added to
the council chambers hazards.
You know originally there were
no chairs behind the council
members because they had no
staff and you know there wasn't
a trip and fall hazard with
the White plastic chain and
there wasn't reserving all
those seats for staff members.
None of that occurred
originally under the city
manager form of government
The council chamber was much
safer And then there was one
final item I just really
appreciated I hope council
starts to recognize service to
senior citizens by keeping fees
low.
>> Thank you much.
Thank you.
The five minute timer has
included There's two speakers
in the queue and additional
speakers will be taken.
Judy Strang If you complete
unmute and let me know which
item or items you wish to speak
to.
>> Yes.
Good morning.
I called in to speak to item 32
I felt as an older San Diego
and it was probably my
responsibility and as a retired
social worker and now one who
advocates for public health
policy, I would remind us that
that older Americans and
the definition that I'm using
here is over 65 are
particularly vulnerable to
marijuana use due to age
related physiologic
physiological changes which
include higher body fat and
slower metabolism.
Having trouble reading these
things about older people?
Well for us and for example
what this looks like is a
cardiovascular strain.
Marijuana can cause rapid
heartbeat and elevated blood
pressure which can provoke
heart attacks and strokes and
its contribution to falls and
injuries strikes fear in
the heart of older people.
Marijuana is known to cause
dizziness, lightheadedness,
impaired balance and
significantly raising the risk
of falls.
And what comes with them
fractures and injuries and
respiratory problems I'll close
with because we all know that
smoking and baby marijuana like
tobacco and firearms don't.
Thank you.
Sorry.
>> And our last Speaker 7499 if
you can please unmute but
because this year I'd like to
speak on all the proclamation
items 3335 you'll have three
minutes.
>> Please proceed.
I just like to remind this
Council that the rights of all
of these people to speak on
these proclamations was one
through a lawsuit initiated by
attorney Craig Sherman and his
Center for Local Government
Accountability.
Prior to that the city council
would give out the proclamation
to take the photos and watch
the recipients leave
the council chambers with their
awards before allowing
the public to speak on these
items.
I spoke several times to this
Council requesting the right to
speak before proclamation were
voted on but this council
refused to follow the law so I
eventually brought the matter
to MR. Sherman and he had to
take the city to court to force
the city to allow the public to
speak on these proclamation
before they were voted on.
As we do now, there's a lesson
to be learned here Rather than
treating public comment as a
mere annoyance, this council
should see all public speakers
as an important resource to
help guide this Council
decisions and keep the city out
of trouble.
This Council needs an attitude
adjustment to give proper
respect to the people that
include sometimes taking that
agenda.
Comments upfront rather than
enforcing it to the end.
Finally I'd like to endorse
many of the comments by
the previous speakers on these
topics.
>> Thank you.
Thank you.
That concludes all the comment
on the proclamation.
Stay All right.
For the record, it wasn't just
council that got to it.
It was prior council.
They got through it and we have
continued that appropriate
action that MR. Christie made
happen.
So with that we will turn it
over to Michael.
Thank you city Clerk, for
handling all the comment.
I will turn over to my
colleagues for questions or
comments and entertain a
motion.
We'll start with Council
PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee and
Council PRESIDENT.
>> I'll start by moving
the proclamation agenda and
we'll speak to items 31 3334
and s 500.
I want to start with this 500
as I'm honored to join this
proclamation with Council
PRESIDENT LaCava and
recognizing Professional
Municipal Clerks Week there are
many public servants who do not
often receive enough
recognition and I believe our
municipal clerk is a strong
example of just that They serve
as a vital link between
residents and the government
that represents them.
And so I think we're taking
this opportunity to celebrate
our fantastic city clerk Diana
Winters, who leads a critical
office that ensures
the transparency of our city
government access to the public
maintains official records and
carries out many other
essential functions that keep
her local government operating
effectively.
We know the court appointed and
her team go far above and
beyond that capacity and I
think you see that in the care
in which they approach their
conversations with every member
of the public who looks to have
their voice heard in how they
expand access whether it's
through language providing
passport services and more so
that the public does feel
engaged with their local
government.
And we are very fortunate
points for your leadership in
that capacity.
So thank you to your team for
the work that you do every
Sunday An Excel speech Item 31
I want to thank my colleagues
Council PRESIDENT Akaka
Councilmember de Rivera for
bringing forward today's
meaningful proclamation and
recognizing APRIL 24th as
Armenian Genocide Remembrance
Day.
Today we come together to
remember and honor the Armenian
people and the lives lost
during one of the first
genocides of the 20th century.
In the late 1800s and early
1900s, Armenians living under
the Ottoman Empire faced
increasing prosecution and
discrimination during a period
of political unrest and war.
And on APRIL 24th, 1915,
Armenian intellectuals and
community leaders were arrested
marking what is the beginning
of the Armenian genocide From
1915 to 1923 approximately 1.5
million Armenians were killed
through massacres, forced
deportations, starvation and
death marches.
Families were displaced from
their homes and survivors were
forced to rebuild their lives
and communities across
the world including in San
Diego.
Despite unimaginable loss and
hardship, the Armenian people
preserved their culture, faith
and traditions through
resilience and strength.
And today those communities
continue to enrich cities
around the world including San
Diego.
And so we're here to recognize
Armenian genocide Remembrance
Day to honor the memory of
the victims and survivors and
stand in solidarity with
the Armenian community in
condemning the atrocities that
were waged by the Ottoman
Empire.
And I especially think the team
from the University of
California San Diego Local
Affairs along with members of
Armenian Pre-Law society
believe who helped to draft and
bring forward this proclamation
for our consideration today and
join them in commemorating
the remembrance of all Armenian
lives and celebrating
the contributions.
>> Next for item 30 four I want
to celebrate the 19th annual
San Diego Dragon Boat Festival
today.
Festival Day which is coming up
shortly this next weekend.
The tradition tradition dates
back more than 2000 years and
locally the San Diego Alliance
for Asian Pacific Islander
Americans has hosted the event
annually almost every year
except for I think during
the pandemic perhaps.
And we appreciate
the coordination and dedication
that it takes for our group of
volunteers to bring teams from
all over.
Early on a weekend morning to
get out on Mission Bay and to
participate in these races, I'd
actually like to welcome
the PRESIDENT Of
the organization Hui Cheng to
share a few words about this
incredible event and
the important work
the organization does.
So good morning our Council
PRESIDENT And the council
members.
My name is Rachel.
On behalf of the annual
Alliance for Asian Pacific
Islander Americans, I would
like to thank you for your
support.
This is a great deal to our
community.
So today I'm honored to bring
my team members to hear and
celebrate on this important day
and also share a few words as
well.
>> Thank you.
>> Hi, my name is Linda to have
served as PRESIDENT Of the San
Diego Alliance for Asian
Pacific Islander Americans from
2005 to 2020.
The first meeting I held for
the Alliance was a community
picnic at the Presidio and
Congresswoman Susan Davis is
district rep at the time.
Todd Gloria came.
Of course today we know Todd at
the mayor of San Diego,
the first San Diego Chicano
festival that I headed from
beginning to end was the second
one I worked on the first one
as well.
And City Councilmember Donna
Frye who some of you might
remember came as did county
Supervisor Greg Cox and
Congresswoman Susan Davis.
And then we had walks in
the Asian Pacific Historic
District with Congresswoman
Susan Davis and City Council
member Kevin Faulkner came and
he told me well, Congresswoman
Susan Davis is also my
congresswoman.
And that was a period of
bipartisanship and reaching
across the aisle throughout
the history of the alliance has
been also the history of San
Diego and the history of
the county of San Diego and
said it was mayors and you have
always all been behind us and
said you can't be for for
having been through and going
through all three of our San
Diego objective of this time of
the year that you have been
council member we are grateful
to you all and hope that we
continue to walk and work
together.
Thank you David.
When one entire council
PRESIDENT, council member and
honored guest so forth I thank
you all to support our Dragon
Ball Festival as the organizers
Organizer alliance has been
always I locate your dragon by
the rail.
And this year is our will be
our 19th annual San Diego
Dragon Boat Festival.
There will be Adelaide from not
only from San Diego, also from
a new por Los Angeles and
Northern Nothing Northern
California a lovely family
event.
You all will come to see us
aunties Saturday admission be a
thank you very much again for
the support Juliana.
Good morning I'm Juliana Chang.
I am captain of New Dragons
which is Danny of Chinese
Historical Museum's official
team.
We won gold last year.
This is my second year
participating in the festival
and learning this amazing sport
of my heritage.
I'm so proud to participate in
it and I look forward to being
on the water again this year
paddling my race, my heart out
for the race and for my team
And I'm so proud to participate
in the sport and the festival
in our wonderful city of San
Diego and hope to define our
title to go meeting Dragons.
>> Thank you.
Okay Thank you.
Thank you And thank you thank
the lions for all that you do
to put this event together.
Look forward to seeing out
there Finally on item 33 and
perhaps join my colleagues in
proclaiming the month of MAY as
Asian-American, Native Hawaiian
and Pacific Islander Heritage
Month Singapore is home to more
than 250,000 residents of a
descent and it's important that
we continue recognizing and
celebrating the community's
invaluable contributions to our
city state the nation's
economic, civic, social and
cultural fabric.
This Heritage Month was first
federally commemorated in 1977
as Asian Pacific Heritage Week
later expanded to the full
month of MAY and the month was
chosen.
As you might have heard from
one of the public comments to
recognize the arrival of
the first Japanese immigrants
the United States on MAY
seventh, 1843 and
the completion of
the Transcontinental Railroad
on MAY 10th of 1869.
Both this record a historic
achievement made possible to
the Labor of Chinese immigrants
who are often exploited and
excluded The effects
the federally recognized
the significance of hpi
communities came through
the White House initiative on
Asian-Americans, Native
Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders
which helped to guide efforts
since its establishment in 1999
until it was eliminated by this
current administration on
JANUARY 20th, 2025.
So at a time when cultural
communities continue to face
discrimination, erasure and
attacks on their histories and
identities, we proudly stand
with all those represented
within the Asian-American
Native Hawaiian and Pacific
Islander community And we take
this opportunity to recognize
how diverse that community
truly is so that we can
continue to disaggregate
the data, broaden the language
access and truly celebrate each
of the unique cultures,
histories and needs.
I want to thank
the organizations dedicated to
advancing this work, some of
which are present with us here
this morning And this a an
inspiring Each month we
encourage all the Indians to
continue learning about
celebrating and uplifting
the rich histories, cultures
and contributions of
the community and recognize
the work that still has to be
done ahead.
Thank us PRESIDENT All right.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee
I'll take that as a motion to
approve the proclamation.
>> All right.
Made it around waiting.
It's just been so long I kind
of forgot.
>> We're going next to
Councilmember Weprin.
Thank you very much, Council
PRESIDENT.
Good morning to everybody here
in chambers who's joined us
this morning.
Congratulations to everybody
who is being recognized with
proclamations today I am
pleased to join City Attorney
Herbert in recognizing today as
San Diego Youth Symphony Day
For 80 years the San Diego
Yosemite Conservatory has been
one of the most important arts
institutions in our region.
This is a board that 900
musicians between the ages of 8
to 25 are enrolled at their
Balboa Park Arts hubs through
their community Opus Project.
They also provide free
afterschool music instruction
to students throughout, said
Diego Cody.
The influence of the San Diego
Yosemite goes beyond music
These young participants build
confidence, discipline,
adaptability Their sees it for
their concerts Art this weekend
at Albert Park I know a lot of
people are looking forward to
those performances.
The executive director of
the Sei Diego Youth Symphony,
Kate Bamfield is here with us
in chambers this morning.
I'd like to welcome her up to
say a few words.
Thank you for joining us here
and please feel free to join us
at the microphone And welcome
to Council Chambers.
i can't make it taller.
Thank you and good morning and
thank you so much to City
Attorney Ferber, Council member
Whitburn the entire city
council for this great honor.
It's genuinely an honor to be
here and I'm so proud to
represent the San Diego Youth
Symphony and its thousands of
students, families, staff and
teaching artists who bring
dedication, joy and learning to
everything we do Each day we
show up for young people across
the city from our youngest
learners in our early childhood
groups to our advanced
ensembles and our students.
This work matters deeply to
families and it matters to San
Diego.
San Diego has always been a
city that values culture and
arts.
We've seen that commitment show
up in so many ways over
the years and we're grateful
for it.
>> We also know that cities
with thriving artistic
institutions attract young
families, draw talented workers
and drive tourism and economic
vitality.
The arts are not something that
San Diego can afford to lose.
The arts are woven into
everything this city has to
offer their infrastructure for
a thriving city.
San Diego Youth Symphony has
been here for 80 years.
We plan to be here for 80 more
and beyond.
And we trust that San Diego
will continue to invest in
the culture and the creativity
that make it such a remarkable
place to live.
On behalf of the San Diego
Youth Symphony and my
colleagues here today, thank
you so much for this incredible
honor and thank you for
prioritizing arts and culture
in San Diego.
>> Thank you very much Because
back filled and congratulations
.
Thank you for all that you and
your team do for young people
around the county including
the board of the volunteers,
all the parents who are part of
it really appreciate your
presence and everything you do.
So thank you again.
I have 32 I please to join
Council PRESIDENT Lacob and
Councilmember Campbell in
recognizing this month as older
Americans But the city of San
Diego.
Older Americans but there's a
tide to all of
the contributions and
resilience and continued impact
of all the older adults in our
communities.
Many of our older residents are
leaders veterans, caregivers,
veterans, volunteers and
neighbors who have helped build
the San Diego that we know and
love today.
They continue to play a vital
role in strengthening our
families, supporting our youth
and enriching our civic life.
Older Americans.
But this is not just about
recognition but it's also about
reaffirming our responsibility
to support the quality of life
of older adults.
You wrote Our City.
And I want to thank the many
organizations and caregivers of
activists and advocates who
work every day to serve older
residents across our city.
Outside of a 33 thank you to my
colleagues Council PRESIDENT
Pro Tem Lee, Councilmember
Foster and Councilor Eli Rivera
for proclaiming this month as
Asian American Native Hawaiian
Pacific Islander Heritage
blood.
These committees have helped
shape say Diego through
leadership in business
education, public service,
the arts, science and so many
other fields.
We also recognize the strength
and resilience of communities
whose histories include
overcoming hardship and
discrimination and barriers to
opportunity while continuing to
build and thrive.
And I want to thank
the cultural organizations,
community leaders and residents
who continue to preserve
heritage, uplift voices and
educate future generations.
And finally I tried my
colleagues at celebrating City
Clerk Fuentes Street
professional with a support
clerk's weeks.
Happy to second the motion to
approve the proclamations.
All right.
Thank you, sir.
So we have a motion by Council
PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee and a
second by council member
Whitburn to move
the proclamation.
We'll go next to Council Member
Kimball.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT And
congratulations to everyone
receiving proclamations today.
I personally want to speak on
items 32 and 31.
i'm going to start with
the Older Americans Month.
A large percentage of our
city's population is age 65 and
older.
And I want to take this
opportunity to recognize just a
few of the many important
organizations who serve this
population serving seniors is
one of them.
It's been an incredible partner
in providing resources for San
Diego's population from meals
and health services to
opportunities for connection.
Recently in District two they
began operating a new senior
center in Claremont the Judith
l Selz Senior Center in
the newly opened affordable
apartments for seniors and
families at the Mount Etna
campus.
Also we have Meals on Wheels
delivering healthy meals to
seniors around the city and
county, allowing them to age in
place while having access to
proper nutrition.
Elder help of San Diego helps
meet seniors where they are by
providing assistance with daily
tasks of living like grocery
shopping, health appointments,
transportation and more.
All of these organizations and
many, many more play a crucial
role in supporting San Diego as
older population.
And I want to thank them and
all their volunteers and staff
for the work that they do to
allow our seniors to age with
dignity and support.
And next I'd like to speak on
the Armenian Genocide
Remembrance happen a long time
ago now 1952 1923 the Ottoman
Empire made a policy to
exterminate the Armenian people
who were part of their empire.
They did so and the rest of
the world did not complain.
Thank GOD many Armenians were
able to escape and now enrich
all our cultures around
the world including right here
in San Diego.
It is reported that Hitler
referred to this genocide and
how it was ignored when he
ordered his government to
murder the Jewish people of
Europe and all the other people
who disagreed with him.
Let us not forget he killed 12
million people.
He murdered 12 million people.
And so let us never forget
the lessons of genocide which
unfortunately are going on
today as well.
And so I want to thank
the bringers of this
proclamation for reminding us
about the poor Indians, what
they went through and that let
us realize that all of us are
GOD's children.
Thank you.
>> Thank you.
Council member Campbell I'll go
next to council member Ella
Rivera Thank you Council
PRESIDENT And thank you to my
colleagues who brought these
proclamations forward today.
I'll start by express my
appreciation to you Council
PRESIDENT And Council PRESIDENT
Pro Tem Lee for joining me in
recognizing Armenian Genocide
Remembrance Day.
I also had an opportunity to
briefly meet some students from
the Armenian Pre-Law
Association Great job and
working with Council PRESIDENT
Pro Tem Lee's office and
drafting this But I think it's
important proclamation for a
number of reasons.
One just that I could see it in
the students faces
the recognition that the city
that they live in where they
study is recognizing their
community, the history of their
community And as we know and as
has been said already, this is
a community that had to has had
to fight for the recognition
that this atrocity occurred.
So as if the pain of that
atrocity is not enough, having
to deal with the trauma that
comes from having to share
the stories and the evidence
that that the Armenian people
were were targeted in and
targeted in this way makes it
even more important for cities,
states and countries around
the world to recognize Armenian
genocide and all genocide as
it's something that is never
acceptable and should be called
for what it is when we see it
and never allowed it to happen
when we see it happening.
I'll also express my
appreciation to Council
PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee and
COUNCILMAN Foster and joining
me in proclaiming MAY 2026 to
be Asian-American Native
Hawaiian and Pacific Islander
Heritage Month I couldn't be
more proud to represent
District nine and all of
the diverse communities in it
The Asian-American, Native
Hawaiian and Pacific Islander
communities within District
nine are such an important part
of our district they're such an
important part of our city and
have been for a very, very long
time.
And so please see this
proclamation as a way of saying
thank you for those
contributions and for
everything that you you do for
and in our city I am very
appreciative of it and glad
that we are bringing this
proclamation forward.
And then finally thank you to
Council PRESIDENT And to you
and Council PRESIDENT Pro tem
for bringing forward a
proficient professional
municipal clerks week This when
this does an amazing job along
with her team I had a chance to
kind of see up close just how
hard they are always working
when I was in your role council
PRESIDENT And it's it's really
amazing And it's not just
the friendly faces and kindness
and patience that are
demonstrated here during
council meetings but an
incredible amount of work and
preparation that goes into
making these meetings happen,
keeping us moving in the right
direction and making sure that
the work of the city
the important things that need
to get processed all of that is
happening.
So quick Point is thank you for
the work that you do.
Thank you for the work that
your team does.
We're deeply appreciative of it
and I know that the public
appreciates it as well.
Thank you, Council PRESIDENT.
All right.
Thank you, Councilmember Ella
Rivera.
>> We go next to our city
attorney Thank you, Council
PRESIDENT It is my privilege
and honor to join Councilmember
Whitburn this morning on item
30 recognizing San Diego Youth
Symphony Day and the city of
San Diego.
The San Diego Youth Symphony
has been inspiring young
musicians across our community
for eight seasons.
What started back in 1945 as a
single high school orchestra
founded by conductor Leo Scheer
has grown into a program that
now serves more than a thousand
students every year.
It's also one of the oldest
continuously operating youth
symphonies in the country which
is something our region can be
incredibly proud of.
What stands out to me is how
committed the organization has
stayed to making music
accessible Use Symphony has
also helped create wonderful
early childhood programs like
Chimes and Music Discovery
helping younger children and
families find their way into
music and those children often
become part of the youth
orchestras as they grow.
The San Diego Youth Symphony is
more than an arts organization.
It's a force that lifts up
young people, supports families
and strengthens communities all
across our region through
the power of music.
We're grateful for everything
they do and it's an honor to
recognize them today And I
encourage everyone to check out
their 80th anniversary season
concerts happening this weekend
.
>> Hope to see you there.
Thanks so much.
Thank you.
City attorney.
We'll go next to council member
Von Wolpert.
Thank you, Council PRESIDENT
Thank you to my colleagues for
bringing forth wonderful
proclamations as usual And
there's so much to say about
all of them But with item 30
San Diego Youth Symphony Day a
congratulations to everyone
involved in the senior You
Symphony.
I actually played the French
horn for many years of my life
as a young member here in San
Diego including in the Senior
Youth Honor Band.
So I really appreciate all
the work that people do to
teach young people music.
It's incredible and the arts
are incredibly important and we
need to support them and fund
them here at the city of San
Diego.
So thank you for your work.
Item 31 Armenian Genocide
Remembrance Day.
I want to thank my colleagues
for bringing forth this
important commemoration of
the 1.5 million Armenians who
lost their lives during
the Armenian genocide from 1915
to 1923.
Thank you to the young people
here who are continuing to hold
up this legacy because we have
to learn from history so that
we do not repeat it again.
So very much appreciate my
colleagues and the beautiful
words you've already brought
forward.
Item 32 Older Americans Month.
I would like to recognize Older
American Month and celebrate
the many older people and older
adults whose leadership
experience and contributions
continue to strengthen
communities across the Diego
including many older adults in
my lives.
Approximately 1 in 7 San
Diegans are age 65 or older and
that population continues to
grow making it even more
important that we support
healthy connected age friendly
communities.
You know, up in Rancho Bernardo
we got to celebrate the Brown
Senior Center and the Oasis
Senior Center.
We have a lot going on and we
need more and more.
My grandfather actually was
with us to 102 years old.
And believe me he was with it.
He could even log on to Zoom's
during the pandemic at 101.
So we definitely want to invest
in older Americans.
Item 33 Asian-American Native
Hawaiian and Pacific Islander
Heritage Month.
Thank you to my colleagues for
bringing this forward as well.
I want to celebrate all of our
Asian-American Native Hawaiian
and Pacific Islanders here in
our greater community.
You make our community vibrant
and strong with contributions
to civic life to the arts, to
philanthropy, to business.
We had a wonderful celebration
just over the weekend of
the 100th year anniversary of
the Chinese language school
here in San Diego.
And I look forward to making
San Diego a more inclusive and
welcoming city for all through
this proclamation.
Municipal Clerks Week Item 504.
Thank you so much to Clark
Fuentes and her entire team for
your tireless advocacy and
work.
You know they get here much
earlier than any of us do and
often stay much later than any
of us do to make sure that
the public can participate in
democracy.
>> So if we could just take a
second give all of you a hand.
>> Thank you very much.
And at item 5o4 building
safety.
Thank you so much to all of our
hardworking city employees who
worked so hard to make sure
that buildings are safe and
able to habitat or able to be
able to be inside buildings in
San Diego.
You know, we do have wildfires,
earthquakes, flooding and other
emergencies that can impact us.
So making sure we have strong
resilient buildings is
important.
I mean we saw tragedies come
out of nowhere such as in
Florida when the entire half of
the condo complex collapsed
after erosion from the sea.
So just thank you for your
work.
We appreciate you and thank you
to everyone who reinforces
proclamations.
All right.
Thank you Council member
Wolpert.
We'll go next to Council member
Foster Thank you Council
PRESIDENT And quite a few on
fantastic proclamations here.
First item 32 older Americans
the month.
Just thank you to my colleagues
council PRESIDENT Lee Carver
council members Campbell and
whimpered Whitburn for bringing
forward this proclamation
proclamation recognizing older
Americans a month our seniors
have poured so much into our
communities, families and
neighborhoods and deserve to
age with dignity, support and
connection and district for we
see that work happening daily
at the Fourth District Senior
Resource Center where MS. Pope
and her team have crafted or
created a space where seniors
can stay active, socialize and
find support.
Also just a quick shout out to
the Bay Terraces Community
Senior Center That's a center
in District four that took
about 2025 years to get it to
where our seniors have a place
they call home and a place they
use quite frequently.
Also just want to thank
the neighborhood house
Association for everything they
do in the district and their
senior center that they
maintain.
Just again with our senior
population as it continues to
grow we have to keep investing
in programs and services that
help older adults live healthy
,engaged and independent
lives.
Item 33 Asian American Native
Hawaiian and Pacific Islander
Heritage Month.
Um you know District four um I
don't know what else more needs
to be said.
You know I remember growing up
when Lincoln High School across
the street had an empty lot.
You could see our Samoan
brothers and sisters out there
playing cricket in the lot.
And I just remember that so
vividly growing up.
But this is a month we
celebrate Asian-American Native
Hawaiian and Pacific Islander
Heritage Month a moment to
recognize the cultures,
histories and traditions that
helped shape communities across
San Diego and especially in
District four.
Thank you to the community,
the families, the small
businesses all
the contributions that helped
to strengthen our community.
The diversity, the vibrancy of
our neighborhoods is again
something that has been near
and dear to me as I grew up in
District four.
Also just congratulations on
the 19th annual San Diego
Dragon Boat Festival Day 19
years What a milestone.
Approaching 20.
Also just want to give a quick
shout out for Professional
Municipal Clerks Week.
Thank you MADAM Clerk to you,
your team everything that you
do to make sure that we are
able to function just what
the council does but also for
the public and everything that
you do and making yourself
available to make sure
the public has resources.
Make sure the public is
informed and has access to
information.
I also just want to thank give
a thank you and congratulations
to our building professionals
all the work that goes into
making our buildings safe.
I want to say for 25 years in
my past life work closely with
a lot of the inspectors and
just know how critical their
role is as we build our
facilities whether it's a
library, a fire station,
whether it's a multifamily
development, it's just such a
pleasure to work with that
staff and the work that they do
to to make sure and I say
the golden ticket right a
certificate of occupancy,
right.
That's the golden ticket.
So thank you for everything
that you guys do And Council
PRESIDENT I will conclude there
.
Thank you.
All right.
Thank you Councilmember Foster
or not see anybody else in
the lights?
I'll offer my comments.
You know the route to positive
change is an opportunity for us
as council to recognize causes
and individuals help amplify
their voices and make sure
everybody recognizes what this
city represents in our diverse
demographics.
Thank you to my colleagues for
all the proclamations and
the interest time.
I'll focus on just a few of
them at the risk of repeating
some of the things my
colleagues have already said
But item 31 the Armenian
Genocide Remembrance Day with
the Council PRESIDENT Pro Tem
and Council member Eli Rivera.
We recognize and remember
the genocide committed by
the Ottoman Empire against our
many people over several years
more than 1.5 million Armenians
were killed, marched to death,
deported or exiled from their
homeland.
Recognizing this as one of
the darkest chapters in human
history while honoring
the resolve and resilience of
the Armenian people.
Despite enduring those
atrocities, the Iranian people
have rebuilt their lives,
preserved their culture and
contributed to the fabric of
their communities after they've
done so here in San Diego we
stand in solidarity with them,
acknowledging their stories and
recommit ourselves to the work
of stamping out hate On Item 32
in partnership with Council
member Campbell and Council
member Whitburn, the three
Council members who are
the youngest at heart we
proclaim MAY as older Americans
Month As the population
continues with age, we know it
is important to continue to
uplift services and resources
that help support older adults
In San Diego, the City of San
Diego Senior Affairs Advisory
Board is an excellent example
of local resources that
continually emphasize the needs
and voices of older adults
through policy advancement and
age friendly programs.
These include the parks and
recreation departments age well
services Elder pd's retired
senior volunteer patrol program
both of which foster community
engagement and connection that
strengthen San Diego every day
and I'll be tapping into those
in JANUARY 2029.
>> Thank you to those whose
lifelong contributions continue
to strengthen, enriching and
guide our community every day
As 504I am proud to proclaim
MAY 2026 as Building Safety
Month in the city of San Diego.
And in doing so we highlight
the people and the work it
takes to ensure the safety of
our communities.
As an engineer myself I am
grateful to the fellow
engineers being recognized
today at every level in
the building safety industry
the amount of precision and
expertise and care that is
required to ensure that our
facilities and infrastructure
is safe is often overlooked but
is essential to protecting and
maintaining public safety.
The city relies on
the development Services
Department and Fire Rescue to
play a critical role in
the oversight and determination
of sound infrastructure.
Building Safety Month
highlights the unseen work that
is done in buildings before we
enter them.
Thank you to all the Building
Safety and Fire prevention
professionals, engineers,
architects, tradespeople and
others in the industry for your
dedication to keeping San
Diego's buildings and
the public safe.
And in closing, as 500
professional municipal clerks
Week I join Council PRESIDENT
Pro Tem Lee and honored to
shine a light on a profession
that continues to make
the government transparent and
most importantly accessible to
its constituents.
Our City Clerk and the City of
San Diego Clerk's office is
the very embodiment of that
ideal and whether it is
translate 18 official documents
into eight different languages
making records accessible to
the public and even offering
passport services they
consistently exceed their
mission to provide accurate
information and maximize access
to municipal government
regardless of language or
experience with local
government, the public can
consistently rely on
the clerk's office to deliver
accessible and accurate
information.
So as my colleagues have said,
thank you Clark Fuentes and
your amazing team including
Mary way back there for all
the work that you do to keep
our meetings running smoothly
and San Diego civically
informed.
And even though this role is
the one that is probably
the most visible to the public
as the council member Eli
Rivera kind of alluded to, what
you don't see and that
the council PRESIDENT Has
the opportunity to see that
starting out Maybe about 9:00
in preparation for council
hearings and all the way
through no matter what happens,
what technological glitches,
what difficulty the public has
either coming up to
the microphone or calling in
and all the emails and texts
that are coming your way during
the course of the meeting.
You Jack you all are just
relentless in what you do.
So we're just very, very
appreciative of that.
>> So I'm going to allow Clark
contests a few comments before
we close.
>> Thank you so much Council
PRESIDENT And I'll try to keep
in short I'll even time myself.
Just kidding.
I will On behalf of the Office
of the City Clerk I really want
to sincerely thank the Council
members and the council as well
for their proclamation for this
proclamation recognizing
Municipal Clerks Week being
remembered I almost forgot is
when I spoke Clerks Week
honestly and so being
remembered and being brought to
our attention really meant a
great deal to me and my office.
The recognition just means so
much because it reflects not
only the importance of the work
we do but the trust you place
in myself and our office every
single day.
It is truly an honor to serve
as the city clerk for the city
of San Diego and I never take
lightly the responsibility
entrusted in me to help uphold
transparency, accessibility and
the integrity of our democratic
process.
But I am especially grateful.
Oh I got a little I'm
especially grateful for
the opportunity to lead such an
extraordinary team of dedicated
public servants who make our
office shine through their
professionalism, expertise and
real heart.
The work of the clerk's office
often happens behind the scenes
but it is foundational to
ensuring the public can engage
with their government.
While we don't usually toot our
own horns, we do appreciate and
and really take our jobs
seriously whether it's
coordinating city elections,
maintaining and preserving
official records, supporting
the legislative process,
providing language access,
modernizing systems, providing
passport services or ensuring
the public has timely access to
information.
Our team really does approach
every responsibility with care
and commitment and that's what
makes the difference in being a
part of the Clark team.
The work we do and the things
we accomplish are only possible
because of the incredible
individuals each member of my
staff and the leadership team
of dg Kristina, Kevin, Mark and
Miley who consistently go above
and beyond in service to
the city.
Their work ethic, integrity and
dedication inspire me every day
and help me move forward.
Thank you again to the Council
for this meaningful recognition
for your continued partnership
and for your trust In our
office We are proud to serve
the people of San Diego and
remain committed to to carrying
out our mission and vision.
Thank you, Council PRESIDENT,
for the time.
All right.
Absolutely.
Absolutely okay with that we
have a motion by Council
PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee and a
second by council member
Whitburn Clark.
>> Please call the roll I'm
sorry the voting system Please
cast your vote That passes
unanimously 7 to 0 with Council
member Campos absence.
All right.
With that we will pause for
photos starting with item 30
San Diego Youth Symphony Day
and
and All right.
>> I'm not going to restart
the meeting until we have six
people up
.
All right.
For meeting minutes It's 1135.
We have consent item on
the consent agenda to deal with
and then not agenda comment.
I'm going to call it right now
that we will take the in-person
non agenda public comment and I
hope four of my colleagues will
stick around for the in-person
non agenda public comment and
we will trail virtual non
agenda public till 2:00 this
afternoon.
So again virtual knowledge and
public comment will be taken at
2:00 this afternoon or shortly
thereafter as we like to say.
So with that before we proceed
with the consent agenda I will
be returning item 106 item 106
back to staff at their request
Once again item want to return
to staff and will be heard at a
later date.
So with that we will proceed
with the remainder of
the consent items.
Do I Are there any request to
pull an item by council?
There is no request With that
part please proceed with public
comment on the remainder of
the consent item.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT And
please note each speaker will
have one minute per item per
person.
If you would like to speak on
three or more items you have a
maximum of three minutes.
The consent agenda includes
items 1050 through 66 100 and
105 100 through 10510731091 11
through 118 and as 501 through
as 503 with item 106 return to
staff as noted Also please let
me note for the record
the potential appointments and
re appointments that are on
the agenda this morning and 116
as a potential appointment of
William Tippit to the Mission
Bay Park Committee Item 117 is
a potential appointment of Kofi
Reed and reappointment of Anton
and Toyin I'm Antoinette.
Thank you Pierre Jackson to
the San Diego Housing
Commission.
Item 118 is the potential
appointment of Yolanda Franklin
to the Commission for Arts and
Culture.
We did receive comments for
item 51 one in opposition and
item 50 181 in favor Those were
distributed to the Council when
they were received via e
comment going to public comment
Robert Wood if you can please
come up.
Robert when you were seated
time by Michael Michael please
raise your hand.
Thank you.
You'll have two minutes on item
109.
Hi, I'm Robert Byrd with that
outreach And the reason I'm
here is because the issue of
additional funding for gun and
gang violence interruption in
the San Diego area is came into
play.
This is Cornelius Bowzer, our
ceo.
As you can see we have other
community based public safety
professionals out there in
the audience.
People from sbc, sbc are here.
I'd like to say thank you to to
all of you for considering this
the Reno Cantley monument.
Wilpert Hear me.
Foster there from whitburn
Jennifer Campbell, Joe LaCava
I'd like to thank everybody
here, right?
Because the thing is is that we
go out in the community and
what we do people have to
understand our function is
different than the police
function.
They go in there once it
happens where before it happens
we're prevention So we're
intervention in prevention.
So what we're trying to do is
before something even takes
place prevent it And then if
something does take place then
we reach back into community
with our connections and we try
to prevent more from taking
place So we try to prevent
violence from happening in
the first place And then what
does happen?
We swing into action to try to
prevent the spread of violence.
Another part of our
intervention efforts is at risk
Youth mentoring We try to reach
out to the community and
identify the youth that we feel
are most at risk and we take
those youth then we mentor
them.
We offer them wraparound
services where possible and we
do everything that we can to
get them right.
So you can see that we have a
multifaceted approach to
improving the safety of
the communities to stopping gun
and gang violence.
Interruption Some of us are
even domestic violence
counselors including myself and
MR. Bowzer.
So I want to say I appreciate
you guys Please make it
possible for us to continue.
Thank you for that concluding
statement.
Sandy Keaton I guess for
following individuals to please
come up to the Yellow Reserves
seats Sandy Keaton, Alvin
Hayes, Jeffrey Raya allegedly
Audra and Andrea Ebbing I'll
also just note that if you
submitted a speaker slip for
the consent calendar and I did
not call your name please come
up to the other reserved seats.
I did receive one with no name
so I don't know who you are.
Please proceed.
Good morning.
We're actually AUGUST
afternoon.
I want to thank the council.
I'm here.
My name is Sandra Keaton.
I'm actually from Essex and
mostly I'm here to show my
gratitude for the leadership of
the council to continue to
support the programing that
really is rooted in the lived
experience of community to
recognize the value that this
brings in addressing the harm
that comes from violence in our
community.
It's a positive partnership
between law enforcement and
community and it's part of it
speaks mostly we want to um
extend our gratitude and thank
you for recognizing the value
of this program and all
the work of support as well.
So thank you.
Thank you Alvin Hayes.
Morning everyone.
My name is Alvin Hayes.
I'm also a team member of
Support Outreach.
No Shots Fire Program.
As my colleague just said a
while ago, this very point is
very important for this And I
want to thank each and every
one of you who had a hand in in
this for us to excuse me to
continue with what it is that
we're doing and also to raise
the importance of even though
we're out there doing
the community outreach, you
know, is still you know,
there's still the violence is
still there.
Unfortunately, I was one of
the victims of gun violence.
You know, I got shot one one
night in JANUARY the 9th this
year and it only put a bigger
exclamation point for me how
important it is to try to make
our community safe.
You know, And so I would like
to just thank you guys again,
you know, for even considering
this.
You know, the work that we do
is very important.
Some people don't like what we
do but that's not our issue.
So we're going to continue to
push forward and hopefully with
your help and support we will
continue.
Thank you for that concluding
comment, Jeffrey Rath Good
afternoon.
My name is Jeffrey Ray.
I just want to thank all of you
guys for this opportunity for
us to continue to do our work
as an ex-felon and gang member.
You know, it's amazing to be
able to promote positivity and
a change in our community to
reduce violence because we know
San Diego is beautiful.
We want more tourism here.
We want more families to raise
their children.
We want the elderly to retire
in.
Our job is to be able to
influence the generations that
come before us through even,
you know, the credibility that
we have for being where we once
were but now telling them that
they can change their lives and
do something better.
So you know and just like my
coworkers are saying we don't
just focus on gang gun violence
as we know that broad there's
Hispanic gangs, black gangs,
there's Asian gangs.
We're we're in the mix of all
of that And we're even helping
with domestic violence.
You know, we're helping with
suicide awareness, emotional
abuse and even mental health
substance abuse.
We're really trying to do what
we can to make a difference
because my family's here too.
So thank you.
Thank you for that concluding
comment allegedly Audra, you'll
have three minutes for speaking
on items 1021091 1255 60 5963
and as 503 right facade Chavez
Parkway we're renaming it
because of potential sexual
abuse and assault.
It's interesting that we care
about it sometimes when there's
not any evidence but then when
there's clear evidence in front
of you guys, you know, do
anything because we got
ambulances that we're
contracting with that are
women and drugging them in
the ambulance on their way to
who knows where jail
The hospital just depends.
Um yeah.
>> And then number 63 by gm
Technologies Are you guys dope
to be contracting with
BlackRock and Vanguard?
That's good right?
That's how we keep our data
secure especially with our
leased assets.
So smart to give them that
data.
Can't worry about that right.
It's probably just Trump I mean
but that's attached to Trump.
Larry Fink Right.
You know any who and then we
have once yeah so 1o2 with this
dispatching for towing services
it would be interesting if San
Diego Police Department wasn't
engaging in bait cars by
leaving people that they
assault having their keys just
thrown on the ground for
someone comes and takes their
vehicle and then it you got to
pay $1,000 to get it out.
That's smart.
Good for them because we also
have bait bikes, right?
It's not entrapment or
anything.
Poor guy who wound up stealing
it and then he's getting
charged for it And then 109
speakers cannot be trusted with
money when they had $6 million
of arpa funds and they were
doing the transfer site that
Steven Whitburn wanted to
pretend didn't exist, they took
$2 million That's for their
employees.
I find that very interesting.
It was only four months and
three weeks.
How many employees could you
possibly have that you're going
to take a third of the money
for your pocket.
So I would hope that if you
care about this you know, no
shots fired program that you
would seriously rethink giving
speakers any funding for it and
then 112 with the California
Violence Intervention and
Prevention grant, I'm wondering
if you're going to use that to
make sure the police department
isn't assaulting women like
beating their face And you know
what they want to say is that
she's in competent How Plenty
of that.
Yeah Just because you're
talking about the things that
are happening in the jail.
Right.
And it gives the police officer
good warranting, you know,
reason to slam your face into
the ground.
Good thing it wasn't one of you
any who And then as 503
the content you state of an
emergency it's so funny when
things become routine after
decades it's like is it really
an emergency?
Are we treating it like an
emergency?
Is this how we should have
people at dispatch on 911
react?
It's like maybe 30 years later
will come?
I don't know.
Just depends on how much money
we can get from it.
>> Could you Andrea Evening If
you can please come forward
Your speaking times one 1257
and 58 You'll have three
minutes Please proceed.
Well thank you for one So I'm
5758 and what you put one 1257
and 58 Okay.
Okay So yeah 112 I would just
say physically just looking at
this again I'm asking you not
to look at me as the victim of
everything she just mentioned
because it's true but more of
an executive in San Diego who's
driven like $25,000,000.20 $4
million into the county city
through various efforts.
i brought Kanye West here.
I mean I've done a couple of
things and you know, I just
think that if we had a better
grip on what's going on from
the felony side of things,
the felony cases that are
coming out and even the county
cases that are misdemeanor, I
understand that I have issues
with them or stuff and I have
big issues with Summer Stephan
but everyone up here should as
well because everyone looks bad
when we create cases for people
that aren't real it costs so
much money and it's very unfair
.
It causes homelessness, it
causes gun violence, it causes
conflict.
So for example, what she was
just mentioning up there I got
a letter from the city
attorney's office after I was
beaten almost to death
literally as a survivor of a
ruptured aneurysm by Anthony
Warner.
And I got a letter from
the city attorney's office
which I was thrilled.
I thought, oh, maybe there's
like movement.
But it said that I was a victim
of a crime and the crime I was
a victim of with having my
beautiful new Tyquan stolen
from the place where I was
beaten to death almost because
after they did that to me 24
officers showed up.
They won't show up to any non
an emergency call Linda Vista
for hours days but they showed
up within seconds to watch but
nobody picked up my keys or
anything so to go get my car
$4,000 and then now the person
that took my keys which was
sitting next to the car who
wouldn't Beautiful r-line black
rims, cinnamon leather interior
and you've got somebody who
he's a kid.
They're going to take the keys
and they're going to take
the car And they did.
But also you know and I know
I'm on 112 I think that this
shots fired program is good but
the root is that these people
are put in a bad position
That's generational.
Once you lose your home, once
you lose your rent, you missed
your rent for that month and
you were incarcerated.
It's a it's a ripple effect
because they couldn't pay
the lady.
There's a new website called sd
ricoh.Com that's s d r I c
oakum and on the dia pay to
play page you can see
defendants in major cases who
have paid the lady Here's Leo
Hamill GOD bless him I love his
jewelry store Don't take any
offense Leo Hamel $84,000 to
summer Stephan These are her
460 forms by the way from sd
Vogue.Com.
Here's the Poway synagogue
shooting Dallas Marson The guy
that sold the gun Lonnie McGill
Glock store Ghost gun case lady
that shot her husband in
Carlsbad.
Thank you for that concluding
comment.
Blair Beakman if you can please
come forward Your final speaker
here in council chambers you're
speaking on items 116 as 503
and 61 three minutes.
Please proceed.
All right.
Thank you.
I think I was the person
without the name on the card.
Thank you.
Yeah, and those are my numbers
to first speak on.
Um, item Uh oh oh First speak
on item 61 the uh uh voting
bathroom restroom within one of
our lake systems.
It this is an item that comes
around every once in a while.
Um, it was cute I thought at
first and we're just kind of
mentioning it actually brings
out some sort of imagination
from staff.
They come up with other ideas
of restroom use and downtown
area actually previously but I
got a conversation on
the subject and it was spoken
here in public meeting time.
It's actually a bit uh
dangerous and polluted.
It sounds like I'm a bit
concerned about it now.
I don't think it's really worth
it at this point.
I wanted to make my feelings
known on it but I still want to
be able to work on downtown
bathroom issues and then we
have that going on Uh that's uh
accessible downtown bathroom is
should always be a priority for
ourselves uh, on two items uh
102 And it was related to me to
item 55 uh two issues and an
agreement with parking citation
issues.
Good luck on practicing good
equity with these things.
I think we've we've done some
amazing good work on towing
equity issues Uh, I mean model
examples So keep up that sort
of work and effort how we talk
about our equity.
Uh, I think issues with those
items uh, those type of items
it's important and that people
aren't overcharged and that we
you guys have figured out a
good system for that and thank
you.
Continue.
That could work.
Um on to item 116 appointment
to mission Bay Park Committee
you had a good item on on
mission Bay Park issues
yesterday.
Uh good luck on those Continue
efforts I talked about wildlife
trail technology policies that
can be really assessable and
understandable and can work
well.
Uh, Davis always has good
examples.
I also need to mention
the concept of Biomet tech in
San Diego.
We keep saying it's sports
utility tech You keep using
that term as a euphemism.
Uh, I understand why I can go
into great detail why you're
doing that.
It's a bad practice.
We have to be clear We're
talking about biometric tech
and that shouldn't be a scary
concept.
It's around our lives a lot.
You guys are too afraid to
simply say those words publicly
when it's okay.
We know what you're talking
about.
Can you please speak the words?
Have the honest conversation
direct conversation with
ourselves please.
Um and finally um as item se
503 um you want to segment uh,
you know issues with Tijuana
good luck and and dialog
communication and that's
another thing not to be fearful
of good direct dialog and that
we're all open to it.
Thank you.
Thank you for that concluding
statement.
I'm sorry the five minute timer
going to those participating
remotely currently have three
people in the queue.
Lori Saldana If you can please
unmute and let me know which
item or items you wish to speak
to.
Thank you.
Yes I'd like to speak to item
114 item s503 and item 115
Please proceed.
Thank you.
Regarding establishing
the third franchise Compliance
Review Committee for people who
MAY not understand this is
actually a committee that's
looking out for the rights of
San Diego ratepayers.
Our rights are frequently
overlooked in deliberations by
this Council and this is why we
pay the highest rates for
electricity in the country and
adding to the cost of living
challenges that many people
face.
So the Franchise Compliance
Review committee members
they're on their second report.
I hope the council is paying
attention to what they're
recommending families who have
been paying literally for
decades since this franchise
has gone on now for over 75
years.
Uh, they still don't have
undergrounding utility lines
overhead or they're still
overhead rather.
So I hope this compliance
review committee will put some
teeth into enforcing things
like undergrounding in
communities, older communities
that have paid for that for
decades and have nothing to
show for it.
Item as 503 in a state of
emergency regarding raw sewage
and sediment from Tijuana, I
remind this council that
the city of San Diego lobbied
extensively 30 years ago for
the construction of this
facility even while ignoring
your own staff's environmental
impact report stating that
the industrial waste were
unmitigated and would cause
toxicity problems in
the near-shore environment.
And this is exactly what is
happening now 30 years of
filing this resolution is like
crying fire and doing nothing
to put out the flames.
I suggest the city or with
Tijuana to develop a source
control for the industrial
waste that is killing people in
the river valley, contaminating
the soil and causing health
problems with our first
responders, people who do
training down there and
the families that live near
the river and industrial Source
Control and free treatment plan
would go a long way to
protecting the health and
safety of San Diegans and
people who live in the area San
Isidro and elsewhere or people
who just visit the River Valley
for recreation.
That pollution was brought to
your attention decades ago and
this Council has continued to
ignore your culpable in
approving that project and
benefiting from it in many ways
And now it is poisoning people
in the river valley.
And finally I want to bring up
a $175,000 settlement that went
to a former city employee who
was riding a bicycle in Pacific
Beach and claims that
the street caused an accident
creating personal injuries,
extensive personal injuries.
Again, take a look at
the mobility issues facing
those of us who would prefer
not to be in our cars.
We'd rather be walking or
riding our bikes.
But when we put ourselves in
harm's way because of lack of
infrastructure and repairs,
it's costly not only to us but
to the city.
Thank you.
Next is Sally Small.
After that is Hector And then
7499 Follow me Please proceed
and let me know which item or
items you wish to speak to.
Sure.
58 6263 1091 12 and 503I don't
perceive that much time You'll
have three minutes starting off
with 58 I appreciate that
you're making the efforts to
make things better for
the Brown Act and for public
participation.
But even if you look at
the basic cheat sheet that you
wrote, it lists cab as
the location for meetings.
The general public doesn't know
what cab is and there's no
address listed Looking at
the group presentations,
there's no address listed.
Oops So please get off that
asap if you want participation
The seat at the table is
something that you guys still
need to consider that
the community planning groups
put out all the effort but they
don't even get money for
appeals anymore and now it's
only the cpc and that time is
limited but developers get
their free rein.
62 Stormwater Loans Thank you
very much for choice Green
infrastructure and the storm
drain improvements 63 The text
makes me nervous 109 With no
shots fired I believe in
the program doing the mentoring
and prevention in the first
place is awesome.
They need to be able to reduce
violence in our neighborhoods
1/12 the same Just keep track
the money.
I am worried because in my
neighborhood Emerald Hills,
Lincoln Park, Valencia Park we
have organized actions that are
helping people after the fact
but we need more doing
prevention and mentoring
locally as 503 with the Tier
one So which I agree 30 years
is way too long to figure out
an answer and I know
the Federal is slower than
molasses but you guys are too
So please please get that in
gear.
We need to have the health and
safety the people that live in
the in the South Bay to have
what they need to function as
normal people and having to
smell that is nasty And things
could have been done a long
long time ago.
Sorry my cats yelling at me I
am done.
Thank you.
Thank you Hector if you can
please unmute and let me know
which item or items you wish to
speak to after that is 7499
The five minute timer has also
concluded there are four
speakers in the queue.
No additional speakers will be
taken.
Hector please proceed.
Thanks for taking my call.
I got a better internet
connection now the other one
dropped off 112 503 and 51 Now
the 112 I congratulate
the brothers math They know
the difference between right
and wrong.
There's right and wrong in
the world and they're on
the right side.
They've probably tasted
the grace of GOD at one time
they were on the wrong
direction.
We should support these guys.
They got it.
Whatever We can do a way to do
it.
That other guy wants to tax
the rich.
Let's start taxing the rich.
How about Scott Peters our
councilperson?
He's about $600 million And
Sarah Jacobs she's worth like
$60 Million.
Let's put a tax on those guys 3
million apiece until the money
runs out a year ago just a year
.
Sarah is is the granddaughter
of Jacobs is a billionaire So
don't be taxing him because he
might split with all the money
anyway.
What's wrong with black guys?
You're doing a great job, man.
It's dangerous.
It's crazy work.
You want to Riverton and on
the t your the Bible.
Three, two, one.
River.
Let's take some of that money
from taxing the rich and turn
the t along to open sewer line
Whole thing Sewer lines not
turn 40 And do you see dro bay
Pirate Bay Park like this in
Bay Park put mission Bay Park
right down there on the river
say put a huge channel in
the ocean and put a big wall up
there and top the line sewer
system Turn that water into
drinking water, take the lot of
recycled water out of it and
start doing hemp for us will
start grow.
This is a good idea.
We're going to grow marijuana
Hemp plant which was
the Declaration of Independence
was written on hemp and you
know the history of paper.
The other guys with the trees
took it over will have hemp
down there That'll be jobs will
have you should be coding ramps
the whole deal will turn lemons
into lemonade and that be
something to be proud of.
Yeah and then let's see some of
these numbers But one thing
what the problem is we're
Gloria Bill 2.0 been man Bill
and said Gloria Bill we're
living in Gloria Bill this is
Gloria Bill 2.0 He's cutting
funding even in that Christmas
saving a double park That's an
abomination.
And then oh yeah, I actually
talked to Bill Clinton a bill
and thanked them for calling
Gloria Bill that's when
the bubble parks don't clean up
the homeless.
I was down there last week.
There's more homeless guys in
Balboa Park now The regular
homeless and the aggressive
homeless that kind of beg to
you.
i was there at 5:00, walked in
from Presidio to bus station at
120.
There's more time has concluded
next to 7499 after that is Judy
Strong And our last speaker is
Madison 7499 please I'm you and
let me know which item or items
you wish to speak to Like to
speak on all the items but I'll
be brief of three minutes.
>> Please proceed.
Bob Kozinski here First if you
look at the agenda for most of
these items you'll see
virtually no substance about
the item to let citizens know
what it's about.
There's a link for more detail
but today's agenda for example
contains 47 items That's a lot
of links to check just to see
what's actually on the agenda
and therefore asking the city
clerk to please put at least
some substance into these
descriptions.
Thank you.
Second, I noticed that many of
these items are contracts.
As you all know from my many
comments on the lack of
oversight at Torrey Pines,
the city has a terrible track
record of overseeing contracts
.
I urge this Council to ensure
that all of these contracts
contain provisions for proper
oversight.
Third, I'd like to commend
the city for continued
appointments to boards and
committees.
These bodies provide the city
with valuable expertise that
the city does not have.
If you read the city charter
you'll find that's the purpose
of these boards and committees.
That's exactly why the city
Council needs to reactivate
the Torrey Pines City Park
Advisory Board which is an
obvious area where the city has
no actual expertise.
Fourth, despite all your
flowery words, it's clear that
this council does not respect
the wisdom that seniors bring
to these council chambers every
single week Actions speak
louder than words.
Joe LaCava.
Finally, congratulations to
the City Clerk one day who has
kindly given me so much of her
time on a number of recent
issues.
>> That concludes my remarks on
the agenda.
Thank you.
Next is Judy Strang.
If you can please unmute please
let me know which item or item
you wish to speak to.
>> I'd like to speak to item 58
regarding sb seven seven.
>> Thank you.
You'll have one minute.
>> Please proceed.
You bet.
Thank you for the time that we
all many of you have put into
making this come to fruition.
Those of us who watch as we
seven and seven go through
the legislature, we're thrilled
to see that We're now seeing it
put into place in our city
councils.
I'm particularly pleased that
we've kept in effect
the opportunity for non agenda
public comment and that the 16
minute limitation for subject
matter applies separately for
in-person and separately For
those of us who are at work
during the day we have to call
in.
We really appreciate that if we
make the effort and it just so
happens that we're speakers on
your item you still have that
chance as part of the Zoom
meeting.
>> It's a good step forward.
Thank you.
And our final speaker is
Madison.
If you can please unmute and
let me know which item or item
to speak to.
>> Yes, thank you.
Item 58 Please proceed.
So I also wanted to say thank
you for continuing to allow
the five minute timer at
the beginning of Zoom public
comment for speakers to raise
their hand as the city updates
the rules of council to comply
with sb seven and seven and
ensure equal access for virtual
and in-person participants.
>> I think this is exactly
the kind of practical
accommodation that helps make
remote participation genuinely
workable.
That extra window MAY seem
small administratively but for
many members of the public it
makes participation much more
accessible.
People joining remotely are
often balancing work family
responsibility, technology
delays or simply trying to
follow when their item is being
called And those few minutes
help ensure they do not MISS
The opportunity to speak.
It also supports fairness
because it gives people a
reasonable chance to enter
the queue rather than losing
their opportunity because of a
short delay or technical issue
especially as the city works
through the operational and
technology challenges discussed
in this item.
>> So thank you for that.
Thank you.
That concludes with a comment
on the consent agenda.
All right.
Thank you, City Clerk.
And before we go to my
colleagues for questions,
comments and entertain a
motion.
I understand there was an audio
glitch during a meeting
management announcement that I
made earlier and that is given
the hour late hour this morning
or now in this afternoon we
will only take not not agenda
public comment from those in
chambers after this item are
remote not agenda public
comment will be taken at
the 2:00 hour and I'll repeat
that again But again we will
trail remote or virtual not
agenda public comment on until
the 2:00 or shortly thereafter
afternoon session.
So with that we will first
start with Council member Von
Wilbert.
>> Thank you Council PRESIDENT
And I'm happy to make a motion
to approve the consent agenda.
I want to start with item one
for a no shots fired program.
Thank you to Bishop Bowzer and
all of your team and everyone
for being here.
Thank you to South Lake in
these services for the work
you're doing as well and to
your police department for your
partnership with I've had some
incredible work.
i want to be abundantly clear
that gun violence is still a
challenge we are all facing in
our communities and we cannot
reduce gun violence overall if
we only act to reactive matters
.
We have to be proactive as
well.
And so I just want to thank all
of you for your continued work
with the city.
You know, since I've been here
on this Dyess for six years
we've had great partnership
with no shots fired.
Not only are you intervening
when violence happens to
prevent more violence, you're
also remembering how to care
for your victims.
You know you're with us every
time we we have the summer of
peace or we have the annual gun
violence remembrance.
And so thank you for your work
also into helping victims of
domestic violence because often
gun violence can come so often
in domestic violence situations
And and Alvin, I'm glad you're
okay.
I'm sorry that you also
suffered gun violence in
the midst of your work.
But we just appreciate you and
his partner for the city.
And so on behalf of the Public
Safety Committee, we're glad to
have you any time you give a
great presentation last time as
well.
And I want to thank the new
Shots fired program for working
hand in hand as part of our
public safety team And item 112
excepting California Gun
Violence Intervention and
Prevention grant cohort funding
for our Peacemaker Project.
i'm very much in support of
this item because once again it
represents a proactive
investment in violence
prevention rather than simply
intervening after violence
occurred, the Peacemaker
Project focused on addressing
the root causes of violence by
connecting at risk youth and
family with mentorship mental
health care, education,
workforce opportunities and
community support before
situations escalate to tragedy.
And finally on items 502I would
like to make some comments
about and aspire to during last
year's budget review process we
had a lot of discussions about
our reservoir recreation
program you know Lake Miramar
Lake, Murray Lake Hodges all of
these are not in fact actual
lakes.
They are reservoirs, They're
drinking water reservoirs and
they have become such a public
part of our such a fabric of
our public institutions that
people do use them for
recreation which is wonderful.
At the same time it is very
hard to maintain some of these
reservoirs as a public
accommodations when we really
have to focus on the water
quality.
So I was very happy to see that
this year's budget we have
received a $600,000
contribution from the county an
effort that was led by
supervisor Joel Anderson around
with a 1.4 million local
assistance grant funding coming
from Senator Brian Jones all
going towards keeping El
Capitan Reservoir access open
all summer.
So I want to thank the senator.
I want to thank Supervisor
Anderson as well for their
partnership And I really want
to thank the friends of the San
Diego Lakes.
They have done a great job
advocating for the Reservoir
recreation program and I thank
them for pushing these
collaborations across
the finish line because we
should all be working together
for these valuable community
resources.
Thank you, Council PRESIDENT.
All right.
Thank you, sir.
We have most of my council
members all over It will go
next to council member
Campbell.
>> I'm happy to second
the consent agenda.
Thank you.
All right.
Thank you for that,
Councilmember Foster Yes, Thank
you.
Council PRESIDENT And thank you
to the north south fire team
for everything that you do.
This is something that I
believe started in 2022 I
believe or thereabouts where my
predecessor had a conversation
and discussion with Bishop
Belzer And then I was given
the directive to get this
program in place And I just
want to thank you for all that
you do As we see your team does
put themselves at risk.
And so I just wanted to make
sure that we recognize that and
understand that as all of you
have families and folks that
you have responsibilities and
obligations to take care of And
also thank you for bringing
your lived experience to our
young people.
I had the pleasure of attending
an event the other night where
you know, I'll be honest when I
grew up certain communities
could be in the same room and
that is changing And I think
that speaks specifically to
the work that you do as often
as you are told No, you tend to
stay committed and stay
dedicated and don't accept
those numbers and keep looking
forward And glad to hear
the program is actually
expanding and doing some work
at the county now And so just
looking forward to continuing
that good work and not just
from from me to you I'm just a
sincere thank you for
everything that you do.
I also just want to say
congratulations.
We have a few appointments to
the Housing Commission.
My good brother Kofi Reed Thank
you for everything that you do
Not only with with the housing
that you are providing building
that generational wealth and
the clients that you target
just thank you for making those
opportunities available.
I also would like to
congratulate DR. Yolanda
Franklin for your appointment
to the Arts and Culture
Commission Executive Director
for the Common Ground Theater
And just thank you for
everything you do
The historical context
associated with Common Ground
Theater Again another and what
I will say an institution where
we had to make our own way
right create opportunity,
create a space for our people
to flourish and to participate
in the arts and their talents.
So thank you and thank you for
continuing to keep those
efforts ongoing.
I will add and congratulations
on to the mayor I think
the caliber of grant another
round up of that funding I just
think it speaks to where we
once were and where we are now
continuing to work with
the community to bring
alternatives because that work
again folks are our community
Public safety professionals are
able to go to place go into
spaces where our law
enforcement professionals
cannot go.
And so thank you for that.
With that I will conclude there
MADAM Clerk, as we move forward
I would like to register a no
vote on item 57 the salary
ordinance.
And that concludes my comments.
Thank you.
All right.
Thank you, sir.
And again, we do have a motion
by COUNCILMAN Bowen over to
second by Councilmember
Campbell.
We've got it.
>> Councilmember Eli Rivera
Thank you, Council PRESIDENT.
I'll make this pretty brief.
I just wanted to speak to
the No shots fired program and
thank MR. Bowzer and
the support team who out here
you all do incredibly buoyant
work.
I appreciate you putting your
body on the line.
Well, you do.
Thank you for continuing to
show up despite the way you've
been impacted.
It's an incredibly important
part of creating a safe
community and it's I'm really
glad to see the arc that this
program has taken from when
then Councilmember Montgomery
Step and other chief of staff
last year started championing
it the way it was responded to
from within the system and now
where it is the you have proven
that proven that what you are
arguing for and advocating for
wasn't just a nice idea It was
it was it was born from
evidence and experience And
then Catherine Foster, thank
you for being a champion for
it.
I continue to seek out
resources that can support
the program.
Again, this is a really, really
important, really really
important part of keeping San
Diego safe.
>> Thank you Council member
Gloria not see anybody else in
the lights.
I will congratulate the funding
As my colleague said, those who
are being appointed reappointed
with a special shout out to
District one residents, Bill
Tibbits who has been appointed
to the Mission Bay Park
Committee in the district one
of the District one seats His
wealth of environmental
experience will be crucial to
the upcoming work of the board
.
So thank you for your
contributions and your
willingness to serve on
the mission.
Bay Park Committee I'm sorry
COUNCILMAN Moreno I apologize.
>> My intention wasn't to speak
but I do have a question on
item 57.
I just want to clarify Did we I
wasn't here for the first
reading so I understand this is
the second reading and I see a
car allowance for this
assistant to the city manager
which is the mayor deputy chief
of staff Classification two
Exhibit f Auto allowance under
$475 per month.
I just I was under
the impression that that was
removed and I just want
clarification on that.
I see folks in the back Did you
want to speak to that?
I think the idea was to remove
it when after we adopt
the budget and then we update
the salary ordinance after
that.
But I MAY not have that correct
.
I thank you so much.
Abby Gravelle, deputy director
of Human resources Department.
So the direction was to go back
to status quo in that position
did have the pay at the time so
the remaining position titles
were changed but everything
else was remain status quo per
the direction of city council
remain status quo meaning if
the position was already lifted
that position was not removed,
the titles were changed and
that was the only change that
was requested.
Okay.
And my question once again I'll
reiterate does this include a
car allowance?
There is an auto allowance for
that condition credible given
the budget circumstances that
we have and that my community
is facing libraries being shut
and park and rec programing
being eliminated.
I don't think it's appropriate
to add a car allowance at this
moment for deputy chief of
staff for the mayor's office.
So I will be registering a no
vote on item 57.
I do look forward to it being
eliminated as the budget as we
come and vote for the budget.
But given what's in front of me
today, I don't do not feel
comfortable giving a carte
allowance to the mayor's deputy
chief of staff.
Thank you.
All right.
Thank you.
Council Memorial.
Good catch, Councilmember
Eagleburger.
Yeah, I just I'm not going to
make a whole thing out of it.
I just am not 100% comfortable
with the way that the way that
was described.
And so I'll also be casting a
no vote on 57 based on how it's
moving with an understanding
that it'll come back to us a
little later on in front of
Council Councilmember Campbell.
I also would like to cast a no
vote on 57.
I'd ask the mayor before he
even presented the budget his
for draft budget to please get
rid of the car allowances.
I know there's only a few of
them.
It doesn't add up to a
horrendously large amount of
money.
Nevertheless every single bit
counts and I think that we are
very out of date to be giving
car allowances at this time.
>> Thank you.
What happens if we just pull
item 57 right now, defer to
the city attorney's office?
There's a charter requirement
that requires a first and
second reading to occur.
So I would defer to the city
attorney's office on next steps
with regard to that approval of
the second reading not just
correct.
Correct.
I don't think the city attorney
was prepared for a question
like that.
Oh yes.
The one wildly waving the fence
So yeah, that the problem is
the charter requires
the charter Section 11.1
requires the salary ordinance
be passed by 30th.
So if it does not pass today,
there's no time to pacify MAY
30th So would be a technically
charter violation there You
don't have the votes.
You have five votes.
All right.
I think I think a message is
being sent sent pretty loud and
clear which is what we I think
navigated last time.
So if I can just add to that, I
believe that there will be an
amendment to the salary
ordinance coming shortly And at
that time you could address
the car allowance.
Yeah, Councilperson I believe
the next amendment will be
coming for JUNE 16th to include
the reach Labor negotiation
agreement and so we could
revisit this conversation at
that time and then move forward
with the vote today to meet
the charter mandate.
Okay.
I don't think we want to
revisit I think Kotek want to
get it done So so if we hold
firm like that we can get
the PRESIDENT.
I think that that's the way I
heard the response was I think
I thought it was more or less
settled matter when we
discussed it last time.
So I'm willing to vote yes with
the commitment that this is
gone when it comes back to us.
Yes.
Councilmember that I understand
the desire to move forward.
I will cast a yes vote with
the expectation that that
commitment be adhered to when
we see it next time.
Okay.
One of several things this
council has to deal with where
we feel like we have very
little choice or a voice but I
think the point was made.
So thank you Councilmember
Moreno for catching that So
Council PRESIDENT Potentially
yeah.
>> Despite my inclination to
also have the same challenge I
will support it knowing
the need to move forward and
revise is going to be part of
shortly anyway.
So frankly the budget going to
be in the council's hands I
think it'll be an opportunity
for the Council to remember
what it would like to see
incorporated moving forward in
that salary one and so look
forward to doing that.
All right.
Thank you.
Sorry with that I think
everybody has spoken So we have
a motion by council member Von
Wolpert.
We have a second by Council
member Campbell.
I think we still have no votes
from COUNCILMAN Moreno and
Council member Campbell on 57.
So you have that and
Councilmember Foster will
musical chairs here But that's
okay.
That's what we're here for.
So with that clear touch a
little uncomfortable with
the way this has unfolded here.
I don't think we've actually
had a full discussion of this
and I'm not comfortable with no
votes here and commitments
there about future action of
the council.
I don't want to vote on
something that's going to tie
my hands.
Well, the mayor's office is
committing to bring it forward
with the removal the council
will still have an opportunity
to vote right?
Know countermeasure.
>> Would it be possible to
return this item to staff and
get it for next Tuesday to
ensure that we meet the second
reading prior to MAY 30th?
>> Sure I can live with that.
We will return this to staff.
>> Okay.
The key thing is we get
the work done even if it's a
little nothing.
So item 57 is going to be
returned to staff.
Um okay.
So with the concurrence of
the motion maker COUNCILMAN One
ward with 57 been removed and
the second or we will vote on
the remainder of the items so
please call the roll.
>> I started the voting system.
Please cast your vote just for
the record again items 57 and
106 were returned.
The remaining items were passed
unanimously 8 to 0 with
Councilmember Campo absent.
Thank you.
All right.
Thank you for a reminder about
I don't want to six as well so
I think you got it and Abbie
and Tom for your Oh so with
that again we're going to take
not a general public comment
that it's in chambers We will
trail the virtual agenda public
comment until after the 2:00
session.
So first are there any mayoral
council city attorney general
specifically comments?
I don't see any I'm going to
make a comment to correct a on
the record but I'll do that
next week in the interest of
time.
So let's now take up non agenda
public comment Council members
respect and appreciate
the public sentiment are fully
committed to protecting every
participant's free speech right
to council and committee
meetings.
Clerk Please proceed with
the in-person public comment
Again we're deferring
the virtual or trailing
the virtual until the 2:00
session.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT
Before presenting with an
agenda public comment And thank
you to those that were
appointed today If you can
please go towards the back of
chambers.
My staff will be there to give
you your oath of office.
Thank you for your service.
Can I have allegedly Audra and
then Andrea I mean please come
up to the front row and Audra,
you can take the microphone Two
minutes for non agenda Public
comment As a reminder Approval
2.7 on agenda for the coming is
an opportunity for the public
to comment on items that are
not on the agenda but within
the subject manager stiction of
the City Council Please
proceed.
Do I get a ticket with me Is
that I'm just All right.
>> So I'm wondering if you guys
can humble yourselves for a
moment because you know that
you violate not only your city
charter but the Brown Act and
those could potentially put you
guys up for misdemeanor charges
and civil penalties per
violation.
It was five times I caught you
guys doing it and you literally
treated me like a criminal.
That's not fair And you're
making me want to go further
and hold you guys accountable
because you won't even admit
that what you did was wrong and
illegal And there should be
looked at by the Ethics
Commission because how can you
be trusted when you literally
blatant look me in the face and
then we're like laughing
potentially pretty much about
it when you know you know that
you can't do business without a
quorum but yet you are so
arrogant that you dug your
heels in and you did it five
times And I have a record of it
because you guys have your own
city tv that will hide that.
Yeah, because the music will
come on, the video will change
and out of transparency those
are things that you should let
the public see how you treat
people especially when you're
violating the law and you like
literally blatantly do it Like
what?
What do you got?
What are you going to do about
it?
So now I'm going to prove to
you what I'm going to do about
it because this shouldn't
continue.
You shouldn't treat the public
like that when you're violating
the law and then you're acting
like I'm violating the law.
I'm making a disruption When
your city attorney can't even
go, we shouldn't be doing
business like this.
So good for you guys and your
arrogance.
Look forward to fighting this
further and please come forward
.
Andrea Ebbing I was there for
one of the times that happened
and I obviously support our
efforts and I think that we
don't want to keep her
incompetent for saying that
because if it does turn legal
that could be a good strategy
to shut her up because when
slamming her on the ground
didn't work and then trying to
silence her didn't work, we can
always be more incompetent
which is what they're trying to
do with me.
So it's funny because
the officer that beat me to
almost death doesn't have a
case.
This man came and he admitted
on the stand that he grabbed my
hand and basically started to
assault me without ever
instructing me one moment about
what he was doing not knowing
the trauma I had just lived
through.
So I want this on the record
that there was no jury trial
set because my public defender
filed a95995 and she also filed
a motion.
I'm obviously competent.
I make great money.
I've survived something you
can't even possibly imagine And
here I am today balancing work
in this.
I'm very competent But when
this was going to fall through
because they obviously know
that they're in the wrong they
decided to try and make me
incompetent which is going to
be a challenge because I
actually just built a beautiful
new website called sd Ricoh sd
Our ipo dot com which talks
about a lot of the patterns of
behavior I talk about up here.
So this is not your social
media page.
The county has no legal ban on
me for social media That's
total violation My First
Amendment rights I own this
website.
I will do what I want with this
website.
It is not social media and
enter the wicked world of
the enterprise.
Explore all new sd centric
space for all things public
corruption, fraud, waste and
abuse and the unsolved
mysteries of questionable
decision making As rico
exploits a pattern of behavior
and predicate back that could
be defined under the rico
statute.
>> Thank you.
Thank you for that concluding
comment That does conclude not
generally in in person as noted
the virtual will be trailed to
the afternoon.
>> Thank you Council PRESIDENT
Thank you.
Just to be clear it'll be trail
to the first item in
the afternoon session We will
now adjourn for the noon recess
and reconvene open session at 2
P.M. Or shortly thereafter And
and and and and I
will
go
into
the okay.
We know we got people that we
said we would start virtual non
agenda public comment I want to
be respectful of that we do
have five here in chambers so
good afternoon I will now
reconvene the city council
meeting of Tuesday, MAY 12th,
2026.
Clerk Please call the roll
leader Council PRESIDENT
Council Member Campbell here
Councilmember Weapon Your
Councilmember Foster COUNCILMAN
Ron Wilpert Council PRESIDENT
Pro Tem Lee Councilmember Campo
Councilmember Moreno present
COUNCILMAN Regular Borough
Council PRESIDENT Like other
residents also attend
the meeting Our city Attorney
Michelle Garland.
Independent budget analyst
Charles Maka Council Affairs
advise the mayor's office
Curtis Iser and myself for City
Clerk Diana Fuentes.
>> All right a quorum is now
present.
We will start this afternoon
session with the trail virtual
non agenda public comment from
this morning.
>> Please proceed.
Thank you.
We will now hear the virtual
agenda public comment carried
over from this morning's
meeting purl 2.7 Each member of
the public has two minutes and
on agenda for the 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.
Now it's time to please raise
your hand to speak by typing
the raise your hand icon or if
you're calling Participant Star
nine I'm sorry at the five
minute timer we currently have
seven people in the queue
starting with Kathleen Lippert.
>> Please unmute.
>> Thank you.
I'd like to address
the difficulty that the public
experience is when they try to
track changes in city codes,
amendments, ordinances and
policies when as Blair Bateman
pointed out, items are not
clearly defined Even
the briefest of explanations
would be appreciated If
illegible is silent please
identify its intent An acronym
abbreviation or alphabet agency
MAY be familiar to you but not
to the public.
The public has learned to be
suspicious of the euphemistic
or dishonest terms as they have
been used to hide what is being
done to avoid public opposition
providing a single minute for
public response undermines
the claim that you welcome
the public voice regarding
the 2026 Muni Code Update 134
proposed amendments many of
which were of great interest to
the public were bundled leaving
the public one minute to
respond that disenfranchizes
the public voice the excuse a
streamlining has been worn thin
Streamlining should only be
used when it benefits both
the public and the city council
Strategies such as these
replacing commonly understood
words or phrases with jargon
created with a political lens
and intended to obscure is
reminiscent of childish teen
speak used to obscure
the meaning from adults You are
all adults have the courage to
mean what you say and not hide
behind jargon Adults take
responsibility They don't blame
others and laugh.
The city should acknowledge
that many of the state's
policies have contributed to
the crimes for which police are
often blamed.
Releasing 15,000 violent state
inmates were released only
during public to protect them
from covid.
That never made sense to
the public 47 reduced numerous
felonies to misdemeanors and
sexually violent criminals
included speakers Tyria and
skelly.
If you can please on behalf
good afternoon city to City
Council Chair I'm a special
Thank you to Budget and
Government Efficiency Committee
and Chairs fosters work in
preparation for the week long
budget meetings and to many of
the City Council members who
handled the leadership roles
during last week we missed
several of the City Council
members for their important
input last week.
However I appreciate those
comments that drew attention to
programs that are the core
responsibility of the city to
furnish for its citizens as a
planning group member And but
there are three downsides I
noticed that you were well
aware of obligations to protect
youth oriented programs youth
oriented facilities in
the Parks and Rec Department
and Library Program Act as
foundational investments in
community safety, economic
development and civic health.
They assist in transforming
young people for potential
service customers which they're
very good at into engaged
residents assisting in making
our neighborhoods safe and
clean.
The journey through middle and
high school into college or
employment or vocational
training it's far more
complicated and stressful than
ever.
So I must say as a parent that
it is disheartening for parents
to battle against marijuana
storefronts in their
neighborhoods and their
advertising promotions and
the city's billboards all
suggesting the use of marijuana
is a solution to young adults
Anxiety and stress now would be
a great time to eliminate these
billboards as a first step in
demonstrating to young people
that a life substance free is a
good choice for them.
Thank you for hearing my
concerns today.
Thank you.
Walker If you can please unmute
after that is Judy Strong.
Thank you.
Good afternoon And thank you
for approving tighter
regulations on marijuana
advertising and promotion
yesterday.
This is important to public
health especially in light of
confusion over federal
rescheduling which MAY
reinforce misconceptions about
marijuana safety.
To be clear, recreational
marijuana remains schedule one
at present and federally
illegal scheduling rescheduling
applies to fda approved non
intoxicating products and state
controlled or state approved
quote medical uses.
California allows marijuana for
11 medical conditions but
extensive research shows little
to no evidence it benefits
those conditions.
Open ended law also allows use
for conditions deemed chronic,
persistent or limiting daily
activities.
This essentially means medical
marijuana is whatever a medical
cardholder decides it is.
Those card holders pay no sales
tax and can buy greater
quantities of the same pot
products.
So this recreational leading
many to become quote medical
use a scam for sales tax free
recreational pot.
Data shows that medical izing
high potency marijuana has
produced rising addictions,
poisonings, E.R. Visits, dui
suicides and psychiatric
disorders contributing to this
problem are those marketing and
advertising regulations that
enable manufacture tours to
exaggerate therapeutic uses and
downplay harms lawsuits
nationwide alleging fraudulent
claims by industry demonstrate
that people are being hurt.
In addition to tighter
advertising and marketing
control, your time has
concluded.
>> Judy's trying to complete
the meal after Judy's medicine
.
>> Good afternoon San Diego
City Council.
Thank you.
I want to continue my thoughts
from this morning regarding
marijuana use and adult because
what I didn't get to share is
something that's been a concern
to us.
My my husband is a pharmacist
and he is gravely concerned as
all of us that are either half
older adults for whom we're
responsible or are older adults
ourselves regarding
the unfortunate dangerous
interactions between drugs that
older people take and marijuana
use not the least of which is
blood thinners, sedatives and
opioids used for pain.
The combination of these drugs
can either undermine
the effectiveness of the drugs
or exaggerate the use of
the drugs both dangerous
situations not to mention
the combination of marijuana
with alcohol and the problems
that would lead to not
the least of which is dangerous
sedation or cognitive issues.
A couple of more things I'm
going to share but I mentioned
it this morning and the items
now come from the Stanford
School of Medicine Fact sheet
They've been expressing for a
period of time their concern
about marijuana use for adults
.
They point out to us that older
adults metabolize drugs slower
so that thc and marijuana can
persist longer which intensify
side effects and of course
increases the risk of
accidental overconsumption.
They also point out the concern
they have with cognitive
impairment.
Some of that MAY already be age
related.
However marijuana exaggerates
that and the need for memory
attention and executive
function was never more
necessary than in older adult
and to have that interfered
with by marijuana is a reason
for all of us to be concerned
not the least of which we
should also care about
the mental confusion,
the anxiety paranoia that can
occur with marijuana use by
older adults.
Cautiousness is the name of
the game Access and
availability and advertising
needs to be controlled.
Thank you included medicine If
you can please let me know
after medicine is clarification
and then I'm all right.
Thank you and thanks again for
the opportunity to listen to
the public Speaking today I'd
like to highlight an issue that
applies to nicotine and
marijuana products which is
the environmental and hazardous
waste impact of smoking And
deep in lips are hazardous
waste.
They contain lithium batteries
that can spark fires in parks
and trash systems.
They contain nicotine, thc and
other chemicals that can reach
into our soil and waterways.
And because they are made of
mixed materials plastic metal,
electronics they are extremely
difficult to break down or
recycle.
The volume of this waste is
growing and our schools are on
the frontline of this problem.
Every day administrators
confiscate vape devices from
students.
Sometimes they have hundreds at
a time and are storing them in
boxes often without clear
guidance That creates risks of
fire hazards, chemical exposure
and liability Schools are being
asked to manage hazardous waste
without standardized protocols,
without proper storage systems
and without consistent support.
But there is an opportunity
here because many young people
today care deeply about
the environment when they
understand that vaping
contributes to pollution, fire
risk and toxic waste it changes
the conversation.
It becomes not just a health
issue but an environmental one
And that connection increases
awareness and engagement.
We can support clear citywide
regional protocols for safe
disposal of these products.
We can explore partnerships
with hazardous waste and
recycling providers and most
importantly we can invest in
prevention especially in those
upper elementary and middle
school grades and focus on
their decision making long term
consequences and peer to peer
education.
Let's please make choices to
protect not only public health
but to protect our environment
as well.
Thank you.
Next is Blair in if you can
please unmute after that is
7499 and then Hector the five
and the timer did conclude
before speakers in the queue No
additional speakers will be
taken.
>> Blair Please proceed.
All right.
Thank you.
Beakman.
As part of the budget items
from last week, I also wanted
to ask the question I spoke at
public comment yesterday on
such things.
Today I wanted to ask more
about on the Friday meeting
the Police review board.
I'm sorry I don't quite know
their name still yet but their
you know their new name I do
not know.
They were supposed to give a
presentation and they didn't
give one and it was excused.
>> You know they're going
through some pretty difficult
times.
I'm understanding it's not a
cakewalk for them right now And
I think a public process for
everyone would be much
appreciated and understood as
you know, what needs to be
addressed And I can understand
that people want to kind of
keep a bit secluded and work it
out privately and that's
understandable to you.
But I I'm not fully around them
all the time but I'm hearing
kind of sad stories of what's
going on with them and I need
to better understand what
they're going through And I
think, you know, them going
through the budget process
would be really helpful.
Can they be rescheduled for an
open public process I think
would be beneficial to everyone
of the community.
And I've written letters asking
such questions Good luck and
such efforts.
Good luck that we renamed Cesar
Chavez Time in doing so I hope
we can really acknowledge what
people like Andrea are going
through right now not just with
police deescalation issues but
with ems.
What was going on with the ems
as well that we need to be
asking questions about.
And I had one more item of
concern with eight seconds left
that my brain isn't coming up
with it so I have to wait.
>> Thanks.
Thank you.
Next 27499 if you can please
unmute and the sector and
the gambler 7499 Bob Brzezinski
here.
First I'd like to comment on
the video that I showed this
council yesterday.
That video was taken one week
ago today and it reflects
nearly nine years of free
flying access at a popular
public popular coastal hang
gliding site right in the heart
of Los Angeles.
Joe LaCava knows very well that
we've been flying under a
simple one page waiver at that
site in Los Angeles since 2017.
Yet he's refused to entertain
that same idea at Torrey Pines
because he wants to protect
that business and their iron
control of our city park land.
It's shameful and I'll continue
speaking on that in the future.
Second, I want to address Mr.
La Rivera's ridiculous comments
yesterday trying to deny
the obvious connection between
San Diego's illegal population
growth and its effect on our
water shortages and housing
shortages.
I don't know how stupid a
person has to be.
Do not recognize on its face
that both water shortages and
housing shortages are a direct
consequence of population.
Anyone who has taken economics
one on one should know that
it's the supply and demand
curves that dictate the prices
and quantities of everything
from apples to acres.
Neither land nor water are
manufactured so they do not
benefit from economies of scale
as implied by MR. De la Rivera
.
But I don't think MR. De La
Rivera is stupid.
In fact I think he's very smart
but he thinks that citizens are
stupid He thinks will continue
to believe whatever he tells us
because he's gotten away with
it for so long now.
I'm sorry MR. Emilio Rivera,
but I'm going to continue to
shine a light into every dark
corner of the city I can find
until this council finally
remembers who you're here to
represent.
I would rather spend my
retirement years hang gliding
at Torrey Pines.
But you and the rest of this
council are precluding that.
>> So here I am.
Thank you.
Next is Hector.
If you can please unmute.
Well, thanks for taking my
call.
Yeah, just this morning was a
classic example of the city
trying to blow stuff by us.
When that one lady came up with
a mask on and she said Oh
that's just we're going to have
the car saying it's it's cool.
Don't worry.
And I think the COUNCILWOMAN
Had the ears to listen which
you heard.
She spoke up and that's how
we're feeling.
It could be anyone that comes
up there with the mayor.
You got to look with a grain of
salt and like a bullhorn, you
know, just because it's driving
us, it's like a half supply And
a lot of you guys on
the council group and stuff.
So you guys learn how to tell
half truths with the best of
them.
And plus if you're your lawyer
that's what lawyers do.
They shape, conceal and reveal
the truth.
That's their job.
So that's a double whammy as
far as a liar goes.
I have proof Liars that half
truth Liar man.
But you just they usually smile
and they're lying to you.
But anyway, we've been through
like the last 4 or 5 years
total lawlessness.
People steal and we're just
trying to come up with the laws
pertaining to who gets a free
pass The governor's lie And
every time he opens his mouth
you know the mayor is Todd
Gloria Bill 2.0.
We got to fire 2000 city
employees, take the money and
for the young kids to have them
take the bus to work No more
city cars, take the bus to work
and the trolley will buy on
the trolley.
That's the budget that will
save the city a bundle.
We got all sorts of ideas, man,
but it's got to take it a day
at a time, man.
Okay.
Good luck to you guys.
>> Good luck.
And The Gambler if you can you
please when you're done doing
the final lovely day.
I know you want to go ahead and
get us out of the car but you
have no problem going in and
doing that and pulling.
You know you guys were trying
to and that's why you want to
go ahead and pass that You are
forced to vote on issues and
kind of so you flat out said it
today.
Matter of fact I'm going around
and posted it and whoever is
running for election and
telling them if you can tell
the students I gave them a
video on how this came up in an
envelope.
I also basically pointed out
that you could collect as many
unused votes have humanly
possible and then go around and
harvest ballots, steam them
open takes about 30s and you
could switch the contents.
This is a complete crime and it
should be looked at.
Matter of fact I think we
discovered this back in the 80.
Now it's funny when I take a
look at my supervisor you guys
up there and I realize that you
guys work for these
organizations that I was
discovered in 80s and 90s We
decided to create that can be a
regulator that protects
the people committing that
fraud.
So you can collect ballots and
steam them open and switch
contexts or be a bucket list
distribution card so that
people are not watching this
And.
I mean it's not like we're
going to actually check because
we love lawlessness and San
Diego County actually will
crush it because well why do we
need bike lanes going to places
that people can go just to
waste money and get a little
bit extra catch?
Why do we do that in hotel
rooms and charge what a garbage
amount of money and then they
bring an empty income housing
Right.
>> Why is it that the homeless
and city has concluded and let
us And good night on a public
comment.
>> All right thank you city
clerk And thank you for
everyone in your patience and
pivoting to continuing
the virtual until this
afternoon.
So with that clerk please
introduce the City Council
Housing Authority companion
item item sorry item 332 is now
331 Sorry my apologies.
Item three 331 is a tax equity
and fiscal responsibility act
for Resolution for Mercado
Apartments.
And item three is the final
bond authorization for Mercato
Apartments.
If you'd like to speak to these
items please be sure to submit
a speaker slip to the front of
the room in the clear box and
or now's the time to raise your
hand by pressing Star nine or
the raise your hand icon that
you have to present.
>> All right.
I see staff is getting
themselves set up and when you
do give us your name for
the record and let us know how
much time you need.
>> Good evening.
Council PRESIDENT That was
Colin Miller, Senior Vice
PRESIDENT Real Estate And I'm
joined today by Michelle
managing director of
Underwriting Health
Representatives for
the developer.
We'd like about eight minutes
please.
Right when you're ready.
>> The item before you today is
a request to take the final
step to the issue of
the 30,000,007 $73,052 in tax
exempt multifamily housing
revenue bonds to facilitate
the acquisition, rehabilitation
and new construction of Mercado
apartments and cattle
apartments is a proposed
rehabilitation New construction
of an existing 144 unit
property which is comprised of
142 affordable units and two
unrestricted manager units.
The project is located at 2001
Newton Avenue in Barrio Logan
neighborhood of San Diego and
in Council District eight.
The project was originally
constructed in 1994 and is
affordable for households with
incomes with income levels from
30 to 60% of San Diego's area
Median income which translates
to incomes between 39,700 per
year up to 99,240 per year for
2 to 4 person households Once
completed, the affordability
restrictions in the project
will be extended for another 55
year term.
The proposed development to
take the existing 134 units,
demolish 12 of them and then
build 92 new units in that
space for net increase of 80
units.
The developer plans to
rehabilitate the remaining 132
units.
The proposed project's total
units will increase to 224 of
which 222 will be affordable.
Relocation benefits will be
provided for all tenants said
Amenities for the project
include a community building
with kitchen and computer room
leasing office library building
playground and onsite daycare.
The developer Metropolitan Area
Advisory Committee on
Anti-Poverty of the San Diego
County Incorporated More Mac
for short is an experienced
nonprofit developer that has
developed over 1100 units of
affordable housing in San Diego
.
Mac will continue to be
the service provider for
the McAdoo Apartments Services
will include case management
and resource navigation as well
as items listed on the slide.
This slide shows the site map
of the development.
The closest transit is
the Barrio Logan Trolley
Station.
Look at less than one half mile
from the property outlined in
purple The closest grocery
store is the Northgate Market
and its look at point one miles
away from the property outlined
in green and the close of
school is located one third of
a mile away from the project
site outlined in Blue the total
dollar cost The project will be
just over 113 million which
equates to per unit cost of
approximately $505,000.
Notable sources of funding
include a bond financed
permanent loan assumed loans
from the Housing Commission as
well as the City of San Diego
Capital contributions deferred
developer fee and tax credit
equity units will be restricted
at 30 to 60% of area median
income for the next 55 years
and rents will range from $930
for a one bedroom unit at 30%
to 2580 per month for a three
bedroom unit at 60% Am I sure
that's going to be approved
today The project will close on
construction financing at
the end of this month and start
construction in JUNE.
The developer expects to
complete construction in
the summer of 2027.
This is the architect's
rendering of the development in
summer.
>> You're considering approval
to take a final steps to issue
up to $30,873,052 in tax exempt
multifamily housing revenue
bonds.
The bonds would not constitute
a debt of the city If bonds are
ultimately issued for
the project, the bonds will not
financially obligate the city
the housing authority or
the Housing Commission because
security for the repayment of
the bonds will be limited to
specific private revenue
sources of the project not of
the full faith and credit nor
taxing power of the city nor a
full faith and credit of
the housing Authority will be
pledged to payment of advance
staff Recommend the Council
take the actions directed in
the staff report and shown on
the following slides.
This includes a presentation
Michelle and I as well as
representing from a developer
are able to answer any
questions you MAY have.
Thank you.
All right.
Thank you for the work in
the presentation park.
Please proceed with public
comment for these two items.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Allegedly
order if you can please come
forward.
You're going to be speaking on
item 331.
Yes, it seems nice what you
guys are doing but the problem
is these entities that you guys
contract with can come in and
give you false reporting, give
you know, come in and want to
get these contracts with
the government to provide
affordable housing but they
engage in fraud in doing it And
it's unfortunate because people
are waiting for housing.
People really want it And
the fact that this is it's a
business to, you know, do
whatever is happening in
the city And it's unfortunate
because people like are
expecting you guys to provide
something not engage in fraud,
waste and abuse And that's what
happens many times, especially
when people are tax exempt for
providing this type of housing.
They can go ahead and you know,
put a couple of apartments or
homes up for rent for a certain
amount But get the full cost
through all of their other
apartments.
So it's just sad that this kind
of stuff can take place when
people are really, you know,
hoping that your going to
provide what you're saying.
Thank you first one So 331
going remotely starting
the five minute timer
the gambler if you can please
unmute bespoke speaking on 331
or 3 30 let's go ahead and get
some straight some stuff
straight about this.
>> Are you speaking on what
Absolutely Or you can figure it
out So what I was going to
talking about about these
friggin buildings that you're
doing you guys are.
I know why you're doing it.
You're doing it because of
Proposition 13 housing.
You know the income tax I mean
property tax and you walk in
the value so you don't have
enough money to go ahead and
pay for the roads.
So what you go ahead and do is
you keep on rebuilding the same
type of deal and to increase
the taxes you could get off
that property.
And when you say nonprofit
organization building 11,
you're going to give them
the building to go ahead and
manage it and collect all that
money that is not going to be
profit you.
That is a for profit company
posing as a nonprofit so you
could go ahead and take himself
on the back.
>> How much?
But the reason why we do the 15
minute settings is because you
don't have the money to it from
the street.
Am I correct?
Of course you're not going to
go to the top because you guys
have been so so far up there
and you don't even know
the difference between night
and day anymore.
Why don't you go ahead and what
can we around technology
recycle plastic, get the money
to go instead of in the suburb
You have give me a call because
I think you've got to deal with
this.
So pretend that you're calling
Mitie and you can do it.
>> I cannot wait until people
snap and it's going to be
because of you guys and they're
not going to step on each
other.
They're going to be going after
the people in charge when that
happens because you
overextended your boundary, I'm
going to be against celebrating
That is what is going to happen
on my behalf.
You want to do it?
You don't take that as a turn.
I'm taking telling you that as
a warning You continue this
and you guys are punked beyond
people Your time has concluded
.
Next is Blair Good by Blair Big
man I'm not really
understanding this item so I'm
just kind of sitting and
listening.
I always like the gamblers
words and ideas on items.
He always has an interesting
perspective and point of view.
I hope he speaks on future
public comment that he can
offer a little more decorum and
a middle road and how to use
language and to share his good
ideas and that he doesn't have
to use so many explica dos i
know freedom of speech is
important but I like the idea
of public meeting decorum and
there's a middle ground where
we can all respect.
We have standards and hopefully
it can be respected as much as
can as it can.
Anger does happen and that
learning to bring that in
hopefully it can take place
also and respecting
the decorum.
Thanks for this item and good
luck How it can be talked about
in all ideas can be understood
and listened to.
>> Thank you.
Thank you Hector If you can
please unmute or talk to
the board and the apartment
thing I would in this
particular area of town it's
very sensitive area and I wish
the barrio would get its own
mayor or I don't see a lot of
people in the room supporting
this apartment So I don't know
if the barrio likes it which is
good for them or I would like
to see some those guys talk
about it but the bond looks
pretty good if it's all
the guys.
Responsibility is a it is a
thing where the companies are
doing it for the money.
That's kind of it sounds good
when they get on these topics
anti dissonance like that But
that's just an indicator that's
it's not so much for the poor
guys but it's for them to you
know they're taking money for
their families and their stuff
But the barrio needs to get
more participation because
they've been really misused for
decades And it's I think it'd
be cool to have a like
the mayor of Barrio Logan or
how have you guys want to call
it more like a Mexican village
?
You know, that would be so nice
because it's it's such a
treasure that we got And of all
these different public things
that's all the different Irish
state we need to get away.
We need to go back on this and
do the accounting on all these
all these things that are
non-for-profit this and that
and find out exactly where
the money's going And it
because it's always shady that
just like the lady that wanted
the free car thing for
the mayor's buddy you know it's
really shady this got a really
got to look at everything was
scratching your head what
what's the real motivation here
and I've been I've been I've
been I've talked to you guys
kind of bad sometimes I try not
to do that now but Joe Joe gave
me some good advice one time.
>> So anyway, have a good day.
Thank you.
And our final speaker is
Michael Schmidt and hello.
I'm sorry I had to leave
because of I was going to say I
don't think that those before
okay you guys I appreciate this
.
Absolutely It's going on You so
I really appreciate it But I
don't think people are treating
you guys right now.
Thank you very much.
>> Thank you.
And that does conclude public
comment on these items.
All right.
Thank you, City clerk.
With that we'll turn over to
council members questions,
comments entertain a motion.
We of course will take two
votes as a council and then
housing authority And we'll
start with the council member
from District eight.
I think an entirely appropriate
voice for something in Barrio
Logan.
So we'll start with council
member Moreno.
I am not the mayor of
the Pueblo but I do have
the honor of representing
District eight as a city
Council member and thank you
for the presentation.
I want to start off by
expressing my support for this
item.
I just want to put it out that
it represents exactly the kind
of investment particularly in
Barrio Logan.
The Mercado Apartments
represent $113 Million
investment in Barrio Logan.
The project will deliver 224
homes of which 92 will be new
construction.
Let me repeat that 92 will be
new construction and 132 will
be rehabilitated Existing units
with 222 units restricted at 30
to 60% of area median income
for 55 years.
This project will ultimately be
building new affordable units
for Barrio Logan.
Let me repeat that Barrio Logan
is one of the communities
facing some of the greatest
housing pressures The housing
pressure of our city.
This is precisely the type of
development the region needs at
a time when affordability
continues to be one of
the biggest challenges for
families.
Projects like this are critical
to ensure people are not pushed
out of the communities that
they were born and raised in.
I do want to recognize
the Metropolitan Area Advisory
Committee also known as Mack
for being a just a tremendous
partner not just in District
eight but just across the city.
Mack has a long track record of
delivering affordable housing
with integrity and with purpose
while also providing
the wraparound services that
help families succeed whether
it's child care, workforce
development, food assistance,
youth programing or financial
counseling.
These types of services matter
because affordable housing is
not just about putting a roof
over someone's head.
It's about creating stability,
opportunity And at the end of
the day a stronger community.
This project as I mentioned I
haven't mentioned this but it's
an investment in the future of
Barrio Logan and the families
who deserve a chance to stay
and thrive there.
I need to put this on
the record and it's very
unfortunate that a top advisor
for Mayor Gloria is trying to
sway this council to deny these
funds to the community to a
community of concern.
It's my understanding that this
top adviser who also serves as
a commissioner on the San Diego
Housing Commission sent a
letter to each council member
expressing his opposition to
this affordable housing
development.
The letter just completely
misses the mark and I think
this letter is on the record
right?
We have it on the record and I
want to take the time to read
it.
I write in respect of firm
opposition to Mercado
Apartments expansion now
advancing to city council
sitting as a housing authority
for consideration.
I would vote for the record
that this project reaches you
without a recommendation from
the San Diego Housing
Commission At Thursday's
hearing the Commission's motion
to approved approve failed to
secure the four affirmative
votes required for an
endorsement and that the item
moves forward with no position
from the body whose charge it
is to evaluate exactly this
kind of proposal.
The absence of this endorsement
is itself meaningful and I
would urge the housing
authority to weigh in
accordingly.
Furthermore, I would
respectfully urge the housing
authority to take one of these
three paths And number two is
redirect the equivalent subsidy
to produce 92 affordable units
at a site with comparable
transit access and materially
lower air quality risk portions
of the Midway District Mission
Valley and the Sports arena
Redevelopment areas are obvious
Candidates To say that that
letter misses the mark I think
is an understatement.
The letter this adviser sent
out worries me about the type
of council the mayor is
receiving this ill advised
approach to affordable housing
in Barrio Logan could hurt not
only this community but other
communities of concern that
need this These resources This
project would be would bring
much needed affordable housing
to Barrio Logan, a community
that has endured decades of
disinvestment from this city
and severe shortage of housing
opportunities.
Again, it's deeply concerning
that a senior advisor to Mayor
Gloria would seek to withhold
critical affordable housing
funding from the residents of
Barrio Logan.
This raises serious questions
about whether this position
reflects that of Mayor Gloria
and his administration.
This administration has not
handled real estate projects
properly in the city of San
Diego.
>> It makes me question and I
have formally asked for the mou
that the mayor just signed with
the San Diego Community College
just yesterday.
I can only urge my colleague I
would urge my colleagues on
this dias to stand with Barrio
Logan by approving this funding
and supporting the creation of
desperately needed affordable
housing.
So with that I move staff's
recommendation and that
concludes my comments.
>> Thank you.
All right.
Thank you.
Councilmember Moreno moving
the staff recommendation.
We'll go next to Councilmember
Rivera.
>> All right.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT I will start
by sickening the motion and
simply say that addition of
these housing this housing
housing opportunity and by
looking at some of
the community is definitely
worthy of and is badly needed
as Councilmember Moreno shared
these are units that will these
are homes that will create
housing opportunities for folks
who want to stay in their
community and have been facing
displacement, gentrification
and pushing back in a really
inspirational way.
I will just briefly speak to
question raised about
environmental quality of
the community and say that I
don't think there's a single
neighborhood in San Diego
that's worked harder to improve
their environment and improve
their quality than by looking
They've literally been fighting
for generations to improve
the air quality there.
They've oftentimes done that
against incredible opposition
from industry overcame those
obstacles passed a a committee
plan update that accounts for
the environmental injustices
that they have experienced
specifically in order to create
housing opportunity that is
safer and healthier than what
previously existed.
So with all that work being
done, I think that
the community very much
deserves to see the housing be
built and I'm glad that we will
have an opportunity to support
the building of that housing.
>> That concludes I second.
All right.
Thank you.
Council member Eli Rivera.
So we do have a motion by
COUNCILMAN Moreno second by
council member Ella Rivera.
I don't see anybody else in
the light.
It is curious that the Housing
Commission board voted five
zero back in JULY of 2025 to
make this project happen.
This is a separate
consideration an action that is
necessary and that the Housing
Commission actually forwarded
this for action even without a
recommendation which is
something we do at council
committees MAY forward an item
without a recommendation going
forward.
>> MR. Owens would you like to
I will just note that we didn't
have a full board that day so
we only had five of our board
members and we ended up with
a32 and we need four to move it
forward with recommendation So
we just moved it forward them.
All right.
Thank you for that.
That had a bit of history of
how we got here So I appreciate
COUNCILMAN Moreno's reaction to
that and a little bit of
the history by Councilmember
Eli Rivera about what
the Barrio Logan community has
been able to do about So with
no one else on the light Yeah
we have a motion by Council
member Moreno and a second by
council member Eli Rivera to
move the staff recommendation.
>> Please call the vote I'm
sorry the voting system Please
cast your vote And for
the record it was to approve
the resolution since there was
no staff recommendation.
Yes.
Thank you for that
clarification.
That is a pass as unanimously 7
to 0 with Councilmember Campo
and Councilmember Yvonne
Wilbert absent.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT.
All right.
Thank you.
We will now adjourn as the city
council and convene as
the housing authority to vote
on housing authority Item three
COUNCILMAN Moreno Motion
Council member Eli Rivera a
second.
>> All right With that please
call the roll Start the voting
system.
Please cast your vote And that
passes unanimously 7 to 0 with
Councilmember Campo and
Councilmember Von Wilpert
absent.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT.
>> All right.
Thank you to MS..
Jones and staff for the work on
that item.
We will now adjourn as a
housing authority and reconvene
as the city council or City
clerk please introduce the City
Council Housing Authority
companion Items.
>> Thank you.
Item 332 is a Tax Equity and
Fiscal Responsibility Act for a
resolution for Hillcrest Hall
and Final Bond authorization
two is the final bond
authorization for Hillcrest
Hall.
If you'd like to speak to this
item, now is the time to do so
by submitting your speaker slip
to the front of the room in
the clear tray or by raising
your hand by pressing Star nine
or the raise your hand icon.
I will just say now for
the record so I don't MISS That
for the purposes of item 332 a
federally mandated toll free
number is available for members
of the public to offer public
comments.
The toll free number is
(833)568-8864 Meeting id
1609430466.
This toll free number is in
addition to the customary
public comment phone number
that is available to the public
during every item it does not
replace that number.
Both numbers will be available
for the public to utilize
during the public comment
period of this item.
>> Thank you Council PRESIDENT
All right.
Thank you.
We have the same staff for this
item.
This is a District three
project.
Did you want to waive
the presentation?
I'm happy to waive
the presentation if my
colleagues are comfortable with
that.
This is not a controversial
item community plan a group
unanimously supported it.
All right.
I don't see anybody else
objecting to that.
So stand by for any questions
and thank you for continuing to
be here with that clerk Please
proceed with public comment for
these two items Allegedly
entrepreneur please come
forward.
>> You submitted a speaker So
for item 332 I will just note
that you've only submitted it
for 332 not to come up to
the podium If you'd like to
speak on both items please
proceed.
That's confusing how you have
it here.
So anyhow what I was trying to
get at before and it's funny
because you guys I mean Vivian,
you're wondering what kind of
council the mayor gets.
I'm wondering what kind of
council you guys get when you
act illegally in a meeting and
nobody tells you to course
correct any who you know
the $24 billion that California
has, you know, thrown away with
all of this homeless and
housing initiatives, a lot of
that came to San Diego And
that's why there's question in
these, you know, tax exempt
bonds because like I'm saying,
they can falsify documents,
the environmental reviews,
the cost of projects And this
has already happened and it's
kind of a played pay to play
type of a thing And it's just a
problem because there's a
misuse of public funds And when
they want to come in here and
say that they're going to
provide affordable housing like
literally they only have to do
a certain amount, then they can
go and rent these places out
for you know, full market
value.
And the problem is is that
people are waiting on
the streets.
They see these buildings being
built and they think am I going
to be able to go into that Like
they look at it as an
opportunity but yet they're
kind of kept from being able to
access it.
And that's what's really sad is
that a lot of fraud, waste and
abuse happens.
I mean even the cd has like
$320 million that's potentially
been misused.
So I mean you guys want to sit
here and act like I'm crazy for
saying these things like your
face, Joe I mean you guys
aren't good at like hiding your
disdain for me but I mean
the things that I'm bringing
forward are not crazy.
It's like those are things that
actually take place And I mean
people are just expecting you
guys to do the right thing and
to make sure that you guys
provide what you claim that you
are And when there's fraud,
waste and abuse happening it's
like it's just sad because it
doesn't have to be this way But
you guys want to continue with
the script.
>> So for other speakers here
in council chambers going to
those participate remotely we
have three speakers in
the queue starting with Hector
Then it's the gambler, then
it's player Brickman Hector if
you can please on mute or yeah
a shout out to Vivian Man that
was great man.
That's like the Mexican hard
inner That's the heart of a
real Mexican woman right there.
Man Thanks for all the work you
do You doing a great job man So
that's all I want to do Have a
shout out to Vivian.
>> Man Thank you.
Thank you.
Next is the Gambler.
If you can please unmute.
Okay I should go ahead and show
you respect when you can't even
have enough people in there to
have a forum and then you go
ahead and punish people for
even calling that out you flat
out don't answer anyone's call
and I'm supposed to treat you
with respect?
How about you start treating us
with respect and then I won't
go ahead and curse every
friggin chance that I have?
I won't tell you what I think
of And matter of fact, let's go
ahead and talk about 2015 when
the 100 year anniversary of
Balboa Park.
How did you how did the city of
San Diego spend that money?
How much money went to actual
event for the people and how
much money went to consultants,
organizations, NGOs and all
that stuff?
Only 12% actually went to
something that the people could
enjoy all the rest of the money
the $2.5 million went to your
buddies.
This is how you go ahead and
treat our money and then you go
ahead and pretend you're going
to go ahead and do something
right.
How many of these people are
actual citizens or upcoming
citizens in your in your
viewpoint how many of these
people are buying your house
Because 90% of the homeless
population on the streets of
San Diego are citizens of San
Diego that you kicked out
because of rising prices
because you can't afford
the roads.
Right.
But you don't want to go out
and meet the actual true
mechanisms that is causing you
to do this because I had no
idea you love being on your
knees with knee pads and
servicing the friggin NGOs
instead of supporting
the people like you Go into
great detail on every single
one of your things and hit it
in everything away the money,
how you spend it, why you do
this stuff but you don't want
to look for the problems.
You want to just increase them,
take citizens out of their
houses so you could rebuild
those areas so you can no
longer need to work on those
roads because they're
controlled by the exact
directions Right You're going
to hand over all your time has
concluded at Nexus.
>> Is Blair Beckman your final
speaker?
>> Hi.
Thank you.
Bye Big time.
I wanted to ask you a
procedural question Is there
going to be a housing authority
not agenda public comment today
as there were items from
the housing authority on
the agenda today.
Thanks a lot and thank you to
Gamboa for you can speak up in
a lot of the same thing same
things can be said without
having to swear and he did it
perfectly.
You did awesome.
Thanks for conveying his ideas.
>> Thanks.
Thank you.
That does conclude public
comment on these items.
Thank you.
I think this council is pretty
used to being sworn at.
It's the courtesy to those
listening either here in person
or remotely that I think Blair
was speaking to.
And thank you Blair for your
comments.
The other time.
So with that we will turn it
over to council members for any
questions or comments and
entertain a motion And we again
will be taking two to vote on
this.
This is a District three matter
so Council member Whitburn,
we'll start with you.
>> Thank you very much.
Council PRESIDENT Hillcrest
Hall is exactly the kind of
project that our community
needs 97 units of truly
affordable housing right at
the heart of Hillcrest where we
know the demand is tremendous.
What makes this project
particularly appealing is its
location.
It is situated on University
Avenue so residents will have
immediate access to rapid
transit with grocery stores,
schools and parks nearby making
this a truly transit oriented
walkable development for
working families.
The Uptown community planned a
group unanimously supported
this project with speaks
volumes about how well it fits
into our neighborhoods vision
And with 97 deed restricted
affordable units for 55 years
we're not just addressing
today's housing crisis.
We're making a long term
commitment to affordability in
this community.
I'm also pleased that
the development will include on
site social services through
life steps providing residents
with educational programs,
health and wellness resources,
financial literacy training get
more because we know that
quality affordable housing is
about more than just four walls
and I'm happy to make
the motion to support this
staff recommendation.
All right.
Thank you Council member
Chippenham to make
the recommendation to approve
the resolution And we'll go
next to Councilmember Moreno.
Happy to second.
All right.
So we have a motion by
Councilmember Whipper and a
second by COUNCILMAN Moreno to
respond to a question that was
or an issue that was raised by
these are 100% deed restricted
units.
That's correct.
Okay.
And the other one was as well?
That is correct 100%.
This is still a search for
mixed use projects.
That's a conversation for
another day.
All right.
As council we have a motion by
council member Whitburn
seconded by COUNCILMAN Moreno.
>> Please call the roll clerk.
Sorry the voting system Please
cast your vote And that passes
unanimously 7 to 0 with
Councilmember Campo and
Councilmember Yvonne Wolpert
absent.
Thank you.
All right.
Thank you.
With that we will adjourn as
the city council and reconvene
as a housing authority to vote
on housing authority Item two
COUNCILMAN Whitburn Council
member Moreno All right.
We have the motion by
Councilmember Whipper and
the second by COUNCILMAN Moreno
to move the item as the housing
authority Please call the roll
Sorry the voting system Please
cast your vote And that passes
unanimously 7 to 0 with council
member Van Wilber and
Councilmember Campo absent.
Thank you, Council PRESIDENT.
All right.
Thank you.
City Clerk Thank you staff for
the presentation, the work to
bring those items forward.
Clerk Please introduce.
Housing Authority Item one
Housing Authority Item one is
an informational report from
the Housing Authority Executive
Director.
If you'd like to speak on this
item now's the time to raise
your hand by pressing Star nine
or the raise your hand icon or
to submit your speaker's up to
the front of the room in
the clear box.
Thank you.
All right.
>> All right, MS..
Jones, please enter yourselves
formally for the record and let
us know how much time you need
before Sorry for MR. PRESIDENT.
Good afternoon, Counsel
PRESIDENT And council members.
I'm Lisa Jones.
The Housing Authority is
executive director and
the Housing Commission's
PRESIDENT And ceo.
I'll need about 10 to 12
minutes for my presentation.
All right.
I wanted to provide updates on
the changes in our voucher and
public housing programs.
About a month ago we started
formally notifying families in
our rental assistance and
public housing programs about
changes we are implementing
later this year.
Late last year our board
approved some changes to how we
calculate family contribution
amounts for our households.
This was to ensure that
everyone could remain stable
and housed and we could still
afford to support everybody
that is on our programs
currently.
We recently received our
approval from the us Department
of Housing and Urban
Development for the updates to
how we calculate the amounts
that families contribute toward
their housing in these programs
we started providing
information and public noticing
to the families as early as
last OCTOBER and have continued
to talk publicly and meet with
community based organization
and and advocacy groups around
this work getting information
out to our families and to
the community as you know.
But for the members of
the public who are watching
today's meeting program
participants pay a portion of
their income toward their
housing that is known as their
family contribution.
The Housing Commission pays
the difference between that
family contribution amount and
the total due to the landlord
up to the payment standard for
their rental home.
However, we have found it
necessary for us to increase
these family contribution
amounts because our federal
funding is not meeting
the rental assistance needs of
all the families we currently
serve.
If we did not implement these
updates hundreds of families
could lose their rental
assistance entirely.
Our goal in this process is to
make sure families continue
with this assistance and remain
housed By making these changes
we expect to be able to
continue to assist all
the families currently in our
rental assistance and public
housing programs.
With these updates our elderly
disabled households will pay
32% of their income toward
their rental housing and we
will continue to not have any
required minimum family
contribution for our elderly
disabled families.
The family contribution amount
for households that are work
able will be either 40% of
their income or a minimum
family contribution amount.
The minimum family contribution
amounts are based on
the household size and
the current minimum wage of
1775 per hour In the city of
San Diego, for instance, a
household with one work able
adult would be calculated at
one work able adult working 25
hours a week at minimum wage.
This is the approach that has
been in place for a number of
years.
The only change being that we
updated the minimum wage to
the current minimum wage
effective JANUARY of this year
and we added a new tier for
families with three or more or
capable adults.
As noted on this slide, a
family with two work able
adults would have a minimum
family contribution of $1,155
per month and a family with
three or more work able adults
would have a minimum family
contribution of 1735 per month.
We have sent letters to our
participating families through
the U.S. Mail and through email
and we will continue to send
additional notices before
the new family contribution
amounts take effect on OCTOBER
1st of this year.
The most recent letter went out
on APRIL 10th and the next one
will go out in the next several
weeks.
We have also provided
information through frequently
asked questions and explanatory
videos on our website and these
resources are available in
English, Spanish and Vietnamese
.
Our staff are committed to
working with and supporting our
families during this process
answering questions, offering
guidance and helping them
prepare for these changes,
making sure that they are
accessing the resources they
need to be successful.
Our goal is to ensure that all
families we currently serve
remain stable House.
We have a dedicated page on our
website with a list of many
community resources available
to our families.
We have worked with our
community based organizations
to make sure that that web page
is robust, robust and updated
regularly and that information
is included in letters to our
families.
Our notices about updated
family contributions also
include information about these
community resources available
to them and our stage key
Achievement Academy.
Our Achievement Academy helps
families confirm their
eligibility for other
government benefits and
collaborates with community
partners to develop job skills
and career plans and financial
budgeting.
In addition to the resources
provided by our achievement
Academy, we are collaborating
with community partners to host
resource fairs for affected
families.
I will provide additional
details regarding specific
dates and locations as they
become available but we are
very thankful to our friends at
pana Logan Heights, cdc,
Chicano Federation, our Central
Library and many other
community based organizations
that are helping us pull this
together.
We will offer time limited
hardship assistance for
eligible families when the new
family contribution amounts are
implemented and details about
how to request this support
will be included in each
household's family contribution
letter.
We know families we serve MAY
also reach out to our community
based organizations and policy
makers for help with resources
as well.
So we are also working with
council offices and our state
and federal representatives
local offices and have shared
information and links to
resources with them to assist
families who MAY reach out with
questions And we have updated
the members of our community
based organization Advisory
Group that these changes and
the resources available about
these changes and the resources
available to assist affected
families.
One of the reasons we have had
to revise the family
contribution calculations in
our rental assistance and
public housing programs is
the ongoing uncertainty about
our federal funding which
already has been insufficient
for these programs.
We only recently received our
funding letter from hud.
Our initial assessment is that
funding is coming in in about
what we projected so we do not
anticipate seeing any
significant changes as our
budget comes back to you in
JUNE.
As insufficient funding
continues though it is
important for us to have
opportunities to connect
directly with federal lawmakers
to share our priorities and how
the lack of sufficient federal
funding affects the families we
serve in our community.
We were able to join city
council members and the mayor
at the San Diego Regional
Chamber of Commerce Mission to
Washington D.C. On APRIL 27th
and 28.
On this trip we met with
Representatives Sherrod Jacobs
and Mike Levin and the chief of
staff for Representative Scott
Peters.
At our meetings in Washington
we discussed housing
affordability, federal rental
assistance, homelessness and
how federal resources are
essential to assisting families
in our community and what
the impacts are when funding is
insufficient.
We thank the Chamber for
organizing this important
mission to Washington, D.C. And
for the opportunity to continue
to advocate with our lawmakers
to support our community.
>> State resources are also
crucial to the housing and
homelessness programs that we
administer.
A couple of weeks before
the Washington trip we joined
people assisting the homeless
or path and Council PRESIDENT
Joe LaCava on a trip to
Sacramento to meet with state
lawmakers.
We had the opportunity to
connect with state PRESIDENT
Pro tempore Monique Kleiman
staff the governor's deputy
Legislative secretary Miles
White Assembly member Jessie
Gabriel, staff and consultants
for the State Senate Budget
Subcommittee and Senate Housing
Committee.
In our meetings we talked about
the state's Homeless Housing
Assistance and Prevention or
hap program funding and how
critical that is for the city
to continue its efforts in
addressing homelessness and how
potential cuts to homelessness
services and programs can
impact our community.
You'll recall that the state
did not include any funding in
the current state budget and
proposed half of that amount
from previous years for
the coming fiscal year.
We have advocated for more
funding from the state and we
will continue to because it is
a crucial source of funds for
homelessness programs
the Commission administers and
the city funds.
>> We are also continuing to
create affordable housing
opportunities in our community
for families that need them.
I think we have to remember in
these challenging times to also
celebrate our successes and
focus on what we do well and
continuing to create new
opportunities in our community.
Last week our senior Vice
PRESIDENT Of real estate
development Colin Miller joined
Mayor Todd Gloria, Developer
Community Housing Works and
additional partners at
the grand opening of Jacaranda
on.
This development provides 87
new affordable rental
apartments in the Cortez Hill
neighborhood.
They remain affordable for 55
years for households with
extremely low income.
And 14 of these units are for
people who have previously
experienced homelessness.
We awarded rental housing
vouchers to help the residents
pay for their housing at
Jacaranda and we also support
the development with financing
through a loan and multifamily
housing revenue bonds bonds
which our board and council
approved.
The grand opening of another
new development on APRIL 16th
celebrated the addition of 72
affordable rental apartments in
City Heights for families with
low income.
I joined Councilmember Ella
Rivera, the mayor the developer
Wakelin housing and Development
Corporation and Price
Philanthropies Foundation for
the opening of the Toronto.
The Housing Commission awarded
33 rental housing vouchers to
this development to help
families with extremely low
income pay for their housing at
that site.
The Toronto was built
specifically to provide three
and four bedroom apartments for
larger families and I can't say
how important that is.
Having sites that support
larger families is a huge need
in our community and Wakelin
did a terrific job really
building a site that fits well
in the community and hence
enhances the main corridor of
that community with rents that
they can afford.
These families will have a
greater opportunity to devote
more of their time to research
and limited resources to work
school health and to building
community in their new home.
>> Finally we celebrated
the groundbreaking for a new
development that when it is
completed will provide 59
rental apartment homes.
Sarah Mesa Apartments will
transform a city former city of
San Diego Library site into
affordable housing a great new
use for that site.
About half of the rental homes
there are for veterans who
experience homelessness.
And we awarded 30 Veterans
Affairs supportive housing
vouchers to that project and
for those veterans.
We also supported
the development with a loan.
Our senior vice PRESIDENT Of
real estate Colin Miller joined
the mayor Community Housing
Works and additional Partners
for this groundbreaking on
APRIL 14th.
>> That concludes my report
this afternoon.
I thank you for your time.
All right.
Thank you for your work.
Under challenging times in
the presentation today Clerk
Please proceed with public
comment.
>> Allegedly.
Audrey if you can please come
forward then.
>> Then it's just a joke.
Yes.
So I feel like you guys
gaslight the people when we sit
and talk about affordable cause
I mean people cannot afford to
even feed their children.
And there has been fraud, Joe
with the deed restrict id units
continually having their rent
being increased So that's a
problem and that's what we have
to be weary of.
But it's interesting that
you're saying if you change
the calculation of the housing
contributions you can help all
of the people.
I'm not really sure how that
changes things.
But the problem is is like has
had ever been a thing that has
worked really well where it's
like people aren't waiting for
decades just to get into
housing.
Like that's what's the problem
is that it's never been
something that's been fully
funded that it's like all
the people that actually need
to use it are able to.
And another problem is is that
of course we want to help all
people but when you guys want
to help people who have come
here illegally over the people
in our community, it's a slap
in the face because again
people have been waiting for
decades to get into housing
that have lived here.
And then we go ahead and we
give people a front of the line
type of access.
And so it's negligence like
that that has led to these
programs not working or being
underfunded.
I mean you wonder why
the federal government is
making cuts.
It's like I'm not saying what
they're doing.
I mean all government is
corrupt but there's reasons why
this kind of stuff happens And
it's like if we can't help
people in our own community and
we're like We're going to help
you, it's like what does that
say to them when you say that
you care And then you're like
Well I mean if you're homeless
and you're in Cesar Chavez Park
and you're an illegal we'll go
ahead and put you into housing
because this is a really
sensitive subject.
But it's like people are on
the streets.
People go outside here every
day and just wait for the same
I'm sorry at the five minute
time we're going to those
participating remotely We have
two speakers in the queue
starting with Gambler.
If you can please unmute.
>> So you guys know you're full
of right?
I went ahead and took a look at
all the deals so basically as
long as they do the bare
minimum and provide you
the bare minimum housing on a
project you'll give them
maximum benefits.
Matter of fact if you wipe out
parking you'll give them
benefits.
You will go ahead and reduce
rules and regulations just to
go ahead and make everyone
around that building's lights a
living meaning you're not
going to go ahead and provide
enough parking in these
locations which is going to go
ahead and eat up parking
spaces.
And businesses are not going to
get the foot traffic that
they're expecting that
the buildings aren't going to
be filled out because they
really don't have any parking
around them.
And these places are going to
go help.
But how that land developers
are making a killing deal
because of the how many breaks
that you give them, how many
guarantees of money you give
them.
This isn't about solving a
problem.
This is about funneling money.
And then now you're off at
the federal government because
there's money that they gave
you to help out.
The problem was not to create a
endless problem where you don't
solve.
They want answers.
They want accountability.
They want records.
You don't want to provide them.
That's your job, not the NGOs.
It's your job to make sure that
they're spending that money
properly.
You're saying that.
We don't need to go ahead and
look at that at all.
We don't have to provide
numbers.
We don't have to show who we're
housing.
We just have to tell the people
And then when they ask we tell
them to us right?
I mean that's how you guys run.
It doesn't matter who.
And if the PRESIDENT Of
the United States good to ask
you and you tell them to off.
>> So who do you listen to?
Apparently not the people.
Apparently not the federal
government.
Do you only listen to
the unions and NGOs that you go
ahead and follow the money
through?
>> Is that the only people that
your time has concluded?
Hector, if you can please
unmute.
My thanks for taking my call.
As you know I'm in for the mass
rapid deportation of
the illegal aliens who live in
San Diego County and there
75,000 of them on Medi-Cal
which threatening the health
care system plus their families
and stuff they can take
the thousand dollars and go
back to whatever country they
came.
So that's going to create a lot
of new lower rents for
everybody.
100,000 people are gone from
San Diego County.
Just think the rents coming
down.
Competition for lower rents.
It'll be really a gold mine to
everybody.
People off the streets.
I don't think Trump is going to
give you guys any more federal
money.
He might even take it back So
he might even delay some more
of it.
So there's no hope there.
But I think if once we reset
San Diego and San Diego County
with no illegal aliens and get
tight on immigration, it's
going to be a lot better from
everybody and especially
the people living on
the street.
It's going to make it easier
for you guys.
Plus we're going to have to go
against the drug dealers too
and that's going to require
the Marines.
We're going to have some cops
in here with the housing.
Look at look at these high rise
high Are they do those guys
have illegal aliens in them?
The housing authority guys they
opened up the books to ice
because who's living there They
can have Yes, they're illegal
either.
They can't have their their
girlfriend move in with them
and stuff like that or their
kids from this guy or that.
So we can really you know we
don't have to thing we just
leave We wouldn't have to get
tough on them.
You know they got enough time
now they can think about it.
You got to make a decision and
you delay or just move back to
your country and take your
thousand dollars.
>> Okay.
Thanks a lot.
And Blair Beekman, our final
speaker.
All right.
Thank you.
Big Ben.
Thanks for the report.
It was interesting to hear.
I just had a quick thought and
hopefully from the JULY 2025
meeting of the Housing
Authority on the previous item
that they can be possibly a
good mediator between
the mayor's office and what
council PRESIDENT Moreno was
working towards and good luck
in such efforts of mediation.
I think a good mediation
process can happen.
And thanks for for this item as
well.
>> Thank you.
That does call for public
comment on this item.
>> All right.
Thank you, City Clerk I'll turn
it over to agency member for
any questions or comments of
our executive director.
>> Councilmember Lipman Thank
you.
Agency PRESIDENT LaCava I just
want to thank MS. Jones for
the update.
This report but also thank you
and Council PRESIDENT McCarver
for your advocacy work in
Sacramento and Washington dc to
preserve funding to help people
who are homeless.
These are people who many cases
literally have nothing.
So it is crucial that we offer
them shelter and help them as
best that we can.
If your hard work and advocacy
to preserve funding will help
us do that.
So thank you.
Thank you, Council PRESIDENT.
All right.
Thank you for your comments,
Councilmember Whipper.
We'll go next to Councilmember
Ila Rivera.
>> Thank you, Council
PRESIDENT.
Thank you, Lisa for the update
.
Just extraordinarily difficult
circumstances to be doing
The work that you do and
appreciate you being
transparent with the challenges
that we're facing and that
the residents of our properties
are facing as well.
It feels especially frustrating
because then you'd have to
respond to this part.
It feels extremely unnecessary
given what the Trump regime is
just instead spending money on
spending money on the things
that we do while seniors and
other vulnerable people are
going to be stretched even more
thin and families will be
pushed to the brink if not into
homelessness is incredibly,
incredibly frustrating.
And yeah, I'm just I'm sorry
that your work has made that
much more difficult as a result
of that.
So again as always thank you
for the update and we'll have
to just keep plugging away.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT.
All right.
>> Thank you.
Council member Ella Rivera or
agency member Ella Rivera.
Didn't want to stand out there
Council.
Councilmember Lippert Yeah,
I'll just have my thanks.
You know, using extraordinary
difficult times and forced you
to make very hard decisions
with how to spread the finite
dollars to the most families
going forward.
And I'm hoping that we see some
action at the state level in
terms of the hap funding and
hopefully that advocacy works.
I know going to D.C. Is a tough
conversation although we have a
lot of sympathetic legislators
there.
So just the predictability and
the reliability would be a big
benefit if nothing else.
So thank you again for taking
the time to come out and making
the presentation here today and
the good work you do every day
with your entire housing
commission team.
>> So there's this was
information only and no motion
was required.
We will proceed next with
the approval of the housing
authority minutes.
Clerk please.
Pretty proceed with public
comment on the Housing
authority minutes.
>> Thank you for the coming
period for the Housing
authority minutes is now open.
Please note each speaker will
have one minute per item per
person.
The minutes being approved are
for the items The meetings of
Tuesday MARCH 17th, 2026
Special and Monday, APRIL 20th,
2026 Special.
We have Audra here allegedly
Audra.
Two minutes Please proceed.
Yeah.
Stephen quit pretending like
you care about homeless people
because they're dying in your
district.
Yes.
i don't understand why in
the housing authority minutes
you don't put anything for
regarding like a non agenda
public comment and then you
will do it in your minutes for
the council meeting.
So isn't it the same person
taking the minutes?
I would think so.
So I think you should be more
equitable.
And then in APRIL 20th you were
talking about employee
evaluations.
I think we need to just really
be mindful of how things are
not, you know, getting better
And so yet we continue to
increase salaries.
It's interesting.
Usually that used to be based
on like employee evaluation It
would be like a, you know,
individual basis And we seem to
do things in like a group like
let's just like your consent
get it all done, you know what
I mean?
Instead of really looking at
people's ability to really
increase the people getting off
the streets instead it just
gets worse.
But I guess that's what we pay
people for So that's
interesting and projects and
initiatives It's like I'm
wondering when we're going to
be evaluating Tent City.
I mean you guys have a lawsuit
and just it's going on.
You guys tried to claim
immunity which is really sad
because it's like I mean you
guys have you any of you been
down there to see what's
happening especially Stephen
No, just Theresa Just tell you
what's up.
She's like it's good.
I want people to stay here as
long as possible.
That should be terrifying to
you guys.
Isn't the idea to get them off
the streets not keep them in a
program?
I guess not because that's not
where the money's at.
You guys are good at ignoring
people.
It's awesome love.
It just shows how efficient you
guys are.
>> Let's try the five minute
time We're going to those
participating remotely
The Gambler Please let me know
which minutes you'd like to
speak to or both How many total
would you like Follow.
Okay.
Please proceed.
So let let's go ahead and
clarify who you guys work for
As you guys flat out stated
the PRESIDENT Of the United
States I mean well just
recognize that the United
States was voted in by
the people You would agree with
the PRESIDENT Of the United
States is basically disagreeing
with the people you not
listening to the people in your
own district is also another
indication you could give a
fact that the people so who do
you work for?
It's my question Do I have to
look at all the angles that you
were signed up with And then
when we finally go ahead and do
an investigation on
the registration cards that
come through the online portal
from these organizations that
you guys are in bed with, are
we going to find out that they
have committed fraud to keep
you elected?
I'm reading that I'm going to
be teaching I mean I'm telling
people how it's done that by
step The more people doing it
it gets exacerbated until
finally we have to do that
investigation.
I'm hoping that this is going
to happen sooner than later if
it takes me flat out oh,
the law is telling people to do
it surgically how you should go
ahead and prescribe This is how
you do it in every single
aspect in order to get that out
there I am more than happy to
do that.
So think wisely If you want to
go ahead and say that that
organization and do their
bidding you are going to be
facing serious consequences If
you don't believe me, tap your
love because I'm tired of this
You guys pretending you work
for the people when you clearly
don't and when you say Hey we
don't like Trump PRESIDENT
Trump I don't give a if you
don't like him.
He was voted in by the United
States I mean by the people of
the United States regardless if
you liked it or not That is
the case.
You work for the people.
>> Your time has concluded and
that concludes with a comment
on the Housing Authority
minutes.
All right.
Thank you.
So we'll take any questions or
comments but more importantly a
motion to approve the minutes
Council member Marino and a
second by Council member
Whitburn.
>> So see nobody else in
the light Please vote.
>> Okay.
I'm sorry The voting system
Please cast your vote at
the passes unanimously 7 to 0
with agency member Campo and
Van Wilpert absent.
Thank you.
Yeah, and my apologies.
I forgot to mention the city
clerk does not produce
the minutes for the housing
authority So the question came
up So we will now take up
housing authority not agenda
public comment.
Housing Authority members
respect and appreciate
the public input and are fully
committed to protecting every
participant's free speech
rights at the Housing Authority
meetings Clerk Please proceed
with public comment Period 2.7
on agenda Public comment is an
opportunity for members of
the public to provide comment
that is within the subject
matter jurisdiction of
the Housing Authority.
Each speaker will have two
minutes public comment period
for the Housing Authority and
an agenda public is now open
and fusion chambers Please
limit your speaker slip If
you're joining us virtually
please raise your hand to speak
by tapping the raise your hand
icon or a call in participant
Star nine allegedly Audra
please come forward Who does
those minutes as the question
the housing commission okay
maybe you guys can give them
notes any who I'm just
wondering if you guys could
humble yourselves for a minute
Like real people with a soul
and think about what you're
doing with the litigation with
tent City and how time and
again over 365 very long time I
have been bringing you guys
information.
People from Ten City have been
bringing you guys information
and you're facing litigation
regarding the abuse that's
taking place there And this has
nothing to do with the deaths
or the sexual assaults.
This just has to do with
the living conditions that you
guys have been having these
people live in and the city is
on the property along with
Dreams for Change in Downtown
Partnership Are you contract
with Downtown Partnership to
come in and keep the city clean
and also clean up the people
the homeless that sit outside
City Hall every day at 6 A.M.
And around downtown so that you
don't have to look at it.
And the city attorney is trying
to say that you guys are immune
from anything and that this
isn't a shelter and that
basically these people should
be abused like they are.
And at that same moment in
the hearing in federal court,
Theresa Smith is sitting here
and talking to you guys about
getting more money.
I'm wondering when we're
actually going to care about
the lives of these people and
not further abuse them by
saying that you guys are immune
when you guys have contracted
with these NGOs that are
supposed to be giving people
help and they're not.
Maybe you guys could put
yourself in that position and
and feel what it would be like
if that was you.
>> I don't think it's possible.
I started the five minute time
we're going to those
participating remotely starting
with Blair Beekman.
If you can please unmute my
prayer Big man Jerry speaking
today reminded me I was
speaking on these items to
the Housing Authority today
reminding me of the inner I'm
not sure what it can be like
but the city of San Jose when
they practice their government
sponsored encampment issues
they are using much smaller
land areas and doing like you
know 20 or 30 tents or 50 tents
in a little land area where you
guys you know, have these
massive huge things And I'm
wondering what wanting to you
know, having the massive huge
one is good but having a few
additional little ones, what
would that do?
Would that be helpful?
I know they complain sometimes
about the ones in San Jose and
I think they actually they MAY
want the larger ones system of
lands you know and it's so it's
tradeoffs but I just I'm
curious if that is a good
option at this point And so I
thought I'd just mention it
once again and to offer a bit
of a stretch that I think can
be applicable to housing
authority non agenda public
comment It was spoken at
the budget time about a certain
set of police issues that can
relate to neighborhood public
safety that there there
reducing the amount of civilian
police hiring and I'm
interested if that actually
correlates to making things
less safe and more expensive
Actually I don't know if it's
less or more expensive I, I
didn't hear the budget
reasoning on that but that was
simply stated that civil hiring
is not going to be happening in
a police department when it
tends to cost lower to do that.
And so I wanted to ask you and
just the overall projection of
what we're moving towards so I
wanted to ask yourselves what's
up with that?
>> Yeah, I'm telling you it's
concluded gambler If you can
please unmute you know well you
want to go ahead and disrespect
the people by flat out ignoring
their concerns comments and
basically telling the people
that we do not care about who
you elected into office for
the federal government that
oversees the federal money
being wasted all over the place
you say that we don't have to
go ahead and take
accountability for that and
then we can go ahead and bail
out as much money as we want.
We can go ahead and do it many
times That is with my
consultant as we want And if we
need to go ahead and cut
the budget.
Second, we don't need police
and firefighters such that's
not important.
They should go out and
the people could go out and
fend for themselves.
We just go ahead and say you
can own a gun.
All the good people want, go
ahead and be able to protect
themselves.
But sure the people that
should get it let it set your
rules and regulations I cannot
say that Now I have free game
and actually go out and steal
from whoever I want Last place
I think there's means less
chance of me getting busted.
I learn the criminal society
You are turning San Diego into
it.
I'm going to go ahead and
encourage people that you guys
are encouraging that I'm like
I'm not going to go ahead and
tell as many people as humanly
possible that organizations
that you're working with I'll
find out.
Call them out.
I'll go ahead and take a look
at who's collecting voter
registration cards, who is
harvesting ballots and who
they're working for.
You guys already know that they
work You guys work for them.
You don't work for us.
You don't work for the people.
You could care less what
the people have to say.
You don't have to show answers
because you work for them.
They're your boss.
They don't want you to get bad
answers.
You're not going to go ahead
and give that answer.
Is that really the legacy you
want to leave behind?
How far do you think you're
going to get away with this?
How long until they're sleeping
Giant wakes up and you feel
the reckoning?
>> It looks like it's coming.
Your time has concluded.
Hector and then Natalie were
asking It's getting kind of
hard to follow him and he's so
fired up at the housing
authority.
One thing with all these big
government run things we're
dealing with people that have a
lot of money and they always
kind of hide in the shadows
like BlackRock and the huge
companies they operate with
other companies and they might
not be doing it for profit
right away but they're doing it
to hide their money.
They got $300,000,400 million.
They can just make it out of
nothing.
They want to put that money
somewhere and they're looking
at Logan Heights gone Logan
Heights has got a view a got 20
stores in Logan Heights.
You're looking at the park,
you're looking at the ball
park, you're looking at
the ocean and it's a lot.
Logan Heights is worth a lot of
money man.
That's why Todd didn't wasn't
going for that thing.
He was going for them High rise
man.
That's what is that's what's
going on now.
Now they're kicking
the homeless guys out of East
Village.
That's like making a move To
try to get rid of them would be
a better world for all those
guys if there were no homeless
there.
We got to put them in Spring
Valley where are we going to
put them?
But that's what power move is.
You guys know that That's
what's happening in the shadows
and in this straight up so that
housing authority I think it
should be free at free
enterprise not subsidized with
everything.
It's like I'm still with
the Trump dude man Orange man.
We're just getting started.
It's Mark Levin Tax him too.
I forgot about Mark Levin.
I don't know how many search
those other guys on Google
search Jacob's got 60 million
plus he's you know big time
ready for taxing the rich and
we could put it to housing in
Barrio Logan That would be even
better man Open up some really
good places out of taxing
the rich That would be a good
agenda to adopt.
Okay, Talk to you later.
Bye.
Natalie Raskin If you can
please unmute your final
speaker No asking a pop up
should have come up for you To
unmute I can unmute for you.
>> There you go.
Hi Natalie Rushdie I'm still
kind of confused on why hud
isn't being pressed when they
have created this problem for a
very long time.
I'm not getting any answers on
that.
I'm not getting any answers
from Padilla's office.
I gotten one answer from
Jacob's office and it doesn't
seem to be like the issue is
being pressed hard enough about
what is potentially going to
persist with homelessness.
I have an hiv and it's been
cut.
The time is ticking.
Their urgency for people
families to become homeless
doesn't seem to be an urgency
at all.
It's extremely frustrating when
I'm not receiving any answers.
It's frustrating to watch hud
continue to not be accountable
for all of these situations,
all these programs that they
start and then they stop them
and just go on.
Nobody's being held accountable
except for homeless people are
being held accountable or being
gaslit.
It's absolutely disgusting and
I don't have any answers from
anybody.
Why hud is not accountable.
>> Thank you.
Thank you.
If you had raised your hand if
the five minute timer had
already concluded.
So that does conclude
the public comment margin of
public comment for the housing
authority.
All right.
Thank you, City Clerk.
We will now adjourn as
the housing authority and
reconvene as the city council.
>> And with that please
introduce item three three
zero.
Thank you.
Item 330 is the First Amendment
to the agreement between
the city of San Diego and nami
San Diego for Supportive
Services and Temporary Housing
Financial Assistance Program.
If you're here in council
chambers please submit your
speaker slip to the front of
the room in the clear box.
If you'd like to speak on this
item or if you're participating
remotely now's the time to
raise your hand by pressing
Star nine or the raise your
hand icon.
>> Thank you Council PRESIDENT
All right.
Thank you.
So I see staff settling in.
Introduce yourselves for
the record and let us know how
much time you need.
Thank you.
We'd like four minutes.
All right.
Begin when you're ready.
Thank you.
Good afternoon.
Council PRESIDENT Lee Carver
Council members.
My name is Katie Keach.
I'm the deputy director of
the Homelessness Strategies and
Solutions Department.
With me today is program
manager Kendra Carter who leads
our outreach program today
We're here to request approval
of a First Amendment to
the agreement with the National
Alliance on Mental Illness or
nami San Diego for
the supportive services and
Temporary housing Financial
Assistance Program.
This amendment is for a time
extension and scope
modification.
The City Council first approved
the agreement with nami San
Diego on OCTOBER 18th, 2020 for
an agreement was executed
the following month on NOVEMBER
4th.
The agreement allocates funding
from the state of California
encampment resolution funding
grants also referred to as erf
grants.
Specifically this agreement
includes funding for two of
the city's Erap projects
the I-15 Corridor and the San
Diego riverbed funded by a year
of grant dollars.
The program provides supportive
housing services including
intake assessment, housing
placement, advocacy, mediation
self-sufficiency services
services to promote
the coordination of care and
housing retention as well as
temporary financial assistance
.
>> Last year 8130 was passed
with amended the era of grant
expenditure deadlines for both
projects The I-15 Corridor
project expenditure deadline
was extended from JUNE 30th
2020 sixth to SEPTEMBER 12th
2026 and the Riverbed Project
deadline was extended from JUNE
30th 2026 to JUNE 14th 2020
2027.
The First Amendment to
the agreement with nami extends
the contract term from APRIL
30th 2026 to JUNE 14th 2027 to
coincide with the updated era
of expenditure deadline.
The amendment also adds
the option to extend
the agreement for two
additional one year option
periods at the city's
discretion if the grant is
expenditure deadline is further
pushed.
Lastly, the First Amendment
modifies the scope of work to
align with standard
homelessness strategies and
solutions department
requirements and ensures
compliance with the city's
trust ordinance.
As mentioned, this agreement
supports both the Riverbed and
I-15 corridor and canyon
projects.
Since the program started,
the San Diego Riverbed Project
has served 129 individuals with
70 people transitioning to
housing and 39 individuals
currently enrolled in interim
shelter.
In addition, 99 individuals
have been served through
the I-15 Corridor project.
43 individuals have already
been connected to housing and
30 individuals are currently
enrolled in interim shelter.
The extension of the agreement
with nami allows for rapid
rehousing efforts to continue
to be provided and MAY support
additional individuals who
remain in the encampment areas
and are engaged with our
outreach services.
In summary the item request
approval for a First Amendment
to the agreement with nami San
Diego.
>> This completes our
presentation.
We're happy to answer any
questions.
All right.
Thank you for that work and
the presentation this
afternoon.
Clerk Please proceed with
public comments.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT And largely
Audra you're speaking on item
330.
Please come forward.
>> Rising It is.
>> It is.
I would like to say I'm in
favor of this which is
interesting because this is one
of the programs when I talk to
the homeless people that they
actually get help from that if
they're at Tent City and they
want to go find housing, they
actually go through nami And so
it's interesting to see that
some do work but it's sad to
know that these people weight
intensity which actually if
it's not a shelter would be
like the largest encampment
that the police should go get
rid of.
Um but it it's it's nice to
know that, you know, people go
and navigate on their own They
can find housing they can get
off the streets.
They're just wondering like do
you guys ever go talk to
the homeless people like really
like sit down with them and
have like a heart to heart or
is that like off limits cricket
It's interesting.
I love to course correct in
life.
You know, I find it really
interesting because I like to
better myself.
I like to go what am I doing
that I could do better at?
And it's interesting to come
before people and just see them
like Oh I'm good as it is.
There's no need to be better.
We love what we're doing
Homelessness, suffering and
we're we're just going to
pretend like that's not
happening.
I mean seriously like they
shouldn't be dying on your
steps out here.
Like that's really sad.
It really is.
It's a reflection of like
what's going on and it's sad to
go and like talk to these
people and like get down on
the ground with them if you
have to and give them a hug.
There are brothers and sisters
and not just like discard them
because they MAY not smell
right or who knows.
Back to have some food I'm
probably going to give someone
outside these steps after we're
done.
Wish you guys would, you know,
feel compassion for these
people As far as a five minute
timer going to those
participating online, we
currently have four speakers in
the queue Gambler If you can
please unmute You know it's
crazy how you go ahead and set
up these community I mean how
this person right here talking
look for different ways to
create grants to go ahead and
steal from the federal
government.
You go ahead and do this but
yet you never monitor to these
programs.
Yes, some of them do work.
You don't talk to the homeless
people.
Matter of fact, they talk to
Audra.
I have one person constantly
calling me saying what they
could do to get into housing.
They've talked to
the organization but she does
not fulfill of their their
political belief.
>> They don't want to help her.
I mean that flat out what it it
comes down to two years then
she's been asking going over
doing that I'm trying to
convince her to go to the board
meetings or call in and leave
to go ahead and tell tell you
guys directly how your pieces
of how you don't even want to
go ahead and listen to
the people when they're also
asking you for the data instead
of asking you constantly saying
Look we don't have to provide
you data, we just need your
money.
Matter of fact we are not
getting the federal money so
we're going to go ahead and add
taxes.
We're going to add more
expensive to you your trash.
We're going to go ahead and
double tax you on that.
What else can we go out and do
parking for Chad?
Any parking needs to have paid
meters.
Now you don't get any free stay
in here.
So basically what you're going
to do is wipe out
the businesses But that works
out perfect for you because you
could go ahead and redevelop
those areas and increase
the property tax.
Right?
I mean that's why you're
pushing people out of their
house.
That's why when the flood took
place you blamed 11 property
owner for the flood, not
the fact that you did zero to
go ahead and come fix our
infrastructure.
You did nothing.
You blamed people and you sued
them using our money to push
the blame off of you and put it
on to the citizens You don't
take sorry your time has
concluded.
Natalie Raskin If you can
please unmute.
Hi Natalie Rush When we do
these contracts we have
information at our fingertips
at this point and when we do
these contracts I spoke about
this the other day and
companies like Con Am that have
are directly in a lawsuit right
now.
They have raised the rent
prices on the algorithm causing
funds to be depleted faster.
I hope we're double checking
who we choose to do business
with So they create the problem
and they have the solution And
who loses?
I have been given an option to
move into a an apartment to
have an f with the Better
Business Bureau So it's I'm in
a catch 22.
I'm pushed in a corner.
We have people that have had
situations happen to them like
covid that have messed up their
living situation But now it's
like one thing after another
and still the federal
government is not being held
accountable.
When do we start Fact checking
that checking and doing our due
diligence?
Thank you.
Next is Hector.
If you can please unmute.
Thanks for taking my call.
This nami group I think should
double their pay.
These guys have been there from
the get go with mental illness
and when schizophrenia just
happened to young people
without doing drugs.
Now a lot of times with
schizophrenia it's not really
true schizophrenia.
It's organic brain disease.
If you're like 17 and ucsd and
you get through schizophrenia
you haven't done drugs.
It's just something in your in
your in your mind your brain
You know, they're doing brain
scans now They never used to
But these nami guys been there
from the get go I can sickos I
think they're great man And
then the rapid mentally ill
problems we have now it's just
about all the drugs People are
doing drugs that are coming in
from Mexico and China.
China has been trying to kill
us with the drugs in China
thing with China virus and then
the Mexicans doing the drugs
You know they don't give a.
They're billionaires man.
The billionaire Mexicans that
are in Tijuana and they just
indicted ten guys the governor
and everyone else linked in to
the drugs.
The mayor of adding to our
mental illness problem is
the drug dealers in Tijuana,
the mayors linked up of Tijuana
into the drug dealers.
You know they are and there's
all sorts of other ones in
there, man it all is all
payola.
But it's leading to mental
illness on our streets And a
lot of it is just organic brain
disease getting your brain
fried by doing drugs.
So but yeah pay these nami guys
they're like friends and
relatives of the mentally ill.
These guys got it together
double their money They can be
able to do that as well.
Where's that?
Thanks a lot.
Next is Blaire Beekman and then
our final speaker is John All
right.
>> Blaire Beekman, thanks for
this item.
Thank you for the work of nami.
There they are one of the good
ones.
They do a lot of good work and
I wanted to comment that I'm
concerned with the most recent
unhoused issues or kind of
entered the next wave of our
unhoused issues and good luck
what you can be doing with
that.
i I'm not fully clear what all
of that work that you've been
doing downtown what that is
exactly accomplishing and I
would love to be more clear on
that.
Thank you.
I would love to be more clear
on that.
Cities like Oakland, they're
now creating policies like San
Diego.
I know San Jose wanted to but
they couldn't The city would
the community wouldn't allow
them And I have real concerns
about that And we have a set of
practices here that are unique
to San Diego that when they try
to be emulated in other cities
there's nothing like they just
look anything.
They just simply look like I
don't know a police state and
you're answering questions of a
police state and you're
answering questions of a police
state And I'm worried and I
want to know what our next
steps out of a police state is.
What is the steps of returning
to community housing And you
know, government housing people
asking questions, working
the system, you know, and
helping people out that way.
And I hope I can continue to
see more of that And I hear
that language more and I know
it's there And I'm not trying
to be overly strong but good
luck how we can talk about this
in terms of our city government
and community and not police
and community.
>> Thank you.
Thank John.
Your final speaker.
Please unmute Academy before
you.
>> Thank you John Brady here
with lived experience advisors
really want to compliment nami
and the team here I know that a
tremendous amount of effort
goes into understanding each
individual or individual group
or family that is on our
streets to understand what
their needs are and to use
these funds effectively to
identify the best longer term
solution for housing.
You know, the reality is many
of these programs are going to
end in a couple of years.
But this these programs
particularly the encampment
clearing programs are funded
for up to two years to really
identify the needs and get
people stabilized in housing.
>> My concern goes with this is
what encampment clearing looks
like when it's done right.
We're not just pushing people
around a city where we are
actually identifying
individuals, clarifying what
their needs are and getting
them the resources that they
need to recover from
homelessness.
>> You know, we spent a lot of
money playing Whac-a-Mole in
this city because this is
the kind of funding that's
necessary to solve the problem
that we don't have from
the state and federal
government.
So thank you very much.
Complements the program and
the team.
Thank you.
That completes public comment
on this item.
>> All right.
Thank you, City clerk.
We'll turn it over to
the council for questions.
Comments Entertain motions and
we'll start with council member
Whitburn.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Thank you for
the presentation.
It is really been great to see
the results of Darby's work
along the side Diego River that
work in the riverbed takes a
team better hold services from
Darby have been a big part of
that team.
The work includes an intake
assessment connecting people to
shelter or supportive housing
long term case management.
The work has proven effective.
We see the reduction of more
than 50% of people living at
the riverbed takes a lot of
partners work and good
coordination to achieve those
results.
Thanks to Darby Path Health
Care and Action The San Diego
River Park Foundation, our
city's Environmental Services
Department.
The City of Police Department's
homeless outreach teams and
many more who all play roles
that they're so happy to
support This extension it all
make the motion to approve
the staff recommendation All
right.
Thank you, council members.
So we'll have a motion by
Councilor Whitman to move
the staff recommendation.
We'll go next to council member
Campbell Thank you so much.
Council PRESIDENT And thank you
for that motion.
Thank you for the wonderful
work that you guys have done
and Tanami for helping with
this in such a great way.
>> I'm happy to second
the motion.
All right.
Thank you.
So we have a motion by Council
but we can whitburn and second
by Council member Campbell and
with the staff recommendation
will go to Council member Ella
Rivera Thank you Council
PRESIDENT I just want to say
thank you for the effort that
goes into this.
I appreciate the work that's
been done here.
The deep and kind of methodical
work that that this involves
the persistence that it
involves I think is really
important And I know it's not
easy but from what we've seen
it also has more of a lasting
effect than other other ways of
addressing addressing
encampments.
I know that the court project
in particular you can see
the difference.
That doesn't mean that effort
is not continuously required
there but I do appreciate that
this work is being done the way
it's being done.
>> So thank you for that other
resident.
All right.
Thank you, Councilmember
Rivera.
So not seeing anyone else in
the lights.
We do have a motion by council
member Whitburn second by
Council member Campbell please
call the roll.
I have set up the voting
system.
Please cast your vote.
The item passes unanimously
with District seven and
District five absent.
>> All right.
Thank you for the item and
thank you for the work to bring
it forward.
So with that please introduce
the last item of the day.
Item 333 item 333 is MidCoast
Transit Corridor Public Right
of way vacation Project number
p r j 0664727 This item is not
subject to the mayor's veto.
All right.
As you settle in staff, please
introduce yourselves for
the record and let us know how
much time you need for
the presentation.
Good afternoon.
Council PRESIDENT Mark Lopez
Project Manager Development
Services And with me joining is
Michael Prince, assistant
deputy Director also with
the Homeless Services And if I
can get five minutes please.
All right.
When you're ready.
Good afternoon, Honor Roll
Council members.
>> My name is Mark Lopez,
project manager with
the Development Services
Department Presenting item
number 333 for the MidCoast
Transit Corridor Public right
away Vacation under project
number j0664727 The project
proposes to vacate dedicated
right away portions of Marina
Boulevard formerly Valley Forge
Avenue Yorktown Street Pasadena
Street and Brandywine Street on
an existing developed parcel
comprising a total vacation
area of approximately 2.31
acres.
The subject property is more
commonly referred to as
the bubble Avenue Transit
Center is located northwest and
southwest of the intersection
about Bow Avenue and Marina
Boulevard east of the empty
blue down blue line roadway and
five freeway in the sea dash
1-2 commercial office zone
within the Balboa Avenue
Station area Specific plan and
the Claremont Mesa Community
Plan.
The existing roadway portions
were originally created to
allow circulation access and
public services intended to
serve a subdivision that was
never developed.
>> In 2015 the City Council
approved sale various
properties originally owned by
the city of San Diego Send for
the development construction
and operation of the Blue line
roadway expansion in relation
to the site, a quit claim deed
was recorded thereafter in 2019
which consisted of a land
transfer sale of city owned
land along along with the memo
memorialization of a sewer
easement reservation Approval
of this action will revert
the vacated areas the vacated
affected parcels back to
the underlying fee owner sandag
The city would also be relief
from any encumbrance caused
from maintain the right away
portions The public including
sandag will also benefit from
this action as it would allow
the continued use of
the transit center.
The result of the vacation will
not impact access or
circulation and as vehicular
and pedestrian access from
the Via Marina Boulevard and
the pedestrian access from
the north via Garnet Avenue
will remain As previously
mentioned, the project area
contains existing sewer
facilities within the dedicated
right away portions and will
remain in place and protected
via memorialize easement
reservation thus further
ensuring the active sewer
facilities can be access
maintain and continue to
operate without disruption.
And here is the graphic of
the proposed site plans and you
can see the proposed right away
portion to be vacated on MARCH
16th, 2021 The Claremont
Community Planning Group voted
10 to 1 with one abstention to
recommend approval of
the proposed project without
conditions.
>> Staff hereby recommends that
the City Council adopt
the following actions in this
report.
This concludes my presentation
City staff and the applicant
team are available to answer
any questions.
Thank you.
All right.
Thank you for the work and for
the presentation.
I understand the applicant is
here but does not wish to make
a presentation.
All right so with that please
proceed with public comment.
We will begin with in-person
public comment allegedly order
Please come forward.
You'll have two minutes to
speak.
You know, it's interesting when
we take up land and hold it and
then we don't complete projects
I'm not really sure what was
supposed to be there but
the fact that it wasn't
developed and it's been like 16
years this like tends to happen
quite a bit with private
property owners and easements
and you know, needing to take
it for some public use And then
it's like it holds this
property in limbo for however
long until it's decided not to
be used.
So it's just interesting
the things we do in government.
Do you guys enjoy it?
I mean as you so I grew up
there the one having billions
of dollars at your disposal,
right?
I mean imagine being
the PRESIDENT Or the governor
and you have trillions of
dollars.
That is so exciting.
I mean think about how many
kickbacks you can get in that
arena.
You know what I'm saying With
the billionaires that we need
to go after like Trump right?
Start going after Black Rock.
When are we going to do that?
Can we start doing that that in
the script at some point?
Or is it just Trump or I'm just
wondering why are we selective
with the billionaires We should
be really going after it.
Do you want I mean let's go
after all the people that are
screwing us right?
No.
Oh my gosh.
Has you're like you're no fun.
You know what I mean?
We pay you to engage.
Do we not know just to
criminalize if it's good?
>> I've been having the police
escort me out so I can get a
real good run for my money.
So I'll let you guys buy.
Thank you for your comment.
That concludes the in-person
public comment.
We will now move to the virtual
public comment.
I've started the five minute
timer in council chambers and
we'll now turn to the virtual
queue in which there are
currently two participants
requesting to speak Wherever
you please proceed by way of
Bitcoin.
I realized that I'm in San
Diego Conservancy.
I'm hearing their names more as
in in council chambers and how
to talk about homeless issues.
Thank you for that at least
that and it's been good to hear
that and there's something
positive in what's happening So
thank you for that With this
item I wish I could better
relate to it.
You had you know you're coming
up with sb 79 you know to do
and work on those issues and
you're trying to navigate that
as well as you can.
It's my understanding that
the Claremont area and
the College area two big
housing developments coming up
with transit concerns MAY have
different choices in how to
proceed with them.
I don't know if that's accurate
or not but that's why I'm
understanding it and I guess
that's navigating around seven
sb 79 and I don't know if it's
legal to say that or not.
I don't know if I'm being in
good taste in saying that So I
just thought I'd ask it and
that I am thinking of these
things and how to talk about
them better in the future And
good luck on how you work on
this item as well.
Thank you.
Gambler Please proceed.
You have to unmute.
There we go.
How are you guys doing?
So let's go ahead.
Do you realize that all your
actions everything you approved
of public record?
Do you realize that the reason
why I was able to figure out
why we have no money and why
you do the thing is because I
just looked at the last word
Mountain View person.
Did you do you recognize
the fact that I looked up why
we made the nbi aura regulation
Then what The narrative was
when that was happening and why
we have happened and why we
went ahead and allowed these
people.
>> Yeah no I know the argument
but in each one of these
arguments sound good on faith
right?
But when you layer them all
together you see the big
picture.
It's stripping us of our and
giving it to corporations
because you do not have
the money to fix our
infrastructure and because you
been playing games don't forget
long You have no idea what your
responsibility are except to
protect the status quo.
That's why you don't listen to
the people.
That's why you get the card.
Anything that the federal
government you demonized them.
I mean how do you go ahead and
say people are trying to kill
trans people?
I've not seen one record of
that really happening.
i mean people go out and shoot
out and kill thousands of
people.
The only reason why they're
doing that is because you tell
them that we're trying to kill
them which is factually not
true But you are creating
division so that you could go
ahead and get this magical
money to go in and solve a
problem.
You guys helped create.
Do you recognize that there is
records of every single action
that you've taken, every single
person that you did?
That's a great thing about
being a public employee.
You have to document that out
of this And because that I know
the organizations that are tied
to basically stripping us and
creating a monopoly it's
insane.
>> Thank you for that comment.
That does conclude your time.
>> That concludes public
testimony on item 333.
All right.
Thank you for that.
Well done.
Okay.
We will now turn it over to
the council for questions,
comments and entertain a motion
and we'll start with council
member Campbell.
>> Thank you very much.
This is a piece of land upon
which the Balboa Transit
station is located for the blue
line for the trolleys and it's
been a wonderful success.
It includes parking for
the public so they can park and
ride and it is a piece of land
that is right next to
the railroad tracks and in
between the tracks and Marina
Boulevard.
So it's a triangular shaped
piece of land and this worked
out to be an excellent place
for that trolley to be built.
It was already owned by sandag
and I was told by the previous
director of sandag that
the reason it was chosen for
the blue line is because there
was no hassle.
They already had the land and
they did indeed have have this
portion of land worked out
beautifully.
The thing that's so interesting
to me living near it there's no
sound from it.
It doesn't make any noise for
the neighbors who live in Bay
Park which is really quite nice
.
So at any rate this is an
excellent idea to give this
land to the previous owner
which was in that same they
will now have it again and they
will take responsibility for
upkeep of the roads and
sidewalks within that area And
we are very appreciative of
that and we're glad to have
the station.
I want to thank you for it.
So I move that we accept this
staff's report.
Thank you.
All right.
We have a motion by council
member Campbell.
This is in District two by to
take the staff recommendation
will go to council member
Whitburn that having a second
motion.
All right So a motion by
council member Campbell
seconded by Council member
Whitburn I don't see anybody
else on the lights.
Thank you for the work during
this fourth quarter.
Please call the roll.
I have set up the voting
system.
Please cast your vote.
The item passes unanimously
with Councilmember Campo,
Councilmember Von Wilpert
absent.
All right.
Thank you again.
Thank you for the work on this
.
We will now adjourn Council to
the next regularly scheduled
council meeting on Monday, MAY
18th, 2026 at 10 A.M. Or