[0:00] i will now call the city
[0:01] council meeting of Monday,
[0:01] OCTOBER 6th, 2025 to order
[0:02] Clear.
[0:02] >> Please call the roll.
[0:05] Thank you Council member
[0:07] Campbell Thank you Council
[0:13] member Whitburn Councilmember
[0:14] Foster here Council member Ron
[0:18] Wilbur Council Member Campo
[0:18] Yeah.
[0:23] Councilmember Moreno
[0:23] Councilmember Ella Rivera
[0:29] Council PRESIDENT LaCava and
[0:29] Council PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee
[0:30] here also attend the meeting
[0:34] Our city Attorney Heather
[0:34] Ferber, Deputy Director in
[0:35] the Abas office Jillian Adelina
[0:39] and myself your city clerk
[0:40] Diana Fuentes Thank you Council
[0:41] PRESIDENT Pro tem Thank you.
[0:41] A quorum is now present and we
[0:44] will begin this morning with an
[0:45] invocation by Clark Fuentes
[0:45] followed by the Land
[0:46] Acknowledgment and Pledge of
[0:47] Allegiance led by council
[0:57] member Campo Grant, Those who
[0:58] hold office in this city
[0:59] the spirit of wisdom, charity
[1:02] and justice that with steadfast
[1:03] purpose they MAY faithfully
[1:03] serve in their offices to
[1:05] promote the well-being of all
[1:10] people.
[1:11] We respectfully acknowledge
[1:12] that the combination of
[1:12] the original inhabitants of
[1:16] the Unceded land now known as
[1:17] San Diego despite enduring
[1:17] the horrors of genocide and
[1:21] colonization, the coming ice
[1:21] spirit remains unbroken.
[1:22] We honor the resilience of
[1:26] their ancestors who fought to
[1:27] protect their culture and land.
[1:27] Today they carry their legacy
[1:31] forward ensuring that their
[1:32] traditions continue to thrive
[1:32] and gratitude and strength We
[1:37] stand with the culmination
[1:37] connected to our past and
[1:38] committed to a thriving future.
[1:42] Please to face the flag.
[1:42] Ready Begin.
[1:47] I pledge allegiance to the flag
[1:48] of the United States of America
[1:49] and to the Republic for which
[1:51] it stands one nation under GOD,
[1:52] indivisible with liberty and
[1:57] justice for all.
[1:58] >> The clerk will now go over
[2:02] how the public can offer their
[2:03] public testimony.
[2:03] Thank you Council PRESIDENT Pro
[2:04] Tem I'll now highlight
[2:07] the slide on the screen that
[2:08] reviews how the public can
[2:09] offer their public testimony
[2:09] during today's meeting.
[2:12] If you're located in person
[2:13] please continue speakers live
[2:13] and submit it to the front of
[2:14] the room.
[2:14] No further in-person testimony
[2:18] will be taken once the Council
[2:18] begins virtual testimony for
[2:19] better meeting management
[2:22] purposes Each speaker will have
[2:23] one minute per item per person.
[2:23] If you would like to speak on
[2:24] three or more items you will
[2:25] have a maximum of three
[2:26] minutes.
[2:31] The Council PRESIDENT Pro Tem
[2:32] Thank you.
[2:32] The clerk now read the closed
[2:33] session items into the record.
[2:36] Conference with Legal Counsel
[2:37] Existing litigation pursuant to
[2:38] California Government Code
[2:41] Section 5495 6.91 if he has one
[2:42] Lisa Castro versus City of San
[2:47] Diego csu is Uzma Ahmed versus
[2:48] Henry is Sara Estados ak
[2:48] Alvarado at all.
[2:51] She has three is Harold Toombs
[2:52] versus City of San Diego or
[2:56] Gerald Toombs and Sears for his
[2:57] or Ryan Construction Balboa
[2:58] Construction jv versus City of
[2:58] San Diego.
[3:02] Thank you Council PRESIDENT Pro
[3:03] Tem Do we have any public
[3:06] coming out at the five minute
[3:07] time or.
[3:07] I do not see any public
[3:08] comments because here in
[3:09] council chambers we'll go to
[3:11] those proceeding online
[3:12] starting with the million mile
[3:13] man If you can please unmute
[3:16] and let me know which item or
[3:21] items you wish to speak to.
[3:22] I'm here for the non agenda
[3:27] public comment.
[3:27] >> Okay.
[3:28] That will be at the conclusion
[3:31] of the 2 P.M. Session towards
[3:32] the end of the 2 P.M. Session
[3:32] You can raise your hand again
[3:36] at that time the original If
[3:37] you can please unmute and let
[3:38] me know which item or items you
[3:42] wish to speak to You know as
[3:46] many as possible so see as 130
[3:47] as forward You'll have three
[3:47] minutes.
[3:48] Please proceed.
[3:52] Yes So and also I just you know
[3:53] for housekeeping you guys can't
[3:53] even show up on time.
[3:54] It's interesting that you're
[3:57] always like starting
[3:58] the meetings late And you know,
[3:58] that's one thing Nathan
[3:59] Fletcher did, right?
[4:02] He's a tyrant But he always
[4:03] started his meetings on
[4:03] the dot.
[4:03] It was like military time
[4:07] Anyway when you guys are
[4:08] dealing with all of these and
[4:13] falls and on a constant basis,
[4:14] you know I just even though
[4:14] the money's coming from
[4:18] the people you know hopefully
[4:19] you're doing you know what's
[4:20] best for whoever's been injured
[4:24] and to make sure that they can
[4:25] you know, to you know, be able
[4:25] to take care of themselves
[4:30] whatever the injuries worth or
[4:30] significant or whatever that
[4:31] you're, you know, making up for
[4:34] it because of the lack of you
[4:35] know, you know your ability to
[4:40] keep up with the infrastructure
[4:41] or you know, hopefully you can
[4:42] make up for it on that end.
[4:45] It's just unfortunate that we
[4:46] constantly have to pay out
[4:47] money for trip and falls that
[4:51] come and arise from, you know,
[4:52] different things On
[4:53] infrastructure I mean one of
[4:56] these is a slip and fall on
[4:57] grass, you know, So perhaps it
[5:02] was, you know, extremely wet.
[5:02] Maybe the conditions weren't
[5:03] right But you know, it's hard
[5:07] to I mean you guys can't be
[5:08] trusted but you know, when
[5:08] you're going and you're
[5:11] litigating against people who
[5:12] lost things in the storm, you
[5:13] know, it's hard to see where
[5:17] you guys are going with these
[5:18] things And that's what's so
[5:19] funny as you like to keep it
[5:19] really obscure and hide
[5:23] information in and make sure
[5:24] that you know, the people just
[5:24] have enough to just like it
[5:28] because you can't really speak
[5:29] on these things when you're
[5:30] like someone tripped and fall.
[5:30] Well anybody could stubbed
[5:34] their toe in the city and go
[5:34] file a lawsuit Like I could
[5:38] just go stub my toe and and
[5:39] then, you know, say that you
[5:40] guys owe me a million bucks.
[5:44] So it's a fine line between,
[5:45] you know, negligence of
[5:45] the city and people probably
[5:50] trying to take advantage of,
[5:51] you know, part of the time.
[5:51] But when you also have things
[5:55] like a breach of contract and
[5:56] you know it's with construction
[6:00] and contracts with the city,
[6:01] you know, if the city's the one
[6:02] engaging in these breach of
[6:03] contract, you need to make sure
[6:06] that you guys are of course
[6:06] correcting and figuring out,
[6:07] you know, what led to it, why
[6:11] it's happening and you know,
[6:11] make sure it doesn't continue
[6:12] to happen because it's
[6:13] ridiculous that the people have
[6:16] to pay extra money when you
[6:16] already take the people's money
[6:17] and throw it away, you
[6:17] basically throw it into
[6:20] the sewer and give it back to
[6:21] us as water.
[6:22] You know, you just can't be
[6:26] trusted to, you know, handle
[6:27] things in a way that is going
[6:31] to be productive for the people
[6:32] that you know, we're really
[6:32] going to see our money being
[6:33] spent wisely.
[6:36] You know, we just seeing it
[6:37] being thrown down the drain all
[6:37] while you guys sit up there.
[6:38] You're late.
[6:39] You know you don't do what
[6:42] you're supposed to be doing yet
[6:43] We just shove out shovel out
[6:44] more and more money every time
[6:48] And so it's just that hopefully
[6:48] one day that this doesn't
[6:49] happen But that's the way
[6:50] the government works.
[6:52] Good job.
[6:53] That does conclude public
[6:54] comment on closed session.
[6:54] Thank you.
[7:04] The Good afternoon and I will
[7:09] now reconvene the city council
[7:09] meeting of Monday, OCTOBER 6th,
[7:10] 2025.
[7:10] Clerk Will you please call
[7:11] the roll?
[7:13] Thank you.
[7:14] Council PRESIDENT Pro Tem
[7:14] Council PRESIDENT LaCava
[7:18] Council Member Campbell Council
[7:19] Member Whitburn here Council
[7:20] Member Foster Council Member
[7:24] Von Wilpert Council Member
[7:24] Campion here Council Member
[7:28] Moreno Present Council member
[7:28] Eli Rivera and Council
[7:33] PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee here also
[7:34] attending the meeting are
[7:34] Assistant City Attorney Leslie
[7:35] Fitzgerald, senior fiscal and
[7:39] policy analyst and the aba's
[7:39] office Aaron Noel and community
[7:40] representative in the mayor's
[7:43] office Emily Tennessee and
[7:44] myself City Clerk Diana Funches
[7:45] Thank you Council PRESIDENT Pro
[7:49] Tem a quorum is now present.
[7:49] Are there any Mayor City
[7:50] Council City Attorney
[7:51] Independent Budget Analyst or
[7:56] city Clerk Comments Seeing
[7:57] none.
[7:58] >> The clerk will now go over
[7:58] how the public can offer their
[8:01] public testimony.
[8:02] >> Thank you.
[8:03] I will highlight this slide on
[8:06] the screen that will be coming
[8:07] up momentarily that does review
[8:08] how the public can offer public
[8:11] testimony by laying out
[8:12] the phone numbers and webinar
[8:12] IDs.
[8:13] The order can be found on
[8:16] the agenda summary found online
[8:17] or at the table in the back of
[8:21] the room If you are in person
[8:22] please complete the speaker
[8:22] slip located at the entrance of
[8:23] chambers and bring it to
[8:25] the front of the room.
[8:26] Place it in the clear box.
[8:27] Council ambassadors are
[8:27] available near the entrance of
[8:31] chambers and can assist with
[8:31] questions and speaker slips.
[8:32] No further in-person testimony
[8:36] will be taken once the council
[8:36] begins Virtual testimony.
[8:37] Thank you.
[8:40] Council PRESIDENT Pro Tem Clerk
[8:41] Please introduce item 201 Sure.
[8:41] Item two one is an
[8:45] informational item It is
[8:46] the performance audit of
[8:47] the city's contract management.
[8:50] If you'd like to speak on this
[8:50] item please be sure to submit
[8:51] your speaker slip now to
[8:52] the front of the room in
[8:52] the clear box.
[8:55] Or if you're participating
[8:56] remotely now's the time to
[8:57] raise your hand by pressing
[8:57] Star nine or the raise your
[8:58] hand icon.
[9:00] Thank you cfo Feel Please
[9:05] introduce yourselves for
[9:05] the record and just let us know
[9:06] how much time you'll need for
[9:07] the presentation.
[9:07] Good afternoon Councilmembers
[9:10] Andino, City Auditor and Co.
[9:11] We have about ten minutes
[9:11] please.
[9:11] Thank you.
[9:12] Thanks.
[9:15] Over each of the last few years
[9:16] the city of San Diego paid
[9:16] hundreds of millions of dollars
[9:19] to outside contractors to
[9:20] provide goods and services.
[9:21] The San Diego Municipal Code
[9:25] requires city council to review
[9:26] and approve certain changes to
[9:30] those contracts such as larger
[9:30] changes in value.
[9:31] The City Council's review
[9:31] ensures public oversight and
[9:35] transparent in the use of
[9:36] taxpayer dollars and thus
[9:36] public oversight and
[9:40] transparency are reduced when
[9:41] changes to contracts are not
[9:44] brought to council as required
[9:45] .
[9:45] Additionally, when contract
[9:46] alterations are brought to
[9:49] council late it puts pressure
[9:50] on the Council's approval
[9:51] responsibility and MAY impact
[9:51] the Council's ability to
[9:54] provide meaningful oversight.
[9:55] If there is not time to
[9:56] consider other vendors without
[10:00] disrupting critical services as
[10:00] I turn it over to the audit
[10:01] team I do want to first think
[10:02] city management including
[10:05] purchasing contracts as well as
[10:06] the city attorney's office for
[10:06] their help on this audit and
[10:10] the audit team With me here
[10:11] today is principal performance
[10:11] auditor Nathan Otto.
[10:12] Senior Performance Auditor
[10:14] Andrew Reeves and Performance
[10:15] auditor Kayla Edwards And I'll
[10:16] turn it over to them for
[10:16] the details.
[10:17] Thanks, Andy.
[10:20] Good afternoon everyone.
[10:21] Our formal audit objective for
[10:21] this one was to determine
[10:22] whether the city appropriately
[10:25] extended or increased the value
[10:26] of goods and services contracts
[10:27] in accordance with
[10:30] the municipal code and best
[10:31] practices and not the awarding
[10:32] of contracts to the upfront
[10:35] staff at the alterations to
[10:36] determine this.
[10:36] We reviewed 157 contract
[10:37] alterations that appeared to
[10:40] meet the criteria requiring
[10:41] city council approval.
[10:42] And we had three findings to go
[10:46] through briefly here today.
[10:46] The first finding was that
[10:47] the city altered spending
[10:51] limits by at least $15 million
[10:52] without required council
[10:52] approval.
[10:55] So the second finding which
[10:55] we'll get it to in a moment
[10:58] gets into the timeliness
[10:59] aspects of this One is focusing
[11:00] on whether the approval that
[11:00] should have happened happened
[11:04] at all San Diego Municipal Code
[11:05] describes when contract
[11:05] alterations require city
[11:06] council approval including if a
[11:09] contract extends beyond five
[11:09] years or if it's altered by
[11:10] over $200,000.
[11:14] And in our evaluation we found
[11:14] that at the time we did
[11:15] the audit, 11% of the contract
[11:19] alterations that we reviewed
[11:20] had not been brought to council
[11:23] for approval and that totaled
[11:23] $15 million.
[11:28] Now notably that was just 3% of
[11:29] the value of the reviewed
[11:29] alterations You can see on
[11:30] the slide for those following
[11:33] along there is the little red
[11:33] slice on the right hand side.
[11:38] And also as part of our
[11:39] recommendation followup efforts
[11:40] we can confirm that pmc has
[11:43] worked on taking care of these
[11:43] and they did bring these
[11:44] forward in JULY of this year.
[11:48] And in terms of why this
[11:48] happened now we found that
[11:49] confusion around approval
[11:50] requirements appeared to be
[11:53] the leading reason specifically
[11:53] operational departments that we
[11:54] spoke with told us they heard
[11:58] different interpretations from
[11:58] their departmental city
[11:59] attorney liaisons on whether
[12:00] particular contracts needed
[12:03] council approval.
[12:03] We also found that
[12:04] the threshold amounts for city
[12:05] council council approval hadn't
[12:08] been updated since 2012.
[12:13] And as we all know things have
[12:14] gotten more expensive since
[12:15] 2012 and so that could help
[12:18] the city identify and
[12:19] prioritize higher value
[12:19] contract alterations.
[12:23] The $200,000 back then was it
[12:24] would be closer to 300,000
[12:24] today.
[12:28] So to address the issues
[12:28] identified in funding one we
[12:29] made four recommendations.
[12:32] First for the applicability
[12:33] department to present those
[12:33] those active contract
[12:37] alterations that we identified
[12:37] in the audit to council.
[12:38] We talked about that and that
[12:39] has happened.
[12:42] Second to propose updated
[12:43] municipal code language around
[12:44] approval thresholds and
[12:44] updating some language
[12:48] clarifying city council
[12:48] approval requirements.
[12:49] And then after those changes
[12:53] are proposed the City
[12:53] Attorney's office and
[12:54] purchasing and contracting
[12:55] should work together to issue
[12:56] updated guidance around
[13:02] the contract alterations.
[13:03] >> Our second finding is that
[13:03] departments submitted 19% of
[13:07] contract alterations which
[13:08] totaled nearly $64 million to
[13:09] council for approval after
[13:09] the fact.
[13:12] This is shown in the Orange bar
[13:13] on the exhibit in the slide.
[13:17] >> And additionally we found
[13:17] that 11% of alterations
[13:21] totaling about $75 million were
[13:22] submitted less than 90 days
[13:22] before contract expiration.
[13:25] And one third of those were
[13:26] submitted within just 30 days
[13:30] of the contract expiring.
[13:31] >> Putting it all together, we
[13:34] found that 42% of reviewed
[13:35] alterations and 30% of reviewed
[13:36] contract dollars were presented
[13:36] to council in an untimely
[13:40] manner retroactively or not at
[13:41] all.
[13:41] Making contract alterations
[13:42] without proper approvals
[13:45] exposes both the city's and its
[13:46] vendors to risk.
[13:47] For example, staff MAY allow
[13:50] work to continue after a
[13:51] contract exceeds its approved
[13:52] limit to avoid service
[13:52] disruptions.
[13:53] But if a contract does not
[13:56] comply with city rules and
[13:57] regulations it becomes void and
[13:57] unenforceable potentially
[14:00] leading to nonpayment.
[14:01] Additionally, there is a risk
[14:02] that City council members MAY
[14:03] feel pressured to approve these
[14:06] contracts to continue services
[14:06] possibly compromising
[14:07] the review process.
[14:11] >> Our review found that delays
[14:12] and alterations occurred for
[14:13] several reasons including covid
[14:17] 19 impacts poor planning and
[14:18] the absence of a formal
[14:18] contract alteration process.
[14:22] Guidance on changing contracts
[14:23] to shared through training but
[14:23] it is not formally documented
[14:24] which makes it harder to ensure
[14:27] consistency.
[14:28] We also found that contract
[14:28] administration roles and
[14:29] responsibilities were unclear
[14:33] and that some contracted
[14:33] penetrators MAY be experienced
[14:34] in these responsibilities.
[14:35] For instance, administrators
[14:38] MAY not sufficiently estimate
[14:39] future price changes or wage
[14:40] increases while budgeting their
[14:40] contracts.
[14:43] Benchmark agencies help with
[14:44] this by assigning a specific
[14:45] contract coordinators within
[14:48] operational departments that
[14:49] receive extra training.
[14:49] Finally, these benchmark
[14:50] agencies require written
[14:54] justifications to submit for
[14:55] retroactive approval which
[14:55] include detailing why
[14:56] the normal procedure was not
[14:56] followed.
[15:00] Why the pricing is fair and
[15:00] reasonable and corrective
[15:04] action to prevent reoccurrence
[15:04] .
[15:05] To address the risks outlining
[15:06] finding too we made five
[15:06] recommendations.
[15:09] First, the person contracting
[15:09] department should work with
[15:10] each city department to
[15:11] designate contract points of
[15:14] contact and provide them with
[15:15] additional training.
[15:16] Second, a written procedure
[15:16] should be developed for
[15:19] submitting ratification
[15:19] requests.
[15:20] Third guidelines should be
[15:21] created to help departments
[15:25] provide counsel with ongoing
[15:25] updates on contract activities.
[15:26] And finally a formal contract
[15:30] alteration process should be
[15:31] established and implemented.
[15:31] As of JUNE 2025.
[15:32] Four of these recommendations
[15:36] including recommendation 2.1
[15:37] have already been put in place.
[15:40] I'll turn it over to Kayla for
[15:40] finding three.
[15:41] >> Thank you Andrew for finding
[15:41] three.
[15:45] We found that accurate
[15:46] information is not readily
[15:46] available in the city's
[15:47] contract management system.
[15:50] Ariba.
[15:51] One specific issue is that
[15:52] the contracts Benfield and
[15:55] Ariba shows how much money has
[15:56] been set aside for a contract
[15:57] not the amount that has been
[15:57] spent.
[16:01] Since City staff use a rebate
[16:02] to manage contracts, this
[16:03] system limitation means that
[16:06] staff do not have up to date
[16:07] information on contract
[16:07] spending.
[16:08] Consequently this can lead to
[16:11] potential overspending,
[16:12] inefficient contract planning
[16:13] and delays in bringing contract
[16:17] alterations to council as
[16:17] required.
[16:18] We determined that many of
[16:22] these issues could have been
[16:23] mitigated through implementing
[16:24] previous audit recommendations.
[16:27] Issues around Target value
[16:28] control, accurate contract
[16:28] information and establishing
[16:32] procedures were identified in
[16:33] previous audits dating back to
[16:33] 2015.
[16:38] The continued in process status
[16:39] of these recommendations
[16:39] contributed to contracts with
[16:43] missing documentation contracts
[16:44] missing from Ariba and contract
[16:44] alterations following
[16:48] inconsistent procedures.
[16:49] >> One example of the impact of
[16:54] lack of written policies is
[16:55] the city's contract with Herc
[16:55] for critical rental equipment.
[17:00] This exhibit shows that council
[17:00] approved the first contract
[17:01] increase but staff later raised
[17:06] them out in a reboot twice so
[17:06] payments to the vendor could
[17:07] continue.
[17:07] By MARCH 2024 contract spending
[17:11] Ariba had exceeded the council
[17:12] approved value by over $6
[17:12] million.
[17:16] Although there MAY be a need
[17:17] for some flexibility to
[17:18] continue vital services without
[17:22] formal documentation, we cannot
[17:23] determine whether these system
[17:24] changes follow the proper
[17:24] procedure.
[17:27] Additionally, this contract was
[17:28] brought to Council for approval
[17:29] retroactively.
[17:32] Recommendations that Andrew
[17:33] mentioned in writing to such as
[17:34] implementing a formalized
[17:37] contract alteration process and
[17:38] providing written
[17:38] justifications about why
[17:39] changes occurred before
[17:43] receiving council approval and
[17:43] corrective action to prevent
[17:44] recurrence could help ensure
[17:48] contracts receive proper
[17:48] approvals.
[17:49] We made four additional
[17:53] recommendations three of which
[17:53] were implemented.
[17:54] These include that
[17:55] the purchasing and contracting
[17:58] department should develop a
[17:58] policy outlining where
[17:59] contracts are electronically
[18:00] stored and managed.
[18:04] Implement and monitoring
[18:04] control to integrate sap and
[18:05] Ariba contract Spend
[18:05] information.
[18:09] Establish a written policy
[18:10] requiring a written maximum
[18:11] value to be specified on all
[18:15] goods and services contracts.
[18:15] And develop guidance for its
[18:16] staff on altering Ariba in
[18:17] the absence of formal contract
[18:21] alterations.
[18:22] Into it all we issued 13
[18:22] recommendations.
[18:26] 12 recommendations to
[18:26] management and one
[18:27] recommendation to the city
[18:27] Attorney's office.
[18:31] The respective departments
[18:31] agreed to implement all of
[18:32] them.
[18:32] And with that we are available
[18:35] for any questions you MAY have
[18:36] .
[18:36] >> Thank you for
[18:37] the presentation.
[18:37] Next we have a representative
[18:40] from purchasing and contracting
[18:50] makes some remarks.
[18:51] >> Good afternoon.
[18:56] Council Pro Tem Lee and members
[18:57] of the Council.
[18:57] My name is Claudio Bach, a
[18:58] director of Purchasing and
[18:58] contracting.
[19:02] Thank you for the opportunity
[19:02] to provide a brief update on
[19:03] the performance audit that
[19:04] the city's contract management
[19:04] process.
[19:07] Effective contract management
[19:07] is essential to ensuring that
[19:08] public funds are used
[19:12] efficiently transparently in
[19:12] responsibly.
[19:13] Strong oversight promotes
[19:13] accountability safeguards
[19:17] public trust and helps prevent
[19:18] cost overruns, project delays
[19:19] and disputes ultimately leading
[19:23] to better outcomes and fiscal
[19:23] stewardship.
[19:24] Over the past several years
[19:25] purchasing and contracting has
[19:28] focused on strengthening
[19:28] internal operations including
[19:29] achieving pay parity for
[19:33] procurement officers, filling
[19:34] critical vacancies within
[19:35] the Goods and Services Division
[19:38] and launching the procurement
[19:39] Academy to expand citywide
[19:40] procurement knowledge and
[19:40] training.
[19:44] While these improvements have
[19:44] advanced our internal capacity
[19:45] responsiveness to external
[19:45] issues identified in last
[19:49] year's audit and prior audit
[19:50] reports have been slower than
[19:50] desired.
[19:55] The audit report made 13
[19:55] recommendations of which eight
[19:56] have been fully implemented.
[19:57] I'd like to briefly highlight
[20:00] progress on the remaining items
[20:04] Recommendations 11.2 and 1.3
[20:04] which relate to updating
[20:05] council approval thresholds and
[20:09] clarifying alteration for goods
[20:10] and services Contracts required
[20:10] Municipal Municipal Code
[20:11] amendments.
[20:15] P and c had been coordinating
[20:16] with ncp on a combined update
[20:20] but at after several
[20:20] discussions it was decided that
[20:25] these efforts should be
[20:25] separated with the addition of
[20:26] other requested code changes.
[20:30] Progress has been slightly
[20:30] delayed however pnc expects to
[20:31] bring these items forward to
[20:32] Council for consideration
[20:36] within the next six months if
[20:37] not sooner.
[20:37] Recommendation 1.4 which
[20:41] involves the City Attorney's
[20:41] office updating its written
[20:42] guidance will follow
[20:44] the completion of
[20:49] recommendations 1.2 and 1.3 for
[20:50] recommendation 2.4.
[20:50] It calls for developing a
[20:51] process to keep council
[20:55] informed about key contracting
[20:55] activities such as upcoming
[20:59] expirations, capacity limits,
[21:00] ratifications and sole source
[21:04] contracts to address this and
[21:05] pnc will begin issuing
[21:06] quarterly memoranda summarizing
[21:10] this information.
[21:10] The first memorandum covering
[21:11] the first quarter f f y 26 will
[21:14] be issued this week.
[21:15] Lastly recommendation 3.4 which
[21:16] directs pnc to establish
[21:20] guidance for staff on how to
[21:20] document changes in a Ariba
[21:21] when formal contract
[21:25] alterations are not required is
[21:25] nearly complete.
[21:30] A draft policy is currently
[21:30] under management review and
[21:31] will be finalized and submitted
[21:32] to the auditor's office within
[21:35] the next few weeks.
[21:36] The purchasing and contracting
[21:36] department remains firmly
[21:40] committed to building and
[21:40] refining policies that
[21:41] strengthen contract oversight,
[21:44] promote compliance and ensure
[21:45] timely and effective service
[21:46] delivery across city
[21:46] departments.
[21:47] I would like to close by
[21:51] thanking the Office of the City
[21:51] Auditor for their collaboration
[21:52] and diligence throughout this
[21:52] process.
[21:56] We are available to answer any
[21:56] questions the Council MAY have.
[22:00] Thank you.
[22:01] Thank you.
[22:02] Clark do we have any public
[22:02] comment?
[22:05] Yes we do, Paul.
[22:06] Paul Gerber if you can please
[22:11] come time stated by Tim Douglas
[22:15] Maybe I'm saying your last name
[22:16] incorrectly you 202 hundred My
[22:21] apologies.
[22:21] My apologies.
[22:22] It was first So you We have no
[22:28] speakers for item 2a1 I'm going
[22:29] to those participating remotely
[22:30] and we have five speakers in
[22:34] the queue starting with
[22:34] Kathleen Lippert.
[22:35] If you can please unmute.
[22:35] Thank you.
[22:39] Good afternoon.
[22:40] Previously noted the ongoing
[22:44] recommendations by the city's
[22:45] fiscal performance audit
[22:45] department.
[22:50] There should be a limit as to
[22:51] when those recommendations are
[22:55] implement and if not city
[22:56] council should come back within
[23:00] a 30 day window to provide
[23:01] justification for why the delay
[23:05] is What is causing the delay?
[23:06] This is a lot of money and in
[23:11] that previous system was not
[23:11] updated since 2012.
[23:16] That's really problematic.
[23:16] So I don't know who else is
[23:21] responsible for it but please
[23:21] do make sure that you listen
[23:25] that the city council listens
[23:26] to its auditor independent
[23:26] audit.
[23:27] This is one of the best
[23:31] departments you have and they
[23:32] give wonderful advice and
[23:32] thankfully it is not
[23:37] politically this it is not
[23:37] political.
[23:42] So it's really important to
[23:42] listen to it.
[23:43] So thank you for letting me
[23:46] speak.
[23:46] >> Thank you.
[23:47] Next is the original If you can
[23:51] please unmute.
[23:52] >> This it's just highlights
[23:56] the fraud waste and abuse that
[23:57] you guys engage in on a regular
[23:57] basis and why you know funding
[24:01] should be cut when you guys
[24:02] can't even make sure that
[24:02] the money that you get from
[24:03] the people and that you're
[24:06] spending is done in a manner
[24:07] that is the way that it's
[24:07] supposed to go.
[24:11] You guys wait until the last
[24:12] minute to push contracts and
[24:13] much of the time it seems like
[24:17] that would be done because it
[24:17] MAY not be passed if you didn't
[24:18] do it in that manner.
[24:21] You know, using the excuse that
[24:22] it's to continue services that
[24:22] are needed.
[24:26] Well, if they weren't, you
[24:27] know, so important you would
[24:27] make sure that you're doing
[24:28] your due diligence to make sure
[24:31] that contracts are being kept
[24:31] and that you're not waiting
[24:32] until the last minute.
[24:35] And then you also have people
[24:36] self-report.
[24:36] So there's times when you know
[24:37] there's going to be negligence
[24:41] in that and when things are
[24:41] committed like you guys
[24:42] shouldn't be giving contracts
[24:46] to people who are having people
[24:46] die on a regular basis Like at
[24:47] Tent City you continue to
[24:51] increase contracts for that.
[24:51] And Shannon Amelia Ball, 49
[24:56] years old, just died a couple
[24:57] of weeks ago.
[24:57] It will be three weeks on
[24:58] Thursday.
[24:58] He died of a fentanyl overdose
[25:01] because she was laced in by her
[25:02] neighbor Bambam who was next to
[25:02] her in her tent.
[25:07] So and the staff was told not
[25:07] to touch her because of covid
[25:11] And it's like what is
[25:11] happening?
[25:12] Nobody could do anything.
[25:12] So this woman died because
[25:16] the staff that these people are
[25:17] hiring are negligent and told
[25:17] by Dreams for Change And
[25:21] Theresa Smith to do nothing and
[25:22] let these people die.
[25:22] It is absurd.
[25:26] They're also hiding sexual
[25:27] assault in Tent City and yet
[25:27] you guys increase contracts,
[25:31] you continue to do it without
[25:32] going and auditing and making
[25:32] sure that people aren't dying
[25:37] Instead Steven Whitburn sits up
[25:37] there and laughs in my face and
[25:38] when I'm telling him of
[25:41] the last woman who died and
[25:42] Tammy and it's like so instead
[25:46] of doing something you're
[25:46] laughing about it because
[25:47] Theresa Smith is your friend.
[25:48] So you guys can't be trusted
[25:51] with money because people are
[25:52] dying on your watch all while
[25:53] you say that it's safer for
[25:53] them to be there.
[25:56] You guys got a course correct
[25:57] because people are dumb.
[25:57] Your time has concluded.
[26:00] Our next speaker is 5868.
[26:00] After that Blair Beekman and
[26:03] then phone number ending in
[26:03] 7499.
[26:14] If you can please unmute.
[26:14] Okay.
[26:14] Can you hear me okay?
[26:15] Yes.
[26:18] Please proceed.
[26:19] >> Thank you so much.
[26:20] Well, first of all I want to
[26:23] commend the city auditor for
[26:24] this great work that they did
[26:28] last year and that we're
[26:29] finally seeing some fruits of
[26:29] their labor.
[26:34] I, I commend this department.
[26:34] Again, like the previous caller
[26:39] for these savings, I do have
[26:40] concerns about why some of
[26:43] these recommendations are
[26:44] taking so long to be
[26:44] implemented.
[26:49] I saw the letter from is it
[26:49] from MS..
[26:54] >> Claudia abarca She wrote in
[26:54] JULY of 2024 about these
[26:55] recommendations.
[26:58] So that's like, you know, 14
[27:03] months ago that her department
[27:04] has had the chance to work with
[27:05] other departments to implement
[27:05] these.
[27:08] And now she's asking for
[27:09] another six months.
[27:10] So that is rather alarming to
[27:14] me And I hope that the city
[27:14] council will get monthly
[27:18] updates from her.
[27:19] >> For example, something as
[27:20] simple as having each
[27:23] department have a contract for
[27:23] contracts.
[27:28] That to me would be so simple
[27:29] to do.
[27:29] You find out who your
[27:30] department you know every
[27:33] department they have to choose
[27:34] a contact Whoever the lead
[27:39] department person is they can
[27:39] do it or they can find someone.
[27:40] So I rather shocked that that
[27:43] wasn't completed.
[27:44] But anyway kudos for the office
[27:48] of the auditor and I really
[27:48] hope that the City Council
[27:49] keeps on this because this is
[27:54] where a lot of money can be
[27:54] wasted.
[27:55] >> Thank you so much.
[27:55] Thank you.
[27:58] Our next speaker is Blaire
[27:59] Beekman.
[28:00] The five minute timer has also
[28:00] concluded there are three
[28:01] speakers in the queue.
[28:04] No additional speakers will be
[28:04] taken after that.
[28:05] >> Lana, please proceed.
[28:05] All right.
[28:09] Thank you, baby.
[28:09] Happy Monday to everyone.
[28:10] Thanks a lot for this item.
[28:14] This is years of work and
[28:14] Councilor Persephone Wilpert
[28:18] has really tried to lead an
[28:19] important effort.
[28:19] But a better sense of
[28:23] accountability can take place
[28:24] for our future contract issue.
[28:24] Thank you.
[28:27] The first public speaker today
[28:28] mentioned how this kind of item
[28:32] can be nonpartisan which is
[28:33] interesting.
[28:34] The work I do with tech
[28:38] accountability which we often
[28:39] try for the same goals and
[28:43] the good feeling and just good
[28:44] reasoning that's a part of this
[28:49] item I try to work the same
[28:49] principles with the future of
[28:50] tech accountability and what we
[28:53] can be doing that it's not a
[28:54] nonpartisan issue it's just
[28:54] cleaning up, you know, previous
[28:58] bad patterns and learning how
[28:59] to do that well And we're doing
[29:00] learning how to do that with
[29:00] his item.
[29:04] Thank you.
[29:04] i hope you can be doing
[29:05] the same for tech
[29:05] accountability.
[29:08] There's a lot of loose ends in
[29:09] tech that we can clean up and
[29:10] it's not too difficult clean up
[29:13] if we just apply ourselves to
[29:14] it And it's just a matter if we
[29:15] want to apply ourselves And
[29:18] you've done that here and I'm
[29:18] really looking forward how this
[29:19] is going to be developing
[29:23] having better accountability in
[29:24] the city is just going to be
[29:25] awesome and the ways we can do
[29:28] that.
[29:29] So thank you.
[29:30] To quickly offer you you have
[29:34] contract issues with the aop
[29:35] are things that how is that
[29:38] process going at this time.
[29:39] Can you learn to make that a
[29:43] public conversation open
[29:44] process where the negotiations
[29:45] stand where where you'll be
[29:48] moving forward to I've spoken
[29:49] often for months on this issue
[29:50] and best practices and that you
[29:54] guys want to do so I don't
[29:54] think you have to fear talking
[29:55] in public about it which I
[29:59] think you are.
[30:00] So good luck with the contract
[30:01] process overall and talking
[30:01] about our future Rail pr and
[30:04] thanks a lot for your efforts
[30:05] all together on this item.
[30:05] >> Great work.
[30:06] Thank you.
[30:06] Thank you.
[30:09] Phone I'm writing in 7499 after
[30:13] that will be Million Mile Man
[30:14] Bob Kozinski here I just want
[30:15] to add that the management of
[30:19] contract in this city has been
[30:20] terrible.
[30:20] I've seen this firsthand
[30:21] through the horrible
[30:24] mismanagement of the contract
[30:24] at Torrey Pines Glider port.
[30:25] This is yet another reason to
[30:29] take advantage of outside
[30:29] resources such as advisory
[30:30] boards which are extremely cost
[30:34] effective tools for providing
[30:35] independent oversight of city
[30:39] contracts and performance under
[30:40] those contracts.
[30:40] These advisory boards are
[30:44] additional watchdogs provided
[30:44] for free by citizens who
[30:45] volunteer to help.
[30:50] It is shameful that this city
[30:50] has allowed these invaluable
[30:51] advisory boards including
[30:51] the Torrey Pines City Park
[30:55] Advisory Board to be disbanded.
[30:56] Shame on you Joe LaCava for
[30:56] your own mismanagement of
[31:00] advisory boards in your
[31:12] district and shame on Mary
[31:12] Mayor Gloria and shame on all
[31:13] council members for your
[31:13] similar failures.
[31:13] Furthermore, I endorse
[31:13] the comments spoken by earlier
[31:13] speakers Kathleen Leppert,
[31:13] the original and others.
[31:14] >> Thank you.
[31:15] Thank you.
[31:16] >> And our final speaker is
[31:16] Million Mile Man If you can
[31:20] please send me Thank you for
[31:25] having me play Bob Bob if
[31:26] you're still there I
[31:30] communicated with you You
[31:31] remember from Tampa from Tampa,
[31:32] Florida in Clearwater about a
[31:36] month ago we were filming And I
[31:41] got to tell you, Bob, you've
[31:41] got to get real, man.
[31:42] Feel the pain And to all of
[31:46] the people directing duration
[31:47] and emotional and psychological
[31:51] abuse for this council,
[31:52] remember when you run as a
[31:56] candidate you are going to be
[32:01] hurt deeply Very, very hard.
[32:02] You're going to be hit hard in
[32:06] my recommendation Stop
[32:07] complaining all of you.
[32:07] Every one of you stop
[32:12] complaining and do something.
[32:17] Do something that will help.
[32:18] Complaining will not help put
[32:18] your name on a ballot.
[32:22] Do it and you know to get
[32:23] nominated to get nominated just
[32:28] to put your name on the ballot
[32:28] you've got to get over 100
[32:33] signatures sometime over 200.
[32:33] And do you know how many people
[32:38] will spit in your face and call
[32:39] you horrible names and not even
[32:43] sign your nominating paper?
[32:47] I got over 400 signatures on my
[32:48] own One man Yeah.
[32:48] And I was hurt.
[32:53] Trust me.
[32:54] And I'm tired of hearing all
[32:58] this over and over and over.
[32:59] I'm too old for this.
[33:00] I'm too old.
[33:00] It's like the worst thought
[33:04] ghetto you know You'll find out
[33:05] of the ghetto with a pitchfork
[33:09] And Bob, you know what I'm
[33:10] talking about.
[33:10] You're Polish like I am.
[33:14] Get out there and frickin fight
[33:15] Bob Dole it If you want to help
[33:15] me, help me.
[33:19] Otherwise don't even call in
[33:20] any more.
[33:20] All of you.
[33:24] Thank you.
[33:25] But that doesn't involve a call
[33:29] on an item to a one thank you
[33:29] to the public for their
[33:33] comments Will now take
[33:34] councilmember questions and
[33:35] comments As a reminder this is
[33:35] an informational item and so no
[33:36] motion is required and we'll
[33:39] start with the chair of our
[33:40] audit committee.
[33:41] Councilmember Renaud, thank you
[33:45] for the presentation and thank
[33:45] you to the auditor for
[33:46] conducting this audit Although
[33:50] i am disappointed by
[33:50] the findings contained in this
[33:51] audit I wasn't surprised by
[33:51] them.
[33:55] I was particularly disturbed
[33:56] that staff altered contract
[33:56] spending limits on goods and
[34:00] service contracts by at least
[34:01] $15 million in the last seven
[34:05] years without the required
[34:06] council approval On average
[34:06] that's approximately 2 million
[34:10] per year in taxpayer dollars
[34:11] that the public cannot account
[34:16] for.
[34:16] This is not good government
[34:17] When that happens it's not just
[34:21] about the city council getting
[34:22] bypassed.
[34:22] What this really means is that
[34:26] the public is being denied its
[34:27] right to know how its money is
[34:28] being spent because there's no
[34:32] public hearing to discuss
[34:33] the changes in the contract.
[34:33] Additionally the auditor found
[34:37] that staff brought 19% of
[34:41] contract alterations totaling
[34:42] nearly $64 million to council
[34:42] for approval retroactively over
[34:46] the last seven years.
[34:50] That works out to an average of
[34:51] $9 million per year of spending
[34:52] with no public discussion prior
[34:56] to the money being spent.
[34:57] Unfortunately it's not an
[34:57] uncommon occurrence for
[35:01] the council to be put in a
[35:02] position of having to approve
[35:02] retroactive contract increases
[35:06] or be asked to approve a
[35:07] contract at the last minute
[35:12] with little recourse if
[35:12] the Council disagrees with
[35:13] the action Because if we don't
[35:17] approve it then work will stop
[35:18] mid project or if the work is
[35:18] already completed the vendor
[35:22] could sue the city for
[35:22] nonpayment.
[35:23] Overall 42% of contract
[35:28] alterations totaling $155
[35:29] million were presented to
[35:33] council in an untimely manner
[35:34] retroactively or not at all.
[35:38] Exhibit 715 in the report shows
[35:39] an example where the department
[35:39] staff increased the spending in
[35:44] a contract to the tune of $6.7
[35:47] million in the fall of 2023
[35:48] months before obtaining council
[35:48] approval to allow for
[35:53] the additional spending staff
[35:53] finally brought forward a
[35:54] request to increase
[35:57] the contract in APRIL of 2024.
[35:58] I find it very difficult to
[36:02] believe that nobody was aware
[36:03] that over $6 million being
[36:03] added to a contract would not
[36:08] need council approval.
[36:09] I also want to mention that
[36:09] the timing of contracts coming
[36:13] to council whether it is an
[36:14] amendment to a contract or a
[36:15] new contract has been
[36:19] inefficient Bringing a contract
[36:19] to council to replace an
[36:24] existing contract after
[36:24] the current contract has
[36:25] expired is inappropriate,
[36:29] unnecessary and extremely
[36:30] frustrating because the council
[36:31] is put in a position of either
[36:32] approving a contract that might
[36:35] be flawed versus not approving
[36:35] it and the city not having
[36:39] access to that service anymore
[36:39] .
[36:40] I really prefer that
[36:41] the council see proposed
[36:44] contracts to be replaced or
[36:45] extend existing vendors at
[36:45] least several months before
[36:50] they expire.
[36:50] That would allow sufficient
[36:51] time to address any issues that
[36:52] the Council or members of
[36:55] the public raised.
[36:56] I do appreciate that staff has
[36:56] agreed to all of
[36:57] the recommendations and want to
[37:02] recognize that eight out of
[37:02] the 13 have been implemented
[37:03] since the audit committee
[37:07] discussed this item in 2024.
[37:07] That represents good work by
[37:12] the purchasing and contracting
[37:13] department to move forward on
[37:13] some very important changes.
[37:18] >> Lastly, implementing all
[37:19] recommendations under findings
[37:19] seven that would create formal
[37:23] procedures for contract
[37:24] alterations is critical as this
[37:25] will help prevent what we saw
[37:29] happen in the Reba system with
[37:30] the work contract which was
[37:34] increased by millions of
[37:34] dollars six months before it
[37:35] was brought to council.
[37:39] Four out of the five
[37:39] recommendations related to
[37:40] internal processes being
[37:44] improved have been implemented
[37:44] and this is great and I want to
[37:48] thank the Department for that.
[37:49] >> Thank you overall and I look
[37:49] forward to continuing to see
[37:53] progress from this department
[37:54] in implementing the remaining
[37:54] recommendations.
[37:55] And that concludes my comments.
[37:59] Thank you.
[37:59] >> Thank you.
[38:00] We'll turn next to council
[38:04] member Yvonne Wolpert for thank
[38:04] you to the City Auditor for
[38:09] your work here.
[38:09] This is one of the most
[38:10] important audits I think I've
[38:14] seen out of your department
[38:15] because it has to do with our
[38:16] fiscal responsibility of
[38:20] the city.
[38:20] You noted that last year in fy
[38:21] 2020 forward the city has
[38:24] budgeted over $700 million of
[38:24] taxpayer money for outside
[38:25] contracts for goods and
[38:30] services to provide things our
[38:30] public needs everywhere from
[38:31] public safety equipment and
[38:34] disposing of hazardous waste
[38:35] our water authority to making
[38:36] sure that we have chemicals
[38:39] that people can drink operating
[38:40] homeless shelters And it is
[38:45] the city Council's job to
[38:45] oversee the over $700 million
[38:46] in taxpayer money that is being
[38:50] sent to know that is being
[38:51] spent appropriately, to know
[38:51] the contractors are doing their
[38:52] jobs, to know that this is
[38:55] going to a valid purpose, to
[38:56] know that we are complying with
[39:00] the law and the city council
[39:01] cannot do any of those things
[39:06] If contracts are approved
[39:06] unilaterally and unlawfully I
[39:08] MAY add by city staff and by
[39:13] city management.
[39:14] This is why I have been voting
[39:15] no on every expired contract
[39:16] that has come to me for
[39:21] the past year and a half and
[39:25] these are not small dollars $64
[39:26] million was found in this audit
[39:27] that was spent without
[39:31] authorization.
[39:31] That's against the law The San
[39:32] Diego political code requires
[39:36] by law that this council
[39:40] approve contract alterations
[39:41] over $200,000 And the reason is
[39:42] we need to know where our money
[39:45] is going.
[39:47] >> Can you please bring up
[40:03] slide 14 again or bring it up?
[40:04] >> Thank you for your patience.
[40:38] Of course
[40:39] it's the hawk rental
[40:39] car tax slide I have 14
[40:40] whatever That that one.
[40:42] Thank you.
[40:47] Could you zoom in on that one?
[40:48] So if we're reading this
[40:49] correctly, this is a graph
[40:49] showing that someone in city
[40:53] management spent $6.7 million
[40:58] on rental equipment without
[40:59] asking this council's
[41:00] permission to make that budget
[41:01] adjustment.
[41:06] Is that correct?
[41:07] The spending was this is a
[41:11] citywide contract You said
[41:12] spending so the spending would
[41:12] be a lot of different
[41:13] departments But yes, someone in
[41:17] city management adjusted
[41:17] the allowed contract value
[41:21] without the council's approval
[41:26] by $6.7 million Correct.
[41:27] Do you realize that we had a
[41:30] budget fight this last year
[41:31] over $4.5 million in which
[41:32] the mayor vetoed it and we
[41:35] overrode the veto?
[41:36] Do you know we were going to
[41:40] use that general fund money for
[41:41] funding for the arts and
[41:42] culture communities a chief
[41:45] operating officer position
[41:46] stormwater contingency funding
[41:50] project management enforcement
[41:51] ,recreational programing at
[41:52] the Lakes and instead someone
[41:52] from the city staff and
[41:55] management decided we're not
[41:56] going to spend money on
[41:57] the things that the council
[41:57] voted for.
[41:59] We're going to spend that $6.7
[42:00] million on something else.
[42:01] How do we know that Steven
[42:05] authorized How do we know who
[42:05] that went to?
[42:06] Who decided this?
[42:07] I would like to know who made
[42:08] that illegal adjustment to a
[42:13] contract.
[42:18] >> And the reason I'm so upset
[42:19] is because it keeps happening.
[42:20] $64 million was unauthorized
[42:24] spending.
[42:24] Thank you for the question
[42:25] Councilmember Wolpert.
[42:29] What occurred during that time
[42:30] was that departments were
[42:30] engaging with her car rentals
[42:34] directly to ask for services
[42:35] that MAY or MAY not have been
[42:39] on appeal And we were and we
[42:40] ended up finding that we were
[42:44] behind on payments because of
[42:45] these repeated requests And so
[42:49] we were in a deficit of what we
[42:50] owed the vendor itself.
[42:50] So that's how we got to that
[42:54] point of going beyond our
[42:54] anticipated spend.
[42:59] But this graph is showing our
[42:59] Ariba system which is our
[43:00] software system to allow people
[43:04] to continue making purchase
[43:04] orders on a contract was
[43:05] adjusted without city council
[43:09] approval so somebody had to use
[43:10] a computer, a city computer and
[43:13] make that adjustment unlawfully
[43:14] .
[43:14] It's against the miscible code
[43:15] to do that.
[43:15] So who did that?
[43:19] My staff did that by staff did
[43:20] that.
[43:20] We own that And again it was
[43:24] because we owed the vendor
[43:24] several millions of dollars
[43:25] without having the appropriate
[43:32] purchase orders in place.
[43:33] Well clearly that's
[43:33] unacceptable.
[43:34] I completely understand And
[43:37] we've had that discussion with
[43:38] staff and we've created
[43:39] policies to ensure that doesn't
[43:39] happen.
[43:42] It's one of the audit
[43:43] recommendations as well.
[43:43] And I think part of the issue
[43:47] is is we get put up against
[43:47] the wall sometimes by
[43:51] departments who aren't telling
[43:52] us the entire story.
[43:52] Sometimes purchasing is
[43:56] the last department to know.
[43:57] So did you tell the mayor or
[44:01] the ceo or whoever's chief
[44:02] operating officer at the time
[44:02] whoever is supposed to be
[44:03] running the city that this was
[44:03] happening?
[44:06] We did And that's why we worked
[44:06] very, very quickly.
[44:07] It didn't seem that way to get
[44:11] the item to council and
[44:12] requested from the departments
[44:12] that they provide us what their
[44:13] anticipated spend for
[44:17] the contract was going to be
[44:17] moving forward because we
[44:18] didn't want to be in
[44:18] the situation where we were in
[44:21] arrears.
[44:22] So then what was the mayor's
[44:22] response?
[44:26] I don't I don't know that it
[44:27] went to the mayor himself.
[44:28] I know that I did bring this up
[44:31] to the dca and we've been
[44:32] working on this contract for
[44:33] quite some time.
[44:37] We've done several several
[44:37] refinements on how we are
[44:41] monitoring and actually
[44:42] managing the spend for each
[44:43] department to ensure that we
[44:46] don't get to this place again.
[44:47] >> Councilmember, if I MAY
[44:47] Deputy Chief Operating Officer
[44:51] Christina Peralta So Claudio's
[44:52] absolutely right.
[44:53] Her and her department flagged
[44:53] it immediately for her deputy
[44:56] chief operating officer and
[44:57] then sprang into action on how
[44:58] we could mitigate the issue.
[45:01] Contract management is a team
[45:02] sport and it's not Claudio's
[45:06] team's responsibility to manage
[45:07] nor does Claudio have
[45:08] the ability to manage her peers
[45:12] and hold them accountable for
[45:12] making sure that their staff
[45:13] are doing the right things.
[45:14] She's leapt into action.
[45:16] She's done all of
[45:17] the mitigating factors that we
[45:18] need to put our arms around
[45:18] this.
[45:19] I know it's not a satisfying
[45:22] response for you but she did
[45:23] everything right to address
[45:23] the situation and flag it for
[45:26] management and we've done
[45:27] everything that we can to
[45:28] quickly put our arms around it
[45:29] and to work with our department
[45:29] directors to hold them
[45:31] accountable.
[45:32] >> Well, I'm sorry I'm not mad
[45:33] at you.
[45:33] You're doing a great job.
[45:36] You're trying as hard you can
[45:37] You have so well with with this
[45:38] So I apologize.
[45:41] I don't mean to come up and
[45:42] that of you I know that you
[45:43] have a million things on your
[45:44] plate I just In the future
[45:47] though I do wish that you could
[45:47] call us directly say that
[45:48] they're asking me to make an
[45:52] unauthorized adjustment to a
[45:52] river that I'm not supposed to
[45:53] be doing because I don't want
[45:57] this to fall on your shoulders.
[45:57] I know that you are trying very
[45:58] hard and you're not the one
[45:59] making the purchase order.
[45:59] So just for the public to know
[46:02] Claudia is trying very hard on
[46:03] this but is still somebody
[46:06] who's spending unauthorized
[46:07] money to the tens of millions
[46:08] of dollars and then six months
[46:08] later asking this council to
[46:12] approve it And this is just one
[46:12] contract If we're not over if
[46:16] there's no watchdog at the hen
[46:17] house, who knows how many other
[46:18] hands are gone?
[46:18] The point of oversight is to
[46:21] make sure that we know what
[46:22] we're spending.
[46:26] And so quite frankly after all
[46:27] this hadn't been fixed.
[46:28] This has not been fixed.
[46:28] We're still waiting for
[46:31] municipal code updates.
[46:32] You said you need we will we
[46:32] will do them We will vote on
[46:33] them here at City hall.
[46:36] Ariba is still a problem.
[46:37] I'm reading things in this
[46:38] audit that says Additionally
[46:38] the city auditor found
[46:41] discrepancies between contract
[46:42] documents and information In
[46:46] Ariba, for example, 12% of
[46:47] the contracts had contract
[46:47] expiration date in Ariba that
[46:48] didn't match the signed
[46:50] contracts.
[46:51] Another 9% had mismatched
[46:55] contract values.
[46:55] That's almost 20% of
[46:56] the contracts in our software
[46:57] system are flat out wrong.
[47:00] And so this has not been fixed
[47:04] And this is my asked you to to
[47:05] my colleagues because we are up
[47:09] here and we are the oversight
[47:10] board here and we just
[47:11] rubberstamp this and we allow
[47:14] this to continue And I urge my
[47:15] colleagues to have some some
[47:19] consequences here If we were
[47:19] the board of directors over a
[47:20] corporation and the ceo had
[47:24] allowed misspending to $64
[47:25] million, we would fire the ceo
[47:26] of the corporation if we did
[47:29] not our shareholders would sue
[47:30] us in the shareholder
[47:34] derivative lawsuit and there
[47:34] are lawyers out there making a
[47:35] lot of money on these things.
[47:36] If we were the board of a
[47:38] nonprofit and the ceo of
[47:39] the nonprofit allowed $65
[47:40] million to go spent
[47:44] unauthorized, we would fire
[47:45] the ceo Otherwise the public
[47:45] would stop donating to our
[47:49] nonprofit because the board up
[47:49] here is not making good
[47:50] decisions.
[47:50] Can I please have a few extra
[47:54] minutes If this was a
[47:54] household, if we were a family
[47:59] and we had spending limits and
[47:59] allowed some of our teenage
[48:00] children to way maxed out
[48:04] the credit card, then every
[48:04] time they came to their parents
[48:05] we forgave them and paid their
[48:06] credit card bill.
[48:09] What happens when the roof
[48:10] leaks And we can't fix the roof
[48:11] on our house because we've been
[48:14] allowing people to spend
[48:14] unauthorized amounts?
[48:15] We at this council need to
[48:19] start voting no on these
[48:20] contracts and saying no to city
[48:24] staff doing this to us because
[48:24] some of our libraries might
[48:25] close because now we're
[48:26] spending $6.7 million on rental
[48:32] equipment instead And this is
[48:32] just one contractor.
[48:33] >> Remember there are many
[48:35] others out there 150 million
[48:36] didn't come to us on time
[48:37] appropriately 11 million never
[48:40] came at all.
[48:41] And so as much as we want to
[48:42] sit up here and draft a budget,
[48:46] it's not being followed And I
[48:46] just hope that my colleagues
[48:50] will start voting no because
[48:51] people need consequences and we
[48:52] will help you.
[48:56] You just need to bring us
[48:57] things to help fix this
[48:57] problem.
[48:58] It's not being fixed And
[49:01] clearly again this is not your
[49:01] fault.
[49:02] I know you try hard.
[49:02] You always work with our office
[49:03] but I don't see a chief
[49:06] operating officer here.
[49:06] The buck stops with somebody
[49:12] and the solution is we wrapped
[49:12] our arms around the best we
[49:13] can.
[49:13] >> That's ridiculous.
[49:17] I'm just so sick of seeing us
[49:17] fight about money up here and
[49:18] then the city spends it.
[49:22] How are they Want So I urge my
[49:26] colleagues to start voting no
[49:27] put some consequences We
[49:28] the buck stops with us and then
[49:32] also when you do your quarterly
[49:33] memo on contract status can you
[49:38] please also update us on how
[49:38] many of these recommendations
[49:39] that the auditor has been
[49:41] making since 2015?
[49:42] This is now ten years old.
[49:43] This is two mayoral
[49:43] administrations But guess who's
[49:47] been here The dc Oath They've
[49:47] been here the whole time.
[49:48] Why haven't they fixed it
[49:52] between mayors Update us on how
[49:52] many their recommendations are
[49:56] still outstanding and also what
[49:57] we can do to help you know if
[49:58] you need us to put it in
[49:59] elsewhere for example like
[50:01] where are the new regulations
[50:02] where city attorney let us know
[50:03] we could do to help but I can't
[50:06] sit here and be held
[50:07] accountable for money I didn't
[50:11] spend So that's all I got.
[50:12] >> We understand catch up But I
[50:13] do want to mention a couple of
[50:17] things that we have put in
[50:17] place as well.
[50:18] We have created a report that
[50:19] will allow departments to
[50:22] understand their spend and
[50:23] track it better.
[50:24] You'll see a copy of that with
[50:28] the memorandum that goes out.
[50:28] It'll highlight a couple of
[50:29] different milestones for
[50:33] departments so that they can
[50:33] take timely action.
[50:34] I think that's probably
[50:35] the best report that we have so
[50:37] far.
[50:38] We've also developed a contract
[50:38] administration guide to help
[50:39] departments understand what
[50:42] their responsibilities are
[50:43] after a contract has been
[50:44] awarded and turned over to them
[50:47] for contract management that's
[50:48] in place.
[50:49] We have actually been training
[50:53] since I want to say since MAY
[50:54] we were doing monthly trainings
[50:54] to ensure that contract
[50:55] administrators know how to
[50:58] manage their contracts.
[50:59] I do want to also state with
[51:03] the amount of money that has
[51:04] been approved without Council
[51:04] approval.
[51:05] I agree it's not a good
[51:09] headline but I do want to state
[51:10] that some of that was tied to
[51:14] us amending contracts under a
[51:15] process that we thought was
[51:15] correct and later being told
[51:19] that it was incorrect.
[51:20] So I just want to make sure
[51:21] that that's clarified.
[51:24] That process stopped back in
[51:24] 2023.
[51:25] We have not altered any
[51:28] contracts about $200,000
[51:28] without it coming forward to
[51:29] council.
[51:33] My staff knows that very well.
[51:34] We are doing everything we can
[51:34] as a department to ensure that
[51:38] we stop most of these things.
[51:39] I can't control everything and
[51:39] what's done around me.
[51:43] But but you certainly should
[51:44] know that we are doing our
[51:44] best.
[51:45] Thank you, Claudia.
[51:45] I appreciate it.
[51:50] Let us know again what you need
[51:50] to monitor this.
[51:51] I mean the libraries have gone
[51:54] over their budgets police
[51:55] departments gone over
[51:56] the budget for Contra.
[51:59] Everybody has And it's just
[52:00] it's very hard to fight so hard
[52:01] over a budget up here when it
[52:05] doesn't seem to be followed.
[52:05] And so I just appreciate you
[52:06] very much and please keep us up
[52:10] to date about what you need And
[52:11] I just urge my colleagues to
[52:11] start voting no on these
[52:15] contracts Actually put some
[52:16] consequences in place so
[52:16] departments get their act
[52:17] together and we spend within
[52:20] our limits.
[52:21] So thank you very much.
[52:22] I appreciate the audit and we
[52:22] need to hire a chief operating
[52:26] officer in the city.
[52:26] Thank you, Councilmember Fun.
[52:27] Wilpert We'll turn next to
[52:31] Councilmember Ella Rivera I
[52:32] think you calabarzon pro-tem
[52:32] Thank you.
[52:36] >> And to you and your team for
[52:37] the work on this.
[52:38] Councilmember Moreno, as always
[52:38] for your leadership the audit
[52:42] committee Councilmember Von
[52:42] Wilpert for digging in here and
[52:47] your continued your persistence
[52:48] that the city do better on this
[52:52] front.
[52:53] Uh, I want to acknowledge, you
[52:54] know, some of the points that
[53:01] you raised when you drew a line
[53:01] in the sand awhile back on this
[53:02] and thought it to be important
[53:06] that we not approve these
[53:11] contracts when they come to us
[53:12] after they should have I think
[53:13] one of the things just for a
[53:15] full transparency I struggle
[53:20] with sometimes is that
[53:21] the effects the consequences of
[53:22] who will will bear
[53:26] the consequences if those
[53:27] contracts aren't approved.
[53:27] And I think this is what puts
[53:28] us in a particularly difficult
[53:31] situation as council members It
[53:32] is typically city employees
[53:37] rank and file every day
[53:37] employees who are doing
[53:38] the work and residents who will
[53:42] feel the effects And so
[53:42] the rock and a hard place that
[53:43] I feel myself in in these
[53:52] situations is is that peace and
[53:53] that is an excuse for allowing
[53:58] a practice to go on when it
[53:59] when it shouldn't.
[54:02] Just an attempt to explain what
[54:03] I've struggled with in these
[54:03] situations.
[54:09] Um and I the frustration is
[54:09] real.
[54:10] I mean we've had some high
[54:14] profile and very tense moments
[54:19] on the status of some with me
[54:20] at the tip of the tip of
[54:20] the spear and others with
[54:21] others in that position And
[54:24] when it doesn't feel like to
[54:25] your point.
[54:26] The budget that this council
[54:26] has passed is actually being
[54:29] implemented or or adhered to.
[54:35] So I just want to let you know
[54:36] that I hear you.
[54:36] I definitely appreciate
[54:41] the frustration although I
[54:41] think you've got an
[54:42] exceptionally challenging job
[54:46] to do and it it you cannot on
[54:54] your own correct for what seems
[54:55] to be more of a cultural issue
[55:00] and than than anything else.
[55:01] So just again wanted to make
[55:05] sure I let you know that we're
[55:06] going over I hear you on this
[55:10] and I'm not going to disagree
[55:10] with your frustrations.
[55:11] I do have a question.
[55:17] Um, so there have been there's
[55:20] recommendations that are not
[55:26] yet implemented and I apologize
[55:30] if this was alluded to in one
[55:31] way or another before but if
[55:31] you could very kind of
[55:35] methodically walk us through
[55:36] the plan next steps and
[55:36] timeframes for
[55:37] the recommendations that are
[55:41] not yet implemented but agreed
[55:41] upon.
[55:42] Thank you for the question.
[55:46] Councilmember Ella, were you
[55:46] referring to this specific
[55:47] report?
[55:47] Yes.
[55:47] Yes.
[55:51] So they were mentioned Two of
[55:51] them relate to proposing
[55:56] changes to municipal code.
[55:57] We're hoping to be here within
[55:57] six months.
[55:58] It really should would be
[56:01] sooner to bring those forward.
[56:02] >> The third recommendation and
[56:07] can you help us understand how
[56:07] that will change from your
[56:08] perspective?
[56:12] We've got the auditors
[56:13] perspective on recommendations
[56:13] you've agreed to them.
[56:17] So theoretically you believe it
[56:18] would be value to it.
[56:18] Help us understand.
[56:19] Yes, you'd see and how some of
[56:23] the situation that some of what
[56:23] you're hearing frustration over
[56:24] would be different if that
[56:28] change were implemented.
[56:28] Sure.
[56:29] So we can go over the first
[56:30] recommendation that remains
[56:33] which is increase the increase
[56:33] in thresholds.
[56:34] Obviously people believe
[56:35] the $200,000 alteration
[56:38] threshold is low.
[56:39] They also believe
[56:39] the thresholds for a moral
[56:44] authority on contracts is low.
[56:44] We haven't updated those for a
[56:45] little over more than ten years
[56:49] so we are going to be proposing
[56:50] some changes there to help
[56:54] expedite the award of contracts
[56:55] and ensure that those are ready
[56:56] for operational use.
[57:00] Another of the recommendations
[57:00] is going to be to clarify
[57:05] the section on amendments.
[57:06] I think that was where we
[57:06] awarded multiple millions of
[57:11] dollars on some advice that
[57:12] said we could do so as long as
[57:12] we stayed under payroll
[57:13] threshold.
[57:16] So there are some confusing
[57:17] language that we want to change
[57:17] in that particular section to
[57:18] help avoid any issues.
[57:22] Again, we stopped that process
[57:22] since 2023.
[57:23] But just to be clear and to
[57:24] move forward, we do want to
[57:27] clarify that language.
[57:28] Third recommendation is that we
[57:32] work with the city attorney's
[57:33] office to provide updated
[57:33] guidance once we have the new
[57:34] language.
[57:37] If accepted by council for
[57:42] the thresholds and also for
[57:43] amendment process.
[57:43] So that cannot happen until we
[57:46] get the first two completed And
[57:47] then the other two we talked
[57:52] about the fourth one would be
[57:53] alerting council to what is
[57:57] what contracts are due to
[57:57] expire, what contracts are
[57:58] almost at capacity, how many
[58:01] sole source contracts we've had
[58:02] and how many ratifications
[58:02] we've had.
[58:06] We actually have compiled that
[58:07] information for the first
[58:08] quarter of f y 26 and we expect
[58:11] to issue that memorandum this
[58:12] week And following that we will
[58:13] be providing the Council with a
[58:17] quarterly memo so that you will
[58:18] be aware of what is due to
[58:18] expire or at capacity.
[58:22] I do want to make a comment on
[58:27] there in the report you will
[58:28] see that we have color coded to
[58:29] kind of give directors and
[58:33] departments the ability to
[58:33] track a little bit better.
[58:34] However, just because you MAY
[58:38] see a red or orange color which
[58:38] is basically saying we're
[58:42] getting at time a department
[58:43] MAY or MAY not choose to take
[58:44] action, maybe that council is
[58:48] going to stay there and it's
[58:48] just going to, you know, expire
[58:49] and we no longer need services
[58:53] or sometimes they will need to
[58:53] be extended or a new
[58:54] procurement be done But that
[58:58] will depend on which what
[58:59] department wants to do.
[58:59] And then finally the last
[59:03] recommendation is developing
[59:04] developing a policy on how to
[59:08] update our request system with
[59:09] the amendments that that we
[59:10] have We do that We do have a
[59:13] final draft policy routing
[59:14] currently with my staff.
[59:14] We plan to complete that within
[59:15] the next two weeks and forward
[59:18] to the auditor's office for
[59:19] final review.
[59:23] Thank you Claudia.
[59:24] So one of the things that I
[59:29] want to know which is I think
[59:30] adds to the challenges and and
[59:34] the importance of improvements
[59:38] being made quickly is
[59:39] increasing limits is requires
[59:44] trust from the council to do
[59:44] so.
[59:45] I completely understand that
[59:46] One of the reasons for that is
[59:49] to minimize or not minimize or
[59:50] mitigate the sheer volume of
[59:54] items that need to be brought
[59:54] to us for approval because that
[59:55] requires work and slows things
[59:55] down.
[59:59] We all I think understand that
[1:00:04] And when we increase a limit we
[1:00:05] are giving away some of our
[1:00:09] authority and what we are being
[1:00:10] shown is that our authority
[1:00:11] isn't being adhered to as it is
[1:00:14] And so the comments made by
[1:00:19] Katherine von Wilpert I think
[1:00:20] are very much in line with
[1:00:24] comments we heard last week on
[1:00:25] an entirely unrelated item but
[1:00:29] with a shared theme of a trust
[1:00:34] issue that this is here And
[1:00:35] Claudia, this is actually much
[1:00:36] less for you at this point than
[1:00:36] it is for the mayor's office
[1:00:40] And are these heroes I'm not
[1:00:40] going to assume that this isn't
[1:00:44] registering in this way, but
[1:00:45] we're like we're at a tipping
[1:00:50] point in terms of trust and
[1:00:50] the ability to get important
[1:00:54] things done And I just I'm very
[1:00:55] much hoping that we see
[1:00:56] the changes that need to happen
[1:01:00] because we just heard from
[1:01:04] county government Councilmember
[1:01:04] one over made a very just and
[1:01:09] fair request of the rest of us
[1:01:10] to stop approving and then they
[1:01:11] come to us for a contract is
[1:01:14] expired.
[1:01:15] There would be consequences of
[1:01:19] that.
[1:01:20] We had an item last week in
[1:01:21] terms of water rate approvals
[1:01:25] If we're not able to figure
[1:01:25] that situation out in one way
[1:01:26] or another there will be
[1:01:27] significant consequences for
[1:01:30] the city.
[1:01:30] And so the clock is ticking.
[1:01:34] I very much hope that the words
[1:01:35] of my colleagues are being
[1:01:39] taken heard and taken at face
[1:01:40] value and that the council sees
[1:01:44] the changes that need to happen
[1:01:45] in order for us to get the work
[1:01:45] that needs to be done.
[1:01:46] Thank you.
[1:01:49] Council PRESIDENT Pro Tem Thank
[1:01:50] you.
[1:01:50] Next up is council member camp
[1:01:54] you think Council PRESIDENT Pro
[1:01:54] tem.
[1:01:55] Thank you very much Claudia for
[1:01:55] being here.
[1:01:59] I have a just a practical
[1:02:02] question about the four and
[1:02:03] the two or the two in the $4
[1:02:04] million increase, the $6
[1:02:04] million that were or approved
[1:02:11] without Council authorization
[1:02:11] Was there was there was there
[1:02:16] some sort of downside of
[1:02:17] waiting to pay that $6 million
[1:02:18] by coming to us first?
[1:02:21] Was there some sort of late
[1:02:21] fee?
[1:02:26] Was was I'm trying to give
[1:02:27] the benefit of the doubt to
[1:02:27] someone trying to do the right
[1:02:31] thing and I'm I'm hoping you're
[1:02:32] going to say there was some
[1:02:35] downside but based on
[1:02:36] the amount that was owed at
[1:02:37] the time, yes, it would have
[1:02:37] disrupted services.
[1:02:41] We would have had to return
[1:02:41] vehicles and equipment for
[1:02:42] nonpayment and that would have
[1:02:45] cost more in the long run.
[1:02:46] >> Operationally, yes, we would
[1:02:51] have stopped projects.
[1:02:51] People MAY not have gone able
[1:02:52] to do their work.
[1:02:52] So yes, operationally it would
[1:02:55] have affected under someone
[1:02:56] that I can be sympathetic to
[1:02:57] that But understand that's not
[1:03:00] good enough.
[1:03:01] It's not a good enough reason.
[1:03:02] And here's another practical
[1:03:08] question The whomever adjusted
[1:03:12] internally the ledger so that
[1:03:13] $6 million could go out without
[1:03:14] the city council's
[1:03:17] authorization.
[1:03:18] The who then sends the check to
[1:03:18] the Treasurer's city
[1:03:22] treasurer's office to actually
[1:03:22] pay the bill?
[1:03:23] Correct.
[1:03:27] It would get processed in
[1:03:27] the system and it would come
[1:03:28] out of each department's budget
[1:03:29] to pay those bills.
[1:03:32] Okay.
[1:03:33] And so the City Treasurer has
[1:03:38] the change order form that says
[1:03:38] pay this much more.
[1:03:42] Does the Treasurer's office not
[1:03:43] then check that against
[1:03:44] the contract internally to make
[1:03:47] sure that there's authorization
[1:03:48] for that because the typically
[1:03:52] they won't just the city
[1:03:53] Treasurer won't just take a
[1:03:54] piece of paper from a director
[1:03:56] of a department and say Oh you
[1:03:57] want $2 million, just shoot $2
[1:03:58] million out the door, right?
[1:03:58] Yeah.
[1:04:02] I don't believe it works that
[1:04:02] way.
[1:04:03] I think within our sap system
[1:04:03] and I might turn to Christine
[1:04:06] that help me here the way it
[1:04:07] works is it will get processed
[1:04:08] and again it'll come through
[1:04:12] each department's budget.
[1:04:12] If the department has available
[1:04:13] budget it will just come out of
[1:04:17] whatever accounting that they
[1:04:17] they enter into their purchase
[1:04:18] order.
[1:04:22] I'm Claudius Correct.
[1:04:22] As long as there's available
[1:04:23] funding in that department's
[1:04:24] budget they can issue payments
[1:04:27] as long as it's available in
[1:04:27] their in their fund.
[1:04:27] >> Okay.
[1:04:28] So the city treasurer looks at
[1:04:32] a total number left within
[1:04:33] the contracting budget for a
[1:04:33] department does not actually
[1:04:37] look at the contract to see if
[1:04:38] it's allowable to be paid.
[1:04:39] >> Payments are automated
[1:04:39] through the Department of
[1:04:42] Finance right.
[1:04:43] So the city Treasurer's doesn't
[1:04:43] have much to do with this
[1:04:44] process.
[1:04:47] Okay so let's go to
[1:04:48] the Department of Finance then.
[1:04:52] The Department of Finance is
[1:04:52] the one that's sending
[1:04:53] the check out in this case.
[1:04:57] Okay So the city the Department
[1:05:02] of Finance doesn't actually
[1:05:03] check against the cop.
[1:05:07] We put this into perspective We
[1:05:08] can't have as council members a
[1:05:13] resolution to say hello on
[1:05:13] behalf of the city of San Diego
[1:05:14] without the city attorney's
[1:05:17] office looking at it, the mayor
[1:05:18] staff looking at it, nine other
[1:05:22] council members looking at it.
[1:05:23] The aba probably looks at it If
[1:05:24] it's even if it's a little bit
[1:05:27] more than just saying hello And
[1:05:27] and yet the Department of
[1:05:28] Finance is able to just send
[1:05:33] off millions of dollars without
[1:05:33] cross-referencing it against
[1:05:34] the actual contract that was
[1:05:37] approved.
[1:05:38] So I'm wondering is there
[1:05:38] someone from the Department of
[1:05:39] Finance here who's going to
[1:05:42] tell us why they allow that
[1:05:46] policy without them Just
[1:05:46] checking one more pdf to see
[1:05:50] that it's allowable.
[1:05:51] Is there anybody from
[1:05:55] the Department of Finance here
[1:05:56] ?
[1:05:58] Okay so that's problematic and
[1:06:09] I'm in the city attorney's
[1:06:10] office obviously doesn't look
[1:06:10] over the shoulder of every
[1:06:14] single check that goes out but
[1:06:15] they look over every single
[1:06:15] resolution that we put forward
[1:06:19] and I understand why they do
[1:06:20] that and I'm glad that they do
[1:06:24] that for us There this is is it
[1:06:28] that much more work to put in
[1:06:29] one step to make sure that you
[1:06:30] don't just check that there's
[1:06:30] money in the bank account but
[1:06:33] that it was actually that
[1:06:34] the contract actually said that
[1:06:35] amount But this seems to be an
[1:06:39] easy redundancy for you to put
[1:06:40] in to make sure that we're not
[1:06:43] doing something illegal.
[1:06:44] So Councilmember, I hear your
[1:06:45] concern.
[1:06:45] I think that what would
[1:06:49] probably be useful is if we
[1:06:49] provided information on how
[1:06:53] the contract speaks to
[1:06:54] available funding for spend for
[1:06:59] departments versus the invoice
[1:07:04] processing part of it which is
[1:07:05] based off of I get an invoice,
[1:07:09] I process a requisition so I
[1:07:10] can pay that invoice and then
[1:07:10] as long as I have funding and
[1:07:11] my department fund that I'm
[1:07:15] using that check will go out As
[1:07:16] long as Dios has approved that
[1:07:20] I do have the available funding
[1:07:20] to me and I've done all of my
[1:07:21] internal processes.
[1:07:25] It doesn't speak to the system
[1:07:26] on a global scale, okay.
[1:07:26] Which is I think
[1:07:27] the expectation that I think
[1:07:30] you have.
[1:07:30] That's right.
[1:07:31] The I guess the last point I'll
[1:07:36] make on this is when a city
[1:07:40] employee improperly authorizes
[1:07:43] an expenditure over what
[1:07:48] the city council provides just
[1:07:49] from a discipline point of
[1:07:53] view, do they get anything in
[1:07:54] their employee personnel record
[1:07:58] that says they went beyond
[1:07:59] their statutory authority and
[1:08:04] was had a conversation had
[1:08:04] progressive discipline about
[1:08:05] this and that that happens?
[1:08:09] I hope Absolutely it's okay and
[1:08:10] I have a feeling you can't
[1:08:14] respond as to personnel records
[1:08:14] at this moment So I'm not going
[1:08:15] to go there but I'm really
[1:08:19] hopeful that that's what
[1:08:20] happened here because this
[1:08:20] wasn't a few dollars over This
[1:08:24] was several million dollars
[1:08:24] over.
[1:08:25] Correct.
[1:08:25] Okay.
[1:08:29] All right.
[1:08:30] >> Thank you very much.
[1:08:30] Council PRESIDENT Pro tem And
[1:08:31] thank you, my colleagues for
[1:08:34] the questions.
[1:08:34] 22 Councilmember Whitman Thank
[1:08:35] you.
[1:08:39] Council PRESIDENT Potentially I
[1:08:40] want to dig in a little bit to
[1:08:44] what MISS Peralta was saying
[1:08:45] because I think it sounded like
[1:08:49] you were making a distinction
[1:08:50] between contracting and
[1:08:50] budgeting.
[1:08:55] The city council has a
[1:08:56] oversight responsibility for
[1:08:56] contracting and the city
[1:09:00] council also has an oversight
[1:09:01] responsibility for budgeting.
[1:09:01] And what I think I heard you
[1:09:06] say was that while there MAY
[1:09:11] have been an overspend in
[1:09:11] the contracting which should
[1:09:16] not have occurred that it went
[1:09:17] through because it was still
[1:09:21] within the budget, is that what
[1:09:22] I heard you say?
[1:09:22] Correct.
[1:09:26] So let's take Parks and Rec for
[1:09:26] example.
[1:09:27] Huge department, huge
[1:09:28] departmental spend.
[1:09:31] They are not budgeting down or
[1:09:32] they are not They always have
[1:09:36] some available spend because
[1:09:37] they're not all of their
[1:09:37] expenses always hit at the same
[1:09:38] time.
[1:09:41] So as long as there is funding
[1:09:42] available they can process
[1:09:46] invoices for anything as long
[1:09:51] as it's available.
[1:09:51] Okay.
[1:09:52] So in other words if the city
[1:09:56] council budgets $1 million for
[1:10:01] x and to effectuate that budget
[1:10:02] the City council authorizes
[1:10:06] several contracts up to a half
[1:10:11] million dollars that if
[1:10:11] somebody without council
[1:10:16] approval approves an overage of
[1:10:17] up to $750,000 in the contract.
[1:10:21] We're not going over
[1:10:22] the budgeted amount that
[1:10:22] the city authorized but we're
[1:10:23] going over the contract amount
[1:10:27] that the city authorized.
[1:10:28] Those are different things But
[1:10:28] I wanted to draw that
[1:10:32] distinction because I do think
[1:10:33] it's important to note that
[1:10:34] what you're saying is that
[1:10:37] we're staying within budget on
[1:10:38] these but that we are going
[1:10:42] outside the council
[1:10:43] authorization for
[1:10:44] the contracted abouts and
[1:10:47] that's what needs to be reined
[1:10:47] in.
[1:10:53] Did I get that right?
[1:10:53] Correct.
[1:10:54] And what I will say about Ariba
[1:10:58] as a tool is it's it was not
[1:10:58] meant for government use
[1:10:59] the way that we are applying
[1:10:59] it.
[1:11:03] So Claudia, GOD bless her and
[1:11:04] her team have tried to work
[1:11:04] within its constraints to make
[1:11:09] it as useful as it can be for
[1:11:09] our organization.
[1:11:10] It's not perfect and it's not
[1:11:14] real time which is part of
[1:11:15] the struggle when it comes to
[1:11:18] think about 40 or 30
[1:11:19] departments all using a
[1:11:19] citywide agreement at the same
[1:11:23] time And it's not it's not
[1:11:24] speaking to our budgeting
[1:11:28] system quickly enough to make
[1:11:34] it even make sense for
[1:11:34] Claudia's team to monitor at
[1:11:35] times which is why the real
[1:11:39] time reporting that her team is
[1:11:39] now making available is a
[1:11:40] godsend to our departments.
[1:11:41] Now as far as contract
[1:11:44] monitoring goes, okay.
[1:11:45] Thank you.
[1:11:45] Well while I am glad about
[1:11:49] the point you're making that
[1:11:50] these are not causing a city
[1:11:55] themselves to go over budget,
[1:11:55] obviously there are all kinds
[1:11:56] of reasons why it's important
[1:11:59] that the City Council have
[1:12:00] oversight over contracts and
[1:12:05] contracting about so I
[1:12:05] appreciate all of the efforts
[1:12:10] that are going in to improve
[1:12:11] this process and I really hope
[1:12:15] and expect that we will see
[1:12:16] this fixed.
[1:12:21] >> Thank you.
[1:12:21] Thank you.
[1:12:22] Got some Republicans seeing no
[1:12:26] other speakers will will turn
[1:12:27] back to council member Von
[1:12:27] Wilpert.
[1:12:28] Thank you very much.
[1:12:29] I have a follow up question
[1:12:29] about whether we're going
[1:12:32] overbudget or not.
[1:12:33] The 6.7 million that was added
[1:12:33] to the contract came from
[1:12:38] the general fund, correct?
[1:12:38] Most of it, yes.
[1:12:43] So then what is suffering
[1:12:43] because we took 6.7 million
[1:12:44] away what it had to we budgeted
[1:12:48] to the t this year Something
[1:12:53] else was gutted so that money
[1:12:54] could be sent to the rental
[1:12:58] company So it wasn't The 6.7
[1:12:58] was a year and a half ago.
[1:13:03] I'm sorry I'm looking at my
[1:13:03] auditors team as if they know
[1:13:09] this was two years ago when we
[1:13:09] brought that request forward.
[1:13:10] I wouldn't know to tell you,
[1:13:14] Councilmember Von Wilpert, what
[1:13:14] was affected.
[1:13:15] We'd have to ask departments to
[1:13:19] see what they MAY have had to
[1:13:20] cut in order to get that
[1:13:20] additional money.
[1:13:24] Okay, so who from
[1:13:25] the Department of Finance knows
[1:13:25] what was moved?
[1:13:26] Councilmember, we can get back
[1:13:30] to you with that.
[1:13:30] Why You don't have the answer
[1:13:31] right now.
[1:13:34] I called the mayor's office
[1:13:35] last week and told the deputy
[1:13:36] chief operating or whoever I
[1:13:36] don't know what their titles
[1:13:40] are.
[1:13:40] Maggie again everyone coda that
[1:13:41] I'm going to have serious
[1:13:42] questions about this and
[1:13:45] expected answers last week I
[1:13:46] didn't want to bother the mayor
[1:13:47] himself because he's doing his
[1:13:50] job and traveling.
[1:13:51] Why don't I have answers now
[1:13:55] when the public is watching
[1:13:56] They don't want me to wait till
[1:13:56] next week.
[1:13:59] Where is the six $7 million go
[1:14:00] Because we budgeted we have
[1:14:01] libraries that don't have
[1:14:01] roofs.
[1:14:02] We have staff that are
[1:14:05] suffering.
[1:14:06] So I understand the rock and a
[1:14:06] hard place but the rock and a
[1:14:07] hard place is just being moved
[1:14:11] to another time You can tell me
[1:14:11] the department of and it
[1:14:12] doesn't know where this money
[1:14:16] went when this order came out a
[1:14:16] year ago who is running
[1:14:21] the Department of Finance?
[1:14:21] >> What is happening here,
[1:14:22] Councilmember I don't think
[1:14:23] that I would have an answer
[1:14:24] that would satisfy you today.
[1:14:26] So we will get back to you with
[1:14:27] the information that you
[1:14:27] requested And I apologize for
[1:14:28] the delay in getting you your
[1:14:28] answers.
[1:14:32] Okay.
[1:14:32] Tell me how to better
[1:14:33] communicate with the mayor's
[1:14:34] office because when I have
[1:14:34] serious questions about how
[1:14:38] we're spending money, I expect
[1:14:38] them to be answered.
[1:14:42] So Claudio, thank you This is
[1:14:43] not your fault.
[1:14:44] I want to emphasize that you
[1:14:44] are trying so hard and you are
[1:14:48] trying to work on our eosio
[1:14:48] problem.
[1:14:49] Are you a contractor to
[1:14:49] problems like you and your
[1:14:50] department are doing
[1:14:50] wonderfully but it is very
[1:14:53] disturbing that it is.
[1:14:54] Software hadn't been working
[1:14:54] since 2015.
[1:14:59] Why?
[1:15:00] And we change the software in
[1:15:00] ten years and this is not a new
[1:15:01] problem Claudia This is an
[1:15:02] upper management problem and
[1:15:04] needs to get fixed So thank you
[1:15:05] again Claudia for your hard
[1:15:06] work and to your department I
[1:15:06] want to emphasize how much I
[1:15:09] value you as someone in
[1:15:10] the city but I cannot believe
[1:15:10] that the U.S. Department of
[1:15:13] Finance isn't here today to
[1:15:14] even answer our questions about
[1:15:14] spending.
[1:15:15] Thank you for the extra time.
[1:15:18] Chair Thank you.
[1:15:24] See no other speakers I'll
[1:15:25] chime in here because I don't
[1:15:25] mean to laugh.
[1:15:29] I just did this is sort of hard
[1:15:29] to fathom the conversation that
[1:15:30] we're having up here on
[1:15:34] the dais and certainly thank
[1:15:35] you Council member Rivera for
[1:15:36] pointing out that it follows a
[1:15:39] week of conversation that we've
[1:15:40] had I think around around trust
[1:15:45] I do want to first of all think
[1:15:45] that our daughter's team for
[1:15:50] your work on this audit was
[1:15:50] completed last year.
[1:15:51] Correct and was presented to
[1:15:54] the audit committee in 2024.
[1:15:55] I guess if you don't mind me
[1:16:00] asking if you know the timeline
[1:16:00] in which it took us I don't
[1:16:01] know how long since it was on
[1:16:02] the audit committee to here at
[1:16:07] a council I don't know.
[1:16:08] Sometimes it does take a while.
[1:16:09] I think your docket was fairly
[1:16:13] busy the first few months of
[1:16:13] the Earth budget issues But you
[1:16:14] know we prefer to take them a
[1:16:17] little sooner But I think
[1:16:18] sometimes it's it's nice when
[1:16:19] they come a little bit later
[1:16:23] because the departments have a
[1:16:24] lot of progress to report
[1:16:24] rather than just, you know,
[1:16:25] saying the same thing that they
[1:16:28] would have said at the audit
[1:16:29] committee two weeks earlier in.
[1:16:30] >> And I guess just to follow
[1:16:33] up on that, you of course
[1:16:33] shared at the presentation
[1:16:34] the recommendations that were
[1:16:35] accepted and the progress
[1:16:38] that's been made on those
[1:16:39] That's the progress that's up
[1:16:39] to date as of now not
[1:16:43] necessarily what was presented
[1:16:44] back when that it was complete.
[1:16:44] >> Correct?
[1:16:44] Right.
[1:16:45] It's the it's the status as of
[1:16:49] JUNE 30th of this year because
[1:16:52] that's when we do our
[1:16:52] recommendation five which we
[1:16:53] just issued and will be
[1:16:54] discussed at the audit
[1:16:57] committee on Wednesday and said
[1:16:58] meaning even to this day
[1:16:58] there's still quite a bit of
[1:16:59] work that's either in process
[1:17:02] or needs to be completed.
[1:17:03] I agree with some of what my
[1:17:04] colleagues have shared on
[1:17:08] the dais.
[1:17:08] Claudia Certainly you and your
[1:17:09] team you're not the ones
[1:17:10] submitting all the contracts
[1:17:13] for approval and I don't think
[1:17:14] that means that we necessarily
[1:17:15] turn around and get to blame
[1:17:19] every department either for
[1:17:19] that work.
[1:17:20] I think what this audit points
[1:17:21] out is that there is a much
[1:17:24] broader challenge that we're
[1:17:25] dealing with from a city
[1:17:29] operation standpoint and it's
[1:17:30] easy to maybe point fingers at
[1:17:30] one particular team or
[1:17:31] the other.
[1:17:34] What I'm going to just point
[1:17:35] out that while you're a deputy
[1:17:36] chief operating officer I don't
[1:17:37] think this is the operational
[1:17:39] branch that you oversee either,
[1:17:40] is it?
[1:17:40] >> No, sir.
[1:17:45] But I am covering for Alia
[1:17:45] Corey because she's not feeling
[1:17:46] well today.
[1:17:46] >> Understood.
[1:17:46] Yeah.
[1:17:50] So I you're taking the spears
[1:17:50] at the moment but not
[1:17:54] necessarily your direct
[1:17:55] department.
[1:17:55] I think this is just going back
[1:17:56] to to point out that this is
[1:18:00] frustrating for all of us and
[1:18:01] you're seeing that boil up and
[1:18:02] that I think that frustration
[1:18:05] stems from the fact that we are
[1:18:05] the eighth largest city in
[1:18:10] the United States and I don't
[1:18:11] know if it goes through anyone
[1:18:12] else's head but I'm going to
[1:18:12] admit I sat here up here
[1:18:15] thinking an Excel spreadsheet
[1:18:16] would tell me when contracts
[1:18:16] are going to expire and give me
[1:18:20] a rough sense of when that's
[1:18:20] simplifying too much
[1:18:21] the challenges that we that
[1:18:25] exist.
[1:18:26] But I think what I'm hoping to
[1:18:30] hear as a result of the city's
[1:18:30] response to an audit that is
[1:18:31] pointing out some severe
[1:18:36] challenges that we have as
[1:18:36] Councilmember Yvonne Wolpert
[1:18:37] pointed out, that really skirt
[1:18:40] the line of whether we're
[1:18:40] operating lawfully that
[1:18:45] the city has a strong answer
[1:18:46] for that And at the moment I
[1:18:50] feel almost frustrated that
[1:18:51] you're here trying to answer on
[1:18:52] behalf of the entire city as to
[1:18:55] why we're having these
[1:18:55] challenges.
[1:18:56] So I would just leave it at
[1:19:00] that.
[1:19:00] Councilmember Ehler very
[1:19:01] pointed out that improving
[1:19:05] the mayoral threshold certainly
[1:19:06] I see why that would help
[1:19:06] resolve some of these but it
[1:19:07] would only resolve them in a
[1:19:10] sense that we would just not
[1:19:11] see them And and that actually
[1:19:11] doesn't solve the underlying
[1:19:15] problem that I think is being
[1:19:16] called out today.
[1:19:16] So if that is still being
[1:19:20] planned for, I would certainly
[1:19:20] urge an earnest conversation
[1:19:21] about what that looks like and
[1:19:22] how it's presented because in
[1:19:26] increasing of the mayoral
[1:19:26] threshold simply to answer this
[1:19:27] audit isn't it it doesn't
[1:19:30] actually solve the problem.
[1:19:31] I'm going to guess based on
[1:19:32] the commentary you've heard
[1:19:32] today that you're going to be
[1:19:35] met with some concern on that
[1:19:35] front.
[1:19:36] Last thing I will note is that
[1:19:41] in our team's meeting with
[1:19:41] the office of the City Auditor
[1:19:42] there was a discussion idea I
[1:19:45] think you had presented just
[1:19:45] one idea in terms of best
[1:19:46] practice examples we've seen
[1:19:50] elsewhere that for example in
[1:19:50] the county of San Diego that
[1:19:51] they have a segment in their
[1:19:54] staff report that allows for
[1:19:55] staff to answer to any
[1:19:56] questions that might arise in
[1:20:00] terms of contract timelines or
[1:20:01] deadlines and anything where
[1:20:05] they've exceeded an amount etc.
[1:20:06] Can you share a little bit
[1:20:06] about that?
[1:20:07] Sure.
[1:20:08] I'll ask my my my team to jump
[1:20:11] in But I think in general it's
[1:20:11] they have kind of a remediation
[1:20:15] process where if there is
[1:20:16] department that has not brought
[1:20:16] a contract on time they have to
[1:20:17] own up to it.
[1:20:20] It has to be in the staff
[1:20:21] reports and present a kind of
[1:20:21] remediation plan for how
[1:20:25] they'll prevent that from
[1:20:25] happening again.
[1:20:26] But I'll let my team add any
[1:20:30] additional details.
[1:20:31] >> Yeah.
[1:20:33] Just to follow up on Andy, it's
[1:20:34] recommendation 2.3 in
[1:20:35] the report which has been newly
[1:20:39] implemented as of JUNE is to
[1:20:39] develop a procedure and
[1:20:40] template for these requests to
[1:20:41] be submitted in writing and
[1:20:44] explain why it's necessary and
[1:20:44] what types of actions will be
[1:20:45] done to prevent it from
[1:20:49] happening in the future.
[1:20:49] >> Understood.
[1:20:50] And I don't believe that's part
[1:20:54] of the recommendations as we
[1:20:54] have presented at the moment.
[1:20:55] But I guess I would turn to
[1:20:56] staff and the mayor's office to
[1:20:58] see if that could be explored
[1:20:59] as a potential addition to
[1:21:04] council potentially it is a
[1:21:04] recommendation and we have
[1:21:08] completed develop that form and
[1:21:09] it should be any time you see a
[1:21:10] contract that is being brought
[1:21:14] forward that form should if
[1:21:14] it's if it's late, if it needs
[1:21:15] ratification that documentation
[1:21:19] should be provided in OnBase as
[1:21:19] well.
[1:21:19] Thank you.
[1:21:23] Claudio, one last thing to ask
[1:21:23] you because of what you've
[1:21:24] heard from us up here, are
[1:21:28] there any upcoming contracts
[1:21:29] that the council might be
[1:21:33] considering that are either
[1:21:33] exceeding the contracted amount
[1:21:38] previously authorized or that
[1:21:38] will be expired?
[1:21:39] >> I know there are several
[1:21:40] that are expiring soon.
[1:21:43] I know my my team has been
[1:21:43] working with each of
[1:21:44] the departments to try to get
[1:21:47] them here timely.
[1:21:48] Whether that happens I think
[1:21:48] we're still going through some
[1:21:53] some speed bumps to make sure
[1:21:53] that all of them get here
[1:21:54] timely.
[1:21:54] But we are absolutely keeping
[1:21:57] track of that.
[1:21:58] I think you heard Councilmember
[1:21:59] Yvonne Wolpert loud and clear
[1:22:02] as we all did.
[1:22:03] So certainly we encourage that
[1:22:07] be done as expeditiously as
[1:22:07] possible.
[1:22:08] I see no other speakers on this
[1:22:12] item that does include item
[1:22:13] 2a1a clerk Would you please
[1:22:16] introduce item 200?
[1:22:16] Thank you.
[1:22:19] Council PRESIDENT Pro Tem Item
[1:22:20] 200 is an informational item as
[1:22:21] well.
[1:22:21] It is the performance audit of
[1:22:25] the city's fleet maintenance.
[1:22:26] If you'd like to speak to this
[1:22:27] item please submit your
[1:22:27] speakers up to the front of
[1:22:28] the room in the clear box and
[1:22:30] if you are participating online
[1:22:31] now's the time to raise your
[1:22:33] hand by pressing pressing Star
[1:22:34] nine or the raise your hand
[1:22:39] icon in your hand and back over
[1:22:43] to you to introduce this item
[1:22:44] in resume as well and let us
[1:22:45] know how much time you need for
[1:22:48] this time.
[1:22:49] >> Good afternoon again Council
[1:22:53] members Andino City Auditor And
[1:22:54] we are to present our
[1:22:55] performance audit of the city's
[1:22:57] fleet maintenance And can we
[1:22:57] also have ten minutes for this
[1:22:58] one please?
[1:22:58] Thank you.
[1:22:59] Thanks.
[1:23:02] So first off we want to thank
[1:23:03] the Fleet Operations division
[1:23:04] and we really appreciate all
[1:23:07] the time and feedback they
[1:23:08] provided to help this audit
[1:23:08] identify I think a lot of
[1:23:09] different key issues and make
[1:23:12] actionable recommendations to
[1:23:12] address them.
[1:23:13] I also want to quickly thank
[1:23:14] major vehicle operating
[1:23:17] departments who we worked with
[1:23:18] on the side as well including
[1:23:23] City pd Fire Rescue Parks and
[1:23:27] Recreation and public utilities
[1:23:27] .
[1:23:28] The city's fleet is comprised
[1:23:31] of about 4900 vehicles and
[1:23:32] motorized equipment with an
[1:23:33] estimated total replacement
[1:23:36] value of $437 million When
[1:23:36] preventive maintenance and
[1:23:40] safety inspections aren't
[1:23:41] completed on time it can create
[1:23:41] it can increase long term
[1:23:46] vehicle costs, cause costly
[1:23:46] operational disruptions when
[1:23:50] vehicles break down and create
[1:23:51] safety risks for city employees
[1:23:52] and the public.
[1:23:55] Therefore we conducted this
[1:23:56] performance audit with the two
[1:23:56] objectives that you can see
[1:24:00] here on this slide.
[1:24:01] The audit team with me here is
[1:24:02] again principal performance
[1:24:05] auditor Nathan Otto and senior
[1:24:06] performance auditor Nicky
[1:24:07] Kalmus and performance auditor
[1:24:11] Alberto Marino And so I'll turn
[1:24:11] it over to them for the details
[1:24:12] on what we found and
[1:24:12] recommended.
[1:24:13] Great.
[1:24:15] Thanks Andy.
[1:24:16] So we looked at Preventive
[1:24:16] Maintenance services and this
[1:24:17] one we MAY lapse into calling
[1:24:20] them pbm services and these are
[1:24:24] ones that were completed in fy
[1:24:25] 2023 across the city for these
[1:24:29] pm services are fundamental
[1:24:29] things like oil changes, fluid
[1:24:30] checks, clean air or replacing
[1:24:34] basic parts as well as smog
[1:24:35] checks and something called bit
[1:24:35] inspections which are a multi
[1:24:39] point safety inspection for
[1:24:39] heavier vehicles.
[1:24:40] It's required by the state of
[1:24:44] California every 90 days.
[1:24:47] We made ten recommendations on
[1:24:48] this one to address issues we
[1:24:49] found and improve
[1:24:49] the timeliness and compliance
[1:24:50] rates of required maintenance
[1:24:52] and safety inspections help
[1:24:53] streamline services and to
[1:24:54] increase vehicle availability
[1:24:58] for department operations.
[1:24:58] And of note given the city's
[1:24:59] budget position, we believe
[1:25:03] the recommendations are
[1:25:04] generally low to no cost things
[1:25:05] the city can do and management
[1:25:08] did agree to all of these
[1:25:08] recommendations.
[1:25:09] So the city has a big fleet as
[1:25:13] Andy mentioned across a lot of
[1:25:14] different departments.
[1:25:14] You can see some of
[1:25:18] the examples on the slide here
[1:25:18] .
[1:25:19] The six departments have
[1:25:19] the most vehicles citywide just
[1:25:22] in terms of the process
[1:25:23] generally it's the case that
[1:25:24] these departments they have
[1:25:27] their vehicles and they're
[1:25:28] supposed to bring them in to
[1:25:28] fleet who provides
[1:25:29] the maintenance.
[1:25:32] So it's a it's a bit of a two
[1:25:32] way street so to speak.
[1:25:33] There are some things that we
[1:25:37] can do for customer service to
[1:25:37] city departments But a big part
[1:25:38] of the issue too is improving
[1:25:42] accountability for departments
[1:25:43] to be bringing their vehicles
[1:25:47] into fleet services timely.
[1:25:48] And with that, Nicky, we'll
[1:25:48] walk you through Funny one.
[1:25:52] Thank you Nathan In finding one
[1:25:53] we looked at the timeliness of
[1:25:54] preventive maintenance and
[1:25:58] inspections across the citywide
[1:25:58] fleet In fiscal year 2023 we
[1:25:59] found that only 20% of
[1:26:02] preventive maintenance services
[1:26:03] were completed on time
[1:26:03] according to government Fleet
[1:26:04] an industry resource.
[1:26:08] A 10% grace period is
[1:26:08] acceptable before most fleets
[1:26:12] consider maintenance late as
[1:26:13] shown in Exhibit four on this
[1:26:14] slide even when allowing for a
[1:26:17] grace period only 39% of
[1:26:18] services were completed on time
[1:26:22] Both the 20 and 39% are less
[1:26:23] than the industry standard goal
[1:26:23] for timely maintenance
[1:26:27] Compliance which is 90%.
[1:26:28] We also looked into
[1:26:32] the compliance of inspections
[1:26:32] which are required by law to
[1:26:33] ensure driver and public safety
[1:26:37] and environmental protections
[1:26:37] while 96% of smog checks and
[1:26:42] diesel capacity inspections
[1:26:43] were completed on time, only
[1:26:43] 35% of bit inspections which
[1:26:47] are safety inspections on
[1:26:48] heavier vehicles were on time.
[1:26:49] One factor could be that bit
[1:26:53] inspections are required every
[1:26:54] 90 days while smog and diesel
[1:26:54] inspections are required
[1:26:58] annually or once every two
[1:26:58] years.
[1:26:59] The exhibits on this slide show
[1:27:03] that hundreds of safety
[1:27:04] inspections were overdue by
[1:27:05] months and could have been
[1:27:09] unsafe to operate.
[1:27:09] Overdue maintenance can have
[1:27:10] negative consequences on
[1:27:13] vehicle performance such as
[1:27:14] unsafe vehicle conditions,
[1:27:15] lengthier and more costly
[1:27:15] repairs and reduced
[1:27:19] productivity.
[1:27:20] For example, a previous audit
[1:27:21] audit found an 11% reduction in
[1:27:25] productivity for pothole
[1:27:25] repairs when one truck was out
[1:27:26] of service for maintenance Thus
[1:27:30] even having a single important
[1:27:31] vehicle offline can have a
[1:27:31] product productivity impact
[1:27:35] worth hundreds of thousands of
[1:27:35] dollars.
[1:27:35] Finally, when safety
[1:27:36] inspections are late, issues
[1:27:39] MAY persist that can lead to
[1:27:40] increased costs and breakdowns.
[1:27:41] Missing safety inspections on
[1:27:45] larger trucks and equipment
[1:27:46] means letting potential safety
[1:27:46] issues go unaddressed while
[1:27:47] vehicles are still driving
[1:27:50] around.
[1:27:50] We found that bit inspections
[1:27:51] identified safety issues that
[1:27:52] needed to be repaired More than
[1:27:55] half of the time and
[1:27:56] additionally overdue safety
[1:27:59] inspections were even more
[1:28:00] likely at 68% to identify
[1:28:00] needed repairs such as broken
[1:28:04] backup alarms and mirrors and
[1:28:05] brake axle fluid leaks Even if
[1:28:10] most vehicles had a current
[1:28:10] safety inspection there could
[1:28:11] be 200 or more big vehicles on
[1:28:12] roads with an increased
[1:28:14] likelihood of an unaddressed
[1:28:19] safety issue.
[1:28:20] >> When we looked into
[1:28:21] the reasons why behind low
[1:28:21] compliance rates we found that
[1:28:22] Fleet sends out monthly
[1:28:25] notification to departments
[1:28:26] with upcoming due preventive
[1:28:26] maintenance and inspections.
[1:28:30] However, at the time the audit
[1:28:31] was conducted, contact lists
[1:28:31] were out of date Then even when
[1:28:35] notified city departments were
[1:28:36] still not bringing in their
[1:28:36] vehicles on time.
[1:28:37] Further, not all major
[1:28:41] departments were having regular
[1:28:42] check ins with fleet or
[1:28:43] specific fleet coordinators to
[1:28:46] handle maintenance issues.
[1:28:47] And finally as shown on
[1:28:47] the slide fleet removed with
[1:28:48] preventive maintenance kpi for
[1:28:52] the fiscal year 2025 budget and
[1:28:53] reported on it only once
[1:28:57] historically to improve
[1:28:57] the city's preventive
[1:28:58] maintenance and inspection
[1:29:01] compliance we made five
[1:29:02] recommendations in this finding
[1:29:03] We recommend fleet work with
[1:29:03] departments to update contact
[1:29:06] list for maintenance
[1:29:07] notifications with regular
[1:29:08] quarterly meetings to discuss
[1:29:12] fleet maintenance needs and
[1:29:13] report compliance to the Deputy
[1:29:13] chief operating officers.
[1:29:14] We recommend the Chief
[1:29:17] Operating Officer ensure each
[1:29:18] relevant department designates
[1:29:19] a fleet coordinator and that
[1:29:19] the Chief Operating Officer
[1:29:23] work with fleet and city
[1:29:24] departments to develop and
[1:29:24] communicate a set of workable
[1:29:25] and appropriate incentives
[1:29:28] disincentives and our
[1:29:29] monitoring capabilities to
[1:29:29] improve compliance.
[1:29:33] Since we issued the report,
[1:29:34] Fleet appears to have worked
[1:29:35] with departments to update and
[1:29:35] designate fleet coordinators
[1:29:39] for the major departments and
[1:29:40] has started having regular
[1:29:40] check ins according to Fleet.
[1:29:41] This has helped increase
[1:29:45] maintenance and fit compliance.
[1:29:45] I will now hand it over to
[1:29:46] Alberto to present our second
[1:29:46] finding.
[1:29:47] Thanks, Nicky.
[1:29:51] Alberto Moreno.
[1:29:51] A performance order and this
[1:29:52] project inviting to be
[1:29:52] investigated How timely
[1:29:56] vehicles are being returned to
[1:29:57] city departments after
[1:29:57] preventive maintenance.
[1:29:58] We found that more than half of
[1:29:59] maintenance workers that we
[1:30:02] looked at were completed in
[1:30:02] less than 24 hours.
[1:30:03] However, there are some steps
[1:30:04] that the city can take to
[1:30:07] further streamline services.
[1:30:08] According to the National
[1:30:08] Association of Fleet
[1:30:09] Administrators, turnaround time
[1:30:12] is a key metric for Fleet made
[1:30:13] its operations.
[1:30:13] Many fleet agencies have
[1:30:14] turnaround time goals for
[1:30:14] maintenance services and
[1:30:18] inspections.
[1:30:19] However Fleet does not.
[1:30:19] This can make it hard for
[1:30:20] departments to plan their day
[1:30:23] to day operations.
[1:30:24] Lack of visibility MAY also
[1:30:25] lead to reluctance to bring
[1:30:25] vehicles in for maintenance.
[1:30:28] Shown on the slide we found
[1:30:29] that longer turnaround times
[1:30:30] appear to correspond with lower
[1:30:30] rates of preventive maintenance
[1:30:33] compliance.
[1:30:34] In other words, departments
[1:30:35] accustomed to delays are less
[1:30:35] likely to bring the vehicles in
[1:30:38] on time.
[1:30:39] The city uses Fleet Focus a
[1:30:40] central database for fleets
[1:30:40] information about maintenance
[1:30:44] and inspection, due date
[1:30:45] equipment, labor and parts
[1:30:45] inventory to help with
[1:30:49] uncertainty.
[1:30:49] There's a self-service
[1:30:50] mechanism in fleet focus for
[1:30:51] city departments to review
[1:30:51] upcoming due preventive
[1:30:52] maintenance.
[1:30:55] However not all departments are
[1:30:56] aware of it or how to use it.
[1:30:57] The average turnaround time
[1:31:00] within the city of San Diego
[1:31:01] was three calendar days.
[1:31:02] The fleet completes most
[1:31:04] maintenance within 24 hours.
[1:31:05] Some lengthy turnaround times
[1:31:06] bring the citywide average up
[1:31:06] to three days.
[1:31:10] However, on average fleet staff
[1:31:11] completed the actual servicing
[1:31:11] of vehicles in just two hours.
[1:31:15] When we look into the cause we
[1:31:16] found that 77% of maintenance
[1:31:16] services had a delay of some
[1:31:16] kind.
[1:31:20] The last the vast majority of
[1:31:21] these delays were caused by
[1:31:22] waiting for labor.
[1:31:22] For example a factory truck
[1:31:25] from the stormwater department
[1:31:26] was brought in for preventive
[1:31:27] maintenance services on a
[1:31:30] Tuesday and waited for three
[1:31:30] days for available staff.
[1:31:31] On Friday the maintenance
[1:31:34] services took just over three
[1:31:34] hours in total.
[1:31:35] Although fleet focused can
[1:31:36] schedule appointments according
[1:31:40] to Fleet, it has not set this
[1:31:40] up due to resource constraints.
[1:31:41] As a result, according to fleet
[1:31:45] departments also commonly drop
[1:31:46] off their vehicles unannounced
[1:31:47] often for weekends or holidays
[1:31:50] which can lead to backlogs
[1:31:51] because departments bring their
[1:31:52] vehicles in when Labor is not
[1:31:52] available.
[1:31:53] Instead of scheduling an
[1:31:56] appointment when we look
[1:31:56] further into labor delays we
[1:32:01] found that the city's fleet has
[1:32:01] grown by almost 1000 vehicles
[1:32:02] since fiscal year 2021.
[1:32:03] But the number of fleet
[1:32:06] technicians to service
[1:32:07] the fleet has not kept pace
[1:32:08] with that growth.
[1:32:08] Furthermore, Fleet has an
[1:32:12] assistant fleet technician
[1:32:13] position but heavily utilizes
[1:32:13] the fleet technician role
[1:32:14] instead.
[1:32:17] The assistant fleet technician
[1:32:17] position could help fleet
[1:32:18] technicians focus on complex
[1:32:19] diagnostics and advanced
[1:32:22] repairs.
[1:32:23] Identifying the optimal share
[1:32:23] of assistant fleet technicians
[1:32:27] to supplement current staffing
[1:32:28] MAY help Fleet achieve its
[1:32:28] maintenance goals in a cost
[1:32:29] effective manner while
[1:32:33] attracting talent that can grow
[1:32:33] and develop from within.
[1:32:34] To help streamline services
[1:32:38] increase vehicle availability
[1:32:39] and improve maintenance,
[1:32:40] timeliness and compliance, we
[1:32:40] made five recommendations to
[1:32:41] Fleet in this finding.
[1:32:44] The key recommendations include
[1:32:45] establishing monitoring and
[1:32:45] reporting turnaround time goals
[1:32:49] and performance, ensuring city
[1:32:50] departments are aware of
[1:32:51] the self-service mechanism for
[1:32:55] reviewing work order status.
[1:32:55] Setting up a scheduling
[1:32:56] appointment.
[1:32:57] Setting up a scheduling process
[1:33:00] and prioritizing vehicles have
[1:33:01] scheduled their maintenance
[1:33:01] appointments in advance.
[1:33:02] And analyzing optimal staffing
[1:33:05] levels of a system fleet
[1:33:06] technician positions.
[1:33:07] Fleet and city management agree
[1:33:07] to all ten recommendations and
[1:33:09] are more than happy to answer
[1:33:09] any questions we have.
[1:33:14] Thank you.
[1:33:15] >> Thank you.
[1:33:16] I believe we'll turn next to
[1:33:16] our original services
[1:33:23] department for comments.
[1:33:23] >> Good afternoon.
[1:33:24] Council PRESIDENT Pro Tem Lee
[1:33:29] and members of the Council I am
[1:33:29] sure a little director of
[1:33:30] the Department of General
[1:33:30] Services.
[1:33:34] Thank you for the opportunity
[1:33:35] to briefly provide an update on
[1:33:35] our progress.
[1:33:36] As noted by the auditor's team
[1:33:39] there were ten recommendations.
[1:33:40] Of those ten we have completed
[1:33:44] to 1.1 designation of fleet
[1:33:45] coordinators and 1.3 leading
[1:33:50] routine meetings with relevant
[1:33:50] city departments.
[1:33:51] We also anticipate anticipate
[1:33:55] closing to recommendations
[1:33:56] within the next few weeks.
[1:33:57] And I like to take a brief time
[1:34:01] to update you on our progress
[1:34:01] on a few of the remaining
[1:34:02] recommendations as well as
[1:34:06] other items noted in
[1:34:07] the auditor's report.
[1:34:07] As noted by the audit team,
[1:34:11] the growth of fleet staff has
[1:34:12] not kept pace with the growth
[1:34:13] of the vehicles in the fleet.
[1:34:17] We currently have over 5000
[1:34:17] active vehicles and equipment
[1:34:21] in the fleet with over 1700
[1:34:22] vehicles assigned to our
[1:34:27] largest repair facility located
[1:34:27] at Choices Operations yard.
[1:34:28] Those staff growth rate has
[1:34:32] lagged fleet growth.
[1:34:33] We remain committed to finding
[1:34:34] innovative solutions within our
[1:34:37] existing resources to address
[1:34:38] these challenges.
[1:34:39] Third completion of the audit
[1:34:43] we have made remarkable
[1:34:43] progress in our basic
[1:34:44] inspection of terminal
[1:34:44] compliance rate for those
[1:34:49] departments with more than 100
[1:34:49] vehicles subject to bid
[1:34:50] inspection.
[1:34:54] Our current compliance rate is
[1:34:54] 91%.
[1:34:55] This progress is attributed to
[1:34:59] improvements in work or
[1:34:59] assignment internal process
[1:35:00] improvements and our
[1:35:01] technicians who have been
[1:35:05] willing to work periodically on
[1:35:05] weekends.
[1:35:06] I want to take this time to
[1:35:09] thank their entire team for
[1:35:10] their commitment to keeping our
[1:35:11] vehicles operating safely and
[1:35:14] in compliance.
[1:35:15] >> In addition to improvement
[1:35:20] and inspection completion Fleet
[1:35:20] has continued to lead routine
[1:35:21] meetings with most of
[1:35:25] the departments including
[1:35:26] public utilities department,
[1:35:26] Stormwater transportation parks
[1:35:30] and Rec to discuss current
[1:35:31] fleet issues and concerns
[1:35:31] holistically.
[1:35:36] The fleet operations dashboard
[1:35:37] created by Panda is used to
[1:35:41] facilitate most of the meeting
[1:35:41] during our departmental
[1:35:42] meetings.
[1:35:42] All aspects of the fleet
[1:35:43] operations from upcoming
[1:35:46] inspections repair and
[1:35:47] maintenance and vehicle
[1:35:48] acquisition and delivery
[1:35:51] timelines are discussed with
[1:35:52] our customer departments.
[1:35:53] High priority concerns are
[1:35:56] addressed on the spot and often
[1:35:57] resolved during the meeting.
[1:35:58] All departments also have
[1:36:01] access to the dashboard and can
[1:36:02] view the status of all of their
[1:36:03] vehicles at any time.
[1:36:07] We have received positive
[1:36:08] feedback from the department on
[1:36:08] this initiative.
[1:36:12] We are continuing to work with
[1:36:12] Panda to further develop
[1:36:13] the dashboard to include
[1:36:17] program preventive maintenance
[1:36:17] as well as vehicle
[1:36:18] acquisitions.
[1:36:18] In addition to the auditor's
[1:36:23] recommendation 2.5 to conduct
[1:36:23] an analysis of fleet staff
[1:36:28] required to complete Timely
[1:36:29] for Choice Operations Yard.
[1:36:29] We are currently in discussion
[1:36:33] with our rta to shift our
[1:36:34] operating days and hours
[1:36:38] allowing us to serve as
[1:36:39] vehicles when they are not in
[1:36:39] use.
[1:36:43] This model increases access to
[1:36:44] customer vehicles and reduces
[1:36:44] downtime.
[1:36:48] Lastly we are currently
[1:36:49] conducting a base based
[1:36:49] analysis to determine
[1:36:54] additional spaces required to
[1:36:54] keep up with our growing fleet.
[1:36:59] After both the staff analysis
[1:37:00] and base based analysis are
[1:37:00] completed, we MAY request an
[1:37:04] allocation of resources to
[1:37:05] properly manage our fleet and
[1:37:05] perform perhaps more timely
[1:37:10] thereby decrease in repairs and
[1:37:11] ensuring the department is
[1:37:11] meeting the needs of our city
[1:37:15] departments.
[1:37:16] I like to in my comments by
[1:37:17] thanking Andy and his team for
[1:37:20] their professionalism
[1:37:21] throughout the process.
[1:37:22] We appreciate the auditor's
[1:37:22] insight and look forward to
[1:37:26] working through the remainder
[1:37:26] of the recommendations
[1:37:27] presented here today.
[1:37:30] My staff and are available to
[1:37:31] answer any questions you MAY
[1:37:31] have.
[1:37:32] >> Thank you.
[1:37:32] Thank you.
[1:37:35] Clark can we please proceed
[1:37:36] with any public comment?
[1:37:36] Yes.
[1:37:41] This time it is Paul and you
[1:37:41] have time See to Chew by Tim
[1:37:42] Douglas.
[1:37:54] So you will have four minutes.
[1:37:59] >> Good afternoon.
[1:38:00] >> Paul Garraway, vice
[1:38:00] PRESIDENT Of Ask Me a local 127
[1:38:01] and a technician with the fleet
[1:38:05] operations Division within
[1:38:05] the Fleet Operations Division
[1:38:06] of the Department of General
[1:38:06] Services.
[1:38:10] We have approximately 150
[1:38:10] bargaining unit members.
[1:38:14] The job classification
[1:38:15] technical lead technicians mast
[1:38:20] nations and fleet leaders Those
[1:38:21] classifications perform
[1:38:25] essential work including making
[1:38:26] repairs parts replacement
[1:38:26] adjustments, performing
[1:38:30] diagnostic preventative and
[1:38:31] corrective maintenance on city
[1:38:31] vehicles, generating and
[1:38:35] maintaining vehicle equipment
[1:38:36] maintenance records.
[1:38:40] In short, our members know
[1:38:41] the city vehicles inside and
[1:38:41] out.
[1:38:42] The number of fleet technicians
[1:38:45] is not kept pace with
[1:38:46] the growth of the city's fleet
[1:38:50] and require implementing all
[1:38:51] agreed recommendations before a
[1:38:52] meeting and conferring over
[1:38:54] the schedule change at Choice
[1:38:55] Operations Yard.
[1:39:00] Thank you.
[1:39:00] >> Thank you.
[1:39:01] I started the five minute time
[1:39:02] We're going to those
[1:39:05] participating remotely starting
[1:39:05] with the original If you can
[1:39:06] please unmute you will have two
[1:39:10] minutes.
[1:39:11] >> Yeah this is because this is
[1:39:12] showing more of your negligence
[1:39:15] as far as contracting goes.
[1:39:16] I mean you know it's it's kind
[1:39:19] of a you know, two way street
[1:39:20] as far as things happening But
[1:39:24] when you guys increase
[1:39:24] the amount of you know,
[1:39:25] vehicles that you have in your
[1:39:29] fleet and the company that is
[1:39:30] supposed to be maintaining it,
[1:39:34] you know can't keep up with it
[1:39:35] because that wasn't even in
[1:39:36] the contract in the first
[1:39:36] place.
[1:39:39] So you know, you can't put
[1:39:40] the blame on them as though,
[1:39:40] you know, it's their fault that
[1:39:44] you know, all of this is taking
[1:39:44] place and they can't keep up.
[1:39:45] I'm sure there's things that
[1:39:49] they could do to mitigate.
[1:39:49] But if you also have city
[1:39:50] employees who are not you know,
[1:39:53] bringing in their vehicles on
[1:39:54] time to be maintained
[1:39:55] especially for things that are
[1:39:59] going to keep them from needing
[1:39:59] maintenance in the future.
[1:40:04] It defeats the purpose of them,
[1:40:05] you know, even being contracted
[1:40:09] to do it because you guys are
[1:40:10] always going to make it so that
[1:40:10] they're not able to complete
[1:40:11] their job.
[1:40:13] But again, just with this
[1:40:14] amount of people that you guys
[1:40:15] have or amount of vehicles that
[1:40:19] you have increased, it's just I
[1:40:19] mean you should have made sure
[1:40:20] when you were going to increase
[1:40:24] that amount that this fleet
[1:40:25] management was going to be able
[1:40:29] to take care of it, that they
[1:40:30] were going to be able to
[1:40:30] maintain the vehicles you that
[1:40:34] otherwise you're you're wasting
[1:40:35] money by buying these vehicles
[1:40:35] And then when they can't be
[1:40:39] maintained for whatever reason,
[1:40:40] you know, it's like there's
[1:40:40] just they cost more and more
[1:40:41] money.
[1:40:45] So I mean it's just ridiculous
[1:40:45] the things that take place and
[1:40:49] you know how much I don't know
[1:40:49] if it's just that there's so
[1:40:50] many silos and nobody's
[1:40:54] communicating and so all of
[1:40:54] this stuff can take place and
[1:40:55] intentionally so, you know, or
[1:40:59] you know what's going on And I
[1:40:59] it's good that you guys are
[1:41:02] looking at it but this has got
[1:41:03] to stop because this happens on
[1:41:04] a regular basis and it's
[1:41:08] the people that pay the price
[1:41:09] because you always come after
[1:41:10] us to make up for your
[1:41:10] negligence because you need
[1:41:13] more money.
[1:41:14] Your time has concluded at
[1:41:14] Blair Beekman and after Blair
[1:41:19] Brinkman 7499 Please proceed.
[1:41:23] Hi Blair Beekman Thanks for
[1:41:23] this item Thanks for
[1:41:28] the previous words by Andre.
[1:41:28] Yeah I'm curious what this sort
[1:41:32] of item is it related to that
[1:41:33] was spoken on on on
[1:41:36] the previous item all together
[1:41:40] from this one the projects
[1:41:41] about $6 million in additional
[1:41:42] funding for rental things is
[1:41:46] that is that related to this
[1:41:47] item at all And because it's
[1:41:51] curious this item comes up
[1:41:52] recently a lot and I'm I'm
[1:41:52] wondering why it has been
[1:41:56] coming up what is the relation
[1:41:57] to the budget is and such so a
[1:42:01] little cautious with this item
[1:42:02] I hope we can do some good
[1:42:03] important things with it.
[1:42:06] It could be a good sign of how
[1:42:07] we should be building our good
[1:42:08] future and a more energy
[1:42:11] efficient future But we have to
[1:42:12] do it in good terms and I hope
[1:42:16] we're learning how to do more
[1:42:17] accountable good terms together
[1:42:21] openly and clearly For as much
[1:42:22] as the City Council needed to
[1:42:22] comment on what past recent
[1:42:26] practices have been and over
[1:42:27] the past ten years, you know
[1:42:28] city staff wants to make
[1:42:32] changes and I want to I don't
[1:42:33] want to I want to compliment
[1:42:34] them on wanting to try to make
[1:42:38] changes and I hope they can be
[1:42:38] open to those changes.
[1:42:39] What I was just saying what
[1:42:42] council Wolpert was saying you
[1:42:43] know, you guys city staff has
[1:42:47] to report to city council when
[1:42:47] they make changes to budgeting,
[1:42:51] to project planning.
[1:42:52] >> So we're learning those
[1:42:52] better levels of communication
[1:42:57] at this time that I felt were a
[1:42:57] serious problem when I first
[1:43:00] moved here in 2022.
[1:43:01] I feel we're working on it.
[1:43:05] We are trying to improve those
[1:43:06] things.
[1:43:06] We're trying to get out of an
[1:43:10] era of war basically where you
[1:43:10] know money and secrecy and
[1:43:11] budgeting which just all
[1:43:16] private and and internal we're
[1:43:16] trying to open that up and be
[1:43:17] more accountable with each
[1:43:17] other.
[1:43:18] Good luck on our effort to do
[1:43:18] that.
[1:43:21] I think we are trying.
[1:43:21] Good luck with deciding.
[1:43:22] Thank you And thank you.
[1:43:25] Thank you.
[1:43:25] Thank you.
[1:43:26] Your time has concluded as well
[1:43:35] 7499 If you can please unmute
[1:43:36] Bob because this key here now I
[1:43:36] can say that both of these last
[1:43:39] two items further highlight
[1:43:40] the mismanagement that is
[1:43:41] endemic throughout the city
[1:43:45] years ago I said that
[1:43:46] the Torrey Pines glider port
[1:43:50] was just a tiny sample tiny
[1:43:51] sample of the gross
[1:43:52] mismanagement throughout
[1:43:55] the city.
[1:43:56] Today's issues have proven me
[1:43:56] correct.
[1:44:00] I'll again assert that advisory
[1:44:00] boards are a cost effective way
[1:44:05] for citizens to help out with
[1:44:06] with the very difficult job of
[1:44:10] managing a huge city as you do
[1:44:11] And I see no reason why
[1:44:16] advisory boards shouldn't be
[1:44:16] used in all areas of the city
[1:44:17] so that citizens who are
[1:44:21] experts in those areas can come
[1:44:22] and participate and contribute
[1:44:22] their knowledge and their
[1:44:26] background and their
[1:44:27] independence to overseeing what
[1:44:28] goes on in this city.
[1:44:31] Shame on you Joe LaCava for not
[1:44:32] doing that with the Torrey
[1:44:32] Pines City Park Advisory Board.
[1:44:36] Thank you.
[1:44:37] >> Thank you.
[1:44:37] That concludes the public
[1:44:38] comment for this item.
[1:44:41] Thanks to the public for their
[1:44:42] comments I will turn next to
[1:44:43] council members for questions
[1:44:43] Comments This is again an
[1:44:47] informational item only so no
[1:44:47] motion is required.
[1:44:48] We'll start with the chair of
[1:44:48] our audit committee.
[1:44:51] Councilmember Moreno thank you
[1:44:52] for the presentation and also
[1:44:53] thank you to the auditor's
[1:44:53] office for your excellent work
[1:44:56] on this audit.
[1:44:57] We did have a lengthy
[1:45:01] discussion on this audit
[1:45:01] committee back in FEBRUARY
[1:45:02] leading up to what was going to
[1:45:06] be I think a very difficult
[1:45:07] budget.
[1:45:07] I was very concerned about
[1:45:08] the inefficiencies found by
[1:45:11] the auditor that ended up
[1:45:12] needlessly costing taxpayers
[1:45:17] more than it should to maintain
[1:45:17] the city's fleet.
[1:45:18] When the city invest in buying
[1:45:21] or leasing a vehicle of some
[1:45:22] type, it's critical that it's
[1:45:23] receiving regular preventative
[1:45:27] maintenance.
[1:45:28] Now if we don't do that, we're
[1:45:28] decreasing the value of
[1:45:32] the life of the vehicle.
[1:45:33] This increases the repair costs
[1:45:37] and waste time for the employee
[1:45:38] who's driving the vehicle as
[1:45:39] well as the employees who
[1:45:43] repair the vehicles because
[1:45:43] instead of simply having
[1:45:44] preventative repairs they have
[1:45:48] to spend much more time doing
[1:45:48] major repairs.
[1:45:53] In addition, this results in a
[1:45:54] greater need for rental cars
[1:45:58] which is an additional cost and
[1:45:59] ultimately lowers the level of
[1:46:00] service provided to the public
[1:46:04] in fiscal year 23 it cost
[1:46:05] the city $2.2 million to
[1:46:08] provide to perform preventative
[1:46:12] maintenance on 3918 vehicles
[1:46:16] and 19.3 million to do repairs
[1:46:17] on 3897 vehicles.
[1:46:22] What were the costs in fiscal
[1:46:22] year 24 and fiscal year 25?
[1:46:27] Relate to preventative
[1:46:28] maintenance versus repair costs
[1:46:40] that were not proactive repairs
[1:46:40] .
[1:46:41] >> Thank you for the question
[1:46:41] Councilmember.
[1:46:42] And fiscal year 2024.
[1:46:49] We had 2.5 million spent on
[1:46:50] and 23.2 million spent on
[1:46:50] repairs.
[1:46:57] 25 was 3.3 million on and 26.2
[1:46:58] million on repairs.
[1:46:58] And with that I just also like
[1:47:03] to highlight by nature are
[1:47:04] less cost expensive right than
[1:47:08] repairs.
[1:47:09] Also from that as our fleet
[1:47:13] increases and past increases
[1:47:14] you will see that cost increase
[1:47:15] as well as we're doing more
[1:47:19] and finding more repairs and
[1:47:19] adding to the fleet that cost
[1:47:20] us increase over the years.
[1:47:24] Can you explain to the public
[1:47:25] what ppm?
[1:47:25] Oh that's a preventative
[1:47:26] maintenance.
[1:47:26] Thank you.
[1:47:30] Thank you for the for that
[1:47:30] answer.
[1:47:31] Now although costs fluctuate
[1:47:35] year to year it does appear we
[1:47:35] could save a significant amount
[1:47:40] per year in repair costs if we
[1:47:40] simply broader vehicles in for
[1:47:41] regular maintenance instead of
[1:47:45] waiting for a problem to
[1:47:46] happen.
[1:47:46] Does the department have an
[1:47:50] estimate on how much of the $19
[1:47:51] million in repairs in fiscal
[1:47:54] year 23 could have been reduced
[1:47:55] if preventative maintenance had
[1:48:01] been performed?
[1:48:01] >> Thank you again for
[1:48:02] the question.
[1:48:02] Councilmember No, that is not a
[1:48:06] data point that we provide that
[1:48:11] we track for premiums.
[1:48:12] Okay.
[1:48:12] Thank you Will.
[1:48:13] Conservatively, even if repairs
[1:48:16] cost were only reduced by $1
[1:48:17] million that is another million
[1:48:17] that could be used for other
[1:48:21] purposes in the budget.
[1:48:22] It was mentioned libraries and
[1:48:26] Alfaro in Parks and Rec
[1:48:26] programing.
[1:48:27] I saw in the management's
[1:48:32] response that proactive repairs
[1:48:33] increased in fiscal year 25.
[1:48:33] Did the department see a
[1:48:37] decrease in the need for
[1:48:37] vehicle repairs directly
[1:48:38] related to the lack of
[1:48:39] preventative maintenance?
[1:48:43] Or do you see this trend
[1:48:44] continuing for fiscal year 26?
[1:48:44] >> So Councilmember, what
[1:48:48] happened?
[1:48:49] We have been conducting more as
[1:48:50] you heard earlier in my
[1:48:54] comments inspections bit or
[1:48:55] safety inspections as well as
[1:48:55] preventive maintenance.
[1:49:00] So that has led to being able
[1:49:00] to complete more of those
[1:49:01] predictive proactive repairs
[1:49:04] that management was alluding to
[1:49:05] in our response.
[1:49:10] So it's just a just to
[1:49:10] reiterate it's the ongoing work
[1:49:15] that you guys are doing
[1:49:16] proactively that there was why
[1:49:16] there was an uptick?
[1:49:21] Yes.
[1:49:21] >> Completing more inspections
[1:49:22] as well as more preventative
[1:49:23] maintenance.
[1:49:26] And do you see the increase Do
[1:49:27] you see this trend continuing
[1:49:31] or are you guys continuing to
[1:49:32] provide more inspections than
[1:49:33] have been done in the past?
[1:49:33] >> Yes.
[1:49:36] The work we've done with
[1:49:37] coordinating with our customer
[1:49:38] department and in our monthly
[1:49:41] and quarterly meetings
[1:49:42] departments are now bringing in
[1:49:43] their their vehicles timely and
[1:49:47] we are working to complete
[1:49:48] those sometimes over
[1:49:48] the weekends as we can within
[1:49:52] our overtime budget.
[1:49:53] But those are meetings as well
[1:49:54] as the dashboard with more
[1:49:58] visibility on the status of
[1:49:58] the vehicles is also
[1:49:59] attributing to that increase
[1:50:00] that you're seeing.
[1:50:03] So you do see the trend
[1:50:03] continuing.
[1:50:03] Okay.
[1:50:04] Thank you.
[1:50:05] Does the department management
[1:50:08] get notified when a monitor
[1:50:09] goes off in a vehicle
[1:50:10] indicating the need for a
[1:50:14] repair like we have in our car
[1:50:15] oil change or check engine?
[1:50:19] If so, is there a procedure in
[1:50:20] place?
[1:50:20] >> I would also notify fleet
[1:50:21] management does not get
[1:50:24] notified of that but
[1:50:25] the operator of that vehicle is
[1:50:30] required for Pre-trip
[1:50:31] inspections And if there is a
[1:50:31] light or a gauge or something
[1:50:35] is out of compliance and
[1:50:36] they're required to bring that
[1:50:36] vehicle in for us immediately
[1:50:40] so we can diagnose and repair
[1:50:40] the vehicle.
[1:50:41] So this is something
[1:50:41] the individual department needs
[1:50:42] to follow up on their own?
[1:50:46] That's correct.
[1:50:46] Wonderful.
[1:50:47] Thank you.
[1:50:48] Recommendation 2.4 says that
[1:50:48] Fleet should prioritize
[1:50:51] schedule scheduled appointments
[1:50:52] over unscheduled appointments.
[1:50:56] However, the audit found that
[1:50:57] while the fleet focus system
[1:50:57] has the capacity to set up an
[1:51:01] appointment system, it has not
[1:51:02] been set up for departments to
[1:51:03] schedule maintenance in
[1:51:03] advance.
[1:51:07] Can fleet management clarify
[1:51:07] what process you have?
[1:51:08] What what you've done since at
[1:51:12] least FEBRUARY to allow
[1:51:13] departments to be able to
[1:51:13] schedule an appointment in
[1:51:14] advance?
[1:51:17] >> What we are doing is through
[1:51:18] our routine meetings as well as
[1:51:22] visibility of the dashboard we
[1:51:23] are coordinating with the city
[1:51:23] departments on which vehicles
[1:51:27] are due for and bid
[1:51:28] inspections and coordinating
[1:51:28] with them which vehicles are
[1:51:33] required to be brought in such
[1:51:34] that we can complete those
[1:51:34] within compliance.
[1:51:35] We are not using that for
[1:51:38] showing that scale doing
[1:51:38] function within that fleet
[1:51:39] focus yet because there are
[1:51:40] some requirements that we have
[1:51:44] to complete to be able to fully
[1:51:44] turn on that feature.
[1:51:48] >> But we are through our
[1:51:49] routine meetings having a
[1:51:49] discussion and scheduling
[1:51:54] either by phone or by email for
[1:51:55] the departments to bring in
[1:51:55] the vehicles.
[1:51:56] We are on track for.
[1:52:00] I think at the end of
[1:52:00] the calendar year to implement
[1:52:01] that recommendation with
[1:52:05] the scheduling feature and Ford
[1:52:05] Focus.
[1:52:06] Okay.
[1:52:10] This is a question I had Is
[1:52:10] there a list of all
[1:52:11] the vehicles we have?
[1:52:15] There is a list and departments
[1:52:16] on that fleet dashboard can
[1:52:16] drill down to where they can
[1:52:20] see only their vehicles as well
[1:52:21] as the status of those
[1:52:22] vehicles, whether there's a
[1:52:25] more open work order, whether
[1:52:26] it was due for bid inspections,
[1:52:27] whether it's overdue for bid
[1:52:30] inspections for each of those
[1:52:31] vehicles they can see and you
[1:52:31] have a master copy of
[1:52:32] everybody's vehicle?
[1:52:35] Yes.
[1:52:36] Myself and my fleet team can
[1:52:37] see all of the vehicles in
[1:52:37] the fleet.
[1:52:41] So right now you're relying on
[1:52:41] the department director to
[1:52:46] bring in the vehicle Based on
[1:52:46] my.
[1:52:47] >> My fleet manager is
[1:52:48] coordinating with
[1:52:51] the department's fleet
[1:52:52] coordinators on which vehicles
[1:52:53] are due for as well as bid
[1:52:57] inspections And then we're
[1:52:58] making appointments outside of
[1:52:58] that they're bringing in and
[1:53:02] based upon the conversations
[1:53:03] with the fleet managers using a
[1:53:03] dashboard on what to do and
[1:53:07] what's coming due within
[1:53:08] the fleet.
[1:53:09] Now I will recognize I have not
[1:53:12] on the operations side of
[1:53:13] the city of San Diego but that
[1:53:14] sounds like a whole lot of work
[1:53:18] and it sounds like work that we
[1:53:19] have technology right now.
[1:53:23] We have a system.
[1:53:24] It just it seems like a lot of
[1:53:25] work but thank you for
[1:53:28] answering that.
[1:53:29] Recommendation 2.5 says Fleet
[1:53:30] should conduct an analysis to
[1:53:34] determine the optimal share of
[1:53:34] the system.
[1:53:35] Fleet Technician Position out
[1:53:36] of service Professional
[1:53:39] position and or their ability
[1:53:40] to more strategically target
[1:53:44] their time to help achieve
[1:53:45] preventative maintenance goals
[1:53:45] timely and efficiently.
[1:53:46] The audit also found that a
[1:53:49] fleet completes most
[1:53:50] preventative maintenance
[1:53:50] services in less than a day.
[1:53:55] I believe this I know that
[1:53:55] the personnel we have in place
[1:53:56] are very good at their job but
[1:54:00] when the process is not
[1:54:01] streamlined as
[1:54:01] the recommendation in the audit
[1:54:05] audit would accomplish it leads
[1:54:06] to delays where a vehicle sits
[1:54:07] on the lot for days If it can't
[1:54:10] be replaced.
[1:54:11] Think of having to order apart.
[1:54:15] We've all been you know, to
[1:54:16] the mechanic.
[1:54:16] This is obviously not the fault
[1:54:20] of our technician who performs
[1:54:21] the repairs.
[1:54:21] This is the failure of
[1:54:22] management to have an efficient
[1:54:26] system in place.
[1:54:27] What is the current timeline To
[1:54:28] get to conduct the cost
[1:54:31] analysis To conduct the cost
[1:54:32] benefit analysis recommended in
[1:54:36] recommendation 2.5.
[1:54:37] Is this still expected by
[1:54:38] the end of the year?
[1:54:41] Yes, we are still on track with
[1:54:42] that recommendation.
[1:54:42] Thank you.
[1:54:43] If I MAY have my three more
[1:54:43] minutes.
[1:54:47] It's clear to me that one of
[1:54:48] the things we likely need to do
[1:54:52] is hire more technicians
[1:54:52] because the number of staff has
[1:54:53] not kept up with the growth of
[1:54:54] the city's fleet.
[1:54:57] If we do that, more vehicles
[1:54:58] would get repaired faster.
[1:54:58] The cost of hiring more
[1:55:03] technicians would probably be
[1:55:03] offset by the avoided cost of
[1:55:07] having to do less Major repairs
[1:55:08] on vehicles and hiring
[1:55:09] additional technicians should
[1:55:12] be the main way the management
[1:55:13] addresses this staffing
[1:55:17] the staffing issues.
[1:55:18] What I don't want is to see
[1:55:22] current employees forced to
[1:55:23] work hours before beyond I'm
[1:55:24] sorry what should be expected
[1:55:28] of them because that will
[1:55:29] absolutely burn people out.
[1:55:32] And I know we do run the risk
[1:55:33] as well.
[1:55:33] These these guys and these guys
[1:55:37] and girls are a hot commodity
[1:55:38] within the market.
[1:55:39] We're struggling to keep up
[1:55:43] with keeping them.
[1:55:44] So I definitely do not want to
[1:55:44] be pushing too heavily And I do
[1:55:48] want to recognize that their
[1:55:48] work is very much appreciated.
[1:55:53] Finally, does the Department or
[1:55:54] auditor's office have an
[1:55:54] estimate related to how much
[1:55:58] the city has spent on rental
[1:55:59] vehicles specifically related
[1:56:00] to the need for major repairs
[1:56:09] on city owned vehicles?
[1:56:10] >> Thank you again Council for
[1:56:10] the question.
[1:56:14] I think earlier I mean Claudia
[1:56:15] excuse me alluded to this in
[1:56:19] her previous comments regarding
[1:56:19] her rental contracts.
[1:56:20] There are improvements there
[1:56:24] through the new process for her
[1:56:25] rental improvement process that
[1:56:29] the city is undertaking right
[1:56:33] now for the two year period of
[1:56:34] the contract.
[1:56:38] We project that there would be
[1:56:38] 3% of vehicles that will be
[1:56:42] rented due to vehicles being
[1:56:43] down in the shop.
[1:56:44] But currently we do not have
[1:56:48] that calls for f y 25.
[1:56:48] >> Okay.
[1:56:49] Thank you for that and I don't
[1:56:52] know if you have an answer to
[1:56:52] that.
[1:56:53] Sure.
[1:56:54] We do not have an answer to at
[1:56:58] this time but as you know we
[1:56:58] have an audit on our workplan
[1:57:02] this year of vehicle rental
[1:57:02] contracts to hurricane any
[1:57:03] others that we have And so
[1:57:04] that's certainly something
[1:57:07] we'll consider looking into.
[1:57:07] Wonderful.
[1:57:08] Thank you.
[1:57:09] This is another cost that could
[1:57:12] be decreased by implementing
[1:57:13] the recommendations in this
[1:57:13] audit And I would request that
[1:57:18] staff follow up with my office
[1:57:19] on that number You gave us
[1:57:19] the 3%.
[1:57:23] Just to be clear, I do look
[1:57:23] forward to all
[1:57:24] the recommendations being
[1:57:27] implemented.
[1:57:27] Truly believe there could be
[1:57:28] some significant cost savings
[1:57:32] if we can get buy in from
[1:57:33] the department to take
[1:57:33] preventative maintenance
[1:57:37] maintenance seriously over
[1:57:38] the long term.
[1:57:39] We also need to make sure that
[1:57:39] management is working
[1:57:42] cooperatively with our
[1:57:43] representative employees to
[1:57:45] ensure that the department is
[1:57:51] properly staffed.
[1:57:51] I think it's been my second
[1:57:55] year as the audit chair three
[1:57:56] years in total and I just I
[1:58:01] want to bring up the fact that
[1:58:05] I truly appreciate audits that
[1:58:06] let us at least at least
[1:58:07] the council know what's going
[1:58:07] on on the operations side.
[1:58:12] I think the audit presents
[1:58:12] recommendations which you guys
[1:58:13] did You guys are not in
[1:58:16] operation right?
[1:58:17] You're not management.
[1:58:20] And so if we were if management
[1:58:25] was doing things in a
[1:58:26] productive manner then
[1:58:27] the audit would show that
[1:58:27] there's nothing wrong and we
[1:58:31] can move right along When we
[1:58:32] see something wrong we have to
[1:58:32] do something about it And I
[1:58:39] think it's I think it is very
[1:58:40] it's an opportunity to do
[1:58:40] better.
[1:58:44] Feels really weird to say this
[1:58:45] but it's an opportunity to do
[1:58:45] better.
[1:58:46] We should not shy away from
[1:58:49] being told that the way that
[1:58:50] we're doing it doesn't work or
[1:58:51] that it's costing taxpayer
[1:58:54] dollars more money.
[1:58:55] This is a way I think that we
[1:58:55] can move forward and I
[1:58:59] appreciated this audit.
[1:59:00] It was very enlightening.
[1:59:01] It's a lot of money and it's
[1:59:01] not my money.
[1:59:04] It's not our money.
[1:59:05] It's taxpayers money.
[1:59:06] So with that, thank you for
[1:59:10] allowing me to go a little over
[1:59:11] But thank you guys for this
[1:59:15] audit.
[1:59:15] >> Thank you.
[1:59:16] We'll turn next to
[1:59:16] Councilmember Ella Rivera.
[1:59:17] All right.
[1:59:17] Thank you.
[1:59:19] Council PRESIDENT Pro tem and
[1:59:20] always thank you to you and
[1:59:21] the team for your work.
[1:59:24] Always appreciate it.
[1:59:30] So Councilmember Moreno Dove in
[1:59:31] deep as she always does as
[1:59:32] the audit committee chair.
[1:59:38] One I'll start with this
[1:59:39] question and then I'll circle
[1:59:42] back to another from
[1:59:43] the recommendations that have.
[1:59:47] And this is for staff whoever
[1:59:48] would like to answer it.
[1:59:53] The recommendation ones that
[1:59:54] are agreed upon but not yet
[1:59:57] implemented.
[1:59:58] Can we walk through timeline
[2:00:02] and any barriers the Council
[2:00:03] needs to be aware of in
[2:00:04] the implementation of those
[2:00:17] changes?
[2:00:18] >> Thank you Council Member for
[2:00:18] the question.
[2:00:22] We have completed two of those
[2:00:22] recommendations.
[2:00:26] There are two that have since
[2:00:27] the time that the auditor
[2:00:27] reported our status that we are
[2:00:32] in the process of completing
[2:00:33] that is audit recommendations
[2:00:35] 1.3 and 2.2.
[2:00:38] And I'll just read those really
[2:00:48] quickly.
[2:00:49] >> One point three is again
[2:00:53] regular regularly schedule
[2:00:54] meetings.
[2:00:55] And 1.1 which we have completed
[2:00:58] is related to fleet
[2:00:59] coordinators.
[2:00:59] 1.2 we estimate that we will
[2:01:00] complete within the next few
[2:01:03] weeks.
[2:01:04] And this is just updating our
[2:01:05] fleet coordinators and contact
[2:01:08] lists within our city
[2:01:09] departments so they can receive
[2:01:10] notifications.
[2:01:13] And then recommendation 2.2
[2:01:14] We're also scheduled to
[2:01:18] complete within the next few
[2:01:19] weeks.
[2:01:19] That is also related to
[2:01:23] actually updating
[2:01:24] the departments in the fleet
[2:01:25] dashboard ensuring they have
[2:01:29] visibility of all of their
[2:01:30] vehicles within the fleet.
[2:01:30] The rest of the remaining
[2:01:35] recommendations we are on track
[2:01:35] to complete either by the end
[2:01:39] of the calendar year or by JUNE
[2:01:40] 2026 which is the latest that
[2:01:44] we have up on a recommendation
[2:01:45] that will be implemented in due
[2:01:45] course.
[2:01:46] >> Got it.
[2:01:49] Thank you for that.
[2:01:50] So my understanding is that
[2:01:54] absent is being asked to meet
[2:01:55] and confer in response to this
[2:01:55] audit.
[2:01:59] It's not one of
[2:01:59] the recommendations
[2:02:00] necessarily.
[2:02:04] Can you explain to us why
[2:02:05] that's happening prior to
[2:02:06] the implementation of all
[2:02:06] the recommendations being
[2:02:09] complete?
[2:02:10] >> Well, Councilmember, one of
[2:02:14] the issues I think that was
[2:02:15] noted in the auditor's report
[2:02:16] was the department's hesitation
[2:02:19] to bring vehicles in as they
[2:02:20] are needed for use.
[2:02:25] So we wanted to be we wanted to
[2:02:26] take a look at what it would
[2:02:30] require to have those vehicles
[2:02:31] brought in when there's not an
[2:02:34] operational impact to
[2:02:35] the departments.
[2:02:35] We know that all three
[2:02:39] departments do not have a bench
[2:02:40] of vehicles such that if you're
[2:02:44] taking a patch truck out of of
[2:02:45] the fleet for or inspection
[2:02:46] then there's operational
[2:02:49] impacts.
[2:02:50] We were looking at ways that we
[2:02:51] could service vehicles when
[2:02:55] they're not in use by the city
[2:02:55] departments and that it was not
[2:03:00] a audit recommendation but it
[2:03:01] was something that internally
[2:03:02] through the department we
[2:03:05] thought that based upon what
[2:03:06] we're seeing and hearing from
[2:03:06] the departments that we would
[2:03:10] work with our unions to pursue.
[2:03:11] >> Got it.
[2:03:11] Okay.
[2:03:16] Katherine Morello made
[2:03:21] the point about ensuring that
[2:03:22] we are able to maintain
[2:03:22] the workforce that we have.
[2:03:26] It's taken a lot to get those
[2:03:26] folks as you know, get those
[2:03:27] folks hired to retain them And
[2:03:31] we don't want to lose them
[2:03:32] unnecessarily.
[2:03:37] So I think bringing them into
[2:03:38] the fold for problem solving
[2:03:43] prior to formally requested a
[2:03:48] meeting confer session.
[2:03:49] Strongly recommended for me You
[2:03:52] all were on the operation side
[2:03:53] so you can do it with that what
[2:03:54] you will to that point And I
[2:03:58] know we talked about this
[2:03:59] during the briefing but I, I
[2:04:02] think this audit maybe more
[2:04:03] than any other that I've seen I
[2:04:04] think really could have
[2:04:08] benefited from conversation
[2:04:09] with aps me and and and perhaps
[2:04:13] some of you as well to have a
[2:04:18] 360 degree thorough analysis
[2:04:18] not just of problems with
[2:04:19] potential solutions.
[2:04:23] I think getting the voice of
[2:04:24] the workers who are doing that
[2:04:24] work would be incredibly
[2:04:25] valuable.
[2:04:29] And so I do I do hope that in
[2:04:34] in the future when there are
[2:04:34] items like this that are so
[2:04:35] operational in nature that we
[2:04:36] have conversations with
[2:04:39] the folks who are doing doing
[2:04:40] that work to the greatest
[2:04:40] extent possible.
[2:04:41] And I certainly hope that
[2:04:44] management would make those
[2:04:49] those workers and available to
[2:04:49] the extent possible.
[2:04:50] And then certainly we've got
[2:04:54] representatives by way of
[2:04:55] the Oreos and that's what
[2:05:00] they're there to do.
[2:05:00] We just heard from an expert
[2:05:01] who is who's doing some of this
[2:05:07] work about there's just a very
[2:05:08] important vantage point there
[2:05:09] and I want to make sure that
[2:05:13] included in the conversation to
[2:05:13] the greatest extent possible.
[2:05:14] But as always, thank you again
[2:05:15] for all of your work to
[2:05:15] the audit team.
[2:05:18] We appreciate you.
[2:05:18] Thank you.
[2:05:19] Council PRESIDENT Pro tem Thank
[2:05:19] you.
[2:05:20] We'll turn next to council
[2:05:23] members on Wolpert and thank
[2:05:24] you to you for your work and
[2:05:28] your presentation on this.
[2:05:29] My colleagues asked a lot of
[2:05:33] the questions you know and I'm
[2:05:34] particularly concerned of
[2:05:34] course about making sure that
[2:05:35] our workers are included in
[2:05:39] these discussions and so
[2:05:39] they're the ones actually doing
[2:05:40] the maintenance work.
[2:05:40] And I'm wondering how much
[2:05:44] involvement did ask me when 27
[2:05:49] or MAY have in the audit.
[2:05:50] So this audit was was you know,
[2:05:55] we used a lot of the data to
[2:05:55] identify the causes of
[2:05:56] the delays right like 88 And
[2:05:59] that's why we point out 88% of
[2:06:00] the time there's a delay Once
[2:06:01] the vehicle has been brought in
[2:06:04] it's due to lack of labor And
[2:06:05] that's why we make
[2:06:05] recommendations on, you know,
[2:06:06] taking a look at their staffing
[2:06:09] levels especially for assistant
[2:06:10] fleet technician.
[2:06:10] We didn't engage them directly.
[2:06:15] We have before when we do
[2:06:20] audits that look at you know,
[2:06:21] kind of on the ground work
[2:06:21] where conditions like you MAY
[2:06:25] recall the strategic human
[2:06:26] capital audit from a few years
[2:06:26] ago where we recommended
[2:06:30] compensation philosophy for
[2:06:31] the city workforce reports,
[2:06:32] things like that.
[2:06:32] But actually happy to you know,
[2:06:36] consider it as a checkpoint on
[2:06:37] audits going forward you know
[2:06:37] when it seems like it's
[2:06:42] relevant to those groups.
[2:06:43] >> Yeah I, I think you should
[2:06:43] honestly I mean it's
[2:06:44] the workers are the ones who
[2:06:47] also might be seeing it day in
[2:06:48] day out and have ideas or
[2:06:49] thoughts or problems that it
[2:06:49] doesn't know about or they
[2:06:53] report to management they MAY
[2:06:53] not report to you.
[2:06:54] And so I wouldn't engage
[2:06:55] the workers because you guys
[2:06:58] are the ones who see every day
[2:06:58] what you're struggling with And
[2:06:59] before this audit comes out and
[2:07:04] suddenly ideas are handed to
[2:07:04] them it'd be better if they
[2:07:05] could be participating in it
[2:07:09] before a meeting confirmed is
[2:07:10] triggered Because I think you
[2:07:10] know, morale is hard right now.
[2:07:11] The city doesn't pay as much as
[2:07:15] we should to these workers and
[2:07:15] they're working very hard And
[2:07:16] so I think it'd be a huge
[2:07:17] morale boost if people would
[2:07:20] engage them before these things
[2:07:21] are published about them.
[2:07:21] >> I also remember that you
[2:07:22] asked me a question but I just
[2:07:25] wanted to clarify that So we we
[2:07:26] did have conversations with our
[2:07:30] staff in our routine meetings
[2:07:31] but because of the meet and
[2:07:35] confer process we could not I
[2:07:36] guess divulge the details of
[2:07:36] what we're considering What we
[2:07:41] did have conversations with all
[2:07:42] of our fleet technicians just
[2:07:42] at choice repair facility
[2:07:46] because that's the only place
[2:07:46] we're looking to implement this
[2:07:47] change.
[2:07:47] But because of that process we
[2:07:52] could not provide all of
[2:07:53] the details with them But we
[2:07:53] did let them know solicit
[2:07:57] feedback from them as well as
[2:07:58] but we could not follow once we
[2:07:59] got closer to that process and
[2:08:02] actually issued a notice we can
[2:08:03] could not devote all of
[2:08:03] the details of that until we
[2:08:04] actually go in to meet and
[2:08:08] confer.
[2:08:08] Okay.
[2:08:09] I mean understood.
[2:08:13] You know I would a labor lawyer
[2:08:14] before this and I was on
[2:08:15] the dca negotiating team when I
[2:08:15] was a deputy city attorney and
[2:08:19] there could have been a waste.
[2:08:20] We didn't even get to be
[2:08:20] confer.
[2:08:21] You know, if you had more open
[2:08:24] conversation with the workers
[2:08:25] then you wouldn't need to go to
[2:08:25] the forum union for process.
[2:08:29] So I just I just communicate
[2:08:30] with the folks actually doing
[2:08:35] this work And I'd like to see
[2:08:36] that the audits going forward
[2:08:37] because you know, we have a lot
[2:08:37] of different ideas.
[2:08:40] I used to work for a
[2:08:41] congressmember who used to
[2:08:45] bring in, you know, uaw
[2:08:46] informed for example to
[2:08:46] the office and they talked
[2:08:47] together.
[2:08:47] They have a joint management
[2:08:50] employee task force and they
[2:08:51] talk about issues as they came
[2:08:51] up.
[2:08:52] Eventually things would happen
[2:08:53] where they'd have to go to
[2:08:56] the National Relations Board or
[2:08:56] others.
[2:08:57] But I just I see this on so
[2:08:58] many levels and I don't see
[2:08:58] the city doing it.
[2:09:01] I never really have And so I
[2:09:02] think asking the workers more
[2:09:03] what they think before problems
[2:09:03] go to being cared for would be
[2:09:07] a really beneficial idea.
[2:09:08] I also have a question about
[2:09:12] our public safety fleet.
[2:09:12] So is Othello now
[2:09:13] the operational area where
[2:09:17] we're going to fix the fire
[2:09:18] trucks and other things?
[2:09:19] We had so many problems with
[2:09:23] that real estate transaction
[2:09:23] but as far as I know it's up
[2:09:24] and running it It's up and
[2:09:28] running There is okay because
[2:09:28] we can't have fire apparatus
[2:09:29] not respond and walk off.
[2:09:33] I mean very different than and
[2:09:34] same thing with police cars So
[2:09:38] are we prioritizing our public
[2:09:38] safety fleet when things need
[2:09:39] to get fixed?
[2:09:39] Yes we are.
[2:09:44] I invite our deputy director to
[2:09:44] talk a little bit more about
[2:09:45] that If you'd like to hear more
[2:09:48] about current inmates in how
[2:09:49] we're repairing our fleet
[2:09:49] there.
[2:09:54] >> Thank you.
[2:09:55] Good afternoon.
[2:09:55] Council members Mike Simon is a
[2:09:56] deputy director for Fleet
[2:09:56] Operations.
[2:09:59] So yes, the Fleet Operations
[2:10:00] Department is divided between
[2:10:04] police fire esd and then
[2:10:05] the remaining fleet which would
[2:10:06] be transportation duty.
[2:10:06] Each repair facility has its
[2:10:10] own staff, their own people
[2:10:11] that work on it and their own
[2:10:11] priorities.
[2:10:15] So yes and pleasure.
[2:10:16] So as you can imagine it is a
[2:10:16] lot of it is seasonal When it's
[2:10:21] warm resources are diverted to
[2:10:21] fire any help that they need.
[2:10:22] You also have transportation,
[2:10:22] things like that.
[2:10:26] They're the number one priority
[2:10:26] all the time.
[2:10:27] So every day is basically a
[2:10:27] dance between what's
[2:10:31] the priority for the day?
[2:10:32] But yes, all of those repair
[2:10:32] facilities have their own staff
[2:10:35] and they are focused on just
[2:10:35] that one fleet.
[2:10:35] Okay.
[2:10:36] All right.
[2:10:36] Thank you.
[2:10:37] I appreciate that very much.
[2:10:40] And I think two more questions
[2:10:40] Why did fleet management take
[2:10:45] meeting preventative
[2:10:46] maintenance goals out of your
[2:10:46] key performance indicators in
[2:10:56] the city budget this year?
[2:10:56] Thank you for the question.
[2:10:57] So in previous years the KPIs
[2:11:01] were included in the budget but
[2:11:02] not reported on because of
[2:11:02] the maintenance gauges were not
[2:11:06] accurate.
[2:11:07] So we thought that we would
[2:11:07] take the time we would take it
[2:11:11] out of this year's budget and
[2:11:12] allow time for us to complete
[2:11:13] those goals just so that we can
[2:11:17] report it and not simply have
[2:11:18] it in the budget and not report
[2:11:19] on it because I think that was
[2:11:20] one of the things noted that it
[2:11:23] was in the budget but it was
[2:11:23] not actually being reported on.
[2:11:24] It reported being reported
[2:11:27] because of the maintenance
[2:11:27] scale.
[2:11:28] Those were not properly aligned
[2:11:29] And so we didn't want an
[2:11:33] inaccurate reporting or where
[2:11:33] we were were preventative
[2:11:38] maintenance.
[2:11:38] Okay.
[2:11:39] So what's the plan for the next
[2:11:39] budget cycle?
[2:11:43] So we are currently working on
[2:11:43] aligning all of our and
[2:11:48] vehicles and schedules within
[2:11:49] our fleet management
[2:11:49] information system and then we
[2:11:54] will be adding that to
[2:11:54] the dashboard that I spoke to
[2:11:55] earlier so all the departments
[2:11:56] can see where we are and we
[2:11:59] will be able to report on
[2:12:00] the status instead of annually.
[2:12:04] You can there will be near real
[2:12:05] time reporting on that.
[2:12:05] So any departments our decals
[2:12:09] which we are preparing a
[2:12:10] quarterly report up two days
[2:12:10] ago was on everything from
[2:12:14] prompts to inspection and our
[2:12:14] compliance.
[2:12:19] So once we have that complete
[2:12:20] it'll be more in a real time
[2:12:20] time frame.
[2:12:21] Okay.
[2:12:21] So do you anticipate that being
[2:12:25] back in the budget in 2026 or
[2:12:28] so We are in by 2627 and 22 is
[2:12:34] seven a Can I get back with you
[2:12:34] on that?
[2:12:35] I don't know the due date for
[2:12:36] the kpi so I want to make sure
[2:12:39] we are our work is done for
[2:12:39] that before we I commit to
[2:12:40] putting it back in the budget
[2:12:44] because it is a lot for us to
[2:12:45] do to go through all that 5000
[2:12:48] vehicles and then one by one
[2:12:48] making sure we have
[2:12:52] the accurate council in there
[2:12:53] and four but it is something
[2:12:54] that we're currently working on
[2:12:57] and adding it to our dashboard
[2:12:57] Excuse me.
[2:12:58] >> Okay.
[2:12:59] Have you tried talking to
[2:12:59] the rental car companies
[2:13:02] because they have to maintain
[2:13:03] thousands of cars as well and
[2:13:04] give them oil changes and tire
[2:13:08] rotations and we have not
[2:13:08] reached out to rental car
[2:13:12] companies before.
[2:13:13] >> Thank you for the input.
[2:13:14] We could certainly do that.
[2:13:16] Yeah we have 5000 of them at
[2:13:17] the airport as in the airport
[2:13:18] authority so I'm happy to make
[2:13:18] a connection for you there
[2:13:22] because they have to maintain
[2:13:22] their fleets too.
[2:13:23] >> So we did have a routine
[2:13:27] conversations with the county
[2:13:27] and as far as how they are
[2:13:28] managing their fleet but we
[2:13:32] have not reached out to my car
[2:13:32] companies.
[2:13:32] Okay.
[2:13:33] So I appreciate the connection.
[2:13:33] Okay.
[2:13:37] Thank you.
[2:13:38] My last question is about one
[2:13:42] of the recommendations.
[2:13:43] It was recommendation 1.2 to
[2:13:44] the order for me to update
[2:13:45] the fleet coordinator contact
[2:13:47] list for meeting certification
[2:13:52] and apparently it's been 248
[2:13:52] days and we still don't have a
[2:13:53] notification list like just
[2:13:57] contacts and names So that
[2:13:57] happening.
[2:13:58] >> So our first step to that
[2:14:00] was recommendation 1.1
[2:14:01] identifying fleet coordinators
[2:14:05] But for those departments that
[2:14:06] are large like public utilities
[2:14:07] department we recognize that is
[2:14:10] probably not going to be one
[2:14:10] person.
[2:14:11] So we were getting the contact
[2:14:14] list of all of those folks
[2:14:15] essentially contact additional
[2:14:16] contacts who will be added to
[2:14:20] the system and then would
[2:14:21] receive those notifications.
[2:14:25] Again we are it's just a matter
[2:14:25] of us closing out to
[2:14:26] the recommendation with
[2:14:30] the audit team but that is
[2:14:31] something that we anticipate
[2:14:31] closer within the next few
[2:14:33] weeks.
[2:14:34] Okay.
[2:14:38] Well hopefully I don't know who
[2:14:39] the deputy chief operating
[2:14:40] officer is over this but they
[2:14:44] should be able to tell
[2:14:44] the departments to give you
[2:14:45] the list of people in charge of
[2:14:46] maintenance of their fleets.
[2:14:49] >> Yes, we do have the list is
[2:14:50] just to audit us putting it in
[2:14:51] the system and then closing
[2:14:52] the recommendation out with
[2:14:54] the auditors.
[2:14:55] >> Okay.
[2:14:55] Yeah.
[2:14:55] All right.
[2:14:56] Well thank you and thank you
[2:14:59] for the audit.
[2:15:00] >> Next up is Councilmember
[2:15:04] Foster.
[2:15:05] Just a quick question and i
[2:15:08] guess first thank you for
[2:15:09] the conversations that we're
[2:15:09] having today.
[2:15:15] But you know, as I look at this
[2:15:15] and we were doing an audit and
[2:15:19] isolating fleet per se, right.
[2:15:24] How are we are we able to work
[2:15:24] ?
[2:15:25] Well, let me tell you what my
[2:15:25] concern is.
[2:15:26] My concern is everything that I
[2:15:30] see a lot of what I see
[2:15:30] identified has cost
[2:15:34] implications, right As we talk
[2:15:35] about vehicle maintenance said
[2:15:40] impacts, I like to think that
[2:15:45] as we are talking about
[2:15:45] inefficiencies, cost impacts
[2:15:50] that these are directly or
[2:15:50] things that are being
[2:15:51] identified are directly
[2:15:55] impacting cost of service
[2:15:55] studies.
[2:15:56] When we talk about enterprise
[2:16:00] departments trash and vehicles
[2:16:01] as we talk about public
[2:16:06] utilities and vehicles and
[2:16:10] equipment, is that accurate or
[2:16:16] am I missing the connection?
[2:16:20] I'm not I'm not really
[2:16:21] following your question,
[2:16:21] Councilmember.
[2:16:22] >> I'm sorry.
[2:16:26] So we are looking at the city's
[2:16:26] fleet maintenance.
[2:16:30] Is this only for general fund
[2:16:31] vehicles or does this impact
[2:16:36] vehicles in our enterprise
[2:16:37] departments are correct
[2:16:37] Citywide citywide not city wide
[2:16:41] right?
[2:16:41] Yes.
[2:16:42] So as we go through and we are
[2:16:46] having conversations about cost
[2:16:46] of service studies rates
[2:16:51] increasing so on and so forth
[2:16:52] are the inefficiencies that we
[2:16:56] are seeing here.
[2:16:57] Is it safe to assume that those
[2:16:58] are directly impacting as we
[2:17:01] say costs are escalating which
[2:17:02] is why we are increasing rates
[2:17:06] and doing certain things.
[2:17:07] Is it safe to say that this
[2:17:11] does impact those conversations
[2:17:11] and discussions?
[2:17:16] I don't know what percent of
[2:17:17] those enterprise funds are
[2:17:21] related to vehicle costs alone
[2:17:22] and we weren't able to put an
[2:17:23] exact number on here because
[2:17:26] we're not doing preventive
[2:17:26] maintenance on time.
[2:17:27] That's likely increasing our
[2:17:31] long term maintenance costs
[2:17:32] 25%.
[2:17:33] But it's safe to say yes by not
[2:17:36] doing preventive maintenance on
[2:17:37] time it is increasing total
[2:17:41] vehicle costs including for
[2:17:42] more significant maintenance
[2:17:42] That would need to be done
[2:17:43] because the preventive
[2:17:47] maintenance wasn't done could
[2:17:47] be also driving increased use
[2:17:48] of the rental contract that
[2:17:49] we've already talked about
[2:17:51] today.
[2:17:52] So I don't have an exact number
[2:17:53] for you And what percent of
[2:17:57] those departments budgets that
[2:17:57] would not add up to but it's
[2:17:58] safe to say that it would have
[2:17:59] some kind of an impact.
[2:18:01] Yes.
[2:18:02] >> Okay.
[2:18:03] So my next question will be as
[2:18:04] we are looking ahead and we are
[2:18:06] looking at what our rental is,
[2:18:07] we're going through an audit
[2:18:11] You mentioned it earlier as we
[2:18:12] are looking at how are we
[2:18:12] taking those things into
[2:18:13] account where we can start
[2:18:16] looking and isolating
[2:18:17] the enterprise departments and
[2:18:17] impacts as we are continuing to
[2:18:21] have these very challenging and
[2:18:22] difficult conversations You're
[2:18:26] talking about in an upcoming
[2:18:27] work audit, right?
[2:18:27] Yes.
[2:18:28] Yeah.
[2:18:28] Those are all things that we
[2:18:31] will will take into
[2:18:32] consideration Sometimes there
[2:18:32] MAY not be data on certain
[2:18:36] things for us to look into but
[2:18:36] I think looking at it
[2:18:37] enterprise versus general fund
[2:18:37] makes sense.
[2:18:38] >> Okay.
[2:18:40] Okay.
[2:18:41] Thank you for that.
[2:18:46] And I just I guess I just
[2:18:46] cannot stress the importance
[2:18:47] enough is as I've said on this
[2:18:51] Dyess on numerous occasions is
[2:18:52] departments understanding their
[2:18:52] book of business and importance
[2:18:56] thereof to where as we have
[2:18:57] these isolated conversations to
[2:19:00] keep in mind that they do go
[2:19:01] back and impact our rates, cost
[2:19:05] of service studies and what we
[2:19:06] are going back to our rate
[2:19:10] payers And so forth and having
[2:19:11] these challenging
[2:19:11] conversations.
[2:19:12] So I just want to stress
[2:19:16] the importance of as we do
[2:19:16] these identifying the issues,
[2:19:20] implementing the per say
[2:19:26] resolutions to those issues or
[2:19:26] however we are going to proceed
[2:19:27] and just make sure that
[2:19:31] the mayor and his team is
[2:19:31] prioritizing and making sure
[2:19:35] that we are doing what's in
[2:19:36] the best interest of our
[2:19:36] ratepayers.
[2:19:37] Right.
[2:19:37] Okay.
[2:19:41] Thank you.
[2:19:41] Thank you, Governor Foster.
[2:19:45] I see no other speakers on
[2:19:46] the lights maybe to bring this
[2:19:51] home a little bit I think See
[2:19:51] the report actually helped me
[2:19:52] identify something that we see
[2:19:56] each year when we talk about
[2:19:56] the fleet Typically in our
[2:20:00] budget is the 4900 vehicles and
[2:20:03] a total replacement value of
[2:20:04] $437 million I think is what
[2:20:08] was identified.
[2:20:08] That is a significant amount.
[2:20:09] I mean that's almost close to
[2:20:12] half $1 billion of vehicles
[2:20:13] that we were responsible for.
[2:20:14] And so when we talk about
[2:20:17] maintenance and the cost,
[2:20:18] that's a that's that's a degree
[2:20:19] in which I think Councilmember
[2:20:22] Moreno mentioned early on even
[2:20:23] saving $1 million or two here
[2:20:24] or there when it comes to
[2:20:27] repairs is a huge amount that
[2:20:28] in a year when we were
[2:20:29] struggling to fight over small
[2:20:29] things what we think are might
[2:20:32] be small things and our budget
[2:20:37] has a tremendous impact.
[2:20:38] We get asked by residents a lot
[2:20:38] in the city about different
[2:20:42] things that we're facing.
[2:20:43] I was at the Mare Mesa Street
[2:20:47] Fair this last weekend and I
[2:20:47] just want to be open.
[2:20:48] I mean one of the questions
[2:20:49] that I was asked about was
[2:20:49] the city's decision to
[2:20:52] implement the collection of
[2:20:53] trash and collecting a fee for
[2:20:53] that.
[2:20:57] And I think this actually ties
[2:20:57] a little bit into what
[2:20:58] Councilmember Foster just
[2:21:02] pointed out, which is for
[2:21:02] example, as the city is setting
[2:21:07] up a new fee and system when it
[2:21:08] comes to collecting trash, I'd
[2:21:09] like to think that what we were
[2:21:12] setting up is also a system
[2:21:13] that will not encounter
[2:21:17] the same degree of maintenance
[2:21:18] backlogs to its fleet as we see
[2:21:23] across our general sort of
[2:21:27] funded fleet services today I
[2:21:27] know the audit doesn't point
[2:21:28] that out but when we are
[2:21:32] setting case rates for water
[2:21:33] for trash, for other services
[2:21:37] that are in these enterprise
[2:21:38] departments, we are telling
[2:21:38] voters and we were telling
[2:21:42] residents that the fees that
[2:21:43] they are being charged for to
[2:21:44] help uphold the service at
[2:21:44] the level at which we believe
[2:21:47] is necessary for us to deliver
[2:21:48] to the public.
[2:21:51] And so I point this out because
[2:21:52] one of the examples of my
[2:21:53] discussions with residents is
[2:21:57] about trash trucks.
[2:21:57] We've we've discussed the trash
[2:21:58] trucks in the city of San Diego
[2:22:01] are running in some cases 12
[2:22:01] years when they really have an
[2:22:02] eight year lifecycle that many
[2:22:06] of our vehicles are
[2:22:06] underfunded, our current
[2:22:07] maintenance of our vehicles is
[2:22:07] underfunded and understaffed
[2:22:11] and that has a significant
[2:22:11] impact on our ability to
[2:22:12] deliver service.
[2:22:15] These are things that I frankly
[2:22:16] think that every single day our
[2:22:17] residents are actually not
[2:22:17] they're not hearing they don't
[2:22:21] know is an actual challenge in
[2:22:21] the city because that connects
[2:22:25] directly to the services that
[2:22:26] they are concerned about.
[2:22:27] Um anyway, so to Councilmember
[2:22:31] Foster's point, I do think that
[2:22:32] separation between general fund
[2:22:32] and enterprise is really
[2:22:33] important because for those
[2:22:34] enterprise departments I would
[2:22:36] like to think that we are
[2:22:37] sufficiently staffed when it
[2:22:41] comes to technicians And again
[2:22:42] I don't know that the audit
[2:22:46] necessarily points that out but
[2:22:47] I'm going to guess that if that
[2:22:47] is still a problem even in
[2:22:48] those enterprise funded
[2:22:49] departments then we have a we
[2:22:51] have a pretty severe issue And
[2:22:52] if an enterprise one it
[2:22:55] departments we are not seeing
[2:22:56] the same backlogs but that
[2:22:57] means that we are currently
[2:23:00] masking the degree at which our
[2:23:06] general fleet is underfunded.
[2:23:07] I appreciate customer Yvonne
[2:23:07] Wolpert calling out the KPIs
[2:23:08] and sure I just want to thank
[2:23:11] you for just being honest about
[2:23:12] that because I think when we
[2:23:13] saw the in the audit report
[2:23:13] the fact that we've included
[2:23:17] these KPIs for a number of
[2:23:18] years but never reported on
[2:23:21] them yes I will agree that
[2:23:22] having the KPIs in the budget
[2:23:23] and then never hearing
[2:23:24] the results of it is not that
[2:23:27] helpful.
[2:23:28] But at the same point I do
[2:23:28] think we do want to see those
[2:23:29] returned back in the budget
[2:23:32] because they serve a purpose in
[2:23:32] actually tracking our progress
[2:23:33] moving forward.
[2:23:38] Um when I look at this audit
[2:23:39] the main problem that I see
[2:23:39] behind all of this is on
[2:23:42] the slide that talks about
[2:23:43] the shortage of fleet
[2:23:43] technicians.
[2:23:44] I don't think there's anything
[2:23:48] other than that one single line
[2:23:49] that defines the entire
[2:23:53] challenge the city faces.
[2:23:54] When you look at the change
[2:23:54] from 2021 to 2025 when our
[2:23:58] fleet technicians went from
[2:23:59] overseeing 34 vehicles on
[2:24:03] average to 39, I think that
[2:24:04] tells the entire story that we
[2:24:04] know.
[2:24:05] So you look at every other
[2:24:05] backlog that we've got other
[2:24:09] improvement opportunities
[2:24:09] That's all wonderful.
[2:24:10] I think you saw some questions
[2:24:11] or had some questions about
[2:24:14] where we are in terms of fleet
[2:24:15] coordinators to this point
[2:24:16] since the recommendations were
[2:24:20] adopted.
[2:24:20] I think it's important for us
[2:24:21] to get an update as to where
[2:24:21] they actually are.
[2:24:24] I'll admit it sounds like it's
[2:24:25] taking much longer than it
[2:24:26] should be just to collect
[2:24:26] contact information to update
[2:24:30] folks on where things are.
[2:24:31] But behind all of this I think
[2:24:35] is the true challenge which is
[2:24:36] that the city is severely short
[2:24:36] on fleet technician fleet
[2:24:40] technicians and that is leading
[2:24:41] directly into our shortfall in
[2:24:45] terms of maintaining
[2:24:46] the schedule that we need for
[2:24:46] vehicles.
[2:24:47] The only way I see us truly
[2:24:51] turning the corner on that is
[2:24:51] to actually add additional
[2:24:52] technicians and to consider
[2:24:56] the trade off in our budgets
[2:24:57] When we talk about short term
[2:24:58] needs versus long term cost of
[2:25:01] the city And again I think when
[2:25:02] we look at enterprise funded
[2:25:03] departments that gives us an
[2:25:03] example There should not be a
[2:25:07] single enterprise funded
[2:25:08] department that is not fully
[2:25:12] funded for its fleet needs
[2:25:13] because the shortfall that we
[2:25:14] see there translates directly
[2:25:18] into the next cost for repairs,
[2:25:18] for water, for trash or
[2:25:19] anything else.
[2:25:23] So if we're making those long
[2:25:24] term decisions they should be
[2:25:24] fully funded to the necessity
[2:25:28] that they have to provide
[2:25:29] the services.
[2:25:29] There's the mention It was sort
[2:25:34] of alluded to but I think I'll
[2:25:34] get straight to the core of it
[2:25:35] which was the consideration of
[2:25:36] changing the Fleet minute
[2:25:39] schedule and it sounded like
[2:25:39] what that was was to include
[2:25:40] weekends And I'm not going to
[2:25:44] opine on on whether that might
[2:25:45] add any ability from a schedule
[2:25:45] standpoint.
[2:25:49] I think the auditor pointed out
[2:25:50] that there are actually a lot
[2:25:51] of other challenges as they
[2:25:52] exist already in terms of when
[2:25:55] vehicles are brought in that
[2:25:56] contribute to the timeline.
[2:26:00] But I will say that I am not a
[2:26:01] believer that adding weekends
[2:26:02] into the schedule would
[2:26:05] actually change anything if
[2:26:06] there are no actual people that
[2:26:11] are being added with it.
[2:26:12] If we're just shifting the time
[2:26:12] frames in which people are
[2:26:16] working to the weekends frankly
[2:26:17] I'm not sure how other
[2:26:17] employees are going to drop off
[2:26:18] vehicles on weekends unless
[2:26:19] they're a department that is
[2:26:19] consistent working.
[2:26:22] Then I'm not sure that's
[2:26:23] actually I don't see where
[2:26:23] the resolution to that is If it
[2:26:26] doesn't actually add hours for
[2:26:27] the work to actually take
[2:26:27] place.
[2:26:28] So I appreciate the audit.
[2:26:32] I just think beyond the simple
[2:26:33] recommendations that we see
[2:26:34] here that certainly makes sense
[2:26:37] to all of us is this deeper
[2:26:38] rooted issue of building up
[2:26:38] number of technicians that we
[2:26:43] need to do the job
[2:26:43] appropriately.
[2:26:44] And I say this because I think
[2:26:48] as a reminder as we go out
[2:26:48] talking to the public and we
[2:26:49] talk about the shortfalls that
[2:26:50] the city has when it comes to
[2:26:53] potholes, repairing streets
[2:26:54] where the trash isn't getting
[2:26:54] picked up it actually all comes
[2:26:55] back to having people it's not
[2:26:58] just the people doing those
[2:26:58] jobs but it's the people
[2:26:59] ensuring that the vehicles that
[2:27:00] the city's purchasing and
[2:27:03] spending tons of money on can
[2:27:04] actually stay out on the street
[2:27:04] to do the job.
[2:27:05] So that's a message we've got
[2:27:08] to get across because again if
[2:27:09] we want to change that we're
[2:27:10] going to need an investment
[2:27:14] from those very people and
[2:27:14] the trust from them that will
[2:27:15] complete that job.
[2:27:15] So thank you.
[2:27:19] And again, just just to clarify
[2:27:20] ,Councilmember, I think I
[2:27:20] think you already know this but
[2:27:21] we didn't recommend changing
[2:27:24] the schedule.
[2:27:25] We recommended scheduling
[2:27:26] appointments to kind of smooth
[2:27:26] out their workload and also
[2:27:30] looking at adding certain
[2:27:31] classifications of employees to
[2:27:32] help with with the workload as
[2:27:35] well.
[2:27:36] Yeah, I certainly understood
[2:27:36] that.
[2:27:37] I think because we heard from
[2:27:37] the department that there was a
[2:27:41] consideration that that might
[2:27:42] be something that is being
[2:27:42] discussed.
[2:27:43] I mean I'll say very upfront
[2:27:43] that I don't see that being
[2:27:46] resolved without actually
[2:27:47] having more people.
[2:27:48] I, I would just like to provide
[2:27:51] a comment on the weekends.
[2:27:52] So what we have going on right
[2:27:57] now is I have volunteers that
[2:27:57] will work overtime on a
[2:28:01] Saturday actually is averaging
[2:28:02] 44 on a Saturday just at
[2:28:06] Choice division If I have a
[2:28:07] Sunday as well that's almost
[2:28:08] 100 that I can get at a
[2:28:08] weekend because if
[2:28:12] transportation is out paving a
[2:28:13] street and they have eight
[2:28:13] vehicles they need to do it.
[2:28:14] They're not going to turn into
[2:28:15] one if they need all eight.
[2:28:17] So what we try to do with come
[2:28:18] up with a way that is one
[2:28:21] weekend day they get a 410 plan
[2:28:22] that will get three days off.
[2:28:23] I have other departments or
[2:28:25] other repair facilities where
[2:28:26] they work five days a week.
[2:28:27] The other technicians would
[2:28:27] love to have a 410 schedule and
[2:28:31] it was just trying to figure a
[2:28:31] way to get more labor hours
[2:28:32] that wouldn't have departments
[2:28:36] that work five days a week.
[2:28:36] >> That's all we were trying to
[2:28:37] do with that.
[2:28:38] Well I certainly look forward
[2:28:40] to I'm sure you'll be talking
[2:28:41] to folks about what a potential
[2:28:42] for implementation is.
[2:28:45] I think for me it does Again
[2:28:46] just come down to beyond just
[2:28:47] having those hours having
[2:28:48] the actual capacity to do
[2:28:51] the work and I imagine there
[2:28:52] are a lot of complications to
[2:28:52] looking at both adding
[2:28:53] Saturdays and Sundays if we're
[2:28:56] already looking at overtime for
[2:28:57] one of them or I mean imagine
[2:29:01] it's even more challenging to
[2:29:02] shift that from overtime to
[2:29:02] requiring that those are
[2:29:03] the actual days that people
[2:29:03] work.
[2:29:06] So I see no other comments from
[2:29:07] colleagues that does bring us
[2:29:08] to the end of this item as
[2:29:08] well.
[2:29:10] Thank you to the Office of
[2:29:11] the City Order for both
[2:29:16] presentations and with that we
[2:29:17] will now take up non agenda
[2:29:21] public comment that Council
[2:29:22] members respect and appreciate
[2:29:22] the public's input and are
[2:29:23] fully committed to protecting
[2:29:26] every free every participants
[2:29:27] free speech rights at council
[2:29:27] and committee meetings.
[2:29:28] Quickly please proceed with
[2:29:29] knowledge and public comment.
[2:29:32] Thank you Council PRESIDENT Pro
[2:29:33] Tempore Role 2.7 not agenda
[2:29:33] Public comment is an
[2:29:34] opportunity for members of
[2:29:37] the public to comment on items
[2:29:38] that are not on the agenda but
[2:29:39] within the subject matter
[2:29:39] jurisdiction of the City
[2:29:40] Council.
[2:29:42] Each speaker will have two
[2:29:42] minutes.
[2:29:43] Please note if there are more
[2:29:44] than eight speakers on a single
[2:29:47] topic the time will be 16
[2:29:48] minutes.
[2:29:48] If you are in chambers please
[2:29:49] submit your speaker slip If you
[2:29:53] are joining us virtually please
[2:29:53] raise your hand by tapping
[2:29:54] the raise your hand icon or if
[2:29:57] you're calling Participant Star
[2:29:58] nine here in chambers we have
[2:29:58] Suzanne tell if you'd please
[2:30:01] come up to the podium You will
[2:30:01] have two minutes when you're
[2:30:06] ready.
[2:30:07] >> Good afternoon.
[2:30:11] My name is Suzanne Gelb.
[2:30:12] I am director for Division two
[2:30:13] Padre Town Municipal Water
[2:30:13] District.
[2:30:17] Today though, I am speaking as
[2:30:18] a private citizen of San Diego
[2:30:18] County.
[2:30:21] Last week the city of San Diego
[2:30:22] displayed a bar graph itemizing
[2:30:23] average monthly water bills for
[2:30:26] the San Diego County Water
[2:30:27] Agency.
[2:30:27] The city of San Diego did not
[2:30:32] contact Padre Dan mwd for data
[2:30:33] for this graph.
[2:30:33] I request the City of San Diego
[2:30:34] to release the data and
[2:30:38] the methods used to create this
[2:30:38] bar graph.
[2:30:42] >> Last week's proposed 63%
[2:30:43] water and 31% rate increases
[2:30:47] are unnecessary.
[2:30:47] Why?
[2:30:48] In my opinion the rate hikes
[2:30:52] are due primarily to failed
[2:30:53] business transactions produced
[2:30:53] by the San Diego County Water
[2:30:54] Authority.
[2:30:58] For example, the San Diego
[2:30:59] County Water Authority take or
[2:30:59] pay contract for desalinated
[2:31:02] water guarantees each year more
[2:31:07] profit for private investors in
[2:31:07] Europe.
[2:31:08] Consequently, the city of San
[2:31:09] Diego's proposed double digit
[2:31:09] water rate hikes.
[2:31:13] We'll provide more profit for
[2:31:13] foreign investors at
[2:31:18] the expense of San Diego
[2:31:18] residents and voters.
[2:31:19] There are affordable
[2:31:23] alternatives to these rate
[2:31:24] hikes.
[2:31:24] Padre Dam Municipal Water
[2:31:25] District a five year business
[2:31:28] plan guarantees a0I repeat 0%
[2:31:33] water and sewer rate increase
[2:31:33] for 2023 to 2027.
[2:31:38] I encourage the San Diego City
[2:31:39] Council to meet with Padre Dam
[2:31:44] Mwb Padre Dam mwd and City of
[2:31:45] San Diego can in the spirit of
[2:31:49] bipartisanship examine and
[2:31:50] discuss the range of
[2:31:54] alternatives to ever increasing
[2:31:54] water and sewer rate hikes.
[2:31:59] >> Thank you very much.
[2:32:00] Thank you.
[2:32:00] I started the five minute timer
[2:32:01] going to those participating
[2:32:01] remotely.
[2:32:04] We currently have seven people
[2:32:05] in the queue.
[2:32:05] Francine Maxwell If you can
[2:32:08] please unmute.
[2:32:09] >> Good afternoon Francine
[2:32:14] Maxwell Southeastern San Diego
[2:32:14] resident.
[2:32:15] I'm concerned with the lack of
[2:32:15] attention.
[2:32:19] Given by the city of San Diego
[2:32:19] for the adjournments especially
[2:32:24] the public Safety Committee
[2:32:25] when the people were excited to
[2:32:29] see our new commissioner that
[2:32:30] are being onboarded But
[2:32:30] the fact that the annual report
[2:32:35] is still in draft form the fact
[2:32:35] that the interim executive
[2:32:40] Director Council decides not to
[2:32:40] follow the city council and
[2:32:41] when there's an informational
[2:32:45] item allow the public comment
[2:32:46] to speak on it.
[2:32:47] He has decided to use Robert's
[2:32:50] Rules of Order incorrectly and
[2:32:51] this is being allowed.
[2:32:52] I think there was a
[2:32:55] councilmember today on
[2:32:56] the diocese that mentioned why
[2:32:57] don't you talk to the officers
[2:33:01] and meet and confer or be
[2:33:01] different?
[2:33:02] Why doesn't the chair of public
[2:33:02] safety bring in the community
[2:33:05] and hold a hearing?
[2:33:06] Is trust going to be on
[2:33:11] everybody's reelection
[2:33:11] materials?
[2:33:12] Because I'm sure hearing trust
[2:33:16] come from the diocese more than
[2:33:16] ever.
[2:33:17] You want us to trust you.
[2:33:21] You want the community to trust
[2:33:21] this and that.
[2:33:22] When you know that we literally
[2:33:25] can do a pray see who you're
[2:33:26] meeting with, where you're
[2:33:30] going And pretty much within 2
[2:33:31] to 3 phone calls find out what
[2:33:31] was done.
[2:33:32] And so trust is far, far away
[2:33:35] from those of you that are
[2:33:36] sitting on this diocese for
[2:33:37] the city of San Diego And what
[2:33:40] you are costing us.
[2:33:40] You've done some things that
[2:33:45] you need to atone to.
[2:33:46] Once you begin to apologize and
[2:33:50] ask for forgiveness then people
[2:33:51] can then begin to build trust
[2:33:52] in our elected officials within
[2:33:55] the city of San Diego.
[2:33:56] Cbp is absolutely independent
[2:34:01] and the more the city council
[2:34:01] continues to say that you can
[2:34:02] call the mayor's office or you
[2:34:06] can't it's the city council
[2:34:06] responsibility to make sure
[2:34:09] that our cip is everything that
[2:34:15] it needs to be.
[2:34:15] Thank you.
[2:34:16] Next is Blaire Beekman.
[2:34:16] After that Megan Stewart and a
[2:34:17] million male men.
[2:34:20] Claire please proceed.
[2:34:20] >> All right.
[2:34:21] Thank you.
[2:34:21] Thank you for that previous
[2:34:25] public comment.
[2:34:25] Good luck on the continuing
[2:34:26] work that the Commission.
[2:34:30] I wanted to comment that this
[2:34:30] council has a lot of
[2:34:34] complaining to do about
[2:34:35] previous practices, contract
[2:34:40] use issues and real kudos to
[2:34:41] all the efforts that
[2:34:41] Councilperson Persephone will
[2:34:42] produce been trying to do for
[2:34:45] the past few years to bring
[2:34:45] this to light.
[2:34:46] It's now brought to light.
[2:34:46] Thank you.
[2:34:51] You have a lot of work to
[2:34:51] continue to do.
[2:34:52] Good luck in those efforts As
[2:34:55] from that I'm trying to say we
[2:34:56] need to acknowledge what we're
[2:34:56] doing well and that we are
[2:35:00] doing some of this new
[2:35:01] accounting practice as well and
[2:35:01] it's sorely needed.
[2:35:05] How we can be addressing
[2:35:05] the future of our.
[2:35:09] These are issues of strong
[2:35:09] mare.
[2:35:10] It can drift into that.
[2:35:11] I hope we can keep steady with
[2:35:14] that.
[2:35:15] I just keep we feel that city
[2:35:18] Council has a more of a
[2:35:19] prerogative and good intentions
[2:35:24] to build what's fair and equal
[2:35:25] an equal process and an
[2:35:25] accountable process.
[2:35:29] And so I hope that we're taking
[2:35:30] seriously how we build
[2:35:30] the future of these practices
[2:35:35] and with that we acknowledge
[2:35:36] ourselves along the way that we
[2:35:36] are doing a good job together.
[2:35:40] We have to be doing that with
[2:35:40] tec accountability.
[2:35:41] Again, we are trying
[2:35:45] desperately to come out of an
[2:35:46] era of continual war and 911 in
[2:35:50] this country So these practices
[2:35:51] what we're doing is incredibly
[2:35:51] important to myself.
[2:35:54] Accountability is totally a
[2:35:55] part of that.
[2:35:55] The work we do here at
[2:35:59] the local level asks what
[2:36:00] they're doing at the national
[2:36:00] and international level who
[2:36:04] keep voice during war.
[2:36:05] We have some promises of peace
[2:36:09] talks but countries are gearing
[2:36:09] up to build their economies
[2:36:10] towards war.
[2:36:14] What does that mean for us on
[2:36:15] the local level?
[2:36:15] We're building accountability
[2:36:16] and peace.
[2:36:19] That's what we share with
[2:36:19] the world and the world better
[2:36:20] listen to what we're doing well
[2:36:20] right now.
[2:36:24] Keep up the good work.
[2:36:24] >> Thank you.
[2:36:25] Thank you.
[2:36:25] Next is Megan Stewart.
[2:36:28] If you can please unmute.
[2:36:28] >> Thank you.
[2:36:29] Good afternoon council members.
[2:36:33] Thank you for the opportunity
[2:36:34] to speak today.
[2:36:34] My name's Megan Stewart and I
[2:36:35] work with youth in the world of
[2:36:38] public health prevention.
[2:36:39] >> OCTOBER 10th is World Mental
[2:36:39] Health Day which serves to
[2:36:43] remind us that mental health
[2:36:44] must be a priority in every
[2:36:45] policy decision.
[2:36:48] I want to draw your attention
[2:36:49] today to the effects of
[2:36:49] substance use, particularly
[2:36:53] marijuana on youth mental
[2:36:54] health and to urge stronger
[2:36:54] protections in how we regulate
[2:36:58] and promote it.
[2:36:59] >> DR. Daniel Arman,
[2:36:59] psychiatrist and brain imaging
[2:37:03] specialists reports that and
[2:37:03] studies comparing about 1000
[2:37:07] marijuana users to over 25,000
[2:37:08] non-users using spect brain
[2:37:08] imaging.
[2:37:12] Marijuana users show lower
[2:37:13] cerebral blood flow across
[2:37:18] nearly every brain region.
[2:37:18] The hippocampus critical for
[2:37:19] memory and learning was
[2:37:19] especially affected.
[2:37:23] These findings challenge
[2:37:23] the portrayal of marijuana as a
[2:37:27] harmless substance.
[2:37:28] What's especially dangerous is
[2:37:29] that young adult brains are
[2:37:29] still under development.
[2:37:33] DR. Ahmed warns that when
[2:37:33] someone begins using marijuana
[2:37:38] before age 25 it can arrest
[2:37:38] normal brain maturation.
[2:37:39] If you heard it early, he says
[2:37:42] it might not ever catch up.
[2:37:43] There's also evidence that
[2:37:44] consistent marijuana use MAY
[2:37:44] accelerate brain aging by an
[2:37:48] estimated three years on
[2:37:49] average in people with
[2:37:49] marijuana use disorder.
[2:37:53] These harms are not
[2:37:54] theoretical.
[2:37:57] Local surveys show that only
[2:37:57] 32% of youth believe marijuana
[2:37:58] is extremely bad or very bad
[2:38:02] for them compared to 75% who
[2:38:03] feel that way about tobacco.
[2:38:07] These perceptions matter
[2:38:08] because when youth see
[2:38:08] normalizing messages and ads,
[2:38:14] billboards or permissive public
[2:38:14] policy it weakens prevention
[2:38:15] efforts not only during this
[2:38:18] month but every month.
[2:38:18] I would like to urge
[2:38:19] the Council to act with courage
[2:38:20] in protecting the mental health
[2:38:22] of San Diego youth.
[2:38:23] Please strive to adopt strong
[2:38:24] limits on marijuana
[2:38:24] advertising.
[2:38:28] Enforce clear restrictions
[2:38:28] around access for youth.
[2:38:29] Stringent protections against
[2:38:33] normalization in public spaces
[2:38:33] including promoting smoke free
[2:38:34] spaces.
[2:38:34] >> Your time has concluded.
[2:38:37] Next as Million Dollar Man If
[2:38:42] you can please unmute.
[2:38:43] Okay I promise I'll keep my
[2:38:47] composure.
[2:38:48] I agree with the previous
[2:38:52] speaker on marijuana If she's
[2:38:53] still in the room she can call
[2:38:53] me.
[2:38:54] We'll talk about it.
[2:38:58] But I also agree what MR.
[2:38:58] Foster made a very very
[2:39:03] intelligent question and I
[2:39:04] completely agree on what he was
[2:39:07] talking about but I'd like to
[2:39:08] talk about something that you
[2:39:13] will you'll never believe this
[2:39:14] and I have to get it off my
[2:39:14] chest.
[2:39:18] A lady in my neighborhood came
[2:39:19] over to my house about a year
[2:39:23] and a half ago and I told her I
[2:39:24] said, you know, I ride my
[2:39:25] peloton bike on my driveway in
[2:39:29] my thong bikini and I get a lot
[2:39:29] of abuse from people.
[2:39:33] And she said don't worry about
[2:39:33] it, Danny, I I'm with the Pride
[2:39:38] parade and I agree with you and
[2:39:38] you get pride and you ran in
[2:39:39] pride and we're all for you and
[2:39:43] don't worry about it You can.
[2:39:44] Well anyway, a couple of days
[2:39:48] ago our next door accom
[2:39:49] the same lady commented on my
[2:39:54] thong bikini and she said No
[2:39:55] one will vote for you because
[2:39:55] you you wear that thong bikini
[2:39:56] on your driveway.
[2:40:02] Well the lady is the partner of
[2:40:07] Gen Campbell and my opponent is
[2:40:12] work for Gen Campbell and he's
[2:40:13] gay and he's on the Pride
[2:40:16] committee And if you don't
[2:40:22] think that oh my GOD, you know
[2:40:27] I've I've seen it all and I've
[2:40:28] heard it all until until now.
[2:40:32] But but nothing could be more
[2:40:36] blatantly disgustingly
[2:40:37] hypocritical than what I just
[2:40:41] told you and my friends
[2:40:42] everything is fair in love and
[2:40:47] war in all ad politics.
[2:40:48] >> Your time has concluded
[2:40:48] Madison if you can please
[2:40:52] unmute I'm beginning council
[2:40:52] members.
[2:40:57] >> My name is Madison and I'm
[2:40:57] here tonight to speak in
[2:40:58] support of Youth Drug
[2:40:58] Prevention Month and to draw
[2:41:02] your attention to an important
[2:41:03] emerging public health concern
[2:41:03] which is second hand exposure
[2:41:07] to e-cigarette and tobacco
[2:41:07] smoke among youth, according to
[2:41:11] a newly released study from
[2:41:12] the 2023 National Youth Tobacco
[2:41:12] Survey.
[2:41:15] Over 64% of us students in
[2:41:16] grades six through 12 which
[2:41:20] amounts to an estimated 18
[2:41:21] million children reported
[2:41:24] exposure to second hand
[2:41:25] e-cigarette or tobacco smoke
[2:41:25] within the past 30 days.
[2:41:29] That means most of our youth
[2:41:29] are routinely breathing in
[2:41:30] harmful substances even if they
[2:41:31] don't personally use these
[2:41:34] products.
[2:41:35] The study found that second
[2:41:35] hand exposure especially to
[2:41:39] e-cigarettes is strongly
[2:41:39] associated with the early
[2:41:40] stages of youth e-cigarette use
[2:41:44] including increases of debility
[2:41:45] and experimentation.
[2:41:46] For example, students exposed
[2:41:50] to e-cigarette vapor were more
[2:41:50] than twice as likely to try
[2:41:51] e-cigarettes compared to those
[2:41:54] with no exposure though
[2:41:55] the study didn't find a direct
[2:41:56] link between secondhand
[2:42:01] exposure and daily use or quit
[2:42:01] attempts.
[2:42:02] The findings are clear.
[2:42:06] Exposure drives initiation.
[2:42:06] As we recognize OCTOBER as
[2:42:07] Youth Prevention Month and
[2:42:11] prepare for Red Ribbon Week, I
[2:42:12] urge this Council to consider
[2:42:12] strategies to reduce youth
[2:42:16] exposure in public spaces
[2:42:16] especially parks, schools and
[2:42:17] multifamily housing.
[2:42:21] We must ensure our local
[2:42:22] environments protect and not
[2:42:22] endanger our young people by
[2:42:27] limiting second hand exposure.
[2:42:28] We don't just protect lungs, we
[2:42:28] protect futures.
[2:42:32] Thank you for your time and
[2:42:33] continued commitment to public
[2:42:33] health.
[2:42:33] >> Thank you.
[2:42:34] Next is Barbara Gordon After
[2:42:40] that will be Kathleen Lippert.
[2:42:41] Good afternoon.
[2:42:45] I wanted to recognize that
[2:42:46] OCTOBER is substance use
[2:42:46] prevention month.
[2:42:51] I think increasing public
[2:42:51] awareness of the dangers of
[2:42:56] substance use and its effect on
[2:42:56] the community is vital.
[2:42:57] This month provides an
[2:42:57] opportunity to remember
[2:43:01] the value of prevention
[2:43:02] prevention, preventing
[2:43:07] substance use like vaping or
[2:43:08] marijuana at before it starts.
[2:43:09] It's a crucial part of a
[2:43:12] comprehensive approach to
[2:43:13] addressing our addiction
[2:43:13] crisis.
[2:43:17] Substance use trends in
[2:43:18] the U.S. Have changed in recent
[2:43:22] years, especially with
[2:43:23] the landscape of marijuana
[2:43:24] which is the most common
[2:43:28] substance among our 12 to 25
[2:43:29] year olds.
[2:43:30] And that is being treated for
[2:43:33] substance abuse disorder,
[2:43:34] outpatient or inpatient.
[2:43:38] It says in 2020 for e-r visits
[2:43:39] linked to marijuana surpassed
[2:43:43] those driven by opiates and
[2:43:44] those related only to marijuana
[2:43:44] use.
[2:43:52] Rose 37% in 2021 to 58% in
[2:43:52] 2024.
[2:43:53] Marijuana use has played a
[2:43:57] significant bit role in
[2:43:58] the overall substance abuse in
[2:43:58] America.
[2:44:03] The National Survey on Drug Use
[2:44:07] and Health data in 2024 saw
[2:44:07] 20.1 million cases of marijuana
[2:44:12] use disorder vastly more than
[2:44:12] opiate cocaine or meth.
[2:44:17] The city must not prioritize
[2:44:17] marijuana businesses while
[2:44:18] ignoring the risk factors.
[2:44:23] We must do more to enact
[2:44:23] protective factors that buffer
[2:44:28] and educate young people about
[2:44:28] the harms of substance use and
[2:44:29] abuse.
[2:44:33] Thank you for letting me speak
[2:44:33] .
[2:44:34] Thank you.
[2:44:34] Next is Kathleen Lippert.
[2:44:35] If you can please unmute after
[2:44:39] that is the original 77499.
[2:44:39] Please proceed.
[2:44:40] Thank you.
[2:44:40] Good afternoon.
[2:44:44] Cheryle and committee members.
[2:44:45] >> Those of us who follow
[2:44:45] public health research
[2:44:49] celebrated the governor's
[2:44:49] signing of ab 455 a law
[2:44:50] requiring sellers of single
[2:44:54] family residential properties
[2:44:55] to disclose in writing previous
[2:44:55] smoking or vaping on
[2:44:59] the property.
[2:45:00] The Department of Toxic
[2:45:01] Substances Control will update
[2:45:05] the homeowner's guide to
[2:45:05] environmental Hazards to
[2:45:06] include information on
[2:45:07] the dangers of the chemical
[2:45:11] residue left by smoking and
[2:45:12] before 55 would not have been
[2:45:16] necessary if a cost benefit
[2:45:16] analysis of the unintended
[2:45:20] harmful impacts on the public
[2:45:21] and the environment had been
[2:45:22] undertaken.
[2:45:22] Public electeds and the public
[2:45:27] would have recognize that
[2:45:27] the harms from agreeing to a
[2:45:28] policy and bargain of treating
[2:45:32] public health safety and
[2:45:33] the environment for promised
[2:45:34] drug revenues were predictable.
[2:45:38] The adverse health impacts on
[2:45:39] the public and the environment
[2:45:40] will take generations and
[2:45:43] hundreds of millions of dollars
[2:45:44] to uncover and even longer to
[2:45:44] mitigate.
[2:45:49] But much of the damage to
[2:45:49] the lives of users, their
[2:45:50] family of communities and
[2:45:54] environmental damage to public
[2:45:54] parks state, county and federal
[2:45:59] lands MAY never be remediated
[2:46:00] in accordance with the state's
[2:46:00] decision to protect the public
[2:46:04] from the harms of third hand
[2:46:04] smoke could be furthered if
[2:46:08] the city would take similar
[2:46:09] steps to adopt an ordinance
[2:46:10] requiring all low income,
[2:46:14] public and private properties
[2:46:15] be smoke free.
[2:46:15] Thank you for letting me speak.
[2:46:16] Thank you.
[2:46:20] Next is the original If you can
[2:46:22] please unmute then 749 and 1384
[2:46:28] is our final speaker.
[2:46:29] >> The original academy before
[2:46:29] you?
[2:46:29] Yeah.
[2:46:34] I wanted to know when going to
[2:46:34] audit Tent City.
[2:46:39] I want to know how many more
[2:46:40] people are going to need to die
[2:46:45] before something because like I
[2:46:49] said a minute ago Shannon from
[2:46:50] the earlier fall has passed
[2:46:51] away a couple of weeks ago on
[2:46:55] Thursday.
[2:47:00] She died of an overdose and she
[2:47:00] was 49 years old And just
[2:47:05] before that Tammy Jackson was
[2:47:06] 37 as well died in her chair.
[2:47:11] And again, people are being
[2:47:11] sexually assaulted.
[2:47:16] You know, and when Shannon died
[2:47:17] the employees are sitting there
[2:47:17] saying don't give her anything
[2:47:18] like don't give her nor can she
[2:47:21] give her life could have been
[2:47:22] saved if they weren't getting
[2:47:26] instructions that were deadly
[2:47:26] to me.
[2:47:27] And you guys sit there and you
[2:47:28] say that you know, you're
[2:47:31] helping homeless people and
[2:47:32] they're literally dying on your
[2:47:32] watch and you're not doing
[2:47:36] anything about it but laughing
[2:47:37] And I just don't understand
[2:47:37] that It's like you know, I mean
[2:47:38] even the food that they're
[2:47:42] contracted to give none of
[2:47:43] these guys would eat that.
[2:47:43] You sit up on that diet and you
[2:47:47] gloat like you're helping
[2:47:47] people and people I mean
[2:47:52] seriously, who else has to die
[2:47:52] ?
[2:47:53] Like how many times do I have
[2:47:54] to say it and then come back
[2:47:55] and report that someone else
[2:47:58] has died And it shouldn't be
[2:47:59] that you know, Steven is
[2:48:03] sitting there laughing about
[2:48:03] it.
[2:48:04] These are people's lives who go
[2:48:05] into those centers thinking
[2:48:08] that they're going to get help
[2:48:09] and they don't.
[2:48:09] They get stuck there And then
[2:48:10] when something happens like
[2:48:14] they're being told to go into a
[2:48:19] bathroom and you know, give
[2:48:19] oral sex to an employee because
[2:48:23] he gave someone drugs and
[2:48:24] alcohol and then they're told
[2:48:24] not to report it And then just
[2:48:29] because they fire someone, that
[2:48:30] person is roaming the streets
[2:48:30] And this is all because of you
[2:48:34] guys.
[2:48:35] >> Your time has concluded Next
[2:48:40] 7499 if you can please unmute.
[2:48:45] >> Bob Kozinski here I want to
[2:48:46] start by saying good job to
[2:48:46] council member Von Wilpert for
[2:48:50] holding staff accountable here
[2:48:51] in council chambers and for not
[2:48:51] accepting a quote.
[2:48:55] We'll get back to you, answer
[2:48:55] Council member Von Wilpert If
[2:48:56] you use that level of passion
[2:48:57] to dig into the terrifying
[2:49:00] slide or issue you will find
[2:49:00] some surprises.
[2:49:01] We've never had a meeting and
[2:49:05] I'm hereby requesting a meeting
[2:49:06] with you Council member Von
[2:49:06] Wilpert.
[2:49:07] The City Clerk has my contact
[2:49:11] information if you should
[2:49:11] decide to honor that request.
[2:49:12] As I mentioned in my earlier
[2:49:16] comments, today's meeting
[2:49:16] highlights the gross
[2:49:17] mismanagement that is endemic
[2:49:17] throughout this city.
[2:49:21] We are seeing it everywhere.
[2:49:22] It's in the finance department.
[2:49:23] It's in the operations
[2:49:23] department.
[2:49:24] It's in the contracting
[2:49:26] department.
[2:49:27] It's everywhere throughout
[2:49:27] the city government.
[2:49:31] This city needs independent
[2:49:32] oversight from the top to
[2:49:32] the bottom.
[2:49:33] Former city leaders have
[2:49:37] recognized this need and that's
[2:49:38] why both citizen's committees
[2:49:38] and advisory boards are
[2:49:42] provided in the city charter.
[2:49:42] The auditor's office has
[2:49:43] uncovered some shocking things
[2:49:47] that they've looked into but
[2:49:47] the auditor's office cannot
[2:49:48] constantly review and inspect
[2:49:52] all of the contracts and
[2:49:53] departments and operations
[2:49:53] throughout this city.
[2:49:58] Furthermore, even the city
[2:49:58] auditors don't have
[2:49:59] the expertise to recognize all
[2:49:59] of the problems that might
[2:50:03] exist in this city.
[2:50:03] Councilmember Moreno got it
[2:50:04] right.
[2:50:04] The city does not have that
[2:50:08] broad expertise.
[2:50:09] It is therefore irresponsible
[2:50:10] of this council to deactivate
[2:50:13] any advisory boards such as
[2:50:14] the Torrey Pines City Park
[2:50:14] Advisory Board.
[2:50:19] I am again requesting that any
[2:50:20] one of you council members any
[2:50:24] one of you request an agenda
[2:50:24] item to reactivate the Torrey
[2:50:25] Pines City Park Advisory Board
[2:50:29] and bring that item to this
[2:50:29] Council.
[2:50:30] Any council member can do that
[2:50:30] so you're all accountable.
[2:50:31] Take the initiative.
[2:50:34] It's time to step up.
[2:50:35] Also good job to all public
[2:50:36] speakers especially Francine
[2:50:36] Maxwell.
[2:50:40] Very well said.
[2:50:40] >> Thank you.
[2:50:41] Thank you.
[2:50:42] Our final speaker is 1384.
[2:50:48] >> If you can please unmute.
[2:50:49] >> Ernie Casco La Hoya resident
[2:50:53] Senior pilot sdp.
[2:50:54] You referred me to the district
[2:50:58] attorney to stop the illegal
[2:50:59] commercialization of Torrey
[2:50:59] Pines by the board by an out of
[2:51:00] control sex shop flight
[2:51:04] director turning her freedom
[2:51:04] into a privilege for license
[2:51:05] and plea And this is completely
[2:51:09] illegal needs to stop $400
[2:51:10] annually to use the airport by
[2:51:14] threat of violence or else is
[2:51:15] completely unacceptable under
[2:51:15] any terms and retaliation.
[2:51:18] I've been assaulted given
[2:51:19] the deadly wing that collapsed
[2:51:20] in mid-flight.
[2:51:24] My hope is abated that with net
[2:51:25] sales poisoned with a deadly
[2:51:25] virus and a biohazard.
[2:51:29] Is the city committing genocide
[2:51:30] Because I'm dying with stage
[2:51:30] four cancer.
[2:51:31] It's time to compensate those
[2:51:35] who have been damaged falsely
[2:51:35] accused and arrested.
[2:51:36] The San Diego recreational
[2:51:40] waiver stops the crime, secures
[2:51:40] city liabilities, restores our
[2:51:41] constitutional recreational
[2:51:45] rights and freedoms back to
[2:51:46] the original agreement.
[2:51:47] I have a petition on Change.Org
[2:51:50] with nearly with over 600 700
[2:51:51] signatures demanding
[2:51:55] authorities take acid black
[2:51:56] Beach recreational scandal to
[2:51:56] stop the commercialization and
[2:52:00] privatization of the San Diego
[2:52:00] Park.
[2:52:01] It's time to end the dispute
[2:52:05] and implement the San Diego
[2:52:06] recreational waiver as
[2:52:06] the solution for JULY report.
[2:52:10] Thank you, Ernie Casco Thank
[2:52:10] you.
[2:52:11] >> And that does conclude non
[2:52:12] agenda public comment for
[2:52:15] today's meeting.
[2:52:16] >> Thanks to the public for
[2:52:21] their comments and I believe
[2:52:21] that brings us to the end of
[2:52:22] today's agenda.
[2:52:25] So we will now conclude today's
[2:52:30] meeting and oh yes sorry
[2:52:31] looking forward at first to
[2:52:31] the city attorney, do you have
[2:52:32] anything to report up from
[2:52:32] closed session?
[2:52:35] Yes, Thank you.
[2:52:36] Council PRESIDENT Pro Tem Today
[2:52:37] in a closed session meeting
[2:52:39] the city council took
[2:52:40] the following action.
[2:52:41] The city council voted on
[2:52:44] closed session item number one
[2:52:44] Lisa Castro versus city of San
[2:52:45] Diego.
[2:52:48] San Diego Superior Court case
[2:52:53] number 37 2023 55625cupo ctl To
[2:52:57] accept a signed settlement
[2:52:58] offer in the amount of
[2:52:58] $115,000.
[2:53:02] The motion passed 720 with
[2:53:02] council members LaCava and
[2:53:03] Marino absent.
[2:53:06] That concludes my report.
[2:53:07] >> Thanking the City Attorney's
[2:53:08] office will now adjourn council
[2:53:12] the next regularly scheduled
[2:53:12] council meeting on Tuesday
[2:53:21] OCTOBER 7th, 2025 at 10:00 am