Psychological Services along
with things like whistleblower
protections and really learning
how to build those things that
is just it builds not only
the police well but it builds
our community well, it builds
our well-being.
So it's really important we
work on that and good luck.
And I wanted to comment that
because of the issues that
we've had recently, I think
police have had some sort of
standard where they cannot more
easily talk to themselves about
how to discuss the technology
in real time.
We have to have those
conversations openly and make
sure police are practicing in
good terms.
>> When we have that
conversation.
Thank you.
The five minute timer to
conclude here in council
chambers no additional speakers
will be taken.
There were seven in the queue.
Lauren Keenan if you can please
unmute and let me know which
item or items you wish to speak
to.
Item 6 or 5 please.
Please proceed.
>> You have one minute.
Okay I am walking in co founder
of Family for Safety at San
Diego.
I spoke on Friday about why
the multimodal team matters to
families like mine hope and
personally impacted by traffic
violence.
Today I want to focus on
the solution in front of you
the city's own transportation
professionals have told us that
eliminating this team will
reduce Indigo's ability to
deliver street safety projects
.
If we believe safer streets
save lives we should take that
assessment seriously.
Cities across the country are
investing in dedicated street
safety staff, not eliminating
them.
You asked advocates to identify
a practical solution for
the Aramark included armory Is
that solution for families who
have already lost loved ones
it's really difficult to
understand why preserving a
team dedicated to making our
streets safe safer would not be
a priority.
Remember our amendment gives
you the opportunity to preserve
the city's ability to make
streets safer.
I urge you to amend the item
the need for funding to
the multi-modal team.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
Next the San Diego County
Bicycle Coalition if you can
please I'm you and let me know
which item or items you wish to
speak to Item 6 or 5 please.
>> Please proceed.
>> Good morning City Council.
My name is the Integrity and
I'm the advocacy and community
manager for the City County
Bicycle Coalition.
I'm calling in to urge you to
amend the Armory Project list
to fully fund the city's
multimodal team for f y 27.
The Armory Project List
includes funding for
the citywide City Manager plan.
This plan has been in the works
for a long time.
We were excited to see it
included in this flexible
funding list.
Months ago when you received
the presentation from staff on
the city Manager plan to
acknowledge an important fact
about reducing speeds was that
changing the sign is not
enough.
We need engineering enforcement
solutions to actually make a
difference.
We will not be able to achieve
the identified and prioritize
speed reductions without
the multi-modal team.
This team was responsible for
making the quick and easy
design changes during
resurfacing that slow speeds
down.
We should use those flexible
armory funds to keep
the multi-modal team on board
so they can assist in the work
outlined in this expansion plan
section A.D. For this item.
Based on the quotes provided in
Friday's meeting we can fully
fund this team with 12 miles
worth of slurry seal.
>> We need this team to make
the other hundreds of miles
safer.
Thank you for your time.
Thank you.
Next is Tony.
If you can please unmute please
let me know which item or items
you wish to speak to.
>> Hello, How you doing?
Can you hear me?
Yes.
Hey, good morning.
I wanted to speak to item
number I believe it's 617.
It was Yes 617 Number 615 Oh
I'm sorry.
Not 615 614.
And which one was the multi
modal 605 which was speaking to
six and five as well.
Please proceed.
You have three minutes.
Thank you.
>> And then I also just wanted
to clarify two it seems like
there's been a little bit of
inconsistency about about what
is allowed to be spoken to in
terms of which topics are
addressed during agenda items
and which ones are addressed
are just addressed during non
agenda public comment.
I just want to make sure that
we have some consistency
because you know we did have
somebody that was speaking
earlier and he was told for
the Balboa Park thing that he
would have to speak on that at
a later time because that was
being discussed at a later
point in the day.
But I didn't see anything in
the agenda about Freemasonry.
I didn't see anything in
the agenda about accusing
council members of drinking
blood.
I didn't see anything in
the agenda about China invading
the United States.
So I'm just curious why some of
our constituents are allowed to
have just these unhinged rants,
these disrespectful unhinged
rants.
They aren't cut off And if
that's okay, we're going to
have that sort of inconsistency
then I would like the freedom
to be able to talk about Flock
Alper and how I'm opposed to it
for the next three minutes But
I'm not going to do that.
I'm not going to disrespect
y'all's time like that and
disrespect the rules and
the decorum like that But I
would hope that it would
encourage you all to do your
job and maybe stay on it a
little bit better and have more
consistency with that because
it's not really fair to
the rest of us and it's not
fair to our council members and
the people in council right
now.
I hope I hope that you're
hearing this because please get
it together.
It's it's you get more you get
more money, you get more bs
with honey than you do with
vinegar and accusing people
making baseless accusations,
accusing people of drinking
blood is like is next level
wrong So get it together.
Thank you.
And to speak now on on
the actual topics that I wanted
to address I wanted to speak to
617 Authorization to grant
easement on that property See
Gene is $1 billion company
multibillion dollar company
the it says the city will
receive 20 grand as a payment
for the easement.
It seems like it's way too
little If there's a way that we
can charge them way more I'm
sure that they can afford it.
That would be awesome for 614 I
love this program.
I think it's fantastic.
I would love to see us go a
step further.
I think that cops should not
only get psychological help and
treatment as they need for ptsd
but I also think that they
should that we should be
exploring them getting degrees
in psychology so that they can
make better judgment calls in
the field.
And I applied a blurb for
speaking to that earlier this
morning And I also want to back
everybody that's called in
asking you all to fully fund
the multi-modal team.
I support that 100%.
>> Thank you.
You're next.
This one number ending in 7499
If you can please join me at
7499.
And please let me know which
item or items you wish to speak
to on the consent agenda.
But because this year I'd like
to address all the items but
I'll be very brief.
First I'd like to endorse some
of the comments made by
allegedly Audra and many others
who continually make very good
points to this council.
I'd like to speak in particular
and object in objection to
the ongoing increases in
citizen surveillance endorsed
by this Council.
I read George Orwell's book
1984 back in the 70s when I was
still in school At that time as
a young person in the year 1984
seeing the long, long time in
the future I remember thinking
to myself that the citizen
surveillance portrayed in that
book could never be practical
because for every camera in
every room of every house and
on every street there would
have to be a person watching
it.
That would mean that you'd need
at least 1 or 2 people watching
every citizen That would be
unsustainable.
But that was before aa.
aa is changing everything.
I am reminded of Jack London's
opening to Call of the Wild.
He wrote quote I did not read
the newspapers or he would have
known that trouble was brewing
not alone for himself but for
every tidewater dog strong of
muscle and with warm long hair
from Puget Sound to San Diego.
End quote.
That's where we are right now
with the more general data that
we give to the more powerful it
will become and the more
personal data that we give to
aa, the more abusive it will
come become.
This council needs to be very
cautious about adding new eyes
and ears to the ai that is
growing because we won't be
able to roll it back.
>> Thank you.
Leonard if you'd like to add
new and please let me know
which item or items you wish to
speak to whether I can only it
for you.
>> Okay.
There you go.
Please let me know which item
or items you wish to speak to.
I am sorry In regards to
measure b it's not an agenda.
>> Can I speak on that?
Can you repeat that?
I'm sorry I didn't hear you
correctly.
I signed Measure b isn't a non
agenda item.
Can I speak on that?
You'll have to raise your hand
during an on agenda public
comment which will be after
this afternoon.
Okay.
Thank you.
Judy Strang If you can please
unmute Judy.
There you go.
Do you know which items you
wish to speak to on the consent
agenda?
>> Yes.
Good morning.
I'd like to speak to item 6 or
3 which we're meeting notes
from MARCH the Monday and
Tuesday meeting back in MARCH.
I spoke to 80 for 55 and have
been thinking about it again
and of course it's on
the agenda by way of comments.
And so I just want to reiterate
why the success of this was for
the public health community.
It was the first law in
the nation that would require
those who are selling their
homes to disclose whether there
had been third smoke or be
contaminant in their property
third hand smoke as you know,
is that toxic residue that
lingers long after cigarets and
vaping devices are extinguished
that settles into carpet walls,
furniture and it can persist
there for years and then off
gases back into the apartment
into the condo.
And we of the public health
community have always said our
greatest concern for children
because they're the closest to
furniture and carpet.
So we are excited about this
first in the nation.
It's a collaborative process.
It passed with both parties in
support.
It shows our concern for smoke
.
>> Thank you.
That does conclude public
comment on the consent agenda.
All right.
Thank you, City Clerk.
And before I turn over to my
council colleagues here for
those of you MAY have noticed,
I continue to look at my phone.
There's a 45 acre fire in
Sorento Valley and there's been
a number of evacuation orders
issued to the southerly part of
Tree Hills, the easterly part
of Mira mesa.
I would certainly encourage
those folks or if you know
somebody who lives there, pay
attention to the fire rescue
folks.
They know what they're doing.
They take their job very
seriously.
When the issue of evacuation
routes hopefully everybody's
safe and fire rescue and
everybody that supports them
will be able to put this fire
out.
So thank you for letting me
throw that in there.
And with that I will turn it
over to Council member Foster
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT I am going to
try to keep my comments as
brief as I can as I would like
to cede some time and I will
say this on the front end to
DR. Wells I want to make sure
that he has an opportunity to
come to the mic.
>> Okay.
Thank you for that.
So with that I will start with
item 638 today I am just so
proud to bring forward this
recognition for our very own
Reverend DR. Walter g.
>> Wells, a man whose life and
leadership have touched
generations in our community.
>> DR. Wells is a proud
graduate of Lincoln High
School, a fellow.
And for more than five decades.
And I'll say that again five
decades he has served as pastor
of the Mount Airy Baptist
Church.
>> 53 years of ministry, 53
years serving the Lord had
the calling and has stepped
into that gap, accepted that
path and has served
consistently and has dedicated
his life to our community.
Thank you so much.
>> But his work has always gone
far beyond the walls of
the church under his
leadership.
Mount Airy has become a place
where faith, education, service
and community all come
together.
He helped establish the Mount
Airy Christian Academy,
the Infinite Toddler Center,
the Trolley Daycare and
the Academy Preschool Center
creating spaces where children
could learn, grow and be cared
for correctly.
I always say no one will take
better care of us than us.
>> So thank you so much for
that.
DR. Wells understood early on
that ministry is not only about
what happens on Sunday.
It's about meeting the needs of
the people throughout the week
supporting families, mentoring
young people, educating
children and building up
the community around you.
For decades he has poured love,
wisdom and steady leadership
into Lincoln Park District four
and the Greater San Diego
community.
His legacy is seen in the lives
he has helped shape,
the families he has supported
and the generations of leaders,
believers and servants who
continue to carry that work
forward.
>> DR. Wells your legacy is
carried out in the lives you
continue to shape the families
you support and the community
that stands stronger today
because of your leadership.
This honorary street naming is
one small way we can say thank
you for a lifetime of service,
faith and commitment to our
community.
I am honored to bring this idea
forward and I respectfully ask
my colleagues to support this
very, very important item.
And if I can pause there
quickly to allow the good
Reverend DR. Walter g.
>> Wells to come to the mic
now.
Councilmember Foster, I know
when the good reverend get
started it's going to be hard
to stop.
So how much time with you?
I think I put five minutes on
the clock.
Council PRESIDENT You're you're
welcome to use my.
MAY I ask how much time do I
have to our COUNCILMAN.
>> COUNCILMAN Foster to all of
the council representatives.
Let me say how thankful I am to
be recognized in such an
unusual manner.
I also want to say thank you
for those who are here from
the church where I pastor Mount
Airy Baptist Church Can I get
you to stand and also let me
recognize all of my pastor
friends who are here and also
friends in the community who
are here.
Thank you so much for being
here and to let me know just
how much you do appreciate what
I have been trying to do and
what GOD has called me to do.
I've had the privilege of
living here in San Diego and I
really thank and know that San
Diego is the greatest city that
you can live in.
I had the privilege of living
here since 1949 and I just
don't know what I can say
because I thought when my mom
and I moved here I was just a
little nine year old kid and I
thought that we were making
the biggest mistake that we
could ever make in terms of
coming to San Diego.
But I found out that GOD had
ordered my steps.
>> And that's really why that's
really why I'm in such a great
city because no one really can
do for you or for me what GOD
has done because GOD works
through human instrumentality.
And I just want you to know
COUNCILMAN And and your staff
and then all of those who have
given sanction to doing this
for me I certainly appreciate
it from the depths of my heart
and I will forever be grateful
.
I'm also reminded of the fact
that usually when something
like this has done the person
that's deceased and I am by
the grace of GOD to get to see
what GOD can do and how GOD
moves at such a mysterious way
as one does to Papa.
Thank you so much again for
allowing me to be here.
And of course to allow me to
have these words of expression
.
Thank you.
>> Pastor Wilson For me as I am
in this seat I felt it was
important to make sure as you
say, typically this happens at
another time.
I wanted to make sure that we
recognize your service, your
commitment so that you were
able to be here in chambers and
to say some words to our
community.
So one other thing that I would
like to say briefly is I just
want to make sure that we also
recognize the first lady.
>> When you took we didn't give
the first lady a round of
applause as well.
Because I know that our good
doctor Walter g.
>> Wells I'm sure could not do
what he is doing without
the support and the first lady
allowing him to serve and to be
shared with the community as he
is called to do the work of
the Lord.
So thank you so much for all
that you have done as well.
>> So thank you.
>> And with that Council
PRESIDENT, I have one more item
that I do need to touch on and
that is item 6 or 4.
I believe that is the system
that we are moving to in
regards to our labor compliance
system.
It looks like it is on
the consent agenda as well.
I would like to register a no
vote for that item as well as
the city is moving in ending a
contract in relationship with a
black women a woman owned firm.
And we are entering into a new
agreement with a non certified
firm at I believe over 100% of
the cost.
So we are doubling the cost.
And unfortunately I just can't
support removing a contract
from a black woman and I'm firm
that we are going to pay double
the cost.
So I will register a no vote
for item six or for.
>> And I will move the consent
agenda.
All right.
Thank you, Councilmember
Foster.
So we do have a motion to move
the consent items.
I will jump in relatively
quickly.
Second, the consent items.
On 638 I happen to notice that
clearly the good reverend lived
life being both in terms of his
faith and in terms of community
.
So it's certainly appropriate
that you've gone back on
the honorary street name.
So thank you Councilmember
Foster for that.
A lot of individuals spoke to
item 6 or 5 the rmr Ave funds.
This is a second reading which
gives us almost no actually
gives us no latitude to change
it.
We have been talking about
tapping into this funding
source as an option to fund
the multi-modal team throughout
our budget conversations.
So to be clear, if the council
takes a budget action tomorrow
that utilizes this funding
source, the Council will go
through a second process to
reallocate those funds to pick
up the multimodal team and then
remove some of the slurry seal
that was currently in there.
So we need to take an action
tomorrow on that before we
would amend our rtm our
agreement on item 626.
The Mobility Board Thank you.
The District one resident Harry
Baba and I see him in the back
for your continued service on
the mobility board and
congratulations on a
reappointment and thank you to
everyone that is stepping up to
serve the public.
Item 636 a resolution affirming
the city's commitment to limit
greenhouse gas emissions.
I brought this item to
the Rules Committee in APRIL in
response to the Federal
Government's recent rescission
of the epa's 2009 endangerment
finding that 29 fun finding
based on science curbed vehicle
emissions and put greenhouse
gas emission limits in place
nationwide.
This resolution is a commitment
to our values, to science and
standing up to stand up to
those who deny climate change
and its public health impacts
on our communities.
And without that I will second
the item.
So we have a motion by Council
member Foster a second by
myself and will go next to
Council member von Boulder.
Thank you very much.
Equipment item 638.
Pastor Well congratulations And
to your First Lady.
Congratulations and thank you
for all you've done.
It's beautiful to see you speak
today.
And on item 614 I want to thank
the department for bringing
forward the focus contract for
wellness That is critically
important.
We continue wellness for our
first responders and our
lifeguards should also get
access to wellness services And
I hope that we're able to do
that in the budget tomorrow.
And then I just I do have a
question for Department of
Transportation folks on item
621.
I if anyone is here from your
station who can answer
questions on item 621 which is
a settlement, we're paying out
$600,000 to a motorcyclist who
was injured on a portion of
Rancho Bernardo Road.
It's Rancho Bernardo Center
Drive which I have been telling
the city for years has been a
mess And so I know we're
working on a plan to repay that
but when are we going to repave
it?
>> Good morning.
Naomi Chavez, interim director
for Transportation Department.
We are factoring that into our
paving schedule for fiscal year
27 and that is something that
we can prioritize for the first
quarter of the year.
>> It could be due in JULY.
We can certainly look into it.
Okay.
I just.
Between Rancho Bernardo Road
and Cro-Magnon Road we paid a
600,000 out to a motorcyclist
who's injured on Carl Mountain
Road last year.
We now paid $1.2 million in
settlements on road injuries in
my district.
Two roads that we have been
trying to tell the department
are a problem.
That $1.2 million could have
paid for the payment for
the roads And so I just don't
know how to better communicate.
We know our districts you know,
how do we better communicate to
the department before liability
occurs and then once an
accident does happen, why don't
we instantly go and fix it so
it doesn't happen again?
We can have that conversation
off line but it's just we need
to stop the bleeding of city
settlement money out the door
when we're trying to raise
the alarm that these roads are
a mess.
So thank you for working on it
but I am going to push to get
this fixed immediately because
if another plaintiff falls
they're going to be able to
have a past history and
the damage will be through
the roof.
So I'm going to work I'm going
to push for JULY.
Okay.
Thank you very much.
>> Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT.
All right.
Thank you.
Council member Yvonne Wolpert.
We'll go next to Council member
Whitburn.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT.
I want to join my colleagues in
congratulating Pastor Wells on
his well-deserved order and if
they could for his words in
chamber this morning and I
think Council member Foster for
bringing the item forward this
morning I want to acknowledge
the concerns the downtown
residents have raised about
the noise exemption language in
the code update noises.
Consistently one of the biggest
issues that my office hears
about from downtown residents.
This language was not intended
to create a capped exemption
from the noise ordinance.
Permitted activities do still
have to go through it establish
review process that does
evaluate noise impacts.
That said, I would like to ask
our planning director Heidi
about Blab who is with us this
morning if she could speak to
this.
>> Good morning Council member
Washburn and members of
the City Council.
I did distribute a memo on
Friday in response to concerns
that we had received from both
the downtown Community Planning
Group as well as the community
planners committee on this
particular item.
I do want to provide
the additional clarification
and certainty to this Council
and members of the public that
the item is not intended to
exempt users from the noise
regulations.
Noise regulations are an
important part of our land
development code and land uses.
And really the clarification is
just of existing law and it
provides a call out for
instances where the city has
carefully considered the use
through discretionary process
where noise impacts have been
evaluated.
>> Thank you.
Thank you.
So I blub.
My office will stay engaged
with residents and with city
staff.
How those protections are
structured going forward.
Certainly a legitimate concern
.
I also appreciate those who
coveted the project list for
the Abrade the rebate that said
rehabilitation account funds.
As I mentioned during our
budget hearing on Friday, I
share the view that we should
restore the multimodal team to
the budget.
Like Council PRESIDENT LaCava I
don't want to do that.
The item that is in front of us
is the Council PRESIDENT.
This is the second reading of
this item and it includes
the implementation of the speed
management plan which has
funding for the city wide
reduction of posted speed
limits which is also very
important to making streets
safer for pedestrians and
bicyclists.
Since this is the second
reading of the item, if we were
to change it today we'd have to
go back to the first reading.
I don't want to hold all this
up So as the Council PRESIDENT
Mentioned, there's still that
opportunity in the budget
conversation to restore
the multimodal team if that is
the will of my colleagues.
Thank you, Council PRESIDENT.
All right.
Thank you.
Council member Whitburn.
And we'll go next to Council
Member Campo.
Thank you very much.
Council PRESIDENT Just want to
reiterate an agreement with
what you pointed out about
the armor issue as well as
Councilmember Weyburn in full
agreement with you there.
Obviously technicality of
getting this done today has to
move forward.
But I'm 1,000% behind what you
pointed out.
Furthermore, on item 642
council PRESIDENT My sincere
thank you for what you've done
and you to Councilmember
Whitburn on 642.
That concludes my comments.
All right Thank you Council
member camp We'll go next to
council member Eli Rivera.
>> All right.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT.
I'll start by thanking
Councilmember Foster for
bringing forward the street
renaming.
I do really appreciate that you
did the timing.
I think about, you know, one of
the street renaming.
So we did in my district and
how nice it would have been for
that person to hear the words
and so well-deserved Pastor and
I'm glad that the timing worked
out in this sort of way.
Thank you for having
the intentionality to do that
and the way that you've done
And then I want to express my
appreciation for the advocates
.
Related to item 6o5I said it
last week I'll say it again You
know we're being pulled in a
lot of directions here and
oftentimes the tension between
wanting to fund important work
and being willing to ask folks
to resource that work makes it
very difficult to bridge that
gap.
And in this case we had some
advocates and folks here at
the city who continue to work
for ways to find creative
solutions to use existing
resources to do to do important
work to keep our streets safe.
It doesn't mean it doesn't come
without tradeoffs, but we're
being, I think very transparent
on what those tradeoffs are.
So Council PRESIDENT Thank you
for statements you've made.
I'm glad to hear councilmembers
Whitburn and Campo are also on
the same page.
And again I think just a tip of
the cap to the creativity there
And again with the willingness
to to recognize that there are
some tradeoffs because that's
that's where that's where we're
at.
Until we have more resources,
there's going to continue to be
very challenging tradeoffs.
That concludes my comments.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT.
All right.
Thank you, Council member Eli
Rivera.
And we'll go next to Council
PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee, then
Council PRESIDENT And and thank
you for mentioning fire in
front of alley as we're both
dealing with those evacuations
at the moment I do want to take
the moment to congratulate
Pastor Wells but also on
turnout of the community to
help celebrate that as well.
So imagine the opportunity when
you actually unveil it will be
a significant one in
the community And thanks to my
colleague Councilmember Foster
for for making this special I
just briefly wanted to note on
item 626 a reappointment to
the Mobility Board of Jeff
Stosic from University City and
congratulate him on his
reappointment, thank him for
his service.
He's been a university city
resident for over 30 years.
I've been a very active
committee member and has really
advocated for public
transportation and mobility and
we appreciate his service on
that board.
So thank you.
Council PRESIDENT All right.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee
not see anyone else in the life
We do have a motion by council
member Foster a second by
myself to move the consent
items.
Clerk please call the roll I'm
sorry The voting system Please
cast your vote That does pass
unanimously with Council
District four voting no on item
six so four.
>> Thank you Council PRESIDENT
All right.
Thank you.
City Clerk.
And with that we will now take
up our morning discussion
agenda.
>> clerk Please introduce item
628.
Item 628 is the Pro housing
designation program application
If you'd like to speak on this
item please be sure to submit
Your speaker slips to the front
of the room into the clear box
.
And if you are participating
remotely now's the time to
raise your hand by pressing
Star nine or the raise your
hand icon.
Thank you, Council PRESIDENT.
All right.
Thank you.
Want to take a little moment
Let the crowd
recognize it For
what it's worth.
Did you get that?
All right.
Now that we got the slide deck
up.
Staff please introduce
yourselves for the record and
let us know how much time you
need for your presentation.
>> Good morning.
Council members.
We should only need about five
minutes for our presentation.
All right, When you're ready.
My name is Melissa Garcia and
I'm a senior planner with
the city Planning Department.
Today I'm joined by Special
Need deputy director with
the City Planning Department
and Heidi Von Blum, city
planning director.
Today we're here to present
the pro housing designation an
application the California
Department of Housing and
Community Development or h cd
created a pro housing
designation program to promote
housing development and
acknowledge jurisdictions that
go above and beyond state
housing law.
The program provides incentives
to cities and counties in
the form of additional points
and preference in the scoring
of competitive housing,
community development and
infrastructure programs Pro
housing cities get additional
application points for several
state funding programs
including the Affordable
Housing and Sustainable
Communities Grant the infill
infrastructure grant
Transformative climate
Communities solutions for
congested Corridors, Local
Partnership Program Transit and
inner city rail capital Program
and a sustainable
transportation planning grant
program.
Sandag also provides benefits
to pro housing cities in their
grant award process including
guaranteed points in the pro
housing section of competitive
grant applications for
the Smart Growth Incentive
Program and the Active
Transportation Grant Program.
The pro housing designation is
also required for certain state
grants like the upcoming
seventh round of the Homeless
Housing Assistance and
Prevention Program.
To be eligible to receive
the pro housing designation.
The city must have a certified
general plan housing element.
The city's housing element was
certified by hcd in SEPTEMBER
2021.
The city must also submit an
application to hpd explaining
its programs and policies that
promote home development.
The city received the pro
housing designation in 2020 to
and with one of the first
cities in the state to receive
the designation.
However, the city is required
to reapply in order to maintain
its designation.
The pro housing application has
four categories for pro housing
policies favorable zoning and
land use.
Acceleration of housing
production timeframes.
Reduction of construction and
development costs and providing
financial subsidies.
A total of 30 points is needed
to obtain a pro housing
designation and the city's
draft application contains a
total of 67 points.
Points included are attributed
to several of the city's pro
housing home incentive programs
like complete communities,
affordable homes and all
communities and the numerous
programs adopted in the housing
action packages.
Additional points are awarded
for streamlined approvals,
parking standards and home
funding and assistance programs
like the San Diego Housing
Trust Fund, Affordable housing
Preservation Fund and
the Rental Assistance Program.
The Pro housing designation
application requires the city
to conduct public outreach as
part of the process to fulfill
this requirement.
A draft Web page was created to
inform the public of this
effort and gather input on a
and the draft application and
an email notification was sent
out.
The Planning Department
requested input on the draft
application and the public and
this public City Council
hearing is also part of
the required public
participation.
Any comments received will be
considered when drafting
the final application.
The next steps in this process
include collecting all public
input received from this
process including any comments
from this hearing.
Finalizing the Application.
Submitting the application to
hd hd has 60 days to review
the application once it's
received.
Following the 60 days hd hd
will notify the city if
additional edits to
the application are needed or
if certification is granted.
Staff's recommendation is to
approve the proposed action to
submit an application for pro
housing designation.
Authorize the Mayor or designee
to enter into, execute and
deliver all documents required
to participate in the pro
housing designation program and
acknowledge that the city is in
compliance with applicable
state law and will refrain from
taking action to inhibit or
constrain housing production
and will commit to
affirmatively furthering fair
housing.
That concludes staff's
presentation.
>> We're available to answer
questions.
Thank you.
All right.
Thank you for the presentation
.
>> clerk Please proceed with
public comment.
Thank you.
Can I have Joyce Senator
Allegedly Audra and Max
Schmidt.
Max Schmidt, please come up to
the yellow reserved seats.
Joey, we'll start with you.
>> Probably very short.
I think it's one sentence
profiles saying big yes to
anything in support of Hap A.P.
Funding from the state.
Got to get it.
Got to have it in place long
term Ongoing.
And a big thank you to
the Planning Department Heidi.
>> I just did Heidi.
Isn't she something else?
She's just I'm adding time but
I just had to say that I'm just
amazed by her brilliance.
And what would we do without
her really?
So thank you very much.
>> Yes.
Yes.
Thank you.
Allegedly Audra.
>> It'd be nice if you guys
really provided housing.
It's crazy.
You guys will go through hoops
to get funding.
As long as you follow policies
and procedures which looks like
you're like doing the right
thing but you're failing
miserably And who's determining
what's affordable Because I
mean people already tell you
when they come in here I mean
they're just trying to survive
while you guys you know, up
the taxes on anything or fees
or more parking or whatever it
is And it's like you know
there's that's just the way
the government works though.
And it's sad because people
actually think that you guys
are good stewards of our money
that you're not you know, just
trying to follow a policy.
Well, the policy should be that
you provide affordable housing
and if you like affordable
housing is like being
determined by somebody who's
defining what a woman is.
It's like I mean you can just
say it's affordable all you
want.
It doesn't mean it really has
to be but it's just sad because
it's like you you know, you
want to create your plan and
you say we have this program
but then it's like you just you
just go outside and you see I
mean literally outside
the chamber you guys walk over
them at night.
I mean some people go give them
food but it's like it's kind of
just like an eyesore like oh my
GOD, let's get to my car.
So I mean that should be in
itself a telltale sign that you
guys are failing because it's
not housing for all All of us.
All of us.
I mean you say that and again,
they're just words that you use
But I mean let's actually do
that.
>> You know I mean instead of
contracting with people like
Dreams for Change and that
people would die before they
get out of Tent City.
I mean just the way you guys
treat the homeless, it's that I
mean again, people will die on
these steps and yet we're
creating housing for all.
>> As long as you guys get that
money right then it can go to
your friends.
Good job.
Max Schmidt.
Hi.
I'm proposing to spend more tax
dollars on housing.
Affordable housing for
the homeless and whatnot is an
extremely, extremely, extremely
personal issue for me because I
lived in subsidized housing and
during that time I kid you not
I'm here to open Pandora's box.
I was targeted by Freemasons
and some call it mind control.
What exactly does that mean?
And I want to say one thing You
will not silence my voice by
calling me a schizophrenic or
mentally ill and that this
isn't happening to American
patriots because it is what
happened when I was living in
the subsidized apartments was
that there was a constant ever
present voice that was saying
literally antagonizing me,
patronizing me, mocking me,
accusing me of things
constantly nonstop in my
apartment.
So the apartments are
untenable.
This is a serious problem.
>> Liberal cities are targeting
American patriots And yes, I
walk with patriot groups.
Yes, I stand up to people's
militia.
They're targeting American
patriots and the possessed and
the demon possessed liberal
politicians in San Diego are
enabling it and working with
them.
They're all Masonic brothers
and their Masonic brothers
abroad and that's why they want
to create a one world
government and Satan is
commanding them to do this.
So I know about a cult group
rituals.
I know about teleporting, I
know about cannibalism in
the Masonic Lodge you will not
silence my voice with 5150 laws
because they are communist and
the First Amendment still lives
in this country Down with
the occult.
I'm not crazy Town with
the echo Thank you.
Going to those participating
remotely as are the five minute
timer Hector if you can please.
And you currently have three
speakers in the queue please
proceed.
Thank you.
Thanks a lot for taking my
call.
Hey, the state is is is
democratic tyranny.
I would we don't need to be
linked with the state in a war
in my neighborhood And Linda
this Stop the hill from Mission
Valley 15 a news are coming on
board They're almost finished
now One block to houses they're
out in 1580 use under the old
program that the state planned
out and slipped it in there and
they haven't moved in yet But
all of a sudden there's going
to be 30 cars on one block and
there's no parking at all.
And also we've had an influx of
apartment buildings being built
like crazy in mission Valley
and Linda Vista up the hill
where the fires were we might
have another 4000 units that
are available.
Are there going to be really
soon And they're building No,
they're not affordable and
they're not occupied.
You know there's not a big run
through some people in there
but there's thousands units
already available and maybe
with the guys that built them
have them if you don't occupy
the units within six months
the rent is 500 bucks a month
That would occupy you know,
that would be really legitimate
.
We don't know more state stuff.
We don't need Let the builders
build their own houses and
let's do the mass deepwater
nation.
If we deported 150,000 people
to live in San Diego County
illegally, there'd be a lot
less.
There'd be huge housing
available, affordable housing
there'd be competition for
rent.
So if we mass deportation now
at the convention center we
could get paid for it.
It'll be a reverse reverse.
You know Occupy they got to go
,man Let's do it.
Okay.
My next is Tony.
If you can please unmute.
Yes.
Can you hear me?
>> Yes, we can.
Please proceed.
Hey, how's it going?
City Council.
Hey, I just wanted to talk
about the article that was
released yesterday by the Times
of San Diego that was talking
about the license plate reader
that linked an innocent San
Diego man to a violent crime
that he was five miles away
from.
I would hope that all of y'all
would take a look at that
article and become familiar
with it and read it because
there's going to be a lot of
people showing up tomorrow that
are going to be talking about
it and you'll want to have it
as a reference point too For
those of you that are going to
be defending flock, you're
going to want to dissect that
article so that you can have
something to rebut And there
really is nothing This is
the second week in a row or
rather the second time in
the last month that we've seen
Flock has completely failed If
it was having an audition it
would have lost its job already
because it failed two weeks ago
when it sent police to
the shopping center and they
took over two hours to respond
to the shooting that happened
at the Islamic center And then
it's mailed this man back in
NOVEMBER of 2025 actually just
a couple of weeks before we had
the big meeting about it And if
we had known that this had
happened back then, it probably
maybe hopefully would have
affected the council's decision
and the choice to vote the way
that it did.
Marni von Wilpert you just
expressed concern about
the potholes and the 1.5
million or that the million
dollar settlement by those
roads not getting fixed.
Well guess what?
These two gentlemen who were
falsely arrested by this flock
Alper misreading by they're
both charging the city they're
both suing the city for 1.5
million each.
Right.
And that's more than the entire
cost of the flock contract for
this year which was supposed to
be 2 million And they're going
to get it because they were
falsely imprisoned.
One of them was falsely
imprisoned for over a month.
He spent Thanksgiving in jail
without his family because of
this misread misread
calculation by fluke We need to
cancel the contract.
>> Your time has concluded.
Blair Beakman If you can please
unmute after that our final
speaker is 7499.
>> Blair Hi Blair Beakman I
wanted to comment Thank you
much for this item but I think
I think there really can be a
way to develop a dialog with
the federal level on the future
of housing.
They always make it difficult
and it's just the nature of
Conservative party right wing
Republican practices But there
is ways that we can be working
on things that we can and what
this item can be doing.
The mayor when he just recently
became PRESIDENT Of the us
mayors conferences, mayors or
association whatever they are
he gave a speech He's
the leader now and he made a
speech that it's important that
we talk with our federal
agencies on housing and what we
can accomplish And I was really
impressed by that because man,
it's my feeling exactly.
I've been in the same place
actually.
So boy good luck that I think
there is ways that we can
address the future of housing
that is kind of been on
the uprights I've heard
actually in California So I
hope that can bring in
the concepts of middle income
housing and how much I think
what that really I mean there's
a many ways in what that can
really accomplish And for for
very low and extremely low
income housing how that is
hopeful and as long as we're
thinking of those two subjects
as the base of our future of
housing, then we're in a good
place.
And for our federal leaders to
understand that concept, man
that would be a lot And I think
we can do it.
And by doing that that's
building our sustainable
future.
Good luck in our efforts.
>> Thank you.
Thank you.
And our final speaker is 7499
If you can please unmute Bob
because I ski here.
I just want to endorse
the earlier comments opposing
surveillance and about
the deportation of illegal
citizens In particular it's
clear that our housing problem
could be greatly reduced by
deporting people who are here
against our laws.
However it's important for
citizens to realize that
the goals of this council and
of this mayor are not the same
as the goals of the citizens.
The council and the mayor want
more population in San Diego
because that makes them more
important and more powerful.
>> They don't really care about
what the citizens actually want
like thinking.
>> That concludes public
comment on this item.
All right.
Thank you, City clerk.
With that will go to
the council for questions
Comments entertain a motion and
we'll start with the chair of
the Land Use and Housing
Committee Council PRESIDENT Pro
Tem Lee then council PRESIDENT
Thank you to Heidi and
the entire city planning
department since our last pro
housing designation in NOVEMBER
of 2022 Our annual housing
report shows that we've made
progress in our arena goals.
We've continued to pass out
proposing policies and continue
to affirmatively further fair
housing as well.
Applying from this continued
designation from the state
signifies our commitment to
expand our capacity to make
more homes available for our
working families, students,
seniors and our most vulnerable
residents.
And from there I think we can
all recognize that we
continuously have more work to
do in order to translate that
capacity into actual housing
production as well as and
continue to find ways in which
we can lower costs that
ultimately lower whether it's
rental or housing purchases and
costs for residents.
As the chair of land use and
housing, I look forward to
continue to work with my
colleagues this year to move
that needle forward.
And with that I will move
the item.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT All right.
>> Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Pro Tem.
So we do have a motion by
the pro tem to move the item
and we'll go next to council
member Whitburn.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee
for your comments.
I think you Tube is about blood
and the Planning Department for
the presentation and all
the work that you do for
the city.
This designation is important
because it gives the city
access to pro housing grades,
additional points and scoring
of competitive housing
community development and
infrastructure applications
appropriates and other state
grant programs And I am happy
to second the motion.
All right.
Thank you Council member with
parents or we do have a motion
by the council PRESIDENT Pro
Tem Lee and the second by
Council whitburn to move
the item and we'll go next to
Council member Campo Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT I want to
thank our planning department
for the good work on this.
This is something I really
strongly support.
I've seen this designation
yield funding for housing that
was built.
Linda Vista For seniors that's
really, really important for
communities like Linda Vista.
But just from a basic point of
view, why wouldn't San Diegans
want more of their tax dollars
coming back down to serve
the needs we have in San Diego
at the bottom line?
That isn't a win for all of us
So I thank them for their good
work on this and I'm happy to
be in support.
All right.
Thank you Council member Campo.
We'll go next to Council member
Foster Oh yes, Thank you.
>> Council PRESIDENT And I will
be supportive of this item as I
do feel that housing is a
critical critical need and
everyone should have a place
that they call home in a place
that they are proud of And we
have work to do.
But I just want to just say as
we continue to move forward I
just want to make sure and
touch upon the things that I
have concerns about.
One, making sure that we are
continuing to make sure we're
staying engaged with
the community.
i think there's a lot of things
that we can do in regards to
our communication efforts, our
education efforts to do a
better job with with
communities Also I just want to
make sure we got a balanced
approach as we continue to move
forward.
I want to make sure that we are
not concentrating poverty
especially in a community such
as District four.
I want to make sure that we get
some guardrails in and and that
we are doing our best job to
make sure we're just making
sure we are achieving that That
balance also I must say I'm
also concerned just about
the product that we get in
District four I received a call
from dsd saying that there's a
project that is potentially
coming online where units are
less than 200ft.
I'm not understanding how we
are looking at allowing that
type of product especially in
certain communities in certain
areas.
So I just want to make sure
that we're putting our best
foot forward as we are continue
to meet the call.
I mean to make sure that folks
have a place that they call
home that safe and that they
have that sense of pride.
So we definitely have work to
do but I will be supportive of
this item today.
So thank you.
All right.
Thank you, Councilmember Foster
Not see me but he else in
the lights.
I'll have some quick thoughts
of course will be supportive of
this and I appreciate
Councilmember Campos doing
the math that says when we're
sending tax dollars to
Sacramento and Washington dc,
let's clear as much of that
back to help our residents and
our businesses So yeah, this is
a pretty straight forward one
And to the public comment, you
know we're not meeting
the needs of all San Diego is
with our housing I think we're
pulling every lever that we
have at our disposal and some
of those lovers are tied by
what Sacramento's
interpretation of how housing
should be delivered.
But I think we're pulling every
lever.
I think that's one of
the reasons that the city of
San Diego is recognized
statewide as a leader in
housing going forward we are a
little bit at the mercy for
lack of a better word about
what private development
chooses to do and how private
development chooses to
advertise their products.
They get to use the word
affordable with a lowercase a
all the time.
I think we take it very
seriously about designating
housing with a capital that is
truly affordable with well
understood metrics Are we
delivering enough?
Now we all know that.
We all recognize that Are we
delivering enough at moderate
income now we all know that But
I know the Planning Department
works every day to try to get
creative to figure out how we
can deliver more of those
products at those price points,
how we do our community plan
updates and trying to
accelerate those community plan
updates that I think as we said
at a previous meeting housing
is good, planning is good And
as Councilmember Foster said
that balance is what we're I
think constantly trying to do
private marketplace will do
what the private marketplace is
going to do but to degree that
we can influence good planning,
good products that meets
the needs of San Diego and I
think we are doing our job.
But yeah, we're not meeting
everyone and we're all set And
if some we have to say it out
loud every once in a while I'm
happy to be the one to do that.
So with that we have a motion
by Council PRESIDENT Pro Tem
Lee and a second by Council
member Whitburn Please call
the roll as the voting system.
>> Please cast your vote that
passes unanimously 9 to 0.
Thank you.
All right.
Thank you, city clerk And thank
you to the Planning department
and the mayor's office for
bringing this item forward.
So with that we will now take
up not agenda public comment.
The council members respect and
appreciate the public's input
and are fully committed to
protecting every participant's
free speech rights at council
and committee meetings and
again have a respectful request
to my colleagues It is noon I
don't know how many folks we
have lined up but what are some
we're going to leave early
Let's all the fort with at
least four of us including
myself that would make five
through that public knowledge
and a public comment period.
So with that clerk please
proceed with public comment.
>> Thank you.
And just to note we have four
in person and nine currently
with their hands raised in
the queue starting with Jacob
Lewis.
Jacob Lewis I do not see him
here.
Max Schmidt if you can please
come up to the microphone After
that will be joined Senator and
then allegedly address You'll
have two minutes Please proceed
on.
I just wanted I just wanted to
say a lot of people have given
the ultimate sacrifice for this
country on and for me not to
have mental freedom Is is an
embarrassment to the United
States.
The American flag and the San
Diego city government.
You know who I am.
You know, I walk around San
Diego public streets and people
stalk me constantly and they're
telepathic Freemasons.
I can say my thoughts out loud
and endlessly terrorize me by
doing this.
You know that they do that You
know what's going on.
>> And then when I naively and
foolishly went to the police
for help because I am kind of
an innocent person where I
didn't know what to do, I felt
like a prisoner of war to be
honest.
The police 5150 me Oh then 5250
me and I had to leave the state
to not get an anti-psychotic
injection and became homeless
And you know what's going on
And I will not capitulate to
the New World Order.
i will continue to expose them
by saying they don't like me
talking about that the majority
of the West coast is
reincarnating.
Communist Freemasons were sane
and commanding them to form a
one world government and that
they're also literally
teleporting.
These people do not drive cars.
The majority of people on
the West Coast teleporter found
that's how potent or whatever
you want to call it demonic
diabolical is a cult group
Rituals are we're in
the Masonic Lodge.
They're worshiping Satan to
such a degree that they're
doing human sacrifices.
These people are actually
possessed by the devil.
They literally teleport around
like demons And my voice will
not be silenced And you're not
going to call me schizophrenic
or crazy again because I'm not
stupid.
I know what's going on and you
know that when I walk around
San Diego public streets I'm
getting harassed and the cops
are corrupt and enabling it
down with the occult thinking.
Next we have to rise and yada
I'm sorry I did.
I note for the record that if
you are online now is the time
to raise your hand by pressing
the raise your hand icon or
calling participant star nine
If you're wanting to knowledge
in a public comment virtually
We do have some Spanish
speakers on the q see as they
stay in linea you get a lot of
sovereigns windows can not in
like in the what if our Optima
is three and we're all econo de
la Moneta Armory.
Gracias.
Please proceed.
Thank you.
A little bit ago I left
the chambers and I went around
for a walk around the block.
I needed that.
I guess What I saw the sun.
The sun was shining The sky was
that beautiful blue There was a
little breeze blowing.
There were people walking dogs.
There was a homeless person
sitting in a wheelchair And
suddenly I had a question for
myself What are you fighting
for?
What am I fighting for?
So the top priority is that I
am fighting for our voices
being heard and respected.
This is storytelling.
The two d Tours marketing
district said this very
recently that how they do their
marketing is via storytelling.
All our work is storytelling
and we do an ancient ritual
that goes back to the beginning
of people.
We sit around a bonfire and we
tell our stories together.
This is the work of all of us
to tell our stories because we
must remember that the miracle
of life, the miracle of life is
unfolding before our very eyes.
We are it.
We are alive and it is a
miracle And let us never forget
that.
>> Love to all Thank you.
Allegedly Audra It's
interesting because everything
has to do with good and evil
And for those of you that
believe would know that if you
really did read the Bible and
you understood that since
the beginning of time there has
been a spiritual warfare going
on.
That's why Ephesians six is so
important for us to put on
the form or GOD because we
fight not just against flesh
and blood but against spiritual
wickedness.
And so four things that Max is
saying those those are very
true things.
There are Freemasons, there are
elite, there are people in
the Illuminati who sacrifice
children human beings.
They drink blood, they eat
people, they do satanic abuse
rituals.
San Diego is a very, very
prominent stomping ground for
that And they think the kind of
technologies that he's talking
about they can put words into
your brain.
I mean it's the voice of GOD.
There's many different
technologies and they do M.K.
Ultra, you know, mind control
on people.
So it's like he sounds like
Looney Tunes of course, but
those are things that that do
take place And it's like when
we have you know, officers like
Mick Gibbons, you know, and
the child pornography it's like
America's the biggest consumers
of child porn.
I mean Tim Tebow found 338,000
ip addresses that were just
single ones that were
transmitting this kind of data
children.
So I mean you guys have
children.
It's like nobody wants to talk
about these things and that's
why they perpetuate is because
we sit here and we brush it
under the rug.
That's too crazy to talk about
But this is why the world is
like it is.
People do sacrifice and worship
Satan and that's why such
nefarious things can take place
.
>> And I would say that you
guys are on a lower level of
that but you're being puppeteer
by those people and you're
doing their bidding and you're
brushing it all under the rug
And that is extremely egregious
.
That does conclude public
comment here in council
chambers.
We're going to go to those
participating remotely.
We have funny a squirrel
fantasy podria reality
laboratory in Boulder as called
chocolate say okay no my by
the Iraqis we probably have a
lot in process quarters
proposal here at Radio City
like what I'm into okay grass
is real Malik boy like got a
bizarre bird on it when a staff
member for the San Diego is
funny is cute It is Good
afternoon council members My
name is Fannie Esquivel MR.
Yaki I play a key common member
of the community that you and
I'm a member Occupy that right
I'm here as a member of a
committee of my community and
as a worried mother about trash
about the state of trash,
the products that
the Pakistanis perceive us in
the best scenario and about
tobacco shops that are within
my community see senior of
course see that yes this is
area my my community members
and my children are having to
see the cigaret butts
everywhere who are corner.
Yes And they pick them up to
play with them So I can only
catina one other active There
are children that are touching
nicotine which is an active
drug issues monitors is
important see and their and
their hands and their clothes
are full of that nicotine and
the tobacco and consumer
tobacco It is to the stage of
self isn't see I normally
father is somewhat studying
the consumption of cigarets and
nicotine and that discarding
them on the street has become a
regular has become regularly
accepted and that is not okay
and look at the podium see
square where we will constantly
interpret occupy that they're
still in contact as toxic air
Instead of being able to relax
as my kids play outside I have
to be constantly concerned that
they are outside playing with a
toxic substance not turning on
medicine or therefore that
illness partially seguros is
what they in Panama City was
for me to sell tobacco My
children deserve to be able to
play in a space that is free
and safe free of tobacco.
They very esteem associate you
must up for your partner
partner in a company that is
the only company to incorporate
Podemos solution That is
the problem we need more
information and more support
for the community in order to
address the situation.
The candidate of the center,
the product of the tobacco is
produced from medical marijuana
and to plug in with a company
that the amount of trash that
is nicotine related that is out
on the streets is something
that is too much to be able to
handle that needs to be
addressed and care for my son.
Patel Programmer Damian David
must execute Responsabilidad as
grandiose company Well I
understand that is a
responsibility of each of us
and the responsibility of
the city.
We need to make sure that we
hold the bigger tobacco
companies accountable and make
them responsible as well as
e-commerce system programmers
parallel cities But I think
better we see color products of
bacteria societies We have to I
must implement that program of
ballot equality that is
declared process say tobacco
just like we have programs that
are made to actually recycle
toxic substances such as oils
and batteries and things of
that nature.
We should also have a recycling
program for these toxic
substances of the nicotine in
cigarets like community could
get and also glimmer criminal
potency model as granted
companion star calories.
The community is insisting that
you put us in our safety on top
of the as more important than
the tobacco companies and
the tobacco conglomerates and
he goes represent that When I
see what that Limpia say what
are you familiar I've seen in
politics politics attorneys not
represent a system that you
must get to a crisis point so
people can good ideas.
There's a reason Coca-Cola is
with the eponymous but at that
I mean that we say that we are
a clean and a safe and a good
city but that is not reflected
in the way that our streets are
taken care of.
I ask for your support in
getting this address that I
just ask you Given crisis Tony
if you can please unmute that
also does conclude the five
minute timer We have 11 people
in the queue 12 Nobody else
will be taken.
Tony please proceed.
>> Yes.
Can you hear me?
Yes.
Please proceed.
Hey, my apologies for
the earlier comment about Flock
a pr I was meaning to leave
that comment during this
portion and I don't mean to be
a hypocrite in calling out
earlier other people that leave
comments that aren't related to
the agenda topics So my
apologies.
That was my error.
That was my mistake.
But getting back to I guess
that the housing element
earlier the thing that y'all
were voting on I, I don't think
I would have been in support of
it anyway just because I don't
know that Todd Gloria is
necessarily somebody that I
would trust with the housing
development process If if I
understand correctly that's
what the if that's what
the issue was about.
But I'm not entirely sure if
I'm addressing that with
the full subject knowledge that
I should be in order to be
speaking on it.
But with that said, I'd like to
just finish what I was saying
earlier about Flock Alper and
the article that I was
referring to.
I will try to send in a copy
tomorrow so that you all can
see it And when I'm speaking I
think I think that's done
through the city Clerk Well I
think that's what I have to do
in order to send it in But I'll
look it up online in just a
moment.
But the article on I just I
just wanted to speak to
the fact that the like like I
was saying those two
settlements or rather the two
lawsuits the two the two suits
that have been filed are for
1.5 million each.
That's more than flock is is
the contract costs for
the entire year.
I know that we see it as a
force multiplier.
I know that we see ourselves
being 100 police short.
But I'm really questioning
where those numbers come from
considering they are statistics
that are based upon comparing
us to other cities that have a
comparative population size But
those other cities have higher
crime rates so those are not
analogous.
>> Your time has concluded.
>> Barbara Gordon If you can
please unmute.
Good afternoon.
As a health advocate mental
health services are vital
especially for individuals with
justice involvement many due to
substance abuse.
I wanted to share with you
sandbags 2025 Juvenile arrestee
Drug Use report.
This is a self report reported
by juveniles who have been
arrested.
Marijuana continues to be
the most popular drug used
consistent with previous years.
Marijuana at 93% was the most
commonly used substance among
those interviewed.
Youth were asked about recent
drug use of marijuana and it
showed that the percentage use
was 73% used with it in
the past 30 days.
Most of those had used
marijuana but they perceived it
as harmless.
When asked about the ease of
assessing certain substances,
most described marijuana as
very easy or easy to obtain.
Again, youth perception of
marijuana is that it's easier
to obtain than both tobacco or
alcohol.
This report underscores
the risk of the city's
widespread marketing of
marijuana whether it's through
billboards, storefronts
advertise advertisement or
signage.
The accessibility and available
city of marijuana is
unparalleled compared to other
drugs in the city.
When Cities League leaders
advocate for more pot shot, it
makes our society less safe.
People do not make their best
decisions when they are high or
.
Please stop putting profits
ahead of young people's health
and safety.
Thank you for letting me speak.
Thank you.
Kathleen Lippert, if you can
please unmute.
>> Thank you.
Good afternoon Council.
I want to thanks and you are to
Escobar for her wise comments
and concerns regarding tobacco
related products and the degree
and the harms that they pose
for children.
But I wanted to speak about
parks and recreational
activities for youth that are
essential.
>> One of those recreational
resources it's a service soccer
fields of Del Mar.
But the city continues to
ignore its responsibility to
enforce the deed restrictions
adopted in 2016 when the city
entered a 28 year lease with
surf sports effectively ending
two years of peaceful rural
equestrian use.
Since 2016 the frequency and
size of the activities and
events on this land have grown
exponentially.
Request to the city to adhere
to the restrictions of
the grant deed are ignored by
the city and serve restoring
the peace, tranquility and
rural character of
the community and access to a
local resource for passive
noncommercial recreational use
Walking hiking birdwatching are
no longer possible Service
exorbitant $20 a day Fees to
watch children play Soccer is a
barrier to access for low
income families but it also is
onerous for middle income
families.
The city faces a lawsuit for
failing to honor these grant
deed restrictions that bar
large assemblies of people and
cars 2500 a day are now on
event weekends and limit
the use of of property to 25
days a year.
>> Thank you to council member
Yvonne Wilpert for your common
sense recognition that fixing
roads preventatively can stop
the litigation subsequent
litigation when these roads
have not been that not been
fixed but they have been
identified.
>> Thank you for has concluded
by big If you can please
unmute.
>> Hi Blaire Beekman.
Thanks for the morning meeting
today.
A real good luck that you know
I started coming to public
meetings because you know I've
been so I was so shocked by
the events of 911 and the fact
that we don't ever know how to
talk about it more openly and
accountably what MAY have
actually happened on that day.
You know, when tech policies
came around tech accountability
it to me it was a really
important way to practice how
we can eventually talk about
peace and not war.
Good luck to the people who are
talking at this time and how
you know in the importance of
their items.
>> The free speech is
important.
Believing them is important
understanding their point of
view.
I think you can get a lot of
support from council persons
but also respecting the decorum
of a public meeting process and
learning to balance those two
things.
Good luck how we all try to do
that.
I have to do that with my
issues.
I can go through the tear my
teeth out.
You know how shocking to think
the day of 911 was But I try to
do it working within day to day
policies.
You guys have had a lot of
patience with me trying to
practice that and learn that
and thank you and I hope that
it can be good advice for
the new people who are talking
at this time how they can learn
to balance their feelings.
With that said, I'm dealing a
lot with the Alpers issues
right now.
I think everyone is in San
Diego Really Good luck.
The city of Oakland After Trump
first got into office it was
either the Oakland police,
the sheriff's department or
the bart police.
They started jumping on the bus
on the busses and taking out
criminals like they had
the technology that allowed
them to know exactly where
criminals were and they were
just plucking them out of
everywhere And it was really
questionable how they were
doing that and that seemed
illegal And so they stopped
doing that and I think that's
what San Diego police and
parents are trying to address.
What is legal in their work
with their lpr use and how do
we have that conversation
openly and clearly to
understand guidelines You're
talking concluded Hector.
>> If you can please unmute.
Thanks for taking my call.
I wanted to talk about
the Tijuana sewer problem
that's never seems to be going
away and Mexico is not our
friend.
They've imported millions of
pounds of dope and killed
400,000 of our young people.
Right now they're spending $1
billion in Tijuana on elevated
highway two and they're not
taking care of their sewer
treatment plant.
They're spending a building
billion on a deepwater port in
the Gulf of California near
there.
They're going to start
importing a lot of stuff there.
They're building a competition
to the Panama Canal with China
down there in Panama to build
rail lines and to deep water
ports.
You're spending $10 billion
with the Chinese.
They're criminal buddy who are
importing all the drugs.
So we need to focus on
the Tijuana River problem,
build our own sewer plants,
steady the air and we'll have a
tariff on Mexico.
Trump's got tariffs on them.
We'll take tariff money to
build it.
Don't kid yourself.
Mexico is not our friend with
being friends with those guys.
They're polluting the young
kids lungs.
We don't need to study no more
about the Tijuana River Valley.
That's a waste of money
studying And anyone wants to
study and make them go swimming
down there.
And also any kind of pro border
stuff with those guys it's over
until they fix their sewer
problem.
But we can fix us.
Stay in the yard sewer
treatment plant on our side of
the border.
Use the land, use the will do
the mining and then we'll build
it will charge them will charge
them off by $10 to come across
the border.
We just got to be done with one
problem at a time.
And otherwise it's never going
to get solved.
>> Okay.
Your time has concluded.
John Stump our next speaker
after that is pretty strange on
the stump.
>> Please proceed.
I cannot.
There you go.
Hey, there I go.
>> Well, I was really
disappointed.
>> Item 613 an Initially I
thought maybe these speakers
who are talking about
the different conspiracies just
got something right that maybe
maybe it is drinking blood an
oath to Satan or something that
guides his counsel.
But of course I don't think
I've gone that far.
>> Luckily the other lesson of
today's council meeting is if
you don't do things right and
you don't get on top of it, you
pay millions of dollars in
court settlements.
And that's the beauty of
the Constitution The us
Constitution.
They divided the government
into three parts an executive,
a legislative and judicial.
And thank GOD for the judicial
because it gives us an
opportunity when the executive
and the legislature don't
listen to the citizens and
the concerns of the citizens an
opportunity of where to proceed
and maybe get justice.
>> So I hope that the council
fully funds the liability fund.
i hope the council fully funds
the flood damage from 2024
During the budget hearings.
And I wish you all a very good
day.
And I want to say hi to
the senator.
She supported one of
the settlements and recognized
the judicial system.
>> Sorry your time has expired.
Judy Strang if you can please
unmute.
>> After that is Peggy Walker.
Judy Strain.
Yes, Good afternoon.
I've been speculating on
the defeat of Prop eight
measure on the ballot as many
media outlets have.
And I would remind us all that
within the city of San Diego 24
to 25% of the voters identify
as independent.
And that percentage gets
considerably higher in
the unincorporated area of
the county up to as much as
3,435%.
So I'm wondering if we have a
good understanding of what
the public wants.
You hear from a portion of
the public expressing their
concerns.
I'm wondering if the lack of
attendance at city council
meeting some indication that
perhaps you're missing work.
We need to tell you what we
care about.
I often speak to public health
concerns and so I appreciated
the young mother who spoke to
her children picking up
Cigarets in the public venue.
>> And many of us have spoken
to you about the role of
smoking and vaping be it
tobacco or marijuana.
And I would hope that you'd
have some appreciation for
the fact that here in our
county only 9% of
the population smokes.
It isn't a right to smoke.
So when we bring to your
attention that we would like
our public venues to be smoke
free and bakery so that you
would reduce the toxic waste
that occurs because of it And
in an area where everything
leads to the ocean it would
certainly improve the quality
of the water as well.
I hope you're listening to us.
We are not choosing sides.
We're just speaking for
ourselves as people who want to
be healthy and really hope that
everyone around us has that
opportunity as well and has an
opportunity to live where their
air and their water is cleaner
and that their air is smoke
free and vape free.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Peggy
Walker.
>> After that is 7499.
Peggy Walker please unmute.
Good morning and thank you.
As a public health advocate I'd
like to share important
information just published by
the International Journal of
Drug Policy which is warning
policymakers of rising rates of
cannabis hyper misses syndrome
or c h s c h s was brought to
our attention here years ago by
San Diego addiction specialist
DR. Ronnie Love who served with
the National Office of Drug
Policy.
DR. Love continues to warn
about rising admissions in San
Diego for c.
h.
S which is marked by intense
pain, nausea, vomiting that is
often uncontrollable and
screaming.
This led doctor loved to call
the symptoms scrambling for
the vomiting and screaming
symptoms.
The Journal of Drug Policy
Study findings showed 6% of
marijuana users aged 16 to 65
developed chc which demands
costly E.R. Medical attention.
DR. Love has surprising numbers
and diagnoses processes.
Take your time away from
the care of other E.R. Patients
following new studies on c.
H.
S.
The Journal has called on
policy makers to better educate
constituents about it and to
oppose efforts to increase
access to today's high potency
mind altering marijuana
products.
I urge your consideration of
the Journal's suggestion that
it's time to take a hard look
at policies that result in
rising cannabis hyperemesis
syndrome cases and the high
medical and social costs.
Thank you.
Next 27499 if you can please
unmute after that will be back.
You wrote Bob Kozinski here.
The problems at the Torrey
Pines Glider port are
continuing to this day to this
very day Citizens are excluded
from flying at the Torrey Pines
Glider port unless they are
paid members of the private
organization that calls itself
quote the United States hang
gliding and paragliding
association or use for that
wouldn't be bad enough on its
own.
But you asserts that as a
private organization it has
the right to expel anyone they
want for any reason they see
fit.
In particular, they claim that
they can expel people for
coming to speak to the City
council and be critical of
the business operating at
the Torrey Pines Glider port.
Is anyone on this council
intelligent enough to recognize
the problem with that?
That's like allowing the police
to jail anyone who comes to
this council to be critical of
the police.
That's like allowing lifeguards
to ban anyone from our beaches
who comes to this council to
complain about the lifeguard.
How insane is that?
You MAY wonder why so few
people speak to this council
about the glider port and you
MAY use that as an excuse to
ignore the problem.
But there are so few people
speaking because no one wants
to be banned from using our
city park just because they
dare come to this council to
complain about the business
operating that park.
My expulsion for speaking to
this Council and for testifying
in court should initiate a
giant whistleblower retaliation
investigation by the city.
But instead each and every one
of you look the other way.
This is a big stain on each of
you that should follow you
throughout your careers,
throughout your lives and into
whatever follows this lifetime.
It's time to fix this.
By reactivating the Torrey
Pines City Park Advisory Board
and implementing a flight
waiver for citizens to use our
public park, we have been hang
gliding under a simple one page
waiver in Los Angeles since
2017.
It's time to do the same for
the people of San Diego.
>> Thank you.
Thank you Becky Rapp If you can
please unmute.
>> After that would be Rosa.
>> Good morning.
My name is Becky Rapp and I'm
here today to bring awareness
to the illegal products being
sold in our local smoke and
tobacco shops all across our
city including down the street
from my house.
When you walk or drive by these
stores you'll see bright signs
promoting a drug called crape
often displayed right in
the front window.
It is not hidden and it is not
difficult to find.
Kratom is a psychoactive
substance with opioid like
effects.
According to the cdc overdose
surveillance data, Kratom was
involved in more than 5200
overdose deaths nationwide
between 2020 and 2024.
To put that in perspective,
this number exceeds estimates
of deaths linked to crack
cocaine during the height of
the crack epidemic in
the 1980s.
Yet one became a national
crisis that dominated headlines
while the other is sold today
and gas stations, convenience
stores and smoke shops.
At the same time, many of these
retailers continue to sell
other illegal products like
candy and fruit flavored vape
products as well as hemp
derived thc products.
The question is not whether we
need more laws.
The question is whether we are
willing to enforce the laws we
already have.
Today I am asking the City
Council to direct staff to
provide a public report on
enforcement efforts related to
Kratom flavored vape products
and intoxicating hemp products
sold within city limits.
The public deserves to know
what actions are being taken
and how many inspections have
been conducted, how many
citations have been issued and
whether current enforcement is
sufficient.
It's time to send a message
that San Diego ordinances are
not suggestions they are laws
and laws that will be enforced.
>> Thank you.
Thank you, Roseanne.
You can never see the opening
with asterisk sales at retail
sales, huh?
You see when you're currently
processing people the outlet
put forward in previous
quarters it could see.
Well I get that when when I
start with members of Council
on Religious Ascension.
Hello.
Good afternoon, members of
the council.
My name is Rosa Sanchez.
If you or me and I'm here today
as a member of the community,
maybe I'm going to be in those
lines to see how they almost
feel imparted in one study Be
that the audience in on this
video to share with you
something that has become part
of our everyday lives And it's
for me and my family members
and it should not be that way.
>> But I would just like to
feel that only caption by that
by a reporter as well as MS.
But I'm familiar the bibimbap
accessible.
If I wanted to go before
neoliberal waste caffeine
policy which in contrary would
be for me and is economic for
many of us only accessible
housing and affordable housing
is the only choice for us.
But it is very difficult to
find housing of this nature.
>> Illiteracy is one they all
transform in Alexandra and
struck apartment for us as he
honors but it as he perceives
and smoke enters our in these
multi family units smoke enters
our homes through the walls
through the vents through
the door cracks.
>> I think that it's an
appropriate without affecting
the ability for us to feel
comfortable and safe in our own
homes which is the some of this
gets implemented but almost as
well as but I can say I even if
it's completely it's not as
well the antipathy opposing it
what many people just think to
open our windows and to let
fresh air in But this does not
help the situation So you and
problem is it will continue to
continue to enable them to
develop the mantle in a way
the federal funds were released
in in I say their skin was too
familiar.
The problem is that the smoke
actually stays in our homes, in
our furniture, in our clothes,
in the apartments and is not
allowing us to actually live
comfortably.
>> I think I'm on a sort of
course with them and to forgive
them for sticking with it And
just like our children's and
our babies and people in our
homes complain about how strong
the smell of the smoke is
within our homes in much of
this is personality and I
expect to see them constantly
And and that is due to
the constant constant presence
of the smoke and one of
familiarity I think it is
conditioning simply to feel
that no family should have to
live in these kinds of
conditions within their own
home and psyche.
I like it.
And that's what the familiarity
is that we are asking that you
support an ordinance that makes
all multi family units free of
smoke smoke free units so that
a person as many similar areas
wouldn't be as bad as some of
these simple tax increases.
We all deserve to have an area
that is smoke free and that is
safe and clean for all of us to
live in regardless of our
regardless of how much money we
bring in just people trying to
enter and that absolutely set
up a political scheme political
and social simplistic and
simply that And we ask you when
we ask a city to please be sure
to support policies that
support these kinds of
endeavors within our city which
you seem to think as you said
echoing what the icac is our
final two speakers are medicine
And then Tony please I mean
the new Okay thank you.
i'm going to come I'm here to
give you my thoughts from last
time about the emerging
evidence of marijuana use and
asthma which is a chronic
respiratory disease that
affects millions of Americans
including my son I just found
out recently and as
recreational marijuana use
becomes increasingly common,
many people assume it is
harmless to the lungs.
However, recent research
suggests otherwise.
One national study of 4477
adults with asthma found that
individuals who inhaled
marijuana whether by smoking,
vaping or both were
significantly more likely to
experience an asthma attack
within one year Compared with
Nonusers, people who smoked
marijuana had 64% higher odds
of an asthma attack and those
who lived had 81% higher odds.
A second study examined more
than 140,000 patients
hospitalized for severe asthma
exacerbations after accounting
for factors such as age,
smoking status, obesity and
other health conditions.
Marijuana users experienced
substantially worse outcomes
They had a 68% higher risk of
death within 30 days a 23%
higher need for noninvasive
ventilation, a 65% higher need
for mechanical ventilation and
more than double the risk of
requiring ecmo.
One of the most intense forms
of life support.
While research continues to
study the underlying
mechanisms, the message should
be obvious.
Inhaled marijuana use MAY pose
serious risks for people with
asthma and as policymakers you
have a responsibility to ensure
that public health information
keeps pace with changing laws
and social norms.
Residents deserve accurate
information about these
respiratory risks associated
with smoking and vaping
marijuana especially for those
living with asthma.
Thank you.
That does include knowledge in
a public comment Tony had
already spoken.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT.
All right.
Thank you.
So the clerk we will now
adjourn for the noon recess and
reconvene in open session at 2
P.M. Or shortly thereafter
.
>>
.
>> We have a lot of good people
in the audience so we've got
the number five.
Oh, okay.
So let's get started.
Good afternoon.
I will now reconvene
the special City Council
meeting on Monday, JUNE 8th,
2026 to order clerk Please call
the roll.
>> Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Council
Member Campbell Council Member
Whitburn here Council Member
Foster.
Here Council Member Ron Wilbur
Council PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee
Council Member Campion here
Council Member Moreno Present
Council Member Ella Rivera and
Council PRESIDENT LaCava.
Present also attending
the meeting our Assistant City
Attorney Michelle Garland
Independent Budget Analyst
Charles Monica 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 for that.
Clerk Pointers Are there any
comments from Mayor Mayor's
office, council city attorney,
independent budget analyst or
city clerk?
>> I see the city Clerk is up.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT I did just
want to make a quick comment.
The Office of the City Clerk in
coordination with the Office of
the mayor is pleased to
announce the launch of the city
of San Diego's new boards,
commissions and committees
website.
The upgraded site continues to
provide a centralized location
for information about
the city's boards, commissions
and committees.
Including current membership
vacancies, current and upcoming
expired terms and opportunities
to apply for service in a more
user friendly format and in 20
different languages which
enhances public access In
addition to enhancing public
access to information, the new
services available at
approximately one third of
the cost of the prior platform.
Through negotiations our office
also secured additional
features that improve
efficiency, enhance reporting
capabilities, provide a built
in data retention and create a
more user friendly experience
for both applicants and
members.
Residents interested in
learning more about the city's
boards, commissions and
committees or serving their
community are encouraged to
visit the website at Boards dot
San Diego dot Govee.
We invite members of the public
to explore the new site and
learn about the many ways they
can participate in local
government through service on a
city's board commission or
committee.
>> Thank you, Council PRESIDENT
For the time.
All right.
Thank you.
Clerk Please introduce item
629.
Item 629 is the presentation of
the status of vacancies
recruitment and retention
efforts.
Per government code section
3502.3 If you were hearing
council chambers and wish to
speak to this item please be
sure to submit your speaker
slip to the front of the room
and place your speaker slip in
the clear box If you are
participating remotely now's
the time to raise your hand by
pressing Star nine or the raise
your hand icon that you council
PRESIDENT All right.
Thank you City Clerk Kim
because this is an item we only
do once a year and it's a
little bit different.
I'm going to give a little bit
of a long winded explanation.
California government code
section 35 o 2.3 requires
public agency employers to
present the status of workforce
vacancies and recruitment and
retention efforts during
the public hearing at least
once per year before the public
agencies governing body adopts
the final budget for the year.
The stated purpose of
the public hearing is to
identify any necessary changes
to policies, procedures and
recruitment activities that MAY
lead to obstacles in the hiring
process of future employees.
Each of the city's recognized
employee organizations is
entitled to make a presentation
at the public hearing to
discuss the status of vacancies
and recruitment and retention
efforts for positions within
the bargaining unit represented
by the recognized employee
organizations.
On MAY 29th, 2026, the city's
Human Resources department
provided written notice to
the city is complying with this
requirement through today's
presentation.
Now for those of you MAY
remember this item had been
previously scheduled to be
heard on MAY 10th but
the meeting was adjourned
during the tragic event that
took place in our city that day
all our eaos were promptly
notified of the reschedule.
Two of the city's recognized
employee organizations Local
145 and Local 986 have
requested to make a
presentation and we will hear
those presentations after
the staff presentation.
After the conclusion of all our
ieo presentations the Council
will have an opportunity to ask
questions to staff or any
representative member.
We will then take public
comment for this item at
the conclusion of public
comment.
I will turn back to my
colleagues once more for any
concluding comments at this
point.
If any other recognized
employee organizations is
present today and wishes to be
heard please let the City clerk
know now.
With that I see staff is
seated.
Please introduce yourselves for
the record And how much time do
you need for your presentation
?
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT And Council
members Five minutes for a
presentation.
My name is Aboriginal Health
and the Deputy Director in
the Human Resources Department
.
With me today is Julie Rasko,
our human resources director
and Brian Mallard, our human
resources officer.
Also in attendance is
the personnel department David
Dellinger, personnel director
and Darren Kinahan, deputy
director in the personnel
department to address any
questions that the council MAY
have regarding recruitment
efforts for the classified
employees.
As the Council PRESIDENT
Mentioned, we're here today to
present on the status of
vacancies, recruitment and
retention efforts per
California Government Code
Section 3502.3.
With that I'm going to turn it
over to Brian who will walk
through our presentation.
Thank you.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT For
the introduction Council
PRESIDENT Council members.
As was discussed,
the Government Code requires
the city to present on
the status of vacancies in
recruitment and retention
efforts during a public hearing
each fiscal year prior to
the adoption of the final
budget.
If in addition each recognized
employee organization is
entitled to make that
presentation relating to
positions within their
bargaining unit during
the hearing in which the city
makes its presentation.
If the number of vacancies
within a single bargaining unit
meets or exceeds 20% of
the total number of full time
positions within that
bargaining unit, the recognized
employee organization MAY
request the inclusion of
additional information in
the presentation.
This requirement is not
applicable this year because as
of JANUARY 1st, 2026 when
the vacancy data was pulled, no
bargaining unit in the city had
a vacancy rate at or exceeding
20%.
Regarding recruitment and
retention efforts, the Human
Resources Department and
personnel department have
partnered in recent years to
enhance hiring processes and
the applicant experience.
The Human Resources Department
has focused on employee
development and retention.
These and other efforts have
resulted in voluntary
separations decreasing year
over year since 2022 and in
2025 the citywide separation
rate was at its lowest point in
a decade at 6.3%.
Looking forward, the personnel
department will continue to
identify ways to enhance
policies and procedures to
promote efficiency while still
providing equal opportunity in
the civil service classified
hiring process.
Those efforts discussed related
to improved employee retention
and hiring processes have led
to a city wide budgeted full
time vacant position vacancy
rate of 9.82% as of JANUARY 1st
2026.
The next two slides identify
the vacancy rates by bargaining
unit as of JANUARY 1st.
The Government Code requires
the city to identify vacancy
rates by bargaining unit within
each designated recognized
employee organization.
We broken this up by
the general and safety groups.
The vacancy rate for the Deputy
City Attorneys Association is
3.141% as of JANUARY 1st for
Local 127 representative
employees 11.9%.
Mta has four separate
bargaining units within within
their representation That would
be the administrative Support
and field service unit which
covers classifications series
such as the clerical assistant
series The and that vacancy
rate is at 14.69%.
The professional unit covers
classifications series such as
the various Engineer series.
That vacancy rate is at 7.14%.
The supervisory unit covers
series and classifications such
as the Building Maintenance
Supervisor and that vacancy
rate is at 7.09% in
the technical unit.
Covers the series such as
the Administrative Aide series
and that vacancy rate is at
13.85%.
For the safety groups, Local
145 represents the firefighter
unit and vacancy rate is at
7.34%.
Local 986 has two bargaining
units That would be
the lifeguard unit and
supervisory lifeguard unit that
would be at 5.62% and 3.23%
respectively.
And then Poea also has two
bargaining units within their
representation the police unit
and police management unit.
The police unit is at 10.66%
vacancy and the police
management unit is at 3.33%.
Vacancy.
And with that we are available
for questions.
>> Thank you so much.
All right.
Thank you to staff for
the presentation.
We will now hear from Local 145
who will have up to ten minutes
for their presentation.
>> Hello.
Good afternoon.
I'm Mark Morrison, vice
PRESIDENT Standing a city of
firefighters Local 145.
With me today is Derek Lewis
DeLay.
He's our b division director.
And we're very excited about
this opportunity to have this
discussion.
We really appreciate your full
attention because this is
something that we've identified
as of critical importance.
Recruiting and retention has
been a real challenge as we all
know.
I've worked with many of you
individually on different
things in terms of public
safety and I know that you're
all good people who want to do
good things and protect this
community.
I get it and I appreciate that.
So we'll start off
lighthearted.
We're all trying to break
the same cake.
We're all different chefs.
We all bring different things
to to the kitchen.
>> It is my unfortunate duty
though to tell you that Local
145 is fresh out of ingredients
for sugar coating the spoonful
of sugar to help the medicine
go down because of budget cuts
not available.
And the truth is the taste is
much more sour.
So we've looked at ourselves,
we've looked at the department
and we've thought what is it
that has contributed to this
problem, to this issue with
recruitment and retention when
we look at it from the 50,000
foot view?
And there's a lot of things.
But one of them is something
that's been highlighted by
several presentations by fire
department management coming in
And it's a celebration of one
of our most incredible
attributes as firefighters
something in our culture that's
wonderful when Serrano Valley
is on fire.
Like many of you know, we don't
have the option of kicking it
over to committee and say hey,
what should we do?
We'll figure this out in a week
when buildings are on fire,
cars are wrecked, people are
sick, people are gravely
injured.
The time is now for action and
we have to solve it then and
there.
That's what we do.
And that often leads to doing
less with more because we have
to People are counting on us.
And that is a cultural trait
that I think especially with
fire management a lot of them
promoted to positions of
management and they're doing a
great job but a lot of them
haven't set foot in a fire
station in a long time.
They don't understand the on
the ground impacts Like for
instance hey, the bomb squad
worked a certain way in 1971.
Maybe it'll work in 2026.
It's just not apples to apples.
The cadet program which by
the way is responsible for
almost 150 current employees
one of the strongest
recruitment and retention tools
that we have and we're cutting
it again.
These are issues that we have
identified as problematic.
And again, it's a it's a
representation and a
recognition of what some of our
strongest core traits as
problem solvers.
That's what we do.
So we can get into our next
slide.
All of this is going to be
predicated on facts.
All of these are pulled from
either the San Diego joint sd
Ph.D. Social media handle or
different municipalities that
we compete with.
So I'd like to kick this over
to Derek Lewis.
He is a captain in the Post
Academy training division.
And this is an excellent
opportunity for him to kind of
really highlight what we're
seeing and the trends that we
have to address.
Derek Good afternoon Council.
I have the opportunity of
working as a captain at our
Post Academy training division
where once graduating
the academy firefighters will
then cycle through those
stations for their first year
of training.
And we're seeing we've seen a
couple of different trends in
the last few academies.
And I think I've been there
probably close to ten academies
is the recruits or excuse me
the firefighters are coming out
.
They're a little younger.
So that trend's going down.
And then also we're seeing one
80s in career changes going
from one career firefighting.
Now everyone that we have been
seeing go through are amazing
and I couldn't be more proud to
see or to work with some of
these folks and be part of
their training.
But what's a common theme
between the two is that they
have no work experience or
getting their minimum
qualifications.
They're getting their emt But
there's there's no work
experience as a emt in many of
those.
So that's adding on our
workload to bring them up to
speed in a91 system.
And when you talk about
applicants coming through and
then into the fire department,
is that resume that robust
resume just isn't there with
most of our folks coming
through.
So there are going to our
partners up to the north with a
better compensation package.
So that's just an example of
some of the little bit of
changes that we're starting to
see there in the training
environment.
Thank you, Derek.
So to kind of shed a little bit
of light on how we do business
on a fire truck or a fire
engine, you're going to have
one captain an engineer who
drives the apparatus and two
firefighters one as a
paramedic, one as an emt.
What we've done as a stopgap is
had certain calls when
necessary run by captain,
firefighter, paramedics or
engineer paramedics.
Every person has a job to do.
The supervisors job is to look
at a situation and ensure that
there isn't danger looming.
Someone coming into the scene a
car driving in uncontrolled.
Once you take somebody and
place them into patient care
now they're here.
They're not looking here.
And because of our inability to
attract firefighter paramedics
because they are in high
demand, low supply, we are not
competitive at all could be
switch lights because this is
the anemic salary range for a
new firefighter paramedic You
see that there are 42,000 to
$51,000 approximately Join cfd.
Can we switch to the next slide
?
This is in Los Angeles your
same scale.
The mathematics Do not lie.
Point blank.
So this is this is our ask.
I'd like you to have a look out
into this audience right now.
This is what we call our sea of
red.
These are the men and women who
are willing to put it on
the line operating at the brink
from all different walks of
life, all different backgrounds
,different skill sets and
different attributes that they
bring to this department.
These are the faces that are
going to suffer if we don't
address this problem Head on.
This problem that has plagued
San Diego City firefighters for
the better part of three
decades.
These are the individuals whose
shoulders you will stand on if
you tell it.
This is America's finest and
one of America's safest cities
.
Them their blood, sweat and
tears, their divorces, marital
problems, mental health issues
from increased exposure to
human suffering and tragedy.
That is what we deal in.
Please don't signal to Local
145 and its membership that
that job is only really valued
in Los Angeles City or Los
Angeles County or au cfa or San
Francisco.
Please address the problem.
Get San Diego City firefighters
off of the bottom of
the compensation survey.
They are worth so much more
than that.
Every single one of them.
Those are the faces.
Those are the men and women.
So I implore you please.
We want to be allies.
Things work better when we're
collaborative.
>> We will stand.
This group, this sea of red and
this is only a fraction of what
we have available because we
have a massive incident going
up north.
We will stand shoulder to
shoulder with you against
anyone or anything that is a
threat to public safety and
the men and women who risk it
all the men and women who have
been injured on this job,
the men and women who have to
endure some of the most
horrifying sounds like
the loss, the loss of a loved
one and the sound of heartbreak
when a mother sees that she has
lost her child or someone sees
that they've lost their house,
that they've worked so hard
their whole life for.
And all of their heirlooms and
belongings.
This is what they do.
They should be compensated in a
fair and equitable manner.
Many of you were on the panel
or on council when
the compensation philosophy was
adopted.
We're not even asking to be at
the top.
Just please make us
competitive.
Please help us address this
recruitment and retention Make
it so that we can't I can walk
into a fire station one across
the street where I work and I
can look at my 24 year old
firefighter paramedic and say
hey, stay, stay.
They care.
They're going to do what's
necessary to take care of you.
Don't go to Los Angeles.
Don't go to San Francisco.
This city council, this mayor,
this city, they care about you.
Please make it possible for me
to not be lying when I say
that.
And again Local 145 is always
willing to be a partner that
Thank you very much.
And I want to end with just a
simple question and I hope all
of you based on your actions
will make it very clear where
you stand.
Do we want the San Diego Fire
Rescue Department to return to
training ground status after
Prop b?
Or do we want San Diego Fire
Rescue to be a destination fire
department that attracts
the best talent in the world?
Thank you very much for your
time and I'll be happy to field
any questions if you have any.
>> All right.
Thank you very much.
So we're going to do the next
Aereo and then we'll have
the council members ask any
questions they might have of
you.
All right.
We will now hear from
California Teamsters Local 986
.
Yeah.
And you, sir you will always
also have up to ten minutes
working just making sure.
>> Good afternoon, counsel.
My name is Patrick Van.
I'm a steward for Teamsters 96
representing the city of San
Diego Lifeguards.
Thank you for the opportunity
to speak today regarding
lifeguard recruitment and
retention.
There are many factors that
contribute to staffing
challenges but today I want to
speak broadly to what makes San
Diego lifeguards unique why
retention matters and what
the city can do to preserve
this profession for the future
generations.
San Diego lifeguards are unlike
almost any other public safety
profession.
In fact at the state and
the national level, lifeguards
are not even represent excuse
me not even recognized as first
responders.
Very few cities in the United
States even have a professional
ocean lifeguard service.
Fewer still operate year-round
emergency response systems at
the skill of which San Diego
does.
Our geographic excuse me our
geography demands that we
protect miles of coastline,
multiple harbors, coastal
cliffs, rocky reefs, marine
protected areas and some of
the busiest beaches in
the nation.
But what truly makes the city
of San Diego lifeguards unique
is the scope of work our
members perform.
Of course we handle what most
people associate with
lifeguarding water observation
,ocean rescues, medical aids
prevention, preventative safety
work and public interactions.
But beyond that our members
also perform scuba search and
rescue flood response maritime
firefighting Boating
Emergencies 911 Emergency
Dispatching law enforcement
functions And we offer a 24
hour emergency response.
The broad range of
responsibilities makes us
difficult to compare to other
agencies.
But it's also what makes this
profession so meaningful to
the people that do it.
Our members are highly trained
public safety professionals and
the city tarpon depends on them
Every single day.
At the same time, recruitment
and retention continue to be
major challenges.
Every year we lose about
approximately 20% of our
seasonal workforce and this
year alone we're expected to
hire nearly 60 new lifeguards.
Each of those recruits are
required to complete physically
demanding regional academies
passed background checks,
complete extensive field
training and learn to operate
in one of the most dynamic
emergency environments
imaginable.
A tremendous amount is asked of
them.
>> Many work weekends, holidays
,fixed schedules throughout
the busiest times of the year.
Most of our seasonal employees
receive no health care, no
pension, no paid leave and no
holiday pay.
They start at approximately $26
per hour.
And while that wage MAY sound
reasonable on paper,
the reality is the cost of
living in city of San Diego has
changed dramatically for many
of the young lifeguards Staying
in this profession long term
becomes financially unrealistic
even if they love the work.
And this is what and this was
the work that carries real
emotion and physical demands
Over the course of a summer a
lifeguard MAY respond to
hundreds of emergencies.
They will likely encounter
people experiencing some of
the worst moments of their
lives and in some cases
the last moments of their
lives.
This profession is not for
everyone but the people that do
do it stay because they do
believe in the they believe in
public service and they care
deeply about the community.
They know that They know
the difference that they are
making.
Another major part of retention
is working conditions.
Many of our facilities are in
urgent need of repair or
replacement.
At Ocean Beach approximately 20
lifeguards that work out of an
old station that leaks when it
rains and contains only a
single restroom and unisex
locker room at Mission Beach.
Conditions have deteriorated to
the point that lifeguards will
likely spend years operating
out of temporary trailers.
North Pacific Beach lifeguards
have been working for decades
out of what is essentially a
small metal shipping container
without running water or
restroom facilities.
Conditions like these
absolutely affect morale,
professionalism and retention.
When employees are asked to
perform at a high level for
public safety work while
operating out of deteriorating
facilities, it sends a message
about how their profession is
valued.
I also want to touch briefly on
compensation.
As I mentioned earlier, San
Diego lifeguards are difficult
to compare directly to other
classifications because of
the many of our members
eventually transition into
professions like firefighting,
law enforcement and health care
careers that share many of
the same emergency response
skills and responsibilities.
But one useful comparison does
exist.
Los Angeles County lifeguards
are one of closest comparable
agencies in terms of
operational scope and
professional responsibilities.
San Diego lifeguards currently
earn roughly 20% less than what
they make in the county of Los
Angeles.
Compensation matters because it
directly impacts the city's
ability to recruit and retain
experienced personnel.
Competitive pay helps us to
maintain a professional
workforce, retain institutional
knowledge and recruit employees
who reflect the diverse
community we serve.
Finally, I want to touch on
public awareness.
One of the most important roles
as a steward is to simply
educate people about what San
Diego lifeguards actually do.
I'm from New Jersey.
I get a lot of questions about
what I do.
I've been called a pool guard.
My parents don't really
understand it yet but we're
getting there.
We're going to get the figured
out that I work full time.
This profession gives people
the opportunity to serve their
community, protect lives, raise
a family here in San Diego and
dedicate themselves to public
service.
Many people still think
lifeguarding is a temporary
seasonal work but for many of
us this is a career in public
safety and emergency response.
But doing that becomes
increasingly difficult Without
sustainable wages, safe working
conditions and recognition of
equal responsibilities are
members carry.
I appreciate the support that
many of you showed toward our
members in our profession and I
encourage the city to continue
breaking down barriers that
separate lifeguards from other
public safety professionals
because ultimately this
conversation is not only about
employee retention.
It's about maintaining
the level of emergency response
and beach safety The public
expects and depends on every
year City of San Diego
Lifeguards Save Thousands of
lives.
The city should The city should
continue investing in
the people that make this
possible.
Thank you.
All right.
Clark, did any other recognized
employee organization indicate
their wish to speak during
today's presentation?
>> I did not receive any other
requests.
Okay.
That was just for the Oreos.
We'll still have time for
public comment.
So again, this is an
information item.
>> But with that I'll turn to
my colleagues for any questions
you might have for either
the Oreos or to staff.
And I don't see any body on
the line.
>> Council Member Rivera Thank
you.
Council PRESIDENT.
Since you're here both
the Oreos and coming up.
>> So first thank you all for
coming down.
Thanks for bringing the members
down And I know that standing
in front of Sandy in public and
making these statements isn't
easy.
It requires courage.
I appreciate you all doing
that.
>> I think you all mentioned it
in in certain terms but is it
as simple as just bringing you
all up to the point of being on
a level playing on a level
playing field with L.A.?
Is it increasing wages to a
certain amount?
I mean you've got us in front
of you.
I mean the most explicit terms
is you're willing to provide
them.
I think it's important for us
to hear how you think we can
make this better.
Sure, I would forgive
the analogy but if we got a
room full of firefighters here
so it's like bodybuilding,
right?
You don't get buff overnight.
It's something that takes any
level of fitness.
It takes time and we understand
that we've gotten to the place
where we're down here and we
don't anticipate by any stretch
of the imagination that this
could be fixed overnight.
Sure.
But we have to start digging
our way out of this and and
there's a lot of great work
that's been done by members of
this council that helped us
regain some ground over
the last several contracts.
But as you can all imagine,
each one of the other areas in
different cities they continue
to also gain.
So we we jumped up and then
fell right back down.
So I would say the first order
of business is establishing
some set level of how we can
keep pace, Right?
I mean we don't we're not going
to get into this marathon race
and try to win it on our first
shot.
But by GOD we have to get to a
point where we can at least
figure out how we prioritize
public safety.
And in that we'll find a way to
at least keep pace at least
live up to the compensation
philosophy to get us to median
right.
I would say that's the biggest
thing.
So how do we go about doing
that?
Well, that's that's a lot of
conversations.
It's a lot of very difficult
decisions.
But I think that's why all of
us are here.
So I hope that answers
the question.
But that's at least the a good
starting point is to really
identify how we can just get
ourselves into a system that
allows us to keep pace.
Thanks.
Okay.
>> Thank you.
Absolutely.
I think that is a great place
to start it.
It's it's it's absolutely going
to be one of the things that
we're dealing with in the city
of San Diego is dealing with
the rising cost of living in
the city of San Diego,
particularly if we're going to
continue the recruitment
program that we have.
We recruit consistently from
our seasonal ranks.
They are guaranteed work from
essentially Memorial Day to
Labor Day and it gets
increasingly more difficult to
keep those guards engaged and
bringing them back year after
year after year if there's
going to be that nine month
period where they don't have
that guaranteed income and
ensuring that the income is
going to be worth it and making
sure that it's able to continue
living.
I'd also say on top of that one
of the biggest issues that we
deal with has to do with
the facilities that we're
dealing with in the city of San
Diego.
We as I stated, there's three
facilities just right off
the top that make it very, very
difficult to maintain.
Recruitment is a along those
lines.
But if you go and work North
Bay and you're sitting in that
shipping container, there's no
level of privacy associated
with that.
If you're working in Ocean
Beach and you're there in
the winter and it starts
leaking and you're trying to
figure out how to take care of
that.
That also jumps in the way of
making sure that we're able to
do our jobs.
We've all talked about
the mission beach issue that's
going on right now and we're
thankful that we're taking
the steps to start to try and
react and fix that problem.
But this is going to continue
to happen over the next 20, 30
years.
I'm young in my career.
I'll be here for another 20
years.
But we want to make sure that
we're setting ourselves up to
take care of the next
generation and the generation
after that and make sure that
we have the state of the art
facilities that you do see in
L.A. County and all these other
agencies that are investing in
there and they're public
safety.
I'd also like to say once again
lifeguards not being
represented as public safety
officials outside of the city
is not something that directly
affects the city but it
absolutely affects us as a
profession And we hope that you
guys will be able to support us
as we start to work on that
journey of making sure that
lifeguards across the state and
across the United States are
recognized in the public safety
that they represent.
>> Thank you.
Appreciate that.
And then just one more question
and I have comments to make but
I'll just save this part for
questions.
The turnover component of this
what does it mean when your
your colleagues are essentially
having to look elsewhere at all
times for for better
opportunities?
I think like most of us can
speculate as to why that is But
in like terms that help us
understand what that looks like
for you all in your day to day
jobs.
What does it mean when folks
are leaving for other other
departments for different
careers?
Sure.
No, And that's a that's a
really great question.
I'm glad you asked it because
there's two components to that
to that answer.
One, obviously there's a level
of understanding.
These people have families.
They have lives And this is one
of the most beautiful, most
expensive places to live in
America.
So it is a very strong
challenge that comes with it a
sense of understanding.
That said though, I understand
that outside of combat this is
you form bonds with people by
virtue of what we're exposed to
and what we have to carry each
other through.
I mean one of the biggest
killers in our profession has
just become suicide And I can
only represent to you so much
in in words how important and
valuable some of
the conversations that I've had
in the kitchen table in a fire
station or and to see people
that you see as a brother or a
sister make that very difficult
decision to leave is
devastating.
These are people who are in
your wedding party.
These are people who your kids
call Uncle Dante.
I mean it's just the human
factor is devastating And
the financial impacts as you're
well aware, they are what they
are.
They're incredibly challenging
especially in this region.
So to answer your question, I
mean there's a whole gamut of
different emotions and things
that you have to deal with and
people leave.
And obviously the elephant in
the room, the talent that you
lose, the experience that you
lose.
This is life and death.
What we do not to be
the hyperbole guy but my
goodness people's lives depend
on what we do.
They depend on the fact that
whoever showing up is
experienced and obviously as
Derek highlighted, these are
really great people but they're
brand new who aren't bringing
any experience and experiences.
You can only get it one way and
we're not attracting we're not
attractive enough to coax
people away from other
departments who have that
experience.
So I mean we're talking
operational, we're talking on
an individual level and
obviously a financial aspect of
it are very challenging.
>> As I said, I moved to
the city of San Diego 11 years
ago as a seasonal lifeguard one
when I first moved to the city.
I paid $600 a month in rent.
I shared it with an employee
and the compensation for
seasonal lifeguards was enough
to for me to make that work.
We're quickly moving towards a
time where people are not going
to be able to make ends meet
just based off of the pay
that's associated with
lifeguard ones.
And obviously as the gentleman
from Local 145 and people that
I work with on a day to day
basis and people that I respect
admire just said when we lose
these people it's not just one
person leaves and another
person steps into their place.
We're now having to replace a
knowledge gap, a skill gap and
then we have to train those
people up and we're happy to
bring in new people and train
that.
But we also want to keep
the institutional knowledge
that's associated with the city
of San Diego lifeguards as much
as humanly possible.
We're seeing significant
turnover at the lifeguard two
ranks.
We're very young agency right
now because we're starting to
see that turnover kind of start
to take place And the people
that we're bringing in are
very, very, very skilled and
very high executer But there is
something to be said about
losing that institutional
knowledge as the city continues
to get more and more expensive.
People are going to have to
make tough decisions.
We've had we've lost lifeguards
in the last couple of years who
just can't afford to make ends
meet at the seasonal ranks.
We have people that are very,
very smart, very skilled but
they've made the realization
that lifeguarding they can't do
the six years as a seasonal
lifeguard in order that
the time that it takes to
promote and we do end up
thankfully sending a lot of our
lifeguards over to the fire
department and working with
Local 145 and we're happy to be
able to support those guys that
end up doing that.
But we also need to make sure
that we're supporting our ranks
as we have pretty frequent
turnover right now.
I think in the next five years
we're losing 25 lifeguards So
that does take a while for us
to train them up, get them to
the position where they're able
to move into and replace that
knowledge.
So that would be it.
>> Thank you.
I appreciate those responses.
Like I said, I have got some
more comments I want to respect
the process that that
the PRESIDENT Set up.
It's an unacceptable status
quo.
I think that's clear.
And the one thing I do want to
say is that thank you to both
both unions for showing up to
support revenue when we've when
we made those pushes because
growing the pie or the cake is
an important step in getting to
where we want to go And I know
that you all have done that on
a regular basis.
>> So I just want to say thank
you.
Thanks guys.
President.
All right.
Thank you, Councilmember de la
Rivera.
We'll go next to council
PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee Thank you
Council PRESIDENT And thank you
all for showing up today
especially being that I'm in
District six we borders around
Valley with the council
PRESIDENT And so thank you to
all the 45 members who are out
there today actually fighting
that fire currently.
I think what kills them are
really Rivera asked what was
important and I really
appreciate your very honest
answer to that because I think
that is the struggle that we as
a city are continuing to have
in terms of not just talking
amongst ourselves but also
talking to the public which is
that the things that we care
about in the city and we hear
from business all the time
about public safety, fire
management being important
brush management be important.
These things don't happen
without us choosing to fund it
and to secure the resources
necessary to do so.
And you all watched how
difficult those discussions can
be with the public.
I think we have a lot of work
to do as a city not just to try
to figure out how we align
greater resources but we've a
lot of work to do to earn trust
with constituents and voters
the public as a whole to be
willing to invest in
the services that we're telling
them we desperately need in
the city.
And so when you mentioned that
this isn't just some dream that
next year we'll snap our
fingers and we'll hit
the median that we have all
said we would in terms of our
compensation philosophy.
But it's something that we
actually have to show that
we're working towards and
that's something I'm very
challenged with in the city is
as you are all expressing
today, I think we share
the same frustrations which is
we don't have a strategy right
now of how we're going to get
there and I totally get it.
I understand why either of your
members would wake up in
the morning and say well
there's no hope and timeline
and expectation of the efforts
that are going to produce some
change.
How do we know where we're
headed?
So I think that's what's
important moving forward is how
we work together as a city.
Work with each of you for
members but also work
collectively with the public to
try to earn that trust to get
some strategy moving forward
and how we're going to achieve
the resources that are
necessary to fund not just
public safety but tomorrow
we're getting arguing over
libraries and parks and we had
a whole discussion of arts and
culture and whether that's
important to city and all these
things continue to be lacking
And if we don't make a
concerted effort to actually
turn that around it won't
change.
I'm pretty sure today and
tomorrow we're going to be
hearing commentary from folks
who tell us that the city
should simply be tightening its
belt, that we should be living
within the means that we have
spending within the means that
we have We're spending within
the means that we have means
leaving you all at the same
level of funding that we've
left you all that year after
year.
It means watching you fall
further behind year after year
compared to your your parallels
not even in the city of Los
Angeles but I'm going to guess
even within this region alone
that's a challenge.
So I don't think we're in a
position where we can just live
by our means, just watch our
spending because if that's all
we're going to do, we're not
going to get where we need to
be.
I'm certainly committed to
figuring out how we can work
together to to chart a better
path.
I hope everyone else here feels
the same.
Thank you.
All right.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Pro Tem.
We'll go next to Councilmember
Vaughn Wolpert.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT So we're
doing comment now than
the public comments and we can
comment again thank you I'm so
I was confused at the process
so again thank you for being
here I appreciate all of you
very much.
And first of all one question
I've always viewed lifeguards
as part of public safety
through time and they're not Is
there a legal term that would
need to change within the city
of San Diego?
>> We are recognized as public
safety.
It's outside of the city in
the United States and at
the state level they're not
recognized as public safety
officers for public first
responders.
There's no legal term that
represents us as first
responders even though
frequently we find ourselves
being the first person on scene
for a lot of calls.
>> Okay, I'd be happy to write
letters to whomever in
the state or federal government
to know that because you work
alongside all of our
professional and saving lives
and I appreciate what you do
and the on behalf of course you
are Second I Mark you're right
we can't get continue to get
into a rotating cycle of we
raise enough compensation that
we're not the bottom but then
we get to the bottom again
become a training ground
because it is more expensive
for us to train new
firefighters, give them
the expertise they need and
then they leave And that
happens over and over and over.
And I remember a few years ago
I was fighting hard to just
increase the compensation for
our wildfire helicopter team
because what's the point in
buying the helicopters if we
don't have the staff to
actually get them off
the ground and get a crew
inside to actually execute
rescues and get the water to
where we need it.
So I'm glad that we did And
it's showing they're probably
out there right now actually
saving us in one of Valley.
But that worries me quite a bit
too.
We've already slipped down to
the bottom of the compensation
study.
I'm also quite worried about
the fact that we continue to
take money from the ems fund
out of the fire rescue
department and this was set up
so that we could actually have
our own in-house, you know,
paramedic training school and
get people trained out to
the extent of what you need a
paramedic and stay within our
department.
I'll have to go outside and I'm
I'm worried that we're going to
continue to do this And so I
think we need to start fighting
back and saying no because this
is revenue that you are working
hard to bring to the city that
should be used for the fire
department.
And I know we're thinking about
a different model of how we
deploy our bill say all of that
And if we continue to do that
we MAY recruit and train
the people we're going to be in
those ambulances might be city
employees.
So they also need to know that
they can actually have a career
here in San Diego and not be
taken away by higher salaries
in other jurisdictions.
Can I ask right now in terms of
what we haven't finished
negotiating the current
contract for the days I know we
are in a budget deficit.
Everybody is struggling right
now because our city
unfortunately did not pass that
The sales tax increase Honestly
if we had one that was just
focused on public safety and
infrastructure I'll bet you
that would pass.
Just a thought out there.
But so I'm wondering what can
we do this year even to try and
help you know, have any
treasure maps to you know,
honestly there's been several
attempts to identify revenue
generation.
Councilmember Rivera alluded to
that We are in a definite
challenging position in these
economic times.
It is a very easy thing for me
to stand here and say on behalf
of my membership that this is a
priority issue because
obviously I'm not saddled with
running the entire city.
I'm simply representing my
membership.
I obviously I'm biased.
I know that there's definitely
different services that
everybody provides.
I think a lot of them are
wonderful and very important.
I'm again biased when it comes
to fire rescue because of
the by virtue of what we do So
short of having further
discussions about how we do
generate more interview revenue
potential with at least some
future initiatives and again
doors are open.
We're going to have a sit down
and have a discussion about
those kinds of outside the box
ideas because there is no
length that we won't go to is
local 145 and service of our
members and trying to right
the wrongs of three decades.
So yeah we're very open to
conversations and and I think
taking some of this stuff for
sure.
Okay Got it.
Thank you.
And my next question is all
through our infrastructure and
I know some of the facilities
are operating out of are
completely substandard.
I mean there's a whole bit
attendant and one of the fire
stations is now a giant canvas
Kevlar tent but need to stop.
And also with the lifeguards
I've been in some of your
stations and it is pretty
abysmal.
I mean that ocean air just
cracks everything apart.
I do want to thank
the lifeguards though for
figuring out a revenue saving
source by branding the people
We talked to hundreds here and
we should never be in a
position where we're having to
ask to put brand names on
buildings to get them funded.
I mean this is ridiculous Given
this have we thought about
doing that for them?
Should be or the mission Beach
Lifeguard Tower I cannot
believe the price that they
wanted to call was like what
$33 million for one tower is
ridiculous But yeah I'm not
privy to the costs But yeah
absolutely.
Just to kind of second what
local 145 the lifeguards are
willing to work with whatever
we think is going to make this
the easiest transition
possible.
We're constantly trying to work
alongside all the city council
members to figure out ways for
us to to work together to make
to fill these gaps.
As you said, those are one of
the best parts of the job but
it's also one of the worst
parts of the job because it
does just destroy everything
that kind of comes in contact
with.
So as you said, brands
partnerships, stuff along those
lines they can make things That
would definitely be something
that I think the city could
look into.
That would be something that
you guys would have to decide
but I don't see Local 145 or
Local 96 you know fighting it
too much.
We're just happy and we're
looking for solutions and if we
can find solutions together I
think that's something that we
would definitely be willing to
talk about At the very least.
Okay.
Thank you.
Well, I'm happy to reserve my
questions for the rest of your
public comment but thank you
for what you do.
You can't outsource number one
and you can't not answer
the call.
You know and I know you guys
are all working When I say guys
I mean men, women, everybody
longer hours and callbacks that
you have to You can't say no to
mandatory overtime And I know
you have to go to the wildfires
as well for strikes So anytime
you would have off you're
heading wildfires in their
jurisdictions And I know that
is incredibly taxing on you on
your families and it's really
been awful to see that spiral.
So thank you for coming in and
raising awareness of this
because we need to do better as
a city.
>> Appreciate it.
All right.
Thank you.
Councilmember Bumble.
First we'll go next to Council
member Campion.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Want to thank
both of our recognized employer
organizations for being here
and so many folks showing up in
public and checking your cell
phones to see how your
colleagues are doing right now.
I know you're worried about
them.
I appreciate the dichotomy of
what we're seeing from Los
Angeles versus San Diego and
what the difference is and
keeping pace And I know that
given how far ahead L.A. Is
21,000 plus dollars a year at
the starting end of the scale,
if L.A. Increases by 3% every
year, we would have to increase
by 6% every year to catch them
in ten years.
So this is an L.A. And San
Diego give or take a few things
here.
There are roughly the same cost
of living a little bit more
expensive for apartments here,
a little bit more expensive for
groceries and gasoline and
transportation up there.
So I think the counterpart that
you chose is absolutely right.
That is what we should peg
ourselves to And say how are we
going to get to that standard
and aim for that And just
thinking that we have to give
twice the percentage in terms
of increases to catch up It's
daunting but why shouldn't we
set that goal?
Why shouldn't we prioritize it
that way?
I think we should.
I wanted to point out a couple
things too that didn't that
came through but didn't weren't
necessarily very explicit.
The burnout of being
understaffed means that
the response times end up being
slower.
The folks leave to go somewhere
else, that the cohesion of
the units end up fracturing and
those are incalculable.
Those are invaluable things.
You can't assign a dollar
figure to that and ultimately
the public just wants to know
they're going to have someone
show up on time and you do it
over and over and over again.
But we have to quantify this So
I'm going to be looking at
the contract and future
contracts and say just how
quickly are we closing in on
L.A. To make sure that we keep
people here?
The second thing it was not
brought up today but I do want
to say in a public forum that
the presumptions that
the health care presumptions
that the city ought to have in
our milieux with fire and with
our lifeguards should be at
the highest standard recognize
the most amount of ailments to
take care of you in your
retirements.
I think that what a lot of
people might not know is just
the severe lack of sleep that
firefighters and lifeguards
have to go through itself over
the course of a lifetime.
It increases your chance of
cancer and a whole bunch of
other ailments And I know that
that's hard to calculate in
the long run, but I want every
firefighter in lifeguard to
know that if you get sick when
you're old City of the city of
San Diego is going to take care
of you.
Those are things that should be
recognized in the mou as well
as the dollar figure that we
should be aiming for.
So I appreciate you bringing up
the math and know that we're
fighting for more than just
dollars but we're fighting for
your families and we're
fighting for your health in
retirement as well.
Thanks for always bringing
those things up in private
conversations with us as well.
>> Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT All right.
Thank you.
Council Member Camp Hill
Council Member Foster Yes,
Thank you, Council PRESIDENT
And as my colleagues mentioned,
thank you for for being here
today.
Thank you to your members for
coming.
I am surprised and continue to
be surprised that lifeguards
are not considered first
responders And I always tell
the story.
One day when I was at the beach
my son had graduated and I
happened to go out to try and
secure a fire.
When you go show up at five in
the morning right and camp out
of the firing.
But I must say it's a busy day,
first day of summer basically.
And one thing that I had
the privilege to do was to
actually watch our lifeguards
And I was amazed at I felt like
a lifeguard once they entered
the water they never came out
of the water as quick as they
came back to shore as quick as
they were right back in And it
was it was all day.
And so I think it's unfortunate
and something that I think does
need to be addressed long term
I guess just for staff and I do
appreciate the presentation but
I think one thing that I have
not been able to fully get my
arms around as we talked about
the city budget and as we were
trying to deal with deficit and
trying to make sure that we are
in a position to provide
resources whether that's p or
mp.
One thing is I have tried to
look at our vacancies on
finding some very interesting
information.
I'm finding that we have
positions that are being
reported as vacant dating back
to as late as 2017 and 2018.
Can you explain to me why we
would have positions that are
vacant dating back to 2017 and
2018 and what are we doing to
carry those types of numbers
and what impact would that have
to um to to our current status
as we are looking at in dealing
with negotiations and contract
as we look at starting salaries
and things of that nature
because I'm just lost as to why
we would have a position that's
been vacant since 2017.
I'm not saying it's fire so
please don't think that I'm
just in what I have seen
Thinking of the number of us
for each one of the vacancy
information is specific for
that position So maybe that
person was on leave.
If you have some examples we
can look into those specific
one the Department of Finance
works very closely with
departments to try to maintain
the status of the vacancies and
fill them as actively as
possible.
But each and every
classification is uniquely
different depending on
the circumstances.
>> Okay, I appreciate that And
I'll give you an example.
As we were looking at
the police department I have
police positions or an officer
positions that have been vacant
since 2017.
My question would be if it's a
budgeted position clearly we're
carrying the salary, right.
Which if that position has been
vacant since 2017, what are we
doing with those dollars?
I feel as if we are just
dropping the dollars to
the bottom and using it as a
slush fund to fund whatever
priority is there.
So I guess that's what I'm
trying to to better understand
and get to the bottom of that
makes sense.
As one example I think
Councilmember Ellis if I don't
know for a lot of to come up
but there are a few things to
you that one have to have a
conversation with your office
as well.
Just because a position is in
the budget does not necessarily
mean that it isn't and it
remains unfilled.
Doesn't mean that we are
setting aside dollars for it.
We do have what we call a
budget or personnel expenditure
savings or vacancy factor that
we apply to all departments.
So while you MAY see in fte in
a budget if it is vacant for
the entire year in many cases
there are not actual dollars
attached to it with particular
positions in some departments
where there are several
the same classifications we've
had like say five different of
ones or whatever the position
is There's frequently turnover
in positions that are also in
that same classification.
So there is a chance that one
of those positions that you'll
see see being vacant for 2017
there would have been people
being hired and people leaving
from that classification of
positions but that actual
personnel number MAY not have
had a person put into it.
Well it could have If we just
use a different personnel
number it's the same
classification but that gets
into some really nitty gritty
details.
We're probably better to spend
the time just you and me
sitting at a spreadsheet as
opposed to talking about it
here.
But I'm happy to follow up and
and I guess I appreciate that
clarity But even as we talk
about I guess a term used with
nitty gritty details, I don't
know how we fix the structural
deficit if we don't spend
the time to go through
the nitty gritty details and to
put the budget in a position to
where it is transparent.
Can we understand what is in
front of us And I will just
follow that up with unbudgeted
positions.
i think there are so many
things that are being moved It
is very, very difficult to
understand at any given time
Where are we truly at
financially so we can make
the appropriate decisions that
we need to make to make sure
when we address the structural
deficit and as I said before
too that we are providing our
employees our resources to meet
the obligations that they are
being asked to meet.
And so I just feel until we
deal with what we need to deal
with as we have a financial
system that I'm sure we spent
probably a billion or so on
thus far, I just think there's
somehow we need to get into
that detail and make sure we
understand it so we can be on
solid on a solid foundation as
I am a I'm a builder.
I always like to be on a solid
foundation so we can move this
city forward properly.
Well, we'll work with you.
Those are certainly important
details.
I stand back a little bit just
for comparison to Los Angeles
just to get to some of
the comments that I thought
were very present
Councilmember, we had I
appreciate it for comparison.
It is a very similar city to us
in terms of our cost of living
and the general cost of doing
business.
They have a higher sales tax
rate that goes directly to
their city than we do.
They have a higher hotel tax
rate that goes directly to
the city and we do They have a
utilities user tax.
The city of San Diego does not
have any They have a parking
occupancy tax.
The city of San Diego does not
have any They have a documented
transfer tax for the two times
or more the city of San Diego
starting the transfer tax They
have a business gross receipts
tax.
The city does not have a
business gross receipts tax
They have an enormous we larger
tax base and the number of
taxes and revenues that are
going into them.
The city of San Diego does that
factors into what they can
afford to pay their employees
and that factors in to
the limited amount that we have
for the services that people
are demanding.
All right good counsel present
.
>> All right.
Thank you, Councilmember
Foster.
We'll go next to Councilmember
Campbell.
Thank you so much.
Council PRESIDENT.
I wanted just a little bit
different First of all, I want
to say that the first
responsibility of government is
the safety of the people and
that our first responders which
I have always felt included
lifeguards, firemen and police
and paramedics and our medics
and our ambulance services.
First of all, thank you.
You are number one.
You are what we need the most
of this is our number one
responsibility is government.
Number two, when I saw your
eight years ago our firemen
police and lifeguards were paid
28, 29 and 35 compared to
the 30 cities with which our
personnel people would compare
us to.
I thought this was appalling.
I immediately went to work to
raise it.
My goal was to raise it to
number one position of all
those 30 cities we got at least
halfway there.
Now I'd like to ask who are
the three that we compare to
And I haven't heard the numbers
for this year but I thought we
were still at least in a median
position.
Am I incorrect?
Have we slipped back down to
28, 29th and 30th they're
looking at up In the meantime
let me say lifeguards thank you
.
I know that you saved thousands
and thousands of lives every
year with with water rescue
especially tourists in
the ocean And I don't think
the general public in San Diego
realizes how many thousands of
lives you guys save.
And I want to restate that in
the month of MARCH which as we
all remember was very hot this
year you guys saved about 800
people from drowning.
And I also want to thank you
because you do the water
rescues during floods and you
have saved many lives that way.
You have gone all over this
nation doing water rescues And
I so appreciate that And I know
we all do So I do not want you
to be underpaid.
I don't think any of us want
you to be underpaid.
Of course the lifeguards
station and will be that a tin
can When I got elected Scott
Peters came over my house.
He was our congressman then.
He had been PRESIDENT Of
the council and he had been
the head of the Environment
Committee and he asked me what
committee I want to be head of
and I said environment.
So it was perfect that he was
there.
He said What can I do to help?
I said We need a new lifeguard
station.
It'll be He said I'll do what I
can to help.
And he tried to get money from
the federal government for us.
Now you know the problems we've
had with the federal government
.
Nevertheless we should have had
that done.
We should have had it built.
We went through a variety of
exercises with our finance
department.
Our police department was
willing to share with
the budgeting of this so that
they could also have a station
where they could write their
reports whenever at
the beaches.
But this has not come to
fruition and it was horrible
eight years ago when I looked
at it and it's worse now So I
feel for you.
I feel for you and I think we
all do But especially because
so much of my district is beach
area I definitely, definitely
feel for you and I definitely
have witnessed what you go
through.
So do we have that answer?
Yes.
Councilor Campbell based on our
recent total compensation
survey which we do in
preparation for negotiation,
the four new hires the 145
represented overall
classification is 4.9% below
market median.
So in other words we'd have to
be 4.9% to get to market median
for their overall
classification.
Now each of the individual
classifications have different
amounts but that's for
the average for the entire
bargaining unit.
But that's for fire.
That's for level 145
representative wage.
What about lifeguard?
Well, lifeguards are difficult
because we don't have 30 we can
compare with because not too
many people have the beaches.
We have not too many cities
have that.
So I know we don't compare to
30 but we did compare to what
ten others?
Yeah.
So for local effects we are 1%
above the market median based
on that total compensation
survey.
But as you said we're difficult
to compare to other agencies.
That's the closest that we
have.
It's for a very small number.
It's 45 classifications are
surveyed and out of that total
there is apologies Once again
there's about five agencies
that have similar
classifications that are
similar in nature so that
the comparison is the 1% to
that.
So out of the classes it's
three.
So we're we're we're going
we're backsliding a little bit
on the fire almost 5% and we're
more median on the lifeguards
But we need to we need to do
better And I still have
the goal of 100% of those my
last year on council I'm sorry
about that but I was very
interested in what the idea had
to say about the various fees
that Los Angeles can collect
that we don't.
They have also the second
largest city in America.
They have at least ten times
more population than we have.
So that makes it better.
However, I must say also I grew
up in Colorado.
I've lived in many places
around the country.
I have never seen a city not
have an income tax.
The city does not have an
income tax.
Not smart for a politician to
talk about tax But you know
what cities need income.
We have a lot of income one
fourth of it for a general fund
we get from property tax.
We add $0.12 on the dollar from
the county on our property tax
and a lot of our property tax
goes to schools.
So that's good because we have
to we have to help our schools
But is this right?
When I was in the legislature
and I wasn't even running for
office I asked him about this
and he said he he had
the legislate idea get in touch
with me.
And what we found out was that
the legislature, the state
legislature of Sacramento
decides how much percent
the cities in the county are
going to get out of that county
property tax.
The legislature decides not at
the local people legislature.
So that's one thing.
Now our our $0.12 was decided
probably 1950 when the county
provided most of the services
to the people who lived in San
Diego County.
We were very small city then
but it hasn't changed since and
it's supposed to be based on
the number of services provided
by that governmental entity.
So we need to tell our people
in Sacramento and I'm sure
every other big city in
the state is going through this
although we are the second
largest next to L.A. We need to
tell them change that it's out
of date.
We need more percent of our
property tax to come back to
San Diego.
So that's one thing we need to
do.
Another thing we need to
consider as citizens think
about it Would it kill you to
pay a half a percent of
whatever it is you pay to
the state income tax?
No.
Would it help your city?
Yes.
Think about that.
I know people hate to even
think about taxes.
I don't blame you.
We all hate paying taxes but we
have to if we want services we
have to pay for them And if we
want to pay our people an
excellent wage we have to raise
the money.
So we have to think of new and
different ways and we have to
look at all those extra fees
that are against and figure out
how we can help so that we have
more budget so that we can
raise the wages.
And something else I'd just
like to say to my colleagues to
consider and that is that there
has been a big push to give
something like $10.3 million to
the arts this year.
I believe last year I know
somebody out there can tell me
how much we gave to the arts
last year.
Was it 4.7 million?
Do you remember Rolando I don't
I don't recall exactly but it
was nowhere near the 10.3.
>> Some people want to get it
this year because you're
talking about paying for
the arts and for the arts Last
year last year 11.8 million 11
point How many Point eight.
>> Okay So last year was 11
million.
This year we're talking 10.3
million.
Yes.
Okay.
All right.
Well, we need to give money to
the arts.
Why?
Because the arts bring us
money.
The arts bring us revenue and
the arts for our souls So we do
need money for the arts.
But you know what?
Public safety number one.
So I asked my colleagues
consider other things that you
want to fund.
Is it possible is it possible
that we can shift some things
so that our people get a decent
wage?
Think about it We might not be
able to do this year but let's
let's all put our heads
together and think of ways that
we can have more money so our
city is not starving for funds.
>> Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Thank you.
Council member Campbell Council
Member Lippert I about Council
PRESIDENT I'll be very brief.
>> My colleagues have had a lot
of good comments.
I just like to take
the opportunity to say thank
you.
You had an extraordinary number
of calls in my district which
is this urban area that goes
without her permission valid.
You know, you get a lot of
medical calls for people
experiencing homelessness.
You've got all the high rises
with fire alarms, crashes on
the freeways.
The lifeguards respond to
floods and the river when it
rains.
I know you have your hands
full.
It's a difficult job.
I just want you to have I just
appreciate it.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT.
All right.
Thank you, gentlemen.
I would not see anybody else in
the lights.
I'll offer a few closing
thoughts myself.
Thank you for what you all do.
I mean just bottom line I just
saw that the rental fire,
the forward progress on that
has been stopped.
That didn't happen magically It
happened because an amazing
number of individuals and
pieces of equipment were out
there to make that stand and
prevent as far as I understand
the structural damage out
there, there's a lot of mopping
up left to do but that happens
because of the training,
the expertise and
the commitment that you all
have individually and
collectively going forward.
Lifeguards I think I told
the story More than one
lifeguard saved my daughter,
her friend from a retired Donna
Lloyd Shores many, many years
ago.
So I always felt that was
personal.
The couple of things One I'm
old enough to remember when
there was proposal to put
advertisements on lifeguard
towers and I was down there was
my first tv appearance They
held our advertisements.
I think I've changed my mind.
If the Acme Company wants to
sponsor the new Mission Beach
Lifeguard I'm all in I tell you
because we got to be creative.
That's how we're really going
to do the equipment side And
when we take the pressure off
the budget on the equipment
side and facility side, then we
can talk about the salary side,
you know, because that's
incredibly important.
But I do want to talk about
facilities a little bit because
I've seen in my district
amazing support by
the community on the fire site
Fire Station 21, one of
the better equipped fire
stations Fire Station 13 got
totally rebuilt.
You see San Diego paid for Fire
Station 52.
That's that's got to be
the newest fire station in
the entire city And I believe
the fire station 16 is actually
being remodeled as we speak
through strictly private
private dollars.
>> We got to get some of that
activity on the lifeguard side
,North Beebe lifeguard station
as a whole different question
But I think one thank you for
those folks that understand
the importance of doing
everything that the private
sector do to can make life just
a little bit easier for the 24
hour shifts the long night etc.
Etc. But that what we have to
do better I think my colleagues
have said it very, very well.
The only other thing I'll throw
out there is something that my
office has been looking into I
think others.
Proposition 172 I think it was
before most of you were even
born and I just quit in 1993.
So which were supposed to be a
safety sales tax to make up for
how much money was swung over
into education?
>> I don't think the city gets
anywhere near its fair share of
that safety sales tax.
That would be a big bump, very
targeted there.
It's easy for me to talk about
the little more complicated
because the county would have
to give up some of their money
for for it to flow to us
instead.
But there's other ways in
addition to the one my
colleagues said So we have to
figure it out.
We're in the middle of I'm sure
intense negotiation.
You have good representatives
at the negotiating table going
forward So thank you for
the good work.
Thank you for taking the time
this afternoon to make your
case and tell your story which
is a very personal one.
So thank you again as anybody
else in the lights you can take
a seat and we will go to public
comment.
There will be one more time for
council members to speak on
this item So public comment we
have three speakers here.
>> Max Schmidt if you can
please come up to
the microphone After that we
have allegedly Audra and then
Senator and then let me just
set your time.
You'll have a minute and a
half.
Please proceed.
>> Hi.
On item 69 the presentation on
the status of vacancy is
recruitment and retention
efforts for the fire
departments a very personal
issue for me And the reason why
is because when I got on 5150
by Communist for simply talking
about reincarnation and
teleporting on the Internet,
the fire department was used to
try to frame me as mentally ill
as well and my voice will not
be silenced by communists 5150
lost My voice will not be
silenced by the Communists
saying I am mentally ill Also
they didn't say 5150 to me held
me in a psych ward for three
months and inside the psych
ward they abused me just as
much as I'm being abused.
Currently at the Alpha Project
homeless shelter staff I'm
being abused everywhere I go by
Freemasons following me around
with an omnipresent audible
voice saying my thoughts out
loud and criticizing me And I'm
not crazy Down with the occult
i'm not crazy And also I don't
want to say something about
the city council because
they're kind of antagonizing me
as I sit back there and wait to
speak they're saying we're
going to 5150 You if you keep
it up going to 5150 and keep it
up and I call your bluff you're
not going to see it.
You want 50 me right Turn it
ten times and look where it's
got you next Exposing a new
world order like never been
before You're a reincarnated
possessed teleporting telepath
You know it allegedly Order If
you can please come forward.
So there's always a domino
effect Everything that you guys
do in 2021 and beyond when you
guys were implementing your
vaccine mandates you lost quite
a significant amount of public
safety workers And we've been
trying to make up
the difference ever since.
And it's like if you did
prioritize public safety it
wouldn't be like this And you
always always want to scapegoat
like oh it's problems with
the federal government Now you
guys have plenty of money, you
get billions of our dollars and
you guys aren't good stewards
of it but yet you want to now
come in and probably you're
going to bring in some kind of
income tax for the people.
Right?
All the things that L.A. Has
And it's like I mean if you
guys were spending it wisely,
we wouldn't have to be making
cuts like this.
I mean the people that are here
should be making the kind of
money that you guys make But
you sit up here on the dais and
you're the ones that are
the arbiters of whether or not
they're going to be able to
make a decent wage And it's
like they're the ones that are
on the front lines doing
the work while you guys sit up
here and pretend that you are
significant when it's actually
them and people that are
actually, you know, putting
their lives on the line And
it's just sad because you act
like there's just not enough
money now there's plenty of
money.
>> You're just misusing it And
if you weren't then people like
them wouldn't be, you know,
trying to figure out how to
just survive while you know,
making sure other people
survive.
So it's just sad because it's
like I mean you're going to
need them at some point.
I bet you're going to wish that
you paid a more when they come
to you including commentaries
and other First of all thank
you everyone for
the presentation and from
the union speakers and for
everyone who came out today.
Love you.
So a big question is how we
care.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee
how we care how we care about
our employees and how we care
about living within our means.
Thank you PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee
.
Policies and procedures too
many moving parts.
If one of our employees studied
those policies and procedures
would they understand them?
Would they be able to speak
them with us and figure them
out and say what's working and
what's not working?
I don't know.
Are they hindering the policies
and procedures?
Are they hindering us from
caring about our employees and
living within our means?
Can we even do both?
Isn't there a big question?
>> Let us share our stories and
let us stay together on this.
You can all comment.
The five minute timer has
concluded going to those
participating remotely starting
with Hector If you can please
unmute.
>> Thanks for taking my call.
I say get the firemen $20,000
raise for the new guys and then
we'll instrument the sales tax
program 10% In addition to all
the politicians in San Diego
and California who buy things
that stores and you'll be a
pilot program.
We'll see how that works for
you guys.
10% added to your sales tax to
pay for the raised for
the firemen And let's put 80
new units on the thing in
Mission Beach the fire the new
lifeguard tower will put two
eight units on top of it and
let the fire let the lifeguards
live in up.
It'll be great.
It'll be good recruiting thing
and let the firemen and
the lifeguards build it.
They can do it though.
Don't sub it out.
Let them build it will pay them
They know they can do the demo.
They can dig.
These guys have jobs.
They've caught some of our
contractors.
I know they can do it.
Let them do it.
Don't beat it up.
Some other guys will watch it.
Make sure they don't do
the gouges but it'll be great.
They'd like to 80 units We
could advertise in L.A. For
girls to come down here to live
in up to be lifeguards.
It's a no brainer.
Any woman in L.A. Would gladly
come to San Diego to be a
lifeguard.
I know some of those guys too.
That's what they did.
They don't want to stay in L.A.
The jungle they go there.
Thank you.
Your time has concluded.
Tony.
If you complete on you.
>> Hey, can you hear me?
Yes.
Please proceed.
>> I just wanted to say I've
been really inspired hearing
what everyone's been
contributing to this
discussion.
Thank you for the presentations
by the fire department and by
the firefighters excuse me By
your lifeguards.
I wanted to start by thanking
council member PRESIDENT Pro
Tem Kent Lee for reconsidering
your position on Floc as we're
having this discussion about
public safety.
Yes, Councilmember Campbell I
agree with you.
Public safety is number one but
we need to also consider smart
public safety.
Lifeguarding is smart public
safety.
Giving money to lifeguards is
smart Public safety giving
money to apps that are not
effective, that are targeting
the wrong people that are
causing us lawsuits.
3 million right now is what
the claim that's being sought
by the two people that were
falsely arrested by the flock
cameras as was reported
yesterday in the Times of San
Diego.
But I love what you said, MISS
Campbell.
I totally agree with you.
We do need to think about
having if we if we want to fund
these things that we want
funded, we need to have more
money coming from the state.
We can't just be collecting
this one center half it, you
know, like you were saying,
even collecting half a cent
more would be a substantial
increase from what we're seeing
right now.
So thanks everyone for your
input today.
Very well said.
>> Thank you.
Next is John Stump.
If you can please unmute.
>> Thank you very much, Counsel
.
>> You know in the police in
the fire, in the lifeguard they
all are seeking pay from and
receiving total compensation in
the area of a half million to a
quarter of a million per
employee.
That's the average.
You know it.
I know it.
How does that happen?
Because you've got overtime
being used to boost double pay.
Now what's the problem?
You need to find out.
Use equity and your equity
department to find out how many
employees live in District
eight, District nine and
District for our employees
leaving the city for greener
pastures to live in because
the schools are no good or the.
Don't they have pride in their
community?
We need to find out how many
are in Council district four,
eight and nine.
You know that old thing about
blacks not being able to swim
has been set up set aside by
Samoan Manuel and Cullen Jones.
Please give fair compensation
but don't do it with overtime
so they can live in Riverside.
>> Thank you.
Thank you.
That concludes your time.
The five minute timer has also
concluded Blair Wickman is
the last speaker in the queue.
Please proceed.
>> Thank you.
Blair Beekman Thank you for
the words as always from Tony
To add in our concerns that
public safety was life saving
and fire department.
They've recently moved over to
their technology and
surveillance tech moved over to
Jayhawks.
Where the data collection goes
I hope that the federal agency
there's separate from
the police.
I hope that we can be clear and
have clear conversations with
Jayhawks and not be afraid of
those conversations with data
collection technology.
With that said, good luck that
we can look for a new vendor
besides work by the way.
I wanted to comment that we are
out of time to really be
considering that well that
because you know this item is
saying that there's issues with
the technology and that
the technology will community
where people live in the center
communities.
Do you have good idea.
>> >> You seem to have cut off
That does conclude public
comment.
He did drop.
All right thank you city clerk
for that.
So there's one hour one
additional opportunity for
counsel to speak up again You
in there was pretty robust
conversation but council member
Eli Rivera Thank you Council
PRESIDENT It was robust.
>> I wanted to make sure that I
didn't add this part and I
think I appreciate some of my
colleagues comments.
Council PRESIDENT Pro Tem in
particular This is just an
entirely unacceptable way for
San Diego to live it.
Obviously the firefighters and
lifeguards essentially coming
to council to beg that they be
compensated enough to not have
to leave a city that they love
or a career that they love.
That's unacceptable.
That should never be happening
in a city with the amount of
resources I mean that on a kind
of broad level like the amount
of money that flows through
this city, the amount of money
that's taken out of this city
that should never be happening.
There's a conversation that
quite frankly some of us are
playing into a time that that
belt can be tightened enough to
get to where we need to go And
it's it's just not real.
It's not real And not only is
is that not real the idea that
the general fund is something
to be terrified of is also not
real.
This is who is paid for what
the general fund.
These are the services that we
talked about fire lifeguards we
didn't hear from from mta but
everything that folks want and
need as residents
overwhelmingly is paid for out
of the general fund.
So until we either are
committed to taxing the wealthy
and making corporations and
Tories pay their fair share,
most of this is just platitudes
and I these folks deserve more
than platitudes.
The last thing I will say in
terms of the conversation about
lifeguards being public safety
employees the city is continue
to take a position that
lifeguards are not entitled to
presumptive coverage in a way
that matches police officers
and firefighters And I've said
it and others have now said it
both on the dais in public and
elsewhere that we think that
that is wrong, this idea that
they should have to prove
whether or not illness that
they caught from the storm
the storm water that they dove
into or other ailments that
they might be dealing with were
caused on the job is not a good
way to indicate that we
actually value their profession
as a public safety profession.
So I'm glad that we are
consistently standing in
support verbally of public
safety.
Where we have to do better is
the willingness to have
the conversation to resource
the city well enough to
actually make good on
the requests that they're
making to us.
And I know we'll talk more
about this tomorrow as well.
Council PRESIDENT But I just it
bothers me immensely because we
shouldn't be living this way.
Thank you.
All right.
Thank you.
The member Eli Rivera will go
right to council member Von
Wolpert.
Thank you.
I also want to ask some
questions about recruitment
because you talked a bit about
retention today But you know
cutting the academy I mean
the cadet program is shooting
us in the foot because it is
such a great recruitment tool.
Same thing with the Women's
Fire Prep Academy.
We've gotten many, many
qualified firefighters out of
that academy as well.
But I guess my question is
citywide, you know, why do we
leave it to each department to
have to figure out how to do
recruitment on their own?
We have an entire personnel
department, entire H.R.
Department.
Obviously firefighters are
the best ambassadors to
the public.
You should be involved in
recruiting people.
That makes total sense.
But you know, I see David
delgado here.
You've done an excellent job
reforming the personnel
department and getting people
through but are there thoughts
that you have on how we could
relieve the burden on just
the fire department, just
the lifeguards do their own
recruitment.
We as a city could help support
them in their efforts And you
have done an excellent job,
sir, in reforming the personnel
department And I'm very glad
that you're here.
>> No, thank you so much for
the question.
First of all, I think it is
really important to have
the departments as a part of
the recruitment phase because
seeing these real life heroes
go out there and talk to
people, it really gets them in
the mood and really want to
join the city because they're
going to see the good they get
to bring in And we are working
on a lot of things to lower
the barriers.
Obviously we've talked about
that a lot here lately.
I'll give you a few examples.
We've worked with the chief's
office to remove testing
requirements and bring in house
training programs so that they
don't have to go through our
tests.
The physical abilities test,
stuff like that so that they
can be certified automatically
to lists allowing for people
who have passed their test
before to be certified as well.
So we are trying to bring down
the barriers In addition in
that looking forward we're
going to be doing more than one
fire recruit academy each year
So we're going to be doing two
recruitments now So we're open
to any suggestions.
We work closely with the fire
department and with the areas
but we do need them a part of
the process because they're our
best selling point.
Agreed.
I mean I'm thinking along
the lines of you had that
fantastic hiring you fair that
you guys did would tons of
people came out Is there a way
that you could help facilitate
that and they could Obviously
we need firefighters to be
there to be the ambassadors of
department but they're trying
to fight fires and rescue
people.
You know, they don't need to do
all the administrative work to
set these things up.
You could help with that and
not you personally.
I'm just saying your excellent
department could and then they
could come know Absolutely.
And so we've done a couple of
those hiring halls We are
moving forward with what we
call the Chief Logan Fire
recruit Hiring Hall So what we
do with that is when they do
have new hires we go to A.C. Do
the fingerprinting, the medical
schedule, everything for them.
So they're at a fire facility.
They don't have to come
downtown.
They don't have to pay for
parking.
So we are definitely doing
that.
And one of the issues right now
with hiring halls is if we
aren't hiring people, we don't
want to put out the false
perception of hey, come on down
here.
We have a whole lot of jobs
available when when we MAY or
MAY not So but absolutely we're
happy to do any of those hiring
fairs and whatever the chief or
or either one of the chiefs
need, we're always happy to
help.
Okay.
>> Thank you very much.
I appreciate it.
Thank you.
Okay.
All right.
Figured COUNCILMAN Ron Wolpert
not seeing anybody else on
the lights.
I'll thank you all for both
the presentation and all of you
for turning out both areas
taking the time to take
advantage of this moment while
negotiations are going
underway.
I think you made your points
very effectively.
I think you heard some support
across the entire Dyess here to
be candid how that translates
into negotiating contracts
remains to be seen.
But I think you guys did a
great job.
I think it was worth your time
to come down here and make your
case.
>> So well done.
All right.
With that.
Clerk Please introduce item 641
Item 641 is the repeal Balboa
Park paid parking user fee If
you're here for this item
please be sure to submit your
speakers up to the front of
the room in the clear box and
if you are participating
remotely now's the time to
raise your hand by pressing
Star nine or the raise your
hand icon.
>> Thank you Council President
All right I'm going to get men
are two for these good folks to
actually I can tell you as well
discipline that's quite as
crowd you ever seen except
the two chambers So we're going
to turn this over to council
member Whitburn to introduce
the item and you can introduce
your staff Sir Thank you very
much.
Council PRESIDENT I bring
forward today's action to
repeal paid parking at Balboa
Park.
This action formally approves
part of the negotiated
settlement that the City
Council supported in closed
session last month.
The settlement ends an effort
to repeal the city's trash fees
through a ballot measure.
If that effort had been
successful it would have cost
the city nearly $150 billion in
revenue for two consecutive
years.
So negotiate the settlement.
I worked with Michael Zucker,
the general manager of
the Mississippi Employers
Association and we built upon
an earlier work by the council
PRESIDENT.
The settlement has to be two
components reduction in
the city's trash fees and
the repeal of paid parking at
Balboa Park.
The first item we'll hear this
afternoon repeals paid parking
could double apart.
The next item will reduce
the city's trash fees.
Today I have two new updates
the repeal of paid parking good
Balboa Park.
First it will apply not only to
the parking lots but also to
street parking.
The city will restore free
parking both in the lots and on
the streets in Balboa Park And
second for people who bought
annual parking passes the city
will refund any portion of
the pass that extends beyond
the end of this year.
That's because parking will be
free for everybody by that.
And with that I will turn it
over to my chief of staff Jacob
o'Neill to present the item.
Good afternoon.
>> This proposal comes as part
of a larger negotiated
compromise regarding the solid
waste management fee that also
incorporated this proposed
repeal of the Balboa Park paid
parking user fee.
Councilmember Whitman presented
the negotiated compromise at
City Council closed session on
MAY 28th, 2026 where it was
approved for consideration here
in open session.
>> This item seeks approval to
rebuild the Balboa Park paid
parking program with been
within Balboa Park making
parking free for everyone
effective JANUARY 1st, 2027.
>> There are three types of
paid parking within Balboa Park
where meters or a kiosk will be
removed.
The first is the surface lots
parking meter kiosk will be
removed and all surface lots in
the park including a number of
surface lots.
Oregon Pavilion Casa de Balboa
Upper inspiration Point and
lower inspiration point along
with a few others.
The next areas that will
the kiosk will be removed are
on park Street locations.
Parking meters kiosks will be
removed on all park Street
locations including PRESIDENT's
Way Village place Balboa Drive
El Prado Kincaid Drive and
Juniper Road.
And then the third portion is
Park Boulevard.
There is metered parking there
like kiosk.
There's 46 parking meters that
were installed in Park
Boulevard is subject to
the mayoral authority under
council policy 20 dash 200 dash
zero four And the mayor has
agreed to remove all 46 parking
meters on Park Boulevard.
>> The item also asks that
the Treasurer's office stop
selling passes in order to not
sell any passes that will go
beyond DECEMBER 31st 2026.
Currently there are three types
of passes yearly, quarterly and
monthly and this action asked
that yearly passes stop being
sold Basically after today so
that there will be no refunds
due after the first of the year
.
It also asked that
the quarterly passes stopped
being sold after SEPTEMBER 30th
of 2026 so that the quarterly
passes will not go beyond
the first of the year and that
monthly passes stop being sold
on NOVEMBER 30th 2026 so that
they will also be done by
the end of the year.
The annual passes that have
previously been sold will be
refunded and a prorated portion
for all purchased annual passes
that remain unused as of
JANUARY 1st, 2027.
So if you bought it in FEBRUARY
of this year and went on
FEBRUARY of next year you'll be
refunded for the person
the portion beyond JANUARY 1st
.
>> Parking revenues for fy 2027
from park user fees were
projected at 4.4 million and
the mayor's proposed budget
working with the eBay and City
staff.
Revenues are now projected to
be higher for f y 2027 monthly
actual revenues from MARCH to
MAY have been coming in much
higher And as you can see from
the chart on the that the eBay
has helped create for us we are
now projecting 3.9 million
through DECEMBER 31st, 2026 and
at 3.9 million will still be a
little bit short of the 4.4
million that was budgeted.
But you can also see
the expenditures the enhanced
services for the tram will no
longer be needed for the rest
of the year for the final six
months of the fiscal year.
So that would actually save
$480,000 which combined with
the revenues will be basically
no impact for the 2027 fiscal
year and that you guys will be
voting on tomorrow.
>> So this proposed action
asked to repeal the previously
passed resolutions to approve
the parks user fee revisions to
authorize the City Treasurer to
discontinue issuing passes to
authorize the Treasurer to
refund the prorated passes
going beyond the first of
the year and also directed
the Department of Finance to
amend the rate book to remove
any mention of pro program in
Balboa Park parking fees.
So with that.
Any questions on the fiscal
impacts?
The idea I think is here to
answer and any questions on
the settlement.
Councilmember Whitman is here
to answer.
We in fact will go to
the office of the aba.
Great.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT.
Thank you, Jacob for
the presentation.
I just wanted to note as you
heard there will be limited
impacts on the f y 27 budget
which you're hearing tomorrow
associated with this action
provided the paid parking does
remain in effect through
the end of this calendar year
As you heard, that's because
paid parking revenue over
the last several months has
significantly exceeded
the projections that were
included in the project or in
the proposed budget.
That means that the net impact
of removing half a year is
largely covered by bringing in
more revenue than expected
during the first six months of
the fiscal year.
I do want to highlight that
there MAY be impacts on revenue
from the zero that is
associated with a recent 44
year lease extension while
those years minimum payment
called for in the lease will go
away with the termination of
paid parking.
The 5050 revenue split will
remain.
We are working to evaluate any
potential impacts for our fy 27
right now.
That said, while the overall
impact to the upcoming fiscal
year are minor, it's also worth
acknowledging that this means
that there will be less revenue
around 7 to $10 million once we
hit fy 28 and next year's
budget cycle will have to take
that into account.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT.
>> All right.
Thank you Charles for that
clarification with that clerk,
please proceed with public
comment.
>> Thank you, Council
PRESIDENT.
If we can have allegedly Andre
and Joyce Senator, please come
up to the front row Allegedly.
Audra, you can come up to
the microphone.
>> You'll have a minute and a
half.
>> I mean it's ridiculous that
we are here dealing with this
because obviously what you did
was illegal and
unconstitutional And the way
that you guys bring about these
fees is very negligent when you
know that this kind of stuff
can take place and all of a
sudden we have to come forward
and repeal what you've already
put forward like those 46m and
all of the kiosks like how much
money are we losing Because you
decided to go down this path
and we had to go into
litigation that's costing us
not only $1 million for that
but how much more money did you
lose in the process of that?
And then you're talking about
revenue that's been lost like I
mean, when are we going to
start doing things that are
that are for the benefit of
the people Because the people
will come in here and tell you
guys no but it's like the way
that things are set up it's
like well if you don't have
like 150,000 people come in
here, we're going to go ahead
and pass it anyway Like it's
literally set up for failure
for the people And then we have
to come back and do this kind
of wasting money that you guys
claim that you I mean look,
think about how much money
could have gone to all of these
first responders, millions of
dollars that you guys have
wasted And it happens time and
again and it's just ridiculous
to have to like I mean on your
word like choice on your show.
City Clerk Are we doing just
the parking fees now?
Yes, right now is just
the parking.
Okay.
Thank you.
Okay.
I don't need my papers then.
All right.
So when I came out of the gate
on this one I was so pro
revenue and I really, really
wanted these fees to be
enforced and I wanted that
money to be coming in and
that's the truth.
And then I listened to
everybody almost everybody I
think every single person And
they certainly convinced me to
change my mind Now after I
change my mind And I said okay,
no parking fees at Balboa Park
and so forth, this voice came
up in the back of my head and
said Ah joy, are you sure you
want to change your mind?
And and the I Charles of
the eBay just you know,
validated that that we can say
okay less impact on the money
on the revenue for f y 27 sort
of but what about later and
what about how we're doing
these these things How can we
do better?
I don't know How can we care
and how can we live within our
means?
I don't know.
Councilmember Ellen Rivera
talks about the corporate world
and money from them.
I don't know.
Thank you for that cute little
comment.
Five minutes on the time where
we're going to those
participating remotely starting
with Leonard Fiorina.
You'll have a minute and a half
if you can please unmute.
>> Yeah, I'll make a comment
regarding your measure be on
helping the deficit The company
that I saw in the recycling is
profiting from are you on
the trash sir Because that is
the next item.
Oh it's a next item yes.
We'll come back to you then.
Hector if you can please unmute
This is on Balboa Park paid
parking fees.
I got a new way to raise money
for the parking fees We we talk
to the brothers and get them to
chain up all those parking
meters.
We'll chain them up and drag
them over the museum of us and
we'll create a new thing in
the lobby that will put all
the parking meters up there.
It'll be a new living museum of
the Museum of Us How human
beings can mess up Balboa Park.
It'll be it'll it'll make
headlines Do this and we'll
make But we'll charge extra to
go see the museum pieces of
the parking meters in there.
Plus it'll free up free parking
for the whole park immediately
And then we got to reimburse
the guys that lost their
employees like the railroad
Museum.
Four guys got laid off because
there's no visitors.
So we got to reimburse those
guys to hire their employees
back and pay them back there
because they had it going on.
These guys had their business
going on.
Other people they're paying
their guys the money.
Visitors were come in and you
guys are getting tax revenue.
That's another thing.
How about all these other
places man The Aerospace Museum
lost customers These not job
then those guys are capable
dudes you know it's just like
you know it's just another You
got to take the loss take
the I'll put it all up on your
forehead now with your hand
with an al loser loser Take
the your time has concluded
before I proceed with anyone
else on the virtual there was a
clerical error My apologies on
mis filing of the slip So we do
have a number of speakers still
here in council chambers.
David Swarns if you can please
come forward to the microphone
after that.
Ron Johnson Peter Kaminsky
Michael Warburton and Pamela if
you can all please come forward
to the first row.
>> David please proceed.
You'll have a minute.
Thank you.
That was disappointing.
The council had been informed
in advance regarding
the difficulty and expense of
implementing sustaining and
finally of ending such a
program.
We are now thankfully in that
third stage Not soon enough.
I urge you to move with all due
dispatch to roll back paid
parking above all park and on
the earliest possible schedule
next week would not be too
soon.
It that's completely consistent
with the settlement as stated
before the end of the year.
While there have been different
adjustments to the program
which arguably have improved
it, what they've actually done
is made it even more confusing.
Myself and many others are
staying away from the park
because it's just and
reasonable intelligent person
and it's just beyond me and
changes every moment I have to,
you know, check my device to
make sure what the rules are
this month or this week or this
day So please remove it and
remove it now as soon as
possible Next week again would
be that to so Ron Johnson, if
you can please come forward.
Hi, how are you?
My name is Ron Johnson and I'm
a native San Diego and I've
lived in Claremont for 50
years.
I've also retired twice from
the aircraft industry at
General Dynamics Convair I was
in management.
I worked my way up.
I was in a mockup development
department.
We developed a lot of items
when we closed down in 95 half
of my mockup shop was donated
to the Aerospace Museum down in
the basement.
i'm very knowledgeable of
aircraft and missile industry
and over the course of time
have asked the Aerospace Museum
if I couldn't bring in a group
of people and I do docent work
and volunteer doesn't work to
explain what all there is
within the museum because of
the extensive knowledge that
I've had over the years that I
was with Convair Three weeks
after we shut down I joined a
postal service and put 22 years
with the Postal Service.
I also do docent tours,
volunteer docent tours also for
the Aerospace Museum for those
people who are interested in
what's going on there.
Well right now I am a baby
boomer on fixed income and I've
talked to a lot of people that
I give these tours to and
everything And because of
the implementation of
the parking situation at
Belmont Park, a lot of them
have become very discouraged
and have no desire to go back.
>> Thank you for that
concluding comment.
Peter Kaminski.
Peter you have time ceded to
you by Theresa won't thank you.
>> You'll have two minutes.
Please proceed.
I mean sorry.
Three minutes Please proceed.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Council
members Peter Kaminski Bob All
Park Cultural Partnership
representing our museums,
performing arts organizations,
gardens and cultural
organizations that call Balboa
Park home.
My message today is super
simple.
Thank you.
Thank you for listening and
thank you for leading.
Thank you for bringing us to
this moment.
The elimination of paid parking
in Balboa Park Your creativity
and leadership will begin to
pull Balboa Double Park back
from the brink.
We trust that this vote will
end.
Year over year decline in
visitation to Balbo Park Arts
and Culture Organization is
caused by paid parking.
Specifically we want to express
our immense gratitude to
the City Council particularly
Council PRESIDENT LaCava and
Councilmember Whitman who stuck
their necks out for the good of
this city and the good of
Balboa Park.
Are grateful also to make
glorious city attorney Fermat
Mike Sackett and former Mayor
Kevin Faulconer for finding
that path forward.
Most importantly we want to
thank the tens possibly
hundreds of thousands of San
Diego kids who spoke up on
behalf of their Balboa Park.
They are the people who made
the difference here.
Those advocates While we
celebrate the settlement
agreement and the commitment to
win the parking no later than
JANUARY 1st, we also recognize
that the next several months
will not be without challenges.
Paid parking MAY remain in
effect through the second half
of this year and that will lead
to some real impacts in our
organization and visitors We
know some organizations will
continue to face attendance,
operational and financial
challenges during this
transition period.
But we also now know this
The city is listening.
We have a partner in this city
council.
We're committed to working
through these challenges
together.
As the paid parking era comes
to a very happy close,
the settlement agreement
provides certainty and
certainly allows our
institutions, our organizations
to plan to adapt and to focus
on serving the millions of
people from our region And for
the tourists that bring money
into this economy.
Thank you for your vote in
support and for supporting
the San Diego's community core
and regional destination.
>> Again, thank you very, very
much.
>> Thank you, Michael.
Hello.
Representing the San Diego
Model Railroad Museum I lost
count of how many times I stood
here and talked about
the impacts on the attendance
and sharing data and the staff
members We had the cut and
the hours of operation we had
to cut.
And all of those things.
But this is not one of those
times you know I'm here
actually because Peter stole my
thunder.
Truly Thank you.
I really can't express our team
meeting after the announcement
was made and just the sheer
amount of hope that people had
paid parking was not going to
be sustainable for us just.
Period.
And to use a bad train pun we
do see the light at the end of
the tunnel, right?
We know that in JANUARY this is
all going to change uphill for
us or on the upside for us and
we are really so grateful I
can't express it.
And also to you thank you to
everybody who engaged in this
process And it was.
Uncomfortable and awkward
sometimes I mean.
Emily, thank you.
You know, she came to
the Bellevue Park Committee
meetings and that could not
have been easy And I appreciate
you being part of that process.
So it took us all to get here.
But here we are.
So thank you for that vote.
Thanks.
>> Think in our finals week or
as Pamela Riegel I think is
family you have several people
seeding your time If they can
please raise their hand.
Laurie Freitas, Britta
Lindstrom and Loveless and
Cassidy Bartolo you'll have 7.5
minutes.
>> Good afternoon.
Thank you.
Council members.
My name is Pamela Beagle.
>> It really is.
The last time I was here was
over a year ago with the edu
bonus when you we all knew
about that one.
Thank you very much for
amending it.
I really appreciate that.
But we are here with.
The Balboa Park parking fees
And I'll tell you one thing I
would not want to be any of
you.
i don't want your job.
It is so hard The budget.
I was here on Friday.
I listen to everybody.
I listen to MR. Campo who said
are we going to do this every
year?
What are we 15 million?
And he ask you, MR. Modica And
and you said is it going to be
15 million more next year?
And you said Oh no, it's going
to be 30 years something or
more than that.
And so it keeps getting
exponentially larger.
You have a terribly hard job to
do.
I am not here to yell at you.
>> I wasn't here to yell at you
last year either.
Maybe I can have a few
suggestions.
I'm not brilliant but I am one
of those senior citizens so I
have been around a little bit.
I understand MR. LaCava you
said on Friday you know it it
isn't a matter of middle
management cutting.
>> Cell phone allowance is car
allowances, little things like
that here and there.
It's not a matter of that.
>> None of you who are here
today created this problem.
You didn't It's been going on
for quite a while, hasn't it Is
not the current mayor's fault
either.
It's been going on for quite a
while.
I would know because I'm 105.
>> But the point is is it has
been going on for quite a
while.
>> I don't think I have to tell
anybody that we live in
America's most expensive city
probably.
But that makes it all the more
challenging Now with your get
it done am I paid attention?
I do put things in there on
the Get It Done app and this is
from your information I didn't
come up with this on my own I'm
not that bright but traffic
signs take 290 days plus to get
fixed Streetlights 500 I'll be
dead by then Vegetation
encroachment 679 plus days curb
repair.
>> Might as well forget it 1196
plus days.
So what are you going to do
now?
You can just kick the can down
the road Probably declare
bankruptcy Maybe that was a
suggestion back in the ninety's
and the deficit has not gotten
smaller or it's gotten larger
if you know your California
history which I know some of
you do Vallejo Stockton Orange
County they've all declared
bankruptcy.
Or do you want to consider
something a little bit
different?
>> There is a company with
the innocuous name of
management partners which means
absolutely nothing to anybody
which merged with the larger
firm of Baker Tilly.
I know again probably means
nothing to anybody and it's a
consulting firm for
municipalities like ours.
They've worked with many
California cities on budget
spending, investing, funding
reserves etc..
You, the current city council
and mayor did not create this
long simmering problem but you
do have a chance to be a hero
here and move it this way
rather than this way because it
keeps going that way and you
notice how you go up, up, up
and then you come back down
again.
MISS Campbell has already
pointed that out.
She tried.
We got it up.
We got it.
Well, no, no, Now it's going
back down again.
I want you to know I'm not an
employee or a shill for for
Baker Tilly or management
partners.
But they do.
They are a firm that
specializes in looking at what
the problems are defining them.
I'm not saying that we don't
need you, MR. Modica.
>> We need you badly.
And I actually read your report
and a lot of the pages in it
and it's I don't know how you
sleep at night Scary.
And I saw your projections.
I also saw the projections on
the Balboa Park parking fees
which kind of confused me
because they originally said
last year that they projected
12.5 million and then it was
revised in NOVEMBER down to 2.9
million And now apparently it's
back up again at 7 million
something.
Yes.
So that kind of confuses me
when you go up and down like
that.
My feeling is is the museums,
the restaurants, the vendors
and the employees,
the volunteers have all been
hurt badly by this.
I don't think you did it on
purpose.
I think you did it because you
felt you had to.
Where are we going to get
money?
As MR. Campbell said, Why can't
you pay a sales tax?
Well, you know how the public
is If it sounds like a tax, if
it sounds like a fee, we don't
want it right.
Everybody says no all the time
to everything But I'm just just
want to throw it out there.
>> I'm not going to take all my
time here but I just want to
throw it out there.
>> Maybe maybe another company
that specializes in figuring
out how to get us out of this
might be something to consider
just maybe And then maybe I
won't come back next year and
say I told you sell but thank
you again for allowing this
public discourse.
I know many times it's boring,
painful and who wants to listen
to an old lady But thank you.
>> Thank you for those
comments.
I'm sorry At the five minute
timer we'll go back to
the virtual public commenters
We have six people in
the queue.
Tony if you can please unmute.
>> Hey, how's it going?
Can you hear me?
Yes, please proceed.
>> You'll have a minute and a
half.
Thank you.
I wanted to start by thanking
Council member Whitburn Thank
you for your efforts in
removing the parking meters at
Balboa Park.
I didn't get to finish what I
was saying earlier to
Councilmember Campbell before
my time ran out so I just
wanted to say I really
important I really appreciate
the importance It's being
placed upon the discussion of
how much how far a setting can
go Looking forward to working
with you, your office and
helping the public understand
how we can get those property
taxes given to us from
the state increased for our
property taxes.
I heard you actually mention
this before and we will MISS
You when you're out of office
No longer able to provide
the historical scope of where
our problems are sourced from.
Also the gap between the 10.3
million in arts funding that
you restored and the 1.8 that
you mentioned previously that
was issued for the arts last
year could be closed and
the arts could be fully
restored simply by cutting and
canceling the flop contract
which has already exceeded its
value in the current lawsuit
that it's facing for
the violation of the human
rights For the two gentlemen
that I mentioned with the story
that broke yesterday, County
Council PRESIDENT Pro Tem Kent
Lee motivated by what you said
earlier, how the public is
lacking trust about some of
the programs, how they work and
how the money is being spent
within some of these programs
Totally agree that we all can
feel loved.
Your detailed analysis on how
much it would cost to catch up
to L.A. Standards of
comparative pay and how it
would take $0.06 for every
$0.03 I think is what you
mentioned.
And I also dig the haircut.
Council member Marni von
Wilpert loved the French tips.
The ring looks new.
If so, congratulations and your
time of course concluded
Francine Maxwell if you can
please unmute the afternoon.
>> Francine Maxwell
Southeastern San Diego resident
Thank you so much for
the presentation.
I completely agree that
the million dollar fee that we
have to pay the attorneys was
well worth it.
We continue to throw around.
We want to build trust and lack
trust.
Let's have a trusting
conversation and tell us if
every kiosk that was going to
we're working on removing cost
is $750,000.
Let's have an honest dialog and
conversation about the dollar
amounts that are going to be
returned if we begin to be
fully transparent because
everyone has a different
definite vision of transparency
we can begin to build trust
because trust is absolutely
lacking And if we want to
compare ourselves to L.A.
There's a whole bunch of other
things that we would need to
compare to L.A. Like how it
lays oversight to the police is
far different from the cpa that
we have here in San Diego.
So let's begin If we want to do
apples and apples or apples and
oranges, let's go ahead But
again, let's do it straight
across the board again to give
Kevin Faulkner a compliment
That was hilarious to have him
standing in the building with
Hillary if again
the desperation for
performative antics continues
we must stop it.
You made a mistake Come and ask
for forgiveness and let's move
forward.
Thank you.
>> Next is John Stump.
If you can please unmute.
Okay now you got a new
completely support this action
It was a mistake in the first
place.
You knew it was a mistake but
you've got to get back to why
do we have a ballpark ballpark
for those that you don't know
was to preserve a watershed
The only viable watershed for
downtown It was a public park
until somebody came up with
the idea let's have a fair And
then they built all that junk
and turn it turned a park into
an amusement park.
What you need to do to make up
this private You know what I've
told you before?
It's those amusements in
the park that make significant
money like the Old Globe,
the zoo, art museum, the space
theater.
They have to contribute their
share of the revenues they they
generate.
Look at their nine 90s, see how
much cash is coming in if
they're paying anybody over
$200,000 they've got extra
cash.
>> They're paying you.
>> Thank you very much.
Thank you All three speakers
Thank you.
There are three speakers left
in the queue.
The five minute timer has
concluded no additional
speakers will be taken.
Blair Beckman if you can please
unmute that short amount of
time where Big Ben my zoom cut
out previously I'm really sorry
about that.
I wanted to speak with
firefighters around.
I wanted to up my local public
comment.
Hopefully I can my items can be
relevant later.
Thank you for this item and
that you have in the way you're
working your you're being
flexible and how you can work
And I find that really
interesting.
Thank you.
I like the words of Joyce
Sonata I would think kind of
agreement and how Joyce was
thinking we really need to
consider revenue ideas and this
I thought was a way to do it.
You had a speaker, MR. Kaminski
works on the Park Commission
process.
He's been very elegant this
past month how to address
the baseball park issues And he
mentioned the idea you know,
you could have fares for $2 and
$5 and that would be a much
more sensible and reasonable
approach that respects
the concepts of government.
You know, in how you use set
set fees.
I mean you guys are putting
fees like rock stars, like
we're all rock stars or that
we're a big private corporation
And I felt that was the really
wrong approach And I think you
could have done a lot more
reasonably and very much with
thank you to people like Paul
Kruger who really tried to
point out how the fee process
was actually trying to work and
you guys are having
difficulties to explain that
more clearly.
I tried my darndest to help
just to help that and I think
we're we're learning that
accountability better and I
hope we remember that lesson
for the future.
>> Thank you am has concluded
Samantha if you can please
unmute get it afternoon It's my
first time trying to speak
remotely.
>> Can you hear me?
Yes we can.
Please proceed.
Okay first of all thank you to
the council members.
This is my first time paying
attention to a full Budget
committee process and over
the last few weeks and I'm
going I find it very
inspirational and I feel that
the community has been able to
speak And oftentimes I've heard
council members say before
going to public comment let's
hear what the public has to
say.
And so I hope that the public
is listening all all ages from
high school and every decade
beyond And this is an example
of it And I'm very thankful
that they've listened and will
be removing the parking fees
Now some revenue suggestions
and some of these have been
stated over the last few weeks
naming rights to specific
public areas within the city of
San Diego and these could be
naming rights that are each
year and they could go to bid
for corporations or even
individuals could bid for
naming rights and that would
only last a year And every
year, you know have the same
sort of submission process.
You know, another thing would
be a shuttle I'm sorry That
does conclude your time.
I can definitely send in
additional comments The city
clerk at San diego.Gov and
those will be distributed
Margaret Very similar.
>> And then our final speakers
honors.
Hi, my name is Margaret for a
small founder of San Diego
United Communities.
I'm here today because
the people of the city are done
waiting.
We are here to demand
the immediate repeal of these
fees not next year, not in 2027
but today.
Every day the council delays
you are choosing to balance
your budget on the backs of our
residents.
You call it fiscal policy.
We call it systematic
extraction of wealth from
families who are already
struggling to keep the lights
on and food on the table.
You are effectively telling
the people of San Diego that
your administration
administrative convenience is
more important than their
survival.
This delay is an insult to
thousands of signatures we have
collected.
It is dereliction of your duty
to represent the people of San
Diego, not the bureaucracy.
You know these fees are unjust
and you all know they are
unsustainable.
You continue to hold them over
our heads waiting for an
arbitrary date on a calendar
year that benefits no one but
the architects of this tax hike
.
We are finished with being told
to wait for the next budget
cycle.
We are finished with empty
promises of future relief while
our park accounts are drained
in present.
If you truly believe in
the economic vitality of our
neighborhoods you have one
choice Vote to strike these
fees out today off your books
effective immediately If you
choose to keep them in place do
not pretend you don't know
the harm you are causing.
>> We are watching.
We are waiting.
We are organized.
Repeal the fees today And then
Leonard, are you wanting to
speak on the paid parking fees
?
I cannot vote for you so I will
have to go conclude public.
>> I'm sorry I was waiting to
speak on the trash.
Okay.
That will be next.
That does conclude public
comment on this item.
>> All right.
Thank you, City clerk We'll
turn it over to the council for
questions, comments and
entertain a motion and we'll
start out with the architect of
the settlement agreement is
council member Whippany.
Thank you.
And I want to thank everyone at
the city who has worked on this
M.B.A General Manager Michaels
who cared our council
PRESIDENT, my council
colleagues who supported this
in closed session Rolando
Chevelle, the Finance
department, the office of
the Independent Budget analyst,
the mayor's office and several
city departments have been
involved with this action.
We are formally approving
the repeal of paid parking at
Balboa Park.
We will restore free parking
for everyone.
We will restore free parking
broadly at the parking lots but
also add the streets in Balboa
Park and we will refund any
portion of annual passes that
extends beyond the end of this
year.
I appreciate the comments of
MR. Kopecky about the Balboa
Park Cultural Partnership
representing the museums and
the arts and culture
organizations at the park who
shared that this repeal carrot
club suited us.
I will make the motion to adopt
the proposed actions and repeal
paid parking in Balboa Park.
All right.
Thank you.
Council member Whitburn.
So we have a motion to move
The staff recommendation will
go next.
Councilmember Camp you Thank
you Council PRESIDENT.
I'll happily second his motion
unless your council PRESIDENT
Would like to second it all.
>> Thank you.
Today's action Thank you
Councilmember Whitburn for your
hard work on this And today's
action is a victory for
accessibility and affordability
and a crown jewel of San Diego.
I was proud to have been one of
the councilmembers to vote
against paid parking in Balboa
Park last OCTOBER because I
believed then as I do now that
access to one of San Diego's
most treasured public places
should not come with the added
financial burden especially
based on where you live in our
region because Balboa Park
belongs to everyone.
It's a gathering place for
families and it's a destination
for visitors from across
the region and the world And
it's a source of recreation and
enrichment for residents.
It's a vital source for seniors
who rely on the parks, cultural
and educational and
recreational opportunities.
So this decision will not only
benefit museums and theaters,
gardens and nonprofit
organizations and cultural
institutions that make Balboa
Park the heart of civic and
cultural life, it benefits
everyone.
Of course these organizations
depend on visitors and members
volunteers and community
engagement making the park more
accessible to lower income and
middle class.
San Diego and help strengthen
those institutions that educate
our children and preserve our
history.
Celebrate our diversity and
contribute significantly to
the local economy.
Whether you're a senior
visiting museum or a family
attending a community event or
a volunteer supporting a
nonprofit or just a visitor
experience San Diego for
the first time this repeal
makes it easier to enjoy one of
the city's greatest public
assets.
So I want to thank the members
of the public who rallied to
show just how important this
repeal was is and
the organizations like
the Balboa Park Cultural
Partnership and Forever, Bilbao
Balboa Park, the Old Globe and
the Model Railroad Museum,
the Prado the Air and Space
Museum, the Men\ World Beach
Cultural Center I could go on
and on and on and on.
I remain committed to policies
that expand access to public
spaces like these and support
our residents and visitors and
institutions alike.
And I hope this is just
the beginning of the City
Council advocating for and
investing in Balboa Park in
the way it deserves.
Thank you that I'll conclude my
second.
>> All right.
Thank you, Councilmember Campo.
We have I could have gotten
that applause You still can We
have a motion by council member
Whitburn and a second by
Council member Campo to move
the recommendation.
We'll go next to Council member
Moreno.
Thank you and thank you for
the presentation.
This item is before us today As
a result of the recent
settlement regarding the city's
solid waste management fee as
part of the settlement the City
Council is required to take
certain discretionary actions
in public meetings including
the action before us today.
One of the reasons I voted
against last year's budget was
because it relied on revenue
from paid parking in Balboa
Park to help close the city's
budget gap.
I also oppose paid parking in
Balboa Park when it was first
proposed and I remained opposed
to it Today Balboa Park is one
of San Diego's most treasured
parks.
Let me say that again Balboa
Park is one of San Diego's most
treasured parks.
It belongs to all San Diegans
including residents of District
eight and Access to it should
not depend on a person's
ability to pay.
During the discussion
surrounding the park fee I
raised concerns about growing
financial burdens being placed
on residents At the time
families were already facing
increases in water rates, user
fees and other rising costs for
residents and District eight
Every additional fee matters
Paid parking creates a barrier
that impacts the quality of
District eight residents
especially seniors and
especially low income.
I am very pleased to see this
item before us today and I know
that residents will once again
be able to enjoy Balboa Park
without having to navigate a
very complicated system very
complicated parking fee that I
couldn't even figure out and
including its time limits
Balboa Park will continue to be
a Nexus hub where San Diegans
experience culture history
knowledge maybe even a date.
Can we even say that right now?
Maybe even a date?
So for constituents in District
eight every additional cost
matter.
So removing these parking fees
helps ensure that access to one
of our most treasured public
spaces.
I'm glad to see Balboa Park
once again become a place that
is open and accessible to my
residents and District eight
reflecting the values that make
San Diego the city we're also
proud to call home.
Now I would be remiss if I
didn't think Zoo Cat with a my
colleague Stephen Whitburn and
all parties involved in
the settlement of this case.
So I will be extremely
supportive of the motion before
us today and I think everybody
involved.
All right.
Thank you, Councilmember
Moreno.
We'll go next to Councilmember
Isla Rivera.
>> Thank you, Council
PRESIDENT.
Let me start by thanking
COUNCILMAN Whitburn, you
council PRESIDENT For your
engagement on this issue.
I also want to thank Emily, you
and all the staff that worked
so hard to get this set up an
enormous amount of time was put
into this And as frustrated as
many of us including myself
were with with the roll out,
that doesn't negate that an
immense effort was put into it
.
So thank you for that.
So I think this is largely
good.
I'm going to name one thing
that I don't actually think is
in the best interest of San
Diego is here access to
the park for residents?
Absolutely.
From the beginning I thought it
should be free and I do not
think San Diego is better off
when we subsidize the vacations
of folks who are expecting to
pay to park here And we can
disagree on that.
But it is not better for San
Diego to allow free parking for
his or for someone who flew
across country and rented a car
and expected and expected full
well that they would be paying
for parking.
>> So it is a conversation I
think we need to wrestle with
which is commitment to keeping
costs down for residents
without having them subsidize
in other ways the experiences
of people or people who are
vacationing here slightly
different but not completely
unrelated is the way that
the rest of the county views
the city of San Diego.
I would be all for county
residents also having free
access.
Unfortunately when the city of
San Diego shows up to get our
fair share of regional
transportation dollars,
the cities who were most loud
who showed up at the press
conferences to demand free
parking for their residents
actively block our cities
proportional representation at
sandag and every every attempt
we make for proportional
distribution of regional
transportation funds they do
that.
Those same mayors they sit on
that they sit at sandag and
they do that.
So again, I'm glad that we're
going to make the aloha free
for residents and let's not kid
ourselves that while we are
doing that we are also
subsidizing vacations for folks
who can afford to come here And
we are granting free access
which I understand the case for
for folks outside the city But
I think it's I think it's only
fair especially given
the conversation we just had We
just had firefighters and
lifeguards begging to be paid a
fair wage that they can stay
and stay working at this city
And we're going to be
subsidizing vacations and we're
going to be giving cities who
have who don't have the decency
to give us proportional
representation of our regional
transportation body giving them
free access as well.
So I appreciate the work that
was done on this.
I, I very much dislike that we
needed to take the path that we
took to get get here and I hope
that in the future we get to a
place where we are more willing
to stand on the fact that San
Diego is one of the most
attractive tourist destinations
in the country and asking folks
to pay to park when they are
vacationing here will not have
them fleeing San Diego We are
plenty beautiful and the things
that we have here are plenty
attractive to get folks to pay
their fair share and not our
San Diego residents to
subsidize those experiences.
>> Thank you, Council
PRESIDENT.
All right.
Thank you Councilmember.
You are not sitting very often
light fell off offer I guess a
couple of comments.
I'm not sure how much more
needs to be said.
You know, I I'm grateful for
the role I played in breaking
the glass door that said you
need to talk with everybody and
bring everybody to the table to
get to real solutions to very
real problems.
And while my initial effort
didn't quite work,
Councilmember Whitburn stepped
through that door and was able
to close the deal and end up at
the settlement agreement we
have here, it clearly as
the presentation showed it will
come at a cost And to be clear
Charles, there's no cost for
the removal of the existing
kiosk.
There's no cost for
the contract with the third
party vendor that we have or
nothing appreciable is that
correct?
There shouldn't be a cost to
terminate the well.
It's actually to reduce a
contract and we also have
meters elsewhere to the extent
that there's a cost to actually
move the kiosk themselves it
would likely be covered in
the reduced operating
expenditures.
They will have to actually have
enforcement So there's no
appreciable impact for that.
All right.
I thought that be the case.
But since we're caught up in
budget conversations I wanted
to I wanted to confirm that I
do want to thank the city
employees that moved heaven and
earth to make this happen.
I can see Emily.
I can see Conrad there way in
the back and every level from
the mayor's office through
the people that did
the installation.
You did a lot of work on it.
Very appreciative And this is
no reflection on the work that
you all did.
The timing was unfortunate.
The mood of the visitors
despite we're actually seeing
that uptick and my wife gives
me a regular report about how
many people are using Balboa
Park But this is what we've all
agreed to.
This is actually the third vote
on this matter for those that
are curious, we voted on this
in closed session.
We voted at this morning on
consent and this is the formal
action we have to do to kind of
close that end of
the settlement agreement.
I'm glad to hear that this
probably won't impact our f y
27 budget.
This particular item we'll have
to deal with this in f y 28
making our cost but again is
going to hit us in the wallet.
Yeah but it's a lot better than
the alternative that we were
facing.
And then to be absolutely clear
about something I heard this
was never the subject of
litigation.
This was a byproduct I got
thrown in to make
the settlement agreement happen
but there was never any
litigation about the authority
that was there or how it was
implemented.
So I don't want anybody to kind
of confuse that So with that of
course I'll be agreeing with
this.
I think it's the right thing
for us to do given where we are
today and then we'll deal with
next year next year.
So with that I'll go back to or
I'll go to Councilmember
Bumblebee.
>> Thank you Council PRESIDENT
Just thank you everybody for
being here today.
You know Balboa Park is it is
one of the gems of our city and
it attracts people from all
around the globe to come here
and thank you for the folks
from the partnership from
the museums who make it work.
You know, I was very hopeful
that this fund would be used to
do the maintenance we need on
our park.
It's a jam with long overdue
maintenance.
We need new sewer lines, new
pipes, we need new roofs, new
age bags And that was the goal
that I was hopeful for this
revenue source.
But I crafted the budget
hearings.
I said if we don't have a full
accounting that every single
dime people pay for parking is
going in to restoring Balboa
Park And I will call for
the full repeal And I have not
been satisfied that we have
used it to to the original
intent.
So I'm glad to be voting today
to repeal parking fees in
Balboa Park and I will vote
yes.
All right.
Thank you.
Councilmember Yvonne Walbert
not to anybody else.
So we have a motion by council
member Whitburn, the second by
council member Campo To move
the recommendation please call
the roll I'm sorry the voting
system Please cast your vote
that passes unanimously.
>> Thank you, Council PRESIDENT
All right.
>> Thank you.
Okay with that please introduce
item 640 item six four.
It is a rejection of solid
waste management fee in fiscal
year 2028 and 2029.
If you'd like to speak to this
item, now's the time to raise
your hand by pressing Star nine
or the raise your hand icon if
you're participating virtually
or if you're here in person to
please submit your speakers up
to the front of the room in
the clear box.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT All right.
Oh bless you.
I see staff has settled in.
Introduce yourselves for
the record and let us know how
much time you need for your
presentation.
Good afternoon, Council
PRESIDENT Council members My
name is Jeremy Bauer.
I'm assistant director
Environmental Services joined
today with Assistant Director
Jeremy Lugo.
MAY have 15 minutes for today's
presentation.
All right, when you're ready.
>> All right.
Okay.
Good afternoon.
For today's presentation we're
going to cover the proposed
action before council today.
Background on the solid waste
management fee and how we got
to where we are today.
How esd leveraged our existing
rate model to produce
the proportional fees that were
presented today.
The updated fees themselves
with the reduced rates.
We'll discuss some of
the fiscal impacts of today's
decision as well as an updated
outlook of the Solid Waste
Management Fund including
projected revenues,
expenditures, subsidies and
fund balance.
We'll review some additional
operational and policy
considerations.
>> And we'll cover the timeline
for implementation.
The action before Council today
is to adopt a revised Solid
waste management fee for fiscal
years 28 and 29.
Those revised ts would become
effective on JULY 1st, 2027 and
JULY 1st, 2028.
This action does not revise
the fee for the current fiscal
year nor does it impact the fee
for the next fiscal year which
is set to go into effect JULY
one, 2026.
It also does not impact
the city's approach to
collecting the fee through
the county tax roll.
So as a reminder back in 2022 a
majority of voters approved
amending the People's Ordinance
which removed a long standing
prohibition that had prevented
the city from collecting
revenue to cover the cost to
provide solid waste management
services to eligible customers.
After adoption and more than a
year of outreach and engagement
and a cost of service study
the city presented last JUNE a
proposal the Waste management
fee with rates effective JULY
1st, 20 2521 six 2027 and 2028.
Also last JUNE City Council
authorized the city to collect
the fee on the county tax roll.
Prior to the adoption of
the fee last year the operation
was largely funded with
the general fund.
In MAY of 26 last month as part
of a tentative settled
agreement, city Council agreed
to consider a reduced fee for
fiscal years 2829 and today's
action is to consider that
reduced fee in an open session
.
City used our rate model to
the same one that was used to
develop because the sort of
study initially to protect
the cost of providing solid
waste services to city
customers and to allocate
allocate those costs to
customers based on services
provided and the services each
property received receives.
The model also includes an
input for subsidy.
That was the case last year as
well.
And that input field in
the model allows us allowed
the city to observe the impact
subsidies would have on
the fee.
I'll note that last year's fee
that was adopted included
subsidy from two sources
the recycling fund as well as
the container fund.
For today's action the city was
able to leverage that same
input in the model to increase
the subsidy amounts such that
the rates for the 95 gallon
packages aligned with the rates
in the agreement under
consideration today for the 95
gallon bundle in 2028 and
the 95 gallon bundle for 2029
namely that is $38.75 per month
for fiscal year 28 and 3991 per
month for fiscal year 29.
Simultaneously the model
generated corresponding rates
for the 65 gallon bundle and
the 35 gallon bundle as well as
the additional container rates.
It was done this way to
preserve the proportional
relationship among
the different services.
That is in other words,
the city did not manually set
the rates for the 65 gallon or
the 35 gallon.
Rather we applied the same
model to preserve that
proportionality.
>> This slide shows the revised
Solid Waste management fee
schedule at a glance.
The key things I point out are
the new rates are those
involved.
Those are the right two columns
in the slide.
I'll also note under
the previously adopted fees
the fees were scheduled to go
to increase significantly in
fiscal year 28 and that was to
align when the weekly recycling
program and a bulky item
program were set to begin.
So that additional revenue was
set to pay for those programs
which I'll discuss in a moment
.
So I won't go through all of
these but you'll see consistent
with our presented in the last
slide.
You'll see the 95 gallon
bundle.
This is third row is at
the 3875 and in fiscal year 29
it goes to 3991.
And then you'll see the other
proportional rates for
the other packages and
the additional containers.
>> It's worth noting that
reducing a fee does not reduce
the cost to provide service.
Instead it reduces cost
recovery from ratepayer
revenue.
In other words, it means
there's a gap between the cost
to provide service and
the amount of revenue to cover
those cost.
We're proposing to address that
gap in two ways.
First is by increasing subsidy
one from the recycling fund and
secondly from the general fund.
I'll discuss the subsidy first.
For modeling purposes esd
assumed increasing
the recycling fund subsidy up
to $22 million per year for
both fiscal year 28 and fiscal
year 29.
As a reminder, the fee that was
adopted last JUNE already
included subsidy from
the recycling fund.
This proposal would increase
that subsidy to up to 22
million.
Additionally, the model
estimates that the department
will need approximately 10 to
$11 million of general fund
subsidy to cover the remaining
expenditures and that would be
in addition to existing general
fund expenditures associated
with the program.
One for the financial
assistance program and two to
cover some of the onetime costs
for customer transition and
expenditures prior to customer
validation.
Now on the topic of cutting
costs because the revised fee
now depends more on additional
subsidy.
Esd is assuming that certain
activities and costs would be
deferred, reduced or removed
during the remainder of
the four year rate period to
minimize the amount of subsidy
needed.
Those include deferring weekly
recycling, deferring a bulky
and pick up program, deferring
the electric vehicle pilot,
deferring certain capital
improvements and reducing or
delaying the buildup of reserve
.
This next slide shows
the updated outlook.
The print is kind of small so
I'll just highlight a few items
.
First in the upper left hand
corner.
You'll see that the fund began
at a negative and that was
largely because of the cost of
service study, the original
engagement and the development
of the portal.
>> All that work that went on
on the front end before that he
was adopted.
Second, the second line shows
the rate payer revenue that
the city is projected to
collect.
For this year it's around 118
million.
Next year the projection goes
up to about 125 million.
Then under the revised fee
schedule we're now projecting
around 109 million in fiscal
year 28 and around 111 million
for 29.
You'll also see in this table
the subsidy from the recycling
fund which again you'll see
there is an existing subsidy
for this year and next year.
And you'll see that the scope
of the subsidy is projected to
increase up to $22 million per
year for fiscal year 29 and 28.
Fourth you'll see the line for
the general fund subsidy where
we estimate approximately
10,000,011 million for fiscal
year 28 and 29.
Finally the second to last
lines underscore the point I
made in the last slide.
The expenditures line reflects
it reflects the reduced
expenditures removing the costs
for those deferred programs
the weekly recycling, the bulky
item the electric vehicle
pilot.
Certain capital expenditures
and reserve building.
And then even with those
adjustments you still see that
our net position on the fund
which had previously been
projected to land in a positive
territory is still forecast to
remain negative though
the negative position does
reduce from the present to
fiscal year 29.
Lastly, we thought it's
important to raise some
additional considerations for
today's conversation.
First diversion of recyclables
remains and organics remain
important to keep those out of
the landfill.
When the fee was adopted last
year last JUNE we emphasized
the operational necessity of
weekly recycling emphasizing
the importance to increase
diversion to meet
sustainability goals and extend
the life of the landfill.
Now that we have biweekly
recycling is going to maintain
for now it means that customers
MAY need additional recycling
capacity.
So we are on task environmental
services to make sure we engage
with customers so they know how
to order an additional
recycling container should they
need one.
So we're able to meet their
need especially those who MAY
have elected to choose only one
container anticipating weekly
recycling.
I will note that because
the fees are subsidized heavily
by the recycling fund, the fee
for an additional recycling
container is now lower than it
was.
It's around $6 a month for
fiscal year 28 and around 650
for fiscal year 29 just
significantly less than it was
before.
That means that customers who
need that second recycling
container I can get one at a
lower rate than it was before.
Second, the importance of
maximizing the life of
the landfill remains.
Our latest projection still
shows capacity at Miramar
around 2031 and so we're still
planning for that reality.
An important part of that
planning is a transfer station
which is essentially a facility
or a covered pavilion where
municipal waste can be taken
and then consolidated into
larger transfer vehicles and
taken to another nearby
landfill.
And you see on the slide a
couple of the local landfills
in the county.
In the meantime, Miramar
remains the primary disposal
location for municipal waste
with some waste currently going
to otir Sycamore.
And in the meantime as well,
the department will evaluate
whether there are opportunities
to take more of the waste to
those other landfills.
Weighing the tradeoffs related
to travel time staffing,
efficiency and operational
costs will also continue to
update our outlooks on
the landfill projections for
closure pending any changes to
tonnage due to improvements in
diversion like we've seen with
the organics program as well as
any changes to the anticipated
closure date.
>> So the anticipated timeline
JULY 1st, 2025 excuse me JULY
1st, 2026 The previously
adopted fee for 2027 goes into
effect.
So that's $44.57 for the 95
gallon bundle.
And then JULY 1st, 2027 would
be the date of the first
revised fee going into effect
for the fiscal year 2080 and
JULY 1st, 2028 would be
the date for the 3991
the revised fee for fiscal year
29.
>> And with that I'll post a
comment in the questions.
All right.
Thank you for the presentation
and the work to bring this item
forward.
We'll go down to the office of
the Ida Jordan Baker Council
PRESIDENT Jordan Law fiscal
policy analyst with the Office
of the aba.
I've just briefly we did review
the cost of service model that
Jeremy mentioned to bring
the proportional
proportionality analysis for
all the fees.
We're generally in agreement
with how they did that and
think that that is a sound way
to set these fees.
And for now mostly where my
comments are going to be are
going to be a repeat of what
you heard on Friday as you now
see in the re model for
the outlook.
You can expect a $10.8 million
general fund subsidy that's
required in 2028 a $10 Million
subsidy required in 2029
because the fees are now no
longer set to be in a way that
is 100% fully cost recoverable.
This also means now that
the general fund in general is
also exposed If costs for
collections do increase between
now and the end of the three
cycle period, more than it was
exposed in previous years for
things such as labor, vehicle
costs, disposal fees or other
things such as potentially if
the recycling fund can't
support a $22 million subsidy
the general fund will have to
pick that up.
To that end, our office now has
the recommendation that we are
pushing which is that we
believe that environmental
services should also develop
and produce a five year
financial outlook that covers
their operations with the Solid
Waste Management Fund as well
as potentially other enterprise
funds that can be presented
along with the general fund and
beauty outlooks every year so
that council and the public
have an idea of whether
the general fund subsidy is
going to be required.
What are potential fee options
for councils to consider in
the future and what is
the future of these enterprise
funds as a whole?
I conclude my comments.
Also available for questions.
Thank you.
All right.
Thank you Jordan.
Clerk Please proceed with
public comment.
>> The council PRESIDENT
Allegedly order If you can
please come forward after that
will be joining Otto You'll
have a minute and a half.
>> See, this is nonsense, Joe,
because you're acting like what
you did was an illegal prior to
18.
You guys need to be getting
the majority approval, not a
majority of people saying they
don't want it.
And so with us paying this
money it's forcing you to
change what you guys are doing
and you probably settle because
you know that it would have
caused a significant amount
more to push on.
And so you guys want a virtue
signal here like we're doing
you a favor now we're going
back and engaging in because
you couldn't do the right thing
in the first place.
All of that money even for
the trash fees like you were
getting an exorbitant amount of
money beyond what you were
needing And it's like putting
this on people's property taxes
so that they lose their home.
I mean just the negligence that
you guys engage in is
ridiculous And the fact that we
have to come back and revisit
these things and you guys want
to sit up here and act like you
didn't do anything wrong.
I mean it's like when you guys
had no quorum five times in a
row and you blatantly looked at
me like you, we can continue
business And now what do you
do?
Because the news came and
covered it All of a sudden
you're saying that you need a
quorum But when I called it out
time and again you blatantly
had me escorted out by
the police with the threat of
arrest and you want us to trust
that you guys are going to do
the right thing?
Yeah, I bet that's why you
stood up there on that dias and
it's probably bulletproof under
their dressing room.
This is kind of a tough one for
me.
I do want to start out with a
thank you.
I want to thank Kirby Brady and
everybody who worked with her
from the very beginning and
she's absolutely brilliant and
I'm looking forward to her
working with us on other
projects in the future.
So give and take I could speak
a lot about my personal
experience with this and where
I was from it I know it from
the beginning but we don't need
to go there.
Most of you know that how we
handle these things I can't
speak to really so much I don't
know but I do know give and
take And I did listen to all
the public who spoke on this
who spoke against it, the fees
and I honor them when I speak
now but I also honor everybody
that's working to make our city
work.
And we've said some beautiful
things today about what we're
going to do to change our ways.
So here's a shining example for
us Let's not judge you too
harshly.
Let's just know that we all
stumble and we're doing
the best we can.
>> But well, thank you.
I'm sorry The five minute time
we're going to those
participating remotely starting
with Leonard If you can please
unmute thanking them.
>> Yes, please proceed.
I have suggested to revenue for
the budget.
The company that's shorting
the recycling is profiting from
the City of San Diego residents
.
All of the items that are
shorted, bundled and sold are
for profit so you should
renegotiate your windfall from
recycling companies to recoup
some money to help with
the deficit.
Also renegotiate all leases and
charge all occupied office
Space to me should be assessed
attach to help the deficit also
should be possible Now you have
to pay $7 million for that cost
of service study plus
the attorney fees that when you
went to court hdr each which
should pay back the city when
this is repealed Also elected
Meg Marino for her service and
welcome Sarah Ramirez for
the next Council for District
eight and thank you very much
Tony please I'm you Tony
Academy Before you I will have
to move on to the next caller
if you can limit for yourself I
want you to move on to the next
caller.
John, stop if you can please
unmute.
Well, I think I think Senator
said it very well.
It's a good day and we all
stumble and it's part of this
rebirth or recognition of
the new way and the healing.
I suggest that council docket
eight Maria Severson and
Michael Gary Day a proclamation
thanking them on behalf of
the City of San Diego for
looking out for the citizens
and finding the truth in this
matter and working working out
a way to have a negotiated
settlement of two matters and
giving them sharing some of
the praise that is already
being taken by MR. Whitman with
the moving experts MS. Severson
and MR. Gary they did a great
job.
So the second time around for
MR. Gary and I hope that you
can do something in that area
so I want to thank you again
for taking this item.
>> Please approve it.
Thank you.
Francine Maxwell if you can
please and you Thank you
Francine Maxwell Southeastern
San Diego resident Thank you so
much for the presentation and I
hope that the council remembers
that districts four eight and
nine we pay for parking to go
to support village and
especially married couples and
people that are dating.
So San Diego residents do know
how to pay for parking for
places that they want to go
sometimes even though with
support.
Again, I want to thank the city
council for making sure that
the project had multiple
appointments in multiple areas
that were just so accessible to
the entire city whether it was
in the morning they had
afternoon appointments and they
had evening.
That is what community building
looks like When you have you
set something up and it's
accessible to all
the constituents in all
the districts at multiple times
of day.
So moving forward let's go
ahead and continue with that
model And again you guys can
hold more meetings.
You don't have to call them
town halls.
You can call them huddle
meetings And let's begin to
talk about some things
especially all the million
dollar settlements that is
going away through our risk
management We can start to
build trust If you if you say
what you can say to us and we
don't have to pay for
everything.
Again, thank you so much.
>> Looking forward for this to
pass.
Thank you.
Next is Hector if you can
believe them.
You have a five minute timer.
There's two people in
the queue.
Notify everything And thank you
for your time.
Hey, I was doing this trash
thing and when you're doing it,
there's 2500 people The city
was picking up trash that they
weren't charging for and they
were the city was not obligated
to pick up their trash but they
picked it up for decades
without the city even knowing
about it until they started
charging things.
So how about if we claw back
about a year of that trash fees
on those guys that were picking
up their trash for like two
decades and we weren't supposed
to do it.
So there's a lot of things in
the city like that they don't
even know that's going on.
Like when SeaWorld didn't pay
rent for two years they should
have been on that for the first
week They stopped paying ever.
There's a lot of things in
the city that that guys are
skating with and the city
thinks everything's rosy.
That's why we don't have any
money at the stuff and then
collect the rent at Mission Bay
Park 30% of the guys were
laying the rent How the city
means I ask the COUNCILMAN A
question and answer period.
So when we talk we can ask you
guys a question and get an
answer.
So just talking about oblivion
and they'll answer a lot of
things Anyway, thanks.
>> Thank you Blair Brickman if
you can please.
>> And you.
All right.
Thank you.
Blair Beakman thank you for
this item.
Thank you that we're working on
these issues again with
possibility.
Thank you.
I'm interested in the subsidy
numbers that were presented
pretty hefty totals that are at
the management department waste
management department can do
themselves I think was 22
million and then they need an
additional 10 million from
the general fund each year at
this point good luck How that
can become a more
self-sustaining number and that
the department itself can can
rely on their own subsidy and
not on the general fund.
I don't know if that's a kind
of goal but it can be an
important goal possibly because
I don't know sort of efforts
Good luck in the efforts that
we can talk about subsidy and
then we can talk about for
people who it's more difficult
to pay for services and
possibly get help And then for
people who can pay for services
they possibly don't need you as
much.
And it's really an important
question that I think we have
to really relearn.
I mean I think the other side
of the argument is interesting
but people simply are not being
able to pay for services that
we figure out systems.
I think that to help better
manage that And good luck with
the future of tech
accountability for the future
of our garbage that we ask
about the check and and
the okay to ask questions and
be accountable about the check
and Garbage on the Beach
program has concluded and that
is this will be comment on All
right thank you city clerk with
that will go to the architect
of this part of the settlement
agreement council member
Whitman thank you council
PRESIDENT I thank you to MR.
Power of the Environmental
Services Department And again I
think everybody at the city who
has worked on this this is
the other piece of
the negotiated settlement that
I presented to the city council
in closed session last month.
I want to highlight a change to
the negotiated trash fees that
I had out just last month And
it is good news The new fees
for the medium and smaller
sized trash bundles will be
even less than expected.
The 65 gallon medium sized
trash but it will drop by
another dollar 50 the 35 gallon
smaller sized trash bag will
drop by nearly another $4.
That is because the fees for
the medium and small trash
bottles have to be proportional
to the 95 gallon That large
trash bags, all that that drop
the fees for the medium to
small bottles by quite a bit.
So if you use either the medium
or the small trash cans,
today's news is even better
than it was last month.
And with that I will make
the motion to adopt
the proposed actions.
All right.
Thank you, Council members.
So we have a motion by Council
member whitburn.
This one's a little more
personal.
I'll take the opportunity to
second the motion.
And again in all seriousness to
thank Councilmember Weapon you
did a you were a tougher
negotiator.
You got a better deal than I
brought out the very first
time.
So kudos to you and MR. Zucker.
I think you made a very awesome
team in negotiating.
Unlike Baseball Park, this one
was subject of litigation.
This is a settlement agreement
of that litigation.
And as Mike McGarry said at
the press conference, we are no
longer litigating this issue.
We have a settlement.
We all then shake hands and
move forward.
So thank you Jeremy and Kirby
and mayor's office and
everybody in between that a did
the hard work to bring this
forward once the measure be
passed And I know that with a
lot of work going forward to
think about something for
the very first time and then
what I was thinking about
the settlement agreement I just
thought there'd be a press
release here.
The new numbers were all done
but you did the hard work of
actually digging and actually
documenting everything so
everybody knows exactly what is
happening in delivering on
the reduced 95 gallon on 28 and
29.
And I appreciate Councilmember
Lipman highlighting because I
know that was one of the things
that I was informed about that
we have to make sure that
the 65 and 35 were proposed
proportionately reduced as well
so that it wasn't just a
benefit to the 95 gallon
customers going forward.
As we were talking on the last
item that does come with a
financial impact in my judgment
the reason I pursue the first
one and perhaps the reason
Councilmember Lipman picked up
the ball and got the deal done
was that the alternative this
with much, much worse.
And so this was a good place
for us to land.
Everybody's talked about
the deficit that we're trying
to resolve this year If we
didn't have Measure b you can
only imagine how big
the deficit would have been
this year.
So while a lot of people were
frustrated about the feel of it
right the implementation I
think that we have landed at a
good place in this.
We're honoring the settlement
agreement we brought we talked
to this as soon as we could
going forward.
So good work.
I mean that's a staff has done
a lot of heroic work in
bringing this stuff forward
very greatly appreciate it And
as I said, the other item this
is the settlement here How we
got to where we are is no
reflection on staff.
You guys did excellent work.
I'm very grateful for that.
So with that I'm happy to
second the motion And now we
have a motion by COUNCILMAN
Whipple and second by myself to
move the recommendation will go
to Council Member Campion.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT
Thank you to Council member
Whitburn and you Council
PRESIDENT I will be in support
of the motion and thank you for
your direct and accurate words.
Today's actions help bring
the city's implementation of
the trash free more in line
with what voters believed they
were approving at the ballot
box and from the beginning my
core concern was that the final
proposal departed from that
expectation And so these
changes are an important step
towards restoring the trust and
providing relief to San Diego
who are facing significant
affordability challenges.
So we come closer to honoring
the will of the electorate
while continuing to provide
this essential city service in
a way that's reasonable and
responsive to the concerns of
our communities.
But lastly, one thing that I
never doubted or questioned
the expertise and
professionalism of our team
Jeremy and Kirby, thank you and
your team and sd I've seen you
in public answering questions.
You're excellent at your job.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT All right.
Thank you, Councilmember Camp.
Yeah.
We'll go next to Councilmember
Hill over there.
>> All right.
Thank you, Council PRESIDENT.
Thank you Whitburn and council
PRESIDENT For your work on
this.
Jeremy, thank you to you and
the team for all the work to
get to this point.
Jordan as well I, I appreciate
the mention of the wrestling
We're going to have to do with
the services that are provided
and the cost that those come to
the city and with the impacts
of not providing those services
not just from an environmental
perspective which there are
significant impacts there but
from a cost perspective on a
long term basis as well.
For example the city receives
tipping fees and Miramar and if
we have to close Miramar we
would no longer receive those
tipping fees, correct?
That's correct.
And what what are those tipping
fees amount to to pay for?
>> I believe it's $84 a ton.
Speaking for member I don't
have it in front of me.
I mean like big picture it not
only is required to run
the facility itself right where
that what from like an annual
basis how much does that amount
to that $84 per ton We'll have
we'll get back to you Jordan
give a ballpark one second
while I'm looking at up I would
actually say it's twofold So
it's the fees to do is the fees
to run the Miramar landfill
which are substantial.
Those fees are also
substantially paid by trash
collect by the individuals who
are paying into trash
collection.
If you no longer have Miramar,
you no longer have some control
over those tipping fees If you
have to go to other landfills,
the cost to the city to dispose
of the trash collected would
also go up and would require
either higher fees on residents
or larger general fund subsidy.
That was the second part of
the point.
Okay.
Yes.
But yeah, the point being is
that keeping Miramar open is
not again just a matter of good
faith, good environmental
stewardship and living up to
the climate control that we
set.
There's enormous, enormous
financial cost associated with
that as well.
And so Council PRESIDENT It's a
conversation we're having
environmentally I think it's
something that the full council
really is going to need to
wrestle with because that
horizon that cliff I should say
is not that far out And and
anything that we are not
diverting from the landfill
speeds up the closure of
the landfill and the closure of
landfill comes again with
significant financial costs.
And so I fully understand why
we're here today.
I think it's good that folks
will be paying less And just
for all of us to know there's
there's no easy way out of this
because if the if what we're
hoping is that we simply will
reduce services to avoid some
of the financial impacts in
the next budget year there will
be a freight train heading out
as a fiscal freight train
coming at us 2 or 3 years down
the road from from punting on
that.
So as with everything as it
relates to the city's budget,
there's no easy outs.
We're going to need to be
better resourced.
I think the goal from
the beginning was for there to
be a subsidy and the hope that
additional revenue from 2024
whatever gap there was between
the projected amount and what
the actual cost was,
the general fund could absorb
that and we ended up with no no
slot in line And so so here we
are again.
I appreciate all the work that
went into this.
I just want to be sure we all
know whether it's reducing
the amount of recycling that
we're collecting or not doing
bulky item pickup that will
have a fiscal impact and that
fiscal impact will come much
sooner than any of us want it
to come.
>> I think you got
the resident.
All right.
Thank you, Councilmember Rivera
.
We'll go next to Councilmember
Wolpert.
Thank you And I thank you
Council for what we're in for
your work on everything.
I appreciate you very much.
You know, I had voted against
the trash fee to begin with for
similar reasons.
I voted against water rate
increases.
We don't need to increase water
rates.
The water department can do
better and we're seeing them do
better.
They're finally selling excess
water rights.
We don't need two other things
to do.
I also don't think that we
needed to buy new trash cans
for everybody.
We could have used that money
instead to provide weekly
recycling so we don't need to
redo the trash.
We we can do better And so
the cost of living is already
high enough in San Diego that
we could always have done
better.
So I wish we didn't have to
deal with this at all But we
are where we are and I will
support the settlement today
because it helps get us closer
to where we should have been
the whole time.
So thank you.
All right.
Thank you Councilmember John
Wolpert.
We'll go next to Council foster
Oh yes.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT And
thank you for the presentation.
I too did not support the trash
fees or the water rate increase
as well.
But I do have a question just
to in regards to my colleague
Councilmember Eli Rivera and
the tipping passes I would
assume as we are working
through this, one of the things
that we do and we do it quite
often in District four what we
call dumpster days where we
have tipping passes.
I'm assuming those all are in
this conversation as well in
regards to the ability to
maintain that type of service
that we do in the district that
is also at risk as well as we
talk about the landfill and
able to manage our fees
accordingly.
Correct?
I think if the current
councilmember we're still
planning on approximately 99
events per year looking at
around nine of the larger
events per district and two of
that 39 of the smaller per
district and two of the bigger
four district.
So as of now there's no direct
impact.
But to your point the larger
discussions about city
priorities and a finite budget
than that is that is a true
statement.
Okay.
And those events that you were
referring to are those
the curbside environmental
services?
Those are curbside but we also
do our own where we can go out
and we MAY have as many as ten
bins or whatever the case MAY
be where we provide that to our
various neighborhoods.
Right.
We do want a district for every
corner that we sponsor but we
also help our our neighbor, our
neighborhoods in regards to our
town councils and certain
things.
What I'm hearing is those two
will be at risk potentially as
we continue as you talk about
the larger conversation where
that type of amenity or service
will go away as well.
>> Correct.
And to the extent that those
leverage free tipping passes at
the landfill when the landfills
ultimate expiration date
approaches, then that
opportunity ceases.
Okay.
Thank you for that.
All right.
Thank you.
Councilmember Foster.
I not see anybody else in
the lights.
We do have a motion by Council
whipper and the second by
myself to move the staff
recommendation Clerk please
call the roll.
>> I'm sorry The voting system.
Please cast your vote That
passes nine unanimously 9 to 0.
Thank you Also PRESIDENT All
right.
Thank you.
>> All right.
Five 515 We got a lot of big
business that we've already
gotten done but stay tuned.
We've got three more items to
go.
So clerk please introduce item
631.
>> Item 631 is
the authorization for City of
San Diego Fiscal year 2027 tax
and revenue Anticipation And if
you'd like to speak on this
item please be sure to submit
your speakers up to the front
of the room into the clear box
or if you are participating
remotely now's the time to
raise your hand by pressing
Star nine or the raise your
hand icon.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT All
right.
Thank you.
I see staff you're settling in.
Please introduce yourselves for
the record and let us know how
much time you need for
the presentation.
Good afternoon.
Council PRESIDENT Council
members My name is Richard
Eyre, Financial Operations
Manager for the Debt Management
Division Department of Finance
with me today as Michael as a
car financing coordinator.
We'll need approximately ten
minutes when you're ready.
Today we were requesting
authorization for a resolution
to execute the city's fiscal
year 2027 Tax and revenue
anticipation notes or trends
and related documents in an
amount not to exceed 340
million to fund the projected
seasonal cash flow deficit of
the general fund during fiscal
year 2027.
Both the California Governor
Government Code and City
Charter authorize short term
borrowings to fund operations
in anticipation of
the collection of taxes and
revenues within the same fiscal
year.
The City Charter also limits
the amount of borrowing in a
fiscal year to no more than 25%
of budgeted appropriations.
Trends are a fairly common cash
management financing tool used
by state and local governments
to bridge cash flow Gaps
between large expenditures
occurred early in the fiscal
year and the receipt of taxes
and other revenues later in
the year.
The city has utilized trends in
prior years most recently in
fiscal year 2013.
So why are trends needed now?
Since 2013 the city has
generally maintained sufficient
cash fund balances within funds
considered available to
the General fund to manage cash
flow timing differences without
the need for external borrowing
.
In recent years, however,
several factors have combined
to warrant the use of the notes
for the coming fiscal year.
Covid relief funds that were
temporarily used to support
operations have been exhausted
.
Also due to budgetary pressures
over recent years, general fund
access equity has been drawn
down and the city has not made
contributions to its general
fund reserves.
Additionally, the Department of
Finance has completed analysis
of certain operational
operating funds also referred
to as policy funds to reassess
their availability for general
fund cash flow purposes.
As a result of these factors
the Department of Finance
projects monthly cash flow
shortfalls during the first
half of fiscal year 2027 that
can be bridged by the notes
excuse me.
The current financing plan
anticipates the trains will be
issued on JULY 1st, 2026,
the same date as the pension
contribution payment and repaid
at the end of the fiscal year
on JUNE 30th.
The exact size of borrowing
will be determined by
the maximum projected general
fund cash flow deficit during
the fiscal year and repayments
of the notes is secured by
pledged fiscal year 2027
Unrestricted revenues which
include taxes other revenues,
cash receipts and other general
fund monies attributable to
fiscal year 2027 as part of
the financing structure and for
the benefit of investors.
A portion of the notes debt
service will be periodically
set aside in a separately held
repayment fund.
These set asides generally
occur when the receipt of major
property tax revenues or after
the receipt of major property
tax revenues with set aside
installments currently expected
to begin in JANUARY.
I'll turn it over to Mike to
provide a few more details.
>> Thanks Mitch.
Moving into the popular key
financing elements, the issue
of the notes will be the city
of San Diego.
The financing is expected to
consist of a single series of
short term notes.
The repayment source is pledged
to fiscal year 27 unrestricted
revenues and the notes are
expected to be issued on a tax
exempt basis with a final
maturity of JUNE 30th 2027.
Based on current market
conditions, staff is targeting
a public offering through a
competitive sale process which
allows the market to bid on
the notes and provides the city
with an opportunity to obtain
the lowest borrowing cost.
The financing documents before
council today in addition to
the financing resolution
include forms of
the accompanying documents.
The preliminary official
statement, the continuing
disclosure certificate paying
agent agreement, notice of sale
and if necessary a note
purchase agreement Should
market conditions warrant a
negotiated sale.
The ratings on the grants have
been received since docketing
in our sp one plus and f one
plus by s&p and Fitch
respectively.
These are the highest short
term ratings available and
Fitch has affirmed the city's
long term issuer rating plus
based on projected cash flow
deficit.
The estimated size of the notes
will be approximately 332
million.
The estimated effective
interest rate based on recent
market conditions is estimated
at 2.5% and the not to exceed
interest rate stated in
the resolution is 5%.
Current estimates projected net
interest cost of approximately
8.5 million.
But it's important to note that
staff does anticipate a
significant portion of those
costs to be offset by
investment earnings generated
on the repayment front deposits
and general fund cash balances.
These estimates again are
preliminary and are based on
fiscal year 27 draft budget
including the MAY revise and
current cash flow projections.
>> The general fund is
projected to begin fiscal year
27 with approximately 360.8
million in cash including
certain operating funds.
On JULY 1st the General fund is
scheduled to make its annual
atc payments just service
totaling approximately 396.1
million.
Without the trains borrowing
monthly general fund cash
balances are projected to
remain negative through
DECEMBER with a maximum
projected deficit of
approximately 360 million
occurring in NOVEMBER based on
the fiscal year 27 draft
budget.
Total projected general fund
receipts will be approximately
2.2 billion and the estimated
advance borrowing of
approximately 332 million
represents roughly 15% of those
projected general fund receipts
.
>> As previously discussed,
the city is required to
periodically deposit pledge
revenues into repayment fund
prior to maturity of the notes.
The projected repayment
schedule includes deposits of
approximately 104 million in
JANUARY 139 million in APRIL
and 24 million in MAY.
These deposits are structured
to accumulate sufficient funds
to repay both principal and
interest at maturity on JUNE
30th of 2027.
The table on the slide also
demonstrates strong projected
coverage levels meaning pledge
revenues over debt service
throughout the repayment period
with overall coverage of 1.75
times.
Based on current projections,
staff anticipates sufficient
pledge revenues will be
available to meet all repayment
bond requirements.
>> The financing team for
the transaction includes both
city staff and external
financing professionals.
Camden Public Finance is
serving as our municipal
divisor straddling uga Carlson
and Roth is serving as note and
disclosure Council us Bank
Trust company will serve as b
paying agent and in addition
the financing team includes
staff from the Department of
Finance, the city's attorney's
office and the city Treasurer's
office.
>> The next two slides provide
a brief summary of the related
financing documents to be
approved with this item.
The preliminary official
statement or policy is
the primary disclosure document
provided to potential
investors.
Its purpose is to provide
information that a reasonable
investor would consider
material in making an informed
investment decision.
The document includes
information regarding repayment
sources for the notes.
Cash Flow Projections.
City Financial Information.
Demographic and Economic
Information.
Risk Factors and Credit
ratings.
The policy has been prepared to
the city's disclosure practices
working group process and will
continue to be updated as
necessary prior to the sale of
the notes.
>> In addition to the polls,
council approval today includes
several related financing
documents.
These include the accompanying
document to the resolution.
The continuing disclosure
certificate, the paying agent
agreement and the notice of
sale against should market
conditions warrant a negotiated
sale rather than a competitive
sale.
Approval would also extend to a
note purchase agreement.
>> Finally, following Council
today, staff anticipates
releasing the preliminary
official statement the day
after budget adoption on JUNE
10th.
The Tran Sale is currently
scheduled for JUNE 16th and
the financing is expected to
close on JULY 1st, 2026 at
which time proceeds will be
delivered and used to support
fiscal year 27 general fund
cash flow needs including
the annual pension payments.
This concludes our
presentation.
We would be happy to answer any
questions from the Council.
Thank you.
>> All right.
Thank you for the presentation.
The fda doesn't have okay with
that.
>> Clark, please proceed with
public comment.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Max Schmidt
If you can please come forward
after that will be allegedly
addressed.
Um, I just want to say thank
you for the opportunity to
speak today.
I wish that on my First
Amendment was more protected in
the United States than it is on
Also I just wanted to say that
item 631 is a big deal because
it's a deal of transparency.
Um, and we need more
transparency also.
The reason being more
transparency because it
definitely cost money to have
um people stopped me nonstop
and constantly use voices to
harass me nonstop throughout
the day.
And I just wanted to say when I
was held in the psych ward for
simply posting about Freemasons
reincarnate and the vast
majority of people on the West
Coast reincarnating and
possessed by the devil and also
not driving cars and
teleporting They called me
crazy.
They also tried to reeducate
me.
They said that I was forced to
say that covid was not a
bioweapon and that the 2020
election was not stolen and
that Freemasons can't teleport
and that that is a delusion and
that it was literally like a
communist reeducation camp in
the United States.
And I just wanted to say that
the city council as I sit here
and wait to speak, they're
going to try to probably call
me crazy for this but I'm
Freemasons do something really
use something called neuro
linguistic programing to make
your.
Have you ever been like super
Extremely scared Like maybe you
just got hit by a car or
something and you're on four
guys on your tingle like
you're so scared Like something
like super super scary happens
Don't make your tingle on
Tingle the city council as I
sit and wait to speak they're
using neuro linguistic
programing to threaten me and
make my tingle And then they
talk trash about it through
neuro linguistic programing in
the United States of America
Down with the occult.
>> I'm not crazy.
>> Allegedly ordering making
people's tingle.
It's unfortunate.
>> Yeah.
Talk about racketeering.
I mean it's like we can trust
that you guys are, you know,
going to go further into debt
and then get us out of debt and
we're never going to be in debt
again as long as we can borrow
this money and you guys are
going to make sure that you're
really spending our money
wisely.
>> It's crazy because it's like
I mean I bet a bunch of people
that you take their money from
which they had this kind of
problem $340 million like match
and it was that kind of money I
mean they only have 340 bucks
And if they do, you guys will
take 339 a bit and promise to,
you know, make their life
better.
But you know, just as long as
they go digging through
the trash for food, you know,
and it's like with what you
guys just did with the other
things like who's to say that
you're not going to continue to
engage in more fraud like that
and charges fees that you
shouldn't then have to go back
and retract it.
But yeah, it's just it's very
sad to see that It's like we're
always having to go borrow
money even though you guys have
like billions at your disposal.
I'm just wondering like again
how much money is enough that
you guys won't, you know,
engage in this kind of stuff?
Is there any amount you know
there's as long as whatever
people have right Do I don't
know if I have any money in my
pocket?
Probably not because nobody
does.
Yeah.
So the five minute time we're
going to those participating
remotely starting with Tony if
you can please unmute Tony you
seem to be having some
technical difficulties.
You're not admitting there
should be a pop up.
I will have to move on if you
can email Hector if you can
please unmute but thanks for
taking my call.
Hey could you guys offer Max
the job like sweeping up
the trolley station or
something or maybe sweeping
the boardwalk, maybe give Max a
job, kind of do something good
but yeah, I was watching to
the pension board and
the pension board last month
bragging their investments was
enough revenue to pay all their
obligations for the last year.
So they're doing really good on
their investing and have made
enough money to pay their
obligations.
So how about if we take a
vacation from the pension
payment for like 6 or 6 months
vacation for making the payment
because they've got the money
in the trust fund and they're
making money to pay
the obligations So we could
take that $700 million that
we're not going to have to pay
for the next six months and
then fill in all the blanks,
all sorts of places we could
spend it and they'd still be
okay.
They'd have less money in
the trust fund but they got a
lot of money in the trust fund
already and they're investing
it and they're paying their
obligations which is that's
the basic problem.
The city is the pension
obligation.
It's killing us.
It's going to be killing us
every year for the next 30
years.
I don't think it's ever going
away.
People are living longer.
The pensions are going up.
Pensions are increasing.
People living longer.
>> That's the problem we have
with the city.
Man Right there your time
concluded Blair if you can
please on mute.
Blair Beekman Thanks for this
item To offer some of the words
of Tony from earlier today He
always has really interesting
things to say.
He thanked Councilperson
Campbell and her position on on
on taxing homes and revenue
raises to find revenue sources
that Councilperson Campbell has
a pretty wise opinion on
the matter and is certainly in
how to have the debate.
Councilperson Campbell has on
the future of how to address
revenue in our future And she
has a good argument I think and
I hope I can be respected and I
hope that.
I wanted to quickly mention
from my previous item that was
cut off today that with
the fire department issues
people are leaving in San Diego
in massive numbers once they
get the training So at least
we're doing the training right
that people want to be here for
some reason You've been working
really good programs with
the fire department and
community the past year
developing good prevention
practices and that's a good
learning process.
Can that be somehow applied to
your future?
Questions of how to address
your fire department issues and
retention.
I thought I would mention that
is possibly tax and revenue
ideas and yeah so good luck
with that.
All sides can really question
how do we address revenue for
the future?
>> San Diego Thank you.
Thank you.
Next is Leonard If you can
please unmute.
>> Hi yeah I'm also for taxing
the on occupied office space
should be assessed a tax
the same way to the proposition
that was just voted down on
charging the unoccupied homes
should go the same for office
spaces that are unoccupied.
There's a lot of businesses
that we should be promoting San
Diego to come bring businesses
to fill those office spaces And
I think that you'll be able to
do that And I know that many
industries have left San Diego
fishing, manufacturing and
there's no more people to
support the sales tax anymore.
So now you're depending on all
of us constituents as piggy
banks and you need to be better
stewards of our of our money
And I think that it would be
better spent toward the Park
and rec and any other facility
or infrastructure that you know
grass the buildings that need
repair.
But thank you for your time.
>> Thank you very much.
Thank you.
That does conclude public
comment on this item.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT All
right.
Thank you.
City clerk will now take
councilmember questions and
comments and entertain a motion
and I don't see anybody willing
to kick this off so I'll kick
it off.
Thank you for the presentation.
Thank you for reintroducing an
idea that the city has used
successfully is allowed under
the state and the city charter.
So I'll move the recommendation
to kick things off.
Thank you for the good work.
We'll go next to Council
PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee Thank
House PRESIDENT I'll second
the motion the motion by myself
on the second by Council
PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee to move
the recommendation we'll go
next to Council Member Campion
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Just just
briefly this type of funding
mechanism is a properly thought
of of having an interest
percentage or is it more of a a
premium to have access to this
line of funding Because when I
see the original issue premium
but then I see estimated
interest costs it's not
entirely clear to me is it If
we are we going to take out
essentially $332 million for
cashflow purposes or are we
going to I see the schedule
that shows on a quarterly basis
how we plan to roll this out
But it's not entirely clear to
me what the right way of
describing this to my
constituents is.
Is it strictly a percentage
figure or is it a premium
amount?
It is And there is a fixed
interest rate component there.
There are just short term notes
that we do within 12 months
they will when you see that
original original issue
premium, that's because
interest rate on the notes is
higher than the effective rate
so that the dollar amount that
the investors are paying when
the notes are sold is actually
higher than the premium Yet
it's the same pricing mechanism
as our lease revenue bonds as
many typical municipal bonds
are issued under and it's just
a term that we use original
show premium to describe
the price.
All right.
I'll put into that context you
pointed out with the least
revenue bonds then and we
anticipate that 340 million
sounds like a lot of cash
That's how was that number
arrived at very specifically
that that premium generates
roughly the 339 million of
proceeds that will be will
receive from the sale 332 is
the is the palm is the so
the principal amount that'll be
due that'll come due in 12
months.
I see.
Okay And we're paying it off
over time Not all at once at
the end.
Correct.
We'll be setting aside in
the repayment fund once
the repayment fund reaches 100%
then we repay on JUNE 30th
setting aside Very good And
will that be something we're
able to monitor on a quarterly
basis or at those set aside
periods?
Absolutely.
Okay.
All right.
Thank you.
I feel more comfortable with
that.
Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT.
All right.
Thank you, Councilmember Campo
.
Not seeing anybody on
the lights.
Let me ask one question.
The investors get this for a
whole year.
So even though your schedule
showed we would actually have
set aside by MAY 1st we'll have
those kind of city to the bank
for all of MAY and all JUNE
That's accumulating interest to
our benefit And that's correct.
That's right.
>> Okay.
All right.
With that not seeing anybody
else on the lights, we have a
motion by myself on the second
by council PRESIDENT Pro Tem
Lee to move the recommendation
clerk please call the roll I'm
sorry The voting system Please
cast your vote That passes
seven two with Council member
Moreno and Councilmember Von
Wilpert voting no Thank you,
Council PRESIDENT All right.
Thank you for that Again, thank
you to staff for the work to
bring this forward.
All right.
Clerk Please introduce item
630.
Item 630 is the authorization
of the First Amendment to
contract h242636 to dash m with
Brown and Caldwell for design
and construction services for
the two Improvements and
Modernization project six funds
are required pursuant to
Charter Section 99.
If you'd like to speak on this
item now's the time to submit
your speaker slip to the front
of the room in the clear box.
If you are participating
remotely please be sure to
raise your hand by pressing
Star nine or the raise your
hand icon at this time.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT.
All right.
Thank you.
And just by way of brief
explanation, this is an item
that normally would have gone
to 80 It wasn't able to this
month And there's some hard
deadlines that we're trying to
meet and that's why it is being
direct docketed.
So staff I see you've settled
in Introduce yourselves for
the record and how much time do
you need for the presentation?
Good afternoon Honorable
Council PRESIDENT And members
of the City Council.
My name is Shadi Sammy.
I'm the Deputy Director for
Utilities Project Delivery
Division of the Engineering
Capital Projects Department.
With me here today is Doc
Campbell, assistant director of
the Public Utilities Department
and Eric Rubalcaba, senior
civil engineer with
the engineering capital
Projects Department who will be
making this presentation today.
And we need approximately ten
minutes.
All right.
When you're ready.
Thank you.
Oh, thank you, Shari.
So I requested action is an
ordinance to approve an
amendment to the Brian Caldwell
design contract for the Pump
Station two project for an
amount not to exceed $2.294
million and extend the contract
from 5 to 8 years through 2032
for continued engineering
support.
Position two is located on
Harvard Drive within County
District two adjacent to
Terminal two of the San Diego
Airport.
The service area is almost
equivalent to the San Diego
County Pump Station two is
the terminal point for
the North metro system.
Everything north of Highway
eight and also the south metro
system which is south of
Highway o flows from pump
station to end up at the Point
Loma Wastewater Treatment plant
for treatment and disposal with
an average flow rate of 130
million gallons per day.
>> Pump Station two is
the largest, most critical
wastewater pump station in our
system and operates 24 hours a
day.
It's been in service in 1963
making the pump station 63
years old and has a vertical
shot Pumps which is pictured on
the right hand side.
Next two slides will provide
context on the importance of
the pump station and
the project itself.
In APRIL 2020 there was a heavy
rain event that resulted in a
spill into the Sweetwater River
due to system blockages and
pumps being out of service.
This resulted in a cease and
desist order in 2023 to
complete upgrades to pump
Station one By DECEMBER of 2028
the city awarded a design build
contract in 2024 to address
this issue In JANUARY of 2023 a
second rain event resulted in a
spill event in the northern
region.
Primary causes were heavy
inflows and pumps being out of
service and pump station to
the city and regulators are
negotiating a path forward.
But to date there is no cease
and desist order for a pump
station to.
The city decided to move
forward with a design contract
in 2023 to complete the pump
station to upgrade by DECEMBER
of 2029 to develop a full scope
for design services.
We required a series of shut
downs to conduct conditioning
assessments primarily to
the wells in flowing channels
and interior of pipes.
Unfortunately due to pumps
being out of service and
the pump station needing to
operate 24 seven we could not
take the risk of taking
additional additional
components off line and further
reduce our pumping capacity.
We decided to move forward with
a reduced scope contract and
negotiate an amendment Once we
had the opportunity to conduct
these required assessments.
>> The original contract was
awarded in JUNE of 2024 and
included the design services
for the replacement of
the suction discharge and
conveyance replace pumps,
motors starters and some piping
modifications and
instrumentation and vac
upgrades and minor building
repairs.
The original project also
anticipated a three and a half
year construction schedule.
9 to 12 months for equipment
procurement and to be replaced
in the dry season with one pump
being replaced in the wet
season.
Midway through design we were
able to conduct a series of
shutdowns that allowed
assessments of the wet wells
improving channels and suction
pipelines.
We also conducted site
investigations with the oem
staff.
Both identified new scope items
.
The city also determined that
replacement of pumps during
weather would not be allowed
since it reduces pumping
capacity and increases the risk
of a spill.
Pumps would only be replaced in
the dry season two pumps per
year increasing
the construction schedule from
three and a half to five years
.
The amendment includes
construction support for
the full five years versus
the three and a half previously
anticipated.
A physical model This was based
on lessons learned from pumps
in one project.
Structural retrofit of the wet
was and influential ornl's
sluice gate modifications and
you stop lake system to ensure
sewer type shutdowns an
additional service allowance
for unforeseen items and other
minor position upgrades
identified during site
investigations.
>> >> The original consultant
contract was $2.94 million.
This amendment adds $2.294
million.
This amendment was anticipated
and fully funded via the fiscal
year 26 allotment.
The estimated total project
cost is 135 million with
construction costing 105
million which will be awarded
in fiscal year 27.
The East the eoc goal for this
project is 19.3 The Certified
participation sits at 23.3 now
provide a 4.7 with the total
sub consultant Participation of
20% in this project is fully
funded via the Metro Sewer
Enterprise Fund.
That concludes my presentation
and we'll open it up to
questions.
>> All right.
Thank you very much for
the presentation, the good work
to bring it forward.
Clerk Please proceed with
public comment.
>> Thank you.
Council PRESIDENT.
We have allegedly order if you
can please come forward.
We have minutes.
>> Everybody would leave its
call.
Yes this is interesting you
guys in your not to exceed
amounts I don't know why we say
that because you're always like
we're not going to exceed this
amount and we're not exceeding
it by this amount and it's not
to exceed this amount And yet
you keep exceeding that amount.
So I just feel like what is
the point of saying that
because this is going to come
back again and you're going to
have five more amendments.
I mean if you're saying are you
saying this is going to cost
$135 million to do, then how
are we why are we having these
not to exceed by 5 million Like
you guys should be more
transparent with the people.
But if people really knew what
you were doing I mean you
wouldn't be here.
>> So yeah, it just concerning
especially with the like $5
billion that you guys need for
storm infrastructure it's like
these are the type of things
that need to be taken care of
And I feel like they don't It's
like you worry about other
things like sure arts and
culture is nice but it's like
if we have a storm that comes
and everybody loses everything
because we can't keep up with
the infrastructure, it's like
are we really being good
stewards of people's money If
you're actually putting them in
danger by not keeping up with
the things that need to be kept
up with and then you're like
forced to do stuff.
That's what seems to happen a
lot of times it's like you get
forced to capitulate as opposed
to just doing your job and
making sure that these types of
things are covered instead of
having to like go in and borrow
money all the time because
we're just you know, we have a
mayor that likes to make, you
know, music videos, stuff like
that with our money and use all
pr that doesn't work and now
we're in litigation for it.
How cool is that Like imagine
how much money that's going to
cost us and they're going to
probably bring in more of it
and then just you know, ask
the people for more money.
I'm sure Jennifer will get it
in her nice income tax that's
going to come in.
I'll we call write a job we'll
go to those participating
remotely a story of the five
minute time or Hector if you
can please unmute.
All right.
Thanks for taking my call.
Yeah looks like we got to do
something with this.
Definitely have to do it or
whatever it costs and then I
was thinking too on the other
cost overruns with the pure
water system on board Now we
should get financial updates
every month on that because
that's going to be they're just
going to add it into the bill
and the bill on the bill
instead of waiting for a couple
of years from now And there's
like a $2 million extra charge
on the bill So we should have
those this thing we got to do
the sewer lines and the water
is going to take pressure off
this valves.
It's going to take some of
the action off of it eventually
But down the road there's going
to be all sorts of cost
overruns on the pure water
system no matter what happens.
You know it's going to cost
like a railroad thing.
It's going to cost 200,000,200
billion And we spent 14 billion
on the railroad to nowhere from
California And when it was
supposed to be all done for 30
billion every year there's
overruns and it's just a slush
fund.
So I'm I'm not afraid but I
know that the cure Water
Project is going to turn into a
slush fund just like it did for
the state on the on the rapid
rail road system That's going
nowhere.
So capture some of that money
and put it in the sewer planet
to you want to river No more
money to the high speed rail
nothing Get rid of it Get rid
of the governor to man that
guy's a criminal.
You know We just got it.
His wife took all the fire
money Is those donations to
the fires His wife took it and
then like lying about it.
Now that's it's it's that's
that's how they work.
That's how they roll, man.
They're criminals.
Those guys.
>> We've got to go.
Time has concluded.
Tony, if you can please unmute
and you hear me.
Yes, we can.
Please proceed.
Hey, thank you.
Don't have much to say about
this project supportive of
whatever decision is taken in
whatever direction it goes in.
I wanted to finish something
that I was saying earlier
today.
I was acknowledging and
thanking everyone on this
council for their hard work in
the last couple of weeks and
for meeting us at least more
than halfway with regard to
restoring rights.
I would love for the arts to be
fully funded.
I would love for Oasis to be
fully funded.
I would love to see Flock but I
am really tired of seeing us
being used as guinea pigs for
luxury surveillance technology
that has already caused
problems within the city that's
already costing us more And
right now when we're having
these budget discussions I
don't think that we're being
very realistic about the cost
of the lawsuits that are coming
out of the budget And I get
that they're not coming out of
the general fund.
I get that they come out of
the private liability fund But
I think that we have a really
big issue with our city council
that it seems like no one is
really concerned if these funds
are coming out of the private
liability fund.
It's like we have a double
standard there and it's like
there's just this total
disconnect for holding
the bureaucracy of police
funding accountable whether it
be for police brutality.
I was just reading in
the Union-Tribune two weeks ago
or not Sunday but the Sunday
before last about the dhs agent
the agent dhs agent who was
beat up by pd and called a
whole bunch of racial slurs for
knocking on his window when he
was trying to get a hold of
him.
And that's another lawsuit
that's going to cost us who
knows how many more millions.
And there's just what I'm
really concerned about is that
there's no formal way that
the cp has no teeth even though
six years ago that's what
the citizens of San Diego voted
for.
Francine has expressed the same
concern.
I just don't really see us
making any progress We need to
have courage to confront as dpd
not just cheerlead its
concluded your time has
concluded and that concludes
public comment on this item.
>> All right Thank you for
that.
City clerk will now turn it
over to council colleagues for
questions, comments and
entertain a motion And we'll
start with Council member
Campbell.
>> Thank you so much.
This is part of the Point Loma
pump system.
We have to do this I move
staff's recommendation.
All right thank you council
members.
So a motion by council member
Campbell I'll go ahead and
second that not anybody else
might I'll just add my thank
you for taking care of it.
Pump Station two is kind of a
big deal isn't it, in the city?
So yeah, we got to do it right
As my colleagues said.
So we have a motion by Council
member Campbell the second by
myself to move the staff
recommendation.
>> Please call the roll I'm
sorry the voting system Please
cast your vote And that does
passed unanimously 920 Thank
you Council PRESIDENT All
right.
Thank you.
City Clerk Clerk Please
introduce item 632 Item 632 is
the construction change order
number five with pc Allen
Construction Services Inc for
the installation of a new
batting cage for Mira mesa
Community Park Improvements
Phase two 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 by submitting
a speaker slip If you're here
in person to the front of
the room in the clear box.
Thank you Council PRESIDENT
Thank you.
Council Council PRESIDENT Pro
Tem Lee this is in your
district.
Did you want to hear
the presentation or happy to
waive the presentation.
Anybody else want to hear
the presentation?
All right with that Well thank
you staff for the work to bring
it forward and be prepared for
any questions and comments that
MAY come up.
But let's go ahead and go to
public comment.
>> Thank you, Max Schmidt, if
you can please come forward to
the microphone after that will
be allegedly Audra, how much
time do I have?
>> Sorry.
You'll have one minute and a
half on hi items 632 I'm here
on the paper says installation
of a new batting cage for
the Mira Mess Community park.
I hope everyone understands
where I'm coming from.
This is the United States of
America and I don't have mental
freedom.
I am a mind control victim
where people at the homeless
shelter that I'm staying at and
the only reason I'm homeless is
because they 5150 then 52 50th
MAY decide to leave the state
to not get forced
antipsychotics at the homeless
shelter I'm staying at
the staff and other homeless
people.
I don't know if they're feds.
They're obviously Freemasons
because they're telepathic.
They keep a constant like
audible voice saying my
thoughts out loud mocking me,
accusing me of things and I
can't even think I do not have
mental freedom in America And
it's a shame on City Council
for not caring about my
situation and instead my tax
dollars are going towards
the batting cage and mirror
message or something And all of
this is because I am I'm
exposing the new World order to
the point where the whole
entire world's population is
going to know that the majority
of people in the West Coast are
on their third act of life and
they've all reincarnated in
the cancer park There's a
statue of a of an old lady gone
through an archway and coming
out a little kid There's
statues about reincarnation and
I say down off the court you
shame on all of you like you
allegedly Audra two hundred
thousand dollars for a batting
cage seems quite excessive when
you could spend I don't know 15
to $50,000 on it.
I mean you might as well put,
you know, 4 or 10 there and you
know, for that price.
But it's like anything that
the government does they'll
charge you more.
But I feel like there are parks
that could use, you know,
lighting and cameras.
You know, there's rapes
happening in parks.
People are being brutally
assaulted by police officers
like in Raghu Campos district
at Linda Vista Recreation with
Anthony Warner.
I mean it's like it's kind of a
disservice to go to certain
communities and put this type
of, you know, accessory per se
in there where other people are
just begging for like a swing
And it's like if you go and
live in another community you
can have batting cages, you can
have you know, hot who knows
equestrian stuff, all of these
great perks.
But I mean if people just want
a park to go to to bring their
kids and it's not even safe, I
just don't think that we should
be spending $200,000 on a
batting cage again, especially
when you could spend less and
you could put more of them in
other places like for 50 grand
each You could go to four
different parks and put them in
there but instead let's spend
this $200,000 here and it makes
me wonder like who's getting
kicked back from that Because
it's like you guys don't have
to spend money like this but
you do going to those
participating remotely.
Samantha if you can please
unmute on this is Samantha
Castronovo and I'm hearing
the comments on this and then
it's not clear.
So hey I wish the presentation
wasn't waved and I don't know
what to say.
I'm just going to hope that
council members make the right
decision on this because there
are other things being cut and
that 200,000 is much needed in
many other places right now.
>> I might conclude with that.
That concludes your comments.
Yes.
Thank you, Tony.
If you can please unmute.
Yeah, I'm not sure how I feel
about this batting cages I mean
ideally it's a fantastic thing
and I love to see this money
going towards youth services
towards parks and I ordinarily
would feel like it's a
fantastic thing just given
the budget crisis I'm not
exactly sure where that fits
into everything but I guess if
we can fit it in I don't know
maybe this maybe this I'm
thinking out loud but maybe
this is the preventative care
and the preventative public
service that we need.
I hope that I hope that if this
money is spent in that
direction I'll say this I hope
that the batting cages are
utilized and they are used
regularly.
It's a shame we don't see as
many kids going outside anymore
as we used to but that's a
separate discussion for a
separate day I wanted to finish
what I was saying earlier
really I wanted to thank you.
I appreciate the dry wit and
sense of humor.
I thought it was pretty funny
the joke you cracked about
1993, the reference you made
with the lifeguards and then
saying you know, but none of
you were probably alive back
then Something that you do
every meeting You crack like
jokes dry witty jokes and
sometimes they go over people's
heads or sometimes people
aren't ready for them so they
don't always land.
But I learned to appreciate
that.
So thanks for doing that.
And finally I wanted to say
Henry Foster, thank you for
being back.
Great to see you asking all
the questions with regard to
the funding.
>> Thank you.
Thank you, Hector.
As our final speaker, Hector,
if you can please unmute.
>> Well hi Hector.
Thanks for taking my call And
this is a great use of money
man this is great especially in
Miramar.
So man there's a lot of like
kids up there and stuff and you
should get involved.
Any Asian kid like in the first
and third, second, third grade
give like a letter in the mail
and invite them to the grand
opening of this thing and tell
them we're looking for the next
row.
The Padres are going to need
another It's your map and it's
come it's going to come out of
Miramar So it's going to take
time and give them give them a
letter man And one of those
little guys would go Yeah, I
want to be Ichiro and we could
have him on the Padres.
So I think you should do more
of this And every every council
district should have their own
pitching machine and stuff.
This is a great thing for them.
It's money well spent and and
the Padres are going to need
some of that Asian pitching
that like the Dodgers they're
getting them from Japan but we
got him homegrown right here in
San Diego Man We got him man So
instead of paying those
Japanese and you know, carrying
guys from Korea we can get our
own guys pay them anyway.
GOD bless you guys.
>> Goodbye.
Thank you.
That concludes public comment
on this item.
All right.
Thank you.
City clerk turned over to my
council colleagues for
questions.
Comments Entertain a motion and
we'll start with Council
PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee Daniels
PRESIDENT This is an item and
thank you for weighing
the presentation.
This is an item that's actually
a follow up to when
the emergency committee park
was first approved for phase
one where the space was left
for batting cages.
The project was intended but
never completed and the mayor
pays to park.
Phase two project has been well
underway.
We're very excited that it's
actually ahead of schedule and
as we understand it has left
some room available as well so
that this project could be
taken care of in partnership
with the users of the park.
And so the funds only come from
within the community funds So
it does not take away from
other components of the urban
as we're debating tomorrow's
budget.
But we'd be happy to make
the motion to approve this
item.
Thank you.
All right.
We have a motion by Council
PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee to move
the staff recommendation
Council member Yellow Rivera
Thank you Council PRESIDENT
I'll second I appreciate
Council PRESIDENT Pro Tem
explaining the limited ways in
which these funds can be used
And then I just wanted to point
this part out because it kind
of came up and yes we should
always be as efficient as
possible their dollars make
sure they're being spent
appropriately and giving young
people an opportunity to
practice a craft like kidding
is the exact sort of thing that
keeps them out of trouble and
gives them purpose and make
sure they stay on a positive
path.
Repetition Getting positive
reinforcement, seeing
themselves improve.
It's something all the things
with all things that happen in
batting cages are exactly
the sort of thing that we want
more of in the city.
So thank you.
Council PRESIDENT Pro Tem for
explaining details here.
This seems like an excellent
investment.
Can I take that as a second?
All right.
So we have a motion by Council
PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee and
second by Council Mariano
Rivera to move the staff report
staff recommendation.
>> I'll add my thanks.
Please call the roll.
I set up the voting system.
Please cast your vote and that
passes unanimously 9 to 0.
All right.
Again, thank you.
The staff that brings us to
the end.
We will now adjourn council to
the special council meeting on
Tuesday, JUNE 9th, 2026 at 9
A.M. 9 A.M. Where we will start
with nine Agenda Public comment