[2:37] And
[4:37] the first
[5:09] All right.
[5:09] Good morning.
[5:10] I will now call the city
[5:14] council meeting Monday, MAY
[5:14] 18th, 2026 to order Deputy
[5:17] Clerk Please call the roll
[5:22] Council member Campbell Council
[5:23] Member Whitburn Council Member
[5:27] Foster Council Member Von
[5:32] Wilbur Council PRESIDENT Pro
[5:37] Tem Lee Council Member Campo
[5:37] Council Member Moreno Council
[5:42] Member Eli Rivera and Council
[5:43] PRESIDENT LaCava present also
[5:47] attending the meeting are
[5:48] Senior Deputy City Attorney
[5:49] David Carlin, Independent
[5:53] budget analyst Charles Mollica,
[5:53] Council Affairs Advisor in
[5:54] the Mayor's office, Code
[5:57] advisor and myself your City
[5:58] Clerk, Deputy City Clerk Kevin
[6:02] Smith All right.
[6:03] Thank you sir.
[6:03] A quorum is now present.
[6:04] We will begin this morning with
[6:07] an invocation by Deputy Clerk
[6:08] Smith followed with the land
[6:09] acknowledgment and the Pledge
[6:09] of Allegiance led by Council
[6:10] member Kemp.
[6:15] You grant those who hold
[6:20] the office who hold office in
[6:21] the city the spirit of wisdom,
[6:21] charity and justice that
[6:24] steadfast purpose they MAY
[6:25] faithfully serve in their
[6:26] offices to promote
[6:30] the well-being of all people.
[6:31] We respectfully acknowledge
[6:31] that the culmination are
[6:35] the original inhabitants of
[6:36] the Unceded land now known as
[6:36] San Diego.
[6:37] Despite entering the horrors of
[6:40] genocide and colonization,
[6:41] the community spirit remains
[6:41] unbroken.
[6:42] We honor the resilience of
[6:45] their ancestors who fought to
[6:46] protect their culture and land.
[6:46] Today they carry their legacy
[6:50] forward ensuring that their
[6:51] traditions continue to thrive
[6:51] in gratitude and strength.
[6:55] We stand with the culmination
[6:56] connected to our past and
[6:57] committed to a thriving future.
[7:20] Please face the flag.
[7:21] >> Deputy Clerk Please go over
[7:22] how the public can offer their
[7:26] testimony.
[7:26] I will now highlight the slide
[7:30] on the screen The reviews how
[7:31] the public can offer their
[7:32] public testimony during
[7:32] the today's meeting.
[7:36] If you are in person please
[7:36] complete a speaker slip located
[7:37] at the entrance of chambers and
[7:41] bring it to the front of
[7:42] the room.
[7:42] No further in-person testimony
[7:43] will be taken once the council
[7:46] begins virtual testimony for
[7:47] better meeting management
[7:50] purposes Each speaker will have
[7:51] one minute per item per person
[7:55] with a maximum of three
[7:55] minutes.
[7:56] If you are speaking to three or
[8:00] more items.
[8:00] >> All right.
[8:01] Thank you for that.
[8:02] With that please please read
[8:05] the call the session items into
[8:06] the record.
[8:06] >> Conference with Legal
[8:10] counsel existing Litigation
[8:10] pursuant to California
[8:15] Government Code 54956.9 d1c us
[8:15] one The Sustainability
[8:20] Institute at all versus Donald
[8:20] j.
[8:25] Trump at all cost to Magdalena
[8:26] Garcia versus City of San Diego
[8:30] See us three Maria del Rosario
[8:31] years Munoz versus City of San
[8:36] Diego.
[8:36] Conference with Labor
[8:37] Negotiators Pursuant to
[8:40] Government Code Section 54957.6
[8:40] See us for City Designated
[8:45] Management Team representatives
[8:46] Conference with Legal Counsel
[8:46] Existing litigation pursuant to
[8:51] California Government Code
[8:55] Section 5495 6.91 See as five
[8:56] very all read versus City of
[9:00] San Diego csx Arthur Scott
[9:01] versus City of San Diego and
[9:02] Arthur Scott versus City of San
[9:06] Diego pd and Scott Wall.
[9:07] >> All right.
[9:07] And with that deputy clerk
[9:08] please proceed with public
[9:14] comment.
[9:15] >> We will begin with in-person
[9:15] comments.
[9:20] We do have two speakers.
[9:20] Tim Douglass, please come
[9:20] forward.
[9:25] You have requested to speak on
[9:25] c.
[9:26] S four and you have time ceded
[9:31] to you by Andres Alva Cardenas
[9:31] Good.
[9:35] Thank you.
[9:42] Please begin your comment.
[9:44] Council Douglas PRESIDENT
[9:45] Basketball 127 I want to remind
[9:46] this Council that the workers
[9:46] we represent are the employees
[9:50] who keep the city running every
[9:50] single day.
[9:51] We maintain the streets, parks,
[9:55] facilities, public services
[9:56] that San Diego depend on.
[9:57] We show up early, stay late and
[9:58] continue serving this community
[10:00] through every challenge because
[10:01] we care deeply about this city.
[10:02] That's why I think this is a
[10:06] pretty simple idea.
[10:06] We're not asking for anything
[10:07] special.
[10:07] We're asking for the respect of
[10:11] being treated like the other
[10:12] employees of the city.
[10:12] Our members deserve fairness,
[10:13] dignity and the same
[10:16] consideration that others
[10:17] receive when workers decide
[10:18] that their lives to the public
[10:22] service they should not have to
[10:23] fight just to be recognized or
[10:26] equality Number one we request
[10:27] reopen language to ensure our
[10:27] members receive their
[10:32] recommended equity adjustments
[10:32] to receive much earned special
[10:33] assignments and voluntary
[10:38] certification pays in the later
[10:38] years of this multi-year mou
[10:44] contract Number two however, we
[10:44] do not agree to reopening
[10:45] language continuing upon
[10:45] the attempt to repeal
[10:49] the refuge collection fees.
[10:50] We're adamant about both of
[10:50] these request.
[10:51] Supporting city workers is not
[10:55] just about contracts it's about
[10:56] valuing the people behind
[10:56] the work.
[10:57] It's about recognizing
[11:00] the strong city depends on
[11:01] stability, respect workforce
[11:02] that can afford to stay here,
[11:06] raise families here and
[11:07] continue to serve the community
[11:07] with pride.
[11:11] This morning I'm asking you to
[11:12] stand with your workers,
[11:12] support fairness, ensure that
[11:16] this Council values employees
[11:16] who make their city function
[11:17] every day.
[11:22] Thank you folks.
[11:23] Thank you for those comments.
[11:24] I've started the five minute
[11:27] timer in council chambers.
[11:28] We will now turn to the virtual
[11:29] queue in which there are
[11:33] currently five participants
[11:38] requesting to speak.
[11:44] >> Katherine Rose Please
[11:44] proceed.
[11:45] >> This is.
[11:45] Hi, this is Katherine Rhodes.
[11:50] What I wanted to say is you
[11:50] know, I don't think you can
[11:51] afford to give people raises
[11:52] right now if this is what
[11:55] you're going to be doing here.
[12:01] And you know what I think you
[12:02] should do for the unions So
[12:02] it's your meeting with them.
[12:06] It's ask them if they want to
[12:07] get rid of all that those 300
[12:11] nonunion middle managers and
[12:12] get them back into the union
[12:12] fold by firing all of them
[12:17] Because when you when you
[12:17] created all these middle
[12:18] managers that you did on
[12:22] consent throughout these 13
[12:23] years, you started doing this
[12:28] through city charter section
[12:29] 117 817 that allows you to give
[12:34] people raises when you have and
[12:38] it all started with these new
[12:39] 300 people when you have
[12:44] the 2013, when you have
[12:44] the five year pensionable pay
[12:45] freeze that was going to end
[12:49] the pension crisis by 2018 and
[12:49] it would all have been paid
[12:50] down.
[12:53] Now we have 3 to $4 billion in
[12:54] pension debt And so I don't
[12:55] think it's fair to the union
[12:59] members that people get paid
[12:59] more than they do for doing
[13:00] the same exact job and they
[13:04] should just all be hired and
[13:05] fired back by the union hired
[13:06] back by the unions.
[13:10] Thank you.
[13:10] Thank you for those comments.
[13:16] Our next speaker Speaker is
[13:16] the original.
[13:17] Please proceed and state which
[13:18] concession item or items you
[13:21] wish to speak to.
[13:22] Give me three minutes because
[13:23] I'm going to cover as many as i
[13:23] can.
[13:23] Okay.
[13:24] Please proceed.
[13:27] Okay.
[13:27] It's interesting with this
[13:28] first one that you guys are
[13:32] engaging in litigation against
[13:33] Donald Trump, you know, because
[13:38] of funding that has been cut or
[13:39] blocked due to you guys being
[13:39] like a sanctuary city.
[13:44] I mean the choices that you
[13:45] made along the years to aid and
[13:50] abet illegal aliens and give
[13:50] money that you shouldn't be to
[13:51] these people you're reaping
[13:56] what you have sown.
[13:57] So it's like and unfortunately
[13:57] other people are reaping what
[14:01] you have sown and so it just
[14:02] shows that you're negligent in
[14:03] the way that you're doing stuff
[14:04] and now you're trying to make
[14:07] him a scapegoat of the reasons
[14:08] why the city isn't getting
[14:08] stuff.
[14:09] It's like sure, you know I'm
[14:13] not, you know, condoning
[14:13] everything that that man is
[14:14] doing but you guys have led to
[14:19] this type of things happening
[14:20] And so it's just you know, you
[14:20] continue down the path.
[14:24] It's like you guys sitting
[14:25] there and you know, continuing
[14:26] business when you don't have a
[14:30] quorum right Blatantly like in
[14:31] your face type of stuff And
[14:32] then later you kind of course
[14:33] correct because I don't know
[14:37] maybe it was on the news and
[14:37] like you guys don't like that
[14:42] kind of you know, attention
[14:43] because you always like it to
[14:43] be spun in your way But you
[14:44] know, you guys just can't be
[14:48] trusted to be making decisions
[14:49] when you do things that
[14:49] literally impede people's
[14:54] ability to thrive And you're
[14:55] we're constantly in litigation
[15:00] for sidewalks that you know,
[15:01] cause people to trip and fall
[15:01] And it's like, you know and
[15:05] the sidewalks continue to look
[15:06] like.
[15:07] So it's like I mean at what
[15:07] point are you going to
[15:08] actually, you know, try and
[15:11] make those better so that we
[15:12] don't have to continue to be in
[15:12] litigation like this.
[15:18] But you know, it's all a racket
[15:18] anyway with the labor
[15:19] negotiations.
[15:19] It's interesting because you
[15:23] know, people used to you know,
[15:24] get a raise off of the merit
[15:25] like off of their work and how
[15:26] they did it as an individual
[15:30] And now it's like you guys want
[15:30] to like group everything
[15:31] together all the time and act
[15:35] like you know, you can just do
[15:36] it in a lump sum type of a
[15:36] thing.
[15:37] But I mean you know that in
[15:38] itself is negligent because it
[15:41] should be based off of how
[15:42] the person is performing
[15:47] individually not as a group
[15:48] because even as a group it's
[15:48] like the city of San Diego
[15:49] looks like.
[15:49] So I mean you could spend you
[15:53] know, you might as well just
[15:54] throw the million dollars in
[15:55] the streets and let the people
[15:58] take it you know, spend more
[15:59] wisely than that.
[16:00] And then even just with
[16:05] the utilities and the charges
[16:05] and you guys violating
[16:06] Proposition 218, you continue
[16:07] to do that And it's just
[16:11] ridiculous that we have to even
[16:11] pay more money because you
[16:12] can't do your job right.
[16:12] If you guys did your job right,
[16:16] we wouldn't constantly be in
[16:16] litigation.
[16:17] But I mean how cool is it to
[16:23] like be protected like that to
[16:23] do really nefarious things and
[16:24] then just be like it's cool
[16:25] because we're just gonna use
[16:28] the people's money to cover our
[16:30] and like pay it off so we can
[16:30] just keep doing it over and
[16:31] over while they think we're
[16:34] bettering their lives.
[16:35] >> Thank you for your comments.
[16:36] That does conclude your time.
[16:36] Our next speaker is Hector.
[16:38] Please begin your comments and
[16:39] state which close session item
[16:46] items you wish to speak to.
[16:47] I'd like to speak to the Trump
[16:47] thing this Hector Trump thing
[16:51] and number four and the other
[16:51] one that oddly I was talking
[16:52] about anyway with the Trump
[16:56] with the Trump lawsuit,
[16:56] the Trump proclamation thanking
[17:01] him for deporting 17,000 people
[17:02] in 14 months when he took
[17:07] office in San Diego County that
[17:07] really got the crime rate going
[17:08] down and thank him again when
[17:13] he deports another 100,000
[17:14] illegal aliens in our county.
[17:14] And if you want to sue him,
[17:19] that's just going to he walks
[17:20] that man he's been sued by 100
[17:21] times That's is more you're
[17:25] going to call attention to him
[17:26] that he's going to come down
[17:26] and send the other guys in here
[17:31] to audit the NGOs that are
[17:31] ripping us off That wheels of
[17:35] change places 350 bucks a night
[17:36] for one homeless guy That's a
[17:42] total rip.
[17:43] But anyway, I give you guys a
[17:47] pay raise we got to lay off
[17:48] instead of 400 guys, we got to
[17:48] lay off 2000 guys.
[17:53] Times are tough, man.
[17:54] And they only lay off guys that
[17:57] make over 1000 100,000 a year
[17:58] and let the other guys But you
[17:59] can't give up pay raises I
[18:04] guess you're gonna But where's
[18:05] the money going to And then
[18:05] the pension system is killing
[18:06] us.
[18:06] It's not going to get any
[18:10] better in a year ten years.
[18:10] The pension system as it sits
[18:16] now is just an anchor on
[18:17] the whole city for decades and
[18:18] it's not going away.
[18:22] That's the main problem.
[18:22] Get rid of the drop program.
[18:28] Get rid of any kind of guys,
[18:29] Push down the retirement age to
[18:34] 6065 only get retirement age
[18:35] early for firemen and the cops
[18:35] The rest the guys got to wait
[18:40] till the 65 man Otherwise we're
[18:41] already the money flying out
[18:47] the door about millions guys
[18:47] are getting million dollar
[18:48] paychecks when they retire.
[18:52] That's the drop program that
[18:53] does not help us the way
[18:53] the cities now look at
[18:54] the services now it's not
[18:58] helping Have all these
[18:59] employees they're not really
[19:00] went up the whole city like
[19:00] it's role And with all these
[19:04] employees cut 2000 guys just
[19:04] start cutting them down and
[19:09] then give the money to the poor
[19:10] kids And south of Highway eight
[19:15] opened up all the libraries,
[19:16] all the rec centers that north
[19:17] of eight suffer for 3 or 4
[19:17] years.
[19:22] They can handle it and just get
[19:22] everything Those guys just
[19:23] shower and wash stuff and build
[19:27] a new sewer plant in Mexico.
[19:28] That's what we really need.
[19:34] Call it whatever it just all
[19:34] money to the new sewer plant in
[19:39] Tijuana and clean it all up
[19:40] once and for all.
[19:40] Okay.
[19:40] Thanks a lot.
[19:45] Thank you.
[19:46] Please note that the five
[19:46] minute timer has concluded with
[19:47] three speakers left in
[19:51] the queue.
[19:52] Caller With the last four
[19:53] digits 8700 please begin and
[19:54] state which close session item
[20:00] or items you wish to speak to.
[20:07] Thank you Deputy City Clerk.
[20:07] I was speaking to one, two,
[20:11] three and four please.
[20:12] >> Please proceed You three
[20:12] minutes.
[20:17] Thank you, Joy.
[20:18] First of all, I want to thank
[20:24] the gentleman that spoke in
[20:24] the chambers first this
[20:25] morning.
[20:26] I want to tell him that I heard
[20:29] you and I respect you.
[20:30] And then also Katherine Rhodes.
[20:35] I want to thank you for her
[20:35] opinion very, very much.
[20:36] Okay.
[20:36] This is my opinion.
[20:41] So I'm for us won the challenge
[20:42] challenging the orders,
[20:47] blocking grant funding which
[20:53] seems to be already getting
[20:54] teeth Which reversal is
[20:54] possible?
[20:59] Multiple federal courts have
[21:00] continued to block this freeze
[21:00] of grant money.
[21:05] Most are temporary.
[21:06] A lot of blessings on this a
[21:11] very, very important case of
[21:12] combine 52 and three which are
[21:16] both trip and falls.
[21:17] And I'll say this this is
[21:18] interesting I just learned this
[21:23] It's legal duty.
[21:23] Duty of care is
[21:28] the foundational legal
[21:29] obligation to the city.
[21:35] Does it cause harm to bear?
[21:35] Excuse me.
[21:36] I'm going to read that again.
[21:37] Duty of care is
[21:40] the foundational legal
[21:41] obligation to the city doesn't
[21:42] cause harm to others in various
[21:47] ways.
[21:47] A question for you In how many
[21:54] ways In how many other ways is
[21:55] the city of San Diego falling
[21:55] short?
[21:56] No pun intended Here on it's
[22:00] legal obligations to care.
[22:00] Duty of care.
[22:01] Thank you for that.
[22:06] I really enjoyed studying that
[22:07] on 64 which is the labor
[22:11] negotiation review the city's
[22:12] position on Meet and Confer
[22:18] negotiated no issues for me in
[22:23] this budget deficit time.
[22:23] I would appreciate actually
[22:24] knowing the city's position on
[22:29] where the employee's pay and
[22:36] benefits will impact priorities
[22:36] the deepest especially since
[22:42] deficits could get deeper and
[22:43] last longer.
[22:44] So I really enjoy those two
[22:44] speakers in the chamber this
[22:48] morning because I think they
[22:49] were in my opinion sort of
[22:50] giving us two different sort of
[22:54] perspectives and they're both
[22:54] on the table.
[22:55] They're both in
[22:56] the conversation and we've got
[22:56] to work together.
[23:00] The art of Negotiation.
[23:00] You're very good at that
[23:01] especially on the legal and
[23:06] they're trained in that So I'm
[23:06] with you.
[23:07] I support you.
[23:08] Have a beautiful day and go to
[23:08] all.
[23:16] Thank you.
[23:16] Blair Beakman.
[23:17] Please state which concession
[23:18] items items you wish to speak
[23:21] to.
[23:21] Hi.
[23:27] Morning.
[23:28] I'd like to speak to items one,
[23:31] four, five and six.
[23:32] Please proceed.
[23:32] Thank you.
[23:38] We're happy me everyone to
[23:39] speak to see this one.
[23:44] If it is an item of sanctuary
[23:44] city issues in San Diego versus
[23:49] a sustainability institute
[23:49] versus Donald j.
[23:50] >> Trump, good luck in
[23:51] the argument that the ideas of
[23:56] sanctuary cities is if we
[23:57] practice basically our decent
[24:02] selves or decent beliefs and
[24:03] that people should be treated
[24:08] as equals that can be just as
[24:08] effective if not a more
[24:09] effective way than constantly
[24:14] offering punitive concepts of
[24:14] society.
[24:15] And I think we worked out
[24:16] something pretty kind of
[24:21] interesting.
[24:21] There can definitely be an
[24:22] argument about the balance of
[24:23] that but I think Sanctuary City
[24:26] is a very decent way to think
[24:27] and work and good luck in your
[24:28] continued efforts that I think
[24:33] we can have a strong case for
[24:38] providing for management issues
[24:38] .
[24:39] >> Man Boy I've been wanting to
[24:40] say this a long time For as
[24:41] much as I deeply respect
[24:45] Councilperson over various
[24:46] ideas and opinions and that our
[24:47] city government workers really
[24:51] needed pay raises a few years
[24:51] ago.
[24:52] If city government workers city
[24:52] council and the mayor really
[24:57] seriously looked at themselves
[24:58] and offered to take some sort
[24:58] of pay cut no matter how small
[25:02] at this time I think it would
[25:03] just be an incredible boost to
[25:03] our community and we have an
[25:09] incredible respect for you.
[25:10] You would be geared towards a
[25:10] thinking of how to be working
[25:16] towards how to manage budget.
[25:16] You'd better ipo and we'd be
[25:17] working with a sense of trust
[25:21] and good efforts all around
[25:22] that If you guys are willing to
[25:22] actually take a pay cut
[25:23] together and really consider
[25:27] that please at this time.
[25:28] >> That's it.
[25:28] Be an awesome way to help build
[25:29] community.
[25:34] I feel and trust and like to
[25:34] consider that notion instead of
[25:35] continuously asking for
[25:39] increases however small by
[25:46] the way with 65 that's an old
[25:51] item that for me I wish I had a
[25:52] better legal understanding and
[25:56] better legal advice that people
[25:57] have money and then people
[25:58] don't have money and that we
[25:58] all have to be paying the same
[26:03] amount of bills is a decent
[26:03] noble gesture.
[26:04] But people also paying what
[26:04] they can afford should also be
[26:10] considered just invaluable and
[26:10] meaningful in that effort.
[26:16] And to conclude all of
[26:17] the Scott Wall issues dealing
[26:21] with now we're dealing with our
[26:22] speak pd in a really sad way
[26:22] right now we're dealing with
[26:26] the concepts of retaliation a
[26:27] lot and I hope along with
[26:27] the mayor's office and
[26:32] the community we are dealing
[26:33] with how to better consider
[26:33] retaliation.
[26:34] Think of Andrea.
[26:38] I mean it's grown to way out of
[26:38] proportion.
[26:39] We got to work on something
[26:39] together.
[26:40] Thank you.
[26:44] Thank you.
[26:45] Our final speaker is Luis
[26:46] Rodolico Please state which
[26:47] closed session item or items
[27:00] you wish to speak to Item 250
[27:01] We are on the closed session
[27:02] agenda which includes c.
[27:06] S 116 as the as the reasons for
[27:06] c.
[27:08] >> s five and ca6 oh this is a
[27:15] public trust issue as well.
[27:15] Okay.
[27:20] You MAY need to speak to non
[27:21] agenda public comment or item
[27:22] 250 in the afternoon.
[27:26] Okay.
[27:27] All right thank you.
[27:28] That does conclude public
[27:33] comment.
[27:34] >> All right.
[27:34] Thank you for that.
[27:35] We will now recess in
[27:36] the closed session and
[27:36] reconvene council today at 2
[28:43] P.M. Or shortly thereafter
[30:43] and
[30:51] good afternoon in the afternoon
[30:54] and the evening sessions of
[30:55] the MAY 18th, 2026 San Diego
[30:56] City Council meeting are
[30:59] adjourned due to unforeseen
[31:00] circumstances.
[31:00] Hearing of the items will be
[31:05] rescheduled to a future date.
[31:05] We are now adjourned to
[31:06] the next regularly scheduled
[31:10] council meeting on Tuesday May